BH00008: Praise be to God Who hath fulfilled His promise…

Section 1: “Praise be to God Who hath fulfilled His…”

In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Glorious Lord

Praise be to God Who hath fulfilled His promise, sent down Him Who was promised from the heaven of His Will, and revealed that which was inscribed by His Most Exalted Pen in His Books, His Scriptures, His Psalms and His Tablets. The Resurrection hath come to pass, the Hour hath struck, the Path hath appeared, the Breath of God hath wafted, and the fragrance of His garment hath been diffused, despite the company of the Bayan who broke God’s Covenant and His Testament, and sought to build the edifices of idle fancies and vain imaginings with the hands of tyranny and oppression, even as they had built them aforetime. Perdition befall them! Destruction befall them! May they be cast far away!

O company of vain imaginings! The Most Sublime Horizon hath been illumined, and that which the veils of your souls and your idle fancies had concealed hath appeared. He hath indeed appeared with a sovereignty from His presence and hath rent asunder the veils and coverings with the fingers of power, in such wise that the Concourse on High heard the sound of their being rent. Fear God, O heedless ones! Bar not the people from the Path, nor hold them back from the Evidence. This is a Day wherein the ocean of knowledge hath surged and the fragrance of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, hath been wafted. Fear ye God, and invalidate not the truth with your words and deeds. The servant counseleth you for the sake of God, whereunto every fair-minded and perceiving one doth testify.

And prayers, peace, glory and splendor rest upon those who have quaffed the wine of steadfastness, who have arisen to serve the Cause with wisdom and utterance, and who have testified to that whereunto the Tongue of Grandeur testified before the creation of all things. These are servants whom God hath described in the Furqan and in the Bayan. Blessed is the ear that heareth and the eye that seeth, and woe unto every deceiving impostor who hath taken idle fancy as his lord instead of God and who preventeth people from the river of the mercy of their Lord, the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

It is submitted that the letter of that honored one reached this evanescent servant. After reading and becoming acquainted with its contents, he sought the presence of the Lord of Creation, attained unto the presence of His countenance, and after receiving permission, that which was in the letter was honored to be heard, and these sublime words descended from the heaven of the grace of the Revealer of verses, He, exalted be His glory, saith:

We are the Wronged One, the Stranger

O thou who gazest upon the Countenance! Thy letter came before the Wronged One, and the servant in attendance read it in its entirety. Praise be to God that thou hast quaffed the wine of recognition and turned thy face toward the horizon of the All-Merciful. In days when hearts and souls were agitated by the oppression of the idolators and the pillars of the House were shaken by the tyranny of the divines, they turned away at the outset of every Manifestation from the Divine Manifestation and the Dawning-Place of Divine revelation, pronouncing their verdict for the shedding of the blood of those holy souls.

What was the cause and reason for the migration of the Seal of the Prophets—may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice—from Mecca, and the ascension of Christ to the fourth heaven at whose hand matters became so difficult for that Holy Being that the hand of power caused Him to ascend and took Him to the fourth heaven? With utmost tyranny and oppression they bound the Truth with turban and cloak, and opened for themselves the door of glory and wealth in His name. If assured souls were to ponder the events of the past, by the life of God, they would lament and wail over the Wronged One of the world like those who have lost their dear ones.

At the time of Our departure from Baghdad, We informed all of the raising of a clamor throughout all regions. All, out of fear and trepidation, remained behind the veil while the Truth alone arose to establish His Cause. And when the effulgences of the Sun of Divine Unity cast their rays and the world became somewhat illumined and radiant, they emerged from behind the veil and first objected to the Truth Himself, arising with the swords of rejection to shed His pure blood. Such is the way of the people, should ye take heed, O men of understanding! O thou who art enkindled with the fire of the love of God! Praise the Beloved of the world that thou hast attained unto the eternal, everlasting blessing, and that is the mention which hath flowed concerning thee from the Most Exalted Pen. Whatever is visible shall assuredly be seized by extinction, save a word which God—glorified be His majesty—doth speak. Beseech God to aid thee in that which beseemeth His Day. The treasures of earth and what lies buried therein cannot equal His word. Be grateful and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who hast mentioned me, and glorification be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of the kingdom of the heavens and earth.”

What else can this servant say? God is witness and aware that his very foundations tremble and his heart is troubled, for he has observed that in all ages and centuries certain ignorant souls who fancy themselves learned have objected to the Daysprings of Divine Unity and, with utmost obstinacy, striven to extinguish God’s light. Then, when the Cause became exalted, they would grasp it with both hands and, through ascetic pretensions, gain control over the reins of the people—as you have seen and heard. And they have their likes and counterparts in these days: souls who never had any knowledge of this Cause have now arisen in tyranny and oppression, claiming complete understanding while preventing weak souls from approaching the Divine Fountain and urging them toward stagnant waters instead. May God protect His servants and preserve them from the whisperings of such souls—that is, from the hypocrites among the people of the Bayan. God protect us and you, O concourse of the believers, from the evil of these people.

This evanescent servant beseeches God, exalted be His glory, to assist His loved ones that they may drink from the ocean of the divine meanings hidden within God’s words and become so enkindled by the fire burning therein that the promptings of devils shall not keep them back from the Lord of the Day of Judgment. In Kaf and Ra the cawing has been raised, and the source of doubt and hypocrisy, with utmost deceit and guile and through fabricated words, has prevented weak souls from the King of Oneness and summoned them to the realm of falsehood—despite having had and still having no knowledge whatsoever of this Cause. Out of mere passion has he objected to the Lord of Names, wandering in the wilderness of idle fancies. I beseech God to guide him and not deprive him of the choice wine of inner meanings and the pure water of truthfulness, and to grant him a portion from the ocean of awareness. He is indeed powerful and mighty over all things.

In the Most Holy Book, which was revealed from God’s holy kingdom in the early days of imprisonment, mention was made by the Supreme Pen of the land of Kaf and Ra and what would occur therein, and until now it remained concealed. But this year the cawer of that land has uttered words at which the heavens were well-nigh cleft asunder, the earth split open, and the mountains crashed down.

May God grant the sense of justice and bestow righteousness and truth. For twelve hundred years and more, such souls invited people to Jabulqa and Jabulsa, and whenever an enlightened soul rejected this claim and informed the people that the Qa’im was yet unborn and in the loins, they issued the decree for his death and shed his blood. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of the All-Merciful’s Revelation that among such souls is this wailer of the land of Kaf and Ra, for he walks in the footsteps of those souls. How many pure souls drank the cup of martyrdom through the decree of those heedless, ignorant ones! All the chosen ones and friends of God bear witness to the truth of what has been mentioned. They imagined they were championing the Cause of Truth and guiding people to the straight path, while that path was the path of hell, not the straight path.

What intoxication has seized the people that they have not yet discovered the deception and craftiness of the company of hypocrites? Inform the friends of God to guard themselves, in the name of God, exalted be His glory, from the manifestations of deceit and hypocrisy and the dawning-places of trickery and deception, and not to trust such people. For it is observed that when they despair of someone—that is, when they see their vain imaginings have not influenced or affected him—they don the garment of friendship and outwardly associate with utmost love and affection, their purpose being to find an opportunity to implant what is hidden in their hearts. In all cases, avoidance is necessary. Through the means of friendship they strengthen the foundation of enmity. Their acceptance is rejection, their kindness is animosity, their silence is deception, and their speech is deceit.

Say: O foolish ones! Today the knights in the arena of detachment should see naught but the Truth, know naught but the Truth, and speak naught but the Truth, for this is the Day of God wherein none is mentioned but Him. Today, if anyone speaks of aught but the Truth and fixes his gaze on imaginary names, he was not and is not worthy of this station, this mention, and this Cause. Say: O heedless ones! Fear God and cast not the helpless people into your snares. Let them soar with the wings of detachment in this atmosphere and enter this court with utmost joy. Would that the people knew and understood! Some time ago, in one of the Tablets, this exalted Word was revealed from the tongue of the Lord of all being. His word, blessed and exalted is He:

O servant in attendance! Do these people not reflect upon the greatness of this Day? This is a Day whose magnitude hath been recorded and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in all the divine Books. Though the days of the Manifestations of Divine Unity and the Dawning-places of Divine Light are referred to in one sense as the “Days of God,” yet these days have been specifically designated and distinguished in all the Books. By God, exalted be His glory! Even as He saith to the Seal of the Prophets: “The Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds,” and likewise, “The Kingdom on that Day shall be God’s,” and “Thy Lord shall come with angels rank on rank,” and the like thereof.

And to Moses He saith: “Lead thy people from darkness into light and remind them of the Days of God.” He giveth glad tidings of this blessed Day to all the Messengers. Nevertheless, at times they speak of the Mirror, at times of the Vicegerent, and at times of the Fruit. They cling to these names and perceive not. They speak but understand not; they say but comprehend not. Say: Die in your wrath! This is the Day of God, did ye but know it, and this is the Cause of God, would ye but judge with fairness. He Who was hidden in God’s knowledge and recorded in His Books hath appeared, and through Him every sealed matter hath been revealed and every hidden secret uncovered.

Now, in their baseness, the gnats raise objections against the Lord of Lords. The crow hath no portion in the realm of inner meanings, and the fly hath no share in divine melodies. This field requireth the knights of recognition, that they may spur on their steeds in the name of God, exalted be His glory! Glory be to God! Some souls speak purely out of desire, for they have drunk of the wine of idle fancies and taken gods other than God. They walk in the winds of conjecture and lead others astray by their vain imaginings. Were this servant to recount all that he hath heard concerning such matters, the pages of discourse would surely not suffice. We make mention of verses that were revealed at the beginning of imprisonment in the Most Holy Book, that perchance the heedless may become aware, the sleeping may be awakened, and they that sit still may arise. His word, exalted be His utterance and glorified His station:

“O Land of Kaf and Ra! We, verily, behold thee in a state displeasing unto God, and We see proceeding from thee that which none knoweth except God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. We find also thy inner secrets, for with Us is the knowledge of all things recorded in a lucid Tablet. Sorrow not on account of that which hath befallen thee. Erelong will God raise up within thee men possessed of mighty valor, who will magnify My Name with such constancy that neither will they be deterred by the learned men, nor will they be kept back by the doubts of the perverse. With their own eyes will they behold God, and with their own lives will they render Him victorious. These, truly, are of those who are firm.”

When these verses were revealed, there was no mention of the clamorer of that land, and the Most Holy Book had been revealed ten years prior, as all are aware. Ever have ignorant souls adorned themselves with cloaks and turbans, and in the guise of knowledge blocked His path. Which of their traditions, hadiths and reports have proven true and accurate? Poor souls have for centuries wandered in the wilderness of idle fancies and vain imaginings due to the ignorance of those heedless ones. For the sake of God it is said: perchance they may not rebuild the edifice of fancy nor lay the foundation of vain imaginings upon the earth.

Today they must, with the power of the Friend of all worlds, break the chains of imitation and shatter the idols of fancy. They must purify their ears from what they have heard, move beyond idle talk, and turn from words to deeds. Say: O heedless ones! Who is he that hath arisen to promote the Cause, and who is he that hath summoned all to the Supreme Horizon in days wherein the hearts of the wise were sorely shaken? Glory be to God! How have they understood this Day and what have they comprehended of this Most Great Revelation?

This is the Day wherein none is mentioned save Him, and it behooveth no one to cling to similitudes, likenesses and names. This is the Day which the Books of God have extolled and to which the Prophets and Messengers have borne witness. One is bewildered what to mention. The Shi’ih sect, who counted themselves the greatest, most learned and most pious of all the sects of the world, were exposed by the dawning rays of the Sun of Revelation as the basest of all sects, for by the decree of those souls they martyred the Beloved of the worlds in that land. The curse of God be upon the wrongdoing people! Not content with this, they issued decrees for the killing of all holy souls. How many children and women were martyred through the tyranny of those souls, and how many were left without shelter, refuge or guardian!

Section 2: “Now again a group of the world’s prevaricators…”

Now again a group of the world’s prevaricators have gathered and are endeavoring to establish the former foundation. The clamorer of the land of Kaf and Ra and other clamorers seek to veil the rays of the Sun of Truth behind new clouds of fancy, and to occupy themselves for another two or three thousand years with acceptance and rejection, objection and protest, cursing and reviling one another from pulpits and gatherings. By the Sun of the horizon of sanctity, this servant is ashamed and abashed at such mentions. All the divines of the age, each of whom was a leader in Iran and occupied pulpit and prayer-niche, failed to perceive even an atom’s weight of truth. For had they perceived it, this unprecedented tyranny would not have occurred in the world.

Out of desire and leadership they spoke that which caused the martyrdom of the Desired One of the world, the Primal Point—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him. For were it not for those fabricated utterances, the Truth and His loved ones would not have been martyred. All the divines in the first year declared that all divines before and after had maintained that He must appear from Jabulqa and Jabulsa. Yet now this sect says He was born in Shiraz, and thus they all decreed His unbelief and the shedding of His pure blood.

O beloved of my heart, some reflection is needed so that you may become aware of the oppression of this group and enlighten some others. Most of the people cling to imitation and are afflicted with their desires. The flood of their suspicions and fancies has destroyed the foundation of faith. Woe upon them and upon those who follow them! Heedlessness has reached such a degree that they have arranged conditions for the Manifestation through their own imaginings and have limited Him through their own intimations and perceptions. And when they found Him contrary to their suspicions, they raised an uproar.

Say: This Great Announcement has never needed, nor does it need, anyone’s testimony to prove His Cause. Consider what the Point of the Bayan—may the spirit of all existence be sacrificed for Him—has uttered. His blessed and exalted Word states: “I have written the essence concerning His mention: He shall not be known through My allusion, nor by what is mentioned in the Bayan…” unto His mighty and glorious Word: “For verily He is more glorious and exalted than to be known through any but Himself or to be described by the description of His creatures. Verily, I am the first to believe in Him and in His verses, and I have received from the virgin gardens of the paradise of His knowledge the gardens of His words. Yea, by His glory! He is the Truth, there is no God but Him. All are upheld by His command.”

Where are the attentive ears and where are the keen eyes that they might behold the effulgent lights of the Sun of Utterance and hear the call of the True One, glorified be His majesty? If all who are in the Bayan would observe and reflect upon even this one passage with fairness and justice, all would turn to the Most Holy Court and, becoming heedless of what is with the people, would hold fast to what is with God. But what benefit is there when ears are stuffed with the cotton of selfish desires, preventing them from hearing, and eyes are veiled by the veils of suspicion and fancy, keeping them from seeing?

At one time this exalted word was revealed from the Dayspring of Revelation, the Lord of Names. His blessed and exalted Word states:

“O servant in attendance! Consider how the eyelid, thin as it appears, if it becomes a veil, prevents the eye from beholding the heavens and the earth and all that is therein—the trees, the rivers, the seas, the mountains, the fruits, the colors and whatsoever exists. Now if the thick veil of suspicion falls upon the heart, what will it do? O servant in attendance! Beseech God that He may purify all from the preventing veils, that perchance they may discover the purpose of the creation of beings, attain to the recognition of the hidden and sealed treasure, and drink of this sealed wine.”

The essence of what has been revealed, by the testimony of the Beloved of all worlds, is that the Dawning-Place of verses and the Day-Spring of evidences is not dependent upon the indication of that Sovereign of existence nor upon what was revealed in the Bayan. All are commanded to recognize Him through His own Self. In this connection certain mysteries were heard from the Tongue of the Source of Names, which this servant dareth not disclose without leave. Would that the people knew and understood! Blessed is the one who, with his own eyes, turneth toward the Most Exalted Horizon and perceiveth the lights of His countenance without the veils of allusions.

The intoxication of vain imaginings and heedlessness hath veiled most people. Concerning that Ancient Beauty, whom the Point of the Bayan—may the life of all else be sacrificed for His sake—hath described as “Verily, I am the first to believe in Him and in His verses,” they have uttered that which hath caused the heavens to be cloven asunder and the Kingdom of Names to be sorely troubled. In truth, were anyone to meditate upon these blessed words which have shone forth from the Dayspring of the Bayan of God—exalted be His glory—and become informed of the pearls of utterance, he would find himself independent of all things. He would soar in the atmosphere of divine sanctity on the wings of certitude and drink from the waters of steadfastness. Today, should anyone hesitate in the least, he would be accounted among the people of the Fire. In His presence all mention is nullified, and before His utterance all utterance boweth down in submission.

On one occasion He said:

“O servant in attendance! Today the Kingdom of the Bayan boweth down in submission before the All-Merciful. All books and tablets are suspended upon His Will, and all who are in the Bayan are commanded to recognize this Most Great Remembrance, this momentous Announcement.”

Blessed is the one who hath broken the chains of idle fancies and vain imaginings through the Name of the Self-Subsisting, who hath forsaken that which is possessed by the people and held fast unto that which is with God.

Such objecting souls have ever existed. Were anyone to reflect upon the events that transpired after the ascension of His Holiness al-ʿAskari—peace be upon Him—and the machinations of the heretical divines, he would testify that all the corruption in the world hath proceeded and proceedeth from such souls. By the life of our Lord! Were it not for the lies of the leaders, the Lord Most High would not have been martyred by the tyranny of His enemies. They appointed an imaginary person to an imaginary throne, and through imaginary traditions established that which caused the blood of the Lord of the world and the essences of all peoples to be shed. At times they would produce forged documents and attribute them to the Source of existence. The curse of God be upon the people who lie! Inwardly their purpose was to exalt their own station and prestige, while outwardly they would point to ruins—sometimes to Jabulqa, sometimes to Jabulsa, and at times to the false region which they called holy. The eternal Sovereign, concerning Whom the Point of the Bayan—may the life of all else be sacrificed for His sake—hath said, exalted be His remembrance:

“Verily, He is too glorious and exalted to be known through aught else or to seek the counsel of His creatures.”

Now the heedless souls have risen in opposition and clung to the words of this one and that. Today the Tongue of Grandeur proclaims, exalted be His glory:

“O Pen! Dost thou see anyone besides Me on this day? Where are all created things and their manifestations? Where are all names and their kingdoms? Where are all hidden things and their mysteries? Where are all outward things and their traces? Annihilation hath seized all who dwell in creation, and this is My face, the ever-abiding, the luminous, the resplendent.”

Now observe to what they cling and what ropes they grasp. They desire to erect new illusory causes for the helpless people, like the delusions of old. Again I submit:

“O God protect us, O concourse of the believers, from the evil of these people!”

Today, verily, no book among books, no tablet among tablets, and no scripture among scriptures suffices. Glory be to God above what the oppressors say!

Behold, on this day neither any book among books, nor any Tablet among Tablets, nor any page among pages can suffice. Glory be to God above what the unjust do say! On this Day all must fix their gaze upon the horizon of His Manifestation and upon whatsoever proceedeth from Him. Should a man occupy himself with vain imaginings, conjectures, and traditions, the end of such a course shall assuredly be destruction—even as hath been witnessed.

Glorified art Thou, O God of land and sea! Thou beholdest me standing before Thee, with the hands of my hope upraised to the heaven of Thy bounty and grace. I beseech Thee, by Thy sovereignty that dominates all things and by Thy Name whereby Thou hast subdued all creation, to assist Thy servants to act with justice and equity, and enable them to turn to Thee with Thy vision and to gaze toward Thy direction with Thy light. Thou art He through Whose Name the oceans of grace and bounty surged, and by Whose Will the heaven of Thy generosity was adorned, O Possessor of Names! There is no God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Unconstrained.

If today anyone gazes upon anything other than the Truth and the utterance of Truth, he will surely stray from the path and make his abode in the fire. He says that all the Bayan is but a leaf among the leaves of Paradise. If it achieves acceptance, glory be to God! How lofty is the Cause and in what clay are the worms! This evanescent servant is bewildered, by God, the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting. From the beginning of the Cause until now, I have had and have no desire save the good-pleasure of God. Now I have grown old and my strength has weakened, yet despite this and despite great occupation, I have engaged in this writing purely for the sake of God. God is my witness and is aware that I have sought and seek naught but His good-pleasure. For His sake I have spoken and for His sake I speak. “Whoso wisheth, let him accept it; and whoso wisheth, let him reject it.” Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Self-Sufficient, the All-Praised.

Likewise, reflect upon this most exalted Word revealed from the Dayspring of utterance, the Lord of Names, namely the Primal Point (may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him). In truth, this Word is considered the essence of the Bayan. His exalted Word states:

“In the year Nine ye shall attain unto all good, and in the year Nine ye shall attain unto the presence of God.”

And addressing His Holiness the Great One (upon Him be all the most glorious glory and the most exalted exaltation), He says—His exalted Word:

This is what We promised thee aforetime when We answered thee. Wait until nine passeth beyond the Bayan, then say: Blessed be God, the Most Excellent of Creators. Now judge fairly: in the year nine when this Call was raised, where were the ears and where were the eyes? Verily there hath been and is no escape for anyone except he repent and return unto God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. Unless one turneth away from the Heaven of testimony, the Sun of certitude, the Most Great Ocean, and the Mighty Announcement, the divine verses and heavenly evidences have yielded and yield no fruit for such a soul. Every fair-minded one testifieth that the Cause of God hath been made manifest through this Most Great Revelation in days when all were occupied with preserving their lives and were concealed and veiled in corners. God, exalted be His glory, arose by His own Self and spoke, such that the droplets of the ocean of His utterance seized the world and His traces encompassed all horizons. Blessed are the fair-minded ones and they that hear.

Likewise the Primal Point—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake—saith: “Say: This is the News of which none hath knowledge save God, but on that day ye shall not know.” Yet these unjust people have said what they have said. This is that Mighty News mentioned and recorded in all the Books, of whose time of appearance none save God Himself is aware. This is that Hour of which Christ spoke when He said: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but the Father only.”

This is that Day of which Joel in his Book saith: “For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?” Likewise Jeremiah saith: “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it.” All that hath appeared was mentioned in the Books of the Messengers, even unto the mention of the Fortress which is now the seat of the Throne and is known as the Most Great Prison, as David saith: “Who will lead me into the strong city?” The strong city is Akka, whose fortress is well-known. This is that Fortress upon which He saith the lights of the Sun of Truth would shine and from whose horizon they would dawn. They also gave each other and the people of this earth glad tidings that God would appear in these lands in the latter days and would manifest Himself.

Isaiah saith: “Get thee up into the high mountain, O Zion, that bringest good tidings; lift up thy voice with strength, O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him.” Zion and Jerusalem are in these lands, and He saith it shall be called by a new name, as in the land of Mystery it was named the Valley of the Noble One. This is that valley wherein the cry of all the Prophets was raised, speaking “Here am I, O my Lord, here am I.” Abraham, Moses, Jesus and the Seal of the Prophets—may the spirit of all existence be sacrificed for them—appeared in these lands, for these lands are connected to the land of Batha and Hijaz.

Thus He saith: “Blessed is he who hath migrated to Akka.” I swear by the Sun of the horizon of utterance that this evanescent one’s purpose hath not been and is not to display knowledge, learning and awareness, but rather it is offered for the sake of God that heedless souls may not become the cause of people’s veiling as they have done before. These indeed are the holy lands mentioned in the Qur’an and previous Books.

Section 3: “The Lord shall roar from Zion and utter…”

The Lord shall roar from Zion and utter His voice from Jerusalem, and the shepherds’ pastures shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither. And this Carmel lieth opposite to ʿAkka and in former Books was known as God’s Vineyard, and mention thereof hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen. Verily some have attained unto it, and it is among those assured matters whereon the Tabernacle of Glory must needs be raised—and praise be to God, it hath been raised—and from Zion the Euphrates of inner meanings hath flowed, despite those who cast justice aside and took up oppression.

The greatness of this Revelation is such that David, in speaking of it, declares:

“Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool, for He is holy. Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among them that call upon His name.”

Now this blessed verse must needs be deeply pondered. Today all trees are enraptured, and rocks and stones are stirred and moved, and the mountains are in greatest joy at His passing, for the promised Hour is come and the hidden Secret is unveiled. Were this exalted Word to be removed from the Holy Books, no other utterance would remain, and no mention would be found. But this utterance is for those possessed of insight and understanding, not for every vain person who follows delusions and idle fancies.

Today the Sun of certitude has dawned. A new day it is, and new are these times that can in no wise be compared with aught else. Yet eyes are diseased and dimmed, and ears are stopped up. I beseech God to grant joy and not deprive creation of this greatest gladness. And likewise He says: “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence.”

Were this servant to cite all the verses from previous Books and the utterances revealed therein, the readers would surely grow weary from the length of discourse. Therefore have I firmly resolved to be most brief, and I implore those souls that are assured, content and well-pleasing to make mention of me, that perchance through their prayers and remembrance I may fulfill that which I am commanded and not fail in serving the friends of God.

Alas! Alas! Though this Cause is of such magnitude, and though its manifest power and overwhelming might have encompassed the world, yet the people remain veiled from beholding it and heedless of its recognition. He is the Almighty One of Whom the prophet Amos spoke, saying:

“Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. For, lo, He that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The Lord, The God of hosts, is His name.”

By the life of our Beloved and your Beloved, our Goal and your Goal! In this mighty verse are hidden mighty mysteries, for it gives tidings of the year eighty and likewise of the false dawn which He, the God of hosts, will darken, and of His treading upon the high places of the earth—an allusion to the journey to the great City and these parts.

This servant is astonished at what the people were content with before, and what they are content with now. If they seek verses, these have filled the horizons, and if they desire proofs, it is for the servant to establish and demonstrate them. I swear by the Self of God—may the spirit of all who dwell in the kingdoms of Command and Creation be sacrificed for His sake—that mighty and wondrous things have appeared in this Revelation, and whatsoever was to occur in successive years thereafter has been revealed and sent down from the Most Exalted Pen beforehand, without any hint or allusion but rather with utmost clarity. Every fair-minded person can detect the fragrance of truth from these submissions, for whatsoever has been and is being stated is supported by clear proof and evidence.

Were this servant to recount them all, the discourse would needs be drawn out to undue length; yet will I, for the sake of God, set down a portion thereof in brief—though it hath been mentioned in divers epistles. And since some part of it, as hath been reported, hath fallen into the hands of the enemies, while some hath remained concealed, therefore doth this servant make repeated mention of it; and its recompense resteth with Him Who created him and fashioned him, and sustained him, and magnified him, and taught him, and guided him, and led him unto His straight path.

When the Sun of Truth dawned from the horizon of the land of Mystery, on a certain day, of a sudden they encompassed the House. To relate the details of that state is neither necessary nor expedient; in brief it may be said: for a time they prevented the people from coming and going. Thereafter, however, diverse parties—who were ascribed to other governments—entered and attained the presence. And at every moment the Tongue of Grandeur uttered words whereof the tongues of the world are powerless to tell. The consuls of the governments, outwardly and in appearance, arose to render assistance and stood before Him; yet God forbade the disclosure of that which they intended.

Afterwards did Hadrat Dhabih—upon him be Baha’u’llah’s Most Glorious splendour—arrive; and the Supreme Pen began the blessed Surih of Ra’is, which was completed while on the way. And at the sea-port it was read aloud, by His command, unto the appointed officer. This servant will cite a few verses thereof, that perchance the heedless may be awakened, the slumberers aroused, and the dead attain unto a new life. The matter is in the hands of our Well-Beloved and your Well-Beloved, our Purpose and the Purpose of all that are in the heavens and on the earth. These are His words—exalted be His station, glorified His utterance, and magnified His might:

“In His Name, the All-Glorious!

“Hearken, O Chief, to the voice of God, the Sovereign, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. He, verily, calleth aloud between heaven and earth, summoning all mankind unto the scene of transcendent glory. Neither thy grunting, nor the barking of those around thee, nor the opposition of the hosts of the world can withhold the Almighty from achieving His purpose. The whole world hath been set ablaze by the Word of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, a Word softer than the morning breeze. It hath been manifested in the form of the human temple, and through it God hath quickened the souls of the sincere among His servants. In its inner essence, this Word is the living water by which God hath purified the hearts of such as have turned unto Him and forgotten every other mention, and through which He draweth them nigh unto the seat of His mighty Name….

“Thou hast, O Chief, committed that which hath caused Muhammad, the Apostle of God, to lament in the most sublime Paradise. The world hath made thee proud, so much so that thou hast turned away from the Face through whose brightness the Concourse on high hath been illumined. Soon thou shalt find thyself in manifest loss! Thou didst conspire with the Persian Ambassador to harm Me, though I had come unto you from the source of majesty and grandeur with a Revelation that hath solaced the eyes of the favoured ones of God…” until He saith: “Hast thou imagined thyself capable of extinguishing the fire which God hath kindled in the heart of creation? Nay, by Him Who is the Eternal Truth, couldst thou but know it.

Rather, on account of what thy hands have wrought, it blazed higher and burned more fiercely. Erelong will it encompass the earth and all that dwell therein. Thus hath it been decreed by God, and the powers of earth and heaven are unable to thwart His purpose. The day is approaching when the Land of Mystery [Adrianople] and what is beside it shall be changed, and shall pass out of the hands of the King, and commotions shall appear, and the voice of lamentation shall be raised, and the evidences of mischief shall be revealed on all sides, and confusion shall spread by reason of that which hath befallen these captives at the hands of the hosts of oppression. The course of things shall be altered, and conditions shall wax so grievous, that the very sands on the desolate hills will moan, and the trees on the mountain will weep, and blood will flow out of all things. Then wilt thou behold the people in sore distress.” End.

O World! Dost thou possess the power of hearing, that thou mayest hear? Dost thou possess sight, that thou mayest see? In most wondrous and clear utterance hath the Beloved of all creation spoken. The meaning of the Land of Mystery (Ard-i-Sirr) is Adrianople, which before the Most Great Prison was the seat of the Throne of that land, and its numerical value corresponds to that of ʿMystery.’ He saith: The Land of Mystery shall be changed, and what surroundeth it. It shall pass out of the hands of kings, earthquakes shall appear, and lamentations and wailing shall be raised. Corruption shall be manifest in all regions and affairs shall be disordered. All these calamities are due to the tribulations inflicted upon these captives by the hosts of the oppressors.

All these things were manifestly witnessed, and no fair-minded, truthful, or just person hath denied or will deny them. He further saith: And the government shall change—meaning the first ruler shall depart and another ruler shall be seated in his place, as was witnessed. He further saith: The matter shall become severe—so severe that the sand in the hills and mountains and the trees in the mountains shall weep, and blood shall flow from all things, for that which was inflicted upon the Truth such as hath never been inflicted upon any other. Then He saith: Thou shalt see the people in great agitation.

By God’s life! Agitation had encompassed all. The Muslim forces would descend upon Christian villages, depriving men and women, young and old, of life, and then burn their homes and possessions. The Christians would do exactly the same to the Muslims. Terror had seized all and agitation had encompassed everyone. One traveler wrote that passing through a certain place, he observed three hundred corpses piled up within twenty paces. The horror of that sight shall never fade from memory. In brief, all have heard of that upheaval and know of it, and nothing like it had ever been witnessed in any age. The newspapers reported things that the mind refuses to accept. Now the people of Bayan must reflect and know with absolute certainty that whatsoever came to pass had been revealed word for word beforehand by the Supreme Pen. Glory be to Him Who giveth life to the bones when they are rotted away! And glory be to Him Who informed all beforehand, and He is the All-Knowing!

But O Beloved of my heart and He Who is mentioned in my soul! All that hath been mentioned is a great glad-tiding for the friends, the chosen ones, the firm ones, and the fair-minded ones. However, it increaseth naught but loss for the oppressors, for the deaf are deprived of the cooing of the Dove of the Cause, and the blind are forbidden from the lights of the Supreme Horizon.

Likewise, exalted be His mention, universal be His grace, and magnificent be His favor, He saith in the Surih of the Temple, addressing the King of Paris, glorified be His majesty:

“Say: O King of Paris! Tell the priest not to ring the bells. By God, the True One! The Most Mighty Bell hath appeared in the form of Him Who is the Most Great Name, and the fingers of the Will of Thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High, ring it out in the heaven of immortality in His Name, the All-Glorious. Thus have the mighty verses of Thy Lord been again sent down unto thee, that thou mayest arise to remember God, the Creator of earth and heaven, in these days when all the tribes of the earth have mourned, and the foundations of the cities have trembled, and the dust of irreligion hath enwrapped all men, except such as thy Lord, the All-Wise, the All-Knowing, was pleased to spare…”

Until He speaketh, glorified be His majesty: “O King! Hearken unto the Call from this Fire which burneth in this verdant Tree, on this elevated Mount, upon this blessed white Spot beyond the Sea of Eternity: ʿVerily, there is none other God but Me, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Merciful…”’

Until He speaketh, exalted be His utterance: “Lo! The Tree of the Mount speaketh in the heart of the world and the Holy Spirit proclaimeth among the nations: ʿThe Desired One hath come with manifest sovereignty…”

Until He speaketh, exalted be His glory: “O King! We have heard from thee a word which thou didst speak when the King of Russia asked thee concerning the decree of war. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Thou didst say: ʿI was asleep upon my couch when the cry of the oppressed, who were drowned in the Black Sea, wakened me.’ This We heard and thy Lord beareth witness to what I say. We testify that that which wakened thee was not their cry but thine own passions, for We tested thee and found thee to be wanting. Be discerning in thy words and be thou among the perceptive. We desire not that any word untoward should return unto thee, out of respect for the station We have given thee in this mortal life. We have chosen courtesy and made it the true mark of such as are nigh unto Us. It is a raiment that befitteth all souls, both the lowly and the exalted. Well is it with him who adorneth his temple therewith, and woe unto him who is deprived of this great bounty.

Section 4: “Hadst thou been sincere in thy words, thou…”

“Hadst thou been sincere in thy words, thou wouldst not have cast behind thy back the Book of God, when it was sent unto thee by Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Wise. We have proved thee through it and found thee other than that which thou didst profess. Arise, and make amends for that which escaped thee. Erelong the world and all that thou possessest will perish, and the kingdom will remain unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy fathers of old. It behooveth thee not to conduct thine affairs according to the dictates of thy desires. Fear thou the sighs of this Wronged One and shield Him from the darts of them that act unjustly. For what thou hast done, thy kingdom shall be thrown into confusion, and thine empire shall pass from thine hands, as a punishment for that which thou hast wrought.

Then wilt thou know how thou hast plainly erred. Commotions shall seize all the people in that land, unless thou arisest to help this Cause and followest Him Who is the Spirit in this straight Path. Hath thy pomp made thee proud? By My Life! It shall not endure; nay, it shall soon pass away, unless thou holdest fast by this firm Cord. We see abasement hastening after thee, whilst thou art of them that sleep. It behooveth thee when thou hearest His Voice calling from the seat of glory to cast away all that thou possessest, and cry out: ʿHere am I, O Lord of all that is in heaven and on earth!’

“O King! We were in Iraq, until the time when the leave of departure came. They brought Us unto the seat of Islam by command. But when We came unto them, there proceeded from certain among the malicious such tribulation as the scrolls cannot recount. Thereat wept the inmates of Paradise, and the dwellers of the holy precincts, but the people are wrapped in a thick veil! Say: Do ye cavil at Him Who hath come unto you with clear proofs and divine testimony, with His evidences and His signs? These are not of his own accord, but from the One Who hath sent Him and commissioned Him with the truth and made Him to be a lamp unto all mankind. More severe became Our plight from day to day, nay, from hour to hour, until they took Us forth from prison and made Us, with manifest injustice, enter the Most Great Prison. And if anyone asked them for what crime were they imprisoned, they would answer and say: Lo, they seek to renew religion!’ If the ancient Faith be that which ye choose, wherefore then have ye forsaken that which was set down in the Torah and the Gospel? Be ye clear about this, O people! By My life! There is no place for you to flee this day. If this be My crime, then Muhammad, the Apostle of God, committed it before Me, and before Him, the Spirit, and before Him, the Interlocutor. And if My sin be this, that I have exalted the Word of God and revealed His Cause, then indeed am I the greatest of sinners! Such a sin I will not barter for the kingdoms of earth and heaven.”

Here follows details of this blessed Tablet: In the Land of Mystery (Constantinople) a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed and sent specifically to the King of Paris. The cause of its revelation was that the King had spoken certain words in a public gathering, saying that “We are not only concerned with managing our own affairs, but rather if any oppressed one in the world should cry out, we will answer and take his right from the oppressors.” This was the essence of the words he uttered. And another statement he made in response to the Russian King, when asked “We and you are both of one religion—what caused you to support Islam and unite with it in war?” He replied, “I did not assist Islam, rather the cry of the oppressed ones whose ships you destroyed and sunk in the Black Sea awakened me from sleep, and I arose to remove this oppression.”

After hearing these two statements, the Divine Tablet was revealed wherein He says:

“We heard two statements from you on two occasions, from which the fragrance of justice and fairness was diffused. If His Majesty the King considers himself the helper of the world’s oppressed ones, why has he not arisen to help these oppressed ones the like of whom the eye of the world has not seen? This despite their cry being raised from every land for successive years, during which time they have been under the lash of oppression and wrath, such that every person of insight has wept and every person of heart has lamented. How many lands have been dyed with their blood, and in how many cities has their sighing, wailing and weeping been raised!”

In this Tablet, most of the calamities that had befallen were revealed and sent down from the Supreme Pen.

After it was sent, for some time no response came. Finally his minister submitted a petition saying:

“I took your letter with the Foreign Minister to the Emperor’s presence and mentioned the details. He took the letter and placed it beside him, but until now no response has appeared from him regarding this matter.”

Therefore a second Tablet was revealed from the heaven of Divine Will, and one of the clergy who had attained to recognition offered to translate it into French and send it. God knows best.

This is what He says: “O King! We heard a word that you spoke when the Russian King questioned you about what occurred in the matter of war. You answered: ʿI was sleeping in the cradle when I was awakened by the cry of the oppressed servants who were drowned in the Black Sea.’ We testify that it was not the cry that awakened you, but rather the desire of self, for We tested and found you to be far removed from the Word.” Until He says, exalted be His utterance: “If you had been true to your word, you would not have cast the Book of God behind your back.”

Then He says: “By what you have done, affairs in your kingdom will be thrown into confusion, and sovereignty will pass from your hands. Then you will find yourself in manifest loss. Earthquakes will seize all the tribes there, and from these things there is no escape except that thou arise to assist the Cause and follow the Spirit in this straight path. And likewise He saith:”Hath thy glory made thee vainglorious? By My life! This glory shall not endure, except thou holdest fast to the firm cord of Truth, exalted be His glory.” Then He saith: “We behold humiliation hastening after thee, whilst thou art of the heedless”—meaning thou art asleep and unaware.

Now observe how these matters were clearly foretold, though most deemed their occurrence impossible and counted them as unattainable. Thus did someone once ask this servant whether the Emperor of Paris would be deposed, how his sovereignty would be taken from him, and how his glory would vanish, given that he was the foremost among the world’s monarchs. This servant replied that he knew not and was unaware, but this much he knew: that whatsoever was revealed from the tongue of Grandeur would all be manifestly realized. Ye see and hear it.

In any case, the servant’s purpose in mentioning these things is that every group might become aware of the verses and clear proofs of Truth, and know with absolute certainty that whatsoever appeared later had been revealed beforehand by the Supreme Pen. As the Tablets to the Kings revealed in the Surih of the Temple, and likewise the Tablet of Ra’is, were in the possession of most several years before their occurrence, mention is made of them. Otherwise, were this servant to recount the manifest verses and clear evidences, numerous volumes would be required, and perchance some might hesitate to accept them.

In any case, I beseech all to behold the Truth with the eye of Truth, for all are commanded thus, and this is unique to this Revelation. The Point of the Bayan, may the spirit of all else but Him be sacrificed for His sake, saith:

“Behold Him with His own eye. If ye regard Him with the eye of another, ye shall never attain to knowing and recognizing Him.”

the ungodly have appeared with such schemes and deceits as have never been seen before, and all these things were foretold. Blessed is he who regardeth the clamor and insinuations and doubts of the people of the world as the buzzing of flies. This great Revelation and mighty Cause—I beseech God to aid His servants in that which beseemeth them.

Today the Furqan proclaimeth in most eloquent utterance:

“O heedless ones! The Mother Book speaketh, the horizon of certitude is illumined, the proof hath dawned and the evidence is clear. Let not vain imaginings deprive you from the Dayspring of assurance, nor idle fancies withhold you from the Lord of all names.”

Such utterances have repeatedly been heard from the Source of verses, and likewise these words were heard from the Tongue of Grandeur—blessed and exalted be His utterance:

“Today the Bayan calleth out with utmost loving-kindness and bounty, saying: ʿO My people and My companions! Today the Lord of the seen and unseen is established upon the throne of manifestation, and the Mother of the Bayan is revealed. Let not your vain imaginings withhold you from the sealed wine, nor deprive you from the Kawthar of certitude.”’

And at one time the Tongue of Grandeur uttered this blessed word:

“If the eye be fixed upon the greatness of heaven and desire to turn for less than can be reckoned to another direction, it is not worthy to enter this court.”

Glorified art Thou, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of meaning and utterance! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the Sun of eternity shone forth from the horizon of the world, to protect Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones from the scheming of those who have denied Thee and Thy signs, and have turned away from what Thou didst command them in Thy Books, Thy Scrolls, Thy Scriptures and Thy Tablets. O Lord! Thou seest Thy ignorant servants who have made deceit their weapon and falsehood their refuge and shelter, who utter calumnies against Thee by night and day, whereat the dwellers of the pavilion of Thy glory and majesty have lamented. O Lord! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance and the mysteries of Thy Cause to send down upon them that which will acquaint them with Thee and teach them Thy way and what lieth with Thee. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the All-Sufficient, the All-Protecting, the Ever-Abiding, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O friends of God! Strive that perverse souls may not, as before, afflict helpless people by casting them into the pit of vain imaginings. These are the souls of whom it is said,

“They have changed God’s favor into blasphemy and caused their people to dwell in the abode of perdition.”

These are they who have ever transformed the divine bounty and turned people away from the straight path. In the Dispensation of the Furqan, a few souls, following their selfish desires, strove mightily to lead people astray. In every age such souls have existed and will continue to exist.

In these days certain papers have arrived which, upon examination, clearly show that they have sprung from the essence of rancor and hatred. They have perverted certain divine utterances which constitute the true bounty. The serpent has appeared in new colors, claiming friendship while seeking to hold back the servants from the supreme horizon, deprive them of the ocean of certitude, and summon them to the pool of idle fancy.

Say: O unjust one! Abandon oppression and hold fast to the cord of justice. Where were you when the darkness of tyranny encompassed the world and all were hidden through the dominion of the oppressors?

In the words he has written lies concealed a deadly poison. For instance, at the beginning of his letter he mentions the Most Great Name, writing “In the Name of God, the Most Glorious, the Most Glorious, there is no God but He, say: all shall return unto Him.” Glory be to God! He has made God’s Name a snare for himself and spread a net, seeking thereby to render the assured ones, the unified ones, and the sincere ones tranquil, and then to make them taste the deadly venom hidden in the fangs of his words. One is amazed at the guile and deceit of such souls.

He who acknowledges these words is freed from mention of the world, the clamor of nations, the sayings of people, and the differences of the peoples, for this is the Day of God wherein nothing else should be mentioned. This is the Day of which He says: “All things shall perish except His face.” The people of Baha are today mounted upon crimson ships, and these ships sail on sea and land. Blessed is he who holds fast to them, detached from the world, its mention, and whatsoever is therein.

In any case, after mentioning the Name of God, exalted be His glory—which he imagined to be a trap—the person in question has made certain mentions unworthy of notice, writing of his own ascent to the heights of knowledge in grammar, syntax, rhetoric, exposition, logic, substances and accidents, jurisprudence, principles, peripatetic philosophy, illuminative philosophy, the philosophy of the late Shaykh, and his attendance upon Haji Karim Khan. Through these mentions he has sought to display his excellence, though outwardly he has written that he understood nothing of these sciences. Would that he had spent as much time contemplating His verses with divine insight and pondering the mysteries of divine knowledge and wisdom as he spent writing these words.

The divines of the Dispensation of the Furqan wrote such expressions for twelve hundred years, refuting and proving against each other. What these souls have reaped from the harvest of their words, these souls too shall reap.

In any case, he lies in wait for the friends and loved ones of God, and through means of love and kindness and words that neither nourish nor satisfy, he busies himself with leading helpless people astray, until he professed belief in the Tree of the Bayan and wrote:

“Whatever I beheld of the words of the Point of the Bayan added perplexity unto my perplexity and opened not the door of recognition unto me.”

Not that, God forbid, these words contain no lofty meanings, but rather because, as declared by the Author of the Bayan Himself, this Cause is now in the stage of a seed, and many desire to comprehend manifestly, clearly, evidently and openly from this seed the laws of all things, or to attain unto the conditions pertaining thereunto, save him whom God hath taught the knowledge of all things.

Section 5: “O Concourse of the Bayan and O people…”

O Concourse of the Bayan and O people of the Furqan! The rays of the Sun of Manifestation have encompassed the world, and its effulgences and revelations are manifest and resplendent. The Point of the Bayan—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him—hath declared that a one-year-old seed of the Day of His Manifestation is mightier than the entirety of the Bayan. This is the Day to which all books, scriptures and psalms have truthfully referred, and of which they have all given glad tidings. All must turn with sanctified vision and ears purified from all mention toward the Supreme Horizon, and hearken to the Call raised from the right hand of the Most Great Throne.

Today, whosoever cleaveth to the Bayan and riseth in opposition is not counted among the people of truth, according to the testimony of the Point of the Bayan, for all matters are contingent upon His approval. The essence of the Bayan is this:

“He shall not be indicated by any indication, nor by what is mentioned in the Bayan.”

After this blessed word, no fair-minded, informed and discerning person knowledgeable of the Bayan would raise objections against the Truth. Have they not heard Him say that the entire Bayan is but a leaf among the leaves of His Paradise?

It is not known what that heedless ignorant one intended by what he mentioned. If his meaning is that the Bayan is still in the stage of a seed and has not been perfected, the Primal Point—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him—hath said:

“From the beginning of this Cause until before the completion of nine existences, creation hath not appeared, and all that thou hast seen from the seed until We clothed it with flesh—then wait until thou beholdest another creation. Say: Blessed be God, the Best of Creators.”

Tell that unjust one to observe and reflect upon what hath flowed from the Pen of the Point of the Bayan—may the spirit of all in the kingdom of Command and Creation be sacrificed for Him. This is the day of the new creation. This is the Day whereon the tongue of all things uttereth the blessed words “Blessed be God, the Best of Creators.” He declareth that the Bayan shall be perfected, and explicitly stateth that before the completion of nine existences creation hath not appeared, and all that hath been seen is from the stage of the seed until it is clothed with flesh—wait until thou beholdest the new creation. Say: Blessed be God, the Best of Creators. This is the station referred to in “and breathed into him of another spirit.”

So great is this Revelation that the Primal Point hath declared:

“It is permitted that He before Whom none on earth is more exalted should be rejected, for all creation is in His grasp and all are submissive unto Him.”

None hath comprehended the greatness of this Revelation save whom God willeth. This celestial sphere requireth another Navigator, and this ocean another Diver.

Although all the days of the Manifestations of God and Dawning-places of revelation are, in one sense, referred to as the Day of God, yet these days are adorned with the ornament of distinction, as hath been detailed. All the utterances of the former idolaters have been heard and continue to be heard from the new idolaters in this Revelation; nay rather, they have said that which no idolater had ever said.

O people of the Bayan! Fear God! Object not to God through your idle fancies. He calleth you to the light while you call Him to the fire. Why do ye not understand a single word from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise? No one’s knowledge hath encompassed this Revelation. All the knowledge of the world is but as a drop, nay, God forgive this limitation, before the ocean of His knowledge.

The Interpreter of the Bayan—may the spirit of all existence be sacrificed for Him—hath declared, exalted and mighty be His Word:

“Verily for you after a time there shall be a Cause which ye shall come to know, and that Day shall be like unto a time, but ye perceive not. That Tree of Sinai shall speak unto you, if ye but hear. Say: This is a Announcement which none can encompass through knowledge, but on that Day ye shall not know.” Thus did He end.

By the testimony of the Bayan and all divine Books, no one hath possessed or possesseth knowledge of this Revelation. Ponder upon the mention of “after a time”, that perchance ye may inhale the fragrance of the All-Merciful’s utterance, and the wayward may seek the straight path and the mighty Announcement, and may purify themselves from their calumnies through the water of return. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

O beloved of my heart! What can the servant submit, what proof can he grasp, what evidence can he manifest? By the life of my Beloved, the very essence of proof is feeble in mentioning this path. Glory be to God from what they have said and continue to say! Throughout ages and centuries these base people have clung to vain imaginings and risen in dispute. At times mention of the Qa’im was cause for contention, at times mention of the guardian, successor, chief and the like. And on the day of His manifestation, the fruit of their discussions, beliefs and deeds was that which they witnessed. What are these images to which they cleave? Would that they had clung to but one word and had uttered it with truth and sincerity. Woe betide them and that which their hands have wrought!

Today no art among arts, no knowledge among knowledges, no name among names, no station among stations, and no book among books can suffice or benefit man except through that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken. Exalted be His glory:

“This is the Day wherein the Mother Book speaketh and the Mother of the Bayan calleth out, yet the people know not and perceive not. The Prophet is he who hath believed in My Announcement, the Messenger is he who hath delivered My Messages, the Successor is he who hath counseled people regarding that which hath been sent down from My Kingdom of My wondrous commandments and ordinances, and the Guardian is he who hath bidden people to love Me and called them to My straight path.”

Thus did He end.

Blessed are they whom the doubts and intimations of the people have not barred from the abode of verses and the Manifestation of clear proofs. All names are created through His Word. The Primal Point—may the spirit of all else but Him be sacrificed for Him—sayeth, exalted and mighty be His Word:

“He createth through His Word whatsoever He willeth, whether a Prophet, Guardian, Saint or Pure One, for all that hath been created are proofs from His presence and envoys from His court… Beware, beware lest in His days thou be veiled by the Vahid of the Bayan, for that Vahid is but created before Him. And beware, beware lest thou be veiled by the words revealed in the Bayan… Look not upon Him save through His eyes, for whoso looketh upon Him through His eyes shall attain unto Him, else shall he be veiled. If thou desirest God and His presence, then desire Him and look upon Him.”

O possessors of ears! With justice speak ye, though it be in measure less than that testified to by the Point of the Bayan—may the spirit of all within the realms of Command and Creation be a sacrifice unto Him! Today, should anyone seek to adduce proof from the Bayan or cling unto it, the Bayan itself and whatsoever hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen would disown him. As was mentioned before, He saith:

“No reference shall be made unto My signs nor unto that which was mentioned in the Bayan.”

Today the Bayan is dependent upon acceptance. Blessed are they who reflect even briefly and observe the fruits of the deeds of the people of the Furqan, that they may free and detach themselves from all such sayings, proofs and objections, and soar in this atmosphere with sanctified and delicate wings. Have they not tired of the calumnies of the Manifestations of self and desire, that they now wish anew to raise disputations, mention traditions, and create acceptance and rejection? Say: With the arm of certitude rend asunder the veils that have hindered.

By the life of our Lord! Today the Speaker of Sinai is manifest and speaking, and the hidden mystery and treasured secret is resplendent. For some time certain followers of the Bayan objected regarding the mention of Divinity, asking why the True One—glorified be His majesty—speaketh with these words, when in all the Holy Books it is said that His Holiness the Self-Subsisting shall in that Day speak the words “Verily I am God.” Behold then recall what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an—blessed and exalted be His words: “The Day when thy Lord cometh, or certain of the signs of thy Lord,” and “The Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the Worlds,” and “Thy Lord shall come with angels rank on rank,” and similar verses. The Seal of the Prophets—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake—hath said: “Ye shall see your Lord as ye see the full moon on the fourteenth night.”

The Prophet Isaiah says “The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.” Concerning the greatness of that Day, He says: “Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty.” And in another place: “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.”

Today, those endowed with vision behold all the atoms of creation in joy and gladness, for that which was promised from time immemorial hath been made manifest. By the life of our Beloved and our Goal! If in any heart there existed love for God even to the extent of a needle’s eye, or were it to be illumined with the light of fairness through this utterance—an illumination that would endow the world with the warmth of the love of God—

O people of Baha! Leave these weak ones of the world to themselves, and with enkindled souls, strong hands and feet, penetrating vision, attentive ears, pure hearts and eloquent tongues, speak ye, see ye, and hear ye—despite those who claim to believe in the Bayan yet deny its Revealer, its Manifestor and its Sender. This wilderness mentioned in the blessed verse is the wilderness of Fayha, and this is the Holy Land mentioned in previous Books and the Qur’an. He says the wilderness and the dry lands and the desert waste shall be made glad. And whence comes this joy and gladness and delight? By the life of our Lord! From the advent of the Lord, exalted be His glory. Carmel, previously known in the Holy Books as the Mountain of God, lies before ʿAkka, and on the other side is Lebanon, and likewise Sharon. Indeed, all divine promises mentioned in the Holy Books of the past and present pertained to these lands.

The Prophet Isaiah further says: “Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.” He says to make firm the weakened hands and to make steady and straight the trembling knees. “Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God.”

The essence of his utterance is this: In the Day of Manifestation, suffer not yourselves to be veiled from the blessed Word, “Verily, I am God.” Be not shaken; with mighty hands lay hold upon the Book, and with feet firm and steadfast arise to serve the Cause. O friends! Deprive not yourselves, by reason of that which is with the people, or that which is with you, of that which is with God. This is the day of turning toward Him, of acknowledgment and assent, of crying “Yea” and “Here am I.” He—exalted be His majesty—saith: “This is not the day of questioning. It behoveth every soul, when he heareth the Call from the Most Exalted Horizon, to say: ‘Here am I, O King of Names! Here am I, O Desire of all who are in the heavens and on the earths!’” Thus endeth His utterance.

This servant knoweth not what he should set forth, nor wherewith he should occupy himself. He is ashamed before such remembrances. The reason for the delay of these pages is that one day, in His presence, it was submitted before His countenance; whereupon He moved His blessed finger and said: “Verily, thy Lord standeth in need of no proof, no evidence, no demonstration, other than His own Self, O servant in attendance. Whosoever, in the least measure, even as the eye of a needle, hath inhaled the fragrance of the garment, beholdeth all things as proof, evidence, and demonstration. Blessed is the soul that hath cleansed and sanctified itself, with the waters of divine love, from the words and deeds, the intimations and doubts, of them that have turned aside, and hath fixed its gaze upon the Most Exalted Horizon alone. Such a one is of the people of Baha; and whosoever is withheld therefrom, he, verily, is in manifest error.” Thus endeth His utterance.

And on another occasion this most exalted Word was heard from the King of Names. He said: “O servant in attendance! The Pen of the Most High proclaimeth with the loudest voice: O people of the Qur’an, O people of the Bayan, and O followers of all religions! This day is the Day of God. The True One Himself hath appeared, and in the establishment of His Cause He hath never stood, nor doth He now stand, in need of any beside Him. If they regard verses as proof, then the equivalent of all the divine Books of the past and of the future—nay, more than these—hath been sent down from the heaven of His Will. And if they seek clear testimonies, let them ponder the revealed Surihs, that they may become aware and may drink from the ocean of divine knowledge. O servant in attendance! This day, until they pass beyond the gulf of names, they shall neither enter nor attain unto the Most Great Ocean. This, verily, is the truth, whereof there is no doubt.” Thus endeth His utterance.

Section 6: “This evanescent servant addresseth himself to all, saying…”

This evanescent servant addresseth himself to all, saying: Spend not your days in unseemly objections, unworthy words, and deeds displeasing unto God. The Cause is exceedingly precious, and in the sight of God is higher and dearer than all things. How great the pity that so priceless a thing should be expended upon selfish desires and idle imaginings that neither nourish nor avail! Glory be to God! The man of Kirman mentioned those sciences only for the sake of vainglory, heedless that, from each one of the things he hath written, the heart must be purified for years ere it can turn unto the True One.

O learned one! If there be in thee an ear, then hear. The Point of the Bayan—may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice—saith: “Shouldst thou recite one verse of the verses of Him Whom God shall make manifest, it would be more precious in the sight of God than that thou shouldst transcribe the whole Bayan; for on that Day that one verse shall save thee, while the whole Bayan shall not save thee.”

And if, again, an ear be found in thee, hearken unto this word of the Point—may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice. His saying—mighty and glorious is He—is this: “Verily, I am a believer in Him, and in His religion, and in His Book, and in His proofs, and in His ways, and in whatsoever shall appear from Him; in all this do I glory in my relation unto Him, and am ennobled by my faith in Him.”

And yet again, if an ear be found in thee, hear, for God’s sake; hear in truth; hear with fairness; hear with an attentive ear. His saying—mighty and glorious is He—is this: “O all things in the Bayan! Ye shall surely know the limit of your own selves; for the very Point of the Bayan believeth in Him Whom God shall make manifest before all things, and verily in this do I glory over all who are in the kingdom of the heavens and the earth.” And His saying—mighty and glorious is He—is this: “Suffer not yourselves to be veiled from God after His manifestation; for whatsoever hath exalted the Bayan is but as a ring upon My hand, and I Myself am but a ring upon the hand of Him Whom God shall make manifest.”

And His saying—exalted be His remembrance—is this: “Verily thou, and the numbers of the first Unity, and all that God—glorified be His majesty—reckoneth, God hath made only as a ring upon the hand of Him Whom God shall make manifest—exalted be His remembrance. He turneth it as He willeth; verily He is the Help in Peril, the Most High.” And His saying—exalted be His station—is this: “He maketh whatsoever is upon the earth to be prophets, that they may indeed be prophets in the sight of God.” And His saying—blessed and exalted is He—is this: “When the Day of the Manifestation of Him Whom God shall make manifest arriveth, all who are upon the earth shall be equal before Him.

Whomsoever He maketh a prophet, he hath been a prophet from the beginning that hath no beginning unto the end that hath no end, for this is that which God hath ordained. And whomsoever He maketh a saint, such a one hath been a saint in all the worlds, for this is that which God hath ordained.”

Glory be to God, in view of the counsels of the true Ordainer, and of the heedlessness of us servants! No counsel is there but He hath mentioned it; no providential measure is there but He hath revealed it. He hath uttered such words that every possessor of sight and every possessor of heart must lament and weep; for from His words there appeareth world upon world of sorrow, and from His utterance world upon world of grief and anguish. His saying—glorified be His majesty—is this: “His likeness—exalted be His remembrance—is as the sun. Were mirrors without end to face it, all would reflect the radiance of the sun according to their measure; and though none should face it, the sun would still rise and set, the veil belonging only to the mirrors.

Verily, I have not fallen short in My counsel to this creation, nor in My providence for their turning unto God upon the earth. Then would My inmost being rejoice, should all attain unto the summit of their existence, and reach the countenance of their Beloved, and apprehend all that can possibly be apprehended, within the realm of possibility, of the effulgence of their Desired One. Otherwise My heart is saddened, for I have nurtured all things for this very end; how, then, should any one be veiled therefrom? For this have I called upon God, and for this shall I call upon Him; verily He is nigh, the Answerer.”

Notwithstanding the providential measures of that true Ordainer, and utterances which would cleave the heart of the mountain, this people remain fixed and established in their ancient error—save whomsoever thy Lord willeth.

O ye gentlemen, and O friends of God! Hear with the ear of the soul the lamentations of His Holiness the Point, and likewise the mysteries of His Book; and ponder the manifestations of His providence, His tests, and His trials. My spirit be a sacrifice to His loving-kindness, to His remembrance, to His providence, to His counsel, and to His testing! He saith that the Bayan and whatsoever hath been revealed therein should not be made the standard for recognizing that Sun of Truth. He saith: “He is not known by My intimations”; that is, He is not known by an allusion from Me, nor by what hath been revealed in the Bayan. And in another place, in words of warning, He admonisheth, saying: “Beware, beware, lest thou be veiled by the Letters of the Bayan.” And the Letters of the Bayan are in the station of the Imams of old, even as His Holiness Himself saith in the Persian Bayan; nay, He saith that the bodies of these Letters are in the station of the spirits of the former Imams. Yet, notwithstanding this, He saith: Be not veiled by these Letters from that Sun of Reality. And again and again, with words of warning, He saith: Be not veiled from Him by the verses revealed in the Bayan.

By the Sun of the horizon of inner meanings! In divers stations these utterances flowed from His blessed Pen, even as some of them have been mentioned; and they shall come before the gaze of the friends of the True One, and they shall attain unto them. Yet, notwithstanding all these testaments, remembrances, and utterances, He tested all by the mention of one word: Mustaghath. The word Mustaghath is of the Bayan; and He saith that by the whole Bayan they should not be veiled from Him. By this slight test He beheld all brought to a standstill. At this moment it was as though the Herald of Grandeur, from the horizon of the kingdom of the Bayan of the All-Merciful, proclaimed with the loudest voice and said: “Now hath the truth been made manifest, and the falsehood of them that claim belief in the Bayan, yet disbelieve in Him Who revealed and sent it down, hath appeared.”

Would that they had contented themselves with hesitation! Some, with the shafts of opposition; some, with the spears of denial; and some, with unsheathed swords, have striven—and still strive—to cut down the blessed Tree. Even as the Revealer of the Bayan hath announced with the utmost explicitness, saying that they would not consent even to the name “believer” being applied to that Tree which is neither of the East nor of the West; for, were they to consent thereto, they would not bring sorrow upon Him. In sum, since the mention of these matters is the dawning-place of grief, this evanescent one doth not venture to disclose more than this.

Glory be to God! All have become deluded, bewildered, and tested by a single word, Mustaghath, though this matter too He hath mentioned, and attachment to it also He hath forbidden. His saying—exalted is He—is this: “None knoweth the time of the Manifestation save God. Whenever He shall appear, all must acknowledge the Point of Truth and render thanks unto God.” This is the truth, whereof there is no doubt.

This day the books of the world do not become a veil, nor do they hinder; and all are dependent upon, and attached unto, the Word of the True One—glorified be His majesty. O possessors of ears! Hearken unto the Call of the Desire of the worlds, Who from the beginning of the Cause until this moment hath proclaimed, and still proclaimeth, before the faces of all mankind. In one of the Tablets this most exalted Word hath appeared from the Cleaver of the Morn—His bounty encompasseth all. His saying is this: “Today is the day of sight, for the Most Exalted Horizon is resplendent; and it is the day of hearing, for the Call of God is raised at every moment.” Thus endeth His utterance.

O friends! What, think ye, have the heedless souls imagined? If they remain deprived of the kingdom of the verses of God and of the heaven of the Lordly Manifestation, with what matter do they console themselves, and by what do they account themselves believers? This day, by the explicit testimony of all the Books, whosoever turneth his gaze toward aught save the True One, alone and incomparable, hath been, and shall be, numbered with the people of error. To this bear witness the Books of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

They have clung to calumnies at which man standeth amazed. Among these is that they have attributed to His Holiness the Name of God, Jinab-i-Haji Siyyid Javad-i-Karbila’i—upon him be the Most Glorious Baha—hesitation in this Cause, or, God forbid, denial thereof. The petitions and letters which he wrote in his own hand and dispatched to the Most Holy Court are extant—some from the direction of the land of Ta, and some from the quarter of Ya and Kha—and a number are aware of them. In one letter he made detailed mention of the deluded ones, from the chief among them and others. God is witness and testifieth that this is set forth in truthfulness. The True One neither hath been, nor is, in need of such mention. Were we to turn our attention to these matters, and to such kinds of references, numerous volumes would come into being, and in each a whole world would be unfolded.

At one time these words were sent down from the Manifestation of clear tokens—His majesty be glorified and His station magnified. His saying is this: “O servant in attendance! One sacrifice was found in the world, and from that day until this hour the tongues of created things and the books that exist have spoken of his remembrance and have borne witness to the loftiness of his station. And We, in every place, sent forth a sacrifice; and none of them returned alive from the altar of the Friend. Each, with utmost longing and ardor, freely offered the crown of life at the feet of the Beloved of the world of existence.” Thus endeth His utterance.

Among them was the beloved of the martyrs, Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Isma‘il of Zavarih—upon him be the Most Glorious Baha—who, with his own hand, sacrificed himself while turning toward the House. Though this deed outwardly appeareth disapproved, yet the love of God so seized him that from every vein of his veins there shone forth and blazed the flame of fire. Likewise His Holiness Aba-Basir and Aqa Siyyid Ashraf—upon them be the Baha and loving-kindness of God—arose from the horizon of the House in the name of the True One, glorified be His majesty, and, without veil or concealment, made mention of the Beloved of all horizons. The polytheists seized them both and first cast them into prison. They summoned the mother of Ashraf, that she might counsel her son and perchance change his devotion, or else induce him to conceal his matter. But that steadfast, firm, and upright handmaid, after entering the prison, said: “O my son! Be steadfast in the Cause of God. Beware lest thou fear, or be dismayed by the ascendancy of the polytheists.” In sum, he and Aba-Basir both expended their souls, with the utmost joy and fragrance, in the path of the Friend.

Consider also Jinab-i-Najaf-‘Ali—upon him be the Baha of God. When they were leading him to the altar of the Friend, he was reciting this verse: “We have found Baha and the price of blood.” Again and again he recited this verse until he attained unto martyrdom.

O gentlemen! Hearken unto the story of Badi‘. In truth, from every one of his movements the tokens of divine power and the majesty of the Eternal shone forth and were made manifest. He arrived in the earliest days of the Most Great Prison, at the time when the seat of the Throne was in the military barracks. For two days they summoned him to the special chamber. The door was closed, and no one was present before His face save him; nor was anyone aware what the purpose might be, until it was said: “The True One hath willed a new creation,” while Badi‘ himself was unaware. In one place this Most Exalted Word was revealed by the Pen of the Most High in one of the Tablets—exalted be His utterance: “We began the creation of Badi‘; and when his creation was completed and his character made pleasing, We sent him forth as a ball of fire,” and so forth to the end of His saying—exalted is He.

Afterwards he was dismissed. Jinab-i-Amin—upon him be the Baha of God—had, in obedience to the command, set out for his homeland with the Tablet to His Majesty the Sultan. At the seaport, His Holiness Badi‘ learned of the Tablet and entreated that he might be its bearer. Thereafter all heard what came to pass. A single person, without weapon and without implements, wearing nothing but a shirt of coarse cotton, through the power and might of God, raised the Tablet before the Sultan and said: “I have come unto thee from the Most Great Sheba with a mighty Book”—or words to that effect. I ask for fairness: this one soul stood before the whole world. In sum, it is no wonder for the power of God that He should raise up the world of power within a man. He is the Almighty over whatsoever He willeth, and He is the Ordainer over whatsoever He desireth.

Say: O ye unjust ones! Ye held the martyrdom of the Prince of Martyrs to be a proof and evidence of the supreme truth of the chosen Messenger—may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice—and likewise ye reckoned the sacrifice of Ishmael as a sign of the loftiness of his station and of that of the Friend of God. Now reflect upon these souls who offered themselves. By the life of my Beloved, Who is the Beloved of the world, and of my Desired One, Who is the Desired of the nations! Jinab-i-Badi‘ appeared with such power and assurance that trembling and agitation entered the pillars of the outward world. Assuredly all have heard this, and the just do not deny it. After a few days, that holy temple was subjected to the utmost torment and torture, yet with perfect steadfastness continued to remember and speak of the Friend. This matter became the cause of the bewilderment of all, to such a degree that, while he was afflicted between the hands of the executioners, in chains and fetters, they took his photograph; and one copy of it some sent to the Most Holy Court, and it existeth now.

Section 7: “In sum, reflect upon these matters, which have…”

In sum, reflect upon these matters, which have neither likeness nor peer. This evanescent one knoweth not which sacrifice he should mention. The father of Jinab-i-Badi‘—upon him be the Baha of God—was seized in the land of Kha. Whatsoever His Highness the prince and the other people desired, that he should conceal his faith so that they might protect him from the tumult of the divines, he accepted not, and said: “These are the last days of my life, and martyrdom is sweeter and more delectable than every honey.” And he attained thereunto.

Likewise the sacrifice of the land of N. R. in the land of Ta—he who was named Mirza Mustafa, upon him be the Most Glorious Baha—and the souls who were with him, with the utmost steadfastness and the highest degree of resignation, turned toward the scene of sacrifice and offered the crown of life at the feet of the Lord of Names and Attributes. These are souls who freely offered up their lives. Take heed, O possessors of insight!

Now it is better that we turn to the land of Sad, and reflect upon His Holiness the King of Martyrs and the Beloved of Martyrs, and upon the severance of those two sanctified souls from all else but God, and judge with fairness. Whatever they desired of them, that they should conceal themselves or utter a word of recantation, they accepted not. With the utmost longing and ardor they set their faces toward the Supreme Homeland. Thereafter the Tablet of Burhan was sent down from the heaven of the command of the All-Merciful, and concerning those two souls—that is, the Wolf and the She-Serpent—there was revealed that from which every just soul may perceive the fragrance of the power and knowledge of God. His saying—blessed and exalted is He—is this: “He is the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The winds of hatred have encompassed the Ark of Batha…” and so forth.

O possessors of sight! Ponder a little, that haply ye may taste the sweetness of the utterance of the All-Merciful and deliver yourselves from the wilderness of ignorance and folly. The purpose of mentioning proofs, demonstrations, verses, and clear tokens is that perchance closed doors may be opened and broken covenants be renewed. That which hath flowed from the Pen of the Most High concerning the She-Serpent and the Wolf came to pass, and all beheld it. This servant is bewildered: hath understanding utterly ceased, or hath fairness become as the phoenix? What hath happened, that the intoxication of heedlessness hath encompassed all? What hath hindered the taste, and what hath befallen the sense of smell? These things are naught but the recompense of deeds. I beseech God that He may graciously confer His aid.

O Lord! O Bountiful One! O Merciful One! What ingratitude hath appeared from Thy servants, that they have remained deprived of the waves of the ocean of mercy, and have been debarred from the splendors of the lights of the Sun of Manifestation! O my God! Conceal, by Thy name the Concealer, the deeds of the ignorant. Thou art that Bountiful One Whose forgiveness the sins of sinners have not hindered, and Whose door of grace their transgressions have not shut. One letter from the book of Thy generosity became the cause of existence, and one drop from the ocean of Thy mercy became the capital of the seen and the unseen. In the utmost helplessness, ignorance, poverty, and weakness, we beseech the wonders of Thy grace; to its cord do we cling, and to its hem do we cleave. O Thou Who coverest faults! Cover our trespasses and adorn us with the robe of Thy most great pardon. Thou art that Almighty One Who, through a single act of will, makest the powerless to be dawning-places of might and the weak to be sources of authority. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed; and Thou art the Mighty, the Wise; and Thou art the Forgiving, the Merciful, the Munificent, the Bountiful.

Reflect upon another sacrifice of the land of Sad, His Holiness Kazim: that sacrifice whose self-offering illumined all horizons, and whose enkindlement imparted heat to the whole creation. He offered up his life in the path of the Friend in such wise that the Concourse on high was amazed at his steadfastness, severance, and self-sacrifice. Passing beyond him, the new sacrifice bewildered the world, and the atoms of created things bore witness to his devotion, submission, resignation, fidelity, and steadfastness.

That revered one, who dwelt in the land of Mim and was known as Mulla ‘Ali-Jan, upraised the banner of divine unity in that land and was so enkindled with the heat of the love of God that he set others aflame, until the people of schism and hypocrisy broke the Covenant of God and plotted against that wronged one. Whatever he possessed was plundered; thereafter that sanctified being, together with a number of his relatives, was brought in chains and fetters to the land of Ta and sent before ‘Ali Kandi. By a thousand devices and wiles they sought to break the Covenant of God and efface His Testament. But that horseman of the arena of truth and proof had closed his eyes to all else save God; he had no helper, no object, no remembrance save the mention of the Friend, the meeting with the Friend, and nearness unto the Friend. In sum, the opposers and the polytheists attained not their desire; that is, no word of denial was heard from that mine of affirmation, until he attained unto his own desire.

After the ascension of that purified spirit and the soaring of that essence of humanity, two visitations were sent down for him from the heaven of bounties and loving-kindness by the Pen of the Most High—may the spirit of all who are in the kingdom of command and creation be His sacrifice. One of the two is here mentioned, that haply the fragrance of justice and fairness may be diffused, and that men may not move, as in former centuries and ages, according to vain imaginings, nor cleave to idle suppositions. He doeth what He pleaseth and ordaineth what He willeth; He, verily, is the Mighty, the Praised.

He is the Consoler from His Most Exalted Horizon.

The first light that appeared, shone forth, gleamed, and flashed from the morn of inner meanings be upon thee, O rustling of the Sidrat al-Muntaha in the kingdom of names, and O sign of the Manifestation in the world of creation. I bear witness, O master of the servants and light of the lands, that thou wast the dawning-place of concord in the horizons, and that through thy steadfastness the limbs of the people of hypocrisy trembled—those who broke the Covenant and disbelieved in God, the Lord of the Meeting.

Through thee was the banner of truth planted among the people; through thee His verses appeared, His ordinances were spread abroad, and His clear proofs were made manifest. Blessed is he who turneth toward thee, findeth companionship with thee, visiteth thy grave, inhaleth from thee the fragrance of the garment of thy Lord, circumambulateth about thee, attaineth unto thy presence, and uttereth thy remembrance.

Through thee the standard of divine unity was raised above the banner in the world, and the light of the Ancient of Days shone forth among the nations. Through thy humility necks were humbled, and through thy turning faces were directed toward the Face of God, the Lord of lords. Thou art he who wast the interpreter of the Tablet of God, the expounder of His verses, the bearer of His trusts, the dawning-place of His mysteries, the treasury of the pearls of His knowledge, the dayspring of the manifestation of His lights, the fountainhead of the Euphrates of His mercy, the source of His traces, and the throne whereon the temple of His commandments was established.

I bear witness that through thy arising the sincere arose, through thy call the slumberers awakened, through thy turning the near ones turned, and through thee they who confessed the unity of God hastened. Through thee the Book appeared and the decisive Word was distinguished; and thou art the herald proclaiming the name of thy Lord in the place of return. I bear witness that in thy days the gate of meeting was opened unto all who are in earth and heaven, and from the clouds of bounty the rains of grace and bestowal poured down.

Blessed art thou, O joy of the chosen ones and heart’s blood of the friends! Thou art he through whose blood God adorned the outward face of the earth, and through whose body He adorned its inward reality. Blessed art thou, O pillar of faith and dawning-place of recognition! Thou art he before whose remembrance all remembrances were humbled, and before the manifestation of whose name all names were abased.

Ah, ah! O Most Distant Goal, and O Name of God, Lord of the Throne and of the dust! What befell thee at the hands of the princes and the divines! By God! Through thy calamity the very essence of joy wailed before the Face of the Manifestation, and the dove of sorrows cooed upon the branches. Through that which befell thee, the sighs of them that are nigh unto God ascended, and the tears of them who confess His unity descended.

Thou seest and knowest, O God of the unseen and Sovereign of the seen, that the earth is stained with the blood of Thy chosen ones and Thy friends, and that there was for them no mother to bewail them, nor any companion to console their children and their wives. There befell them in the land of Ta that whereat the Concourse on high lamented.

Thou hast seen, O my God, Thy servant ‘Ali cast upon the dust—he who was drawn by the breaths of Thy revelation, moved by Thy will, and enkindled with the fire of Thy love in such wise that every possessor of hearing heard, from every vein of his veins, the verses of Thy love and the mysteries of Thy guardianship. He strove in Thy path as beseemeth the struggle, and arose to serve Thee as beseemeth the arising, until he was reddened with blood before the face of the world and offered up his spirit out of longing for Thy meeting and Thy presence, O Lord of eternity.

Thereupon the Maid of Baha lamented in the Supreme Paradise, and so too the inmates of the Most Exalted Garden and the pavilion of glory in the kingdom of names. And there was none, O my God, to bear him to his resting-place, the station which Thou hadst ordained for him by Thy Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Scroll. Two of Thy handmaids bore him—those who tasted the sweetness of Thy service in Thy days and recognized that whereof most of Thy men and Thy servants were heedless.

O Lord! Bless them both in Thy Kingdom of might; then ordain for them that whereby the sincere may inhale the fragrance of Thy grace and Thy loving-kindness. O my God, and God of the names, my Creator and Creator of the heavens! I beseech Thee by his noble blood, by his arising for Thy Cause, by his steadfastness in Thy service, and by his offering up his spirit in Thy path, to forgive me, my parents, and whosoever hath believed in Thee and turned unto Thee. Then I beseech Thee to make me firm in Thy Cause, steadfast in Thy love, known by Thy name, and rich through Thy riches. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Ruler over all that hath been and all that shall be.

O gentlemen! For the sake of God, speak ye; and for the sake of God, hearken ye. In former times they would mention the martyrdom of His Holiness the Prince of Martyrs—upon him be the peace of God—as the mightiest proof and the greatest testimony for the Cause of His Holiness the Seal of the Prophets—may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice—even as hath already been set forth. Yet now these enkindled, assured, well-pleased, and pleasing souls, who on the wings of severance soared unto the seat of sacrifice and freely offered up their lives in the path of the Beloved of the world of existence, have not come within the sight of the heedless and the polytheists. Their vain desires have veiled them, and their idle imaginings have covered them over. By the life of God! The martyrdom of each one of the aforementioned souls is a most great proof and a demonstration most perfect and complete. Yet the True One—glorified be His majesty—hath spoken, in establishing His blessed Cause, of naught save that which hath been sent down from Him and hath appeared from His presence.

O possessors of understanding! Ponder that which, in the eighth chapter of the sixth Vahid, flowed from the Pen of the Primal Point—may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice. His saying—exalted is He—is this: “It hath been commanded that once in every nineteen days they should gaze upon this chapter, that perchance, in the Manifestation of Him Whom God shall make manifest, they may not be veiled by matters below the station of verses, which have been, and are, the greatest proofs and demonstrations.”

In this chapter He saith—blessed and exalted is He: “After the setting of the Sun of Truth, it is impossible that a verse should appear from any other than Him, according to the mode of innate nature and power, without learning and without such means as are conceived among the people of knowledge. Notwithstanding this impossibility, that none save Him Whom God shall make manifest can claim this Cause, it hath been ordained in the Bayan that, should a soul make a claim and verses appear from him, none should oppose him, lest haply sorrow be brought upon that Sun of Truth.”

And He continueth—mighty and glorious is His utterance: “If ye hear of such a matter and do not become assured, engage not in any action that would become a cause of sorrow unto Him, even should he in reality be other than He; though this is a conception impossible. Yet the very fact that he hath mentioned His Name rendereth it remote from the lovers of Him that they should sadden him, out of reverence for His Name. For the matter cannot pass beyond two alternatives: either it is He—and yet it is not possible that any other than He should reveal verses according to the mode of innate nature—wherefore should any soul deny the Truth, while night and day he hath wrought in expectation of Him? Or, supposing the impossible, should someone attribute himself thereto, leave his judgment unto God. It is not for the creatures to pass sentence upon him, in honor of the Name of their Beloved; though there is no such soul as could claim such a station. If such a soul appeared in the Qur’anic dispensation, he will appear also in this dispensation.

Section 8: “His verses are, in themselves, the proof…”

“His verses are, in themselves, the proof of the radiance of the Sun of His existence; and the impotence of all is the proof of their poverty and need before Him. The purpose of this command is that, perchance, in the Day of the Manifestation of the True One, their feet may not slip upon the Sirat, nor, by reason of a phantom existing in their hearts, may they pronounce, on account of one verse, a judgment upon the Fashioner of their existence, whereby in a single instant their entire being and all their deeds would be rendered void, while they themselves would remain unaware.

“If all obey this one command, it is incumbent upon God to make the Truth manifest unto them, and to cast proof and evidence into their hearts through the outward proofs that shine forth from Him, so that they may be able to express certainty concerning Him, while concerning any other than Him they may express suspension of judgment; for suspension of judgment is fitting concerning any other than the Truth. Sufficient for all the people of the Bayan, if they act according to this command, is their salvation in the Day of Resurrection. For that is the Day wherein all who are upon the illumined earth shall say, in their hearts, concerning the Sun of Truth: ‘Verily we are acting for God.’ But the sincere are those servants who look unto the Fashioner of the verses through God, mighty and glorious is He—that Sun of Truth Whose verses, which are His radiance, separate all things one from another. This is the proof of God, which hath been perfected for you. O servants of God, fear ye Me.”

O possessors of insight! Gaze upon this utterance of the All-Merciful, whose fragrance hath encompassed the world, and whose purpose is manifest, resplendent, and plain. In very truth, this chapter is a firm buckler and a strong coat of mail for the protection of the Desire of all the worlds. O people of the Bayan! Be ashamed, and ponder awhile. His verses have encompassed the world; all the atoms of created things have borne, and do still bear, witness to His greatness. Fear ye God—glorified be His majesty—and make not, through selfish designs, the provisions and utterances of the Herald to be forsaken and cast aside.

His Holiness the Desired One—may the spirit of all who are in the kingdom of command and creation be His sacrifice—hath dispensed with your aid, your acknowledgment, and your faith. This, in truth, do I mention, for it hath been heard from the blessed Tongue: Turn, if ye will, toward whatsoever gate ye desire; drink, if ye wish, from whatsoever cup ye choose; and go whithersoever and in whatever direction ye are inclined. But leave this Wronged One, with these shining verses and these clear proofs, and with His arising before His enemies, to Himself. Abandon craft, deceit, guile, and fraud.

This evanescent one saith: Engage, with perfect assurance, in whatsoever purposes ye have willed; He will in no wise oppose you, “though ye should take unto yourselves at every moment a lord beside God.” But commit not a deed whereby the liver of the Primal Point should be consumed, and the eyes of Grandeur should weep. Let them read one Surih from among the revealed Surihs together with the Bayan and all the Books of God, that there may be made manifest unto you that whereof ye have been heedless. Know, with manifest certitude, and bear witness unto that whereunto the Point of the Bayan—may the spirit of all in the realm of possibility be His sacrifice—hath borne witness. He saith that the whole Bayan cannot equal a single verse from Him. This is the truth, whereof there is no doubt.

As for the person to whom ye have clung, by the life of my Desired One, Who is the Desire of all who are in earth and heaven, ye have not known, nor do ye now know, the reality of his affair. This servant, moreover, is forbidden to mention him—perchance its time may come. Would that the sun of permission might shine forth from the Most Exalted Horizon, that this servant could set forth what he knoweth! The Pen is bewildered, the ink is bewildered, the world is bewildered. What hath happened, that they busy themselves with the buzzing of a fly and turn away from the Lord of lords? They have broken the Covenant of God and withdrawn their gaze from His Testament.

Were a soul to ponder the lowliness and humility of the Point of the Bayan before the manifestation of this Name, he would bear witness to that which hath flowed from the Pen of the Most High. By the Sun of Truth! So submissive and humble was He that the Pen of the Most High is powerless to recount it.

How fitting it is to mention in this connection a matter which at this moment hath occurred to this evanescent one. In the days when His Holiness the son of Zacharias appeared, occupied himself with the baptismal washing, journeyed in the wilderness, and announced the glad-tidings, saying, “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” he declared: Repent and turn ye unto God, for the Kingdom of God hath drawn nigh. “I baptize you with water unto repentance; but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear.” He gave the people the glad-tidings of the manifestation of His Holiness the Spirit, and said: He is mightier, and I am not worthy to carry His shoes.

Yet His Holiness the Spirit and he were living in one and the same day. But since the Cause of His Holiness the Spirit was, in that day, concealed, he saith, “He that cometh after me,” that is, He Who shall manifest Himself after me. And thereafter it is said: “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade Him, saying, I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me? And Jesus answered and said unto him: Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.”

Jesus is His Holiness Christ, and John is the son of Zacharias. In the Books he is called John the Baptist, for the baptismal washing was among his ordinances; and at present this rite is current and recognized among the Christians, and they act according to it. In brief, the fragrance of these days was diffused in those days, even as His Holiness the Point—may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice—completed the whole Bayan with the glad-tidings of this Manifestation. By the life of God! Were a soul, with justice and fairness, to inhale one by one the words of the Bayan, he would find from them naught but the fragrance of love for this Manifestation. To this beareth witness every fair-minded and just soul; yet most of the people are of them that deny.

O people of the Bayan! Hearken unto the words of this servant, and, with perfect assurance, putting your trust in God, enter upon the Path. Caution in this day is accounted among the greatest of sins, and hath been, and shall be, in the Fire. To this the Pen of the Primal Point hath borne witness. His saying—blessed and exalted is He—is this: “Having recognized Him by His verses, beware lest ye exercise caution in knowing Him; for to the degree that ye do so, ye shall be veiled in the Fire.” Thus endeth His utterance.

Break ye the idols; rend asunder the veils of vain imaginings; gaze upon the Most Exalted Horizon alone, that haply, in the Day of God, ye may attain unto true unity. By the Sun of the horizon of the heaven of grace! Whatsoever hath appeared in this Most Great Manifestation, each one thereof is as the sun at the meridian: none denieth it save every heedless doubter. Hear this word for the sake of God, and act upon it. The proof and demonstration by which ye acknowledged the Point of the Bayan and the Messengers of old—behold now that the same existeth in a mightier and more perfect form. Observe, then, and speak with justice and fairness.

I beg forgiveness of God for my mention, my exposition, and my speech. The world is not empty of men of fairness, justice, and knowledge. Assuredly the possessors of knowledge will consider that which hath been sent down from the Pen of the Most High in this Manifestation, whether in Arabic or in Persian, and likewise that which was aforetime revealed unto the Prophets and Messengers; and they will speak with equity and utter their words with justice.

I implore Thy forgiveness, O God of existence, for any mention from which they who are nigh unto Thee might inhale the scent of comparison and limitation. O Lord! Purify the eyes of Thy creatures from whatsoever hindereth them from looking toward Thee and from placing their trust in Thee. O Lord! Adorn them with the ornament of justice and fairness, and illumine their hearts with the lights of Thy recognition. Thou, verily, art powerful over all things.

At one time the Dayspring of verses and Manifestation of clear tokens said: “O servant in attendance! Know with manifest certitude that the True One—glorified be His majesty—hath established His truth, His Cause is manifest, and His light is resplendent. All the objections of the people of the Bayan He rendereth nonexistent, lost, and void by a single word which He had aforetime uttered. His saying—exalted is His utterance—is this: ‘He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth.’”

If a soul were, in truth, to cleave to this most exalted Word and be assured thereof, he would turn toward none save Him, behold none but Him, and accept from none other than Him; and with both his outward and inward tongue he would say:

“O my God and my Desired One! Praise be unto Thee for that Thou hast manifested Thy Self, revealed Thy verses, disclosed Thy clear tokens, and sent down that whereby every possessor of scent hath inhaled the fragrance of Thy garment, the breaths of Thy days, and the sweet savors of Thy Manifestation.

“O Lord! Strengthen my heart, lest the intimations of them that have turned aside from among Thy creatures, and of the ungodly among Thy servants, hinder it from turning toward Thy horizon. Strengthen, O my God, my hand to take hold of Thy Book with such certitude that the hearts of the polytheists among Thy creatures may tremble thereby. Illumine my face with the lights of Thy countenance, and adorn my temple with the robe of steadfastness in Thy love.

“O Lord! This is Thy Day. I bear witness that therein, through Thy Manifestation, the mysteries have been disclosed, the trees have yielded their fruits, the decree of divine unity hath been established, the conditions of limitation have been effaced, the standard of the Bayan hath been planted upon the loftiest summit of the realm of possibility, and Thy call hath been raised at all times.

“O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy name, the Bountiful, and by Thy name, the Preserver, and by Thy name, the Helper, not to abandon me to mine own self. Deliver me by the arms of Thy power; then guard me from the people of the Bayan who have broken Thy Covenant, shattered Thy Testament, cast behind their backs Thy commandments, disputed with Thy verses, and disbelieved in Thy proof when Thou camest unto them from the heaven of certitude with the banners of wisdom and utterance. Thou, verily, art the Almighty over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all things. There is none other God but Thee, the Strong, the Powerful.” Thus endeth His utterance.

Glory be to God! What hath come to pass, that men have withheld and deprived themselves from the manifest, resplendent, and visible Truth, and have clung to, and busied themselves with, the sayings of this one and that? The appearance of such things hath neither been, nor is, new. In ages and centuries past they clung to the cords of vain imaginings; and even after the Sun of Truth had appeared and calumnies had been unveiled, they were not awakened, but returned to their former footing and remained unaware. It is as though they deserved once more to be afflicted with the sermons of preachers and the idolatry of the ignorant.

O gentlemen! Ponder the events of former times, and their fruits and consequences, that ye may be preserved from the like of those rebellious and overweening souls. In very truth, the fruits of the deeds of such souls are a mighty admonition, a great counsel, and an exalted lesson.

But what shall this servant say? By the life of our Beloved, and of the Beloved of all who are in earth and heaven, such vain imaginings are seen among certain of the people of the Bayan as have never, until now, had their like appear. A certain knowing person from among the people of God, in one of the cities, conversed with one of the deluded ones, recited the revealed verses of the Bayan, and adduced them as witness to his purpose. The deluded one denied it, saying: “That which thou sayest is not in the Bayan.” Then he brought forth the Bayan and showed him the very passage of His Holiness. That person said: “This Bayan is not authentic.” He was told: “Go, then, and bring the Bayan that is in your possession.” He replied: “That too is not authentic.” He was asked: “Where, then, is the authentic Bayan?” He answered: “It is with His Holiness.”

From the foul odor of this word there wafted the stench of the words uttered aforetime, even as they used to say that ten portions of the Qur’an had been stolen, and that the complete Qur’an was with the Qa’im, and that he would bring it forth. For God’s sake! For God’s sake! “They have made the Qur’an into portions”—that is, they divided it, they rent it into pieces: some, they claimed, had been stolen, and some had been altered.

Section 9: “This evanescent servant beareth witness that the Qur’an…”

This evanescent servant beareth witness that the Qur’an is complete, and the Bayan also is complete. The Qur’an is that very Book which hath been in the hands of all, and the Bayan is this very Book which is now extant. But that liar’s purpose is to bar the ways, close the paths, make whatever may appear from the quarter of conjecture into an authority, and cast the people into trial, even as they have done aforetime.

In sum, the hope is that the hand of power may forbid these new veils and awaken the helpless people. That shameless company—the word of that heedless one hath become the cause of the appearance of vain imaginings. Glory be to God! What hath befallen the people of the Bayan, that they deem the truthful one a liar and the liar truthful, like the perished sect who accounted themselves the saved one? For twelve hundred years and more they called Ja‘far a liar, and still do so, although that wronged one spoke but a single word in truth, uprightness, and sincerity.

Now there are many heedless, wayward, and deluded souls. Among them is Mirza Hadi Dawlat-Abadi, who accounteth himself the guide and leader of the people. By the Self of the True One! Night and day he was occupied in transcribing the revealed verses before His face, in such wise that a concealed person in His presence was unable to speak. These poor ones know not. They have heard through passion, clung to passion, and cleaved to passion; and in the end the fruits of their deeds and words have been, and shall be, even as those of the people of the Qur’an: mere scattered dust.

I beseech the True One to bestow fairness, and to remove former rancor and hatred from among His creatures. Yet this is most difficult; for souls who, through ages and centuries, have been nurtured upon conjectures and vain imaginings—how can they be worthy to behold the lights of the Sun of certitude?

This servant is forbidden to disclose and mention certain matters; otherwise, that would be said whereof the servants have until now remained heedless and unaware. His saying—glorified be His majesty and all-embracing His bounty—is this: “O servant in attendance! We speak according to measure, and not according to what beseemeth the kingdom of My utterance and the dominion of My knowledge—unless We behold the House empty of all save Me.” Thus endeth His utterance.

By God! This servant hath spoken, and will speak, for the sake of God. He hath had, and hath, no design of his own. Verily, my Lord, the All-Merciful, is independent of the faith of the people of the Bayan—those who have broken His Covenant and warred against His very Self.

The Point of the Bayan—may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice—saith: “On that Day that Sun of Truth will address the people of the Bayan and will recite this Surih of the Qur’an. His saying—exalted is He—is this: ‘Say: O ye unbelievers! I worship not that which ye worship; nor do ye worship that which I worship. Neither shall I worship that which ye have worshipped; nor will ye worship that which I worship. Unto you your religion, and unto Me My religion.’”

In these days this blessed Surih hath repeatedly been heard from the Tongue of the Ancient of Days. Blessed are the fair-minded; blessed are the discerning; blessed are they that ponder. It behoveth every soul this day, through the power and might of the True One—glorified be His majesty—to preserve the horizon of the Sun of certitude from the clouds of conjectures and vain imaginings, though He, in His own Self, hath ever been, and remaineth, the Preserver of all. Whatsoever is mentioned in these stations hath this purpose: that His servants may attain unto service in His Cause. One hour or two hours of this world hath never been, nor is, worthy of mention. The hope is that He will not shut the door of grace, nor deprive His loved ones of His fragrance.

O gentlemen! A specific chapter of the Bayan is devoted to the mention of this utterance. He saith that the Tree of Affirmation, by turning away from Him, is accounted as belonging to negation; and the Tree of Negation, by turning toward Him, is accounted as belonging to affirmation. In sum, say unto the deluded ones: This day is a mighty Day, illumined with the light of divine unity. There hath been, and there is, no room for delimiting partners unto God, as they were occupied with doing for years. The Most Great Infallibility hath been, and is, peculiar to the sanctified Essence; none hath any share therein. And He proclaimeth from the pole of creation: There is none other God but Him, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

O people of the Bayan! Hearken unto the words of this evanescent servant, and arise not in tyranny as did the people of the Qur’an. All the divines of that community committed the utmost oppression, while accounting themselves the wronged ones. Fear ye God, O people, and be not of the oppressors. In a station wherein He saith that, if a soul should advance a claim and bring forth no proof, ye should not assail him nor bring sorrow upon him—now, notwithstanding proofs and demonstrations that have encompassed the world, and whose light hath illumined both horizons and souls, they have uttered what no oppressor, whether of old or of later times, hath ever uttered.

For God’s sake, ponder! Perchance ye may discover, from the ocean of meanings, the pearls of utterance. All the utterances of that Holiness were a mercy unto the servants. Make them not a vengeance upon yourselves and upon those who shall come after you. Fold up the carpets of “before” and “after,” and with perfect joy and gladness enter upon this spread-out Carpet. I beseech the True One—glorified be His majesty—to aid the opposers and deniers to return, repent, and turn unto Him. How great the pity that ye should make yourselves deserving of the scourges and everlasting wrath!

Can this exalted and blessed Tree, whose branch is raised above a hundred thousand heavens, be denied? Is there any room left for hesitation or dispute? No, by His very Self, the Truth—unless the wrath of God, as the recompense of deeds, should seize them. Glory be to God! Heedless souls have purposed to veil the Sun of Truth. This verse is fitting in this station:

“These clods of earth intend, through envy’s art, To hide Thy sun from every seeing heart.”

Such afflictions befell the blessed Tree that, were man to ponder them even in some measure, he would destroy himself. Since this matter hath been forbidden, therefore this servant and the like of this servant have remained alive. By the Sun of the horizon of truthfulness! The pens of the world are powerless to recount it, and the hearts of the Concourse on high are consumed with burning.

Among these things was this: in this land, after the arrival in the Most Great Prison, two heedless and veiled souls associated with everyone, and in every gathering, with every person, raised some discourse. God knoweth what befell Him at their hands in the lands of exile and the countries of estrangement. They combined certain Surihs with their own fabrications and gave a sheet to everyone—by God, besides Whom there is none other God, even to the sweeper of the town—until the matter reached such a pass that the fire of sedition was kindled and the flame of hatred blazed forth from hearts and souls. At length a decree was issued by the Lord of all necks to close the door. For several months He met with no one, whether from within or without. The door was shut, and seekers were forbidden and veiled.

Until, on one of the nights, this evanescent one was occupied before His face in transcribing the verses. Suddenly the blessed tone changed, and these mighty, powerful, predominant, and subduing verses were sent down in such wise that the limbs of this servant trembled. The True One is witness and testifieth that in no wise did assurance or composure remain within his soul. His saying—glorified be His majesty, all-embracing His bounty, and mighty His utterance—is this: “The ocean of affliction hath surged, and the waves have encompassed the Ark of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.” Upon hearing this blessed verse, no spirit remained in this servant. Thereafter this verse was revealed: “Verily thou, O mariner, be not perturbed by the winds, for the Cleaver of the Morn is with us in this darkness which hath encompassed the worlds.” From this verse a measure of tranquillity was obtained; yet it became clear and evident that a dark and grievous sedition lay behind.

In sum, whatsoever afterwards came to pass was revealed, letter for letter, in that blessed Tablet. Among other things He saith that at times We render aid through the hands of princes, ambassadors, and friends, and at times through the hands of enemies. The next day, toward evening, this servant was occupied before His face in transcribing the verses when an uproar arose. All the people of the city and the soldiery, with drawn swords, assembled before the House. The vile deeds of those souls became embodied, and there appeared what appeared. For some time this servant was disquieted and shaken, lest sorrow should befall the Beauty of the Ancient of Days. By the life of our Lord! Had the matter been left to the True One, He Himself would have sufficed, even as He sufficed against the Wolf, the She-Serpent, and the like of those souls.

Afterwards the sister of Rida-Quli took a bundle of the revealed Surihs and Tablets and delivered them into the hand of the pasha of the city—among them the Suriy-i-Ra’is—in the belief that the aforementioned pasha would arise in hostility. But the decree of the revealed verse appeared. The pasha studied them for a little while; the next morning he arose and attained the presence of His Holiness the Most Great Branch—may my spirit and my very being be a sacrifice for His footsteps—and brought all the Surihs and delivered them up. He stated: “Last night I considered these Tablets. The greatness of the Cause seized me. I knew with certitude that this Cause is true; for, were we to deny it, we would have to deny all the Messengers and all the Scriptures.” He then requested the honor of meeting and attaining the Presence.

At length, one day, a man named ‘Abbud, the owner of the house, came before Him and entreated that His Excellency the pasha might be permitted to attain the Presence. Permission was granted; and after entering His presence, he attained faith and certitude before His face, and whatsoever he was commanded, he performed. For the general body of prisoners who were in this city, a mighty deliverance was thereby obtained.

The purpose is that those heedless souls carried out whatsoever lay within their power. They so beguiled all the people of this land that whenever they saw any one of these prisoners, they would utter unseemly words. In sum, they became the cause whereby, for several months, the door of mercy was shut before the face of all. God knoweth what befell Him at the hands of His enemies. Whosoever hath attained even an atom of justice and fairness will bear witness that no Manifestation higher, more glorious, and more evident than this hath appeared in the world.

Have the opposers not heard the account of the mutual imprecation that occurred in the land of the Mystery? By the life of our Desired One! There appeared that which bewildered the people of the city. Since it is possible that some have not heard it, it shall therefore be briefly set forth, that the fair-minded may become aware, and perchance the opposers also may find the way.

After the arrival in the land of the Mystery, one day Siyyid Muhammad-i-Isfahani presented himself before His face and submitted a request. It was not accepted. A few days earlier also, the Tongue of Grandeur, addressing him, had spoken these words: “O Muhammad! Thou art not informed of the way of the Prophets, nor art thou aware of the character of the chosen ones.” Thus endeth His utterance.

From this blessed utterance it became clear that he had repeated before certain persons some of the sayings of the old mystics. Likewise, a few days later he sought permission to enter His presence. After his arrival, he submitted this request: that Mirza Yahya be commanded not to write anything, for Aqa Muhammad-‘Ali of Isfahan had asked him concerning a Persian verse and he had not understood its meaning. The Beauty of the Ancient of Days said: “Siyyid, what hast thou to do with such meddling?” until at last He dismissed him.

Afterwards he went and beguiled Mirza Yahya, and outwardly, before certain persons, professed faith in him; whereas, by the Self of the True One—may my spirit be a sacrifice for Him Who is in the kingdom of command and creation—repeatedly, on the road, discussions occurred between them concerning certain matters, until at length the affair ended in opposition. Both appeared before His face and began to complain of one another. This evanescent servant loveth not to set forth the details concerning those souls.

O brethren! By God, besides Whom there is none other God, I speak in truth: I have no purpose save that renewed thick veils of delusion and lying clouds may not hinder and deprive the helpless servants. The aforementioned person, with seventy others, associated night and day on this Path, and yet wrote to various quarters: “I associated with no one.” And the deluded ones accepted it. Such is the condition of men. I beseech the True One to aid His loved ones, that the gates of falsehood may not be opened as before, nor imaginary cities be built up.

After the Most Great Separation, the aforementioned Siyyid arose through the instigation of several Persians from abroad who were in that city, and day and night associated with those souls, until, in their presence, he stated that an agreement had been made for mutual imprecation. He mentioned this matter because he felt assured that the Beauty of the Ancient of Days would pay no regard to such souls, and would certainly not gather with them in one assembly. For this reason, with complete confidence, he busied himself among the Persians with these fanciful words.

Meanwhile, a man named Mir Muhammad, who in the land of Shin had attained the presence of the Primal Point—may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice—and who, in the journey to the great city, had also accompanied the retinue, arrived and became informed of the Siyyid’s conversations among the Persians. He said: “Appoint the time. I will go and submit the matter in the Most Holy Court, that He may come, so that truth and falsehood may become clear and manifest.” It was arranged that this matter should take place in the Mosque of Sultan Salim.

Section 10: “The aforementioned Mir entered and related the details…”

The aforementioned Mir entered and related the details to some of the friends, until the matter was submitted at the threshold of His presence. This evanescent one was not present at that moment. As soon as the Beauty of the Ancient of Days heard it, He arose from His seat and, alone and unattended, directed His steps toward the appointed place. Along the way, the Euphrates of the verses of God flowed and was revealed in such wise that no one is able to describe it.

At that time this servant was in the marketplace, attending to certain affairs of the House. Upon hearing of it, I hastened with all speed. On the way it was seen that a number of the people of the city were standing bewildered on both sides of the road.

When they saw this servant, they gestured with their hands, meaning: “He hath gone in this direction.” Thus this servant entered the congregational mosque and beheld the ocean of verses surging. By the life of my Desired One, Who is the Desire of all in the heavens and on the earth! Verses were being revealed in such wise that all were bewildered, wondering what had come to pass. One of the Persians was seen trembling and weeping. In His presence, among the companions, none was present save Mir Muhammad and this servant, who arrived afterwards; for all had been forbidden to enter His presence.

Thereafter the blessed Countenance turned toward Mir Muhammad and said: “O Muhammad! Go unto them and say: ‘Come ye with your cords and your rods.’” The Mir went with all haste. Upon his return he submitted that those gentlemen had repented of what they had said and had excused themselves, saying that it was not possible that day. He said: “Tell them: for three days there is respite. On whatsoever day ye come, We are present.” Afterwards, for a time, He occupied Himself in the mosque with prayer—that is, with the Badi‘ prayer. After returning, immediately upon entering the House, a Tablet was revealed in His blessed hand and sealed with His blessed seal, saying that for three days, on whatsoever day ye come, We are present. That Tablet He sent to the companions, that all might be informed; and Jinab-i-Mir also went and reported the details of the Tablet. Yet from those souls no trace appeared.

O gentlemen! Ponder how the Cause hath appeared, and how heedless are the people. Apart from the people of that city, nearly one hundred of the emigrants and travelers were gathered, and all are witnesses and testify to this matter. That blessed Tablet is extant; and the Surih of Mutual Imprecation was revealed in detail concerning that Day, and, according to command, was sent to one of the loved ones, that he might read it to the friends and loved ones of God. Assuredly most have attained the hearing of it. Some of it is recorded in this place, that the realm of possibility may be illumined with the verses of the All-Merciful, and the hearts of the world adorned with the ornament of justice and fairness. The command is in the hand of God. This is that which hath been sent down from the kingdom of the Will of our Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. His saying—glorified be His majesty—is this:

“O Pen of the Most High! Make mention unto Thy Name of the tidings of this city, that he may be of them that are informed. When Muhammad came unto Thee from the polytheists and said that they desired to gather with Thee in another place, then, when We heard it, We went forth from the House with manifest sovereignty.

“And We said: ‘O Muhammad! The Spirit hath gone forth from His seat, and with Him have gone forth the spirits of the chosen ones, and thereafter the realities of the Messengers. Look, that thou mayest behold the Concourse on high above My head, and in My grasp the proofs of the Prophets. Open thine eye. This is ‘Ali; then Muhammad, the Messenger of God, hath risen from the horizon of the House with manifest sovereignty. Say: He hath come with the banners of the verses from God, the Almighty, the Powerful.’

“Say: Were all who are upon the earth—of the learned, the mystics, and thereafter the kings and sultans—to assemble together, I would appear before their faces, uttering the verses of God, the King, the Mighty, the Wise. I am He Who feareth no one, though all who are in the heavens and on the earth should unite to harm Me. The verses have humbled themselves before My face, and voices have been subdued before My mighty, wondrous call.

“Say: This is My hand; God hath made it white for them that behold. And this is My rod; were We to cast it down, it would assuredly swallow the earth and all that are upon it. I, verily, am the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

“O Muhammad! Go unto the polytheists with the messages of God, the Lord of the worlds. Say: The Youth hath come unto you, and with Him are the hosts of revelation and inspiration. Before Him marcheth the Kingdom, and behind Him the tribes of the Concourse on high, the dwellers of the cities of names, and then the angels brought nigh.

“Say: Fear God, and oppose not Him by Whose command every wise decree hath been ordained. Say: Come ye with your cords and your rods, and with whatsoever is with you, if ye be of them that are able. We shall go to the House of God which one of the kings built and named after Salim, and We shall tarry there until the sun setteth in its west, that the proof of God and His testimony may be made complete unto them, and that they may be of those who repent.

“Say: This day the relation of every possessor of relation hath been severed, save him who hath entered beneath the shadow of this luminous, resplendent Cause. Whoso cleaveth to one of the names, turning away from its Creator, he is not of Me, and God is clear of him. We created the names even as We created all things, were ye of them that know.

“Say: Verily, I have manifested Myself for God, gone forth for God, and speak before all who are upon the earth even as I speak before Thy face. Behold, I fear no one. To this beareth witness My deed, wert thou of them that know.

“Say: The traces of the True One are manifest as the brightness of the sun and its rays. By God! They are still more manifest before every possessor of keen sight. Dost thou suppose that one other than Him is able to arise with Him? No, by His exalted, mighty Self! Verily, they who have withdrawn themselves unto the names are worshippers of idols, wert thou of them that bear witness.

“Verily, the Prophet is he who informed the people of this most upright, most ancient, and everlasting Announcement; and the Messenger is he who delivered My messages and guided them that had strayed from the path; and the Imam is he who stood before My face with manifest humility; and the Wali is he who sought protection within the strong and impregnable fortress of My guardianship; and the Wasi is he who enjoined upon the people that which had come unto him in a preserved Tablet.

“Verily, he whom the polytheists have taken as a lord unto themselves, and through whom they have turned away from God, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Beauteous—he was but one of the servants, and used to appear before the Face every morn and eve. From the direction of his own self the winds of passion blew upon him, through that whereby one of the devils had beguiled him. We made his name renowned among the servants as a wisdom from Our presence. Verily, thy Lord ordaineth whatsoever He willeth.” Thus endeth His utterance.

O friends! For him who is possessed of sight and heart, one true remembrance sufficeth. At this moment I attained the Presence, and the Tongue of Grandeur uttered this word—exalted be His utterance: “O servant in attendance! Say: O ye unjust ones! Have ye not beheld the waves of the ocean of utterance, nor seen the splendors of the lights of the Sun of Manifestation? Fear ye God. Turn ye from the pool unto the sea, and from fancy unto certitude. This day all his books are dependent upon, and suspended by, His ‘Yea’ and ‘Nay.’ This is the Originator of the heavens and the earth, did ye but know. The Wondrous One, from every direction, hath been and is this Manifestation. Blessed are they that know.

“Say: Would that my thoughts were your thoughts; yet I walk not in your paths. I have made plain My way, manifested My proof, revealed My verses, and summoned the servants unto My horizon. Of them there are some who have turned toward Me, and some who have turned away. He who hath turned toward Me is, verily, of them that have attained, in a perspicuous Book.” Thus endeth His utterance.

Would that the opposers had looked with the eye of justice upon but one page of the Book of Iqan and judged with fairness. Nothing revealed aforetime in such wise can equal it. This day all are seen in one same plane. Whosoever hath clung to the firm Cord and laid hold upon the luminous Hem is, in the Crimson Scroll, inscribed by the Pen of the Most High among the people of Baha. This day all the atoms bear witness and testify to the greatness of the Cause, while the opposers are heedless and astray.

His Holiness the Exalted One—may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice—at the end of the commentaries adduced, in proof of His truth, the testimony of two learned men: Mulla ‘Abdu’l-Khaliq and Haji Mulla Muhammad-‘Ali Baraghani of Qazvin. He saith—glorified and exalted is He: “Sufficient is their testimony concerning Me, in this Cause, as a witness.” Thus endeth His utterance.

Yet, after he had perused the blessed Tablet wherein He saith, “Verily, I am the Qa’im, Whose manifestation ye have been promised,” the first of these souls turned away with a grievous rejection; and the second soul, thereafter, did not turn toward Him, nor draw near to anyone, for these two petitions had been submitted in the earliest days of the Cause. Consider now how many of the learned, the mystics, and the jurists were seen humble and submissive before the dawning splendors of the Sun of this Most Great Manifestation. Were their names to be mentioned, outwardly there would be danger of harm to them.

Every fair-minded soul beareth witness that a world of knowledge is bewildered by the deeds of the opposers and the words of the deniers. At one time they mention the Mirror, and at another the Successor. In these days, from Kirman, they have contrived divinity for the one to whom they turn; and another soul, from the people of Kazimayn dwelling in Kirmanshah, hath spoken after the manner of “the Greek and the Chinese.” By God! They and whatsoever is with them are as houses of the spider—nay, weaker still, were they but fair.

Say: O hapless ones! Where have ye been? Hath anyone appeared save the Self of the True One? Hath any power been witnessed apart from Him? Strange indeed is it that souls who have had no knowledge of the Primal Cause should pronounce judgment.

O Muhammad! By the life of God, thou art heedless and knowest not. This servant hath not seen thee; yet, for the sake of God, he saith: Fear God and return unto the Truth. Deprive not thyself while the door is open. Those souls who prompted thee were themselves unaware and had received no portion from the ocean of knowledge. The soul whom one hath taken as a lord beside God—his writings are present before thee; thou hast seen and read them. Now read one page of the verses of the True One, and judge for thine own self with fairness.

The Primal Point—may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice—saith, glorified and exalted is He: “Were all the people of the Bayan to become, in the essence of knowledge, like unto him, it would bear no fruit save through acknowledgment of Him. Take heed, then, O possessors of knowledge; and then fear ye Him.” Thus endeth His utterance.

O my brother! If a soul denieth this Cause and remaineth heedless of this Most Great Manifestation, he hath never been, nor is he now, able to establish the truth of any cause. Sorrow hath encompassed this evanescent one from every side in such wise that he is powerless to express it; for he mentioneth proofs for the Sun of Truth after its appearance and radiance, and this is a grievous error. With the loudest voice He proclaimeth: “Verily, I am sanctified above all that hath been mentioned and inscribed. My proof is that which hath appeared from Me, and My testimony is Mine own Self, were ye of them that know.” Thus endeth His utterance.

Yet this servant, beholding certain souls to be weak, hath clung to the cord of reasoning, that perchance they may drink of the everlasting Kawthar from the fountain of the words of God and attain unto eternal life. Otherwise, verily, proof is ashamed to be ascribed unto Him, and demonstration blusheth to prostrate itself before His presence. Well hath it been said:

“Even as the noontide sun hath the True One brightly shined, but alas that He hath come to the city of the blind!”

It behoveth man to be adorned with the ornament of justice and fairness. How can one pause at this station, or, God forbid, utter an unworthy word, when the Lord of existence hath Himself arisen before the face of the world, hath opened, in His name the Self-Subsisting, the sealed wine, and from His blessed Pen there hath flowed and been revealed the equivalent of all that was sent down aforetime and all that shall be sent down hereafter? The Primal Point pressed the Bayan with the hand of power, and the pure water thereof is this blessed word: “He is not to be known by My intimations.”

One day the Desire of all worlds uttered this most exalted Word—glorified be His majesty: “O servant in attendance! This day, were the very person of the Point to pause in this Cause, he would remain deprived of the word of acceptance. The people are in the sleep of heedlessness, while the eye of God gazeth and beareth witness from the Most Exalted Horizon.” Thus endeth His utterance.

Every possessor of scent perceiveth the fragrance of the utterance of the All-Merciful. The True One hath appeared and become manifest like unto His very existence. He hath rent the veils asunder and cleft the clouds of darkness. Be ye not again the cause thereof, nor cast the helpless people, as before, into the wilderness of vain imaginings. Fear God, O concourse of the Bayan, and be not of the wrongdoers.

Section 11: “The Primal Point—may the spirit of all else…”

The Primal Point—may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice—from the beginning of His Manifestation unto its end, was occupied with the mention of this blessed Name. In no wise did He pause in exhorting the people of the Bayan. Every blessed expression and every sanctified and pure word revealed in the Bayan He ascribed unto the True One—glorified be His majesty.

Glory be to God! Ignorance and folly have reached such a station, and malice and hatred such a degree, that they have withheld the ears from hearing. By the Sun of the horizon of inner meanings! Were certain of the verses revealed in mention of this Most Great Manifestation to be cast upon a stone, rivers would assuredly gush forth therefrom.

At one time this most exalted Word was heard from the Tongue of the Lord of all mankind: “O servant in attendance! The utterances which have appeared from the kingdom of divine knowledge in this Manifestation bestow hearing and confer understanding. Be not grieved by the sayings of this one and that. If but one soul should taste the sweetness of the utterance of the All-Merciful, he would, in the sight of God, be more ancient, more excellent, more manifest, more learned, and more exalted than all who are upon the earth.” Thus endeth His utterance.

The Primal Point—may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice—saith: “If, in the Day of His Manifestation, there be but one believing soul, the resurrection of all the Prophets will be realized in that soul.” This servant, when he gazeth upon the power, greatness, and sovereignty of the True One—glorified be His majesty—findeth the doors of hope opened; wherefore he beseecheth Him not to deprive all who are upon the earth of the breaths of His days. Yet when the heedlessness of the people of the Bayan, and the malice and hatred of those souls, are observed, utter despair ensueth.

Although this servant, according to his own supposition, hath desired by these writings the awakening and awareness of souls, yet it is seen that the Primal Point—may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice—hath spoken concerning this Most Great Manifestation in such wise that nothing beyond it can be conceived. Nevertheless, He saith that they would not consent even to the name “believer” being applied unto Him; for, were they to consent thereto, they would not bring sorrow upon Him.

In truth, this utterance of the Point of the Bayan—may the spirit of all in the realm of possibility be His sacrifice—is a book of admonition, a volume of counsel, and a scroll of awakening. Yet it increaseth the wrongdoers in naught save loss, the heedless in naught save denial, and the transgressors in naught save flight.

This evanescent one declareth before the faces of all, while his heart is free from conjectures, vain imaginings, malice, and hatred toward any soul: If the Point of the Bayan—that is, He Who revealed it—should say, “O concourse of the Bayan! By what proof and demonstration have ye remained veiled from this Most Great Manifestation?” to what answer would ye cling, and upon what would ye lay hold?

If ye say, “We have been veiled by Thee,” all the atoms of created things bear witness and testify that I took His Covenant before I took Mine own. “Glorified art Thou, O my God! Bear Thou witness that, through that Book, I have taken the Covenant of the guardianship of Him Whom Thou shalt manifest from all things before the Covenant of Mine own guardianship. Sufficient art Thou, and whosoever believeth in Thy verses, as witnesses. Thou, verily, art sufficient unto Me; upon Thee have I placed My trust, and Thou hast ever been the Reckoner over all things.”

And with an utterance more manifest than the sun in the midmost heaven have I enjoined all: Be not, through Me, veiled from that Desire of all the worlds. The Book itself beareth witness and testifieth. And if ye have remained deprived of the Sovereign of the days through the Bayan, every line and every page thereof beareth witness and testifieth that I proclaimed with the loudest voice: Be not deprived, by the whole Bayan, nor by its Revealer, its Manifestation, and its Sovereign.

If ye gaze upon an attribute and have thereby been debarred from the Lord of attributes, I have explicitly and fully declared that all mention of good revealed in the Bayan had for its purpose that Sun of Manifestation. And if by the word “Mirror” ye have been veiled from the Sun of inner meanings, it hath been revealed in the Book: “O suns of the mirrors! Look ye unto the Sun of Truth, for your subsistence dependeth upon Him, could ye but perceive. Ye are all like fishes moving in the water within the sea, yet ye are veiled from the water and ask concerning that whereby ye subsist,” unto the end of My saying: “I will complain unto Thee, O Mirror of My bounty, concerning all the mirrors; all, according to their colors, look toward Me.”

And if ye have remained veiled by mention of the Fruit, this is My Covenant and My Testament with My Lord, aforetime and hereafter: “O God! Make this whole Tree to be for Him, that there may appear from it the fruits of whatsoever God hath created therein for Him through Whom God hath willed to manifest whatsoever He willeth. For, by Thy might, I have desired that there be upon that Tree no branch, nor leaf, nor fruit that will not prostrate itself before Him on the Day of His Manifestation, nor glorify Thee through Him as beseemeth the loftiness of the loftiness of His manifestation and the sublimity of the sublimity of His concealment. And shouldst Thou behold, O my God, any branch, leaf, or fruit that doth not prostrate itself before Him on the Day of His Manifestation, then cut it off, O my God, from that Tree; for it is not of Me and returneth not unto Me.”

And if ye have remained veiled by mention of Mustaghath, this call hath been raised throughout the whole Bayan: Were He to appear at this very moment, I would be the first of worshippers and the first of them that prostrate themselves. And if ye cling to certain words, I have stated with the utmost emphasis that the entire Bayan is not equal to a single verse of His.

Now, O people! Is that soul whom ye have taken beside Him, and whose words ye have deemed verses, higher and more beloved in your sight than Me and than My Bayan? Fie upon you, and upon your paucity of understanding and your lack of fidelity! The greatest of your vain imaginings and conjectures is that ye have supposed My Manifestation to be like the former Manifestation, and have appointed a successor and vicegerent. Ye are wholly veiled from the Day of God and its station, and deprived and unaware of the splendors of the Sun of true divine unity.

O wrongdoers! The fragrance of My most pure blood is still wafting from My garment. Have the swords of those ungodly ones, sharpened for twelve hundred years with the whetstone of malice and hatred, and watered with venom, not sufficed, that ye should once more wander bewildered in the wilderness of these vain imaginings? Be content with that which ye wrought for twelve hundred years. Hath it not been revealed in the Bayan that ye should not be veiled from the Lord of the names by the names, even by the name of the Prophet? For that name itself is created by His word.

Glory be to God! Notwithstanding the waves of the ocean of the utterance of the All-Merciful, the radiances of the Sun of counsel, and the manifestations of the luminary of providence and instruction from the right hand of the blessed heart of the Point—may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice—the winds of despair are blowing in such wise that grief hath encompassed the world and become the cause of despair to sanctified and illumined hearts. This evanescent one in particular hath been so seized thereby that he hath accounted the appearance of anything else among impossibilities.

In the seventh chapter of the second Vahid He saith—glorified and exalted is He: “O people of the Bayan! Do not what the people of the Qur’an did, lest ye render void the fruits of your night. If, at the time of the manifestation of His verses, ye say, while believing in the Bayan, ‘God is our Lord, and we associate none with Him,’ or ‘This is that which God promised us from the Manifestation of His own Self; we will call upon none beside Him,’ and if ye obey Him in that whereon ye stand, then have ye made manifest the fruit of the Bayan. Otherwise, ye are not worthy of mention before God. Have compassion upon yourselves: if ye assist not the Manifestation of Lordship, at least bring Him no sorrow,” until His saying—exalted be His station: “If ye attain not unto the meeting with God, at least bring no sorrow upon the Sign of God. He passeth over the profit of those who profess the Bayan, provided ye forgo inflicting harm upon Him—though I know ye will not do so.” Thus endeth His utterance.

Glory be to God! Behold that blessed Countenance: how great a despair had seized Him, that, notwithstanding His countless counsels, His firmly established covenants, His well-grounded testaments, and His manifest provisions, the greatest despair is apparent and evident from His blessed utterances. Blessed are they that weep.

And in the station of supreme compassion and perfect awareness He saith—mighty and glorious is He: “How many a light there is which He calleth fire.” Likewise He saith—exalted be His remembrance: “Though I behold His Manifestation like this sun in the midst of heaven, and the setting of all else like the stars of night in the daytime.” Every possessor of hearing and sight beareth witness that that Holiness—may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice—was, at all times, occupied with the mention of the Beloved of the world of existence, and, through every provision of His Pen, His utterance, and His remembrance, foretold that which hath appeared, and will appear, from the people of the Bayan.

By the life of my Desired One, Who is the Desire of all who are in earth and heaven! His grief is grievous, His sorrow is great, and His despair of those who are in the Bayan is greater than every great thing. O concourse of the heedless! Hearken unto the words of this evanescent servant, and, through selfish passions and unworthy calumnies, stain not that most pure and most holy Hem. If ye turn not toward Him, be silent. He saith—exalted be His remembrance—that in the Bayan there is no mention save the mention of Him, that perchance, at the time of His Manifestation, He may behold no sorrow from them that believe in Him. Likewise He hath spoken this blessed Word, which is as a light amidst the world. His saying—glorified and exalted is He—is this: “The Bayan, from beginning to end, is the repository of all His attributes, and the treasury of His fire and His light.”

It is hoped that the heedless among men may, through that which hath been mentioned, ascend unto the heaven of awareness. Thus He saith—exalted be His remembrance: “Were all to be nurtured through the training of the Point of the Bayan, and were they to look unto the Source, the proof, and the evidence, they would not remain veiled at the time of the Manifestation.” In this station He saith—exalted is He: “It is as though it is seen that all these companions have been illumined with the honor of faith in that Sun of Truth.” Consider the allusions and the explicit statements. He saith that it is hoped that these companions—that is, the companions then existing—may attain the honor of faith, even as they did attain it.

The one God is witness, and the all-knowing True One testifieth, that this evanescent one hath, sincerely for His sake, and for the sake of His loved ones and His friends, mentioned that which would profit the fair-minded and deliver them. From the utterances of the Primal Point—may the spirit of all else but Him be His sacrifice—whether Arabic or Persian, some of that which was in view hath been mentioned. Yet today the Mother of Utterance saith that the whole Bayan is a remembrance of Him, and its rejection and acceptance are dependent upon Him and suspended by His will.

If, by the grace of the True One—glorified be His majesty—the horizon of justice and fairness be sanctified from the clouds of conjectures and vain imaginings, all would bear witness to that which this servant hath mentioned; for all know that no soul hath been, or is, informed of this Cause to the degree that this servant hath been. Nevertheless, souls who were unaware of the truth have uttered that which certain ignorant ones of the world have seized upon, and have brought upon the Countenance of the Ancient of Days that whereat the rock cried out… Thus endeth His utterance.

And in the Tablet to Mulla ‘Ali of Bujistan it was revealed—exalted is He:

That which hath been sent down from the Pen of the Most High shall assuredly appear. Recite ye the Suriy-i-Ra’is, and likewise the Tablet to the King of Paris, which is among the portions of the blessed Surih of the Temple; and likewise the Tablet of Fu’ad, which was revealed specifically for one of the loved ones. This Tablet was revealed at the time when the Pasha, who had been the foreign minister of Rum, had returned to his own seat, and he had been the cause of the last sedition and of the migration from the land of the Mystery to ‘Akka.

There were two persons who, after the Sultan, were chiefs over all: one was Fu’ad Pasha, and the other ‘Ali Pasha. At times this one was grand vizier and the other first minister of foreign affairs, and at times the reverse. In that Tablet He saith—exalted be His glory: “Erelong shall We dismiss him who was like unto him, and shall seize their prince who ruleth over the lands; and I, verily, am the Mighty, the All-Compelling.”

Likewise, in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, consider the Point situated between the two seas; the intent of that Point is Istanbul, for on one side of it is the White Sea, and on the other side the Black Sea. In sum, whatsoever hath flowed from the Pen of the Most High hath all appeared; and the other prophecies which are in the Tablets shall all likewise appear. We bear witness that He is the All-Knowing, the Almighty, the Hearing, the Seeing, the All-Informed….