Volume 033: Istanbul and Early Edirne (mid-1863 to March 1866) (2 of 3)

BH00512: Lawh-i-Tawhid

He is the Glorious, the All-Glorious, the Most Glorious

Praise be to God, the All-Possessing, the King of incomparable glory, a praise which is immeasurably above the understanding of all created things, and is exalted beyond the grasp of the minds of men. None else besides Him hath ever been able to sing adequately His praise, nor will any man succeed at any time in describing the full measure of His glory. Who is it that can claim to have attained the heights of His exalted Essence, and what mind can measure the depths of His unfathomable mystery? From each and every revelation emanating from the Source of His glory, holy and never-ending evidences of unimaginable splendor have appeared, and out of every manifestation of His invincible power oceans of eternal light have outpoured.

How immensely exalted are the wondrous testimonies of His almighty sovereignty, a glimmer of which, if it but touched them, would utterly consume all that are in the heavens and in the earth! How indescribably lofty are the tokens of His consummate power, a single sign of which, however inconsiderable, must transcend the comprehension of whatsoever hath, from the beginning that hath no beginning, been brought into being, or will be created in the future till the end that hath no end. All the Embodiments of His Names wander in the wilderness of search, athirst and eager to discover His Essence, and all the Manifestations of His Attributes implore Him, from the Sinai of Holiness, to unravel His mystery.

A drop of the billowing ocean of His endless mercy hath adorned all creation with the ornament of existence, and a breath wafted from His peerless Paradise hath invested all beings with the robe of His sanctity and glory. A sprinkling from the unfathomed deep of His sovereign and all-pervasive Will hath, out of utter nothingness, called into being a creation which is infinite in its range and deathless in its duration. The wonders of His bounty can never cease, and the stream of His merciful grace can never be arrested. The process of His creation hath had no beginning, and can have no end.

In every age and cycle He hath, through the splendorous light shed by the Manifestations of His wondrous Essence, recreated all things, so that whatsoever reflecteth in the heavens and on the earth the signs of His glory may not be deprived of the outpourings of His mercy, nor despair of the showers of His favors. How all-encompassing are the wonders of His boundless grace! Behold how they have pervaded the whole of creation. Such is their virtue that not a single atom in the entire universe can be found which doth not declare the evidences of His might, which doth not glorify His holy Name, or is not expressive of the effulgent light of His unity. So perfect and comprehensive is His creation that no mind nor heart, however keen or pure, can ever grasp the nature of the most insignificant of His creatures; much less fathom the mystery of Him Who is the Day Star of Truth, Who is the invisible and unknowable Essence.

The conceptions of the devoutest of mystics, the attainments of the most accomplished amongst men, the highest praise which human tongue or pen can render are all the product of man’s finite mind and are conditioned by its limitations. Ten thousand Prophets, each a Moses, are thunderstruck upon the Sinai of their search at His forbidding voice, “Thou shalt never behold Me!”; whilst a myriad Messengers, each as great as Jesus, stand dismayed upon their heavenly thrones by the interdiction, “Mine Essence thou shalt never apprehend!”

From time immemorial He hath been veiled in the ineffable sanctity of His exalted Self, and will everlastingly continue to be wrapt in the impenetrable mystery of His unknowable Essence. Every attempt to attain to an understanding of His inaccessible Reality hath ended in complete bewilderment, and every effort to approach His exalted Self and envisage His Essence hath resulted in hopelessness and failure.

How bewildering to me, insignificant as I am, is the attempt to fathom the sacred depths of Thy knowledge! How futile my efforts to visualize the magnitude of the power inherent in Thine handiwork—the revelation of Thy creative power! How can mine eye, which hath no faculty to perceive itself, claim to have discerned Thine Essence, and how can mine heart, already powerless to apprehend the significance of its own potentialities, pretend to have comprehended Thy nature? How can I claim to have known Thee, when the entire creation is bewildered by Thy mystery, and how can I confess not to have known Thee, when, lo, the whole universe proclaimeth Thy Presence and testifieth to Thy truth? The portals of Thy grace have throughout eternity been open, and the means of access unto Thy Presence made available, unto all created things, and the revelations of Thy matchless Beauty have at all times been imprinted upon the realities of all beings, visible and invisible.

Yet, notwithstanding this most gracious favor, this perfect and consummate bestowal, I am moved to testify that Thy court of holiness and glory is immeasurably exalted above the knowledge of all else besides Thee, and the mystery of Thy Presence is inscrutable to every mind except Thine own. No one except Thyself can unravel the secret of Thy nature, and naught else but Thy transcendental Essence can grasp the reality of Thy unsearchable being. How vast the number of those heavenly and all-glorious beings who, in the wilderness of their separation from Thee, have wandered all the days of their lives, and failed in the end of find Thee! How great the multitude of the sanctified and immortal souls who were lost and bewildered while seeking in the desert of search to behold Thy face!

Myriad are Thine ardent lovers whom the consuming flame of remoteness from Thee hath caused to sink and perish, and numberless are the faithful souls who have willingly laid down their lives in the hope of gazing on the light of Thy countenance. The sighs and moans of these longing hearts that pant after Thee can never reach Thy holy court, neither can the lamentations of the wayfarers that thirst to appear before Thy face attain Thy seat of glory.

And since the portals of knowledge and attainment unto that Ancient Being were barred and forbidden, through sheer bounty and grace, in every age and epoch, He caused the Sun of His loving-kindness to shine forth from the dayspring of generosity and mercy upon all things, and chose from amongst His creatures that Beauty of the Glory of His Oneness, investing Him with the robe of distinction and setting Him apart for the purpose of His Mission, that He might guide all existence by the crystal waters of the inexhaustible river and the incomparable stream of holiness, so that all the atoms of creation might be purified and sanctified from the defilements of heedlessness and passion, and attain unto the sovereignty of the glory of reunion with Him, which is the station of everlasting holiness.

He is the Primal Mirror, the Ancient Light, the Hidden Manifestation, the Perfect Word—the complete revelation and concealment of the King of Oneness. He has commanded all creation to obey Him, which is identical with obedience to God. The waves of the seas of Names surge forth at His bidding, and the manifestations of divine attributes shine forth at His command. The knowledge of all beings and the attributes of all things possible, from the beginning that has no beginning to the end that has no end, return unto this station. None can transcend or rise beyond this exalted station—the station of recognition and attainment unto that Sun of Oneness and Daystar of Truth—for it is clearly impossible to reach the Unknowable Essence.

Thus do the waves of that hidden Ocean surge in this divine Manifestation, and the rays of that invisible Sun shine forth from the horizon of this holy and eternal Dawn without any intimation. He has established these Dawning-Places that have risen from the Morn of Oneness with such clear proof that none besides these holy Manifestations could produce the like thereof, leaving no room for rejection or objection. For divine proof and heavenly evidence would not be complete for human beings without clear proof and manifest evidence. However, the specific nature of that proof—whether revealed verses, apparent signs, or otherwise—has been and always will be dependent on the will of that King of Divine Will alone, and not contingent upon any other.

O ye who seek the holy and eternal atmosphere of divine nearness! With complete determination and perfect striving, beseech the King of Bounty and Sovereign of existence that He may not, through the surging waves of His grace and favor, deprive the thirsty ones of His endless Salsabil and matchless Tasnim. For all infinite stations of knowledge and the ultimate fruit of human existence is to reach this lofty and most exalted station and this glorious and most resplendent rank. Strive then to free yourselves from negation and its manifestations which today encompass the world, that ye may attain unto the root of the exalted and blessed Tree of Affirmation—for this is complete salvation and its essence, the reality of triumph and its beginning and end.

Furthermore, that Sun of Unity and Sovereign of Reality must be recognized through the dawning rays of light that shine forth from that Essence of Oneness. For that Primal Being is self-subsistent and self-known, and His proof shines forth from His very Self. The proof of the sun is the light of the sun itself, which shines forth, rises, and illumines from the sun itself. Likewise, all servants are commanded to recognize that Sun of Oneness by His own Self. In this station, neither the rejection and turning away of the servants, nor their acceptance and drawing near, constitutes proof or evidence for anyone.

O thou who believest in God! In every Revelation, fix thy gaze upon the Revelation itself and upon the manifest expressions that proceed from it, lest thou stray from the divine path. Consider man, for instance: if thou knowest him by his own self, thou wilt recognize him in whatsoever garment he may appear. But if thou lookest only to his garment and raiment, then each time his garment is renewed thou wilt remain veiled from recognizing him and be debarred therefrom. Therefore, lift thy gaze above earthly limitations, worldly conditions, and the manifestations of names, and fix it upon the essence of Revelation itself, lest at the time of its appearance thou remain veiled from the Tree itself, and all thy deeds and actions become null and void, and thou turn from affirmation to denial while remaining unaware of it.

God forbid! O people of the Bayan! Be watchful that ye may recognize the Revelation by itself and by what appeareth from it, not by aught else, for naught else will avail you, even if it be all who are in the heavens and on earth. This is the best counsel I give unto you, if ye be of them that accept it. Therefore, purify the eyes of both the seen and the unseen from turning toward aught save God, that ye may attain unto His Beauty in every Revelation and be blessed with His presence, which is identical with the presence of God. This is a truth which no utterance hath preceded and which no falsehood shall follow. It hath ever shone, and will continue to shine, like a resplendent lamp in the niche of words. How well is it with the soul that is illumined by the lights of this holy and eternal radiance! Well is it with them that comprehend.

BH00076: Suriy-i-Ashab (Lawh-i-Habib)

Section 1: “H.B. Hearken unto the call of God…”

In the Name of God, the Luminous, the Most Luminous, the All-Luminous

H.B. Hearken unto the call of God from the direction of the Throne through verses sovereign, preeminent and mighty, that thou mayest turn with thy whole being unto thy Lord and cry out with the authority of the Cause between the heavens and the earth, and become so empowered in thyself that should all who dwell on earth contend with thee with sharp and piercing swords, thou wouldst confront them and fear them not, but rather become independent of them through My Name, the Self-Sufficient, the Powerful, the Almighty, the Omnipotent.

Verily thou knowest what hath befallen Us, having witnessed during thy journey that which none among all the worlds hath witnessed, for there was no one with sight among Us at the time We migrated unto God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Powerful, except thee. Therefore didst thou perceive and recognize that which none of these pretenders hath recognized. This is of the wine wherewith God hath specially favored thee; drink thou of it in secret within thyself, lest any of these heedless ones should become aware of it. Then render thanks unto God for having acquainted thee with that which none among all created things hath known, and for having taken thy hand with the hands of power and delivered thee from the pit of heedlessness. Verily, there is no God but Him, and He is the Protector of those who are nigh unto God.

By the True God! The cup of joy We have ordained for thee is more excellent than aught else. Therefore drink thou from it, then stand firm in the Cause and be not of the fearful ones. Then observe with the corner of thine eye those who claim “we have believed in the signs of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Powerful,” yet when they were revealed again through His Name, the Exalted, the Almighty, the Great, they fled therefrom, then waxed proud against it, and became more perfidious than the peoples of old, if thou be of those who know.

Say: By the True God! We have borne that which neither the mountains, nor the heavens and all that is therein, nor the earth and all that is thereon, nor the bearers of the mighty Throne could bear. Say: By God! Neither the waves nor the seas, nor the trees nor the fruits, nor what was or what will be, nor the hosts of the unseen from the company of the most exalted ones could endure it. Say: By God! Then did weep the eyes of Grandeur, then the eyes of the people of eternity, then the dwellers of the Paradise of immortality in their crimson chambers, then the inhabitants of the Arks of Glory behind the billows of the sanctified ones.

O Habib! Soon wilt thou discover that the objections of the opposers will be like unto those raised by the people of the Furqan in the past—nay, even more paltry—and God is sufficient witness unto Me of this. Soon shalt thou hear from them that which was not heard from the learned of the Furqan, nor from their ignorant ones, nor from those who sweep the streets. By the True God, this indeed is a grievous injustice! Say: By God, this is He Who appeared aforetime, and all else was created by My command, if ye be of them that bear witness. Say: Do ye wax proud through that by which your names were exalted and your ranks elevated? By God, this is tyranny from you against God, the Protector, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Have ye not witnessed the sovereignty of God and His power, then the greatness of God and His majesty, then the might of God and His glory? Blinded are your eyes, O company of the heedless! Is there any soul who would dare say why’ or wherefore’ or speak in Our presence? Nay, by My mighty and knowing Self! All necks are humbled before My glorious and beauteous countenance, and all heads are bowed before My mighty and impregnable sovereignty.

There is treasured within this Youth a melody which, were even less than a needle’s eye thereof to be disclosed, would cause the mountains to crumble, the leaves to wither, the fruits to fall from the trees, faces to bow down, and all countenances to turn toward this King Whom thou beholdest in the form of fire clothed in light, and at times thou seest Him as waves in this surging ocean, and at times thou beholdest Him as the Tree whose roots are firmly fixed in the earth of grandeur and whose branches and twigs have reached unto a station that hath transcended the Mighty Throne, and at times thou findest Him in the form of the Beloved in this Raiment which none among all creation can recognize, and were they to desire to know Him, they would swoon in their spirits, save him who cometh unto his Lord with a sound heart.

Thus doth the Herald call out from My right hand, then the Speaker speak from My left, then the Proclaimer cry out from behind Me, and the Spirit from before Me, and the Tongue of God speak from above My head, saying: By God, this is indeed He Who hath been the Intended One from the beginning that hath no beginning, and this is the Face unto which all faces have turned, though they be now unaware. By the True God, whoso denieth this manifest, resplendent, transcendent and luminous bounty should ask his mother concerning his state, for he shall surely return to the nethermost hell. Say: Do ye imagine that if ye deny these verses, your faith in any of God’s Messengers or in ʿAli before can be accounted true?

Nay, by the Lord of the worlds! By the True God, then would every atom reject you, and beyond them the tongue of power, then the tongue of strength, then the tongue of might, then the tongue of grandeur, then the tongue of God, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Wise.

O Habib! Take hold of the hem of the veil with the fingers of power, then raise it in a measure that cannot be reckoned. If thou hearest the clamor of the heedless ones, withdraw thy fingers and leave it as it was, and remain beneath a beauteous veil. Then show patience and endurance, then extend the fingers of might, then unveil therewith the veils of all created things more than thou didst unveil them before. And if the howling of the idolaters be raised, set them down, then flee from the beasts, and remain in impregnable protection. Then dwell in God’s dignity and tranquility, then gird up thy loins in the service of God, then turn unto Him with manifest sovereignty.

Then detach thyself from all who are in the heavens and on earth, and from such idolaters as these. Then bring forth the fingers of power and might from the bosom which We gave thee before the creation of all things, at a time when Adam was between water and clay. Then rend asunder the veils of the people through the sovereignty whereby all veils and coverings were rent from all things, and stand with wondrous steadfastness, that thereby may be erased the signs of the wayward and the veils of them that have turned aside, who have leaned upon these without any command from Us, if thou be of them that act.

O Khalil! Break the idols and grieve not for what befalls thee, and fear not the hosts of evil. Say: O company of deniers! We fear you not. Whether ye die, or are struck down, or are brought to naught, the Cause of God shall not be frustrated. Indeed hath it been made manifest in truth, however much ye and the idolaters may detest it. Our alternately veiling and unveiling of the Cause is but a token of Our grace unto you and unto all peoples, for some among men are weak and frail and cannot, by reason of the ailment in their eyes, behold the rays of the Sun. Thus do We deal gently with them lest they be among the perished ones.

Say: By God! Neither right nor left, neither question nor answer, shall profit you, if ye be of them that are certain. Say: Ponder within yourselves: when ʿAli came with the truth from the realm of the Spirit with the signs of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, did aught of what the people of the Furqan possessed benefit any one? Nay, by thy Lord, the All-Merciful! Look likewise upon the Bayan, if thou be of them that observe. By My life! Naught of what they had profited them, neither any question nor any answer, and this every person of keen insight well knoweth.

Say: By God! That which had never before appeared hath now been made manifest, and He biddeth you to observe that which ye were commanded in the Book of God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. All that ye possess was created by My Word, if ye be of them that comprehend. Say: Today none shall attain except by becoming poor before God—this most holy and resplendent station—and none shall be mentioned save by forgetting himself and all that is in the kingdom of Command and Creation, how much more all that hath been created between the heavens and the earth.

Say: Have ye not heard aforetime that His proof is His verses and His being is His vindication? Woe unto you, O heedless ones! By God the True One! Were the veil to be lifted from the face of the Cause, less than can be numbered by any of them that know, there would arise the cry of the Concourse on High, then the shout of the denizens of the realms of eternity, then the holy melody from the retreat of grandeur, that “This is not a mortal in the kingdom; this is none other than a mighty sovereign, wondrous and glorious!” Thus hath God’s proof been perfected, yet the people are so intoxicated with heedlessness that they cannot distinguish left from right. After the appearance of God, can anything in the heavens and earth profit anyone? Nay, by the Lord of the worlds!

O Habib! Sing and warble, clap and drum in the realm of eternity, then in the kingdom of mystery, and turn not unto anything save My radiant and luminous Beauty. Thus have We imparted unto thee that whereof a single letter would suffice to enrich all who dwell in the heavens and the earth, were they to remain steadfast in their love for their Lord, the Mighty, the Bountiful. And upon thee and upon them that know be the Spirit.

Then remind Javad of that which the Pen of Command now maketh mention—a remembrance whereby the pavilion of holiness was raised up and the Sun was established upon a throne of magnificent glory. Then give him to drink from the cup We gave thee, that his heart may be assured thereby and he may be of the thankful ones. Say: We showed thee in a dream that which will assure thy soul and thy spirit, if thou be of them that know. Interpret thy vision as God hath interpreted, then cross over the path like the passing of a cloud, and turn not unto any of the idolaters. From him in whose heart thou findest not My love, flee from him, avoid him, and maintain a great distance. And if thy self opposeth thee in this, sever thyself from it and be in sure certainty. Say: By God! The balance is none other than My love—this is a mercy unto them that are nigh, and a punishment and scourge unto the idolaters.

Then remind Rahim of the glad-tidings of God, the Most High, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise. Say: Thou hast attained the presence of God yet recognized Him not, and wert among the heedless. Therefore, beseech God to aid thee in recognizing Him, to make thee know the Manifestation of His Essence, and to deliver thee from those who are lost in idle fancies. O Rahim! Shun such as these, and associate not with them nor with any of those who would lead astray. Turn thy heart toward the horizon of the Spirit, then detach thyself from all the worlds. Thus do We teach thee that which shall make thee independent of all created things. What thou didst send hath come before Us, and We have accepted it as a mercy from Our presence unto thee, that thou mayest be among the thankful.

Then remind Zaman of that which the Spirit now recalleth from the verses of his Lord, that he may rejoice within himself and be among the God-fearing at a time when most people depart from the fields of righteousness, turning away from Him in Whom they had believed. Thus doth the Spirit make mention of them lest they be among those who turn aside. Say: O servant! Read what We have sent down unto thee aforetime, then inhale from its ink the musk-scented fragrances from the tresses of God, the Supreme, the Mighty. Then act according to what is therein. By God! Through it are gladdened the eyes of the denizens of the Paradise of Firdaws and the people of the Holy Paradise, if ye be of those who know.

Then make mention of him who is named Ali-Akbar, and give him glad tidings of that wherewith the Spirit giveth tidings in this gleaming, luminous and praiseworthy breast. Say: O servant! We have previously sent thee that of which a single letter outweigheth all that hath been created in the heavens and earths. Preserve it, then read it in those moments when thou findest thyself detached from all who are on earth, that it may draw thee to the sacred station, the seat of glorious might. What thou didst send before hath come before Us. God will surely reward thee with the best of what He possesseth, for He is the Protector of the doers of good. Know thou that God accepteth not from His servants—this is of His grace unto His creatures, for He is independent of all worlds. Beware lest thou associate with those in whose hearts thou findest hatred for this Youth. Shun such as these and be not of those who would companion with them. Let God, thy Lord, suffice thee, for He will make thee independent of all else. There is none other God but Him. His is the creation and the command. All things are preserved with Him in a guarding tablet.

Then remind Ali in Qaf of that which the Ancient Being commandeth thee at a time when all who are immersed in the depths of eternity, all that was and will be, circle round about Him, if ye be of those who know. Say: O servant! Be steadfast in the Cause of God and fear no one. Put thy trust in My Beauty, the Shining, the Holy, the Luminous. And if thy self opposeth thee in this, detach thyself from it and be not of the patient ones.

Section 2: “Then make mention of Hasan from Our presence…”

Then make mention of Hasan from Our presence, that he may rejoice in that which hath flowed in his name from this musk-scented, wondrous, mighty, singular, eternal, ancient, brilliant and radiant ink. Say: O servant! Act according to that which thou hast been commanded in the Preserved Tablet which We sent unto thee, and be not of those who sit still. Ascend with thy spirit to the holy heights and fear no one. Put thy trust in God, the Mighty, the Powerful. Say: By God the Truth! The Night Journey hath returned in its entirety, were ye of those who perceive.

Then remind the son of Nabil from Us, that thou mayest find in his face the radiance of delight. Say: O servant, tarry not in this Cause, and follow not anyone therein. Then behold with the primal gaze the proofs of the Messengers. By God, the Truth, He Who was to be made manifest in the year sixty hath appeared, and this proof of His hath filled the East and the West. When thy father hesitated in this Cause, he attained not unto that which he desired, and God cut him off from what lay with Him and returned him to dust with great regret. God did this only to awaken you, yet ye perceived it not and were among the heedless. However, God forgave his transgressions and expiated his misdeeds. Verily He forgiveth whom He willeth and chastiseth whom He willeth. The decree is His alone. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He desireth.

Say: O servant, have mercy upon thyself, dispute not the signs of God, and be not of them that join partners with Him. Say: By God, were We to lift the veil from the face of the Cause, ye would surely rend your bodies, but We have concealed the Cause according to what was ordained in the Tablets by the Pen of God, the Ordainer, the All-Knowing. And thou, O friend, if thou findest not from him the sweet fragrance of love, then cut thyself off from him, turn not unto him, and set thy face toward thy Lord, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

Then glorify in the presence of Ismail, who hummeth around the Fire in the heights that attract unto them the hearts of the believers. Say: O servant, strip thyself of all veils, then enter into the Fire, for it is light and mercy unto thee and unto the sincere ones. Then shatter the idols of self and passion belonging to those who disbelieved and joined partners with God after claiming faith in God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Merciful. Say: By God, your tongues curse you and your limbs disavow you, O company of the heedless! Say: O servant, deliver the command of thy Lord, grieve not over anything, and walk not in the paths of them that fancy vain imaginings.

Say: O people of the Bayan! By God, Ali hath appeared in another garment. Verily in the Kingdom of Names He was called Husayn, and in the Realm of Eternity by Baha, and in the Heaven of Mystery by this Name that hath appeared upon the Temple of the Youth. Blessed be God, the Best of creators! Say: O concourse of men! By God, the Truth, the Manifestation of Destiny hath appeared in this Most Sublime Vision with such adornment as hath bewildered the hearts of all possessed of intelligence and vision. Say: O company of them that join partners with God! In what direction will ye flee? By God, there is no escape for anyone save by detaching himself from all that he possesseth and clinging to this most luminous and pearly cord.

Say: By God, He is the Most Great Sign among you and the Beauty of God within you. He is the Hidden Mystery and the Subduing Power of God over them that join partners with Him, and His subduing power is more severe and bitter. Say: Through Him doth God chastise those who denied the signs of God and then destiny itself. Say: Flee unto God, your Lord, ascribe no partners unto Him, for unto Me is the final goal. Say: Were We to will it, We would create a new creation, for verily We have power over all things. All things lie within the grasp of Our power, and this is known to everyone possessed of knowledge and thought.

Say: O people, if ye deny these verses, then by what testimony did ye believe in Ali before? Consider this, O concourse of the red ones! Say: Naught shall profit you this Day save that ye believe in Him in Whom ye believed before, then in what hath been sent down from Him of Tablets and Scripture.

O Munib, cast upon that servant what this renowned Pen hath cast upon thee, that he may stand firm in himself in such wise that neither the opposition of any opposer nor the prevention of one who hath transgressed against God and then disbelieved shall hinder him. Then remind from Our presence the beloved one who journeyed unto God and attained His presence and heard His melodies and was among the people of vision. Say: Blessed are thine eyes and thine ears if thou knowest their worth in that they have heard and seen what the eyes of those who turned to God and then turned away and shunned that which shone forth from the Dayspring of holiness through this resplendent, sanctified, most pure Beauty have not seen.

And thou, O servant, grieve not when the clamor of the idolaters is raised. Beware lest thou be disturbed or be of them that flee. Say: By God! The Greatest Trump hath appeared in this Trumpet that hath spoken the truth and then sounded, and proclaimeth in the loudest voice between earth and heaven that “With Me is the fixed abode.” O people! Forge not lies against God, your Creator, and deny not after the veil hath been rent asunder and He hath appeared. Beware lest ye be occupied with the world or anything prevent you from entering this vast, fathomless, overwhelming Ocean. They that have believed in God and His signs, these have ascended unto God and shall inherit gardens and rivers, and they that have disbelieved and associated partners with God, these shall enter into fire and flames, and beyond that God shall seize them with His might and render them like dry stubble penned up.

Thus hath God ordained their sins as recompense for their sins. Woe unto them and unto him who hath plotted and betrayed, and blessed is he who is content with his Lord’s good-pleasure and who, when the verses of his Lord are recited unto him, believeth and giveth thanks.

Then remind Rahim after the servant with what We have mentioned in the Tablet, that he may draw nigh with his whole being unto the holy shore and be of them that reflect, who ponder the Cause of God and follow what hath been sent down from Him of judgment and warning. Say: O servant, cast away all that preventeth thee from entering the sanctuary of grandeur, for this is better for thee than all that hath been created and ordained. Be thou one who crieth out between the heavens and the earth that thou mayest be of them who have striven in the ways of God and then helped. Say: We have created the heavens and the earth for Our Cause. By God! This is indeed Our Cause which hath been made manifest in truth, and none knoweth it save everyone possessed of insight and wisdom. Thus have We inspired thee and cast upon thee that thou mayest follow what thou hast been commanded in the Tablet and be of them that are endued with vision.

Then remind the letter Ha’ which appeareth at the end of Names of that which the Dove of Holiness doth warble, that perchance souls may be drawn by its melodies. Verily have We made mention of it at the end, that it might ascend unto the Sadratu’l-Muntaha and abide beneath its shade. Say: By God! The Tree hath overshadowed all who are in the heavens and on earth. Blessed is he who dwelleth nigh unto it. Say: The Sun hath dawned from the horizon of holiness, and by its light are illumined the denizens of the most exalted Paradise. Blessed is he who is illumined by its radiance. Say: From the hills of holiness hath wafted the musk-laden breeze, and by it have the temples of pre-existence been perfumed. Happy is he who is scented by its fragrance.

The Moon of the Cause hath appeared in the midst of heaven, manifesting in the form of fullness with white radiance, and ye, O concourse of the near ones, be dazzled by its splendor. Say: The Throne hath been established behind the pavilion of grandeur, and around it circle the embodiments of beauty with chalices of everlasting life. Blessed is he who attaineth unto their dewdrops. Say: Beauty hath unveiled the Maiden of Immortality with a glance that pierceth the heart. Blessed is he who is struck by her gaze. Say: The Voice of God hath been raised from the sanctuary of eternity, and the hearts of the knowing have been attracted by its melodies.

Say: O My Name! Hearken unto that which is revealed unto thee from the holy precinct in the melodies of thy Lord, and fear no one, but put thy trust in God, thy Lord. Verily, He will protect thee from the evil ones and their harm. Beware lest thou withhold thyself from that for which thou wert created, and be not of them who denied the signs of God after their revelation. Say: Today naught profiteth anyone save through My love, and to this testify the dwellers of the holy pavilion and the tongues that lie beyond it. As for those who have turned away from the light of the Countenance, God will blacken their faces like unto a raven’s wing and will torment them with the fire of remoteness and its flames.

Say: He is the One Who created the heavens and the earth, then established His throne upon the water, then suspended the water in the air, that ye might know God’s handiwork Who hath perfected the creation of all things, and that ye might reflect upon it and upon the bounties He hath ordained in the earth. Say: O people! This is indeed the Good that was promised you in the Nine, and concerning it God took a covenant from all atoms. Blessed is the soul that fulfilleth its covenant. Say: The pavilions of eternity have been raised up, and ye, O people of the Bayan, deprive not yourselves thereof, but dwell in their precincts. By God! The Tree of Baha hath yielded fruit in this garden which hath appeared in the form of the square in the shape of the triangle, and ye, O people of the ark of eternity, draw nigh unto it and partake of its fruits.

Say: O people! Do ye deny the signs of God while ye read what was revealed before them? Woe unto you for what Satan hath made your deeds seem fair in your eyes. Thus do We cast upon you from the signs of the Cause that ye might arise from the dust of heedlessness and be nourished by that which descendeth from the clouds of holiness and its waters. Thus doth the Pen of the Cause counsel every perceptive soul. Say: The ships of eternity have anchored upon the crimson sea. Blessed is he who holdeth fast to the holy cords thereof that he might abide in its eternity. Say: By God! This is indeed the sea that hath overwhelmed all created things, wherein saileth the holy ark which the Spirit of Noah hath fashioned for this Youth, by Whose name the reins of the universe and its motion are held.

Say: The seas of pre-existence have surged in this Most Great Ocean, and none hath attained unto its shore, much less its depths, save those who have held fast to that which floweth thereon from the holy vessels and have embarked in My name, the All-Merciful, upon their decks. Say: The Tree of the Spirit hath been raised upon the Sinai of everlasting life, and the Ancient Nightingale warbleth Its sweetest melodies upon its branches. Therefore be silent, O Temples of Glory, that ye may hearken unto It. The Salsabil hath gushed forth from this Tasnim which hath burst forth from the Kawthar of holiness through this Mouth from which flow the waters of eternity. Blessed, then, is he who is overwhelmed by its surging waves. Say: This is the Spirit of God seated upon the throne, and God hath sanctified Its raiment from the touch of the idolaters.

Verily, O beloved one, provide every soul with the fresh, unique and eternal bounties which descend from this heaven that hath been raised up in truth. Beware lest thou transgress the bounds of men, and give to each according to their measure. Verily, one whose taste hath been altered will not distinguish the sweetness of the sweet from the bitter except when their malady is cured. Thus have We created souls in diverse stages. Blessed is the one who recognizeth their stages. Those whose ears are not purified will never delight in the holy melodies. Thus do We impart unto thee tidings of every wisdom. Break thou the seal of the chalice of the All-Merciful through My Name, the Bestower. Then pour forth the water of life which hath been pressed by the fingers of the All-Glorious, that perchance the people of the contingent world might be warmed by its heat and be illumined by its lights and radiance. Thus have We sent down the verses and expounded them from condition to condition, and We shall expound them as We please in yet other ways, that thou mayest witness the power of thy Lord and fall prostrate before Him.

Say: By God the Truth! The glory lieth not in the revelation of verses and their like, but rather in My manifestation between the heavens and earth and amidst these diverse peoples, if ye be of them that see with clear vision. And if thou findest those whose names We have mentioned in the Tablet in a state of joy and delight, waft over them that which hath been diffused from the sweet-scented herbs of God, the Exalted, the Powerful, the Trusted. Otherwise, seal tight the vial of fragrance lest the idolaters detect its perfume. Then seal it with the holy seal, or with carnelian from Yemen. Beware lest thou spread the signs of God before the idolaters. Then turn away from them and be patient, and grieve not. By God! This is a matter at which all who are in the heavens and earth would swoon, the skins of the proud would shudder, the lands of the Pharaohs would be cleft asunder, the lofty mountains would be crushed, every nursing mother would forget what she nurseth, every pregnant one would cast her burden, and the inhabitants of the heavens and earth would be overcome with intoxication, save him who cometh unto God with a tested heart.

Section 3: “Bear thou the Book of God with strength…”

Bear thou the Book of God with strength from Us and power from Our presence. Fear not to carry it, nor be dismayed by its weight. Verily, He will protect thee in truth and guard thee from every tribulation and test. No affliction toucheth them that know God but it increaseth their detachment unto God and their longing for that station which God hath sanctified from the doubts of time. And if thou findest thyself alone between the heavens and earth, then be content therewith and with Him Who created them, and be not sorrowful or distressed. Withdraw from those who have disbelieved, then draw nigh unto God. This is better for thee than the kingdom of the heavens and earth and whatsoever hath been created in secret or manifest. Purify thy robe from the dust of dominion, then drink from the crimson cup from the Youth of Glory, that He may render thee detached from the world and whatsoever is therein of ornaments and possessions.

Say: O people! See ye no differences in what hath been sent down from Us, for all the verses have been sent down from the Mighty, the Strong, from the dominion of eternity, and they differ according to their stations, if ye be of them that understand. Thus do We cast upon you from the mysteries of the Cause, lest your feet slip from this exalted and manifest path. Thou shalt not conceal the Cause of thy Lord to such an extent that the fire of God would be extinguished in all else, nor proclaim it in such wise that adversity would touch thee. Seek thou a way between these two. Then know that this Beauty hath been so tried among these people that He wisheth either to withdraw Himself from them or to soar to the holy heights in the original homeland. By God! At every moment I have been caught in the talons of the malicious and the hateful, and I find no helper save God Who created Me and all things, and Who sent Me with the authority of His Cause over land and sea and over the dwellers of cities.

Say: When We related but a letter of the vision unto the people of blindness, they could not bear it and cast Us into the pit in this darksome night. Thus do We impart unto thee from the secrets of the Cause that which was concealed and treasured. Know thou that of those who were there, some turned away from God and denied His signs, while others believed in their Lord and were among those who were saved and secured. Those who had veiled their faces in women’s garments out of fear for themselves, then emerged from behind the wine-jars and opposed this most manifest and hidden Beauty. Say: O people! Fear ye God and dispute not with the Manifestation of His Self, but turn unto Him with befitting submissiveness.

By God! The hidden mystery of God hath appeared from this Treasury, and the concealed symbol of God hath emerged from this Hiding Place. O people! Give thanks unto God Who created you from a fluid poured forth and made known unto you the paths of holiness through what He hath sent down unto you of laws and ordinances, that ye might follow the ways of guidance in this Path which hath appeared with truth. Beware lest ye differ concerning it or be in doubt about the meeting with your Lord. Draw nigh unto Him with your hearts, for this is better for you than all that hath appeared and is hidden.

This is the Surih of the Companions which We have sent down in truth and dispatched unto thee that thou mayest read it unto those in whose faces thou perceivest the radiance of the All-Merciful, and who, when they hear the verses of God, wing their flight unto the Divine Lote-Tree in this holy court. And when thou seest Victory, make mention of him at the uttermost end through that which hath now been sent down from the heaven of glory, that he may remember within himself and be of them that believed and were guided.

Say: O Nasr! Aid thy Lord as thou art able in this victory which hath appeared in the temple of the Youth. Blessed be God Who created, then fashioned. Be thou steadfast in the Cause of God, thy Lord, in such wise that nothing in the heavens and earth shall prevent thee, that thou mayest be of those who fulfilled their covenant. Say: O people! Do ye dispute with the Spirit concerning that which He witnessed and saw, or concerning what He heard of the divine melodies in the most holy, most manifest, most glorious Kingdom? By God! He hath stood firm in such manner that all humanity could not prevent Him, and all who are in the heavens and earth were as but a handful of dust before Him.

Say: Were He to utter but a single word, it would be more exalted than all that hath been sent down in the kingdom of command and creation, and none knoweth this save those possessed of understanding. Say: He hath established Himself upon the Throne, then ascended—this is grievous unto the idolaters and unto him who disbelieved and transgressed, then turned away and became wretched. Say: O company of the malicious! Die in your wrath, for the Sun hath shone forth with the lights of God in the midst of the morning, illuminating all who are in the heavens and earth save every base one who went astray and was blinded. Thus do We relate unto you from the true stories, O people of wisdom.

Say: One glance toward Him is better than whatsoever is in the Concourse on High and the kingdom of the hereafter and the first. Blessed is he who hath attained the presence of the Throne and beheld the Most Beautiful Perspective and heard from the holy melody of his Lord’s most great verses.

Verily, O Nasr! Hearken unto that which is revealed unto thee from the Supreme Dominion. Beware lest thou fear anyone; turn thy face unto thy Lord and be of them whom the remembrance profiteth. Be patient at the time when the heaven of the Cause is cleft asunder and the earth of will is rent, and the clamor is raised by all who have turned away and gone astray. Say: By God! He whose heart is not purified from whatsoever beareth the name of all created things shall never have this most luminous and most pure Beauty imprinted therein. Sanctify the mirrors of your hearts, O peoples of the earth, then ascend unto the station which God hath ordained to be beyond the mention of the two bows or nearer still.

Say: Verily, He speaketh at all times that which the Spirit hath spoken within His most elevated breast. Say: By God! He speaketh not of His own desire, but rather speaketh that which the Mighty One of the Cause inspireth Him with from the signs of His Lord, the Most Great. Say: He is even now at the Supreme Horizon, and verily He is the Primal Beauty clothed in the raiment of the Latter Beauty. Glorified be His most exalted Self! Through Him have the standards of the Cause been raised in the Kingdom of Names and the pavilions of glory been planted in the dominion of the divine cloud. Say: O people! Return unto Him, for with Him is the ultimate end.

By God! He is the Paradise of Refuge at the Sacred Tree at the appearance of the revelations of light from this most luminous and most glorious Beauty. Thus did the penetrating vision never waver from that which it witnessed and beheld from the sovereignty of its Lord, the Most Manifest, the Most Hidden.

Say: Were He to remove the veil from the face of but one word from His presence, the earth would be rent asunder and the heavens on high would be cleft, but He dealeth gently with His servants lest their hearts be troubled and they return to the abode of wrath in the nethermost abyss. Fear thou no one. Remind the people of the signs of thy Lord, for this is His victory in the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and thus doth He strengthen thee through remembrance, and unto Him returneth all remembrance. Thus have We caused nineteen rivers to flow from every letter of this Tablet. Blessed is he who thirsteth and seeketh to quench his thirst.

And when We completed the Tablet, there descended from the dominion of eternity yet other signs of thy Lord, the Most Great, that every noble mind might be reminded thereby. And We shall mention in the Tablet the remembrance of some of the loved ones of God whom We have not mentioned before, that God’s grace might reach all atoms and every possessor of grace and understanding. Therefore, remind those whose names the Pen of the Cause hath not moved to inscribe, if thou findest them mindful of their Lord; otherwise, leave them to themselves, then turn away from every doubting denier. Say: O ye people! Rejoice in these days wherein God hath come in the shadows of the Spirit and the Face hath shone forth from behind the veil.

Then remind Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli, whose name was in thy Book, of that which the Pen of Decree hath recorded in the dominion of accomplishment before his Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower, that he may ascend in his soul unto the sacred heights in this Ascension which hath appeared in the Temple of the Youth, and be amongst those who have humbled themselves and turned unto God. Say: O servant! Detach thyself from all that thy passions desire, then hold fast unto the Most Great Handle within thyself, and this is better for thee than the kingdom of the heavens and earth—yet none comprehend this save every steadfast believer, and none understand it except those endowed with insight. Say: Glorify the name of thy Lord and be in a state of rapture and ecstasy from that which We gave thee to drink of the Wine of Life in holy and wondrous chalices. Verily, We made those letters to be chalices for wondrous attributes—We give to drink therefrom the wine of verses unto whomsoever We will among Our servants.

Say: From Us hath grace appeared and unto Us shall all return on the Day of Return. By one drop thereof the temples of all created things are brought to life, and thus hath Our mercy preceded all things and encompassed all particles from Paradise to the lowest point of dust. Verily, those who have not attained unto the holy drops from this chalice are more contemptible in God’s sight than the creation of a fly, for they have denied God’s favor and disputed His signs after their revelation, and followed every idolatrous liar. Say: O people! Do ye call upon those unto whom God hath given no authority, and forsake the Lord of Lords? Evil indeed is that which ye have chosen for yourselves as protectors besides God. God shall soon punish you with His wrath, for He is mighty in His grasp and severe in His punishment.

And among the idolaters was one who was there and was not content that We should name Ourself by any of the names, and thus did he transgress against God Who created him and fashioned him—and the transgression of the idolaters leadeth only to ruin. Say: O people! All names return unto their kingdom which returneth unto My Cause that was created by My Word, and this is known to every soul that hath believed in the Day of Reckoning. Say: The Sun hath dawned from the horizon of glory, and thereby the heaven of pride was cleft asunder, and the earth of rancor was split, and the mountain of stillness passed away as the passing of clouds. Thus have We cast upon thee from every tiding that thou mayest remember within thyself and remind the people of that which We have inspired thee, that perchance souls may be cleansed from ailments and be made wholesome.

Say: O concourse of earth! Seek ye victory in these days and let not the multitude of the idolaters frighten you. Thus doth the Pen of Glory counsel you from the presence of a Mighty, All-Attracting One. Know ye that victory lieth not in drawing the sword, but in purifying your souls, O company of companions! By God! Should a soul detach itself from all who are in the heavens and on earth, and arise for that which God hath willed, God would through it render victorious His sincere loved ones, and the standards of the idolaters would vanish from all parties. Say: By God! Victory is your detachment from all save God and your steadfastness in My love on the Day wherein the feet of the eloquent shall slip, and from the thicket of hypocrisy shall emerge a band of wolves who have disbelieved and turned away and were in doubt concerning the meeting with their Lord, after He had appeared from the holy horizon with scrolls and a Book.

Say: O Concourse of holiness! Draw forth the sword of wisdom from the sheath of utterance and thereby aid your Lord, the All-Merciful. Beware lest ye spread corruption in the land after it hath been set in order. Fear God, unto Whom all matters return, both in the beginning and in the end. Should the idolaters advance against you, scatter them through a word from Us, not with your swords. Break not your covenant with that which ye have been commanded in the Book. Stand firm, O people, in the path and be steadfast in the Cause at this cornerstone with fire and attraction. Say: If ye will not stand firm in the path, God will soon raise up a people who will stand firm in the Cause and make mention of Him with passionate longing, yearning and attraction, whom nothing in the heavens or on earth shall deter.

Upon them shall the angels and the Spirit send down their blessings, then the people of the Concourse on high, then they that dwell within the pavilions of nearness behind the veil. And there is nothing that shall not celebrate their names and seek to draw nigh unto God through them. Say: By God! Through their names the bell shall ring out, the cockrel of Paradise shall crow, and the rebeck shall sing.

Thus have the words of thy Lord been fulfilled in truth and justice. None can change the words of thy Lord, and none shall comprehend this save every soul that is enduring and goodly.

BH00248: Suriy-i-’Ibad

Section 1: “This is the Surih of the Servants…”

This is the Surih of the Servants which hath been sent down in truth from God, the Exalted, the Great, and verily it is a revelation from One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

In the Name of God, the Most Wondrous, the Most Wondrous!

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we are all His worshippers. God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we are all prostrate before Him. God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we are all devoted unto Him. God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we are all submissive unto Him. God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we are all humble before Him. God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we all give praise unto Him. God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we all bow down before Him.

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we are all His servants. God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we are all supplicants before Him. God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we all speak through Him. God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we are all beholders of Him. God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we all exalt Him. God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and we shall all return unto Him.

O Mihdi! Bear thou witness even as God hath testified to His own Self before the creation of the heavens and earths, that there is none other God but Him, and that this Youth is His servant and His Glory, and He is verily the Great Announcement which hath been inscribed from all eternity upon the Tablets of Glory. None hath known Him save His own Self, the All-Subduing, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, and none shall know Him except whom thy Lord willeth. This is of the matters whereof We informed thee aforetime, if thou be of them that comprehend.

Hearken thou unto My counsel, and unto that which the Tongue of God doth utter in this wondrous Age. Beware lest anything deter thee or any matter hinder thee. Strive within thyself, then endeavor in thine essence, that thou mayest be numbered among the righteous in this Cause, whereby the people of the realms of mystical insight are terrified, and the dwellers of the pavilions of certitude are dismayed, and the spirits of them that are nigh unto God are thunderstruck, and the mountain of the arrogant is crushed.

Purify thine eyes from all else save Him, then abandon all that is in thy hands, then sanctify thyself from all who are in the earth and the heavens, that thou mayest be enabled to stand firm in the Cause whereat the feet of the sincere ones slip. Then detach thyself from thine own self and from all else besides, and from the souls of the ungodly.

Contemplate with thine inward eye the chain of successive Revelations that hath linked the Manifestation of Adam with that of the Bab. I testify before God that each one of these Manifestations hath been sent down through the operation of the Divine Will and Purpose, that each hath been the bearer of a specific Message, that each hath been entrusted with a divinely revealed Book and been commissioned to unravel the mysteries of a mighty Tablet. The measure of the Revelation with which every one of them hath been identified had been definitely foreordained. This, verily, is a token of Our favor unto them, if ye be of those that comprehend this truth….

And when this process of progressive Revelation culminated in the stage at which His peerless, His most sacred, and exalted Countenance was to be unveiled to men’s eyes, He chose to hide His own Self behind a thousand veils, lest profane and mortal eyes discover His glory. This He did at a time when the signs and tokens of a divinely appointed Revelation were being showered upon Him—signs and tokens which none can reckon except the Lord, your God, the Lord of all worlds. And when the set time of concealment was fulfilled, We sent forth, whilst still wrapt within a myriad veils, an infinitesimal glimmer of the effulgent Glory enveloping the Face of the Youth, and lo, the entire company of the dwellers of the Realms above were seized with violent commotion and the favored of God fell down in adoration before Him.

And He appeared in such wise as none had appeared before in all creation, whereby He stood by His own Self between the heavens and the earth, and compromised not with anyone in the Cause of His Lord, and called out to the servants with His most exalted call, and feared no one, even as ye were witnesses. And He was tried amongst the servants in such wise that the tyrants of the earth gathered against Him, and ye were among the witnesses. And He sought no help from anyone save God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Knowing. And verily He did help Him with the truth and sent down upon Him tranquility from His presence and strengthened Him with the hosts of the unseen at the time when He was expelled from the City of the Cause with manifest sovereignty.

And His Cause became manifest and His proof transcendent and His evidence complete and His word perfected, until the Cause of God became renowned among all creatures. Then did We sever all connections and enter the fields, even as ye have heard from the emigrants. And in all those places and days We concealed not the Cause nor did We veil it, but rather We made it manifest like the dawning of the morn from the horizon of a brilliant dawn, until we reached the sea which is mentioned in the Tablets, if ye be of them that know. We embarked upon the ship in Our Name, then caused it to traverse the sea in My Name, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Beautiful.

We preserved it through a power from Us, and protected those who embarked upon it until they reached its shore in the city whose name is renowned among you, if ye be of the knowing ones. And We remained therein for four successive months, as inscribed in preserved and mighty Tablets. Throughout those months none of those who dwelt therein, whether high or low, sought Our company. God Himself is witness to this and is All-Knowing. We went not unto anyone, nor turned toward any soul, thus manifesting God’s sovereignty and His command, and proclaiming God’s power and His dominion, until the appointed time of tarrying was fulfilled. Then We departed therefrom and traversed the way until We entered this remote prison.

We give thanks to God in all this, for He hath confirmed Us in His Cause and made Us to be of His near servants who fear no one and look not except with the gaze of God, the All-Possessing, the Mighty, the Powerful. Thus have We sent down the command unto thee that thou mayest be of the knowing ones. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

We have thus completed Our utterance, though We have not completed all that pertaineth thereunto, that thou mayest make mention of God’s sincere servants who dwell in thy land and who were gladdened by the sweet savors of holiness wafting from the direction of God, their Creator. This is of His grace upon them and upon all worlds. Say: He knoweth your secrets and your whispered words, and that which the dove of love warbleth in your hearts, and thus were We among the knowing ones. Nothing whatsoever escapeth Our knowledge, and nothing eludeth Our grasp. All things are within the grasp of His command, if ye be of them that understand. In Our hands lies the kingdom of all things. We exalt whom We will from Our presence, and make mention of Our servants who turn unto Us, who have drunk from the cup of God’s bounty and have been granted that which none among all creation hath been granted.

Say: By God! Ye have attained unto a cup that none before you hath attained. Soon shall ye know this, if ye be of the patient ones. Say: By God! Ye have borne that which none among all created things hath borne, and none among all beings hath preceded you in this. Were it to be laid upon the heavens they would be rent asunder, and were it laid upon the earth it would instantly be cleft. Thus do We remind you of the truth that ye may know the station of them who have believed in God and recognized that which none before them hath recognized, that they may rejoice within themselves and be of them that are filled with gladness.

Say: By God! Whosoever drinketh from this cup shall never thirst, and God shall make him to prevail over all who are in the heavens and on earth, if he remaineth steadfast in his love for his Lord and is not shaken by the suggestions of Satan and them who have recognized Our Self. This is of My grace upon them and upon My sincere servants, for We have brought them forth from behind the veils and caused them to witness that which the eyes of the sanctified ones have not witnessed. All this is of My grace upon them and My mercy upon My near servants.

And thou, make mention of the loved ones of God who were in thy land, and be not of the patient ones. Make mention of the name of the First One therein, whom God hath made to be the ornament of them who are nigh unto Him. We had indeed sent him a Tablet aforetime wherein was that which would suffice him above all worlds. By God! Were he to know but one letter thereof, he would detach himself from all things, even from his own self. This We testify at this moment with My All-Knowing, All-Wise tongue.

Then remember after him the Majid through Our mention and give him glad tidings through the Holy Spirit of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. We have indeed sent to him that which will purify him from association with the ungodly. Say: O servant, be steadfast in the love of God, for thou hast been informed of that which none else hath been informed, if thou be of them that ponder. Reflect upon My absence, that thou mayest discover what God hath intended for thee and be among those who are discerning. Thus have We completed Our favor upon thee and sent the Spirit from Our presence with a tongue from Us upon thee and upon the believers.

Then remember Our Name the Merciful and give him glad tidings of that wherewith God remembereth him on the night wherein the Dove warbleth upon the twigs of the Tree of Eternity and the Cock of Paradise singeth upon the branches of a mighty tree. Say: O servant, We desired thee aforetime and mentioned thee in holy and glorious Tablets. Be steadfast on the Day when eyes shall be blinded and every tongue shall falter and the hearts of the heedless shall be troubled. Say: By God, on that Day the sun shall be darkened in its light, and the moon shall lose its brightness, and the stars shall fall upon barren ground wherein thou shalt find neither fruit nor grass nor flowing water.

The tribes of the earth shall wail therein and every lofty mountain shall be brought low, save him who shutteth his eyes to mankind and beholdeth with the greatest vision this Beauty, the Radiant, the Mighty, the Luminous. O servant, fear no one, then cast off with the casting off of God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Powerful. Be thou one who crieth out between the heavens and earth and who giveth glad tidings in the name of God, the Mighty, the Generous. And should every possessor of existence, spirit, consciousness, allusion and mighty limitations object to thee, fear not any of them but trust in God, thy Lord, then hold fast to this holy, luminous and firm cord. Thus have We sent down unto thee verses from this heaven which hath appeared in the temple of the Youth, and when thou gazest upon it in thy inmost heart thou shalt find it in the form of a mighty throne.

Section 2: “Then remember Rida after him and those…”

Then remember Rida after him and those in his household who have sought refuge in the protection of God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Powerful. These are they who have found shelter in the shadow of His providence and God hath caused them to dwell in the midst of His nearness that they might recognize the worth of that which God hath bestowed upon them through His grace and be of the thankful ones. Let them strive within themselves lest their deeds be rendered vain. Thus doth the Tongue of God remember them that His mercy may be confirmed upon the worlds and that they may not deny the favor which hath descended upon them from a holy and glorious heaven, and that they may find themselves steadfast in the Cause and sanctified from all who are in the heavens and the earth. And thou, O Mihdi, be kind to him and lower thy wing unto those who have believed in God and His signs, for We have exalted thy creation in the Concourse of Paradise and created thee in the best of forms.

Then remember those two who journeyed unto God their Creator and emigrated unto Him and were among the emigrants, and who attained the presence of God and heard the holy melodies from this sacred, mighty and sweet throat. Then give them glad tidings of a favor from Us and a mercy from Our presence, and verily Our mercy hath preceded all the worlds.

Then remind the servant who preceded the Messenger of that wherewith God at this hour remembereth him from the heights of His sanctity, and make mention of him in this mighty Tablet. Say: O Messenger! We have sent unto thee the fragrance of this Garment, that thine eyes may be solaced thereby, and the eyes of those who dwell in the regions of the East and the West and who are among Our believing servants, that the breezes of God may move them and sever them from all things except this resplendent and most luminous Garment. Say: By God! All detachment is beloved except from My beauty, dawning, holy and luminous; and all supplication is forbidden except for My holy, all-knowing and wise Self; and all silence is beloved except mention of My exalted, glorious, mighty and inaccessible Self.

Then make mention of My servant who believed in God and then inquired of God, his Lord, concerning the Great News. Say: By God! This is the News that was great in the heights of the heavens and mighty in the Concourse on high, at which the skin of the idolators doth creep. O servant! We have now unveiled for thee the matter concerning which thou didst inquire aforetime, that thou mayest know what was intended. This is the essence of what God intended for thee, that thou mayest be among those who seek Him. Beware lest ye differ concerning this News or be troubled by those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God and were among the opposers. Say: O people! By God, this is God’s News unto you, His manifestation among you, and His sovereignty between the heavens and earth. Beware lest ye differ concerning it after He Who was imprisoned for you in this Prison whereunto no feet of seekers can arrive save whom God, thy Lord, the Beneficent, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, willeth.

And thou, O servant of God, give thanks unto God for having brought thee forth from thy land and made thee among the pure ones. Soon shalt thou hear the call of the Samiri amongst them and find them in grievous error. Soon shall they adduce proofs such as were adduced by the people of the Furqan and before them the people of the Psalms, the Torah and the Gospel. Sufficient was their abasement in that they believed in ʿAli aforetime through what was sent down unto him of the verses of God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Powerful. Yet when its counterpart appeared and His beauty was manifested in truth, they turned away from Him and were among the opposers.

Say: Therefore curse not others, but curse your own selves; oppose not anyone, but oppose your own selves—this behooveth you, O concourse of idolators, if ye have believed in God’s verses. By God! These are His verses, and a single letter thereof sufficeth all the worlds. And if ye desire His beauty, lo, this is His beauty, manifest in such wise as the like thereof hath never appeared in creation, could ye but see with fair-minded eyes. And if ye desire to traverse His path, this is His path in the heavens and earth—traverse it, O concourse of them that know. But those among them who remained steadfast in the Cause of their Lord and recognized their Creator—through them are the clouds lifted up and the rain made to fall, and through them do the people of the holy realm become illumined, and all things tell of this most august, mighty, transcendent, exalted and inaccessible station.

Then remember after him Asad and say: O Asad! Be the Lion of God in His earth. This is a mantle We have bestowed upon thee through a grace from Our presence, and I am verily the Bountiful Bestower, despite those who have denied the signs of God and disputed them, then turned away from them and were among the abased ones. O thou who bearest this name! We have conferred upon thee this name that thou mayest pass beyond the kingdom of names and detach thyself from all who are in earth and heaven, and come unto God with a pure heart. Beware lest thou waste what God hath intended for thee, and let not the fire of thy love be quenched. Then kindle thyself against those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God. Be a mercy unto the lovers and be the sword of God against His enemies and His blessing unto His loved ones. Then preserve thyself from association with the deniers and avoid them, and fear no one, and abide in an impregnable fortress.

O Mihdi! We have mentioned these ones just as their names were mentioned in thy tablet, that God’s mercy might encompass them and these missives might pass over them—the Subtle, the Beloved, the Luminous. Say: By God! Were there to waft upon all created things that which emanates from this Paradise, it would surely render them eternally alive in the kingdom of the exalted ones. Thus have We bestowed Our favor upon thee and upon them—a mercy from Our presence upon them and upon the sincere ones.

Then know that there hath appeared before Us a tablet wherein one of the loved ones called upon his Lord, the Bestower, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beautiful. Say: We have heard thy call and have answered thee with these holy and beloved words, that thou mayest thank God in thy soul and with thy tongue, and be of those who mock not the signs of God. Be thou steadfast, O servant, in thy love for thy Lord, and be not disturbed when the decreed matter cometh unto thee, and fear no one. Turn thy face toward thy Lord and place thy trust in Our Self, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. And say:

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Purify mine eyes, then mine ears, then my tongue, then my spirit, then my heart, then my soul, then my body, then my being from turning unto aught else but Thee. Then give me to drink from the sealed cup of Thy glory.

Say: By God! The fountain of camphor hath appeared in this Revelation and the stream of Tasnim hath gushed forth in this Salsabil which was beheld in the form of a Youth. O servant! Place thy hand therein and withdraw it not empty, even shouldst thou be cut with the swords of those who have turned away from the signs of God. Seek help in every matter through My Name, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Beloved. Then drink thereof in thy privacy and offer it unto those in whose hearts thou findest the sweet fragrances of the spirit and who are among those who are guided by the signs of God. Thus have We mentioned thee in the Tablet and expounded the verses for thee that thou mayest be convinced within thyself that We give unto everything that which maketh it independent of those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God and who associate partners with their Lord.

Then remind the loved ones in thy land whose names were not mentioned in the Tablet, that they may all rejoice in the glad-tidings of God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling, and be gladdened within themselves, and be drawn by the holy melodies, and be brought near to a praiseworthy sacred station. And counsel those who have believed in God and His signs not to overstep that which they have been commanded, and not to be of those who transgress. O people! Follow the religion of God and His ways, and leave behind what is in your hands, and take what We have commanded you, and be not of those who, when commanded with a command, fail to act. Shun the grievous sins, which are to turn away from the wondrous words of My utterance.

Say: The words of God are indeed the most exalted, if ye but perceived it. Then make peace among yourselves, such that naught shall emanate from you save the fragrances of God, and naught shall be witnessed in your faces save the radiance of Paradise, and be ye of those who rejoice in every matter. And when affliction and adversity and hardship touch them, in whatever tribulations that have been or will be, they remain patient in the path of their Creator, and place their trust in God, then turn their faces toward His good-pleasure. Neither the pride of the proud, nor the turning away of those who have turned away, nor the disputation of those who dispute after the proof hath reached its ultimate end and God’s favor hath been perfected unto them and unto those who are assured of what is sent down unto them of the verses of God, shall turn them aside.

Nor shall the rancor of those who have disbelieved therein, after their souls have been convinced thereof, grieve them, for thus have they been wont to act. Thus have We commanded them before, and We now command them through Our grace, that they may be of those who act according to God’s command.

BH00358: Suriy-i-Dam

Section 1: “This is the Surah of Blood which We…”

This is the Surah of Blood which We have caused to distill from the Ocean of the Unseen, that it may be a sign of My Revelation amongst all created things.

He is the Everlasting One upon the Throne through My Most Glorious and Most Luminous Name.

O Muhammad! Hearken unto the Voice of thy Lord from this Station which the hands of all contingent beings cannot reach, nor the hearts of existent things, nor the realities of those who have slumbered for less than a moment in this sacred, mighty and hidden Cause.

Say: O people! Hasten ye to the sanctuary of God and His Essence, to the House of God and His Identity, to the Manifestation of God and His Sovereignty. Be not of them who make mention of God with their tongues, yet oppose His verses. Say: O people! This is the Station round which circle the denizens of the Supreme Paradise, then the dwellers of the pavilions of eternity, then they that abide behind the billows of grandeur, would ye but understand.

Say: This is the Sacred Place of God and His Precinct, the Countenance of God and His Greatness. O ye dwellers of the realms of divinity, then ye who dwell in the domains of might, then ye who abide in the pavilions of glory in the kingdom of earth and heaven! Come ye forth from your habitations that ye may visit the Station whereunto none have attained save they who have detached themselves from all that is in the heavens and the earth, and from all that hath a name, or trace, or direction, or sign, would ye but know. Say: O people! This is the Station of God and His Court, then the paradise of God and His garden, then the tabernacle of God and His pavilion. Beware lest ye turn to aught else but Him. Hasten ye unto Him that ye may be sustained by the fruits of the spirit. O people! This is the Station whereat the righteous have halted, and they who circle round the Throne, even as ye do witness.

O Muhammad! Act thou according to what the tongue of thy Lord now counseleth thee, and do what thou art bidden by God, the Help in Peril, the Mighty, the Well-Beloved. First, with My mighty, powerful and manifest sovereignty, rend asunder the veils of idle fancy from the face of thy heart. Then enter the Egypt of the All-Merciful through My glorious and most holy Name, and pay no heed to what was and what shall be, even shouldst thou witness Satan seated at its gate, barring thee from entry. Close thine eyes to him, then seek refuge in My blessed, sovereign and beloved Beauty. Beware lest thou sit with those in whom thou findest traces of rancor like unto the heat in summer or the cold in scorching winds. Indeed, flee from them and their like, and look not upon them and what they possess, but rather unto My Cause which is better than all else, would ye but perceive it.

And if thou desirest to journey through the lands, illumine them with the lights of thy Lord, then ponder what thou seest of thy Lord’s handiwork, that thou mayest be of those who reflect. Be thou adorned with My attributes, such that if anyone should extend toward thee the hands of tyranny, thou wouldst pay no heed nor oppose him. Leave his judgment to thy Lord, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. Be thou in all conditions an object of oppression. By God, this is My nature, and none knoweth it save the sincere ones.

Know thou that the sigh of the oppressed one in his patience is more precious in God’s sight than all deeds, would ye but know. If tribulation befalleth thee, be patient and place thy trust in all things in God, thy Lord. He will suffice thee against the harm of all created things, past and future, and will protect thee in the shelter of His Cause and the stronghold of His providence. There is no God but Him. His is the creation and the command, and all seek His help. And if anyone slandereth thee, do not respond in kind, lest thou become like unto him. Rather, turn away from him and set thy face toward the holy retreat within this sacred and exalted pavilion. Be thou among the people like unto musk-laden hills, that the sweet fragrances of holiness may waft from thee among them, that perchance they may be drawn to the holy court of the Beloved. If thou findest a helper to thyself among the loved ones of God, seek intimacy with him at eventide and at dawn, through all years and months. In all things follow God, thy Helper. Then walk among the servants with His dignity and tranquility, and convey unto them the Cause of thy Lord to the extent they are able to hear.

O Hoopoe of Sheba! Take My missive unto the cities of God, and if the birds ask thee concerning the Divine Bird, say: Verily, I left it when it was beneath the talons of denial and the beak of the wicked, with none to help it save God Who created it and fashioned it and made it a lamp of His beauty between the heavens and the earth, if ye be of them that are assured. And shouldst thou find any of My loved ones who inquire of Me, say: By God! I departed from the Prison City at an hour when Husayn lay prostrate upon the earth, with the knee of malice upon his chest, about to sever his head, while the spearpoint stood poised before his head, waiting to raise it aloft—thus was the matter in the innermost mystery, if ye could perceive it. In that state I saw his lips move as he gazed heavenward with a look that rent all hearts, and beyond them the heart of God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. And when I drew near to his lips, I heard him say, even beneath the sword:

“O people! By God, I have not spoken among you out of desire, but rather through what the Voice of Sinai hath spoken within my most holy and pure breast. By God, the signs of God shall never be confused with aught else that hath been ordained in the dominion of destiny, nor with what hath been in the hereafter and the former days. O concourse of the idolaters! Inhale ye these verses that have descended from the dominion of the Divine Essence, from the Lord of Names and Attributes. If ye detect from them the fragrance of the garment of Joseph, the Mighty, then have mercy upon him and slay him not with the swords of rancor, if ye would observe with the eye of justice and then judge fairly within your souls.

“O people! By God, I have sealed the gates of Paradise for twenty years lest there should issue from My lips that which would kindle the fire of hatred in your breasts—to this doth the Tongue of Grandeur bear witness, and then the Pen of Command upon preserved and holy tablets. O people! I am indeed Ali, and this is the latter return after the former one. I have manifested unto you greater than what I manifested before, and I have come from the Source of grandeur and glory, the Treasury of loftiness and majesty, with verses whereof not a single letter hath appeared in all creation. And this Tablet is My proof among you, for you and against you, if ye would understand.

“O people! By God, I was dwelling quietly in My house, silent from all melodies, but the Spirit stirred Me and caused Me to speak the truth, and its signs appeared in My countenance, if ye would observe My beauty. I had closed the gates of utterance for years, but the tongue of God opened My tongue, if ye would know. Would ye slay Him by Whose command the heavens were raised up, the seas were made to surge, the trees brought forth their fruits, the mysteries were unveiled, and the beauty of the Chosen One appeared from behind the veils? O concourse of the Bayan! Fear ye God, and be not of them that deny the signs of God.

“O people! By God, I am not of them that have denied the signs of God, even if ye should slay Me with all the swords or pierce Me with all the arrows at every moment. I speak in the kingdom of the heavens and earth and fear no one—this is My way, if ye would perceive it. By God, this is the way of all the Messengers, and what was revealed unto Ali in all the tablets, though I know not what path ye follow.”

Section 2: “And when the holy melodies reached this point…”

And when the holy melodies reached this point, he fell silent from the weakness that had overtaken him, and remained thus for a time. When he regained consciousness, he opened his eyes and turned toward the holy direction with an intimate gaze and said:

Praise be to Thee, O Lord My God, for the wondrous revelations of Thy inscrutable decree and the manifold woes and trials Thou hast destined for Myself. At one time Thou didst deliver Me into the hands of Nimrod; at another Thou hast allowed Pharaoh’s rod to persecute Me. Thou, alone, canst estimate, through Thine all-encompassing knowledge and the operation of Thy Will, the incalculable afflictions I have suffered at their hands. Again Thou didst cast Me into the prison-cell of the ungodly, for no reason except that I was moved to whisper into the ears of the well-favored denizens of Thy Kingdom an intimation of the vision with which Thou hadst, through Thy knowledge, inspired Me, and revealed to Me its meaning through the potency of Thy might.

And again Thou didst decree that I be beheaded by the sword of the infidel. Again I was crucified for having unveiled to men’s eyes the hidden gems of Thy glorious unity, for having revealed to them the wondrous signs of Thy sovereign and everlasting power. How bitter the humiliations heaped upon Me, in a subsequent age, on the plain of Karbila! How lonely did I feel amidst Thy people! To what a state of helplessness I was reduced in that land! Unsatisfied with such indignities, My persecutors decapitated Me, and, carrying aloft My head from land to land paraded it before the gaze of the unbelieving multitude, and deposited it on the seats of the perverse and faithless. In a later age, I was suspended, and My breast was made a target to the darts of the malicious cruelty of My foes.

My limbs were riddled with bullets, and My body was torn asunder. Finally, behold how, in this Day, My treacherous enemies have leagued themselves against Me, and are continually plotting to instill the venom of hate and malice into the souls of Thy servants. With all their might they are scheming to accomplish their purpose.

Yet despite all this, O my God and my Beloved, Thou hast delivered me into the hands of these idolaters. Therefore, O my God, let me bear witness upon the dust and beneath the swords of Thine enemies.

By Thy glory, O my Beloved! I thank Thee at this moment in this state and for all that hath befallen me in Thy path, and I am content with Thee and with the wonders of Thy trials. But O my God, I beseech Thee by Thy hidden names and by Thy manifest, concealed Beauty cast upon the dust of abasement, to cause Thy love to enter the hearts of Thy servants, then establish them, O my God, upon the carpet of Thy mercy, then shelter them in the shade of the tree of Thy oneness, and deprive them not of the holy breezes that waft from the paradise of Thy beauty and blow from the direction of Thy grace. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and verily Thou art the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

And thou, O Muhammad, know the worth of what We have imparted unto thee of the gems of mysteries, then reflect on what We have taught thee of the wonders of Our knowledge which lay concealed behind the veils of light, that thou mayest become aware of what hath befallen Us and be of them that are informed of the mysteries of the Cause. Then say with the tongue of thy spirit in thy inmost heart:

“Is there any helper who will help the Beauty of the First in the countenance of the Last? And is there any supporter who will aid the Point of the Last in His resplendent and most luminous beauty?”

Perchance thereby God may raise up someone to help the Youth in these days wherein intoxication hath overtaken the dwellers of the heavens and the earth save them that have fixed their gaze upon the direction of nearness to this Beauty. But O Muhammad, by God, soon shalt thou witness the opposition of the opposers and their pride, and their uprising in all directions against this Youth with hatred, save whom thy Lord, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting, may will.

O Muhammad! Hearken unto that which the Pen of Divine Decree commandeth thee in this celestial realm—air which God hath sanctified from the temples of hatred and purified from the touch of the ungodly and the knowledge of the falsifiers. Rend thou asunder the veils, then arise from the dawning-place of the Cause with manifest sovereignty. Then proclaim amongst men this luminous, mighty and resplendent Beauty. Then enter upon Him Who is named by the letter Ha and impart unto him that which the Spirit of God, the Mighty, the Glorious, the Bountiful, hath imparted unto thee, that perchance he may remember within himself, detach himself unto his Lord, and be of them that are guided.

Say: O servant! We have sent down unto thee tablets and scriptures which none knoweth save God, wherein is that which shall make thee independent of all that hath been created in the realm of creation and whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth. However, We sent them not unto thee, for We found not from thee the fragrance of the exalted ones regarding this manifest Arabian Youth.

Say: By God! That which thou possessest shall perish, and naught shall endure save that which is with thy Lord behind pavilions of impregnable glory. Leave the world unto its people, then detach thyself from all that hath been created therein, then turn thy face unto thy Lord, the Bestower, the Ancient of Days.

Say: This is indeed Ali Who hath appeared once again in this most pure, most manifest, most luminous Beauty, and Who speaketh the truth in the heaven of immortality and the kingdom on high, if ye be of them that hear.

Say: O people of the Bayan! The Spirit of Divine Exposition shall never speak in your hearts except through My love, and this is from the foundation of religion, if ye be of the assured ones.

Say: O people of the Furqan! By God! The Truth hath come unto you—that by which religions are distinguished and truth is separated from falsehood. Fear ye God and be not of them that turn away.

Say: O people of the churches! Strike not the bell, for the Most Great Bell hath appeared in this Trump which hath appeared in the form of verses between earth and heaven, and calleth out in truth through this radiant, manifest and gleaming Name.

Say: He is the One at Whose bidding the verses were sent down and by Whose leave all tablets were inscribed. To this testifieth the musk that floweth from this camphor spring through this Most Ancient and Pre-existent Pen.

Say: He verily speaketh at all times verses that bewilder the minds of the wise, the knowledge of the mystics, and the hearts of the accomplished ones.

Say: This is what ye were promised in the Books of God, if ye be of them that know, and this is that whereby the Truth was established in the eternity of eternities and shall be established unto the end that hath no end.

O Muhammad! Close thine eyes to all who are in the heavens and on earth, that thou mayest be enabled to enter into the fortress of thy Lord, the Bestower, the Almighty. Kindle from this Fire in the trees of all created things, that they may speak even as the Fire spoke in the form of Light upon the Mount of Revelation. Thus doth the Ancient Beauty bestow His grace upon thee and command thee regarding the Cause, that thou mayest detach thyself from all things and hold fast unto the handle of impregnable glory.

And the Spirit and the glory and the splendor be upon thee and upon them that hearken unto thy words concerning this mighty Announcement.

BH00745: Glorified be He Who mentions whomsoever He willeth through…

He is the Almighty, the Peerless, the Self-Subsisting

In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

Glorified be He Who mentions whomsoever He willeth through His command, and bestoweth upon whomsoever He desireth whatsoever He pleaseth of His knowledge. There is no God but Him, the Most High, the Most Great. In His hand is the dominion of all things, and He granteth unto His servants that which maketh them independent of all the worlds. He giveth life and causeth death, then causeth death and giveth life, and verily He is the Peerless, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Beauteous.

Say: In the sending down of tribulations and trials are signs for them that believe, and in the flowing of tears upon the cheek and the shedding of blood are manifestations for them that are lovers. Then know thou that We traversed the path until We reached the shore of a mighty sea, and this is what We mentioned in the previous year, if ye be of them that know. Then We boarded the ark, and this was ordained by God, the Powerful, the All-Wise. And the sea became calm from its waves until God’s trust reached the seashore, and We departed from it by leave of the All-Praised, the All-Knowing.

We arrived in the month that was mentioned unto you and remained therein for several months as was ordained in the holy and preserved Tablets. When the appointed time was fulfilled and its term completed, We departed to another land beyond mighty mountains. This is what We had beseeched God in those days—that He might remove Us from among these people and place between Me and the hypocrites that which would sever from Me the hands of the malevolent. Thus did We dwell beyond the mountains in a place wherefrom no clamor would reach Us, and even if it should, the ears of the idolaters would not hear it. The bounty was lifted from their midst and returned to God’s treasury, the Most Exalted, the Powerful. But the believers hear Our call and the breezes of the Cause reach them at all times.

Say: O people! Rejoice not that the sun hath disappeared behind thick clouds of command, nor find tranquility in the world and its ornaments, for God shall soon take from you all wherein ye pride yourselves this day, and ye shall be numbered among the arrogant. Say: By God! The Badakhshan of power shall not give you what ye have lost of this brilliant ruby, nor shall the clouds of glory grant you what ye have been denied in My absence, if ye be of them that know. Ye shall not find in the shells of the sea of creation what ye have lost of this preserved pearl, nor shall the trees of eternity offer you the like of what hath vanished from you of this fresh, ripe, and delicate fruit.

Say: Are ye able to still the breezes of God, or imprison the fragrances of glory, or prevent the people from the path of God, the Wise, the Just, the All-Encompassing? Nay, by the Lord of might! Ye shall never be able, nor shall ye have the power, even if all who are in the heavens and earth should aid you.

Say: Verily, Pharaoh and his nobles gathered to block the gates of grace and prevent the people from God’s mercy, and they plotted therein with all their might in times long past. But when the promise came, God opened the gate of providence in His house, and therein flowed the sea of mercy, while Pharaoh was denied a single drop thereof, despite his pride. Thus was the matter decreed of old by the Sovereign of wise command. And Pharaoh searched for Moses throughout the land while he was in his own house, and he perceived it not.

Thus do We relate unto thee from the true stories that thine eyes may be consoled thereby and that thou mayest rejoice and be of them that are certain, and know that the Cause is in His hand and sovereignty is within His grasp. He doeth whatsoever He willeth, and no plotter’s plot, no schemer’s scheme, no rejecter’s rejection, and no denial from any rebellious satan can hinder Him.

Be thou therefore confident in thy soul, then walk in my footsteps and deviate not therefrom, even should every wretched rejecter gather against thee. Walk thou in my path, and should thine eye oppose thee in this, pluck it out and turn not unto it, if thou be of them that hear. Love thou him who loveth God, whose deeds match his words, and whose very being confirmeth them. Then turn away from every base deceiver. Counsel the servants not to create disorder in God’s earth, nor to dispute His Cause, nor to follow any sinful rebel.

Beware lest thou walk on earth save with wisdom, and speak not save with wisdom, and be thou among the discerning ones. Open not thy mouth unless thou findest an attentive ear, and when thou findest a receptive ear, impart unto it what God hath graciously imparted unto thee, if thou be of them who remember. Open not thine eyes save unto a beauteous countenance, and if thou findest penetrating vision, show unto it what is concealed within thee of the beauty of knowledge, that thou mayest be of them who give glad tidings.

Waste not the seed of wisdom in barren soil, and be not of the prodigal. But when thou findest good earth, deposit therein the seed of wisdom and knowledge, that there may grow therefrom a goodly and wondrous plant. Rain not the showers of eternity upon perishable temples, but rain upon such bodies as would, if given but a drop thereof, be quickened by God’s leave, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Bountiful.

Strive, O my brother, in the Word of God, and waste it not, neither spread it before the heedless. For verily, people are as yet unformed embryos, unable to reach the holy atmosphere or enter the pavilion of sublime and enduring glory, for they have cut off their wings with their own hands, and are thus barred from the canopy of eternity, falling to the earth of abasement with great remorse, depriving their ears of God’s melodies and their eyes of the beauty of God, the Peerless, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Then remind, from Our presence, all those small and great from whom thou dost detect the fragrance of truthfulness and on whose faces thou seest the radiance of delight. Then conceal the Cause from those whose faces are turned to thee but whose hearts are set towards thine enemies, and who scheme at every moment. Turn away from these, neither associate with them nor sit in their chambers, nor dwell in their habitations. Be thou in mighty concealment.

Shun such as these, be not neglectful in the Cause of God, transgress not beyond what thou hast been commanded, and be not of the transgressors. Then remind, from Our presence, the loved ones of God who are scattered throughout the regions of the world in every distant quarter, then in the land of Alif, the letter Fa, and in the land of Ya, the letters Ra and a ad, and convey to them what We have sent unto thee, that thou mayest be of them that remember.

Thus may their hearts be gladdened, their beings renewed, and they find the fragrance of the divine garment from this exalted Tablet. Then those who were in the land of Shin and Sad, and besides these the cities of God, the Mighty, the Dominant, the Powerful, that they may gird up their loins to aid the Cause of God and convey unto the people what God hath conveyed unto them, for verily He is the Munificent, the Generous.

Thus do We cast upon thee from every wisdom that which God hath ordained for thee, that thou mayest find solace therein and be of the thankful. Then remind those who were round about thee and give them the glad tidings of Our remembrance of them, that they may rejoice within themselves and be of the detached. Then make mention, from Our presence, of the letter Jim, and glorify him and his son and those who were circumambulating round about the House.

Then tend the House and its inhabitants with all that behooveth thee until God shall manifest what He desireth by His command. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Powerful, the Exalted. As for what We promised thee during thy presence, that We would send thee that which is hidden in the shells of power, precious pearls of holiness, We have not sent it until now and shall send it hereafter if God willeth. Verily, He fulfilleth the rewards of the doers of good.

Thus have We cast upon thee the word of truth and sent down unto thee this Tablet at the time when the face was covered with luminous white water. Peace be upon thee and upon those with thee and upon whoso hath hearkened to the counsel of this servant from this wondrous Pen.

BH00327: Ah! God is Most Glorious—and the Sun of Beauty…

Section 1: “Ah! God is Most Glorious—and the Sun…”

Ah! God is Most Glorious—and the Sun of Beauty broke, And from the Wardrobe of the Unseen all the veils of darkness spoke.

The hood of Night was lifted—lo, the Shadow’s face laid bare; And out of hidden chambers stole the Secret’s startled air.

Then from that Face there flash’d the Pride of Majesty, unseen, And in the Lote’s leaf’d solitude the Holy Fire was green.

And Suns of the Before-time kindled, one by one, and roll’d On the high wheels of Glory out in cataracts of gold.

Near drew the Hour; the Moon was cloven; the trump of Doom was blown; Each Resurrection rose to stand—each Gathering set in stone.

Then Light on light—of Might, of Love, of Splendour—burst in bloom, And Sinai saw new Pharan-fires leap scarlet through the gloom.

Thrones lifted up—then fail’d and vanish’d—yet the Merciful sat fast, Enthron’d upon the Throne of His Command—beyond the reach of blast.

Winds of the Spirit from Life’s East came rushing, keen and free; And Seas of Light ran heaving—casting Pearls upon the sea.

And thou, O Friend—draw near this Fire; cast in thy heart and see How in its burning centre stands the Beauty of Deity.

Pluck thou its sparks—O steal its brands—within thy spirit’s hand, And set on fire the whole of Being—Unseen and Seen—like sand.

But he that will not near this Flame, but, proud, turns back and flies, Shall bolt from it—affrighted asses—through wilderness of skies.

And those that doubt these marvellous Signs—when read in solemn tone— Turn stubborn faces from the page, and make the Truth their stone.

They bow no wing of lowliness to those that do believe; But stride above the lovers—blind to what their hearts receive.

Such never truly trusted God, nor His Bright Forms, in any hour; Nor shall they trust, when comes the Day—nor feel the final power.

For that is the Day: He Whom God shall make manifest comes down in cloud of Fire, And round Him Angels of the Cause stand arm’d with Strength and ire.

And we—who have believ’d in Him—shall meet Him on that meeting-Day, And take whatever from His hand descends—His Signs, His Writ, His way.

O my brother, the faithful friend! Thou didst, aforetime, depart from thy native land, and didst migrate unto God, thy Lord, the Beloved, the All-Glorious… until thou didst come upon a city through which there befell an ordeal whereat the heavens of power were moved to pity, the pillars of the mighty Throne were shaken, and, at its tidings, all spirits within the temples of eternity were sore distressed; then were the realities of the sanctified confounded, and the Beauty of the Unseen wept within the pavilion of majesty, and all countenances wailed in the inmost chambers of the Most Hidden Mystery, and the whole of existence, in the realms both unseen and seen, cried out, and all atoms shed crimson tears, manifest and red.

By God! seas of blood flowed from the eyes of the Concourse on high, and behind them all spirits in the hanging gardens of abidingness, and all beings and essences, of identity and mystery and holiness and eternal truth. Would that, O my brother, thou hadst been present, and hadst witnessed that Most Great affliction, and wept with them that wept; then cried aloud with the suppliants. A year and twenty days were spent in that most grievous calamity—each moment whereof was as a year and twenty thousand thousand ages—by reason that the Ancient, the Ever-Abiding, the Eternal, the Primeval, could not still the weeping of them that wept, nor the agitation of the sanctified, nor the lamentation of the near ones; and God, in His invisible knowledge, did, at every hour, reckon that single moment as the ages of the former and the latter.

Until the Spirit of the Merciful was borne from the City of Glory into the gardens of mystery, with might and dominion and majesty and beauty and grandeur and splendour and manifest sovereignty; and He tarried in the Ridvan twelve nights and days among its dwellers. And in those days all countenances, from the canopies of a mighty unseen, and all beings and essences from the realities of an ancient Mystery, and all forms and spirits of the Prophets and the Messengers, and all who inhabited that city, small and great, did hasten to appear before His face—until He came forth from Ridvan in such array that the eyes of the Concourse of the Cloud were bewildered, and the hearts of the exalted were ravished… yet none amongst us knew Him, for vain imaginings had veiled us from the beauty of that sanctified, illumined Countenance.

…until He reached the abodes of holiness and the stations of intimacy in this Most Great, this All-Glorious journey, and the Beauty of Might arrived at the shore of a vast sea (Samsun, upon the shore of the Black Sea), and alighted in that most august, most mighty, most exalted place, in such wise that none can attain thereto save they whose realities have reached the utmost limit of attainment. There shone forth from Him the vesture of God upon the Throne of thrones, with impregnable majesty; and He tarried in that station seven nights and days, great and wondrous. And at every moment the hosts of the Command, in mighty manifestations, came into His presence; and verily His beauty appeared each hour in vestures of the vestures of the Ancient God.

Until the Ship of the Spirit arrived, and the Most Great Spirit embarked thereon, and around Him were the concourse of the exiles; and the ship moved upon the face of the sea, until it reached the shore of a great city whose name hath become renowned among the peoples (Istanbul)… And the Most Great Spirit disembarked from the Ark of holiness in a small boat of gentle majesty, and crossed the stretch of the sea until He set foot upon the Land of Cloud, and took up His abode in a praiseworthy, impregnable station, facing the sea, and chanting the verses of might in melodies of a hidden spirit, until there came a raft of a gleaming ruby, and the Sun of Eternity rested thereon… until He entered a lofty, exalted, sublime house… and in that high throne and impregnable seat He was encompassed by this mighty sorrow in new days. Then, thereafter, He revealed Himself upon the region of Cloud and the most resplendent Lote-Tree, upon a dome of impregnable Sinai on the summit of a noble mountain; and He was manifested upon that mountain for months, holy and fair, and would unveil, in the inmost of the Most Hidden, the veils of concealment with mysteries enshrouded, and would lift the covering from a wondrous, manifest Beauty.

…when He moved anew the thread of the Command in the chambers of the Most Hidden, with the ascent of the Spirit of Might from the atmosphere of nearness unto an atmosphere of mighty remoteness… even as was decreed, layer upon layer, for the Primal Point, the Sovereign of the former and the latter, the Possessor of the kingdom of identities, the King of the realm of the Cloud, all together.

When the Sun of Identity and the unseen of the Self-Subsisting shone forth in a mighty land, called among the peoples by the name of Abu-Shahr—meet indeed that it should be the sovereign of the realms of existence from the east of the unseen unto the west of the seen—for it was the first city upon which God revealed Himself, and therein He appeared with the lights of His Ancient Essence. And when the radiance rose from the dawning-place of pre-existence from this Most Great Luminary, the decree went forth for His departure from that land unto the land of “Fa,” the court of exalted might; then did He appear in a most manifest vesture, in despite of them who sought to quench the lights of the Ancient.

..until the judgement of destiny appeared again: His Most Exalted Unseen was made to depart, and the Sultan sent for Him that they might meet Him and behold His Cause; yet were they inwardly of the treacherous. They plotted and deceived until they imprisoned Him upon a mountain whose name none had heard, nor was it renowned among men; and they consigned Him to that mountain—among what dwellers??—the fires of envy flamed in their hearts, and they decreed that He should dwell upon another mountain, and cut off from Him the feet of the wayfarers… until that which befell, befell… ..and they were heedless that He would arise from the horizon of the All-Glorious, and would subdue all, and exalt His Cause, and manifest His proof, though all the peoples of the world should detest it.

Section 2: “When He ascended unto the unseen…”

When He ascended unto the unseen of the Cloud, He returned in less than the twinkling of an eye with a more beauteous Beauty, and appeared with that radiant, resplendent Countenance under the name of Bahi, mighty and unassailable. And when He willed to reveal this Most Great Treasure, hidden and concealed, it was decreed for Him even as it had been decreed for the Primal One aforetime: even as He went forth from the land of “Ba” unto the land of “Fa,” so likewise He went forth from the land of “Ta” unto the land of “Ba”… and even as, after that, the Sultan summoned Him from the land of “Alif,” and they made Him dwell upon the mountain of “Mim.”

Then again, once after once, did they remove Him from that station, and imprisoned Him upon the mountain of “Jim”; and likewise, after the Cause of God was exalted in the regions of ʿIraq, the banners of hypocrisy and the standards of dissension were raised, and the king called “Aziz” sent for Him; even so did they expel Him from the city and make Him dwell behind the “Qaf,” upon that mighty mountain, whither the birds of the hearts of the near ones can never attain.

…When the Most Great Beauty alighted in that station, the paths leading to the ways of the people of eternity were cut off, and the road was barred in such wise that no soul could escape the souls of the sanctified… and He walked in the paths of sorrow as none hath known save His own grief-stricken, sorrow-laden Self, until eight days were fulfilled, according to the number of His name, the Beloved, the Most Glorious.

…Then was the lodging made ready, even as the Most Great Spirit was cast into a narrow, constricted body, and entered a place which none would enter save under strange necessity… . They remained in that station five nights and days, each moment whereof was as fifty thousand thousand ages and years… then did they alight in a house belonging to the pavilion of loftiness, and the Sovereign of Might sat upon the gathering of intimacy in great abasement. And they remained in that abode nights and days wherein they were not secure; until, by reason of extreme necessity and straitness of place, they changed to another house, perchance they might find therein some rest—yet that was more grievous than the first and the last, for its narrowness and cold.

…Thereupon He departed of His own impregnable Self, even as had been ordained from before, and passed beyond His appointed time four months (in Istanbul)… and thereby the frame of existence was ripened, and the realm of possibility was made ready that there might then be breathed into it a spirit from the fragrance of God, the Mighty, the Unassailable.

When the Beauty of the Unseen took up His dwelling, in His own Self, upon the Point of sorrow (Adrianople), encompassed by seas of tribulation through the temples of a wondrous Command, He uttered a word in the inmost of His mystery beneath the tongue of His heart; and by that word He breathed a spirit into the very soul of the Cause. Thus did the Cause appear by the Cause, and the Cause was established in its own station; yet the Cause, through all these stages, was in manifest heedlessness, and was concealed within the mystery of the unseen.

…And the breathing of the spirit into the temple of the Cause endured three months—months of God, glorious and wondrous. And when four of the former were completed, and three of the latter fulfilled, and a new creation was brought forth—blessed be God, the Best of creators—until the days were joined to the day wherein, like unto that day, the Essence of the Most Exalted, the Most High, the Ancient, appeared; and that was in the month of God which is called Jumadi.

…Then, when He willed to manifest the Primal Countenance in the beauty of the latter, and to lift the veil of the Most High from His All-Glorious Face; and when He came forth from the treasury of the unseen in the vesture of the Spirit among men, He moved once more the thread of the Most Great—greater than the former. And by the departure of the Most Great Spirit from the City of sanctified might, the heart of His belovedness was rent within the inmost of His inmost; and His holy tears flowed upon His impregnable Face, for the sorrow that He must reveal that gentle Countenance among the heedless—those who were heedless of His rising in the days of the Cause, and knew Him not in the Day of the Hour, nor shall they know Him then, nor will they ever wish to know Him throughout eternity, though He appear unto them at every moment in a thousand thousand revelations of His unassailable Self.

Nevertheless, He endured within His impregnable Self even as He had endured before in the inmost of His inmost—an endurance wherewith the Essence that encompasseth all, in the everlastingness of the Essence and the beginninglessness of His ancient being, cannot compass. And when the judgement of fate was confirmed by the decree, and the Beauty of God, the All-Glorious, rose in joy unto that station behind the “Qaf,” unapproachable and impregnable, He bore the burden of the Cause—eight and eighty thousand thousand ages of the eternal, ancient God—within eight months, months of God, wondrous, fresh, and mighty. Thus did the months of the Cause pass from the Jumadi of beauty unto the Rajab of majesty; and the hours drew nigh when the moon of abidingness should be rent asunder and the sun of a gleaming unseen appear.

So deaf were all ears in that month—even as that month was named by that name—that no ear, however hearing, could hearken to the call of the Cause.

..This is the very mystery whereof the Imams of the Exalted Qur’an, upon the heights of the Spirit, spake in this most mighty Cause: that the unseen is all amazement at what befell between Jumadi and Rajab. And this is of that event which issued forth from the treasury of the mystery of God—Jumadi of joy and Rajab of command—in a strange, most hidden secret.

Bear thou witness, O my brother, that in that year which dawned from the horizon of eighty, the spirit was taken from the former and the latter; then thereafter the spirit of the wondrous was breathed into all the temples of possibility… until the months were joined unto the month of God, the Most Great, the Most Magnified, the Mighty, which is called Sha’ban, for in it the Most Great Sea of God, the Ancient, was branched forth… and that is the month of God’s grandeur before the ancientness of pre-existence.

…For in that month the temple of Glory was slain, and the unseen of the Merciful was martyred, and the Identity of God, the unapproachable, the impregnable, was crucified; then was He raised again in that month, and lifted His head from the mantle of the unseen with a shining Beauty in an impregnable form.

And when the Tree of God’s Essence was hidden within Its own Essence, and fell in the path of Its Lord with Its beauty in Its majesty for love of His All-Glorious Beauty, it lifted up its head, in less than a glance, from its ancient root, and cried aloud: Verily I am God; there is none other God but Me, the Most High, the Most High— the Countenance of sixty! And verily I am God; there is none other God but Me, the All-Glorious, the All-Glorious— the Beauty of eighty!

BH00620: In the name of the manifest and visible Lord!…

In the name of the manifest and visible Lord! O thou Jamalu’l-Fath, hearken unto the divine melodies in the Persian tongue! By God, thou shalt not hear their like though thou searchest throughout all regions. The meaning is that were mention to be made of what hath befallen this servant through the tyranny of enemies and friends, verily would measureless sorrow encompass thee. And this much hath been known to thee, that many matters have remained, and still remain, concealed from all eyes and thoughts for the glory of God’s Cause, until such time as God shall will otherwise.

By God, O Fath, the root of the matter was not as the people have heard, and none were apprised thereof save two souls. One was he who was named Ahmad, who hath ascended unto God, and the other was he who was named the Interlocutor, who walketh while destiny walketh behind him. This is one of those mysteries that was hidden from the truth, and this is of the wisdom of thy Lord which none knoweth save those endowed with illumined vision.

None besides God is cognizant of God’s Cause. Were it not for the consideration of the people’s sedition and thy harm, assuredly would the command be given that thou shouldst turn toward the holy court and become apprised of matters which none else hath known.

Apart from these considerations, the purpose of creation hath ever been the knowledge of God, and the knowledge of Him hath ever been and shall ever be dependent upon the recognition of the Manifestation of His own Self, as is recorded in all the pages of the Bayan. And He Who is the Essence of the All-Merciful hath made all that is ordained in the Bayan conditional upon His appearance and recognition. He Himself sufficeth as a witness. This station hath been sanctified from all limitations, allusions and restrictions, for this is the station of “Know God through God” and through what proceedeth from Him, not through what hath been created between the heavens and earth.

In most passages it hath been mentioned that the people of the Furqan were not well trained. God willing, may the people of the Bayan be so trained that they may not remain veiled from the Source and Fountainhead of the Cause, either through verbal allusions or without them. Now ponder this utterance, that ye may enter the pure ocean of God without allusion, in such wise that ye may regard all as non-existent save him who hath entered beneath the shadow of his Lord.

Now consider the firm ordinances of the Furqan, among which is the mention of the “Seal”, in His exalted words “but He is the Apostle of God and the Seal of the Prophets.” Consider also the words of the Letters and the Gates concerning the appearance of the Qa’im. Yet at the time of His wondrous manifestation all these sayings were set aside by a single word, as thou thyself bearest witness that the Prophet hath been from the beginning that hath no beginning and will continue unto the end that hath no end, as mentioned in the words of the Exalted One—may the life of all else be a sacrifice unto Him.

How tenaciously did the people of the Furqan cling to these ordinances, yet remained deprived of their essence! This servant himself wrote numerous treatises on these matters, that perchance the people might rend asunder the veils and recognize the Lord of Names and Attributes. In brief, at the time of manifestation nothing profiteth or hindereth, as hath been mentioned, for the Sovereign of Manifestation is known through His own Self. Were it otherwise, and were He to be known through words and allusions, the verdict of non-existence, negation and hellfire would not have been passed upon the people of the Furqan and those veiled therefrom, notwithstanding these healing utterances.

Free your spirit from the fetters of allusions and ponder the wondrous words, that you may attain unto the spring of divine bounty. Moreover, the Point of the Bayan hath, in all His Tablets, given explicit counsels and conclusive admonitions, that none should remain veiled from the Manifestation or cleave unto aught else. Yet, notwithstanding the wondrous signs of thy Lord that have encompassed all created things, they have inflicted such harm as is not meet to mention. Whatever these immature servants behold—be it the revealed and decisive verses, the all-encompassing conditions, or the manifestations of power in this Revelation—they have witnessed its supreme evidence, such that none but every sinful denier would reject it.

By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand! This servant hath transcended self, yet the purpose is that these servants should not remain veiled like the peoples of the past, nor visit upon the Manifestation of the Cause in the next Revelation that which hath been visited upon this servant. I swear by the Sun of inner meanings that purely out of self and desire have they perpetrated what they have done, attributing it to this most pure and holy seat. Woe unto them for what they earn! They have ever turned away from the truth, as evidenced by the treatises they have written rejecting one another, all of which are extant. And now, united in their hatred for this Youth, they have written epistles rejecting God and sent them to all regions.

Soon they will reach you. If these epistles are examined with an eye unclouded by imitation, by God! the lies of the liar and his ignorance will be as manifest as the sun in mid-heaven. All the refutations of that heedless and ignorant one actually prove this wondrous Cause, were ye to behold with sanctified vision. By God! From his words Satan himself is manifest, as though deprived of the fragrances of the All-Merciful. He speaks as a child, nay lower still hath he been and ever shall be. The rejection of this company of the Beauty of Divine Unity is even as the rejection and turning away of dung beetles from the Paradise of Divine Unity. Doth it beseem a gnat to object to God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting? Nay, by His very Self, the Truth, were men to comprehend!

Verily, the signs, words and deeds of Truth are, distinct from all else, like the rising sun—manifest and clear. Blessed are they that perceive! The sweet fragrances of the Musk of the All-Merciful waft continually from His signs and utterances, yet none shall detect them save those endowed with refined perception. These words have been revealed for the good-pleasure of God, that perchance they may preserve a few from the depths of passion and lead them to the certitude of eternity. God guideth whom He willeth.

Cast off the garment of blind imitation from the temple of detachment, lest the lights of the Beauty of Divine Unity remain veiled by the covering of limitation, and the Cause of God—which hath ever been sanctified above the comprehension of the learned—be sullied by the allusions of the heedless. Enter the sanctuary of “Know God through God” and the station of “He cannot be comprehended through aught else.” Know the Truth through the Truth and comprehend it, for none other than this can truly know that peerless Beauty and the manner of the appearance of the Lord of Majesty, except what He may choose to reveal through His grace.

Therefore, at the time of the Manifestation of the Self-Sufficient, nothing shall profit anyone—even if all who are in the heavens and earth should possess illumined tablets, precious scrolls, or volumes of books—except after their entry and arrival [under the shade of] the Most Great Luminary. Thus doth the Pen of the All-Merciful speak at the time when the fingers of the All-Glorious move it as they please, by His command. Verily, He is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.

O Khalil! Were you to become aware of the sorrow of Nabil, you would not choose the abode of patience and the dwelling of forbearance, but like the lovers would set forth into the desert of longing, consumed by grief for the Day-Star of the horizons. Such is the state of this world and its people. They have ever veiled the Beauty of the One with the veils of envy. Blessed is he who rendeth asunder the veils and entereth beneath the pavilions of holy splendor.

Hear thou My words, then purify thy vision from human allusions and stand at the Most Great Scene. By God! That which was to appear hath appeared, and We beseech God to make thee among those who perceive. Would that there were a fair-minded one with insight, or a detached one with knowledge, who might witness what none among the worlds hath witnessed. Soon shall the greatest clamor be raised, and people shall be prevented from the Most Great Wine. Verily, those who turn away shall be seen to outnumber those who believe, for pebbles are found in abundance while pearls are rare.

God willing, you shall not deprive yourself of the outpourings of the clouds of the Cause and the effusions of the clouds of grace. Would that the people of the Bayan had received from this servant the equivalent of what was revealed by the Point of the Bayan, and had kept themselves from calumnies. Nay, they will not be content with anything less than shedding holy blood. Thus doth their desire command them, if thou be of those who know.

Most wondrous of all things is that, despite this Most Great Revelation and supreme power, none hath reflected upon the nature of the Cause. Rather, all cling to vain imaginings and remain veiled from the Beauty of certitude. Thus hath it been aforetime and thus shall it be unto the end of ends. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH00710: This is a Book from God unto him who…

He is the Manifest above all who manifest!

This is a Book from God unto him who hath believed in the Spirit in His days, and who hath been seized by the fragrances of the days from his Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, and was of the believers. Now doth the Most Exalted Pen move in his remembrance from the Most Glorious Horizon, that he may be illumined by the lights which have shone forth from the horizon of this Luminous Dawn, may detach himself from his own self and all else beside Him, may turn unto God with his heart, his soul and his spirit, and be of them that are assured.

O servant who art mentioned in this inscribed Tablet! Know thou that We created the Sidrat’ul-Muntaha in the crimson hill beyond the crimson sea of grandeur, and raised it to such a station that were all who are in the heavens and on earth to seek shelter beneath one of its leaves, they would be preserved from the heat of self and passion, inasmuch as We shed upon it a light from the lights of this Sun which hath dawned in truth—thus hath the matter been decreed, if thou be of them that know.

When We desired that creatures should dwell beneath its shade, We heard its cry and its trembling within itself, such that the foundations of all things were shaken and the pillars of existence were well-nigh overturned, and it was about to be uprooted, whereupon the hand of thy Lord’s power, the Most High, the Most Great, held it firm. When asked about its cry, it called out saying:

“O my Lord! I know that the King of Thy Will desireth that these servants should abide beneath my shade. I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Will from which none in the heavens and earth can escape, that Thou shelter not beneath my shade any of those servants whose faces have been changed by the dust of idle fancies and vain imaginings, who have disbelieved in Thy Self, turned away from Thy Beauty, and taken for themselves a partner with Thee in sovereignty, after they were all created by Thy Word in Thy previous Manifestation Who appeared in truth and Whom Thou didst make a lamp unto the worlds. And if Thou desirest this, then create a pure, luminous, holy people, sanctified above all in the heavens and earth, whose eyes have fallen upon none but Thee, whose ears have heard naught but Thy melodies, whose tongues have moved only in Thy remembrance, whose hearts beat only with Thy love, and who regard all that is created on earth as utter nothingness, or as light as scattered ashes.”

When its cry was raised, We called unto it from the right side of the Throne: “Be thou firm in thy place. By My life! Soon shall God create beings from holy dust and sanctify them from all that was and shall be, and make them proofs of His Essence, manifestations of His Self, dawning-places of His Names, rising-points of His Glory, treasuries of the pearls of His knowledge, and fountainheads of the revelations of His Cause which hath appeared in truth from the horizon of the heaven of sublime glory. And He shall ordain for them the laws of Paradise in love of this Youth, around Whom circle the spirits of the holy ones and those brought nigh. Thus have We ordained for thee from among these, that they may dwell beneath thy shade, be sustained by thy fruits, hearken unto thy melodies, and circle round thee morning and evening. Thus have We drawn aside the veils from the face of mysteries that thou mayest be apprised thereof and be of them that know.

And if thou desirest to soar in the atmosphere of thy Lord’s nearness and become aware of that which hath been veiled from the eyes of His servants, say ʿIn the Name of God’, then soar in the atmosphere of attraction and detachment until thou reachest the garden of the chosen ones. And when thou dost arrive at that spot and behold what it containeth and the state whereunto they have attained, say: In the Name of my Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate!

Then wing thy flight from that station, upon the pinions of the spirit, until thou findest thyself in the garden of the Prophets. And when thou dost enter therein, traverse its regions, then gaze upon its streams, and ponder the mysteries they enshrine.

Then hearken to the rustling of its trees, the cooing of its dove, the melody of its nightingale, and the murmuring of its waters. And when you discover it and what has been treasured therein of the pearls of your Lord’s knowledge, the Most High, the All-Knowing, say:

“In the name of our Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High!”

Then ascend from that station, with the aid of your Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, until you reach the station of Lordship. Then will you discover the realities of all things as they are, and the breaths of the All-Merciful will take you, and attract you in such wise that you will witness nothing except that you behold inscribed by the Pen of Destiny upon its white countenance:

“He is God, there is no God but Him, and he whom He hath sent with the truth is indeed His Manifestation, His sovereignty, His might and His grandeur unto all the worlds.”

O thou who speakest towards the holy court! By God, the True One, today is the day of soaring; tarry not in any place, but ascend on the wings of the All-Merciful that thou mayest reach the pinnacle of Paradise. Then wilt thou find the Sun of thy Lord’s mention, the Most Glorious, the Most Luminous, dawning from the horizon of grandeur.

Thus doth the Youth counsel thee at a time when sorrows have encompassed Him from the manifestations of Satan, and He findeth no helper nor supporter. We desired to mention unto thee what was ordained in the stations We have described to thee, but the Breath of God was restrained from His mouth by reason of what the hands of hatred from His wicked servants have wrought against Him. Thus hath it come to pass with Us, if thou be of them that hear.

Forget not thy portion in these days, turn not unto the people, but set thy face at all times toward thy Lord and be steadfast with wondrous steadfastness. Then know that when We desired to mention a single letter of the hidden, treasured, and guarded mysteries in the repositories of thy Lord’s protection, all who are in the heavens and earth were struck with terror, and all who are in the kingdom of command and creation fell unconscious.

This is what We had foretold them through the tongue of Muhammad aforetime:

“Then the trumpet will be blown a second time, and lo! they will be standing, looking on.”

Thus was it decreed before in the preserved tablets of might. And the servants who claim to believe in God, the Mighty, the Most High, the Great, have committed what neither Nimrod, nor Pharaoh, nor the First and Second committed, for they did not openly war with God, nor did they calumniate Him, and though they were oppressors, they did not seek to cause confusion among God’s assured servants.

Say: By God! He who hath not purified his heart from all else save Him and hath not passed through the kingdom of names, will never be able to enter this station, whose very dust is blessed by the people of the Supreme Concourse and the spirits of the highest Paradise.

Say: O people! I am but God’s Youth among you. I have denied none among you, nor have I disputed with anyone. I have supported my Lord’s Cause until His Word was raised to such heights that the hands of the ungodly were cut off from it. But when God’s Word was exalted and His Cause shone forth and His sovereignty was manifested, then arose to slay me those servants who were created by My word, who denied God’s right and His signs, and who disputed with My own Self.

Therefore there hath descended regarding them from the heaven of command that which hath descended. By God! This is not from Me, but from One Mighty, Powerful.

Say: Would that ye knew those whom ye have taken to yourselves as lords beside God, and had been numbered among the people of insight! Wherefore, shun thou those who have disbelieved, and purify thy heart from the allusions of such as these, that the lights of thy Lord, the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Most Holy, the Almighty, the All-Illuminating, may be imprinted upon it.

O servant! Wilt thou remain silent after thy Lord, the Most High, crieth out between earth and heaven concerning that which hath befallen His Beloved at the hands of the oppressors among His creatures in this remote prison? Remember thy Lord, then proclaim His Cause, and fear no one, for verily He will protect thee with the hosts of revelation and inspiration, and He is the best of helpers and supporters.

Thus have We revealed unto thee and commanded thee. Act thou according to what thou art bidden, and be of them that act. The Spirit and Glory and Might and Praise be upon thee and upon them who have ascended unto the heights of eternity in this Most Wondrous, Most Beautiful and Most Sweet Remembrance, and who were steadfast.

In conclusion, We counsel thee that when thou discoverest what hath been treasured within the words of thy Lord of the pearls of His knowledge, conceal them from the eyes of the heedless, for thereby will arise the clamor of those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God, and the uproar of those in whose breasts lurks hatred for the Beauty of the remembrance of thy Lord, the Most High, the Great.