and completely forgotten. Then will thine eyes no longer be obscured by these veils, these terms, and allusions. How ethereal and lofty is this station, unto which even
Gabriel, unshepherded, can never attain, and the Bird of Heaven, unassisted, can never reach!
175And, now, strive thou to comprehend the meaning of this saying of
‘Alí, the Commander of the Faithful: “Piercing the
veils of glory, unaided.” Among these “veils of glory” are the
divines and doctors living in the days of the
Manifestation of God, who, because of their want of discernment and their love and eagerness for leadership, have failed to submit to the Cause of God, nay, have even refused to incline their ears unto the divine Melody. “They have thrust their fingers into their ears.”
119 And the people also, utterly ignoring God and taking them for their masters, have placed themselves unreservedly under the authority of these pompous and hypocritical leaders, for they have no sight, no hearing, no heart, of their own to distinguish truth from falsehood.