Volume 036: Late Edirne (September 1867 – August 1868) (1 of 7)

BH00060: Lawh-i-Abdu’r-Razzaq

Section 1: “Thy letter reached the Most Sublime Vision…”

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted

Thy letter reached the Most Sublime Vision, and from the raiment of its words were diffused the sweet savors of the love of the Lord of Names and Attributes. Praise be unto God that through the bounty of the All-Merciful thou hast attained unto the ocean of divine knowledge. This is indeed a great bounty, for thou hast recognized that station which most of the servants are veiled from. Today the people of the Bayan, who regard themselves as having attained the highest pinnacle of knowledge, have not sufficiently understood what was intended by the appearance of the Point of the Bayan, may the spirit of all existence be sacrificed for His sake.

Should they say the purpose was to establish Divine Unity and the exaltation of Divine Oneness, all have testified and do testify that there is no God but Him. No sun hath risen from the heaven of Divine Will except that it hath shone forth in the form of “There is no God but Him,” and no fragrance hath wafted from the Divine and Heavenly Paradise save that it hath borne the sweet scent of Unity. Indeed, all that they have mentioned concerning the stations of Unity and the heights of detachment had a purpose, yet all remained veiled from that purpose. In such case, nothing remaineth for these souls save a verbal unity to which all give utterance.

By the Sovereign Who doeth what He willeth! Words in this Most Great Revelation are powerless to bear the hidden meanings which lie concealed within the Divine Pen. Consider the Pharaoh-like souls among the people of the Bayan—they have not rent asunder the veils of words, much less attained unto the meanings thereof. Although those possessed of insight have comprehended infinite meanings from every word of this Revelation, this is confined to such souls and remaineth concealed from others, sealed with the seal of protection. Were capacity to be found, that from which they are now veiled would be made manifest unto all.

Should they say the purpose of His appearance was to establish the outward divine ordinances among men, all Messengers were commissioned with this service, and in the eyes of them that are endued with insight, this station is but one of the degrees in the revelation of Divine Power. Most people are so veiled that the veils of previous religions have vanished in comparison. Out of their hatred for God, they cling to new objections at every moment, although all know that through this Most Great Revelation that which was revealed in the Bayan hath been established, made manifest and realized, the Name of God hath been upraised, and His signs have been spread throughout the East and the West. The Persian Bayan hath been specifically confirmed in this Revelation, yet they continuously write that the Bayan hath been abrogated, perchance they might cast doubt in hearts and establish the worship of the calf.

O people of the Bayan! I adjure you by God to show a little fairness and to look upon the divine verses with pure and sanctified eyes, and to ponder with hallowed hearts. The highest degree of the verses mentioned in the Bayan is, according to its people, the station of unity, yet those who have turned aside are wholly veiled from this station, for they have not yet risen to that level wherein they behold the Manifestations of God as one Being and one Essence, and Their laws as one law. What more can be expected from such souls who, while regarding themselves as having attained the highest pinnacle of knowledge, remain halted at stations such as these, which represent but one of the degrees of divine unity. Not every soul is worthy to hearken unto the Word of God, nor is every being capable of drinking from the crystal waters of inner meaning that have flowed from the Fountainhead of divine Will in this holy and transcendent Revelation. Indeed, the distinction mentioned in the divine Tablets had other intended meanings, yet after the revelation of the Bayan and the diffusion of its knowledge, for a soul to lack even enough awareness to recognize the unity of God’s laws—by God, non-existence would better befit such a one than existence.

Furthermore, by what reasoning or insight could the divine Manifestation and the dawning of God’s transcendent glory be made contingent upon the abrogation of a previous dispensation? Many have been the divine Manifestations Who have come and confirmed the laws of the previous dispensation, enforcing and establishing them, for the decree of the previous Manifestation is identical to that of the subsequent One, having been revealed aforetime. Today, should anyone differentiate between or perceive separation between God’s laws and the Manifestations of His transcendent glory, such a one has been and shall remain outside the pale of divine unity. Say: O cross-eyed ones of the age, see not double and lament not! If ye cannot ascend to the heaven of inner meanings, at least comprehend what hath been revealed in the Bayan, wherein He saith “I am the very essence of Muhammad, and that which proceedeth from Me is that which proceeded from Him.” And in another instance He declareth that were it not for the protestations and opposition of the followers of the Furqan, the laws of the Furqan would not have been abrogated in this Revelation. Both abrogation and confirmation have been and shall ever be established at one and the same holy station, were ye to understand.

All matters depend upon God’s Will and the decree of that true Sovereign. For if at this moment a law were to be sent down from the heaven of divine Will, commanding all servants to observe it, and subsequently its abrogation were revealed, none hath the right to object, for that which your Lord, the Lord of the Appointed Day, hath willed is what shall be accomplished. Consider the abrogating and abrogated verses in the Furqan, how certain verses were revealed and then abrogated by subsequent ones. It would seem the ungodly of the Bayan have not even read the Qur’an. What say they to this, that even before the previous verse’s decree had been established and confirmed among the people, how could it be permissible for it to be abrogated by another verse?

By Him Who hath caused me to speak the truth, ye shall find naught in these people save unbelief, transgression, heedlessness and perdition. Their heedlessness hath reached such a point that they now object to the Sovereign of the seen and unseen by clinging to that which they formerly believed and which was explicitly mentioned in the Book of God, such as the matter of abrogating and abrogated verses in the Furqan. They are more brutish than the brutish, more heedless than any heedless one, more remote than any remote one, and more ignorant than any ignorant one.

Leave them, O people, to themselves, that they may wallow in their desires and sport with what they possess. By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hands, all the words of the Bayan and the laws revealed therein lament the tyranny of those unbelievers. Though they mention the Bayan with their tongues to preserve their leadership, they have visited upon its Revealer that which no religious community hath ever visited upon the divine Manifestations. Fie upon the people of the Bayan! The utmost achievement of their leaders is that they have denied this firm decree concerning the Manifestation for Whom the Bayan was revealed as a herald, and have committed treachery in the Divine sanctuary which had been forbidden in all the holy Books, and have martyred the third letter of those who believed in Him Whom God shall make manifest. So shameless are they that, despite these abhorrent and reprehensible deeds, they object to this Revelation, claiming that since the decree of the Bayan is not yet established, a new Revelation is not permissible.

Observe how they have assumed people to be mere donkeys! By their actions they abrogate all the firm ordinances and established verses of the Bayan, while in their words they write “eat not onions and drink not tobacco,” yet they have objected to and denied Him by Whose command hundreds of thousands of religious laws have been established and implemented. How blind are these people who have given ear to the idle fancies of those souls and continue to do so, accepting from them excuses that are greater than sin itself! By God! Better that sight be blinded than behold such allusions, and better that hearts cease to exist than remain veiled by such veils. Furthermore, they are heedless that in the school of divine knowledge souls have appeared who can distinguish truth from falsehood by their intuition, and can recognize the people of the Most Sublime Vision from the companions of the Fire, and who have, through the grace of the All-Merciful, become cognizant of that which was revealed in the Bayan. Upon them be the mercy of God, His blessings, His wondrous bounties and His favors.

Specifically from the Supreme Pen have God’s ordinances been revealed that this Manifestation should not be troubled by such matters, and no hardship should befall the Most Holy Beauty. Thus they say that whoever has a question or desires verses should ask now, that they may be revealed, lest, God forbid, a question be asked that would cause grief to that Ancient Beauty. And specifically they state: “He it is Who speaks in all things, saying: ʿI am God, there is no God but Me,”’ lest any objection remain for anyone. All these emphases were because they knew to what matters the people of the Bayan would cling. That Essence of the heart which is so delicate and sensitive that He advised all those in the Bayan never to utter in His presence a word from which the fragrance of grief might be detected—observe how much harm the people of the Bayan have inflicted, despite the fact that in this Revelation matters have appeared which have never occurred since the beginning of creation, and verses have been revealed the like of which have never been heard.

And whatever they have asked of the Most Great Ocean, they have received sufficient and healing answers, and most souls have attained that which they sought, except for matters whose harm and impropriety were hidden from the view of the questioners and seekers; therefore these were not granted, and instead stations and ranks were bestowed which, were but one of them to become manifest, all the peoples of the world would be thunderstruck. In any case, the Divine Dove has in every world a distinct melody, and upon every branch a different song which none save God hath ever fully comprehended or ever shall comprehend. Is there none to ask these apostates where they had been during the time when this Divine Youth was engaged, amidst His enemies, in spreading the signs of God and exalting His remembrance? The leaders of the Bayan, from fear for their lives, remained in hiding and kept company with women—may God destroy them! Then when the Cause of God was made manifest, they emerged and cast aside the ordinances upon which the entire Bayan was contingent and established, as ye have seen and heard.

Consider what they say regarding the year Nine which is mentioned in the Bayan. The honored Siyyah, upon him be the Glory of God, is present and in these days was in the presence of the Countenance, and mentioned that in the last days the Primal Point—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him—gave him the glad tidings that he would attain the presence of the Desired One. He wrote the details of the Primal Point’s glad tidings of this Most Great Manifestation to that unbelievers, yet they remained heedless. Siyyid Muhammad is the master and Yahya the disciple—whatever the former suggests, the latter writes.

Recently a statement hath appeared from these liars claiming that what the Exalted One meant by the year Nine was nine years after the appearance of Him Whom God shall make manifest, at the time of Mustaghath. Observe how far they have strayed from the path of truth and justice! By God, it would be better for the tongue to be struck dumb than to utter such words. These souls are not to be wondered at, for naught but lies, fabrications and calumnies have been heard from them. But what is strange is that the people of the Bayan give ear to such nonsensical talk. Shame upon them and upon their sense of honor and faithfulness!

Their understanding hath reached such a point that recently they named one as vile as themselves with this Most Great Name, then wrote that if the verses revealed in the Bayan pertain to this Name, then so-and-so was also called by this Name. May God curse them! He shall soon return them to their abode in the abyss where they shall find no friend to help them.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear the All-Merciful and commit not that which neither Pharaoh, nor Haman, nor Nimrod, nor Shaddad committed. God hath sent Me and dispatched Me unto you with clear signs that confirm what ye possess of God’s Books and Scriptures and what was revealed in the Bayan. Your Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower, hath testified to My truth. Fear God, then be fair in His Cause. The Manifestation of God is better for you, did ye but know.

Strange it is that souls who remain veiled from this Manifestation are not ashamed, yet raise objections against other religions. Glory be to Thy Lord, the All-Glorious, above what they say! Yes, the previous Manifestation foretold what has come to pass. Consider the state of those souls who, despite these wondrous verses, divine manifestations and holy attributes that have encompassed the world, and despite the testimony of the Exalted One Who throughout the Bayan took a covenant and gave glad tidings to those seeking the Ka’bah of their desire, saying “Go and see so-and-so.” Strange indeed are such souls. Time has brought me low, brought me low, until what is said is said. Apart from all these considerations, they mention the false and fabricated words of one who associates partners with God in opposition to God’s mighty verses and holy divine evidences. This is exactly like someone saying: “You have inhaled the rose-fragrance of God’s paradise; now inhale also the stench of a putrid corpse.”

Section 2: “Some maintain that after this Most Great Manifestation…”

Some maintain that after this Most Great Manifestation, that ungodly soul should not utter fabricated words. This statement is exactly like someone saying that in the presence of truth, nothing else should be mentioned; or that with the appearance of justice, oppression should not be witnessed; or that when the sweet fragrance of the roses in the All-Merciful’s garden wafts, foul odors should not be smelled. These are objections that the veiled ones of no religion have ever raised. Say: O ye who wander lost in the valley of heedlessness! Your tongues confess that “God was, and there was nothing else besides Him, and now He is as He was,” even though all created things are visible and existent. Despite the existence of all things, you testify that Truth has been and will be, and naught else has been or will be. Now bear this same testimony regarding this Manifestation and all that relates to it, and behold all else as perishing, non-existent and lost. This station has been and will be for those possessed of true vision and insight.

Reflect, O people of the Bayan, that perchance ye may distinguish between the buzzing of flies and the verses of the Lord of Lords. By the Beloved of all horizons! The words of the opposers have been and will be utter nothingness compared to the Primal Word. Did not the previous Manifestation declare that the verses of each soul are witnessed at his own level? Strange that they have read the Bayan for years yet have not grasped a single letter of it. They are exactly like the people of the Furqan (Quran), nay these unbelievers are without compare. The former misbelievers, when opposing the Seal of the Prophets, did not resort to such arguments—for none said “Why were not the tongues of poets silenced when they composed verses in opposition and hung them up?” Apart from all these considerations, every person of insight testifies that the fabricated words of those atheistic souls have been and will be as nothing compared to the words of even one of the servants at the gate of the King of Creation.

What can be said when people are seen to be as sucklings and immature ones, and have caused the infinite divine bounties to be withheld from creation, and the maidens of inner meanings to remain concealed in spiritual chambers behind the pavilions of divine infallibility? For these souls are strangers and have not had and will not have access to the sanctuary of sacred meanings, save those who return and repent with humility. Say: O people of the Bayan! If you do not comprehend the Arabic verses, then observe the Persian words of the True One and others, that perchance you may not make yourselves deserving of endless punishment and be not veiled from the Eternal Countenance by mortal souls.

I swear by the Sun of the Most Glorious Horizon that whatsoever hath been mentioned hath been and shall be for God’s sake, and I am commanded thus. Otherwise no benefit accrues to the Sovereign of all creation from the faith of the dwellers of all worlds. God hath sanctified my garment from all that they possess, for He is indeed the Self-Sufficient above all else, and the Independent of all save Him. I have raised the banner of “There is no God but He” by His command, and the pavilion of glory of “There is no God but Me” hath been uplifted by His leave. None hath any refuge or shelter save in Him.

O people of Baha! Drink ye this wine of immortality openly in the name of the Most Glorious Beloved, despite the enemies. Leave these fabricated idols to occupy themselves with their own foul and offensive intimations. By My Life! The nostrils of cattle have no share of this most pure fragrance, and this incomparable, flowing, glorious crystal stream was not and never shall be the portion of the people of error.

Yet the people of the Bayan have not reflected upon the objections raised by previous peoples at the time of Manifestation, although extensive Tablets have been revealed from the Supreme Pen regarding this matter. Would that they had considered and become aware. Certain Persian Tablets were revealed and sent in response to some of the loved ones. Although it is regrettable that the words of this Most Great Revelation should be beheld by veiled, idolatrous, and rejected souls, nevertheless, for the sake of teaching God’s Cause, there is no harm if your honor should show them to some. However, “None shall touch it save the purified ones.” This is the wine of inner meanings of this Revelation, which was previously mentioned as the “sealed wine” in the sacred words, sealed with the seal of protection. All the idolaters observe and read, yet they have not attained even a drop thereof.

Say: O people of the Bayan! At least observe the Persian Bayan, that perchance ye may not dare to approach that station wherein the Primal Point hath mentioned naught but utter nothingness and absolute extinction. The Cause of God hath reached such a state that the essence of error, who is called Hadi, hath become the guide of people and hath girded up his loins in opposition. If the people of the Bayan would consider the utterances of Yahya, Siyyid Muhammad, Hadi, A’raj, and their like, and would also reflect upon the words of the servants of this Gate, by God, they would surely find the truth and cast away falsehood. But what benefit, when the eye is impure and the heart is veiled?

Let someone say to Hadi that if thou hadst the least discernment, thou wouldst testify that whatsoever was mentioned in the name of that fabricated person was for the sake of wisdom in the Cause. Reflect a little on the beginning of these matters, that perchance thou mayest attain to that which was hidden from all eyes and become convinced that that person was non-existent from the beginning. Divine wisdom and exigencies required what appeared and became known.

We beseech God that if such souls have not been guided, may He, glorified be His greatness, raise up holy temples from the pure essence of His Cause in such wise that they may regard all in the world as non-existent and void, and see none as existing, speaking, uttering, and powerful save the Truth. Verily, He is powerful over whatsoever He willeth. God willing, may your honor, through the wondrous grace of the Lord of Lords, become the breaker of the idols of vain desire.

And behold ye not the power? Verily, He is potent over whatsoever He willeth. God willing, that soul shall, through the wondrous grace of the Lord of Lords, become a breaker of the idols of vain desire and a kindler of the fire of guidance. O how blessed art thou for having attained unto the Most Glorious Station and for having turned thy gaze unto the Most Exalted Horizon! He chooseth whom He willeth through His grace, and He is verily the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth, the Lord of the Last and the First. There is no God but He, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious.

As to thy question concerning the difference between Qayyum and Qa’im, know thou that the difference between these two names is as that between the Most Great and the Great. This is what My Beloved hath explained aforetime, and We have mentioned it in a wondrous Book. By this He intended naught save to inform the people that He Who shall appear is greater than what hath appeared, and that He is the Qayyum over the Qa’im. This is the truth to which the Tongue of the All-Merciful beareth witness in the heaven of utterance. Know thou this and be independent of all the worlds. Then shall the Qa’im cry out from the right hand of the Throne, saying: O people of the Bayan! By God, this is indeed the Qayyum Who hath come unto you with a manifest sovereignty. This is the Most Great One before Whose countenance every great and greater one hath prostrated. The Most Great Name was exalted only to magnify Him at the manifestations of His sovereignty, and the Qayyum prevailed only through His effacement in His court. Thus was the matter ordained, but the people are veiled therefrom.

Can aught be more explicit than that which was revealed in the Bayan concerning this Revelation? Yet behold what the idolaters have wrought! Say: O people, this is the Qayyum Who hath fallen under your nails. If ye show Him no mercy, then have mercy upon yourselves. By the True One! This is the Beauty of the All-Known, through Whom hath appeared that which was inscribed upon a preserved tablet. Beware lest ye cleave unto the imagined one who hath disbelieved in His presence and His signs and was among the idolaters in a Book inscribed by the finger of truth.

Be thou assured that He intended naught save the greatness of this Revelation over both the mentioned and the concealed, and the exaltation of this Name above all names, and His sovereignty over all who are in earth and heaven, and His grandeur and power over all things. Through His manifestation all created things have testified that He is the One manifest above all things, and through His concealment all atoms have testified that He is the One hidden, sanctified from all things. He is called by the name the Manifest’ for He is seen through His names and attributes and is known as the One besides Whom there is no God. And He is called by the name the Hidden’ for He cannot be described by any description nor known by what is mentioned, since what is mentioned is His creation in the world of remembrance.

Exalted is He above being known through remembrance or perceived through thought! His outward appearance is His very hiddenness. When He is called by His name the Manifest,’ He is called by His name the Hidden.’ Verily, He cannot be known through thoughts nor perceived through vision as He is in His transcendent sublimity and exalted sovereignty. He is in the Most Exalted Prospect and the Most Glorious Horizon, and He saith: ʿLost indeed are they who have disbelieved in Him through Whose name the Hidden Scroll was adorned, and the Countenance of Unity appeared, and the Banner of Lordship was raised, and the Pavilion of Divinity was lifted up, and the Sea of Eternity surged, and the hidden Secret veiled in the Most Great Mystery was revealed.’ By His life!

The Bayan hath failed to describe Him and explanation to know Him. Exalted be this Self-Subsisting One through Whom the imagined veil was rent asunder, the hidden was revealed, and the sealed wine was unsealed. By the All-Merciful Himself! The Bayan lamenteth and saith:

O Lord! Thou didst cause me to be revealed for Thy remembrance and Thy praise and the knowledge of Thyself. He Who stood forth by Thy command enjoined the servants not to be veiled by me and by what was created from Thy subsisting Beauty. But the people distorted what was revealed concerning me to establish Thy truth and exalt Thy remembrance. They disbelieved in Thee and Thy signs and made me a shield for themselves, whereby they oppose Thee—this after no word was revealed except that it was revealed to exalt Thy Cause and manifest Thy sovereignty and the loftiness of Thy power and the sublimity of Thy station.

Would that I had not been revealed and had not been mentioned! By Thy glory! Were Thou to render me non-existent, it would be better for me than to exist and be recited by Thy servants who have risen to harm Thee and who have intended against Thee what they have intended. I beseech Thee by Thy power which hath encompassed all created things to deliver me from these transgressors, that I may speak of Thy beauty, O Thou in Whose hand is the kingdom of power and the dominion of authority. And were We to descend from the Most Exalted Station, the First Point, the Ultimate Tree, and the Most Glorious Horizon, and bring down the utterance from the heights of exposition to the realm of possibility to mention the difference between the two names in terms of numerical value—though My Beauty hidden within Me addresseth Me saying: “O My Beloved!

Turn not Thy gaze from My face, abandon mention and utterance and occupy not Thyself with aught else”—I say: “O My Beloved! Thy confirmed decree and ordained destiny have caused Me to descend until I appeared in the garment of the people of all worlds. Therefore it behooveth Me to speak in their tongue and according to what their understanding and minds can comprehend. Were I to change the garment, who could draw nigh? If Thou desirest what Thou commandest of Me, remove the hand of prevention from My mouth. I ask Thy forgiveness for this, O My God and My Beloved! Have mercy then upon Thy servants and send down unto them what their hearts and minds are capable of understanding. Verily Thou art the Forgiving, the Merciful.”

Know thou that the numerical difference is fourteen, which is the number of Baha when counting the hamza as six, since its shape is six in geometric terms. And if thou readest “Qa’im” thou wilt find the difference to be five, which is the letter “ha”’ in “Baha.” In this station Qayyum is established upon the throne of His name “Qa’im” just as the letter “ha”’ is established upon the letter “vav.” And in one station, if thou countest the hamza of “Qa’im” as six according to geometric reckoning, the difference becomes nine, which is also this Name. And by this nine, exalted be His mention, is intended the manifestation of the Nine in this station. This is what thou seest regarding the difference in the outward appearance of the two names.

We have indeed abridged the exposition for thee, and if thou wouldst reflect upon what We have mentioned to thee and cast upon thee, thou wouldst derive therefrom that which would solace thine eyes and the eyes of them that have professed the unity of God. By My life! This difference is indeed a mighty sign for those who have soared unto the heaven of Baha. And by what We have demonstrated to thee outwardly, it is established that the inner meaning is the supremacy of the name Qayyum over Qa’im. Know thou this and be of them that preserve. We have veiled this mention and concealed it from the eyes of them that are in the Bayan. Then We unveiled it for thee that thou mayest be of the thankful. Say: Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

Section 3: “I will briefly speak in Persian so…”

I will briefly speak in Persian so that all creatures may, through the grace of the King of Oneness, partake and attain to this flowing spring that is neither of the east nor of the west, neither described nor mentioned, neither manifest nor revealed, which has ever been preserved from the taste of the souls of the ungodly. Know thou that the purpose of the Primal Point concerning the distinction between Qayyum and Qayyim, and between A’zam and Azim, was that the greatness of the subsequent Manifestation would surpass the Azim, and the Qayyumiyyat of the latter Manifestation would transcend the Qa’im. And the distinction between A’zam and ʿAzim in the number of Manifestation was nine, as is evident to every person of insight and clear to every informed one. And this greatness and Qayyumiyyat flows and is manifest in this Revelation and what appears from His presence.

For example, the purpose of Qayyum was the Manifestation of Nine, and He was made manifest with the name of Baha, and now that greatness which is observed in the outer letters is calculated in one instance as the hamzih of Baha being six and Qa’im being one. Reflect that thou mayest know, and in this are signs for those who know. O questioning observer, I swear by the Beauty of the Beloved that what was intended by the Exalted One in this Revelation and what was recorded by the Most Ancient Pen in the holy scrolls is difficult to mention, and in truth to lift the veil from the face of the Maiden of inner meanings. The Holy Spirit sayeth that if ʿAzim should rend asunder the nine veils, he would attain unto A’zam. This is the utterance of the Holy Spirit, and his Lord is witness to what he saith. This utterance is not from Us but from Him. Say: Beware lest ye object.

And He ordained these nine as the days of respite between the two Manifestations, so that those essences which were illumined by the Sun of ʿAzim might become prepared for the appearance of the Greater Luminary, which all were promised in the year nine. Nevertheless, observe how these human-seeming creatures, by clinging to their vain imaginings, have raised such objections against the King of the known and unknown, and the Sovereign of the unseen and seen. These souls have never tasted a drop from the Kawthar of the All-Merciful’s utterance, nor have they understood a single letter of what was intended by the Sovereign of all creation in what was revealed unto Him. Leave them in their vain disputations, and in this spiritual dawn soar in the subtle atmosphere of inner meanings. The hesitant ones have not hearkened to the Word of the Lord of the Day of Judgment; they are among the people of the graves, and they shall abide forever in the fire, and the fire is their grave, did they but know it.

In reply to thy question concerning the human spirit after physical death, apart from the Prophets and holy ones—whether the same individuality, personality, consciousness and understanding that existed before death continues to exist afterwards or whether it perishes, and assuming it endures, how is it that during life when harm befalls human faculties through unconsciousness or severe illness, consciousness and understanding vanish, yet after death, which is the dissolution of elements and composition, how can personality and consciousness be conceived when all the instruments have completely disintegrated?

Know thou that the spirit in its own station remains firm and enduring. The weakness observed in the sick is due to intervening causes, not to any weakness in the spirit itself. Consider the lamp: it is luminous and shining, but if something blocks it, its light is obscured although in its own station it remains luminous—yet due to the intervening cause its light is prevented from shining forth. Likewise, in illness the manifestation of the spirit’s power and might is prevented and veiled due to intervening causes, but after its release from the body it appears with such power, might and ascendancy as cannot be imagined. The pure, holy and sanctified spirits have ever possessed and shall continue to possess all power and complete freedom.

For instance, if a lamp is placed within an iron lantern, its light will not appear outwardly at all, even though it is shining within. Consider the sun behind clouds: in its own station it is bright and luminous, yet due to the intervening clouds its light appears weak. Consider this same sun as the human spirit and all things as its body, which is illumined through that light’s effulgence and radiance. But this continues only so long as no intervening causes prevent it or veil it. After being veiled, the sun’s light appears weak, just as on cloudy days—though the earth is illumined by sunlight, that illumination is weak. But after the clouds disperse, the sun’s rays appear in their full glory, while in both states the sun itself remains the same. Such is the case with the sun of souls, which hath been mentioned and continues to be mentioned by the name of spirit.

Similarly, observe the weakness of the fruit’s existence in the original tree before emerging from it—though within the tree it is so weak as to be completely imperceptible, such that if one were to cut the tree into pieces, not a trace of the fruit or its form would be found. Yet after emerging from the tree it appears with wondrous beauty and mighty strength, as can be observed in fruits, some of which become more delectable after being separated from the tree. Multiple examples have been given that from each similitude thou mayest comprehend the intended meaning and apply it to what thou hast asked of God, thy Lord.

And as for what thou hast asked concerning God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds—may His mention be glorified—He is able to manifest and make evident all infinite knowledge through any of the examples mentioned among men. Indeed, the hand of power is outstretched over every example, and the hand of protection placed upon every word. None knoweth this save whom He willeth. When the seal of the perfumed vessel is broken by the hand of might, its fragrance is diffused. The Command is in God’s hand—He giveth and withholdeth, blindeth and maketh to see, doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He desireth.

As for what was asked about creation, know that creation hath ever been and shall ever be. No beginning can be imagined for its beginning, nor any end for its ending. The name “Creator” itself requireth a creation, just as the name “Lord” necessiteth that which is lorded over. As for what was mentioned in previous utterances that “He was a God and there was none to be worshipped beside Him” and “He was a Lord and there was none to be lorded over” and the like—the meaning thereof is realized in all times. This is the same word which declareth “God was, and there was nothing else besides Him” and He shall be as He hath ever been. Every person of insight testifieth that the Lord now existeth while that which is lorded over is non-existent—meaning that His sacred realm transcendeth all else, and whatsoever is mentioned in the realm of contingent being is limited by contingent limitations, while the Truth is sanctified therefrom. He hath ever been, and there was none else with Him—neither name, nor description, nor attribute—and He shall ever be, sanctified from all besides Him.

Consider, for instance, at the time of the manifestation of the universal Manifestation, before that Ancient Being maketh Himself known and uttereth the creative Word, the world existed but none had knowledge of Him. Likewise, He was the Creator but no creation existed with Him, for at that moment the spirit is withdrawn from all to which the name “thing” can be applied. This is that Day concerning which He saith “To whom belongeth the Kingdom this Day?” and there is none to answer. The tongue of power and majesty proclaimeth “To God, the One, the All-Compelling!” Thus is existence negated from all things, for the realization of existence in its primary degree followeth after the attainment of knowledge, and before that the existence of the Ancient Being is realized while the annihilation of all things is established.

Before His outward manifestation unto all things, He was a Lord and there was none to be lorded over, but after the revelation of the Word and the establishment of the Temple of Oneness upon the Throne of the All-Merciful, whosoever turneth unto Him becometh one who is lorded over, created, and known. The understanding of these stations dependeth upon the recognition of the servants who are endowed with insight and knowledge.

He hath ever testified that He existeth while all else is non-existent—a God with none to be worshipped beside Him, and a Lord with none to be lorded over in His presence. He was, and there was nothing else besides Him, and He shall be even as He hath ever been. I swear by the Primal Point that the Temple of Oneness, due to the sorrows that have descended and the blocking of the ways through the deception of the souls of the idolaters, hath been prevented from mentioning the hidden, concealed, sublime and elevated stations. Afflictions have descended in such wise that none save God can reckon them, and the Land of Mystery is in secret turmoil, with none aware thereof save thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. Soon shall that which is hidden be made manifest. None knoweth this save him who possesseth knowledge of the Book.

And concerning the question that was asked about why there is no mention of the Prophets before Adam, the father of mankind, and the kings of those ages in historical books—the absence of mention is not, and has never been, proof of non-existence. Due to the length of time and the revolutions of the earth, these records have not remained. Moreover, before Adam, the father of mankind, the rules of writing and customs that exist now among people did not exist. There was a time when there was no system of writing at all; other methods were practiced. Were we to explain this in detail, the discourse would be prolonged.

Consider the differences that emerged after Adam: in the beginning, these known languages mentioned were not present on earth, nor were these established rules. They spoke in a language other than these mentioned tongues. The diversity of languages occurred in the land known as Babel, after which that land was called Babel, meaning “where the tongue was confused,” that is, where it became different. Afterward, the Syriac language was respected among people, and the divine books were revealed in that tongue until the time when the Friend of the All-Merciful appeared from the horizon of possibility with divine lights. When that holy being crossed the river Jordan, He spoke in a tongue that was called Hebrew—it was named Hebrew because the Friend of the All-Merciful spoke it while crossing. Subsequently, divine books and scrolls were revealed in Hebrew. Time passed, and it was transformed into Arabic. The first to speak it was Ya’rub ibn Qahtan, the first to write in Arabic was Maramir at-Ta’i, and the first to compose poetry was Himyar ibn Saba. Then the written forms were transferred from one script to another until they reached this known script.

Now observe how many languages, expressions, and systems of writing have changed since Adam, let alone before Adam. The purpose of these statements is that the Truth has ever been, in Its supreme inaccessibility and exalted sanctity, sanctified above the mention of all else, and ever shall be. Creation has always existed, and the Manifestations of the glory of the Divine Unity and Dawning-places of eternal holiness have been sent forth in the primordial centuries, calling creation to the Truth. However, due to the changes and transformations in the conditions of the world, some names and mentions have not remained.

The flood is mentioned in books, and in that event, everything that was upon the earth was drowned, whether books of history or otherwise. Similarly, many revolutions have occurred that caused the erasure of certain temporal matters. Beyond these considerations, contradictions are evident in the historical books existing on earth, and among different nations there are various accounts of the age of the world and recorded events. Some have histories of eight thousand years, some more, some twelve thousand years, and if one has seen the book of Juk, one would know how many contradictions exist between books.

One should, God willing, gaze upon the Greatest Horizon and remove one’s attention from all these differences and mentions. Today the realities of the Manifestations of the Cause are adorned with the Most Glorious ornament and are visible, and all names are manifest in the New Name, and all realities are concealed in His reality. Whoso believeth in Him hath believed in God.

All names are manifest in His wondrous Name, and all realities lie hidden in His Reality. Whoso believeth in Him hath believed in God and in His Manifestations in all ages, and whoso turneth away from Him hath denied God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Unconstrained. Should anyone ponder upon what hath been mentioned, he will attain unto the purpose. Though revealed with brevity, yet concealed within it are a hundred thousand detailed expositions. With thy Lord is the knowledge of all things preserved in a Tablet. We beseech God to grant thee that which He hath ordained for His chosen ones, and to open before thy heart’s face the gates of meaning, that thou mayest understand from His words that which He intended. Verily, He is powerful over all things. All praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

BH00597: Lawh-i-Ashraf

He is the Mighty, the Wondrous!

O Ashraf! Hearken unto that which the Tongue of the Ancient of Days imparteth unto thee, and be not of them that are heedless. Verily, the hearing of but one melody from the melodies of thy Lord would enrapture all the worlds, were they to incline their ears thereto with a hearing pure and wondrous. And were the names to purify themselves from the limitations of creation, they would all become the Most Great Name, wert thou of them that know; for the Beauty of the Ancient of Days hath, in these days—holy, mighty, and inaccessible—shed His splendor upon all things through all the names.

Strive, then, within thine own self, that thou mayest be beneficent in the Cause of thy Lord and sincere in His love, that He may make thee one of His most beauteous names in the kingdom of creation. This, verily, is a great bounty. By My life! Were the hands of all created things this day to be lifted up, wholly detached from every intimation and allusion, toward the horizon of hope in the direction of the King of Names, and were they to ask of Him the treasuries of the heavens and of the earth, He would assuredly bestow them upon them, through His all-embracing grace, ere their hands returned unto themselves. Thus hath His mercy encompassed all the worlds.

Say: O people! Withhold not from yourselves the grace of God and His mercy. Whoso withholdeth himself therefrom is indeed in grievous loss. What, O people! Do ye worship the dust, and turn away from your Lord, the Gracious, the All-Bountiful? Fear ye God, and be not of those who perish. Say: The Book of God hath been sent down in the form of this Youth. Hallowed, therefore, be God, the most excellent of makers! Take ye good heed, O peoples of the world, lest ye flee from His face. Nay, make haste to attain His presence, and be of them that have returned unto Him. Pray to be forgiven, O people, for having failed in your duty towards God, and for having trespassed against His Cause, and be not of the foolish.

He it is Who hath created you; He it is Who hath nourished your souls through His Cause, and enabled you to recognize Him Who is the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing. He it is Who hath unveiled to your eyes the treasures of His knowledge, and caused you to ascend unto the heaven of certitude—the certitude of His resistless, His irrefutable, and most exalted Faith. Beware that ye do not deprive yourselves of the grace of God, that ye do not bring to naught your works, and do not repudiate the truth of this most manifest, this lofty, this shining, and glorious Revelation. Judge ye fairly the Cause of God, your Creator, and behold that which hath been sent down from the Throne on high, and meditate thereon with innocent and sanctified hearts. Then will the truth of this Cause appear unto you as manifest as the sun in its noontide glory. Then will ye be of them that have believed in Him.

Say: The first and foremost testimony establishing His truth is His own Self. Next to this testimony is His Revelation. For whoso faileth to recognize either the one or the other He hath established the words He hath revealed as proof of His reality and truth. This is, verily, an evidence of His tender mercy unto men. He hath endowed every soul with the capacity to recognize the signs of God. How could He, otherwise, have fulfilled His testimony unto men, if ye be of them that ponder His Cause in their hearts. He will never deal unjustly with anyone, neither will He task a soul beyond its power. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the All-Merciful.

Say: So great is the glory of the Cause of God that even the blind can perceive it, how much more they whose sight is sharp, whose vision is pure. The blind, though unable to perceive the light of the sun, are, nevertheless, capable of experiencing its continual heat. The blind in heart, however, among the people of the Bayán—and to this God is My witness—are impotent, no matter how long the Sun may shine upon them, either to perceive the radiance of its glory, or to appreciate the warmth of its rays.

Say: O people of the Bayan! We have chosen you out of the world to know and recognize Our Self. We have caused you to draw nigh unto the right side of Paradise—the Spot out of which the undying Fire crieth in manifold accents: “There is none other God besides Me, the All-Powerful, the Most High!” Take heed lest ye allow yourselves to be shut out as by a veil from this Daystar that shineth above the dayspring of the Will of your Lord, the All-Merciful, and whose light hath encompassed both the small and the great. Purge your sight, that ye may perceive its glory with your own eyes, and depend not on the sight of anyone except yourself, for God hath never burdened any soul beyond its power. Thus hath it been sent down unto the Prophets and Messengers of old, and been recorded in all the Scriptures.

Strive, O people, to gain admittance into this vast Immensity for which God ordained neither beginning nor end, in which His voice hath been raised, and over which have been wafted the sweet savors of holiness and glory. Divest not yourselves of the Robe of grandeur, neither suffer your hearts to be deprived of remembering your Lord, nor your ears of hearkening unto the sweet melodies of His wondrous, His sublime, His all-compelling, His clear, and most eloquent voice.

O Ashraf! Give thanks unto God for having honored thee with His presence and admitted thee before the Throne, a seat of magnificent glory. Blessed be thine eye for having beheld the beauty of God, thy Lord and the Lord of all creation. Blessed be thine ear for having heard the melody of God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Know thou that the time of thy presence before the Throne hath now ended. Arise and take God’s Tablet to His yearning servants who have burned away the veils with the fire of attraction and have ascended unto God, the King, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Then remind them of what hath befallen Us from those who were created by Our command, and give them the glad tidings of God’s good pleasure, that they may be of those who rejoice. Recount unto them the stories of the Youth that they may be informed thereof and be among those who remember.

Say: O loved ones of God! Arise to render victory and follow not those who have disputed with the Self of God and denied the proof which God hath made the evidence of His Cause between the heavens and earth, and who have rebelled against God to such extent that they arose in opposition to His Face and showed no shame before God Who created them by His command. Thus did these oppressors deal with the Ancient Beauty, and their opposition reached such a point that they arose to slay Me through what Satan had cast into their breasts—and God is verily aware of this and witnesseth it. When they found themselves powerless before God’s sovereignty and might, they arose with a new scheme. Thus did We receive treatment from those who were created by Our command, and verily We are powerful.

O loved ones of God! Be as clouds of grace to them who have believed in God and His signs, and as the decreed punishment for those who have disbelieved in God and His Cause and were among the idolaters. Say: O people! Listen not to the words of those who ascribe partners to God and to the Manifestation of His Self. Fear ye the Day when all shall be questioned concerning their deeds in the presence of their Lord, the Most High, the Most Great, and shall be recompensed for what they have earned in their vain life—this hath been decreed in preserved tablets of glory. Be not of those who at every moment adopt for themselves a cause and then deny it at another time. Fear God, O concourse of believers! Take what hath been sent down to you from the direction of the Throne and abandon all else, and be of those who are firmly established in the Cause.

And should you meet him who was named Muhammad-before-ʿAli, remind him from Us and convey unto him that which We have commanded, that he may arise to serve the Cause and remain steadfast in such wise that his feet shall not slip from the path of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Say: O servant! By God, whatsoever thou hast heard and known hath appeared from Us, and all else was created by My command, if thou be of them that understand. And whatsoever We have indicated to others was due to a wisdom from Us, and none hath comprehended this save those whom We have acquainted with the strongholds of the Cause and whom We have strengthened with the Spirit of Certitude.

Rend thou asunder the veils of idle fancies, that the Sun of Certitude may shine upon thee from the dawning-place of My Name, the All-Merciful, and make thee one of the sincere. Arise to serve thy Lord and turn not unto them who have denied God and are numbered among the deniers. Remember thou the people with wisdom and counsel, and dispute not with anyone concerning thy Lord’s Cause, that thy Lord’s testimony may be perfected unto all the worlds. Be thou united with the loved ones of God, then gather them together in the sanctuary of security beneath the shade of the Name of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Protect the servants lest the promptings of Satan cause them to slip when he cometh unto your land with a mighty deception, bearing that which would turn you away from the love of the Youth.

Thus have We informed thee of the tidings of the unseen that thou mayest be apprised thereof and be among the steadfast. Detach thyself from all regions, then turn thy face toward the Sacred Precinct, the seat of thy Lord’s throne, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Know thou that We have mentioned thee in the Tablets aforetime and thereafter, yet We found not from thee that which beseemeth thee. Beware lest thou deprive thyself of that which We have ordained for thee in the preserved Tablets of holiness. Free thyself from all that keepeth thee back from God, then remember Him with a humble and radiant heart. It behooveth thee to be steadfast in the Cause to such degree that even should all who are in the heavens and on earth dispute with thee, they would be powerless to make thee slip from the Cause, and would find themselves impotent. Thus must it be with him who in these days attributeth himself to God, days wherein most of the servants are drowned in the depths of superstition and fancy, and are numbered among the perishing ones.

And when thou meetest Abu-Basir, present this Tablet before him that he may read it and be of them who know. Convey Our greetings unto him that he may rejoice in the glad-tidings of the Spirit from the presence of One mighty and wise. Say: O servant! We have sent down verses unto thee and dispatched them to thee as a mercy from Our presence, that thou mayest remind those who dwell in thy land, that they may arise from their slumber and turn with their hearts toward the Qiblih at whose appearance the faces of the concourse of the worlds have been laid low. Then remind from Us the loved ones of God who were not hindered by veils from entering the depths of the sea of thy Lord’s mercy, the Bestower, the Gracious. Thus have We commanded thee, inspired thee, and taught thee that thou mayest thank God, thy Lord, at all times and be of the thankful. And the Spirit and glory and splendor be upon you, O people of Baha, and upon those who have sought the Face of God and were of them that turned unto Him.

BH01010: Lawh-i-Mawlud

O concourse of the seen and the unseen! Rejoice with exceeding gladness in your hearts and souls, for the night hath come for the harvesting of the ages and the gathering up of past cycles, the night wherein all days and nights were called into being and the time preordained for this Revelation was fulfilled at the behest of Him Who is the Lord of might and power. All joy to the Concourse on high at the appearance of so glorious, so wondrous a Spirit!

This is the night wherein the doors of Paradise were flung open and the gates of Hell were shut fast, the night wherein the paradise of the All-Merciful was unveiled in the midmost heart of creation, the breezes of God were wafted from the retreats of forgiveness, and the Last Hour ushered in through the power of truth, could ye but know it. All joy to this night through which all days have been suffused with light, though none can apprehend this save those that are endued with certitude and discernment!

This is the night round which have circled the Nights of Power, wherein the angels and the Spirit have come down bearing cups filled at the streams of Paradise, the night wherein Heaven itself was adorned with the ornament of God, the Almighty, the All-Gracious, the Most Bountiful, wherein every created thing was brought to life, and all the peoples of the earth were surrounded by His grace. All joy to the concourse of the Spirit for this manifest and resplendent bounty!

This is the night wherein the limbs of Jibt were made to tremble, and the Most Great Idol fell upon the dust, and the foundations of iniquity were shattered, and Manat lamented in its inmost being, and the back of ʿUzza was broken and its face blackened; for the Morn of divine Revelation hath dawned, and there hath appeared that which hath solaced the eyes of glory and majesty, and beyond them the eyes of all the Prophets and Messengers of God. All glory, then, to this Dawn which hath broken above the dayspring of effulgent glory!

Say: This is the Dawn whereat the evil ones were debarred from approaching the realm of might and grandeur, and wherein the hearts of such as have contended with God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Unconstrained, were lacerated. This is the Dawn whereat the faces of the wicked were darkened, whilst the countenances of the righteous shone forth with the light of this Beauty, a Beauty Whose advent all things visible and invisible, and beyond them the company of the Concourse on high, have eagerly awaited. All hail the appearance of this Spirit, through Whose potency the dead have been stirred up in their tombs and every mouldering bone brought to life!

Say: O source of iniquity! Bewail thy woeful plight; and O fountainhead of oppression! Repair to thine abode in the nethermost fire, for the beauty of the All-Merciful hath shone forth above the horizon of existence with such radiance as to illumine all that dwell in His realms with the splendour of its light, and hath called into being the Spirit of God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful. Through its revelation the hand of His Will hath stretched forth from the sleeve of grandeur and rent asunder the veils of the world by the power of His supreme, His peerless, His all-compelling and exalted sovereignty. All glory, then, to this Dawn whereat the Ancient Beauty hath been established upon the throne of His Name, the Almighty, the Most Great!

This is the Dawn whereat was born He Who begetteth not and Who is not begotten. Well is it with him that immerseth himself beneath the ocean of inner meaning that surgeth within this utterance and discovereth the pearls of knowledge and wisdom that lie hid in the words of God, the King, the Exalted, the Mighty, the Powerful. All glory to him who apprehendeth the truth and is reckoned with them that are endued with discernment!

Say: This is the Dawn whereat the cohorts of the concourse of Paradise and the hosts of the angels of holiness descended from heaven, amongst whom was the One Who was lifted up on the breezes of the Beauty of God, the Most Glorious, unto the ranks of the most exalted Concourse. Borne on these same breezes, yet another company of angels descended, each bearing aloft a chalice of everlasting life and proffering it unto them that circle in adoration round the Spot wherein the Ancient Being hath established Himself upon the throne of His all-glorious and most bounteous Name. All joy to such as have attained His presence, gazed upon His beauty, hearkened unto His melodies, and been quickened by the Word that hath issued forth from His sacred and exalted, His glorious and resplendent lips!

Say: This is the Dawn whereat the Most Great Tree was planted and bore its exalted and peerless fruits. By the righteousness of God! Within each fruit of this Tree there repose the seeds of a myriad melodies. Wherefore, O concourse of the Spirit, We shall acquaint you, in accordance with your capacity, with some of their celestial songs, that they may attract your hearts and draw you nigh unto God, the Lord of strength, of power and might. All glory be to this Dawn, through which the divine Luminaries have shone forth above the horizon of sanctity by the leave of God, the Almighty, the Inaccessible, the Most High!

Say: This is the Dawn whereat the hidden Essence and the unseen Treasure were made manifest, the Dawn whereat the Ancient Beauty seized the cup of immortality with the hands of glory and, having first quaffed therefrom, proffered it unto all the peoples of the earth, high and low alike. All glory, then, to the one who hath approached this cup, taken it up, and drunk therefrom for the love of his Lord, the All-Powerful, the Most High!

One fruit of that Tree hath proclaimed what the Burning Bush had proclaimed aforetime in that hallowed and snow-white Spot, words to which Moses gave ear and which caused Him to forsake all created things and to direct His steps towards the retreats of holiness and grandeur. All glory, then, to that ecstasy born of God, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Most Great!

Another fruit thereof hath uttered that which enraptured Jesus and raised Him up to the heaven of manifest splendour. All glory, then, to this Spirit in Whose presence standeth the Faithful Spirit, together with a company of God’s chosen angels!

Yet another fruit thereof hath disclosed that which captivated the heart of Muhammad, the Apostle of God, Who, carried away by the sweet accents of the Voice from on high, ascended unto the Divine Lote-Tree and heard, proceeding from within the Tabernacle of majesty, the Voice of God speaking forth the mystery of My hallowed, My exalted and mighty Name. All glory, then, to this Tree which hath been raised up through the power of truth, that all the peoples of the world may seek the shelter of its shade!

O Pen of the Most High! Write no more; for, by God, wert thou to set forth all the sweet accents of the fruits of this heavenly Tree, thou wouldst find thyself forsaken upon the earth, inasmuch as all would flee from thy presence and abandon thy court of holiness. And this, verily, is the undoubted truth. All glory, then, to the mysteries which none can bear save God, the sovereign Ruler, the Almighty, the Most Gracious!

Dost thou not witness, O Pen, what a clamour the hypocrites have raised throughout the land, and what a tumult the wicked and ungodly have provoked? And this notwithstanding that thou didst reveal but an infinitesimal glimmer of the mysteries of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious. Wherefore, restrain thyself and conceal from the eyes of men that which God, as a sign of His bounty, hath bestowed upon thee. And if it be thy wish to give all created things to quaff from that crystal water that is life indeed, and whereof God hath made thee the Fountainhead, then let thine ink flow only in proportion to their capacity. Thus biddeth thee the One Who hath called thee into being through the power of His behest. Do thou, then, as thou wert bidden, and be not of them that tarry. All glory be to this weighty decree which hath reined in the power of all created things and withheld the Pen of the Most High from divulging to the peoples of the world that from which they had been veiled! His might, verily, is equal to all things.

BH00049: Lawh-i-Nasir

Section 1: “The Supreme Pen hath ever been moved…”

He is the Glorious, the Most Glorious

In the name of the One God, exalted be His unity and oneness

The Supreme Pen hath ever been moved and flowing in praise of His loved ones, and hath never been withheld or stilled from its endless outpourings. The breezes of grace from the sanctuary of oneness have ever wafted and shall continue to waft over all created things. Exalted be this breeze that, in less than a moment, can transport those veiled by the shrouds of heedlessness and lethargy to the sacred abode of unity and vision, and can guide, quicker than the twinkling of an eye, those sick in the wilderness of ignorance to the supreme horizon—the station of divine knowledge and the realm of utterance.

The paths of His guidance have never been concealed from any wayfarer, nor have the ways of His grace been barred to any seeker. Yet how can the breezes of divine grace reach those who dwell in the valley of deprivation when they flee from the holy divine breeze and wage war against the Beauty of the Divine Unity? The gaze of God watcheth from above all heads, yet none perceiveth it; the Kingdom of God is manifest before all eyes, yet none is aware of it. How many are the breezes of the All-Merciful that have passed over the heedless at dawn, finding them all oblivious to the Beauty of the All-Bountiful, lying asleep upon the bed of negligence, whereupon these breezes return to the most exalted Paradise at the right hand of the divine Throne.

Never hath the outpouring from the source of My bounty been cut off, nor hath grace from the treasury of My favor been withheld. The hand of My mercy is vastly outstretched and encompassing, and within My grasp of power all things are held captive. Yet this infinite grace and beginningless bounty can only be received by those who enter beneath the shadow of the education of Him in Whose hand lies the Kingdom of all things, and who dwell in the spiritual realm of “His mercy precedeth all things.”

Consider the seed: if it be sown by the hands of the Manifestations of divine names in pure, goodly and blessed soil, assuredly the ears of divine grace and the fruits of knowledge and divine wisdom will appear from it, of itself and for itself. But if it be cast upon barren, unpleasing soil, no fruit or trace will ever come forth from it. Thus hath it been ordained by the Mighty, the Ancient One. These stations are clear and evident to anyone of insight; the clarity of this path needeth no proof, for it can be seen with the outer eye and observed with manifest vision.

Therefore, if all created things deprive themselves of the wondrous grace of God and the education of the King of Oneness, this will not affect the wafting of the breezes of grace, for they have deprived and veiled themselves from the cloud of divine mercy and favor. Thus, strive to draw thyself beneath the shade of the divine Tree, that thou mayest be nourished by the fruits of infinite grace. I swear by the Sun of inner meanings, from which all are now veiled, that should all created things enter with true certitude beneath the shade of this manifest Tree and remain steadfast in His love, they would all be adorned with the blessed robes of “He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth.” None comprehendeth this save those who have detached themselves from all who are in the heavens and earth and have fled from their own selves unto the Self of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Now consider: if anyone should deprive himself of these showers from the divine cloud and content himself with words that neither nourish nor satisfy, how could he ever be worthy of this supreme bounty and this most great gift? Nay, by My very Self, the Truth! None shall be worthy thereof save honored servants.

O Nasir, O My servant! God, the Eternal Truth, beareth Me witness. The Celestial Youth hath, in this Day, raised above the heads of men the glorious Chalice of Immortality, and is standing expectant upon His seat, wondering what eye will recognize His glory, and what arm will, unhesitatingly, be stretched forth to seize the Cup from His snow-white Hand and drain it. Only a few have as yet quaffed from this peerless, this soft-flowing grace of the Ancient King. These occupy the loftiest mansions of Paradise, and are firmly established upon the seats of authority. By the righteousness of God! Neither the mirrors of His glory, nor the revealers of His names, nor any created thing, that hath been or will ever be, can ever excel them, if ye be of them that comprehend this truth.

O Nasir! The excellence of this Day is immensely exalted above the comprehension of men, however extensive their knowledge, however profound their understanding. How much more must it transcend the imaginations of them that have strayed from its light, and been shut out from its glory! Shouldst thou rend asunder the grievous veil that blindeth thy vision, thou wouldst behold such a bounty as naught, from the beginning that hath no beginning till the end that hath no end, can either resemble or equal. What language should He Who is the Mouthpiece of God choose to speak, so that they who are shut out as by a veil from Him can recognize His glory? The righteous, inmates of the Kingdom on high, shall drink deep from the Wine of Holiness, in My name, the all-glorious. None other besides them will share such benefits.

In any case, thy letter reached the Sacred Court and thy lamentation and sighing were heard. At the beginning of thy letter were these words:

“Though outwardly I am far from Thy presence, yet my heart and soul are ever with Thee.”

Know that thou wert not far removed in outward appearance, rather We raised thee up in a Temple and commanded thee to enter the divine Ridvan of the Beloved, yet thou didst pause, standing bewildered in the courtyard of the Gate, and hast not yet attained to entry into the Holy City of the Eternal and the Seat of Glory of the All-Merciful. Observe now how the Gate of Grace is opened and thou art bidden to enter, yet thou hast veiled thyself with doubts and idle fancies, remaining distant from the seat of nearness. By God the Truth! At all times thou and thy like are observed—some halted at the pass of questioning, others paused at the pass of bewilderment, and some veiled at the pass of names. Therefore hearken unto the Call of the Divine Grandeur, which at every moment and from all directions calleth out to thee and all things, saying:

“By God the Truth! The Revealer of Power hath appeared at the Most Great Horizon, and that which was never manifested hath been manifested. Then did trembling seize the temples of the Manifestations of Names and all who are in earth and heaven, and most of them denied and fled. Say: O people! By God, the Almighty, the Beloved! The sun is darkened and the moon is troubled, for the Most Great Ocean hath surged within itself through His Most Great, Most Exalted Name. O people! Know ye the worth of these days wherein floweth the Salsabil and Tasnim, and then this most holy, most pure Kawthar. Therefore turn your faces unto Him and pay no heed to every turbid spring.”

Despite this sweet divine Call and holy, glorious Melody which at all times speaketh and singeth with most wondrous accent, no one hath become aware in himself. Then were all possessors of eyes blinded, all possessors of ears deafened, all possessors of tongues struck dumb, all possessors of hearts veiled, all possessors of knowledge rendered ignorant, and all possessors of wisdom withheld, save him whom God aided through His grace and who was detached from all the worlds.

O Nasir! In My first Manifestation I shed light upon all contingent beings through the second letter of My Name, in such wise that none had any cause for rejection or objection. I summoned all servants unto My eternal holy Ridvan and called them to the everlasting holy Kawthar. Yet observe how much oppression and tyranny was manifested by the people of error, to an extent that none can reckon save God, until at last they suspended My radiant Body in the air and wounded it with the bullets of hatred and malice, until My spirit returned to the Supreme Companion, gazing upon the Most Glorious Raiment. Yet none reflected on why I accepted such harm from My servants, for had they reflected, they would not have remained veiled from My Beauty in My second Manifestation through one of My Names. Such is the state of these servants and their rank and station. Leave thou the mention of them and what floweth from their pens and issueth from their mouths.

Although in all the Tablets of the Bayan I commanded all My servants not to remain heedless of My subsequent Manifestation and not to be veiled from the King of attributes by the veils of names and allusions, yet now thou canst observe that they were not content with remaining veiled, but have cast countless stones of doubts at the hidden Tree of Glory without pause or delay. Even this did not suffice them, until one of My Names whom I created with a single letter and gave life with a single breath, rose up to wage war against My Beauty. By God, the Truth! He opposed the Chosen Beauty with such denial and pride as has no likeness. Nevertheless, presuming people to be without insight or consciousness, and seeing all minds as dependent upon his acceptance or rejection, he attributed his own reprehensible deeds to the Most Pure Beauty, that he might spread it through God’s cities, hoping thereby through such insinuations and schemes to deprive people of the Cause of causes. This matter was initially hidden from all and none were aware save two souls—one of them, who was named Ahmad, was martyred in his Lord’s path and ascended to the highest station, and the other, who was named Kalim, was present at that time before Us.

In any case, We turn the discourse away from this topic, for it would be a pity for the Pen of Destiny to write of such matters. Now return thou to the Most Sublime Vision in less than a moment and observe thyself before the Lord of all worlds. Reflect upon this exalted Revelation, and likewise observe with penetrating vision the proofs of the Messengers. Look with fairness at what these servants have believed in, beyond which they have not observed with their outward eyes. If they have become certain of the Manifestations of Divine Unity through the revelation of horizonal and personal signs, by God! The horizons have been filled with the effulgences of this Dawning to such extent that the followers of previous religions would testify, let alone the people of the paths of guidance.

None but the stubborn denier would deny this evident power. And if they look to the revealed verses, they have encompassed existence, both unseen and visible, descending from the clouds of Divine grace and the rain of Divine bounty to such degree that in a single hour the equivalent of a thousand verses are revealed. Were it not for consideration of the weakness of the servants and the corruption in the lands, permission would surely be granted for all to appear before the Most Great Throne and witness with their outward eyes the most noble breaths of the Holy Spirit.

Strange it is that these heedless, immature servants, in this time when the Sun of the Beauty of the Glorious One has been rising and shining at its zenith, none have observed with their own eyes or become aware through their own selves. This heedlessness was only because all have prevented themselves from recognizing the All-Knowing Sovereign through thick veils of fancy, and have remained deprived of the holy, firm City of the Eternal through the flimsiest of dwellings.

O servants! Hasten from the turbid mirage of fancy to the living fountain of certainty of the Lord of all worlds, and take up residence on the shores of the Kawthar of mercy for those drawn nigh. Say: O people! Come somewhat to your senses and do not again suspend the Most High Beauty in the atmosphere of hatred, and do not crucify the Spirit on the cross of rancor, and do not cast the Most Glorious Joseph into the well of envy, and do not sever the purified and manifest head with the sword of malice, and do not banish from land to land. By God! All of this has befallen Me, but the people do not perceive.

Verily, in My holy words and intimate allusions My glances of favor have ever been directed toward My friends, and in the primal reality the true addressees in all utterances have been and shall ever be the friends of God. Therefore, O My friends, strive not to find the limited horizons grief-stricken and darkened through separation from the Luminary of Oneness. Rather, endeavor to be illumined by the lights of the holy manifestations of the Glorious and Eternal, and be not deprived of the fountainhead of divine grace and the source of the bounty of the Sovereign of Oneness. How blessed is he who turneth toward Him with his heart, who seeketh shelter beneath His shade, who establisheth himself in His holy precincts, who fleeth from all else save Him, and who attaineth unto the wellspring of His guidance! Thus doth the Most Great Spirit command you, if ye be of them that hear.

At this moment, verily, the Primal Point standeth at the right hand of the Most Glorious Throne, speaking these sublime, goodly, blessed, manifest and evident words: O My servants! My purpose in My Manifestation and My object in My appearance hath been and shall ever be none other than to herald the Beauty of My Beloved. The veils of fancy and the thick clouds that stood as an impregnable barrier among men and prevented them from the Sovereign of Ancient Days—all these did I rend asunder through My power and might. Thus have ye witnessed how at the time of the appearance of My Beauty the people remained veiled from My recognition through their vain imaginings. In the Bayan I counseled all with the tongue of power that at the time of the Manifestation they should not remain veiled from the recognition of His Self by any thing whatsoever, whether by the Letters or the Mirrors or by whatsoever hath been created in all the heavens and earth.

For the Eternal Essence hath ever been known by His Own Self, and all else in His holy presence is mere nothingness and absolute void. How can the created attain unto its Creator, and the non-existent unto the Sovereign of existence? Nay, by Him Who holdeth My soul in His hands! Rather shall they attain unto that which hath been ordained for them from the traces of His manifestations. Thus have We sent down the Command in all the Tablets, would that ye might perceive.

Despite all these binding counsels and conclusive admonitions, after the appearance of My Beauty, Whose lights have encompassed all created things and Who hath appeared and become manifest in such wise as the eyes of creation have never witnessed the like thereof, some of you have nonetheless arisen in sheer opposition, others have risen up in hostility, and yet others have clung to mere acceptance and denial. Evil is that which ye have wrought against your own selves and have imagined in your thoughts. By My Beauty! All who are in the heavens and earth are this day but as a handful of dust before the Lord of Lords. Blessed is he who hath ascended to the holy heights and risen to the intimate stations and hath recognized the scene of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

Consider now with fairness: if ye deprive yourselves of this Beauty of Oneness, this flowing Stream, this dawning Sun, this soaring Cloud, this all-encompassing Mercy, and this all-pervading Power, unto what direction will ye turn? Nay, by Him Who holdeth My soul in His hands! There remaineth for you no refuge save in the depths of the fire. Cleanse the rheum from your eyes, then open them through My love; search then throughout the reaches of the heavens and earth—can ye find a mercy greater than that which hath appeared? Nay, by My Most Great Scene, were ye but to know! And were ye to traverse all horizons, could ye find a power more wondrous than your Lord’s, the All-Merciful? Nay, by My Bountiful Self, were ye but aware!

Section 2: “O servants! I have turned the gaze…”

O servants! I have turned the gaze of all from all directions that perchance ye may not remain veiled at the time of My manifestation. Were you to traverse the horizons, would you find a power more wondrous than the power of your Lord, the All-Merciful? Nay, by My generous Self, were you of those who perceive! Indeed, O servants, I turned the gaze of all from all directions, that perchance at the time of My manifestation you would not remain veiled and would not be heedless of the ultimate purpose. Now it is observed that all of you, like the peoples of the past—nay, more severely and greatly—have remained far from the Manifestation of Divine Beauty due to imaginary veils, written allusions, and verbal indications, and yet you suppose yourselves to be among the virtuous and guided ones.

Nay, by the Self of Baha, were you to reflect! Would that you had been content with these things alone and had not raised hands of malice against the manifest Tree! O heedless ones! What, after all, was the cause of My martyrdom, and what was the purpose of the sacrifice of My spirit? If you say it was the revealed laws, these laws have been and will always be secondary to recognition of the Divine, and how can those who remain veiled from the root hold fast to its branch? And if you say the purpose was the Letters and Mirrors, all were and will be created by His will.

O people! Fear God and compare not His Self to your selves, nor His attributes to your attributes, nor His beauty to your beauty, nor His signs to your signs, nor His utterance to your utterances, nor His sovereignty to what is among and within you, nor His words to your words, nor His exposition to your exposition, nor His walking to your walking, nor His repose to your repose. Fear God, O people of the Bayan, and be among the God-fearing! If you believe in My Self, by God, this is My Self, and if you believe in My verses, by God, He hath sent down that which was never sent down before to anyone, and to this beareth witness Mine own Self, then Mine essence, then My heart and tongue, and beyond Me testifieth to it that which appeareth from His presence, were you of those who know.

O people of the Bayan! Deprive not yourselves of the Holy Self of the All-Merciful, and seek not to cling to this or that. Whoso willeth, let him hearken unto the melodies of the Spirit, and whoso turneth away, he is indeed the best of hearers and knowers. O people of the Bayan! Have you not observed that for twenty years He arose by His own Self to face His enemies? Many were the nights when you all slept in beds of ease while this Beauty of Divine Unity stood manifest and firm before the ungodly, and many were the days when, out of fear for your own selves, you kept yourselves protected and concealed in veils of concealment, while the Beauty of mighty steadfastness was evident, manifest, and apparent among the ungodly. Yet, not content with what the enemies have wrought, most of you have risen to war against the Beauty of Divine Unity. By God! Therefore doth Mine eye weep, and My heart burn, and My being tremble, and My skin shiver, and My bones crush, and My pillars shake, and I know not what more you wish to inflict upon Him and bring against Him. Nay, We have been knowing of all this, and all is preserved with Us in tablets of glory.

Here are these heavenly words which the Most Exalted Tongue hath uttered. Blessed is he who hearkeneth unto the Words of God and purifieth himself from all who are in earth and heaven and from whatsoever hath been created therein, that he may enter the City of Immortality, which is the most holy and resplendent extinction. Well is it with them that are assured and have attained, and blessed is he who beholdeth the Words of God with his own eyes and turneth not toward the objections of the world. For We have created every soul today like unto this world—just as in the world there are diverse cities and different villages, and likewise trees and fruits and leaves and branches and twigs, and seas and mountains and all that is visible therein, even so within man all these diverse things exist. Thus doth one soul warrant being called a world. However, in the believers are witnessed holy attributes—for example, the heaven of knowledge and the earth of tranquility and the trees of oneness and the twigs of detachment and the branches of sanctity and the roses of certitude and the flowers of love for the Beauty of the All-Merciful and the seas of learning and the rivers of wisdom and the pearls of Divine glory are found therein.

And two kinds of believers are observed: from some this divine favor is veiled, for they have deprived themselves of beholding this all-encompassing mercy through unworthy veils. And some, through the grace of the All-Merciful, have had their vision opened and through the glances of God they perceive that which hath been deposited within their souls, and they witness the signs of divine power and the wondrous manifestations of God’s handiwork in themselves with their outer and inner sight.

And whosoever attaineth unto this station hath attained unto the day wherein “God will render everyone independent out of His abundance” and hath understood that day, and beholdeth himself in such wise under the shadow of his Lord’s riches that he perceiveth within himself all things that have been created in the heavens and on earth—nay rather, he seeth himself encompassing all things, were he to look with the eye of God.

And should one of these souls arise with firm and mighty steadfastness in the Cause of God, he would verily triumph over all the peoples of the world. To this testifieth that which the Tongue of God hath set in motion with the sovereignty of power and might and ascendancy:

“By God the Truth! Should anyone arise for the love of Baha in the world of creation and should all who are in earth and heaven war against him, God would verily make him victorious over them, as a manifestation of His power and an expression of His sovereignty. Thus hath the might of thy Lord encompassed the worlds.”

And since in everything can be seen the attributes of all things, therefore upon a single one is conferred the decree of all. And this is the mystery of that which was formerly inspired in the Manifestation of My Self:

“Whoso quickeneth a soul is as though he had quickened all mankind.”

For since all that is in the world existeth in a single soul, He therefore saith that if someone giveth life to a soul it is as though he had given life to all mankind, and if someone killeth a soul it is as though he had killed all the world. Ponder then on this, O ye who are endowed with insight!

Likewise observe with the same vision regarding the idolaters, but in these souls what hath been mentioned appeareth as, for instance, the heaven of denial, the earth of rancor, the trees of hatred, the branches of envy, the boughs of pride, the leaves of tyranny and the flowers of lewdness. Thus have We set forth the details for you in a chosen tongue, that perchance ye may immerse yourselves in the oceans of divine wisdom and knowledge, and, taking fast hold of the Most Glorious Ark which saileth today upon the sea of grandeur, be numbered among those who have attained thereunto. How well will it be with you if ye be not among the deprived ones.

Say: O ye that are veiled from My Beauty! I swear by the Sovereign Lord of My majesty and glory that this Sun, dawning from the horizon of sublime oneness, shall not remain concealed behind the clouds of rancor nor be obscured by the veils of hatred. At all times doth it shine resplendent at its zenith, calling out with melancholy, enchanting tones: O servants! Deprive not yourselves of the rays of this manifest Sun, nor withhold yourselves from the divine eternal sanctuary. This is God’s sanctuary in your midst, this is the Merciful’s abode that moveth and walketh among the peoples of the world in human temple. This is the desire of all worlds, the sacred place of divine unity, the holy station of detachment, and the sanctuary of God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Peerless, made manifest and visible amongst creation. All the near ones have given their lives for this Day, while ye, O veiled ones, have occupied yourselves with this and that, remaining far from the divine presence. Alas for you, O company of the heedless!

I swear by God that whatsoever hath befallen and continueth to befall the Manifestations of Divine Unity hath been due to the veiling of the people. Consider, for instance, My first manifestation when I appeared between heaven and earth by the name of ʿAli, the All-Knowing, and rent asunder the veils. The divines of that age were the first to arise in rejection and protest. Though outwardly their rejection caused the people to turn away, in reality it was the people who caused these divines to turn away. Observe that had the people not made their acceptance conditional upon the approval of the divines of Najaf and elsewhere, and had they believed in God directly, no opportunity for rejection would have remained for these divines. When they saw themselves bereft of followers and alone, they would surely have hastened to the holy divine court and inevitably attained the fountain of ancient grace.

And now too, if the people of the Bayan would sanctify themselves from attachment to their leaders, they would certainly not be deprived, on the Day of God, of the wine of divine meanings and the bounty of the clouds of the All-Merciful’s mercy.

Tear asunder, in My Name, the veils that have grievously blinded your vision, and, through the power born of your belief in the unity of God, scatter the idols of vain imitation. Enter, then, the holy paradise of the good-pleasure of the All-Merciful. Sanctify your souls from whatsoever is not of God, and taste ye the sweetness of rest within the pale of His vast and mighty Revelation, and beneath the shadow of His supreme and infallible authority. Suffer not yourselves to be wrapt in the dense veils of your selfish desires, inasmuch as I have perfected in every one of you My creation, so that the excellence of My handiwork may be fully revealed unto men. It followeth, therefore, that every man hath been, and will continue to be, able of himself to appreciate the Beauty of God, the Glorified.

Had he not been endowed with such a capacity, how could he be called to account for his failure? If, in the Day when all the peoples of the earth will be gathered together, any man should, whilst standing in the presence of God, be asked: “Wherefore hast thou disbelieved in My Beauty and turned away from My Self?”, and if such a man should reply and say: “Inasmuch as all men have erred, and none hath been found willing to turn his face to the Truth, I, too, following their example, have grievously failed to recognize the Beauty of the Eternal,” such a plea will, assuredly, be rejected. For the faith of no man can be conditioned by anyone except himself.

This is one of the verities that lie enshrined in My Revelation—a verity which I have revealed in all the heavenly Books, which I have caused the Tongue of Grandeur to utter, and the Pen of Power to inscribe. Ponder awhile thereon, that with both your inner and outer eye, ye may perceive the subtleties of Divine wisdom and discover the gems of heavenly knowledge which, in clear and weighty language, I have revealed in this exalted and incorruptible Tablet, and that ye may not stray far from the All-Highest Throne, from the Tree beyond which there is no passing, from the Habitation of everlasting might and glory.

The signs of God shine as manifest and resplendent as the sun amidst the works of His creatures. Whatsoever proceedeth from Him is apart, and will always remain distinguished, from the inventions of men. From the Source of His knowledge countless Luminaries of learning and wisdom have risen, and out of the Paradise of His Pen the breath of the All-Merciful hath continually been wafted to the hearts and souls of men. Happy are they that have recognized this truth.

O brothers! I swear by the Beauty of the All-Merciful that were it not for observing a limited few who have arisen and, with utmost effort and striving, stand ready to cut down the Divine Lote-Tree, never would I have opened My tongue in utterance nor spoken a word. But what am I to do when these few unworthy and immature ones, clinging to the cord of leadership and grasping at worldly ornaments, prevent people with perfect scheming and utter deceit from approaching the shore of eternity? They have had and have no purpose save to raise up a group like the People of the Furqan in the land, lest any harm befall their leadership. Such is the state of these servants.

And since they have observed that the lights of the Ancient Holy Sun have encompassed all worlds and the banners of mighty remembrance have been raised and become renowned in all lands, they have therefore risen in deception and attributed false and unworthy calumnies, that perchance through these falsehoods they might prevent people from attaining the presence of the Sovereign of Names and Attributes. They are occupied with utter delusions, and soon will the greatest shrieking be raised among the people and veils of fancy encompass souls. Therefore, take refuge in God on such a day and observe this Tablet in certain times, that perchance the divine fragrances wafting from this glorious Tablet may protect thee from the darkened winds of hatred and keep thee steadfast on the path of love for the Beloved.

In brief, seek not attachment to any leader, and let no turban or staff prevent thee from the outpourings of the Most Glorious Cloud, for human excellence has never been and will never be in garments and names. If any among the turbaned ones have become illumined by the dawning manifestations of the Sun, their names are mentioned with thy Lord; otherwise they have never been and will never be mentioned. Therefore, hearken to My most wondrous and exalted melody. If human excellence were in the turban, then that camel which bears a thousand turbans should be counted among the most learned of people—yet thou seest it is but an animal seeking grass. Beware lest thou be debarred from the Truth by the manifestations of names and temples who adorn themselves with outward turbans and ascetic garments, and be not heedless.

Today the Kingdom of Names circles round the Tree of the Cause, created by a single word. Moreover, the asceticism that is beloved of God has been and will ever be turning to God and turning away from all else, not like these servants who, heedless of God and occupied without Him, are content and call this asceticism. Evil is that wherewith they are occupied; soon shall they know. I shall cause one melody from My former melodies to shine forth purely for the sake of God upon thee and the people of the earth from the Dawning-place of utterance, that perchance it may awaken those sleeping in the bed of heedlessness and make them aware of the spiritual breezes that blow from the horizon of My luminous morn.

And it is this: The Primal Point—may the spirit of all in the kingdom be sacrificed for Him—wrote to Muhammad Hasan Najafi, who was considered one of the great divines and eminent religious leaders, the substance of which is mentioned in eloquent Persian thus: We have raised up Ali from his resting-place and dispatched him unto thee with a perspicuous Tablet. Had thou recognized him and prostrated thyself before him, it would have been better than seventy years of worship thou hast rendered. From thy first letter We would have raised up Muhammad the Messenger of God, and from thy second letter the third letter who is Imam Hasan. But thou remainedst veiled from this station, and We bestowed Our grace upon him who was worthy.

Section 3: “Consider now the greatness of this Cause, how…”

Consider now the greatness of this Cause, how magnificent and momentous it is. The Ali who was sent to the aforementioned Shaykh was Mulla Ali Bastami. Moreover, reflect upon the power of the Manifestation of God, who with but a single letter from the name of His servants can, should He wish, create and raise up all the temples of unity and manifestations of eternity. Verily He is the All-Powerful, the All-Encompassing.

Yet now the leaders of the Bayan seek to establish a system of successorship, and through these ancient traditions deprive the people of the fountain of divine glory. Meanwhile the Primal Point, My previous Manifestation, erased all such mentions from the Bayan, and naught was seen or shall be seen save the mention of Mirrors, and even that was not specific or limited, as He says:

“O my God! Raise up in every year a Mirror, and in every month a Mirror, nay in every day and every moment manifest a Mirror that will reflect Thee.”

This bounty exists in the Mirrors so long as they remain turned toward the Sun of Truth; after turning away, all is lost and unmentioned.

By God! Today the Mirrors remain veiled—nay more, even the followers of the Torah are thunderstruck. Consider the Ahsanu’l-Qisas, known as the Qayyumu’l-Asma, and the Persian Bayan which contains the subtle divine utterances, that all mysteries may become evident. These words are mentioned for the weak ones; otherwise, those who dwell in the station of “Know God through God” and who abide in the holy sanctuary of “He cannot be known through aught else” recognize Truth through His own Self and through what appears from Him. Though all in the heavens and earth be filled with decisive verses and firm utterances, they pay no heed nor seek to hold fast to them, for clinging to words is only justified when their Revealer is not present.

Exalted be this Beauty whose light hath encompassed the worlds! This heart is too grief-stricken to reveal hidden pearls or incline toward speech, for the Cause of God is being squandered, and the labors of this servant have been scattered to the winds of oblivion by one who was himself created by His word. Though such matters truly lead to the maturity of people, since most are weak and immature they remain veiled. Yet thy Lord is indeed independent of such as these, and He encompasses all worlds.

Be not content to be like the people of the Qur’an who cling to names while remaining veiled from the Source of Names, who recite words while depriving themselves of Him Who is their Revealer and Source. For if, on this Day, all who are in the heavens and on earth were to become refined mirrors and lofty, impregnable, and inaccessible crystals, and were to arise to worship as did those of old, yet hesitate for less than a moment in this wondrous Cause, they would be regarded as utter nothingness in the sight of God and be mentioned as absolute non-existence. Have you not observed that all the mentions of the people of the Qur’an were pure falsehood, and at the time of the Manifestation, none benefited from that to which they had clung, except those who entered the religion of the Lord of the Worlds through the power of certitude?

Therefore, hearken unto the divine melody and the glorious, eternal utterance, and say: In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious, and by His Most Exalted, Most Impregnable, Most Holy, Most High Permission. Enter through the gate of the Ridvan Garden into the very heart of the City, that thou mayest witness thyself enriched through the riches of thy Lord, speaking in praise of thy Creator, knowing the Self of thy Master, and finding that which will solace thine eyes, gladden thy being, bring joy to thine essence, and number thee among the triumphant.

This is the counsel of the Ancient Beauty to His loved ones. Whosoever wishes, let him believe, and whosoever wishes, let him turn away. And if thou attainest unto that which hath been mentioned and art honored with the presence of the Beauty of the All-Merciful, then stand firm in His Cause and cry out among the servants, and with Our sweetest melodies proclaim between the heavens and the earth: “O people of the Bayan! By the True One! The Sun of Knowledge hath risen from the horizon of glory and hath dawned from the chambers of the Ridvan Garden—this Youth, upon Whose countenance shineth the radiance of the All-Bountiful, in Whose hand is the Wine of Life, and Who giveth drink to all created things in My Most Glorious Name, this crimson Wine.

Therefore hasten, O people of creation, O manifestations of names, that the hidden pearls may be revealed unto you from this treasured Cup which hath appeared in the form of the Tablet. Drink ye therefrom, as have the denizens of the highest paradise in their most exalted habitations. And when they drank, they were seized by the raptures of the All-Merciful and the breezes of the All-Glorious, and they spoke in the heights of Paradise with songs of joy: ʿBy God! This is indeed the sealed wine! By the True One! This is the wine that was hidden beneath the veils of the unseen and preserved beneath the pavilion of glory, touched by the fingers of the All-Merciful on the throne of Paradise, and manifested through grace by this Name which hath appeared in truth and from Whose face have shone wondrous lights both secretly and openly, whereby the eyes of those near unto God were solaced, then the eyes of the Messengers, then all that was and will be.’

O people of the Bayan! Deprive not yourselves of the vision of the All-Merciful. Break the idols of vain desire through My Most Glorious Name, then draw forth the sword of utterance from the scabbard of the tongue and sing with the sweetest melodies among the people of creation, that perchance men might become aware within themselves and emerge from behind a limited veil. Say: Do ye imagine within yourselves that this Youth speaketh from desire? Nay, by His Most Glorious Beauty! Rather, He standeth at the Most Exalted Horizon and speaketh that which the Most Great Spirit hath spoken within His most pure and crystal heart. By the True One! The Mighty One hath taught Him in the highest empyrean, and the Powerful Spirit hath acquainted Him in the most sublime Kingdom, and He speaketh the truth at all times with that which the Tongue of Command hath spoken in the most hidden pavilion. By God! This is He Who appeared once by the name of the Spirit, then by the name of the Beloved, then by the name of Ali, then by this Blessed, Transcendent, All-Compelling, Sublime, Beloved Name.”

He speaketh the truth at all times according to what the Tongue of Command hath spoken in the Most Hidden Pavilion. By God, this is He Who appeared once by the name of the Spirit, then by the name of the Beloved, then by the name of Ali, and then by this blessed, exalted, transcendent, sublime, and beloved Name. And verily this is Husayn Who hath appeared in truth through grace in the heaven of justice, and the ungodly rose against Him with their tyranny and wickedness, then severed His head with the sword of hatred and raised it upon a spear between earth and heaven. Then the head spoke from atop the spear:

“O gathering of shadows! Be ashamed before My beauty, then before My power, My sovereignty and My grandeur. Turn your gaze toward the countenance of your Chosen Lord, that ye may find Me crying out among you with holy, beloved melodies. Be fair then within yourselves—would ye deprive yourselves of the Most Exalted Sanctuary and this Most Pure, Most Wise, Crimson House? Toward what sanctuary do ye turn and around which do ye circle? Fear God, then open your eyes, that ye may perchance behold God’s glances above your heads and His Kingdom before your faces, that ye may perchance become aware within yourselves and be among those who understand.”

O Nasir! We loved thee before and We love thee now, that thou mayest stand firm in thy love for thy Lord. We have sent thee that which sufficeth as proof for the East and West of the earth, that thou mayest rejoice within thyself and be of them that are gladdened by the glad-tidings of the Spirit. When this Tablet reacheth thee, arise from thy seat, then place it upon thy head, then turn thy face toward My shining, mighty, and self-subsisting countenance and say:

O Lord! Praise be unto Thee for having sent down upon me from the heaven of Thy bounty that which purifieth the worlds. O Lord! Thanks be unto Thee for having shed upon me the lights of the Sun of Thy countenance, by Whose dawning the two worlds were created. O Lord! Praise be unto Thee for Thy wondrous gifts and beauteous bestowals. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Exalted Beauty in this blessed, luminous, Most Glorious Garment to cut me off from every remembrance save Thy remembrance and from every praise save Thy praise. Then inspire me with that which will establish me in Thy good-pleasure and prevent me from turning toward the worlds.

O Lord! I am he who hath been neglectful in Thy Cause. Grant me, by the sovereignty of Thy grace, and leave me not to myself for less than a moment. O Lord! Drive me not from the gate of Thy mighty oneness and the courtyard of Thy holy unity. Then send down upon me that which is beloved by Thee, for Thou art powerful over what Thou willest, and Thou art the Mighty, the Generous. O Lord! Send upon me the breezes of forgiveness from the direction of Thy Most Glorious Name, then raise me unto the pole of paradise, the seat of Thy Name, the All-Merciful, the Compassionate. Then forgive me and my father and her who bore me, by Thy grace and mercy, for Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful. O Lord! Ordain for me what Thou chooseth for myself, then send down upon me from the heaven of Thy bounty from the wonders of Thy generosity and favor. Then fulfill my needs from Thy presence, for Thou art the best fulfiller, the best judge, and the best ordainer, and Thou art the Ancient Bestower.

Whereupon, gird up thy loins to serve God and His Cause, and aid it with whatsoever thou art able. Neither deny within thyself, nor withhold the words of God from the eyes of the servants. Rather, spread them before the believers. Beware lest the name of anyone or the customs of any soul prevent thee. Convey the Cause of thy Lord to those who are there, and tarry not in what thou art commanded. Be thou steadfast in this wondrous Cause. First counsel thyself, then counsel others. This is what We have ordained for Our sincere servants. Be thou so firm in thy love for thy Lord that nothing shall cause thee to slip from His path. This is of My bounty unto thee and unto My beneficent servants.

Know thou that there will come before thee one who would prevent thee from the love of God. When thou perceivest from him the odors of hatred for the Beauty of Glory, be assured that he is Satan himself, even if he be among the most exalted of men. Then shun him and seek refuge in My Name, the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the All-Wise, the All-Knowing. Thus have We informed thee of the hidden tidings that thou mayest become aware of that which is concealed from the eyes of all creation. O Nasir! Avoid such as these, then flee from them to the shadow of thy Lord’s protection and be in mighty safekeeping. Know thou that the very breath of such people hath an effect like unto the effect of a serpent’s breath, if thou be of them that understand. Thus have We inspired thee and taught thee that which was hidden from thee, that thou mayest become aware of God’s purpose and be illumined with clear vision.

Cleanse thy hands from clinging to aught else but God or pointing to any besides Him. Thus doth the Ancient Pen command thee, if thou be of them that hearken. Say: O people of the Bayan! By God, the Truth, there shall come upon you the thunderbolts of the Day of Wrath, then the earthquakes of grievous days, then the blowing of a devastating wind, and there shall come unto you the Embodiment of Fire with a Book wherein is a refutation against God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Powerful. We have ordained for every believer that, should he become aware of this and find it within his power, he should take up the Pen of Might in the name of his Lord, the All-Powerful, the Almighty, and write in refutation of him who hath denied God. Thus doth thy Lord requite the idolaters.

By God, the Truth, We took dust and kneaded it with the waters of the Cause, and We formed from it a mortal and adorned him with the shirt of names among the worlds. But when We raised his mention and made his name renowned among the concourse of names, he then arose in opposition and warred against My Self, the Supreme, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, and pronounced sentence of death against Him through Whose remembrance the heavens and earth were created. When We found him in such a state, We concealed it within Ourselves and departed from among these people and sat alone in the house, trusting in God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Ancient. Thus have We detailed the matter unto thee that thou mayest become aware of that which is hidden and be illumined with clear vision.

Purify thy sight from such as these, then turn thy gaze to the Most Great Scene, the seat of the Throne, the dawning-place of thy Lord’s beauty, the Mighty, the Inaccessible, that He may protect thee from the arrows of allusions and make thee eloquent in His praise among the worlds. Arise then to remember God and His Cause, and remind those who have believed in God Who created them and fashioned them. Then impart unto them what We have imparted unto thee in this Tablet, that they may be among them that remember. And likewise unto those of thy household who have believed in God and His signs, whether female or male, whether young or old. And praise be to My Self, the Supreme, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Ancient. By God, this word at the end of the utterance is God’s sword against the idolaters and His mercy unto them that believe in His unity.

It was mentioned that you would always send a gift with your letter to the sacred threshold, and now due to apparent lack of means you have been deprived of this bounty. Never be saddened by this and do not grieve. By God, the Truth, your love for Me is better than the treasures of the heavens and earth if you remain firm in it. Thus has the Command been sent down from the heaven of wondrous glory. Do not sorrow over this, for all good is in His hands. He will soon enrich you through His grace when He wishes and wills. Verily no matter exists except after His leave. His is the creation and the command. He ordains what He pleases, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And verily if your love is purified from the allusions [of this world], God will make it an imperishable treasure, a garment that will not wear out, stores that will not be concealed, a glory that will not be veiled, and an honor that will not be obscured. Thus has the Tongue of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, moved so that you may find tranquility in your soul, rejoice in your being, and be among the patient and the trusting ones.

BH01394: Lawh-i-Quds 1 (Lawh-i-A’rabi)

This is the Holy Tablet revealed for the Arabs who dwelt in the City and believed in God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent.

He is the Almighty

O ye My Arab friends, and My loved ones, My chosen ones, My hosts and My manifestations. Hearken to My call if ye art amongst them who possess a hearing ear. Have ye forgotten the Dove of the Cause that took flight from your midst and ascended to the Lord, the Almighty, the Beneficent? Have ye forgotten the Nightingale that was amongst you and proclaimed unto you the verses of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise? Art ye shut out as by a veil from this Dove that hath fallen under the clutches of the infidels?

By the righteousness of God! The tribulations We have sustained are such that no tongue can adequately recount, and have caused the tears of them who have near access to God to flow from their eyes. Thus did the Bird of Revelation cease Its mention of Sheba and the countenance of the holy ones were reddened with blood. By God! The Nightingale of Paradise hath shut Its eyes from beholding the beauty of the rose inasmuch as sorrows have befallen this gracious and sublime Beauty, and rivers were denied reunion with the ocean inasmuch as joy hath left this resplendent and luminous Sun.

O ye My loved ones! Forget not to attain My presence during My days, and deny not My loving kindness towards you, neither forget my mercy upon you and be not of the heedless. By the righteousness of God! The path of God, nay the path of all His messengers, was returned in the person of Husayn, and He then arrived at this far and remote prison. And when ye gather in your houses in days of celebration, remember Our sufferings and that which befell Us at the hands of the hosts of the evil ones. And when ye visit your gardens during springtime, ponder My woes and My anguish and be of them that reflect.

Remember then that We were amidst you for some years and you did not recognize Me inasmuch as We had veiled Our Face from you and from all creation. Thus wert ye deprived from recognizing God and His Beauty, His testimony and His glory and His proofs and His signs and His Servant, if ye but know it. Say: the Ancient Beauty was amongst you, adorned in the beauty of the Lord, the Almighty, the Supreme, the All-Wise, and the King of all creation appeared in the raiment of His subjects and you did not perceive it. And when all came to pass and the promise was fulfilled, He appeared from the dayspring of the Divine Essence with great sovereignty.

And you, O loved ones of God and His hosts, strive earnestly towards God and His Beauty and when you hear His verses, render thanks unto the Lord, your Creator, that He hath enabled you to recognize Him when you were oblivious of Him. Bow down your faces and your hearts before God and be thankful to Him for this ancient mercy bestowed upon you.

Take heed. Dispute not in the Cause of God and cast not away the ordinances of God which have been revealed in the Bayan from the Almighty, the Generous One. Gather in love and reconcile the discords that arise amongst you. Be as one soul seated upon the exalted seat of truth. Beware lest ye transgress and overstep the bounds which the Almighty hath fixed and be counted amongst the mischief-makers. If there are poor amidst you, expend on him from that which God hath bestowed upon you and deprive not others from that which you possess. And if you find a suffering soul, treat him with mercy and befriend him with forbearance, and if you encounter a soul of weak faith, remonstrate him not and exhort him with kindness and with a sweet and gentle tongue so that he may recognize the Faith of God in his inmost heart and comprehend that which he was bidden by the All-knowing, the All-Wise.

Take heed that ye create not discord and dissention with one another, and that no soul harmeth another soul, and none acteth treacherously towards others, and no friend slandereth his friend, and no believer denieth the rights of his brother in faith. Fear ye God in all that We revealed unto ye and be among the righteous. Beware lest ye deprive your relatives, or the poor and needy from the excess of your possessions. This is my council unto ye and the command of God for and upon ye, if ye but perceive it.

Thus do We announce unto you from the signs of the unity of God and from that which you were bidden so that you may declare the Oneness of God, your Creator, with your inner and outer tongues in such wise that His signs appear in all your limbs and you may be counted among them who acknowledge His Unity. He is verily, the One to whom return your beings, your hearts, your souls, your bodies, all that you possess and all that you owe. He is the one unto Whom must return all that are in the heavens and on earth, if ye but know it.

My joy and blessings rest upon all, whether young or old, O ye concourse of my loved ones. Convey Our greetings to your spouses and your offspring. This verily is my command unto you; follow it then so that you may be among them who are guided aright.