Epistle to the Son of the Wolf — Paragraph 185

Source (Persian)

يا شيخ در اطوار نفوس تفکّر نما * ساکنين مدائن علم و حکمت متحيّر که ايا چه واقع شده ؟ حزب شيعه که خود را اعلم و ازهد و اتقی از جميع احزاب عالم ميشمردند در يوم ظهور اعراض نمودند و ظلمی از ان حزب ظاهر شد که شبه نداشته و ندارد * فی الجمله تفکّر لازم از اوّل ظهور ان حزب الی حين چه مقدار از علماء که امدند و يکنفس از ايشان بر کيفيّت ظهور اگاه نه * ايا اين غفلت را سبب چه بوده؟ لو نذکره لتنفطر ارکانهم * تفکّر لازم بل تفکّر هزار هزار سنه لازم شايد برشحی از بحر علم فائز شوند و بيابند انچه را که اليوم از ان غافلند *

Translation

O Shaykh! Ponder the behavior of men. The inmates of the cities of knowledge and wisdom are sore perplexed asking themselves why it is that the Shí‘ah sect, which regarded itself as the most learned, the most righteous, and the most pious of all the peoples of the world, hath turned aside in the Day of His Revelation, and hath shown a cruelty such as hath never been experienced. It is incumbent upon thee to reflect a while. From the inception of this sect until the present day how great hath been the number of the divines that have appeared, none of whom became cognizant of the nature of this Revelation. What could have been the cause of this waywardness? Were We to mention it, their limbs would cleave asunder. It is necessary for them to meditate, to meditate for a thousand thousand years, that haply they may attain unto a sprinkling from the ocean of knowledge, and discover the things whereof they are oblivious in this day.