Volume 034: Middle Edirne (March 1866 – September 1867) (1 of 8)

BH03020: Such hath been … that the fragrances of discord…

He is the Most Generous, the All-Giving, the Impregnable

Such hath been … that the fragrances of discord and dissension from those who profess loyalty have risen to such a degree that the atmosphere of the horizons hath become such that the Ancient Beauty hath determined to veil the effulgence of His peerless Beauty behind the veils of glory, in such wise that no pure light shall ever again be witnessed from Him. Therefore, in accordance with divine wisdom, He hath withdrawn Himself from all companions and emigrants, even from the servants, and repaired alone to another house, establishing there the throne of sorrows. This is the third time that successive migrations have occurred in this supreme migration, yet none have been like unto this one, for it was undertaken with complete volition while its people were rendering the utmost service. However, the details of this migration cannot be encompassed by explanation, pen, tongue or exposition.

If thou desirest to become acquainted with a drop thereof, refer to the Shirt of God which hath appeared in the form of words and letters in the Tablet of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. A Persian Tablet containing an Arabic verse at its head was presented before the Most Holy Throne in the sacred and most glorious presence. These wondrous and sublime words were revealed upon perusing it. May those manifestations of divine victory be made manifest in a wondrous temple and a new spirit.

O thou who art beloved! Be ye informed that the Tablets contained in these four packets should not be lost. Remain firm and steadfast in all things and conditions in the Cause of God, the Resplendent, the Impregnable, and carry out the services to the Cause to whatever extent possible through hand, tongue, heart, soul and spirit. The details of these days are as revealed in previous Tablets and at the time of their revelation. Regarding the delivery of Tablets to their recipients, allow not the slightest delay or postponement. This is a command from the presence of the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. The proclamation of this wondrous Cause is binding and obligatory upon all souls according to their capacity, and not a moment’s delay, postponement or silence is permissible. Tomorrow, being Friday the 22nd of Shavval, the Peerless Beauty intends to move to another house.

BH00084: Suriy-i-Amr

Section 1: “This is the Surih of Command which We…”

This is the Surih of Command which We have sent down by Our command and authority from before Us, and verily I am the Commander, the Ruler, the All-Knowing, the Powerful, the Dominant, the Self-Subsisting.

He is the Invincible Sovereign, the Single One, the Victorious, the Omnipotent, the Almighty.

Glorified be He Who created all creation by His command, and brought every created thing into being nearer than can be counted, were ye to know. He shall create as He willeth through His power, and none can prevent Him from His purpose, for He is the True One, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. He hath sent down all things in the Book and perfected the creation of all things in due measure, that men might be assured of His signs. He shall continue to send down the command of all things in the Book, were ye to perceive. His signs shall not be severed, nor His proof exhausted, nor His testimony weakened, nor His sovereignty perish, for He is verily the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved.

He it is Who sent down the Book wherein He hath detailed all that ye know not, and He shall continue to expound the truth and send down the Command as He willeth, were ye to understand. He hath taught all things the measures of knowledge according to their capacity, were ye to know, and He shall continue to teach His servants from the wonders of knowledge, for He is verily the Sovereign, the Compassionate.

Say: He it is Who hath lit for you the Lamp of Holiness that ye might be illumined thereby in the darkness of your own selves, and that ye might not go astray. And He shall cause the Lamp of the Spirit to shine in the Niche of the Command, were ye to witness it. He it is Who kindled the Fire of the Command in the Blessed Vale, the holy and blessed spot, and He shall kindle it through His grace in the innovative Paran, that ye might be guided by God’s guidance.

The Sun of Wisdom and Utterance hath shone forth upon you, were ye to behold with the eye of God. He shall cause it to shine forth when He willeth and desireth. There is no God but Him, the Supreme, the Holy. None can prevent Him from exercising His sovereignty. He ruleth as He pleaseth by His command, were ye to believe. He shall perfect His Cause through His power, even should all who are in the heavens oppose Him, and this is a known truth. He shall aid His servants with the means of the heavens and earth until His Cause is established, His sovereignty exalted, and His power made manifest. Thus hath He prescribed for Himself in the preserved Tablets of Glory.

Say: The power of God is like unto an ocean—would it diminish by the drawing of cups? Say: What aileth you? How do ye judge? Say: The knowledge of God is like unto the winds—would they cease to blow? What aileth you, O heedless ones? How do ye imagine?

Say: Verily His Cause is sanctified above all similitudes, even as His Essence is sanctified above all that ye can comprehend. Yet He citeth similitudes that ye might understand God’s Cause, and that ye might find the sweet fragrances of holiness from the Ridvan and from the holy and hidden direction, and that your souls might thereby find rest and be not troubled, and that ye might not deny God’s grace, nor forget His covenant, nor be of those who are not guided by God’s guidance. And that ye might distinguish between truth and falsehood, then unto God shall ye return.

Say: Those who deny God’s grace, their punishment shall soon overtake them, and ye shall then witness it. Deny not the signs of God when they are sent down unto you, and turn not back on your heels, and be not of those who were turned back. Verily the influence of God shineth like the sun among the stars, were ye to perceive. None shall doubt God’s proof and His Cause save those who doubt their own selves and who deny God’s favor.

Say: O people, have mercy upon yourselves and be not neglectful of God’s Cause, then deny not the signs of God. The kingdom and all that ye occupy yourselves with shall perish, then unto God your Lord shall ye be gathered. Look ye unto the peoples of the past, then ponder their fate. Did their opposition or denial endure in the earth?

And that which ye have busied yourselves with, then unto God your Lord shall ye be gathered. Consider the peoples of old, then ponder their affair. Did their opposition and denial remain on earth, and all that they were wont to do? When the Messengers of God came unto them, they but opposed them until they imprisoned and slew them, as ye well know. Yet God exalted their Cause and established their proof, and cut off the last remnant of those who opposed God and denied His signs. Soon shall ye find these who have waxed proud against God like unto the peoples of old, and God shall seize them for their unbelief and return them to their abode in the fire of their own selves, wherein they shall be tormented for all eternity.

Say: O people, fear ye God and follow not your desires, but follow the Command of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Transgress not what hath been detailed in the Book, exceed not His bounds, and be not heedless of His remembrance. Beware lest ye forget God’s laws and all that ye have been commanded in the Book—this is better for you, did ye but know. Trust not in your wealth and children, but put your trust in God, the Mighty, the Beloved. Follow God’s decree concerning your own selves, then turn your faces toward His countenance. Thus do We reveal unto you from the verses of the Command and teach you the ways of holiness, that haply ye may understand. Say: If ye act not in accordance with what hath been decreed in truth from the presence of a Wise, Self-Subsisting Lord, God will surely create another creation who will all act according to His command and prostrate themselves before Him. Say: He is indeed independent of all who are in the heavens and the earth, and of all that ye know or recognize.

Say: These are the paths of truth which We have made manifest in truth, if ye desire to walk therein. Walk ye then therein by God’s leave, and tarry not for less than an instant if ye be of them that believe. Follow not those who have wronged their own souls and wronged others, who were among the corrupt in the Holy Land. They say “We believed in Ali aforetime,” yet now they deny His signs. They imagine they believed in God in His former Manifestations, yet today they disbelieve in His sovereignty. Thus doth God reveal the deeds of those in whose hearts lurked rancor toward the Cause, though they sought to conceal it. Thus doth God render void the false through its own deeds and establish the truth through His words, if ye would know it.

Say: We desire naught save what God hath desired for Us—this is My desire in the hereafter and in this world, as beareth witness the angels that circle round the Throne. We wished only what God wished for Us, and We rejoice therein at all times, if ye but knew. Say: Days have passed over Us which none knoweth how they passed save God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Beloved. And days pass over Us in these times which none knoweth how they pass save God, the Single, the Sovereign, the Powerful, the Self-Subsisting. We have been grateful for all that hath befallen Us, content with what He hath decreed for Us. We are patient in His trials and complain of nothing except to Him.

We follow in all matters His chosen ones who were patient in tribulation, and We are patient even as patient servants aforetime who were honored and whom God raised up in truth over all who are in the heavens and the earth, and they summoned the people until they were slain in the path of God, the Mighty, the Beloved. And the more they increased in remembrance, the more the people increased in their wretchedness, and they answered not God’s herald in their midst, and they were of those who denied the presence of God. Thus do We recount unto you from God’s ways which were decreed upon His servants, that ye may know what hath befallen His chosen ones in this time, that perchance ye may ponder within yourselves and deny not God’s signs in your days, and follow not Satan in your souls. Then be ye guided by God’s lights, the King, the Mighty, the Holy.

He it is Who sent down the Bayan in truth, and verily We believe in it. He hath brought forth the creation of the heavens and earth by His command and perfected the creation of all things. This is what hath been ordained by the Pen of Creation upon preserved holy tablets. There is no God but Him—His is the creation and the command, and all return unto Him. He hath ordained the measures of all things, as ye witness in the Book. Therein He opened the gates of Paradise, and in each gate dwelleth a creation. And He planted in every Paradise lofty and noble trees, all of which have borne holy fruits whereof the righteous partake in bliss.

And He established in each one thereof palaces of hidden and precious pearls, and in every palace are maidens who appear to have been created from the light of God, the Mighty, the Exalted, the Beloved. They all remember God their Creator with enchanting and uplifted melodies, and the people of the eternal pavilion take delight in their songs and are drawn by their strains.

And in every Paradise flow seven rivers that ye may drink therefrom. Among them floweth the wine of immortality on the right hand of Paradise, like liquid rubies of holiness. And among them is the milk of glory whose color never changeth throughout the dominion’s duration, if ye be of those who are certain. And among them is purified honey whose taste altereth not, and none shall partake thereof save those who have trusted in God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. And among them is water that never stagnates, wherein man findeth every delight—this is what hath been ordained therein of God’s grace, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Holy.

And among them is a river that floweth by the name of the Beloved, and the people of Paradise at all times beseech their Lord God to be given a drink therefrom—this is what they seek from God morning and evening. And among them is a river that floweth in the form of trinity within the word of quaternity, and it maketh mention of God in its flowing, if ye would understand. The people of Paradise gather around it to hear what is mentioned of the remembrance of God, the Triumphant, the Mighty. Whoso drinketh a drop thereof shall attain unto his desire and reach a station whereunto none can arrive save whom God willeth and desireth. Thus do We cast upon you the wonders of God’s handiwork, that perchance ye may hasten unto Him.

And among them is a river which God hath sanctified from every color and purified from every taste, for it was created from the pure essence of God’s nature, if ye but knew. Therein He hath ordained that which cannot be described in words nor completed by the pen, if ye be of those who are certain. And whosoever drinketh therefrom a single draught, upon him shall be unveiled the mysteries of what was and what shall be; he shall discern all things in their proper stations, shall be made acquainted with the treasures of wisdom, and shall soar, on the wings of ruby, within the realms of nearness unto the Well-Beloved.

O people of the Bayan! Follow not your selfish desires, nor deprive yourselves of these breezes that waft from the direction of eternity at the right hand of Paradise. Turn your hearts to this holy and beloved quarter. Take not your desires for your god, nor be of those who cleave to the idols of their vain imaginings. Shatter the idols by the power of the Name of God—this, indeed, through His Most Great Name, if ye be endowed with vision. Say: The breezes of bounty have wafted, and the clouds of grace have been raised up, and all things have been adorned since the Temple of Light hath been established upon the cloud of holy and inaccessible glory. Know ye then the value of this transcendent, exalted, and sublime bounty. At that time, the Herald of Immortality shall call out to all who are in the heavens and on earth, and shall give glad tidings of the meeting with God to all things, if ye but hearken.

O heaven of holiness! Adorn thyself with the stars of glory, then ascend as thou willest, for thou hast attained unto these days wherein none of the near ones have attained save those whom divine benevolence preceded in this Cause and whom the breaths of hidden glory have encompassed. O cloud of the Cause! Rain down from the pearls of holiness as thou willest, and turn not to anyone, that all things may partake of thy bounty, for upon thee hath been established the Beauty of God, the Sovereign, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. O land of Paradise! Rejoice within thyself, then give glad tidings within thine essence, for the footsteps of the Spirit have walked upon thee, and this is a manifest bounty. Then reveal the mysteries treasured within thee, for this is the Day whereon the near ones shall be gathered. For besides these, none have a portion of this gathering wherein the Words of God shall be manifested in their fullness—these are indeed His words, would ye but read them. And this is the gathering of the Spirit wherein holy souls are gathered, and besides them none can approach even by a finger’s breadth. This is a station wherein the Buraq moveth not, nor can the celestial pavilion ascend thereto, if ye but knew.

Section 2: “O gardens of earth! Adorn yourselves…”

O gardens of earth! Adorn yourselves with the roses of holy love, then manifest all that hath been treasured within you of holy subtleties and sweet-scented breezes. O trees of earth! Arise by God’s leave, then bring forth holy fruits according to what hath been ordained in you by God’s command, the Holy, the Exalted, the Self-Subsisting, for the winds of eternity have blown upon you from this quarter wherein every beloved matter hath appeared. O birds of Paradise! Sing and warble the sweetest melodies, then soar in this atmosphere, for We have created you in the name of one of the Names, that by these melodies may be attracted the hearts of those who have detached themselves from all directions and turned unto a praiseworthy station of nearness. All this is from the grace of Him Who hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth, whereat rejoice the denizens of the Supreme Concourse and beyond them the inhabitants of the pavilions of immortality—and now, O people of earth, be ye joyful!

And thou, O quarter of Iraq! Let your heart weep, and then your eyes, for the departure from you of the Beauty of God, Who is now confined in a prison-fortress behind towering rocky mountains. Cast off from your form the garment of joy, for the breezes of glory have been cut off from this Hidden Pearl. By God! The eyes of eternity weep for you, and the hearts of the denizens of Paradise are rent by what hath befallen Us at the hands of the embodiments of despised tyranny. O land! How canst thou remain in thy place when thou beholdest the Seat of God in manifest sorrow? Canst thou witness the City of God after the departure therefrom of the Essences of His Cause, who are now imprisoned in a distant land beyond Qaf? O City! How canst thou remain steadfast in thy position and harbor the bodies of those who have denied and associated partners with God, after the departure from thee of the Temple of God with His few companions?

The heavens are well nigh rent asunder, and the holy earth split open, by reason of the tears of the Youth falling upon this Face that hath turned only unto God, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. The atoms of all created things weep at His weeping, and the Countenances of Paradise lament in chambers of crimson ruby. Hear thou the lamentations of the dwellers of the heavens, if ye be of them that hear. We remain in a place where the hands of all created things are cut off from Our robe, where no cry can reach Us, nor the wailing of those who doubt the meeting with their Lord. Yet We are patient in all things, and My patience is only through God, and in Him let the detached ones place their trust.

Say: O people of the Bayan! We ask nothing of you save fairness. Be fair in all matters and dispute not the verses of God after they have been sent down in truth. Be not of those who look not upon the Beauty of Holiness, who shut their eyes to the Truth, follow their own desires, and wax proud before God while they perceive it not. When the verses of God are sent down to them, they persist in pride, then turn back on their heels, opposing God at every moment while they understand not. Say: Did not God create you through the breath of the Ancient Pen into your spirits? This is from the Pen of God, if ye would but judge fairly within yourselves.

O people! Have mercy upon yourselves and forge not lies against Me as ye did aforetime. Take not vain pleasures as your protector instead of God, and sport not with His verses in your presence. Compare not the Self of God with your own selves, nor His verses with your words, if ye would observe with the eye of God in His Cause. Speak not of God’s Cause that which befits not your station, and transgress not your bounds. This is the best counsel, if ye would be fair unto yourselves. Purify your souls and your spirits, and bear not earthly burdens upon your bodies and hearts, that ye may perchance be enabled to soar in the atmosphere of nearness and then enter the holy expanse.

Beware of looking toward the world and those from whom ye detect the odor of faithlessness, that your eyes may fall upon pure Beauty and ye may enter the pavilions of glory. Say: God hath numbered among you servants who acknowledge God’s grace and recite the words of the Bayan, who enjoin justice upon men and who at all times speak forth the verses of God. But he who hath been given the eye of knowledge by God witnesseth their hearts to be contrary to what their tongues proclaim, and perceiveth from them the stench of rancor and hypocrisy.

This is what was sent down at that time from the Pen of God, the Mighty, the Beloved. However, We have veiled their names in the Book, that perchance they may become aware within themselves: O people of the Bayan! Draw not nigh unto them, neither accept their words, if ye desire to hear God’s decree within yourselves and then unto Him return.

Say: When Satan desires to lead astray any of God’s servants, he appears in his form and acts as he acts and makes mention of whatsoever he mentions concerning God, the Most High, the Exalted, the Supreme, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, and remains in that state until he occupies his heart and diverts him from what he intended. Then he flees from him and disavows him. Thus do We set forth every similitude for you lest ye go astray. Beware lest ye forget God’s favor unto you and the time He was among you, bestowing upon you daily the gems of knowledge and wisdom, and causing the lights of hidden glory to shine upon your hearts and spirits. Forget not the time when the Countenance of God walked among you, illumining with His beauty the hearts of those who were turned toward His beauty.

Remember at every moment those days when the Nightingale of Eternity soared among you and sang unto you holy melodies while ye were ever listening. Would ye occupy yourselves with your own concerns and cast the remembrance of God behind your backs? This is a grievous loss unto yourselves, did ye but know. Would ye occupy yourselves with autumn in your days and forget God’s springtime among you? What aileth you that ye are not mindful? By God! We have detailed unto you with truth every counsel through a holy and beloved tongue, that ye might take counsel through God’s advice and not break what ye covenanted in the particles of the heavens in that Presence wherein the near ones were gathered together. There is no God but Him. His is the command and the truth, and all shall return unto Him. All who are in the heavens and the earth glorify Him, and all shall return unto Him. He it is Who hath ordained for every soul the measures of the Command, all of this in the Book, would ye but understand.

This is a Book from the Beauty of Holy Effulgence to God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent. This is a Tablet from God, the Mighty, the Powerful, to the Beauty of Holy Effulgence Who shall appear hereafter as He willeth and desireth. This hath been inscribed by the Pen of Command upon the preserved Tablets of Glory, and none can avert it, nor can any prevent this exalted, resplendent, and gracious decree. Can anyone turn Him back from His sovereignty or prevent Him from His Command? Nay, by my Lord! Even should all the world rise up against Him, He shall appear with the truth, shall speak the Word of God, and His face shall shine between the heavens and the earth.

O Essence of the Spirit! Manifest Thyself through Thy sovereignty and pay no heed to any of the evil ones. O Most Great Word! Cast upon the servants that which God hath cast into Thy heart, and fear no one, for verily Thy Lord shall protect Thee from the harm of the idolaters. O Heaven of Holiness! Raise Thyself to a station beyond the reach of the hands of the infidels. O Sun of Oneness! Rise upon all created things with the radiance of Thy holy lights, then bestow upon all beings that which God hath given Thee through His bounty, and withhold not from anyone Thy grace, for Thou art indeed the All-Bountiful, the Giving, the Generous, the Merciful.

Give the servants to drink of the wine that floweth from Thy right hand, for they are secretly athirst and yearning for the Command, and Thou art verily the Forgiving, the Merciful. O Most Great Ocean! Surge within Thyself with holy and effulgent waves, even as the seas of the spirit surge within Thy pure, wondrous, and exalted heart.

O Tree of God! Bestow upon the near ones among the people of eternity from the wonderful, exalted, holy, and pure fruits of Paradise which God granted Thee before the creation of the heavens and earth. For from Thee all created things began and to Thee they shall return, and through Thee grace appeared before the creation of the first and the last ones. Were Thy grace to be cut off for less than a moment, nothing would remain, neither in the heavens nor on the earth. To this We bear witness with a tongue of manifest truth.

O Treasure of God! Reveal from the eternal, enduring, everlasting, and unitary treasures, that the pearls of knowledge and wisdom may become manifest. All this bounty is from Thee to all created things. Withhold not Thy hand from generosity, nor turn Thy gaze from beholding the worlds, for Thou art in Thyself a manifest Book and a proof to all who are in the heavens and the earth, and a guidance and remembrance to all in the kingdoms of Command and Creation. Thou art God’s proof among His creation, His evidence unto His servants, His sign unto His creatures, and His Word between the heavens and the earth. In Thy hand is all command; Thou doest what Thou willest through Thy power and decreest through Thy sovereignty what Thou desirest.

Whoso is honored by meeting Thee hath met God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Whoso walketh before Thee hath walked upon a mighty and straight path. Whoso gazeth upon Thy countenance hath gazed upon the face of God, and whoso turneth away hath turned away from God for all eternity. Blessed, then blessed is he who attaineth Thy presence, receiveth from Thee mighty and powerful words, beholdeth Thy beauty, heareth the melodies of God from Thy lips, and is touched by the breezes of Thy flowing, gentle, and luminous locks. Blessed is the land which God hath made the resting-place of Thy feet, and the station whereon the throne of Thy beauty is established.

Blessed is the seat whereon is established the throne of Thy beauty with manifest sovereignty, and blessed is the house which Thou enterest, wherein is raised the remembrance of Thy name, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate, and wherein shineth Thy light and riseth Thy righteous proof. Blessed are the gardens past which Thou strollest and upon which Thou castest the glances of Thy favor, and at whose flowers, blossoms and trees Thou lookest with Thy penetrating vision. By God! The very dust touched by Thy foot should glory over the mighty throne. Blessed are they who circle round Thee and who hasten to serve Thee, whom neither the taunts nor tribulations can deter from entering the depths of the ocean of Thy Cause, the Mighty, the Powerful.

O ye dwellers of the heavens and earth, and O people of the Bayan! Waste not your deeds on that Day, and be not dismayed in this supreme and mighty terror. Enter ye through that Gate even though stones rain upon you from every direction. This is better for you, if ye be of them that know. Deprive not yourselves of this bounty, and do not act as ye have acted in these days. Fear ye God Who created you, and be not of them that turn aside. Fear God and follow no one this Day, but follow God’s command within yourselves, then hasten with your eyes toward God’s direction. Make no excuse and tarry not for any ornaments, but rush with the foot of detachment toward this blessed spot in the holy vale. Veil not yourselves from the beauty of God but hold fast to the cord of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. If it be winter, then warm yourselves at this inner fire, and if ye find the heat of summer, then cool yourselves with the water of life.

Know ye that God aids those who turn toward Him and guards them with the hosts of heaven and earth, if ye be of them that know. By God! Your turning toward this direction on that Day is better than the worship of both worlds. This is the Day whereon the breezes of life blow upon decayed bones, wherein every sick one is healed of his ailment, every afflicted and ailing one is cured, wherein lovers attain the beauty of the Beloved, and all who thirst arrive at the shores of a mighty Salsabil, and wherein every naked one is clothed with a noble, holy garment.

Section 3: “By God! At this moment the eyes…”

By God! At this moment the eyes of my inner being weep at my separation from His presence and what descendeth upon Him from the hosts of Satan. Would that I were present before Him to recount all that hath befallen us at the hands of these oppressors. Verily, He knoweth in truth what befalleth Him, and with Him is the knowledge of the unseen in the heavens and earth. He is indeed the All-Knowing, the Exalted, the Omniscient. Were He to wish to expound from a single Point the knowledge of what was and what will be, He would be able, and this would be easier for Him than all else, were ye of them that know.

O Essence of Immortality! Grieve not on that Day for anything, even if none among the worlds should be guided by Thy guidance. Verily, Thy remembrance of Thyself is better than the dominion of the first and the last ones, and Thy glances upon Thy beauty are more exalted than what is ordained in the highest realm, were all who are in the heavens and earth to prostrate before Thee. This would be better for them, and if they oppose Thee, verily Thou in Thy truth art independent of all worlds. In Thy grasp is the kingdom of the dominion of the heavens and earth, and at Thy right hand is the empire of them that dwell in the realms of divine revelation.

And on Thy right hand is the dominion of all who dwell in the realms of mystery and creation, and Thou art indeed the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent. Therefore, forgive my transgressions and my sins which I have committed before Thee in these words, for this proceeded from naught but my love for Thyself and my remembrance before Thee, and verily Thou art, of this, All-Knowing, All-Informed. I have come before Thee with merchandise too mean to mention, with scant means. If Thou accept it, verily Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful, and if Thou reject and cast it away, verily Thou art the Most Just of the just. The command is in Thy hand and sovereignty is within Thy grasp. Thou shalt not be asked of what Thou doest, and all who stand before the gate of Thy bounty are among the supplicants.

O Name of God! Bear witness within thyself that there is none other God but Him. He hath created all contingent beings through a word of His utterance, and verily He is the Sovereign, the Single, the Mighty, the Beauteous. O My Name! Bear witness within thine essence that there is none other God but Him. He hath created all things through a word of His command, and verily He is the All-Conquering, the Omnipotent, the Mighty. O Letter of Eternity! Bear witness within thy spirit that He is God, there is none other God but Him. He hath sent forth the Prophets with the truth and dispatched them to all who dwell in the heavens and on earth, and verily He is the Most Exalted, the Most Great.

O Breeze of Glory! Bear witness in thine inmost being that there is none other God but Him. He verily doth send forth the Prophets with the truth, and He is the Creator, the Ever-Living, the Most High. O Paradise of Love! Bear witness in thy secret heart that there is none other God but Him. He hath made manifest the Resurrection through His command and hath gathered together all who are in the heavens and on earth more swiftly than the twinkling of an eye. O Melody of Eternity! Bear witness in thy heart that there is none other God but Him. He shall manifest the Resurrection as He pleaseth and shall gather together His creatures as He willeth on the Day which shall come with the truth. This is what hath been inscribed on holy and preserved Tablets. Nothing can prevent Him and no command can hold Him back, even should all who are in the kingdom arise against Him.

Know thou that We have arrived in a mighty prison through what hath been ordained by the holy and luminous Pen. The matter hath become severe upon Us from all directions, and this is among the traditions of God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised. In this there lieth a wisdom which no heart can comprehend save whom thy Lord willeth, and He shall make it manifest among the worlds when He pleaseth. Nothing appeareth on earth except that the measures of destiny have been ordained for it by One Who is All-Wise, All-Knowing. Not an atom moveth except that a consummate wisdom hath been ordained for it—how much more so for this Most Great, Most Momentous Announcement!

There hath befallen Us what befell Ali on earth. Therefore, know ye the mystery of the Cause, O peoples of the world! There hath transpired unto Us all that transpired unto him, and this is an ordinance from the Lord of the worlds. Say: He was imprisoned in a place whose name none of the lovers had heard, even as We have been imprisoned in these days in a place whose name was never before mentioned, if ye be of them who know. Thus did it transpire as it had transpired before, and was ordained as it had been ordained before, and in this are signs for them who possess understanding.

Say: The Beauty of the Former One hath appeared in the temple of the Latter One—blessed be God, the most excellent of creators! And the Beauty of the Latter One shall appear in the temple of the Former One—exalted be God, the most powerful of ordainers! Thus do We mention unto thee hidden holy allusions that thou mayest be of the assured ones, and We expound unto thee from that which hath been treasured in the divine repositories of knowledge from time immemorial.

Say: He hath verily raised Me up with the truth and caused Me to speak forth wondrous and manifest verses which all who are in the heavens and on earth are powerless to comprehend, that I might guide you to the straight path and impart unto you what was inscribed in the Bayan by God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the All-Powerful, the Omnipotent. Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear God, then open your eyes to the holy and noble perspective of God, and corrupt not the Cause of God, and follow not the imaginings of the corrupt ones. Follow ye the command of God in the Bayan and answer the call of God within yourselves.

Answer the summons of God within your souls and follow not the ways of those who have joined partners with God and were among the idolaters. Say: We desire naught save what God hath desired in His Book, and this doth the Tongue of truth and knowledge testify. We wish for naught except what God hath revealed in the Book of Glory in a clear Arabic tongue. Say: These are verses sent down in truth—by them are the souls of all created things renewed, by them are God’s ordinances detailed in what was revealed in the preserved holy Tablets, and by them do the temples of names ascend to the pavilions of eternity while the measures of His Cause are ordained by One mighty and wise.

Say: The idolaters sought to cut off God’s bounty, alter His Word, complete His Cause, and overturn His judgment. Evil is what they have imagined within themselves, were ye among the discerning. Thus did they desire to silence God’s melodies from the region of Iraq and other realms—this is what they consulted about among themselves, and We were witness to it all. Therefore doth God manifest in the Holy Land one who remembers Him with loudest voice, that God’s proof might thereby be made manifest despite their will. This is what We have ordained at this time through this radiant and luminous Pen, that ye may know that God exalteth His Cause through His power and nothing in the heavens or earth can frustrate Him, nor can the prevention of these deluded ones hinder Him.

Say: The holy breezes waft from this direction to all regions—this is from God’s grace, the Mighty, the Powerful. They shall not cease for less than a moment, and all in the heavens and those of pure nature shall find them. Say: O people! Do ye plot against God’s Cause and deceive yourselves thereby? For God is more severe in plotting, were ye among those who know. Soon will He seize you for your plotting and raise up His Cause as He willeth, manifest His proof and establish His signs, though these hateful ones detest them.

O Bird of Eternity! Come forth from the Ridvan by God’s leave, then sing upon the branches of contingent being with holy and sublime melodies. O Youth of Paradise! Appear from the chambers and sing with thy loudest voice in the realms of names and attributes. Tarry not for less than a moment and be not among the disappointed. Then illumine thyself from this Face that doth kindle and shine between earth and heaven, from which the denizens of the Supreme Concourse were illumined, then the forms of the ranked angels and cherubim. Then command the people as We have commanded thee and as was ordained in the Bayan from God, the Exalted, the Great. Be vigilant regarding thyself and exercise wisdom from One mighty and beauteous. Pay no heed to the deluded ones who attribute themselves to God while engaging in manifest deceit and craftiness. When they meet you they say “We believe in God and in what ye believe,” but when they sit with others like themselves, rancor and hatred appear from them. Thus have We recorded everything in a clear Book.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Draw not nigh unto them or their like, and hearken not unto them even if they speak the truth, for if Satan speaketh the truth he still harbors deceit within himself—this is truth were ye among the discerning. Say: Whoso turneth away from this Light that shineth from this holy and luminous direction hath turned away from God and His proof and His testimony and His signs and His evidence, and from all the Prophets and Messengers. Say: O peoples of the earth! Fear God, and follow not every idol and ass. Say: This is verily the Sun which hath risen through its own essence by its own essence, and this is verily the Fire of God which hath been kindled by itself through itself, and this is verily the Guidance of God which hath appeared through its own reality by its own reality, were ye of those who possess knowledge.

And whoso turneth away from it shall not be worthy to be called human, and shall be deprived of that which hath been ordained in the paradise of God, the All-Possessing, the Most High, the Mighty, the Gracious. Say: A single letter thereof is better for your souls than the dominion of all who were before and shall come after. All this is a bounty from Our presence unto thee and unto the sincere among His servants.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear God and differ not concerning the Cause of God, and transgress not beyond what hath been inscribed in the Bayan by the Finger of God, the Ever-Living, the Most High, the All-Powerful. Beware lest ye be heedless within your own selves and occupy yourselves with that which your desires dictate unto you. Rather, occupy yourselves with the remembrance of God at all times and seasons. By God! One remembrance of Him is, in the sight of God, more precious than the creation of the heavens and earths. And forget not the tribulations that have befallen Us, then remember Our days amongst you, and be not of the heedless ones. And exchange not the words of God for the words of any other, then be steadfast in His love even if every deceitful wretch should oppose you.

Thus do We expound unto you all things in detail, and cast upon you holy words, and remind you with a wondrous reminder. And should tribulation touch you in the path of your Creator, grieve not, and reflect upon what hath come upon Us from the hosts of Satan. By God! Were the world and all that is therein to possess worth in the sight of God equal to that of a gnat’s wing, no humiliation would ever befall any of the believers therein. Therefore lift up your gaze above the world and its people, then look upon the countenance of Him Who hath shone forth like the sun from a holy and gleaming horizon. Then gather ye together to aid the Cause of God and to exalt His Word, and tarry not therein for less than a moment.

This is My counsel unto you, if ye be of those who advance. God hath indeed prescribed for Himself that He shall aid those who aid His Cause and who were among the helpers. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

BH00845: Suratu’llah

This is a Surah of God which hath been sent down in truth from His hallowed, almighty and resplendent dominion. O ʿAli-i-Nabil! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord at a time when He desireth to depart from your midst by reason of that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought. Because of this, grief hath enveloped all created things, such that the Pen hath been stilled from making mention of mysteries, the Tablet from revelation, the clouds of grace from raining down, and the trees of paradise from bearing fruit, were ye of them that understand.

Say: O people! By the True God, ye have been so overcome with bewilderment that ye drive God from His house, even while ye make mention of His names morning and evening. Say: Blind are the eyes that open each morn yet fail to behold My glorious and resplendent Beauty; deaf are the ears that hear voices yet fail to hear My sweet and wondrous melodies; and dumb are the tongues that move yet speak not My Name, the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

As for thee, ponder in thine own self upon My tribulations and that which hath befallen Me. By God! No one before Me hath endured that which I have endured, nor could the heavens and earth bear it. From every direction have trials intensified against Me to such extent that I have become content with that wherewith no one else in all the worlds would be content for himself.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Have ye forbidden what God hath made lawful unto you, or have ye made lawful what He hath forbidden, or have ye altered His decree from what was revealed in the Tablets of God, the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the Gracious? And if My crime be the verses of God that descend upon Me, [by God] this is not from Me but from One Mighty and Beautiful. By God, I am not the first to commit this sin, for most of the Prophets committed it before Me, including ʿAli before Nabil, and before him Muhammad the Apostle of God, and before him the Christ, and before him the Interlocutor – all spoke what the Spirit inspired them from the Kingdom of God, the Supreme, the Powerful.

Say: By God, none like unto Me hath appeared in creation, and I am He Whose like no eye hath beheld, and I am the Omnipotent over what I wish, and I am the Forgiving, the Merciful. Whoso denieth My Cause hath denied all the Messengers, and whoso turneth away from My face hath turned away from the face of God. To this testify the realities of all created things, then the tongues of all beings, then this Tongue, All-Knowing, All-Wise.

Say: O people of the Bayan! We were among you as one of you, yet ye were not content with this. Therefore We drew aside seventy thousand veils from the face of the Cause, yet still ye were not content. We drew aside yet more veils until the Cause reached this most exalted, sublime station. And if ye are still not content with this, We shall draw aside the veils through Our power and Our sovereignty, despite your will, O company of the heedless. Thus hath ever been the way of the Messengers and the nature of the sincere ones, if ye be of them that know.

When ye turned away from His first Beauty in His later Temple, denied His verses and rejected His bounty, then did He depart from your midst alone, at a time when He was detached from all who are in the heavens and the earth. To this My deeds bear witness, if ye be of the fair-minded.

Say: We have set Our face toward Him Who created the heavens and the throne, and I seek no helper save God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Say: O people, know ye that My helper is My heart, My fortress is My trust in God, My companion is My Beauty, My army is My remembrance, and My party are the denizens of the highest Paradise.

Say: By God, when We found people worshipping suppositions and vain imaginings instead of God, We occupied them with these as a recompense for their deeds, that perchance other creatures might be awakened thereby. Therefore judge thou for thyself: Is it befitting that those who turn to nothingness should make mention of the Beauty of the Ancient of Days? Nay, by My Self, the All-Merciful, the Compassionate! Therefore hath God sanctified the hem of His robe from the defilement of their mention, these evil ones, and purified it from names and attributes, both hidden and manifest. Yet the people have not heeded this and remain among the heedless.

And thou, O ʿAli, close thine eyes to such as these, then turn thy gaze away from all who are in the heavens and the earth, then remind the people of what the Spirit inspireth thee at every moment. By God, if thou wilt detach thyself from the world and from those from whom thou perceivest the stench of unbelief, thou shalt find thyself in a station that the hearts of them who are nigh cannot comprehend, and thou shalt find thyself more learned than any possessor of knowledge, perfect and wise. Therefore rend asunder the veils in My Name, the Chosen One, and pay no heed to the wicked ones, then drink from the pure wine of the righteous ones from this radiant chalice.

O ʿAli! Leave the kingdom to him who seeketh it, and free thyself from the prison of idle hopes. Be thou content with My love—verily this is better for thee than all the treasures of the heavens and of the earth, than all that was in ages past and shall be in the cycles yet to come. Such, indeed, is My command unto thee, and such is My counsel to the sanctified ones of God.

Through the power of the All-Merciful, shun the serpent that harbors in its heart rancour against the Gracious One. Turn away from such a one, though he should recite unto thee all that hath been revealed in the sacred scrolls, or cling with all his might to the Tablets of manifest glory.

By God, O ʿAli! With Our own hearing We heard, from behind the wall, the voices of those who dwelt within the House, seeking refuge in that station round which circle the people of Paradise, the denizens of the holy veils, and the angels who hymn His praise. By God! None among all created things hath heard what We heard. Yet did We conceal the matter with such forbearance that they imagined God to be heedless of them. Say: Evil indeed is that which ye have imagined! Verily He knoweth the secrets of the heavens and of the earth, and He is fully informed of all things.

Thus was I encompassed among these people by the thickets of malice, while the darkness of hatred hemmed Me in on every side. God Himself is witness to what I say. Until the time came when He decreed to veil the Beauty of Holiness with the brocade of detachment, and to withdraw from all men and women, from every youth and elder, save such as God had appointed to be entrusted to My care in this earthly life. There is none other God but Him. His is the creation and the command. With Him, in the guarded Tablet, are all things preserved.

Know thou, however, that the cause of departure was not that which We have set forth unto thee in this luminous Tablet. Nay rather, We found Ourself a leader over the people and a shepherd to their flock. We therefore surrendered it to such as coveted it. In former days, when there was none to be found among the people, when hardship prevailed, and fear and slaughter stalked the land, We manifested Ourself between earth and heaven, and shone forth from the horizon with manifest sovereignty. Then, when We found the earth at peace, We withdrew and entrusted it to another people.

By My life! The governed is more blessed than a thousand governors; the led more exalted than a thousand leaders; and the oppressed better than the city of the oppressors. Follow, therefore, thy Beloved in this path; detach thyself from all things. Emerge then from behind the veils of silence; speak forth the truth with My wondrous and sublime melody; and soar, in the realm of detachment, upon wings that are holy, transcendent, swift, gentle, and most lofty.

BH01865: Lawh-i-Rasul

Verily, I am the One Who abideth disconsolate beneath the canopy of this world.

O Rasul! When thou askest after the Sun of the heaven of inner meaning, know verily that it hath been eclipsed by the clouds of envy; and shouldst thou enquire regarding the Moon of the realm of everlasting holiness, be apprised that it hath been obscured by the shrouds of hatred; and shouldst thou search after the Star of the firmament of unseen reality, be informed that it hath sunk below the horizon of malice. Behold, a lone Husayn assailed by a hundred thousand deadly foes! Behold, a solitary Abraham compassed by a myriad tyrant kings! Behold, one stainless Soul that vast multitudes aim to seize! Behold, one single Throat that countless daggers seek to pierce!

Not a single night in Mine earthly life did I find rest; not a single day was I granted repose. At one time My severed head was sent as a trophy from land to land; at another I was suspended in the air. At one time I had for a boon companion him who dealt Me a fatal blow; at another I had for a close associate him who profaned My remains. Every morn, as I arose from My bed, a fresh affliction awaited Me; and every eve, as I repaired to the solitude of My chamber, a sore trial was in store. In the succession of My woes there was no reprieve, and in the onslaught of My sorrows there was no respite.

Notwithstanding all this, I stood against Mine enemies manifest as the sun and appeared before the dwellers of the heavenly kingdom bright as the moon. Not for an instant did I seek to preserve Mine own life, and not for a moment did I pursue Mine own ease and comfort. I offered up My soul in the path of My Beloved and laid down My life for His sake. My fortress was My reliance on God, and My shield Mine attachment to that peerless Friend; Mine armour was Mine unfailing trust in Him, and My hosts Mine ardent hope in His grace.

At length My revelation aroused the envy of My foes and elicited the rancour of the malicious. O My Rasul! Wert thou to gaze with a keen and discerning eye, thou wouldst behold all things—yea, verily, even the denizens of the Realm on high—sharing in Mine anguish and sorrow. O Rasul! The oppressive gloom of satanic envy hath concealed the resplendent Morn of the spirit, and the darksome veils of malice have obscured the refulgent rays of the Day-Star of eternal holiness.

At this present hour the Ancient King hath purposed to take leave of this wayward people. Yet none knoweth whether, even after His departure, this Essence of God’s mercy will be spared the sting of these venomous serpents, as was clearly witnessed after His first banishment.

O Rasul! Canst thou perceive the plight of this wronged and banished Soul Who findeth Himself sore tried by two contending peoples, and Who hath neither the pity of His foes nor the compassion of His friends? I swear by My Beauty that the afflictions I suffer at the hands of Mine enemies are a hundred thousand times easier to bear! Render thanks unto God that thou art not fully acquainted with the condition of Him Who is the Eternal King and that which He hath been made to suffer. These indeed are days whose like the eye of creation hath never seen. Strive, then, that thou mayest forsake the path of illusion and imitation and gain admittance into the realm of inner vision and the kingdom of spiritual discoveries. For in these days all are bewildered in the drunkenness of ignorance, save those whom thy Lord hath willed to spare. Some consider the fading mirage to be the billowing ocean and reckon the impenetrable darkness as the radiant morn. Others, having forsaken the river of eternal life, content themselves with a vanishing drop. Such is the state and condition of the people: “Thus have We created the souls in divers conditions.”

As to thee, O Rasul, shouldst thou wish to take flight in the atmosphere of My love, it behoveth thee to soar above the kingdoms of earth and heaven and all that they contain, that thou mayest attain the paradise of the good-pleasure of the All-Glorious. Well is it with them that have entered therein!

BH00637: Lawh-i-Fitnih (Tablet of the Test)

O Trial of eternity! Await thou the Trial of God, the All-Subduing, the Self-Subsisting, for verily it shall come unto you in truth—indeed it hath now come in truth, so bear ye witness. And verily it is a Trial that shall distinguish between the Kaf and the Nun, and shall differentiate all things from that day until the Day when He shall again be made manifest in wondrous days promised through the revelation of His hidden Essence and the reality of His eternity in the year Mustaghath. And this is an irrevocable truth, and verily this is a Trial that shall seize all contingent things, both unseen and visible.

Say: Verily this is a Trial wherein souls shall be perturbed, minds shall be bewildered, and mysteries shall be split asunder, then shall the spirits of the sincere be thunderstruck thereby. Say: Verily this is a Trial whereby the heavens of knowledge and wisdom shall be cleft, and the earth of might and power shall be rent asunder, then shall the mountains of glory and light be crushed thereby. Say: Verily this is a Trial whereby the thrones of grandeur shall be shaken and the denizens of the pavilions of loftiness shall be overturned, then shall the concourse of the Spirit in the holy immortal realm be astounded thereby. Say: Verily this is a Trial whereby the suns of radiance shall be darkened and the moons of blindness shall be eclipsed, then shall the stars of knowledge fall from the heavens of the Cause.

Say: Verily this is a Trial whereby God shall test every atom, then all created things, then all who are in the earth and heaven, then all the worlds. And verily this is a Trial whereby honored servants shall be tried, then sincere servants, then the angels brought nigh, then the dwellers of the most exalted Concourse. Say: Verily this is a Trial wherein all who claim love for and faith in God, the All-Subduing, the Most High, the Beloved, through this Beauty, the Inaccessible, the Glorious, the Beloved, shall be purified. And verily this is a Trial whereby the holy fire shall be extinguished, then the water of reality shall freeze, then the Lote-Trees of light shall quake and the denizens of Sinai shall perish.

Say: Verily this is a Trial that shall seize every sound mystic, every wise adult, every knowing administrator, every trustworthy sovereign, then every Prophet-Messenger. Say: Verily this is a Trial whereby all horizons shall be convulsed and all people shall be tried, and some shall be separated from others as the earth is separated from heaven—nay, more severe than that. Exalted then be God, the Manifester of this inevitable Trial!

And thereby He separated what was separated in the time of all the Prophets and Messengers, and before them in times that the knowledge of the wise cannot encompass, and He shall separate thereby all that shall be separated in future times. And verily this is a hidden mystery preserved in holy treasuries, and none knoweth it save him whom God hath given insight that is veiled from eyes of steel. And verily this is such insight that were the people of the world of reality and the dwellers in the repositories of the Cause in the inmost sanctuaries of glory to perceive it, they would gasp within themselves and shudder in their beings, and would be unable to witness it.

By God the Truth! Through this Trial the vision of mystic hearts shall be snatched away, and holy and spiritual sights shall be dazzled, then shall the moons of divinity be eclipsed in the heaven of the Cause. Say: By God! In this Trial the feet of the mystics who know God by God shall slip, even those who in every moment behold the mysteries of the Cause and Truth with penetrating vision. Say: Verily this is a Trial wherein the veils of hidden things shall be rent asunder and the secrets of confidential matters shall be uncovered, then shall the treasures of hearts be revealed.

Say: By God, there shall be tested in this test, and cast into the fire, servants who never entertained in their minds even an atom’s weight of the thought that they worshipped aught but God. Say: By God, in this test shall be tried even the realities of those who have never been heedless of God and His Cause for the twinkling of an eye, and who have at all times been mindful. How much more then shall be tried the servants who have not understood of this Cause—whereby all the Manifestations are thunderstruck—even as much as an ant might comprehend of its two wings; these are they who stand recorded before God as the very essence of heedlessness. Say: By God, the Truth, in this test shall slip the feet of all the mystics among the celestial concourse ere they become aware of themselves, or their hearts comprehend, or they distinguish aught with the highest gems of intellect in their pristine understanding.

After it is revealed to them what they have neglected, they shall cry out within themselves and lament in their souls, then shall they weep and wail, then shall they cry aloud; and were they to possess all the spirits of the heavens and earth of immortality, they would wish to sacrifice them, that they might not be veiled for less than a moment from this exalted Beauty.

By God, the Holy Spirit trembles in those days, and the Light of the Divine Presence quakes, and the Most Great Mystery shudders, and the angels of the Throne in the realm of glory are struck with fear. Say: By God, in this test shall the winds be tried at the very moment of their blowing by their very blowing, then shall the waters be tried at the time of their flowing and drinking, then the fire when it blazes and rages. By God, all the earth and heaven shall be tried, then the suns and stars, then the moons, then the seas with all their ships and waves and drops, and whatsoever wonders of God’s handiwork, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting, have been ordained therein.

By God, everything shall be tried in everything, from everything, to everything, by the very essence of a thing, and not an atom of air shall escape therefrom. This is the mystery of what was sent down aforetime upon the First Beloved from the realm of God, the Most High, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, and it is that verse wherein God counseled Luqman for his son:

“O my son! If there be the weight of a mustard seed, and it be in a rock, or in the heavens, or in the earth, God will bring it forth; verily God witnesses what they do.”

By God, were you to observe, you would witness that the lamp which is lit before you in the night is tried in the very moment it is kindled, then the bird that circles round it, then the lights that shine forth from it and encompass its sides and cast upon visible directions.

By God, the test tries, and the touchstone proves, and the scrutiny examines, and the sieve sifts, and a single hair splits into a thousand pieces, then each piece is tried—all this from the appearance of this Most Great Test which appears from this Most Ancient, All-Possessing Quarter. Its winds have now blown, and soon shall come in the year of tribulation and seize all lands, and all therein shall cry for help. By God, and by the Manifestation of this Ancient Beauty, in His essence, for His essence, through His essence—were God to remove one veil from what is hidden, there would occur such an earthquake in the pillars of the Thrones that the bearers of the Throne would be shaken and their very beings would well nigh scatter. And were I to make mention of this Most Great News and the manifestations of its test and its most upright trials from this day unto the endless ages of eternity, by God, its mention would never be exhausted and its description would never end, even were there to flow, after all the seas God has created, seventy thousand times as many again—exalted then is God, this is but a limited portion.

O Shams! Emerge from the eclipse of fancy and desire and behold the Most Luminous, Most Manifest, Most Glorious Orb in the pole of the heaven of eternity with such radiant lights that were all the atoms of existence, both seen and unseen, to reflect but the least ray from the rays of its light, verily would they all attain unto the cry “Verily I am God!”

O Shams! Behold on one hand the radiance of His grace’s lights which, with a single effulgence, hath adorned all the heavens of the unseen majesty with suns of glory and honored the mountains of holy oneness with the appearance of hidden mines. And on the other hand, the piercing meteor of His [presence] hath demolished all the thrones of loftiness and elevation, and cast down the exalted suns of the heaven of grandeur to the dust of abasement.

But O Shams! What can this evanescent atom mention of how, at the exaltation and appearance of this Most Great Orb, what standards of rancor and hatred have been raised by the possessors of authority from the Bayan against this Beauty of the All-Merciful? By the One Holy and Unique Essence, never hath such a thing appeared in the world of creation. He whose very existence was created by a word hath repeatedly attempted to veil this Sun of Divine Beauty behind the clouds of rancor and envy, and to conceal His purified Beauty from the horizon of possibility. But the Hand of Power and Divine Dominion exposed his plots and machinations and preserved His Own Beauty of Glory through the angels of His Own Holy, Inaccessible and Exalted Being.

O Shams! He whose elevation and fame He caused to spread throughout all lands for twenty years, such that all servants worshipped him as lord and knew him as their [object of worship]—now when he witnessed the exaltation of God’s Cause, the furnace of envy and hatred began to boil and several times he attempted in various ways to shed His pure blood. When he despaired of this intention, he pursued other schemes until finally, when they observed that all the seas could not extinguish this fire of hatred and all the waters of possibility and existence could not calm this flame of rancor and envy, they at last chose seclusion from all and sat alone, single, and solitary in a house, that perchance thereby the fire of envy of the people of hatred might somewhat subside. Even this did not suffice or satisfy them. From every direction and quarter they have kindled the fire of sedition and corruption, and have cast every manner of turmoil and upheaval among all. And now they seek to use all religions, nations and governments to manifest hatred toward this Wronged Beauty and accomplish their purpose.

O Shams! The details of the events of this year of adversity are more than could be recorded in the chronicles of the first and the last. A hundred thousand worlds of mysteries could not contain a single letter of its telling.

O Shams! Soon wilt thou hear the croaking of infidelity and hypocrisy spread throughout all regions, and they shall return upon themselves that which they themselves have wrought, and shall raise the cry of being wronged. This leaf was written last year in reply to thy letter. I certainly had five times what was written, but due to the consideration of ordained mysteries in the Kingdom of destiny, they were not sent. Until these days, when it was observed that the great outcry had arisen and a mighty sedition had appeared, I decided to send them in legible handwriting, since the way I first wrote them could not be read properly. Before even one page was completed, a hundred thousand seas of calamitous waves descended upon the Most Glorious Countenance, such that the pen ceased from writing and the tongue from speech.

The servant of God, Aqa Jan.

And in these days, a letter arrived from you and his honor, the exalted Name of God, the Sacrifice. I intended to send a detailed reply to them, but the details of the situation are as has been submitted. With pure and most exalted greetings, I remain mindful of their condition.

BH01774: Suriy-i-Hijr

This is the Surih of Separation. We have revealed it in truth that thereby My affliction between earth and heaven may be made manifest.

He is the Everlasting through My name in the Kingdom of the Most High!

Glorified be He Who hath torn asunder the veils of all things through His sovereignty, created the heavens through His command, poured down from the clouds of holiness the rain of fellowship, and sent forth from the realm of lights verses which cause the skin of the infidels to creep. Say: In the revelation of verses and the establishment of this Youth upon the Throne of names and attributes there are clear signs for those who testify to His unity.

Say: O people! This is the Ancient Beauty and He is standing between heaven and earth weeping and crying out. If ye will not assist Him, O concourse of the earth, at least do not slay Him with the swords of misbelief, and commit not that which tarnisheth the divine Beauty. Fear God and be not sowers of dissention amongst men.

Say: He, in truth, purposeth to withdraw from amongst you alone and unaccompanied by anyone save Himself. Thus hath He been from the beginning which hath no beginning until the end whose end no one in heaven and earth can reckon. Say: The Ancient Being purposeth to withdraw from both His enemies and His loved ones, whereby the infidels will rejoice and the hearts of them that have hastened unto the Repositories of sanctity will be lacerated. Say: Even though He withdraweth alone, yet the hosts of glory accompany Him, the denizens of the immortal realm and the unseen kingdom, and those who have sought refuge behind the tabernacle of nearness, the Seat of this blessed Name through which the heaven of denial hath been cleft, the earth of unbelief split open, and the clouds of bounty raised up, could ye but perceive it.

Say: His helper is the sighs He uttereth, and His succorer the tears he sheddeth. My food is the fragments of My broken heart, and My drink the droplets of My blood. My companion is My fingernails, Mine associate My pen, and My mainstay reliance upon God, My Lord and the Lord all things, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. My cohorts are My wondrous accents, My consort My sweet melodies, and My mirror the radiance of My beauty, could ye but perceive it. Thereby the hearts of men have cried out, the pillars of the Throne have buckled, and the clouds of holiness have wept tears of crimson.

Say: O people! Fear God, repudiate not My beauty, and be not silent. We, in truth, are self-sufficient above all who are in heaven and on earth. Unto this beareth witness My standing alone upon the earth before its kings and rulers. Thus have We issued the decree and set forth the verses that haply the people may awaken and be heedful.

O Husayn! Hearken unto the call of thy Namesake, Who is sore tried upon the earth by reason of that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought. He hath fallen under the spears and the swords of these malicious ones. Thereby the eyes of grandeur have wept within the tabernacle of God and the eyes of sanctity in the pavilion on high, and the eyes of reunion in the sanctuary of the Kingdom and the eyes of the denizens of heaven and earth. Thou shouldst give thanks to God for having named thee with this blessed, esteemed, and noble name. Beware lest thou allow anything to distress thee. Rather be patient and forbearing in the face of whatsoever may befall thee that thine actions may be consonant with thy name and thou mayest be of those who follow My commandments.

Know that God hath accepted from thee thine obedience, and at this moment hath raised thee up in truth before Him that thou mayest gaze upon His supreme Self in His latter Beauty and be of them that have attained the presence of the All-Merciful upon the Throne of Paradise and rejoiced therein. Wherefore, We testify that thou hast beheld the Ancient Beauty and attained His presence. Through this a station in Paradise is ordained for thee which none but those who are nigh unto Him understand. Thus have We bestowed Our favor upon thee a second time that thou mayest be thankful to thy Lord and recognize the station of thy brother, who is separating with God, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, whom We have singled out at Our behest. Ere long thou wilt be informed, if thou art patient.

BH11579: Lawh-i-Abdu’l-’Aziz va Vukala

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