Phenomenology of Occultation

a most noble pattern 204 is nothing other than one’s existence. This true self is the state of the divinity of human beings, the sign of divinity that is enshrined within their hearts. Thus the Báb is speaking of the dialectics of self-consciousness that has to be attained after one’s alienation from one’s true self and station. The truth of one’s being is ulti- mately a spiritual reality, the revelation of God within one’s being. But it is the fall from this state of perfection and unity that separates humans from all others and imprisons them within the realm of pluralities and phenomenal selves. It is thus necessary that such state of unconsciousness and unfreedom be overcome through a spiritual journey which attempts to realize one’s true reality. Prayer to God becomes the dynamics of such journey. The verse of the Qur’an that is quoted by the Báb in the above passage follows the divine command for prayer: ‘And thy Lord sayest: “Call on me; I will answer your prayer.”’ The real meaning of hell and paradise is also obvious from this same Quranic verse. First God commands humans to pray to him and then he says that those who are too proud to worship him will enter hell abased. One can see that in the interpretation of the Báb, hell is the station of self-alienation and non-recogni- tion of one’s true reality while heaven is the realization of one’s true self. This point is emphasized in various writings of the Báb, both earlier and later. The Báb explains why calling to any one save God is forbidden. In chapter 4 he again refers to the Islamic tradition which states that all sins may be forgiven except asking, since according to the Qur’an, glory belongs to God, his Apostle and the believers (Q 63:8). Then he writes: Verily the faithful is far more exalted than can be described and he is far more glorious than to have to beg and ask, and it is not worthy of his station to be debased and humiliated. Nay rather, he hath ever been and will continue forever to be glorious by virtue of the glory of God. Therefore what sin could be more grievous for him than asking, and what transgression could exceed that debasement? He who beholdeth the mystery of the highest end will indeed cast into oblivion his existence by virtue of such asking . . . Verily among the humans, with all their poverty and weakness, should one’s slave asketh anyone other than his master for anything, this, in the sight of people, would hurt his honour and bring shame to him. Then how much more disgraceful such asking would be for God, glorified be he, with his absolute might, wealth, glory and generosity! (The Báb, Sahífiy-i Ja‘faríyyih, INBA 60, p. 71) Thus prayer and asking is forbidden to be directed to anyone except God. The purpose of this prayer is to return man to his true reality, his existence, the direc- tion of divine revelation within his heart. Asking anyone else results in the opposite, where one is further alienated from his existence and glory. The purpose of prayer, therefore, is to realize the true station of servitude when nothing is seen in oneself except the divinity of the Lord. This is the stage of true self-realization and self- consciousness. At this stage man is God, except that man is man and God is God. Such prayer, therefore, is qualitatively different from any other prayer. As we can see, already in chapter 4 the Báb is interpreting the idea of occultation of the Imam and the need for prayer at such time in terms of the dialectics of the arc of descent