Translation, Commentary Surih of Kawthar (2)

first river

It is for the presence of a significant admixture of dust in this river, which preserveth

the heat of the fire, that God hath referred to it as a milk “whose taste changeth not.”

That is the river of yearning, rapture, love and proximity. Thus when He ascendeth the throne of

Glory (jalál), He calleth unto the Countenance of Beauty (jamál), by all His outward appearance

and inward essence

He explicitly exclaimed Divinity (láhút) within the midmost centre of

dust, Dominion (jabarút) upon the sphere of Names and Attributes, and Sovereignty (mulkíyyah)

through the simile of the ring upon His hand, as attested by Himself, exalted be His mention, in

this regard

This, verily, is evident before those who have torn away the veils from the Countenance of

Glory, and recognised Him in all His expressions, from the midmost point of the Vernal Equinox

(nuqtiy-i-i‘tidál) to the most sublime Summit of His divine Manifestation

Thus ‘Alí, peace be

upon Him, hath said about Himself, that which Muhammad, the Apostle of God, the blessings of

God rest upon Him, had mentioned aforetime about His own Self.

For the well spring of fresh milk, “whose taste changeth not”, bubbleth through the utterance of

the determinedthingness, which is its snow-white colour.

Verily, within the first stage, the

crystal incorruptible water is sanctified above any colour whatsoever, on account of the

transparent intensity of its purity, the shining glory of its station, and the lofty proximity of its

inner mystery to the station of its Sovereign Source of Revelation. The snow-white colour is

attributed to it merely by virtue of its station of limitation.

Whoso drinketh from this well spring must yield praise at all times unto the Family of God, with

that which is enshrined within him and through him, of the splendours of Their Knowledge, as

well as with that which God hath destined for Them in His knowledge of the Unseen.

As it is explained in the next paragraph, the inward essence of ‘Alí’s station is divinity. But the outward

manifestation of the station of Muhammad is servitude.

The Qur’án 47:15. Here the station of servitude is expressed as dust, and the pure Will as fire.

These are all reference to ‘Alí and His dual station. It is ‘Alí Who said “Outwardly I am an Imám; inwardly I am

the Unseen, the Unknowable.” Obviously these are also affirmation of the Báb’s own station Who is both ‘Alí and

Muhammad.

This is most likely a reference to ‘Alí’s expression of his happiness of having been conferred the ring of

Muhammad, which was also a symbol of His authority. Namely the authority of Muhammad has been conferred

upon ‘Alí.

This indirectly refers to the stations of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh as both are ‘Alí.

The stage of milk is the stage of Wish and that is the stage of determination of things. The determination is

symbolized by the color white.

This is an almost universal pattern in the writings of the Báb. The praise must be through what behoveth the

praiser and what befiteth the station of the praised.