Volume 036: Late Edirne (September 1867 – August 1868) (6 of 7)

BH01761: Suriy-i-Zuhur

He is God, the Most Luminous, the Most Glorious

These are the verses of the Book which have been sent down in the most melodious tones, and they in themselves shall be a proof unto all who dwell in the heavens and on earth. Through them hath been created the kingdom of names and attributes, and for each letter thereof hath been ordained a tongue that speaketh between earth and heaven that this is verily the Beloved amidst the Concourse on High, and the Desired One amidst the company of creation, and the Hidden One concealed in the essence of Glory in the most wondrous heights. Whoso hath known his Lord and believed in Him hath attained unto the knowledge and presence of God, and whoso hath denied Him hath descended to the lowest depths. Say: The path of justice hath been established, and none shall pass thereon save they who have ascended to the ultimate goal, while the idolaters on that Day shall be in the abyss of wrath, wailing in the nethermost depths.

Say: The heaven of names hath been rent asunder by the clouds of destiny, and from its horizon hath shone forth the Sun of eternity in the form of glory, illumining with such brilliance as no veils can obscure. O people! By the True God! The Beauty of the All-Merciful calleth out from the Sacred Kingdom unto the company of the Bayan in the most wondrous melodies, saying: O people! Do ye deny My Beauty after I have changed My garment and come unto you from the treasury of the unseen with the most perfect words? O people! It is as though I had never departed from among you, but rather journeyed for days and returned unto you with My Beauty, whose sovereignty every atom doth testify, yet ye knew Me not and denied My Cause, though by it were ye and all contingent beings created. Thereby it hath become evident that in Our former Manifestation ye knew not My Beauty, but only My garment and My robe amidst the earth and heaven. Had ye known My former Beauty, ye would have recognized it in this latter Manifestation when I revealed Myself from behind the veils.

Open your eyes, then know your Lord, the All-Merciful, by His bountiful Self, and abandon names and their kingdom, for they are but garments of Our Cause which We change as We please, and We are in truth the Sovereign Who sendeth down from the heaven of grace wondrous verses. O people! Fear God and render not your works vain through the promptings of your selves and your desires. Fear the Day whereon all who dwell in the earth and heaven shall be sorely shaken. Doth it befit anyone to seek illumination from a lamp, however brilliant it may be in itself, after the rising of the Sun? Nay, by Him in Whose grasp is the reins of all things! Follow, O people, the Manifestation of God’s Self, then detach yourselves from those who have denied God and rejected His signs and were among such as followed their lusts.

Say: The Ancient Beauty hath appeared and taken His seat upon the throne, and round about Him circle the dwellers of the heaven of eternity and the realities of pre-existence. Say: All names stand at the entrance of this Paradise that the breezes of the spirit might waft over them from the direction of immortality. O people! Do ye doubt God, the Creator of the heavens and earth and all that lieth between them? Do ye deny Him in Whom ye believed on the Day when the heavens were cloven asunder, and the earth was rent, and the suckling babes were separated from their mothers? And thou, O servant, keep thyself aloof from those who have denied God and His sovereignty after conclusive proofs have been sent down unto them.

Arise to promote the Cause with an authority from Us and a steadfastness from Our presence, and fear not those who have strayed from the path of the Cause and were among the people of the veils. Leave all contingent things behind thee, then ascend by the power of faith unto the paradise of the All-Merciful, that thou mayest hear the call of the All-Glorious from the fire kindled in the Tree. Thus doth the Spirit teach thee at a time when He is encompassed by the wolves of misbelief from every side.

Leave the contingent world behind thee, and ascend through the power of faith unto the paradise of the All-Merciful, that thou mayest hear the call of the All-Glorious from the Fire kindled in the sacred Tree. Thus doth the Spirit teach thee at a time when the wolves of misbelief have surrounded Him from all sides. And the Glory be upon thee and upon them who are steadfast in the Cause, and upon those women who have believed in God and are of the devout.

BH00348: Suriy-i-Qada

Section 1: “O Ali, hearken unto the call of God…”

He is the All-Possessing, in His Most Glorious Name

O Ali, hearken unto the call of God, thy Lord, from the right hand of the Throne: “Verily, I am God, there is none other God but Me, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. We have indeed sent Messengers aforetime and dispatched them unto those who were heedless of God’s Cause, that they might guide them to a holy and praiseworthy station. Among the people are those who denied God’s Messengers and believed not in them throughout all ages, who turned away from His countenance and were among those who turned back. And among them were those who believed, then ascended to such a station that they gave up their spirits in their Lord’s path, and were among those who, at all times, would ascend.

How many Messengers delivered unto the people their Lord’s messages, and thereby were afflicted with adversity and tribulation until they were slain in God’s path—the Mighty, the Exalted, the Beloved—and were martyred in such wise that all things, nay, whatsoever hath been and will be, wept for them. The more intense grew their tribulations, the more their yearning increased, to such extent that they found no rest in the abode of security. To this do honored servants bear witness.

The days passed until they culminated in the Sovereign of Days, and the Beauty of Ali appeared in truth from the dawning-place of His hidden Name. He said:

“O people! I have come unto you from the Orient of the Cause with a clear proof and a manifest evidence from God, the Mighty, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. O people! Deny not the signs of God, and be not of those who showed pride before the Ancient Beauty and were among the deniers.”

Thereupon the divines rose up against Him with swords of rejection and hatred, and forbade the people from drawing nigh unto the holy and blessed shore. Each day they seized upon a verse from the Book and a tradition from those who had passed away before, whereby they sought to prove their rejection of God and the Manifestation of His Self. Thus did they corrupt and cause the people to become corrupt, following their own desires. Thus do We recount what they did, that those who believed in those days might become aware thereof, and that it might serve as a reminder to those who are to come.

Until the servants in all lands rejected Him, save a numbered few. When He witnessed the Cause in such state, He counseled those who had believed in Tablets of glory inscribed, saying: “O people! Do not act as did those who associated partners with God, who warred against My Self, who denied My signs and rejected My compelling, mighty, and manifest proof. Should anyone come unto you, be not veiled by the First One, nor by the Mirrors, nor by all that hath been created between the heavens and the earth. Beware lest ye divide the word of God, the Mighty, the Beloved. By God! He is verily My Self, My Glory, My Grandeur, and My Sovereignty, and in the Bayan there is mention of Him and proof of Him, would ye but be certain. O people! Deal not with Him as the followers of the Furqan dealt with My wronged Self.

O people! When ye hear mention of Him while in your prostration or bowing down or circumambulating the House, cease from what ye are doing and hasten unto Him, for on that Day the deeds of creation shall not be accepted save by His leave and the recognition of His exalted, mighty, and praiseworthy Self. By God! All deeds have been fulfilled through the Word that hath flowed from His Self-Subsisting Pen, and We created all things for His sake and gave glad tidings of His appearance in all the Tablets and in a preserved Tablet.” And He delivered unto the servants what He desired until they rose up against Him and slew Him with such injustice that all things wept over Him, and the Holy Spirit wailed and lamented, and the hearts of them who glorify the praise of God whilst circumambulating the Throne, cried out.

How I wish the world and all that is therein had never been created, and that this wrong had never appeared—a wrong by which God lamented upon the throne of grandeur and the garments of forbearance were rent asunder in all that was and will be! Would that I had never been born of my mother, or having been born, had never been suckled, or having been suckled, had never grown to maturity, that I might not have heard what befell His sacred, pure, exalted, mighty and beloved Beauty!

Time passed until the shameful event occurred, when faithless servants calumniated Us, attributed this Cause to My own self, seized Me unjustly and cast Me into prison for four known months. Therein I endured what none can reckon and what defies all reckoning. When the term of imprisonment, as decreed in the preserved tablets of holiness, was fulfilled, they released Me therefrom and banished Me with My family from Our homeland in winter days when the cold was so intense that even severe frost was made to shiver. We suffered what cannot be described in words and what none knoweth save God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the Self-Subsisting. We traversed the way until We reached Iraq and dwelt there for numbered months, finding not a trace of the Cause from any quarter, nor from the city wherein We dwelt. Then did the eye of My inner and outer being weep, and God bears witness to what I say, though the people do not testify.

Whenever I left the house and passed before people’s eyes, they would look upon Me through veil-covered eyes, and would shake their heads disdainfully at My foreign and grief-stricken self. The situation became so dire that the earth grew strait for Me, and We remained in that state for numbered months. In those days We heard no mention of the loved ones and found no trace of love from anyone save in a measured degree. Intoxication had seized all who professed allegiance to the Bayan, and such perturbation overtook them that they hid their faces from friends and foes alike, each soul adopting a veil for his face to protect himself, save a few of Our thankful servants.

By God! We found none to help the Cause of God and His command, and We witnessed the fire of God extinguished in hearts. Then did We arise by Our own self to uplift the Cause, unveiled Our countenance, and shone forth from the horizon of holiness with God’s sovereign might, the Self-Subsisting. We opened wide the door of the House to all in the heavens and earth, and aided the Cause in such wise that none could deny it save every rejected denier, until the banners of the Cause were raised in every land and the fire was kindled in the breasts of those who were detached and among those who were detached. When the fame of the Cause of God spread far and wide, His proof appeared, His evidence shone forth, His signs encompassed all, His word was fulfilled, His sovereignty was exalted, His countenance became radiant—then did two parties rise against Me: a party from among the loved ones and a party from among the wicked ones. How many nights did eyes sleep while My family remained sleepless in fear for My person—all who dwelt in Iraq can testify to this, if you should ask.

The matter reached such a pass that all peoples rose against Me with every stratagem, yet I stood alone against them all and aided God, My Lord, at times with My glance, at times with My tongue, at times with My hand, at times through the breezes of My heart, at times through the hosts of revelation and inspiration, and at times through the very Breath of God, the Almighty, the Most High, the All-Wise, have I been aided. Never did I seek anyone’s help in the path of God, My Lord—to this every soul bears witness, and beyond them the Tongue of God, the True, the Faithful Sovereign. In those days, the souls of the loved ones were so agitated on My account that they would cry out in their homes because of My tribulations at the hands of the idolaters. Then the cries of My family arose constantly from the house. Once the Youth turned toward the Sanctuary with streaming tears and said:

“O handmaidens of God, remain seated in your places, then be patient and endure for the sake of God, the Mighty, the Wondrous!”

On another occasion I turned to the party of God and commanded them to be calm and dignified, and forbade them from becoming agitated—thus were We conducting ourselves.

Section 2: “I Myself never hesitated for a moment…”

I Myself never hesitated for a moment in advancing God’s Cause, nor did I compromise with anyone. I shone forth amidst the enemies with the holy and luminous lights. Among the idolaters, some declared that in those days He would be seized and sent to the Persian king to do with Him as he pleased. Others said He would be slain in that land. Still others said they would soon seize Him with His family and banish them to other lands. Some cried out that they would drown them in the river. Thus did they speak. By God! In those days the dwellers of the Supreme Paradise were bewildered by My circumstances. They all descended from their most exalted seats and stood above My head, gazing upon My majesty and sovereignty, and hearing what emerged from My mouth of God’s words and verses amidst the company of the idolaters.

The Youth walked among the people, openly proclaiming what the Spirit had uttered in His breast, without any veil or barrier, as you have heard and were among those who listened. While I walked among the servants, God’s Kingdom would walk before Me, His Dominion to My right, His Sovereignty to My left, and His Power behind Me. Yet the people were heedless of all this, for their eyes were veiled by thick coverings, save for a few letters who loved My exalted and mighty Self.

By Him Who holds My soul in His hand! Were I to recount what befell Me on the day I left the house alone and proceeded to the presence of the oppressors until I entered upon them with manifest sovereignty, the hearts would be consumed of those who perceive the fragrance of God in what descends from His presence. Therefore have We concealed its mention, restrained the Pen from it, and entrusted it to God’s Will—the Mighty, the All-Knowing—until its appointed time comes and it flows from an omnipotent and ancient Pen. We remained in that state until God raised Me up by His command and aided Me through His own Self, and those who had denied and associated partners with God were brought low and were among the deniers.

One of the ministers appeared before the Throne with numerous letters, mentioned what he mentioned before the Face, and confirmed the decree of departure. We left the city through God’s sovereignty—the Mighty, the Exalted, the Triumphant, the Powerful. The breezes of glory wafted from all directions, the Cause of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate, became renowned, all faces submitted to the Face of God, and all souls were humbled before His sovereignty. Thus were We among the witnesses. When those who, in the innermost secret of their hearts, harbored ill-will against this Youth, observed that no trouble touched Me upon My appearance amongst the inhabitants, they regretted their concealment and veils and rose against Me with a scheme which, by the True God, cannot be compared to the schemes of the first or the last ones. At all times they stung Me like serpents, to which the Tongue of the All-Merciful beareth witness upon the mighty throne. When We observed their condition, We left the matter be, and thus were We afflicted with hardships until We arrived at this remote prison.

After Our arrival in this land, God recorded all that befell Us from those who were created by Our command and whom We had protected from the harm of every stubborn harmful one—until they pronounced the verdict of My death without any proof or clear evidence. The matter reached such a state that I departed from among all the loved ones to extinguish the fire of jealousy in the hearts of the hateful ones. When We left their midst and they found themselves disappointed in what they desired, they rose up with calumnies.

Thus have We related a letter from the story of the Youth, and We have been brief in the mention lest the souls of the readers grow weary. Those endowed with penetrating vision will understand from what We have mentioned in the Tablet that which We have not unveiled to them, for they can extract from allusions the realities of clear declaration, and a mere sign in the utterance from One All-Knowing, All-Wise sufficeth them. Now from the depths of this pit, in this prison, I call out to the sincere loved ones of God, that perchance they may arise to help the Youth and deliver Him from this deep well.

O ʿAli-Qabl-i-Akbar! Take this Tablet and return to the precincts of God, that perchance the people may become aware of what hath befallen this Wronged One at the hands of these oppressors. Victory cometh only from God—He aideth whomsoever He willeth through His sovereignty, and His victory is nigh unto the believers. Blessed art thou, O servant, for having migrated from thy self and traveled unto God, and entered the seat of thy Lord’s throne, the Most High, the All-Wise, and attained the presence of His countenance, and art among those who have won the meeting with God, the Mighty, the Beautiful. God will soon reveal the reward for what thou hast borne in His path, and verily He doth not suffer to be lost the reward of the doers of good, if thou remainest steadfast in the love of God and His Cause, and art among the firmly rooted ones.

If thou findest in any city one who turneth unto God, remind him on My behalf, for My mercy hath encompassed all worlds. Apart from such, leave them to themselves and be thou wary of them; then take up an assured station in the shadow of thy Lord’s protection. When thou arrivest in Kha, present thyself in the presence of Our name Muhammad, then mention to him what thou hast heard and known of the Youth’s tidings with manifest truthfulness. Thus have We commanded thee in truth, that thou mayest be among those who act.

O ʿAli! Associate with people in the spirit of God and His sweet fragrance, then unite with those in whose hearts thou findest the love of God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. Adorn thy tongue with truthfulness, then thy heart with remembrance, then thy hands with trustworthiness, then thy soul with submission, thy face with humility, and thy body with lowliness. Thus do We counsel thee now in truth. Take, then, what thou art commanded from the presence of One Dominant, Powerful. Beware lest thou grieve over anything, and should hardships afflict thee, remember what hath befallen My soul, then be patient and be of the patient ones. God will soon transform the hardship for whomsoever He willeth and send down upon him of His bounty what He desireth, and He is the most powerful of the powerful ones.

And may the mercy that wafteth from the direction of the Throne be upon thee and upon God’s assured servants. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH00367: Suriy-i-Husayn

Section 1: “God testifieth that there is none other God…”

He is the One Manifest through My Manifestation, the Mighty, the Impregnable

God testifieth that there is none other God but I, the Rememberer, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Powerful. And I bear witness that I am God, there is none other God but He, the Rememberer, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Powerful. He, verily, hath testified in the heights of His Being to My Being, the Mighty, the Holy, the Luminous. And I, verily, do now testify in the exaltation of My Being to His Being, the Holy, the Mighty, the Luminous. He, verily, calleth within Himself, by Himself, unto Himself, that this is the Beauty unto which have turned all created things from before the time when there was no before, and unto which shall turn all existing things until an end that none among those who remember can recall.

And I, verily, do call from My Self, unto My Self, by My Self, within My Self, in the heaven of all things and the earth of all things and the air of all things, that He is the One before Whom have bowed the necks of all existing things from a beginning that no beginning hath preceded, and before Whom shall bow the necks of all created things unto an end that no knower, however learned, can comprehend. By God! He doth in this moment declare above My head that this is He through one drop from the ocean of His knowledge all existing things have appeared and all beings have been manifested, and through Him all things have been attracted, and the letter K did hasten until it reached its beloved which was named N, if ye be of them that hear. And then do I declare above His head that this is He through the overflow from the goblet of His holy favors all existing things were raised up and all beings were dispersed, and thus was the matter in that moment when the Ancient Unseen appeared with that Beauty which the most discerning of beholders might perceive.

O Essence of Eternity! Return from that holy air which bloweth within Thy Being unto Thy Being, for the birds of knowledge cannot soar to Thy precincts and the wings of certitude cannot ascend to the heaven of Thy nearness. Descend then and moderate Thy words from the hidden heights above and bring them closer to the lower reaches that perchance the intoxicated ones among the people of the earth might hearken unto Thy melodies and be drawn by Thy verses and taste of Thy bounties and draw nigh unto Thy Beauty, the Mighty, the Wondrous. And in this station wherein He hath been established upon the throne through His manifestation amidst all created things, He testifieth with His tongue and His limbs and every hair of His being that this is He Whom none among created things hath known, Who hath ever dwelt in the unseen of His Being, sanctified above the manifestations of names and attributes, but when He desired to make Himself known to all existing things He manifested Himself through a name among names and named it Ali in the kingdom of creation and between earth and heaven, that perchance the mystics among the eloquent ones might attain unto the holy places and know their Lord, the Most Merciful, in this Paradise which God hath created above all gardens and wherein He hath ordained that which neither the eyes of the believers nor the hearts of the sanctified ones have perceived.

And then do We testify with My tongue and My limbs and every hair of My being that He is the One Who was hidden in the unseen of His Being and treasured in the heights of His glory, Whom the understanding of the eloquent ones hath not understood and the knowledge of the mystics hath not known. All created things are thunderstruck by a single melody from His holy melodies and all existing things are confounded by a single breath from the breaths of His command. And when He desired the manifestation of His sovereignty and the appearance of His majesty unto all who dwell in the kingdom of command and creation and in the dominion of heaven and earth, He then brought forth a name from among names and named it Husayn in the Concourse on high, that perchance the manifestations of creation might ascend unto the station of holiness in this station wherefrom the knowledge of all things is cut off.

O people! This is indeed He Whom ye suspended in the air, and at Whom ye fired bullets, and Whom ye slew with swords. By God, this is His garment, besprinkled with the blood of hatred, at which the dwellers of the pavilions of eternity have covered their faces, and over which the inhabitants of the all-highest Paradise and they that dwell nigh the Ultimate Tree in the most exalted Gardens have raised their lamentations. When He appeared again in another garment, ye rose against Him yet again, and I know not what ye desire, O company of evil ones, or what ye would do to this All-Powerful, All-Chosen Beauty. But by God, We know all that hath befallen Him and shall befall Him, and all is preserved with Us in a Tablet of might and protection.

And then it was heard that I wept and cried out in the air before His head, raising such a cry as caused the ears of all created things, and all who dwell in earth and heaven, to be stunned. And I proclaimed: O people! By God, this is He Who appeared among you by the name of Ali, yet ye denied Him and knew Him not, and ye perpetrated against Him that which none hath ever done to another, nor can any pen record or any ink describe, until He returned unto Us. Then ye claimed belief in His beauty and repose beneath the shade of His recognition, yet when We manifested Him once again and sent Him unto you, ye rose against Him with the arrows of hypocrisy and cast at Him the darts of discord. By God, no tongue can utter what ye have done, nor can any ear bear to hear what ye have wrought. Soon shall We make known to you your deeds, and reveal to you what ye have done, and inform you of what your hands have wrought, O company of the ungodly.

Then He saith: O people! This is indeed Hussein, whom God hath sanctified from every likeness, similitude, peer, equal, allusion and example. This is that Hussein who, were He to breathe upon the atoms of all created things the breaths that move within His Own Self, by His Own Self, for His Own Self, all things would arise and manifest the beauty of Hussein whom ye knew aforetime, and likewise His temple, His glory, His honor, His light and His radiance. Thus do We teach thee from the mysteries that were hidden beneath the veils of infallibility, which none hath known save My All-Knowing, All-Wise, All-Powerful, All-Mighty Self.

Say: By God, this is indeed Hussein—were but a single light from the lights of His glory to appear on the horizons, thou wouldst find naught beside Him in His court, nor could any tree take root in His presence, how much less before the place of His severed head. Thus have We cast upon thee the word of truth, that thou mayest be among those who know. But thou, O Mihdi, sanctify thyself from such allusions, then recite the verses We have sent unto thee. By God, were thou to recite but one verse thereof, it would suffice thee above all the worlds, and thou wouldst find thyself possessed of a power none other among the servants can attain, and thou wouldst recognize within thyself the waves of the ocean of wealth such that were a single drop thereof to be poured upon all created things, it would render them wealthy through the wealth of thy Lord. Thus doth the Pen of Wealth move between the fingers of thy Lord, the Most High.

When the radiant light shines forth from the countenance of thy glorious and most luminous Beloved, thou shalt understand the mysteries of the Cause and be numbered among those who are firmly grounded. We have bestowed upon thee aforetime the brilliant tokens of holiness, the concealed wings of glory, and the foremost pinions of the Cause, that thou mayest soar in that atmosphere wherein all things shall be seen beneath thy shadow. Then We witness that thou standest upon the ground of allusions. Sanctify thyself therefrom, for We have sanctified thee from all things and made thee the manifestation of Our Cause between the heavens and the earth.

Section 2: “Know thou that We have interpreted this verse…”

Know thou that We have interpreted this verse at the time when We were in Iraq according to what was befitting to possibility, and verily We decree all things in a clear Record. And this is for Husayn who heareth the melodies of the Divine Voice from his own ear, and beholdeth the beauty of His Being with his own eye, and perceiveth the fragrances of holiness from His locks, and there is none besides Him in His holy court who might turn unto Him or expound it or be numbered among the interpreters. And verily thou, interpret what thou willest by Our authority and knowledge from Us, and fear no one, and place thy trust in God, thy Lord, the Mighty, the Beautiful. God shall soon open the gate of thy heart to His knowledge if thou remainest steadfast in His Cause, and the allusions of the veiled ones shall not prevent thee, that thou mayest remain steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord and firm in the religion of thy Ancient Master. The decree concerning this Tree hath already been fulfilled—it had no portion in those days, if ye be of them that know.

Although thy Lord God depriveth not anything from anything, yet all that We impart unto you is but one strain of utterance, else We possess other strains whereof were We to voice but one, every lofty and towering mountain would crumble and every possessor of exalted and profound knowledge would be laid low. Yet in these days We turn not Our gaze toward any in the heavens and earth save toward this Most Great Vision that dazzleth the eyes, wherein thou seest people lying prostrate, and beholdest them fallen upon their faces. Thus do We impart unto thee a Word that none can bear save he who hath detached himself wholly from all things and turned with his entire being to My shining and luminous Face.

We have veiled the Tree about which thou didst inquire, that thou mayest witness how a single leaf thereof hath overshadowed all the worlds, and that thou mayest know that the tree of opposition besides it was planted at the place of martyrdom of Husayn’s head, if ye be of them that know. And in every city thereof is a leaf and branch, and thus do We inform thee through grace that thou mayest be of them that know. And in its relation to being opposite the place of martyrdom of the head are signs for them that ask, manifestations for them that are certain, and evidences for them that love. Otherwise, God hath sanctified His court from opposition and acceptance, from remoteness and nearness, from love and hate, and from the knowledge of all things and the certitude of all creatures. And whenever We bid you to knowledge and teach you the ways of nearness, this is from Our grace upon you and upon all the peoples of the world. Therefore, turn thy gaze to the Qayyumu’l-Asma, which We have made one of Our most excellent narratives in the kingdom, that thou mayest be of them that know through what We have taught thee in this mighty Tablet.

He hath said, and His word is the truth: “O Joseph, O Most Great Gate, turn away from this Tree that hath grown up in the Gate upon the earth without truth, and follow ye the decree of your Lord, the All-Merciful, that ye may be numbered among the steadfast.” In this verse are manifest tokens unto them that behold the words of God with their own eyes, but they that see with the eyes of others shall not be numbered among the heedful. Indeed He, exalted be His remembrance, hath announced His Beauty that shall be made manifest thereafter, and named His name with that wherewith His name was named in His first manifestation, saying: “O Joseph, O Gate, turn aside!”

Then reflect upon what God hath intended therein, for therein is concealed that which shall silence the clamor of the falsifiers and the cry of the opposers. When mention was made in the holy precincts of turning aside, there arose such odors of aversion as stayed this Pen from its movement, this Serpent from its manifestation, this Trumpet from its blast, this Remembrance from its mention, this Horn from its mysteries, this Bell from its secrets, this Sun from its shining forth, this Heaven from its ascension, this Tree from its fruits, this Ocean from its waves, this Fire from its blazing, this Water from its flowing, this Air from its subtlety, and this Earth from its expansion. Thus was the matter, and We have mentioned it unto thee that thou mayest be of them that perceive.

O Mihdi! Be not silent within thyself, and forget not the mention of the Calf and the Other, as We informed thee aforetime. This indeed is a bounty from Us unto you, that ye may know the ways of the God-fearing and be assured that all knowledge is within the grasp of thy Lord’s power, and in His dominion revolveth the mystery of the heavens and the earth. Yet most men, wrapped in the veils of their own selves, are among the dead. Free thyself from all things even as thou freest thy body at night from that which thou wearest by day, that thou mayest be able to soar in this atmosphere wherein no sound of the wings of them that are nigh hath been heard, save whom thy Lord, the Most High, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise, willeth. And since We desire not to disappoint thee in what thou hast asked, hearken then unto what this divine Pen conveyeth unto thee, that thou mayest be of them that are steadfast.

Know thou that the Tree which was planted opposite the martyrdom-place of Husayn is the name of Ali which hath been combined with this resplendent, transcendent, mighty and inaccessible Name. And the Maiden that was suspended thereon is indeed the very Remembrance itself, its essence and its reality. Then doth He speak the truth, saying: “Verily I am God, there is none other God but Me. I have ever been the Beloved of the mystics, the Goal of the lovers, and the Ultimate Purpose of them that seek.” This Maiden was born of Baha and warbleth upon the mystic branches of the All-Glorious in this Most Exalted Name, saying, exalted be His remembrance: “By God the Truth! I am verily a Maiden born of Baha in a palace of moist red ruby…” and so forth. Thereby do the mystics recognize that which none else hath known, and drink of this Kawthar which floweth from the right hand of glory and power, and which God hath ordained none to drink save His servants that are detached and them that are sincere.

With this We are content, and thou too be content with that wherewith We are content in mentioning the mysteries. Then be satisfied with what hath been inscribed by the Pen of Glory, and this sufficeth the peoples of the world. Yet We desire that thou shouldst recognize the Proof by His own Self and His manifestation between the heavens and earth, not by aught else, for allusions befit their own people, and the Lord of Names and Attributes cannot be known through them, if ye be of them that know. Therefore turn thy gaze away from all veils and all things, then toward the Perspective of God, the Resplendent, the Mighty, the Bountiful.

In conclusion, beware lest ye interpret the verse concerning the Calf, nor concerning him that is possessed of sinful lust, the suspicious one.

BH00179: This is a letter from this servant to him…

Section 1: “He is God, the Most Mighty, the Most…”

He is God, the Most Mighty, the Most Holy, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious!

This is a letter from this servant to him whom God hath loved and honored with His presence, caused him to hear His melodies, acquainted him with the ways of His Cause, imparted unto him the wonders of His knowledge, and preferred him above many of His servants. He hath assisted him with His confirmation as a mercy and a bounty from His presence. Verily, He is the Ancient Bestower. His are the grace and bounty; He giveth what He willeth to whomsoever He pleaseth. Verily, He is the Munificent, the Forgiving, the Merciful. He exalteth whom He willeth through the sovereignty of His Command and ordaineth for every soul that which is best for him from the treasuries of the heavens and earth, even as He hath ordained for thee, from His wondrous decrees, that which is better for thee than all thou dost witness and behold. Thus hath His mercy been perfected and His favor completed upon thee, that thou mayest be of the thankful ones.

Thy letter was brought into the presence of the Throne, and the fingers of thy Lord, the Forgiving, the Merciful, took hold of it, and the Tongue of God spoke of it. This is a bounty that no other bounty can equal, and this, verily, is a manifest favor. A Tablet hath been sent down from the direction of the Throne which, by thy life, a single letter thereof surpasseth all that was revealed in the time before. Thine own self and being bear witness to this, shouldst thou be honored with its presence and be among those who behold. Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thou hast been mentioned by the Pen of Holiness with decisive and wondrous allusions.

And now I make known unto thee that during thy sojourn in Iraq, while under the shadow of the Tree of the Cause, this servant desired to inform thee of certain matters which were concealed from all people. However, I was continually forbidden from the Most Holy and Glorious Presence. Therefore, many matters remained unspoken and many pearls of mysteries remained unstrung. Although for every person of insight, the manifestations of divine power, the appearances of heavenly might, and the conditions of the sovereignty of the One are and have been sufficient—indeed these outward signs guide every perceiving one to the inner mysteries, thus requiring no intermediary mention or writing—yet this servant, having ever been enkindled with the fire of love for thee and mindful of the rights of unity and fellowship, hath deemed it necessary to make known certain matters purely for the sake of God and out of love for thee.

In brief, it was known that what appeared outwardly among the people was contrary to what was witnessed inwardly in the Cause. This wisdom was observed to exalt the Cause of God and preserve His Own Self, lest the attention of the oppressors be directed to a single place. I swear by my love for thee that in the presence of the Throne none had power to speak, let alone that anyone could make any declaration. This servant remained bewildered for long periods, observing among the people something different, to such an extent that the Ancient Beauty Himself would, in His blessed utterances, indicate another station. Yet inwardly I observed that all were absolute nothingness and utter non-existence in His presence. This matter was also known to thee, that no one except this servant was aware of these affairs, as I was engaged in service to all for fourteen years. Each day added to this servant’s bewilderment until I became aware that from the beginning, the matter was not as it was known among the people. Should I wish to provide the details of this, I would surely need to send a book. God willing, circumstances will arise allowing some matters to be mentioned in person.

Furthermore, I became fully aware of all matters according to their importance and capacity, and was at peace. Whenever I wished to convey certain matters to some of the friends, I was strictly forbidden, for the Ancient Beauty Himself would conceal them, in accordance with God’s wisdom, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. Most of that wisdom is evident, and some remains hidden in His treasured knowledge. Then your honor arrived in Iraq, remained for a time, and departed. Thereafter, at all times tribulations rained down from every direction, such that all people from every sect arose to oppose the Beauty of Divine Unity, to the extent that all the divines of Najaf and Karbila gathered in Kazimayn. The matter reached such a point that some friends from abroad presented themselves in the Sacred Presence and expressed their alarm, saying that the situation had become most grave and countless enemies had appeared, and they knew not what would befall the Blessed Beauty or what His intention was. Then the Ancient Beauty declared:

“Whatever may come to pass, I am ready and eagerly seek it with My soul. I shall take no helper for Myself save God, the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. If they wage war, I am a warrior in God’s path, and if they come with words, I am one who speaks by God’s leave.”

Then He sent word to the governor of the city, saying that if these divines had any words with Him, let them all gather in a place other than the seat of government—let that place be one of the mosques, for this servant has not entered and will not enter the seat of government. Then let the divines ask whatever questions they have and present their objections. If this servant succeeds in answering, then they should not oppose Us; otherwise, they may proceed as they wish, for this servant will have nothing to say. He sent the same message as He had given to Mulla Hasan-i-ʿAmmu, of which your honor is aware. Then God knows what transpired, until the matter resulted in the exile of the Luminary of the horizons from Iraq.

Further incidents transpired during this period of which none but God is aware, though surely some of these have reached your ears. Then one night that concealed brother appeared in the holy presence and submitted: “What is my duty?” From the Most Holy Presence came the response: “Whatever you choose and prefer is good.” He submitted: “After your departure, my remaining here would be most difficult, as the enemies would undoubtedly arise to harm this servant.” Then He said: “If you wish to emigrate with us, I will inform the governor of the land, for I have already mentioned that two other brothers are with me in this migration. Now we shall simply tell him that three brothers are accompanying, and in this statement no harm whatsoever is evident.” Then he submitted: “It is being said that they will take you to Persia en route, and perhaps they have some deception planned along the way.” The Ancient Beauty stated: “This is what I deem advisable; otherwise, do as you yourself prefer.”

Howbeit, after my brother had set before him the utmost circumspection, he represented that he would depart in advance with the caravan unto Samsun, there to observe what might come to pass; and, should no harm befall him, he would thereafter rejoin. Thus did he, before the departure of the Ancient Beauty, set forth with the caravan and journey toward Constantinople. And after the lapse of a few days more, the Ancient Beauty, in such wise, made His migration from the City of God that the tongue is powerless to recount it. Assuredly thou hast already heard the full account thereof.

By Him besides Whom there is none other God! At all times, whensoever, amidst the concourse of His servants, He manifested sovereign majesty, revealed resplendent power, and entered a city, the honored ones of that place hastened forth to meet Him; and at His departure they arose to attend Him on His way. In every city the divines of the land were present; and then were uttered those learned discourses which, from the tongue of Oneness, flowed down and descended even as an outpoured rain. Would that thou hadst been present, that thou mightest have witnessed how the all-encompassing knowledge, the power, the utterance, the manifold attributes and prerogatives streamed forth, manifest and shining, from the Source of the Cause of Oneness. None denieth this save every stubborn and contumacious denier. He appeared in such wise that all peoples, of divers nations, became assured of the greatness of the Cause and confessed His power. Yet the details of these matters are many.

In brief, I submit that along the way that veiled brother tarried until he reached the Ancient Beauty. Later, when it was observed that there was no harm whatsoever and perfect honor was evident, he presented himself before the Throne and submitted that since no incident had occurred, it would be good for him to join the hosts of God. The Ancient Beauty said, “I must tell these escorts that this is my brother, so they may show proper respect.” He replied, “No, let us wait until we reach Istanbul to see what transpires there and how they behave, for perhaps they harbor some design in that city to cause harm.”

In any case, he remained among the people of God until the Beauty of God descended in the renowned city, where He stayed for four months, completing God’s appointed time. In that famous city too, this Cause became so well known that all showed complete submission and acknowledgment. You have surely heard that in that city He granted audience to no one and made no pronouncements, and whenever anyone did meet Him, the Ancient Beauty did not return visits to their homes.

When the sweet breezes of glory and assurance wafted from the direction of the All-Merciful and the exaltation of the Cause became evident like the sun in the midst of heaven, the fire of envy and hatred was kindled in the hearts of the deceivers, and the concealed souls, now assured, emerged from behind their veils. They secretly conspired with some of the emigrants to bring disgrace upon the Cause of God, and every day they devised new schemes, hoping to create discord among the emigrants that would cause the Cause of God to be humiliated.

Then we arrived in this land—God knows what befell His Beauty here. After staying some known months in this land, that renowned Sayed (whom you know about), who had left Iraq and traveled through all lands, returned and submitted a petition to the Most Holy Court, expressing repentance and contrition beyond measure. From the Source of Command was revealed an exalted decree: “Verily, I am the Forgiver of whoever repents.” Later he presented himself and was shown the utmost kindness, until the time of emigration arrived. The aforementioned Sayed made one of the branches of the Blessed Tree an intermediary to submit to the Source of Command his request for permission to join God’s people in this great migration. After permission was granted from the Seat of Glory, he emigrated until he entered this land with the hosts of God, and his circumstances have ever been known in the Presence from Whose knowledge nothing escapeth.

However, inasmuch as the Name of the Concealer hath ever been the object of regard, He showed forbearance toward him. But when he observed that this abode was the seat of the Most Great Prison and that departure therefrom was not possible, he secretly allied himself with certain of the foreigners of this city and instilled some of the satanic promptings into the hearts of the people, and manifested his repudiation of the Truth. And when his inner infidelity became evident and his hidden secrets were made manifest, he was expelled and banished from the Most Great Abode, and it is now over a year since he hath been cast out. And on the way, several times words passed between him and his concealed brother, whereupon both appeared before the Ancient Beauty with their complaints.

Section 2: “In any case, this account concerneth that Siyyid…”

In any case, this account concerneth that Siyyid who, having become rejected of both parties, departed. And afterward his concealed brother would daily drop some hint in secret, until he arose to such a station that he would hold covert conversations with one Ustad Muhammad-ʿAli by name, who was one of the attendants and for a time served in the bath of the sanctuary. But the aforementioned person paid no heed and suspected not what his purpose might be. After he had been talking with the aforementioned person for some time about cutting down the divine Tree, he became convinced he had deceived him, until one day he openly mentioned it and even specified the location in the bath.

When the aforementioned person learned of the intention and it became clear, his limbs began to tremble, but he remained silent. The brother, thinking he had accomplished his aim, returned to his home and sent a robe of honor for the aforementioned person. After leaving the bath, the aforementioned person, with lamentation, weeping and agitation, disclosed the details among the emigrants. As soon as he mentioned it, a great outcry arose from all, and the people of the sacred household also became aware and all began to wail. I swear by the Ancient Beauty that such weeping and lamentation arose as cannot be imagined, until it reached the blessed ears of the Most Exalted One. Then He came out and observed that this matter would become known in this land and cause universal corruption. He commanded all to be patient and said that since the brother had seen that during this time whatever was mentioned was in his name and the Cause had been greatly exalted, he had intended this deed out of love for his own leadership. Therefore it was advisable that “this servant should entirely withdraw from you all.”

Then the emigrants demonstrated such anguish and distress that for some time the Ancient Beauty delayed the migration, until finally on Friday the 22nd of Shawwal at noon, the Ancient Beauty, alone and solitary, moved to another house and took no one with Him, even freeing the maidservants of the sacred household and departing. The doors of exit and entry were closed to all people. God is Most Great! What distress and calamity arose on that day! When the aforementioned brother realized this heinous matter had become known, he fell to devising a new plot to conceal this momentous affair. Meanwhile, that one rejected by both sides, finding the field empty, went and joined with the brother out of hatred for God, and they set about trying by whatever means possible to cause harm.

After two months had elapsed, during which time no one was permitted to enter the House of God, and no word was heard from anyone in the presence of the Throne, until one day it became known that one of the companions named Haji Ibrahim had come to one of the friends and mentioned that the aforementioned Siyyid had seen him and discussed certain matters with him. I initially assumed that he had repented of his corruption and now desired to return to God. I listened to what he said until I detected the odor of hatred from him, and he mentioned to me that I should go to Persia and spread certain fabricated calumnies against the Ancient Beauty. When I heard these words, I became greatly disturbed and perplexed at how such a matter could be confused.

I remained silent and went along with it until he and his brother gave me a sum of money and many letters, saying that I should take these to Qazvin, Tehran, Ardistan and Iraq to spread them, and that I would be given money, robes of honor and respect. I was bewildered that these two who had previously spoken ill of each other had now united and become friends. They gave me the writings, and the Siyyid gave me a book saying “I have written this book—you must go and distribute my book.” When I received the money and letters and prepared to depart, I found myself between paradise and hell, and I realized that everything they had told me was false and undoubtedly whatever was in these letters would be calumnies. Therefore, seeking assistance from Truth, I returned from the fire to paradise.

What more can I say about the book written by the aforementioned Siyyid against God? By God besides Whom there is no other God, apart from a few prayers which he had plagiarized from the prayers of the Bab, the rest of it—if I say they appeared as the words of beasts, by God this would wrong the beasts, and if I compare it to the braying of donkeys, I would be slandering that animal. What can I say about what proofs he brought and what evidence he mentioned? I swear by the Beauty of the Beloved that any child with insight would see that all of it was written against himself and proves the Cause of God, yet they remain unaware and their words reveal their stature and station.

Any person of understanding would be ashamed of such words flowing from the pen of liars. Now observe how the Cause of God has reached such a station that one like this rejected evil one writes a book against His Beauty—exactly the same objections that all peoples have made against all the Messengers, and that the people of the Furqan made against the Divine Beauty, they have mentioned and used as evidence—nay, even more worthless. In any case, his station is evident from his book, despite how much effort they made and wrote with each other’s assistance, and in all their writings they attributed their own deeds to the Ancient Beauty, and perhaps they will send it there for you to observe.

Furthermore, among the non-Arabs in this land many things have been said and all have been attributed to the Truth, while it is clear and evident to all that the Ancient Beauty associates with no one. And if anyone has attained the presence of God, the utterances are different and the mentions are different, sanctified above all these levels it has been and will be. Although during this time no one has attained His presence and He has not associated with anyone. All matters are due to their finding people lacking in understanding. Thus it has been sent down from the Throne that any of God’s chosen ones who attains His presence should take up the pen, relying upon God and detached from all else, and write in refutation of him who hath denied God, whatsoever the Holy Spirit may inspire in him at that moment, and verily all spirits shall assist him. This is of the binding decree of the Lord of all worlds.

Know ye that they have no other intention than to lead people back to their original position. Just like the blind ones of the Qur’an, they wish to veil souls with all manner of personal limitations and keep them from the sanctified vista of the All-Merciful, that perchance their authority might be firmly established. Would that I could meet with you and mention these hidden mysteries, that ye might become aware of the greatness of the Cause and the deceit in the hearts of the idolaters. Although, praise be to God, ye have inhaled a breath from the eternal, holy fragrances, and from a drop ye perceive the secrets of the limitless oceans, and from a letter ye comprehend the comprehensive mysteries of the Books. In this case, surely what hath been sent down from the realm of the Throne and what ye have heard will suffice, and ye shall become aware of all things. God willing, ye shall grasp the reins of the Cause with perfect strength and power, lest any weakness appear from the idolatrous souls, and at all times ye shall remind the people with wondrous mentions of the Lord of all worlds.

Furthermore, some Tablets have been sent down from the Most Holy Court. Some are being sent at this time and some will be sent next week. Peruse them all and deliver them. We hope, God willing, that ye shall arise with such arising that all who are in the heavens and earth shall arise to promote the Cause of God, and that ye shall appear with such utterance as shall guide all to the Source of the exposition of the wisdom of the All-Glorious.

Furthermore, this servant has made a copy of the blessed Surih of the Temple which was newly revealed and sent it, but due to extreme haste I was unable to complete it. What was possible has been sent. God willing it will reach you, and we hope, God willing, that we may send whatsoever hath been revealed in this land, although outwardly this is very difficult, for in this very city alone the equivalent of a hundred thousand verses have been revealed, some of which remain hidden from all eyes and have not yet been copied from the original divine text, and permission hath not been granted. I know not whether it will be possible for these to appear, or whether, like most of the divine verses that were cast into the river in Iraq, the same decree will be issued regarding these newly-revealed verses.

From the Source of the Cause hath been sent down that in this day the people of the Bayan are seen to be the most veiled of all peoples and the most heedless of all nations, save him whose hand hath been grasped by the hand of the All-Merciful, who hath been delivered from the depths of self and passion, and who hath attained unto the shores of sanctity resplendent. By God! Such a one is more honored in the sight of God than all that hath been created between the heavens and the earth. This is a revelation from One Who is All-Wise, All-Knowing. This Day is the Day for the promotion of the Cause of God, and promotion hath been ordained to be through speech. Therefore must your honor, at all times, through wondrous divine wisdom, deliver the people from the shadow of idle fancies and vain imaginings and draw them to the shores of the glory of certitude.

The Spirit, and glory, and exaltation, and splendor be upon you and upon those who have entered beneath the shadow of their Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High, and have recognized Him through His Other Garment, through His Name, the All-Glorious, the Most Glorious.

The servant of God and His bondsman, Aqa Jan

BH01771: Glorified be He Who hath revealed His Own Self…

Glorified be He Who hath revealed His Own Self unto His Own Self, and Who, in the heights of His transcendent unity, is sanctified above the knowledge of His creatures….

If ye be wanderers in the desert of proof, sharpen your sight. Hearken unto the melodious utterances which have descended from the Divine Lote-Tree in this wondrous Revelation. For the love of God and purely for His good-pleasure, this evanescent servant presenteth some of that which the Point of the Bayan, may His mention be glorified, hath revealed in His enlightening utterances, that perchance some may journey from the abode of heedless veils to the holy city of the All-Possessing.

Among other things, He saith in one of His books: “O ye who gaze upon these Leaves which shine forth from the Tree of Sinai, which have descended in the pages of this Book! Fear ye God and be silent. Draw not nigh when the Trump is sounded, and darkness is illumined, and the sun setteth in the horizon of Manifestation. Beware, beware when the Cock croweth in the realm of eternity, and the birds sing in the atmosphere of heaven, and the Peacock crieth at the rising-place of Cancer. Then shall the Dove warble with praise, and the day shall be made bright with light, and the dawn shall break forth with brilliant whiteness, and the crimson light shall be established upon the throne. Beware, beware when the sign is spread from the Sun of Baha, and the indication appeareth from the decree of destiny, and the mirror reflecteth in the faces of the verses with origination. At that moment shall the Point disappear from the zone of praise upon the Mount of Glory with crimson light. Then shall I be gathered before God and say: ʿGod is sufficient unto me. There is no God but Him.’ And for this let the strivers strive.”…

In another letter addressed to that august personage—may the peace of God, the Sovereign, the Most Bountiful, rest upon him—He declareth: “And this is that whereunto We have answered thee aforetime: that, ere the dawning of the Primal Point within the wombs of contingent being—ere the nine…(and) before the time when it behoveth that two mirrors be made to reflect back from God, from the first of origination until that hour—none was born, after the passing of six months, save John the Prophet and Husayn son of ʿAli.” Thus hath God made thee acquainted with the one, and hath caused thee to enquire concerning the other—until He saith (and here the passage reacheth this point): “And I bear witness that, in the inward, naught is seen but the outward; and in the outward, naught is seen save in the inward. Yea, verily, the Name of God, the Last, hath shone forth and glittered, and flashed and beamed; naught is beheld therein save God, and naught is rendered unto it but what God loveth for His own Self…”

Now ponder ye upon this aforementioned passage, that the divine intent may be apprehended. Who, then, is intended by the “Name, the Last,” whereof He saith, “verily it is Husayn son of Ali”? Even as the Source of His own knowledge declareth in the missive of the Letter Jim, addressed unto the people of Kaf: “Art thou not the son of Ali in truth? Hast thou not been named Husayn in the Kingdom of God, the Help in Peril, the Exalted, the Almighty?”

BH04846: This is a Book from Baha unto him who…

He is the One seated upon the Throne of Divine Unity

This is a Book from Baha unto him who hath desired his Lord in the hereafter and in the former time…

Say: O people, arise from slumber! By God, He Who is from all eternity hath appeared, and round about Him circle the souls of the Prophets and the Divine Lote-Tree. Say: Verily Muhammad’s ascension lasted seventy thousand years until he reached the precincts of this Gate. Woe betide him who hath denied and turned away….

God is able to subdue all things through a single word, just as thou didst witness how, through the power of sovereignty, during Our sojourn in Iraq, We raised up a Cause that all nations and governments had claimed and striven mightily to suppress. The Word of God encompassed all, yet the people of the Bayan have visited upon the Countenance of the All-Merciful that which the Pen is ashamed to recount. The leaders of this group remained hidden behind veils out of fear for themselves. Now that the Sun of certitude hath shone forth and the breezes of might have wafted, all have drawn their swords and lances to encompass the Beauty of the All-Merciful. Such was the gratitude for My favors shown by one whom I had, with utmost mercy and tenderness, protected from winter’s cold and summer’s heat—he arose to slay Me. Such was his thanks: that noble servant who became as Nimrod, seeking to consume the Friend of God. Grieve not, but remind the people with wisdom. Verily thy Lord is with thee at all times, and He hath ever been the Observer of the well-doers….

BH01091: O Kamal, upon thee be the Glory of God!…

O Kamal, upon thee be the Glory of God! He is God, the Most Mighty, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious!

O Kamal! Hearken unto the call of this Beauty Who hath been afflicted at the hands of the idolaters and findeth no helper nor supporter. They seek to slay Him with the swords of hatred, then raise an outcry among themselves that they might cause doubt to enter the hearts of them that have believed and taken the path unto this station.

By God! Such tribulation and hardship have befallen Me as no loving ear can bear to hear with steadfastness. At this the Pen of Command weepeth at My state, and the fingers of holiness at My suffering, and the Ancient Beauty behind the pavilion of sublime glory.

O Kamal! Hear My call and shun them that have disbelieved after having believed, and have denied God’s truth and sovereignty, and have remained far removed from the shore of this bounty. Raise up the pavilion of glory beside this expanse wherein hath been raised God’s tabernacle through this Name that hath shone forth from the horizon of holiness with wondrous sovereignty. Leave the people and what they possess, then turn thy face unto thy Lord. By God! All else are but bondsmen, nay rather they are as nothing, wert thou to know. Save he that hath laid hold on the Most Great Handle and hath detached himself from all the worlds.

O Kamal! This is the day wherein thou must make mention of thy Lord amongst the people and convey to them what We imparted unto thee when thou wert in Our presence and the Sun of Beauty shone upon thee from the horizon of this heaven which hath been, from time immemorial, exalted in God’s name with truth. Know thou that My brother desired to kill Me and shed My blood, but God sent the hosts of the unseen and prevented him from what he purposed. When he witnessed his own powerlessness, he then slandered this Youth, though thou knowest We had taught him, reared him, and protected him through all months and years. By God! We exalted his mention that he might aid his Lord, yet he chose to veil his face in fear for himself. When the breezes of assurance wafted from Our presence, he then arose to plot in such wise as would astound every person of keen insight. Thus did it befall the Youth from him who was created by His word and was raised up by His command, and God is cognizant of all things.

Take thou the pen and write concerning this Cause what God hath cast into thy heart, and verily the Spirit will aid thee at all times. Beware lest thou associate with those in whose hearts thou findest hatred for God and the Manifestation of His Self, and remain under impregnable protection. Grieve not at separation, but rather remind the people of the days of attaining My presence and what thou didst hear from the tongue of God, thy Lord, and what thou didst witness of the wonders of His power and sovereignty, that perchance the people might cast down the idols of their selves and take the path unto Him Who occupieth the throne.

The Glory be upon thee and upon them that are with thee and upon those who remain steadfast in love. Convey Our greetings unto thy wife and give her the glad-tidings of the mercy that hath been sent from God’s direction. And likewise unto thy mother who dwelleth with thee, that she may rejoice within herself. Thus hath the mercy of thy Lord encompassed thee and those with thee, whether female or male.

Then the tongue of God spoke concerning the mention of thy brother whom He named in the Kingdom of Names ʿMahmud’, that it might be a remembrance and honor for him from that day until the Day when God shall come with a wondrous Cause. O Mahmud! Hear what the Tree of Eternity calleth thee from beyond the ocean of grandeur:

“Verily, there is no God but Him, and He Who hath appeared is the Truth through His manifestation and sovereignty and His tidings which were, in all the tablets, supremely great.”

Were We to mention to thee what We have witnessed in the path of God, neither couldst thou bear to hear it, nor could the Pen move to record it—and God is sufficient witness to this. O servant! Forget not My grief and tribulation, and remain steadfast in thy love for thy Lord, for those who disbelieved and associated partners with God have risen in opposition with great deceit and guile. O Mahmud! Deliver the Cause of thy Lord unto those whom thou findest heedless of Him, that perchance they may arise from slumber and remember this Wronged One Who hath fallen into a deep pit, having no helper to help Him nor any supporter to support Him. None bore His throne at that time save His own Self, and none was aware of this save God, with Whom is the knowledge of all things in clear and perspicuous tablets.

Thus have We made mention of thee that thou mayest remember thy Lord at all times and be of those who are remembered in resplendent and glorious tablets. Know then, O Mahmud, that those who cannot distinguish right from left, nor sun from shadow, when they witnessed that the Sun had set behind the veils of imprisonment in this realm which was hidden beyond the veils of the Cause, arose in hypocrisy and opposed this Light that shone forth from the horizon of the universe with a command that encompassed all the worlds. Thou shalt not behold these people except as scattered dust in the air, having neither stability nor permanence. They followed what their souls and desires commanded them, and thereby went astray and led others astray from the path that was straight and true.

Beware that thou turn not unto them nor to what proceedeth from their lying tongues. Turn away entirely from them, then set thy face toward a beauteous countenance. And the glory be upon thee and upon thy spirit and essence and thy family and upon those who have been attracted by the fragrances of the All-Merciful from the direction of this Paradise which was, by the truth in truth, luminous before the face of glory.

BH01339: God hath testified by His Own Self unto His…

He is the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting!

God hath testified by His Own Self unto His Own Self in the glory of His sovereignty that there is none other God but Him, and that ʿAli is His Manifestation and His Concealment, His Invisibility and His Visibility, His Might and His Glory, His Dominion and His Splendor unto all who are in the heavens and on earth. Through Him the Sun hath shone forth from the horizon of glory and the Moon of the Cause hath appeared from this sanctified and luminous heaven. Through Him God’s appointed time hath been fulfilled, His proof perfected, His evidence made manifest, and His countenance hath appeared from behind the veil with clear authority.

Say: By God, the Truth is illumined by Him even as the day is illumined by the sun, if ye be of them that know. The Holy Spirit hath circled round Him, and the Tree hath cried out within His breast that He, verily, is God; there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent. Through Him paradise and hell-fire have appeared for those who draw nigh and those who turn away.

Say: By God, through but one letter from Him the Balance hath been established, the Path laid down, and the Ancient Beauty hath appeared from the City of God, the Most High, the All-Knowing. Through Him the distant one hath been guided to the fountain of nearness, and every sick and ailing one made whole.

Say: He is the Sovereign of kings and the Merciful to the downtrodden. He giveth dominion to whom He willeth and taketh it from whom He willeth, and He, verily, is the Mighty, the Generous.

Say: We have believed in God and in what hath been sent down unto us and what hath been sent down unto His Messengers and His chosen ones, if ye be of them that bear witness, and in what was sent down aforetime unto ʿAli of wondrous and glorious verses. To all this my Pen, my tongue, my outward being and my inward reality bear witness before God, the Lord of the worlds.

Say: O people! Fear God and look not to the world and its ornaments, but look unto this glorious and radiant Scene. Know ye that the world and all that is therein shall perish, and sovereignty shall remain with God, the King, the Mighty, the Peerless, the Beauteous.

O my companion! Bear thou witness to that whereunto God hath testified for His Own Self, and be not of the doubters. Hold fast unto the cord of God and His love, then detach thyself from those who have disbelieved and turned away after the clear proofs came unto them from every near direction.

Know thou that the idolaters desired to change God’s Cause through my imprisonment in this distant land. Say: By God, evil is that which ye have imagined within yourselves. God shall, through this, exalt His Cause and manifest His sovereignty and elevate His power between the heavens and the earth.

Say: Nations like unto you imagined as ye have imagined aforetime, and God cut off their roots with justice and raised up His Cause with truth to such a station that the hands of the idolaters were powerless to reach it. By God, were the idolaters to put Us to death at every moment with a torment unprecedented and unparalleled in all creation, yet would they find Us patient and thankful through God’s might and power. He bestoweth patience upon whomsoever He willeth among His believing servants.

If people would but ponder what hath passed of God’s ways with His near-serving ones, they would recognize the mysteries of the Cause in these days. But they have been veiled therefrom by the misery that hath overcome them in these fleeting days.

Say: O people! Fear God Who created you by His command, and deny not the signs of God when they are sent down unto you with truth, and be not of the idolaters. Say: If ye deny these verses, by what proof did ye establish your faith in Muhammad, the Apostle of God, aforetime, if ye be of the just? Is one who standeth upon clear proof from God like unto one who hath turned away and disbelieved? What aileth you, O company of the remote ones?

Hearken then, O people, unto that wherewith this servant doth remind you. Be not veiled from God, your Creator, and deprive not yourselves of His grace and mercy, and be not of the lost.

Say: God is the Creator of all things, and He, verily, hath power over all things. Say: God is the Provider of all things, and all return unto Him. Say: God is the Helper of all things, and all are directed unto Him. Say: God is the Revealer of all things, and all are looking unto Him. In His hand is the dominion of all things and the empire of creation and command, and He, verily, is wise concerning all things. In His hand are the measures of all things. He ordereth the matter as He pleaseth and sendeth down mercy upon whomsoever He willeth of His creation, and He, verily, doeth what He willeth.

Thus have We cast upon thee in truth from the verses of God, the Mighty, the Peerless, and We have sent unto thee this luminous and pearly Shirt that thou mayest inhale from it the fragrance of love, that thy eyes may be solaced, thy heart gladdened, thy soul assured, and that thou mayest abide in manifest love.

The Spirit, the Light, the Glory and the Splendor be upon thee and upon those who have hearkened unto the call of God from this elevated Tree, the Speaking, the All-Knowing.

BH01391: This is a Book sent down in truth unto…

He is the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious

This is a Book sent down in truth unto one of God’s near-serving servants. Verily it hath been sent down in truth, and it is a revelation from an ancient Revealer. Hearken unto that which is revealed unto thee from the Holy Court, the seat of thy Lord’s mighty throne, that there is no God but Him, and He Who hath appeared in truth is God’s Cause and His Manifestation amongst all created things. Everything proclaimeth that there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Wise.

O servant! Blessed art thou for having attained unto the recognition of God and detached thyself from those who disbelieved and associated partners with Him Who came again with clear sovereignty. Say: O people! I know not toward what countenance ye turn, nor toward what direction ye are among those who turn. Verily He hath appeared with the sovereignty of grandeur and majesty, while ye are occupied with your vain imaginings, O company of transgressors. Ye have clung to your conjectures and turned away from the Beauty of certitude, devoted yourselves to your desires and disbelieved in God, the Lord of all worlds.

Say: Should ye worship God at every spot on earth for seventy thousand years and weep throughout the duration of God’s kingdom, the Mighty, the Beautiful, it shall profit you not except through love for this Youth, upon Whose brow hath been inscribed in crimson gold by the Pen of God, the Most High, that this is the Beloved of the worlds and the Desire of them that have recognized Him.

Say: O people! If ye were to turn with the ear of innate nature unto all things created between the heavens and the earth, ye would hear from them the description of this eternal, everlasting, divine Youth, concerning Whom God hath taken a covenant with Himself in all the Tablets, were ye of them that know. Say: This is He but for Whom the Bayan would not have been revealed, nor would the verses of God, the Mighty King, the All-Knowing, have been sent down.

O My Name! Hearken unto that which issueth from the mouths of the idolaters. They say: “We have believed in God and His verses,” yet when He appeared in truth with a Cause greater than what appeared before, they disbelieved in Him. Say: God’s curse be upon the liars! They recite My verses that were revealed in My previous Manifestation, yet they have disbelieved in My All-Knowing, All-Informed Self, and have clung to that which the followers of religions before them clung. Woe unto them from the punishment of a mighty day!

Be thou assured in thyself and fear no one. Place thy trust in God, thy Lord, and He shall suffice thee against all the worlds. We are aware of what hath befallen thee and We were with thee. What hath been decreed for thee is what hath been decreed for Us, and with thy Lord is the knowledge of the heavens and earth. Grieve not, for thou art with Us in this world and the next. Soon shall We cause thee to journey through realms wherein all on earth shall seek thy shadow. Thus have We distinguished thee and preferred thee above most of Our servants, and this is indeed a great bounty.

Know thou that when this Revelation was established upon the throne of His Most Great Name, the Most Great, this verse was revealed from the heaven of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, addressing the Pen:

“O Pen! Write upon the Tablet and inform the people that the Manifestations have ended with this luminous, resplendent Manifestation. Whosoever claims this most mighty, most great, and most precious station before the completion of a thousand years hath indeed fabricated a lie against God and is of the mischief-makers, for thereby the Cause of God would be corrupted and His command would not be established among His believing servants.”

O My Name! By God! Whosoever possesseth vision and a heart will testify that the eye of time hath never witnessed the like of this Manifestation and shall never witness its like throughout the eternity of thy Lord. Then did the Sun of Mysteries shine forth from the horizon of thy Lord’s Will, and that which was hidden from the sight of the peoples of the worlds and concealed within the treasuries of thy Lord’s protection, the All-Knowing, the Wise, was made manifest.

Rejoice thou in this, then render thanks unto Him. Such gratitude behooveth thee and all things, such praise behooveth thee and all things, such mention behooveth thee and those who have recognized Him. Gather together the loved ones of God and give them the glad-tidings of the Spirit, that they may drink the water of everlasting life from the chalice of thy Lord’s utterance, the Mighty, the Bestower, and be among the thankful ones.

Then forbid them from turning toward this direction, for thereby harm would return to the root of the Cause, except after permission from Us. Thus have We commanded thee that thou mayest command them from One mighty and beautiful. Convey Our greetings unto the faces of those who have believed in God and His verses, both men and women, young and old. We have sent thee Tablets which were revealed in answer to those who opposed God and were among the idolaters. Read them! By God! Therein hath been revealed that which would suffice all the worlds. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

BH06472: This is a Book sent down in truth…

Section 1: “This is a Book sent down in truth…”

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

This is a Book sent down in truth from God, the King, the True, the Manifest. Verily it is a revelation from One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise. Associate not partners with God; worship but one God, Single, Peerless, Alone, the Self-Subsisting, by Whose will was revealed that which lay hidden in the breasts of the idolaters.

Say: O people! By what proof have ye disbelieved in God, the Beloved of the worlds? And by what evidence did ye believe in a previous Manifestation while turning away from Him Who is the Beloved of His Essence and the Purpose of His mystery, O company of the veiled! Say: All things were promised to attain His presence in the Year Nine. Read ye the Bayan that ye may find a way unto Him. O people! He hath appeared with the proofs of the ancients and the Scriptures of those who came after. Were it not for Him, the Dove would not have warbled upon the branches of the Tree of Eternity, nor would the breezes of bounty have wafted over all creation. Fear ye God, then be ashamed before His Beauty, and be not of those who turn aside. If ye believe not, oppose Him not. Leave Him to Himself; the nations of the earth suffice Him, and then the kings and rulers.

Say: O people of the Bayan! The Beloved of all creation hath informed of your tyranny in that which was sent down from the heaven of mighty and exalted glory. He spoke, and His word is the truth:

“O people of the Bayan! After My testament I see you wrapped in a mighty veil. I revealed not the Bayan except for His Self and His remembrance, and My purpose in what I revealed was naught but His radiant and luminous Beauty. Yet ye do unto Him what neither the Jews did unto the Spirit (Christ), nor the people of the Furqan (Muslims) unto My Self, nor Nimrod unto God, the Mighty, the Wise.”

God, the Most High, the Most Great, hath spoken truly, and that which He foretold hath come to pass. With Him is the knowledge of the heavens and earth.

Say: Woe unto you, O heedless ones! By God! Through your cruelty the hearts of the discerning have been shaken, the veil of concealment rent asunder, and the Lord of Lords hath lamented upon His mighty throne. His Beloved now waileth and weepeth, saying: “O people! Have mercy upon Him Who sat beneath the swords of the deniers, against Whom the followers of all religions have risen, conspiring at every moment to slay Him. If ye believed in the Exalted One (the Bab), why do ye wage war against His Beloved with the swords of rejection? If ye show no mercy to Him, then have mercy upon yourselves and be not of the wrongdoers.” Soon shall the angels of chastisement come unto you, and ye shall behold with your own eyes that which ye neglected, and ye shall say: “Would that we had never been born, never been suckled, and never denied Him of Whom we were promised in the Tablets of God, the King, the Mighty, the Generous!”

Thus have We related unto thee from the tales of the Youth, that thou mayest stand firm in His aid, even though We find thee in mighty doubt. Hearken unto My call, then rend asunder the veils of idle fancy through the power of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful. Part the veils of glory that thou mayest behold the Sun of thy Lord’s Beauty rising from the horizon of grandeur with manifest radiance. Shatter the idols of vain imaginings and turn toward the right hand of certainty. Verily, he who whispereth in the breasts of those who believe is in mighty error and hath never comprehended this Cause, and thy Lord is witness to what I say.

Say: O people! Your Lord, the All-Merciful, hath not made this Manifestation dependent upon anything in creation, were ye but to know. He foretold that the chiefs of the Bayan would oppose the Beloved of the worlds, and despite your knowledge of this, ye committed what ye committed. Had this Manifestation been dependent upon anything, ye would not have done what ye did, O ye at whose deeds the angels of the near ones are bewildered!

Verily, thou hearest My word; shun those who have disbelieved and turned away, and turn unto God with a truthful heart. By God, the recognition of anyone profits Me not this day. Verily My Lord is All-Knowing, All-Informed. We call solely for the sake of God, lest anyone should say “Had I known, I would have followed the straight path.” Thus hath counseled the Most Exalted Pen. Whoso heareth, it is for his own sake, and whoso turneth away, it is to his own loss. Verily God is Self-Sufficient, All-Praised. Blessed is he who hath broken the chains of imitation with the strength of unity and turned to God, purified from the allusions of the arrogant ones.

And glory be upon those who have been quickened by the breezes of the Lord of Names and Attributes, and have been turned from the left hand of fancy to the right hand of certitude. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

Hearken to the call of this Prisoner, He Whose deeds bear witness to Him, and Whose truth is attested by all atoms. Purify and sanctify thy heart from all save Him and from all that thou hast heard. Consider the Kitab-i-Badi’ which was written in answer to the objections of the deniers, and likewise the Books of the Bayan and that which was revealed concerning the Names, that the purpose of the revelation of the Book of Names may become evident, and that ye may become aware of the sublimity of God’s Cause and the exaltation of the Pen of the All-Merciful. Give especial consideration to the Persian Bayan, particularly the eighth chapter of the sixth Vahid, that ye may be convinced that today there is no refuge for anyone except entrance into the shore of the Most Great Ocean.

Observe how even caution in this Cause hath been deemed as misbelief and reckoned among the deeds of the people of the fire, though caution in all matters hath been beloved. Since they were aware of the subsequent Manifestation and the opposition of the leaders of the Bayan, they removed even caution and forbade it. Hath any previous Manifestation given such emphatic statements and explicit declarations regarding the subsequent Revelation? Nay, by His very Self, the True One! This was naught but the knowledge of that Source of Knowledge concerning the subsequent Manifestation. Throughout the Bayan it was revealed not to fix your gaze upon the Letters and Mirrors. It is evident that the Letters and Mirrors exist during the days of the Manifestation, and after the ascension of the Primal Will they become concealed. The designation of Letters and Mirrors will never again apply to anyone.

Reflect deeply upon this utterance that ye may drink from the incomparable pure water of exposition and become intoxicated with the Kawthar of “Am I not?” Then emerge from behind the veils of allusions through the power of the Lord of Names and Attributes, and become steadfast in the Cause of God. Today is a Day wherein whatever man forsaketh cannot be retrieved. Throughout the Bayan, this Manifestation was not made conditional upon the permission or acceptance of any soul or any matter whatsoever. Yet there occurred what occurred. Had it been made conditional, what would have transpired? That divine Tree spoke naught except utter effacement in the subsequent Manifestation. Look in the Bayan that thou mayest find a way unto Him.

Section 2: “Specifically, the honored Siyyah is now present…”

Specifically, the honored Siyyah is now present, and he is the one concerning whom the Primal Point—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him—said: “We have made thee a king to proclaim between the hands of the Qa’im.” His epistle is well-known, and resurrection and gathering were revealed in that blessed Tablet. Likewise, in other Tablets, descriptions beyond reckoning concerning his attributes were revealed from the Supreme Pen. In these days he wrote some pages to Siyyid Muhammad, counseling him, and at the end mentioned that although “I know that personal motives have caused thee to turn away from the Truth, as I have associated with thee before and know thee,” and after mentioning investigations he had heard about the irreligiosity of the aforementioned Siyyid, he wrote that in his last journey when he attained the presence of His Holiness the Most Exalted Lord—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him—He gave him the glad tidings of the Most Great Manifestation.

During my final journey, when I attained the presence of His Holiness the Exalted Lord—may our spirits be sacrificed for Him—He gave me the glad tidings of the Most Great Manifestation. This was at a time when all the Letters and Mirrors were known and the creation of Names was complete. After hearing these greatest glad tidings from the lips of the All-Merciful, I became so attracted and enkindled that it defies description. Turning to God, I traveled to every land that perchance I might gain knowledge of that Most Great Luminary and attain His presence. And now, after this Most Great Manifestation, thou hast done what thou hast done. Similarly, they wrote to the honored Azim to search that he might find and attain unto the Most Great Luminary. Likewise, they gave glad tidings to certain Letters that they would attain the presence of God, as all that was revealed is recorded and preserved in the Books. And they say that if they did not appear, it is evident that the Truth did not wish to make Himself known.

Hearken unto the Voice of the Pen of the All-Merciful, by His Own Self, the All-Bountiful, of which none hath been or is aware. Should anyone gaze with the eye of God upon His words, he would surely realize the nature of this Cause. Would that thou hadst been present before Us and heard what none among all creation hath heard! When thou didst see him whose name equateth with the number of Nabil and who was present there, say: Be fair, by God, and utter not that which causeth all that was revealed in the Bayan to lament. Thou hast not seen Him Whom thou hast taken as thy Lord and to Whom thou callest others, nor art thou aware of Him or His deeds. Fear God and be of the God-fearing. At least act according to what the Point of the Bayan hath ordained, for after countless counsels He saith that if ye believe not, at least oppose not.

I marvel greatly at you, for though you have seen Siyyid Muhammad and are aware of his deeds and beliefs, yet there hath appeared from you that which was unseemly. I pour out my grief and sorrow unto God. Now that you fix not your gaze upon the truth and what appeareth from His presence, and have secluded yourself in vain imaginings, at least consider the Persian Bayan that perchance thou mayest recognize and arise and proclaim among the servants that which thy Lord, the Lord of creation, hath commanded thee on the Day when the pavilion of justice was raised and the carpet of grace was spread. Although He saith that none can know that Most Great Luminary unless he beholdeth Him with His own eye, by God, O Muhammad, I speak not from desire, and whenever I am silent the Spirit speaketh within my breast, but the people hear not. Thinkest thou that I desire Myself? Nay, by the Self of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting! Or the world? Nay, by thy Lord, the Most Exalted! Rend asunder the veils with the arm of certitude, then turn toward God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Loving.

And now they have attributed worldliness and written thus to various regions, though by God, besides Whom there is none other God, outward difficulty beyond measure is evident. If you would reflect a little upon those matters they have attributed, you would distinguish truth from falsehood. Consider not that today a few have become certain of this Cause and have turned toward the sanctuary of holiness. Soon you shall see the banners of misbelief and hypocrisy lowered from all directions, for my Beloved hath informed:

“Unless God should will otherwise, and He verily hath power over whatsoever He willeth. None hath any authority except after His leave. He manifesteth whatsoever He willeth, and He, verily, is the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the Unconstrained.”

In brief, compare not this Cause with what was before or shall come after, and be not veiled from its Creator by names. Soon shall the world and whatsoever existeth therein pass away, and the Cause shall remain for the face of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. And peace be upon him who followeth guidance. We have protected thee in many situations, some of which thou rememberest and some thou hast forgotten, and thy Lord knoweth thee better than thou knowest thyself, and with Him is the knowledge of what was and what shall be. Hear My words, rend asunder the veils, then turn thy face toward thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower, and say:

O Lord! I have come to Thee, detached from all save Thee, turning unto the sanctuary of Thy nearness and Thy good-pleasure. I acknowledge Thy unity and confess Thy singleness, submitting to Thy Manifestation which Thou didst promise me in the Books of Thy decree and the Tablets of Thy destiny. O Lord! Make me not of those who act according to what hath been sent down from Thy Most Exalted Pen, yet deny their Lord, the Most High. O Lord! Purify me from the whisperings of those who instill doubts in the hearts of Thy creatures, after Thou hast come with the evidences of Thy sovereignty, the signs of Thy power, the tokens of Thy grandeur, the proofs of Thy lordship, and the attributes of Thy divinity.

O Lord! Deprive me not of what lieth with Thee, nor bar me from the stream which floweth from the right hand of the throne of Thy oneness. Have mercy upon me, O my God, through Thy mercy which hath preceded all created things and through Thy grace which hath encompassed all existence, that I may behold Thee with Thine eye and know Thee through Thine own Self. And if Thou grantest me not this, then enable me to behold Thee with mine own eye, not with the eyes that are clouded by the dust of idle fancies and thereby prevented from witnessing the lights of Thy countenance and beholding the manifestations of Thy glorious oneness. Verily, Thou art the One Who hath power over Thy command and art exalted through Thy might. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Bountiful.

BH00478: Ziyarat-Namiy-i-Maryam

This is the Visitation Prayer that was named after Maryam, who was ignited with the fire of her Lord’s love before being touched by it. We veiled her station during her life, but when she ascended to the Supreme Companion, God removed the veil and made her known to His servants. Whoever wishes to visit the handmaiden who was martyred, let them recite this Visitation Prayer:

In the Name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most High

O Supreme Pen! Joy did not overtake thee in the days of thy Lord, the Most High, that thou mightest warble upon the branches of the Divine Lote-Tree with the melodies of Baha. Rather, thou wert touched by the supreme calamity whereupon the earth and heaven wailed. Then mention what befell thee from the decrees of fate, that tears may flow from those in the depths of the names at this calamity whereby Paradise trembled, the worlds were shaken, the realities of contingent beings were disturbed, and the Eye of Grandeur wept upon the throne of His Name, the All-Merciful.

Say: May the first mercy that descended from the clouds of thy Lord’s will, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, and the first light that shone from the horizon of eternity, and the first peace that appeared from the tongue of grandeur in the Kingdom of divine decree, be upon thee, O Most Great Sign, Most Exalted Word, Luminous Pearl, and Divine Countenance in the heaven of destiny.

How can I mention thy trials, O Crimson Leaf! By God, through thy fall from the Tree of the Cause, the leaves of the Divine Lote-Tree fell, the branches of the Tree of Eternity were broken, the boughs of the Tree of Blessedness dried up, the hearts of the near ones bled, the faces of the chosen ones turned pale, and the hearts of the pious in the Highest Paradise became entangled. The Faithful Spirit lamented in the presence of the All-Glorious, and the dwellers of earth and heaven cried out.

Thou wert the beauty mark of guidance on the countenance of handmaidens, and the brilliant star on the brow of piety. Through thee the clouds of idle fancies were rent asunder from the face of women, and through thee their temples were adorned with the ornament of the remembrance of the Lord of earth and heaven.

Thou art she who, upon hearing God’s call, tarried not for an instant but hastened unto Him, detached from all else. Thou didst believe in Him and His mighty signs, and recognized the Manifestation of His Self in His days, after those in the heavens and earth were terrified, save those whom the hand of thy Lord’s will, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, had upheld, and whom He had delivered from the depths of self and passion.

Thou wert a stranger in thine own land, a captive in thine own house, distant from the holy court despite thy longing, and barred from the seat of nearness despite thy yearning and thy turning unto Him. Thou art she whom the winds of thy Lord the All-Merciful’s will moved as He pleased and desired, and thou hadst no motion nor rest save by His command and leave. Blessed art thou for having made thy will extinct in the will of thy Lord and thy desire nonexistent in what thy Master desired.

Thou art she whom neither the hints of the hypocrites deterred from the Luminary of the horizons, nor the turning away of the covenant-breakers from the Lord of the Day of Meeting. Thou didst fulfill the Covenant on a day when eyes were fixed in terror and the wicked dispersed from around the Manifestation of thy Lord, the Chosen One, save a few of the righteous.

Alas, alas! At thy calamity the Pen was prevented from flowing, the breezes of sorrow passed over the dwellers of Paradise, whereby the pillars of the all-embracing Word were sundered, and the forms of the disconnected letters appeared at the beginning of the Surihs of the Book, and thereby minds were fettered in the world of might, and prime matter donned the garment of form in the kingdom of decree.

I swear by Thy glory, O Most Sublime Leaf! It is hard for Me to behold the world and not see Thee, and to hear the cooing of the dove yet not hear Thy melodies raised in praise of Thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious. By God! Through Thy sorrow all things have been saddened, even all that was created in the kingdom of existence, and the Daysprings of the Names have donned garments of black. How can I recall, O Beloved of Baha, those days wherein Thou didst warble upon the twigs with diverse melodies in remembrance of Thy Lord, the All-Merciful? Through Thy songs in praise of Thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower, were raised the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree, the cooing of the Mystic Dove, the flowing of the Water of Life, the whispering of the breezes of Paradise, and the crowing of the Celestial Bird in remembrance of Thy Lord, the Almighty, the Help in Peril.

Thou art the One through Whose praise all existence praised its Lord, the Mighty, the Loving. After Thee the Dove was silenced, the winds stilled, the lamps of prosperity extinguished, and the waters of success frozen. Blind is the eye that saw not in Thy countenance the freshness of the All-Merciful, that wept not for the sorrows that befell Thee, and mute is the tongue that remembereth Thee not among the concourse of creation.

Blessed be those days wherein Thou didst stir upon the Tree and sing upon it the verses of divine unity, whereby was attracted the heart of every humble and submissive soul who sought its Lord with radiant, joyous, and beaming countenance. But alas for those days wherein Thy face was veiled, Thy presence concealed, and Thy meeting forbidden.

O woe, woe unto Thee, O Primal Leaf, Ancient Word, Primordial Essence, Divine Fruit, Celestial Countenance, Heavenly Sign, and Kingdom’s Spirit! Through Thy calamity the seas were stilled of their waves, the trees of their fruits, the verses of their revelation, the words of their meanings, the heaven of its adornment, the earth of its vegetation, the waters of their flow, and the winds of their blowing. Were I to mention Thy tribulations as they truly were, existence would return to nothingness and the Pen of the Most High would cry out in anguish.

I know not which of Thy tribulations to recount before the Concourse on High—shall I mention what befell Thee from Thy loved ones, or what was visited upon Thee by the enemies of God, Lord of the first and last? Thou art the One Who bore in Thy Lord’s path what no other devoted maid hath borne, whereby flowed the tears of the secluded ones in their chambers, and the maidens of Paradise fell prostrate upon the dust and the beauties of the highest Paradise rent their hair.

O Crimson Leaf! By reason of thy calamity the Countenance of Revelation was changed, gladness was transmuted into sorrow, and the pillars of the Most Frequented House were shaken; the outspread Scroll was rolled up. Alas, alas, for thy tribulation! Ere all existence, whether of the unseen or the seen, the sentence of death was pronounced after life, and the Primal Will clothed Itself with the robe of Names and Attributes. And when thy afflictions poured forth upon the Most Great River—hitherto sanctified above all colours—it was parted asunder and became four rivers; diverse hues and contingent limitations compassed it round.

Then, when that grief was cast upon the first Corner-stone of the Word of Piety, the letter of affirmation, for very sorrow, lagged behind, and the letter of negation came forward; and from it there appeared that which consumed the Heart of Baha and the very liver of Baha. And when it was recited before the Primal Point, He cried out, was convulsed, and trembled, until it descended and appeared in the form of letters upon the pages. And when the Point of Knowledge heard it, it lamented and wailed, became divided and scattered, was sundered and dispersed; and there sprang forth therefrom sundry knowledges and manifold manifestations, whereby their mirrors waxed proud before God on a Day whereon every atom bore witness that the sovereignty is God’s, the One, the All-Powerful, the Conquering, the Almighty.

By God! Through that which hath befallen thee at the hands of thine enemies, justice itself was well-nigh forestalled by the bounty of thy Lord, and vengeance by the mercy that hath preceded all created things. Alas, alas, O Word of Baha and martyr in the path of Baha! How many nights I wept upon my couch in longing for the presence of Baha, and how many days I burned with the fire of yearning, seeking reunion with Baha and turning toward the countenance of Baha wherein naught can be seen save God, the Most High, the Most Exalted. Verily, thou didst desire from His face naught save the face of thy Lord, as beareth witness to this the Concourse on High and then the denizens of the immortal realm.

Blind be the eye that perceiveth not in thee the sign of divine unity and the manifestation of oneness. O thou who art mentioned by the tongue of Baha! By God, the feminine gender is ashamed to be attributed to thee, O pride of men! Blessed art thou, O manifestation of beauty! Blessed art thou in that God hath purified thee from eternity from the doubts of the misguided ones and preserved thee from commotion. Verily He is the Mighty, the Exalted, and unto Him returneth the decree of the beginning and the end.

I testify that thou wert a leaf continually stirred by the winds of God’s will, and thou wert not seized by the intimations of the people of hypocrisy who broke the Covenant and denied God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. Blessed is the maidservant who found solace in thee, who heard thy mention, who held fast to the cord of thy love, and who through thee drew nigh unto God, thy Creator and Fashioner. She who tasted not thy love purely for thy Lord’s sake is deprived of the grace wherewith God distinguished thee, and Paradise belongeth to the one who turned toward thee, wept for thee, and visited thee after thy death.

O thou who art concealed within the layers of earth! Verily thy body is a trust from God, the Mighty, the Bestower, in the bosom of the earth, and thy spirit hath ascended to the Most Glorious Horizon and the Supreme Companion. O God, my God! Befriend the one who befriendeth her, oppose the one who opposeth her, aid the one who aideth her, and grant to the one who visiteth her the best of this world and the next, and that which Thou hast ordained for those near unto Thee and for the sincere ones among Thy creatures. Verily Thou art the King of Kings and the Merciful to the servants. Within Thy grasp is the kingdom of earth and heaven. Thou doest what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Lord of the throne and the dust, and the Lord of the last and the first.

Glorified art Thou, O God, my God! I beseech Thee by the Manifestation of Thy Most Exalted Self, and by Thy greatest appearances, and by Thy signs that have encompassed earth and heaven, then by this grave which Thou hast made a receptacle of Thy love and the resting place of a leaf from the leaves of the Tree of Thy Revelation, that Thou wilt not drive me from Thy door nor deprive me of that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones. O my Lord! I beseech Thee by Thyself and by her and by all the Manifestations of Thy names, that Thou wilt not leave me to myself and my desires, nor make me one of those who opposed Thee and turned away from Thee on the Day whereon Thou didst establish Thyself upon the throne of Thy mercy and didst manifest Thyself unto all things through all Thy names.

Therefore, O my God, give me to drink from the spring of Thy knowledge and the fountain of Thy grace, that thereby I may become detached from all else save Thee and turn toward the sanctuary of Thy reunion and Thy presence. Verily Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Exalted, the Mighty, the Bestower.

O Lord! I beseech Thee by the fire which Thou didst kindle in the breast of this Leaf who was stirred by the winds of Thy Will and spoke in praise of Thy Self, to ignite the hearts of Thy servants with the fire of Thy love that they may detach themselves from those who have disbelieved and turn their faces toward Thee. Then send down, O my God, upon me and upon Thy detached servants and steadfast loved ones the good of this world and the world to come. Then forgive us and our fathers and our mothers and our brothers and our sisters and our offspring and our kindred from among those who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and who have acknowledged Thy oneness and confessed Thy singleness and submitted to Thy Cause and spoken in Thy praise.

Verily Thou art He Who hath ever been powerful and will ever remain sovereign. No name preventeth Thee from another name, nor any attribute from another attribute. All names are servants unto Thy Self, and circle around Thee, and are submissive to Thy sovereignty, and are humble before the manifestation of the signs of Thy power, and are lowly before the dawning rays of the lights of Thy countenance. Verily Thou hast ever been and wilt ever be sanctified from Thy creation and Thy creatures. To this do testify my soul and all atoms, and my being and the beings of all who have been created between the earth and the heavens. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Bountiful.

BH00563: God beareth witness to that which thou didst testify…

He is the Most Mighty, the Most Wondrous, the Most Eloquent, the Most Glorious!

God beareth witness to that which thou didst testify at the beginning of thy book, that there is none other God but Him. No partner hath He, nor any minister, nor any peer, nor any equal, nor any opponent. He hath ever been sanctified above all names and their dominion, and above all similitudes and their sovereignty. He, verily, is the Ever-Living Who dieth not. In His grasp is the kingdom of all things. He createth whatsoever He willeth, and He, verily, is powerful over all things. But the most exalted testimony is that which God Himself hath borne to His own Self, by His own tongue, before the creation of all things and before the manifestation of attributes and their sovereignty, and of names and their dominion.

And this it is: Bear thou witness unto it after My Cause, for before the Cause the testimony of no one shall be accepted in those days, that thou mayest be of them who have testified to that which God hath testified and who are recorded in the Tablets of God among the believers. God testifieth that there is none other God but Him and that the Primal Point is His servant and His Baha, and by this hath He taken a covenant from all atoms, if thou be of them who know. But today the people of the Bayan do not bear witness as God hath borne witness, for the testimony is not complete except through the mention of His Baha, and these people have paused in this matter with a mighty pause.

Even should their tongues speak this Most Great Name, it would not profit them unless they believe that His Baha is the Baha of the heavens and of the earth, Who hath appeared in truth with manifest sovereignty. Whoso halteth in regard to this Name hath indeed halted in regard to all names, and his testimony shall never be accepted by God; rather, he hath been recorded by the Pen of Command in the holy Tablets among the idolaters.

Beware, beware, O servant, lest thou join any name with this Name, or ascribe to it any likeness, or similitude, or equal, or opposite, or direction, or sign, for by it hath God created all things and sustained all things, and hath sent down from the holy clouds showers of wondrous glory. Then purify thy heart from the allusions of those who were given the Qur’an—thus have ye been commanded in all the Tablets from One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise—for they moved not except as their desires moved them, and they spoke not except through the promptings of their own selves. Therefore did they believe in God on the Day when the clouds were cleft asunder and the Beauty of the Cause came with manifest sovereignty.

Know then that thy letter hath come before Us and We have taken note of the words and allusions contained therein. If thou wouldst hear from Me, efface from thy heart all of that, that it may become pure and luminous and that the lights of thy Lord may be reflected therein, that it may tell of Him. Thus doth the Beauty of the Cause command thee. Act thou according to what thou hast been bidden by One All-Knowing, All-Informed. For He Who was named Ali aforetime and Who came to you with God’s signs is verily alive and abiding through His word exalted: “Verily I am living in the Most Glorious Horizon.” After the manifestation of God and His sovereignty, it behooveth no one to turn to aught else beside Him or to occupy himself with any other.

This indeed is the truth which hath shone forth from the horizon of a luminous morn. Should thou turn to the words thou possessest, thou wouldst be like those who, when the Sovereign of the Cause came to them with manifest and clear signs, occupied themselves with words that were current among them. Thus did they deny and turn away from Him for Whose meeting they were created. This indeed is a grievous wrong. Know thou God by God and by that which proceedeth from Him, for all else beside Him is created by His command and brought into being by His Will. He cannot be known through aught else; rather, all else is known through Him, and He is wise over all things.

When the Sun shineth at its noontide zenith, doth it befit anyone to inquire about a lamp and what pertaineth thereto? Nay, by God’s Self, if thou be of them that know! After the appearance of the Ocean and its waves, doth it befit anyone to speak of a pool of water? Nay, by Him Who created all things by His command, and He is powerful over all things. Beware, beware lest names hold thee back from Him through Whose command the names and their kingdom were created. Let God, thy Lord, suffice thee, then detach thyself from all the worlds. Forget all names, then look with the eye of the beginning toward Him Who, by God the Truth, were He to take a handful of clay and desire to generate therefrom all names and their kingdom, and all attributes and their dominion, and all that was and will be, is able to do so through His Name which is supreme over the Truth.

Beware lest thou cling to a name other than the Name of thy Lord through Whom appeared the oceans of names. Exalted is God above this Name through which the faces of them that have recognized His unity are illumined and the face of every sinful misbeliever is darkened. Through it God separateth this day between light and darkness, and between the felicitous and the wretched. Thus hath the decree come down from the heaven of destiny, and the matter hath been decided by One mighty and powerful.

Look at what thou hast seen in the Tablets of God wherein He hath described His servants. This description was not confined to any one person to the exclusion of others. Rather, We have described all who have arisen to praise their Lord. Behold thou the Tablets that thou mayest be illumined with clear vision. This description is true of whoso is steadfast in his faith, assured in God, and turned towards Him. But after his turning away and deviation, this description is withdrawn from him by a sovereignty that encompasses the truth. Consider, for example, a mirror: as long as it faces the sun, thou wilt find therein its reflection, its image, and its effulgences. But after turning away, it is bereft of all these and returns to its original state.

Thus have We expounded this matter in detail that thou mayest stand firm in the Cause. Verily, he whom ye call the father of evil—God hath described him in His Book with the most exalted description, if thou be of them that know. God addressed him in His Book, saying “O Manifestation of Oneness!” and besides this, called him by His most beautiful names. Return to the Book that thou mayest witness this in the traces of thy Lord and become endowed with true vision. His praise reached such heights that none had ever attained to such mention of his Lord. Despite this, the people of the Bayan, both great and small, revile him.

Have they any proof for this? Nay, by My Self, except that they say he turned away from God. When he turned away, his deeds became as naught and all his attributes, until he returned to the station that was written in the Mother Book. Likewise, observe that all names and all descriptions are true of those who believe in God and His signs, but without this, the decree of infidelity and misbelief descends upon them from the presence of the Self-Subsisting, the Supreme. Hast thou not heard what God hath revealed in the Bayan? How many a tree of affirmation in the subsequent Revelation is transformed into a tree of negation! Reflect, then, upon that which was sent down from the heaven of eternity aforetime, and that which hath been revealed in these days, that thou mayest be numbered among those who are endowed with insight in the Mother Book.

Know thou that every tree bearing lofty fruit, should it hesitate in this Cause, becometh counted among the trees of negation. This is a revelation from One Who is mighty and wise. Likewise every exalted, renowned and luminous name, should it hesitate in the Cause of its Lord, becometh accounted among the lowliest of names, even should it be among the most elevated. Thus do We teach thee the essence of knowledge, that thou mayest be well-pleasing in the religion of God.

Say: All matters lie within the grasp of His Will, and all names stand in awe of His might. He raiseth up whatsoever He willeth through His command, and bringeth down whatsoever He desireth through His authority. He shall not be questioned of His doings, and He, verily, encompasseth all things. Were He at this moment to pronounce the word of affirmation for all who are in the heavens and on earth, all would become His witnesses; and were He to pronounce upon them the word of negation, all would return to the fire. Thus do thou witness thy Lord’s power and be among those who bear witness to the Cause.

Know thou that between God and any soul there is no kinship. Whoso turneth unto God, belongeth unto Him, though he be from the people of the farthest West; and whoso turneth away is not of Him, though he be at His very side. Thus have We informed thee of the truth and taught thee through Our grace, that thou mayest be mindful within thyself and remind the people in these days wherein the Sun of might and glory hath shone forth and stood at its zenith with wondrous lights. Be not of those who, when God came unto them overshadowed by the clouds of His Cause, turned away from Him and sought to adduce proofs based on words related by someone from one of the names of old, and thereby went far astray. For through God’s existence, all things can dispense with all things, and through His sovereignty, He sufficeth all who are in the heavens and on earth, while nothing in creation can suffice in His stead. He Himself is the Truth, a witness unto what I say.

Purify thine ear that it may hearken to My melodies, then thy tongue that through it may flow praise of My Self, then thine eye that it may behold My countenance, from which all who are in the heavens and earth have been illumined, save those who have disbelieved, denied, and openly rejected the signs of God—these shall have no portion of this cup today. Cast aside all cups from thy hand, then take the cup of eternity in thy right hand and drink therefrom the crystal-pure wine in My Most Glorious Name. Then speak forth betwixt earth and heaven that which the Spirit hath spoken through mighty and glorious verses. Know thou that We have previously revealed unto thee a tablet and sent it to thee, and it shall be a testimony from Us unto all the worlds. When it reacheth thee, place it upon thy head, then render thanks unto God with gracious gratitude. And glory be upon thee if thou dost mount the Ark of Glory through Our steadfastness and spirit, sever thy gaze from all else besides God thy Lord, and remain upright upon the holy path, in truth and by the truth.

BH00724: This is a Book revealed in truth wherein…

This is a Book revealed in truth wherein is that which draweth the peoples nigh unto a sublime and holy Paradise, if they remain steadfast in the love of God and His Cause and follow not those who have taken their vain imaginings as a god besides God and are accounted among the idolators. Verily those who have recognized God and the Manifestation of His Self in these days—upon them shall pray the angels of the Cause and they who circle round the mighty Throne. And as for those who have disbelieved in God and His signs, they are cursed by all things between earth and heaven, though none knoweth this save they who are endowed with illumined vision.

O Firiburz! The Glory shining between earth and heaven be upon thee! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord from the Kingdom of eternity, and be not of the heedless. I have chosen thee for My love. Listen to that which is revealed unto thee from the direction of the Throne, that thou mayest be among those who attain unto the melodies of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Great.

Know thou that most of the people of the Bayan have turned away from God and disbelieved in Him in Whom they had believed, and have clung to the cord of idle fancies and followed the ways of the deluded ones. We have found no people on earth more heedless than these, even after We commanded them in all the Tablets not to cling to anything created between the heavens and the earth at the time of the Manifestation. They have veiled themselves from those days with all things and have taken idle fancy as their lord instead of God, and thus were they among the prodigal. They have reached such heights in rancor and denial that when the verses of God are recited unto them, their faces darken and they turn upon their heels, becoming of those who turn away. They read what they possess of verses and argue thereby morning and evening, yet deny their like and their Revealer. Such is the state of these liars. They make mention of God throughout the night and day, yet when He appears in truth they deny Him. Nay, the curse of God be upon those who have lied and were among the calumniators.

By God! Naught shall be heard from these people save what thou heardst from the people of the Furqan when God came with His supreme and mighty sovereignty. Know thou that those whom We nurtured in secret and whose names We would mention openly for the exaltation of God’s Word, lest the idolaters discover the seat of the Cause and become aware—these emerged from behind the veil and denied God’s signs, even rising to attempt My murder in this remote and far-off prison. God was aware of what befell Me, while none besides Him knew aught of My suffering. He is verily the All-Knowing, the Almighty, the All-Informed. Nothing escapes His knowledge and nothing of what is created between the heavens and earth can frustrate Him, and He encompasses all things.

Say: O people! Fear God and deny not Him through Whom your beings were created, your names were raised, your traces became renowned, and your spirits and the spirits of all creation were quickened. Thus did We suffer at the hands of these people. By God! The eyes of the world have never witnessed its like. If thou wert to become aware of My suffering, thou wouldst weep over My state and lament in thy days, fleeing from all who are on earth to dwell upon mountain peaks, crying out with the cry of the bereft.

Arise then from thy place and convey to the people the remembrance of thy Lord’s name, the All-Knowing, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful. Be sincere in the Cause for the sake of thy Lord, then emerge from the veils of fancy that thy face might be illumined by the lights of certitude. Soon shalt thou witness these people taking names unto themselves and worshipping them, just as thou hast found the people of the Furqan among the worshippers thereof. When they are asked, “Who is your God?” they will surely say “God,” yet when He appears with sovereign authority they deny Him and are among the proud. And if they are asked, “By what proof did you believe in God in His Manifestation Who was named ʿAli before Nabil?” they say “The verses.” Yet when God’s verses, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Powerful, are recited unto them, the fire of hatred seethes in their breasts, the soot of hell covers their faces, and they arise in opposition in such wise that they well-nigh assault him who recites unto them the verses of their Lord. Thus do We observe them, and We are of those who bear witness.

We beseech God to shelter us in a land devoid of the faces of these heedless ones, and to sanctify our faces from the eyes of those who have disbelieved in God after their belief, and to purify our garment from the hands of the idolaters. Soon shall ye find yourselves bereft of this Youth, and shall not find Him though ye search throughout all regions and from every direction. Thus do We inform thee with truth that thou mayest be of them that know.

O servant! Remember the time when thou didst enter the precincts of thy Lord’s mercy and didst hear the verses of God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds, and when the Sun of the Name of thy Lord shone upon thee and the lights of Beauty seized thee from behind the luminous veils while men were heedless thereof, for they were in gross delusion. And in those days the sun was shining behind the clouds, but when the appointed time was fulfilled, the clouds were rent asunder with manifest sovereignty and the Countenance appeared from the horizon of grace in such wise that its light filled the horizons and encompassed all created things. Some witnessed and understood, while others remained heedless and were among the veiled ones. Thus did God come upon clouds of glory and the matter was decided by One mighty and powerful.

Hearken unto what the idolaters say, that these verses were not revealed naturally. Say: Open your eyes, O company of the heedless ones! By God, by a single letter of what hath been sent down from the dominion of God, the Mighty, the Bountiful, nature and its sources and its manifestations were created. This luminous, wondrous and radiant Tablet beareth witness to that. Thus did they speak aforetime when the Sovereign of the Cause came to them in His name, the Most High, the Supreme, and before Him when the sun of the name of Muhammad shone forth with resplendent light from the horizon of Hijaz, and before Him when the Spirit came to them with the kingdom of God, the Mighty, the Praised.

Thus did they speak in the time of every Prophet and the age of every Messenger from time immemorial, and they will continue to speak until the end of ends. But thou, veil not thyself with the veils of these people, then rise from the horizon of utterance with divine expression, and remember thy Lord in the morning and in the evening. Fear no one in the path of thy Lord, even if all who are in the heavens and earth should rise against thee. Grieve not over anything and turn not unto the world and what is therein, for were it to have any worth in the sight of thy Lord, He would have chosen it for Himself and would not have left it to the enemies of His sanctified Beauty, the Mighty, the Resplendent.

Its likeness is as the likeness of a shadow—doth it endure upon the earth? Nay, by My mighty and wondrous Self! And if it endureth, its duration would be but a day or part of a day. Thus hath the matter been decreed by One who ordaineth, powerful.

Say: The Most Great Balance hath appeared and those who doubted the Cause of God, the Sublime, the Most High, the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the Wise, are in loss. Say: O people! The sovereignty of God hath been manifested in such wise as to encompass all things, if ye be of them that know. Arise from the couches of heedlessness, then aid Him through utterance, for this is indeed a beauteous permission. Verily, those who believe in part of the Book and disbelieve in part, these are they who are accursed in this world and the next, and are among the wrongdoers. Beware lest thou forget God’s favor upon thee, for indeed His favor upon thee hath been great.

Should adversity touch thee, seek the aid of My Name, the Helper, the Assisting, the All-Powerful, and through it God will dispel the affliction of those who have believed and are among the steadfast. To God belongeth the Kingdom of succor; He aideth whom He willeth through His sovereignty, and He is the Protector of them that do good. Thus have We cast upon thee the utterance of truth and revealed unto thee the Cause with a clear and manifest proof. Take thou the Tablet and recite it throughout the days. By God! It removeth sorrow from the hearts of them that have professed the unity of God, purifieth them from the defilement of misbelief, and draweth them nigh unto the presence of God, the Most High, the Most Great. And the light which hath shone forth from the horizon of eternity be upon thee and upon those who are with thee and are among them that are assured.

BH03032: This is a Book sent down in truth, wherein…

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

This is a Book sent down in truth, wherein is mentioned that which draweth men nigh unto God in these days when all have turned away from Him through Whom God’s Cause hath been made manifest in every age and through Whom the Sun of Grace hath shed its radiance upon all the worlds from its horizon. Such is the condition of those who have imagined themselves to be the most exalted of all creation in the sight of God. Yet today their names shall not be mentioned in the Tablets except among those who have disbelieved, who have joined partners with God, and who were among the deniers.

Say: O people! Come ye to a word common between us and you—that God is our Lord and the Lord of your fathers of old. In every age He hath sent forth a Messenger to draw men nigh unto Him and to remind them of the days of God—this is what hath been revealed in all the Books, did ye but know it. And with them He sent down a proof, that His evidence might be perfected unto all created things and His dominion be made manifest to all the worlds. Until the day arrived wherein God came in the shadows of the clouds and the matter was decided by God, the Almighty, the Powerful.

O people of the Bayan! Ye claim to believe in Him. If ye believed in His Self without proof or evidence, then believe in this One Who hath appeared among you and hath come to you from the direction of immortality with God’s paradise, the Mighty, the Generous. For verily He is His very Self, His Essence, His Spirit, and His Being, whereunto all things bear witness, if ye be of them that testify. And if ye believed in Him through the proof He showed you, then bring forth proof equal to or greater than what We possess, if ye can. Therefore fear God, reject not His proof, and be not of the unbelievers.

And should ye say “We know not what God hath made as proof against us”—this is but injustice from your own selves against yourselves and against God Who created you from a handful of lowly clay. For He is far exalted above sending down to His servants that whereby they cannot recognize His Self, the Supreme, the Most High, the Magnificent. Their heads shall be bowed to the earth and the dust of hell shall overwhelm them.

By God the Truth! None hath today any proof, nor evidence, nor path. Thus have We detailed the matter unto thee, that thou mayest become aware of what issueth from the mouths of the idolaters. They seek to prove their cause through God’s verses, yet when there is recited unto them that which attracteth the hearts of all created things, their faces turn black and they return to the abode of rejection, among the lowest of the low.

Know thou that We have ordained for thee in the heaven of Our Cause a station among stations. Beware lest thou be heedless of it. Be thou steadfast in the Cause and detached from all who are in the heavens and the earth. When thou didst attain the presence of the Throne in Iraq, We ordained for thee the good of this world and the next, and We sent it down from the heaven of the unseen to the heaven of destiny. It hath been sent down upon thee every year and shall continue to be sent down hereafter if thou remainest steadfast in the love of God and art among the firm ones.

Rend asunder the veils and be not disturbed by those who have disbelieved and joined partners with God, for they walk in the paths of fancy and are not among those who know. We have veiled the Cause from the servants for a wisdom from Us. If thou wouldst reflect, God would cast upon thee that which none among the worlds hath known. Thou knowest that they have not understood the Cause and its foundation, and today they speak according to their own vain desires.

Today they speak according to their own desires and are among the unaware. Say: Today nothing shall profit anyone except by severance from those in whose hearts is found rancor towards God. And verily this is the foundation of the Cause, sent down in truth from the presence of a Wise, All-Knowing One.

Then know that My brother who was named the Mirror—by the True One! We protected him in the fortress of Our power, then strengthened him and taught him at all times, and We elevated his name lest those who disbelieved among the former religions discover the origin of the Cause and arise to cut down the Tree. God is witness and knower of this. Therefore We were in opposition to both enemies and friends, and none recognized Us except a few of those possessed of certitude. We raised up the Cause alone until it became renowned in all lands and faces turned toward the countenance of their Ancient Lord. By the True One! In the years when the Luminary of the horizons shone forth from the horizon of Iraq, the peoples arose to extinguish it, but God refused until He made His Cause victorious through His sovereignty, for He has power over all things.

When the breezes of assurance wafted, he who had been concealed behind the veil emerged and desired to cut down the Divine Lote-Tree, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. But God prevented him through His sovereignty and banished him through His power, and revealed to those who had migrated what was hidden in his breast. Verily He uncovers what He wishes through His command, and He encompasses all things. When he found himself disappointed in what he desired, he then arose to spread calumnies to conceal his deed and to instill rancor toward the Youth in the hearts of the believers. He knew not that My loved ones are beneath the domes of My providence—nothing in the kingdom can obstruct them and the opposition of the opposers cannot prevent them. These are they whose eyes God has opened and who have recognized the Manifestation of His Self, and He has made them detached from the worlds.

Thus have We informed you that you may become aware of the Cause and remain steadfast with mighty steadfastness. Then know that your letter came before Us and We saw what was in it, and We were among those who perceived. We have sent down this Tablet to you and dispatched it to you as a mercy from Us upon you, that you may thank your Lord and be among the thankful.

As to what thou hast asked concerning the esoteric sciences, know thou that most of what thou hast heard regarding these sciences neither nourishes nor profits, even should one master them. That which truly profiteth is the knowledge that lieth concealed within the treasuries of thy Lord’s knowledge, which none hath discovered save God, the Most High, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. By the tongue of the wise it hath been called the Hidden Art and the Treasured Secret. By My life! It is verily a noble science. Whomsoever God aideth to attain and comprehend it shall discover the mysteries of creation, shall be independent of all save God, shall be confident in the power of his Lord, and shall be numbered among those who are certain. We have written various treatises concerning this science, yet none hath gained access to even a single letter thereof, for the hand of God is upon it, and He bestoweth it upon whomsoever He willeth among His servants. Verily, He is the Sovereign, the Bestower, the Munificent, the All-Bountiful.

Were We to set forth its knowledge in this Tablet, it would be difficult for thee to comprehend it as it truly is. Therefore have We stayed Our Pen from mentioning it, that perchance God may bring about thereby a matter whereby the veil between Me and thee may be lifted, and We may teach thee in person, that thou mayest attain unto clear vision and certainty. And if thou art prevented from drawing nigh unto the Holy Court by the decree that is firmly established, and the servant remaineth in the realm of mortality, We shall assuredly send down its knowledge in the Tablet and dispatch it unto thee as a mercy from Our presence upon thee and upon those whom God hath made the treasuries of His mystery and the custodians of His knowledge. Verily, He is the best of protectors and the All-Wise.

Say: God is more knowing than anyone possessed of knowledge. He createth knowledge as He willeth in all things, and with Him is the knowledge of the heavens and of the earth and the knowledge of all the worlds. By God, the Truth! If thou wert today to search throughout all the regions of the heavens and the earth, thou wouldst find knowledge with no one, though they speak of knowledge they know not. Rather, they speak only of that which hath trickled upon them from the spray of this Ocean, according to their capacity and station. Yet We desire to sprinkle upon thee the most complete thereof, that thou mayest be of them that know. And may the splendor that hath shone forth from the horizon of eternity be upon thee, that it may detach thee from all else but God and make thee steadfast in His Cause, that thou mayest be of them that are firmly rooted.