175. The Lord hath relieved you ... of the restrictions that formerly applied to clothing and to the trim of the beard.
Many rules about dress had their origins in the laws and traditional practices of the world's religions. For example, the Shi'ih clergy adopted for themselves a distinctive headdress and robes and, at one time, forbade the people to adopt European attire. Muslim practice, in its desire to emulate the custom of the Prophet, also introduced a number of restrictions with regard to the trim of the moustache and the length of the beard. (242:1)

Baha'u'llah removed such limitations on one's apparel and beard. He leaves such matters to the "discretion" of the individual, and at the same time calls upon the believers not to transgress the bounds of propriety and to exercise moderation in all that pertains to dress. (242:2)

176. O Land of Kaf and Ra!
Kaf and Ra are the first two consonants of Kirman, the name of a city and province of Iran. (242:3)

177. We perceive that which secretly and stealthily diffuseth from thee.
This passage is a reference to the intrigues of a group of Azalis, followers of Mirza Yahya (see note 190), associated with the city of Kirman. They include Mulla Ja'far, his son Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ruhi and Mirza Aqa Khan-i-Kirmani (both sons-in-law of Mirza Yahya), as well as Mirza Ahmad-i-Kirmani. They not only sought to undermine the Faith, but involved themselves in political intrigues which culminated in the assassination of Nasiri'd-Din Shah. (242:4)

178. Call ye to mind the shaykh whose name was Muhammad-Hasan
Shaykh Muhammad-Hasan, one of the leading exponents of Shi'ih Islam, rejected the Bab. The author of voluminous writings on Shi'ih jurisprudence, he is reported to have died around 1850. (242:5)

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