ميثاق النساء
I put my trust in our Lord al-Ḥākim—glorified is He—whose sovereignty is exalted above the rule of imaginings and besides whom none is worshipped.
When I looked upon the community of spiritual ranks through His perfect light, and our Lord—exalted be His remembrance—appointed me Imam over His Call and His servants, I considered His saying: “Were it not for believing men and believing women whom you did not know, whom you might trample and thereby incur blame on their account unknowingly, so that God might admit into His mercy whom He wills—had they been separated, We would have punished the unbelievers among them with painful punishment.”
In what has preceded, the Speakers are the men and the Foundations their women. From another point of view, the Foundations are the men and the Proofs their women. From another point of view, the Proofs are the men and the Callers their women. From another, the Callers are the men and the Authorized Instructors (maʾdhūnūn) their women. From another, the Authorized Instructors are the men and the Mukāsirs their women. All of these are servants who exist in our present age and are employed in the service of our Lord—exalted be His remembrance.
The act of trampling here means the opening of knowledge of the reality. Were the men of reality not to teach the religious women, no Responders would emerge from among them, and they would remain among the adherents of the law-bound religions. The Speaker would then incur blame through them without knowing it. Through the men of reality teaching the religious women, the women pass from ignorance to knowledge and become among the angels brought near who have mastered themselves and refrained from the actions of polytheists, and among the cherubic bearers of the Throne. Here the Throne means the knowledge of the tawḥīd of our Lord—exalted be His remembrance—a difficult, exceedingly difficult knowledge borne only by a sent prophet or an angel brought near.
This is the meaning of the saying to the ranks, “You might trample them and incur blame on their account unknowingly.” It means that if you do not open to them the knowledge of the reality, which is the tawḥīd of our Lord—exalted be His remembrance—they will stop at the religious law of Interpretation and will not be guided to tawḥīd. Remaining at the law of Interpretation is a reproach to their Caller.
“So that God might admit into His mercy whom He wills” means that the Caller of Truth guides whomever he wishes, when he knows that the person is worthy of it.
As for the saying, “Had they been separated, We would have punished the unbelievers among them with painful punishment,” it means that if the Callers were to organize themselves outside the tawḥīd of our Lord—exalted be His remembrance, change the Call to Him, transgress their assigned ranks, or speak what they had been forbidden to speak, the unbelievers among them would deserve painful punishment. These are those who cover over the word of tawḥīd with something else. The painful punishment means the renewal of the outward law within their hearts and their expulsion from their stations.
Just as the men of reality and the religious women must repudiate every fault and impurity, so believing men and pure believing women must renounce every defilement, uncleanness, blemish, and abomination. They must obey the Qāʾim of the Age and his spiritual ranks, including the Proofs and unrestricted Callers, and accept from the Authorized Instructors and Mukāsirs what draws them near to the tawḥīd of our Lord—exalted be His remembrance—and brings them to His mercy and worship.
Women must avoid the speech of women who disbelieve in our Lord—exalted be His remembrance—and deny God. They must guard themselves against suspicions, desires, and the commission of indecencies and wrongful acts, so that they may benefit from their faith and the goodness of their actions may become manifest in comparison with other women who associate partners with our Lord.
They must repudiate whatever introduces corruption into their religion or brings suspicion upon them and upon their brethren. All believing women must keep their hearts occupied with nothing but the tawḥīd of our Lord—exalted be His remembrance—and obedience to the pure ranks of His religion, who have been appointed for those seeking knowledge. They must not give themselves over to desires or to the wishes of the transgressors.
I have written this epistle for you to read to all believing women, provided they are Unitarians of our Lord—exalted be His remembrance—who acknowledge His unity, know His eternal self-sufficiency, preserve what has been imposed upon them, guard their private parts except with their husbands, and obediently worship our Lord and their Lord, al-Ḥākim, who rules through His own essence and is distinct from His originated beings. His originated beings are the Speakers, Foundations, Imams, Proofs, and the ranks attached to them. All are servants employed in our present age under the sovereignty of our Lord—exalted be His remembrance. There is no god but He, and He is distinct from them all.
Neither a Caller nor an unrestricted Authorized Instructor may read this epistle to a woman until he has examined her belief and religion and had the covenant written for her. Nor may he read it to a woman alone, or in a house containing no one else, lest they be alone together in private, even if both are trustworthy believers.
The Caller and Authorized Instructor must remove grounds for suspicion and evil opinion about himself and put an end to gossip. He must not read it to a woman by herself, but only when several women have assembled, at least three, with the women behind a curtain or veiled, their faces not uncovered. Her husband, if he is a Unitarian, or her father, son, brother, or another Unitarian who holds the appropriate responsibility toward her, should be present.
While reading, the Caller or Authorized Instructor must keep his eyes on the book he is reading, not on the women, and must not turn toward them or eavesdrop on them. The woman should not speak while the epistle is being read to her, laugh for joy, or weep from awe and fear, since her laughter, weeping, and speech may arouse desire in men.
Rather, she should listen to the reading with her ears, reflect upon it with her heart, and distinguish its meanings through her intellect, so that the reality of what she hears may become clear to her. If some part is difficult for her, she may ask the Caller about it. If he knows its meaning, he should answer her. Otherwise he should promise to inquire of someone above him. If he obtains the proof, he should communicate it to her. If not, he should ask the Qāʾim of the Age, if he has access to him, or otherwise the deputy whom the Qāʾim has appointed to stand in his place before the world.
When he learns the answer, he should communicate it to her if he considers her worthy of receiving it.
All Unitarian women must know that the first obligation upon them is knowledge of our Lord—exalted be His remembrance—and affirmation of His transcendence above all created beings. Next comes knowledge of the Qāʾim of the Age and distinguishing him from the other spiritual ranks. Then comes knowledge of the spiritual ranks by their names and stations, recognizing that the Qāʾim of the Age is first among them and that he appointed them. They obey him, hear from him, and refrain from what he forbids.
Once they know this, they must know that our Lord—exalted be His remembrance—has removed from them the seven obligatory pillars of the law-bound religion and imposed upon them seven religious qualities of tawḥīd:
First, and greatest, truthfulness of the tongue.
Second, protection of the brethren.
Third, abandonment of what you formerly followed and believed concerning the worship of absent non-being and falsehood.
Fourth, repudiation of the Iblises and tyranny.
Fifth, tawḥīd of our Lord—exalted be His remembrance—in every age, time, epoch, and season.
Sixth, contentment with His actions, whatever they may be.
Seventh, submission to His command in secret and amid events.
All Unitarian men and women must preserve these seven qualities, act according to them, and conceal them from those who are not entitled to them, after acquiring the knowledge mentioned above and removing all doubt about it.
If the women carry out what has been imposed upon them, preserve it, avoid the forbidden acts, and thank our Lord and their Lord for the favor of attaining His tawḥīd, knowing the spiritual ranks, obeying them all, and repudiating the errant Iblises, they will join the righteous, receive the reward of the angels brought near and the prophets sent forth, and escape the snare of accursed Iblīs.
Praise belongs to our Lord with the praise of those who give thanks. He suffices me and is the best Helper and Supporter.
Completed.