Volume 031: Late Baghdad Period (1860–1863) (1 of 5)

BH00746: Shikkar-Shikan Shavand

“Sweet as sugar become all India’s parrots,

From this Persian candy that to Bengal goes.”

He is the Most Exalted, the Most High, the Most Supreme!

Your letter reached the abode of evanescence and arrived at the treasury of submission and contentment. All that was written was noted, and all that was mentioned was true and correct. However, the lovers in the path of the Beloved and the confidants of the sanctuary of the Desired One fear not calamity and seek not to avoid fate. They are nourished by the ocean of submission and drink from the stream of Tasnim. They would not exchange the good-pleasure of the Friend for both worlds, nor would they trade the decree of the Beloved for the boundless realm. They drink the poison of tribulations as if it were the water of life, and quaff deadly venom as though it were life-giving honey.

In waterless, perilous deserts they surge with the remembrance of the Friend, and in lethal wastelands they are quick to sacrifice their lives. They have withdrawn their hands from life and set forth toward the Beloved. They have shut their eyes to the world and opened them to the Beauty of the Friend. They have no purpose save the Beloved, and seek no perfection save reunion. They soar with the wing of trust and fly with the pinion of devotion. To them, the bloodthirsty sword is dearer than heavenly silk, and the sharp arrow more acceptable than mother’s milk.

“A hundred thousand living hearts are needed on this path,

To sacrifice a hundred souls with every breath.”

One should kiss the hand of the assassin and dance joyously towards the path of the Friend. How blessed is this hour and how sweet is this time when the spiritual soul is ready to sacrifice itself and the temple of faithfulness has resolved to ascend the heights of extinction. We have lifted up our necks, eagerly awaiting the unsparing sword of the Beloved, and have made our breasts [radiant], yearning with our very souls for the arrow of destiny. We are weary of name and fame, and from all else but Him we shall not choose flight nor occupy ourselves with dispelling others. Through prayer we seek tribulation that we might soar in the holy atmosphere of the spirit and build our nest in the shade of the tree of divine companionship, that we might attain the ultimate stations of love and drink from the sweet wines of reunion.

Surely we shall not let slip from our grasp this eternal sovereignty, nor shall we let go from our hands this incomparable blessing. And if we should be buried in the dust, we shall raise our heads from the bosom of the Lord of Lords’ mercy. These companions cannot be destroyed by tribulation, nor can these journeys be traversed by mere footsteps, nor can this countenance be veiled by the curtain of concealment. Indeed, it is evident that with all these enemies, both within and without, who have raised the standard of opposition and have girded themselves with utmost determination to repel these poor ones, one should certainly, according to the dictates of reason, exercise caution and choose to flee not only from this land but from the face of the earth.

Yet through divine favor and infinite invisible confirmations, we are radiant like the sun and manifest like the moon, seated upon the throne of tranquility and resting upon the carpet of patience. What fear has the spiritual fish of the destruction of the ship, and what concern has the holy spirit for the corruption of the outward body? Nay, the body is a prison for this one, and the ship a cage for that one. The nightingale’s song is known to the nightingale, and the familiar strain to those who are familiar.

Consider the days of old and what befell the Seal of the Prophets and the Source of the Chosen Ones, that you might become light as spirit and emerge like breath from the cage of the body. At the height of the encompassment of enemies and the intensity of trials, the sacred Bird descended and brought this verse: “And if their turning away is grievous to thee, then, if thou canst, seek out an opening into the earth or a ladder into heaven.” A thousand eyes are needed to weep blood, and a hundred thousand souls to raise a cry from the heart. And likewise in another place He says: “And remember when the unbelievers plotted against thee, to imprison thee, or slay thee, or drive thee forth.

They plotted, and God plotted, and God is the best of plotters.” In these two blessed verses which were revealed from the Source of Divinity, reflect deeply that you might become aware of the hidden mysteries. Were people’s eyes of insight open, this very persistence of this servant would suffice them all—that despite all these enemies and instances of tribulation, we are luminous like a candle, and like love’s beloved we have burned away the veils of concealment in the gathering as we have kindled the fire of love. But what use is it when all eyes are veiled and all ears are stopped? They wander in the valley of heedlessness and walk in the wilderness of error. “They are innocent of what I do, and I am innocent of what they do.”

That honoured personage is one who, being among the denizens of that land, hath busied himself with the adornments of this world, hath taken no share from the cup of mercy, nor any portion from the chalice of justice and fairness. Without ever having beheld this Servant for a single moment, nor having gathered with Him in any assembly, nor having enjoyed His companionship for so much as an hour, he hath seized the pen of tyranny and traced therewith the blood of the wronged.

He hath likewise uttered certain meaningless words in the presence of a group, and in these very days hath conveyed to a well-known person some assertions born of his own conjectures. That person hath, in the past two days, journeyed to Ṭihran, bearing with him a register in which are recorded tales, and a book in which are related stories.

“Whatever schemes of deceit he harbors in his heart,

Before God are as manifest as the light of day.”

All these matters are known and evident, and their foundations are disclosed and confirmed. Though they may conceal it from this servant, how can it remain hidden from Him from Whose knowledge nothing escapes? I know not by what divine law they claim to abide, or upon what proof they rely. This servant, who for some time has completely withdrawn into seclusion and chosen solitude, who has closed his door to friend and stranger alike and sits alone—whence arose this envy, and from where did this hatred appear? It is not known whether they will ultimately achieve good and attain their heart’s desire. Though they walk the path of passion, this lowly one clings to the cord of piety and, God willing, is guided by the light of divine guidance.

I harbor no ill will toward them and have taken no rancor to heart. I have left it to God and held fast to the handle of justice. After they achieve their aims, perhaps they shall drink from the boiling waters of hell and be sustained by the fire of divine wrath, for there is a mighty Judge between us who surely will not let injustice pass. Eventually, there must be a meeting where matters are made clear and the truth becomes evident to them. Then judgment will be passed—decided and executed. Their suspicious hands are short, while the tree of divine favor is exceedingly tall. Until our time comes, no soul has power over us, and when that moment arrives, we shall seek it with yearning and desire—it shall neither come early nor late.

Verily we are God’s and to Him do we return. If God helps you, none can overcome you, and if He forsakes you, who is there that can help you thereafter? Peace be upon those who follow guidance. Though I have been and am desirous of meeting you, it is not advisable. Remain in complete tranquility, engaged in visitation, and weary of all but His presence. Convey my remembrances to the loved ones, especially to His Highness Isma’il Mirza. All these matters were related to you last year, but seem to have been erased from memory.

BH02198: Lawh-i-’Ashiq va Ma’shuq

He is the Exalted, the Transcendent, the All-Highest

Release yourselves, O nightingales of God, from the thorns and brambles of wretchedness and misery, and wing your flight to the rose-garden of unfading splendor.

O My friends that dwell upon the dust! Haste forth unto your celestial habitation.

Announce unto yourselves the joyful tidings: “He Who is the Best-Beloved is come!

He hath crowned Himself with the glory of God’s Revelation, and hath unlocked to the face of men the doors of His ancient Paradise.” Let all eyes rejoice, and let every ear be gladdened, for now is the time to gaze on His beauty, now is the fit time to hearken to His voice. Proclaim unto every longing lover: “Behold, your Well-Beloved hath come among men!” and to the messengers of the Monarch of love impart the tidings: “Lo, the Adored One hath appeared arrayed in the fullness of His glory!” O lovers of His beauty! Turn the anguish of your separation from Him into the joy of an everlasting reunion, and let the sweetness of His presence dissolve the bitterness of your remoteness from His court.

Behold how the manifold grace of God, which is being showered from the clouds of Divine glory, hath, in this day, encompassed the world. For whereas in days past every lover besought and searched after his Beloved, it is the Beloved Himself Who now is calling His lovers and is inviting them to attain His presence.

Take heed lest ye forfeit so precious a favor; beware lest ye belittle so remarkable a token of His grace. Abandon not the incorruptible benefits, and be not content with that which perisheth. Lift up the veil that obscureth your vision, and dispel the darkness with which it is enveloped, that ye may gaze on the naked beauty of the Beloved’s face, may behold that which no eye hath beheld, and hear that which no ear hath heard.

Hear Me, ye mortal birds! In the Rose Garden of changeless splendor a Flower hath begun to bloom, compared to which every other flower is but a thorn, and before the brightness of Whose glory the very essence of beauty must pale and wither. Arise, therefore, and, with the whole enthusiasm of your hearts, with all the eagerness of your souls, the full fervor of your will, and the concentrated efforts of your entire being, strive to attain the paradise of His presence, and endeavor to inhale the fragrance of the incorruptible Flower, to breathe the sweet savors of holiness, and to obtain a portion of this perfume of celestial glory.

Whoso followeth this counsel will break his chains asunder, will taste the abandonment of enraptured love, will attain unto his heart’s desire, and will surrender his soul into the hands of his Beloved. Bursting through his cage, he will, even as the bird of the spirit, wing his flight to his holy and everlasting nest.

Night hath succeeded day, and day hath succeeded night, and the hours and moments of your lives have come and gone, and yet none of you hath, for one instant, consented to detach himself from that which perisheth. Bestir yourselves, that the brief moments that are still yours may not be dissipated and lost. Even as the swiftness of lightning your days shall pass, and your bodies shall be laid to rest beneath a canopy of dust. What can ye then achieve? How can ye atone for your past failure?

The everlasting Candle shineth in its naked glory. Behold how it hath consumed every mortal veil. O ye moth-like lovers of His light! Brave every danger, and consecrate your souls to its consuming flame.

O ye that thirst after Him! Strip yourselves of every earthly affection, and hasten to embrace your Beloved. With a zest that none can equal make haste to attain unto Him. The Flower, thus far hidden from the sight of men, is unveiled to your eyes. In the open radiance of His glory He standeth before you. His voice summoneth all the holy and sanctified beings to come and be united with Him. Happy is he that turneth thereunto; well is it with him that hath attained, and gazed on the light of so wondrous a countenance.

BH11031: O nightingales! While the heaven of mercy is upraised…

In the name of God, the Compassionate!

O nightingales! While the heaven of mercy is upraised, take wing; while the flower is at market, lament; while the gates of reunion are open, hasten! Eat sweets and grieve not, and in remembrance of the Friend, drink the wine of nearness. Attach not your hearts to this life, but surrender your souls to the Beloved.

BH00454: Lawh-i-Huriyyih (Tablet of the Maiden)

Section 1: “Glorified art Thou, O my God! I make…”

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I make mention of Thee in this moment when the Sun of Thy Divinity hath dawned from the horizon of the heaven of the radiant Sinai of Thy Oneness, and the lights of Thy Lordship have shone forth from the morn of the cloud of the presence of the might of Thy Self-Subsistence, and the darkness of the kingdom hath been illumined by the gleaming splendor of the appearance of the dominion of Thy Cause, whereby the Garden of Paradise was established above the celestial realms of Thy Identity, and wherein Thou didst plant the trees of Thine Essence, and they all bore the fruits of Thy Being, and wherein the breezes of Thy Spirit and the fragrances of Thy holiness wafted, and wherein Thou didst ordain the gems of Thy bounties and the essence of Thy favors, and wherein Thou didst unveil the treasuries of Thy knowledge and the repositories of Thy mystery, and wherein flowed, through its terraces, the rivers of the glory of Thy Life and the seas of the might of Thy eternity and the fountains of the wine of Thy grace.

When Thou didst desire, O my God, to manifest it, Thou didst raise it to the throne of grandeur and majesty, and adorned it with the lights of power and might, and revealed Thyself unto it through Thine eternal Essence, and caused the Sun of Oneness to shine upon it through the lights of Thy ancient Countenance. Thereupon Thy most exalted decree came to pass in the empire of destiny, ordaining the emergence of a Countenance therefrom, that the lights of Thy beauty might be made manifest unto all who are on Thy earth, and the splendor of Thy face unto all who are in the empire of Thy Cause. Then came forth the Maiden who, from time immemorial, had been concealed in the pavilion of sanctity and protection and glory, and in the tabernacle of purity and might and majesty. And there was inscribed upon her luminous brow, with crimson ink by the Most Exalted Pen:

“By God! This is a Maiden whom none but God, the Most Exalted, the Most High, hath ever known, and God hath purified the hem of her sanctity from the knowledge of the Concourse of Names in the empire of eternity, and her beauty from the eyes of all who dwell in the kingdom of creation.”

And when she emerged from her palace, adorned with the ornament of God, and glanced with one of her eyes toward the heaven, the dwellers of the heavens were thunderstruck by the lights of her countenance and the sweet fragrances thereof, and when she turned her other eye toward the earth, it became illumined with the lights of her beauty and the excellence of her splendor.

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having revealed unto me the wondrous tokens of Thy handiwork therein and the comprehensive signs of Thy power in its creation! Whereupon she soared and ascended, gliding through the firmament as though treading upon a straight line in the axis of the air. And methought the chain of existence was set in motion by the movement of her path beneath her feet. Then did she descend and draw nigh, approaching until she stood before me. I was bewildered by the subtle mysteries of her creation and the wondrous tokens of her fashioning. I found within myself an ecstasy from her attraction and a rapture from her love. I raised my hand toward her and drew aside the veil from her shoulder, whereupon I beheld her tresses, curled and twisted, cascading down her back, suspended and flowing until they reached nigh unto her feet.

When the winds stirred them toward the right side of her shoulder, they perfumed the heavens and earth with their fragrance, and when moved toward the left, they diffused a holy, musk-laden scent from their emanations. It was as though by the movement of her hair the spirit of life stirred in the inmost reality of contingent beings and the springs of divine knowledge flowed through the realities of creation. Exalted then be God, her Creator, in what He hath shown me therein! Blessed be God, her Fashioner, in what I have witnessed of the manifestations of power in her beauty and the expressions of might in her majesty!

At one time I beheld her as though she were sweet, life-giving, flowing water, coursing through the realities of beings and the depths of contingent things. And I became certain that all existence endured through her endurance and persisted through her persistence. At another time I found her as a fire kindled in the Divine Tree, as though the element of fire were created from a brand of her flames, and the hearts of existence, both seen and unseen, were consumed by her heat and blaze. When she stirred from the subtle mysteries of her yearning and the wondrous tokens of her rapture, it was as though the fragrance of the All-Merciful wafted from the very pores of her garment. Glorified be God, her Originator, her Creator, and her Fashioner! Then she drew nearer until she stood before my face and spoke with a melody like unto the song of the dove in the realm of eternity—as though she spoke with a wondrous melody without word, letter or sound, as though all books appeared in explanation of the song of her wonderful strains. And I understood all meanings in the point of her mouth.

When I turned toward it with my entire being, I heard the mention of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious from her melodies, and the name of God, the Most High, the Most Exalted from her songs. Thereupon I became enraptured, bewildered, intoxicated by the wonderful nature of her tune. I raised my hand once again and uncovered one of her breasts which had been concealed behind her garment. Then did the heavens shine with the gleaming of her light, and all contingent things were illumined by her appearance and effulgence. And by her light countless suns shone forth, as though they were coursing through heavens that had neither beginning nor end. Then was I bewildered by the Pen of Creation in what it had inscribed upon her form, as though she had appeared in a form of light in the likeness of spirit, moving upon the ground of the Divine Essence in the substance of manifestation. And I observed that the Maids of Heaven had put forth their heads from the chambers and were suspended in the air above her head, bewildered by her appearance and beauty, and enraptured by the attraction of her melody. Glorified be He Who is her Creator, her Fashioner, her Originator, and her Manifestor!

Then was I nearly thunderstruck by what I inhaled of the holy fragrances and found of her wondrous ornaments. She turned to me completely and opened her lips. Lights shone forth from the gleaming of her teeth, as though the pearls of the Divine Command had appeared from her treasures and shells. And she said: “Who art thou?” I said: “A servant of God and the son of His handmaiden.” She said: “I perceive in thee traces of a sorrow the like of which I have witnessed in none other. It is as though I see that all creation grieveth with thy grief, such that I find the lamp of joy extinguished in the niche of thy heart and the lights of gladness cut off from the lamp of thy inner being.

I adjure thee by God, besides Whom there is no god, conceal not from me what hath befallen thee. Inform me that I may learn of the truth of thy matter, even if it be but a drop from the overflow.” I said to her: “Ask me not of this, for thou canst not bear to hear from me of my sorrow, even if it be but a letter’s mention.” Then I adjure thee by God, the All-Powerful, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting, to withdraw thy hand from me and leave me alone. Return thou to thy place in Paradise and ask not of that which I cannot mention to thee, even if it be but a letter’s hint.”

Section 2: “When she recognized the trembling of my inner…”

When she recognized the trembling of my inner being, the yearning of my heart, the cry of my essence, the burning of my bones, the quivering of my skin, the agitation of my soul, and the perturbation of my body, she called out to me saying: “Hast thou a mother who would lament for thee in thy tribulation?” I said: “I know not.” Then she said: “Hast thou a sister who would weep for thee in thy ordeal, or a helper who would assist thee in thy distress and accompany thee in thy solitude?” I said to her: “By my sorrow, which no joy hath approached, ask me not of anything. Look thou upon my heart that what thou seekest may be made manifest to thee.”

She then bowed her head toward my heart and began examining all my limbs, joints, bones, and innards, as though she had lost something and was searching for it everywhere. She searched for a long time and raised her head until it reached my chest. I saw her condition change as she moved her head once to the right and once to the left, at times casting her glance toward heaven with grief and sorrow, and at times observing the earth with bewilderment and regret. I saw her lips move as though she were speaking words beneath her tongue. I inclined my ear toward her and heard a faint cry, as though it emerged from the essence of her being in the depths of her heart. When I brought my head close to her mouth, I heard words that I cannot mention, and were I to mention them, by God, nothing would remain in the kingdom from the burning of their mystery and the scorching of their import.

Thereupon she addressed me, saying:

“May thy mother die for thee, O youth! I have witnessed none like thee and seen no soul resembling thee. My bewilderment and sorrow concerning thee have lengthened, and my perturbation regarding thy matter hath increased. Would that I had not been created in the heaven of eternity, nor been born of God’s breath in the holy precincts of the most exalted chambers, nor drunk the water of life from the fountains of glory! Alas for what I have known and witnessed! Alas for what I have perceived and learned! For however much I searched, I found no heart within thee whereby I might learn of thy matter.”

When I heard this, she raised her head, and I found her eyes overflowing with blood, as though oceans had appeared from a drop of her tears. When her eyes fell upon mine, weeping seized the reins of patience from her, and she cried out with a cry that I can neither mention nor describe, until I wept with her weeping, and she raised her hands to my shoulders and I placed my hands upon her shoulders and we wept immeasurably, beyond the reckoning of time, eternity past or future, ages or epochs.

When she ceased her weeping, she said: “O youth, I adjure thee by Him Who hath subjected the Pens to the grasp of Thy power and established through them whatsoever He hath willed and desired, to tell me what hath befallen thee, that I may be a companion in thy tribulations and one who remembereth thy afflictions in the most exalted Concourse and the most sublime Dominion.” I said to her: “O my beloved, by my life and thine, I am unable to explain to thee what hath touched me, but look thou upon my liver; perchance thou wilt find therein what will suffice thee concerning the most hidden mysteries of my heart.” Thereupon she bowed her head and brought it near to my liver, examining it for a time that cannot be mentioned in the Dominion of Glory nor bounded by the tongue of those who discourse, yet found no trace thereof. Then I saw the earth quake from the trembling of its inner reality and convulse from the palpitation of its heart.

She remained thus before time, after time, and above all time. Then she raised her head and cried out with such a cry that the heaven was rent asunder, the earth was cleft, the countries were shaken, and the mountains crumbled. Then she called to me saying: “May thy mother mourn thee, O youth! Thou hast bewildered me by thy matter and destroyed me by thy deed. Never have I found one without heart or liver; how then dost thou remain existing upon the earth and continue to exist in the kingdom?” Thereupon she gazed upon me as a lover gazes upon the beauty of the beloved, and as the loved one beholds the countenance of the lover. Then I found her stirred within herself, as though the breeze of God from this Garment had wafted over her. She turned to me with her outward and inner being and said: “By thy life, I perceive from thee the fragrance of the Beloved! Art Thou the Beloved of the worlds? If Thou art He, why hast Thou changed Thy beauteous countenance? Art Thou from the Concourse of Recognition or from the people of the Bayan? Alas for all created things!”

When I perceived her recognition and saw her drawing near, I guided her to my Self. When she recognized me, she cried out, trembled, lamented, was agitated, and fell prostrate in the dust at my feet. When I turned toward her, I found her cast upon the earth, her spirit having departed from her as though it had never been created therein. Thereupon the Maids of Heaven suspended in the air cried out, and the purified Essences in the clouds of the unseen lamented, and they all returned to their mansions and pavilions, abandoning what had been ordained for them and created for their beings. And I remained standing over her body, grieved by her grief and bewildered by her condition and her love.

I took her and washed her with the tears of mine eyes and shrouded her in my garments. Then I brought my mouth close to her right ear and gave her glad tidings such as none can hear from me concerning her. When I cast these words upon her, she was stirred by the Word of God. Then she gave me glad tidings which it behooveth me not to mention or even breathe. Thereafter, I laid her to rest in the vessels of holiness and returned her to the place of intimacy, the station which We had ordained for her.

Thus do We cast upon you, O people of Paradise, from the vision of eternity. Interpret it for Me, if ye be interpreters of the Spirit’s vision.

BH01966: Hur-i-’Ujab (The Wondrous Maiden)

The hallowed Beauty shone resplendent from behind the veil. How wondrous a thing, how wondrous indeed!

And, lo, the flame of rapture caused all souls to swoon away. How wondrous is this, how wondrous indeed!

Rising up, they soared unto the blest pavilion ʿneath the throne of heavenis canopy. How wondrous a mystery, how wondrous indeed!

Say: The Maiden of Eternity unveiled Her face—may her wondrous beauty be exalted indeed!—Shedding forth from earth to heaven its resplendent rays. How wondrous a light, how wondrous indeed!

A lightning glance She cast, as piercing as a shooting star—how wondrous Her glance, how wondrous indeed!—

A glance consuming every name and every title in its flames. How wondrous a feat, how wondrous indeed!

To the dwellers of the realm of dust She turned Her gaze. How wondrous Her gaze, how wondrous indeed!

And then did all creation shake and pass away. How astounding a death, how astounding indeed! She then let fall a raven lock, an ornament of spirit in the darkest night—how wondrous a hue, how wondrous indeed!—

From which the fragrant breezes of the spirit were perceived. How wondrous a scent, how wondrous indeed!

In Her right hand She bore the ruby wine and in Her left a portion of the finest fare. How wondrous a grace, how wondrous indeed!

With hands encrimsoned with Her ardent loversi blood—how wondrous is this, how wondrous indeed!—

In cups and chalices She passed round the wine of life. How wondrous a draught, how wondrous indeed!

With harp and lute She sang in praise of Her Beloved. How wondrous a song, how wondrous indeed!

Whereat the hearts were melted in consuming flames. How wondrous a love, how wondrous indeed!

Of Her sustaining beauty She bestowed a boundless share—how wondrous a share, how wondrous indeed!—

Then brought Her sword of charm upon Her loversi necks. How wondrous a blow, how wondrous indeed!

Her pearl-like teeth did flash, no sooner had She smiled. How wondrous a pearl, how wondrous indeed!

Whereat the hearts of them that know cried out and wept. How wondrous a piety, how wondrous indeed!

But they that doubt and boast of self denied Her truth. How astounding a denial, how astounding indeed!

And, hearing this, in sorrow, She repaired to Her abode. How astounding Her grief, how astounding indeed!

She returned from whence She came: How lofty were the steps She traced! How astounding a decree, how astounding indeed!

She cried a cry of anguish, as to reduce all things to naught. How astounding Her woe, how astounding indeed!

And from Her lips there streamed these words of warning and rebuke—how astounding a stream, how astounding indeed!—

“Why do ye gainsay Me, O people of the Book?” How astounding is this, how astounding indeed!

“Claim ye to be the guided and the loved ones of the Lord?” By God! How astounding a lie, how astounding indeed!

“O my friends,” She said, “We shall not come again,”—how wondrous a return, how wondrous indeed!—

“But will conceal Godis secrets in His Scriptures and His Books,” as bidden by One mighty and bounteous indeed!

“Nor shall ye find Me till the Promised One appear on Judgement Day.” By My life! How astounding an abasement, how astounding indeed!

BH01007: Az Bagh-i-Ilahi

From God’s own garden—by the Sidrah’s fiery flame— That newly-risen Youth, that fresh-born Servant, came.

Hay! Hay! This is a rapture all-divine; This is a robe from Heaven’s shrine; This is the Lord’s own vesture, fine.

With oceans of Life’s water, with Kawthar of the soul, The Lord of all creation entered, whole on whole, and came.

Hay! Hay! This is a sweetness from on high; This is the Mercy flowing nigh; This is a broidering from the sky.

From Egypt of the Cloud-land—Yusuf of Shiraz— With coquetry and fame, with beauty’s law and awe, He came.

Hay! Hay! This is a Face of timeless morn; This is a Dawn with radiance born; These are prime wonders, freshly shorn.

That slayer of the lovers, that quickener of the loved, With sword and shafts of longing, through every veil He moved and came.

Hay! Hay! These are love’s blades that flash and burn; These are glances—spears that turn; These are eyelashes—arrows stern.

From behind the veil of spirit, from the city of the Friend, With gifts and gracious bestowals, He drew nigh to the end and came.

Hay! Hay! These are holy sparks that rise; This is an Ancientness that lies; This is a bounty new-born wise.

That very Essence of abiding, from the treasury of Names, With cloud-shadow’s tender softness, in mystic, veiled refrains, He came.

Hay! Hay! These are hoards of hidden gold; These are pearls in shells enrolled; These are heavenly traits foretold.

That rider of the battle-field, that slayer of the dear, With blade and flashing scimitar, with conquering cheer, He came.

Hay! Hay! This is a necklace, rare, supernal; This is a breast of gifts eternal; This is a draught of grace diurnal.

That Maker of the Luminous, that Manifest Most-Glorious, On Resurrection’s Day He shone—majestic, victorious—and came.

Hay! Hay! This is a Godhead, new-displayed; This is a Lordship, holy-laid; These are sweet salts His hand hath made.

That secret of God’s Beauty, that purest Might of God, With voice and message, trumpet-clear, He trod the path He trod and came.

Hay! Hay! This is passion beyond telling; This is attraction, ancient dwelling; This is bewilderment, unseen, compelling.

With the dove’s ecstatic warble, with the spirit’s shy allure, With cup and goblet overflowing, He arrived in rapture pure, and came.

Hay! Hay! These are youths in forms resplendent; These are maxims, heaven-sent; These are coquetries, love-intent.

With world-consuming sweetness, with heart-consuming “Raz”, From the Orient of “Lam”—that shining letter’s blaze—He came.

Hay! Hay! This is a dance of marvel’s fire; This is a liver caught in wire; This is a heart set all afire.

That hunting falcon—perched upon the Sovereign’s arm— With drum and tent and pageantry, in stately storm, He came.

Hay! Hay! These are birds of Ridvan singing; These are ascents, like incense springing; These are green leaves with gladness clinging.

The goal of every seeker, the shrine of Adam’s prayer, With unending festival, He filled the earth and air—and came.

Hay! Hay! This is power vast, unbounded; This is greatness, high and rounded; These are hosts everlasting, sounded.

The Spirit’s very jewel, with “I am the Truth” as cry, Came as the breaker of idols, from heights beyond the sky—He came.

Hay! Hay! These are Syrian strains that quiver; These are Hebrew hums that river; These are Qur’anic tones that deliver.

With curls outpoured and serpentine tresses flowing free, With mercy and inspiration, He moved like a holy sea—and came.

Hay! Hay! This is forgiveness, pre-eternal; This is Baha’i bounty supernal; This is a gift uplifted, vernal.

That tuner of the spirits, that burner of the shades, With lion’s onset, roaring, He cleft the fear-made braids—and came.

Hay! Hay! These are burnings of the spirit; This is knowledge men inherit; This is a serpent-pen—mark ye its merit!

That Face of everlastingness—like dawn of God—appeared, Within the evening of darkness, the night itself grew feared—He came.

Hay! Hay! These are suns in splendor pouring; These are moons of meaning soaring; These are stars in patterns storing.

One hair from His tresses, one scent from His dark mole— And straightway every nostril knew the wine that makes one whole—He came.

Hay! Hay! This is a rising, light-bestowing; This is a gathering, Lord-made, growing; These are gifts from God, unceasing, flowing.

From truth’s bright morning, from meeting’s radiant day, That joy came home at last—came sweetly, all the way—and came.

Hay! Hay! This is a child of Shiraz, new-born; This is a lamp-niche, light-adorned; This is a lightning-lamp of dawn.

A hundred cups within His hand, a hundred snares at rest— With a glance that slays, that captures, He enthralled each eager breast—and came.

Hay! Hay! These are Sidrahs—lote-trees burning; These are عمران’s trees, returning; These are beguiling winks—still learning!

With a godlike finger—ruby-tipped and bright— With wine-skin tame and word aflame, He flooded day with night—and came.

Hay! Hay! This is a draught that makes one singing; This is a sweetness, love clinging; This is a motion of the spirit, winging.

That Lordly flame, that Sinai fire—yet “coolness, peace,” He brought; and through its gentleness our storms found their release—and came.

Hay! Hay! This is delight, a shining weather; These are veils that blaze together; This is a Godhead of ascension, feather.

That Hidden made manifest, that Absent famed abroad, From court to rooftop rose at last—by every soul adored—and came.

Hay! Hay! This is coquettish glance’s art; This is the bow’s own guarding part; These are spirit-fires that move the heart.

Jesus lives by His breath; Moses faints by His grief— That perfect Sun hath risen now, beyond all doubt, beyond all brief—and came.

Hay! Hay! These are bestowing breathings flowing; These are spirits, softly going; These are words complete—unending, glowing.

That supernal Caesar, crowned with empire’s crest, With “I am God” as diadem—like dawn from evening’s breast—He came.

Hay! Hay! These are crowns of pure bestowal; These are mornings bright, with no pall; These are garments of the Maker—over all.

From behind the veil of holiness, from intimacy’s mask, That heart-delighting Friend arrived, fulfilling every task—and came.

Hay! Hay! These are excuses of the Houris; These are crystal cups—how glorious! These are eyes that wink, victorious.

With holy rapture’s dancing, with “Glory be” in glance, With ceaseless beating of the drum, He made creation dance—and came.

Hay! Hay! These are birds of Paradise, ascending; These are peacock-sighs, unending; These are bell-tones through the ether, bending.

On God’s own earth that heaven-cypress walked with graceful sway; With measured step and supple pride He turned our night to day—and came.

Hay! Hay! These are modes of inspiration; These are tastes of rapt sensation; These are lines inscribed in living narration.

That Sword of God—with godlike essence— Leapt naked from its sheath at last, and shattered every sentence—and came.

Hay! Hay! These are blades of the All-Compelling; These are thresholds of the All-Forgiving; These are smitings of the All-Prevailing.

That nightingale of the rose-garden, from the orchard of the arcane, From desert into snare it flew—yet made the snare a gain—and came.

Hay! Hay! This is jubilation, mighty; This is a trace of the Lord Almighty; This is a breath of Mercy—brightly.

For veiled ones, death; for frozen ones, a pain— The King of Ages entered, and none remained the same—He came. That Perfect Treasure came; that Named Unseen appeared; In spite of every grudging heart, the gift drew near and neared—and came.

Hay! Hay! This is a majesty imperial; This is a star that makes night burial; This is a flame—pure, kingly, aerial.

That Divine Fire, breathed forth from the breath of the All-Merciful for centuries, until at length the longing of the lovers for the atmosphere of the Eternal became manifest, and thereafter, blown by the divine Spirit for ages, until at length the tresses of the Beloved became visible—countless and innumerable are they who circumambulate the Kaaba of nearness to the Lord of Beauty, and who tread the path of the sanctuary of the Lord of Glory—until, invested with the honor of manifestation, He appeared in this Tablet aforementioned, and became visible to the temples of the sanctified souls through divine love, in humility and reverence, in standing and sitting, in the form of words inscribed in verses beheld.

Therefore must the celestial birds who purpose to ascend to the heights of the sanctified realms chant with such fervor and melody as to bestow upon all who dwell within the dominion the spirit of eternity, life everlasting, and existence perpetual, that perchance the sprinklings of fire upon the hearts of the righteous may, by God’s leave, be made to rain down.

BH02000: Halih Halih ya Bisharat

The Maid of abiding life from highest Paradise drew near— Haleh, haleh, haleh—O glad tidings!—and lo, she was here.

With harp and melody she came, with crimson bowl in hand— Haleh, haleh, haleh—O glad tidings!—to bless the longing land.

With soul-bewitching glance she came, with essence of self-surrender, With dance and song she came to make the broken-hearted tender—

Haleh, haleh, haleh—O glad tidings!—the feast is spread abroad; With musk-dark tresses, sugared ruby lips—she came from God.

Two swords lay curved within her brows, a hundred darts her lashes, To every heart she came—O how she kindles, how she flashes!

Haleh, haleh, haleh—O glad tidings!—the world is overthrown; With warble of the dove she came, with “Abha!” like a tone.

With drum and banner did she come, with standards lifted high— Haleh, haleh, haleh—O glad tidings!—let every “I” now die.

Souls, take the road that leadeth on; hearts, be ye snatched away— All, all is effaced before her face: the rest is but delay.

With white-kalim she came; with hair as black as Moses’ dragon-splendor, Haleh, haleh, haleh—O glad tidings!—to make the hard heart render.

This David’s chant from Sidrah’s height, from Lahut’s cedar-tree, Came with Messiah’s breath of life—came like a quickening sea.

With attraction and with faithfulness, with Cloud’s tumultuous fire, From eastern dawns she came—O hear the heart’s unending lyre!

Haleh, haleh, haleh—O glad tidings!—with guidance as her light, From morning of reunion came, with Sinai’s flame so bright.

This soul-song in the dwelling of the Beloved’s secret station— From the nightingale of “La” it came, beyond all limitation.

With tidings of reunion, this Maid of God drew nigh, From Tuba’s branch she came to us—Haleh!—with radiance high.

This perishing lover, this earthen bird, became in love’s highway A ransom offered to the Friend—Haleh, haleh!—he came that day.

Upon the bosoms of the loved ones fell the arrow of decree, From heaven’s Prince it came—O glad tidings!—to shatter and to free.

Upon the neck of every lover fell the sword of cruelty— From Faithfulness’ own Throne it came, and yet it healed the plea.

This holy epistle, with fiery hoopoe, from Saba’s city flew— Haleh, haleh, haleh—O glad tidings!—with news forever new.

This Face that everlasteth—by God’s command—came with the Hand, the White; This Hijazi falcon came with ʿIraqi song, from the King’s own arm in flight.

This ascension-countenance came with joyous rapture from the lowest court to rise— Haleh, haleh, haleh—O glad tidings!—to dazzle earth and skies.

Lo! nightingale of meaning from the holy rosebush came, With speech and cry—Haleh, haleh!—to set our dust aflame.

This leaf of light from the city of the Spirit came with splendor, With radiance and illumination—Haleh!—to make the shadows tender.

This Witness of the Lord, this wine-drunk of the Beloved, came with the cup of fealty; That sheer Beauty of the Truth, that very Essence of Majesty, came with the greatest Sign for thee.

That countenance long desired, that face long pledged, came with the Most Great Mercy— Haleh, haleh, haleh—O glad tidings!—the world is made anew and free.

Souls—by His union! Hearts—by your offering! for the Lord of Splendor came; Haleh, haleh, haleh—O glad tidings!—O lovers, bless His Name.

And this wondrous Remembrance from the everlasting rose-garden hath come, that lovers of the Beloved’s Beauty, with perfect peace, may wholly be consumed in love’s fire—heart and soul—yet busied with sweet, enchanting strains; perchance, through its attraction, the dwellers at the Ka’bah of the Beloved’s heart may rise in holy fervor, and forget not the sacred Homeland of God.

BH00729: Lawh-i-Ghulamu’l-Khuld (Tablet of the Immortal Youth)

This is a remembrance of that which was revealed in the year sixty in the days of God, the Almighty, the Help in Peril, the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing.

Lo, the gates of Paradise were unlocked, and the hallowed Youth came forth bearing a serpent plain. Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with crystal waters.

Upon His face was a veil woven by the fingers of might and power. Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty name.

Upon His brow there shone a beauteous crown, which cast its splendour upon all who are in heaven and all who are on earth. Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty cause.

Upon His shoulders there fell the locks of the spirit, like unto black musk upon white and lustrous pearls. Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a transcendent cause.

On His right hand was a ring adorned with a pure and blessed gem. Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty spirit.

Upon it was graven, in a secret and ancient script: “By God! A most noble Angel is this.” And the hearts of the inmates of the eternal realm cried out: “Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with an ancient light.”

Upon His right cheek was a mark whose sight caused every man of understanding to waver in his faith. And they that dwell behind the veil of the Unseen exclaimed: “Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty secret.”

This is the Point from which the knowledge of the former and the latter generations hath been unfolded. And the denizens of the Kingdom intoned: “Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty knowledge.”

This, verily, is the Horseman of the Spirit Who circleth round the fount of everlasting life. And they that lie concealed in the retreats of the highest heaven cried out: “Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty unveiling.”

He descended from the tabernacle of beauty till He stood, even as the sun in the midmost heaven, arrayed with a beauty at once peerless and transcendent. Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with the most joyful tidings!

Standing in the midmost heaven, He shone forth like unto the sun in its meridian splendour, illumining the seat of divine beauty with His mighty Name. Whereupon the Crier cried out:

“Rejoice! This is the Beauty of the Unseen, come with a mighty spirit.”

And the Maids of Heaven cried out from their celestial chambers: “Hallowed be the Lord, the most excellent of all creators!” And the nightingale sang sweetly: “Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, Whose like the eyes of the favoured ones of Heaven have never beheld.”

And lo, the gates of Paradise were unlocked a second time with the key of His Great Name. “Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty name.”

And the Maid of beauty shone forth even as the dawning sun above the horizon of a resplendent morn. Rejoice! This is the divine Maiden, come with surpassing beauty.

She came forth with such adorning as to seize with longing desire the minds of them that are nigh unto God. Rejoice! This is the Maid of Heaven, come with alluring charm.

Descending from the chambers of eternity, she sang in accents that entranced the souls of the sincere. Rejoice! This is the immortal Beauty, come with a mighty secret.

Suspended in the air, she let fall a single lock of her hair from beneath her luminous veil—Rejoice! This is the Maid of Heaven, come with a wondrous spirit—

Shedding the fragrance of that lock upon all creation. Whereupon the faces of the holy ones grew pale and the hearts of the ardent lovers were filled with the blood of anguish. Rejoice! This is the Maid of Heaven, come with the sweetest fragrance.

By God! Whosoever closeth his eyes to her beauty hath fallen prey to grave deception and manifest error. Rejoice! This is the immortal Beauty, come with a shining light.

She turned, and round her circled the inhabitants of both this world and the world to come. Rejoice! This is the Maid of Heaven, come with a mighty dispensation.

She advanced, arrayed with a rare and glorious adorning, till she stood face to face before the Youth. Rejoice! This is the immortal Beauty, come with enchanting grace.

From beneath her veil she drew forth her hand, golden tinged as a sunbeam falling upon the face of a stainless mirror. Rejoice! This is the immortal Beauty, come with a resplendent adorning.

Her incomparable ruby fingers seized the hem of the veil that hid the face of the Youth—Rejoice! This is the immortal Beauty, come with a mighty glance—

And drew it back, whereupon the pillars of the Throne on high were made to tremble. Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty cause.

Then did the spirits of all created things part from their bodies. Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty cause.

And the inmates of Paradise rent their garments asunder as they caught a lightning glimpse of His ancient and shining countenance. Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with an effulgent light.

At that moment the Voice of the Eternal was heard from beyond the veil of clouds with a sweet and enchanting call. Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty enchantment.

And from the source of God’s inscrutable decree the Tongue of the Unseen proclaimed:

“By God! The like of this Youth the eyes of the former generations have never beheld.”

Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty cause.

And the maids of holiness cried out from the chambers of exalted dominion. Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with manifest sovereignty.

By God! This is that Youth Whose beauty is the ardent desire of the celestial Concourse. Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty cause.

Then did the Youth lift up His head to the concourse of heavenly angels—Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty spirit—

And gave voice to a single word, whereupon the denizens of heaven arose, one and all, to a new life. Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty trumpet blast. He looked then upon the inhabitants of the earth with a wondrous glance. Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty glance.

And with that glance He gathered them together each and all. Rejoice! This is the immortal Youth, come with a mighty cause.

With another look He signalled to a chosen few, then repaired to His habitation in the everlasting Paradise. And this, truly, is a mighty cause!

The Herald of Eternity proclaimeth from his cloud-wrapped throne: O ye that wait expectant in the vale of patience and fidelity! O ye that long to soar in the atmosphere of nearness and reunion! The celestial Youth, hidden ere now within the inviolable treasuries of God, hath appeared, even as the Sun of Reality and the Eternal Spirit, from the Dawning-Place of changeless splendour, adorned with the ornament of the Almighty and the beauty of the All-Praised. He hath rescued all who are in heaven and on earth from the perils of death and extinction, clothed them in the garment of true and everlasting existence, and bestowed upon them a new life.

That concealed Word upon which the souls of all the Messengers of God and His Chosen Ones have ever depended hath manifested itself out of the invisible world into the visible plane. No sooner had this hidden Word shone forth from the Realm of inmost being and absolute singleness to illumine the peoples of the earth than a breeze of mercy wafted therefrom, purifying all things from the stench of sin and arraying the countless forms of existence and the reality of man with the vesture of forgiveness. So great was the wondrous grace which pervaded all things that through the utterance of the letters “B” and “E” the gems that lay hid within the repositories of this contingent world were brought forth and made manifest. Thus were the seen and the unseen joined in one garment, and the hidden and the manifest clothed in a single robe; thus did utter nothingness attain the realm of eternity, and pure evanescence gain admittance into the court of everlasting life.

Wherefore, O ye lovers of the beauty of the All-Glorious! O ye that ardently seek the court of the presence of the Almighty! This is the day of nearness and reunion, not the time for contention and idle words. If ye be sincere lovers, behold the beauty of the Best-Beloved shining clear and resplendent as the true morn. It behoveth you to be free from all attachment, whether to yourselves or to others; nay, ye should renounce existence and non-existence, light and darkness, glory and abasement alike. Sever your hearts from all transitory things, from all idle fancies and vain imaginings, that ye may, pure and unsullied, enter the realm of the spirit and partake with radiant hearts of the splendours of everlasting holiness.

O friends! The wine of eternal life is flowing. O lovers! The face of the Beloved is unveiled and unconcealed. O companions! The fire of the Sinai of love is burning bright and resplendent. Cast off the burden of love for this world and every attachment thereto, and, even as luminous, heavenly birds, soar in the atmosphere of the celestial Paradise and wing your flight to the everlasting nest. For devoid of this, life itself hath no worth, and bereft of the Beloved, the heart is of no account.

Yea, the moth-like lovers of the All-Glorious at every instant offer up their lives round the consuming flame of the Friend, occupying themselves with naught save Him. Yet not every bird can aspire to such heights. God, verily, guideth whom He willeth unto His mighty and exalted path.

Thus do We bestow upon the dwellers of the mystic realm that which shall draw them nigh unto the right hand of everlasting life and enable them to attain unto that station which hath been upraised in the heaven of holiness.

BH00670: This is an epistle from the Primal Point…

In the Name of the Most Glorious, the All-Glorious!

This is an epistle from the Primal Point and His Glory unto him who in the Heaven of Names hath been designated as Kazim and who hath been recorded as one of the believers in the Mother Book by the Pen of Command.

O Kazim! The holy melodies of the Dove of Divine Unity have oft been mentioned in wondrous Arabic verses. Now they are set forth in sublime Persian that thou mayest fully attain unto the meanings of the divine utterances, that perchance thou mayest not be stirred by the blowing of the winds of misbelief that blow from the direction of self and passion, and that thou mayest cleave fast to the firm and unbreakable handle. First, know thou that the divine signs, whether of manifestation or concealment, whether of motion or stillness, of rising or sitting, and all else that pertaineth unto Him, are even as the sun between earth and heaven—manifest, resplendent and evident, in such wise that they cannot be confused with aught else, nor ever shall be.

Every possessor of vision who gazeth toward the Greatest Perspective will assuredly distinguish the signs of truth from all else, even as one distinguisheth between black and white, heat and cold. Indeed, the possessors of the purest sense of smell will detect the holy fragrance of the Most Exalted from whatsoever manifesteth it. This is the truth whereof there is no doubt, save for impure souls who conceal themselves behind imaginary veils and prevent their penetrating vision from beholding the lights of the Countenance of Unity. These have no portion of this cup.

Consider the manifestation of the Beauty of the Manifest One in the year sixty, when despite His mighty revelation and supreme sovereignty, all creatures high and low cast stones of hatred at that Furthermost Tree, that Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing. Thus did they act aforetime, as thou hast witnessed and heard, and art among those who bear witness. Beware lest thou place the reins of reason and understanding in the grasp of this or that person’s account, and lest thou be deprived of the divine perspective through satanic whispers. Ever have all matters, both deeds and words, begun and ended with the verses of the Lord of Majesty, and after His manifestation nothing shall profit anyone save through His command, even should one perform the deeds of all in the heavens and earth.

So mighty is His Cause that the Beauty of the All-Merciful hath counseled all in every leaf of the Bayan, even unto the Letters of the Living and the reflected Mirrors, lest at the time of His manifestation they should become occupied with outward leadership or with references that have been sent down, and remain veiled from Him through Whom all these stations were created by His word. Beyond this, in the Qayyumu’l-Asma’, which is designated as the Best of Stories, there hath been sent down from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s will these words, exalted be He:

“O Qurratu’l-ʿAyn! Stretch not forth thy hand in the Cause, for the people are in drunkenness from the mystery, and verily unto thee shall be the return after this cycle, by the Most Great Truth. There reveal thou of the mystery a mystery to the extent of a needle’s eye upon the greatest Mount, that the people of Sinai may perish at the dawning place of a drop of that crimson Light, by God’s leave, the All-Wise. And He is God, Who hath ever been thy Guardian through truth upon truth.”

Now the cycle is manifest and the Primal Beauty in another temple has risen like the sun, radiant and evident. And before the revelation of the mystery, the people of Tur fell senseless and were annihilated. Reflect now upon the verse revealed from the heaven of divine unity’s might, that perchance thou mayest attain unto a drop from the eternal, imperishable crystal stream. O Kazim! This wondrous Revelation is too great for anyone to hesitate, for its manifestation is more evident than the sun and its exaltation more lofty than the visible heavens. All who are in the heavens and earth are on one level, save whom thy Lord willeth. Know thou the peerless Beauty by His own Self, not by likenesses and comparisons, for He cannot be known except through Himself, nor recognized through questioning. “Know God through God and through what proceedeth from Him.” O Kazim! Rend asunder the veils of idle fancy and desire, enter the most exalted Paradise, and summon the people, without veil or hindrance, unto the Lord of Lords.

By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand! These utterances have no purpose save the good-pleasure of the All-Glorious, that perchance mortal souls may enter the eternal Paradise. In this ocean naught is found save pure and luminous pearls, and this Tree beareth none but goodly fruit. Well is it with them that seek! O Kazim! Close thine eyes to all the worlds and drink the living waters of divine knowledge from the celestial youths. Give no ear to the vain imaginings of the manifestations of Satan, for in this day the manifestations of Satan sit in ambush upon the path of divine unity, preventing the people by every stratagem. Soon shalt thou witness how the people of the Bayan will turn away from the Manifestation of the All-Merciful.

Thus did my Beloved inform me before the creation of the heavens and earth, and before the creation of the worlds. Say: O people of the Bayan! If ye turn away from these revealed verses and manifest evidences that have encompassed all creation, by what proof and argument will ye establish your faith in God’s Messengers? Nay, by Him Who causeth the Spirit to speak within my breast! Their faith shall not be proven; rather, their deeds shall come to naught and their actions shall be rendered void, and they shall return to the very depths of hellfire.

O Kazim! Rise like a brilliant star from the horizon of the heaven of guidance and strive, as much as lieth in thy power, to exalt and elevate the Cause of God. Purify thy heart from attachment to aught else but Him and enter beneath the shade of divine glances and the gaze of thy Lord. For in this day, save His shade, the decree of wilderness prevaileth and is true. At this time when the breezes of misbelief blow from every direction and the manifestations of falsehood are visible from every quarter, such grief hath encompassed me that were it to be mentioned it would cause sorrow to all beings in all the worlds. Yet my grief is not for myself, but rather I lament for the Beauty of the Worshipped One and His manifestation on the Promised Day.

For the people of the Bayan, though but a short time hath passed since the manifestation of the King of divine revelation and though they witnessed with their outward eyes the manner of His appearance, have become veiled as thou seest. What then will befall that resplendent Beauty? Alas, alas, for the servants! No Manifestation of beauty hath come unto them but that they have veiled His comeliness within the coverings of rancour and hatred; then have they derided Him, until they pronounced against Him, and were numbered among the wrongdoers.

I swear by the sovereign Lord Who doeth what He willeth that the soul who hath not believed and been assured of this celestial Manifestation will not turn to any of the divine Manifestations and holy Daysprings of His unity. Would that they had sufficed themselves with turning away and had not pronounced sentence of death against Him, as in these days they were not content with mere rejection. Would that the illumined eye had been manifest, that it might have beheld the gates of the paradise of inner meanings flung open, and become acquainted with but a single letter of the hidden divine mysteries. My oppression hath reached such a pass as to efface the name of oppression from every oppressed one. Thereupon do weep the eyes of grandeur behind the pavilions of concealed glory.

Some time ago thy letter reached the hidden abode of the Sovereign Lord of Names and was grasped by the hand of might of Him Who ordaineth as He pleaseth. Due to what was ordained in the heaven of destiny, the reply was delayed, but through the precedence of thy Lord’s mercy over all existence, an answer is now sent. Thou must, God willing, exert thy utmost endeavor in safeguarding the Cause of God. God forgiveth what is past, and whosoever ariseth today to aid the Cause of God, the Holy Spirit will descend to assist him. Marvel not at the command of thy Lord, and be not of the doubting ones. God willing, mayest thou not be deprived of the radiance of the rising Sun of inner meanings in this spiritual dawn and divine morn, nor be denied the bounties of the Glorious Cloud. Thus hath been ordained from the grace of thy Lord, if thou dost not withhold from thyself the robes of His guidance and art of those who are firm in the religion of God. Then convey Our remembrance to those servants who have fulfilled God’s covenant and acknowledged His sovereignty, and to all those men and women who are with thee. And praise be to God, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Forgiving.

BH00690: All praise to the unity of God, and all…

All praise to the unity of God, and all honor to Him, the sovereign Lord, the incomparable and all-glorious Ruler of the universe, Who, out of utter nothingness, hath created the reality of all things, Who, from naught, hath brought into being the most refined and subtle elements of His creation, and Who, rescuing His creatures from the abasement of remoteness and the perils of ultimate extinction, hath received them into His kingdom of incorruptible glory. Nothing short of His all-encompassing grace, His all-pervading mercy, could have possibly achieved it. How could it, otherwise, have been possible for sheer nothingness to have acquired by itself the worthiness and capacity to emerge from its state of nonexistence into the realm of being?

Having created the world and all that liveth and moveth therein, He, through the direct operation of His unconstrained and sovereign Will, chose to confer upon man the unique distinction and capacity to know Him and to love Him—a capacity that must needs be regarded as the generating impulse and the primary purpose underlying the whole of creation, as mentioned in the well-known sacred tradition. He honored and distinguished man with the robe of honor—“We have created man in the best of forms”—and with the mantle of grace and favor—“Blessed be God, the most excellent of creators”. Upon the inmost reality of each and every created thing He hath shed the light of one of His names, and made it a recipient of the glory of one of His attributes. Upon the reality of man, however, He hath focused the radiance of all of His names and attributes, and made it a mirror of His own Self. Alone of all created things man hath been singled out for so great a favor, so enduring a bounty.

These energies with which the Daystar of Divine bounty and Source of heavenly guidance hath endowed the reality of man lie, however, latent within him, even as the flame is hidden within the candle and the rays of light are potentially present in the lamp. The radiance of these energies may be obscured by worldly desires even as the light of the sun can be concealed beneath the dust and dross which cover the mirror. Neither the candle nor the lamp can be lighted through their own unaided efforts, nor can it ever be possible for the mirror to free itself from its dross. It is clear and evident that until a fire is kindled the lamp will never be ignited, and unless the dross is blotted out from the face of the mirror it can never represent the image of the sun nor reflect its light and glory.

And since there can be no tie of direct intercourse to bind the one true God with His creation, and no resemblance whatever can exist between the transient and the Eternal, the contingent and the Absolute, He hath ordained that in every age and dispensation a pure and stainless Soul be made manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Unto this subtle, this mysterious and ethereal Being He hath assigned a twofold nature: the physical, pertaining to the world of matter, and the spiritual, which is born of the substance of God Himself. He hath, moreover, conferred upon Him a double station. The first station, which is related to His innermost reality, representeth Him as One Whose voice is the voice of God Himself.

To this testifieth the tradition: “Manifold and mysterious is My relationship with God. I am He, Himself, and He is I, Myself, except that I am that I am, and He is that He is.” And in like manner, the words: “Arise, O Muhammad, for lo, the Lover and the Beloved are joined together and made one in Thee.” He similarly saith: “There is no distinction whatsoever between Thee and Them, except that They are Thy Servants.” The second station is the human station, exemplified by the following verses: “I am but a man like you.” “Say, praise be to my Lord! Am I more than a man, an apostle?” These Essences of Detachment, these resplendent Realities are the channels of God’s all-pervasive grace.

Led by the light of unfailing guidance, and invested with supreme sovereignty, They are commissioned to use the inspiration of Their words, the effusions of Their infallible grace and the sanctifying breeze of Their Revelation for the cleansing of every longing heart and receptive spirit from the dross and dust of earthly cares and limitations. Then, and only then, will the Trust of God, latent in the reality of man, emerge, as resplendent as the rising Orb of Divine Revelation, from behind the veil of concealment, and implant the ensign of its revealed glory upon the summits of men’s hearts.

From the foregoing passages and allusions it hath been made indubitably clear that in the kingdoms of earth and heaven there must needs be manifested a Being, an Essence Who shall act as a Manifestation and Vehicle for the transmission of the grace of the Divinity Itself, the Sovereign Lord of all. Through the Teachings of this Daystar of Truth every man will advance and develop until he attaineth the station at which he can manifest all the potential forces with which his inmost true self hath been endowed. It is for this very purpose that in every age and dispensation the Prophets of God and His chosen Ones have appeared amongst men, and have evinced such power as is born of God and such might as only the Eternal can reveal.

Can one of sane mind ever seriously imagine that, in view of certain words the meaning of which he cannot comprehend, the portal of God’s infinite guidance can ever be closed in the face of men? Can he ever conceive for these Divine Luminaries, these resplendent Lights either a beginning or an end? What outpouring flood can compare with the stream of His all-embracing grace, and what blessing can excel the evidences of so great and pervasive a mercy? There can be no doubt whatever that if for one moment the tide of His mercy and grace were to be withheld from the world, it would completely perish. For this reason, from the beginning that hath no beginning the portals of Divine mercy have been flung open to the face of all created things, and the clouds of Truth will continue to the end that hath no end to rain on the soil of human capacity, reality and personality their favors and bounties. Such hath been God’s method continued from everlasting to everlasting.

However, after the appearance of these holy Countenances in the world of manifestation and witness, some souls and people become afflicted with the darkness of ignorance—the fruit of their own deeds—while others become occupied with passing vanities. And since that hidden Beauty calls all people to complete detachment and sacrifice, they therefore turn away and stretch forth their hands in harm and injury.

And since these Monarchs of existence, in the world of the spirits, accepted with utmost desire and yearning all tribulations in God’s path, they therefore deliver themselves into the hands of their enemies, such that whatever harm and injury they can inflict upon the bodies, limbs and members of these sanctified Essences in the realm of earth and witness, they carry out. And since the believers and loved ones are like the branches and leaves of this blessed Tree, whatever befalls the root of the Tree must surely befall its branches, twigs and leaves.

This is why in all ages such tribulations and afflictions have been and will be the portion of the lovers of the All-Glorious Beauty. There has never been a time when these Manifestations of Divine Unity appeared in the earthly realm without such tribulations, afflictions and ordeals. Though outwardly imprisoned and the victims and outcasts of the land, yet inwardly they are the recipients of God’s hidden favors. And though they are deprived of physical comfort and bodily pleasures, yet they partake of spiritual comfort and the delights of the fruits of inner meaning and the holy celestial yields.

Were people to observe with the eye of insight, it would become evident that these trials and tribulations, these hardships and calamities, which have descended upon the sincere ones and the believers, are the essence of comfort and the reality of bounty, while this comfort and glory of those who have turned away from the truth is itself affliction, torment and hardship. For the consequence and fruit of these tribulations is the supreme comfort and the cause of attaining the highest horizon, while the recompense and effect of this comfort is great hardship and affliction, and the cause of descent to the nethermost depths. Therefore, at no time should one be saddened by the descent of trials and tribulations, nor should one be sorrowful and grief-stricken by the manifestation of ordained events and calamities. Rather, one must hold fast to the firm handle of patience and cleave to the strong cord of forbearance, for the Lord hath ordained a measure and reckoning for the reward of every good deed except patience, concerning which He saith: “Verily, the patient will be paid their recompense without measure.”

I remember and long for Aqa Mirza Ismail with the utmost yearning and attachment. God willing, may you ever abide secure and at rest beneath the shadow of God’s grace.

BH01342: Lawh-i Shati’u’l-Baqa (Tablet of the Shore of Eternity)

In the Name of our Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted! This is the Shore of Immortality—hearken thou unto that which is revealed from the Most Sublime Retreat. Verily, there is none other God but Him. He hath created all contingent beings through His pre-existent knowledge of what was and what shall be, and taught them the ways of righteousness by sending unto them the Messengers of the Cause with a mighty revealed Book wherein He ordained holy laws and determined the destinies of all who dwell in the heavens and on earth according to a fixed measure.

Among them was Moses, whom He sent with the truth, with nine clear signs, to herald unto the people a station of glorious dignity. He returned with his kindred until he entered the wilderness of Sinai, where he heard the call from the Most Sublime Retreat:

“O Moses! Cast off the two sandals of desire, then walk upon the holy, beloved carpet. This is the Land of Immortality, the Valley of Paradise near Iraq, wherein that which was kindled from the Tree of God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting, was blessed.”

And he called the people unto God, the Most High, and drew them nigh unto the Shore whereat melted the hearts of those who dwelt in the pavilions of eternity in the blessed spot, entering therein by God’s leave.

When Moses cast off the sandals of allusion and detached himself unto God, then did God call unto him from the holy Tree amidst the flames of fire: “O Moses! Verily, I am God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” “Cast down thy staff!” He cast it down and lo! by God’s command it became a serpent that sought to devour all in the heavens and earth. Thus was it decreed for him in holy Paran, that perchance the people might be mindful in the days of their Lord. Then did the Hand of Power emerge from the Bosom of Knowledge, whereupon the light shone forth and illumined all who dwell in the dominion of command and creation, would ye but understand.

“Go forth, O Moses, with My proof unto Pharaoh and his chiefs, remind them of the lights of divine unity, and give them glad tidings of the paradise of immortality, that they may incline toward the direction of the Throne. Say: This is My path, walk ye therein, O ye who stand still!” When he came unto Pharaoh, he said: “I am God’s Messenger, I have come to you from the cities of immortality with the tidings of the Spirit, would ye but perceive.” Pharaoh said: “O Moses! Who is thy Lord?” He replied: “He Who created the heavens and earth, and brought you forth from a handful of aged clay.” Pharaoh turned to his chiefs and said: “Verily, the messenger sent unto you is surely mad, and he desireth naught but to cause corruption in the land and to scatter you asunder, would ye but know.” They denied God’s signs and turned away from them until the flood overtook them, and they were drowned.

And among them was Jesus, whom God strengthened with the Spirit and sent with the truth. He said: “O people! Fear God and follow not the ways of those who transgressed against God, and walk not in the paths of those who are oppressors. O people! Follow him who calleth you unto God and asketh no recompense or thanks from you. O people! Believe in God and associate not anything with Him, this is better for you, would ye but know.” They said: “We will not follow one who knoweth not God”—these were the lies that issued from their mouths, would ye but understand. They denied him without right and desired to slay him; then did he depart from them and migrate unto God, as ye read in the Book. His days were fulfilled until Muhammad, the Messenger of God, came with beloved signs.

Say: “O people! Fear God and follow not those who disbelieved and associated partners with God, and took idols as protectors besides God, would ye but know. O people! I am but a bearer of glad tidings of God’s good-pleasure unto you, that I might bring you nigh unto Him. O people of the earth, fear ye God! O people! Recognize the worth of these days and answer God’s Caller amongst you, divide not the signs, and enter beneath the shadow of the Divine Countenance.” But his people denied him and believed not in him, saying: “Thou art but a madman.” Thus do We relate unto thee from the true stories that thou mayest be steadfast in thy love for thy Lord and firm in the religion of God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting.

His days were fulfilled until ʿAli before Muhammad came, whereupon all who were on earth arose and disputed with him without right, and warred against him such that they visited upon him and his companions that which they could not bear to hear. Thus know thou those who were aforetime and those who today persist in oppression. The curse of God be upon the curse of God be upon those who did wrong and upon those who wrong on that day. The Spirit, the Light, and Glory be upon thee and upon those who at all times place their trust in their Lord.

Then glorify thou the countenances of those women who are with thee and convey unto them the glad tidings of God, the Mighty, the Holy.

BH01853: This is a Book which speaketh with truth…

In the Name of our Lord, the Most Exalted

This is a Book which speaketh with truth, and therein is that which sufficeth them that have believed in God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

O handmaiden of God! Thy letter hath come before Us, and therein was inscribed that which betokeneth thy love. Know thou that on the Day of Resurrection all things shall bear witness for their possessor, that thereby thy heart and the hearts of them that dwell upon the shore of nearness may be assured, and hear the melodies of Paradise, and be at all times drawn unto them.

Verily, they who have rejoiced in the glad-tidings of the Spirit in the days of God, these are they who swim in the depths of the remembrance of God, who remember God with their hearts, who worship God with their limbs, and who unite with God in their inmost hearts, such that the gems of divine unity are manifest in their deeds. These are of the hosts of God—are not the hosts of God indeed the triumphant ones? They aid God at all times through their works and deeds and through all that proceedeth from them, could ye but perceive with the eye of God the mysteries of divine assistance.

And thou, O handmaiden of God, give thanks unto thy Creator for that which He hath bestowed upon thee in truth and hath clothed thee with the raiment of holiness whereby the dwellers of the pavilions of eternity recognize thee and point to thee with their fingers in the chambers of hidden glory, and perceive from thee the fragrance of faith even as people perceive the fragrance of perfume. Therefore strive thou to remain steadfast in thy love for thy Lord, and guard thyself lest Satan strip the raiment of holiness from thy temple and thou be left naked before the concourse of Paradise when all eyes are turned toward thee. Be thou steadfast in the Cause of God and turn not to anyone even should all who are on earth prevent thee.

Say: Glory be to God above that which ye utter! By God! Were the veils of earthly limitations to be removed from the face of thy heart, thou wouldst be struck down in that very moment by that which would seize thee with the raptures of yearning from every direction, such that thou wouldst find thyself in a station wherefrom are cut off the hearts of them that dwell within the tabernacles of glory.

Therefore say: Glory be to Thee, O my God! Thou art He Who hath honored me through Thy bounty which hath preceded all created things, and hath given me through Thy generosity that which no soul among all existing things knoweth, inasmuch as Thou hast caused me to know Thy most exalted Self and the Manifestation of Thy most beautiful Names in Thy Name, the Most Exalted, and hast established me upon a path wherefrom have slipped the feet of them who throughout their lives have bowed down in worship. Therefore, O my God, since Thou hast gathered me together through Thy Name, the Self-Subsisting, and hast raised me from the dust of the graves, and hast caused me to arise for the love of Thee, and hast made me taste the sweetness of Thy affection, I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou hast unveiled the mysteries from the faces of the righteous, that Thou make me steadfast in Thy love and grant me Thy presence and honor me with the visit of Thy Beauty.

Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art the Mighty, the Beloved. Moreover, establish me, O my God, in the presence of them that are nigh unto Thee in the latter Resurrection, at the time when the Sun of Oneness shall shine forth from a Beauty wondrous to behold, for this is my hope in Thee and my trust from Thee, and verily Thou art the Bestower, the Most High, the Holy One.

He is the Most High. Praise be to God that thou hast attained to the supreme honor and been adorned with the mighty gift. Therefore, while time remaineth and the holy nightingale warbleth upon the mystic branch, strive that, God willing, ye may be sustained and refreshed by the pure wine and goodly fruits. Never allow sorrow to overtake you, for the world is a transient abode and for a transient thing sorrow and anxiety and grief are not befitting. Bind thy heart to the eternal Beauty that thou mayest enter the realm of eternity. Learn this Tablet well and recite it, especially from the beginning of the prayer.

BH02741: O ʿAli! We have loved thee before this…

He is the Most Exalted

O ʿAli! We have loved thee before this, and thy heart and thy soul and thy spirit bear witness to this, and beyond these the angels of Paradise bear witness, and beyond these the dwellers of the holy pavilions bear witness, and beyond these the Ancient Beauty beareth witness, ere His appearance upon the Tablet through the mysteries of the Pen, and ere non-existence assumed the garment of being, and all things with every tongue in this utterance do bear witness. Therefore know thou thy worth and thy station, and be thou in the Cause of thy Lord as a blazing fire, that through thee may be consumed the hearts of those who in their own selves accept not God, to such extent that shouldst thou witness with thine eyes one who opposeth God’s command, pluck out thine eyes from their sockets and care not about this, that thou mayest be numbered among those who with their whole being turn unto God.

Guard thou thyself and those whom We have entrusted to thy house and placed their reins in thy grasp, and then those women who dwell round about thee. Command them on Our behalf to veil their faces from those in whom ye perceive heedlessness of God, the Help in Peril, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. Ye see that they are aflame with the fire of self. Thus have ye been commanded in truth—act ye according to what ye are bidden.

Say: Those who turn away from the Beauty of Holiness and accept aught else, these have lost both this world and the next, and all their deeds are in vain, except for those who have repented and returned—these are the companions of Paradise and shall enter into God’s mercy.

Say: O people! Are ye content with this vain life while turning away from the dominion of immortality in the presence of Beauty? Say: Let not your deeds deceive you, and trust not in your actions, but trust in Him Who through His grace gave you life from the water that flowed from the Pen of holy concealment, and trust not in yourselves but in God, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Say: O people! God will test you with a river—whoso draweth nigh unto it is not of the truth, and whoso turneth away from it is verily of the people of eternity, and this is a promise that shall in truth be fulfilled. There shall appear in this land the manifestation of the letter D, who shall call the people unto Satan, and this is a matter that hath been irrevocably decreed in the Mother Book, and God shall test you thereby that He may distinguish who is rejected from the truth.

Then remind from thyself and from Us thy rib and her sisters and their mothers, and guard them with a beauteous veil.

BH02911: In the darkness of the earth, after the turning…

He is the Almighty, the Incomparable

In the darkness of the earth, after the turning away of souls, He was witnessed like the sun from the horizon of the spirit in the holy dawning-place of truth. Hear what the nightingale of eternity warbles and how it soars in this atmosphere, that the fire may be kindled in thy breast and draw thee to a station which was hidden from all eyes and no one’s hands could reach, and no soul hath ascended to its heaven. The people of Paradise were intoxicated by what they drank from the ocean of His Name, and He was renowned in the pavilion of glory through the spirit in the realm of oneness before the appearance of the letter Ha.

At every moment He calleth from the throne of eternity unto the peoples of earth and heaven:

“Believe in God, the Most High, and despair not of the spirit of eternity in the Most High of eternity, that ye may be mentioned in glory before Beauty in the holy Ridvan.”

Say: O people, fear God and be afraid of the Manifestations of His Self, and oppose not those in whom ye find not knowledge, for they were established in truth upon the throne of the unseen. Follow not those from whom ye detect the odor of hypocrisy and who were recorded on the tablet of the Command by the Pen of Wisdom as being among the people of discord.

Say: O people, believe in God, then follow Him Who guideth you to the fire which was kindled from the heart, that ye may turn unto it and be enkindled from its blazing and circle round about it, that it may burn away the veils from you and make you to be raised up as salamanders of fire in the sphere of fire through love. This is what the Dove of Fire counseleth you from the wisdom of mysteries, lest ye be disturbed by the gloating of the wicked and rejoice in the joy which was sent down from the heaven of victory.

Say: This is a servant of God Who calleth you to a path which was extended in the heaven of the heart. He asketh you no reward, for His reward was decreed by God. All who are in the heavens and earth profit Him not, even were all in the kingdoms of power to bow down before Him. Say: He is the One Who sacrificeth His spirit at every moment, and trials descend upon Him from all directions, yet He standeth by Himself before His enemies like the sun fixed at the pole of heaven. And light be upon the detached ones who were inscribed in the Tablet.

BH03210: Since thou hast heard the sweet Hijazi melodies…

He is

Since thou hast heard the sweet Hijazi melodies from the Iraqi Countenance, now hearken to the spiritual Shahnaz strains from the divine Falcon, that thou mayest perceive novel songs of faithfulness from the eternal lute and harp, and hear the melody of the divine pipe from the strike of the divine Unity, and step into the lane of the Beloved with all thy heart and soul, until thou becomest all spirit and fliest without wings, and art intoxicated without wine, and speakest eloquently without tongue, and attainest the stations of attraction, longing, ecstasy and taste, until thou forgettest sorrow and drinkest from the ocean of joy.

God said to Moses from the decree of the heart: “O chosen one, I love thee!”

But effort is needed until thou emigratest from the realm of self and desire and soarest to the sacred precincts of holiness and becomest intimate with the sanctuary of the soul and findest the way to the heart of the Friend. How sweet is this utterance and how excellent must be the deed! If thou hearkenest to the counsel of the Friend and journeyest in the paths of His good-pleasure—keep far from thyself and draw near to thy Lord; cast away what thy self desireth and seek what thy Lord willeth; forget all else and remember His light. Drink from the wine of love and close thine eyes to the world, for whatever thou seest will perish and pass away in an instant, while that which is with God remaineth and perisheth not, and endureth and fadeth not away. Know the value of these days, for union is not always possible. The nightingale singeth only in spring and crieth not until it seeth the rose. The time cometh when the divine nightingale ceaseth from mentioning meanings and taketh flight to the spiritual branch and settleth in the divine invisible rose gardens.

Hearken with the ear of the soul and accept with all thy heart. Though it was delivered in Persian melody, yet the Hijazi strain is concealed within it and divine mysteries are treasured therein. And the light be upon thee and upon those who are with thee.

BH03245: Glorified art Thou, O my God! This…

He is the King, the Most Holy

Glorified art Thou, O my God! This is a day among Thy days and an hour from the hours of Thy holiness, which Thou hast specially chosen for Thyself and attributed to Thy presence. Thou hast exalted it for the perpetuation of Thy name and manifestation of Thy sovereignty, and made it the dayspring of all days through what Thou hast showered upon it from the revelations of the throne of Thy grandeur and the signs of the glory of Thy grace. Thou hast gathered it at this time in the most excellent form within this ancient Temple, that all who are in the heavens and earth might be gathered within and through it, that all might stand to account before Thy Self, without any soul becoming aware or counting it or comprehending it, that all the blessings might be perfected therein from the blessings of Thy holy oneness and the bounties of the glory of Thy lordship, that it might tell of the creation of all things on the day of meeting with Thee and the appearance of Thy days and the rising of the sun of Thy beauty.

And at the mention of that supreme honor and mighty gift and the attractions of yearning for Thee and the dominions of Thy love and the passions of longing for Thee, I heard the call of one of Thy servants who believed in Thee and Thy verses, who turned away from all existing things and advanced toward the countenance of Thy beauty, who hastened from all directions to the place of Thy settling, until he stood at Thy door and arose at the dawning of the lights of Thy eternal holiness from the horizon of the heaven of Thy oneness and the dayspring of the dawn of Thy eternality. He desired to ascend to the canopy of union with and meeting with Thee, and to abide in the seats of nearness to and proximity with Thee.

Therefore, O my God, cause the dove of yearning for Thee to soar in his heart, then cause to flow from his inner heart the seas of Thy love, and from his tongue the wonders of Thy remembrance, and from his spirit the jewels of Thy praise. Then accept him, O my God, that he might be able to preserve in the hidden recesses of his secret this white light and this most hidden treasure, that he might be with Thy servant in the highest horizon and the most glorious companion.

Verily Thou art at this time in the sanctuary of eternity and dost witness this crimson spirit and hear this sweetest melody at the pole of identity, the center of the cloud of unknowing. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and verily Thou art the most exalted, the powerful, the mighty, the self-subsisting.

BH04069: O Mirza Hasan! He is the Mighty, the Beautiful!

O Mirza Hasan! He is the Mighty, the Beautiful!

Much time has passed and covenants have been fulfilled, yet no bird has taken flight from that direction nor brought any news to the friends. Perhaps the islands of the pen have reverted to nothingness and the sea of ink has run dry, for the pen has not joined with any inscription nor has any tablet been adorned with writing. If spiritual friends have gathered in the divine tree, why do they not cry out from their souls? And if true lovers are drawn to their original homeland, why do they not send their spirits to the city of the Beloved? The eye of love remained expectant and the ear of seeking was deprived. These days mark the end of union and the beginning of separation.

The holy peacock’s song comes to an end and it resolves to return to the divine Lote-Tree. Many are the enraptured lovers who remain separated from the Beloved and sacrifice their lives in the deserts of separation and deprivation. The wine of union is not always flowing, nor is the nightingale of beauty always singing. A time comes when the nightingale of faithfulness falls silent and flies to the furthermost Tree, there to whisper wordlessly with the Friend. Therefore, O my dear one, take a step and pass beyond place, for until you drink from the fountain of “returning,” you will not stand upon the throne of “we belong to God.” The sea of love is surging and this servant has now drunk the wine of eternity, and the pen has taken from his hand the reins of pause—whatever it wishes, it pours forth upon the page. But the wine of contingent existence is not worthy of this intoxication, and the realm of placelessness cannot contain this being. Therefore you must choose solitude and occupy yourself with silence.

BH04303: This is the sacred spot, so hearken to what…

He is the Most Exalted, the Most Great

This is the sacred spot, so hearken to what is revealed unto thee from the Fire of God, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. Forget thyself, then commune with My Self—this verily is a wondrous and beloved command.

Then detach thyself from thy desires and hold fast to the cord of God, the Ever-Present, the Powerful, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Most Holy. This indeed is what will deliver thee from the fire of remoteness and draw thee nigh unto the paradise of nearness and bring thee to the Lote-Tree of exalted glory. Thus do We inspire thee with the mysteries of the Spirit that thou mayest remind the people in the days of thy Lord, that haply they may enter the shore of oneness and then enter the presence of their Lord’s mercy.

Say: O people! Arise from the couches of heedlessness, then walk in the pathways of holiness and be not of those who are not guided by the signs of God. Forsake the vain life and its ornaments and embellishments, then seek what hath been ordained for you in the preserved tablets of holiness. The kingdom and all that ye imagine shall pass away, and sovereignty shall remain with God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the All-Praised. O people! This is the lamp of God—extinguish it not with your desires, nor touch it with the evil of your souls, that perchance your misdeeds may be forgiven you on the Day whereon the false ones shall be in loss. O people! This is the Cause of God—cast it not behind your backs if ye be aware. O people! This is the path of God in the heavens and on earth—place your trust in it, then pass ye thereon.

All this is My counsel unto thee and unto those who have believed in God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. Therefore take thou the counsel wherewith We have counseled thee in truth, that thou mayest be of those who soar in the atmosphere of holiness. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who hear the holy melodies.

BH04386: O beloved! There hath come before Us a letter…

He is the Mighty One in the Noontide of Lights, who hath indeed risen!

O beloved! There hath come before Us a letter from thee, and We have answered thee with a reply that shall bring gladness to the eyes of those who have turned unto God and then unto the sanctuary of nearness do turn, who hear the melodies of Paradise and gaze upon the countenance of Beauty. These are they who have mounted the cloud of love and speed through the atmosphere of the spirit. These are they for whom the word of immortality hath been fulfilled, and who abide forever in the heaven of holiness. They pay no heed to aught else but hasten to do good deeds and walk the paths of truth. When questioned about anything they close their eyes as though they had not heard, for they dwell in the pavilion of detachment.

Thus do We impart unto thee from the mysteries of the Cause, that thou mayest be of them who drink from the ocean of knowledge. Say: O people! This servant of God calleth you only unto Him and guideth you to the path which hath been raised up in truth, and teacheth you the ways of piety in that which ye know not, and giveth you glad tidings of Him Who shall come after and of Him Whom God shall make manifest, that ye may attain unto every grace. O people! Deal not with him as those dealt with them who were guided by the light of God in the unseen and who drink from the breast of beauty. Say: O people!

Fear ye God in His days, and harm Him not through your imaginings, and take no counsel regarding His Cause. Open your eyes and purify your souls that ye may be sustained by His presence. Say: Thus doth this servant counsel you and inspire you with tidings from the unseen, if ye but knew.

BH04768: The Morn of eternity hath dawned, and the Dayspring…

He is God, the Most Supreme, the All-Glorious!

The Morn of eternity hath dawned, and the Dayspring of guidance hath shone forth. Rejoice then, O people of guidance! Remember God, O companions of piety! Will ye remain seated in your places, O beloved ones, turning not your gaze, and directing not your steps toward the fields of love? We shall be content with this if ye are content. Hearken, then, to that which the Nightingale of joy singeth from the melodies of the Dove of Revelation, that which remindeth you of God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Forgiving.

Know ye that your Lord God endureth and vanisheth not, and He hath never forgotten you nor will He ever forget any one of you. He hath informed you of all that hath befallen you and all that hath been ordained. “We shall surely try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and fruits.” Read ye this blessed verse that ye may discover the mysteries of God that have been sent down, that ye may not grieve over that which hath befallen you, nor despair of the Spirit of God in that which hath touched you. Put your trust in Him in your inmost hearts, then remember Him with your tongues, and turn to Him with your hearts. Let not trials prevent you from His love, nor afflictions bar you from His nearness, for all this shall pass away before your eyes can turn back to you, and sovereignty remaineth with God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Compelling.

I end these words with that which the nightingale of Hijaz sang in the mode of Iraq, that ye may increase in love and yearning and longing, and that ye may be patient under that which hath befallen you from the arrows of hypocrisy:

If the arrow of tribulation cometh, lo, here are hearts as its target; And if He bestoweth the pearl of grace, lo, here are hearts as its shell.

BH05177: Firdaws al-Baqa’

O Husayn! He is God! This is the Paradise of eternity—We have opened its gates unto all who are in the heavens and on earth. Hasten thereunto, O ye who are sincere, and turn not back upon your heels. Put your trust in God, then advance toward it if ye walk in God’s guidance.

This is a City which God hath manifested through His power. Say: Journey therein if ye gaze upon the countenance of God. Say: O people of earth, aid God, your Lord, with the swords of your hearts, with whatsoever power ye possess in the kingdom. Say: This is one of God’s signs which We have made a token of My servitude unto Him, if ye behold with the eye of the spirit. Say: I have no authority save by God’s leave, and this is of His leave which hath been sent down in truth, though the people lie dead in the beds of their vain desires.

Say: Enter ye the Most Great House of God and remember Him in spirit as ye fall prostrate upon your faces. Fear ye nothing—open your eyes and follow not those who have taken their vain imaginings for their god and who cleave fast unto them. Bear ye witness to the truth with justice, then gaze upon the countenance of Beauty if ye run in the valley of love.

Say: Seek ye forgiveness for what ye have thought concerning Him Who was among you but as one like yourselves. Though ye traverse the earth, ye shall find none like unto Him—and God is witness to this. This is a proof of truth, if ye but understand.

BH05348: These are verses of the Book sent down…

He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing

These are verses of the Book sent down in truth through the tongue of a wondrous Explainer. Therein is decreed from among the traditions of the ancients, for in it is mentioned that which changes nearness into distant separation, whereat the denizens of Paradise lament, the eyes of the unseen weep, the Cock of the Throne crieth out, and the Dove of the Cause waileth in the holy and glorious Ridvan. Say: In this are signs for those who remember. And in it is wisdom which none knoweth save God, Lord of all worlds.

God shall soon manifest His Cause with truth, exalt His proof, and aid His servants who are numbered among the emigrants. Say: Be patient, O company of the wretched ones, for God shall soon validate His Cause and establish His Word, and speak forth in truth,

“Verily I am God, there is none other God but Me, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate.”

Thus do We teach you the paths of knowledge, and cast upon you the verses of the Spirit, and guide you to the ways of certitude. And thou, O handmaiden of God, give thanks unto thy Lord and place thy trust in all matters, and be not of those who despair. Then know that God is powerful over all things—He doeth whatsoever He willeth and verily He hath power over all things.

Those who disbelieved shall come to know all that they neglected regarding God, the Most High, the Most Great. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those women who remember God morning and evening.

BH05438: Glorified be He Who, in less than a moment…

He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the Luminous

Glorified be He Who, in less than a moment of the day, caused His servant to journey to a station that was hidden from all the worlds, and in even less time guided him from behind the veils until he reached the luminous highest heaven of nearness. Then from that station He raised him up through a Spirit from the unseen to the pavilion of the Divine Essence, unto which the hearts of the mystics cannot soar, and showed him the creation of all things, and inspired him with mysteries whereof not a single letter could all created things together comprehend. And after that He elevated him to a place whereof no word can speak and whereunto the minds of them that are nigh unto God cannot ascend.

And thereby were constricted the breasts of those who disbelieved in God and dwelt behind a mighty veil of self, and they bit their fingertips in rage. Say: Die in your rage! This is the decree of God and there is no averting it. We have inscribed this judgment on a noble tablet. And thou, O servant, give thanks unto God for what He hath bestowed upon thee and cast upon thee from the mysteries of manifest glory, that thou mayest thank God at all times and turn not unto anyone, even should all who are in the heavens and earth oppose thee. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon whoso is guided by God’s guidance and dwelleth in the shadow of a mighty countenance.

BH05439: Glorified be He Who sendeth down the verses…

He is the Mighty

Glorified be He Who sendeth down the verses in truth unto people who comprehend, for verily it is a revelation from God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Say: The hosts of the Cause have mounted forth with such majesty as hath bewildered the hearts of those who bore the throne of God, the Exalted, the Most High, the Kind. Thereupon did the Bird of Oneness cry out in the heaven of eternity:

“By God! Never have the eyes of the dwellers of the pavilion of the divine cloud beheld the like of these who have detached themselves unto God and migrated from all directions toward the countenance of God, the Mighty, the Beloved.”

Then did the Maiden of the Cause emerge from her palace, and the maidens of paradise cried out in lamentation, if ye but knew. And she said:

“By God! After these who have left their homes, affliction shall descend due to that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought aforetime and continue to perpetrate.”

Say: O concourse of the idolaters! Die in your wrath! Verily God will exalt His Cause through truth and aid His servants who were oppressed in the earth and who placed their trust in their Lord. So await the day when the sky shall come with crimson light, and the Maiden of Infallibility shall appear from the horizon of eternity, and the believers shall then rejoice in the gladness of God.

Thus do We bestow upon the people of the divine cloud the heavenly table, and We cast upon you that which shall make you independent of those who are not guided by the signs of God. And the Spirit be upon you and upon those who, when they hear the verses of God, fall unconscious from their yearning.

BH05540: This is an epistle from a penitent servant…

He is the Most Unapproachable, the Most Holy

This is an epistle from a penitent servant to him who hath attained the lights of guidance on the Day when the Sun shone forth from a holy and luminous horizon, who hath detached himself from his own self and migrated unto God, until he entered the Sacred Spot on a mighty holy shore and heard the call of God from the Tree of Paradise, and drank from the chalices of immortality from a noble Youth. Therefore, know thou thy station and what God hath ordained for thee, in that He hath delivered thee from the prison of desire and honored thee with His presence on the Day whereon the dwellers of the heavens and earth were thunderstruck. Say: O people!

If ye believed in God before, how is it that ye believe not in Him around Whom circle the angels of the highest heaven? Say: Did ye not yearn for Him in the nights and at dawn? Yet when He came unto you with clear signs, ye turned away from His beauty. Therefore, fear ye God and the Manifestations of His justice, then walk ye in the holy path, for it is indeed a path exalted and knowing. Thus do We sprinkle upon all created things from the waves of the ocean of wisdom, that they may enter a mighty and secure path. Whoso willeth, let him believe in the signs of God, and whoso willeth, let him turn away.

Verily, my Lord is Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who have followed the commandments of God in His days and who dwell in the precincts of the mercy of God.

BH06499: These are the verses of immortality wherein are contained…

He is the Mighty, the All-Wise

These are the verses of immortality wherein are contained the mysteries of God, the Protector, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Therein is mentioned that which gives glad tidings unto men of the meeting with their Lord on the Day when all who are in the realm of being shall be gathered together. Then will the Herald of the Spirit call out from the Throne of Immortality, and the Dove of Holiness will warble from a near station, and the Cock of the Throne will crow, and the Peacock of Oneness will appear adorned with a wondrous glory. Thereupon all who are in the heavens shall swoon from fear of the Command, and all who are on earth shall be shaken, except such as have detached themselves unto God and were of those who are well-assured in His Cause.

These are they through the light of whose countenances are illumined the dwellers of the holy realm and then the angels brought near. Thus do We remind thee of mysteries that were hidden behind the veils of destiny, that thou mayest be of them that remember, and that the tribulations of the world may not grieve thee and thou mayest be in the Paradise among them that rejoice. Thus do We bestow Our favor upon thee in that We have mentioned thee in truth in a preserved holy Tablet, that thou mayest thank God thy Creator in thy heart and remember Him at all times and say: All praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH06622: He is God! Glorified then be He Who hath…

He is God! Glorified then be He Who hath sent down the verses in truth, and unto Him do all who are in the heavens and on earth render praise. His is the Command and the Creation. He giveth life and causeth death, and in His hand is the Kingdom of all things. Verily He was established upon the holy carpet on the throne of the Spirit, and there is no God but Him. He bestoweth sovereignty upon whomsoever He willeth among His creation, and He ordereth the affairs of all things in the Book, and He detaileth the verses in truth, and verily He was mighty over the Command in the heights of eternity.

Say: Those who have disbelieved after having believed, and in whose breasts hath appeared rancor against the servant of God—these shall have no portion in this cup, and We shall return them to an abode which was renowned among the ungodly.

Say: We have veiled Our Cause in the heaven of mystery, and We have witnessed no one upon whom We might cast down verses which were sent down from the holy breezes. And when those who walk in the paths of their own selves hear, they place their fingers in their ears lest they hear the melodies of Paradise from the strain of Him Who was concealed behind holy veils.

BH07508: O Karim! We sent thee aforetime a gracious letter…

He is God

O Karim! We sent thee aforetime a gracious letter wherein was ordained every matter in detail from the presence of One mighty and wise. We honored thee therein and made mention of thee in most excellent and clear remembrance. Say: O people! Fear ye God and create not mischief in the land, and be not of the heedless ones. Walk ye upon the earth with the dignity and tranquility that come from God. Say: Thus doth the Youth deliver unto you the word of truth from One mighty and luminous. Grieve not over that which hath befallen you, and put your trust in God. Thus do We make mention of holy matters upon mighty and impregnable tablets. Say: Verily the lamp hath been lit in its niche and verily the fire hath appeared from the Tree, and giveth you glad tidings of the meeting with God—hasten ye in your hearts and be not of the patient ones. Then convey Our greetings unto those women who are with thee, and make mention of them with gracious remembrance.

BH08331: The Letter Kaf in Sad is the Mighty One…

The Letter Kaf in Sad is the Mighty One. Your letter hath come before Us and We have read it in the pavilion of holiness among the Concourse on high, and thereby hath God forgiven all that thy hands have wrought, that thou mayest be numbered among them that are steadfast. And We have answered thee with this holy, transcendent and luminous Tablet, that thou mayest be well-pleased with God, thy Lord, and remember Him with a refined heart. When thou hearest that the breezes of holiness have returned to the paradise of nearness, grieve not, but be patient within thyself, for the ultimate victory belongeth to the patient ones. The Cause of God shall be made manifest in truth, and thereupon shall the hearts of the hypocrites be troubled. Say: O company of the hateful ones! Rejoice not in what hath befallen the Bird, for God shall turn your joy to grief and your pleasure to sorrow. Thus hath it been inscribed upon the preserved tablets of holiness. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who have found rest in the seat of a mighty name.

BH08624: My sister Fatimih

My sister Fatimih

He is God

Take up the exalted Pen, O Servant, move it on the snow-white tablet and call to remembrance Thy sister, Fatimih, that the bounty upon her and upon all who dwell on earth may be complete.

O My Fatimih! We have verily sent thee this garment from this Announcer of good news that thou mayest inhale therefrom the fragrances of holiness and be recorded in the Mother Book by the Manifestation of Attributes. Rejoice thou for seeing Paradise in the days of God, soar towards the magnificent abode mentioned in the Tablet, then recognize the blessings that God hath vouchsafed to thee. He hath singled thee out from amongst most handmaids for His favour, and He hath caused thy name to be mentioned with sanctity in the mighty Tablets. Verily, He is the True One. No God is there but Him. He bestoweth dominion on whosoever He desireth, and the decree hath been firmly established in the foundation of destiny from the Dawning-place of Command. May the light of God shine upon thy face and upon those who are in thy company.

BH10335: And when God sealed Prophethood with His Beloved, He…

And when God sealed Prophethood with His Beloved, He promised His servants that they would meet Him on the Day of Resurrection, as ye read in the Book, insomuch that We have not recorded in the Book any matter greater than this. And when the promise came to pass and the days were fulfilled and the matter was decided and the Spirit sang and the Dove called out and God came in the shadows of light, with angels surrounding Him mounted upon flashes of light…

BH02606: Husayn in Sad

Husayn in Sad

He is the Mighty, the Exalted, the Ever-Living, the Beautiful

The remembrance of God in the Tree of Paradise upon the shore of eternity, upon the branches of the cloud at the right hand of the Spirit in the sacred valley of the Mount of Beauty. O people of Baha, hearken unto Me! He it is Who speaketh the truth and revealeth the verses and sendeth forth the Messengers, for verily He is the King, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

Verily in the creation of the heavens and earth, and in the alternation of light and darkness, and in the budding forth of trees, and in the motion of the Ark of Oneness upon the sea of fire, and in the wafting of the holy breezes from the Paradise of Beauty, and in the sending down of verses from the cloud of the Divine Essence are signs for people who reflect. Say: O people, fear God and associate not partners with Him, and think not evil thoughts, and slander not His chosen ones, and consume not the wealth of others, and commit not oppression and wickedness if ye be of those who are certain of God’s decree in the Tree of His Cause.

This is what the Spirit counseleth you in that which God hath caused to flow from the Most Exalted Pen in the hidden and holy Tablets, that all may be assured of His verses in His days and that they may rejoice who have soared on the wings of detachment and who are drawn by the grace of God. And when the verses are recited unto them their hearts tremble and their eyes overflow with crimson drops and they are enkindled by the fire of love. Upon them be the good-pleasure of God and for them are elevated stations in the realms of eternity, and there have been ordained for them, in the presence of the Divine Countenance, couches of white crystal whereon they shall recline.

Thus do We impart unto thee from the melodies of the Divine Essence that perchance it may detach thee from all who are in the heavens and earth and cause thee to turn toward the precincts of God’s mercy and assist thee to triumph and provide thee with the fruits of immortality and make thee to be of those who are guided by the lights of Beauty and who drink from the springs of mercy. Thus have We set forth the verses in truth and sent down the Spirit upon thee that thou mayest be stirred in thy soul with longing and be of those who rejoice in the paradise of reunion.

O Letter of Glory! Read what We have chanted unto thee, then preserve it that the spirit of life may be generated within thee and draw thee nigh unto a treasured and hidden stronghold. Act thou according to what thou hast been commanded, then be steadfast and fear no one even if all who are in the heavens and earth should oppose thee. God shall raise thee up in the atmosphere of light and bestow upon thee a kingdom in His Most Exalted Name and send down upon thee from the cloud of mercy that which hath been ordained in a preserved Tablet. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who prostrate themselves before the face of God.

BH01447: Subhana Rabbiya’l-A’la

The Spirit, in the firmament of holiness, hath shone forth from the arch of the brow.

O Letter of Eternity! Put on the sandals of detachment, then mount the highest couch of the celestial realm.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

This is the land of abiding; no footstep of any one of the saints hath ever fallen upon it.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

Grieve not at the occurrences of this world; then ascend unto the realm of faithfulness.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

For thou hast a station with Me within the pavilion of the All-Glorious.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

Therein thou shalt hear the melodies of Paradise above the Lote-Tree of the Extremity.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

And therein thou shalt drink the crimson wine from the Beauty of God, the Most Exalted.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

Therein thou shalt find, of the fruits of holiness, that which none can reckon.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

Therein thou shalt soar, in every direction, with ruby wings throughout the realms of the spirit.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

Therein thou shalt speak, in every mode, with the melodies of the celestial dove.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

Thou shalt be enraptured by the glances of Beauty in the crimson chambers.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

Then wilt thou find within thyself the lights of guidance and be plunged into the ocean of My Most Glorious Name.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

Thou shalt be nourished with the fruits of the spirit from the Furthermost Tree.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

Thou shalt hearken unto the Call of God in tones of both openness and concealment.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

Say: The maiden of eternity hath descended yet again, that she may kiss this sweetest, pearl-like mouth.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

She hath taken the crimson cup in her right hand.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

That she may give to drink whosoever is well-pleased with this good-pleasure in the Most High Paradise.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

She raised her right hand and leaned upon her left foot.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

Then she revealed her eyebrow, like unto a sword, and with it she clove asunder the livers and the vitals.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

She moved her shoulders, and the back of the serpent appeared, as the blackness of her hair was disclosed from beneath the white veil.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

Then did it swallow all that is in heaven down to that which lieth beneath the dust.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

And it restored the whole of existence unto annihilation.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

She unveiled her face once again after the first unveiling.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

And when she unveiled it, the spirits were created, and destiny was turned into fulfillment.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

Then, after that, she veiled her face yet once more, lest abiding itself should pass away through this crimson countenance.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

Then she lifted the black veils from her radiant forelock.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

And she said: Am I not the beauty of the Well-Beloved in the full brightness of noontide?

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

Then did existence cry aloud: Yea, verily! Yea, verily!

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

The essences of the spirit danced within the temples of abiding, at that which was revealed and that which was concealed.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

The hearts of the sincere were drawn by her luminous, effulgent lights.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

The minds of the sanctified were enraptured by what descended and ascended.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

Then the herald cried out in mid-air, at the Center of Origination.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

And he said: By the Lord of heaven! One single glance toward her excelleth the kingdom of the life to come and of this first life.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

Then she arose, and the Great Resurrection arose.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

She sat down, and the hearts of men of understanding were shaken.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

Then, after that, she brought forth from behind her hair a Tablet of green chrysolite.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

She read, from that Tablet, one letter of her most hidden symbols; then the spirits went forth out of the bodies of the names.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

Then she pointed with her middle finger, and all religions, from Adam unto Jesus, were effaced.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

She moved it again after the first motion.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

Then was the sun cloven asunder in the heaven of decree.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

Then she bared her head and let her curl hang upon the breast of her bosom.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

And a cry rose from her tresses in remembrance of her Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

Then did the sign of the night appear from her dark ringlets, and the sign of the day from her shining forelock.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

She called out with the call of holiness in the Paradise of the cloud.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

She said: Ye shall be tried, O companions of piety.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

And ye shall be debarred from the Sanctuary of Beauty in the Kaaba of the cloud.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

This is that which the Most Exalted Pen hath inscribed upon the Tablet of Eternity.

Glorified be He Who hath created and fashioned.

And therein lieth a wisdom of mysteries which are neither witnessed nor beheld.

Glorified be my Lord, the Most High.

BH01026: Lawh-i-Mallahu’l-Quds (Tablet of the Holy Mariner—Arabic)

He is the Gracious, the Well-Beloved!

O Holy Mariner!

Bid thine ark of eternity appear before the Celestial Concourse. Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Launch it upon the ancient sea, in His Name, the Most Wondrous. Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And let the angelic spirits enter, in the Name of God, the Most High. Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Unmoor it, then, that it may sail upon the ocean of glory. Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Haply the dwellers therein may attain the retreats of nearness in the everlasting realm. Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Having reached the sacred strand, the shore of the crimson seas. Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Bid them issue forth and attain this ethereal invisible station, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

A station wherein the Lord hath in the Flame of His Beauty appeared within the deathless tree; Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Wherein the embodiments of His Cause cleansed themselves of self and passion; Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Around which the Glory of Moses doth circle with the everlasting hosts; Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Wherein the Hand of God was drawn forth from His bosom of Grandeur; Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Wherein the ark of the Cause remaineth motionless even though to its dwellers be declared all divine attributes. Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

O Mariner! Teach them that are within the ark that which we have taught thee behind the mystic veil. Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Perchance they may not tarry in the sacred snow-white spot, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

But may soar upon the wings of the spirit unto that station which the Lord hath exalted above all mention in the worlds below, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

May wing through space even as the favored birds in the realm of eternal reunion; Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

May know the mysteries hidden in the Seas of light. Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

They passed the grades of worldly limitations and reached that of the divine unity, the center of heavenly guidance. Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

They have desired to ascend unto that state which the Lord hath ordained to be above their stations. Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Whereupon the burning meteor cast them out from them that abide in the Kingdom of His Presence, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And they heard the Voice of Grandeur raised from behind the unseen pavilion upon the Height of Glory: Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“O guardian angels! Return them to their abode in the world below, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“Inasmuch as they have purposed to rise to that sphere which the wings of the celestial dove have never attained; Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“Whereupon the ship of fancy standeth still which the minds of them that comprehend cannot grasp.” Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Whereupon the maid of heaven looked out from her exalted chamber, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And with her brow signed to the Celestial Concourse, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Flooding with the light of her countenance the heaven and the earth, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And as the radiance of her beauty shone upon the people of dust, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

All beings were shaken in their mortal graves. Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

She then raised the call which no ear through all eternity hath ever heard, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And thus proclaimed: “By the Lord! He whose heart hath not the fragrance of the love of the exalted and glorious Arabian Youth, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“Can in no wise ascend unto the glory of the highest heaven.” Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Thereupon she summoned unto herself one maiden from her handmaidens, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And commanded her: “Descend into space from the mansions of eternity, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“And turn thou unto that which they have concealed in the inmost of their hearts. Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“Shouldst thou inhale the perfume of the robe from the Youth that hath been hidden within the tabernacle of light by reason of that which the hands of the wicked have wrought, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“Raise a cry within thyself, that all the inmates of the chambers of Paradise, that are the embodiments of the eternal wealth, may understand and hearken; Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“That they may all come down from their everlasting chambers and tremble, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“And kiss their hands and feet for having soared to the heights of faithfulness; Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“Perchance they may find from their robes the fragrance of the Beloved One.” Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Thereupon the countenance of the favored damsel beamed above the celestial chambers even as the light that shineth from the face of the Youth above His mortal temple; Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

She then descended with such an adorning as to illumine the heavens and all that is therein. Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

She bestirred herself and perfumed all things in the lands of holiness and grandeur. Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

When she reached that place she rose to her full height in the midmost heart of creation, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And sought to inhale their fragrance at a time that knoweth neither beginning nor end. Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

She found not in them that which she did desire, and this, verily, is but one of His wondrous tales. Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

She then cried aloud, wailed and repaired to her own station within her most lofty mansion, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And then gave utterance to one mystic word, whispered privily by her honeyed tongue, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And raised the call amidst the Celestial Concourse and the immortal maids of heaven: Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“By the Lord! I found not from these idle claimants the breeze of Faithfulness! Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

“By the Lord! The Youth hath remained lone and forlorn in the land of exile in the hands of the ungodly.” Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

She then uttered within herself such a cry that the Celestial Concourse did shriek and tremble, Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

And she fell upon the dust and gave up the spirit. It seemeth she was called and hearkened unto Him that summoned her unto the Realm on High. Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Glorified be He that created her out of the essence of love in the midmost heart of His exalted paradise! Glorified be my Lord, the All-Glorious!

Thereupon the maids of heaven hastened forth from their chambers, upon whose countenances the eye of no dweller in the highest paradise had ever gazed. Glorified be our Lord, the Most High!

They all gathered around her, and lo! they found her body fallen upon the dust; Glorified be our Lord, the Most High!

And as they beheld her state and comprehended a word of the tale told by the Youth, they bared their heads, rent their garments asunder, beat upon their faces, forgot their joy, shed tears and smote with their hands upon their cheeks, and this is verily one of the mysterious grievous afflictions.” Glorified be our Lord, the Most High!

BH01355: Lawh-i-Mallahu’l-Quds (Tablet of the Holy Mariner—Persian)

He is the stranger, the Persian, the Iraqi.

When the denizens of that heavenly firmament, by the leave of the divine Pilot, laid hold upon a Name from among His Names, and embarked in the ancient Ark, they were borne upon the sea of Names, and traversed the stages of limitation, perchance, through the blessed aid of the King of Singleness, they might attain the shores of Unity and drink of the chalice of Detachment. Thus, by heavenly assistance, that everlasting sphere moved and coursed upon the waters of spiritual wisdom, until it reached a station where the Name that is at rest outstripped and overcame the Name that moveth; whereupon the ship of the spirit grew motionless and was withheld from its journeying.

At that hour a firm decree of the Lord descended from the heaven of everlasting holiness, and the Pilot of abiding life was commanded to teach unto the companions of that firmament a letter from the Word Most Hidden, that, aided by invisible succour, they might pass beyond the valley of selfish bewilderment and enter the ever-widening expanse of spiritual oneness; that they might reach the Qaf of the soul’s eternity and be admitted to the presence of the Well-Beloved. And when the companions of the ship attained the Word of the spiritual Friend, straightway they unfolded the wing of meaning and flew in the holy air; and, through the bounty of God and the mercy of the All-Glorious, they passed beyond the steep ascents of self and desire and the nether depths of heedlessness and blindness.

Then did the breezes of Ridvan blow upon their temples from the secret place of the Merciful. And after soaring in the atmosphere of nearness unto God and traversing the stations of the spirit, they alighted in the haven of safety and assurance, the ultimate homeland of lovers. The dwellers of that realm arose to serve and to bestow. Thereupon the youths of eternity and the holy Cup-bearer proffered the ruby wine, and such intoxication did the wine of divine knowledge and the cup of the everlasting wisdom awaken—such rapture and attraction did it kindle—that they were delivered from themselves and from all created things, and bound their hearts unto the beauty of the Friend. For ages and cycles they abode, in perfect joy and expansion, within that spiritual paradise and that sacred, merciful garden.

Until, at length, the breezes of divine testing and the winds of sovereign seduction blew from the captivity of the everlasting Cause, so that they became occupied with the beauty of the Cup-bearer and heedless of the Countenance of the Eternal; so much so that they deemed the shadow to be the sun, and mistook phantoms for light. And they purposed to ascend the ladders of the Most Great Name, that they might fly in that air and enter that seat and station. But when they rose, the divine assayers, bearing the holy touchstone by the irrevocable command of the Lord, descended upon them; and, finding in them no fragrance of the spiritual Youth, they withheld them all. And then there befell that which had been inscribed in the Preserved Tablet.

Therefore, O ye who dwell upon the carpet of the love of God, and O ye who drink of the wine of the everlasting mercy: barter not the nearness of the Friend for both the worlds; turn not from His presence to the presence of the cup-bearer; cleave not, in place of the wine of His knowledge and wisdom, unto the wine of ignorance and heedlessness. The lip is the seat of the remembrance of the Beloved—defile it not with filthy water. The heart is the home of the mysteries of the Eternal—occupy it not with the regard of perishing things. Seek ye the Water of Life from the Kawthar of the beauty of the All-Glorious, and not from the manifestations of Satan.

This fleeting servant, standing at the utmost station of love, admonisheth the friends of God with the wondrous counsels of oneness and the jewels of the wisdom of the Sovereign, the Ever-Abiding, perchance some soul may show forth the stature of manhood, and emerge from the garment of heedlessness and lust. Let them, then, walk—pure, luminous, and sanctified—in the land of love and severance, of affection and exaltation; that they may, at the least, draw from the lights of the morn of the brow and the dawning of the Day that none can mistake, so much as will unite their outward and inward being.

We have passed beyond the loftiness of detachment, the exaltation of unity, the most great transcendence and the most mighty sanctity; now must they strive with earnest endeavour and firm resolve, that the secrets of the inner life be not contrary to outward deeds, nor outward acts at variance with inward realities. We have spoken of the offering of life in the path of the Well-Beloved; now must they arise to offer justice and fairness unto their own selves.

How is it that ye prefer the garment of greed and selfish hopes to the robe of divine sanctity? How is it that ye exchange the melody of the nightingale of eternity for the dissonant cry of fleetingness, uttered by the people of rebellion and hatred? Wretched is that for which ye have bartered. Truly we are God’s, and unto Him shall we return.

God willing, we cherish the hope that the temples of enduring glory shall appear, adorned with holy raiment and divine qualities—radiant, subtle, pure, and stainless, even as the sun of the Eternal. This is not difficult for God.