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

BH01756: We, verily have not fallen short of Our duty…

We, verily have not fallen short of Our duty to exhort men, and to deliver that whereunto I was bidden by God, the Almighty, the All-Praised. To His Eminence Aqa Siyyid Baqir in the Land of Ya, He is the Most Wondrous, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted.

O servant! Arise and call out among the people with wisdom and exhortation. Say: O people! After the manifestation of God and His sovereignty, does it befit anyone to cling to anything among all that has been created in the heavens and earth? No, by the radiant and luminous Beauty of God! And after the sun has risen and reached its zenith, does it befit anyone to speak of mirrors, even if they be true mirrors? No, by the Self of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!

Say: The mirror’s glory lies in the sun’s rays being reflected in it, and this reflection exists within it and appears from it so long as no veils of self and desire intervene between it and its illuminator. Thus is the matter, if you be of those who perceive. After becoming veiled, it can never tell of the sun’s sovereignty, and God’s lights, grace, providence and bounty are cut off from it. This comes from itself, for it has placed between itself and the sun that which has deprived it of the lights of God, the Mighty, the Merciful.

Say: If today all the mirrors of creation were to face this Sun that has dawned from the holy horizon, the revelation of God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Powerful would be reflected in them all. This reflection remains as long as they face the Sun, but after turning away, the light returns to its source and creation reverts to its original form and likeness, if you be of those who know.

Say: God created mirrors as He created all things, and creates as He wishes by His command. He is the Powerful, the Mighty. He has ordained measures for every name in the kingdom of names—He raises and lowers them, and thus does God erase what He wishes and confirm what He wishes, and with Him is the knowledge of all things in preserved and mighty tablets.

Say: The existence of all things is through God, while His existence is through His own Self, if you be of those who understand. The light of all things is through the Sun’s light, while its light is through itself, if you be of those who are certain.

Say: The glory of every name is through its Creator, while His glory is through His own Self, the Supreme, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O people! Associate not partners with God, nor take lords besides Him. Fear God, O people, and transgress not in God’s Cause, and be not of the wrongdoers.

Say: Today all things stand equal, such that distinctions between created things have been removed. Whoever turns to God is among the most exalted of creation, and whoever turns away has no mention with God, the Sovereign, the Beautiful. The mirror today is he who has detached himself from self and desire and has turned to the holy court, this radiant and luminous scene. Without this, the decree of existence in the heaven of eternity cannot apply to it, let alone this station, if you be of those who know.

Say: O people! Observe the visible mirrors—if they face the sun, you will see its form within them, but after they turn away, you will find no trace of the sun in them. Thus does the Pen of Command teach you lest your feet slip from the path. This is from My grace upon you, and I am the Ancient Bestower of Grace.

Likewise observe the mirrors of names, that you may be among the firmly grounded. Though a mirror might claim for itself the station and rank of the sun, the sun knows it lies about itself, as has been decreed before, if you be of those who witness.

Creation has various ranks with God. Among them are those whom God raises up in the Kingdom of Names, whose name becomes renowned among the peoples of the world. Such a one has his station with his Lord according to his measure, if he transgresses not his bounds and remains steadfast beneath the shadow of affirmation. But should his foot slip, he will instantly return to the nethermost depths. Those whose names thou hearest from every soul, yet findest not in them that whereby the hearts of the believers might find repose, and from whom no signs of God, the Creator, the Fashioner, the Ancient of Days, are made manifest—these are they whose names have been raised up without their realities, and in this there is wisdom which no ignorant one far removed can comprehend.

And among them are those whose realities God raises up without names, as thou witnessest in those whose faces are illumined and from whom waft the sweet savors of holiness, yet none recognize them save those of keen insight. They walk among the people as one of them, while in their hearts the dove of remembrance warbles in their longing for God and their yearning for His holy and exalted habitation. Moses aforetime made known to us one of these, whereupon he was confounded within himself and became of the perplexed. With Us are sciences which were We to divulge but a single letter thereof, the hearts of the believers would be thrown into confusion. And among them are those whom God raises up in both name and reality and in all that pertains to them.

Thus have We detailed the matter for thee that thou mayest know every soul according to its measure and station, and be of them that are endowed with insight. Were We to explain the stations of being raised up and its degrees according to what We have ordained, thou wouldst become aware of all mysteries, but for every mention there is an appointed time with thy Lord, and when the promise cometh, it shall descend from a holy and exalted dominion.

Say: O Manifestations of Names! Let not the world delude you with its vanities, nor names with their loftiness. Fear ye God and wax not proud before Him Who created you through His decisive and wondrous Word. Open your eyes that ye may know your station and Him Who created you from a drop of water. Fear ye God and forge not lies against God your Creator, nor commit unseemly acts against yourselves lest ye deprive your souls of that which hath been ordained for you by One mighty and all-knowing.

Observe thou the people of the Bayan and their veils, and that to which they have clung after We commanded them to cling to naught of all that hath been created between the heavens and the earth at the time of the Manifestation. Say: If ye deny this Cause, what is your proof for believing in My previous Manifestation, Who was named ʿAli before Nabil? Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of Him by Whose command the verses were sent down in every age and through Whom God’s power was manifested and His mercy encompassed the worlds. Fear God, then look with God’s eye to the root of the Cause and that whereby every wise command is established. Formerly ye adduced proofs for your cause through God’s verses, the Mighty, the Gracious.

By God! In these days there hath been sent down the equivalent of what was sent down aforetime to the Messengers. If ye deny these, what is the difference between you and the former peoples who denied God on the day the clouds were cleft asunder and God came with His authority, and the matter was decreed by One mighty and powerful. O people! Have mercy upon yourselves and reject not the truth through what ye possess, for this indeed is a grievous wrong. Rend asunder the veils of glory through the power of My Name, the All-Conquering, the All-Encompassing. Would that ye were cognizant of the root of the Cause! By God! All that ye have heard regarding any other than Me is from Me, and none has knowledge of this save My All-Knowing, All-Informed Self. Were ye to behold the Cause with pure and illumined eyes, ye would recognize that which ye have not known before, and would find yourselves upon a mighty steadfastness.

And thou, O servant, cast aside the veils that lie behind thee, then make mention of this Cause amongst the people and fear no one. Place thy trust in God, the Mighty, the Beauteous. Arise to serve the Cause, then proclaim it among the servants, and be not of them that are patient. This is better for thee than all whereto the name of any thing can be applied, and to this doth every thing bear witness, if thou be of them that bear witness.

O my God, my Lord and my Beloved! Thou knowest that I have not fallen short in propagating Thy Cause, and have revealed unto Thy servants the greatest of what they possess—a Command from Thy presence. And verily Thou art the All-Powerful, the All-Willing. Therefore, O my God, open Thou their eyes and purify their hearts that they may recognize Thy Self and detach themselves from all else besides Thee. Verily Thou art the Lord of surpassing bounty.

BH00782: This is a remembrance from God unto those who…

He is the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting, the Most High, the All-Knowing

This is a remembrance from God unto those who have shattered the idols of self through the fear of God, and have preserved God’s trusts within their breasts, and have been faithful through justice. God shall soon assist them with hosts of angels and raise them to a lofty station of nearness.

O Ancient Beauty! Remind the servants of what hath been revealed unto thee at this time, that they may turn towards the sacred and generous canopy.

Say: O people! Fear ye God and spread not corruption in the earth, and let no one dispute with another, and be alone in God’s religion. Beware lest ye make this world your homeland; rather seek ye the homeland of eternal glory. Purify your hearts from envy and hatred that ye may meet your Lord, the Most Merciful, with pure and sanctified hearts. Then cleanse your tongues from reviling, and backbite not those who have hastened with their feet and hearts unto the paradise of a glorious Name.

Say: Those in whose hearts surge the oceans of love shall not occupy themselves with the mention of contingent things, and shall be drowned in the seas of detachment. And when God’s verses are recited unto them, their eyes are humbled and their faces shine like luminous pearls. These are they who have aided God, their Creator, according to their capacity; God shall soon aid them with every wondrous victory.

Say: O people! Fear ye God, then walk in the footsteps of these ones, and follow not your own desires, and take not partners unto God within yourselves, and follow not every ignorant rabble, but turn ye unto a beautiful and holy countenance. Then strive ye in God’s religion that ye may understand God’s Cause through your hearts and eyes, and follow not the paths of vain imagination and blind imitation.

O people! Be ye ashamed before God and be not like those who have turned away from His face and followed every rebellious devil. Walk ye in the paths of God which are straight through justice. Beware lest ye associate partners with God or differ regarding God’s commandments, and be not tyrannical and wretched in the earth. Rather, resolve the differences that have arisen between you and be as brothers firmly established upon the thrones of unity. I counsel you at this moment and take God as witness between me and you.

Beware lest ye differ regarding that which ye have been promised in the Book, which hath been irrevocably decreed in the Tablet. Know ye that He Who hath been named in the Bayan as “Him Whom God shall make manifest” shall come with truth in the next Resurrection, and God is the guarantor of this. He shall fulfill His promise and shall come on the day when the Lote-Tree of the Bayan shall be raised to a lofty and glorious height. Then shall the Bird of Eternity warble and the Dove of Holiness coo, and God shall come in overshadowing clouds. Thus do We impart the truth unto you and remind you with a sublime and glorious remembrance, lest ye entertain in your hearts the imaginings of the ignorant, and stray from the Path, and become far removed from God’s Kawthar.

Fear God, O people of the Bayan, and do not indulge in vain imaginings within yourselves, nor take anyone to be His equal, for this is indeed a grievous error. When the Promise comes, verily He shall appear with the truth as He willeth, and shall create anew all who are in the heavens and on earth with a wondrous word of command. He shall assist whomsoever He willeth among His servants, and His help is ever nigh unto the believers. They who come before the Tree of the Bayan is raised up are proofs that there is none other God but Him, and thus has the matter been decreed.

In those days no ordinance from among the ordinances hath appeared, nor hath the Tree which was planted in the Bayan by the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, borne fruit. Indeed the Tree hath not even put forth leaves, how then could it bear fruit, if ye be informed of God’s decree? Know ye that before the seed sprouts and becomes ears of corn, the time of harvest hath not arrived, if ye be discerning in divine wisdom. When it puts forth its shoot and becomes strong and reaches its fullness, then do the servants harvest it and live thereby for many days. Similarly, know ye the decree of the Tree of the Cause: when it reaches its ultimate height and bears wondrous fruits, then cometh He Who shall take its fruits, and without this it shall never be, and God and His Prophets and Messengers are witness to this.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I implore Thy forgiveness at this moment for what my hands have wrought before Thee and for what my pen hath set down, for Thou art indeed merciful unto Thy servants. For I have, O my God, set limits to Thy Cause wherein none should draw breath, how much more the limitations which arise from vessels of ignorance far removed from Thee. I testify at this moment that Thou art the One with power over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thy choice lieth not in anyone’s hands; rather, Thou art the Chooser of whatsoever Thou pleasest, and Thou art wise in all things.

By Thy glory, O my God! If Thou shouldst desire to manifest the Exponent of Thy Self at this very moment, Thou art assuredly powerful to do so, and of this I am possessed of clear certitude. I confess before Thee that Thou art the Powerful in Thy deeds, manifesting what Thou willest and concealing what Thou willest, and Thou art powerful over all that Thou desirest. Thou shalt not be questioned about what Thou doest, and nothing can prevent Thy will, and Thou encompassest all things.

By Thy glory, I have conveyed to Thy servants what I have found of Thy ways, lest they corrupt Thy Cause which Thou hast raised to a station of glorious praise. Therefore, pardon me through Thy grace, then forgive me and make me not doubtful in Thy Cause. Then enable me and Thy servants not to oppose Him in His days as they opposed Thy Most Exalted Beauty aforetime and this servant of Thine, for Thou art indeed cognizant of all this.

By Thy glory, O my Beloved! I make peace with Thy creation before Thee that if they believe not in Thee on the Day of Thy manifestation in the Exponent of Thy Self, at least they shall not oppose Him nor harm Him with their hands and hearts and with the envy and hatred that lie within their souls, as I find today from every lowly and great one.

O leaders of the Bayan! Fear God, and let not leadership prevent you from this grace in this Day. Be not proud before God in what you possess, but hasten to the shore of a wondrous Name. In that Day, put not your trust in your deeds and actions, but trust in the grace that shines forth from a holy and resplendent horizon. Even now I observe that some among you hold prayer beads in your hands and make mention of God with them, yet every morning and evening you pronounce judgment against God Who created you.

O leaders of the Bayan! Be fair with yourselves before God in that Day, and be not deceitful and mean. For by God, if you believe not in Him in His Day and in this Servant Who speaks of Him with truth in these days, nothing shall profit you, be it little or much. Do you turn away from the Truth and content yourselves that people should follow you? Evil indeed is that wherein you traffic, and your profit therein is not worth a whit or atom.

By God, I would rather you slay me in these days and I ask you not about my blood, than that you should oppose God in the Day that shall, in truth, come to pass. Then do mine eyes weep, and my heart quake, and my soul be troubled, and my hands tremble by reason of what hath befallen Him at the hands of these oppressors, all of them.

It behooveth me to complete these words, for in all creation there is no hearing ear save those who hear these verses and whose eyes overflow with tears for the love of God. And these are fewer than red sulphur in these days wherein the Name of God is grieved among the people.

BH01392: He is the Most Mighty! This is a Book…

He is the Most Mighty! This is a Book sent down in truth from the presence of One mighty and wise. It teacheth you knowledge and wisdom, and bestoweth upon you the food that hath descended from the heaven of the Cause. It commandeth you to righteousness and piety, and forbiddeth you transgression and wickedness. This is what hath been sent down in preserved Tablets of holiness.

Say: By God! The hand of God hath emerged from the sleeve of His power, and the sovereignty of the Cause hath appeared with mighty authority over the truth. Say: O people! Fear God and dispute not His verses after they have been sent down in truth from the Dayspring of the Most Exalted Name. Deny not God’s favor, and reject not Him through Whom His beauty hath been manifested, His names exalted, His verses perfected, and His words completed unto all the worlds.

Say: O people! Do ye take as your protector other than God, after He hath come upon the clouds of the Cause with clear signs, created you, sustained you, made known unto you the paths of holiness and guidance, and taught you wondrous and impregnable knowledge? Say: Beware, O people of the Bayan! Have mercy upon yourselves and upon the souls of the servants, and be not like the people of the Furqan when the Most High came unto them with luminous Tablets of holiness.

By God! I fear not for Myself, but for him who shall come after Me with mighty and impregnable sovereignty. By God! Whoso objecteth unto Me shall object unto him. Thus doth the Dove of the Cause warble with wondrous and novel verses. Guard thyself from drawing nigh unto the idolaters, then convey unto the people that which God hath conveyed unto thee. This is better for thee than all the worlds.

If thou art seated when God’s Tablet reacheth thee, arise from thy seat and be not sluggish upon the earth. When thou art in remembrance, be silent that thou mayest hear what the Spirit reciteth in this Paradise, which appeareth in the form of a visible Tablet. When thou hast heard and recognized what is treasured in thy Lord’s melodies of self-knowledge, then aid Him with thyself and with thy tongue, and tarry not even for the twinkling of an eye. This is what thou hast been commanded in the Book wherein falsehood cannot approach, which speaketh the truth that there is no God but Him, and He encompasseth all things.

Say: O people! Aid ye the Youth and fear no one. Know that God guardeth you with mighty unseen hosts. If ye aid Him not, God hath indeed aided Him in many circumstances when He strengthened Him with the Holy Spirit and sent down upon Him hosts ye saw not, when governments and peoples rose against Him. He protected Him in truth and brought Him forth from the city with mighty sovereignty. The necks of Pharaohs were humbled before Him, and the heads of every proud and wretched one were brought low.

Say: God shall soon raise up a people possessed of mighty strength, and through them will He aid the Youth as He aided Him the first time. These shall not be hindered by veils nor withheld by allusions, for this is not difficult for God. Their hearts are as blocks of iron, such that nothing in the heavens or earth shall cause them fear. Thus doth He aid whom He willeth through His grace, and His help is nigh unto the believers.

Say: O people! Do ye deny him who hath believed in God and His verses and in all that hath been sent down in manifest and mighty Tablets? He hath strived with his soul to such a degree that through him God’s Cause was raised up between earth and heaven, His Word was exalted, His proof was perfected, His signs became renowned, and His traces filled the East and the West. The Cause through him reached a station that no just and trustworthy one can deny. Those who deny this bounty—their hearts have hardened and Satan hath inspired in them the lowest word. Say: The Word of God is the most exalted, were ye but aware of it.

Say: O people! Do ye deny the favor that is visible upon the temple of the Youth? He reciteth unto you at every moment novel verses of attraction, bestoweth upon you the fruits of the Lote-Tree of Paradise, and draweth you nigh unto an impregnable station of nearness. If ye deny this, by what evidence did ye believe in the Manifestations of old and in Ali before Nabil? Say: The Youth hath come upon clouds of fire with holy and beauteous myriads. Therefore be fair within yourselves and ponder upon the creation of the heavens and the earth, that ye may find a path unto God in this Throne.

Say: Do ye deny God while ye read His verses? What aileth these people that they scarcely understand any discourse? Thus hath the Nightingale of the Cause sung unto thee and inspired thee with the word of piety, that thou mayest arise for thy Lord’s Cause and aid Him according to thy capacity. Aid cometh from none but Him, and He is indeed independent of all worlds.

BH01408: He is the Most Manifest above every possessor…

He is the Most Manifest above every possessor of manifestation. God testifieth that there is none other God but Me, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. And I bear witness that there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved.

O Pen of Command! Send down upon the Tablet from the wondrous remembrances of thy Lord, that perchance thereby hearts may be quickened, even though in these days the allusions of the people of allusions have prevented men from entering this tempestuous and surging ocean. They have risen in opposition in such wise as cannot be described in words, and God is witness to what I say, save those who have cast the idolaters behind their backs and their allusions beneath their feet. These soar with the wings of holiness in the atmosphere of God, the Mighty, the Protector, the Powerful, the All-Forgiving.

Blessed is he who hath rent asunder the veils through the power of the sovereignty of Names and Attributes, in such wise that the Concourse on High heard the sound of their being rent. By God! Around such as these circle the denizens of the pavilions of eternity, those whose faces God hath preserved from turning to aught else but Him and whom He hath sanctified from the doubts of every hateful idolater.

And among the idolaters is he who hath returned to his first step, who hath broken God’s covenant and His testament, who argueth with that wherewith the people of the Furqan argued, who holdeth fast to what they possess, and who hath grown heedless of God Who created him from clotted clay.

Say: O idolater! He who is enriched by God shall be rich beyond all who dwell in the heavens and the earth, even should he be the poorest of all creatures. And he who is heedless of Him is the poorest of the poor, even should he possess the treasures of all that was and shall be. And if thou seest him, say: O idolater! We know not by which of your arguments we should feel assured in your cause. Ye are those who for a thousand years argued that the Qa’im was living in a known land, yet when one of those near to God spoke of His future birth, ye denounced him as an infidel and slew him, even as blood was shed of those who were assured in the Cause of their Lord. This was a tenet established among you, and whoso confessed otherwise, ye cursed him and pronounced him an infidel. But when the Beauty of the Most High descended upon the clouds of the Spirit, then it became evident that ye were dead within the veils of your own selves, and that He was born in Persia. Glory be to Him Who hath manifested Him with the truth and made Him a sovereign over all who are in the unseen and the visible!

Say: O concourse of idolaters! For a thousand years ye have dwelt in the fancies of your souls, taking illusion as your leader. Ye were on the brink of the pit of fire, yet ye perceived it not in your cause, even as ye now hear from the people of the Furqan. Ye were afflicted with this only because ye followed your own desires and a number of men who fabricated lies against God and who wandered in the wilderness of fancy. When God rent asunder the veils of fancy, ye testified that He was truly born and that He was indeed the One promised in the Books of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Observe, then, those who follow these people after having discovered their falsehood and their fabrications. By God, O faithful servant of God! When these who associated partners with God and denied Him and His signs witnessed that the banners of the Cause had truly appeared and the Sun of Expression had risen from the horizon of grace, they arose to spread lies and calumnies, that they might cast doubt into the hearts of those who were gazing toward the sacred direction. They argue with the same arguments used by the divines of the Furqan, and to establish their delusion they cling to the reports of the past.

Say: Woe unto you! Which of your reports should we believe, after we have witnessed with our own eyes that ye were drowning in the seas of fancy? Say: O people! This is He through Whose manifestation ʿAli before Him, and before him Muhammad the Messenger of God, took pride, and from the wellspring of Whose Pen God caused to flow the Kawthar of wisdom and utterance. Fear God, and be not veiled by what ye possess, and be not of them who disbelieve. Purify your hearts from all previous reports, for ye can never know which word was sent down from the presence of the Mighty, the Best-Beloved, and which word was fabricated by the idolaters to preserve their leadership.

Thus doth the Cock of the Throne crow at this moment from the sacred direction, the holy and sanctified seat of God, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved. And thou, keep thyself apart from such as these, then take thy seat upon the throne of certitude in the name of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bountiful. Pay no heed to those who say that which they comprehend not. If thou art able to convey the Cause of thy Lord, convey it; if not, then rest in thy place and trust in God in all matters.

And glory be upon thee and upon those who have been attracted by the fragrances of the All-Merciful from this glorious and manifest Paradise.

BH01776: Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee…

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst send down Thy verses, manifest Thy proof, perfect Thy testimony and complete Thy favour; and by Him Whom Thou, O my God, didst establish as the seat of Thy Cause and make Him the Manifestation of Thyself; and by Him Whom Thou wilt raise up on the Day whereon Thou wilt establish Thy Cause—to confirm this servant who hath believed in Thee and in Thy signs, who hath migrated in Thy path and entered the stronghold of Thy mercy and the shadow of Thy loving-kindness upon the path of Thy love and Thy Cause. Then purify him, O my God, from the impurities of self and desire, and cause him to enter the pavilion of eternity at the Lote-Tree of the Uttermost End and the Tree of the Furthermost Boundary, that he may hear with his ears the holy melodies of Thy oneness and the sweet accents of Thy singleness, and witness with his eyes the lights of the beauty of Thy glorious unity, that Thy grace, Thy bounty and Thy favor may be perfected unto him from Thee.

By Thy glory, O my God! Through Thine excellent loving-kindness, Thou wouldst surely grant him all that he hath asked of Thee with his tongue, but I desire, O my God, that Thou shouldst bring him nigh unto a station wherein he would be assured of all that Thou hast given and bestowed upon him, and be not of those who behold Thee yet know Thee not, who pass by Thee yet comprehend Thee not. This proceedeth, O my God, solely from their heedlessness and their veiling of themselves, else Thou art manifest above all things, established over all things, and witness unto all things. Verily, Thou art the One manifest and witnessed. Thou hast said—and Thy word is the truth—“How many a sign in the heavens and in the earth do they pass by, yet turn away from it!”

And whoso remaineth heedless of Thy signs within the realm of possibility in Thy kingdom, how can he recognize Thee in the Manifestations of Thy glorious oneness and the Daysprings of Thy holy everlasting nature, except through Thy grace and loving-kindness? I beseech Thee therefore, O my God, to rend asunder the veils of heedlessness from before our faces and to bring us unto the fountainhead of Thy grace and the source of Thy favors. Then grant us that which Thou hast ordained for us, for Thou knowest what is best for us and verily Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Praised. Then ward off from us, O my God, the schemes of them that turn away and the plotting of the plotters.

Then preserve us from every affliction, illness, disease, anxiety and grief. Then send down upon us, O my Beloved, the good of this world and the next. Verily Thou art powerful over all things, and Thou art the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! By Thy might and Thy majesty, Thy greatness and Thy power, Thy sovereignty and Thy glory, were all who are in the heavens and on earth to be drowned in the tears of mine eyes, or were the whole earth to be watered with the blood of my body, and thereafter were it to be devoured by beasts and birds, or wert Thou to leave me in the hands of the transgressors among Thy creatures and the idolaters among Thy creation, that they might do with me as they please in return for my remembrance of Thee, I would still deserve greater than that and more than this. For no sin is greater than that the non-existent should make mention of the King of existence, or that the evanescent should manifest itself before the Worshipped One, for by this would be affirmed the existence of aught beside Thee in the court of Thy glorious unity, and the appearance of aught other than Thee at the dawning of the sun of Thy oneness, after my tongue and the tongues of all created things bear witness that Thou wert in the loftiness of Thy singleness and naught was with Thee, and that Thou art in the heights of Thy detachment and nothing is with Thee.

Therefore, O my God, have mercy upon this servant whose tears flow upon his cheeks for love of Thee, then forgive him through Thy grace. And when naught existed beside Thee, then, O my God, have mercy upon this servant whose tears have flowed down his cheeks for love of Thee. Then forgive him, through Thy grace and bounty, for this transgression that hath no equal in Thy dominion nor any likeness in Thy kingdom. Or else raise him to a station wherein the decree of similarity and comparison shall have no place in relation to his being. Verily Thou art the glorious Lord, and Thou art the Mighty, the Beloved.

BH02100: Glorified be He in Whose hand is the dominion…

He is the Mighty!

Glorified be He in Whose hand is the dominion of the Kingdom of eternity and the realm of might in the heavens! He doeth whatsoever He willeth with His Most Glorious Servant and is not questioned about what He desireth. He is the Almighty, the Most Powerful.

Say: The servant hath departed from the City of God, and this We accepted for Ourself before the creation of the heavens and before the spirits were breathed into the temples of the worlds, at a time when neither the primal Adam, nor Moses of the Cause, nor the Faithful Spirit were yet mentioned. By this all are assured that the people can never inflict upon Us what We have not accepted before the creation of the first ones and the mention of the last ones. By the Lord of the Throne and of eternity! All who are in the heavens and earth are but as a handful of clay. How then could anyone inflict upon Us what was not ordained in a Tablet well-preserved?

Say: By God! When the Youth desired to depart from the Garden with manifest sovereignty, the Maids of Heaven emerged from their exalted chambers, the veils were drawn aside, and the Manifestations of the Unseen came forth from their holy retreats. All spirits gathered to behold the Beauty from this noble vantage. Not a single soul or spirit or manifestation remained behind the veil of the Divine Essence or the coverings of the Almighty Dominion—all descended from their stations to witness this glorious Beauty. The Youth walked forth and with Him walked the spirits of the near ones and the angels of all worlds, until He stood before the Steed. Then were the pillars of all things shaken, the realities of Paradise were troubled, and the hearts of the mystics swooned away. Then did the Beauty mount the saddle of light, even as the Spirit mounted the mighty throne.

At that moment the Herald called out from the midst of the heavens at the center of creation:

“O City of God! How canst thou endure this separation that sets Iraq ablaze and melts the horizons?”

Then were the hearts of the believers and the souls of the lovers consumed.

“O land of the City! How canst thou bear anything in creation after the departure of God’s burden, the Mighty, the Powerful? How can roses appear from thee and plants of glory spring forth after the disappearance of God’s rose, the Transcendent, the Luminous? How can spring breezes blow upon thee after the departure of God’s springtime, when thou art afflicted with the force of autumn? O air of the City! How canst thou nourish thy inhabitants after the sweet breezes of the Beloved are cut off from thee? O City of God! From whom wilt thou thereafter find the fragrance of musk, and with whom wilt thou find solace after the perfumes of the garment are sealed from thy face? O nightingale of the City! How canst thou warble upon the branches after the nightingale of holiness hath flown from the boughs of glorious might? O dove of the City! Wilt thou coo upon the branches after God’s voice is no longer raised and the melodies of wondrous holiness are cut off from the City?”

Thus do We make mention of the City of God after the separation, that the loved ones therein may be among those who remember.

BH02557: This is a Book wherein mention is made…

This is a Book wherein mention is made of the loved ones of God …

O people! Be ye the fire of God, His wrath, His thunderbolt and His chastisement for such as have disbelieved and joined partners with Him; and be ye, moreover, the light of God and His mercy unto them that have acknowledged His unity. Beware lest any among you corrupt the Cause. Fear ye God with that fear which is His due, and be of them that promote peace and concord. Sanctify and purify yourselves to the uttermost, that there may appear from you that which God hath willed for you; and this is My command unto you, if ye be of them that act.

And be ye so adorned with virtues that none among you may cause sorrow unto another, that haply ye may not return grief upon God on the Day whereon He shall come with truth in manifest clouds. Choose ye, in all matters, the most excellent, and then put your trust in God, your Lord, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Transgress not against any soul, of whatsoever creed he be, save after His leave; for He it is Who distinguisheth between truth and error, and He is the Best of those who judge …

Say: O people! Deal ye one with another, in the midst of mankind, with pure justice, so that there may not appear from you treachery and enmity, nor backbiting and hatred, nor sedition and wretchedness, that ye may become ensigns of guidance amongst men. This is the aid vouchsafed unto you by your Creator, your turning unto your Fashioner, and your drawing nigh unto God, the King, the Almighty, the All-Glorious. In the realm of being no victory is greater than this, for thereby shall the Tree be exalted, and its branches, its boughs, and its leaves uplifted, if ye be of them that know.

For thereby shall the hearts of them that have disbelieved and joined partners with God be made tranquil, and were they of those who denied. And when they are at peace, they will draw nigh unto you and will gather around you. Then do ye cause them to hear the verses of God, the All-Glorious, the All-Powerful. But if there appear from you that wherefrom hearts flee away, then shall none draw near unto you, that he may behold that which hath been sent down unto you in truth, of the verses of God, the Most High, the Most Great; or be guided by your guidance; or recognize, in your midst, the path of God; or follow the ways of the well-doers.

All this doth God admonish you with in the Book, that ye may follow the admonition of God and His command, His counsel and His judgement, and may be of them that follow …

BH06529: A wondrous remembrance from this servant to him who…

A wondrous remembrance from this servant to him who believed in the Spirit, then was guided by the light that was visible from the horizon of holiness…

Say: O people! Believe in God and His messengers, and slay not the she-camel of God that giveth you to drink of the milk of wisdom. Touch her not with the swords of your selves, lest ye be touched by a punishment kindled in the fire of heedlessness….

BH06507: O beloved of spirit and soul! This Cause…

O beloved of spirit and soul! This Cause is wondrous, impregnable, and sanctified—most pure beyond the utterance of tongues and the remembrance of men, and exalted above the hint and intimation of “this” and “that”. Never hath this divine Sun, in such wise, shone forth in an effulgence more august and more mighty …

O my well-beloved! What shall I say of the waves that have surged within the heart of this vast and unassailable Deep? Thou wilt, verily, behold what firm and well-wrought jewels, what mighty and solid spheres, what lofty and invincible ships have traversed the seas of grandeur, have moved upon the billows of glory, and have cast anchor upon the domes of the ocean of power and within the deeps of the mystic sea of the unseen. That this most august Cause may not, through the blasts of sedition and the trials of men, be shattered upon this sea and drowned; but may, in the midst thereof, be preserved, and delivered from the whirlpool of perdition unto the shore of the intended goal…

By the simple radiance of His blessed Countenance! All, in this day, are engaged in the ascension of the Cause. God willing, hope thou that, through the gracious bounties of the Spirit of the Beloved, thou mayest be sanctified from the vain imaginings, the idle fancies, and the blind imitations of men, and mayest ascend unto the lofty degrees of the Abha sanctity.

BH06520: During this period, certain matters have caused delay…

He is God!

During this period, certain matters have caused delay in the manifestation of this Cause, as mentioned in previous Tablets. What was destined has come to pass, and this is among His most wondrous and hidden wisdom. However, the companions of God and His loved ones must in all circumstances remain tranquil in the tranquility of Truth, and with utmost assurance walk between manifestation and concealment.

And these very trials and tribulations that have befallen this servant from the year sixty until now, which is eighty, are sufficient reminder for all souls. By God, any being who desires to ascend to the supreme companion and soar to the highest horizons of eternity must surely walk in the footsteps of these servants, so that in all worlds they may fly and move in harmony with the birds of the divine throne.

And he who has known God will know none else besides Him and will forget all else save Him. In any case, with perfect joy, delight and gladness, let them be reminded of God’s wondrous remembrances. And the Spirit be upon you and upon those who are patient in this great terror. 152

BH04245: Alone, single, one and peerless, He departed…

…Alone, single, one and peerless, He departed from the House of majesty and glory, and took up His abode in the retreat of unity and concealment; and He hath wholly barred the doors of meeting. And the Tablet—whereon, in the days of His departure, there appeared upon His blessed Temple a fragment of His sanctified garment and the sprinkled drops of His most pure blood, and which, in the Kingdom of God, hath been named the Tablet of Testimony—was sent unto that well-beloved, that they who are the people of love and fidelity might read it. Let each one inscribe it, in clear and crimson letters, and set it in his own dwelling, facing the place of his gaze; and every day let him look thereon, and, with plaintive melodies of comely sorrow, recite its words, and weep for the wrongs endured by this peerless Beauty in the prison of exile.

For in these days all appointed eyes in the worlds of the unseen and the seen, and the hidden eyes veiled within the curtains of the invisible—unto the end that hath no end—are shedding tears for this blessed Countenance. Nay rather, could one behold with the eye of God, no atom would be seen in the realm of existence save that thou wouldst find it sorrowing and lamenting in grief for this Wronged One…

BH01990: Were this servant to attempt to recount the sorrows…

He is God, exalted is He

Were this servant to attempt to recount the sorrows that have befallen him, it could not be done, nor is any save God able to number them. “There shall befall us naught but what God hath ordained for us.” Praise be to God that thou didst meet my brother, and wast informed of the manner of his journey and the particulars thereof. By God, besides Whom there is no God, whatsoever thou hast heard concerning the Cause hath been wholly from this servant, and none hath been apprised thereof save Mirza Ahmad—who hath also attained unto thy presence—and one other of the brethren, known as Kalim, who is present in this land. These two deemed it expedient to mention and to make known his name; for this servant is widely known, and the greater part of those who hold offices are confirmed in enmity. Therefore was his name spoken; and how much hath been written and recorded in his praise—yet all are known only by the name of the Primal Point.

Beyond these matters, how much effort and endeavor was expended in teaching, nurturing and protecting him, yet in times of tribulation he remained hidden and in moments of ordeal he fled, while this servant was afflicted among the enemies. You have heard how much tyranny and oppression I endured. By God! Not for a single night did I rest in peace and tranquility, and God is sufficient as witness. Surely you have heard of the gathering of the people of Iraq and the divines of Persia, how they arose in opposition until, by God’s grace, the hand of divine power brought them all to naught and We arrived in this land.

When my brother felt secure in himself and saw this land at peace, he secretly commissioned one of the servants to kill me. When the secret nursed in his (Mirza Yahya) bosom was revealed by God, he disclaimed such an intention, and imputed it to that same servant (Ustad Muhammad-‘Ali). Some letters in his handwriting appeared which still exist.

Thereafter this servant withdrew from all and, trusting in God, resided in seclusion. Nevertheless the fire of his wrath was not quenched. He wrote tablets and sent them in all directions, attributing to this servant that which he himself had done, for he is confident that the ignorant masses of the earth will accept as true and established whatever he says, although they have properly understood this matter, as most have not seen him and whatever they have heard was from this servant. Still they have risen to war against the Beauty of Divine Unity. Fie upon them and upon those whom they have taken as lords besides God! Any person of insight can discern his station from what he has written.

In brief, he has committed acts that no one has ever committed. I pour out my anguish and grief unto God alone. We hope, God willing, that you may abide beneath the shade of the Tree of the Cause, detached from all else. And peace be upon you and those with you.

Regarding what you wrote about Haji Mirza Ahmad—may God reward you with a goodly reward that shall not be followed by change, for verily He has power over all things.