BH00026: The Most Exalted Pen hath stirred and desireth…

Section 1: “The Most Exalted Pen hath stirred and desireth…”

He is the All-Seeing, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!

The Most Exalted Pen hath stirred and desireth to make mention of His loved ones who have turned towards the Dawning-Place of the Revelation of their Lord, the Mighty, the All-Praised, that the fragrant breezes of remembrance may draw them to the loftiest Summit and the ultimate Goal, and bring them nigh unto God, the Lord of all worlds.

O people of God! There hath been sent unto you a Book inscribed by the Pen of God, the Lord of the mighty Throne. Take hold of the Book with such steadfastness as shall not be prevented by the doubts of those who claim knowledge without clear proof or an enlightening Book. These are they who have violated God’s Covenant and His Testament throughout ages and centuries, as doth testify the Source of mysteries from this glorious and impregnable station. They are those who denied God’s favor after its revelation and pronounced judgment against Him Whom they were wont to remember night and day, at morn and at eventide.

The divines of various sects denied Muhammad, the Apostle of God, and the doctors of the Torah denied the Spirit when He came with manifest sovereignty. The Concourse on high and the dwellers of Paradise have lamented their oppression, were ye of them that know. Through them hath appeared sedition, and unto them hath it returned, yet most of the people are heedless. Observe, then remember when the Revealer of the Bayan came, how the divines turned away from Him, denied Him and His verses, until they pronounced judgment that His most pure and holy blood be shed. They awaited the days of God and His appearance, yet when the horizon of the heaven of Revelation shone forth and the One Who conversed on Sinai came, they unsheathed against Him the swords of hatred. Thus did their souls prompt them to that which kindled the flames of hell. Through their turning away, the princes and those who followed them in their deeds turned away. Verily, they are among the most lost in the Book of God, the Master of the Day of Judgment. They violated God’s Covenant and His Testament, denied His right and cast His Book behind them. They are assuredly among the oppressors.

O people of God! Hearken unto that which the Pen of God uttereth in this exalted station. Beware lest ye be hindered by the doubts of the divines, or the intimations of the mystics, or the might of princes. Turn with radiant faces and with supreme steadfastness, and take the cup of everlasting life from the hands of the favor of your Lord, the All-Glorious. Then drink thereof before the faces of men, once in My Name, and again in remembrance of Me, the Mighty, the Wondrous. Let not the clamor of the sects frighten you. The world and all that ye behold today shall perish, but the sovereignty and dominion shall remain with God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. How many a learned one hath been debarred from the All-Knowing, and how many an unlettered one hath hastened and taken of My sealed wine and drunk in My Name, the Self-Subsisting. Verily, he is among those who are near unto Me in My mighty Book.

O people of Dal and Ha! We have caused you to hear the shrill voice of the Most Exalted Pen. Hearken once again to the call of your Lord, the All-Glorious, from the divine Lote-Tree raised upon the luminous spot. Verily, He acquainteth you with the mystery of unity and guideth you to the straight path. We have appeared and made manifest that which was hidden in knowledge and treasured in the vaults of your Lord’s protection, the Mighty, the Powerful. The pavilion of glory hath been raised upon the most exalted standard, and the banner of ʿVerily He is God’ hath been hoisted upon the most sublime station, yet most of the people are turning away. Say: If ye deny this Light and that which hath appeared from it, by what proof do your souls find tranquility? Bring it forth then, and be not of the patient ones. Say: This is the Day wherein nothing from among all things shall profit you. Fear ye the Lord of Names and be not among the abased ones. Observe, then remember what the hands of the people of the Bayan have wrought. They have written that which hath caused every faithful friend and trusted messenger to cry out.

Say: O people of the Bayan! The Lord of all men hath come on the Day of the Appointed Time and calleth you unto God, the Master of the Day of Mutual Calling. Fear ye God and be not of the lost. Say: Cast aside your idle fancies and vain imaginings, turn ye unto God and then return unto Him. He, verily, is the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. Say: Do ye object to Him by Whose acceptance the Bayan was conditioned and God, the Mighty, the Beauteous, hath written? Say: The books of the world shall profit you not this day, nor what all peoples possess, except through this Book through whose revelation the denizens of the Kingdom have proclaimed: “The sovereignty belongeth unto God, the command unto God, the greatness unto God, the Powerful, the All-Loving, the Gracious!” Say: O people of the Assembly! Through you have the pillars of justice been shaken, equity hath grieved and the eyes of them that are nigh unto God have wept. Your tongues have uttered what the tongue of Nadr spoke before the face of the Messenger: “O God! If this be the truth from Thee, then rain down stones upon us from heaven or bring upon us a grievous chastisement.”

Verily, My Most Exalted Pen lamenteth and saith:

“O people of Kaf and Ra, be fair in the Cause of God and in what hath appeared in this Revelation, and be not of them that turned away from the Truth when it came with manifest sovereignty.”

This is He Who arose in the earliest days before the faces of all men and summoned all unto God, the Goal of them that know, and concealed not Himself nor preserved Himself for less than a moment, whereunto every fair-minded and discerning one doth testify. Is he who hath manifested himself better, or he who remaineth behind the veil? Fear ye God and be not of the transgressors. Blessed is he who speaketh the truth, and woe unto every lying one who is moved by the winds of self and desire and is stirred however they wish. Thus doth the Wronged One recount unto you and counsel you as a token of His grace, and He is the All-Counseling, the All-Knowing.

We mentioned you at the outset of the Book as a mercy from Our presence and a command from Us, and We are the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. Blessed art thou, O My Name, for having entered the Spot of Paradise, the place whereon the lights of the Countenance have shone forth from the Dayspring of Beauty with a clear command, and for having attained the presence of God, the Most High, the Most Exalted, and for having heard the call of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. The breezes of revelation have wafted upon thee from the direction of inspiration from God, the Almighty, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

O Ancient Beauty! Give glad tidings unto him who standeth before the Throne of what hath been ordained for him by Thy Most Exalted Pen in a preserved Tablet. Say: Verily, thy arrival upon the shore of the Most Great Sea is better for thee than whatsoever hath been created on earth. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Take thy portion again and again from this surging sea and deprive not thyself of what hath been ordained for it by the Pen of the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Say: O party of God! Say “In the Name of God” and “By God,” then take a handful from the Water of Life and sprinkle it upon all created things, that they may be cleansed from the veils of humanity and be brought nigh unto the Most Sublime Vision, this hallowed and resplendent Station.

Should thou find one who turneth toward thee, impart unto him the verses, then reveal unto him the pearls of wisdom and utterance from the ocean of thy Lord’s mercy, the Mighty, the Wise. And shouldst thou see one who turneth away, turn thou away from him, placing thy trust in God, the Lord of all worlds. O party of God! Object ye not unto them that object unto you. Leave them to their idle talk, turning toward the Single One, the All-Knowing. Whosoever openeth his lips today in remembrance of this Most Great Remembrance, the Concourse on High shall circle round him with standards of light. Thus hath it been ordained from the presence of a Mighty, Ancient Ordainer.

Say: O people of the Bayan, know ye that behind the Mount of Power God hath men who aid Him with the hosts of wisdom and utterance in such wise that neither the might of the world nor the opposition of the nations can deter them. They testify to that which God Himself hath testified: “There is none other God but I, the Ordainer, the All-Wise.” Blessed are they whom the clamor of the people hath not saddened in the path of God, the Lord of creation, nor have they been deterred by the censure of the censorious.

O My Name! Give glad tidings to the loved ones concerning the Tablet of God and its influence. Verily, We have revealed for them that which giveth assurance to the hearts of the pure ones and causeth the hearts of the ungodly to quake. Say: O people! He hath come from the Supreme Horizon with God’s momentous announcement, the Most High, the Most Great, and in His hand is a proof: weigh it in the balance of truth and by whatsoever proofs ye possess from the Prophets and Messengers. When it was made manifest, the proofs of the world bowed down before it. Fear God and be not of the wrongdoers. Beware lest ye reject the truth by that which ye possess. Fear God and be not of the heedless. These are the verses of God sent down through grace, through which the fragrance of utterance hath been wafted throughout all possibility. Fear the All-Merciful and be not of the transgressors.

Verily, We have made manifest the Hidden Scroll, determined and sealed, which was inscribed by the Finger of Power and concealed behind the veils of the unseen—a bounty from Us, and I am the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. Nothing escapeth the knowledge of your Lord, nor doth any matter defeat Him. He hath manifested and caused to appear whatsoever He willeth. He, verily, is the Powerful, the Unconstrained.

Say: The Last Turn hath come, and We have stretched forth the Hand of Power and revealed from Our Most Great Mystery, concerning the pure truth, a mystery less than what can be counted. Thereupon did the dwellers of Sinai swoon away at the Dawning-Place of this crimson Sign upon the Spot of Sinai. Thus did the All-Merciful come upon the clouds of proof, and all things proclaimed: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of Lords!”

Those who dispute God’s proof and His authority—these are they whom their desires have overcome and returned them to their abode in the fire—evil the abode of every denying infidel! Blessed is he who hath turned to the Supreme Horizon, clinging to His verses, holding fast to His robe, uttering His praise, and arising to serve His Cause whereby feet have slipped.

When the Morn of Manifestation unfurled its standard and the Interlocutor of the Mount came with the banners of signs and the emblems of clear proofs, the people turned away and opposed Him with tyranny whereat the clouds cried out:

“Beware lest ye shut the door of bounty in your own faces. Fear God, O people of the Book! Beware lest ye do what the former party did on the day when the Rock cried out, the Great Cry was raised, and the mountains passed away.”

Say: Cast aside your vain imaginings. By God, they shall not profit you! He Who was established upon the Throne in the beginning of days hath testified to this. Blessed is he who hath attained unto the day wherein the shrill voice of the Supreme Pen was raised and the Tongue of Grandeur spoke:

“Come ye, come ye, O people of the earth! This is the day wherein He Who was hidden in the eternity of eternities hath been made manifest.”

We counsel you with that wherewith We counseled Our loved ones aforetime: to be trustworthy, truthful, pure, chaste, loving and faithful. Leave what the people possess, taking what ye have been given from God, the Lord of all men.

We make mention of him who was named Ali-Akbar, who believed in God on a day wherein hearts melted with the fear of God, the Lord of the Final End. We bear witness that thou didst turn and hear the Call and respond to thy Lord when the people of the cities and lands turned away. Turn with thy heart to the Most Exalted Horizon, then adorn thyself with the ornament of godliness and thy heart with trust in God, the Lord of humanity, and thy tongue with that which hath been sent down in the scriptures and tablets. Walk the path of divine good-pleasure with God’s dignity and tranquility, that His signs may be manifested through thee in the world. This is what thou hast been commanded by thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower.

Blessed is the soul that hath been enkindled by the fire which the All-Merciful hath ignited in creation, from whose sighing is heard “The Intended One hath come with a sovereignty that neither the ranks of the divines nor the hosts of princes could dismay.” He calleth out with the most exalted call before all who are in earth and heaven: “The Promise hath come, and this is what was recorded in the Book by the Pen of God, the Revealer of verses.” Blessed art thou for having been mentioned by the Pen of Revelation when the Wronged One was in the hands of the wicked. Soon shall the world and all that is therein perish, and there shall endure for thee what hath been sent down from God, the Lord of the Throne and of the dust.

O Moses! Hear the Call from the Blessed, Eternal, Ancient Tree: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Cleaver of Dawn!” The tale of the Mount and its Interlocutor hath returned, speaking in this Revelation: “Verily, there is no God but Me, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.” The world hath been set ablaze by the fire of thy Lord’s love, yet the people remain heedless and veiled. Say: By God! The Revealer of verses hath come with the standards of proof and utterance. Fear God, O people of the Bayan, and be not of those who awaited My days, yet when I manifested Myself, they denied Me. To this beareth witness the Mother Book. Thus hath the ocean revealed its waves and the light its radiance.

Blessed is he who hath seen and turned towards it, and woe unto every denier and infidel. This is a day wherein the Point of the Bayan circleth round the throne of his Lord, the All-Merciful, and the Point of the Furqan giveth glad tidings to the world of the Lord of Eternity. The Spirit, in the wilderness of longing, saith: “Here am I, here am I, O Desired One of the nations! Here am I, here am I, O Light of the horizons! Through Thee was manifested that which was hidden in knowledge and recorded in the books of God, the Lord of all men.”

Section 2: “O Abu’l-Hasan! The Wronged One, Who hath come…”

O Abu’l-Hasan! The Wronged One, Who hath come from the heaven of utterance with proof and testimony and hath summoned all unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, maketh mention of thee. He it is for Whose path the gems of existence have sacrificed their souls and all they possessed. Thus were hearts and souls attracted by the call of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Great.

Hearken unto the scratching of My Most Exalted Pen from the right hand of the luminous Spot, from the Divine Lote-Tree before the faces of all peoples. Verily there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We have created ears to hearken unto My sweetest call, and eyes to behold the lights of the Countenance from the supreme horizon, and tongues to make mention of Me and praise Me in the kingdom of creation, and hands to grasp My Book and hold fast unto My mighty cord.

The world hath appeared for My Self, and the ocean of knowledge hath surged through My Name, and the sun of utterance hath shone forth through My mention, the Mighty, the Wondrous. Say: O concourse of the earth! Open your eyes, for We have adorned the heaven of utterance with the stars of certitude. Draw nigh with illumined hearts and radiant faces. By God! The ocean of knowledge hath surged before the world, and the fragrance of God, the Mighty, the Wise, hath been wafted.

This is the Day whereon the Tongue of the All-Merciful hath spoken in the kingdom of utterance, and the horizon of the world hath been illumined by the Great Name, and all things have testified that, by God, the Day hath come and the people are in manifest doubt. Blessed is he who hath shattered the idols of vain imagination and hath arisen to serve God, the Lord of the Throne on high and of the dust below, with such steadfastness as neither the hosts and ranks could hinder, nor the battalions and legions could frighten. He spoke before all faces that which was a light unto the righteous and a fire unto the wicked. Verily thy Lord is the Omnipotent over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Strong, the Powerful.

Give thanks unto God for having made mention of thee in the prison and revealed for thee that which shall be a treasure for thee in His mighty and lofty Kingdom. Grieve not at anything. Convey the Cause of thy Lord with wisdom and utterance. This is what thou hast been commanded by the Omnipotent, the Ancient of Days. Thus hath the Treasury revealed its secrets and the Lote-Tree its fruits. Blessed is he who hath witnessed and seen and said: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Desire of the worlds!”

O Muhammad-Taqi! Hear the call from the supreme horizon from God, the Lord of Names. Verily there is none other God but Me, the Forgiving, the Generous. Blessed is he who hath testified to that which God hath testified, and hath acknowledged that which His Tongue hath acknowledged when He was seated upon the Throne and when the Light was shining from the horizon of Zawra and in this mighty Prison. Take hold of the Book of God with such strength from Him that the divines of the age shall not prevent thee. Be thou vocal in thy Master’s praise and steadfast in service to His Cause. Verily He hath sent down for thee the proof and made clear His straight path.

This is a Day that cannot be equaled by centuries, and this is a Cause before which the hosts of the heavens and earth cannot stand. To this testifieth every truthful and perceiving one. Say: My God, my God! Thou seest the poor one hath sought the gate of Thy riches, and the sick one hath hastened to the ocean of Thy healing, and the wronged one hath desired Thy justice and favors. I beseech Thee by the lights of the morn of Thy manifestation and by the Word whereby the hearts of Thy chosen ones were attracted, that Thou deprive me not of the outpourings of Thy days and the breaths of Thy verses.

O Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thy supreme horizon and holding fast to Thy cord, O Lord of all being and Sovereign of the hereafter and the first life. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of that which is with Thee and that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones who have not broken Thy covenant and Thy testament, who have hastened to the place of sacrifice out of longing to meet Thee, and who have offered up their spirits in Thy path. I beseech Thee, O God of Names and Creator of heaven, by Thy Most Exalted Name, to forgive me and my parents and whosoever hath held fast to Thy cord and clung to the hem of Thy robe. O Lord! Thou art He through Whose generosity all creation hath testified, and through Whose bounty all beings have borne witness. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O ʿAli-Akbar! The grace of thy Lord God hath encompassed the horizons, yet most men do not understand. The hidden Cause of God and His treasured Secret have been made manifest, yet most of the people perceive it not. This is the Day wherein all things proclaim: O peoples of the earth! The horizon of the Revelation hath been illumined with the Light of the divine utterance, and the All-Merciful hath come with manifest sovereignty. When the Promise came to pass and the Promised One appeared, the divines arose in opposition and perpetrated that which caused the denizens of Paradise and the Concourse on High to weep at eventide and at dawn. There hath befallen Us in God’s path that which had never befallen anyone before. To this testifieth He Who in every state proclaimeth: There is none other God but Me, the All-Protecting, the Self-Subsisting.

O peoples of the earth! This is the Day of God, yet ye recognize it not, and this is the Day of divine utterance, yet ye remain silent. Remember what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an:

“The Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds.”

This is the Day wherein We behold the people of the Bayan drunken, though they be not drunken, but severe indeed is the chastisement of God. This is the Day wherein thy Lord hath come and the verses have encompassed the Manifestations of Names and Attributes. Blessed is he who hath attained, and woe unto them that have turned away. We counsel thee and those who have believed to observe what beseemeth the days of God, the Lord of the mighty throne. The discourse of idle fancies hath returned, and most of the people are wandering distraught. O people! Fear God, and follow not the desires of every froward oppressor. This is the Day wherein that which was hidden from all eyes and treasured in the knowledge of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised, hath been revealed.

O ʿAli-Akbar! Hearken unto the call from the right side of the vale, the station wherein the Tongue of Grandeur did speak: “The Kingdom is God’s, the One, the All-Knowing!” Thy name was mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One, and We make mention of thee through this wondrous remembrance, at whose appearance the remembrances of the world did humble themselves and around which circled the Concourse on High, bearing the banners of verses. To this doth the Mother Book testify in this exalted station. When thou dost inhale the fragrance of utterance and art seized with the intoxication of the Salsabil of knowledge, say:

“My God, my God! Thy separation hath destroyed me, Thy remoteness hath consumed me, as have the tribulations that have befallen Thee in Thy path. My God, my God! Mine ear desireth to hear that for which it was created; withhold it not from Thy melodies and Thy call. My sight desireth to behold the effulgences of the lights of Thy most exalted horizon; deprive it not of that which Thou hast manifested for it. My God, my God! How is it that I hear the call of the servants but hear not Thy call, and see Thy creation but see not the Dayspring of Thy Revelation and the Dawning-Place of Thy verses? Blessed is he who hath inhaled the fragrance of Thy garment and hath been seized by the breezes of Thy days, until he became detached from all else but Thee.

“I beseech Thee, O my Lord, the All-Merciful, by the kingdom of Thy utterance, and by the ocean which the ships of the world cannot contain, and by the Ark which the waves of the malice of the nations cannot hinder, to strengthen me in all conditions as Thou didst strengthen me before and wilt strengthen me hereafter. Then send down from the heaven of Thy mercy upon Thy servants that which will draw them nigh unto Thee and acquaint them with what Thou hast intended for them through Thy bounty and grace, and guide them to Thy path which calleth out with the most exalted call in the morning and the evening: By God! I am the Straight Path and I am the Balance whereby all small and great are weighed. O Lord! Deprive not Thy servants of the rustling of the Lote-Tree of the Uttermost End and the scratching of Thy Most Exalted Pen. Thou art He Who hath testified through Thy generosity to all created things and through Thy grace to all existing things. There is none other God but Thee, the Revealer of verses and the Lord of earth and heaven.”

We have revealed for thee what We have revealed for none other of Our loved ones, as a grace from Our presence, that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. Say:

“My God, my God! If Thou shouldst prevent me from drawing nigh unto Thee and from standing before Thy throne and from presenting myself at the gate of Thy majesty, then inscribe for me, with Thy Most Exalted Pen, the reward of meeting Thee and of those who soared in the atmosphere of longing and yearning until they attained Thy presence and heard Thy sweetest call and beheld Thy most glorious horizon. I beseech Thee, O God of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen, by Thy imprisonment and Thy wrongs and what hath befallen Thee at the hands of Thy creation, not to disappoint me of what is with Thee nor to withhold from me that wherewith Thou didst quicken them that are in their graves. Thou art, verily, the Lord of the Manifestation, seated upon the throne on the Day of Resurrection. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

O Husayn! The Wronged One remembereth thee for the sake of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful, even as He hath remembered the servants and called them to the most exalted horizon, the station wherein the Tree exclaimed:

“There is none other God but Me, the Lord of the exalted Throne!”

The All-Bountiful hath come in the final abode; among the people are those who denied Him, those who turned away, and those who manifested great tyranny. Say: O people of the earth! By God, the All-Merciful hath come with the kingdom of proof. Hasten, and be not of them that hesitate. Beware lest the cup of names prevent you from the Kawthar of eternity. Cast away what is with the people, holding fast to that which is with God, the Mighty, the Wise. Say: O people! Withhold not yourselves from the Dayspring of Revelation. By God, the verses have been sent down, the evidences have appeared, and the Sun of utterance hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of proof. Fear ye the All-Merciful and be not of them that are far removed. Come, come, O concourse of men, that I may show you the Most Great Vision and cause you to hear the call of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Thus hath the ocean of knowledge manifested the waves of utterance and the heaven of inner meanings its stars. Blessed are they that attain!

O My handmaiden! Hearken unto My call from the direction of My prison, when Mine enemies who denied the Resurrection and its signs, and the Hour and its tokens, encompassed Me. Verily, they are among the abased ones. Blessed is thy son who ascended unto God and partook of the Choice Sealed Wine when it was unsealed by the hand of power and might.

O ʿAli-Rida! The Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens makes mention of thee. Verily, He came with the banners of verses and the standards of clear proofs on a Day wherein the pillars of existence were shaken through fear of God, the Lord of Lords. We bear witness that thou didst turn, believe, and respond to thy Lord when He came with power and sovereignty. Thou didst attain, before thy ascension, to the fragrance of the knowledge of thy Lord, and after it to the verses of God, the Lord of creation. Blessed is the soul that hath won mention by My Most Exalted Pen, and the face that hath turned unto the Countenance, and the heart that hath turned toward the horizon whence shone forth the Luminary of proof and evidence. O people of Baha! Take hold of the Book of God with the strength that proceedeth from Him, and be not of them that disbelieved in God, the Lord of all mankind.

O Siyyid Muhammad! Rejoice in the bounty of thy Lord. Verily, He maketh mention of thee from the direction of the Prison with verses that the centuries and ages cannot alter. Hearken, hearken! The Most Exalted Pen desireth to converse with thee. Behold, behold! The Ancient Countenance hath turned toward thee from His Most Great Prison. When thou hast heard and seen, arise and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Desire of the world, and glory be unto Thee, O Illuminator of the horizons! The world hath been set ablaze by the verses of thy Lord, and utterance is filled with wondrous doubt. Behold the Most Exalted Horizon with thine eyes, then hearken unto its call with thine ears. This is what thou hast been commanded in the Scriptures and Tablets. Whoso regardeth it with other than His eye shall never know it. This is what God hath made specific to this Revelation, which when it appeared caused the limbs of all names to quake, the heavens to be cleft asunder, and the lands to lament. Thus have We sent down the verses unto thee and dispatched them to thee as a grace from Our presence, and I am the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

O Siyyid Ja’far! The Greatest Scene hath been adorned and the Hidden Secret hath been revealed, and the Lord of Destiny calleth out, saying: O concourse of humanity! The Hour hath come and the moon hath been cleft asunder. Blessed is the servant who hath witnessed and attained, and woe unto every denying impostor. Beware lest the doubts of the people of the Bayan prevent thee. Arise and say: O people, fear God and be not of the companions of error. Say: O party of God! This Day is your day. Remember your Lord, the Most Merciful, with wisdom and utterance, and follow not every misbeliever who hath disbelieved in God, the Revealer of verses. This is a Day wherein the Way crieth out: Look ye, look ye, O people of Baha! By God, I was created for you, despite those who caused their people to dwell in the abode of perdition. And the Guide crieth out and calleth: O party of God! God hath manifested me for you. Turn ye unto Him and be not of those who denied their Lord in the beginning and the end.

Section 3: “O Mahmud! The Promised One maketh mention…”

O Mahmud! The Promised One maketh mention of thee from His glorious station and giveth thee glad tidings of God’s tender care—thy Lord, the Lord of the Day of Reckoning. Hold thou fast unto His grace, arise to serve His Cause, and voice His praise at eventide and at dawn. We have sent down the verses and revealed unto men that which draweth them nigh unto the Most Exalted Horizon. Turn ye unto Him, O ye that are endowed with insight!

Know thou that the Concourse of the Bayan have denied this bounty the like of which the eye of creation hath never beheld. These have followed their desires and disbelieved in Him Who hath come from the Dayspring of Power with God’s verses—the Omnipotent, the Unconstrained. Thus have their deeds been made to seem fair in their eyes, and they are this day numbered among the wayward before the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Say: Fear ye God! He hath come with verses that all the books of the world cannot equal, as testifieth He in Whose grasp is the Kingdom of proof and evidence. Say: Come ye, that I may show you what hath been sent down from the Kingdom of utterance and cause you to hear what the Dove of Paradise warbleth upon the loftiest branches. By God! What the people possess cannot this day compare with God’s verses. Ponder ye, O men of understanding! By what proof can they who deny this Cause establish their claims? Say: Produce it, O sources of delusion!

O Siyyid ʿAli-Akbar! He hath come from the heaven of Command bearing the banner of “He doeth what He willeth.” Doth it beseem anyone to turn away? Nay, by My Self that overshadoweth the earth and the heavens! That which was never manifested hath been made manifest, yet the people remain in strange delusion. They worship vain imaginings and comprehend not; they worship idols yet perceive not. They have adorned their heads with turbans—they are astray and lead others astray, yet they know not. They have lost who denied God’s verses after their revelation and turned away from Him through Whom the letter K was conjoined with the letter N and every hidden matter was revealed. Thank thou God, thy Lord, that He hath aided thee to turn unto Him on a day wherein men have turned away from God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling.

We have desired to make mention of him who was named ʿAli-Akbar, who turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon and traversed land and sea until he reached the shore of the Most Great Sea and heard the Call from the Dayspring of his Lord’s utterance, the Lord of Names, and beheld what no eye hath beheld. We testify that he heard and turned and hastened until he entered the right Valley—the place wherein the fragrance of God, Lord of the seen and unseen, was diffused, and he testified to that whereunto God hath testified: that there is none other God but Him, the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. He heard the rustling and the whispering and beheld the Most Great Sign from the Divine Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, and that which hearts and minds have never apprehended.

He believed in God on a day wherein the divines of the earth and its doctors, and those who followed them without clear proof from God, the Mighty, the All-Loving, disbelieved. And We make mention of his son whom We named Badi’, and his mother who heard and responded and took the cup of nearness and meeting, drinking therefrom in the name of her Lord, the Lord of existence. O Mother of Badi’! Grieve not at anything. We counsel thee to be patient and forbearing, even as We have counseled Our handmaidens before thee. Verily thy Lord is the All-Patient, the All-Appreciating.

O Pen! Make mention of him who was named Ja’far and remind him of the days of God, lest the doubts of those who have disbelieved in the Witness and the Witnessed prevent him. This is a day wherein none save He should be mentioned. Say: Fear ye the All-Merciful, O people of the Bayan, and oppose not Him Who hath come from the heaven of proof with the standards of divine knowledge, would that ye might know!

Say: O people of the Bayan! Slay Me not with the swords of rejection. By God, I was sleeping when the hand of your Lord, the All-Merciful’s will awakened Me and commanded Me to raise My voice between earth and heaven. This is not of Mine own accord, could ye but know it. Were He to find anyone else speaking forth and standing up for this Cause, He would not have raised Me up nor caused Me to speak a word, nor would I have manifested Myself amongst these people. To this testifieth the Book whose verses have been inscribed by the Pen of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. The All-Chosen hath taken from My hands the reins of choice, and raised Me up as He pleased and caused Me to speak as He desired. He, verily, is the Omnipotent over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is.

O Pen! Blessed art thou for having rendered Me well-pleased with thee, for thou hast spoken in such wise concerning the stations of the servants. We beseech God to reward thee with the most excellent reward and to strengthen His loved ones to remain steadfast in this irrevocable Cause.

O Siyyid Husayn! There hath befallen Me in God’s path that which hath caused the Concourse on High to lament, and the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise, and those who circle round God’s Throne, the Lord of the Kingdom. O peoples of the earth! Fear God and deny not Him through Whom God’s Cause was manifested from the Beginning that hath no beginning, through Whom every Messenger was sent and every Book was revealed. He hath spoken: “There is no God but Him, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.”

O My Most Exalted Pen! We bid thee be silent, for the people of the Bayan are within thy hearing, that they might hear that wherewith they object to God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. We stood before all faces in days wherein skins trembled from the might of princes and divines. Then, when the waves of hatred subsided, there arose from behind the veil the buzzing of flies, and they committed what none before them had committed. Thus have We sent down the verses and dispatched them unto thee that thou mightest thank thy Lord, the Sovereign of all sovereigns. Beware lest anything whatsoever prevent thee from the Lord of all names. Cast aside what the people possess, holding fast to that which thou hast been commanded by God, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Kindly.

O Ali! The Wronged One makes mention of thee and remindeth thee of the verses of God, the Lord of the mighty throne. My Name, upon Him be My glory, was presented with a letter bearing thy name. We make mention of thee from the precincts of the Prison, that thou mayest rejoice and be of them that render thanks. This is the Day wherein the ocean of divine knowledge hath surged and the fragrance of the All-Merciful hath wafted. Blessed is he who hath seen and found; woe unto the heedless ones.

O Ali! Remember Ali who advanced to the place of sacrifice in the Land of Ta, and offered up his spirit in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds. How many a sacrifice hath offered up his life in My path, and how many a learned one hath given his soul for My Name, the Mighty, the Wondrous. Say: O people of the Bayan! Leave Me to deal with the people of the Furqan. They have surrounded Me. Fear God, and be not of the wrong-doers. Say: Can that which ye possess profit you after ye have accepted My Cause? Be fair, and be not of them that turn aside. All things have passed away, and this is the face of your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. How many a learned one hath turned away, and how many an unlettered one hath hastened, and drunk, and said:

“Praise be to Thee, O Thou the Goal of them that know Thee!”

Be thou in all conditions reliant upon God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers. Say: My God, my God! Thou knowest what is with me, and I know not what is with Thee. I testify that the reins of knowledge are in Thy right hand, and understanding is within the grasp of Thy power. I beseech Thee by the Word whereby Thou hast subdued all who are in earth and heaven, to ordain for me through Thy Most Exalted Pen that which shall profit me in every world of Thy worlds. Thou, verily, art the Powerful, the Almighty.

O Ali-Asghar! Observe, then reflect upon the world and what hath occurred therein. It will guide thee and lead thee to a station wherein thou wilt find thyself detached from all else save God and clinging to His sure cord. It showeth thee its passing, its extinction, its changes, and what hath transpired therein by the decree of the Mighty, the Powerful. Be thou steadfast in the Cause, firm in thy love, truthful in thy speech, fair in all matters, and trustworthy in financial affairs. Thus doth the Most Glorious Pen counsel thee from this most exalted station. Verily thy Lord is the Counselor, the All-Knowing. The clamor hath been raised throughout all regions, and that which We foretold you hath come to pass, when the Light was shining from the horizon of Iraq, and in the Land of Mystery, and in this mighty Prison.

Nothing hath appeared from the Cause but that We had informed the people of it in the Book. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. O people of Dal and Ha! We counsel you to act in accordance with that which hath been sent down from the Pen of the Command of your Lord, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Great. Thus hath the sun of knowledge shone forth from the horizon of the loving-kindness of your Lord, the Most Merciful. Give thanks and say: “Praise be to Thee, O Thou the Goal of the worlds!”

O Hasan! We bear witness that he who hath turned and hearkened is assuredly among the sincere ones in a perspicuous Book. The beginning of all things is the knowledge of God, and its end is steadfast adherence to whatsoever hath been sent down from the heaven of His Will that overshadoweth all who are in the heavens and on the earth. Whoso hath on this day quaffed the sealed wine of My Name, the Self-Subsisting, he verily is of the people of Baha in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. And whoso hath turned away from this Cause, he is assuredly among the companions of the Fire. Say: O people of the Bayan! Were the matter in My hands, I would not have revealed Myself.

Fear ye God and oppose not Him Who hath come with what ye possess of the tokens of the Messengers. I was seated when your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, raised Me up; I was silent when He caused Me to speak through His firm and irrevocable command; I was asleep when He awakened Me and revealed unto Me that which no reckoner, however learned, can reckon. Say: Read ye what hath been sent down from the Supreme Pen and what ye possess, then judge with fairness and be not of the transgressors. I bewail My grief and sorrow unto God. O my Lord! Pour forth upon Me patience and make Me victorious over the wrongdoing people.

O Muhammad-ʿAli! The gate of heaven hath been opened and the Lord of Names hath come with a company from the Supreme Concourse. Blessed is he who hath advanced, and woe unto them that have turned aside. Through Him hath the pavilion of glory been raised up, and the Trumpet hath been sounded, and all who are in the heavens and on earth were thunderstruck, save them who have come unto the All-Merciful with illumined hearts. By God’s life! Were anyone to become aware of what hath befallen Me in the path of God, he would lament with the lamentation of the bereaved ones. The people of the Bayan have denied the proof of God and His testimony, save them who have perceived the sweet savors of Revelation and have testified to that whereunto God hath testified: that there is none other God but I, the Forgiving, the Generous.

We have heard thy call and have answered thee with verses that all thou beholdest today cannot equal. Give thanks unto God, thy Lord, for this great bounty. This is a day wherein that which lay hidden in the knowledge of God and treasured within the hearts of them who are nigh unto Him hath been made manifest. Say: This is God’s Book speaking in your midst; hearken ye thereunto and be not of the heedless ones. God hath revealed Himself through His Name, the All-Merciful, unto all who are in the realm of possibility. Among the people are those who have advanced and attained, those who have turned aside, and those who have disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

God hath men behind the Throne who aid Him with the hosts of utterance and exposition. They, verily, are among those who are brought nigh in a clear Book. Neither the doubts of the worshippers of names nor the veils of the transgressors can hinder them.

O Qasim! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. He counseleth thee with that which shall cause the Cause of God, thy Lord, the Lord of the mighty throne, to be exalted. They who have taken their vain imaginings as lords besides God, these are the companions of the fire in the Book of God. Blessed is he who hath recognized, and woe unto the deniers. When thou hast gained access to My letter and discovered the fragrance of Mine utterance, say: My God, my God! I testify that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to enter the precincts of Thy glory, to stand before Thy gate and to appear in Thy presence. O my Lord! Prevent not mine ear from hearkening to Thy call, nor mine eyes from beholding the Dayspring of Thy Revelation, the Dawning-Place of Thy Cause, the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Source of Thy commandments. O my Lord! Thou beholdest the tears of them that are nigh unto Thee in their separation from Thee, and the sighs of the sincere ones in their remoteness from Thee. Have mercy upon Thy servants and Thy creation, and withhold them not from that for which Thou didst create them. Thou, verily, art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest.

O my Lord! My heart hath melted by reason of the length of days of separation from Thee. I beseech Thee by the breezes of Thy Revelation, the mysteries of Thy Book, the waves of the ocean of Thy knowledge and the effulgences of the lights of the Orb of Thy manifestation, to ordain for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee. If Thou deniest me, O my God, that which I desire through Thine irrevocable decree, then write down for me from Thy Most Exalted Pen the reward of attaining Thy presence. Verily, Thou art He Whom nothing whatsoever can frustrate, nor can any name among all names hinder Thee. There is none other God but Thee, the Strong, the Mighty.

Section 4: “O Muhammad-Baqir! We have seen thy name…”

O Muhammad-Baqir! We have seen thy name and have made mention of thee in this wondrous remembrance, that this remembrance may render thee steadfast and firm in such wise that neither doubts may cause thee to slip, nor intimations prevent thee, nor the power of the world weaken thee, nor the might of the nations frighten thee. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Merciful, the Bountiful. By God! The pens have been humbled when the Most Exalted Pen was set in motion, yet the people understand not. They have turned unto the daysprings of idle fancies, turning away from God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. The verses pass them by at all times, yet they turn aside therefrom. They worship idols and perceive it not, and they say that which the ancients never said.

Say: My God, my God! I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy verses, the heaven of Thy bounty and the sun of Thy generosity, to aid me in that whereby the sincere ones may inhale the fragrance of steadfastness in Thy Cause. O my Lord! Make me not deprived of the breezes of Thy days, nor prevented from hearkening unto Thy verses. Ordain for me through Thy Most Exalted Pen the good of the world to come and of this world. O my Lord! I testify that I am neither worthy of the wonders of Thy grace nor deserving of that which Thou hast sent down unto me from the heaven of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by the ships of Thy power and the oceans of Thy might—they whom neither the might of kings hath prevented from drawing nigh unto Thee, nor the power of monarchs from gazing toward Thy horizon—O my Lord! to ordain for me that which beseemeth Thy generosity and grace. Verily, Thou art the Forgiving, the Kind.

O Abdul-Rahim! The wolves and evil ones of the earth have encompassed the Wronged One. They have denied Him after He came with verses that all the books of the world and whatsoever the nations possess cannot equal, and with a proof whereby the horizons of meanings and utterance were illumined. Blessed is the soul that hath testified to that whereunto the Most Exalted Pen hath testified. Woe unto every heedless one who hath disputed the verses of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. How many a learned one hath been prevented by his learning from the Known One, and how many an ignorant one hath quaffed the wine of reunion from the cup of the bounty of his Lord, the Possessor of the seen and unseen. We counsel all with wisdom, even as We counseled the servants aforetime, and I am the All-Knowing Counselor.

O concourse of the Bayan! Stretch forth your hands in supplication, for the Most Great Ocean is moved to cast upon you the pearls of wisdom and utterance. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. Blessed is he who hath been illumined by the lights of the Kingdom and by that which hath been cast upon him from this Great Announcement—that which hath been mentioned at one time as the Ocean, at another as the Most Exalted Pen, and yet at another as the Speaker of Sinai and the Divine Lote-Tree in the Crimson Tablet, and as the Hidden Secret and the Treasured Mystery in the Books of God, the Mighty, the Beauteous. They that have turned away, these have no portion in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds.

O Zaynu’l-ʿAbidin! My Pen lamenteth and recounteth what hath befallen Me at the hands of the oppressors. Verily, he whom We sheltered for successive years beneath the wing of grace hath risen in opposition and committed that which hath caused the eyes of the knowing to weep. By God’s life! He hath drawn against My face the sword of denial, having been led astray by one of My servants, then raised his own voice in protest—to this every truthful and trustworthy one beareth witness.

O Concourse of the Bayan! Judge fairly, by God: who is it that hath raised up the Cause and protected him whom ye had taken as a friend unto yourselves? Fear God, and be not of them that deny. We protected him from the sun’s heat and winter’s cold; yet when he felt secure, he sought to shed My blood—thus did his soul entice him, and he became one of the transgressors. We have endured in God’s path that which hath melted the hearts of the sincere. My kinsmen and friends denied Me through the tyranny of princes and divines, until they drove Us from the Land of Ta to Zawra, thence to the Land of Mystery, and thence to this Most Great Prison, wherein hath been kindled the fire of hatred, which no eloquent tongue or swift pen can describe.

O Husayn! Accept what is good as a command from God, the Lord of all worlds. Adorn thy head with the crown of trustworthiness and thy temple with the fear of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Forget not God’s favor—He hath manifested the Dawning-Place of His signs and aided thee to recognize Him on a day when lamentation arose between earth and heaven through the deeds of the heedless. We counsel thee and them that have believed to preserve that which ye have been given by God, the Goal of them that know. How many a king hath been deprived of recognition, and how many a bondsman hath attained to his Lord’s grace! How many a seeing one hath been forbidden to behold, and how many a blind one hath seen and said:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who didst remember me when I was in the hands of the oppressors!”

How many a mighty one hath been weakened by the power of the Manifestation, and how many a weak one hath scattered the hosts of vain imaginings in his Lord’s name, the Strong, the Triumphant, the Powerful! Thus have We caused the weak to inherit what belonged to the strong—a command from Us, for verily We are powerful to do this.

When thou hearest the Call, turn with thy heart to the Most Sublime Horizon and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the world, for having aided me, made me know Thee, and guided me to Thy straight path. I testify that the Path is Thy path, the Manifestation Thy Manifestation, and the Command Thy Command, the Mighty, the Wondrous.”

O Muhammad-Qabli-Jim! The Dawning-Place of verses makes mention of thee, that perchance the people may discover the fragrance of their Lord, the All-Merciful, on a Day whereon the Herald proclaimed: “The Kingdom is God’s, the One, the All-Forgiving!” We make mention of thee for the sake of God, that He may cause thee to be steadfast upon the straight path. Be detached from all else save Him, fixing thy gaze upon His horizon, and voicing His praise by night and by day. That which the people possess will profit you not this Day. Cast it aside at My bidding and take hold of that which ye are commanded by God, the Lord of Lords. Say: O people of the Bayan!

Fear God and follow not idle fancies and vain imaginings. Follow Him through Whose Name the Standard of the Cause was hoisted upon the most exalted station. Say: Have mercy upon yourselves and upon Him through Whom the Most Great Luminary shone forth from the horizon of the world, and through Whom the All-Merciful came with power and sovereignty. Were it not for the Glory of God, who would have raised up the Cause? Be fair-minded and be not of those who denied the Proof and the Testament. Thou didst stand before all faces, extolling the praise of God, the Lord of all mankind. But when the Cause was elevated, clamor arose in the cities and lands. Thus was the matter decreed, while the people remained in wondrous doubt.

O Ibn al-Muhajir! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord which is raised from the precincts of the Prison, summoning all unto the Dayspring of verses. This is a Book from Us to all who dwell on earth, that it may draw them to the horizon whence the lights have shone forth, and remind them of that which hath been sent down from the Supreme Pen in the Scriptures and Tablets. That whereof We informed the servants aforetime hath come to pass, when Zawra became the seat of the Throne, and I am the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O peoples of the earth! Be fair in this Cause through which the Dove of Paradise warbled upon the highest branches. There is none other God but He, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Chosen. Through Him the path of God was made manifest in the world and the decree of the Balance came forth. This is a Day wherein the hidden Treasure hath appeared and the mountains have passed away like clouds. Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto the ornament of justice; woe unto every oppressive infidel! O Supreme Pen! Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear the All-Merciful and be not of the companions of error. Weigh what hath been sent down from the Kingdom of utterance with the balance of justice and fairness. By God’s life! I desired not to manifest Myself, nor to utter a word, but God’s Will overcame Mine, and He manifested Me as He wished and desired. Through this there befell Me that which caused the Supreme Paradise to lament, and those who circle round the Throne at eventide and at dawn. Verily, he whom We reared up sought to shed My blood. When the Cause was made manifest, he raised an outcry within himself, clinging to calumnies that have no standing with God, the Lord of all men.

O Mirza! The Lord of Names makes mention of thee from this Spot which God hath made the Dawning-place of His remembrance. My Most Exalted Pen lamenteth and weepeth by reason of what hath befallen Me at the hands of those who have denied the Beginning and the End. They make mention of the Point of the Bayan, yet pronounce judgement against Him Who sent Him. They recite the verses, yet deny their Revealer. Take heed, O ye who are endued with insight! They behold God’s bounty, yet deny it; they hear God’s verses, yet turn away from them. These are assuredly the companions of the fire. O peoples of the earth! By God, We have come only to purify your souls from rancor and hatred.

To this beareth witness He with Whom is the Mother Book. The ocean of utterance hath surged and the fragrances of the All-Merciful have wafted. Turn ye, O people, with radiant faces toward the horizon wherefrom the regions have been illumined. Thus have We adorned the pages of the Book of Revelation with mention of Him Who conversed with the One Who conversed with the Fire. Blessed is he who hath recognized, and woe unto every doubting ignorant one. O servants of the All-Merciful! When a clamorer cometh unto you, leave him to himself, placing your trust in God, the Source of inspiration. Oppose not any soul; if ye detect from anyone the fragrance of animosity, leave him to his devices, clinging to the hem of the robe of your Lord’s loving-kindness, the Cleaver of the dawn. The qualities that befit man are love, trustworthiness, forgiveness and faithfulness, and that whereby his being may be sanctified amidst all peoples.

O Ibn al-Naddaf! He Who was rejected by the servants maketh mention of thee, after having come from the Dayspring of the Cause with a proof before which the proofs of those who clung to their vain imaginings and idle fancies were brought low. O son of the cotton-carder! Hearken unto the Call that hath been raised in truth—verily it guideth thee unto the straight path and casteth upon all who dwell on earth the Word of God, the Lord of what is and what hath been.

O people of the Bayan! By God, I was sleeping when the Will of God, the Revealer of verses, awakened Me, and I was silent when He made Me speak that which cannot be equalled by what the servants possess, and I was seated when He raised Me up through His power—and He is the Almighty, the Unconstrained. If My transgression be My verses and My proofs, indeed the Point of the Bayan preceded Me, and before Him the Messengers of God, the Lord of the beginning and the return.

O people of the Bayan! If the Point charged you to turn away, what have ye done to this Light that hath shone forth from the horizon of justice? He charged you to turn towards it, yet ye arose to reject it. The clouds cried out because of it, and He commanded you to be submissive, yet ye advanced against it with spears and swords. O followers of error! Ye have turned away from Him at Whose recognition the Countenance of Knowledge smiled throughout all possibility. Say: Hear, for the sake of the All-Merciful, what the Point spoke in the Bayan: “If ye help Him not, grieve Him not.” Ye cast the Command of God behind your backs and committed that which caused hearts to melt. By God, the Bayan was revealed solely for My remembrance and gave glad tidings to the servants only of My Manifestation, whereby the lights have shone forth. By God, the Beloved was submissive to My remembrance, how much more to My Self! Be fair and be not of the unjust and tyrannical.

Say: If ye be in doubt, read the verses of God and what ye possess, then judge fairly, O men of insight! By God, the Wronged One desired not your faith—He summoned you unto Himself for the sake of God, the Lord of all men. Behold, then remember when I stood before all faces on a day wherein souls were agitated and eyes were dazed. Verily He said:

“If He should come to you with a sign, oppose Him not,”

yet ye denied Him after He came to you with that which the Books and Tablets cannot rival.

O people of the Bayan! Fear the All-Merciful and shed not the blood of Him Who aided you through the nights and days with the hosts of revelation and inspiration. When the Remembrance reached this point, I heard the lamentation of My Most Exalted Pen, whereby arose the wailing of the Most Exalted Paradise and the Crimson Ark, and the eyes of the righteous shed tears. By God, I heard the cry of the Point of the Bayan and His sorrow for My sake, and the outcry of the chosen ones in this grief whereby the Tree lamented and the pillars were shaken.

O son of the cotton-carder! How many a learned one was barred from the Goal, and how many an unlettered one was seized by the wine of the Bayan, casting aside the world in his longing to attain the presence of God, the Revealer of verses. How many a scholar was kept back from the Most Great Ocean, and how many a cotton-carder hastened, and drank, and said: “Praise be to Thee, O Dawning-place of bounty and grace!”

Section 5: “Blessed is he who hath attained…”

Blessed is he who hath attained to the remembrance of the Lord of the worlds in the Most Great Prison and hath testified to that which the All-Merciful hath testified in the most exalted station. Blessed is the name that hath attained to the movement of My Most Exalted Pen, and the stranger who hath sought his Most Glorious homeland, and the distant one who hath drawn nigh unto God, the Manifestor of clear tokens. Blessed is the knower who hath known the Known One, and the seeker who hath attained and said:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all religions!”

Blessed is he who hath drunk the Kawthar of immortality from the hand of bounty and bestowal, and he who hath inhaled and perceived the fragrance of the garment as it was wafted abroad through all regions. Blessed is the poor man who hath sought the ocean of wealth, and the sick who hath turned towards the Day-spring of healing, and the weak who hath drawn nigh unto the horizon of power. Blessed is the blood that hath been shed in My path, and the earth that hath been honored by My footsteps, and the breeze that hath wafted from the direction of My loving-kindness upon all who are in the lands. Blessed is the sea upon which sailed the Ark of My Cause, and the mountain whereon was raised the pavilion of My glory, and the face that hath been illumined by the light of My days. Blessed is the house wherein My remembrance hath been raised, and the atmosphere through which the fragrances of revelation have been diffused, both morn and eve.

The world hath been illumined by the Luminary of the Most Great Name, yet the people remain heedless and astray. The locusts of hatred have spread abroad; thus hath the Most Exalted Pen informed you when the Light was shining from the horizon of Iraq. O people of the earth! Hear My call from around My throne, that it may draw you nigh unto God, the Lord of all men. He Who was created to serve Me hath denied Me—take heed, O ye who are endowed with insight! He whom I sheltered beneath the wing of grace for successive years hath sought to shed My blood. By God! The All-Merciful hath come with power and sovereignty. Say: O concourse of the earth! Is there any among you who can contend with the Knight of inner meanings in the arena of wisdom and utterance? Nay, by My Self, the True One! To this testifieth He with Whom is the knowledge of all things in the Book.

O Most Exalted Pen! Turn thy face toward Dal and Ha, then make mention of Ali-Rida, whose name was present before the Wronged One when He was in the hands of the wicked. We have seen thy remembrance and have remembered thee, that thou mayest rejoice and give thanks unto thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. We have sent down the verses and manifested the clear tokens. Blessed is he who hath heard and seen; woe unto every denier and infidel! When the promise came to pass and the Promised One appeared, the people rose against Him with such tyranny as the eye of creation had never beheld. Say: Die in your wrath! He hath come at Whose advent the world’s foundations trembled and feet did slip, save those who broke not their covenant and followed that which God had revealed in the Book.

Say: O people of the earth! None hath the right to test God, his Lord, or to try Him. Rather, it is His to test His servants. He is the All-Powerful, the Unconstrained. Cast away what ye possess and what the people possess. Fear God and follow not your desires. Follow Him Who hath come with verses that have encompassed the cities. We have sent down for the people of Manshad that which will guide the fair-minded and direct them unto God, the Cleaver of the Dawn. Whoso hath attained unto My good-pleasure this day, he is of the people of God in the Scriptures and Tablets. We desire naught from you. We remind you for the sake of God. Whoso believeth, it is for his own sake; whoso turneth away, verily God is the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. O people of the earth! Hearken! By God, this is the call that was heard by the Beloved in His ascension, and by Moses on the Mount of Joy, and by the Spirit when He ascended unto God, the Revealer of laws and ordinances. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken, while the people were in doubt and schism.

O son of Abu-Talib! The Wronged One makes mention of those on earth in such wise as to remind them and draw them nigh unto the Dayspring of divine inspiration. The Wronged One hath come for the salvation of the world, yet the peoples have risen against Him with such tyranny as hath caused the horizons to darken. How many a night when sleep fled from Mine eyes, and how many a day when I lay in chains and fetters. They that dwell in the kingdom of creation and command have lamented My tribulations—to this testifieth every fair-minded one and every learned one whom knowledge hath not kept back from Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O Pen! Announce unto the world this most great Revelation.

Say: O people! Fear ye God and be not of them that have denied God’s proof and testimony when He came with the kingdom of His signs. This is He of Whom Muhammad, the Apostle of God, gave you tidings. Fear God, O concourse of factions! This is He Whom ye have mentioned throughout centuries and ages. Through Him every doer of deeds drew strength, every distant one drew nigh, every lowly one was exalted, every speechless one spoke forth, and every seated one arose. The world hath been stirred with longing for His presence, yet most of the people remain heedless and in dissension. Read ye what ye possess and what hath been sent down from the heaven of the will of your Lord, the Lord of the Day of Resurrection, that ye may discover what hath been concealed from you. Verily, your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

We make mention of him who was named Husayn, whose name was present before the Wronged One, and We counsel him with that wherewith We have counseled most of the servants. I have come from the Dayspring of grace to reform the world. Blessed is he who hath testified to that whereunto God hath testified. Woe unto every denying deceiver. Blessed is he who hath quaffed the choice wine of utterance from the gracious hand of his Lord, the All-Merciful. Woe unto every one who hath turned aside and risen in opposition. I swear by God! I cannot recount what hath befallen Me at the hands of the wicked doers.

O My Pen! Lament for My sake and for what hath befallen Me from the tyrants among My creatures, and say: My God, my God! I was sleeping, Thou didst awaken Me and raise Me up and cause Me to speak. Then Thou didst leave Me beneath the claws of hatred. Thou dost see and hear what hath befallen Me and what they have said concerning Me. By Thy might, O my God and O Thou Who art mentioned in my heart! Were all who dwell on earth and in heaven to unite to harm Baha, the mention of Thy praise would not cease to flow from His tongue, nor would He pause for less than a moment in revealing that which Thou hast commanded Him to reveal amongst Thy servants.

By Thy grandeur and sovereignty! O Thou through Whose nearness the lands were stirred and through Whose separation hearts were melted! I would not exchange the abasement I have suffered in Thy path for the glory of the world, nor this weakness for the power of the nations, nor this poverty for the wealth of all who are on Thy earth. All that hath befallen Me in Thy love is the desire of My heart and the beloved of My soul. To this bear witness the dwellers in the cities of Thy justice and the sincere ones among Thy servants and Thy creation. O Lord! Thou knowest that I have desired naught save the freedom of Thy servants and their deliverance from the chains of idle fancy and vain imagining. Aid them, O my God, in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Abu’l-Hasan! How many a servant has been held back by the world, and how many a servant has rent asunder the veils, turning with devotion unto God, the Lord of all worlds! Be thou steadfast in the Cause and eloquent in proclaiming this momentous News. A leaf hath been presented before the Wronged One, adorned with the names of those who have believed in God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. We have sent down for each one that which will draw him nigh unto the All-Knowing, the One acquainted with all things. We counsel you once again to observe justice and equity and to preserve this Book that guideth you to the straight path of God. We make mention of those whose names were not presented in the prison, and give them the glad-tidings of the bounty of their Lord, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. The beginning of all things is the recognition of God, and its end is steadfastness in His Cause. Thus hath it been ordained by the Powerful, the Ancient of Days.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Your opposition cannot prevent the waves of the ocean nor the sun from its radiance. Observe, then be fair, and be not of the ignorant ones. God shall soon raise up men who will aid the Wronged One with wisdom and utterance. He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the One acquainted with all things. And We make mention of My handmaidens in that land who have believed in God when He came with a wondrous Cause, who have attained unto His days, who have hearkened and turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon when the heroes of the earth were in manifest doubt. He is with you under all conditions, hearing and seeing, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

Rejoice in that your mention hath flowed from the Tongue of Grandeur while the Wronged One was in a mighty prison. We beseech God to assist you, to grant you success, and to ordain for you that which befitteth the heaven of His bounty and the ocean of His grace. He, verily, is the Most Merciful of the merciful. We make mention of Abu’l-Husayn and counsel him with that which hath been sent down in the Book of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Take hold of the Book with the strength that cometh from Him—verily, He loveth them that act. It is permitted unto thee and unto those who have believed in that land to read that wherewith We have communed with God, the Lord of the Exalted Throne. He is the Rememberer and the Remembered.

My God, my God! Thy separation hath consumed me, Thy remoteness hath burned me, Thy distance hath melted me, Thy remembrance hath kindled me, and Thy call hath stirred me. By Thy might and Thy beauty! Were anyone to search the hearts of Thy lovers, they would find them pierced by the arrows of Thy separation, and their livers burned by the fire of being kept from Thee. O my Lord! I sense the fragrance of Thy manifestation, yet know not which spot hath been illumined by the light of Thy knowledge, adorned with the splendors of Thy countenance, and honored by Thy presence. I beseech Thee by Thy beauty that shineth forth from Thy most exalted horizon, and by the mysteries of Thy knowledge, O Thou Who art the Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens, to ordain for Thy servants the privilege of attaining unto Thy presence and standing before the gate of Thy grandeur.

O my Lord! I testify that Thou hast created ears to hearken unto Thy call in Thy Day, and eyes to behold the lights of the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation, the Dayspring of Thy signs, and the Source of the manifestations of Thy power and favors. O my Lord! Deprive not the ears of that for which Thou didst create them, nor the eyes of that for which Thou didst fashion them. Thou art He Whose mercy hath preceded all created things and Whose grace hath encompassed all beings.

O my Lord! The sweet fragrances of the garment of Thy Revelation have seized me, and the verses of Thy grandeur have so attracted me that I have forgotten myself and my own being and all that hath been created in Thy earth and heaven. Alas, alas! I know not by what deed I may stand before Thy face that might diffuse the fragrance of Thy good-pleasure. Nay, by Thy might! Thy grace hath encompassed me and Thy bounty hath emboldened me. This servant hath been assured of Thy grace and bounty, and of the acceptance of whatsoever hath proceeded from me in Thy days. By Thy might and majesty, Thy power and Thy beauty! I long to lay my face and my brow upon every spot of Thy earth, that perchance it might fall upon soil honored by the footsteps of Thy chosen ones and Thy messengers.

I beseech Thee, O Creator of the heavens, by the Daysprings of Thy power and might, to ordain for me that which shall profit me in every world of Thy worlds. Then grant me that which is best in Thy Book. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Generous, the Compassionate, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And I beseech Thee, O Lord of eternity and Source of bounty, by Thy Most Great Signs and by Thy Most Great, Most Glorious Name, to make me one who circleth around Thy Throne and standeth before the gate of Thy grandeur in every world of Thy worlds. Then adorn my temple, my heart, and my breast with the lights of Thy knowledge and with the ornament of acceptance, through Thy bounty and generosity.

O my Lord! This is a Day wherein the ocean of Thy bounty hath surged and the horizon of the world hath been illumined by the light of Thy grace. I beseech Thee not to withhold from me that which is with Thee, and to ordain for me that which beseemeth Thy mercy and Thy gifts, and which is worthy of Thy greatness and Thy sovereignty. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

And may blessings and peace and glory and splendor rest upon Thy loved ones and Thy chosen ones who have not broken Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, and who have acted according to what they were bidden in Thy Manifest Book. These are servants who have cast aside all association with others, holding fast to the light of unity, through Thy grace. Verily, Thou art the Most Exalted, the Most Great.