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

BH00071: Suriy-i-Hajj II (Baghdad)

Section 1: “God hath ordained that in every town wherein…”

God hath ordained that in every town wherein this Tablet is proclaimed, its inhabitants shall celebrate on that day and shall magnify His Name and glorify Him and shall live in the utmost felicity, and shall be numbered among the thankful ones. He is the Everlasting, the Manifest.

Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses in truth and doth send them down through His command as He pleaseth. There is none other God but He, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent. Nothing can prevent His command and His sovereignty. He doeth what He willeth in the dominion of creation and command, and ordaineth what He pleaseth. Before Him bow down in worship all who are in the heavens and on earth. He giveth life and causeth death, then He quickeneth whom He willeth from this sweet, holy and resplendent Kawthar. Say: By God! The Spirit of the Cause hath appeared in truth, and the Beauty of the Divine Unity hath dawned from the holy Dayspring with manifest sovereignty. Through Him God hath tested all who are in the kingdoms of creation and command, and verily He is God’s Balance between the heavens and the earth.

Say: The Tree of Sinai in this Revelation doth speak the truth, proclaiming:

“There is none other God but I, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful.”

Say: O people! Fear God and differ not concerning the Word of God, for verily it hath appeared in truth through a command that causeth all who are in the heavens and on earth to swoon away, except whom thy Lord willeth, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent, the All-Praised. Say: It hath been among you and God’s verses have been recited unto you at all times, yet ye perceived them not, having been seized by vain imaginings and being in manifest heedlessness. Thus did God withhold your eyes from recognizing His Self, though He was among you with a Beauty the like of which none among the ancients hath ever witnessed. O servant! Hearken unto the call of God from this Tree which hath been raised upon the holy mountain and speaketh the truth that there is none other God but He, the Mighty, the Beauteous. Say: This is a call the like of which none hath ever heard from time immemorial, nor shall any hear it save he who entereth this exalted and impregnable Paradise.

O Muhammad! With the ears of the spirit hear thou God’s call from this Leaf that hath sprouted, that moveth, that is upraised, and that singeth upon this divine and transcendent Tree of Oneness. Turn not to any soul but put thy trust in God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. Turn unto Him and fear no one, and be not of the heedless. Know thou that when thou didst depart from Our presence, We commanded thee and counseled thee with mighty and conclusive counsels. Among these was Our command that thou shouldst neither exceed what thou didst witness during thy migration with God, nor fall short of what thou didst observe. This was My command unto thee, to which all existence beareth witness, and beyond it the Tongue of God, the Mighty, the Powerful. Yet thou hast added to people’s vain imaginings and diminished from what thou didst witness of the power of God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers of old.

O Muhammad! Fear God and follow not thy desires, and alter not God’s favor unto thyself and unto the souls of His servants, and be not of the ignorant. Fear God in thine own self, then behold the Cause of God with thine eyes, then rend asunder the veils of fancy through My Name, the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Wise. If thou wilt not rend the veils from before thy heart unto all eternity, We shall not withhold the reins of the Cause and shall continue to command thee thus, by the eternity of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, until thou rendest asunder the veils and arisest from the Dawning-Place of the Cause with power and manifest sovereignty.

O Muhammad! Teach thyself, then teach the people how the Face hath appeared from behind the veils with resplendent lights of mighty glory. Then remind the people of what thou wast commanded by God, and delay not therein for less than a moment. Gird up thy loins with what We have commanded thee at this time in this luminous and radiant Tablet, and be not of those who follow naught but what their desires command them, and who are among the lost.

Know thou that thy Lord is the Knower of all things, and with Him is the knowledge of the heavens and earth and the unseen things of the dominion of Command and Creation—this is the truth, if thou be of them that know. No matter is hidden from Him, nor can what passeth through the hearts of men be concealed from Him, and verily He encompasseth all things. Beware, beware, O Muhammad! Hear My words and leave behind thee all who are in the heavens and on earth. Then stand firm in the Cause with steadfastness from Us and by Our command, and be not disturbed within thyself, and be not of the fearful. Hast thou not seen and witnessed the sovereignty of power and might, and hast thou not observed how the Hand of God appeared from behind the veil of holy glory?

Hast thou not seen how all matters submitted to His sovereignty and the necks of the Pharaohs bowed before Him, and every person of great might was brought low before Him, even though He was in the hands of His enemies morning and evening, at dawn and at dusk? Hast thou not witnessed the confession of all the learned ones and their powerlessness when the lights of knowledge and wisdom shone upon them from this most luminous, most wondrous and sublime Mouth?

O Muhammad! Be fair for the sake of God, then ponder what hath shone forth through grace, follow not thy desires, and be not of those who turn away. Purify thyself from human limitations, transgress not the law of justice, and turn not thy gaze from the Most Great Horizon, the Exalted, the Supreme. God hath not placed two hearts within any man—this We did send down aforetime unto Muhammad the Arabian in clear Arabic tongue, and have now made it manifest. Polish thou the mirror of thy heart that the beauty of God may be reflected therein. This indeed is Our counsel unto thee and unto Our near servants. By God! His favor unto you hath been perfected, His sovereignty hath appeared, His proof hath come, His evidence hath arrived, and His argument hath been completed, were ye of them that perceive.

O Muhammad! We did conceal Our countenance from you for twenty years, to this thy soul and spirit bear witness, and beyond thee all who dwell in the pavilions of eternity behind the seas of immortality among the sacred temples of the sanctified ones. The people were in such doubt concerning this Beauty that none recognized Him, though all appeared before Him daily, heard His verses, and witnessed His light that encompassed all who are in the heavens and earth and the first and the last ones.

O Muhammad! Thou wert aforetime the herald of this Revelation unto the people in the ninth year, even as God had given them glad tidings thereof in all the Tablets, nay in every holy Book and illumined Scripture. We prevented thee therefrom for in those days God’s appointed time had not been fulfilled and the promise had not come to pass according to what was ordained in the preserved Tablets of holiness. Then, when the time was fulfilled and the promise came to pass, We commanded thee as thou didst desire aforetime, that thou mightest be of them that remember—a Command at which the heavens and earth cannot stand, even as hath been revealed at that time from God’s mighty and glorious dominion.

O Muhammad! First cleanse thy soul, then thy spirit, then thy essence, then thy body, then thy limbs with this Kawthar which hath flowed in truth from this unerring and mighty Pen. Then cleanse the people therewith as far as thou art able, that the hearts of the mystics may be purified thereby. Know thou that thy Lord is able to transform all who are in the kingdom with a single word from Him, for He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty. Yet He hath delayed in this that He might distinguish the good from the evil, the blessed from the wretched, and separate the believers from the ungodly. Say: By God! The test hath come, whereby the pillars of men shall quake and the hearts of them that are nigh shall tremble. Say: Those who disdained to worship their Lord, they preferred blindness to guidance and darkness to light, and they are in manifest loss.

O Muhammad! Remind the people of this sanctuary and sacred precinct, for this is a station which God hath made holy, purified from all defilement and cleansed from the gaze of the heedless. Thou, verily, ascend on these wings wherewith We have honored thee to a station wherein thou shalt find the whole earth and all that dwell thereon under thy shadow. Then convey unto the people that which We have commanded thee, and be not of the patient ones. Then walk amongst men with a light from Our presence, and if thou findest one who turneth toward thee, turn unto him with thy whole being, and if thou findest one who turneth away, turn thou away from him and put thy trust in God, the Single, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Say: O people! Have mercy upon yourselves and upon the servants of God, and bar not the gates of bounty against your own faces, and be not of them that perish. O people! Rejoice not in what ye possess of idle fancies and vain imaginings, but rather rejoice in that which is with God. This, verily, is God’s decree upon you, if ye be of them that perceive.

Know thou, O Muhammad, that the idolaters desired to cut off the breezes of God from their wafting and to change the Word of God according to their own desires and passions. Therefore have they imprisoned Us in this land wherefrom the hands of the hopeful and the feet of the seekers have been cut off. Say: God is triumphant in His Cause and mighty in His action. His Command is above your command and His decree above your schemes. He doeth what He willeth and nothing can frustrate His power and sovereignty. He, verily, is the Enduring, the Everlasting, the Mighty, the Powerful.

Soon will He manifest His Cause, exalt His testimony and raise His sovereignty to such a station that the hands of the idolaters shall be cut off therefrom. Thus have We related unto thee from every narrative and expounded unto thee that whereon We stand, and this Most Great, this Mighty Message, that thine eyes and the eyes of those who behold naught save this most glorious, this most noble Perspective may be solaced thereby.

O Muhammad! Breathe the spirit of everlasting life upon the temples of all beings, then sever thy relationship from all who claim relationship and hold fast unto this firm and gleaming Handle, that through thee may blow the breezes of detachment upon all who dwell on earth. And when thou arrivest in the land of Qaf, remind its people of that which We have commanded thee in this Tablet, that thou mayest be a bearer of glad tidings from Us unto the sincere ones.

Then remind from Our presence the letter Ha, that he may rejoice within himself at the glad tidings of God and be among those who are content. Say: O letter Ha! Thou didst ask God, thy Lord, in years past concerning that which We sent down in truth in an august foreign tongue, and We held back the reins of the Pen in answering thee when We found thee in heedlessness and great intoxication. By God! The heavens wept at this, and the holy earth trembled, and the mountains of knowledge crumbled, and the breasts of them that are nigh were straitened.

Say: O Hadi! By what evidence didst thou believe in ʿAli before him, and before him in Muhammad the Apostle of God, and before him in the Son of Mary, and before him in Moses Who conversed with God, and before him in the Friend of the All-Merciful, and before him in Noah the Prophet, even unto the return of the Message to the Primal Point? Bring forth thy proof if thou be of the truthful! If thou didst believe in them through the verses of God that were sent down unto them, then by God this is those very verses and this Beauty is their Beauty—behold it, if ye be of them that bear witness! Beyond this, the horizons have been filled with the lights of this Dawning, and the Sovereign of Names hath appeared with every sublime grace and wondrous garment.

Say: By God, O letter Ha! Thy spirit wept when this question issued from thy mouth and flowed from thy pen, yet thou knewest not and wast among the heedless. Know thou that thy Lord, while in the sovereignty of His concealment, cannot be comprehended by names nor attributes nor by the hearts of the Messengers. But when He is established upon the throne of Manifestation, all names and attributes serve Him as a servant serveth his lord, if ye be of them that perceive. He, in His own Essence, is sanctified above all that and above all that ye have known, and this is what hath been sent down in truth from the heaven of august glory. Have ye not witnessed that all these were created by His Word?

And if ye do not bear witness, We indeed have borne witness to it in truth and We were its Witness and Knower. Bear thou witness that the Sun was created by His command—God created it through grace and made it the lamp of His might between the heavens and the earth. In like manner, recognize all the names in His vicinity, if thou be of them that perceive. Yet despite this, how art thou not content that We should attribute one of the names unto Our own Self, after We have shown you the Cause with a clear proof? We created the names and their kingdom through the sovereignty of power and might, yet thou hast forbidden their Creator from one of their names—thus hast thou done, if thou be of them that are aware. We have pardoned thee, that thou mayest seek forgiveness of God thy Lord and be of them that repent.

O servant! Fear God, then open thine eyes that thou mayest behold the Cause of God with thine own vision. By God! Nothing will suffice thee today if thou shouldst cling to the first and the last, save that thou enter beneath the shadow of God—and this is His shadow that hath encompassed the worlds. Say: By God the Truth! After His manifestation nothing will suffice you and nothing will profit you, even if ye should seek to prove by all that ye possess from the tokens of the heedless. Then know that all that ye have heard hath appeared by My command while ye were in heedlessness and thick veils, and all that ye have apprehended and learned or known and used as proof returneth to My Word, even as it returned in the ancient centuries. Say: Do ye wish to veil the beauty of the Sun with the veils of rancor and hatred, or with the clouds of your idle fancies, O company of the opposers? Or do ye wish to prevent the sea of God from its waves, or the fire of the Cause from its burning? Evil indeed is what ye have imagined within yourselves and grievous is what ye have done, and ye shall remain among those who persist therein.

Section 2: “Beware, O people of the Bayan, lest ye…”

Beware, O people of the Bayan, lest ye join partners with God or oppose Him through what ye possess. Remember that which ye were enjoined in the Scriptures and Tablets. Fear God and be among the God-fearing. Was this not from among God’s verses? Was this Youth not His servant, His Beauty, His Glory, His Splendor, His Cause and His Light? He hath shone forth with such lights that at their dawning all suns were eclipsed—how much more these darkened ones!

Say: By God! He hath descended from the heaven of Command, and in His right hand is the Kingdom of might and power. He summoneth mankind unto the holy Paradise and feareth no one, even were all the idolaters to surround Him. Say: Verily He appeared once by the name of the Primal Point, then once by the name of the Friend, then once by the name of the Interlocutor, then by the name of the Spirit, then by the name of the Beloved, then by the name of Ali in truth, then by the name of Husayn in this sacred, resplendent and luminous Beauty. All this We mention unto you because We found the people in weakness; otherwise, by Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand, We would have imparted unto you such melodies as would draw unto them the hearts of the Concourse on High and would cause all who dwell in the realms of creation to swoon away.

Say: O people! Have mercy on Him Who hath come unto you with God’s proof and evidence, Who calleth you unto Him and unto that which hath been sent down from His presence. And if ye believe not in Him, then leave Him to Himself and oppose Him not, and be not of the heedless ones. Do ye not witness how He hath arisen by Himself while all the peoples have risen against Him with all they possess? Do ye deny this grace after having witnessed it with your own eyes? Be ye among those who bear witness. He Himself hath feared no one and will never fear, by God’s might and power. He hath conveyed the Cause to the East of the earth and to its West and all that lieth between them, to everyone possessed of power, sovereignty and mighty strength.

Were ye able, come forth from your places and raise your heads from the eggs of heedlessness that ye may behold God’s power and what hath appeared from Him, and witness your own powerlessness and the powerlessness of all created things. Have not the banners of victory been raised? Hath not this Name, the Name of God, filled the space between heaven and earth? Have I not sacrificed myself every day and every moment? Say: By God! I have not protected myself for less than an instant and have shone like the sun above the heads of the enemies, while ye have not aided God for even an instant, sitting in your homes and hiding your faces from the loved ones—how much more these oppressors!

Despite this, ye have occupied yourselves with the imaginings commanded by your selves and desires, and thus hath Satan made your deeds seem fair unto you, and ye were among the doers. Say: O people! Can one who soareth in the atmosphere of the spirit be compared with one who playeth with clay? Can one who shineth forth before the enemies be compared with one who hideth his face behind veils out of fear for himself? Judge fairly then, if ye be of the fair-minded. Can one who walketh in the holy Paran be compared to one who sits idle at home? Reflect, O ye heedless ones! Say: By God! The acceptance or rejection of all who dwell in the heavens and on earth is, in My sight, even as the cry of an ant in a vast and mighty desert.

Say: No one’s lamentation or cry shall ever ascend unto God save through this Most Great Name, this Most Upright, this Ancient Cause. Say: By the True God! Nothing of what was or what will be shall profit you this day, except that ye take refuge in this Most Firm, this Mighty Stronghold. Say: O Letter of Ha! Were it possible, We would have commanded thee to expend, in response to thy request, a thousand thousand thousand thousand qintars of white diamonds, until thy breath be cut off, for from thy question have wafted the odors of aversion and the dust of grief upon all worlds. For all that hath been sent down from My presence is that whereby ye have deduced the authority of God’s proofs in every age, cycle and era, and ye yourselves bear witness to this, as do all possessed of knowledge behind you. Why then didst thou accept what appeared from them while rejecting what appeared from them in another guise? Believest thou in part of the Book while denying part? This indeed is a grievous injustice!

By God! The eyes of the seen and unseen have wept over Me for what ye have supposed regarding Me, and ye were among those who harbored suspicions. In those days I concealed Myself from those who accepted and those who rejected, and veiled Myself behind a thousand veils lest anyone should recognize Me and lest the clamor of the hypocrites be raised. We were among you as one of you, and thereby did God test your vision and found you among the veiled ones. Say: The Educator and Creator of all contingent beings was indeed in the garb of a common person, yet ye were not content with this until He was imprisoned in this prison. Then when He appeared with the truth and drew aside the veil from His face, and shone forth from God’s dayspring, the Protector, the Mighty, the Sovereign, the Powerful, the Omnipotent, when the idolaters turned against Us, We turned against them and manifested Our Self with truth that they might know that God fears no one, that no matter distracts Him from another matter, and that neither the opposition of the opposers nor the sovereignty of sovereigns can prevent His sovereignty.

O Muhammad! Command the people with what God hath commanded thee, then teach them what God hath taught thee from His presence, then aid Him with thy heart and tongue and all thou possessest and all that is upon thee. His is the victory of the heavens and earth, the victory of what is seen and unseen, and the victory of all worlds.

Then We have ordained in the Tablet of Decree by the Pen of Accomplishment for whosoever hath conceived doubts in his soul and hesitated in this wondrous and novel Cause, and for whosoever desireth to turn towards the holy precincts and attain the presence of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, and hear God’s call and behold His beauty and inhale the fragrance of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Transcendent, the Great, that he should leave his house migrating unto God until he enters the City which is named the Abode of Peace. And when he arrives therein, let him glorify God his Lord secretly and openly until he reaches the shore, and when he reaches it, let him don his finest garments, then perform ablutions as God hath commanded him in the Book, and when he washes his hands, let him say:

O my Lord! This is the water which Thou hast caused to flow by Thy command in the vicinity of Thy Sacred House. And as I have washed my hands therewith by Thy command, O my God, cleanse me from all defilement and sin and heedlessness and from all that Thy good-pleasure abhorreth. Verily Thou art the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

Then he washes his face and says:

O my Lord! This is my face which I have cleansed by Thy will. I beseech Thee, by the sovereignty of Thy singleness and the wonders of the names of the Manifestations of Thy Cause, to purify it from all else besides Thee. Then preserve it from turning to any but Thee and from gazing upon those who have not sought Thy manifest, pure, mighty and gracious Beauty.

Then he crosses the bridge with God’s dignity and tranquility, magnifying God until reaching the end of the bridge. Then he turns toward the House and says at his first step:

O my Lord! This is the first step I have taken on the path of Thy good-pleasure and the first footstep I have moved by Thy will. I have fled, O my God, from all directions toward the direction of Thy grace and bounty, and I have escaped from myself and from all else besides Thee toward the quarter of Thy generosity and favors. My God! Disappoint not those who hope in Thee from the clouds of Thy mercy and favor, and prevent not those who seek Thee from the clouds of Thy glory and bounty. Here am I, O my God, having sought Thy House, around which circle the dwellers of the Supreme Concourse and beneath which dwell the spirits of Thy near ones among the chosen ones.

I beseech Thee by it and by them that Thou withhold not my sight from beholding the wondrous lights of the sanctity of Thy beauty, and deprive not my face from the manifestations of the breezes of the dawn of Thy meeting, and close not off from my heart the fragrances of the might of Thy revelation and inspiration. Verily Thou art the Lord of bounty and might, the Lord of grace and mercy and dominion, and verily Thou art the Lord of power and strength and grandeur, and verily Thou art to him who calls upon Thee near and responsive.

Then he glorifies God and begins the circumambulation, circling the House seven times. When he completes his deed and faces the door of the House, he stands and seeks God’s forgiveness seventy times. Then he says:

O my God and my Master! Praise be to Thee for having honored me and blessed me, whereby Thou hast established me in a station wherein naught is seen save the signs of the might of the sovereignty of Thy oneness, and naught is witnessed save the flashes of the lights of the sun of Thy beauty. I beseech Thee by Thyself and by Thy Self to deliver me from the murk of the world and its ornaments, and to rend from before the face of my heart the veils that have prevented me from entering into the depths of the seas of the might of Thy oneness and have barred me from arriving at the fields of the sanctity of Thy reunion and meeting. O Lord! Return me not disappointed from the gate of Thy mercy, and drive me not away from Thy House as a loser. O Lord! Forgive me and my parents and my brothers and my family and my kindred from among those who have believed in Thee and in Thy most great signs in the Manifestation of Thy most exalted Beauty. Verily Thou art the Mighty, the Generous.

Then he walks with perfect tranquility and glorifies God until reaching the door. He stands and says:

My God! This is the station wherein Thou didst raise Thy voice and Thy proof appeared and Thy traces rose and Thy beauty shone forth and Thy verses descended and Thy Cause became manifest and Thy Name was lifted up and Thy remembrance was spread abroad and Thy power was perfected and Thy sovereignty was exalted over all who are in the heavens and the earth.

Then he addresses the House and its ground and its wall and all that is therein and says:

Blessed art thou, O House, in that God hath made thee the place whereon His foot hath trod! Blessed art thou, O House, in that the glances of His glorious majesty have fallen upon thee! Blessed art thou, O House, in that God hath chosen thee and made thee a dwelling for Himself and a seat of His sovereignty! No land hath preceded thee save the land which God hath preferred above all other regions of the earth through that which hath been inscribed by His preserving Pen. Blessed art thou, O House, in that through thee God distinguisheth between the fortunate and the wretched from this day until the Day whereon the All-Merciful shall manifest Himself with the lights of holy and wondrous glory!

Blessed art thou, and again blessed art thou, in that God hath made thee the balance for the believers and the ultimate homeland of the mystics, and hath sanctified thee from the recognition of the hateful ones and the idolaters, such that none shall enter thee save every believer whose heart God hath tested for faith, and none shall be able to draw nigh unto thee save those from whom waft the fragrances of the All-Glorious. Blessed art thou in that God hath made thee specially for those of His servants who are nigh unto Him and for the sincere ones among His creation, and none shall touch thee save those who have detached themselves wholly from all who are in the heavens and on earth, and in whose hearts there is naught save the effulgence of the lights of His glorious unity, and in whose beings there is naught save the manifestations of the revelations of His holy oneness.

This is the station wherewith God hath distinguished thee, and by this thou art worthy to glory over all the worlds. Blessed art thou, and blessed is he who built thee and developed thee and served thee and watered thy roses, and blessed is he who entereth thee and who beholdeth thee and who findeth from thee the fragrance of the garment of Joseph, the Mighty, the Powerful God. I testify that whoso entereth thee, God will cause him to enter the holy sanctuary on the Day when the Beauty of the Divine Essence shall be established upon a magnificent throne, and He shall forgive everyone who taketh refuge with thee and entereth beneath thy shade, and shall fulfill his needs, and shall gather him on the Day of Resurrection in the beauty whereby its people, of the first and the last, shall be illumined.

Then he shall cast his face upon the dust of the gate and shall call upon his Lord with the call of every detached, penitent and repentant one, saying:

Section 3: “O my Lord! I am he who transgressed…”

O my Lord! I am he who transgressed against Thee and opposed Thy beauty, being occupied with my self and my desires, and verily Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. O my Lord! When I recognized Thy Self, I sought Thy forgiveness for what I had been and for what appeared from my tongue and issued from my mouth and occurred to my heart, and I have turned unto Thee with my whole being, for verily Thou art the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. O my Lord! When Thou didst make me aware of the places of Thy Cause and didst awaken me from my sleep and heedlessness, I went forth from my house, turning toward Thy house, beholding the direction of Thy loving-kindness and Thy forgiveness, for verily Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful.

O my Lord! I have come to Thee with a sin heavier than what is in the heavens and earth, and greater than the creation of both worlds, until I stood before the gate of Thy house, from which no sinner hath ever been disappointed, and I prostrated myself upon its dust in humility before Thy beauty and in submission to Thy sovereignty and in lowliness before Thy presence. O my Lord! Have mercy upon me through Thy mercy and Thy grace, and assign me a seat of truth with Thee, and join me with Thy repentant servants. O my Lord! Forgive my transgressions and my sins and whatsoever my hands have wrought, for verily Thou art the Mighty, the Bountiful.

Then he shall raise his head and seek God’s forgiveness with this mighty and great prayer for forgiveness.

O Lord! I seek Thy forgiveness with my tongue, my heart, my soul, my inner being, my spirit, my body, my frame, my bones, my blood, and my skin. Verily, Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the Merciful. I seek Thy forgiveness, O my God, with such seeking of forgiveness through which the breezes of pardon waft upon the people of transgression, and through which the sinners are clothed in the robe of Thy gracious forgiveness. I seek Thy forgiveness, O my Sovereign, with such seeking of forgiveness through which the sovereignty of Thy pardon and grace is made manifest, and through which the sun of bounty and favor dawns upon the temples of the sinners. I seek Thy forgiveness, O my Forgiver and my Creator, with such seeking of forgiveness through which the erring hasten to the shore of Thy pardon and benevolence, and the seekers arise before the gate of Thy mercy, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

I seek Thy forgiveness, O my Lord, with such seeking of forgiveness which Thou hast made as a fire to burn away all sins and transgressions from every penitent, returning, remorseful, weeping, and pure soul, and through which the bodies of all created things are purified from the defilements of sins and misdeeds, and from all that is abhorrent to Thy Self, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Then let him enter the House with dignity and tranquility as though beholding God in the heaven of His command and the kingdom of His house, until he enters the courtyard and stands before the dome which was reserved for the establishment of the Throne of Glory thereon. Then let him raise his hands and turn his gaze toward the direction of His bounty and say:

I bear witness in this my station that there is no God but Him, alone without peer, without likeness, without equal, without opposite, without minister, without parallel, and without similitude. And that the Primal Point is His servant, His Glory, His Grandeur, His Majesty, His Divinity, His Might, His Sovereignty, His Power, His Dominion, His Authority, His Honor, His Nobility, and His Grace. Through Him did His Beauty shine forth, His Countenance appear, His Proof dawn, His Evidence become complete, His Argument perfected, and His Signs become manifest. Through Him were all who are in the heavens and on earth gathered together, and all who are in the kingdom of command and creation were raised up. Through Him the breezes of holiness wafted over all worlds. And I bear witness that He Whom God shall make manifest is the Truth, there is no doubt in Him, and He shall come with holy and exalted lights. Through Him shall the creation of the heavens and earth be renewed, and the creation of the first and the last. Blessed therefore is he who attains unto His time, enters His gate, is honored by meeting Him, circumambulates around Him, prostrates before Him, visits the dust of His feet, stands in His presence, and is among those who arise.

Then let him say: O my Lord! This is Your House wherein have wafted the breezes of Your bounty and favor, wherein You have manifested in the mystery of mysteries through all the Manifestations of Your names and Dawning-places of Your attributes, and none has understood this save Your All-Knowing Self. O my Lord! This is Your House from which appeared the signs of Your grace to all worlds, and wherein befell You what befell from those who turned toward and those who turned away from You. And You did bear all this despite Your power and sovereignty. Verily, You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

O my Lord! This is the station wherein You walked with Your ancient feet, and wherein You raised Your voice and Your melodies, then Your call and Your sweet and wondrous trills. O my Lord! This is the station wherein You established Yourself upon the throne of all possible things and wherein You rose up with the sovereignty of Your power over all who are in the heavens and earths. O my Lord! This is the station wherein Your glance turned toward the direction of Your bounty and wherein the oceans of power surged in Your hidden, guarded, and protected Word. O my Lord! This is the station wherein Your Command was in the mystery of mysteries, and wherein Your lips moved not concerning what You willed, and wherein You concealed Your luminous face, and wherein You were in the unseen of the unseen and the veil of veils such that none among the worlds knew Your Self.

O my Lord! This is Your House which Your servants stripped bare after You, and they plundered what was in it and pillaged what was upon it, and thereby they violated Your sanctity and warred against You in their hearts and broke Your Covenant and shattered Your Testament. And You concealed all this and overlooked them through Your wondrous pardon. O my Lord! Strip me not of the beauty of Your concealment, remove not from me the mantle of Your care and forgiveness, distance me not from the vicinity of Your mercy, and deprive me not of the Kawthar of Your exalted grace.

O my Lord! Sanctify me from all else but You and draw me near unto Your Self and honor me with meeting You. Verily, You are the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the Perceiving, the Resurrector, the Life-Giver, the Death-Dealer. O my Lord! Enable me to achieve what You have willed for Your near servants, then ordain for me the best of what You have ordained for Your holy chosen ones.

Then let him settle into stillness within himself and become quiet in his being, then turn with his heart and hearing toward the direction of the House. Should he perceive the fragrance of God and hear His call, he may be certain within himself that God has absolved him of his sins, overlooked his transgressions, and accepted his repentance. He will find himself as on the day he was born of his mother. But if he does not perceive the fragrance of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, let him repeat this practice on this day or another day until he does perceive and hear it. This is what hath been ordained by the Pen of might and wisdom upon the preserved tablets of holiness. Thus doth God open the gates of grace and bounty upon the face of the heavens and earth, that perchance the people may not deprive themselves of God’s mercy and outpouring. This, verily, is guidance and a reminder from Us unto all the worlds.

O Letter of Ha! Hearken unto what God calleth thee to in this Prison, and turn not to anything else. Put thy trust in Him, then enter upon the shore of the Most Great Name. Know thou that as We answered thee before, so do We counsel thee in this Tablet that thou mayest take counsel within thyself and become aware of that which is hidden from the eyes of the world. By God! We desire naught in this save to purify thee from the veils of imitation and cause thee to enter this exalted and impregnable Paradise, that thou mayest behold things with thine own eyes and recognize God’s greatest treasure in this mighty Word. Say: By God, O people! I am but a servant of God and His Glory, and I call you unto God and unto that which hath been sent down from Him. I ask no recompense from you, and God is sufficient witness between me and you. Beware lest ye oppose him who hath come to you with God’s verses and wisdom. Fear God and His laws, and be not of the transgressors. Follow the religion of God and His Faith, and dispute not concerning that which hath been sent down unto you, and be of the God-fearing.

Arise then, O servant, and make up for what hath passed thee by, that God may forgive thee through His bounty and clothe thee in the robe of glorious honor. Leave the world and all that is in it and upon it in thy shadow, then soar in the atmosphere of the spirit and fear not the ungodly. First, detach thyself, then summon the people unto detachment, that thy word might influence the hearts of the heedless. Sanctify thyself from the world, then bid the people to sanctify themselves from it. Thus doth the Dove counsel thee, if thou be of them that act. By God, O servant, wert thou to inhale from this Shirt which We have sent with the hands of the heralds through these words, thou wouldst surely find from it the fragrance of God, the Mighty, the Self-Sufficient, the Gracious, and thou wouldst detach thyself from the kingdom and all that is therein, and wouldst enter the Egypt of certitude while being heedless of all who dwell on earth.

And thou wouldst bear witness through this Tablet as God hath borne witness unto Himself by Himself in the kingdom of His Cause that there is no God but Him and that Ali is His servant and His Glory unto all who are in the heavens and on earth.

And thou, O Muhammad, when thou hast completed thy proclamation in Our name, seek out there the one named al-Habib and make mention of him from Us and give him glad tidings from Our presence, that he may rejoice in his soul and be among those who are joyful. Say: O servant, give thanks unto God for having attained His presence and won His meeting and for being among the victorious, though thou didst not recognize Him when thou wert seated before Him. Yet God accepted thy obedience and ordained for thee in the Tablet a great reward. By God! Wert thou to discover what hath been ordained for thee, thou wouldst soar with longing. But this hath been veiled from thee and from the eyes of all the world by a wisdom that was in thy Lord’s knowledge, which none hath comprehended save His own Self. This is a revelation from God, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

Then make mention of the loved ones there, both female and male, both young and old. Then remind them of these days wherein the Nightingale of Holiness warbleth in His final days, and remember them with holy and sublime remembrances. Say: O people! Desist from that which ye have been forbidden, transgress not the bounds of God, and exceed not what ye have been commanded in the Book. Fear God and be not among the lost. Then gather ye together upon God’s Cause and His Word, differ not in anything, ascribe no partners unto God, and be among the believers in His unity. Thus have We decreed for you and for those who have fulfilled their vows and were communities like unto you, that there is no God but He, the Mighty, the Single, the All-Conquering, the Omnipotent. And when ye gather in your assemblies, remember Our grief and what hath befallen Us, then Our imprisonment in this land wherein Our devoted servants have been forbidden to enter.

Then know, O Muhammad, that We have made this Tablet a living, vital spirit, that thou mayest breathe it upon every land and city according to thy capacity, lest harm or weariness touch thee. Work thou according to what thou hast been commanded, to the extent of thy strength, and weary not thyself beyond thy capacity, and be thou in sure and secure protection. Then know that there hath come before Us a letter from thee wherein thou didst mention the names of those who honored thee on thy return from the presence of Beauty by God’s command, the Mighty, the All-Conquering, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And thereby have We been pleased with them and recorded their names in a Tablet wherefrom not an atom’s weight of the deeds of all creation shall be lost, that they may thank God within themselves and remember Him throughout their days and be among the thankful. Thus have We bestowed Our mercy upon thee and upon them, a mercy from Our presence for them and for Our righteous servants.

Then give thanks unto God within thyself that We have made thee a bearer of this most great bounty and chosen thee to proclaim it unto all the worlds. And thereby have We bestowed Our favor upon thee and upon thy soul and spirit and upon thy forebears, until it reacheth unto the First Creation. And this, verily, is a manifest bounty. Know thou thy station in this and in what We have given thee to drink of the wine which God hath made a light, then a spirit, then a delight for those who drink thereof. Be thou steadfast in what thou hast been commanded and waste not what hath been ordained for thee. And if joy toucheth thee in this Cause, give thanks unto God thy Creator, and if grief befalleth thee, be patient and maintain a beautiful patience.

Verily God will fully reward those who are patient in His path, seeking His good-pleasure, and He neglecteth not the reward of the doers of good. We have arranged this Tablet in most excellent arrangement for thee and for whomsoever God desireth for Himself, and this is the most excellent bounty from Us to Our believing servants. And mercy be upon thee and upon all who believe in God and in what hath been sent down from His presence in holy and luminous Tablets. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH01132: Suriy-i-Qadir

This is the Surah of the All-Powerful, which We have ordained in the dominion of eternity and revealed unto the servants, that it may be unto them a shining lamp.

He is the Resplendent, the All-Glorious, the Most Luminous!

Glorified be He Who hath ordained the measures of all things in the preserved tablets of might and created all things in such wise that, were they to purify themselves from the dust of fancy and desire, they would surely ascend to the most exalted stations and would speak that which the Holy Spirit spoke at the Ultimate Lote-Tree: that there is none other God but Him, and that the essence of the two words in these two names is the Self-Subsisting One of Names in the dominion of eternity. Thus hath the mercy of the days encompassed all beings, yet the people perceive not.

Indeed God hath manifested Himself in this Tablet through His Name, the All-Powerful, unto all contingent things, that through it all created things may derive power over whatsoever hath been created between earth and heaven, lest any soul be deprived of the sovereignty of His might. This is what hath now been sent down from the presence of the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting.

O Sun of My Name, the All-Powerful! Shine forth upon all created things with the wondrous power of thy Lord, that all things may witness within themselves the might of God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beloved. Whosoever is deprived of the manifestation of this Name shall never succeed in truly acknowledging the power of his Lord, the Mighty, the Chosen One, and even should he profess belief, it would not be authentic, for how can one who lacketh a thing comprehend it? Glorified be He above their understanding!

Therefore, O people, make your hearts mirrors of this Sun, that its lights and its manifestation may be reflected therein. Thus doth your Lord command you, if ye be of those who know. And whomsoever this Name is reflected within, God shall make him powerful over all things, such that were he to say unto a thing “Be thou transformed,” all would be transformed, and were he to desire to prevail over contingent things by his will, he would be empowered by the might of his Lord. This indeed is a manifest bounty.

From this Tablet the breezes of power have wafted over all who possess power, and they blow as they please by His command, if ye would but understand. The likeness of this Name in this Tablet is as a spring of water flowing in diverse rivers; likewise from this Name flow the waters of power in the rivers of existence, and each receiveth according to a determined measure.

O thou Name! We have created thee by Our command and have exalted thy mention in the kingdom of names and have adorned thee with the raiment of immortality, that thou mayest be grateful to thy Lord and be of those who render thanks. Beware lest anything beguile thee or veil thee from the remembrance of thy Lord’s Name. Be not of those who, when they see themselves in glory and elevation, forget the remembrance of their Lord and then wax proud before God Who created them by His will. Such hath been their way.

O ye who are named by this Name and are its manifestations! Hearken unto the call of your Lord, the All-Merciful, in this Paradise, and turn not unto what hath been ordained in the worlds of creation, and be not of those who understand not. Beware lest names beguile you from the remembrance of your Creator, and when the Sun of your Lord’s remembrance shineth forth upon you, fall ye down prostrate before God, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

Beware lest anything prevent you from showing humility before God, and be not like unto him whose cause We exalted among the servants and whose mention We spread throughout the lands. Yet when he saw himself in glory and elevation, he waxed proud before Him Who created and fashioned him, reaching such a state that he opposed the Countenance and was neglectful of God’s rights, and was of those who, when the Sun of Beauty shone forth from the horizon of grandeur, grew arrogant and were of those who are proud.

O My Name! We have made thee the Manifestation of this Name, that thou mayest summon all created things to turn away from what is behind thee, shatter the idols of vain imaginings in all things, and bring all into the shadow of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Beloved, and that thou mayest aid thy Lord in every way within thy power, so that the standards of victory may be raised upon holy and exalted seats. Say: O people of the Bayan! If ye fail to help the Youth, God will assuredly help Him even as He helped Him in truth when He was in prison, and aided Him with hosts ye cannot see, and sent down that which preserved Him from His enemies.

Verily, there is no God but Him. His is the creation and the command, and all are preserved with Him in a guarded tablet. O My Name! Be steadfast in the Cause, then remind the people of that which the Spirit hath inspired thee. If thou findest one receptive, turn to him; if thou findest one who turneth away, turn from him. Fear not, but put thy trust in God, thy Lord. He will guard thee from those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God, and who, when the verses of the All-Merciful are recited unto them, play about in their own idle fancies. Sanctify thyself from all that would hinder thee from the path of God, to Whom belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on earth.

This is better for thee than all that hath been treasured in the kingdoms of creation and command, though most people comprehend not. Await thou the Day when God shall come with a sovereignty from the realm of His command, and around Him shall circle the angels of the Spirit. Then shalt thou find the people struck down, and trembling shall seize the dwellers of the heavens and earth, and all names shall be overturned and fall upon limited dust—save those who have detached themselves unto God and entered beneath the shadow of their Lord, the Most High, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Praised. Thus have We inspired thee with the wonders of thy Lord’s revelation, that thou mayest be steadfast in thyself and be of those who are firmly established. And glory be upon thee and upon those who have taken their station beneath the shadow of their Lord—a praiseworthy station. And praise be to God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Beloved.

BH00604: Suriy-i-Zubur

God, the All-Powerful, the Single, the Self-Subsisting, hath sent this down unto him whom He hath loved in His Own Self and named Muhammad, that he may prostrate himself before his Lord and be of them that bow down and worship.

He is the Most Inaccessible, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious!

The Beauty of the All-Merciful from the horizon of the Divine Good-Pleasure, behind clouds of sorrow, did verily shine forth. Should the clouds be lifted, such commotion would arise in every soul that the servants would turn away from the Lord of all creation. For this reason did He take on a veil before His face, that the light might shine upon the righteous in measured portion. Such is the state of the righteous among the learned; how much more those who have disbelieved in their Chosen Lord and have taken the calf as their beloved instead of God! And when We found the people deaf and blind, We left them wandering in the wilderness of fancy and desire, and departed from their midst with a sovereignty witnessed by all the worlds.

And We sat alone in the house, detached from all else, awaiting the grace which had been inscribed by the fingers of God in the Mother Book. When the people veiled themselves behind the veils of glory, the lights of beauty were withheld from their eyes, and the Ancient King chose for Himself a station hidden from the sight of all in the world. And beyond this veil is a veil whereof none is aware save My True Self, and thus was the matter recorded in the Mother Book from the mystery of revelation with justice. Soon shall the believers cry out and place their fingers of bewilderment between their teeth, and they shall not find the Youth though they search throughout the heavens and earth.

Thus was judgment decreed by the Glory on the Tablet of Destiny as an irrevocable command. This is of the tidings of the unseen which We reveal unto thee and unto them that believe, that they may know the worth of these days and take unto the Lord of Spirit a guide. O people! Seize ye the worth of these days and deprive not yourselves of this bounty which hath been sent in human form.

O My Name the Most Great! Hearken unto the call of thy Most Glorious Lord from the Supreme Scene, the dwelling-place of God, the Most High, that the most sweet melodies may attract thee to the Divine Lote-Tree, the station wherein the Sun of Eternity did shine forth from the horizon of grandeur, which God hath preserved from the touch of the ungodly. Leave thou all else behind thee, then enter with thy heart the holy precincts, that the divine emanations from the divine Egypt may pass over thee and move thee with such movement as shall move all worlds collectively in their longing to attain the presence of God and in their quest for His good-pleasure. Thus have We detailed the verses in this Tablet which hath been beheld by the glances of God.

O Letter of the Divine! Stand firm in the Cause, then summon the people unto thy Lord’s horizon, and leave them not to themselves, for Satan lieth in wait at every path to lead the people astray from the shore that was blessed in the primal eternity. Follow what is revealed unto thee, then protect the sheep from the wolves and gather them in the shelter of security beneath the shadow of this Name that encompasseth all things. Say: We have raised the Standard of Proof in My Name, the All-Merciful, and have manifested the Evidence with such power as would render impotent all who dwell in the heavens and earth, be they lowly or noble. Say: My proof is My Self, My sovereignty is My power, My evidence is My Manifestation, and My testimony is My presence between earth and heaven, and that which floweth from My Pen is My creation, were ye but to know it.

O My Most Great Name! We have made thee the Kingdom of Our names between earth and heaven. Therefore manifest whatsoever thou willest of the most beautiful names, that thou mayest guide the people unto this Beauty that hath come unto them upon the clouds of the Cause with manifest sovereignty. Let thy tongue speak forth in remembrance of thy Lord, the Bestower, and fear no one, and in all things place thy trust in God, thy Lord. He will aid thee with the hosts of the seen and the unseen, and will protect thee from every sinful idolator. Beware lest thou forget the time when thou wert present before the Throne and there shone upon thee from the horizon of thy Lord’s mouth the Sun of Words with verses that God made clear evidences of His Cause in the kingdom of creation and the light of His countenance unto all in the realm.

Hearken unto what the idolators say. By God! What issueth from their mouths curseth them though they perceive it not within themselves, and they are drowned in the depths of idolatry. They claim faith within themselves yet deny Him through Whose single letter the decree of faith hath been manifested in every age. Thus hath God seized their sight and deprived them from the shore of grace. They were to strive in God’s path with their wealth and souls, yet when that which they knew came unto them, they denied it and turned upon their heels. Therefore all atoms reject them and their deeds disown them. Thus doth God render vain the works of those who disbelieved and associated partners with God, and who stood at the threshold of rejection with injustice.

Stand firm in the Cause, then give the servants to drink of the living waters from thy Lord the All-Merciful’s cup, ere Satan’s cawing be upraised and bar the people from the holy and manifest path. They who speak as children have risen against God and the Manifestation of His Self, and have denied the blessing that was sent from the realm of bounty. Soon will tablets be spread before thee wherein fingers of ignorance and idolatry have moved to reject God, and thus hath man been ungrateful to his Lord. When thou witnesseth and knoweth this, take up the Pen of Command by Our behest and inscribe upon the tablets what God hath cast upon thy heart in refutation of him who hath rejected God. By God! Then will the Holy Spirit confirm thee and the Spirit that was preserved in the treasuries of infallibility by God’s protection will speak within thy breast.

Break the power of blind imitation through the force of unity, then ascend with the two wings of detachment unto the heaven of transcendent glory. Then adorn thyself with pure servitude unto God, thy Lord, for through it is established the sign of unity and is destroyed the standard of idolatry raised by every wicked denier. Say “God,” then leave those who have disbelieved. Say: The Most Great Word hath appeared, and through it God hath distinguished between the righteous and the wicked, and through it He hath made a separation among the peoples of the world. God hath made this Word sharper than swords, for while swords divide limbs and bodies, the Word separates all things from this day until the Day when the veil of all created things shall be rent asunder and the Beauty of Glory shall appear upon crimson clouds as promised.

Verily it is the Water of Life whereby God quickeneth all creation. Verily it is God’s Lamp between the heavens and the earth, by which every pure and illumined heart is lit. Verily it is the Most Great Mirror among His creatures wherein the Ancient Beauty is known according to each one’s capacity. Verily it is the Most Great Weight between the heavens and the earth and God’s Enduring Testimony unto all in the kingdoms of Command and Creation, and through it the fragrance of God is wafted among all, whether small or great. Say to him who cannot attain the presence of the Throne and behold the Beauty of God: Let him look upon the Word of God. By God! Through it eyes are gladdened and the hearts of all who seek are purified. Say: O people! Compare not the Word of God with aught else, for by it was all else created, and none comprehend this save those possessed of keen insight.

Come forth from behind the veils, then manifest My Cause which hath encompassed all worlds. Remind the people of that wherewith We have reminded thee, then inspire them with that which We have inspired thee, that they may take the path to the Holy Court. Know thou that thy letter hath come before the Throne and holy glances illumined with loving radiance have turned unto it, that thou mayest be stirred from thy slumber and be enkindled by the fire that blazed in the Tree of Utterance upon the Mount of Inner Meanings by God’s leave. Be thou ignited by the warmth of thy Lord’s love, then kindle the people with the fire of remembrance through this Word which hath shone forth from the horizon of the Tablet with mighty sovereignty.

Preserve the pillars of the Cause through the iron of exposition lest the hosts of Satan undermine them—this is a command sent down in truth from the heaven of wisdom. Know thou that We have found from thy letter the fragrance of the garment and have sent thee the breaths of the All-Merciful from the direction of this Paradise, that the divine fragrance may attract thee to a sublime heaven of glory. We have given thee in this Tablet the wings of power and might that thou mayest soar thereby to the station wherein all created things shall seek thy shadow. Thus have We aided thee amongst Our servants and raised thee to the Most Exalted Horizon, a wondrous holy seat.

We have been with thee at all times and witnessed what befell thee in thy Lord’s paths, and We were thy witness. We have mentioned in the Tablets what hath come upon thee and what hath reached thee through the wisdom hidden in thy Lord’s knowledge. Beware lest thou grieve at what hardships have touched thee. God shall soon cut off the last remnant of those who have wronged without clear proof or enlightening book. Be patient, then show forth supreme patience until the promise cometh from the presence of One mighty and powerful. When tribulation waxeth severe, remember My trials and what hath come upon My Beauty from all peoples, and behind them servants who were created by My word—and My own Self, the True One, is witness to what I say.

Thus have We imparted to thee from the gems of wisdom and utterance that thou mayest gather together the servants of the All-Merciful and protect them through a strength from Us against the arrows of every wretched idolater. And the glory be upon thee and upon those who are with thee, who have taken beneath thy Lord’s shadow a station purified from all idolatry.

BH00677: This is the Book wherein there is no doubt…

He is God, the Most High, the Self-Subsisting

This is the Book wherein there is no doubt, sent down in truth from the presence of One Wise and All-Informed. It guideth mankind unto the precincts of an exalted mercy and causeth them that are detached to enter upon the shore of the ocean wherefrom branched forth the seas of names—this being of the grace that hath encompassed all the worlds. It giveth the believers to drink from the Euphrates of God’s loving-kindness and raiseth up the oppressed unto the court of an all-glorious Name. Say: O people! We had forsaken this Cause at the time We entered into this station wherein no cry was raised from Us to anyone, and We remained quiet in the prison, silent from every wondrous mention. We had closed the gates of utterance upon the tongue, and thus were We for many days. We made mention of God in the secret of secrets with a hidden and mysterious tongue, until the days passed and the nights elapsed while We were in this condition which none among all the people could comprehend.

Then did the Herald call out from every near direction:

“Arise, O servant, from thy slumber, then remind the servants of what God hath taught thee, and be not obstinate in the Cause. Art thou grieved by what hath befallen thee at the hands of these oppressors? This is of My ways, and for My way there is no alteration or change. Hast thou forgotten God’s covenant when thou didst covenant with Him, before the creation of all contingent things in the particles of eternity, that thou wouldst be martyred in His path? This, verily, was an inevitability decreed in the Mother Book. Raise, then, thy head from the couch of quiet and tarry not in helping thy Lord, even though God is independent of the help of one such as thee. Grieve not for what hath befallen thee, neither be thou distressed by what the misguided ones have falsely alleged against thee. God sufficeth thee as a helper and supporter.”

Glorified art Thou, O my God! By Thy might, I yearn to lay down my life in Thy path, at every morn and eve. By Thy glory, O my God, were Thine enemies to slay me at every moment, the fire of my love for Thee would not be quenched; nay, it would increase with each passing instant, and Thou art well aware of this. For this do I thank Thee, and complain not to Thee of them, for they have denied Thee and Thy signs, and have failed to recognize Thy Cause which hath dawned from the horizon of wisdom. All this they do openly, without any veil or covering, whether thick or thin.

But those who claim to love Thee yet turn away from Thy beauty—this is grievous to me and to all who are nigh unto Thee. They act thus despite Thy having counseled in all Tablets, nay in every beauteous line, that they should not turn away from Thy verses when revealed in truth, nor close their eyes to the beauty of Thy glorious majesty. It is as though Thou hadst revealed the Bayan solely to guide them to Thy proofs, yet they have turned away from Thee and turned to their own selves, and Thou art aware of all this. Would that they were content with this! But they have spoken concerning me that which no believer would speak of even the most wretched transgressor. Through all this have I remained patient in the path of Thy love. Thus hast Thou made me, O my God, a target for the swords of these two factions, and I know not what to do hereafter, and Thou art witness to their deeds.

Yet by Thy presence, I grieve not for myself, but for Him Whose appearance Thou hast promised unto Thy servants in the latter resurrection. Oh, what sorrow I feel for Him in this day, and for what shall befall Him at the hands of those who claim faith for themselves and who imagine themselves unique in their belief. They shall oppose Him as they have opposed me, and this is clear proof and testimony thereof.

By Thy might, O my Beloved, We find none with vision to behold Thy signs with their own eyes. Rather, they see through the eyes of their leaders, affirm what they affirm, and deny what they deny, though Thou didst strictly forbid them from this. By Thy glory, O my God, I have found no word of truth from these people, nor any spiritual movement. They walk in the valley of desires and commit all manner of transgressions and evil deeds. This they do in secret, while in public they speak Thy praise and occupy themselves with Thy glorification at every sunrise and sunset.

When one appears with clear signs, they draw against him the swords of their souls, hearts, and tongues, striking without delay or hesitation. They have forgotten all that Thou didst command in the Book, though but few days have passed since Thy time. They have reached such a state of pride and heedlessness that they recognize God’s grace, signs, and proof, then deny them, thus showing their rebellion against Thy presence. Yet they consider themselves among those who are trustworthy with God’s messages.

O my God, by Thy might! No spot remaineth in my body that hath not been struck repeatedly by the swords of Thine enemies. Hearest Thou not the cry of the oppressed, O Thou Who holdeth in Thy grasp the reins of all the worlds? Wilt Thou not answer him who calleth upon Thee? Wilt Thou not dispel the afflictions of this poor, wretched soul whom Thou hast placed at the mercy of all, both high and low? Wilt Thou not stay the hands of the oppressors from my person, when Thou assuredly hast power over all things? When such as these exist in Thy realm, wherefore didst Thou manifest me amongst them and inspire me, O my God, with these words which have aroused such rancor in their hearts that their very hearts and limbs are well nigh torn asunder? And verily Thou encompasseth all things. It is as though they desired naught save to preserve their leadership, which they have seized through their own devices.

They became joyous within themselves and led those who followed them in heedlessness to such a state that were they to behold the gleaming lights, they would ask if the light was luminous, and were the Sun of Eternity to shine upon them, they would examine a dung beetle and ask if the sun was radiant. Therefore, open your eyes, O concourse of the heedless! These are the lights of the Sun that have encompassed your backs, your right, your left, above you, below you, your south and north. Therefore, O my God, what am I to do with them, and what is the fruit of my appearance amongst these people after Thou hast caused them to stand in the land of limitation while Thou hast elevated me to a station where the hands of unity fall short of reaching? Moreover, how can my Cause accord with their condition? Therefore, O my God, purify the hem of my robe from their clinging, then occupy them with that to which they are attached and with which they are content.

Thus am I left, O my God, alone in Thy land and solitary in Thy realm, with no one walking upon this path which is truly straight. How often in the evening, O my God, have mine eyes turned toward the direction of Thy grace and the dawn of Thy relief and bounties, yet found no rising of the morn of Thy gifts. How often in the morning, O my God, have mine eyes watched for a glance of Thy providence and favors, yet witnessed no appearance of the sun of Thy generosity and benevolence.

How long, O my God, wilt Thou not have mercy upon Thy servant whom none of Thy creatures would show mercy to, and who has spent his life imprisoned in their midst? Praise be unto Thee, O my God, in all of this, and I beseech Thee for patience in what Thou hast decreed and wilt decree, that I may be numbered among the patient ones recorded in the Tablets.

Then I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name through which sorrow is transformed into joy, hardship into ease, and darkness into light, that Thou mayest send down, O my God, at this moment that which will dispel our sorrows and sever us from all else besides Thee, O Thou in Whose hand are bounty and benevolence, and the dominion of might and forgiveness. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, and verily, Thou art wise over all things. 152

He is the Mighty

The mysteries of God have ever been and will forever remain hidden in the veils of the unseen, especially this Cause, whose essence has been concealed and protected, and none has comprehended it save God, thy Lord. For this reason, this divine Lote-Tree and manifest yet hidden mystery has endured from both friends and foes that which no pen or ink can recount, as thou hast been informed of some of these matters. Thou must now strive with utmost diligence to promote the Cause of God, though verily thy Lord is independent of all the worlds. In all circumstances, keep thy gaze fixed upon the root of the Cause and whatsoever appeareth from Him, ever mindful of all the friends, whether among the emigrants or those who remained, all of whom are present before Us.

BH00457: Lawh-i-Mubahilih

In the Name of God, the Most Mighty, the Most Impregnable, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious!

This is a Tablet that hath been sent down from the Preserved Tablet, that it may serve as guidance and mercy unto all who are in the heavens and on earth. Therein is made mention of him that remaineth of the kindred of Him Who endured in the path of his Lord that which caused the Concourse of the Near Ones to be thunderstruck. Blessed art thou, O My Name, inasmuch as the breezes of the garment from Joseph the Exalted, Who was named Muhammad-before-ʿAli, have wafted over thee. He, verily, was named by Our Most Holy Name in the Concourse on High, and by the All-Glorious in the cities of eternity, and by all names in the Kingdom of Names. Through Him was manifested My sovereignty and My power, then My grandeur and My majesty, were ye of them that know.

We sprinkled upon him from this Ocean that which detached him from all else but Me and transformed him from the west of tranquility to the east of rapture, until he offered up his life in My path, whereat his being rejoiced while the eyes of the near ones wept. Blessed art thou for having been honored by his presence, for having heard his melodies, and for having found solace in his oppressed and lonely being. He is now present before the Throne, weeping for what hath befallen Me at the hands of the hosts of Satan.

By God, O My loved one! No day hath passed except that there hath befallen Me that which all created things are powerless to recount. On one day the idolaters say: “This is he who hath fabricated a lie against God,” even as thou heardst the like on the day when He Who came with manifest sovereignty appeared. And on another day they say: “He hath appeared contrary to what was ordained in the Book.” And on yet another day they say: “Through him the Concourse of the Bayan hath been veiled from the mention of God, the Exalted, the Great.”

Consider then their lack of understanding: they speak that whereby every reality in all things doth curse them, yet they perceive it not. He Who uttereth God’s verses among them they reject through their vain imaginings, even while they recite that which was revealed aforetime by My mighty and wondrous Pen. Behold the power of thy Lord, how He hath deprived them of understanding and left them wandering in the wilderness of idle fancy.

By God, O My Name! He whom the people have taken as a beloved one instead of God is powerless to speak before the Face, yet the people are in grievous drunkenness. By My life! Were thou to become aware of him and his deeds, thou wouldst weep for Me and find no rest in thy dwelling until thy spirit ascendeth to the All-Highest Companion, that station wherein shine forth the lights of the countenance of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious. God is sufficient witness to this.

Hearken unto Me, then cast behind thee every name and take fast hold of the Cord of God. Fear not the hosts of the idolaters. They and all they possess shall never be mentioned before God, even should they bring forth the books of the ancients. Say: O loved ones of God! Fear not for your bodies. By God, ye are the kings in the realms of the spirits. How excellent is this exalted, mighty and glorious station! Verily, from every drop of blood that is shed in My path, God shall raise up souls of them that are nigh unto Him and are sincere. Were I to reveal the mysteries of that station, people would offer up their lives in the path of their Lord, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.

O My Name! Hear My call with the ear of thine innate nature. By God, through it shall all the world be attracted, were they to turn thereunto.

O Most Exalted Pen! Recount to thy name the story of this city, that he may be of them that are informed. When Muhammad came to thee from the company of the idolaters, saying that they desired to meet with thee in another place, We heard this and left the house with manifest sovereignty, and We said:

“O Muhammad! The Spirit hath left His place, and with Him have gone forth the spirits of the chosen ones and the realities of the Messengers. Behold thou then the denizens of the most exalted Paradise above My head and within My grasp the proofs of the Prophets. Open thine eyes! Here is Ali, and here Muhammad, the Messenger of God, Who hath risen from the horizon of the House with manifest sovereignty, bringing you all the signs from God, the Mighty, the Powerful.”

Say: “Were all the divines and mystics on earth to assemble, and with them all the kings and rulers, verily I would present Myself before their faces and would proclaim the verses of God, the Sovereign, the Almighty, the All-Wise. I am He Who feareth no one, though all who are in the heavens and on earth should combine against Me. The verses have bowed before My countenance and all voices have become humble before My most wondrous and matchless melodies. This is My hand which God hath made white for all the worlds, and this is My staff which, were We to cast it down, would swallow up all created things. All that hath been created between the heavens and the earth is but as a handful of clay in thy Lord’s sight.”

“O Muhammad! Go thou unto the company of the idolaters and say: The Youth hath come unto you, and with Him are the hosts of divine revelation and inspiration. Before Him marcheth the Kingdom of the Cause, and behind Him the tribes of the Concourse on High, then the dwellers of the cities of eternity, then the angels brought near.’ Say: Fear ye God, and oppose not Him by Whose command every wise matter hath been ordained.’ Then present yourselves before God with your ropes and your staves and whatsoever ye possess, if ye be of them that have power.

“We shall proceed to the House of God which one of the kings hath built and named Salim. I alone have come to you from the Dayspring of eternity with God’s most great and mighty tidings. I shall tarry until the sun setteth in its west, that perchance the objectors may feel ashamed within themselves and be numbered among the penitent.”

Know thou that God hath forbidden His loved ones to meet with the idolaters and the hypocrites. Yet We have left the house, putting Our trust in God and turning Our gaze toward the direction of His Cause, that perchance God’s heedless servants might thereby be awakened. They that have disbelieved and associated partners with God will never believe in God though there should come to them the holy scrolls or the hosts of the unseen or the proofs of the Messengers. The meeting with God increaseth them in naught save in rebellion and unbelief. Thus hath it been sent down in the Tablets, and this is a mighty and exalted Tablet.

O Muhammad! Know thou that every name, through its connection with My Self, hath been exalted in the kingdom of names, if thou be of them that comprehend. On this Day, every relationship hath been severed save for those who have entered beneath the shadow of this luminous and radiant Countenance. Whosoever holdeth fast to a name among names while remaining heedless of its Creator—such a one is not of Me and God is quit of him. We have created all names even as We created all things, if ye be of them that know. Say: “I have appeared for God’s sake and have come forth for God’s sake, and I speak before all who are on earth even as I speak before thy face. I fear no one, and My deeds bear witness to what I say, if thou be of them that perceive.” Say: “Verily, the signs of Truth are as manifest as the radiance of the sun, and its lights.” By God! Verily, He hath been made manifest unto every one endowed with keen sight. Dost thou imagine that any besides Him can arise to stand with Him? Nay, by His own Self, the Most High, the Most Great!

Say: Through the movement of the Youth move the realities of all things, and through His stillness are stilled Our steadfast servants. Be thou detached from names, then suffice with thy Lord and be not of the ignorant. Those who have cleaved to names, they are worshippers of idols, wert thou of those who know. Say: The Prophet is he who informed the people of this Most Upright, Most Ancient, and Eternal Message. The Messenger is he who conveyed My messages to those who had strayed from the path. The Imam is he who stood before My face with clear submission and humility. The Guardian is he who sought protection in the impregnable fortress of My guardianship. And the Successor is he who counseled the people in that which We commanded them in a preserved tablet.

He whom the idolaters took as lord for themselves and through whom they opposed God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beautiful—verily he was but one among My servants, and would present himself before the Countenance every morn and eve. The winds of passion blew upon him from the direction of his own self through that which his hands had wrought, until they moved him from his station and left him among the lowest of the low. We had made his name renowned among the servants for a wisdom from Us, and verily thy Lord is the Ruler over what He willeth. When We completed Our utterance, he went to the idolaters while the Youth repaired to the station We had ordained. Thus was the matter decreed, and We were witnesses.

When Muhammad returned alone after a time, We said: Where are they who desired the face of the Youth, and where are they who disbelieved in God, the Exalted, the Great? Say: When the Sun shineth from the horizon of the Cause, the birds of night flee from it and cannot draw nigh unto it. Thus was the decree, were ye of those who know. Thus have We recounted unto thee the matter of him who appeared in those days, as a grace from Us unto thee and unto Our assured servants. Would that thou hadst been with Us on that day and witnessed God’s ascendancy over the worlds, His power over all created things, and His sovereignty between the heavens and the earth. But grieve not over this, for We have written for thee in the Tablet the reward of that day, and We are powerful over all things. Arise thou to the Cause, then gather the people and be not of the inactive ones.

Unite the hearts of My loved ones, then remind them at all times of My beautiful remembrance. Expend thy soul and spirit in propagating the Cause of God—this is the nature of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Wise. Should harm befall thee, be patient as thy Lord was patient, and He will surely recompense the patient ones. Grieve not over what hath befallen thee. Verily thy Lord is with thee in all conditions and will aid thee through the truth with the hosts of His invisible realm. Convey My greetings unto her who hath believed in her Lord and attained the presence of God and arrived at the shore of a mighty sea, whose every wave proclaimeth that there is none other God but Me, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Blessed is she in that she hath heard the melodies of her Lord and the lights of holiness have shone upon her from God’s manifestation, the Lord of the worlds. And the mercy that descendeth from the clouds of My will and the heaven of My purpose be upon her and her daughter. This verily is a great bounty. Upon thee be My remembrance and praise, then My glory and the glory of the worlds.

Then remind all Our loved ones from Our presence. Say: O chosen ones of God, be steadfast in the Cause of your Lord, the All-Merciful, in such wise that the winds of trials shall not move you, and be ye of those who are firmly rooted in God’s Cause. Gather ye in the assemblies of fellowship and remember this Prisoner Who hath been afflicted amidst the hypocrites. Gather ye around that Name. Beware lest ye be scattered, for the wolves lurk behind you with great cunning. Trust ye in God in all matters and shun the wayward. Should ye find one through whose heart the breezes of the All-Merciful have wafted, associate with him and remind him of this mighty Remembrance.

Beware lest ye sorrow over anything or be troubled in adversity and tribulation. By God! We have ordained for you in Our most exalted Kingdom a station of glorious and lofty rank. Be ye united amongst yourselves, for through unity shall the Cause of your Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing, be made manifest, if ye be of those who are endowed with insight. Those who read the Bayan yet deny the verses of the All-Merciful—these are they against whom the word of punishment hath been fulfilled, and they shall soon enter the fire. Be ye My trusted ones among My creation, My chosen ones among My creatures, and the dawning-places of My light among the worlds. Thus have We imparted unto you the word of truth and revealed unto you that whereby your hearts and souls may find tranquility, and ye may be of those who are steadfast.

The copy of the revelation that was written before the Face hath been sent. Copies of God’s Tablets should be sent to all cities, and copies of all should be preserved in your presence. Blessed art thou for having attained unto the lights of the countenance of thy Lord. Upon thee be the glory of God and His splendor, then His remembrance and the remembrance of all the worlds.

BH03710: Prologue to the Lawh-i-Mubahilih

It will have been known to the friends of God that one day the antichrist arose with a new scheme, in order to sow doubts in the hearts of the servants. In Edirne he advertised his intention to the Persians, saying,

“Today we have resolved that he shall come to the Sultan Selim mosque, and we also shall attend, and shall make the truth manifest. Thus might truth be distinguished from falsehood.”

Mir Muhammad Shirazi became informed of this pronouncement, and in turn apprised Aqa Mirza Muhammad Quli. The latter repeated it in the most glorious Presence. When He was informed, He departed that very hour and set out for the above-mentioned mosque. There are more details, but we shall mention only those necessary to telling the story. He said to Mir Muhammad, “Go and inform that person that I am waiting in the mosque.” The aforementioned Mir Muhammad gave the news to that accursed one. Azal excused himself, saying that it was not possible that day: “The appointment will have to be fixed on another day.”

Then Mir Muhammad said to that wicked one,

“You yourself chose these arrangements. You stated a preference for this matter. You wrote a document saying that whoever did not appear today is false and far from the truth. Then how can any word of yours be depended upon?”

In short, He stayed at the mosque until sundown, but that wicked one avoided coming. As He passed through the market, the tongue of God addressed Mir Muhammad with these holy and eternal verses. All the people heard it, and were astonished at their revelation. This is the content of the aforementioned discourse:

When we heard, We proceeded from Our house with manifest sovereignty. We said,

“O Muhammad, the spirit hath departed from its seat and along with it the spirits of the pure ones went forth, as did the realities of the Messengers. In truth, thou shalt behold the people of the most transcendent scene above My head. Then in My grasp are the proofs of the prophets. Then open your eyes. This is ʿAli [the Bab], then Muhammad, the messenger of God, who hath risen above the horizon of the House with evident sovereignty and come unto you with all the verses from God, the mighty, the Omnipotent.”

Say: Were all the clergy and mystics on earth, and all the kings and emperors, to be gathered, I would stand before them and recite the verses of God, the king, the glorious, the wise. I am he who fears no one, even should all who are in the heavens and the earth assemble against Me. The very verses have humbled themselves before my countenance, and all sounds are submissive before my most wondrous and enchanting melodies. This is My hand, which God hath rendered white for all the worlds. And this is My staff. Were We to cast it down, it would swallow up the entire creation. All that hath been created between the heavens and the earth is but a handful of clay to thy Lord.

Go, Muhammad, to the concourse of idolaters and say, “The youth has come to you, accompanied by the hosts of revelation and inspiration. The kingdom of the Cause marches before Him, and behind Him are the tribes of the Concourse on high and the inhabitants of the cities of eternity, then the angels who are near.” Say: Fear God, and do not oppose the one by whose command every wise decree was ordained. Then come into the presence of God with your ropes and your staffs and with whatever you possess, if you are able to do so. We go now to the house of God that was erected by one of the kings and named “Selim.” I, alone, have come to you from the dawning place of eternity with a great, a most great announcement. I shall wait until the sun sets in the west, so that perhaps my opponents will find the opportunity within themselves to repent.

Know that God forbade his friends from meeting with the idolaters and hypocrites. Nevertheless, We departed from Our house depending upon God, gaze set toward the precincts of the Cause, so that thereby the heedless servants of God might be made aware. Those who have denied God or joined partners with him shall never believe in God, even should he bring them the sacred scrolls, or the hosts of the Invisible, or the proofs of the Messengers, and meeting with God only increases them in their oppression and unbelief….

He whom the idolaters have taken to themselves as their lord, whereby they have risen in opposition to God, the mighty, the august, the beautiful—he was just like any of the servants. He used to come into My presence morning and night. Then there wafted upon him from the region of his base self the gales of passion, as a result of his past behavior. Finally, they cast him down from his seat and abandoned him in the lowest depths. We had made his name renowned among the servants for a secret reason of our own. In truth, your lord is ruler over what he desires.

Also, there is a man by the name of Hasan Aqa in that land, a tobacconist. The antichrist was with him when he issued the aforementioned challenge. The text was written out with his knowledge. Indeed, in reality on that day the truth was fulfilled and perfect. Rather, it became most seasoned and most perfect.

When Mir Muhammad came into the presence of the Beauty of God, he said, “I informed that accursed one (that is, Mirza Yayha), that Baha’u’llah was waiting in the mosque, and I said, You should come and demonstrate your own truth.’ That accursed one said, Today it will have to be postponed. Choose another day.”’

Afterwards the tongue of God spoke forth, saying that with God it had been known that that scoundrel would not appear, and the purpose was to complete the proof. Rather, the proof had been complete from pre-eternity against those deniers of the beauty of the lord of the worlds.

The beauty of God departed from the mosque. It so happened that the store of the aforementioned Hasan Aqa was on Baha’u’llah’s route. When he arrived at the store, the tongue of God said,

“Based on the decision that the gentleman had announced in his proclamation, the countenance of the All-Merciful presented himself, whereas the idolaters failed to honor their own agreement.”

The next day, this sublime pronouncement was issued to Hasan Aqa. But that accursed one gave it no attention. The text of the letter is as follows:

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

This is a letter from this youth to all who are upon the earth. Worship none but God, the king, the exalted, the mighty. Thus has the decree been revealed in all the tablets from the powerful, the Omnipotent.

We heard that some of our opponents desired to come into the presence of this youth. Say: Come, and do not delay! We have appointed as the meeting-place the house of God, which was erected by one of the emperors, and was called “Selim” in the kingdom of names, if you but knew. We have selected as the days for the meeting Sunday and Monday. God was a witness to what I say… He is the one intended by your lord, the knowing, the wise.

BH00682: Suriy-i-Hifz

This hath been sent down for Muhammad, that he might praise his Lord and be numbered among them that render praise, mentioned in the Tablets of Glory. He is the Ever-Abiding, the Most Glorious.

This is a Book wherein is mentioned that which the Spirit hath inspired Me, and verily it is a revelation from God and a sign of His remembrance unto them who have acknowledged God and His verses. It guideth them unto the Path, and increaseth naught for the idolaters save manifest loss. This, verily, is the Path of God in the heavens and on earth, and His Hidden Book for them that are in the kingdom of Command and Creation, and His Treasured Scripture for them that are in the realm of the All-Glorious, and the Manifested Tablet for all who dwell on earth. Through it God’s favor unto His creation is perfected, and His mercy encompasseth all worlds.

O peoples of the earth! Hearken unto that which God teacheth you in the Tablets, and follow not the ways of the most abject. Do that which ye have been commanded in the Book, then shun the ways of the corrupt ones who, when they found Us possessed of sovereignty and power, said “We believe in God and in what hath been sent down unto Thee,” but when We entered prison they turned away and disbelieved, and were among the idolaters.

Say: God hath dominion over His creation and is supreme above His creatures, and nothing escapeth His knowledge. He watcheth over every soul. Say: Do ye deny the verses of God after which, were God to erase their traces and remove what ye have been given of the verses, ye would find no way for yourselves, nor any guidance? Fear God, O people, and deny not the proof whereby ye have known the path of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Powerful.

Say: O people! When We found you heedless of God’s Cause and envious in your hearts, We departed from your midst and changed Our garment, that ye might rest in your places and not commit that which would cause the Cause to lose its sanctity and honor among the servants. Thus were We among the doers. Yet ye showed no shame, but rather imputed to the Beauty of the All-Merciful that which Satan had whispered in your hearts, and were among the slanderers. From you and from your pens came that from which the denizens of the heavens and earth declared themselves clear. Ye attributed every evil unto Me, though God had made Me sanctified above all things and purified from aught else but Him, and sent Me from the Dayspring of Holiness with manifest sovereignty.

Say: Fear God! If ye believe not in Him and in the Manifestation of His Self, war not against Him, and be among the God-fearing. Attribute not what is within your souls unto the Self of God, and follow not the path of those who turned away from the Manifestations of the Cause and denied them until they slew them with grievous wrong.

O people of Baha! Keep yourselves apart from such as these, and turn not unto a people with whom God is wroth and whom He hath seized with vengeance from His presence. He, verily, is the most severe in punishment. Hasten unto God’s good-pleasure and His satisfaction, then take up your abode in the secure station of this mighty Stronghold. Beware that ye draw not nigh unto them who have denied all the verses, whose eyes are veiled from My remembrance, and whose ears are wrapped in coverings from hearkening unto My holy, wondrous Words.

Say: When We found the earth of hearts barren of the vegetation of knowledge and wisdom, We then caused to descend from the clouds of grace that which made them stir and swell, bringing forth every noble kind. Rejoice, O people of the Bayan, in this Garden which hath appeared at the heart of Paradise, and deprive not yourselves of the wondrous knowledge ordained for you.

I am but a servant who hath believed in God and His verses, and I remind you of what God has inspired me through His grace, and guide you to the paths of those who are near. He who believes in Him and turns to God does so for his own sake, and he who turns away does so to his own detriment. My duty is but clear delivery of the Message.

O people! By God, besides Whom there is no god, I have indeed sacrificed my soul and spirit for the Cause of God, my Lord and the Lord of the worlds. We have raised the Cause to a station beyond the reach of the hands of harm and the hands of the idolaters. Thus has God established His Cause through His words and His sovereignty, and the deeds of the corrupt have been rendered vain.

When my brother witnessed that the sun of certitude had dawned from the horizon of utterance through this Youth, Who stood at the center of all creation with the adornment of the All-Merciful, he emerged from behind the veil of concealment and rose up to war against the Beauty of the All-Glorious, becoming one of the antagonists. He pronounced against me what his self and passion commanded him. Then the hosts of victory descended from the direction of a mighty throne, and the vanguards of divine protection appeared from the horizon of glory. God thereby protected me in truth and aided me through the power of might and authority, and His victory was near to those who do good.

When he found himself disappointed in what he desired and dejected in what he sought, he devised another stratagem, whereby all names were disturbed in their kingdoms, and all existence, both seen and unseen, wept at what befell my soul—and God was witness over him and me. When We found him in such a state, We departed from among them alone, relying upon God, the Powerful, the Almighty.

When he saw that the Cause had become renowned among these emigrants who had believed, he wrote tablets to various lands wherein he mentioned what he had perpetrated, seeking thereby to instill hatred for the Youth in people’s hearts. Would that he had been content with this and been among those who rest! Thereafter he complained about the Youth to every soul to cause confusion about the Cause among the servants, thereby violating my honor and the honor of God, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Wise.

O people of the Bayan! Be fair within yourselves, speak with pure truthfulness, and be among the truthful ones. Most of you have associated with me and know my character—has anyone witnessed from me anything that would trouble their soul? No, by Him Who sent me with the truth, if you are among the fair-minded! I have been forgiving to the penitent, concealing toward the transgressor, merciful to the one who returns and repents, compassionate to the disappointed, and a refuge for the fearful—to this every fair-minded and discerning one bears witness.

Is there anyone among you who would deny this bounty? No, by my true Self, except one who denies all God’s favors and follows the paths of the deluded! Would one who desires neither harm nor sorrow for anyone desire harm for his brother? Therefore, investigate and be among those who speak the truth and do not transgress the decree of truthfulness, even if the swords of the idolaters should fall upon him.

By God, the Truth! When my brother found that the hearts of the pure ones were filled with the love of God and the Manifestation of His Self, he desired to turn hearts away from the holy direction, after We had protected him for twenty years from the harm of every harmful one—and you were among the witnesses.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Deny not what you have witnessed with your own eyes, and follow not the paths of fancy. Rend asunder the veils of idle fancy through the power of might bestowed by Us, then enter the paradise of certitude and be among those who rejoice therein.

Thus have We informed you in brief concerning that which hath befallen Us, lest ye be heedless thereof and your feet slip from the path of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

And thou, O servant, arise to serve the Cause of God and fear no one. Convey unto the people that which God hath conveyed unto thee through His messengers. He will verily protect thee from the harm of all peoples. Strive thou to purify thyself from the defilements of the world and to adorn thyself with the attributes of God, the Mighty, the Dominant, the Powerful, the All-Seeing. Verily, if thou doest that which We have commanded thee, thou shalt become one who teacheth the people through deeds rather than words—and this is the most excellent teaching, if thou be of them that know.

Say: O people of the earth! Come with deeds done purely for God, the True One. The days of words have passed and the time for deeds hath come. Thus hath the matter been decreed by the Sovereign of all causes, if ye be of them that act.

Say: O people! Be as the signs of God amongst His servants and His traces in His lands, that through you the face of His Cause may be illumined amongst all creation. Thus have We informed thee and counselled thee that thou mayest take counsel within thyself and counsel the people with that which thou hast been commanded by the All-Knowing Judge. May the mercy that hath encompassed all created things rest upon thee, that thou mayest remain steadfast in the Cause of thy Ancient Lord—thou and those that are with thee among them whom God hath brought forth from behind the veils of fancy and guided unto the shore of mighty certitude. Praise be unto Him Who guideth all the worlds to the paradise of His wondrous Name.

BH00366: He is God, exalted be His station in uniqueness…

Section 1: “He is God, exalted be His station…”

He is God, exalted be His station in uniqueness above all contingent beings! By His mighty and irrevocable Word He distinguishes between all created things, and verily He is the One who has power over whatsoever He willeth, and He is the All-Glorious, the Most Glorious.

Thy letter hath come into the presence of the Throne, and toward it have turned the eyes of God, the Sovereign, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. The Countenance of God hath been directed towards it as a grace unto thy soul, a bounty unto thine essence, a mercy unto thy being, and a favor unto thy reality. This is that whereunto nothing can be compared amongst all that hath been created between the heavens and the earth.

We have heard that wherewith thou didst call upon thy Lord, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. We have learned that which the Spirit of the Command cast into thee, and whereby the Holy Spirit strengthened thee, and the Most Great Spirit spoke within thy illumined breast. Therein didst thou call upon God, thy Lord, with the sweetest of melodies, as though thou hadst heard the songs of the Dove upon the branches of the Tree of Glory, and recognized the melody of God from the Ultimate Tree and the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing. Well is it with thee for having drunk the wine of inner meanings from the hands of the immortal youths, and for being among those who have attained.

We shall therefore answer thee from the direction of the Throne with verses which render every possessor of knowledge powerless, and by a single letter whereof are created worlds the knowledge of which none comprehendeth save God, thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Thou didst call upon God at the beginning of thy letter saying:

“Glory be unto Thee, Who hast glorified Thyself beyond the glorification of all else but Thee, and none hath any way unto Thy call and Thy good-pleasure.”

O thou who art the manifestation of Our Name, the Generous! Bear thou witness that He hath ever been and that there hath been naught else besides Him. He hath thus glorified His Self through the glorification of His Essence, and glorified His Essence through the glorification of His Self. He hath sanctified His knowledge beyond the knowledge of all contingent beings, and none hath any way unto Him. He hath ever been in the heights of grandeur and glory, and in the summit of loftiness and majesty. That which the mystics know and the perceivers perceive—this is but a creation created by His command and returneth unto the seat of that revelation wherewith We have revealed Ourselves unto all contingent beings. Whoso turneth towards it reflecteth the revelation of his Creator and ascendeth unto the station of nearness, and whoso depriveth himself thereof is indeed cast upon the earth of forgetfulness. Thus doth the Tongue of the All-Merciful speak at this moment, that thou mayest be of them that know.

Bear thou witness at this moment that His Self hath ever been sanctified beyond the knowledge of every knower, the learning of every learned one, the perception of every perceiver, and the attainment of every seeker, and shall ever remain as He hath been. Verily, He is the Peerless, the Most Exalted, the Inaccessible, the Mighty, the Most High. That which His servants attain unto—this is the station We have created for them through them, by themselves. Thus have We detailed in all the Tablets, and thus do We detail at this moment in truth, that it may be a remembrance from Us to them that remember.

We have accepted from thee this glorification and have sent its fragrances to the most exalted Paradise, wherefrom the people of the holy realm have inhaled them, that thou mayest be of them that receive glad-tidings. O joy be unto thee for that thy tongue hath been loosened and hath spoken that which the Spirit spoke, and hath testified before God with a testimony that hath caused the spirits of the Concourse on High and the realities of the sanctified ones to rejoice. Detach thyself from the world, then take comfort in the remembrance of thy Lord, that God may cause to flow from thy tongue rivers of Kawthar and Salsabil. By My beauty! A single drop thereof is better in the sight of thy Lord than all that is treasured in heaven and stored on earth.

Thus do We cast upon thee that which shall make thee independent of all the worlds. Therefore give thanks unto God, thy Lord, in that He hath heard thy call and accepted thy glorification and revealed unto thee in this Tablet that which is hidden from the eyes of the ungodly. Hearken unto that which is revealed, then take the Book of God with authority from Him, then recite it with the melodies of the Spirit. Let thy heart be drawn unto Him, and the hearts of those who glorify God in the depths of sanctity and who, at all times, are engaged in a wondrous remembrance.

And thou didst call upon thy Lord with another call, and it is this: I call upon Thee, though I am aware of this, with my inner and outer tongue, my manifest and hidden being, that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee. From time immemorial Thou hast been sanctified above being called upon by any of Thy creation, and Thou wilt ever remain exalted above being invoked by any of Thy creatures. I have heard Thy call, and I bear witness to that which Thou hast testified through Thy Self, Thy Tongue, and Thy Pen, that He is God, there is no God but Me. I have created all things by My command, and brought all beings into existence through the influence of My Pen.

None besides Me can attain to the court of My glorious presence, and naught except Me can ascend to the heaven of holy knowledge of Me. For how can that which was created by My command attain unto My sanctified, purified, exalted, blessed, and luminous Self? Every call that ascendeth from all created things can rise no higher than the seat of revelation whereon We have manifested Ourselves through Our decisive, transcendent, mighty, and beauteous call. Beyond this, none hath any portion. Blessed is he who attaineth unto this exalted and glorious station.

We beseech God to enable thee to achieve that which thou hast uttered in thy letter, to make thee steadfast in His Cause, to aid thee with the power of His triumph amidst all peoples, and to grant thee the fruits of the Tree, each leaf of which speaketh that whereof not a letter hath been mentioned in all creation. Thus have We expounded the verses unto thee and given thee glad tidings of that which is treasured in the sanctified repositories of Him Who preserveth all things.

And thou didst call upon thy Lord again, and it is this: The believer is he who hath believed in Thy wondrous Manifestation, and the living one is he who hath been quickened by a breath of his recognition of Thy sovereignty, and the idolater is he who hath denied Thy radiant and resplendent Countenance, and the infidel is he who hath not been illumined by the dawning of the Sun of Thy manifest and glorious Visage. By My beauty! The Holy Spirit hath spoken through thy tongue, and God doth testify even as thou hast testified in thy letter, and calleth out from His ultimate dominion, nigh unto the divine Lote-Tree, the seat of His most exalted Throne: By God, the Truth! Whoso hath believed in Me hath attained all good, and hath drunk from the stream of certitude, and hath immersed himself in the oceans of knowledge, and his temple hath been adorned with the robe of grace from his Lord, the All-Merciful, and hath believed in all the Prophets and Messengers.

Say: When the temple of the All-Merciful was established upon the throne of His name, the All-Bountiful, the Spirit of Life was breathed into the realities of all creation and possibility. Whoso hath arisen to serve His Cause, acknowledged His sovereignty, and spoken His praise is alive with the life of God, thy Lord, and hath entered the eternal, everlasting, transcendent and mighty City of Oneness, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful. And whoso hath turned away from the Spirit of God and His breathings, the Spirit hath been taken from him and his name shall not be mentioned before the Throne, and he shall be of those who have no remembrance, no name, and no trace, and who abide within the veils of their own selves among the dead.

Say: O people! Fear God and associate not partners with Him in Whom ye have believed. Whoso associateth partners with Him hath associated partners with Manifestations who have no beginning and no end, and is recorded among the idolaters in the preserved tablets of holiness. Say: O people! Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of the grace of God and the wondrous tokens of His mercy.

Section 2: “By the True God! Should anyone today engage…”

By the True God! Should anyone today engage in the worship of all who are in the heavens and on earth, and acknowledge in his heart the Manifestations of justice, and perform with his limbs every good deed, it shall profit him not so much as a grain of mustard seed unless he enters beneath the shadow of the Divine Countenance, becomes assured of God’s grace and mercy, and arises to serve God and assist His Cause to the extent of his ability. This indeed is a revelation from Us, and We are the Revealer thereof. Say: Do ye make mention of God with your tongues while denying His sovereignty? Woe unto you, O heedless ones! If God accepted the faith of nations in the past, will He accept your faith? Nay, by My true Self! He will accept naught from anyone save after they have loved Me, and this is indeed a mercy unto all the worlds.

I called upon my Lord again and again, saying: I render thanks unto Thee for having created me when I was nothing, and for having fashioned me to seek what Thou lovest and art well-pleased with. Deprive me not, by Thy right, from the manifestations of Thy Most Great, Most Exalted Revelation. For Thou art the Doer of what Thou willest, and the Ordainer of what Thou desirest for what Thou desirest. Know thou that God hath accepted thy gratitude, and by thy thanksgiving do the dwellers of the pavilions of eternity give thanks. This is of His grace upon thee, and none hath preceded thee in this bounty. Be thou, therefore, in great thankfulness.

We created thee through the hands of might and power, as a mercy from Us unto thee and unto Our sincere servants. We fashioned thee with wondrous attributes, caused thee to speak in praise of My true Self, wafted upon thee the breaths of the Spirit, and made thee a remembrance from Us that thou mayest remind the people of that which thy Lord hath inspired thee. Be not thou of the patient ones. We delivered thee from the veils of fancy through Our sovereignty, preserved thee from the darts of idle fancies through Our power, bestowed upon thee that which established thee upon the throne of unity, saved thee from the hosts of Satan, and clothed thee in the garment of acceptance between the heavens and earth that thou mayest remember thy Lord within thyself and find rest in thy station. Strive then within thyself to be among the steadfast ones. By the True God! This is a matter at which all things are thunderstruck, every soul’s lament is raised, and the mountains of the heedless are crushed.

We heard thy later call whereby were gladdened the hearts of those who sought the most exalted stations, who heard thy call and arose in thy love. Thus did We cause to flow from thy tongue that which is better than what is witnessed and seen, that thou mayest be among those firmly established. And it is this: By Thy glory, O my Lord and Master! Since Thou hast, through Thy mercy, enabled me without any merit to attain that for which none can adequately render thanks, enable me through Thy loving-kindness to be a prostrate servant before Thy Manifestation and a conquering soldier for Thy sovereignty. Through Thy power, make me such that whenever I encounter Thine enemies, I may vanquish them through a power from Thee and debate with them through an authority from Thy presence.

We have heard thy sweetest call and enabled thee through Our mercy and made thee worthy of the wondrous tokens of Our grace. We have therefore arrayed thee in the garment of names between earth and heaven and raised thee to the station of remembrance in the kingdom of creation. Arise then by thyself and fear no one, for thy Lord shall cause thee to triumph over whomsoever He willeth through His power and dominion from His presence. He is indeed the Strong, the Triumphant, the Almighty. Should all who are in the heavens and earth dispute with thee concerning the Cause of thy Lord, thou shalt not weaken. Draw strength from My Name, the Ruler, the Powerful, the Most Great, the All-Encompassing, for in His hand lies the kingdom of all things. He doeth what He willeth through His sovereignty, and ordaineth what He willeth through His command, and He, verily, is the Most High, the Almighty, the All-Wise.

Be not grieved by anyone’s turning away, but remain steadfast in the Cause in such wise that the rejection of every infidel shall not harm thee, nor shall the cry of any crier prevent thee, nor shall the words that issue from the mouths of the idolaters sadden thee. By God, the Truth! Their association with God shall suffice them. Soon shall the fire of divine wrath be kindled in their hearts and shall return them to their abode in the nethermost depths, wherein they shall wail with the wailing of the distressed. And whenever they cry for help, they shall receive no succor. Thus hath the matter been ordained, and the sun of utterance hath shone forth from the horizon of revelation as a remembrance from One Who is mighty and beautiful.

Upon thee rest only My remembrance and the proclamation of My Cause. Whoso accepteth it doeth so for his own sake, and whoso turneth away—turn thou away from him and abide within a mighty stronghold. God shall soon distinguish between truth and falsehood, light and darkness, the fortunate and the wretched. Verily, He distinguisheth all things through a word from His presence, and He, verily, is the Powerful, the Ruler, the Resurrector, the Mighty, the All-Informed.

We have now made mention of some of what was inscribed in thy letter, and have deposited some of it in the treasuries of God’s will. God shall fulfill it in truth and shall manifest it as He pleaseth. Verily, He is the Most Merciful, the Compassionate.

As to what thou hast mentioned concerning thy brother, We have previously sent tablets unto him that he might become mindful within himself and return unto God, thy Lord, and be of them that return. All this is of Our grace towards him. Should he accept, God will reward him for his deeds, and should he turn away, no blame shall rest upon thee. Grieve not over this, but be patient in all matters and be of them that are patient. Deal with him in such matters that the fire of sedition may not be kindled between you, for this is nearer unto grace, and We have ever been gracious. Moreover, counsel him with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and contend not with him lest enmity arise between you, until God shall bring about His purpose. This is My bidding unto thee; act according to what thou hast been commanded by One Who is mighty and ancient. Perchance thereby love shall be generated in his heart, though thy Lord well knoweth what is hidden in the breasts, and whatsoever He commandeth His servants is but a grace from His presence. Verily, He is independent of all worlds.

Spirit, light, glory and splendor be upon thee and upon them that walk with thee on a straight and glorious path.

Then make mention unto thy merciful brother: Say: O servant, remain steadfast in the hour when every light is darkened, every sun setteth, every soul is perturbed, everything waileth, every pillar is demolished, the pillars of every believer are shaken, and the faces of all mankind are transformed save those whom thy Lord willeth, for He, verily, is the Most Merciful, the Compassionate.

O Rahim! We have sent thee a tablet aforetime, then after it another tablet, as a grace from Our presence and a mercy from Us unto thee, that thou mayest be of the thankful. Look upon what hath been revealed unto thee with the eye of thy heart. By God! The sign of God shineth in all things besides Him even as the Sun of eternity shineth from the Most Exalted Horizon, yet the people are heedless within themselves and are of them that are negligent. Cast away what is in the hands of men, then take what is with thy Lord, then be content therewith apart from all the worlds. Thus have We commanded thee in truth and cast upon thee through grace, and verily the grace of thy Lord hath ever been truly magnificent.

BH01361: Gul va Bulbul (The nightingale and the owl)

In the Name of the Friend! To God belongs the Most Exalted Similitude!

The spiritual rose hath appeared in the divine Ridvan at the advent of the spring of inner meanings, yet the outward nightingales remain deprived. The rose proclaimeth: “O nightingales! I am your Beloved, and I have appeared in the fullness of My hue and fragrant breath, and in My transcendent grace and freshness. Consort ye with the Friend and flee not from the Beloved.” The metaphorical nightingales respond: “We are from the people of Yathrib and are accustomed to the rose of Hijaz, while thou art of the people of Truth and hast unveiled thyself in the garden of ʿIraq.”

The rose replied: “It is now evident that ye have ever been deprived of the beauty of the All-Merciful and have never truly known Me. Rather, ye have known but walls and pillars and abodes. For had ye known Me, ye would not now flee from your Beloved. O nightingales! I am neither of Yathrib, nor of Batha, nor of Iraq, nor of Syria. Rather, I journey and wander through diverse lands—sometimes in Egypt, sometimes in Bethlehem and Galilee, sometimes in Hijaz, sometimes in Iraq and Persia, and now I have unveiled Myself in Adrianople. Ye are known for your love of Me, yet ye remain heedless of Me. It hath become clear that ye are ravens who have learned the ways of the nightingale. Ye wander in the realm of fancy and imitation, deprived of the blessed garden of unity.

Your example is like that owl who once said to a nightingale that the raven sang better than he. The nightingale replied: “O owl! Why hast thou abandoned justice and turned thine eyes from truth? Every claim requireth proof and every statement evidence. Here am I present, and here is the raven—let him sing that I may sing.” The owl said: “This statement is unacceptable and rejected, for once I heard a sweet melody from a garden, and when I inquired about its singer, I was told it was a raven. Moreover, I saw a raven fly from that garden, so I was convinced the speaker spoke truth.”

The hapless nightingale said: “O owls! That was not the raven’s song but mine, and now I shall sing for thee that very same melody, nay better and more wondrous still.” The owl replied: “I pay no heed to such words, nor do I accept such statements, for thus have I heard from my forebears and peers. Moreover, that raven is present and holds documentary evidence. If it were thee, how is it his name became renowned?” The nightingale said: “O unjust one! The hunter of malice lay in ambush for me, and the sword of tyranny pursued me from behind. Thus was the raven’s name spread abroad while I, through the very intensity of my manifestation, remained hidden, and through the very perfection of my song became known as silent. Yet those possessed of hearing can distinguish the melody of the All-Merciful from the croaking of ravens. Now observe thou the essential voice and tune, that the truth may become manifest unto thee.”

O ye who appear as nightingales! Ye seem like that owl who would not exchange a particle of fancy for a hundred thousand certainties, nor trade a single word of hearsay for the realm of direct vision and revelation. Hearken ye to the counsel of the Friend and gaze not upon the countenance of the Beloved through the eyes of strangers. Know Me through Myself, not through My dwelling place or abode.

While they were thus discoursing, suddenly from the blessed garden there appeared a new nightingale who entered in the divine garment and heavenly melody, and circling around the flower, said: “O nightingales! Though ye are nightingales in form, yet for some time ye have consorted with ravens and their ways have become manifest and evident in you. This Paradise is not your abode; fly away and depart! This spiritual flower is the trysting-place of nightingales who nest in the all-merciful realm.

Therefore, O human nightingales, strive to know the Friend and cut off the autumn’s transgressing hand from this flower of the All-Merciful’s Paradise. That is, O friends of God, gird up firmly the loins of service and protect the people of the world from the deceit and hypocrisy of the people of discord. And if ye appear among the servants with humility, submissiveness, and other qualities of truth, the hem of sanctity will remain pure and unstained from the calumnies of Satan and his manifestations, and the lies of the slanderers will become manifest and evident to all the peoples of the world. But if, God forbid, unseemly deeds be witnessed from you, all will revert to the holy court, and those very deeds will confirm the calumnies of the ungodly. And this is the certain truth, and praise be to God, the Beloved of the worlds.”

BH00814: This is an epistle from this servant, who…

In the Name of God, the Most Mighty, the Most Exalted, the Most Wondrous, the All-Glorious

This is an epistle from this servant, who is in attendance before the Divine Throne, unto them that have believed in God and whom God hath preserved from the tempests of temptation and the storms of trial, whose hearts He hath made steadfast and whom He hath sanctified from the doubts of such as have denied God and numbered among the idolaters…

Be it known unto the loved ones of God that this servant was, at a certain time, reposing beneath the shade of the mercy of my Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower, when there arrived a sealed letter. When I broke its seal, I observed that one of those who had turned away from God—he who was named Muhammad Ja’far and whom God had made an example to His vigilant servants—had addressed a petition to the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court. I took it up and opened it, comprehending all its contents…

This very moment I was summoned before the Throne. Thereupon I was asked: “Wherewith wast thou occupied?” I answered: “I was writing a few words in reply to the denunciations of the Infernal One.” Whereupon, the Tongue of God bid me to write:

Hast thou not heard that My proof is Mine own Being, and My testimony is My Self, and My evidence is My Revelation, and that which floweth from My pen is a path to My knowledge, unattainable to all save those who have severed themselves from all things and passed straight through the world and all that is therein, aloof as a cloud? My proof hath ever been the revelation of My power which pervadeth all that are in the heavens and all that are on the earth. My verses I have made a path unto My knowledge, as a bounty on Our part unto all the people of the earth. Since my former Manifestation hath ordained the proof of this most holy, this most sublime and glorious Revelation to be the divine verses, therefore have We sent down verses from the heaven of the Divine Will. This is our abiding testimony unto all that are in the heavens and all that are on the earth.

Ere this Dispensation, verses alone had been singled out as a testimony unto all people. Such hath been Our bidding in all the Books of old. In this Revelation, however, and as a token of Our grace unto men, all the mighty signs, the conclusive proofs, the wondrous verses, the great evidences and the divine tokens have been sent down. Hereafter, it is in God’s hands to decide upon the testimony of the Manifestations to come.

Erelong will He set down His command in His Tablets. We, verily, rule over all things and all affairs are within the grasp of Our might. We do as we will, and We ordain whatsoever We please. God, glorified be His remembrance, hath willed that, in this Dispensation, many a sincere believer who hath wholly turned unto Him shall give utterance to verses. Therefore shall We ordain the proof of the next Manifestation to be of a different nature, lest that he who produceth the verses may swell with pride before God, the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Almighty. Consider how he whose tongue was, by My leave, unloosed to utter forth that which the servants around Me have uttered, waxed proud before God, notwithstanding that God had created him, had reared and saved him from the harm of his peers, and protected him under the wings of His most wondrous and incomparable grace. Such is Our bidding this night, and We command as We please at Our own behest. Powerful are We to accomplish whatsoever We will, and all besides Me are My creation.

O My people! Turn not away disdainfully from Him before Whose countenance stood the Concourse on high and be not of those who persist in proud disdain. Herewith conclude the words of God, the Most Sublime, the Most Wondrous, the Peerless….

BH01597: Lawh-i-Kimiya 1

…As to what thou hast asked concerning the Stone, know thou that it lieth scattered in every place, and within it We have ordained treasures that none knoweth save him whom We have taught knowledge from Our presence. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. It is one in itself yet from it appear multiplicities. Blessed is he who recognizeth it and witnesseth therein the power of God, and whom nothing preventeth from this straight path. It is God’s treasure among His servants, the repository of mysteries among His creation, and the dawning-place of power to every discerning one who seeth. We have ordained within it a water which We have named the Fugitive, and We have nourished its earth with this water until there ascended by the power of the water the gold that was hidden within it. Verily it is the Red Sulfur and the Crown of Crowns, the Soul concerning which the wise have discoursed and in yearning for which multitudes have perished. It appeareth as water yet is fire in its nature and air in its essence. We have ordained earth within it and watered it with its water, and We have caused to grow therefrom the flowers of wisdom. Verily it is a mighty mystery.

Know thou that through the Stone alone is this work accomplished—nothing external entereth into it and nothing internal leaveth it. God hath made it a sign of His power among the worlds. It is the origin whereof the wise have spoken, and the mercury is the water that drippeth from it. This water is the key to the matter, if thou be of them that understand. When thou obtainest the key, open therewith the doors of thy Lord’s treasuries within this Stone, from which rivers gush forth from the presence of One All-Wise, All-Informed.

This key appeareth as water but in its essence is fire. When thou appliest it to the earth, there ascendeth by the power of the water the gold of the wise. It hath been called by every name—it is the Most Pure Blood, the Penetrating Air, the Flying Gold, and the Moist Soul. It is the Active Essence through whose operation the hearts of the mature are bewildered.

When thou knowest the Stone and takest according to thy need, purify it, then separate it through fire. Then will appear to thee the four elements and thou wilt find thyself in great wonderment. Take its water, which is the Male, and wed it to its sister which is called Sulfur. After days pass the water will solidify itself and the child will appear. When thou seest it, give thanks to God, thy Lord and the Lord of all the worlds. It is the Red Egg, wherein We have ordained spirit, soul and body. We have named this Egg the Stone.

By God, We have unveiled what was hidden from the eyes of the learned, the mystics and the wise, and thy Lord is witness to what I say.

When thou attainest unto it and God bestoweth it upon thee, this is the first stage of operation. Take it by God’s might and power, then extract from it the spirit, soul and body. Then purify each of these, then blend them in a blind alembic until they all become one thing. Then will the work be complete for thee and thou wilt see the power of thy Lord and find thyself bewildered at this mighty craftsmanship. Then if but a dirham of it be cast upon a thousand thousand of balanced bodies it will transform them, by God’s leave, the Creator of creation, and thou wilt find them pure refined gold from which dross departeth.

Thus have We expounded for thee a sufficient exposition whereby the poor and needy may be enriched. It behooveth him who knoweth it not to make it for himself and to be of the God-fearing. By God, with thy Lord is the knowledge of both former and latter times.

And whatsoever thou hast heard concerning him who disbelieved in God—verily he hath fabricated. Say: O thou that liest! Bring forth thy proof, and thou shalt find thyself in manifest loss. He writeth somewhat of what he hath heard from Us, yet hath not grasped the outward meaning of that which hath proceeded from Our Pen and Our tongue. And thou wouldst bear Me witness to this, wert thou to be of the just. He knoweth not his right hand from his left, much less that which is concealed within the tabernacle of thy Lord’s protection—the Almighty, the Preserver, the All-Knowing.

We have sent down diverse Tablets concerning all that thou hast asked. If thou desirest, examine them, that thou mayest be assured that all knowledge is with thy Lord, and none hath access unto it save His omniscient Self….

As for what thou hast asked concerning deeds, know thou that God thy Lord is the Creator, and the servants are the doers. Thus hath the matter been decreed and the judgment come from the presence of the Mighty, the All-Knowing. He hath created His servants and acquainted them with the pathways of His guidance and the ways of His Cause, and He hath created in them the power whereby they might traverse the paths of truth. Whoso walketh in that which his Lord hath desired, he verily hath attained salvation and security, and whoso turneth away, he verily hath disbelieved in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting….

BH04610: Know ye, O concourse of earth and heaven…

…Know ye, O concourse of earth and heaven, that I am He Who hath made all deeds to hang upon My good-pleasure… Yet My creatures have been heedless of the wondrous tokens of My loving-kindness, and have been veiled from the dawning splendour of My Face, and have strayed afar from the living waters of My mercy, from the Kawthar of My bounties, and from the Tasnim of My gracious favours.

…O soul! How long wilt thou refuse to quench thy fire, and suffer not thy blaze, thy flame, and thy burning to be stilled? How long wilt thou wander in the wilderness of error, and run to and fro in the desolate expanse of vain hopes? The more thou art fed, the more thy hunger increaseth; and the more thou art given to drink, the more thy thirst is multiplied. The fire of thy rebellion is not quenched, and the cloak of thy waywardness is not worn away. Frustrated is he who calleth upon thee; driven forth is he who summoneth thee. Thy steed is desire; thy gift is but a little. Thy traits are lusts; thy dispositions are sins.

Breaker of covenants, backslider from every praiseworthy advance! How long wilt thou not be calmed, O soul that commandeth unto sin? For thy habitation is built upon death. Thou hast rent the garment of equity, and hast smitten down champions through oppression. Thy injustice is a scorching wind, and thy shade a black smoke. Thy light is fire; thy light is illusion and shame. Thou leadest thine obedient ones unto hell, and thou givest thy followers to drink of scalding water. Thy home is the dust, and thy aspiration the Pleiades. How long wilt thou not be content, nor be satisfied, O beguiling, bedecked soul, and O adorned carrion…