The Book of the Most Holy CHAPTER EIGHT

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Division 251-285

THE MOST HOLY

251.

Thus counselleth you the Pen of Revelation,

if ye be of them that believe.

252.

Consider the mercy of God and His gifts.

253.

He enjoineth upon you that which shall profit you,

though He Himself can well dispense with all creatures.

254.

Your evil doings can never harm Us, neither can your good works profit Us.

255.

We summon you wholly for the sake of God.

256.

To this every man of understanding and insight will testify.

257.

If ye should hunt with beasts or birds of prey,

invoke ye the Name of God when ye send them to pursue their quarry;

258.

for then whatever they catch shall be lawful unto you,

even should ye find it to have died.

He, verily, is the Omniscient, the All-Informed.

259.

Take heed, however, that ye hunt not to excess.

260.

Tread ye the path of justice and equity in all things.

261.

Thus biddeth you He Who is the Dawning-place of Revelation, would that ye might comprehend.

262.

God hath bidden you to show forth kindliness towards My kindred,

yet He hath granted them no right to the property of others.

He, verily, is self-sufficient, above any need of His creatures.

263.

Should anyone intentionally destroy a house by fire, him also shall ye burn;

should anyone deliberately take another's life, him also shall ye put to death.

264.

Take ye hold of the precepts of God with all your strength and power,

and abandon the ways of the ignorant.

265.

Should ye condemn the arsonist and the murderer to life imprisonment,

it would be permissible according to the provisions of the Book.

He, verily, hath power to ordain whatsoever He pleaseth.

266.

God hath prescribed matrimony unto you.

267.

Beware that ye take not unto yourselves more wives than two.

268.

Whoso contenteth himself with a single partner from among the maidservants of God,

both he and she shall live in tranquillity.

269.

And he who would take into his service a maid may do so with propriety.

270.

Such is the ordinance which, in truth and justice, hath been recorded by the Pen of Revelation.

271.

Enter into wedlock, O people,

that ye may bring forth one who will make mention of Me amid My servants.

272.

This is My bidding unto you;

hold fast to it as an assistance to yourselves.

273.

O people of the world!

Follow not the promptings of the self, for it summoneth insistently to wickedness and lust;

274.

follow, rather, Him Who is the Possessor of all created things,

Who biddeth you to show forth piety, and manifest the fear of God.

He, verily, is independent of all His creatures.

275.

Take heed not to stir up mischief in the land after it hath been set in order.

276.

Whoso acteth in this way is not of Us, and We are quit of him.

277.

Such is the command which hath, through the power of truth,

been made manifest from the heaven of Revelation.

278.

It hath been laid down in the Bayá n that marriage is dependent upon the consent of both parties.

279.

Desiring to establish love, unity and harmony amidst Our servants, We have conditioned it, once the couple's wish is known, upon the permission of their parents, lest enmity and rancour should arise amongst them.

279.

And in this We have yet other purposes.

280.

Thus hath Our commandment been ordained.

281.

No marriage may be contracted without payment of a dowry, which hath been fixed for city-dwellers at nineteen mithqá ls of pure gold, and for village-dwellers at the same amount in silver.

282.

Whoso wisheth to increase this sum, it is forbidden him to exceed the limit of ninety-five mithqá ls.

283.

Thus hath the command been writ in majesty and power.

284.

If he content himself, however, with a payment of the lowest level, it shall be better for him according to the Book.

285.

God, verily, enricheth whomsoever He willeth through both heavenly and earthly means, and He, in truth, hath power over all things.

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