Let him then stand erect and say: O Lord of all being and Possessor of all things visible and invisible! [XI]
92) The name of God, “Possessor of all things visible and invisible” provides context for evaluating the scourge of materialism, a disease referred to by Shoghi Effendi as "evil" and “rampant.”
“It is this same cancerous materialism, born originally in Europe, carried to excess in the North American continent, contaminating the Asiatic peoples and nations, spreading its ominous tentacles to the borders of Africa, and now invading its very heart, which Bahá'u'lláh in unequivocal and emphatic language denounced in His Writings, comparing it to a devouring flame and regarding it as the chief factor in precipitating the dire ordeals and world-shaking crises that must necessarily involve the burning of cities and the spread of terror and consternation in the hearts of men.”
(Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith, p. 125)
“…materialism emerged full-blown in the second half of the twentieth century as a kind of universal religion claiming absolute authority in both the personal and social life of humankind.”
(Commissioned by the Universal House of Justice, Century of Light, pp. 89-90)
God as the “Possessor of all things” is a frequent designation in Baha’u’llah’s Writings.
‘O SON OF MY HANDMAID!
Be not troubled in poverty nor confident in riches, for poverty is followed by riches, and riches are followed by poverty. Yet to be poor in all save God is a wondrous gift, belittle not the value thereof, for in the end it will make thee rich in God, and thus thou shalt know the meaning of the utterance, "In truth ye are the poor," and the holy words, "God is the all-possessing," shall even as the true morn break forth gloriously resplendent upon the horizon of the lover's heart, and abide secure on the throne of wealth.’
(Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words, No. 51) [Emphasis added.]
“Thou art He, O God, Who hath proclaimed Himself as the Lord of Wealth, and characterized all that serve Him as poor and needy. Even as Thou hast written: "O ye that believe! Ye are but paupers in need of God; but God is the All-Possessing, the All-Praised." Having acknowledged my poverty, and recognized Thy wealth, suffer me not to be deprived of the glory of Thy riches. Thou art, verily, the Supreme Protector, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, LXVIII, p. 134) [Emphasis added.]
“Place not thy reliance on thy treasures. Put thy whole confidence in the grace of God, thy Lord. Let Him be thy trust in whatever thou doest, and be of them that have submitted themselves to His Will. Let Him be thy helper and enrich thyself with His treasures, for with Him are the treasuries of the heavens and of the earth. He bestoweth them upon whom He will, and from whom He will He withholdeth them. There is none other God but Him, the All-Possessing, the All-Praised. All are but paupers at the door of His mercy; all are helpless before the revelation of His sovereignty, and beseech His favors.”
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings, CXIV, pp. 234-35) [Emphasis added.]
Possessor of all things visible and invisible! [XI]
93) This understanding, that God is the Possessor of all things, is one of the principles that underlies the law of Huququ'llah. Members of the United States Baha'i community may learn more about this by logging into: american.bahai.us and then selecting the topic 'Huququ'llah' from the Directory on the lower left of the page.
Next: "Lamentation"
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