Volume 032: Writings in Baghdad (to 1863) (2 of 3)

BH01638: O Dawning Place that hath shone forth…

O Dawning Place that hath shone forth from the lights of the morn of oneness and that telleth of the radiance of the horizon of eternity! I bear witness that I have read and understood what the dove of thy love warbled upon the twigs of the Sadrih of thy heart, and have perceived and reckoned what the bird of thy longing stirred upon the branches of the tree of thy inner heart. I have heard its melodies of nearness and its songs of reunion.

Well is it with thee, O Essence of the Cloud of Unknowing, in that thou hast been patient in the Cause of God and hast fulfilled thy covenant, and hast not been heedless of the remembrance of thy Lord in the hidden recesses of thy mystery and the pavilions of thy spirit. There hath befallen thee in the paths of thy Lord such tribulation and hardship as none knoweth save God alone. Yet with all this thou hast remained patient, content and well-pleased, to such extent that thou hast sacrificed thy self, thy spirit and thy body when thou didst detach thyself from all who are in the heavens and the earth, and didst journey for the sake of God and migrate with His servant and she who was treasured in the essences of the spirit of the Cloud and concealed in the heart of Baha.

Thou hast striven in the path of God until thou didst arrive in the Holy Land, the right hand of the Spirit, the Valley of Grandeur, the spot of Sinai, Paran of Light, Horeb of the Manifestation, and didst hear the call of the Almighty from a branch of the fire, that He is God, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Compelling. Thou didst attain at the time when the earth of the divine Essence was split asunder and the heaven of Oneness was cleft and the mountains of Eternality were crushed and the cords of knowledge were severed and the sun of the Cloud was darkened and the moon of glory was eclipsed and the spirits of the abstracted ones ceased to be and the sanctified souls fled away. Thou didst witness all this and perceive it all, yet thou didst not turn aside from God thy Lord in any matter nor forget Him in anything, as though thou hadst turned with all thy being to God and turned away entirely from all else, and relied upon God in thy beginning and end and in thy public and private affairs. Therefore praise God Who thus created thee and fashioned thee and made thee to be among the well-pleased ones.

As for what thou hast complained of regarding My love for thee, know that thy love for Me is the essence of My love for thee, such that there is between them neither connection nor separation. Be certain and assured of this and doubt it not, and be not of the despairing ones.

And as for what thou hast mentioned regarding the mention of what thou didst mention, pay no heed to it nor to those who claim it. For by God, I love all the servants who have believed in God and migrated in His path and striven in His Cause and ascended to the center of eternity in the pole of the Cloud until they entered the sanctuary of the divine Essence and the house of Oneness. By thy life, My longing for them and My yearning for them is like the longing of the spirit for the light and the taste of the unseen for manifestation—nay, even more than that. And likewise I have detached Myself from these who follow the desires of their souls and are not conscious in any matter, and whose only concern in this world is to put themselves before God’s servants and to sit in the chief seats of gatherings and to boast and make claims about that which they neither know nor understand.

Say: Woe unto you! By what proof have ye believed in God and by what aspect have ye turned away from Him and by what evidence have ye gathered against this Servant, who, if ye were to traverse the regions of the world from East to West, ye would never find a servant more humble before God and more lowly unto himself? Yet with all this ye were not ashamed before God and the Manifestations of His Cause, and ye did unto Him what ye did and brought upon Him what ye brought, and ye violated your covenant and broke your pledge and denied Him in Whom ye had believed and turned away from Him with Whom ye had migrated. Say unto them: Repent unto God and return from that wherein ye fell short, for the kingdom of the world and its pleasures are passing and have no permanence, while that which is with God endureth; and this is better for you, did ye but know.

BH01698: Glorified art Thou, O my God! I find myself…

He is the Most Exalted, the All-Powerful, the Self-Subsisting!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I find myself now in the vicinity of Thy great mercy, beneath the shadow of Thy Most Exalted Name, and seated before the kindled lamp of Thy grace within the niche of Thy bounty. I discover in my heart such rapture from the ardor of union with Thee and longing to meet Thee that I find no patience in separation from Thee nor composure in attaining Thee. It is as though I know not what I desire of Thee—if I seek union through the wonders of Thy favors, I witness that in union with Thee my cries are raised and my voice is lifted up; and if I show patience in separation from Thee, I witness that in Thy remoteness my spirit departs and my soul finds no rest ever. Thou witnesseth, O my Beloved, that in both conditions my heart is agitated, my body perturbed, and my frame thunderstruck. Therefore grant me that which Thou hast sanctified above these two conditions, O Thou in Whose hand is the dominion of the worlds.

I know not, O my Beloved, whence appeared this supreme rapture and this most glorious attraction—it seems to have emerged from all directions, though it was sanctified above all allusions. Yet withal I find myself veiled from nearness to the pavilions of the might of Thy sovereignty, my spirit forbidden from entering the tabernacle of Thy Oneness, and my heart deprived of soaring in the atmosphere of Thy Singleness. How long, O my God, wilt Thou not rend asunder the veils of knowledge from the eyes of Thy creation, and how long wilt Thou not burn away the curtains of separation from the hearts of Thy creatures—after Thou knowest my poverty and I know Thy wealth, Thou seest my abasement and I see Thy glory, and I know that Thou art the Powerful over all things through Thy power and sovereignty?

Glorified, glorified art Thou, O my God! If Thou takest not the hands of the drowning, who then is the deliverer of the yearning ones? And if Thou hast no mercy upon Thy helpless servants, who then is the helper of the destitute? By Thy glory, O my Beloved, I know not by what thing I may draw near unto Thee, nor by what name I may approach the lights of Thy beauty. Whenever I contemplate mentioning Thee through the words of Thy unity in the heaven of Thy oneness, that perchance through the cord of its nobility I might draw near to Thee until I attain what I desire from Thee, I witness that the Essence of unity in its pristine nature and loftiness weeps at separation from Thee and cries out in remoteness from Thee, and that the Reality of oneness roars in the desert of longing for Thee and cries aloud in the wilderness in its distance from the divine realm of Thy reunion and attainment. And I witness that all essences are thunderstruck before the dawning of the manifestation of Thy lights, and all attributes are consumed by the fire of Thy might and power. Yet withal, how can I cling to any of that or hold fast to any such matter?

Therefore I beseech Thee, O my God, that Thou make me sanctified above all that is known and said, and all that is understood through words, until I know Thy Self through Thy Self, and behold Thy beauty through Thine own vision, and Thy majesty through Thine own sight. Verily Thou art powerful over all that, and supreme over whatsoever Thou willest through Thy authority. Thou art indeed the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the Powerful, the Wise.

Glorified, glorified art Thou, O my God! When I find myself in that hour detached from all else but Thee and turned away from all save Thee, I seek intercession with Thee through the Manifestations of Thy sovereignty, by whom the horizons were filled with the lights of longing and through whom the suns of glory dawned from the direction of Iraq, that Thou cause those who have believed in Thee and Thy signs to be detached from all who are in the heavens and on earth, in such wise that they occupy themselves with naught but Thy remembrance, turn to none but Thy Name, and direct themselves to none but the ways of Thy good-pleasure—until they all hasten with their hearts to the arenas of Thy nearness and the gardens of Thy reunion. Then gather them, O my Lord, in the paradise of Thy love and the city of Thy affection. Then erase from their hearts the signs of difference and from their souls the tokens of variation, in such wise that they may remember Thee with one tongue and worship Thee in one form, and become as one soul and one spirit. Verily, Thou art over that powerful and mighty.

BH01762: Move, O servant, this radiant Pen across this lustrous…

He is God, the Ever-Living, the Most Exalted!

Move, O servant, this radiant Pen across this lustrous, snow-white Tablet, that it may recount that which the Spirit warbleth in thy heart of the melodies of the Divine Essence in this wondrous Paradise, upon this Tree of Eternity, that thereby may rejoice those honored servants in whom hath been planted the divine Tree, and upon whom hath shone the Sun of eternity, the heavenly Light, and the Ancient Manifestation. Through them have gushed forth the springs of divinity, and the Lote-Tree of concealment hath put forth leaves, and the camphor-like leaf hath yielded fruit. Through them hath the Essence of divinity been established upon the throne of eternity, and the Dove hath warbled in the sanctified Temple, and the lights of morn have dawned from the Sun of the Divine Essence in glorified form. Through them have all created things appeared and unto them do they return; through them have all contingent beings emerged and unto them do they revert. Through them hath the temple of evanescence donned the robe of immortality, and the essence of poverty been clothed in the raiment of wealth, and the epitome of lowliness in the vesture of glory.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I know not by what means I should commemorate Thee at this moment—whether by that which speaketh within my breast, or by that which Thou inspirest in my heart, or by mentioning how Thou hast fulfilled Thy covenant concerning me and Thy servants, as Thou didst promise aforetime in Thy perspicuous Book and Thy established verses. Thou didst say—and Thy word is the sweetest, and Thy promise is the truth in the most exalted Kingdom—“God will make each of sufficient means.” I testify at this moment before Thee that Thou hast fulfilled all that Thou didst promise, and performed all that Thou didst ordain, and accomplished all that Thou didst clarify, such that Thou hast made all things repositories of Thy riches and treasuries of Thy bounties, in that Thou hast acquainted them with the pathways of Thy Cause, the ways of Thy commandments, the gems of Thy wisdom, the essence of Thy knowledge, and the meanings of Thy verses.

Thou hast unveiled Thy countenance from behind the veils of glory, that all might witness the lights of Beauty in the temple of Thy remembrance, in the vesture of Thy might, in the essence of Thy knowledge, in the treasury of Thy revelation, in the mine of Thy Cause, and in the repository of Thy light, whereby Thou hast made them independent of all else, sufficient beyond all else, and free from all that is in the heavens and earth, such that all servants seek Thy nearness and Thy presence, to circle round the Kaaba of Thy Being and to enter the sanctuary of Thy presence.

Yet, by Thy glory, I have not known separation from Thee that I should seek nearness and reunion with Thee, nor have I witnessed separation from Thee that I should desire union and meeting with Thee. What then can be my thought of Thee, O my God, and what can be the concern of Thy servants toward Thee, O my Beloved, for Thou art established above all things and abiding over all things?

I beseech Thee, therefore, by the Sun of Thine eternity and the holy lights of Thy divine Lordship’s might, to make these ones among the signs of Thy sovereign might, the fruits of the tree of Thy oneness, and the leaves of the Lote-Tree of Thy Being. Then kindle, O my God, within their hearts the lamp of Thy love, the niche of Thy favor, and the light of Thy providence, that their very hearts may be consumed with longing for Thy meeting, with love for reunion with Thee, and with desire to gaze upon Thy beauty, for no station in all creation is greater than this. May the breezes of holiness move them from the left hand of limitation to the right hand of unity, that they may be enabled to ascend unto the highest horizon beyond the pavilions of glory in the Kingdom of light and the realm of eternity, in the most great garden near the Most Exalted Vesture in the Most High Temple.

Then establish them, O my God, in the station for which Thou didst create them through themselves. Then clothe them in the robes of Thy guidance and the vesture which Thou hast woven with the hands of Thy power and the fingers of Thy might. Then inscribe, O my God, upon the tablets of their hearts with the Pen of accomplishment that which behooveth the people of divine decree. Verily, Thou doest what Thou willest, and Thou art, in truth, powerful over all things.

BH01777: Consider the mention of thy Lord’s mercy unto His…

In the Name of our Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High!

Consider the mention of thy Lord’s mercy unto His servant in this Tablet. This is a Book that speaketh the truth and maketh mention of the tidings of eternity, and therein have been ordained the measures of all things which were inscribed in the Mother Book.

O servant! Bear thou witness within thyself that there is none other God but Him. He hath created creation through His bounty and grace, and hath sent the Messengers that they might summon mankind unto the shore of holiness and cause them to enter pavilions which were raised through God’s power behind the canopy of the Spirit. Then did He send down the Books and ordain therein the laws, and set forth therein the pathways of truth—all this from His grace which hath ever preceded all creation—that all might traverse the paths of guidance and hasten unto the eternal paradise and occupy a seat of holiness well-pleasing unto Him.

Say: O people! Follow not those who have denied God and His signs, and who, when the verses of their Lord are recited unto them, bow their heads and turn upon their heels, mocking God and His Manifestations, remaining veiled behind the veils of their own selves. These are they upon whose hearts God hath set veils of fire, and upon whose eyes He hath placed coverings of unbelief, and upon whose hearts He hath cast barriers which were created through God’s irresistible power.

Say: O people! By God, this servant hath counseled you in this Tablet, as in all that We have previously uttered. Therefore take ye counsel and be not of them who have deprived themselves of the bounty of this Day. All that ye do and perform and say shall pass away, and ye shall return unto an abode which hath been inscribed by the fingers of holiness upon tablets of ruby. And ye shall find all your deeds recorded in a Book from which not so much as a grain of mustard seed can escape—this being among the decrees which God hath ordained.

Know thou that We have read thy letter and have answered thee aforetime with an answer at which the hearts of the mystics would marvel if gathered together. And now do We answer thee with this response, that thou mayest know Our love for thee and be of them who, by God’s leave, are made to pause upon the path of love at the scene of eternity. Then convey unto the people the words of thy Lord and remind them of a station which hath been outspread before God, that all might hasten with their hearts unto the shore of the Spirit and through their love render victorious the Cause of God, that they might be made triumphant through God’s assistance in the land of divine knowledge. This is the word of truth, and after truth there is naught save error which hath been kindled in the hearts of the calumniators.

Know thou further that they who have uttered in thy land what they have uttered—this proceeded only from their lying tongues. We have sought no helper save God, and to this do bear witness the angels nigh unto Him in chambers of praised glory. Convey the word unto them that have believed, then teach them of that victory which is well-pleasing in God’s sight—namely, their severance from all who dwell on earth and from all that can be witnessed in the realm. This is God’s victory, and through it the breezes of love waft over all who are in the heavens and on earth. Thus do We impart unto thee that from which mankind hath been debarred.

Say: O concourse of earth! Aid ye God through your hearts and deeds, that God may aid you in an atmosphere wherein the breaths of the Spirit have been wafted. Know ye that God’s victory is your own victory over self, whereby ye become distinguished from all else in the realm through that which proceedeth from you—this being a victory which hath been set forth in detail in the Tablet. Thereby doth tranquility descend upon you from His grace, and ye attain unto a mercy which hath been sent down from the clouds of holiness. And upon thee and upon them who circle round the Lamp, soaring on wings of victory, be glory.

BH01926: It has been ordained for you to fast…

It has been ordained for you to fast for God for three consecutive days, and at noon each day to turn toward the Qiblih in the presence of the Light of Identity and supplicate God with these verses, that He may through His bounty forgive you and expiate your evil deeds and guide you to the straight path:

In the Name of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Compelling!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou art He Who created the heavens through the Pen of Thy creation and the earth through the breaths of the Tablets of Thy invention, and formed between them from the formations of Thy Identity according to the measures of Thy eternal craftsmanship, and turned upon them from the cycles of Thy Lordship that which Thou didst specially ordain for them from the essences of the manifestations of the might of Thy sovereignty. Thou didst send the winds of love from the right hand of Thy will and cause the rains of providence to descend from the clouds of the bounty of Thy generosity, and didst mix this living, life-giving sweet water with this holy, luminous earth.

Then were the hearts of all existent things stirred within the vestures of Thy creation, and the bones of all created things were quickened by the wonders of Thy power, and the hearts of them that are nigh unto Thee were bewildered by the essences of Thy grace, and the minds of the sincere were attracted by the melodies of Thy rapture. Then did the signs of Thy power appear in all things according to their ranks and capacities, that the corrupt might be distinguished from the good in their turning toward Thee or away from Thee. Thus did sanctified souls turn toward the Sun of Thy Beauty while darkened hearts turned away from the Kaaba of Thy Being and the sanctuary of Thy grandeur.

Thereafter didst Thou cause this water to descend from the heaven of Thy leave upon the earth of Thy decree, and didst nurture it in the treasuries of Thy protection and the repositories of Thy power, until through Thy bounty Thou didst manifest me and through Thy mercy raise me up, and didst nourish me from the milk of Thy generosity and feed me from the blessings of Thy good-pleasure and give me to drink from the rivers of Thy favors and the seas of Thy glory. And I grew to maturity for the manifestation of Thy power and the revelation of Thy might. Then didst Thou raise me to the clouds of the heaven and the Lote-Tree of the uttermost boundary, until Thou didst honor me with Thy beauty and cause me to know the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Sun of Thy guidance and the stars of Thy exaltation, and didst bring me to the station of nearness and beauty and cause me to attain unto the degrees of union and majesty. Thereafter didst Thou honor me with Thy supreme bounty and settle me in the precincts of Thy most exalted mercy and shelter me beneath the shadow of Thy most beautiful names.

Yet in all this was I heedless of Thy remembrance and far removed from the gardens of Thy nearness and forgetful of the wonders of Thy tenderness and the essences of Thy loving-kindness, until I did what I did and earned what I earned, such that I transgressed against Thee in a manner whereby I showed no shame in Thy presence and no embarrassment before Thy beauty, and committed that which befitteth not Thy sovereignty, and grew heedless of Thy love and occupied myself with that which Thou hadst forbidden to Thy servants. Alas for me and for those who are like me and who walk in my path! It is as though I disobeyed Thee with every disobedience, O Thou in Whose hand is the dominion of forgiveness and pardon! In all this was I occupied with myself and heedless of Thy Self, turning toward my own desires and turning away from Thy desire and will, until I reached a station wherein I went astray from the paths of Thy guidance and the ways of Thy commandments.

Then, O my God, did I return from all this unto Thee, disappointed, in loss, remorseful and abased, and I beseech Thee by the Sun of Thy Oneness and the Light of Thy Eternity and the Pavilion of the glory of Thy concealment, that Thou show mercy unto me and forgive me and pardon me and take me not to task for that which Thou hast reckoned from me and that which Thou hast witnessed of my deeds. Verily Thou art the Merciful, the Forgiving, the Bountiful, the Exalted, the Mighty, the Compassionate.

BH02021: He is the Mighty. This is a Book…

He is the Mighty. This is a Book which speaks with truth and reminds the people in days wherein clouds of grief have risen sorrowfully and rained upon all created things from showers of intense anguish, whereby tears of sorrow flowed from the eyes of those near unto God, and this was grievous unto Us.

O friends of God! By God, I desired naught for you save that which is better for you than all who dwell in the realm of creation. Say: O concourse of the beloved! Hearken unto the call of this Bird Who warbles in the heart of existence, and grieve Him not on a day wherein sorrows have encompassed Him from all directions—and God is witness to what I say.

And ye know what hath befallen Me from the embodiments of tyrannical wickedness. By God, at such time the eyes of the denizens of the Realm of Eternity weep over what hath befallen this Servant, Who turned wholly unto God and paid no heed to anyone, nor hearkened to the words of any soul, and was wholly detached from all else but Him.

Do ye not witness how the oppressors among the people have gathered against Us and drawn the swords of hatred against Us every morn and eve? They have risen up to wage war against Us and rejoice in what befalleth Us of this matter which hath caused the hearts of the mystics to be consumed, and the embodiments of existence weep in chambers of crimson ruby, and the dwellers of earth and heaven cry out, and then the celestial beings of might and power in most exalted sanctuaries of holiness.

Therefore, O My loved ones, be not content that after this there should descend from you upon Us that which would consume Our hearts and grieve Our souls and cause tears to flow upon radiant and luminous cheeks. By God, We love you more than ye love Us, and all who dwell within the canopies of a mighty Name bear witness to this. Therefore dwell in your hearts and be not disturbed by what God hath ordained for Us in a mighty Book, and be content with what God hath been pleased with for Us and decreed for Us, and be at all times purely submissive to God’s command. Thus do We counsel you in truth—follow My bidding for the sake of the love that existeth between Me and you, and touch Me not with the sorrow of your grief, for I love not the sorrow of any one of you, and this is with Me greater than all greatness.

And thou, O Muhammad, remember Me after Me and be not frightened in this terror which hath encompassed all the worlds. Be patient in the Cause of thy Lord and be not disturbed within thyself, and trust in God in this darksome night which hath encompassed all existence both small and great. Fear God and be not a cause of My burning anguish after thou knowest that I am seated at the heart of tribulations and trials—and God sufficeth as a witness and knower between Me and you.

Therefore have mercy upon Me, O My loved ones, and hearken unto My words at a time when, if I turn to the right, I hear the lamentations of the mystics with voices of manifest grief, and when I turn to the left, I perceive the inner turmoil of the hearts of the lovers like water that boileth in an iron pot. By God, I have forgotten all matters, for the Beloved is unable to hear the cry of the lovers every morn and eve. Thus do We counsel thee that thou mayest hear My words and be firm in My love, that I may find rest from this sorrow which hath encompassed Me from your lamentations and be at peace from thee.

BH02023: He is God, Who has been wise in all…

He is God, Who has been wise in all things. The inscribed leaf was witnessed and the celestial melody was heard in the realm of might.

Praise be to Him Who has elevated you to the heaven of His love and settled you upon the earth of His affection and made you hear His wondrous melodies and made you one of the believers in His verses and those assured of His Book and those who drink from the cups of His bounty and those who gaze upon the garments of His countenance and those who are content with His decree and those who are patient in His tribulation and those who hasten to His good-pleasure and those who ascend to His holy precincts and those who rise to the carpet of His intimacy and Who has purified you from indication of aught else.

Now, when you have drunk of the sweet water of grace from the hands of bounty, say: Glory be to Thee, O my God! I call upon Thee with every tongue and I beseech Thee with every utterance and I remember Thee with every heart and I thank Thee with every mouth and I prostrate before Thee with every face and I behold Thee with every eye and I love Thee with every inmost heart and with every cup I drink from the seas of the graces of the heaven of Thy generosity and with every chalice I am given to drink from the rivers of the outpourings of the might of Thy bounty and with every wing I fly to the heavens of the throne of Thy grandeur and with every feather I soar in the splendors of the might of Thy mercy that I may be intoxicated at the warbling of the dove of the Sovereign of Thy majesty and enraptured at the manifestation of the dawning of the Sun of Thy beauty and bewildered in the mysteries of the divine realm from the glances of the eyes of the might of Thy oneness and as nothing upon the throne of the Kingdom at the burning brands of the most luminous glory of Thy attraction that I may be wholly detached unto Thee and beseeching of Thee and clinging to the holy manifestations of Thy Self-Sufficiency and entreating the aspects of intimacy of Thy Oneness.

Then teach me, O my God, a letter from the repositories of Thy knowledge and the treasuries of Thy Revelation and the dawning-places of Thy Command and the daysprings of Thy wisdom that I may remember Thee upon the throne of the cloud with the melodies of the sanctified ones and thank Thee with knowledge upon the seat of glory with the myriads of the purified ones and praise Thee upon the most glorious throne with the songs of those who glorify Thee. For Thou, O my God, hast ordained no glory except in the knowledge of Thy Book and no light except in the recognition of Thy verses.

So glory be to Thee, glory be to Thee! We are all poor before Thee and servants unto Thee and we know nothing except what Thou teachest us from the wonders of Thy grace and the effulgences of Thy generosity, for in Thy hand is the kingdom of all things and we all bow down before Thee and hope in Thy mercy.

And I beseech Thee, O God, my God, by the one whom Thou hast raised to the heavens of Thine eternity and seated upon the throne of grandeur in the station of Thy sovereignty and distinguished among the servants at the dawning-places of Thy Command and the conditions of the holiness of Thy Self-Sufficiency and the signs of intimacy of Thy Oneness and the intimations of the manifestations of the light of Thy Self-Subsistence and the beginnings of the splendors of the lines of the cloud of the appearance of Thine Essence, that Thou unite Thy servants as Thou hast united Thy letters and create love in the mysteries of their hearts through Thy power as Thou hast created it among their conditions through Thy might. Then kindle in their hearts the fire of Thy knowledge and the splendor of the light of the sun of Thy oneness, for in Thy hand is the kingdom of the dominion of the heavens and the earth and Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest.

BH02028: O beloved! Days have passed and We have not…

In the Name of our Lord, the Most High!

O beloved! Days have passed and We have not received from thee the sweet fragrance of faithfulness. Hast thou forgotten Him Who, if thou forgettest Him, will never forget thee, and if thou leavest Him, will never leave thee, and if thou art heedless of Him, will never be heedless of thee? We have heard that sorrow hath encompassed thee in these days, and by thy sorrow We have been saddened, and by what hath befallen thee We have been afflicted with adversity and tribulation.

But O beloved! The Herald of eternity now bringeth thee glad tidings from the garment of faithfulness and cometh unto thee with this verdant Tablet. Arise from thy place, then walk upon the earth seven steps, and in each step traverse one of the books: In the first, enter into the sea of search and seek God, thy Lord, in thy inner being and heart. In the second, enter into the sea of love and remember God, thy Lord, in the raptures of thy longing and the dominions of thy taste. In the third, walk in the paths of detachment—that is, detach thyself from thy desires and follow thy Master. In the fourth, enter into the depths of the seas of oneness and the ocean of divine unity.

In that station, place thy face upon the dust before the Lord of Lords and sanctify thy soul and spirit from all coming and going, that thy heart may be purified from all causes in the realms of creation. In the fifth, ascend to the heaven of wonderment that thou mayest taste sweet fruits in this holy atmosphere and become bewildered at the power of thy Beloved and the sovereignty of thy Creator, and say as did the King of existence and the Goal: “Lord, increase my astonishment in Thee!” In the sixth, soar with the wings of submission and contentment to the city of the cloud of unknowing that thou mayest enter the wilderness of extinction, to be extinguished in that station from thine existence and abide through thy Creator.

In the seventh, thou shalt arrive at the sea of eternal life where extinction shall never overtake thee and thou shalt find thy countenance abiding in the shadow of the Countenance of God, the Eternal.

Then wilt thou inhale the fragrance of glorification from the right hand of the All-Merciful, that thy breast may not be straitened by whatsoever befalleth thee in this mortal life and transient dominion. And when thou hast traversed these journeys in secret without outward display, cast this garment upon thine hidden sight that the eye of thy heart may be opened. For by God, O My beloved, if thou attainest unto this station thou wilt discover wondrous worlds and witness lofty gardens and exalted paradise and transcendent heavens, and wilt know the mysteries of the journey of spirits in an ever-holy atmosphere and an ever-lasting heaven of glory, and thy spirit shall rejoice to such degree that the signs of joy and ecstasy shall appear in all the pillars of the world. Thereafter, sorrow shall never overtake thee nor shall gloom touch thee, and thou shalt abide in the paradise of holiness among those who rejoice.

Know thou moreover that thou hast with God a mighty station and an exalted rank. Isolate not thyself from the servants but gather them unto God’s Cause and remind them of His days. Put thy trust in God in all matters and He will suffice thee against all things and protect thee from the hosts of Satan and cause thee to enter the eternal paradise, wherein thou shalt be among those who rejoice. Convey My greetings unto those who follow thee in the Cause of thy Lord, then call them to a straight path.

BH02061: He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing! This…

He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing! This is a book from this lowly one who calls all unto God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, to him who hath believed in God and then was guided by the light through which all in the heavens and earth were illumined.

O servant! Thy letter hath come before Us and before reading it We have answered thee and learned of the trials and hardships that have befallen thee and the poverty and want that have seized thee. Know thou that all this is a bounty from God unto thee if thou be of the patient ones, for whatsoever descendeth from the Beloved is beloved in truth, and naught befalleth anyone save by His leave. This indeed is the truth, the certain truth.

And whatsoever trials and tribulations, decrees and afflictions descend upon the loved ones, whether secretly or openly, are better for them than all that thou dost witness and see in the kingdom of the worlds, for God is more merciful to all things than they are to themselves, and naught descendeth upon anyone except what is better for him than the kingdom of the first and the last. His bounty hath preceded all things and His mercy hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and the earth. There is no God but Him, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

Rejoice in thy soul at what hath descended upon thee from God, the Mighty, the Beautiful. Be not dismayed in thyself nor frightened in thy heart, but be patient in the Cause of thy Lord, then persevere, for the end belongeth to those who are patient. For the world and all that causeth thee sorrow shall pass away, while thou shalt abide among the concourse of the near ones and ascend to the atmosphere of holiness and take shelter in the shadow of the Face of God, the Sanctified, the Luminous, if thou followest His guidance and hearkenest to what We have imparted unto thee and detachest thyself from those who walk in darkness and follow their own selves and move beneath their desires like a shadow beneath a tree.

This is what We impart unto thee in truth that thou mayest be of those who rejoice, such that no sorrow shall seize thee even though all sorrows should descend upon thee from God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent.

Say: O people! By God, this is a Book which sufficeth the people if they follow it and draweth them nigh unto the shore of the Divine Essence and causeth them to reach the pavilion of glory, the station whereon shone forth the lights of grandeur from One exalted and magnificent, He through Whose name passeth the appointed time of the Names through Muhammad, and this indeed is the Light whereby were illumined the hearts of them that have professed His unity.

Say: O people! Follow ye the guidance of God and follow not your desires. This indeed is guidance and a remembrance for all the worlds. And were all who are on earth to read this luminous Tablet or were it to be recited unto the East and the West, by God, they would all turn unto God and hasten to the paradise of holiness near the mercy of God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Ancient of Days.

Then whoso willeth, let him accept what We have imparted in truth, and whoso willeth, let him turn away. Verily my Lord is independent of all the worlds. He will cause them to pass away and bring another creation, then impart unto them that from which ye were veiled. This indeed is one of the mysteries of destiny which burneth and riseth high behind the veils of decree, if thou be of those who perceive.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who are enkindled with the fire of love at all times. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH11721: This is a wondrous remembrance from the servant…

In the Name of Ahmad, the Mighty, the Exalted, the Self-Subsisting

This is a wondrous remembrance from the servant to him who hath believed in God and was numbered among the guided ones in the Tablets of the Spirit, that He may cause thee to hear the melodies of Paradise and teach thee from the wisdom which God hath treasured in the vaults of knowledge, and bring thee to a station which God hath placed above the pavilions of oneness, and nourish thee with the fruits that have appeared from the Tree of eternity. Thus hath grace been witnessed from the horizon of the Cause.

Say: O people! This is the servant of God Who summoneth you unto God and guideth you to the paths of guidance, and imparteth unto you mysteries that were forbidden to the peoples of the world, and causeth the breezes of life to waft upon you, and sendeth forth the fragrant breaths of the All-Merciful from the City which God hath sanctified beyond all knowledge and which hath been veiled from the eyes of the mystics.

Say: O people! Fear ye God and the Manifestations of His Cause, and let not the world and its ornaments occupy you, for these shall pass away and are accounted before God as but numbered days. Raise your heads from the couches of heedlessness, then detach yourselves from all earthly things, and be not like those who forgot God and cast the words of God behind their backs, and were recorded in the Book of the righteous by the name of transgressors.

These are they upon whose hearts God hath set a seal of fire and upon whose eyes He hath placed a veil of heedlessness, such that they turned away from His beauty in His days and were deprived of the breezes of this Paradise. They occupied themselves with ornate speech as though they had never heard the divine melodies and had not attained unto the mercy that wafted over the bodies of the sinners. Thus doth God seize those who disbelieved and turned away, and forgiveth those who believed and turned towards Him, and will raise them to the station of nearness and cause them to dwell in the proximity of an extended mercy.

Say: O people! Fear God and follow not your desires, then return unto God and follow Him Who calleth you to the truth and inspireth you with the word of righteousness, and aideth you with the hosts of the unseen, and connecteth you to the seats of beloved holiness, and bestoweth upon you everlasting life, and giveth you to drink of the perpetual wine of life, and desireth from you neither recompense nor thanks.

Say: Those who have claimed that these words were not revealed according to pure nature are overcome by their envy, as though they recognized not the holy melodies and tasted not the fruits of Paradise. God hath caused them to be gathered in human form from the clay of beetles. Say: Thus spoke those who disbelieved, uttering words like unto your words, and God seized them for their sins and imprisoned them in the coffin of fire within their own unbelief.

Say: Woe unto you for what your hands have wrought and what your lips have uttered! The Spirit of Oneness beareth witness that all this is truth from God, and the eye of time hath never seen the like of what hath been sent down from His presence. To this testifieth all who are in the heavens and the earth, except those in whose hearts thou findest rancor towards God. Say: Die in your rancor! God will assuredly assist this Cause through the angels of the highest heaven and will raise it to a station that the hands of the hypocrites shall never reach, and this is irrevocably binding upon Him.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who worship God in thy land and who stand before Him upon the path of love.

BH02101: How excellent, O my God, is the warbling…

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

How excellent, O my God, is the warbling of David in the garden of the Psalms through the melodies of the dove of attraction during the visitation of Thy countenance! O what joy, that the fire of Thy oneness was kindled in the essence of Thine eternity! O what bliss, that the spirit of attraction was breathed into the reality of Thy Self-Subsistence!

O God, my God! Be Thou not far from me, for tribulation upon tribulation hath gathered about me. O God, my God! Leave me not to myself, for the extreme of adversity hath come upon me. Out of the pure milk, drawn from the breasts of Thy loving-kindness, give me to drink, for my thirst hath utterly consumed me. Beneath the shadow of the wings of Thy mercy shelter me, for all mine adversaries with one consent have fallen upon me. Keep me near to the throne of Thy majesty, face to face with the revelation of the signs of Thy glory, for wretchedness hath grievously touched me. With the fruits of the Tree of Thine Eternity nourish me, for uttermost weakness hath overtaken me.

From the cups of joy, proffered by the hands of Thy tender mercies, feed me, for manifold sorrows have laid mighty hold upon me. With the broidered robe of Thine omnipotent sovereignty attire me, for poverty hath altogether despoiled me. Lulled by the cooing of the Dove of Thine Eternity, suffer me to sleep, for woes at their blackest have befallen me. Before the throne of Thy oneness, amid the blaze of the beauty of Thy countenance, cause me to abide, for fear and trembling have violently crushed me. Beneath the ocean of Thy forgiveness, faced with the restlessness of the leviathan of glory, immerse me, for my sins have utterly doomed me.

Glory be to Thee! Glory be to Thee! How extreme is my evil plight! How great is the trembling of my heart! How intense is the burning of my being and the fire of my reality in the layers of my inmost self! I beseech Thee by Thy Word through which the throne of Thy mercy was set in motion, and the dove of Thy rapture warbled, and the souls of the detached ones cried out at the appearance of the sun of Thy loving-kindness, that Thou cut me off from all else but Thee, lest the sun of Thine eternity set from the cave of Thy oneness, and the lamp of Thine everlastingness be extinguished from the house of Thy Self-Subsistence. Yet this would not be a wonder among the signs of Thy power. Sufficient art Thou Thyself as a witness to what I say.

Therefore, bless the stars of the heavens of Thine eternity, and the leaves of the tree of Thy reality, and the breezes of the expanse of Thy Self-Subsistence, and the letters of the book of Thine everlastingness, and the words of the tablets of Thy creation, and the suns of the dawning-places of Thy vitality, and the moons of the rising-points of Thy essence, and the lightning of the clouds of Thy might, and the roses of the garden of Thine eternity, and the lights of the manifestation of the light of Thy countenance, and the shooting stars against the devils of Thy community, by all Thy modes and manifestations and beginnings and endings and strength and power, for in Thy hand is the kingdom of command and Thou art powerful over all things.

How can I mention, O my God, what hath touched me from the wonders of Thy overwhelming power and the brilliance of Thy might? Was I not a dove of Thy house, or an ant in the valley of Thy oneness, or a gnat from the desert of Thy Self-Subsistence, or a mosquito from the wilderness of Thine eternity? By Thy glory! My bones have dried up and my pillars have crumbled. If Thou forgivest me, verily Thou art the best of those who show mercy, and if Thou chastisest me, verily Thou art the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

And at that time, when I was prevented from the power of touch by what was decreed in the tablets of invincible glory, my soul departed from all directions lest it cause something Thou lovest not and I become one of the seditious. Thereby was I made an outcast in all lands and cast out among the servants, such that none could be found more grief-stricken than I in all the worlds. And I say: Praise be to Thee, for Thou art the Lord of all the worlds, and I call upon Thee with the cry of the distressed ones. Glory be to Thee! Glory be to Thee! above what the sincere ones say.

BH02134: In the Name of our Lord, the Most High…

In the Name of our Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted O My beloved! I have known what hath befallen thee and what hath been decreed for thy countenance, and have heard the secret melodies and spiritual lamentations behind the pavilions of thy heart, and am apprised of what hath descended upon thee and come to pass with thee, and have reckoned thy patience in God and thy tranquility in Him and thy steadfastness in His Cause.

Know thou that whatsoever hath been decreed for thee was only that thou mightest follow the friends of God in that which was ordained for them as the immutable practice of God—in the hardships and afflictions that touched them and that which none can reckon save God alone. And all this befell them only because of their detachment from the world and its ornaments and embellishments.

Know thou, furthermore, that were the world to possess any worth in the sight of God, He would not have surrendered it to its people, nor would His chosen ones have cast themselves into the hands of the wicked, to do with them as they pleased and visit upon them whatsoever they desired. Thus recognize thou the station of tribulation in the path of thy Lord.

By God! Were the veil to be lifted from the face of this Cause, thou wouldst witness the arrow of destiny and the spear of divine decree to be dearer in the sight of God than the hereafter and all that was before it, for through this the essence of detachment and the lights of creation appear, and spirits ascend to the canopy of eternity and the Divine Lote-Tree in the highest Paradise.

And thou, know thou the worth of that which God hath graciously bestowed upon thee and granted thee through His bounty, in that He caused to shine upon thee the lights of the morn of oneness and the wondrous manifestations of the dawn from the divine horizon, and exalted thee until thou didst walk upon the air and attain to that station wherein thou didst drink from the chalices of certitude and discover the essence of inner meanings in the garden of utterance, the pole of Paradise, and didst soar on two wings of love to the uttermost degrees of nearness and didst hear the glad-tidings of reunion from the realm of might and holiness, as if thou didst perceive the melodies of the Divine Essence from the Eternal Dove, whereby thou wert immersed in the lights of beauty and freed from the veils of glory, and didst arrive at the seats of spirit and rapture and attainment.

By thy life! Wert thou to don this shirt that hath been woven from the iron of words and the steel of allusions, thou wouldst be independent of all who are in the heavens and on earth, and of all that appeareth from the hearts of created things and the minds of abstract realities, and it would preserve thee from the darts of doubts and arrows of idle fancies, and from every tribulation and affliction, and from all that appeareth in the kingdom of creation and the realm below. Thus doth He preserve whom He willeth through His power, and verily He hath power over all things.

Therefore clothe with the silk of glorification whomsoever thou willest, then gather them unto the Cause, then inhale from this shirt the fragrance of attraction that it may draw thee to the precincts of holiness from the Lord of lords, that thou mayest be numbered among the people of the spirit in the Concourse of Manifestation, with glory mentioned, from the letter “H” after the letter “B.”

BH02137: O Name of God Sin! He is God…

O Name of God Sin! He is God, the Ever-Living, the All-Powerful, the Self-Subsisting! O Word of Love! I loved thee before there was a “before,” ere the heavens were created, or the earth inhabited, or the mountains raised up, or the rivers flowed, or the trees planted, or the fruits appeared.

And Adam was in the clay of love between the water and the light, and the spirits were walking in the air, and the holy temples were coursing through the heaven, and the souls were bewildered in the cloud, and this divine Youth was mounted upon the white cloud within the shadows of Beauty in the hiding-place of Glory, and in His hand was a pillar of light upon the temple of the Spirit.

And He passed by thee like lightning flashing from the clouds—nay, faster than that—while thou wert standing in the land of symbols, at Horeb of the Command, Mount Paran, Sinai of the limits, Seir of existence. When I passed by thee, I removed the veil from My face; thereupon the heavens and earth shone forth. And thou didst know Me after I had known thee, and thou didst witness Me after I had witnessed thee.

Then thou didst call to Me in the secret of thy heart and sought guidance from Me. Thereupon I took thy hand and raised thee to a station where thou didst hear the melodies of the birds moving in the unseen cloud beyond the pavilions of eternity at the axis of the sea of grandeur, the ocean of majesty. And I brought thee into the fortress of God, the Ever-Living, the Ancient King, after thou hadst believed in God, the Exalted, the Great.

Were it not for Him, we would not have known the paths of guidance, and were it not for Him, we would not have reached this divine and goodly City. Therefore we thank God for what He hath given us through His bounty and honored us through His favor. Verily, He is the King, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

And after this, I have read what was sent from thee and understood what thou didst indicate in thy words, and I have answered thee now with the most excellent composition possible, that the birds of love may stir in thy breast and the cockrel of divine identity may move in thy heart, and bring thee to a station where thou wilt not be able to remain still in thy love or patient in thy station, and thou wilt be a wayfarer unto God in thy inmost self and an emigrant unto Him in thy being, that thou mayest reach the ultimate goal in the heaven of radiance and be among those who dwell therein.

And as for what thou didst write and mention regarding the loved ones who have believed in God and His signs, We have heard their mention and their call, and We have known their condition. Therefore clothe them, both men and women, in silken garments from the pure substance of “God is Most Great,” and give them glad tidings of the light of God, the Pre-existent, the Ever-Living, the Ancient. Verily, He will reward them with the most excellent reward and will assist them with the light as He willeth. Verily, He is, in truth, powerful over all things.

And as for what thou didst write regarding the transgression of the servants and their rebellion against the bounds of God and their turning away from what was ordained in the Book, write for them a tract on the laws and send it to them, that they may remember and not transgress the bounds of God.

And the light be upon thee and with thee and for thee and from thee and upon those who follow thee in the Cause of thy Lord, which was sent down from the “H” after the “B.”

BH02187: Praise be unto God Who hath laid, within…

Praise be unto God Who hath laid, within the cradle of sorrow, the mystery of faithfulness, and hath caused me to warble wondrous melodies upon the boughs of the Tree of Tuba. He hath given me utterance in verses of attraction before the countenance of Baha, that all may know that He is the Well-Beloved in earth and heaven, and that He encompasseth all things.

And praise be unto God Who hath hidden me, clothed in garments of light, upon the Mount of radiance; Who hath honoured me from the horizon of Tur in the kingdom of cloud; Who hath drawn me by the calls of attraction in the land of creation, that all may be assured that He is the Friend in the realm of names, and that He is the Reckoner of all things.

And praise be unto God Who hath brought me forth from that land through the revelation of His most great loving-kindness; Who hath graced me among the servants with ornaments of splendour; Who hath delivered me from that house through the dawning of the clouds, that all may bear witness that He is my Lord in the inmost recesses of the mystery of eternity, and that He is Witness over all things.

O letter of Fa’, and its glorious countenance, and its kingdomly attraction! Hearken unto My call, if thou art of them that hear.

Know thou that I have borne witness to that which thou hast adorned in the Book, if thou art of them that testify. I have caused to distil upon thee, from the innermost mysteries of faithfulness, upon the former scrolls, if thou art of the believers.

Give thanks unto thy Lord—there is none other God but He—if thou art of the thankful. Be patient under that which hath been poured out upon thee from the surging billows of the ocean of decree, if thou art of the steadfast. Conceal thy countenance from the gaze of the idolaters, if thou art of them that veil. Guard thou the Cause from every side, that sedition may not arise, if thou art of them that preserve. Prostrate thyself before the countenance of thy Lord—there is none other God but He—if thou art of them that worship. Verily, the light of thy Lord hath filled the pillars of all things, if thou art of them that are sanctified.

He it is Who bestoweth upon whomsoever He willeth through His bounty; and He is the Giver of attractions. He is the Truth; there is none other God but He; and He is the Bestower of melodies. Glorified be He Who draweth the hearts of the chosen by strains and harmonies!

Do thou remember, every day, and say:

O God! Verily Thou art the King of kings. Have mercy upon him who is possessed, the Sovereign of deliverance, the Remover of doubts, the Guide of Thy servants in the paths of right conduct. In Thy hand is the rein of the ships: Thou drawest nigh whomsoever Thou willest, and Thou removest afar whomsoever Thou willest; Thou joinest whomsoever Thou pleasest, and Thou separatest whomsoever Thou pleasest; Thou exaltest whomsoever Thou desirest, and Thou abasest whomsoever Thou desirest. In Thy hand is the Kingdom of the dominion of all things, and Thou art powerful to do whatsoever Thou willest.

O Lord! Send down Thy blessings upon the steadfast, the vigilant, the preservers.

BH02211: It is known that this servant has always been…

It is known that this servant has always been embarrassed before you, and never has anything worthy materialized that would allow me to manifest my inner love through outward expressions. Today a cloak became available and was sent with a thousand thousand regrets—until later what God wills. God willing, may you adorn your noble form with this dark garment. The water of life, if in darkness, is more beloved, as it has been and is, so that the neighbor knows not and the table-companion understands not, and the envious one is at peace and the envied one remains concealed. As for the rest, you must strongly urge his honor Mirza Muhammad Hadi—may God illumine his countenance—to remain preserved from the attributes and tongue of those people, meaning his speech should remain preserved from the accent [of Beg] and others, and in writing and knowledge they should certainly strive.

BH02233: In the Name of the Lord, the Mighty…

In the Name of the Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful! This is a Book from the Tree of the Spirit unto him who hath believed in God, then was guided, and heard the Call of God from beyond the Crimson Sea at the Furthermost Lote-Tree.

O servant! Rejoice within thyself at what We have announced unto thee in truth in the dwellings of piety, and determine therein what none in the kingdom hath witnessed nor seen. Thou shalt witness what God hath promised thee in the Garden of Refuge, and find therein what no hearts of the possessors of understanding can know.

Say: O people! Deprive not yourselves of that which is good for you from the kingdom of the hereafter and of the former time. Know ye the value of these days, then hasten to the station wherein hath appeared the Most Great Sign of God from the light of God, the Most High, the Most Exalted.

Say: By God! This indeed is the Supreme Prospect which hath been described in all the Tablets and in what was revealed unto Abraham and Moses. And this verily is the good which none have understood save those possessed of insight who, when they heard the Call of God, responded with their words “Yea!” These are they upon whom are blessings from their Lord and who are among the followers of guidance.

Therefore look thou upon thy station in what God showed thee in thy sleep from the stories of former times, that thou mayest know what We have unveiled for thee from the mysteries of eternity that lay concealed beneath the veils of destiny—that which was hidden and concealed.

Say: Verily He possesseth a vision that seeketh, and before Him walketh the light of Oneness which kindleth and shineth, whereby are guided those who dwell in the most exalted paradise, and whereby go astray those who dwell in the sanctuary. And this is what was inscribed in the scrolls of the Spirit at the Furthermost Tree, and this is what the Most Exalted Pen and the Spirit have set down.

And peace be upon thee and upon those who have soared in the atmosphere of nearness, then were guided. And fire be upon him who denied God, then was wretched and turned away from the path of justice, then transgressed and was among those who went astray and erred.

O beloved! Announce unto the servants of God the Most Exalted Word of God which the Spirit hath revealed once again and which the Mighty in Command hath sent forth from the heaven of power, that He may teach you the ways of Paradise and guide you to the pavilions of the Most Glorious.

Say: Verily it hath shone forth from the horizon of dawn like the sun in the midst of morning, that it may draw you nigh unto God and be a remembrance for you. Therefore hearken unto what is revealed unto thee from what hath been inscribed of the divine decrees upon tablets of ruby by the Most Sweet Fingers, that it may deliver thee from the ornaments of the kingdom and attract thee to the stations of the Spirit in the most faithful homeland.

Well is it with him who hath heard the Word and submitted to the Word of God, and his eyes overflow with tears; then he hearkeneth and his heart is set ablaze with the fire of love, then doth it surge.

And this is what the Pen of the servant hath inscribed in this eternal and most glorious Tablet which God hath named with the letter “S” after “H” in the Kingdom of Names. And peace be upon thee and upon him who hath attained the presence of the Day that cometh with truth, wherein the All-Merciful is established upon the throne.

BH02293: O brother of the late Rahim! He…

O brother of the late Rahim! He is the Most Exalted, the Most High!

This is a letter from this servant to him who hath been guided by the lights of guidance and who hath taken fast hold of the protection of God, the King, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Self-Subsisting, that the breezes of love may waft over the gardens of his heart and draw him nigh unto the holy paradise of the Beloved. Say: O people! Arise to establish the Cause of God and follow not your desires if ye be them that move within the shadow of the Cause. Fear ye God, then shun the grievous sins and desist from that which ye have been forbidden. Fear ye God and tread not the paths of vain hopes if ye be them that walk in the ways of holiness.

Say: O people! Be not divided regarding the verses of God which have been sent down unto you in truth, but hold fast unto the cord of God—and this is of His cord—if ye would ponder within yourselves. He it is Who hath caused the sun to shine through His power and the moon to beam with His light and hath made the rivers to flow as a bounty from His presence, that ye may gaze upon the signs of God’s mercy and be grateful unto Him at all times, then place your trust in Him in all affairs. Thus do We expound the verses unto you and remind you of the truth that ye may draw nigh unto the precincts of nearness.

Say: O people! This one is a servant of God and His attendant in the kingdom who desireth naught save your betterment, as honored servants bear witness. Therefore arise from the couch of heedlessness and aid him with your hearts, your souls, your spirits, your bodies and with all that hath been ordained for you, if ye wish to be of them that render aid. And if ye aid him not, know then that He will aid His own Self through His Being and will raise up His Cause through the truth—and this is a matter which all the worlds are powerless to comprehend.

Say: O people! Consider the generations of the past and what befell them, though they were mightier than you in strength, greater than you in glory, and more exalted than you in station. All of them went to their places and were buried with their deeds and returned to dust as they began the first time—and this is the evident truth. And ye shall return unto them and shall be questioned concerning what your hands have wrought and what your ears have heard and your eyes have beheld, and all that ye did in the vain life. This hath been inscribed in truth upon the preserved tablets of glory. Therefore fear ye God, then return regarding that wherein ye were remiss, then take counsel from what We have counseled you, that ye may attain unto what God hath desired for you. And glory be upon you and upon them who have been illumined by the lights of the countenance and were among those who entered the precincts of glory. 152

God willing, move forward in all matters relying upon God and admit no sorrow to yourself. They have ascended to stations that no description can approach. In this case you must be joyful and carry out those things which after their ascension bring joy to their spirit. And peace be upon whoever followeth guidance. The messenger arrived.

BH02491: Thou knowest, O my God, that my heart hath…

He is the Living, the Beloved One!

Thou knowest, O my God, that my heart hath melted, my liver hath boiled, my spirit hath cried out, my inner being hath groaned, the candle of my self hath been exposed, the lamp of my oneness hath departed, the light of my essence hath wailed, and the radiance of my being hath called out “Where, where art Thou, O Forgiver of sins, O Shelter of the fearful, O Physician of the hearts of them that long for Thee!”

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Why dost Thou not take my spirit, after I desire not to remain in this realm for a single day? And why dost Thou not seize my inner being, after I love not to exist less than a moment, and after Thou hast ordained no one to be a companion unto this servant? If this be the recompense for my misdeeds, where then are the wonders of Thy mercy? And if all this be the fruit of my sins, where are the effulgences of Thy tenderness and the manifestations of Thy forgiveness?

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! Doth it befit One like Thee, the Lord, to banish Baha, or doth it beseem One like Thee, the All-Powerful, to reject faithfulness? No, by Thy presence! Thou art in truth the Forgiver, and we are all repentant unto Thee. Thou art the Bestower through grace, and we all return unto Thee.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee, O my God, my Beloved, my Master, and my Radiance! How can I remember Thee with a weary tongue, an ailing body, an abject frame, a grieving heart, and a slain soul, after Thou hast banished me from all directions? And how can I not remember Thee after Thou hast taught me the ways of verses? Whenever I desire to remember Thee with the sovereignty of Thy remembrance, Thou makest known unto me in that very moment that Thou didst remember me before my remembrance of Thee. And whenever I turn toward the King of Thy description, Thou remindest me that Thou didst describe me before my description of Thee. And this is truth like unto Thy very existence, wherein there is no doubt.

By Thy glory, O my God! Were it not for Thy lordship remembering me, I would not exist to remember Thee. And were it not for the light of Thy description, I would not remain visible to describe Thee. Glory be unto Thee, O my God! If these attributes be not the very essence of Thy description, how then can they ascend unto the heavens of Thine eternity? And if these remembrances be not a mystery of Thy remembrance, how then can they mount unto the lights of Thy unity?

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! None hath known Thee save Thee, and none hath described Thee save Thee. When I became certain of this and knew this, then did I remember Thee with the sovereignty of Thy remembrance, and describe Thee with the dominion of Thy description, and sanctify Thee with the modes of Thy sanctity, and glorify Thee with the wonders of Thy intimacy, and I say: Glory be unto Thee! I am surely among the penitent, for how can one who findeth but a letter of Thy creation know the countenance of Thine eternity or describe the face of Thy unity? Glory be unto Thee! I am surely among them that seek forgiveness. And I say: All praise be unto Thee, for He is the Most Merciful of the merciful ones.

BH02541: Glorified art Thou, O my God! This is Thy…

He is the Ever-Living, the All-Forgiving, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Bountiful!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! This is Thy servant who turned away from him who turned away from Thee, who denied Thy signs, who turned his back upon Thy beauty, who was heedless of Thy remembrance, who associated partners with Thy countenance, who occupied himself with other than Thee, who turned away from Thy Self and Thy will, and who turned to the desires of his own self and his own will, until he ascended to the heaven of heedlessness and forgetfulness, and rose in his denial to a station which none among the people of infidelity and rebellion could ever attain, such that the matter became confused to those who believed in Thee and in Thy mighty signs and who turned toward the fields of nearness in the pavilion of eternity.

And when Thou didst reckon their deeds and what their hands had wrought, the oceans of Thy mercy and the wonders of Thy bountiful grace were stirred, whereby Thou didst remove the veil from their faces that they might know the paths of guidance from perdition and felicity from error, that they might perceive Thy Cause and ascend to the heaven of Thy oneness and follow Thee in the temple of Thy eternity, that Thou mightest bring forth Thy servants from darkness into light and give them glad-tidings through Thy signs and guide them to the beauty of Thy holiness.

Then, when the sun of Thy loving-kindness and the splendors of the lights of Thy merciful grace shone forth, and the decree of execution by the sovereign of Thy judgment became manifest, some among them gained insight into what Thou hadst taught them of the ways of Thy Cause and the paths of Thy good-pleasure, including this one who hath returned unto Thee and taken refuge in the sanctuary of Thy guidance and come before the law of Thy forgiveness and turned toward the garden of Thy holy loving-kindness and held fast to the cords of Thine eternity and clung to the hem of Thy pardon and grace.

And verily, O my God, I know naught save what I have read in his letter and discovered of the secrets contained therein, and recognized from the hidden things of his heart, as though I heard the cry of his heart and the lamentation of his innermost being and the anxiety of his soul and the agitation of his self and the sorrow of his spirit, whereby I grieved at his grief and trembled at his agitation and wept with the eyes of my inner being for what befell him in Thy days. Therefore did the heavens and all that is therein, and the earth and all that is thereon, weep. For Thou, O my God, knowest better than I whether in his heart there was love for Thy beauty and passion for Thy Being and yearning for Thine Essence.

Therefore forgive him, then have mercy upon him, then conceal his sins and errors from first to last, then pardon him and turn unto him in forgiveness, then clothe him with the garments of Thy bounty and the robe of Thy forgiveness and the shirt of Thy pardon, then raise him to a station wherein he may circle round Thy Being and visit the sanctuary of Thy grandeur and circumambulate the house of Thy beauty. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Merciful.

BH02586: O thou who art journeying to the pavilion…

He is

O thou who art journeying to the pavilion of the Bayan, ascending to the Kingdom of certitude, dwelling in the paradise of good-pleasure, and known by the name of the Sultan! Bear thou witness that We have desired for thee and those around thee naught except that ye should detach yourselves unto God, ascend unto Him and put your trust in Him, in such wise that the veils of limitations prevent you not from beholding the lights of the morn from the dayspring of the Divine Unity, that worldly affairs occupy you not from entering the sanctuary of the Divine Essence, and that allusions hinder you not from reaching the ocean of Names and Attributes.

Nevertheless, days have passed and We have heard from none of the loved ones of any ascent to the throne of eternity, nor have We perceived from them any fragrance of faithfulness from the breezes wafting from the garment of grandeur. Therefore have I taken up the Pen to mention unto them that which will turn them to the right hand of eternity and sanctify them from whatsoever of the conditions of nothingness hath encompassed them.

Hear thou My words, then mention unto them that whereon the decree of divine destiny hath been pronounced in this white scroll, then recite unto them what this Nightingale of the Divine Cloud hath warbled in the atmosphere of this heaven, that they may ascend through their love, detach themselves from their own selves, and turn to their seats and ascents in what God hath ordained for them and upon them. Perchance they will be attracted by this melody whereby were attracted the spirits of the near ones among the dwellers of the paradise of the most high, and will journey from the worlds of fancy to the sanctuaries of holiness, and will migrate from the abodes of limitations to the treasuries of eternity, that they may arrive at the stream of nearness and attainment and alight upon the shore of the sea of attraction and beauty.

And thou, remind them of what We have cast upon thee, then clothe them with the silk of glorification from Us, and remind them of the days of God in Our days. Then know thou that We command them at this time to follow thee in thy word concerning the matter of the garden and other things, and not to oppose thee in anything. Then remove ye the differences between them and gather ye together upon a single matter, such that ye may soar in a single heaven and walk upon a single earth and sit upon a single carpet and eat of a single bounty until their spirits and their light and their bodies and their forms become a single spirit and a single thing, and no separation appeareth between them save in what God hath ordained in the Book.

This is God’s decree in what hath been sent down from His presence, and it is not for Us to change a single letter thereof. Verily there is no God but Him, we are all His servants and all are fearful of His awe. And peace be upon thee.

BH02622: O my God and my Beloved! I know not…

In the name of Him Who is the Self-Subsisting, the Most Holy, the Ever-Living, the Most Exalted!

O my God and my Beloved! I know not with what tongue to raise the banners of Thy remembrance and unfurl the standards of Thy glory, for I behold my being and all that was ordained and created therein as naught before a single sign of the signs of Thy sovereign might, and as non-existent before a glimmer of the lights of the fire of Thine eternity. If I seal the gates of remembrance upon my heart, by Thy glory, it is instantly set aflame by the fire of Thy love which Thou hast deposited in my inmost being. And if I open the gates of praise upon my heart, I fear lest the pen wrest the reins of restraint from my hand and flow with that which Thy loved ones cannot bear and Thy chosen ones cannot sustain, whereupon discord would arise among them and hatred appear in their midst, such that they would disperse from around Thee and oppose Thy servant.

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having sprinkled upon my heart the outpourings of servitude unto Thee and the manifestations of attraction to Thy service, to such extent that were there to appear unto me from the Manifestations of Thy holy Lordship and the Daysprings of Thy glorious Divinity that which would delight my being, my self would find no rest nor my reality any tranquility nor my identity any peace except that I enter beneath Thy shadow and repose in Thy presence, and worship Thee in my love for Thee, and seek Thee as Thou deservest while being heedless of all else besides Thee. For the Beloved is he who loveth Thee, and the Intended One he who intendeth Thee, and the Worshipped One he who worshippeth Thee, and the Praised One he who turneth unto Thee, and the deprived one he who turneth away from Thee, and the rejected one he who is occupied with other than Thee, and the outcast he who departeth from Thy shadow and dwelleth not in Thy presence.

Glorified art Thou, glorified art Thou! I beseech Thee by Thy hidden mystery and by Thy manifest Name to make us among those who are detached unto Thee and who seek recourse to Thee, who flee from all else besides Thee and repair unto Thee, who find intimacy with Thy beauty and turn toward the arenas of Thy reunion, who hasten to Thy connection and meeting. Then inspire, O my God, the hearts of Thy loved ones with the signs of Thy love and love for Thy servants. Then remove hatred from among them that they may unite upon the word of Thy singleness within the temple of Thy oneness, such that they dwell only in Thy remembrance, turn only to Thy face, draw near only through Thy good-pleasure, and speak only by Thy leave, that they may become as one soul and one name and one form in the earth. Verily, Thou art He Who manifesteth whatsoever He willeth through His Will, and confirmeth whatsoever He desireth through His Purpose, and decreeth whatsoever He pleaseth through His Decree and the sovereignty of His Command. And verily, Thou art the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the Beloved, He Who hath descended from the Ha after the Ba.

BH11878: O thou who walkest in the path of love…

O thou who walkest in the path of love and drinketh from the cup of mercy! Know that thy letter hath reached Us, and We have understood the signs of thy love and the expressions of thy sincerity contained therein. We have become aware of thy state and how the fire of longing hath seized thee and how thou art consumed by the days of separation from the presence of thy Beloved, even though He is with thee at all times. If thou seest Him, then blessed art thou, and if thou seest Him not, verily He seeth thee. If thou knowest Him, thine eyes are gladdened, and if thou knowest Him not, yet He knoweth thee in thy turning and thy resting-place, and He is never heedless of thee nor will He forget thee. He heareth thy cry and thy whispered prayer.

As to what thou hast mentioned concerning niyaz (offering), know thou that thy niyaz is thy love for the lights of Beauty, thy arrival at the shore of the ocean of Glory, and the purification of thyself from all idle talk concerning that which proceedeth from the people of Glory, that the holy breezes may waft over thee and bring thee to the sanctuary of Oneness, where thou mayest find the fragrance of love from the garment of the Self-Subsisting One. This is the essence of niyaz for everyone who hath attained and entered these gardens. Apart from what We have mentioned, nothing will avail, even if all who are in the heavens and on earth were filled with red gold and white silver.

And all that thou hast heard concerning niyaz in the principles of the chosen ones was naught but for the manifestation of the love of the Beloved towards the lover, and the appearance of the sincerity of the lover towards the Beloved, that the severance of the servant towards his Lord and his following of Him in his life to come and in this world might become evident. Otherwise, they are sanctified from the world and its ornaments and its adornments, and are purified from all that pertaineth unto it and is ordained therein, for they soar in the atmosphere of holiness and dwell in the pavilions of the spirit. The accidental circumstances do not seize them, nor do the limited hearts in the realms of earthly dominion comprehend them.

Therefore, immerse thyself in this ocean which hath flowed from the direction of the ink that thou mayest find the fragrances of love and become aware of the mysteries of love in the beginning and the return. Then know that We have accepted from thee thy niyaz and have found in thy supplications that which is not befitting to mention. We beseech God to provide thee with the wine of immortality which hath gushed forth from the springs of glory, that its intoxication may attract thee and its stupor may seize thee—and this is an intoxication that will never pass away nor change eternally.

The one drunk with wine awakens from the west wind, But the one drunk with Truth awakens not even from the trumpet of resurrection.

BH02780: Glorified art Thou, O my God! I bear witness…

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I bear witness at this moment—and so too doth everyone who circleth round Thy most great Throne, and the dwellers of the all-highest realm upon whom have been showered the splendors of the Ancient of Days, and then Thy most beautiful names, and the temples of Thy glory who dwell in the City of Eternity—that we all believe in Thy signs and seek shelter beneath the tree of Thy loving care and repose in the cradle of Thy mercy and loving-kindness, dwelling on the shore of the glory of Thy oneness and turning toward the temples of the glory of Thy identity, and that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the Exalted, the Most High.

Then do I bear witness at this moment, in this Home of Peace near unto Thee and this City wherein have shone forth the lights of Thy countenance, that this is Thy servant whom Thou didst create by Thy will and sustain by Thy desire, and for whom Thou didst ordain whatsoever flowed from the Pen of Thy decree upon the tablet of Thy judgment, and whom Thou didst nourish with the fruits Thou didst create by Thy power and bring forth from the branches of the Tree of Thy loving care, and whom Thou didst feed with the choicest fruits in the lands of Thy creation and gave to drink of the sweet waters from the rivers of the holy paradise of Thy mercy.

Yet after all this, and after Thou didst honor him through Thy generosity and favor him through Thy beneficence, he remained heedless of rendering thanks to Thee and negligent of the beauty of the glory of Thy sovereignty, to such extent that he turned not to the most exalted cities beneath the shadow of Thy most exalted Name. And he remained thus until his days reached the end Thou hadst ordained for him, whereupon his tongue grew heavy and his eyes grew dim and his ears grew deaf and his feet grew weak and his hands were stayed from movement. And then he returned to his place in the dust, to a house where none would visit him again and no soul would accompany him and no companion would befriend him and no merciful one would show him mercy and no lamp would illuminate him.

And we all do now, with his tongue, acknowledge this and confess Thy loving care which preceded him through Thy grace. But I beseech Thee, O my God and my Lord and my Beloved, since Thou hast related him to those servants whom Thou hast related to Thyself—I beseech Thee by them and by the lights of Thy most splendid countenance and by Thy greatest signs and by the holy manifestations in the temples of eternity, that Thou forgive him and remit his misdeeds, then accept from him what he failed to do in Thy days, then pardon what he failed to do when Thy lights were revealed, then cause him to dwell beneath the shadow of Thy loving care in the garden whose breadth Thou hast made as the breadth of Thy heavens and Thy earth. Verily, Thou art powerful over that, omnipotent.

BH02781: Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! O…

Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! O my God! Verily, this is Thy servant who hath been carried away by the heat of Thy love and the transports of Thy devotion, and upon whom have wafted the breaths of Thy holiness and the melodies of Thy spirit. Such was the exultation at Thy beauty, and the ecstasy at Thy glory, engendered in his heart that he became detached from all things and from the suggestions of all people; until he journeyed through Thee unto Thee, and emigrated from Thee even unto Thyself. The way was barred until he entered the paths of Thy loving-kindness. It was as though he walked in his own person, so great was his yearning to meet Thee; that he might arrive at the gate of the City of Thy Oneness, and attain the glorious seats of Thine Eternity.

At length he stood before the Tabernacles of Thine Exaltation and the Canopy of Thy Majesty in the Habitation of Holiness in the shelter of the Sanctuary of Thy Grandeur, the Garden of Thy Beauty and the City of Thy Guidance; and attained, through that surpassing honour and superlative distinction, unto a state wherein the cord of his servitude was strengthened by the fibre of Thy Lordship, and the lamp of his poverty was kindled by the wicks of Thy riches. Thereupon he entered into the depths of the oceans of the Divine Essence before the surging of the Verses of Thy glorious sovereignty. Unto Thee be praise, therefore, O my God, for whatsoever Thou hast bestowed upon him by Thy bounty, and honoured him withal by Thy power; and unto Thee be thanks for all Thou hast sustained him withal of the gems of hidden favours, and the wonders of his treasured mercy, which have come to fruition upon the trees of love in the inmost realities of hearts.

I ask Thee, then, O my God, to cause him to hearken unto the call of this Firebird in this Abha Paradise, that with his whole being he may come forth for the sake of establishing Thy victory in the kingdom of Thy creation and in the dominion of Thy glory; and that his spirit may be purified from all that hath not been ordained by Thy decree, nor enjoyeth the sanction of Thy good pleasure: forasmuch as Thou holdest in Thy hands the reins of all things. Thou, verily, art the Revealer of the Revelation, Who singest upon the supernal Light within the Sinaitic Tree; and Thou, indeed, hast power over all things.

Bless Thou, O Lord my God, Thy First Light whereby the spirits of Thy sacred eternality have soared aloft; and bless Thou moreover Thy Mansion that moveth upon the air in the very axis of the sun, the centre of Thine appointment at Thy pleasure by Thy decree; and all those that guide thereunto in the lofty heights of eternity, and in the bowers of the invisible realm. Thou, truly, art the Ordainer, the All-Compelling, the All-Conquering, the All-Knowing, the Ever-Living, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Powerful, the All-Informed. Array then with a robe of blessing woven of the cotton of immortality the temple of him who is thy brother in the world of being; and convey from me to him a salutation from the pages of fidelity; likewise to all that are about thee of the people of guidance.

BH02831: In the name of Mim, He is the Most…

In the name of Mim, He is the Most Exalted in the Most Exalted Horizon! O Letter Mim! Hear My call and be not of the patient ones. Then bear witness within thyself that He is God, there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Powerful. He doeth what He willeth by His command and decreeth what He pleaseth. None can question what He doeth, and He is the Strong, the All-Knowing.

Know then that thy letter hath come before Us and We have examined what was therein, and We were among the witnesses. We beseech God to make thee steadfast in His Cause—this is better for thee than the kingdoms of the heavens and earths.

Then We counsel thee at this time, when the Bird of Immortality hath taken flight from the branch of Iraq and sought another branch through what the hands of the oppressors have wrought. Say: By God the Truth! This indeed is a youth who hath sacrificed his spirit for God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. Were he not mindful of the decree of the Book, he would have kissed the hands of his killer in the path of God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Powerful.

Say: Those who have understood the stations of the Cause from the Sovereign of might and glory will never fear anyone, even if all the hypocrites should gather against them. At all times they await tribulations out of love for their Ancient Lord, and they long for calamities as an infant longeth for its mother’s breast. God sufficeth as witness to what I say.

O people of the Bayan! Fear ye no one, for God hath power over you and causeth to flow upon you what He willeth. None besides Him hath any power over aught, and this is a certain truth. By God! If the loved ones of God knew what hath been ordained for them in the paradise of nearness and glory, they would sacrifice their souls and possessions at every moment. But they are veiled from this through their attention to the ornaments of earthly dominion, and therefore tribulations become difficult for them in the path of their Creator. This indeed is manifest heedlessness.

Therefore, O my God! Give them to drink of the wine of Thy grace and bounty, that they may not be occupied with aught but Thee nor desire anything besides Thee. This indeed is a mighty favor. Then make them steadfast in Thy love such that they turn not to those who move in the atmosphere of heedlessness and claim for themselves that which hath not been ordained for them from the presence of One Wise, All-Informed. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who remain firm in the Cause and in love.

BH02993: Glorified art Thou, O my God! I bear witness…

He is the Mighty, the Beautiful

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I bear witness before Thee and the Manifestations of Thy beauty that Thou hast eternally been sanctified above the description of all except Thee and wilt ever remain exalted beyond the praise of all besides Thee. All minds are bewildered by Thy knowledge, all souls are powerless to comprehend Thy essence, all hearts acknowledge Thy sovereignty, and all realities confess Thy power.

Yet how can anyone ascend unto Thee or any soul attain the summit of union with and presence before Thee? Nay, by Thy glory! All who claim to have reached Thee are but pretenders within themselves, and all who remember Thee are but confessors of their own limitations. For Thou canst not be known through aught else, that Thou mightest be mentioned through it, nor canst Thou be recognized by any matter, that Thou mightest be described by its remembrance. Glorified, glorified art Thou, O my God, above the essences of Thy servants’ praise! Glorified, glorified art Thou above the wonders of Thy creatures’ attributes!

But O my God and Beloved of my heart, since Thou hast clipped the wings of understanding from soaring in the atmosphere of Thy holy oneness and hast prevented the hearts of those endued with certitude from ascending to the heaven of Thy mighty identity, Thou hast ordained for Thy servants to turn unto the Daysprings of Thy Cause in the temples of Thy name, and hast made their turning unto them as turning unto Thee, and their gaze upon their beauty as gazing upon Thy beauty. And all this was naught but a token of Thy bounty and a manifestation of Thy grace and favor.

Thou hast ordained for them, O my God, a proof from Thee and an evidence from Thy presence, which is the revelation of Thy verses from the cloud of Thy mercy and the appearance of Thy signs from the heaven of Thy grandeur.

Since this is what hath appeared from the horizon of Thy wisdom, therefore I beseech Thee, O my God, by the Mirrors reflecting Thy beauty and the Daysprings manifesting Thy majesty, that Thou forgive those who have migrated in Thy path and journeyed from their homes to the wellspring of union with Thee, and who have detached themselves from all else to reach the city of Thy presence, until they attained unto Thy presence and stood before the sanctuary of Thy nearness and the Kaaba of Thy glory, and found intimacy with Thy beauty and heard Thy melodies. Then, O my God, deprive them not of the wonders of Thy hidden knowledge and the gems of Thy treasured wisdom. Moreover, O my Beloved, cause them to dwell in the precincts of Thy most great mercy, beneath the shadow of Thy Most Exalted Name, for verily Thou art the Ruler over whatsoever Thou willest, and verily Thou art the Mighty, the Generous.

BH03019: Lawh-i-Maryam 2

He is

O Maryam! Jesus the Spirit has ascended to the placeless realm. The cage of existence is emptied of the praised Bird. The ancient Nightingale has flown to the wilderness of nothingness, and the divine Songbird has burst into song upon the holy Tree. The pavilion of glory is rent asunder and the royal falcon has taken wing from the branch of delight. The lofty heavens have settled upon the dark earth and cries have risen from anguished hearts. Sweet water has turned to blood and the precincts of the exalted Paradise have become mingled with blood.

Yea, the luminous breasts of the friends are worthy of the shaft of the divine decree, and the necks of the lovers are eager for the noose of endless afflictions. Wherever there is an arrow, the breasts of dear ones it pierceth; and wherever there is grief, the hearts of companions it consumeth. The lover’s eyes must be wet, whereat the Beloved may coyly flash an amorous glance. If the lover crieth out a hundred words of grief, the Beloved but turneth more away. If thou desirest the sherbet of reunion, sacrifice thy body on the plane of nothingness; and if thou seekest the wine of surpassing Beauty, set foot in the vale of privation.

O Maryam! Give up sorrow to happiness, and dispel all grief from the cup of joy. If thou desirest to set foot on the path of search, be patient. Scratch not thy Dear One’s cheek and let loose not thy tears. Rather be composed. Clothe thyself with the garment of resignation, and quaff from the pure wine of contentment. Sell this world for a dirham and let thy heart be captive to the divine decree and thy soul tied to destiny.

Open the eye of admonition and remain chaste and faithful to the Friend that soon we may knock on the door of the hallowed Presence and enter the court of eternal communion, that we may hearken to Hijazi melodies coming from the ʿIraqi harp and become united with our Best Beloved, that we may speak together of the ineffable mysteries and behold what eyes cannot bear to see, that we may set the temple of the spirit to dancing with the music of light and prepare the banquet of joy in the sacred precinct of life, that we may seize the chalice of beauty from the effulgent cupbearer and drain the peerless wine in remembrance of the face of the All-Glorious.

Cleanse thine eyes from tears, sweep sorrow from the chamber of thy heart, set thy mind free from worry, and sing out with the sweetest of melodies. If one should bear a sword into the Beloved’s house, Let us bare our necks and leave the decree to God.

BH03078: O loved ones! Come ye, let us draw…

O loved ones! Come ye, let us draw from out the heart a sigh, and cast upon men’s souls a fire. Let us inquire of the hoopoe of the spirit the path that leadeth to the lane of the Beloved, that haply we may attain unto the court of holiness within His sacred precincts. Let us learn the canon of rapture and the mode of ecstasy from the nightingales of His rose-garden of sanctity, and receive the rite of burning and melting from the candle of His mystic chamber. Let us set upon the soul the brand of reunion with Him, even as the tulips of the holy garden bear their scarlet stain; let us gather the rose of our desire from the paradise of His intimacy; let us quaff the wine of His presence; let us strive within the sea of utter self-effacement; let us taste the madness of heaven and set aflame the very fabric of existence. Let us scatter our lives before His feet, and draw all hearts unto His street.

O ye intoxicated ones! The celestial minstrels have raised the strains of the Messiah; the servants of the feast of fellowship have become attuned to the ecstasies of the spirit; the divine cupbearers have opened wide the portals of the tavern of everlasting life, and with a single glance have ravished the hearts of the maids of heaven. In their hands they hold cups the color of fire, and at secret signs they stand rank on rank arrayed. The breeze of fidelity bloweth from the realm of eternity, and the fragrance of God wafteth from the city of splendor.

O ye whose hearts are wounded! The heavenly Physician hath come; from His ruby lip there arriveth a thousand remedies. That dawn of unseen praise, that countenance whereof there is no doubt, hath appeared. The breaths of Sinai stream from the throne of reunion. Spiritual melodies from the merciful throat, and divine effulgences with majesty and glory, descend.

To the poor there cometh glad tidings; to the abased there arriveth a sign; from the hidden treasure the verses of wealth pour forth. Rend, then, the veils of glory from heart and soul, that through them into this world the lights of splendor may stream.

O nightingales with longing sore, arise—the rose is nigh at hand; O fallen, drunken wanderers, behold the wine doth stir the land.

O Jacobs of the desert waste, long sundered in the grief of pain, The scent of Joseph’s robe from ʿIraq now breatheth life through soul and vein.

The quickening breaths that loose the bonds are lavished on the hearts of all, And merciful winds from holiness upon the world unceasing fall.

From out the hidden garden’s depth, from Sinai’s unseen orchard fair, The dawn-breeze of celestial meanings moveth through the trembling air.

BH03094: In this hour and time when this Bird took…

He is the Beloved in His wondrous beauty!

In this hour and time when this Bird took flight from the nest of silence and stillness to soar in the sacred atmosphere of divine melody, and all the oceans of the unseen silence are melted by the tune of the fire of love, and with spiritual wings It soars in the heavenly wilderness, and whatever is other than the Friend—even to marrow and skin—is reduced to absolute nothingness, that It may wing its flight in the holy atmosphere of “except,” and call out to all the lovers in the path of the Beloved, that all existence may become detached and return to the Source of existence, and offer heart and soul as gifts to the dust of the path of the Friend, and hear the melody of the nightingale of the soul in the branches of the placeless realm, and inhale the divine spirit from the right hand of oneness.

O thou who art sick with love! I swear by the lights of the countenance of the Desired One that if I were to catch the breeze of love from the Yemen of the Friend and be honored with a message from the spiritual Hoopoe that hath winged its flight from the divine Sheba, verily we would traverse all the horizons of the seen and unseen with a single step, that for one moment I might illumine the spiritual vision with the beauty of the Friend and attain the honor of visiting His countenance.

O nightingales of the garden of immortality! O songbirds of the rose-garden of faithfulness! While the rose of beauty blossoms in the garden of glory, strive ye to attain union with the rose and take shelter in the shade of the Friend, that ye may reach the divine tree and abide forever in the paradise of life, and become intoxicated with the wine of the Friend. And if ye become unconscious from this wine, verily ye shall forget all else save the Beloved, for this unconsciousness hath no destruction following it, and this intoxication no sobriety after it, even as some of the circumambulators of the Ka’bah of the Beloved have said:

“The one drunk with earthly wine becomes sober from the passing breeze, but the one drunk with Truth comes not to consciousness even by the trump of resurrection.”

A shirt from the spiritual Joseph was sent that it might clothe the form of that Jacob of love, that the eye of the soul might be illumined with light, and in the bath I mentioned it and they said to carry it out in whatever way is advisable—that same decree.

BH03288: O my God and my Lord! I call upon…

He is the Mighty, the Beauteous

O my God and my Lord! I call upon Thee now with that call which Thou didst inspire me with from the wonders of the bounty of Thy oneness and didst teach me from the essences of the grace of Thine eternity, for verily the call in its essence, were it not from Thee, could never reach Thee, could never appear before Thee, and could never ascend to the atmosphere of nearness unto Thee. And since Thou hast made this known to me, therefore it behooveth that Thou inspire me with that which befitteth Thyself and is worthy of Thy majesty, that the call of this lowly one may ascend to the heaven of Thy holy might, and the cry of this transient one may soar to the atmosphere of the glory of Thy permanence, and this poor one may wing his flight in the atmosphere of nearness to Thy riches. For other than Thee none can enter the realms of Thy description save through the keys of Thy mercy, and naught beside Thee can descend upon the shore of Thy knowledge save through Thy might and power.

Glorified, glorified art Thou, O my Best-Beloved! Thou art He Who hath ever been self-sufficient through the sovereignty of Thy Being and wilt ever remain sanctified through the sanctification of Thy Self. All the mystics confess their powerlessness to know the manifestations of Thy oneness, and all the eloquent ones acknowledge their poverty in attaining to the dawning-places of Thy singleness. By Thy might, O Thou my heart’s Desire! All the most eloquent ones are mute in describing Thy beauty, and all the learned ones are ignorant before the appearances of Thy knowledge and Thy glory.

Therefore I beseech Thee, O Thou Fire of the hearts of the lovers and O Thou Rapture of the breasts of the yearning ones, by Thy most beautiful names in the canopies of eternity, and by Thy spiritual lights in the Concourse on High, and by Thy Beloved through Whom were sealed the wonders of Thy names and through Whom were completed all Thy attributes in the Kingdom of Thy permanence, that Thou shut not the doors of Thy great mercy in our faces, and close not the gates of Thy supreme bounty upon our hearts. Then cause us to witness in all things the signs of Thy Lordship and the lights of Thine eternity, that through Thy power we may gather upon the carpet of Thy oneness and in the places of Thy glorification. Then make us, O my God, to walk in the ways of Thy good-pleasure and to be content at the descent of Thy decree, in such wise that we fear none save Thee and turn to none except Thee, for in Thy hands is the kingdom of all things and Thou art verily the Mighty, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Omnipotent.

BH11747: This is a Book from the servant to her…

He is the Ever-Living

This is a Book from the servant to her who hath believed in God her Lord and was among the devout ones inscribed in the Mother Book by the Ordainer of the heavens in truth. Know thou that I have perceived the fragrance of thy heart in thy love for thy Creator and have heard the cry of thy soul in thy following of thy Lord. It is as though I have numbered the secrets of thy heart from thy public and private utterances, and have grieved over thy state in such wise as none can reckon save God, my Lord and thy Lord. Yet I counsel thee not to grieve over what hath befallen thee of hardships from the vicissitudes of the world, for if time had any worth the people of eternity would not have forsaken it, nor would the possessors of understanding complain of it in the dominion of the heavens.

For by God, besides Whom there is none other God, this world and its ornaments and its glory and its people and all that thou beholdest therein are but as a fleeting shadow upon the earth, nay less than that, insomuch that in the sight of the dwellers of the heights and those who recline upon the cushions of recognition, it is not worthy of mention nor counted as existing.

Hearken thou unto My words: Fasten the cord of thy love to the sure handle and secure the rope of thy affection to the exalted pavilion, that thou mayest find the fragrance of eternity from the sanctuary of faithfulness and witness thyself turning toward the sanctuary of Beauty in the Kaaba of Glory through the orientation of thy heart unto God thy Creator. Then shall no distress overtake thee, nor shall any weariness touch thee, neither from hardship nor from adversity. Rather, these shall circle round about thee and serve thee in thy love for thy Creator. Well is it with thee shouldst thou drink from these waters, from this ocean which hath flowed forth at this time from the crimson cloud, for thou shalt find what none among the worlds hath found.

Therefore give thanks for the doors of inner meanings having been opened unto thee and the divine fragrance having wafted upon thee from this ancient scroll, that thou mayest follow thy Eternal Beloved in the garments of the Everlasting One and taste of the divine table in what hath been sent down unto thee from the Pen of Light upon this white tablet. Therefore place thy trust in God and rely upon Him, and verily He shall suffice thee against all who dwell on earth. And greetings be upon thee and upon His sincere servants.

BH03229: This is the mention of the Leaf of Eternity…

He is God, the Most High, the Most Exalted

This is the mention of the Leaf of Eternity in the Tree of Paradise. O Concourse on High, hearken! This is from the remembrance which bestoweth upon all things that which maketh them independent of all who are in the heavens and on earth, if ye be of them who remember this remembrance at all times. It casteth upon the people of the realm of eternity that which beseemeth them from the worlds of names, and bestoweth upon the people of Paradise that which draweth them nigh unto God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. It expendeth upon the people of the heavens from the glances of hidden rapture that which is concealed behind the pavilions of the Spirit in the sanctified veils, if ye but knew. This is that which summoneth the lovers unto the sublime heights of immortality in the garden of a glorious Beloved, and joineth them that know unto the shore of oneness, if ye be of them who understand. All this is from God’s grace upon you, O ye who are sincere.

This is what hath been ordained in the Tablets from the Pen from which floweth the fountain of life in a prescribed measure. God hath veiled it in the treasuries of protection and covered it with holy silk woven. Blessed is he who hath detached himself wholly unto God and hath answered Him in word, and hath attained unto that which God hath ordained for him in an inscribed tablet. This is from a grace which none in the kingdom hath preceded save they who walk in God’s good-pleasure.

And thou, O handmaiden of God, hearken unto that which the Dove of Holiness imparteth unto thee, then draw nigh with thy heart unto God, thy Lord. Grieve not over anything, for this is that whereby those brought nigh have attained. Forget not God’s favor in having chosen thee and purified thee from unbelief and provided thee with the fruits of the tree of love in a paradise of nearness witnessed. Then thank Him for this and for having guided thee unto a station yearned for by honored servants. Thus have We imparted unto thee the word of truth and inspired thee with that which will assure thy heart, that thou mayest be of those who hasten toward the direction of the Throne.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those women who remember their Lord at all times and upon whom the angels brought nigh do pray.

BH03244: Glorified be He Who hath sent down the Book…

He is the Mighty, the Beloved, the Most High, the Most Exalted!

Glorified be He Who hath sent down the Book in truth, wherein is detailed all things for people who know God through all that they were created with, and who find the breezes of holiness from the paradise that was created behind the pavilion of glory, and who turn not to anything nor concern themselves with any matter, and who at every moment soar on two wings of detachment in the atmosphere which was raised up in the name of God, and who are nourished at every instant with the purest fruits from the divine Tree, and thereby the flowers of knowledge spring forth from their illumined breasts, and this is from the grace which encompasseth them from all directions, and the promise was thereby fulfilled in truth.

And thou, O thou who art mentioned in the Tablet, know thou that We have witnessed thy letter and understood what was in it, and now We answer thee, by God’s leave, with an answer before which the comprehension of the mystics would prove powerless in its entirety, that thou mayest rejoice within thyself and that there may waft over thee breezes such that were but a breath thereof to blow upon thee, it would detach thee from all who are in the heavens and on earth and would make thee independent through the independence of thy Lord, that thou mayest be victorious through God’s help.

Say: O people! How long will ye follow the desires within yourselves and not follow Him Who calleth you unto God and turneth you toward a station which was witnessed in the most holy paradise? Say: The world and all that ye behold therein shall pass away, and ye shall return unto Him Who was in truth the Eternal Overseer of your spirits and your bodies. Then shall ye find for yourselves neither helper nor protector, and ye shall be called to account for what ye have wrought in the kingdom, and this is a matter which was preserved in the Tablet.

Say: By God! Nothing on earth shall profit you, and the days shall pass away like a vanishing shadow. Thus do We cast upon thee holy words and give thee glad tidings of an outspread paradise of glory, that thou mayest detach thyself from all else but God, thy Lord, and turn toward the shore of nearness to the Beloved.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who have entered beneath the shadow of God’s mercy and who have in truth drunk from the wine of oneness from the hand of loving-kindness.

BH11918: O Baqir! We have heard the tumult of your…

He is the Living One

O Baqir! We have heard the tumult of your heart and the cry of your inmost being, the trembling of your inner self and the agitation of your body, and We have answered you at this time with these words, that they may be a light unto you and a mercy unto all the worlds. Grieve not over anything, but place your trust in God and be not of them that despair. Verily, the mercy of your Lord has encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. He will take you unto Himself by His command. He is, in truth, your Guardian, and He knows the unseen in the heavens and earth, and knows what is in your heart.

He will ordain for you what has been decreed for you. Be patient and grieve not, for He will surely reward the patient. Bear witness now that you have believed in God and His signs, and have followed His loved ones, and have loved those who have believed in Him, and thus have you been numbered among them that are assured. God will exalt the stations of those who have feared Him and been patient for His sake, and will remember them even as We have remembered you at this time with most excellent and beauteous remembrance. Fear no one and [grieve not over anything]. Turn wholly unto God and place your complete trust in Him, and be not of them that fear.

Convey from Us the Word of Victory and give him glad tidings of a mercy from God and a great reward. There shall descend upon him that which will gladden his heart, that he may be of the God-fearing. Glorify him and remember him with the love that proceeds from God, the Mighty, the Luminous.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! This is he who has detached himself from his home, journeyed from his native land, and emigrated in Thy path, and has striven in Thy love until he reached the seat of Thy Self and the repository of Thy Beauty and the treasury of Thy Glory, and heard Thy melodies and beheld Thy lights, and visited the sanctuary of Thy presence and the Kaaba of Thy reunion, and thereby entered into the fortress of Thy care and the garden of Thy bounty. Shelter him, O my God, beneath the shade of Thy loving-kindness and in the city of Thy favor, and provide him with the fruits of the tree of Thy divinity, then cause him to return unto Thee, for Thou art, verily, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Beautiful.

BH03614: O thou apple of Mine eye! Come thou…

He is the Ever-Living

O thou apple of Mine eye! Come thou and draw nigh, that thine eyes may be solaced by My beauty. O My sister! Ascend unto the melodies of the Spirit from My mouth. O thou who art lost in love for Me! Walk thou in the paths of My love in quest of My beauty. O thou who art attracted to Me! Be not still, but hasten unto Me in thy longing for My presence. O thou My delight! Arise and say: I walk toward the goal of My hope, that I may drink the water of life from the springs of My paradise. O thou apple of Mine eye! Come thou and hasten, that thou mayest attain unto the pavilion of My reunion and enter the garden of paradise, My dwelling-place and habitation, that I may kiss thy mouth and thou mayest kiss Mine, and that I may find solace in thee and thou mayest find solace in My splendor.

O thou apple of Mine eye! Come thou forth that I may hear thy melodies and thou mayest hear Mine, and that thou mayest delight in the Hijazi melodies from this Iraqi youth. O My sister! Come thou forth that thou mayest walk before My face and in My presence. Arise, O apple of Mine eye, that thou mayest enter the arenas of My majesty, that I may smell the sweet fragrance from thee and thou mayest inhale the holy breaths from My locks.

And thou hast raised the standards of corruption and shown obstinacy among the servants. Therefore it behooveth thee to turn unto God and return unto Him, and verily He forgiveth whom He willeth through His grace. Then write upon thyself as God hath written upon it, such that thou movest not save by His leave, nor breathest save after His command, nor causeth corruption in the earth, that thou mayest be numbered among the people of the spirit, mentioned in holiness. Then know thou that We love thee and desire for thee what We desire for Ourselves, and this honor sufficeth thee that thou mayest be among the people of eternity, recorded with glory upon the Tablet of Light.

BH03675: Glorified be He Who has ordained all tribulations…

He is the Mighty, the Beautiful

Glorified be He Who has ordained all tribulations for His chosen servants, and this is His way with those who are near to Him. Say: In the descent of afflictions upon the righteous, and the burning of the hearts of the pure ones, and the exile of the friends from their homelands are signs for those who remember. Say: By God! The yearning of the loved ones for tribulations is like the yearning of the lover for the beloved, if you be of those who know. For they are mirrors of oneness and they tell of destiny between the heavens and the earth. Say: Die in your wrath, O people of hatred! God has raised us to a station which your hands and your spirits can never reach. Return then to your abode in the fire, O company of the deceivers!

Say: All affairs are in the grasp of God, the Supreme, the Powerful. Say: When you behold God’s chosen ones upon the dust of abasement, know with certainty that they are reposing upon the thrones of glory. By God! If their heads were to be raised upon spears, you would hear from their tongues the remembrance of God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Ancient, and would find from them the fragrance of musk—this is from God’s bounty upon them and upon His detached servants. Say: If they sacrifice a head in God’s path, God will surely give them a thousand heads in return—this is what has been ordained by God, the Mighty, the Generous. Say: God is the Powerful, the Triumphant, from Whose knowledge nothing escapes and Whom nothing can frustrate, and He encompasses all things.

God will soon raise up His Cause in truth and will waft the breezes of glory upon the oppressed, and the Bird of Unity will sing in the midst of heaven that this is the Day wherein God will assist His Cause. Die then in your wrath, O company of hypocrites! Thus does God bestow His bounty upon whomsoever He wishes and assists His believing servants. And I end with saying that He is God, there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Merciful.

BH03676: Glorified art Thou, O my God! These hands…

He is!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! These hands of mine I have raised up for the descent of Thy mercy, and these feet of mine I have planted before Thee, and this neck of mine I have made submissive to Thy sovereignty and humble before Thy divinity, and this tongue of mine I have caused to speak in Thy remembrance, and these eyes of mine I have opened to behold Thy beauty and observe the signs of Thy creative handiwork, and this gaze of mine I have directed to visit Thy countenance and the splendor of Thy presence, and this heart of mine I have filled with the sweetness of Thy love and the wonders of Thy knowledge and charged it with fear of Thee, and this liver of mine I have caused to be consumed with passion for Thee, and this inner being of mine I have stirred with longing for union with and meeting Thee, and these bowels of mine I have caused to drink of the essence of life from the cups of Thy love and the chalices of Thy grace, and this body of mine I have made to quiver at the signs of Thy holiness and the letters of Thy intimacy, and this will of mine I have bound with the cords of Thy will and fastened with the pegs of Thy desire, and this form of mine I have seated before Thee and made yearning for the conditions of Thy decree and the manifestations of Thy judgment, and this neck of mine I have extended toward the swords of Thy power and the spears of Thy might, for in Thy subjugation, O my God, lie hidden the treasuries of mercy, and therein are stored the repositories of glory.

Glorified, glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou hast broken the necks of those who would not submit to Thy divinity nor humble themselves before Thine eternity, and the pillars have been destroyed of those who would not fear Thy fear nor tremble at Thy might nor hope for all that Thou lovest for them from the effulgences of Thy grasp and the universality of Thy Cause.

Glorified, glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by Him Whom Thou hast made the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Source of Thy Being and the Repository of Thy glory, that Thou ignite us with the fire of Thy love and attract us through Thy light. Verily Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Bountiful.

BH03737: O Iskandar-i-Baqa! Hearken unto what the Spirit imparteth unto…

He is the Mighty, the Exalted

O Iskandar-i-Baqa! Hearken unto what the Spirit imparteth unto thee, then seek the paths of them that are detached, and put thy trust in God, thy Lord, in the hereafter and in this world. Fear thou no one, and be not of them that despair. God will bestow upon thee that which will satisfy thy soul, and will raise thee to a station that was in the precincts of a mighty sanctity, and will impart unto thee that which will make thee independent of all things, and will grant thee from His bounty that which will detach thee from the worlds. Say: O people! Fear ye God and follow not the ways of the corrupt ones, and follow the command of God in these days, and be not veiled from the purpose of God, and be ye among them that walk in the good-pleasure of the Spirit.

Thus doth God cast upon you the word of truth and inspire you with the verses of Paradise in a garden of nearness vast, whose earth was as the earth of the unseen unto the visible, and wherein were prepared from the lights of thy Lord, from the tree of this Mount on the shore of mighty glory, that all may be detached from their own selves and return unto the temple of resplendent holiness. Say: This is what the Spirit counseleth you from the pen of light from the finger of the Divine Identity upon an ancient tablet.

He is God. It is known that the favors of God are above all other blessings, and in the attainment of the servant to this exalted station, the loss of that which is below it of the ornaments and adornments of the world matters not, for the eyes of the lovers are illumined by divine favors and their hearts are at rest through the wondrous remembrance of Him. If thou attainest intimacy with God, thou wilt pass beyond the transient kingdom and find thy dwelling in the realm of rest, and thou wilt no longer see sorrow nor reckon grief. The Spirit be upon thee. Ever send news of thy condition and make mention of the word of victory with love.

BH03750: He is the Spirit, Who was witnessed…

He is the Spirit, Who was witnessed in the Pole of Eternity! O Letter of Nearness! Hearken unto the melodies of the Dove from the Divine Lote-Tree, and receive upon the spirits from the verses of thy Most Exalted Lord, which God hath raised above the canopy of mystical knowledge in a station that cannot be witnessed or seen, and hath manifested them from behind the veils in the heaven of supreme glory.

The sun hath shone with its light in the midst of morning, and everyone who hath believed in the Spirit and been guided turneth toward it, while every proud one who hath denied and become wretched turneth away from it. All who are in the heavens and beneath the earth cry out with that wherewith the Spirit hath called out in the midst of the atmosphere, in what He hath commanded and revealed.

Say: This is the land of eternity! Hearken then unto the verses of our Most Exalted Lord from this Most Sweet Mouth in this Most Great Scene, and take your portion in what descendeth and ascendeth. This is of the provision ordained for those who dwell in the eternal paradise of delight and have then ascended and attained unto the station of nearness above its lowest arc. Therefore say: Glorified be my Most Exalted Lord! This is what hath been sent down from the Most Exalted Pen for whosoever would remember and fear, and is drawn by the melodies of paradise near the Furthermost Tree.

Then the Spirit of Command descended yet another descent to cast upon the servants that which cannot be cast of the wisdom of eternity concerning what was concealed and hidden. Thus doth He send down verses upon whomsoever He willeth, and verily there is no God but He, and His is the command in the hereafter and the former times. He teacheth the servants from His resplendent, Most Glorious mysteries that people might hasten to the Kawthar of reunion in the refuges of piety and return to the homeland wherein none dieth nor liveth.

And the Spirit be upon those who have detached themselves unto God in the ascents of guidance, and the fire be upon whoso hath turned away and departed.

BH11755: This is the mention of the Leaf of Divine…

He is the Most Exalted, the Most High!

This is the mention of the Leaf of Divine Identity upon the shore of holiness, on the branches of the Lote-Tree of Paradise. O ye dwellers of the Throne! Hearken unto Me. He it is Who speaketh the truth and hath sent forth the Messengers of the Cause, that ye should worship none but God and then believe in His Beauty.

And among the people are those who follow their idle fancies and turn away from God, and are like unto them who worship idols and are devoted to them. And among the people are those who have detached themselves from all who are in the heavens and are not shaken by the trials of adversity, and are of them who hasten unto the dawning-places of light.

These are they through whose names the pavilions of Divine Identity were raised up and the mysteries of the Cause were revealed and the Dove warbled with wondrous hidden knowledge. Thus doth God exalt whom He pleaseth by His command and rewardeth those who are detached unto Him, and giveth them to drink at all times from a fountain which ye know not. And thereby He teacheth them the ways of righteousness and guideth them to the paths of guidance, and they ascend at every moment unto the heaven of knowledge while the angels of the spirit hover above their heads with chalices of light, moving about them in circles.

These are they who comprehend all knowledge from a single letter of the Book and take account of all things and see with the eye of God, did ye but know it. And God hath nourished them with the fruits of oneness and raised them from the couch of their hearts and made them to be of those who rejoice in the days of God.

Thus have We expounded for thee from the laws of them who are nigh unto God, that thou mayest drink therefrom and be of the souls who are suspended in the atmosphere of the spirit, and follow the path of right guidance in their ways, and be guided by the guidance of God, and be of those who turn their faces toward the resting-places of the spirit.

Say: O people! This is My path whereby We guide you, and We cast upon you holy counsels, if ye would be counselled. And glory be upon you and upon the sincere servants.

BH11879: Listen to the melodies of the Leaf of Eternity…

He is God!

Listen to the melodies of the Leaf of Eternity in the Lote-Tree of the utmost boundary and say with the accent of the Dove: “Glorified be my Lord, the Most High!” This is He Who remembers you to the glorious and most luminous homeland—say: “Glorified be my Lord, the Most High!” He speaks with truth and calls you to God, and this is naught but a revelation revealed—“Glorified be my Lord, the Most High!” He causes the mystics to ascend to the unseen realm of eternity while sending the ones who turn away to the lowest depths—“Glorified be my Lord, the Most High!”

Say: O servant, fear no one and place your trust in God in the Hereafter and in this world—“Glorified be my Lord, the Most High!” Lest the people of guidance object to you, and perhaps the ark of fire will sail upon the sea of piety—“Glorified be my Lord, the Most High!” And if anyone objects to you, do not grieve but return unto God, for unto Him is the return—“Glorified be my Lord, the Most High!”

Share with the people of the cloud what your Lord has given you in the Concourse on high—“Glorified be my Lord, the Most High!” That they may find the choicest fruits from the furthermost Tree—“Glorified be my Lord, the Most High!” And that those near to God may drink from this golden crimson cup from the eternal and most radiant Beauty of God—“Glorified be my Lord, the Most High!”

Say: Let not allusions veil you, nor words prevent you, from those who disbelieved and were most wretched, then turned away and transgressed—“Glorified be my Lord, the Most High!” Say: O people, fear God and do not transgress what has been ordained in the Tablet of Eternity by the spiritual Pen—“Glorified be my Lord, the Most High!”

Say: This is a servant of God who teaches you from the greatest mysteries—“Glorified be my Lord, the Most High!” And rewards you with the best reward from God, the Most High, the Most Exalted—“Glorified be my Lord, the Most High!” And in this Tablet He has ordained a drink of the Water of Life for the one who believes and is guided, and decreed from the zaqqum tree of darkness for the one who disbelieves and turns away—“Glorified be my Lord, the Most High!”

BH03925: This is a Tablet wherein all spirits are gathered…

This is a Tablet wherein all spirits are gathered in temples of hidden glory…

We moreover make mention of what thou didst mention regarding detachment from all that ye possess in the earthly realm. Say: Detachment lieth in what your hands acquire and in all whereby ye labor and strive for your livelihood, for this preserveth you from begging and protecteth you from helplessness and abasement in the presence of the assemblage of oppressors. This is the detachment that is mentioned in the earthly realm and which all are commanded to observe, that they may thereby be detached from turning to the fields of the abhorred one.

As for the detachment sought by the people of Paradise, who at all times beseech God their Creator—it is detachment from all save God and from all that ye know today. None shall attain to the knowledge thereof save those who soar in the atmosphere of nearness and then take shelter in the shadow of Beauty by God’s leave. This detachment preventeth no one from bearing what they must in seeking their livelihood. Thus do We cast upon thee verses of wisdom that thine eyes may overflow with tears for love of God, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

Know thou that the true meaning of detachment is naught but to attain unto that station wherein no impediment can hold you back and no censure of the censorious can deter you from the bounty of Him unto Whose court the denizens of Paradise do hasten. Know thou, moreover, that detachment hath degrees that cannot be described by the pen, and were but a single letter thereof to be revealed, all who are in the heavens and on earth would swoon away, save only those who stand before the Beauty of God. Therefore, sanctify thou the mirror of thy heart that it may reflect this detachment, and be of them that with their hearts are turned toward the shore of holiness.

As to what thou hast mentioned concerning martyrdom, know thou that it hath manifold degrees. We shall impart unto thee that which ye are able to understand. Among them is the station of thy bearing witness unto thy Lord, wherein thou beholdest Him standing over all things, and art among those who with feet of steel stand firm in the valley of steadfastness. Among them is the station of thy bearing witness in all created things, and this is what hath been recorded in preserved tablets of glory, and this is what was revealed aforetime unto Muhammad in the words “We shall show them Our signs in the horizons and in themselves”—if ye be of them that know.

Among them is thy presence before the Beauty and that which ye witness in His presence. Among them is the degree of martyrdom at the time when the Herald of the Spirit calleth out from behind the veils of holiness: “Arise to aid God, O ye sincere ones!” that ye may strive in the path of God until ye sacrifice yourselves in His love, finding in this the utmost delight from the core of your hearts.

BH03778: If thou art the Sun of the world, where…

He is the Living One

If thou art the Sun of the world, where is the radiance of thy joyous lights? And if thou art the Moon of paradise, where is the brilliance of thy sacred mysteries? And if thou art of the secluded maidens in the pavilions of divine unity, where is thy rapture and yearning? And if thou art of the countenance-bearers in the tabernacles of lordship, where is thy ecstasy and delight?

After all, every station must have its sign, and every rank must have its token. The musk of divine unity without its heart-attracting fragrances cannot be known, and the perfume from the Sheba of eternality without its heart-pleasing breezes can avail nothing. If form without meaning is desired, there are many Indian portraits, and in Baghdad their pages are sold in the auction market for less than a tenth of a dinar. But if meaning is sought and intended, it must have manifestation and appearance, that the north winds of the holy cloud-heaven might take their portion from the curling locks of hair, and the precious curls of mighty radiance might receive their share from the perfumed fragrance of its glory.

This is the station of abstract essences and holy realities. A parrot without speech appears less than a sparrow, and the sun without light and splendor is surely lower than an atom. Make straight the foot of love that thou mayest raise high the head of glory. Draw the pen of nothingness across the luminous tablet of the heart that thou mayest plant the banner of existence above the mountain of power.

But all this is from God’s grace, which He bestoweth upon whomsoever He willeth. Other than the pure existence hath no portion of this bounty, and none but the essence of souls hath any share from this fountain. And verily He is the Bestower of whatsoever He willeth upon whomsoever He willeth.

His honor Malihu’llah, without whose sweet salt the worlds of true existence have neither taste nor savor—may ye be greatly magnified with glorification.

BH03981: O Name of God, Fath, hear the call…

O Name of God, Fath, hear the call of Him Who summons thee in truth, and be not of the heedless ones. He it is Who sent forth the Messengers and revealed the Books, verily there is no God but He, the All-Compelling, the Almighty. He hath ordained in the Book the measures of all things according to a straight path, and gave His servants glad tidings of His presence on the Day of Resurrection, that all might attain certitude of His meeting and be numbered among the triumphant.

But when the Cause came and judgment was fulfilled and the Countenance appeared, then those who disbelieved turned away from Him and waxed proud, remaining behind a mighty veil. These are they who cast the Word of God behind their backs and contended with His loved ones and warred against His chosen ones, and were among those immersed in the ocean of heedlessness. Upon them shall be the vengeance of God, and He will torment them in a casket of fire and cause them to enter into the depths of hell.

Thus do We recount unto thee from the stories of truth, that thou mayest be steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord. And when We reveal unto thee the verses, fall prostrate upon the dust and be of those who bow down. And when thou art touched by grief or sorrow, seek the help of God and trust in Him, and be not of the perturbed. Verily He will aid thee with the hosts of the unseen and exalt thee through His Name and make mention of thee in the company of those on high, that thou mayest be gladdened within thyself to such degree that nothing in all creation can prevent thee, even should all the world rise up against thee.

This is what the Spirit hath revealed unto thee from the wonders of God’s Cause, that the melodies of Paradise may attract thee and bring thee into the precincts of thy Lord’s mercy, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who have arrived at the shore of eternity and were among the sincere ones.

BH03983: O thou Letter of Fidelity! Thy missive hath arrived…

O thou Letter of Fidelity! Thy missive hath arrived before Us; I am cognizant of all thou didst write therein; and We have accepted thine expressions of love for God, for the Manifestations of His Self, and the Mirrors of His Being. Erelong shall God requite thee with a most excellent reward from Him, and shall cause thy name to be recorded in the Book of the Spirit among the rightly guided. Even now doth He exhort thee with the counsels of eternity, and assist thee in words of holiness to grasp the essence of the Cause, that thou mayest inhale the fragrances of Paradise wafting from the Beauteous City, and abide with Divine honour in the Immortal Garden for evermore. Exercise discernment in thine affairs; defame no one; follow not thy passions; and place thy trust in God, thy Lord. Walk then upon the earth with a dignity born of God; shun those in whose hearts thou perceivest resentment towards God and His loved ones; and enter not into disputation with the unbelievers. Shouldst thou act as We have inspired thee, thou shalt discover on earth a prosperity vouchsafed of God; and in the world to come a yet goodlier station and more excellent estate.

Thus have We revealed unto thee the Word of Truth; taught thee the paths of guidance; and made known unto thee the ways of godliness, that thou mayest discern clearly the nature of the Cause. Say: O people! Fear God, and follow not the steps of demons. Believe ye all that God hath sent down unto you; then follow whatsoever this Servant imparteth unto you of the sweet melodies of eternity, that ye may be of them that champion the Cause in thronéd heights. Relate unto thy heart this vision touching all that We have unveiled to thee of the mysteries of destiny from beyond the Crimson City. Thus hath God’s sentence been irrevocably passed upon all people. Rejoice then in thy spirit inasmuch as We have answered thee, and made mention of thee, in this Tablet, and ordained for thee a great glad tidings on the part of God.

Revealed from the Ha’ after the Ba’.

BH04014: He is God! At this time when the heaven…

He is God! At this time when the heaven of divine power has been adorned with the moon of grandeur, and the holy cloud of the Ancient of Days has been embellished with the stars of loftiness, and the cloud of grace has rained down the showers of mercy from the invisible Identity, and the seas of zeal in exalted breasts have been stirred by the waves of generosity, this sorrowful dejected heart and this grief-stricken withered soul has taken up the pen of love to raise the banner of affection, that perchance a breeze may blow from the north of the Beloved’s Yemen, and that from that breeze the breezes of divine mercy and the precious gifts of lordly favor may arise and we may attain to the winds of the love of God, that perchance we may drink from the sweet flowing waters of Tasnim and be granted the pure wine of honor—all this through the decree of God, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Thereafter, your letters arrived and praise be to God they indicated your good health. God willing, may you always be in perfect comfort and sincerity. The Elevating One will present the affairs of this province. God willing, may the multiplicities of the worlds of existence, which are clothed in the limiting garment of the limited self, become extinct and perish, so that the eternal countenance of His Face may emerge from behind the veils of beauty, and the Face of Glory—“All things perish save His Face”—may become manifest and apparent from behind the veil.

I swear by God, if all contingent beings were to gather together to penetrate the boundaries of the Cause of God, they would be unable and powerless to do so. Recite to the companions the verse “If ye be able to penetrate the regions of the heavens and the earth” to its end, if they will listen. Otherwise, “Leave them in their vain discourse”—We shall recount to them what they were neglecting.

BH04052: Say: O people of the earth! Shame upon you…

Say: O people of the earth! Shame upon you and upon what your hands have wrought in these days when the Spirit was radiant from the holy horizon, while you have for a thousand years wept over Husayn for what befell him from the embodiments of wretched unbelief, and every day you cursed those who oppressed him, and this is what you did to him throughout months and years. But when Husayn appeared in truth, you slew him with the swords of your tongues morning and evening, until you drove him from your lands, as was decreed for him the first time—and this is preserved in holy scrolls.

Say: O people of hatred! Do not rejoice in this, for We yearn for what has been ordained for Us from the presence of One mighty and beloved.

Say: We are content with what God has written for Us, and We have willingly accepted every grievous affliction in His path.

Say: Thus does God distinguish between the truthful and the false, and between light and darkness, that the lights of truth might shine forth radiantly and brilliantly from the dawning-place of this morn, and that the signs of falsehood might be made manifest to all the worlds. By God! We have placed Our trust in God, our Lord, and whosoever places his complete trust in Him shall fear no one and shall turn to no other, and God is witness to this.

And you, O companions of God, if you were sincere in your love for your Creator, it would behoove you to detach yourselves from all who are in the heavens and on earth, such that sovereignty would appear to you as but a handful of worthless dust. Thus does the Dove counsel those servants who wish to find a way unto Him Who owns the Throne.

And the Spirit be upon you and upon all who love Him.