BH00031: Suriy-i-Nush

Section 1: “This is the Surih of Counsel for whosoever…”

This is the Surih of Counsel for whosoever seeketh counsel from God, the All-Powerful, the All-Protecting, the Self-Subsisting.

In the Name of God, the Most High, the Most Great, the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved.

Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses in truth unto the Prophets and Messengers, and Who now sendeth them down according to how people act in the religion of God. Therein is that which informeth them of the path of God, and wherein He hath detailed all things as guidance and a reminder for those who, by God’s leave, shall enter the Paradise of the All-Highest, and He guideth them along the ways of deliverance and bringeth them unto the holy shore in the presence of God, the All-Protecting, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

O Letter Jim! Hear what the Dove of the Cause imparts unto thee in these days wherein the people of hatred and unbelief have gathered against Him without leave or authority from God, the Mighty, the Beloved. They desire to expel Him from the land even as they expelled Him before. Thus do We impart unto thee from the mysteries of the Cause, if ye be of them that are informed of the mysteries in the days of God.

Know thou that We have remembered thee before and now remember thee with verses that cut off the spirits of them that have disbelieved, yet give life to the believers who soar in the atmosphere of nearness and remember God with their inner and outer tongues. These are they who are nourished by the fruits of the Tree of the Spirit at all times, who think not evil of God, who speak not except by His leave—He the Supreme, the Holy—and when questioned about anything, speak not save after His permission. This is how We teach thee the ways of righteousness, that perchance the people may remember in the days of their Lord.

We have sent no Messenger except with clear signs, yet all were mocked by them. Among them was Adam, whom We sent with truth and settled in the heart of Paradise, in a valley unreached by those near unto God. We taught him all names and showed him the mysteries of the Cause, then sheltered him in the shade of the Tree of Paradise, if ye but knew. We commanded him to eat of all that his soul desired, yet forbade him the Tree of the Spirit—this is a hidden mystery concealed. This Tree sprang from the pure Spirit, and none should approach it save God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Manifest.

When We found his desire thinner than a hair, We caused him to descend from Paradise and placed him on earth among those who traverse its paths. Then We informed him of a matter and awakened him to what he had done. Thereupon he lamented within himself for seventy thousand years, then fell prostrate upon the dust for seventy thousand years. Then he raised his head and cried:

“Glory be unto Thee! There is no God but Thee. Have mercy upon me and take me not to task for what my hands have wrought. Verily Thou art the Forgiver of all things, the Merciful, the Mighty, the Feared. Forgive me, O my Beloved, for what I did before Thee, for Thou didst settle me in a station sanctified from all save Thee, yet I occupied myself with my own desires and grew heedless of Thy remembrance. Turn unto me through Thy grace and mercy, for Thou art the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.”

Then We sent down upon him the rains of mercy, cleansed him with the tears of his eyes, purified him from all defilement, and made him of those who soar in the holy atmosphere. Thereafter We chose him in truth, made him a Prophet, and sent him to those who dwelt on earth to command them to justice and forbid them from oppression. This is what hath been inscribed by the Pen of Glory on hidden tablets of glory.

He said: “O people! I am God’s servant. God hath chosen me for His Cause and made me a sign from Him unto you, if ye would but know. Fear God, O people of the earth, and spread not corruption therein. Seek grace from God, the Supreme, the Beloved. Take none as your protector save Him, and commit not in your own land what God hath forbidden you through the tongue of His chosen one, that perchance ye may be gathered before God on the Day of Resurrection.” Yet they turned away from him, rejected His signs, and said: “We shall not follow thee unless thou bringest us another sign.” Thus did they turn away from Him and were among those who were dead within their own veils. Then after Him We chose His son and made him a sign from Us, and sent him to his people that men might turn their faces toward the countenance of God. But when he came to them with clear signs, they turned away from him and were of those who in all eternity had turned away from the Beauty’s face.

And when days had passed and nights had gone by, We sent Noah with truth and clothed him in the garment of the Spirit, making him a sign for those who desired to be guided. But when he came to them with Paran of fire and lights of the Spirit, they turned away from him, ascribed partners to God, the Supreme, the Beloved, and said: “Thou art not sent, nor hast thou been guided by God’s lights. Rather, thou art of those who lie upon the earth, and thou art naught but a deceiving impostor.” They sought to slay him, but We preserved him from those who would ascribe partners to God. When matters grew severe for him, he performed ablutions with holy waters and sat before God in beloved humility, desiring to call down affliction upon them.

Then We sent down to him the angels of heaven that he might be among those who show mercy, and they descended upon him and said: “O Noah, deal not with them as they have dealt with thee. Have mercy upon them and take them not to task for their rebellion, for they are weak upon the earth and poor in the kingdom, possessing neither death nor life nor resurrection for themselves. Be patient in God’s Cause, for He shall fully reward those who are patient and who trust in their Lord. This is the first affliction to descend upon the earth, so be patient with their tyranny and persecution. God shall reward thee with the recompense of those who are patient in His good-pleasure.”

And Noah arose from his place and desisted from what he had intended. Thereafter he called them unto God, the Supreme, the Beloved. Thus did Our mercy precede all things and Our grace encompass all who are in the heavens and earth, would ye but ponder the mysteries of the Cause. Years passed in succession, yet his people were not guided by God’s guidance and were of those who in all eternity were not to be guided. The melodies of God moved them not, but only increased them in rebellion and unbelief, until Noah despaired of them and desired to call down affliction upon them and render them as scattered dust. Then We sent angels from another heaven who said:

“O Noah, be not the first cause of earth’s affliction. Have mercy upon God’s servants and overlook them and their misdeeds, that they may be guided by God’s lights and then by His signs.”

So be patient in the Cause, then be steadfast, and be as an iron mountain in the Cause of God, the Supreme, the Beloved.

And he was patient thereafter until a time and season had passed that none knoweth save God, as honored servants do testify. Yet they believed him not in aught, nor did they arise from the graves of their desires, nor were they gathered after the trumpet was blown, and thus were they veiled within their own shrouds. Then did God call unto him from behind the veils: “None of thy people will believe except those who have already believed, and grieve not for what they do.” When he heard the call of God, his soul was stirred with longing and he raised his hands, saying: “O my Lord! Leave not these people upon the earth.” We answered his prayer and commanded him to build the Ark. When the Ark of the Spirit was completed through the Most Great Word, We said: “O Noah! Embark therein those of thy kindred for whom the decree hath already gone forth, those who excel in the religion of God.” Then did We cause the clouds of wrath to rain down showers of heedlessness, and We drowned all who were on earth save those who were embarked upon the Ark of the Spirit.

Then after him We sent Hud, and made him a prophet unto the East and the West, and strengthened him with a command from Our presence, and made him of those who would enter the Egypt of the Spirit. He said:

“O people! Fear God and act not as those before you acted, for verily I fear for you the punishment of an appointed day.”

But they denied him and turned away from what had come to them from God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, until We seized them for their sin and made them a reminder for those who would remember.

Then after that We sent Salih, and We set right his cause and commanded him to bid the servants to pure justice and to remind them of the days of God, the Mighty, the Beloved. He said: “O people! Believe in Him Who created you and sustained you, then caused you to die and gave you life, if ye be men of understanding. Turn not to the world and its ornaments, and fear God and transgress not His bounds. Have mercy on your own selves and exceed not the command of God, the Protector, the Beloved.” They said: “O Salih! We will not worship thy God, nor will we follow thee in thy words. Desist from what thou sayest, or we will surely stone thee and slay thee.”

And thus were they among those who transgressed in the religion of God. Salih said: “O people! This is God’s she-camel that grazeth in the holy land and giveth you to drink of the milk of wisdom. She will not harm you in aught. Fear God and touch her not with evil intent, nor follow your desires, if ye be men of knowledge.” But Satan whispered in their breasts and they rebelled against God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting, and persisted in their transgression until they hamstrung the she-camel without cause or guilt. Then did We seize them for their unbelief and for what they had earned.

And after him We sent Abraham with the truth, and chose him from among Our servants, and made him a sign unto those who sought to attain the courts of glory. He said: “O people! Fear ye God and believe in Him, and ascribe not partners unto Him on earth, and be not of those who turn aside from the signs of God. Be not heedless of your own selves, but turn ye unto the realms of the spirit, if ye be endued with perception, that perchance the breaths of holiness may waft over you and guide you to the shore of oneness, and cause you to hearken unto the wisdom of God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Best-Beloved.” They said: “We shall not follow thee, O Abraham, in thy Cause, nor shall we forsake our gods.

Ask thy God to send down upon us that which thou hast promised us.” Thus did they speak and mock him every day and at all times. They sought to slay him, as though they had made the signs of God an object of derision, and they opposed the evidences and proofs of God, and were of those who were far removed from the shore of this grace. Until the matter reached such a pass that one of Our servants, in whose breast the fire of unbelief was kindled, and who was among those who were dead in the shrouds of their own selves, gathered the people and said: “I desire to slay Abraham or burn him with the torment of fire.”

And thus did they plot until they lit the fire of unbelief and seized Abraham and cast him into the fire, cleaving steadfastly to their own idols. Thereupon We made the fire for him coolness and peace and a spirit and a mercy, and thus did We preserve him and thus do We preserve those who show patience in tribulation.

Then after that We sent forth Moses with signs of a Glorious Beloved and clear proofs of an irrevocable Command, and We brought him to the sacred shore in the Spot of Paradise, and We sheltered him on the Sinai of the Command and the Horeb of the Spirit. Then We called unto him from behind seventy thousand veils from the Lote-Tree of Eternity in the Crimson Sea of Grandeur: “O Moses! Verily, I am God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy fathers, Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob. This is My Beauty which We have unveiled to thee; behold then what thou dost see.” And thereby did We bestow Our favor upon thee and perfect Our blessing unto thee.

Then draw thou near unto this Fire that perchance the people may be enkindled with the fire of love in the days of God. Then We assisted him with a rod from the Command and made his hand Our hand and caused him to shine forth with the truth. Then We made him a brilliant light for those who behold with the vision of God. Then We commanded him to remind them of My days after a time wherein the veils would be consumed by a power from Us and the Countenance of the Spirit would come in clouds of light with a name sublime, if ye be of those who perceive. Go thou unto Pharaoh and his chiefs, then guide them with the lights of holiness and inform them of the days wherein all shall be present in the holy presence, that they may follow the command of their Lord and be guided by the fire of God and turn toward the shore of grace in the presence of God, the Supreme, the Beloved.

And he went in unto Pharaoh and said: “Fear God and follow not thy desire, and be not of those who are not guided by the lights of God. Verily I have come unto thee from the dawning-place of the Spirit with a Sinai from the Command, so follow the command of thy Lord and be not of those who are not enkindled with the fire of God. O people! Cling not to the cords of the ungodly but hold fast to the cord of God if ye perceive within your souls. Arise from the couches of heedlessness, then give thanks unto God in His days. This is what We announce unto you in truth if ye but know.” Pharaoh said: “Who is thy Lord, O Moses?”

He said: “He Who created me and sent me with authority from His presence, if ye be of those who are certain—He Who created thee and provided for thee and gave thee of the treasures of dominion and granted thee sovereignty that thou mightest follow His command and be of those who walk in the good-pleasure of the Spirit.” But Pharaoh remembered not any of the reminder and believed not in God for the twinkling of an eye. Then We drowned him and his chiefs in the sea of pride and made them a lesson for those who would succeed them in the earth and would ponder the signs of God.

Section 2: “And when his days were ended, We sent…”

And when his days were ended, We sent the Spirit with the Spirit and We named him Jesus in the kingdom of earth, if ye but know. And We purified him from all that is abhorrent and caused him to hear the melodies of the Dove and We attracted him through a grace from the unseen and purified him with holy and beloved water and We breathed into him from the essence of the Spirit and We clothed him with the robes of prophethood and We chose him from among the servants and made him a sign for those who were created from the Word of God before and after and would be created. And We loved him in the Concourse on High before all who are on earth were created from aged clay.

And We commanded all who are in the heavens and earth by His command and We took from everything a covenant concerning Him, and this is what was inscribed in the Tablets of the Spirit with musk-scented ink. And We raised him up through the breaths of holiness and made him a sign for those who rejoice in the paradise of glory. And We commanded him to bestow upon all created things a drop from the surging oceans of the blazing sea wherewith We had, in truth, favored him—a matter none can comprehend save Our own Self, and which hath been preserved from time immemorial within the sanctuaries of might.

And when the Temple of the Word was completed in its inner essence, he proclaimed: “O people! Fear God and follow not the promptings of your evil selves. And fear ye the Day when ye shall all return unto God, your Lord. I call you only unto God and give you the glad tidings of the days wherein the Dove shall warble upon the branches of the Divine Lote-Tree, if ye be of them that can hear—the Day when God shall manifest His Cause and speak unto you through the tongue of ʿAli, the Well-Beloved. This is the Day for which the holy beings have yearned, and none hath attained unto it save they who have detached themselves from all things besides God.

O people! Make ye ready to meet God in His days, for this shall profit you more than all whereupon the sun doth shine, if ye be of them that are certain. O people! This is the Book of God—believe in it and pervert it not in what ye have been commanded in truth, if ye be of them that know. Man liveth not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Compelling, the Holy. O people! Hearken unto what We impart unto you of words of wisdom, and cast not the Book of God behind your backs, but respond to the Call of the Spirit, then kindle your lamps with this Light of Truth.

O people! We ask of you no recompense, nor reward, nor thanks. My reward is with Him Who created Me and sent Me forth with truth, and made Me a sovereign over you that I might draw you nigh unto the holy court and guide you to the realms of glory, if ye desire to enter therein.

But none among them believed, nor did they turn unto this resplendent and hidden Countenance. Among the people were those who denounced him, those who turned away from him, those who disputed with him in falsehood, and those who mocked him, until the earth grew strait for him such that no safe place remained wherein he might dwell. Thus did We encompass his affairs and reveal it unto thee from a holy and irrevocable Pen. When Our help came in truth, We did aid him with hosts ye could not see, and raised him to the heaven of holiness, and severed the hands of the infidels from the hem of his robe. Thus do We deal with those who show patience in Our good-pleasure.

And thus do We impart unto thee from the mysteries of the Cause concerning what the hands of men have wrought aforetime, even as they work this day. Thereby know thou from the precedents of the past what was decreed for the Prophets and Messengers, that thou mayest be endowed with insight in the matter of thy Faith and be of them that shall enter the abode of peace.

The days and nights rolled on until Muhammad was raised up with the truth, and We caused Him to shine forth from the horizon of Batha like the dawning of the Sun of eternity upon a city of translucent crystal that gleamed and glowed, whereby the Holy Yathrib and the exalted Batha were illumined, did ye but know. Then did We raise up the clouds of bounty and caused the rain of grace from the Beloved to pour upon the cities of purity, that there might grow in sanctified hearts the plant of hidden knowledge. Through His presence We caused the doves of grace to warble, renewed the religions, and manifested all things with the adorning of spring in holy and impenetrable seasons.

He said: “O people! Believe in God Who created you and sustained you, then thank Him for His favors bestowed upon you, and be not of those who deny God’s blessings. O people! I am but a bearer of glad tidings and a warner. I bring you glad tidings of God’s good pleasure and warn you of the Day when ye shall be raised from dust and questioned about what ye acquired in your vain life, and shall be recompensed for what ye did. O people! I speak not from desire—it is but revelation sent down to me that there is no God but He, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Praised. O people! This is my path, so follow it and follow not those who commit indecency within themselves and do what God hath forbidden them, and are immersed in their selfish desires. O people! I ask nothing from you, and my reward is only with Him Who sent me with the truth. Do not differ in God’s religion, and follow not false divines, and be not of those who hope not for the meeting with God, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

O people! Deprive not yourselves and your souls, but hasten to the paths of holiness on this Shore which none entereth save those who walk in the good pleasure of the Spirit. O people! Know ye the worth of these days, for the eyes of eternity have never witnessed their like nor fallen upon them. Fear God and transgress not against His Messengers.” They said: “Thou art but like one of us, and we will not follow thee in thy cause, and we see no excellence in thee, and thou art but a man bewitched.” His people turned away from Him, and among them were those who said “This is naught but a man who hath forged a lie against God,” and among them were those who said “This is naught but a madman,” and among them were those who said “Then cause pieces of heaven to fall upon us, or bring us angels, or cause a spring to gush forth from the earth, or show us treasures of red gold already minted.”

He said: “O people! I am but a man like unto you. I deliver unto you the messages of God and speak not a word of my own accord, and God is witness between me and you. Fear God and let not the world deceive you with its ornaments and embellishments. Hold fast to the cord of God and transgress not His command. We command you only what I was commanded by God, and to this testify the atoms of all created things, would ye but hear with the ear of the spirit.

O people! These are God’s verses sent down to you—by what proof after them will ye believe? God hath ordained no proof in all creation greater than the verses, and these are of His verses. Fear God and be not proud before His proof. This is that which nothing in earth can resist nor can any in the heavens rival, would ye but perceive with God’s sight in His days.” They said: “We will never believe in thee, nor in Him Who sent thee. Thou art but one who wishes to turn us away from that which our fathers worshipped.” Thus did they recognize Him, and saw in Him none other than one of those who fabricate lies against God. And whenever We counseled them with the counsel of truth, they turned not unto it, until the fire of waywardness increased within their souls. They gathered together to slay Him, and consulted with the divines of the age, and thus did they scheme in God’s religion. We delivered Him through the truth, exalted His Cause, and established the signs, despite those who sought superiority in the earth.

Announce unto My servants concerning Him Who came with the truth in the name of Ali, and dawned from the horizon of holiness with the lights of the glory of the Beloved, and from Whose right hand flowed the rivers of the Spirit in wondrous hidden knowledge. He said:

“O people! The clouds of wisdom have been lifted up, and God hath come with His Cause—this is what ye were promised in all the Tablets. Fear God, then hasten unto Me. O people! I am the son of your Prophet. I have come to you with verses at which the mystics marvel, and this is from God’s proof and His evidence—reject it not through your conjectures, but be fair within your souls. This is from God’s law which He hath ordained for you in truth, if ye be of those who are certain. O people! By God, I desire naught but to reform your religions in all wherein ye differ today. O people! These are from the breezes of the Spirit which blow upon you and transform you from mortal death to eternal life, if ye but turn unto it. O people! The tree of knowledge hath borne fruit in this eternal Lote-Tree, and the Primal Point hath expounded, and the Word of God, the Sovereign, the Self-Subsisting, hath been fulfilled. O people! Beauty hath been unveiled, and the veils have been lifted, and the Dove hath warbled, and the sacred Mount hath been illumined, and all within the heavens and earth have been enlightened, if ye but witness with the eye of the spirit.”

They said: “We see thee not upon the truth, and we find not in thy days what we were promised in the books of our fathers, and we shall not follow thee even if thou shouldst bring every sign.” He said: “O concourse! Fear ye God and look unto that which God hath made an enduring proof and a steadfast evidence for all who are in the heavens and on earth, if ye but recognize it. O people! All that ye await and have heard from your fathers and your divines is established through the verses, and these are from the holy verses that have filled all who are in the heavens and earth, as ye witness. If ye be not certain of the verses, then by what thing do ye find assurance in your religion today, and whereby do ye seek proof? The world and all that is in it and upon it shall perish, and ye shall be brought into the holy presence before God. O people! Let not ornate words prevent you from what ye have heard from your divines, and confuse not the matter for yourselves, and heed My counsel and the counsel of God—deny it not.”

The more He mentioned the remembrance of God, the more they increased in rebellion, until all the divines pronounced judgment against Him, save those who had understood the ways of God, the Mighty, the Beloved. The matter reached such a pass that they gathered together to slay Him, until they suspended Him in the air and the hosts of unbelief fired upon Him the bullets of hateful oppression, and they pierced the body of Him Whom the Holy Spirit serveth, and Whose footsteps the denizens of the Supreme Paradise visit. They fettered His body which was served by the Holy Spirit, while the denizens of the Supreme Paradise and dwellers of the celestial realm visited the dust of His feet and sought blessings from His sandals. At this did the eyes of the unseen weep in the pavilions of eternity, the pillars of the Divine Throne were shaken, the essences of being trembled, and the Tree was watered by His luminous blood that was shed. God shall soon reveal the mystery of this Tree and raise it up in truth, and shall sing:

“Verily I am God, there is no God but Me. All My servants were created for My Cause and all act by My command.”

This We have written for Our own Self in truth—that We shall elevate those who were oppressed in the earth and abase those who wax proud. We have sent no Messenger, Prophet or Guardian but these transgressors opposed them, as you witness today how these evildoers continue to object. The people in no age turned away except after their learned ones turned away and grew proud before God, denying His signs. Whenever they turned away, those who followed their desires also turned away. None believed except those granted holy insight, whose hearts God tested for faith, giving them to drink from sealed cups of holiness whose seal was of spiritual musk—these are they who are intoxicated with the wine of certitude from this cup. These are they upon whom the angels of Paradise shower blessings in the Garden of Immortality, rejoicing at every moment in God’s joy.

We have sent no Prophet but the clergy rejected him, exulting in their own knowledge just as today they rejoice in their learning. Say: O concourse of divines! Do you worship an idol of your own making while forsaking He Who created you and taught you what you knew not? O people of the earth! Reflect on the deeds of these transgressors, on what they earned before and all they continue to earn and pursue this day.

Say: If this One Who has come to you with clear signs is not from God, as you claim from your seats today, then by what proof do you establish the truth of He Whom We sent before named Muhammad? Consider this within yourselves, O people of hatred, and be fair! Say: Do you rely on anything other than what We revealed aforetime to Muhammad of manifest and mighty signs? Say: O ignorant ones! If you depend on other than what was revealed to him from God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting, then bring your proof if you be fair in your souls or truthful in your claims. And if you have no evidence or proof save what was revealed of verses from the heaven of glory and love, then why do you not believe in He Who has come to you with clear signs that have filled the East and West of the earth, by which all in the heavens and earth were thunderstruck, except those who were drawn to God’s signs?

Nay, by Him Who holds my soul in His hand! These transgressors are they who believed not in God’s Manifestations and denied them after their souls were convinced, turning away from meeting God though they were all promised this in every tablet and hoped for it day and night.

But when the promise came to them, they turned away and grew proud, doubting the meeting with their Creator and turning back on their heels until they pronounced judgment against God and ruled against the Manifestations of His Cause with whatever power they possessed. No Messenger was ever slain except by their leave. They rebelled against God in His days and transgressed beyond bounds against God, yet they perceived it not. Look then upon those who were on earth claiming faith for themselves, as though they turned to dust and turned away from the Lord of Lords, devoted to the idols of their own selves and desires. They take pride in those who claimed naught on earth save servitude to God, the True One, yet they fabricate lies against God their Lord. They traverse the wilderness until they reach the spot wherein is buried a name among names, yet they pass by its Creator on His earth and perceive it not.

Section 3: “Among them is one [Mirza Yahya] who was…”

Among them is one [Mirza Yahya] who was named servant to this Name from which branched forth the oceans of names, as witnessed by the dwellers of the pavilion of eternity and behind them this hidden and luminous Pen. This is he from whose unbelief Satan himself flees, and from whose fire are consumed the hearts of those who have detached themselves from all save God and placed their trust in their Lord. He believed not in God for the twinkling of an eye. This is he in whose soul Satan whispered until he became heedless of the remembrance of his Lord and was expelled from the holy presence of the Beloved. This is he who taught Cain to slay his brother, and who was among those who showed pride at the beginning against God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. There is no unbelief, oppression, or wickedness but that it began with this wretched one and shall return to him, if you possess divine insight. The angels of Paradise in the most exalted company point to him with their fingers and tell one another:

“This is he who showed pride against God from time immemorial and opposed the Prophets and Messengers. Know him then and curse him, if you but knew.”

Therefore did God make him, despite himself, a servant to the letters of His Self, such that he repairs the wall associated with them while having passed judgment against them, glorying in this yet perceiving it not. Thus does God seize those who soar on the wings of passion in this atmosphere.

Say: Woe upon you, O swine, for what your hands have wrought, drawing your sword against the countenance of God and showing pride against God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Holy. You imagine yourself among those who serve the family of God in their entirety, yet you know not of your sin which you committed in this vain life—a sin unequaled by aught in the heavens and earth, nor by all that was or ever shall be. You think you build their edifices and lay their foundations. Nay, by Him Who holds my soul in His hand! You have not built but rather destroyed the foundation of the House and demolished its pillars and obliterated its traces. The Tongue of the Unseen in the heaven of glory bears witness to this, yet the people do not perceive.

You are the one who passed judgment against the Master of the House and its foundation, showing no shame before God, your Lord and the Lord of all things. You think you build it up, but this is an transgression from your wicked soul against God, the Mighty, the Beloved. Ask him, O people of the earth—do you not say that God has forbidden in His true Book that you wrongfully consume the wealth of others? Yet you hold back not from disobeying His commandments. And this is a transgression from thy wicked self against God, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Ask of Him, O concourse of the earth! Do ye not say that God hath forbidden in His Book of Truth that ye take the wealth of people unjustly? Yet from His commandments ye turn not away in shame. How doth he who hath transgressed against God take the wealth of people unjustly, when his oppression is more manifest than the sun in the midst of heaven? Then with these [ill-gotten gains] ye build houses. We bear witness that the Owner of the House is innocent of you and your deeds, and curseth you for what your hands have wrought, were ye to reflect upon the mysteries of the Cause.

We have heard that this accursed one boasteth in assemblies of his arrogance against God. Say: Men before thee have boasted likewise, and now they all cry out in the fire, finding for themselves neither helper nor supporter. Whenever they cry for sweet water, they are given naught but the vengeance of God wherewith He chastiseth those who have disbelieved. And thou shalt surely return to thy place in the fire wherein the idolaters are tormented.

Say: By God, O thou who associateth partners with God, who turneth away from His signs, and who denieth His bounties, the denizens of the lowest depths of the fire flee from the fire of thy self and seek refuge with God from thee and from thy evil, and at all times they curse thee and those who follow thee. Say: Hath not God forbidden you to turn unto those who have oppressed and disbelieved, in His true words “Lean not toward those who do wrong, lest the fire touch you”? By what proof do ye boast of this transgressing libertine who committeth in his own self all that God hath forbidden and abandoneth all that He hath commanded, as ye yourselves witness from his deeds?

Yet despite this ye draw nigh unto him, magnify him, show him reverence, praise him in your gatherings, aid him in his cause, and then unto him in your affairs ye turn. And this is the mystery of what was sent down aforetime unto Muhammad the Arabian in words of preserved glory: “For all is there a goal toward which he turneth” and “Evil women are for evil men.” This is the evil one who hath drawn nigh unto falsehood and believed in tyranny and disbelieved in God, and was of those who showed arrogance toward God their Lord.

These ones pay no heed to what they have done and to their oppression in the days of God, yet they disbelieve in and curse those who oppressed and turned away before them, while they perceive not what they say, and they curse none but themselves, and their deeds give lie to their words in all that their hands have wrought. These are they who have disbelieved in God after having known Him before, even as they disbelieve today. Thus have We related unto thee from the true stories in these Tablets, and We have set forth all things in detail, as a guidance and mercy from Us to people who fear God, that thou mayest know all that hath befallen God’s trusted ones and His ambassadors in former ages, lest thy feet and the feet of those who pass along the Path should slip.

When at that time the Dove of the Cause was impassioned by the melodies of eternity and was attracted by the cooings of the Mystic Dove, it arose from the paradise of nearness and hovered between earth and heaven, and soared with holy wings in the atmosphere of this air, calling out in the atoms of utterance to the divines who appeared before or would appear thereafter until the Day wherein God shall come with His Cause and determine the measure of all things by His word “Be! and it is.” And He counseleth them and adviseth them with counsel that is better for them than the kingdom of the hereafter and the former life and than all that they know, that they should not place their trust in their learning, nor in their deeds, nor in all that whereby they were wont to judge.

O concourse of divines in the Bayan! Let not your learning withhold you from your Creator. When ye hear the call of God, cast aside what ye possess and hasten with your inner sight to the court of holiness. Sanctify your souls and your spirits from all that ye have known and learned aforetime, lest aught should prevent you from God, your Creator, that perchance ye may be seated in the holy presence before God. For all these are veils and allusions that stand between you and the recognition of God, the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. Purify the mirror of your hearts on this Day, that perchance nothing may prevent you from entering the sanctuary of God, the Almighty, the Best-Beloved.

Verily, if the mirror be covered with the dust of self and passion, no images and forms shall be reflected therein. Thus do ye witness in the mirrors of your hearts. Fear God, O ye divines! Let neither knowledge nor wisdom nor aught else besides them beguile you. On this Day, hasten unto the mercy of God, and sit not upon your seats disputing among the people. Whosoever hears the Call of God on the Day when He shall arise to manifest Himself, and delays or hesitates for less than a moment, shall render void all his deeds throughout his life, even should he expend all the treasures of earth in gold and silver, or worship God from time immemorial. Thus do We teach you the paths of truth, that ye may be nourished by the fruits of the holy tree in the days of God.

Beware, O people of the Bayan! Rejoice not in your knowledge or your deeds, but in the knowledge of God. For knowledge is what He has expounded unto you from God, and deeds are what He accepts from you through His grace. Fear God, and wax not proud through your wealth. Should He pronounce ignorance to be knowledge itself, or injustice the very essence of justice, it would be the truth, and we all verily believe in this. There is none other God but Him. He doeth what He willeth and shall not be asked of what He pleaseth, while all shall be questioned concerning all things in the presence of justice. Fear God, and be not like those who waxed proud before God, though they had all been awaiting His presence.

The example of the divines who pride themselves on their knowledge in the days of God is like unto those who worshipped idols, for they clung to their idols while these cling to their learning. Nay, this is even worse, would ye but reflect within yourselves. Know ye that whatsoever prevents you from God, your Creator, is your idol, would ye but perceive it. By God! We have counseled you with the utmost counsel, and this is better for you than the kingdom of the hereafter and of the former times, would ye but preserve it.

And thou, O questioner, read thou these Tablets with thy spirit and thy inner tongue, then share them with those in whom thou perceivest the fragrance of faith, and conceal them utterly from those in whom thou detectest the odor of hatred. Fear God, and be not like those who today follow the promptings of their desires and see not with the Most Great Vision, though they were commanded thus. They desire to extinguish the fire of God by which all who are in the heavens and earth were illumined, yet they perceive not what they did before nor what they do today. Hast thou not heard how the divines of the age gathered against Us this year, and We stood alone in their midst, seeking help from no one, until God dispersed them by His power and caused the light to shine forth in truth after they had all desired to extinguish it?

Soon will God purify the earth from the defilement of such as these, and exalt His proof and establish His evidence, and the earth shall be inherited by those servants who have detached themselves from all else save God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Then know that We have honored thee through these Tablets among the East and the West, and have made them for thee as a garment that thou mayest find from it the fragrance of the All-Glorious. If thou wert to place it upon the eyes of the inhabitants of the heavens and earth, their sight would be restored to them. Thus do We act in truth, despite those who mock the signs of God this day.

Say: O concourse of the earth! These indeed are melodies with which no ear among those created from dust hath been favored, if ye be of them that are certain. These are words that no heart in creation hath comprehended, if ye would ascend to their stations in the heaven of holiness. This is a beauty upon which no eye in creation hath fallen, if ye would behold with the eye of glory. This is the Lamp of Holiness that accepteth no niche for itself and is content with the niche of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Say: By God! This is indeed a fire around which circle the denizens of Paradise, yet none have derived light therefrom save those who circle round the Tree.

These are excepted only out of yearning for those who have attained unto the blessed Spot and who, according to their stations, are warmed by this fire, that perchance they may not speak out of their own desires and may commit their affairs unto God, and neither poverty nor want may grieve them, nor tribulation and hardship prevent them from the love of God, the Mighty, the Beloved. Say: These words are maidens whom none in creation hath touched, who have remained chaste in their chambers of glory, and whom We have revealed from behind a thousand thousand veils that ye might be illumined by their beauty. Less than can be numbered are the melodies by which ye are attracted upon the branches of the Lote-Tree of these words.

When the utterance reached this most subtle, most tender, most glorious and most exalted station, remember thy Lord with the tongue of all creation, then on behalf of all things in their entirety.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! At this moment the tongues of our inner being bear witness to Thy unity, our lips to Thy singleness, our essences to Thy self-subsistence, and our realities to Thy oneness. All praise be unto Thee for the wondrous gifts Thou hast bestowed and the beauteous favors Thou hast granted, inasmuch as Thou didst send forth the Messengers from Thy presence and reveal the Books from Thy side, wherein Thou didst ordain the laws of nearness unto Thee and make manifest the pathways leading to union with Thee. Whatsoever ordinances Thou hast revealed therein are better for us than all upon which the sun doth shine, and whatsoever bounty or grace Thou hast ordained therein doth return unto us. Verily Thou hast ever been sanctified from desiring aught for Thyself or having any benefit return unto Thee. Thou hast ever dwelt in the heights of holiness, grace and riches, and wilt continue to abide in the exaltation of glory, sanctity and independence. All the wealthy are poor before the gate of the city of Thy grace, all the mighty are brought low before the court of Thy holy mercy, all sovereigns are but vassals before the manifestations of Thy sovereignty, and all existence standeth in submission before the revelations of Thy dominion.

At last Thou didst bring the Cause unto the Beauty of Thy divine Holiness and the Temple of Thy sanctified Glory, and didst manifest from behind the veils of power that which Thou hadst treasured from time immemorial through Thy might, that thereby the wonders of Thy grace might be perfected for the people of Thy kingdom and the gems of Thy loving-kindness for Thy creation. Through this Thou didst fulfill all that Thou hadst promised unto the detached ones among Thy chosen ones, and didst accomplish all that Thou hadst pledged unto the near ones among Thy trusted ones. Through Him Thou didst complete Thy proof, perfect Thy testimony, establish Thy evidences, and make firm Thy signs. Thou didst call all unto this Most Great, Most Exalted Bounty and this Furthermost, Most Remote Tree.

Section 4: “Among the people are those who answered Thy…”

Among the people are those who answered Thy call, in whose hearts the fire of Thy love was kindled by Thy Word, such that they were consumed before they could even touch the fire of the Tree of Thine eternity. Among them are those who hastened to the shore of Thy nearness with their hearts, their souls and their feet, until they entered the stronghold of Thy meeting and arrived in the vicinity of Thy union and mercy. Among them are those who were wholly detached unto Thee, such that they dwelt in Thy habitations and settled in Thy lands. And among them are those who turned away and showed pride before Thee and rebelled against Thy Self, whom their own selves and desires held back from the path of Thy grace and the ways of Thy forgiveness, and the divines who drank not from the cups of Thy bounty and held fast only to the handle of their desires, taking these as gods besides Thee.

And among them are these who have gathered in Thy land and taken refuge in the shadow of Thy supreme grace and Thy Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Complete, Most Sweet Name. In all this, O my God, the bounty was from none save Thee, and the grace was from none except Thee, without anyone being worthy thereof. For Thou didst remove the veil from their faces and burn away the veils that came between them and the lights of Thy beauty. Thou didst overshadow them with the clouds of Thy mercy and caused the springs of Thy knowledge and mercy to flow for them. Thou didst nourish them with the wondrous fruits of the Tree of Thy holiness, Thy generosity and Thy gift.

Thou didst bring them unto such bounty that Thou didst cause them to know Thy Most Glorious Self through Thy Most Exalted Name, and didst illumine their hearts and eyes with Thy luminous beauty, and didst honor them with the meeting of Thy most resplendent countenance, and didst cause them to hear Thy sweetest melodies. Praise be unto Thee, O my Beloved, for having chosen them for Thy abiding bounties! Praise be unto Thee, O my Beloved, for having singled them out for Thy eternal favors! Therefore, O my God, since bounty and beneficence are Thy habit, and grace and favor Thy attribute, I beseech Thee by the yearning of the hearts of Thy lovers and the attraction of the hearts of Thy sincere ones—they who desire none but Thee and whose hearts have tasted naught save the wonders of Thy remembrance—that Thou cause to waft, at this moment, from the right hand of the paradise of Thy eternal holiness, the breezes of forgiveness, that the fragrance of disobedience may be removed from all creation.

May all return unto Thee and enter the cities of Thy name and the gardens of Thy bounty. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. Thou art the Mighty, the Generous, the Merciful, the Self-Sufficient, the Giver, the Bountiful, the Bestower, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, the All-Informed, the Helper, the Compassionate, the Forgiving.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name, the Manifest yet Hidden, by the Beauty of Thy unseen yet renowned Countenance, by the lights of Thy Face whereby all in the heavens and earth were illumined, by the splendor of Thy Names whereby all in the realms of eternity and the Throne were enlightened, and by Him Whom Thou shalt manifest in Thy days and Whom Thou hast promised to all Thy trusted ones and chosen ones in all Thy Tablets, that Thou gather us together at the fountain of Thy riches on the Day of Thy Manifestation. Deprive not our eyes, O my God, on that Day, from beholding the lights of Thy Beauty, nor our ears from hearing the melodies of Thy transcendent Unity, nor our hearts from the wonders of the remembrance of Thy divine Lordship, nor our souls from hearkening unto the words of Thy Self-Subsistence, nor our tongues from the gems of the praise of Thy Oneness, nor our hands from taking hold of the tablets of Thy divine Unity, nor our feet from walking toward the precincts of Thy nearness and eternity, nor our bodies from standing before the throne of Thy sovereignty and grandeur.

I beseech Thee at this moment, O my God, that Thou make not this bounty exclusive to some rather than others, nor deprive on that Day any of Thy servants, nor strip any soul of Thy beautiful robe. For I observe at this instant that all things stand before the city of Thy grace and mercy, their very existence and forms bearing witness to their poverty, their need, their distress and their helplessness, though most of them perceive not this within themselves nor comprehend it in their own beings. Glorified art Thou, O my God and my Beloved! Though their bodies may deny the wonders of Thy grace and the gems of Thy bounty, yet their inner reality and essence beseech Thy favor and are submissive to Thy command. Who, O my God, can flee from Thy sovereignty, or escape from Thy dominion, or run from Thy power and might?

Send down, O my God, from the clouds of Thy mercy the rains of Thy holiness and bounty upon them, and upon their hearts from the clouds of Thy generosity the waters of Thy grace and favors, that there may grow from the soil of their existence the ears of Thy knowledge and wisdom, and the grains of longing for Thee and Thy mercy. Verily, Thou art powerful over all things. Thou art the Most Exalted, the All-Bountiful, the All-Powerful, the All-Generous, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Most High, the Forbearing, the Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Beneficent, the Beloved.

And as to what thou hast asked concerning the ruling on traditions, know thou that for the wayfarer unto God on this radiant and luminous path, it behooveth him in these days to sanctify the mirror of his heart from all that he hath heard aforetime, for after the suns of knowledge and wisdom were hidden from them, the people differed concerning the Cause of God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. Some of them went astray and led others astray, inventing falsehoods against God in His words and the words of the family of God, speaking that which their desires commanded them and attributing it to the Suns of Infallibility—and they understood not. Others followed their rulers and supported them in whatsoever their souls desired, fabricating traditions and attributing them to the Imams of Justice that they might draw near unto them, and thus did they judge according to their vain imaginings. And among them were those who feared God their Creator in their days and followed the paths of truth and spoke naught but pure truth—and all this was recorded in the Preserved Tablet.

And when days and nights revolved and matters proceeded and judgments were passed, differences appeared among the divines, and thereby true sayings became mixed with false ones, as ye witness in their words and observe in their deeds. Since the matter is as We have explained to thee, how canst thou distinguish truth from falsehood after they have all differed concerning God’s Cause to such extent that thou wilt not find two of them agreed upon a single matter, and in all things they continued to differ? It behooveth thee and those who follow truth in these days—wherein all save a counted few have been veiled from God—to sanctify your souls and hearts from all that is witnessed and seen on earth, for ye have no need of aught that ye have heard before, since they to whom people attribute these words and traditions shine as the sun in the heaven of holy and exalted sanctity, and have explained to the people all wherein they differed and that which was ordained in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Beloved.

These have ascended unto God and their beauty hath been veiled from the eyes of those who disbelieved and joined partners with God, and who await the luminous lamp that is lit and shineth forth from behind crystal globes, guiding people to the precincts of holiness and grace and bringing them to the vicinity of treasured glory. Withal, none needeth aught save what hath been ordained in the laws of the Spirit from the presence of the renowned Mighty One. However, since thou hast stood at the gate from which no creature hath ever been turned away disappointed, We have therefore cast upon thee a sprinkling from this vast, surging, billowing, and concealed ocean, that the proof from God’s presence might be complete unto all who are in the heavens and on earth, that haply the people may arise from their beds of heedlessness before God.

Know thou that the words of God and His Messengers possess meanings beyond meanings, interpretations beyond interpretations, and symbols, allusions, evidences and wisdom without end. No one shall comprehend even a single letter of their meanings except whom thy Lord willeth, for their meanings are their treasures which they have stored in the treasuries of words. None knoweth their mysteries save God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Praiseworthy. And their interpretation shall be known to everyone who ascendeth to the heavens of nearness and holiness, whose vision hath been sanctified by the remembrance of God, and who hath attained to that station wherein the tongue hidden within his innermost being testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and that He is the One Who was when naught else existed beside Him. Then shall he comprehend all the meanings and knowledge concealed within all things ere the command “Be” and it is. Thus doth the Dove teach thee from the melodies of eternity and instruct thee in that which shall sever thee from all who dwell on earth and in heaven, that thou mayest strive within thyself and ascend from this nether realm to the most exalted heavens, to a sacred seat well-beloved.

Know that by ʿFriday’ is meant the Day whereon mankind gathereth before God, and wherein God establisheth His Cause through the Manifestation of His Self—this is a truth well-known. On that Day the Dove of Eternity warbleth its melody, and the Cock of the Throne raiseth its call, and the heavens of justice are upraised. On that Day all creatures shall be gathered together with all they have wrought in their vain life, and shall be requited according to their deeds. This is the Day of Assembly, whose decree hath been sent down in the Qur’an, as ye do read. Therefore it cannot be confined within limits, nor restricted to a particular day. Rather, every Day wherein God manifesteth Himself is called Friday, did ye but know.

When Muhammad arose on that Day with the Cause, it was named by this name and became specifically associated with it, as ye do reckon. This is the Day that hath been called the Day of Mutual Loss and Gain, the Day of Return, the Striking Hour, the Sure Hour, the Calamity, and other names, for on that Day all these things appeared, and whatsoever else ye know not. It is called the Day of Resurrection for on it God arose through His Qaim, and appeared through a Word that caused the heavens to be cleft asunder and the earth to quake, and all between them save those who were patient and were assured of God’s signs. The Resurrection was fulfilled through God’s arising, yet none perceived it save the sincere ones.

Hast thou not heard how in the days of God there descended upon the faithful from the heaven of glory the holy feast, whereof they all partook? Every Friday they were encompassed by God’s favors from every direction, and they were nourished every day with the holy fruits of reunion—nay, at every moment they were honored by God’s grace, and at every instant God’s verses were sent down unto them through His ambassadors, He the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. Well is it with him who attained unto His days in the Day of Resurrection, and hastened to attain His grace, and was of those who delighted in the fruits of the Spirit. All this came to pass and the Resurrection ended, and We weep with Our inner eyes at its passing, and ye, O lovers, weep ye now also.

Alas for the sorrow that the Resurrection hath been rolled up, and Beauty hath been veiled, and the Dove hath returned, and the gates of grace have been closed after they were opened, and the lights of the Countenance have been concealed, and the heavenly feast hath been withheld because of what the hands of the unbelievers have wrought. Thereby were consumed the hearts of those who dwelt within the pavilions of the names. Woe betide you, O people of the earth, and those who follow you in your deeds and actions! For ye turned away from the Beauty of God after He appeared in truth and shone forth upon you from a holy and beloved horizon, and ye perceive not what hath passed you by, and even now ye remain unaware.

None shall attain unto it save in the time of Mustaghath, and this is what God hath written by the fingers of power upon preserved tablets of glory. This is among God’s ways which have been decreed in truth, and there is no altering it. Blessed is he who shall arise from the couch of his heart on the Day when all shall be gathered together in the holy and exalted presence of God, the All-Powerful. Say: O people of the earth! Arise from your couches and make up for what hath passed you by. Have mercy upon yourselves, then be not veiled from the Beauty of God. By God! Nothing in all creation shall profit you save this, would ye but reflect for less than a moment within yourselves.

Say: O people! By God, were ye to consider what your hands have wrought in God’s Day, ye would find no rest upon your seats, nor would ye dwell in your homes, but would sit upon the ashes and weep as those who weep for their sons—nay, more intensely than this, to a degree that cannot be reckoned or described by the Pen. And this shall become evident unto them at the hour when their spirits depart from their bodies and unto dust do they return. Then know, O my brother, that God hath hidden favors and concealed bounties and hidden worlds that none hath discovered save those who soar in the atmosphere of nearness with the twin wings of the spirit. And should anyone from this world encounter one from another world above it, he would be amazed and would exclaim:

“Glory be to God, the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Most High, the Self-Subsisting!”

And among His worlds is a world wherein the breezes of grace and bounty ceaselessly blow, not pausing for an instant. Should anyone reach it, he would find all bounty at all times from God, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved, such that nothing of grace, mercy, providence, bounty and generosity—which hath existed from the beginning that hath no beginning unto the end that hath no end—would be withheld from him, and he would delight in every minute in every blessing.

Thus have We completed Our favor unto thee and brought thee to a shore at which the mystics are bewildered. Well is it with him who hath attained thereunto and knoweth the worth of what God hath bestowed upon him through His grace, which none before have surpassed and none after shall comprehend. And praise be to God, from Whom all created things have their beginning and unto Whom all shall return.