In like manner, endeavour to comprehend the meaning of the “changing of the earth.”  Know thou, that upon whatever hearts the bountiful showers of mercy, raining from the “heaven” of divine Revelation, have fallen, the earth of those hearts hath verily been changed into the earth of divine knowledge and wisdom.  What myrtles of unity hath the soil of their hearts produced!  What blossoms of true knowledge and wisdom hath their illumined bosoms yielded!  Were the earth of their hearts to remain unchanged, how could such souls who have not been taught one letter, have seen no teacher, and entered no school, utter such words and display such knowledge as none can apprehend?  Methinks they have been moulded from the clay of infinite knowledge, and kneaded with the water of divine wisdom.  Therefore, hath it been said:  “Knowledge is a light which God casteth into the heart of whomsoever He willeth.”  It is this kind of knowledge which is and hath ever been praiseworthy, and not the limited knowledge that hath sprung forth from veiled and obscured minds.  This limited knowledge they even stealthily borrow one from the other, and vainly pride themselves therein!

Would that the hearts of men could be cleansed from these man-made limitations and obscure thoughts imposed upon them! haply they may be illumined by the light of the Sun of true knowledge, and comprehend the mysteries of divine wisdom.  Consider now, were the parched and barren soil of these hearts to remain unchanged, how could they ever become the Recipients of the revelation of the mysteries of God, and the Revealers of the divine Essence?  Thus hath He said:  “On the day when the earth shall be changed into another earth."(31)

The breeze of the bounty of the King of creation hath caused even the physical earth to be changed, were ye to ponder in your hearts the mysteries of divine Revelation.

And now, comprehend the meaning of this verse:  “The whole earth shall on the Resurrection Day be but His handful, and in His right hand shall the heavens be folded together.  Praise be to Him! and high be He uplifted above the partners they join with him!"(32) And now, be fair in thy judgment.  Were this verse to have the meaning which men suppose it to have, of what profit, one may ask, could it be to man?  Moreover, it is evident and manifest that no such hand as could be seen by human eye could accomplish such deeds, or could possibly be ascribed to the exalted Essence of the one true God.  Nay, to acknowledge such a thing is naught but sheer blasphemy, an utter perversion of the truth.  And should it be supposed that by this verse are meant the Manifestations of God, Who will be called upon, on the Day of Judgment, to perform such deeds, this too seemeth far from the truth, and is surely of no profit.  On the contrary, by the term “earth” is meant the earth of understanding and knowledge, and by “heavens” the heavens of divine Revelation.  Reflect thou, how, in one hand, He hath, by His mighty grasp, turned the earth of knowledge and understanding, previously unfolded, into a mere handful, and, on the other, spread out a new and highly exalted earth in the hearts of men, thus causing the freshest and loveliest blossoms, and the mightiest and loftiest trees to spring forth from the illumined bosom of man.