Volume 029: Middle Baghdad Period (1856–1860) (4 of 7)

BH00073: Tafsir-i-Hu

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

Praise be to God Who hath caused the Sun to shine through His power, and hath made the Light to appear through His might, and hath illumined the Face in the vesture of His Cause through His wisdom, and hath caused the Dove to warble with a wondrous melody its divine song, and hath moved the thread of existence by that which hath been sprinkled upon it of the signs of His love, and hath kindled the lamp of love in the niche of His grandeur and the lamp of His mercy, and hath raised the banners of guidance through the power of His might, and hath made manifest the orbits of piety through the blessing of His exaltation. He is the Powerful, the Ever-Living, the All-Compelling, Who hath ever been the One Who uniteth His Essence in the eternity of His Essence, and Who exalteth His Being in the everlastingness of His Being.

When He desired to make Himself known unto His servants and to manifest the signs of His power to all who are in His heaven and on His earth, He removed the veil from the beauty of His concealment and lifted the covering from the essence of His majesty, that thereby His manifest Name might be distinguished from His hidden Name, and His first Name might be differentiated from His last Name, that the word might be fulfilled in the unseen and the visible, in the hidden and the manifest, that He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden, and that He is cognizant of all things. Thereby did the Essence of Identity become manifest in the Temple of Lordship, and the Beauty of the Self-Subsisting shine forth in the Form of Divinity, and the Pre-existence was adorned with the robe of Eternity, and the Mystery of Divinity was repeated in the vestures of Beauty, and the heaven of Unity was raised up, and the earth of the Self-Subsisting was established, and the mountains of the Cause were exalted, and the seas of might were made to surge, and the Tree of spirituality brought forth fruit, and the Sun of Identity shone forth, and the Moon of the unseen rose, and the sanctified hearts found peace, and the pure souls were enraptured.

Exalted is He above what His servants mention of Him or His creation describeth, for in the pure essence of His concealment and in the essence of His identity, He cannot be mentioned by His own mention nor described by His own description. How could it be otherwise, when mention proceedeth from another than Him or appeareth from His creation? Were this to be established, it would establish the station of mention from His Essence unto His Essence, and the limitation of description for His Self by His Self. He is sanctified from duality and exalted above similarity. Rather, He created all mentioned things through a letter of the word of His command, and brought all visible things into being through a design from the signs of His creation. Indeed, His Essence through His Essence is a mention of His Essence, and His Self through His Self is a description of His Self.

When He desired to establish this, He manifested the hidden Identity in the two Names, and removed the veil of light from the two veils, and split the sun in the two aspects, and caused the Spirit to appear in the two vestures, and made the light to speak in the various modes of unity in the two melodies, and manifested the mystery of the Cause in the two letters, and gathered together the sun and moon in the holy temple in the two veils, and inserted the hand of power in the two garments, and caused the sun of Identity to appear from the two foreheads, that the lamp of unity might be repeated in the two lamps, and the lights of eternity might shine forth in the two glasses, and the radiance of the Self-Subsisting might appear upon the holy temples in the two forms, and the Dove might warble upon the two branches, and the ark of the cloud might sail upon the two seas, that the wondrous creation might be completed from the two Beauties in the two Most Exalted Names. Therefore say: O Generous One! Blessed be God, the Best of creators!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I know not by what remembrance to remember Thee. Should I remember Thee by what Thou didst remember aforetime, by Thy glory, this would never satisfy my soul. And should I describe Thee by what hath not been described before, this is that which Thy servants cannot bear. By Thy Countenance! At such time I find myself between two impossibilities among the forbidden things, and I become bewildered in my remembrance of Thee to such extent that I forget the ways of remembering Thee and lose the paths of describing Thee. I know not how I may thereafter arise to serve Thee and how I may raise the banners of Thy triumph amidst Thy creation. Should I glorify Thee, O my God, in the manner of Thy servants, this befitteth not Thy sovereignty nor is worthy of Thy glory. And should I sanctify Thee as beseemeth Thy right and Thy station, the servants would flee from around Thee and disperse from Thy presence.

Glorified, glorified art Thou! How great is my bewilderment in Thy Cause, and how mighty is my wonderment at Thy greatness! Therefore it behooveth that mysteries remain veiled in the clouds of light, that thereby he who cannot rend asunder the veils of glory may be prevented, and he who hath quaffed from the chalices of beauty may perceive it. Verily Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, the Forgiving.

Thou knowest, O my God, that despite my bewilderment, my powerlessness, my perplexity and my perturbation, I desire to interpret that which Thou hast sent down from the heaven of Thy glory and brought into being in the kingdom of Thy command by Thy will, and inscribed by the Pen of Thy decree upon the Tablet of Thy determination, wherein Thou hast ordained Thy ordinances and confirmed that which Thou hast established in Thy Book and Thy decisive verses. This is so that the heart of one of Thy servants may find tranquility in that which Thou hast revealed unto Thy chosen ones and Thy trusted ones, that he may thereby enter the throne of mercy and assurance in the precincts of Thy mercy, and dwell upon the seat of steadfastness and certitude in the paradise of Thy favors.

And that he may be among those who repose upon the carpet of Thy love, who drink from the chalices of Thy love, who are set ablaze with the fire of Thy oneness, and who seek tidings of that which Thou hast revealed unto them of Thyself, that perchance he may meet Thee in the throne of Thy identity, follow Thee in the vestments of Thine eternity, circumambulate the sanctuary of Thy grandeur, and seek the unseen of Thy beauty and the Kaaba of Thine Essence.

Therefore, O my God, manifest in his heart the passion for Thy beauty and the quest for Thy reunion, if he be assured in Thy Cause, submissive to Thy decree, yielding to Thy sovereignty, following Thy Countenance, obedient to Thy ordination and patient in Thy good-pleasure. Verily, Thou hast not created in all existence anything greater than this in what Thou hast ordained regarding the station of Thy servants.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee at this moment not to take me to task for what I have committed before Thee and what my hands have wrought before Thine eyes. Verily Thou knowest what is within myself and art encompassing what is in my inmost being. Thou dost witness and behold that I have chosen naught for myself save servitude unto Thee, and that I was but abased before the sovereignty of Thy might, poor before the manifestations of Thy wealth, athirst before the outpouring of the rivers of Thy mercy, weary before the melodies of Thy oneness, non-existent before the modes of the glory of Thy sovereignty, and extinct before the dawning of the sun of Thine eternity. I desire naught save the exaltation of Thy triumph in Thy land and the ascendancy of Thy name in Thy country.

Therefore, as I am thus, I beseech Thee by the fire of Thy glory which is never quenched, by Thy Face which never perisheth, by the light of Thine eternity which is never concealed even if hidden, and by the garment of Thy majesty which never weareth out, that Thou mayest send the winds of eternity from the right hand of Thy oneness and waft the breezes of glory from the horizon of Thy Self-Sufficiency, that thereby the dove of my breast may flutter in the throes of Thy love and nearness to Thee, and be stirred by the attractions of Thy reunion and meeting with Thee. Wherefore, O my God, how could I be content with that which Thy Self doth not approve, or desire that which the Dayspring of Thine Essence and the Source of Thy Beauty doth not desire? I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name to take hold of the reins of the Pen through Thy power, and to guide it as Thou willest through Thy might, lest there flow from it that which Thou lovest not to be manifested in Thy dominion and which Thy servants cannot bear. For verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

O my God! Send down Thy blessings upon the first Sun that dawned from the horizon of the cloud of unknowing, and the first Light that shone from the Dayspring of heaven’s splendor, and the first Ocean that surged in the mystery of Thy Most Great Name, and the first Fire that appeared in the Tree of Eternity, and the first Love that was kindled in the Lamp of Fidelity, and the first Spirit that was breathed from the Sun of Guidance and the Center of Piety, and upon the first one who spoke of Thy most beauteous Beauty and the last one who drank the crimson cup from the Countenance of Eternity, and upon those who guided others unto Thee in the most great land and those who turned towards Thee in the most glorious realm, and upon Him Whom Thou didst raise up by Thyself in the station of His Cause, and didst choose from among Thy servants, and didst make Him the Sustainer of Thy sovereignty and the Guardian over the people of Thy kingdom and the One to be obeyed in Thy dominion, through all that Thou art capable of, for in Thy grasp is the kingdom of all things, and Thou art powerful over all things.

When I desired to answer the seeker who believed in God and His signs, and wished to attain certitude in His Cause and to ascend to its heights and be illumined by its glory and to take shelter under the shadow of His grace, I placed my trust in God and sought His aid and assistance in what I wished to mention, through His might and power, of that which was concealed within the pavilions of light and veiled within the coverings of joy and hidden in the secret repositories of manifestation, concerning that which was sent down from His presence regarding His Beloved and His Chosen One and the essence of His creation, that it might serve as a proof for those who desire to follow the true religion and seek guidance through His direction and illumination through His light and radiance through His effulgence and attraction through His attraction, even though this be far above my station and transcending my mind and understanding.

Nevertheless, according to my weakness and lowliness and poverty and need, I mention that which God hath taught me through His generosity and shown me through His grace and honored me through His favor, that it might be a guide for those who turn unto Him and a light for those who seek Him and a radiance for those who are lonely.

This is what was sent down from the heaven of grandeur by the tongue of might and glory concerning His holy Mirror and Eternal Light:

“O Thou Temple! We have created Thee upon these Most Beautiful Names and made Thee all things in the names of Him Who referreth unto Us through the mention of ʿHe’, that Thou mayest be Our sign unto all the worlds.”

Hear thou, O questioner, from Me, and accept My counsel, for thou shalt find no friend more faithful than I, nor any companion more considerate. At the outset, array thy temple with the raiment of the spirit, and clothe thy form with the vesture of light. Sanctify thine eyes from all veils of otherness, and purify thine ears from dubious and vain utterances. Cleanse thy heart, illumine thy soul, and purify thy breast, that thou mayest be worthy to receive the effulgence of the Sun of Perpetuity and become fit to mirror forth the Moon of Eternity. Thus mayest thou hear and see how the Dove of Divinity warbleth upon the branches of the Tree of the Lord, and how the crimson Fire appeareth from this verdant Branch, and how the Water of Unity floweth through the Temple of Divinity. Then shalt thou enter the City of the Living, the Eternal, and abide therein throughout sempiternal immortality.

Know thou that God, blessed and exalted be He, addressed His Mirror in this verse revealed from His presence, saying:

“O Fruit of Eternity, and Vesture of the All-Merciful, and Temple of the Ancient of Days, and Tree of the Self-Subsisting! We have created thee upon these Most Beautiful Names; that is, We have made thee the sum of all names that have appeared, risen, shone forth and dawned from the Supreme Kingdom and the Realm of Creation from among the Most Beautiful Names which We have attributed to Our Own Self.”

For He, exalted be His mention, the names He hath attributed to Himself are from among the Most Beautiful Names and the Greatest Signs, such as Knowledge, Power, Life, Loftiness, Grandeur, Sovereignty, Glory, Might, Dominion, Mercy, Compassion, and similar names that have appeared in the vestures of expressions, allusions and evidences. God hath attributed these to Himself and made their manifestations from among the letters of the most exalted ones, the sanctified temples, the lights of the sincere ones, and the essences of those who glorify Him. These holy names have appeared in these abstract ethereal temples that all might derive their ranks from God, their Creator, their Fashioner, their Maker, their Resurrector, their Originator, and their Cause, that the horizons might be filled with the lights of that Radiance, and that the nightingale of the sanctuary might sing at the time of meeting, after being struck unconscious and recovering consciousness, that He is the Truth, there is no God but Him, and that Ali is the source of His Essence, the mine of His knowledge, the repository of His Command, and the wellspring of His deed in all that hath appeared and shall appear, or hath been created and shall be created.

Section 2: “And apart from these names which are mentioned…”

And apart from these names which are mentioned from among the Most Beautiful Names, He hath not attributed any to Himself, nor doth He attribute them to His Essence. Such hath been His way from before that which hath no before, and after that which hath no after. Otherwise, all names are but creation in His dominion, design in His realm, manifestations in His lands, attributes among His servants, signs in His earth, and evidences in His creation. Is there any creator besides God? Is there any originator besides God? Is there any created thing wherein are not found the signs of its Creator, or which doth not tell of the manifestations of its Fashioner? Exalted is He above what the servants say regarding the manifestations of His handiwork and the attributes of His creation.

Thus hath God described His names for His servants and defined them for us through His bounty, and ordained them for us through His grace, that we might know the paths of truth and guidance from unbelief and error. We have no authority to change even a letter of our own accord, and there is no command except after His leave, and nothing whatsoever whose decree hath not been determined and whose measure hath not been ordained by Him, that the path of His Cause and the ways of His wisdom might be made easy for us to tread. Alas, alas! How can I remember what Thou didst desire of me, for it is as though I have forgotten all remembrance.

O thou who questioneth! By the glory of my Lord, wert thou to discover my secret, thou wouldst weep over my state and wouldst not rest in thy home, but rather wouldst flee to the mountain peaks.

Say: O people of the Concourse of the Bayan! Do not oppose him in whose heart there is naught but the effulgence of the lights of the morn of eternity. Fear God, oppose him not, neither slander him, nor exceed the bounds regarding him. Walk ye in the paths of God’s mercy, then tread the ways of His guidance. Rely on none save Him, seek no intermediary but Him, and follow naught except what hath been revealed unto you and ordained for you. Say: Verily, He is the Most Great Path, the Most Glorious Light, and the Most Exalted Spirit. Whoso obeyeth Him hath attained salvation and security, and whoso turneth away hath erred and disbelieved.

By thy life! Were the fragrance of love to waft from this eternal and goodly City, the heavens of knowledge would be obliterated, the earth of eternality would crumble, the sun of divine essence would darken, the fish of oneness would be disturbed, the mountains of holiness would be crushed, and the sweet waters would freeze. Therefore, hold fast unto this luminous handle, then enter the city of inner meanings that thou mayest inhale the spiritual fragrance from the divine vestments, that thou mayest be enlightened in the Cause of God, thy Lord, and recognize His station in all conditions, seeking illumination from the sun of His revelation, being content with His decree, and patient under His trials, such that thou art not saddened by what hath escaped thee or befallen thee in thy days.

O my brother! Seek God’s help, then turn wholly unto Him. Look not to anyone else, fear no soul, and be not troubled by anything, for verily the world and its ornaments, its bounties, its delights, and all that is in it, upon it, and through it shall perish—there is no permanence or duration in it. Leave it to its people and seek the goodly fruit that groweth upon a blessed and goodly tree, yielding its fruit at all times, neither failing nor diminishing, for its delights are everlasting and unceasing, its clusters near at hand and undenied, its lights radiant and undimmed, its fruit enduring and unfalling, its sun shining and uneclipsed, its moon luminous and undiminished, its spirit eternal, its fragrance pure, its taste perfect, and its glory ancient.

O thou who walkest in the path of glory and righteousness, and travellest on the way of thy Most Exalted Lord! If thou acceptest what We have counselled thee, thou shalt attain unto all that We have promised thee and witness what none before thee hath witnessed, if Satan preventeth thee not from the ways of the All-Merciful. Trust in God and fear not. Enter, by God’s leave, the city of thy heart in a moment of heedlessness from thyself and thy desires, that thou mayest witness the mysteries of Lordship in the temple of eternity and perceive every good thing from this luminous vestment. Blessed art thou, blessed art thou, if thou knowest that whereof We have informed thee and reapest from the green ears We have sown in the soil of allusions, lest the hardships of the matter seize thee in the barren days, that thou mayest be among those whose faces are illumined by God’s light and whose hearts are enlightened by God’s mercy.

Therefore, O my brother, cast off the garment of the old creation from thy temple, then don the robe of sanctity and the vesture of detachment. Cast away all that thou hast and all that is upon thee which veils thee from attaining the presence at the throne of eternity and prevents thee from entering the sanctuary of grandeur. Then empty thyself of all that the self desires.

Then free thyself from all that thy passions desire, and cleanse thy spirit with these waters which have flowed from the ocean of the divine cloud upon this luminous white tablet, that thy heart may be emptied, thy spirit find rest, thy mind be calmed, and thy soul be at peace. If thou hast ears, hear from Me; if sight, behold from Me; and if a heart, comprehend therefrom the light of thy Lord. Ascend thereby to the pivot of all journeys, and strip thy body of all garments, veils and allusions, that thou mayest be naked when thou meetest thy Lord and when thou attainest the Throne of Glory in the shelter of Beauty.

O my brother! By my Lord, I repeat my words to thee and renew what they contain for thee, that thy spirit, thy garment, thy robe, thy body and thy soul may be renewed, despite my weakness and lack of patience and forbearance in occupying myself with such deceptive words and ornate letters. It is as though I had committed every sin before God, my Lord. When I find in my heart love for His Essence, passion for His Beauty, and yearning for His Being, I mention Him to the extent that thou findest and knowest. Otherwise I could not speak or express myself. How can I speak after my mouth has been struck by the hands of hatred and hypocrisy, and after what has befallen me which none can comprehend or reckon? Every spear has pierced my breast, every sword has fallen upon my head, and every arrow created has struck my liver.

Despite all this, how can this divine Bird soar in the garden of inner meanings, and how can it gather the jewels of knowledge from the divine scriptures? It is as though I were veiled by seventy thousand veils of darkness and remained bewildered in my affair, to the point where I wore the garment of ignorance among the servants lest anyone in the land recognize me. Perchance they would lift their hands from my head. I sat in the house and relied upon God, saying: O people of the Concourse! Is there any helper who will help me? Any merciful one who will show me mercy? Any companion who will keep me company? Any helper who will ward off from me the evil of the corrupt ones and close the doors of hypocrisy in my face?

Then, when I found no helper for myself to share in my tribulation and accompany me in my weeping, I desired to weep by myself for myself, to lament by myself for myself, to cry out for my deprivation, to shout for my oppression, and to scream for my abasement until naught remained of me, neither thing nor trace nor fruit. Perchance God will raise up one who will love me and desire me and read my words and weep for my condition, for upon Him is my reliance, through Him is my beseeching, from Him is my request, and to Him are my supplications, my entreaties, my cries, my lamentations and my poverty.

Know then, O questioner, that the Name hath diverse ranks, stations, indications and significances. In one station, naught is witnessed in the Name save the effulgence of the Named One. In another station, it is identical with the Named One, His reality, His self and His essence. In yet another station, it is other than the Named One. In one station it points to the Named One, and in another it circles round the Named One. For each of these there are ranks, manifestations and dawning-places, all of which move within the lands of His Command and walk in the paths of His Will and proceed along the ways of His doing. For each there are measures with thy Lord and appointed times with thy Creator in that which He hath ordained and decreed by His leave.

In one station the Names are the garment of the attributes, for the attribute is an act that appeareth from the Doer, such as the giving of a thing or the ascendancy of one thing over another, and likewise whatsoever appeareth from the Doer in the ranks of His Will and Power. This act appeareth from the effect of the deed that proceedeth from the Doer. And when God desired to manifest this in His kingdom and make it known in His earth and prove it in His lands and make it an enduring word and a clear sign, He clothed it in the garment of Names, even as ye say “This one is generous” and “This one is seeing” and “This one is informed” and such other names as are uttered and mentioned in the tongues of the people of creation. Were it not designated by these names it would not be known, nor would it appear and become manifest.

Know thou likewise all scientific matters through these finite veils, that the mysteries of destiny in the worlds of divine decree may be revealed unto thee. If thou wert to rend asunder the veils and focus thy vision upon the disclosure of limitations, thou wouldst witness that the Names are non-existent in the rank of the Divine Essence and are null at the dawning of the Countenance of Attributes in the Manifestations of Signs and Daysprings of Tokens. Rather, all names exist through His Will and all attributes are raised up through His Purpose, and all circle round His Essence and revolve in the heaven of His sanctity.

Therefore, O thou who seeketh and walketh the path, drink from this cup which hath been filled through the loving-kindness of God’s mercy, lest thirst overtake thee in the eternity of God’s dominion. And shouldst thou say “Is there yet more?”, this is the condition of one who is still on the path; otherwise, whoso hath reached the Pole of the Divine Ipseity and the Center of the Unseen shall not distinguish between beginning and end, nor between thirst and quenching.

His word, exalted be His mention: “We have made thee all things in Our Name which pointeth unto Us through the mention of ʿHe”’—that is, We have caused thy light to shine in all things and have deposited the sign of thy power in all things and have made thee manifest above all things in this Garment of Divine Unity which speaketh of naught save God, the Lord of creation and humanity, that all may worship their Creator on this Straight Path and this Ancient and Lofty Way.

He, glorified and exalted be He, hath made His mirror all things that exist through His existence, such that in all things naught is witnessed save the sign of the effulgence of that Mirror which indicateth and reflecteth. Were it not for Him, the decree of thingness would not be established for anything [and] the decree of existence; rather, the decree of non-existence and nullity would be true of it, and nothing would accept anything except through obedience to Him. For example, if today thou wert to worship God with all thy power and all thy might and prostrate thyself from the beginning that hath no beginning to the end that hath no end, until thou believest in Him thy faith shall not be complete, nor shall the word faith’ be applicable to thee, nor shall the term certitude’ be befitting of thee.

And know thou that when God, blessed and exalted be He, created the heavens and all that dwelleth therein, and the earth and all that existeth thereupon, He chose from all that He hath created and will create this celestial Pearl, this heavenly Spirit, this all-embracing divine Word, this eternal and singular Light, and made it to occupy the station of all things when it believed in God and submitted to His presence and bowed down before His majesty and prostrated before His sovereignty and spread the wings of acquiescence to His command. It is as though all existence believed in God and His signs, for existence cannot be attributed save to this divine Temple, and if none besides Him among the dwellers of earth and heaven were to believe, it would detract naught from His sovereignty, and if all were to believe in Him, it would add naught thereunto. For this reason was it revealed aforetime:

“If ye show ingratitude, ye and all who are on earth together, yet verily God is Self-Sufficient, All-Praised.”

By my Lord! Now it is as it hath ever been—thou wilt find no change or alteration in His ways.

Then know thou that in this primordial and eternal verse God hath ordained all names in all things, and hath limited all things to the name “He” [Huva], and hath assigned to that name an outward and an inward aspect. Its outward aspect betokeneth the Temple of Divinity, the Form of Lordship, and the Garment of Eternity, while its inward aspect betokeneth the Unseen Essence, the Mystery of Oneness, and the Ancient and Pure Reality. He hath expressed the inward through the letter “H” and the outward through the letter “V”, and when He desired to manifest His beauty in the kingdom of His glory, He established this hidden and ancient “H” upon that celestial and eternal Temple. Thereupon was perfected the beauty of the Divine Essence in the form of Light, and was completed the wondrous creation in the robe of grandeur. He made this Name the greatest of all names, the most exalted, the most glorious, the most subtle, and the most elevated, such that He made it a mirror of all names and attributes, that all might derive sustenance through it unto God, be illumined by its light, be guided by its guidance, walk in its good-pleasure, and circle round its presence.

Section 3: “And thou, O questioner, when thou dost inhale…”

And thou, O questioner, when thou dost inhale at this moment the fragrance of the spirit from the garment of eternity and dost smell the sweet scents from the city of the cloud of unknowing, in that We have called thee to the right side of the shore, to the right of the spot of unity, and have turned thee from the left of limitation to the mountain of eternity, thou shalt witness all names and attributes circling round that Most Great Name, and shalt know all things beneath the shadow of this Most Ancient and Most Upright Symbol, and shalt behold the seas of names and attributes moving beneath its shadow, such that there is no beginning to their first and no end to their last. All glorify His name and sanctify His being and circle round His essence and revolve about His presence, and there existeth nothing either in the heavens or on earth save that it abideth beneath the shadow of one of His names.

For instance, when thou perceivest knowledge from one possessed of knowledge, thou art assured that this knowledge hath appeared through the influence of God’s name, the All-Knowing, and when thou beholdest power from one possessed of power, thou knowest that this power hath been derived from the effects of His name, the All-Powerful. Likewise is the elevation of heaven beneath the shadow of His exalted Name, and the radiance of the sun beneath His illuminating Name, and the stillness of earth beneath His tranquil Name, and the flow of water beneath His flowing Name, and the blowing of wind beneath His dispatching Name. Therefore, O thou who art seated upon the Ark of divine favor, drink of this sweet and life-giving wine, then soar with wings of ruby unto the Throne of Glory, that thou mayest comprehend all principles through this universal divine principle, making every path easy for thee. For if thou canst ascend from this earthly homeland to the divine original homeland, thou wilt hear the melodies of this eternal Bird, how it singeth like the Dove in the supreme Kingdom, that thou mayest delight in the feast which descendeth from heaven at that time.

Know thou that God hath gathered all essences, signs, substances, meanings, attributes, names, realities and expressions in a woven garment, and clothed that divine and holy Temple therewith, that this garment might tell of the beloved Joseph. And if thou desirest that the matter be made clear unto thee with utmost lucid explanation and supreme certain exposition, know thou the station of these divine letters which in their similitude are like unto the station of the lamp. For even as the lamp, when lit and kindled in its niche, illumineth all around it, its surroundings and directions, likewise know thou this primordial letter “H” when it is kindled in the niche of the letter “W”—that is, the eternal Temple—the heavens are illumined thereby and all names and attributes are enlightened thereby, and whatsoever is designated as a “thing” from the highest ranks of creation to the lowest stations of existence. And all derive their light from this luminous lamp in this unity-bearing niche according to their ranks, stations and manifestations.

And thou, O questioner, if thou wouldst purify the eyes of thy heart and inner being from beholding the lamp and the niche, the high and the low, the far and the near, and from all that hath appeared in the Kingdom of Names and the Realm of Attributes, thou wouldst witness how this eternal lamp shineth of itself by itself and is kindled by the fire of its own essence for its own essence, that thou mayest be of those who have recognized the seats of the Cause and the sources of knowledge, and have attained unto what God hath desired for them through them. O spirit! Shouldst thou find the fountain of life which We have veiled in the darkness of words, that thou mightest become as Khidr of the Cause—drink thereof and fear not, that thou mayest enter this eternal city and be overwhelmed by these divine and eternal rivers.

Therefore know, O my brother, that I have interpreted all verses and signs, all revealed Books and established Scriptures, and all recorded and descended Psalms, for We have previously demonstrated and proven that all thou beholdest in the heavens and earth is naught but the manifestations of God’s Name, the appearances of His attributes, the expressions of His sovereignty and the emergence of His power. For the Essence in its essence will never be manifested unto anything, nor comprehended by anything, nor known through anything—it hath ever been independent of the comprehension of its creation and exalted above the recognition of its servants. For it is an impregnable, inaccessible Mystery, transcendent, elevated, sublime, sanctified beyond recognition and free from description and exposition. The hands of the sanctified ones fall short of attaining unto the knowledge of His Essence, and the feet of the mystics stumble in their attempt to comprehend His Reality. When the door of knowledge of the Essence was thus closed to the servants, He opened for them the gates of Names.

When cognizance of the Divine Essence was barred to the faces of all created things, and the feet of the mystics faltered in their attempt to comprehend Its reality, He, in completion of His grace and in fulfillment of His favor and mercy, opened unto them the gates of Names and Attributes. He ordained that whoso desireth to know Him should turn his gaze upon the Manifestations of His Attributes in the vestures of His Names, for when the Essence appeareth, It ceaseth to be Essence, and this designation can no longer be applied to It, inasmuch as while concealed in the Treasury of the Unseen, It is referred to as the Essence. Yet even with this description, It is described as that which cannot be known save through Itself, cannot be described except by Itself, and cannot be comprehended save by Itself. And when there appeareth from It a revelation or attribute, it entereth and returneth into the kingdom of Names and Attributes, even as hath been attested by that which hath been sent down from the Throne of Glory:

“I was in My Ancient Essence and the Eternity of My Being, I knew My love in thee, wherefore I created thee, cast upon thee My likeness, and manifested unto thee My beauty.”

And this likeness and beauty appeared only through the revelation of the Presence of the Essence in the mirrors of Names and Attributes, even as We have detailed its decree aforetime.

And verily now, O My brother, I have mentioned and cast upon thee all the stations of Names in the dawning-places of Attributes, and whatsoever pertaineth thereto and terminateth therein, with most perfect and eloquent expression and most sublime and impregnable exposition. When all that We have indicated unto thee of the subtleties of the Divine Realm and the mysteries of the Celestial Domain is established, it shall be proven that I have interpreted for thee all meanings and explanations, and whatsoever can be designated by name or trace, mention or description, manifestation or concealment, and all that floweth upon the tongue and can be expressed in speech. Notwithstanding all this, by Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand, I possess treasures of meaning in these divine letters, yet I am unable to let fall a single drop from this Ocean of Oneness and this surging Sea of Eternality.

It is as though I have not interpreted it by a single letter in the melody which God hath taught me from the songs of the birds of glory in the pavilions of eternity. By God! Were I to mention but a sprinkling of the meanings which God hath deposited therein, the servants would not be able to bear it, nay, they would fall senseless in that very moment. And since the matter is thus, be content with what I have been pleased to bestow upon thee and have cast upon thee of the gems of knowledge and wisdom. Then beseech God, thy Lord, that He may inspire thee with all meanings and explanations in a single letter of His Names, for verily He is the All-Powerful over all things and the Most Exalted above all things. He expendeth as He pleaseth and giveth as He willeth.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee, therefore, to send upon Thy servant the winds of Thy love, that I may arise with mine eyes to serve Thee. Whether Thou givest—and Thou art indeed the Giver unto them that ask—or whether Thou deniest me—and Thou art verily the Withholder from them that seek—Thou art at such times the Possessor of both these Names in both these acts, and it mattereth not whether Thou art called by Thy Name the Giver or by Thy Name the Withholder. Then, alas for me and for Thy servants! Yet Thy servant asketh and hopeth that Thou wilt manifest unto the kingdom another command, for Thou doest whatsoever Thou willest.

I know not, O my God, how long Thou hast cast me into the mouth of the serpent and left me in the valley of abasement and deprivation. By Thy glory! I have reached in abasement the uttermost degree. Turn then, O my God, Thine eyes upon this dust, and Thy vision toward these ashes. Then open before the face of this abased one the gates of Thy glory, and before the temple of this poor one the doors of Thy wealth, and upon this indigent one the gardens of Thy grace and the lights of Thy grandeur. Then shelter this outcast in the precincts of Thy mercy, and this rejected one in the shadow of Thy generosity. Then rain down upon him from the clouds of Thy bountiful grace and the heavens of Thy glorious wealth.

Dost Thou not witness, O my God, how the lamp in the niche of his heart and the light of his breast have been extinguished, and how the dove of his breast has ceased its flutterings of love, its movements of delight, and its notes of longing? Then judge Thou fairly, O my Beloved! Hast Thou seen one oppressed like unto me, or one deprived like unto my likeness, or one forbidden like unto my equal? Nay, by Thy glory! Such could not be counted, nor will ever be counted, wert Thou to search the kingdoms of the heavens and earth with the hosts of Thy hidden realm and the embodiments of Thy most exalted Names. Glorified, glorified art Thou! I am, before Thee, among those who repent and seek forgiveness.

And verily I, by God’s grace and bounty, desire to mount the crimson steed and journey through the heaven of splendor until I reach the highest horizon of the celestial realm and the Ultimate Lote-Tree and the Furthermost Tree, that I may interpret this Divine Word in the Supreme Concourse, whereby the Maidens of Eternity in their snow-white chambers shall weep, and the Birds of Holiness upon the branches of the Tree of Faithfulness shall lament, that perchance this impenetrable mountain may be shattered in pallid souls and manifest therein the greatest signs of its Lord.

Know thou that this inner Word, this Light of the Divine Essence, and this Mystery of Oneness hath stations and ranks that none can reckon save God, thy Lord and the Lord of all things. Verily it is a Word wherein lie concealed oceans of meaning and treasured gems of knowledge. In its outward form it telleth of all things while being sanctified above all things, and through it the manifest is made apparent in the kingdom of creation and the hidden is concealed in the realm of invention. It is as though the ancient seas surge within this most mighty Word and most noble and upright Symbol, and there is naught but that deriveth its outer meaning from its outer form and its inner meaning from its inner essence. By it all in the heavens and earth are sustained, such that the sign of its revelation appeareth in all things, and there is naught but that beareth witness to it in its station.

And I, at this moment, by God’s grace, bounty, mercy and loving-kindness, shall mention some of its stations in the visible, limited worlds that thou mayest thereby know its hidden, concealed, and veiled stations as befitteth thy station and beseemeth thy rank. Otherwise, God hath not enabled anyone to truly know its worth, for the earth in its entirety is in its grasp, the heavens are folded up in its right hand, the signs are seized by its power, the lights shine forth through its might, the spirits are dispatched by its providence, and the countenances are veiled by its sovereignty. Glorified be God above what I have said or shall say, have known or shall know, have mentioned or shall mention, have described or shall describe, for all this is but now created from this ink flowing upon this luminous tablet. How can it be a proof for the Essence of Divinity and a path to the Beauty of Unity in the Temple of Transcendence upon the Garment of Muhammad?

Know thou that the outward station of this Word among the stars and heavenly bodies is that of the sun; among letters and words it representeth the right pillar; among the ranks of divine action it representeth the Will; among the elements it representeth heat; among the seasons, summer; among measurements, length; in man’s outer form it representeth sight, for the station of sight is that of fire; in man’s inner being it representeth the heart; among the faculties it representeth the inner heart; among colors it representeth yellow; and among the elements it representeth fire. Though in each of these stations it representeth all stations and ranks—for instance, when it representeth fire it also representeth water, and through it fire appeared in the worlds of creation and the servants are warmed by the heat of God’s love.

Section 4: “Thus when Moses, the Beloved, witnessed this Fire…”

Thus when Moses, the Beloved, witnessed this Fire kindled from this divine Tree, he found in his heart such passionate love for God that the lights encompassed him on all sides. Then he cast off from his feet the sandals of limitation and drew forth his hands from the breast of unity, hearing the divine call from the Source of Lordship in the blessed spot on the right of the Mount of the Divine Essence: “O Moses! Verily I am God, the Lord of the worlds.” Thereupon he drank from the cups of beginning from the hands of grace, and entered the City of Eternal Life, and became alive with an enduring, everlasting life. Thus is the decree of water applicable to this fire, and if thou sayest this is water, it is truth wherein there is no doubt, and if thou sayest this is fire, it is truth wherein there is no uncertainty.

For life is of the nature of water—whosoever drinks thereof shall live forever, and whosoever is deprived shall die, and by this water all things live. Do ye not see? And when there appeared from this fire in this Tree the decree of water, the name of water became true of it. And what water is greater than this sweet water, what wine more delicate than this rapturous wine, and what stream more pleasant than this ancient, primal, flowing stream—the First Spirit, the all-encompassing Light, the mystical Breeze, and the eternal Tree?

For this water hath flowed by God’s leave from the Spring of Oneness, having gushed forth from the Mountain of the Divine Essence, appearing in the form of fire in this eternal Tree, that ye might know the decree of water in the realm of fire and the decree of fire in the realm of water, even as was testified to by that which was sent down from the Throne of the Divine Essence. For on this day, at noontide, around the water upon the water around the fire it was visible. Likewise, if thou appliest to it the decree of earth, it is truth wherein there is no doubt, for by it souls find rest from their perturbation, and hearts become steadfast after their trembling and quaking, and by it the illumined, fiery hearts find repose upon this blessed, purified earth, and feet become firm in establishing God’s exalted, sanctified Cause. And stillness is of the nature of earth, for God made it a place of rest and dwelling for the settlement of all that is therein and thereon and thereby and therefor.

And likewise the decree of air flows upon it, for just as from air blow the outer, directional winds, so from it blow the musk-laden, spiritual breezes, the holy, eternal fragrances, and the pure, luminous waftings. Dost thou not witness how this eternal wind moved this tranquil soul, separated it from the land of limitations, and connected it to the realm of the Divine Essence and the center of Lordship? Thus were the elements of existence completed through these holy, eternal words. When Moses of eternity drank the brilliant white water from this crimson fire, and his heart found repose upon the spiritual earth in the realm of glory—the yellow sea—the breezes of faithfulness wafted upon him from the throne of meeting. Then was his creation perfected, his countenance illumined, his agitation calmed, his heart assured; he knew himself, found intimacy with the lights of the Divine Realm, witnessed the dawn of the Divine Essence in the lamp of the Realm of Might, was illumined by the sun of the Kingdom in the earthly realm, and there appeared from his countenance the beauty of grandeur in the pavilion of eternity through his annihilation in Him and his subsistence through Him.

And if thou desirest to follow this light in the holy atmosphere in the heaven of this Manifestation, then trust in God and say “In the Name of God and by God,” then bring forth thy hands from thy pocket and take from this kindled, blazing fire and fear not, for though outwardly it appears as fire, inwardly it is light and mercy. God guides whom He pleases among His creation with this light, and whomsoever God guides is truly guided, and for whomsoever He leads astray, you shall never find a protecting guide. Thus has the face of grace appeared and the sun of guidance shone forth, and the creation of oneness was completed, and the veil was lifted from the celestial maiden of beauty, who appeared from lofty mansions in the pavilions of divine good-pleasure. The mirror of oneness reflected the lamp of transcendence, and the light of eternality shone from the niche of divine cloud, and the creation of all things was perfected when the Spirit established itself in the heaven of light.

By God, O my brother, whenever you mention any of these words, expressions, allusions and signs—speaking of elements, pillars, stars and the like—they are uttered and mentioned in the stations of remembrance, explanation, description and elucidation, for this pertains to human nature and the stations of verbal mention. Otherwise, by Him Who holds my soul in His hand, from these divine letters were created the elements of divinity, the signs of lordship, the pillars of eternity, the divine seasons, the suns of beauty, and the stars of the divine cloud. Indeed, there originated from them that which cannot be mentioned by the tongue nor perceived by sight, save on the day when human perception is renewed by God, the Mighty, the Bountiful. At that time, there shall descend upon you what was not mentioned in those days, and other doors shall be opened unto you, for He does whatsoever He wills in whatsoever way He pleases. You shall find fresh, new fruits from a new and wondrous tree, and shall enter the paradise of your Lord, the Most Merciful, delighting therein in the perpetuity of His eternity, the permanence of His everlastingness, and the antiquity of His sovereignty. Thus know the mysteries of the divine identity in this luminous, sanctified pavilion.

By God, O my brother, I have completed the word for you and perfected the blessing upon you. No letter remains but I have cast it to you, no word but I have guided you to it, no light but I have caused it to shine for you, no sun but I have made it rise for you, and no spirit but I have sent it to you. If you would be among the wayfarers of the divine cloud, then cast the bucket of meanings into this well of eternality. And if you find the youth of sorrow in the form of a thread in the shirt of blood, do not sell him for a few counted dirhams from limited souls, but make him merchandise for the kingdom, lest you be recorded as unjust in the Egypt of immortality before the mighty encounter.

Therefore be fair, O servant—has anything remained, whether in the heavens or on earth, in the unseen or the visible, that I have not explained to you and made clear through the melodies of the holy birds and the songs of those who circle the throne? Perchance the sun of fairness might shine upon you in this arena, that you might be fair in the Cause of God and the cause of His loved ones and chosen ones.

Therefore judge fairly by God, O servant—can such delicate, subtle water flow from turbid springs? Can this ancient, divine fire be ignited from the tree of denial? Can this goodly, enduring fruit spring forth from barren soil? Can these divine, nightingale-like melodies issue from stammering tongues? Can these wondrous, soul-ravishing remembrances emerge from lifeless hearts? Say: Do you not witness how the clouds of grace have been raised up, and the rains of bounty and loving-kindness pour down from every direction? If you find within yourselves a thirst of love for this shining, divine, and eternal Countenance, then drink of these flowing, cascading waters, that your souls may find peace, your hearts be cooled, and refreshment may reach your hearts and bodies, your outer and inner beings, your beginning and your end. Thus may you repose upon the thrones of your hearts, drink from the springs concealed in your slumber, and behold the Beauty of the Divine Essence in the mirror of your souls, in the dawning-place of your beings, and in the dayspring of your beauty.

At this moment, when the mysteries of the Divine Identity are completed in the garment of the letter Vav, and the creation of the new is perfected in the temple of eternity, I desire to make mention of the fire which telleth of this Fire in the element of earth, that thou mayest witness the [atoms] of wisdom and the wonders of power in the handiwork of thy Lord and the creation of thy Maker.

Know thou that if thou takest from this fiery element which groweth from the tree of this Mount, and cleanseth it with the utmost cleansing, and washeth it with the water which appeareth from the fire sprinkled upon the face of the cloud and descendeth from the cloud that is gathered in the air, and returneth it to the pure white earth from which it appeared, and blendeth them until they become one thing and one essence, the mysteries of the Cause will be made manifest unto thee in this most great kingdom, and thou wilt become independent of all who are in the heavens and self-sufficient beyond all who are on earth, and through the most manifest power of God thou wilt attain unto the greatest treasure of God.

And if thou desirest to reach it by another path, take from this brilliant white water and manage it until thou makest its outer part inner and its inner part outer, that its inner oiliness which lieth in the depths of this water may become manifest until it becometh a luminous, subtle oil which the fires cannot burn nor the fire of fancy harm. How wonderful is this noble handiwork and this mighty tiding! There existeth not in all creation a greater sign than this nor a more exalted matter, and none shall succeed in this save whom God willeth from among His chosen ones and His elect from among His creation and from His noble and righteous ones.

And in the element of earth nothing telleth of this Divine Fire and this Light of the Identity save this noble handiwork and this veiled symbol and this masked secret and this hidden mystery, for in one thing all natures appear and from it are separated the four elements according to their colors and natures of heat and cold and moisture and dryness. And if thou wouldst purify them and blend them, this element would be perfected for thee in this station. And though it be water in its subtlety and outward form, yet it is fire in its essence and nature, and earth in its dryness, and air in the multiplicity of its colors and manifestations in the stages of treatment. And there cometh forth from it that which burneth away all that is in its nature and essence of excess cold and inharmonious corrupting moistures.

And if thou knowest this red light and this brilliant white earth and returnest this spiritual watery fire to the body of this brilliant earth, thy purpose will be accomplished in three days, and if God should will, it would be accomplished more quickly than that, in less than an hour. But strive thou to transform this luminous thirsty earth and water it with this golden, oily, illuminating water, that thou mayest witness the mysteries of Lordship in the earthly element and know the essences of power in the inner secrets of creation.

Then know thou that the station of this earth is the station of the bone which hath spirit and soul and body, as thou witnesseth in man. And if thou takest the soul and the spirit and purifieth them until they become like the red ruby, and breathest this holy spirit into the body of this dead bone, this decayed bone will be quickened by the leave of God, the Lord of the Ancient Light and the Sovereign of this mighty element, for this matter is of the two most great lights.

This Holy Spirit breathes into the body of these dead bones that these decayed bones may live by the leave of God, the Lord of the Ancient Light and the Master of this Mighty Pillar. For this matter is from the two greatest luminaries, and when thou knowest them both and takest from them according to thy need, and temperest their natures after separating them, and purifiest them, and unitest them, and blendest them until they become one thing, all operations in every mineral realm shall be perfected for thee. And there hath been no operation in this endeavor for anyone save through these two Mightiest Pillars: the White Light and the Red Fire. Their management is easy for whomsoever God hath assisted and guided in His Cause, and made him among the treasurers of His knowledge, the bearer of His revelation, the companion of His Cause, the mine of His wisdom, the trustee of His secret, the repository of His grace, and the fountainhead of His bounty.

And if thou shouldst follow this principle which We have mentioned to thee in all the ranks of knowledge concerning minerals and plants, after turning unto God and achieving extinction in Him and subsistence through Him, thou shalt attain unto that which God hath intended for thee through the hidden treasures of His knowledge and the stored mysteries of His wisdom. For this principle is among the principles that have encompassed all possibility in their essence and all creation in their form, for the Cause is naught but separation and union. And if thou art able to separate all that is in the heavens and earth, and unite them all after purification until they become one thing, the mysteries of this mighty secret shall be made manifest unto thee.

I seal these words with the remembrance of God, the Most High, and I say: This is the Truth from God, the Mighty, the Beautiful. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH00579: Lawh-i-Maryam

Sorrowful is He at My sorrows.

O Maryam! The wrongs which I suffer have blotted out the wrongs suffered by My First Name from the Tablet of creation. The clouds of divine decree have at every moment rained down upon this manifest Beauty the showers of tribulation. My banishment from My homeland was for the sake of none but the Beloved; My exile was in no other path save that of His good-pleasure. In the midst of heaven-sent trials I glowed bright as a candle, and in the face of divinely ordained afflictions I stood as firm as a mountain. In manifesting the outpourings of His grace I was even as a bounteous cloud, and in laying hold on the foes of the peerless King I was even as a burning flame.

The clear tokens of My power roused the envy of My foes, and the compelling evidences of My wisdom stirred the hatred of the malevolent: Not a single night did I repose in peace; not a single morn did I awake in tranquillity. I swear by the beauty of God that Husayn shed tears of anguish at the wrongs I suffered and Abraham cast Himself into the flames for the sake of the afflictions I sustained. Wert thou to gaze with discernment, thou wouldst behold the Eye of Grandeur weeping sore beneath the tabernacle of sanctity, and the Essence of Majesty lamenting within the realms of loftiness. Unto this beareth witness the Tongue of truth and glory.

O Maryam! From the land of Ta, after countless afflictions, We reached ʿIraq, at the bidding of the Tyrant of Persia, where, after the fetters of Our foes, We were afflicted with the perfidy of Our friends. God knoweth what befell Me thereafter! At length, abandoning My home and all that was therein, and renouncing My life and all that pertained thereunto, I retired alone and companionless. I roamed the wilderness of resignation, travelling in such wise that in My exile every eye wept sore over Me, and all created things shed tears of blood because of My anguish. The birds of the air were My companions and the beasts of the field My associates. In such wise did I, even as the flash of the spirit, pass over this fleeting world. For two years or rather less, I shunned all else but God, and closed Mine eyes to all except Him, that haply the fire of hatred may die down and the heat of jealousy abate.

O Maryam! To divulge the heavenly secrets would be unbefitting, and to disclose the celestial mysteries would be unseemly. By “secrets” is meant naught other than the treasuries enshrined within Mine own Being. By the righteousness of God! I have borne what no man, be he of the past or of the future, hath borne or will bear.

During this period of retirement none, whether among My brothers or any other soul, sought to investigate the matter, let alone to grasp its significance, though its import surpasseth the creation of earth and heaven. And yet, I swear by God, every breath drawn in the course of My journey was better than the service of both worlds, and My very retreat was the mightiest testimony and the most perfect and conclusive evidence. Yea, true vision is needed, if one is to behold the Scene of transcendent glory, inasmuch as the blind one is deprived of beholding his own countenance, much less the Countenance of eternal holiness. How can a mere shadow comprehend the One Who casteth it? How can a handful of clay grasp the subtle reality of the heart?

At last the divine decree prompted certain spiritual souls to remember this Canaanite Youth. Armed with a number of petitions, they searched in every place and enquired from every person, until they found in a mountain cave a trace of this traceless One. He, verily, guideth all things unto the Straight Path. I swear by the Day-Star of eternal truth that the arrival of these souls so astonished and amazed this poor and exiled Soul that My pen is powerless to describe it. Perchance a steel-sharp pen will emerge from the realm of eternity, rend the veils asunder, and reveal these secrets with perfect truth and absolute sincerity; or haply an eloquent tongue will speak and bring forth the pearls of the spirit from the shell of silence. And this indeed would not be hard of accomplishment for God. In brief, the hand of Him Who is the Unconstrained broke the seal of the mysteries—this, however, none can perceive save them that are endued with true understanding, nay rather, them that have severed themselves from all things.

So it was that the Luminary of the world returned to ʿIraq, where We found no more than a handful of souls, faint and dispirited, nay utterly lost and dead. The Cause of God had ceased to be on any one’s lips, nor was any heart receptive to its message. This lowly Servant arose then with such vigour to protect and promote the Cause of God that methinks a new resurrection was ushered in. The glory of the Cause became manifest in every town and its fair name exalted in every city, to such an extent that all the rulers treated it with tolerance and benevolence.

O Maryam! The determination evinced by this Servant to withstand the onslaught of His foes from every sect and kindred so deepened their rancour that it can scarcely be depicted or imagined. Thus was it ordained by the Lord of might and power.

O Maryam! The Pen of the Ancient of Days proclaimeth: Among the foremost duties prescribed is to cleanse one’s heart of all but God. Sanctify then thy heart from aught save the Friend, that thou mayest be made worthy to enter the court of communion.

O Maryam! Free thyself from the fetters of blind imitation, that thou mayest gain admittance into the blissful realm of detachment. Sever thy heart from the world and all that is therein, that thou mayest attain to the sovereign rule of faith and be not debarred from the Sanctuary of the All-Merciful. Through the power of renunciation, rend asunder the veil of idle fancy and enter the hallowed retreats of certitude.

O Maryam! Though a tree be laden with a myriad leaves and fruits, a gust of autumnal wind sufficeth to obliterate them all. Remove not, then, thy gaze from the very root of the Tree of Divinity and the branch of the Lote-Tree of celestial glory. Consider the ocean, how serene it lieth, how majestically it reposeth within its bed. Yet the winds of the will of the eternal Beloved cause countless ripples and innumerable swells to appear upon its surface, each wave distinct and divergent from the others. All the peoples of the world today are preoccupied with the ebb and flow of these waves, and are oblivious of the stupendous might of that Sea of seas whose every movement layeth bare the signs of Him Who is the Unconstrained.

Commune, O Maryam, with the Spirit of the All-Merciful and, shunning the company and kinship of the Evil One, seek shelter within the inviolable protection of the Lord of bounty, that haply the hand of His loving-kindness may deliver thee from the path of selfish pursuits and direct thy steps towards the realm of transcendent glory.

Abandon these fleeting shadows, O Maryam, and turn towards the Day-Star of unfading splendour. Every shadow oweth its existence and motion to the presence of the sun; for were the latter to withhold its grace for a single moment, all things would sink beneath the veil of non-existence. How sad and regrettable indeed that one should occupy oneself with the transitory things of this world and be debarred from the Dayspring of eternal holiness!

O Maryam! Appreciate the value of these days, for erelong thou shalt no longer behold the Celestial Youth in this contingent realm, but shalt perceive the signs of grief in all created things. Soon shall ye bite your fingers’ ends in remorse, for ye shall fail to find this Youth, even were ye to search out the reaches of earth and heaven. Thus hath the decree been sent down from the realm of transcendent glory. Yea, erelong thou shalt behold all existence biting its fingers in bereavement over this Youth, and, search as it may through the entirety of every earth and every heaven, yet will it fail to attain His presence.

In brief, matters have come to such a pass that this Servant hath resolved to retire alone from the midst of this wretched people. Apart from the women of the Household who must needs remain with Me, I shall admit no one else to Our company, not even the attendants of My consort. Let us see then what God hath purposed. I depart, whilst My companions are the tears I shed and Mine associates the sighs I utter; My solace is My pen and the delight of My soul is Mine own beauty; My hosts are My reliance upon God and Mine armies are My trust in Him. Thus have We imparted unto thee a measure of the mysteries of this matter, that thou mayest be of them that apprehend.

O Maryam! All the waters of the world and its rivers have flowed from the eyes of this Youth, which, even as the clouds, have rained down their tears at the wrongs He hath suffered. In short, We have ever offered up Our life and soul in the path of the Beloved, and We are thankful and content in the face of whatever may befall Us. At one time My head was raised aloft on a spear, and at another it fell into the hands of My deadly enemy. At one time I was cast into the fire, and at another I was suspended in the air. Such indeed hath been the treatment that the ungodly have meted out to Us.

O Maryam, We have called this Tablet “the choicest of lamentations” and “the vernal shower of tears”. We have dispatched it unto thee that thou mayest weep, at thy heart’s ease, and share in the agonies and afflictions of the Ancient Beauty.

And furthermore: inasmuch as Jinab-i-Baba, in the first year, was present in your company, he is acquainted with certain matters. God willing, the Holy Spirit shall cause the tongue of his truth and certitude to speak, and he will acquaint you with a drop from the tale of Ghulam-i-ʿAlam. We make mention of Hasani Khanum and Sugh ra Khanum. Do ye also call Khadijih Khanum to remembrance, with a remembrance of God Who is sanctified above the limitations of men. For some time past it hath been in Our mind to address to her a special Tablet; yet to bear the shell of the verses of the might of the Self-Subsisting is not free from hardship; wherefore it hath been delayed.

We remember also the Aqa; and the daughters and sons—Havva Khanum—remember ye them all, and hold them [in remembrance] within the inviolable vesture of My mention. And whosoever hath drunk the wine of the love of God from the sanctified, divine Cup, let him remember them all, and call them to mind, and say: Joy be unto you, for that which ye have drunk from the Cup whereunto none among all the worlds hath attained. Yet this divine wine, and this draught of the Self-Subsisting, whosoever is granted a portion thereof must conceal within the treasury of his heart, that strangers may not become aware. Joy be to them that drink thereof!

BH00134: Madinatu’t-Tawhid (the City of Unity)

Section 1: “This is the City of Divine Unity…”

This is the City of Divine Unity—enter therein, O people of unity, that ye may be among those who receive with joy the glad-tidings of the Spirit. He is the Mighty, the Unique, the Exalted, the Most High, the Peerless.

These are the verses of the Book, whose signs have been detailed with matchless originality, free from all crookedness, as signs from God and as guidance, light and remembrance for all who dwell in the heavens and on earth. Therein is that which draweth men nigh unto the court of manifest holiness. Verily it is a Book wherein every wise decree is recorded, revealed in truth from the presence of One Who is All-Wise, All-Knowing. Therein is that which enricheth men beyond all things, and from it waft the sweet savors of holiness upon all creation, and it singeth that there is no God but Him. He doeth what He willeth by His command and decreeth what He pleaseth. Say: Verily therein is that which illumineth the breasts, and therein is detailed all things from God, the Mighty, the Omnipotent. There is no God but Him. His is the creation and the command. He giveth life and causeth death, then causeth death and giveth life, and verily He is the Ever-Living in the kingdom of eternity. He ordaineth what He pleaseth and is not asked of what He willeth. Within His grasp is the dominion of creation. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

He, verily, is the Truth. There is no God but Him. He hath ever been sanctified beyond all else and exalted above the description of aught else besides Him. None hath preceded Him in knowledge and He encompasseth all things. None of His creation hath ever been associated with the knowledge of His Essence, nor can any assured one attain unto His recognition, nor any soul know Him, for He is the Self-Sufficient, the All-Wise. He hath been One in His Essence, One in His attributes, and One in His acts. He hath ever been alone on the throne of grandeur, and will forever remain single upon the seat of glory. He is the Eternal unto Whom nothing can go forth and with Whom nothing can be joined. He is the Most High, the Omnipotent, the Great.

None hath understood His oneness save His Own Self, and none hath known Him except His Own Being. All that hath been created in the realm of origination and brought into being in the kingdom of invention was created by a word of His command. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Bountiful. That which the mystics know in their loftiest stations, and that which the accomplished ones attain in their highest ranks, is but the recognition of a sign of His revelation unto itself by itself, and this is the ultimate knowledge—if ye be of them that understand. When the doors of attainment unto His Eternal Essence were closed, and the wings of understanding were prevented from soaring into the kingdom of His command, He sent forth the Messengers from His presence and revealed unto them the Books from His side, and made their knowledge the knowledge of His Self.

This was accepted from all created things as a token of His grace and a bounty from His presence unto all in the realm. Whoso acknowledgeth them hath acknowledged God and confessed His unity, and whoso draweth nigh unto them hath drawn nigh unto the court of manifest holiness, and whoso obeyeth them hath obeyed God, and whoso turneth away from them hath turned away from the face of God, the Mighty, the Omnipotent, the Ever-Living, the Most High.

God hath ordained the knowledge of Himself to consist in the knowledge of these Souls, and this is what was decreed in the tablets of the Command from the presence of One Mighty, Powerful. This is the ultimate station of the mystics in their highest ascent, were ye of them that know. God hath not ordained for anyone a portion beyond this, nor is there for any soul a way unto it. This is what the Truth hath prescribed for Himself, were ye of them that understand. Can the weak ascend unto One Who is All-Powerful, Ancient? Say: Glory be unto God! All are poor before Him.

This is what He hath prescribed for Himself, the Truth, if ye be of them that know. Can the weak ascend unto the Ancient and All-Powerful? Say: Glory be to God! All are poor before Him, and all are powerless to know Him. Doth it befit the mortal to soar in the dominion of the Immortal? Say: Glory be to God! All are helpless before Him, and all are bewildered at the manifestations of His Cause.

And thou, O Salman, bear witness in thy soul, thy spirit, thy tongue and all thy members that there is none other God but Him, and that all are His servants and all are His worshippers. Then, O Salman, submit thyself to God’s command and to that which thou art bidden in the Book, and be not of the heedless. Then know thou the worth of these days and forget not the grace bestowed upon thee, and be of the thankful. Then detach thyself from thy self and thy desires, that God may inspire thee through His grace with that which shall deliver thee from all the worlds. Beware lest thou deprive thyself of the breezes of this Spirit, for this indeed would be a manifest loss.

Then draw nigh with all thy being unto God, the King, the Ever-Living, the Almighty, the Ancient. Say: This is a season from among God’s seasons which hath appeared through grace, and naught in the heavens or on earth can alter it. Say: By God! This is the springtime which hath adorned Paradise with its beauty, and no autumn shall ever follow it throughout all eternity. And verily this is a season unprecedented on earth, for it abideth under the shadow of One exalted and mighty.

O concourse of Paradise! Take your portion of this breeze whereby the temples of all the worlds have been renewed, and wherein the spirit of the Living, the Self-Subsisting was breathed into decayed bones. O ye who dwell in the depths of oneness! Detach yourselves from your own knowledge and from all whereby ye have recognized your Creator, and unite with God in these days according to what He hath detailed unto you in truth, and be not of the heedless. Then take your share in this season wherein all things are dyed with the hue of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

O concourse of immortality! Detach yourselves from all that ye have taken unto yourselves, then turn ye unto the Ridvan which hath been opened in the name of God, the Most High, in a holy and wondrous mystery. O ye who dwell in the heavens! Glorify God in the name of Him through Whom the letter Kaf was joined to its pillar, the Ra and the Mim. Then hearken unto the melodies of the Spirit from this Bird that singeth in all modes at every moment.

Say: O people of the earth! By God, this is the Dove that remembereth you with the most excellent remembrance, that ye may be of them who remember. He desireth naught from you, nor will He ever desire any recompense. His recompense is but to be martyred for the love of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Say: By God! Whoso seeketh not for himself what I have mentioned in truth is indeed in manifest loss. Say: Those who flee from death in God’s path are in doubt concerning the meeting with God—these are the heedless ones. These have not inhaled the fragrances of holiness from this luminous Garment, and have slept upon the couch of heedlessness, turning away from that which is best for them in the kingdom of the Lord of all worlds.

Say: Soon will God roll up the earth and all that is therein, and will gather you in truth unto a sacred and mighty dwelling. Then shall ye witness the mysteries of the Cause and become aware of that which hath been ordained by God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And ye shall say within yourselves:

“Oh, woe unto us for what we have neglected in remembrance of God, and indeed we were among those in manifest error!”

By God! Were the veil to be lifted from before the eyes of the servants, and were they to behold what their hands have wrought in the days of God, their spirits would depart from their bodies. This is the truth certain.

And verily thou, O Salman, take counsel in what We have counseled thee through grace and commanded thee through justice, and be not of them that slumber. Then remind thyself and the souls of the servants concerning that which We have sent down unto thee in truth, that perchance the people may turn with their hearts to a seat of glorious honor.

As to what thou hast asked concerning the verse of unity and the word of detachment, know thou that this is beyond my station, and I am but a lowly servant. He it is in Whose hand is the kingdom of knowledge and in Whose grasp is the dominion of wisdom. He teacheth whom He willeth whatsoever He willeth. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Beautiful. His is the command over all who are in the heavens and on earth. He doeth what He willeth, and He is the King, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Powerful. Nothing escapeth His knowledge and nothing frustrateth Him. He shall not be questioned as to that which He doeth, and He is the Prevailer, the Subduer, the Exalted, the Most High.

But I, despite my weakness, my affliction, my poverty and my need, when I find in myself the desire to manifest that which God hath given me through His grace, lest I be of those of whom God hath said in His preserved and mighty Book—and His word is the truth—“Those who are niggardly and enjoin niggardliness on others and hide what God hath given them of His grace,” therefore do I impart unto thee what God causeth to flow from My pen, that thou mayest glory in that which We have specially conferred upon thee amongst all people, and that thou mayest be of the detached ones, and that thou mayest thank God for what He hath bestowed upon thee through His grace, and hath sent down unto thee verses at which the mystics are bewildered.

Know thou then and understand that unity hath diverse ranks, realms and stations which none knoweth and none hath reckoned save God, the King, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Glorious. And were I to explain to thee in this station what God hath taught me through His grace, the Tablets would not suffice, nor would the seas, were they to be made ink for these holy, transcendent, mighty and gracious words. For God’s outpouring hath no cessation and His command no delay. He it is from Whom God hath caused to proceed the knowledge of all that was and shall be, if ye be of them that know. And He will detail in the manner of this Point sciences which no ear hath heard and none of the world’s people shall ever know.

Say: Should He desire to roll up all the sciences that have been expounded in creation since the beginning that hath no beginning, verily He is able, and this would be easier than the twinkling of an eye. There is no God but Him, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Powerful. He it is in Whose grasp is the kingdom of the knowledge of the heavens and earth. He eraseth what He willeth by His command and confirmeth what He desireth by His power, and with Him is a preserved and holy Tablet.

Say: He it is Who hath ever been sanctified above all that ye know, and in every matter He cometh with a wondrous knowledge. Say: The essences of unity and limitation are equal in His sight, but most people lie sleeping upon the couch of ignorance. Say: Were He to erase the signs of unity and decree limitation, this would be a manifest truth, and none may say “why” or “wherefore,” for the command is what appeareth from His presence and the decree is what He ordaineth, and He is the Strong, the Powerful.

Therefore testify, O Salman, within thyself that in God’s treasuries are sciences before a single letter of which the knowledge of none can be mentioned, nor the unity wherewith His servants unify God, nor the highest essences of detachment. But since His mercy hath preceded all creatures, He accepteth from them what He commandeth them in the time of every Messenger and the era of every Prophet, as a grace from His presence unto all created things.

I bear witness that there is none other God but Him. No one hath known Him, nor can any soul attain unto the wonders of His knowledge, nor can any among those in His dominion comprehend Him, if ye be of them that perceive the mysteries of the Cause. Would that there were sanctified doves and detached hearts that might soar with this servant in the atmosphere of this knowledge, by whose proximity the wings of them that are nigh unto God have been consumed. Erelong will God raise up in the earth such servants as will not be held back by the hindrance of them that are shut out, who will soar on the wing of holiness, and journey through the realms of eternity, and enter beneath the pavilion of resplendent glory.

No earthly affair shall occupy them, nor shall the ornaments of the world distract them from the remembrance of God, the Most Exalted, the Almighty, the Glorious. And when they hear the melodies of the Spirit, their eyes overflow with tears, and they rejoice in the Spirit of God, and turn unto the Beauty of ancient holiness. They would not exchange the signs of God for aught else, even were all who are in the heavens and on earth to expend their all. And whenever they hear the melodies of God, they incline toward the homeland of nearness and offer up their souls at every moment. At this point, it behooveth Me to begin mention of that which I intended before, and conclude this remembrance which no mind, however lofty, can comprehend.

Know, O Salman, that We bear witness, in the station of the unity of the Divine Essence, that He is One in His Essence, and hath ever been seated upon the throne of unity and the seat of singleness. There was none with Him, nor shall any be mentioned before Him. He is the Everlasting, the Self-Subsisting, the Mighty, the Gracious. He hath ever existed in the sovereignty of His Essence, and with Him there was neither mention of aught, nor knowledge of any soul, nor unity of any being. And now He is as He was in the eternity of eternities—there is no God but Him, the Peerless, the All-Wise. Far beyond this station is the knowledge of the knowers and the attainment of the attainers, for all else is non-existent before Him, null in His presence, and brought into being by His command. His is the command and the creation, and He is aware of all things. He is God; there is no God but Him, Who hath taken unto Himself no guardian, nor helper, nor partner, nor likeness, nor minister. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Encompassing.

We further bear witness that He is One in His attributes, and all attributes are severed from His holy court. This is what He hath ordained for Himself, if ye be of them that know. Know thou that the multiplicities of the worlds of attributes and names can never be associated with His Essence, for His attributes, exalted be He, are identical with His Essence, and none shall ever know how this is save Him. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Exalted, the Forgiving, the Merciful. All these names and attributes return unto His Prophets and Messengers and chosen ones, for they are the mirrors of His attributes and the dawning-places of His names. Otherwise, He, exalted be He, is hidden in His Essence and attributes, and all these manifest themselves in His Prophets through His most excellent names and most exalted attributes, lest any soul be deprived of the knowledge of the attributes in the heaven of names. This, verily, is a bounty from Him unto all worlds.

The upholder of unity hath, in this station, the right to be convinced that the manifestation of these attributes in God’s Messengers is none other than His attributes, exalted be He, such that no difference can be seen between Him and them, except that their attributes appeared by His command and were created by His will. This is the true unity in this station, which We have bestowed upon you through grace, that ye may be of them that are firmly rooted. The knower shall witness nothing, either in the heavens or on earth, except that he seeth God standing over it, and everything testifieth with the tongue of its inner reality that there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Great. The knower ascendeth unto a station wherein he witnesseth the signs of God’s revelation in all things, such that were the lights of this revelation to be withdrawn from contingent beings, nothing would remain in the kingdom. Thereby is it established that He was, and there was nothing else besides Him. Glorified and exalted be He above what these unbelievers say.

Section 2: “The upholder of unity hath the right not…”

The upholder of unity hath the right not to differentiate between the words of God, and to testify by his own essence and self that all verses have been sent down from Him, and whatsoever was revealed unto the Messengers is truth wherein there is no doubt, and hath been detailed from God, the Protector, the Mighty. All religious laws have been detailed from a single point and ordained by God, and unto Him do they return, and there is no difference between them, if ye be of them that are certain. Despite their differences in every age and era, there is no difference among them, for they all appeared through God’s command.

And there is no difference in the ages, for they have all appeared through God’s Cause, and the Cause is one from all eternity. This is what hath been inscribed by the luminous and holy Pen.

Beware, O believers in the Unity of God, lest ye be tempted to make any distinction between any of the Manifestations of His Cause, or to discriminate against the signs that have accompanied and proclaimed their Revelation. This indeed is the true meaning of Divine Unity, if ye be of them that apprehend and believe this truth. Be ye assured, moreover, that the works and acts of each and every one of these Manifestations of God, nay whatever pertaineth unto them, and whatsoever they may manifest in the future, are all ordained by God, and are a reflection of His Will and Purpose. Whoso maketh the slightest possible difference between their persons, their words, their messages, their acts and manners, hath indeed disbelieved in God, hath repudiated His signs, and betrayed the Cause of His Messengers.

Thus do We teach you the ways of knowledge and wisdom, that ye may perchance enter within the pavilions of glory.

All that We have mentioned concerning unity between them, and concerning the gems of oneness and the realities of singleness, pertaineth only to the station of revelation, for they all began from God and will return unto Him, and they judged by His command and spoke by His leave. Therefore the decree of unity is established for them in this station. Thus do We expound the verses unto you that ye may be of those who are certain. However, in the station of distinction, God hath preferred some above others, as the master is preferred above the servants. In this station, behold the station of some as the Point above the letters, and just as the letters are derived from the Point and revolve around it, likewise know thou the ranks of the Prophets. And We bear witness that He Who came unto you by the name of ʿAli is the Point, around which revolve the spirits of the Messengers. Therefore say within thyself: “Blessed be God, the best of creators!”

And We bear witness in the station of deeds that all appeared by His command and were created by His word and were sent forth by His decree, and return to the station which He hath ordained for them. That is God, my Lord and your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers. Can anyone move in the kingdom contrary to what God hath decreed in the Book? Say: Glory be to God! All things move by His command and all return unto Him. There is no God but Him. He taketh what He willeth from whom He willeth and ordaineth for all things what He desireth. He is the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing. There is nothing but His knowledge encompasseth it before its appearance and after its appearance, and He hath ordained for it what is best for it above all that is in the heavens and the earth. This is what hath been inscribed by the Pen of the Wise, the Ordainer.

Beware, O people of the Bayan, lest ye be confounded regarding the deeds that flow from Him and how He punisheth His sinful servants in the depths of hell. Know ye that the Exalted One hath in truth sent forth the Messengers to bid men to righteousness and piety, to forbid them from transgression and wickedness, and to give them glad tidings of the meeting with God on the Day when light shall shine forth from a seat of transcendent glory. This hath He irrevocably decreed for all the worlds. Through them hath God made known the paths of guidance and error, and hath clarified by the tongue of His Messengers all that He hath willed for them, such that no good thing remaineth unmentioned in a perspicuous Book.

When He had made manifest the truth unto them and had illumined the holy paths and revealed the ways of paradise, He commanded them to do all that would bring them nigh unto these sacred stations and draw them closer to God, the Mighty, the Praised. He forbade them whatsoever would harm them, and thus He raiseth the obedient to the canopy of nearness and casteth down the proud. Then He gave them choice between these two paths after they had gained knowledge and recognition of the ways of guidance and error, and He assisteth them in whatsoever they choose for themselves. This is His justice towards all who dwell in His dominion. Therefore bear thou witness within thyself that God hath never wronged any soul by so much as a grain of mustard seed, nor will He ever do so. He, verily, is the Bestower, the Bountiful, the Generous.

When the paths of truth have been distinguished from falsehood for the servants, and the ways of guidance from error, He prospereth them in whatsoever they desire and His decree floweth according to their wishes. Thus do We expound the verses unto you and impart words of wisdom that your hearts and the hearts of them that are nigh may rejoice therein. Were He, the Exalted One, to withhold His servants from one deed and compel them to another, this would be an injustice on His part. Glorified and exalted is He above wronging any soul by so much as the husk of a date stone. After His power over all things and the flowing of His decree through all things, He assisteth all created things in their deeds after they have recognized light from darkness.

This is of His grace, could ye but perceive with the eye of wisdom the mysteries of His Cause. Whosoever saith other than what We have inspired in thee, or speaketh other than what We have imparted unto thee, is indeed a transgressor by the clear text of the Book. God is quit of him, unless he repenteth and returneth unto God and becometh of them that seek forgiveness. He forgiveth whom He willeth and chastiseth whom He willeth, He giveth unto whom He pleaseth and withholdeth from whom He pleaseth. He shall not be questioned about that which He doeth. In His hand is the kingdom of creation and command, and within His grasp is the empire of the heavens and earth.

He giveth life and causeth death, then causeth death and giveth life, and He, verily, is the Ever-Living Who dieth not. Nothing escapeth His knowledge, His grace encompasseth all created things, His mercy hath preceded all beings, and He knoweth the treachery of hearts and whatsoever appeareth therefrom. There is no God but Him, the All-Knowing, the Mighty, the Ruler, the Kind, the All-Informed.

Then know ye, O concourse of the Bayan, that God hath desired for His servants naught save that which shall turn them toward the most exalted pavilions in the dominion of everlastingness; and He hath ordained for them naught but that which shall deliver them from self and passion, that sovereignty may remain unto His own Self, the True One, and that He may cleanse the earth and all who dwell thereon from the defilement of these idolaters. And We testify, in the station of the oneness of worship, that all things return unto God, the Mighty, the Exalted, the All-Knowing; and that all have appeared from one single Command from the presence of a Wise, an All-Powerful One; and that they began from God and shall return unto Him; and unto Him shall all return.

Unto Him—by God!—ascendeth the pure word; and unto His face do all bow down; and all who are in the heavens and on the earth worship Him. There is no thing but celebrateth His praise and feareth Him through awe of Him. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. All necks are bent in submission to His sovereignty, and all hearts are humbled before His command and make mention of His remembrance. He it is Whom every thing hath worshipped, and Whom all that are in the heavens and the earth do worship.

Verily they who have established themselves upon the throne of unity and the seats of singleness bear witness within themselves that whatsoever the servants worship—their Creator—in their hermitages and their mosques, hath been sent down from God and returneth unto Him; for the Object of worship is one, glorified and exalted be He. Verily we are all His worshippers, though the servants be heedless in their worship and forget their Creator. Yet the very acts of worship and the remembrances hasten unto their Creator and their Maker; unto Him do all hasten. And whatsoever ye behold among the religions of the earth, and their worship and their remembrances, all these were set forth in detail from the presence of God in the days of His Messengers and His Envoys; and by His command do all worship. But when they were veiled from the Purpose, and from that which God had ordained for them, they were veiled from that which God had chosen for them in those days wherein the tongue of oneness chanted, in every new and wondrous melody, strains of attraction. When they turned away from God after their waiting, and chose for themselves, the decree of destiny overtook them; and this was in the scrolls of a holy Preserver inscribed.

And We testify at that time that the stations of unity and the degrees of singleness all appeared in the beauty of a new and mighty glory that was manifested in the sixties by the command of God, the Omnipotent, the Wise, the All-Knowing. He it is Who hath ever been one in His Essence, His attributes, and His acts; no likeness hath He, no peer, no adversary. All were created by His command; all stand by His command. None can share with Him in His Cause, nor oppose Him in His judgment. He shall not be asked of what He doeth, and all return unto His presence.

Give ear, then, unto the Day when the crier shall cry forth from the Pole of everlastingness, and the Dove of Hijaz shall sing in the quarter of ʿIraq, and shall summon all unto the Covenant; the gates of Paradise shall, therein, be opened before the faces of all creation. This is a Day after which the darkness of night shall not follow, and the sun itself draweth light therefrom, for it hath been illumined by the lights of a radiant Countenance. By God! then shall there be spread a wondrous carpet of holiness from the presence of God, the Mighty, the Omnipotent, the Inaccessible. Say: By God! it is a Day whereon none shall bear the throne of thy Lord save His own Self, the True One; and We are witnesses to this. In it shall be unveiled stations wherein unity shall not be named, nor shall the realities of singleness attain, nor shall the loftiest knowledges of the knowers soar in its air, save whomsoever thy Lord willeth. Blessed is he whose eyes are solaced, in this Day, by the meeting with God, the King, the Exalted, the Mighty.

Say, O people of the East and the West: These are melodies that make mention of the letter Ha at the time when they passed through the valley of Sinai, in the Sinai of the spirit—a spot wherein naught is remembered save God, the Mighty, the Subtle. And when I entered it, I took the letter Sin from the valley of the first, for the love that joined the two within the atoms of everlastingness. Thereupon the gathered letters appeared in the worlds of heaven by a command from the presence of God, the Mighty, the Beauteous. Say: This is a City: should the sick enter it, he would be healed and made whole sooner than the name of “when” could pass upon the tongue; and should the kingdom of the Names pass over it, all would become bones, and all would speak of God, in such wise that by a single name thereof all who are in the heavens and the earth would be overturned.

And thou, O Salman, strive with thine own soul that thou mayest enter this City; and if thou canst not enter, then strive with thy spirit, that perchance thou mayest pass about its precincts and the breezes that blow forth from it may waft upon thee. By God! this is better for thee than the dominion of the first and the last. This is My command unto thee and unto those who have ascended unto the seat of a manifest Sovereign.

And when thou enterest the land of a¹¢ad, remember the letter Zay with inviolable remembrances of holiness. Say: Hearken unto that wherewith the Dove of Holiness singeth unto thee at the time when it flieth from air to air of lofty might; and be thou not disturbed thereby, for herein are the secrets of the Cause concealed, if thou be of them that perceive. Put thy trust in God in thine affair; fear no one, and be not of the fearful. This is what We told thee aforetime in preserved and holy Tablets. Turn thy face and thy heart unto God, the King, the Mighty, the Generous. By God! the Call of God shall never cease at any time; it crieth aloud at every moment. Whoso hath purified his ears from the words of men shall hear the Call from the dominion of glory, shall turn aside from none in the kingdom, shall be drawn by the Call of God, and shall return unto a sure and sanctified refuge.

Thus do We remind thee also of the letter Mim with remembrances of a new and mighty glory. And when thou arrivest in the land of Shin, spread forth these Tablets before those who have believed in them, that they may be reminded thereby and be of them that remember. Whoso is reminded thereby—this shall be better for him than all that the hands of power have created in the dominion of manifest might. For therein shall none be witnessed save God alone; and all that is beneath Him hath been created by a single letter thereof, if ye be of them that know.

Thus have We bestowed Our favor upon thee, O Salman, in that We have imparted unto thee the Word of Truth, made plain unto thee the mysteries of unity, and guided thee unto this path whereon the Salsabil floweth from this fountain, and it shall not be exhausted by the everlastingness of God, nor shall it perish throughout eternity of eternities.

Then know, O Salman, that they who have not been adorned with the attributes of unity—the name “believer” shall not truly apply unto them, if ye be of them that discern. The judgment of unity shall not be fulfilled for any by utterance alone. Therefore, O concourse of the Bayan, strive within yourselves that ye may be of them who are adorned with the attributes of God. Whoso hath not wafted upon him the breezes of God and His attributes shall not attain unto this station, nor be numbered among the believers. Thereupon We seal the discourse with the declaration that there is none other God but Him, and that we are all His servants, and unto Him shall all return. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH00295: Madinatu’r-Rida (the City of Radiant Acquiescence)

Section 1: “This is the City of Radiant Acquiescence…”

This is the City of Radiant Acquiescence—enter therein, O concourse of them that are well-pleased, and rejoice in the effulgent lights of God, the Sovereign Protector, the Mighty, the All-Wise

In the Name of Him besides Whom there is none other God, and by our Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted

This is a mention of God’s mercy unto His servant in truth, that he may glory therein before the concourse of the worlds and give thanks unto his Lord at all times for the completion of His favor upon him and upon all them that dwell in the heavens and the earth. This is from a Book wherein is mentioned that which draweth mankind nigh unto the court of manifest holiness, and it beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and all are His servants and unto Him shall all return.

The likeness of them who hear the melodies of God and then follow them is as the likeness of a light that shineth from the light of God, the Mighty, the Powerful. Thus observe thou from crystal which catcheth fire when it faceth the sun—this is a reminder from Us to them that remember. Say: O concourse of the earth! Were ye to sanctify your souls and your spirits, ye would find them more delicate than crystal, and this is an undoubted truth. And were ye to turn them toward God, your Creator, there would be reflected therein the Word of God, the Supreme, the Ancient, and there would be kindled therein the fire of nearness, whereby your bodies and your frames and all that ye possess would be illumined, such that there would be ignited in the trees of your beings the torches of love, and thereby would be consumed the veils that have come between you and the lights of His countenance. Thus do We teach you the ways of righteousness, that ye may be among them that know.

Say: If there remained in your hearts the slightest trace of attachment to the world and its ornaments, ye would never find the fragrances of eternity from this holy and luminous garment. Therefore follow, O people of the earth, that which God hath commanded you, and dispute not concerning that which He hath ordained in the Book. Then hold fast unto the cord of God, the Almighty, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

This indeed is a tablet wherein the Dove singeth with melodies of eternity and casteth upon you that which is better for you than all that hath been ordained in the kingdoms of the spirit. Therein is guidance and a reminder for them that believe. Thus doth God single out for His mercy whomsoever He pleaseth and sendeth down upon you from the heaven of glory fruits of wondrous glory.

Say: O people of the earth! The lamp of light hath been lit in the glass of holiness and the dwellers of the most exalted Paradise have been illumined thereby. Fear ye God and be not veiled from Him, and be not of them that are veiled. The Ark of God hath been fashioned by the hands of the angels of Paradise; therefore hold fast unto it, O people of the Bayan, for this is better for you than the treasures of the earth and whatsoever precious gems of glory have been stored therein.

The Sun of Beauty hath risen at high noon while ye lie sleeping upon the couch of heedlessness and are deprived of this bounty which the eyes of them that are nigh unto God have never beheld. Fear ye God, then follow the paths of divine good-pleasure in these days of God, the Almighty, the Mighty, the All-Praised. And if ye know not His path, We shall teach you in truth through a letter of that which God hath given Me, that the proof may be complete unto all who dwell in the kingdom.

Know ye that divine good-pleasure hath infinite degrees, and We teach you that which God causeth to flow from My pen, and this sufficeth you above the dominion of the first and the last ones. And for him who desireth to traverse the paths of divine good-pleasure, it behooveth him to be well-pleased with God, his Creator, in whatsoever He hath ordained for him and in whatsoever hath flowed from the Pen of the Most High in truth, and in all that hath been prescribed by Him upon the preserved tablets of holiness, and to be well-pleased with himself—and this is not possible for anyone except after his detachment from all that is in the heavens and the earth, if ye be of them that know. For if man should commit even less than an atom’s weight of unseemly deeds, he will not be content within himself.

This is what We have witnessed unto you in truth, that ye may be numbered among the content. And that one should ascend to such a station wherein poison and honey are accounted as one, for all these are ordained by the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful. Should anyone worship God from all eternity, yet harbor in his soul aversion to that which befalleth him of hardship and tribulation, his name shall never be inscribed in the Tablets as among the content by the holy and luminous Pen. For they who proclaim their love for God in their hearts, yet groan when afflictions overtake them in His path—the decree of contentment shall not be attributed unto them. This We impart unto you in truth, that ye may be steadfast in love.

How can one claim to cherish love for God in his heart, yet despise that which descendeth upon him from his Best-Beloved, the All-Wise, the All-Knowing? And that he should be content with the loved ones of God on earth and lower his wing in humility before the believers. For whoso showeth pride toward them that have believed, hath shown pride toward God Himself—God forbid! O ye sincere ones! And whoso is content with God his Lord is content with His servants who have believed in Him and in His signs on the Day whereon all who are in the heavens and on earth were thunderstruck. For the contentment of the servant with his Creator cannot be established save through his contentment with the loved ones of God who have detached themselves from all else and were of them that place their trust in Him.

Await thou the Day when the Trumpet shall be sounded and the Dove shall warble, when the gates of Paradise shall be flung open and God shall come with a wondrous Cause. Then hasten ye unto Him, O people of the Bayan, and tarry not for less than the twinkling of an eye. This is of the essence of contentment—dispute ye not concerning it, O ye who are brought near! Then shall ye discover the breezes of contentment from the holy Dayspring, and the raptures of yearning shall seize you and transport you to a seat of glorious security. O concourse of the Bayan! Beware lest ye tarry in your own selves or be veiled from the Beauty of God, the Mighty, the Praised. By God! To stand but once in His presence is better than sovereignty over the heavens and earth.

But thou, O wayfarer unto God, rejoice within thyself, for thou hast reached the City of Divine Good-Pleasure and art numbered among those who journey to the sanctified realms. We bear witness at this moment that thou hast soared in the atmosphere of contentment, hast detached thyself from all else, hast drawn nigh unto God, the Mighty, the Bountiful, hast emigrated from thy home and journeyed unto God until thou didst arrive at the spot which the denizens of the eternal pavilions visit at morn and eventide. Blessed art thou and those like thee whom God hath enabled to arrive at the shore of eternity, the crimson sea, and who have heard the melody of God from behind the veils of power, and visited the spot round which circle the Lote-Trees of Sinai, where all who have entered the garment of existence, whether of the ancients or the more recent ones, must remove their sandals.

Know thou that thy love for thy Lord is God’s good-pleasure with thee and thy good-pleasure with Him. This is of the law which hath been ordained from the right hand of God’s wisdom and will not change with the changing of Prophets nor the renewal of Messengers. Rather, all enjoin the people to this, and this is God’s trust in the hearts of the sincere ones, and this sufficeth you above all else. Whoso entereth this flowing law will not abandon a single letter of the Book and will be content only with what God hath been pleased with. Thus do We expound the verses in truth that thou mayest be of the assured ones. When thou hast quickened thy spirit with the melodies of the Dove and renewed the temple of thy inner being with the garment of eternity, return to the House of God in thy land and be of those who, through Our grace, give glad-tidings unto them that rejoice in the Spirit.

Remind them of God’s verses and be as the spring breeze unto the people of thy land that they may renew their souls and spirits thereby. This is what We command thee in truth if thou be of them that hearken. Thou shalt not be able to accomplish this unless thou turnest wholly unto God and detachest thyself from all that is in the hands of all created things.

When thou renewest thyself, thou shalt be able to renew the people. This is how the Dove counseleth thee in truth that thou mayest be among the beneficent ones who have been preceded by God’s guidance, who have tasted the sweetness of love and have drunk from the springs that have gushed forth from the direction of a mighty throne.

Remember us to all those in thy land who have believed in God and in His signs, as well as those who journeyed towards God and gained admission into the precincts of the court of Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Bountiful. Among them is the letter Kaf, who is the recipient of His unsurpassed mercy. Thus do We make mention of him in this Tablet with the sweet melodies of the pure in heart. Another is the letter Qaf, who journeyed unto the court of God in His days and is reckoned among the righteous. Likewise the letter Ha’, who embarked on this journey, hath returned home by Our leave, and is now immersed in the ocean of divine love.

The letter Ra’ is yet another one who hearkened to the wondrous melodies of the Nightingale and entered beneath the sheltering shadow of God, the Gracious, the All Knowing. And among them are such as have left their homes and since returned. We have not mentioned their names, but all have attained a station of grace that is beyond the comprehension of all created things. Erelong will God reveal unto them the fruits of their noble deeds, as they soar into the blessed heaven of holiness on wings of ruby. There are still others who have made this journey in their hearts and whose names were inscribed with the Pen of power upon the spirits of transcendent glory. Soon will God open before their faces the portals of Paradise and they will enter therein in a state of peace and mercy from Our presence and abide there forever in bliss.

Section 2: “By God! Were there to be revealed…”

By God! Were there to be revealed to the peoples of the heavens and earth less than can be numbered of what is ordained for those who journeyed and migrated unto God, all would hasten with their eyes and heads to a holy and wondrous shore. But they are all veiled by what their hands have wrought in God’s time and are among the most lost people of evil. Say: O concourse of believers! Be patient in what hath befallen you and be not distressed by the adversities and hardships that have touched you, for God shall soon recompense the patient ones. The world and its people shall pass away and all shall return to their abode in the Fire, with no escape from God’s vengeance, the Subduer, the Conquering, the Mighty, the Powerful.

Say: O people of the earth! Do ye not witness the changes in dominion and the transformations of the earth, such that no moment passeth but most affairs are altered therein? By what thing, then, are your hearts and souls assured? Woe unto you for what ye have wrought in your vain life! Ye have turned to your own selves and turned away from Him Who created you and sustained you and was more merciful to you than any who showeth mercy. Say: By God! Ye are but as travelers in the shade of a tree which must needs vanish. Be not assured by it and by that which perisheth, but be assured by that which perisheth not and endureth through the endurance of God, the Everlasting, the Eternal, the Mighty.

Say: Have ye found your mornings like unto your nights, or your youth like unto your old age? All this is a reminder to you, O concourse of Muslims. The differences in all things have been ordained only to remind you of the passing of your own selves, that ye may not turn unto them nor be among those who cling. Cling ye to the cord of God, then hold fast to the handle of the Bayan—this is what hath been ordained for you by a mighty and potent Finger. Thus have We taught you the gems of knowledge, acquainted you with the wonders of wisdom, imparted to you the realities of understanding, and shown you the ways of Paradise, that your hearts and the hearts of the mystics might find assurance thereby.

Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and mercy be upon you, O people of the Bayan. Now do I love to detach Myself from all mention and call upon my Lord with melodies that draw unto them the hearts of the believers.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Send down upon Thy loved ones that which will bring comfort to their hearts and tranquility to their souls, that they may remember Thee openly as they remember Thee in secret. This is easy for Thy all-encompassing power. Then raise, O my Beloved, the standards of Thy victory and triumph over the people of Thy realm, that these scattered ones who are dispersed throughout Thy lands and countries may gather beneath the shade of Thy loving-kindness. They find no shelter save in Thee, no refuge except in Thee, and no sanctuary but from Thee. Gather them beneath the tree of Thy loving care, then honor them with Thy grace. Verily Thou art the Most Generous of the generous.

Thou knowest, O my Beloved, how Thine enemies have dealt with Thy loved ones, seizing from them all that Thou hadst bestowed upon them through Thy bounty, and inflicting upon them what no ear hath ever heard before. No land remaineth but their blood hath been shed therein, no wood but their bodies have been burned thereby. How many little ones, O my God, are left without elders, how many mothers cry out for their sons, how many sons weep for their fathers. Thou hast recorded all this and art witness thereto.

Thou seest, O my God, how oppression hath encompassed Thy lands and realms, such that no trace of justice can be found, and all have followed the evil ones. The matter hath nearly reached such a state that Thy name and signs would be erased from the earth. All have taken gods besides Thee, and Thou art indeed the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. The darkness of heedlessness hath encompassed all the people of Thy earth to such an extent that when any of Thy servants mention Thy name, they mock him. This hath burned my heart and the hearts of the sincere ones.

By Thy glory, O my Beloved, I find none among Thy servants upon Thy path, nor do I perceive from them the fragrance of Thy love. All have taken the world as their protector, save those who have turned unto Thee and were of those who return. Every day, O my God, I associate with the people and find them heedless of Thee, turning to every face except Thy luminous countenance, and to every city save the cities of Thy mighty dominion, as though Thou hadst not created them nor provided for them. Thus have we found the matter among these unbelievers.

Abasement hath reached such a degree that Thy loved ones cannot mention Thee, and if they wish to read Thy words, they must hide in their places. This hath caused the hearts of the lovers to bleed. O my God, if Thou shouldst accept these conditions for Thyself, then alas for Thy chosen ones in Thy land, how they must hear from Thy enemies that which beseemeth not Thy station! Would that they were all blind and could not see, deaf and could not hear that which is unworthy of Thy luminous beauty.

By Thy glory, if Thou leavest them in this state, the signs of Thy sovereignty in Thy realm will cease to exist, the pillars of Thy government in Thy land will be demolished, and Thy name and trace will be erased among all creation. Therefore, O my God and my Beloved, grant them no respite after these matters. Send down upon them that which will turn them toward Thee. Then remove this youth who hath risen against Thee completely, and those who follow him in his desires, that Thy holy land may be purified from these unbelievers. Indeed, O my God, I know that Thou hast willed this in all Thy days, but it hath not come to pass due to the manifestation of Thy wisdom, and this is the evident truth.

Therefore, O my God, send down upon him from Thy firm decrees and Thine irrevocable ordinances that which no predestination can avert nor any whim can alter. Then, O my Beloved, inscribe this upon tablets of preserved glory and a wise and holy Book wherein erasure shall not enter and the decree of expungement shall never return, but rather wherein matters are fixed by the pen of a mighty and powerful decree. Then ordain thereafter, O my God, that which is best for Thy servants—and in Thy hand is all good—for verily Thou art the Judge, the Arbiter, the All-Knowing, the Bestower, the Wise.

How long, O my God, wilt Thou forbear with the enemies of Thy Self? By Thy glory! In judgement they have reached such a state that Thy servants have come to doubt Thy wondrous power, nay, they have become certain of its absence, after my certainty that Thou art powerful over all things and that Thou art the most powerful of the powerful.

Thou knowest that my anguish is not for myself nor for the abasement of those who love Thee, but rather when I witness that all have turned away from Thee and Thy beauty, and have made Thy signs an object of mockery. Therefore is my heart consumed, my inner being lamenteth, and mine eyes weep. Thou knowest what is within my soul, and Thou art encompassing over all things. Therefore, O my Beloved, forgive me and my transgressions which I have committed before Thee, for my very mention of Thee is a sin that nothing in earth or heaven can equal. Then forgive my parents, my loved ones, my kindred and my relatives, for verily Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful. Then forgive the one who hastened unto Thee and arrived before Thee, then his parents, and take them not to task, O my Beloved, for their transgressions and sins, and have mercy upon them and pardon them, for verily Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful and the Most Generous of the generous.