Volume 037: Edirne I (year unknown, 1864–1868) (3 of 6)

BH00205: O Rahim! Pass through the lands like the breezes…

Section 1: “O Rahim! Pass through the lands like…”

He is the Most Exalted, the Most High, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Supreme!

O Rahim! Pass through the lands like the breezes of the spirit, that through thee the temples of the servants may be renewed with the adornment of God, the All-Possessing, the Mighty, the Powerful. And when thou arrivest in the Land of Alif, present thyself before Our Name whom We have named the Most Great Fath with the words of God, the All-Possessing, the Almighty, the Most High, the Great.

Say: O servant! Thou knowest how thou didst stand between the heavens and the earth, and thou didst recognize the Ancient Beauty when thou wert present before the Throne, and the sun of the mention of thy Lord’s name shone upon thy face from this radiant, holy, and luminous horizon. Beware lest thou grieve within thyself or follow every froward devil. Know thou that today whatsoever veils the people from the face of thy Lord is among the greatest of idols, even if it be from the most exalted of servants. Therefore shatter it with the power of might and strength, and tarry not for a moment.

Know thou that when We raised up the Cause, the fire of hatred was kindled in the breasts of the idolators, and they rose against Me in such wise as cannot be recorded by the Pen, and thy Lord is witness to what I say. And thou, O Rahim, mention before Him what hath befallen My wronged Self, and be of them who remember. Beware lest thou add or subtract; speak with pure truthfulness, that perchance thy words may affect the hearts of them who are nigh, free them from the veils of fancy, and draw them near to the seat of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Inaccessible, the Impregnable.

Say: By God! There hath befallen Me that which hath befallen no one in all the worlds, for I nurtured and strengthened one among the servants that he might aid his Lord and be among the helpers. And when he grew and felt security within himself, he emerged from behind the veil with swords of steel. By God! He struck at Me at every moment and warred against My Self and disputed the verses whereby his own faith and the faith of all in the heavens and earth were established. Then he cried out within himself the cry of the oppressed, and thus did it come to pass with Us, if thou be of them that hearken.

Say: O Most Great Fath! Know thou that the Cause of God cannot be confused with aught else, and whatsoever appeareth from Him is like unto the sun in the midst of heaven. By God, the Truth! Were all who are in the heavens and earth to gather together to produce the like of a movement of His finger, they would never be able, nor could they ever have the power, and this is an undoubted truth.

Say: The proof in these days is My manifestation, and beyond it the verses which have been sent down in truth in such wise that all created things combined are powerless to reckon them. And beyond these are the power that hath encompassed all possibilities, and the mercy that hath preceded all beings, and the sovereignty that hath transcended all the worlds. When they who harbored rancor in their hearts against the Youth witnessed that the Cause had appeared and was manifest, they arose to spread calumnies, that thereby they might instill hatred into the hearts of those who desired the face of God, the King, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Beautiful.

Soon there shall come unto thee one from whom thou shalt find the hatred of God, that he might turn thy face away from the holy direction. When this occurs, arise with the steadfastness of God, then open thy lips with My command and My sovereignty and say: The kingdom on that day is God’s in truth, and We have become independent through Him of all the worlds.

Say: O thou who associateth partners with God! Dost thou deny Him by Whose will’s decree from His Pen the heavens and earth were created, and Whose grace hath encompassed all things, such that all things have arisen to praise His Self? If thou wouldst purify thyself from the veils of heedlessness, thou wouldst hear in truth and be of those who have recognized.

O servant! Bear witness to thine own self as detached from the world and all that is therein, then arise to serve the Cause in such wise that shouldst thou desire in thy soul to transform all created things through the sovereignty of thy Lord, thou wouldst transform them through the Name of thy Lord, the All-Powerful, the All-Conquering, the Almighty. Thus hath the tongue of might and power counselled thee and taught thee from the heaven of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Unconstrained, that thou mayest be of those who are endued with knowledge.

O Rahim! When thou enterest the Land of Kaf, present thyself before the Dhabih and convey unto him that which God hath shown thee, that thou mayest be numbered among the witnesses. Say: O servant, hearken unto My word and stand firm in the Cause of thy Lord like unto the upright and steadfast Alif. Say: In the name of God, the Most Invincible, the Most Exalted, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Supreme. Then raise thy hand through My sovereignty and power, and with it rend asunder the veils from the face of every soul, by My Name, the All-Compelling, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent. Then speak by thy Lord’s leave and say: O people! Beware lest the greatness of names veil you, or the clouds of glory prevent you. Put your trust in God, your Lord and the Lord of your forebears. Ponder within yourselves: if ye deny what hath been manifested in this Revelation, by what proof do ye uphold your faith, and by what evidence do ye justify your beliefs? Thus hath the Spirit spoken at this moment out of love for the souls of men, and thy Lord is verily a Witness and Well-Informed of this.

Know thou that he whom We taught and aided throughout all days, and whose mention We exalted to honor the Word of God—a wisdom which none save thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Encompassing, comprehendeth—when he witnessed that his fame had spread among the people and that none from previous religions would oppose him, became confident in himself, emerged from behind the veils, warred against his Chosen Lord, disputed by his own self, and was numbered among the opposers. By God, O Dhabih, the root of the matter was not as thou hast heard. If thou wouldst reflect upon the spread of his name and My standing before the people, thou wouldst discover that which is hidden from the eyes of all mankind. Would that thou couldst understand from the allusions of speech that which none hath understood, and be of them that comprehend.

We desire not to reveal matters in their entirety and have veiled them, having regard to Our Name, the Concealer, until God shall bring about His purpose and manifest one who will discover and mention it among the servants and be of them that remember. Rise thou to serve God and His Cause, then aid Him with thy tongue and utterance and with what is cast into thy breast. This is better for thee than all that hath been created between the heavens and the earth. Be thou one who maketh mention of Us among the servants, then remind them of this Cause, the like of which the eyes of creation have never witnessed. To this all atoms bear witness, yet the people are heedless thereof and are numbered among the negligent.

We had previously sent down unto thee a Tablet from which the fragrance of God, thy Lord, is diffused, such that if thou wert to place it upon all who are in the heavens and earth, thou wouldst find them all standing in praise of thy Creator, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Invincible. We sent it by thy brother’s hand as a favor from Us unto thee, that thou mightest be thankful to thy Lord and be of the grateful ones. O Dhabih! By the True One, I speak not of My own desire, but God taught Me at the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, and to this beareth witness that which hath been sent down from the Pen of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Knowing. Say: The Lord of Words hath come upon clouds of verses, whereupon the words of them that hint were struck dumb. Thus hath the matter appeared from One mighty, powerful and wise. All that We have mentioned unto thee regarding stations is, by God, due to the weakness of the servants; otherwise, had We found the people mature in those days, We would have imparted unto them that which would have made them independent of all the worlds.

Verily, guard thyself in those days, for therein have faces been turned away from the countenance of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Great. Yet it behoveth not one such as thee to be perturbed, for turmoil afflicteth only those who have failed to recognize God by God. But they who have known their Creator by His own Self and by that which is with Him—these are they who are secure from the greatest terror and are numbered among those who dwell in safety.

Lift up thy head, that thou mayest witness God’s dominion above thee; then turn thy gaze toward the holy direction, that thou mayest behold what no one among all creation hath ever witnessed. Say: O people! Would ye deny yourselves the mercy of God? Would ye be numbered among those who declared “God is our Lord,” yet when He appeared with sovereignty and power, rejected Him and turned aside? And thou—purify thyself from all that would veil thee from God, thy Lord. Then emerge from behind the veil of silence with clear and lofty utterance, that thereby the people may be reminded in these days wherein heedlessness hath overtaken the dwellers of earth and heaven, save for certain letters of Our hallowed and luminous names.

By God! Never hath there appeared a day mightier than these days wherein the Sun hath shone forth and wherein its lights have effaced the radiance of every brilliant and lofty star. Soon shall clamor be raised in your land, and the manifestations of Satan shall come unto you with mighty guile and deceit. At that time, turn not thy attention unto them, but fix thy gaze upon this luminous and radiant Scene. Say: I have known God, my Lord, by His own Self and not through aught else, and I have become independent of all the worlds through Him. Thus have We commanded thee and inspired thee. Hearken then unto My words, take the reins of authority in that place purely for the sake of God thy Lord, and exercise beautiful vigilance. Beware, beware lest thou be perturbed by the whisperings of those whose names shall not be mentioned this day before thy Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate.

O Rahim! If thou shouldst find there him whose name We mentioned when thou didst depart from before the Throne, glorify him on Our behalf that he may detach himself from all else save God and be of the thankful ones. And verily, when We found him in a state of fear, We did not explicitly mention his name in the Tablet lest he be among the perturbed. And if he desires to catch the fragrance of the garment from the traces of God, present thyself before him with this Tablet, the shining, the holy, the wondrous, the inaccessible.

Say: O servant! Step forth from behind the veils and fear no one in the Cause of thy Lord, for verily He will protect thee as He hath protected thee time and again, and delivered thee from the hands of the oppressors. This is the Day wherein if one were to hearken with the ear of innate nature unto all things, one would hear them all proclaiming between earth and heaven, saying:

“The Kingdom on that Day is God’s, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Omnipotent.”

Beware that thou fear no one, for verily the power of thy Lord will protect thee from the harm of those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God. And if thou findest in thyself any weakness, strengthen thyself through My Name, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Hast thou not heard of the days when thy Lord stood alone against all the peoples of the heavens and the earth, when all nations rose up against Him, yet He sought no help from anyone and shone forth from the horizon of power with manifest sovereignty, until the hosts of the unseen descended and He caused to descend into the hearts of His loved ones tranquility and steadfastness from the presence of the Mighty, the Powerful? Be thou assured in thyself, for God hath ordained for thee a station of exalted glory shouldst thou remain steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord. Verily, He is the One Who has power over whatsoever He willeth. He doeth what He pleaseth and ordaineth what He desireth. We have indeed become aware of the tribulations and hardships that have befallen thee through the drops of destiny that have rained upon thee, and We have grieved at the adversities that have touched thee.

Section 2: “But grieve thou not, for that which hath…”

But grieve thou not, for that which hath befallen thee hath also befallen thy Ancient Lord, and thou hast followed God in the calamities that descended upon Him from all directions. God will soon reward thee for this and verily He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. He will raise thee up in truth and give thee twice what thou desirest, for verily He is the Omnipotent, the Powerful. Say: O my Lord! Praise be to Thee for the adversities that have touched me in Thy path and the tribulations that have descended upon me in the ways of Thy good-pleasure. Therefore, O my God, preserve me, then send down upon me that which will make me steadfast in Thy Cause, then establish for me a seat of truth with Thee, and be Thou my Helper, then my Sufficiency, then my Guardian in this world and the next, then send down upon me every good thing Thou hast ordained for Thy near servants. O my Lord! Deprive me not of the laws of Thy holiness and Thy good-pleasure, and remove me not from Thy nearness and meeting with Thee. Verily, Thou art powerful over what Thou willest, and Thou art the Omnipotent, the Supreme, the Mighty, the All-Wise.

Then mention there the servants who have shattered the idols of vain desire through the power of their Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, and who have rent asunder the veils of fancy through the sovereignty of God, the Most High, the All-Conquering, the All-Encompassing. Then mention them with what thou hast known and understood that they may lament for this Wronged One Who hath been afflicted at the hands of His heedless servants. Say: By God! Such adversities have touched Us as have touched no one else, and such hardships have befallen Us that no learned one can recount them. And ye, O servants of God, arise to remember your Lord, the Most Merciful, and forget not His favor that hath encompassed you, and be not of the veiled ones. We have mentioned some of them and concealed others through wisdom from Us and command from Our presence, and none is aware of this save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

O servant journeying unto God! When thou arrivest in the land of Sad, glorify its people on Our behalf and say: “The glory rest upon you, O ye servants, from this Prisoner Who hath been imprisoned in the prison of destiny and found none to help Him, would ye but know.” And shouldst thou meet the beloved one, convey unto him the glorification from the tongue of God, the King, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling, and say: “O servant, arise to promote the Cause of God and His remembrance, and tarry not for less than a moment, and in all things place thy trust in God, thy Lord. Verily, He will protect thee from the harm of those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God and were among those who joined partners with their Lord.” Remind the people of that which the Spirit hath cast into thy heart, and be not of them that tarry.

If thou shouldst see Hasan there, glorify him from Us, then mention to him what thou knowest of the tribulations that have befallen Us, that he may be informed of what hath come upon Us from those who believed, then disbelieved, and imagine within themselves that they are the doers of good. Beware lest thou forget the time when thou didst enter the sanctuary of security before thy Lord and the lights of His countenance shone upon thee from this luminous and manifest horizon. Cast behind thee every mention, then speak forth the praise of thy Lord between the heavens and the earth, and be not veiled by those who have disbelieved in God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. Verily, there hath been ordained for thee in the heaven of destiny a station. Beware lest thou deprive thyself thereof. Then turn thy face toward the court of thy Lord and pay no heed to the world and its people. Thus doth the Pen of hidden glory command thee. Let not thine eyes turn away from the vision of thy Lord, and say:

“Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Protect me in these days wherein heedlessness hath seized all who are in the heavens and on earth, and smoke hath enveloped all who dwell in the dominions of creation and command. Then make me steadfast, O my God, in a Cause beside which nothing can stand, and grant me a seat of truth with Thee, for Thou art the Almighty over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. O Lord! Give me to drink of the water of life, that my heart may be purified from the promptings of them that have disbelieved and joined partners with God and were among those who mocked the signs of God. O Lord! Aid me in Thy Cause and cause my tongue to speak forth the wonders of Thy remembrance, and deprive me not of that which is with Thee, for nothing is hidden from Thy knowledge, and Thou art the Almighty over what Thou willest through Thy word ʿBe,’ and it is. O Lord! Sever me from every attachment, then purify me from all that beseemeth not Thy station, then cause me to soar in an atmosphere wherein naught is heard save the melodies of the birds of eternity, that I may be sincere before Thy face, gazing upon Thy beauty, detached from all else besides Thee, and turning unto the sanctuary of Thy presence. Leave me not, O my God, to myself and my desires, and make me not of those who acknowledged Thee and Thy signs one day, then on another day denied Thee and that which was sent down from Thee, and were among the deniers. O Lord! Make me so firm that all who are in the heavens and on earth shall not cause me to slip, for Thou art the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Glorious, the Best-Beloved.”

And if thou shouldst meet Husayn, remind him of Our remembrance with a goodly remembrance, that he may be mindful in these days wherein most tongues have been cut off from the remembrance of God—thus hath the matter been ordained, though most men perceive it not. Say: O servant, stand firm in the Cause of thy Lord and turn not to the right or to the left. Walk before the Cause with God’s dignity and tranquility, then detach thyself from all that was and shall be. And if thou art enkindled with this fire, arise to remember thy Lord; otherwise be patient, then show forth yet more patience until God shall bring about His purpose. Be not of those who are disturbed by every clamor.

Take heed lest thou be disturbed when those who doubt the meeting with their Lord are disturbed; for when the veil was suddenly lifted, they fled from around the Throne like a crumbling edifice. By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hands, We have not remembered you save for the love that preceded you, as ye yourselves would testify, were ye of those who reflect. Say: Today there is no protector for anyone from God’s decree. Whoso holdeth fast to this Ark that saileth upon the crimson sea shall be saved and secure, and whoso turneth away shall be drowned and shall perish. Thus do We explain the matter unto thee with clear signs and dazzling proofs, that thou mayest stand firm in thy Lord’s Cause and be of those who in this Day have detached themselves from all who are in the heavens and on earth, and who abide beneath the shadow of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Praised One.

Take heed lest thou forget God’s favor upon thee, and turn not unto the idolaters and that which issueth from their mouths. By God, they are in naught but unbelief and limited discord. Purify thy hands from every hem, then take hold of the hem of God, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

O Rahim! Remember from Us those servants who have settled there, and convey unto them the stories of thy Lord, that they may become of those who are mindful. And say: O people, be not of those who cling to a name among names while turning away from Him by Whose command the names and their kingdom were created—thus was the matter, did ye but know it. Sanctify yourselves through this water flowing in the rivers of these words, that it may purify you from all that your Lord, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beloved, loveth not, and draw you nigh unto God’s direction, and bring you to a station of praised glory. And if thou shouldst see one who exhorteth the people and findest in him some light, remind him from Us that he may turn with his heart to this luminous and manifest direction, detach himself from all else but God his Lord, and turn wholly unto God Who created all things by His command.

Thus doth the Tongue of God command him now, that he may act according to that which he hath been bidden by the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. And if thou findest not in him the fragrance of God, conceal the matter lest it create discord—thus doth the Pen of might command thee in mystery. And if thou shouldst turn to other lands and meet Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin and Rida’r-Ruh, remind them both of God’s remembrance and share this Tablet with them, that they may know what hath befallen Us from Our servants who were deluded by names after We commanded them to detach themselves therefrom at the time of the Manifestation. Yet when the heaven of idle fancy was cleft asunder and God came with evident and manifest sovereignty, they denied Him in Whom they had believed and became of those who join partners with God.

Say: Arise both of you in God’s Cause, your Lord, then rend asunder all veils, and be not of those who after the Command still show patience. Then convey God’s Cause unto Our servants, that they may arise from heedlessness and turn unto that which is better for them than all that was and shall be.

O Rahim! By God’s grace and loving-kindness, remind the people, yet in all conditions hold fast to divine wisdom, for contention is not beloved. Rather, through eloquent words and goodly counsels, guide the people from the vanishing stream to the everlasting ocean. For the earth and all that is therein is not the purpose of God—nay, in His sight it is non-existent and void, and never hath been nor ever shall be worthy of His attention, but is left to its people. That which hath ever been beloved in the sight of God hath been and shall ever be the pure hearts of His servants, that perchance a few souls, cleansed from self and desire, may enter the precincts of nearness to everlasting life. And this too hath been due to His all-embracing mercy towards His servants, for verily He is independent of all the worlds.

And if thou seest Kamal, convey unto him the glory of God, thy Lord, and likewise unto him who was named Ali-Akbar. Then remind them both of what hath befallen Us at the hands of Our transgressing servants. Say unto them: This is the Day wherein We have drawn aside the veils and manifested the Cause with evident sovereignty. Arise for the love of God and the promotion of His Cause, and tarry not for less than a moment. Then convey Our glory unto those who have believed in God and His signs, be they female or male, young or old.

BH00208: In My Name, the Most Glorious

Section 1: “In My Name, the Most Glorious…”

In My Name, the Most Glorious

Praise be unto Thee, Who art my God and the God of all men, and my Desire and the Desire of all them that have recognized Thee, and my Beloved and the Beloved of such as have acknowledged Thy unity, and the Object of my adoration and of the adoration of them that have near access to Thee, and my Wish and the Wish of such as are wholly devoted to Thee, and my Hope and the Hope of them that have fixed their hearts upon Thee, and my Refuge and the Refuge of all such as have hastened towards Thee, and my Haven and the Haven of whosoever hath repaired unto Thee, and my Goal and the Goal of all them that have set themselves towards Thee, and my Object and the Object of those who have fixed their gaze upon Thee, and my Paradise and the Paradise of them that have ascended towards Thee, and my Lodestar and the Lodestar of all such as yearn after Thee, and my Joy and the Joy of all them that love Thee, and my Light and the Light of all such as have erred and asked to be forgiven by Thee, and my Exultation and the Exultation of all them that remember Thee, and my Stronghold and the Stronghold of all such as have fled to Thee, and my Sanctuary and the Sanctuary of all that dread Thee, and my Lord and the Lord of all such as dwell in the heavens and on the earth!

Unto Thee be praise for that Thou hast enraptured me by the sweetness of Thine utterances, and set me towards the horizon above which the splendors of the Daystar of Thy face have shone, and caused me to turn unto Thee at a time when most of Thy creatures had broken off from Thee.

Thou art He, O my God, Who hath unlocked the gate of heaven with the key of Thy Name, the Ever-Blessed, the All-Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Most Great, and hast summoned all mankind to the ocean of Thy presence. No sooner had Thy most sweet voice been raised, than all the inmates of the Kingdom of Names and the Concourse on high were stirred up. By Thy call the fragrance of the raiment of Thy Revelation was wafted over such of Thy creatures as have loved Thee, and such of Thy people as have yearned towards Thee. They rose up and rushed forth to attain the Ocean of Thy meeting, and the Horizon of Thy beauty, and the Tabernacle of Thy Revelation and Thy majesty, and the Sanctuary of Thy Presence and Thy glory. They were so inebriated with the wine of their reunion with Thee, that they rid themselves of all attachment to whatever they themselves and others possessed.

These are Thy servants whom the ascendancy of the oppressor hath failed to deter from fixing their eyes on the Tabernacle of Thy majesty, and whom the hosts of tyranny have been powerless to affright and divert their gaze from the Dayspring of Thy signs and the Dawning-Place of Thy testimonies.

I swear by Thy glory, O Thou the Lord of all being and the Enlightener of all things visible and invisible! Whoso hath quaffed from the hands of Thy bounteousness the living waters of Thy love will never allow the things pertaining to Thy creatures to keep him back from Thee, neither will he be dismayed at the refusal of all the dwellers of Thy realm to acknowledge Thee. Before all who are in heaven and on earth such a man will cry aloud, and announce unto the people the tumult of the Ocean of Thy bounty and the splendors of the Luminaries of the heaven of Thy bestowals.

Happy indeed is the man that hath turned towards the sanctuary of Thy presence, and rid himself of all attachment to any one except Thyself. He is truly exalted who hath confessed Thy glory, and fixed his eyes upon the Daystar of Thy loving-kindness. He is endued with understanding who is aware of Thy Revelation and hath acknowledged Thy manifold tokens, Thy signs, and Thy testimonies. He is a man of insight whose eyes have been illumined with the brightness of Thy face, and who, as soon as Thy call was raised, hath recognized Thee. He is a man of hearing who hath been led to hearken unto Thy speech, and to draw nigh unto the billowing ocean of Thine utterances.

Behold Thou this stranger, O my Lord, who hath hastened to attain his most exalted Home in the shelter of Thy shadowing mercy, and this ailing soul who hath set his face towards the ocean of Thy healing.

Look, then, O Thou my God Who settest my soul on fire, upon the tears I shed, and the sighs I utter, and the anguish that afflicteth my heart and the fire that consumeth my being. Thy glory beareth me witness, O Thou, the Light of the world! The fire of Thy love that burneth continually within me hath so inflamed me that whoever among Thy creatures approacheth me, and inclineth his inner ear towards me, cannot fail to hear its raging within each of my veins.

I am so carried away by the sweetness of Thine utterances, and so inebriated with the wine of Thy tender mercies, that my voice can never be stilled, nor can my suppliant hands any longer desist from being stretched out towards Thee. Thou seest, O my Lord, how mine eyes are fixed in the direction of Thy grace, and mine ears inclined towards the kingdom of Thine utterance, and my tongue unloosed to celebrate Thy praise, and my face set towards Thy face that surviveth all that hath been created by Thy word, and my hands raised up towards the heaven of Thy bounty and favor.

Wilt Thou keep back from Thee the stranger whom Thou didst call unto his most exalted Home beneath the shadow of the wings of Thy mercy, or cast away the wretched creature that hath hastened to attain the shores of the ocean of Thy wealth? Wilt Thou shut up the door of Thy grace to the face of Thy creatures after having opened it through the power of Thy might and of Thy sovereignty, or close the eyes of Thy people when Thou hast already commanded them to turn unto the Dayspring of Thy Beauty and the Dawning-Place of the splendors of Thy countenance?

Nay, and to this Thy glory beareth me witness! Such is not my thought of Thee, nor the thought of those of Thy servants that have near access to Thyself, nor that of the sincere amongst Thy people.

Thou knowest, and seest, and hearest, O my Lord, that before every tree I am moved to lift up my voice to Thee, and before every stone I am impelled to sigh and lament. Hath it been Thy purpose in creating me, O my God, to touch me with tribulation, or to enable me to manifest Thy Cause in the kingdom of Thy creation?

Thou hearest, O my God, my sighs and my groaning, and beholdest my powerlessness, and my poverty, and my misery, and my woes, and my wretchedness. I swear by Thy might! I have wept with such a weeping that I have been unable to make mention of Thee, or to extol Thee.

So loud hath been the voice of My lamentation that every mother mourning for her child would be amazed, and would still her weeping and her grief.

I implore Thee, O my Lord, by Thine Ark, through which the potency of Thy will was manifested and the energizing influences of Thy purpose were revealed, and which saileth on both land and sea through the power of Thy might, not to seize me in my mighty sins and great trespasses.

I swear by Thy glory! The waters of Thy forgiveness and Thy mercy have emboldened me, as hath Thy dealing, in bygone ages, with the sincere among Thy chosen ones, and with such of Thy Messengers as have proclaimed Thy oneness.

I am well aware, O my Lord, that I have been so carried away by the clear tokens of Thy loving-kindness, and so completely inebriated with the wine of Thine utterance, that whatever I behold I readily discover that it maketh Thee known unto me, and it remindeth me of Thy signs, and of Thy tokens, and of Thy testimonies. By Thy glory! Every time I lift up mine eyes unto Thy heaven, I call to mind Thy highness and Thy loftiness, and Thine incomparable glory and greatness; and every time I turn my gaze to Thine earth, I am made to recognize the evidences of Thy power and the tokens of Thy bounty. And when I behold the sea, I find that it speaketh to me of Thy majesty, and of the potency of Thy might, and of Thy sovereignty and Thy grandeur. And at whatever time I contemplate the mountains, I am led to discover the ensigns of Thy victory and the standards of Thine omnipotence.

I swear by Thy might, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all mankind, and the destinies of the nations! I am so inflamed by my love for Thee, and so inebriated with the wine of Thy oneness, that I can hear from the whisper of the winds the sound of Thy glorification and praise, and can recognize in the murmur of the waters the voice that proclaimeth Thy virtues and Thine attributes, and can apprehend from the rustling of the leaves the mysteries that have been irrevocably ordained by Thee in Thy realm.

Glorified art Thou, O God of all names and Creator of the heavens! I render Thee thanks that Thou hast made known unto Thy servants this Day whereon the river that is life indeed hath flowed forth from the fingers of Thy bounty, and the springtime of Thy revelation and Thy presence hath appeared through Thy manifestation unto all who are in Thy heaven and all who are on Thy earth.

This is the Day, O my Lord, whose brightness Thou hast exalted above the brightness of the sun and the splendors thereof. I testify that the light it sheddeth proceedeth out of the glory of the light of Thy countenance, and is begotten by the radiance of the morn of Thy Revelation. This is the Day whereon the hopeless have been clothed with the raiment of confidence, and the sick attired with the robe of healing, and the poor drawn nigh unto the ocean of Thy riches.

I swear by Thy Beauty, O King of eternity Who sittest on Thy most glorious Throne! He Who is the Dayspring of Thy signs and the Revealer of Thy clear tokens hath, notwithstanding the immensity of His wisdom and the loftiness of His knowledge, confessed His powerlessness to comprehend the least of Thine utterances, in their relation to Thy most exalted Pen,—how much more is He incapable of apprehending the nature of Thine all-glorious Self and of Thy most august Essence!

I cannot think, O my God, of any words wherewith to make mention of Thee, and know not how to express or extol Thee. Were I to attempt to describe Thee by Thy names, I would readily recognize that the kingdom of these names is itself created through the movement of Thy fingers, and trembleth for fear of Thee. And were I to venture to extol Thine attributes, I would be forced to admit that these attributes are Thine own creation, and lie within Thy grasp. It behooveth not Them Who are the Manifestations of these names and attributes to stand before the gate of the city of Thy Revelation, how much less to scale the heights whereon Thou didst stablish the throne of Thy majesty.

I swear by Thy might, O Thou Who art the King of names and the Maker of the heavens! Whatsoever hath been adorned with the robe of words is but Thy creation which hath been generated in Thy realm and begotten through the operation of Thy will, and is wholly unworthy of Thy highness and falleth short of Thine excellence.

And since it hath been demonstrated that Thy most august Self is immeasurably exalted above all that hath been created in the world of being, and is far above the reach and ken of the apprehension of Thy chosen Ones and Thy loved Ones, the splendors of the light of Thy unity are therefore manifested, and it becometh evident unto every one, whether free or bond, that Thou art One in Thine own Self, one in Thy Cause, and one in Thy Revelation. Great is the blessedness of the man who, in his love towards Thee, hath rid himself of all attachment from every one except Thyself, and hastened unto the horizon of Thy Revelation, and attained unto this Cup which Thou hast caused to excel all the seas of the earth.

I beg of Thee, O my God, by Thy power, and Thy might, and Thy sovereignty, which have embraced all who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth, to make known unto Thy servants this luminous Way and this straight Path, that they may acknowledge Thy unity and Thy oneness, with a certainty which the vain imaginations of the doubters will not impair, nor the idle fancies of the wayward obscure. Illumine, O my Lord, the eyes of Thy servants, and brighten their hearts with the splendors of the light of Thy knowledge, that they may apprehend the greatness of this most sublime station, and recognize this most luminous Horizon, that haply the clamor of men may fail to deter them from turning their gaze towards the effulgent light of Thy unity, and to hinder them from setting their faces toward the Horizon of detachment.

This is the Day, O my Lord, which Thou didst announce unto all mankind as the Day whereon Thou wouldst reveal Thy Self, and shed Thy radiance, and shine brightly over all Thy creatures. Thou hast, moreover, entered into a covenant with them, in Thy Books, and Thy Scriptures, and Thy Scrolls, and Thy Tablets, concerning Him Who is the Dayspring of Thy Revelation, and hast appointed the Bayan to be the Herald of this Most Great and all-glorious Manifestation, and this most resplendent and most sublime Appearance.

And when the world’s horizon was illumined, and He Who is the Most Great Name was manifested, all disbelieved in Him and in His signs, except such as have been carried away by the sweetness of Thy glorification and praise. There befell Him what must remain inscrutable to everyone except Thee, Whose knowledge transcendeth all who are in Thy heaven and all who are on Thy earth.

Thou well knowest, O my God, that the Revealer of the Bayan (the Bab) hath commanded all mankind concerning Thy Cause, and Thy Revelation, and Thy Sovereignty. He hath said, and sweet is His speech: “Beware lest the Bayan and its Letters keep you back from Him Who is the Most Merciful and from His sovereignty.” He, moreover, hath written: “Were He to produce no more than one verse, ye must not deny Him. Haste ye towards Him, that haply He may cause to descend upon you what He pleaseth, as a token of His grace unto you. He truly is the Possessor of His servants, and the King of creation.”

Thou seest, then, O Thou Who art the Beloved of the world and the Revealer of the Most Great Name, how He hath come down with the kingdom of His signs, and in a manner that hath caused the atoms of the earth to testify that the whole world hath been filled with these signs. And yet, notwithstanding this most manifest and all-glorious Revelation, and these signs which none can appraise except Thee, O Thou the King of names, Thou beholdest how they have broken off from Him Who is the Dayspring of Thine Essence, and have caviled at the One Who is the Fountainhead of Thy wisdom and of Thine utterance. They were so seized with thirst for fame, that they rejected Thy tokens, and Thy testimonies, and Thy signs, which every man of insight perceiveth in whatsoever declareth Thy greatness, and Thy sovereignty, and acknowledgeth Thy Revelation and Thy might.

They have so traduced Him as to cause the inmates of the all-glorious Tabernacle and the Concourse on high to lament, and have uttered such calumnies against Him that the souls of Thy chosen Ones and the hearts of them that are dear to Thee have melted. They have erred so grievously that they cast away Thy most resplendent signs, and clung to their idle fancies, O Thou Who art the Possessor of Names and the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below!

Thou art, O my God and the Exultation of my heart, the One Who hath adorned Thy Tablet, of which none is aware except Thee, with the mention of this Day which Thou didst call after Thy name, that haply none may on that day be seen save Thy most august Self, and naught else be brought to mind except Thy most sweet remembrance.

Section 2: “No sooner had He revealed Himself than…”

No sooner had He revealed Himself than the foundations of the kindreds of the earth shook and trembled, and the learned swooned away, and the wise were bewildered, except such as have, through the power of Thy might, drawn nigh unto Thee, and received the choice wine of Thy Revelation from the hand of Thy grace, and have quaffed it in Thy name, and exclaimed:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Desire of the worlds! and glory be to Thee, O Thou Who art the Exultation of the hearts that pant after Thee!”

My God, my Master, my Highest Hope, and the Goal of my desire! Thou seest and hearest the sighing of this wronged One, from this darksome well which the vain imaginations of Thine adversaries have built, and from this blind pit which the idle fancies of the wicked among Thy creatures have digged. By Thy Beauty, O Thou Whose glory is uncovered to the face of men! I am not impatient in the troubles that touch me in my love for Thee, neither in the adversities which I suffer in Thy path. Nay, I have, by Thy power, chosen them for mine own self, and I glory in them amongst such of Thy creatures as enjoy near access to Thee, and those of Thy servants that are wholly devoted to Thy Self.

I beseech Thee, however, O Thou Who art the Enlightener of the world and the Lord of the nations, at this very moment when, with the hands of hope, I have clung to the hem of the raiment of Thy mercy and Thy bounty, to forgive Thy servants who have soared in the atmosphere of Thy nearness, and set their faces towards the splendors of the light of Thy countenance, and turned unto the horizon of Thy good pleasure, and approached the ocean of Thy mercy, and all their lives long have spoken forth Thy praise, and have been inflamed with the fire of their love for Thee. Do Thou ordain for them, O Lord my God, both before and after their death, what becometh the loftiness of Thy bounty and the excellence of Thy loving-kindness.

Grant, O my Lord, that they who have ascended unto Thee may repair unto Him Who is the most exalted Companion, and abide beneath the shadow of the Tabernacle of Thy majesty and the Sanctuary of Thy glory. Sprinkle, O my Lord, upon them from the ocean of Thy forgiveness what will make them worthy to abide, so long as Thine own sovereignty endureth, within Thy most exalted kingdom and Thine all-highest dominion. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee.

Deny not Thy loved ones, O my Lord, the sweet savors of this Day whereon the mysteries of Thy name, the Self-Subsisting, were unraveled, and all that had been enshrined within the treasuries of Thy wisdom was revealed. This is the Day, O my Lord, whereon every atom of the earth hath been made to vibrate and to cry out:

“O Thou Who art the Revealer of signs and the King of creation! I, verily, perceive the fragrance of Thy presence. Methinks Thou hast revealed Thyself, and unlocked the door of reunion with Thee before all who are in Thy heaven and all who are on Thy earth. I am persuaded through the fragrance of Thy robe, O my Lord, that the world hath been honored through Thy presence, and hath inhaled the sweet smell of Thy meeting. I know not, however, O Thou the Beloved of the world and the Desire of the nations, the place wherein the throne of Thy majesty hath been established, nor the seat which hath been made Thy footstool, and been illumined with the splendors of the light of Thy face.”

I swear by Thy glory, O Thou Who art the Lord of all being and the Possessor of all things visible and invisible! Every man of understanding hath been so bewildered at Thy knowledge, and every man endued with insight been so perplexed in his attempt to fathom the signs of Thy great glory, that all have recognized their powerlessness to visualize, and their impotence to soar into, the heaven wherefrom one of the Luminaries of the Manifestations of Thy knowledge and of the Daysprings of Thy wisdom hath shone forth. Who is he that shall befittingly describe this most sublime station and this most august seat—the seat which, as decreed by Thee, transcendeth the comprehension of Thy creatures and the testimonies of Thy servants, and which hath everlastingly been hid from the understanding and the knowledge of men, and been closed with the seal of Thy name, the Self-Subsisting.

I swear by Thy glory and Thy sovereignty which overshadow the kingdoms of earth and of heaven! Were any of Thy chosen Ones and Thy Messengers to meditate on the manifold evidences of Thy most exalted Pen—a Pen which is driven by the fingers of Thy will—and were he to muse on its mysteries, and its tokens, and all that it showeth forth, he would be so perplexed that his tongue would fail to extol and describe Thee, and his heart would be utterly unable to understand Thee. For he would, at one time, discover that from this Pen there floweth out unto all created things the water that is life indeed, and that the Pen itself hath been named by Thee the trumpet whereby the dead speed out of their sepulchers. At another time he would find that there proceedeth from this Pen such fire as Thine own Revelation can kindle, and as He Who conversed with Thee (Moses) on Sinai hath perceived.

How marvelous, then, are the manifold tokens of Thy might, and how great are the diverse evidences of Thy power! The learned have, without exception, admitted their ignorance when confronted with the radiance of the Luminary of Thy knowledge; and the mighty have all confessed their impotence in the face of the billowing Ocean of Thy power; and the rich have one and all acknowledged their poverty before the effusions of the Treasuries of Thy wealth; and the worldly wise have each recognized their nothingness beside the splendors of the Light of Thy beauty; and the exalted have all witnessed unto their abasement when face to face with the effulgence of the Daystar of Thy glory; and they who are in authority have borne witness to their own evanescence and to the evanescence of others, and discovered the eternity of Thy majesty, and of Thy sovereignty, and of Thy sublimity, and of Thy power.

My God, and the God of all things, and my King and the King of all things, and the Beloved of my soul, and the Goal of my desire! Thou knowest full well that I make mention of Thee, in this day, in the name of such of Thy creatures as have detached themselves from all except Thee, and I extol Thy virtues through the tongue of those of Thy people that have recognized Thy oneness, that haply there may pour out from the sighs which they utter in their love and their yearning for Thee what will melt away all that may hinder Thy servants from setting their faces towards the heaven of Thy knowledge and the kingdom of Thy signs.

This, then, O my God and the God of all names, and the Creator of earth and heaven, is the Day whereon He Whose heart gloweth with the flaming fire of Thy presence is calling upon Thee. Where can separation from Thee be found, O my God, so that reunion with Thee may be clearly recognized at the appearance of the Light of Thy unity, and the revelation of the splendors of the Sun of Thy oneness? I ask pardon of Thee, O my God, for all that hath been said, and for whatsoever hath flowed out, and is now flowing out from my Pen in Thy days. I testify that Thou hast decreed that the offering of prayer should befit not me, but Him Who hath, at Thy bidding and in conformity with Thy pleasure, preceded me. Rather hast Thou ordained that the revelation of verses should be specially attributed unto this mighty Manifestation, and to This Announcement that hath adorned the Scrolls of Thy majesty and Thy Tablet in which account is kept.

I render Thee thanks, O Thou Who hast lighted Thy fire within my soul, and cast the beams of Thy light into my heart, that Thou hast taught Thy servants how to make mention of Thee, and revealed unto them the ways whereby they can supplicate Thee, through Thy most holy and exalted tongue, and Thy most august and precious speech. But for Thy leave, who is there that could venture to express Thy might and Thy grandeur; and were it not for Thine instruction, who is the man that could discover the ways of Thy pleasure in the kingdom of Thy creation?

I beseech Thee, O God of bounty and King of all created things, to guard Thy servants from the imaginations which their hearts may devise. Raise them up, then, to such heights that their footsteps may slip not in the face of the evidences of Thy handiwork, which the manifold exigencies of Thy wisdom have ordained, and whose secrets Thou hast hid from the face of Thy people and Thy creatures. Withhold them not, O my Lord, from the ocean of Thy knowledge, neither do Thou deprive them of what Thou didst destine for such of Thy chosen ones as have near access to Thee, and those of Thy trusted ones as are wholly devoted to Thy Self. Supply them, then, from Thy sea of certainty with what will calm the agitation of their hearts. Turn, O Lord my God, the darkness of their fancies into the brightness of certitude, and cause them to arise, and to walk steadfastly in Thy straight Path, that haply Thy Book may not hinder them from recognizing Him Who is its Revealer, and Thy names from acknowledging the One Who is their Creator, and their Provider, and their Origin, and their King, and their Begetter, and their Destroyer, and their Glorifier, and their Abaser, and their Governor, and the Sovereign Protector of their Bearers.

Thou art the One, O my God and my Ruler, Who hast sent down Thy Book that Thou mayest manifest my Cause, and glorify my Word. Through it Thou didst enter into a Covenant, concerning me, with all that hath been created in Thy realm. Thou seest, O Beloved of the world, how the rebellious among Thy creatures have made of that Covenant a bulwark for themselves, and through it have withdrawn from Thy Beauty, and repudiated Thy signs.

Thou art He, O my God, Who hath commanded them in Thy great Book, and said:

“Fear ye the Most Merciful, O people of the Bayan, and deny not Him for Whom I have ordained the Bayan to be one of the leaves of His Paradise. I, verily, esteem it as a gift from me unto Him. Were it His pleasure to accept it, He, truly, is the Most Bountiful; and if He cast it away and refuse to consider it, His verdict is just, and He, in very truth, is Praiseworthy in His acts, and meet to be obeyed in His behests. To none is given the right to cavil at Him.”

Thou beholdest, therefore, O my God, how this wronged one hath fallen into the hands of such as have denied Thy right, and broken off from Thy sovereignty. He, round whose person circleth Thy proof, and in whose name and on behalf of whose sovereignty Thy testimony crieth out unto all created things, hath suffered more grievously in his days than any pen can recount, and been so harassed that He Who is Thy Spirit (Jesus) lamented, and all the denizens of Thy Kingdom and all the inmates of Thy Tabernacle in the realms above cried with a great and bitter lamentation.

Should any one incline his inner ear, he would hear the cry and the wailing of all created things over what hath befallen Him Whom the world hath wronged, at the hands of them with whom Thou hast covenanted in the Day of Separation. Where is that fair-minded soul, O my God, who will judge equitably Thy Cause, and where is the man of insight to be found who will behold Thee with Thine own eyes? Is there any man of hearing who will hear Thee with Thine ears, or one endued with eloquence who will speak the truth in Thy days?

I swear by Thy glory, O Thou Who beholdest me from Thine all-glorious horizon, and hearest the voice of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing! Should any one consider Thy Books which Thou didst name the Bayan, and ponder in his heart what hath been revealed therein, he would discover that each of these Books announceth my Revelation, and declareth my Name, and testifieth to my Self, and proclaimeth my Cause, and my Praise, and my Rising, and the radiance of my Glory. And yet, notwithstanding Thy proclamation, O my God, and in spite of the words Thou didst utter, O my Beloved, Thou hast seen and heard their calumnies against me, and their evil doings in my days.

I testify in my present state, O my Lord, and against the will of him who hath turned his back to Thee (Mirza Yahya), that Thou art God, and that there is none other God beside Thee. This, verily, is the Day wherewith Thy Scriptures, and Thy Books, and Thy Tablets, have been adorned. And He Who now speaketh is, in truth, the Well-guarded Treasure, and the Hidden Secret, and the Preserved Tablet, and the Impenetrable Mystery, and the Sealed Book. He, truly, is to be obeyed in whatsoever He commandeth, and decreeth, and revealeth, and is to be loved in everything He, through His sovereignty, enjoineth, and, through His power, ordaineth. Whoso will hesitate for less than the twinkling of an eye, hath, verily, denied Thy right, and repudiated all that Thou hast revealed in Thy Books, and in Thy Scriptures, and sent down with Thy chosen Ones, and Thy Prophets, and Thy Messengers, and the Trustees of Thy Revelation.

I beg of Thee, O Thou in Whose hands are the kingdoms of earth and heaven, and in Whose grasp lie all who dwell in the dominions of Thy Revelation and Thy creation, not to withhold the glance of Thy favors from such as have sustained tribulations in Thy path, and tasted of the cup of woe in their love towards Thee, and have been cast into prison in Thy name, and endured what none of Thy creatures and Thy people have endured. They are Thy servants, O my Lord, who have responded to Thee as soon as Thou didst send out Thy summons, and have set their faces towards Thee when the light of Thy countenance was lifted upon them, and turned unto Thee at the time when Thy most exalted horizon shone forth with the brightness of Thy name through which all who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth swooned away.

Ordain for them, O my Lord, what Thou didst ordain for Thy chosen ones who have welcomed the darts of the infidels in Thy Cause and for love of Thee, and hasted to attain the orient of tribulation with Thy name on their lips and Thy remembrance in their hearts. Thou art the One, O my God, Who hath promised in Thy perspicuous utterances to remember them in Thy Book as a recompense for their works in Thy days.

Bless them, O my God, and ascribe unto them such glory as hath shone forth above the horizon of Thy will, and hath shed its splendors from the kingdom of Thine utterance. Immerse them, O my Lord, beneath the ocean of Thy mercy, and illumine them with the dawning light of Thy Revelation. Forgive, then, O my God, their fathers and their mothers, by Thy favor, and Thy bounty, and Thy tender mercies. Send, then, upon them from the right hand of Thy most exalted Paradise the fragrance of the robe of Thine all-glorious Beauty. Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou, verily, art the Governor, the Ordainer, the All-Bountiful, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Beloved of the world, and the Adored of the hearts of them that have recognized Thee.

BH00210: Lawh-i-Hadi—On He who knoweth himself knoweth His Lord

Section 1: “Unique glorification, sanctified above limitation and the knowledge…”

He is God, the Mighty, the Beautiful

Unique glorification, sanctified above limitation and the knowledge of created things, befitteth the court of might of that Eternal One, Who hath been and shall forever be ensconced within His own most holy and exalted sanctuary, and Who, from time immemorial unto time everlasting, shall remain upon the seat and throne of His independence and grandeur. How utterly independent hath His sacred Essence been from the comprehension of all created things, and how immeasurably exalted shall it remain above the praise of all dwellers of earth and heaven! Through the pure bounty of His grace and the sublime excellence of His mercy, He hath deposited within all things that are seen and known the sign of His knowledge, that no thing might be deprived of recognizing His presence according to its capacity and station.

And this sign is the mirror of His beauty in creation, and the more this most exalted, most wondrous, and most impregnable mirror is polished through striving and endeavor, the more shall the manifestations of His names and attributes and the evidences of His knowledge and signs be impressed and reflected therein, to such degree that every thing may witness in its place and every thing may know its limit and measure, and may hear from all things that there is no God but Him and that ʿAli-Qabli-Nabil is the Manifestation of all names and the Dawning-Place of all attributes, that all were created by His will and all act by His command.

Although this mirror may draw nigh unto the holy gardens of the All-Merciful and the sacred precincts of divine intimacy through spiritual struggles and heavenly attractions, becoming cleansed of dark impurities and satanic fancies, yet since every matter hath its appointed time and every fruit its determined season, the appearance of this grace and the springtime of this beneficence hath ever been in the Days of God. Though He hath bestowed upon all days a portion of His wondrous favors according to their capacity, yet He hath ordained for the days of His manifestation a station beyond the comprehension of those endowed with understanding. Thus, should all the hearts of those who dwell in the heavens and the earth turn in those divine days towards that Sun of celestial glory and be directed unto Him, they would all find themselves sanctified, illumined and purified. Exalted be this grace, before which no grace hath preceded! Exalted be this bounty, which hath no likeness in creation nor peer in invention! Exalted be He above all that they describe or mention!

Thus in those days none hath needed nor shall need another, as was observed when most of those who sought the divine sanctuary in that heavenly Day spoke forth with such knowledge and wisdom that none besides those holy souls had ever attained nor shall attain to a single letter thereof, even should they engage in study and learning for a thousand years. Thus have the loved ones of God been independent of all knowledge in the days of the manifestation of the divine Sun; nay rather, the springs of knowledge and wisdom have flowed uninterruptedly from their hearts and innate nature.

O Hadi! God willing, thou hast been guided by the lights of the eternal morn and the appearance of the everlasting dawn, that thy heart might be sanctified from dark and transient souls, and thou mightest find all knowledge and mysteries inscribed therein. For verily it is the comprehensive Book, the perfect Word, and the all-encompassing Mirror. “We have recorded all things in a clear Book, if ye would but know.”

And furthermore, a question about detachment was asked. That respected one has understood that detachment means detachment of the self from all else save God—that is, to ascend to such a station wherein nothing whatsoever among all that exists between the heavens and the earth can prevent one from the Truth. In other words, neither love of anything nor occupation with it should veil one from divine love and engagement in His remembrance. As is evident to behold, most people today have clung to vanishing ornaments and grasped onto vain causes, thus depriving themselves of everlasting blessings and the fruits of the Blessed Tree. Although the wayfarer in the paths of Truth may attain to a station wherein he sees no place or station save detachment, yet this matter cannot be expressed in words, nor can the Pen step forward to inscribe it.

This is of God’s grace, which He bestoweth upon whomsoever He willeth. In any case, detachment has never meant and will never mean the squandering and waste of wealth, but rather means turning unto God and relying upon Him. This station, in whatever way it is achieved and through whatever thing it becomes manifest—that is detachment, and its beginning and end. We therefore beseech God to detach us from all else save Him and grant us reunion with Him. Verily there is no God but Him. His is the Command and the Creation. He bestoweth what He willeth upon whomsoever He willeth, and He is powerful over all things.

Furthermore, a question about return was asked. This matter has been mentioned in detail in all Tablets with various explanations and countless wisdoms. God willing, let them refer to these so they may become informed of its nature. The beginning of all things is from God and the return of all shall be unto God. None can deny this. The return of all is unto the Truth, though some return unto His mercy and good-pleasure, and others unto His wrath and fire. In the Persian and Arabic Tablets, all these matters have been fully and completely mentioned. Refer to them if you wish to know. Likewise, the Primal Point—exalted be His grandeur—has written about this in detail in the Persian Bayan. Let them refer to it, for a single letter thereof suffices all the peoples of the earth. And God hath recorded everything in a Clear Book. Likewise observe in your own beginning that it was from God and unto God shall it return. Even as ye began, so shall ye return, and unto Him shall ye all return.

And as to what thou hast asked concerning the well-known tradition “He who knoweth his self hath known his Lord”—know thou that this utterance hath, in each of the infinite worlds, wondrous meanings according to that realm, whereof none besides that realm hath any knowledge or understanding, nor ever shall have. Were all of these meanings to be mentioned as they truly are, neither all the pens in creation nor all the oceans of ink would suffice to record them. Yet a drop from this vast, infinite ocean shall be mentioned, that perchance it may guide the seekers to the goal of their quest and lead those who search unto their ultimate objective. God guideth whom He willeth unto His mighty, powerful and glorious path.

Consider, for instance, the rational soul which is a divine trust deposited within human beings. Observe within thyself how movement and rest, will and purpose, and all else above and below these, as well as hearing, sight, smell, speech, and other outward and inward senses, all exist through its existence. Indeed, were its connection with the body to be severed even slightly, all these senses would be deprived and prevented from their effects and actions. This is most evident and known, that the effect of all these aforementioned causes is dependent and conditional upon the existence of the rational soul, which is a sign of the manifestation of the sovereign Unity. Through its manifestation all these names and attributes appear, and through its concealment all become non-existent and perish.

Now, if it be said that it is sight, it is sanctified above sight, for sight appears through it and exists by its existence. And if thou sayest it is hearing, it is observed that hearing is mentioned through attention to it, and likewise with all else that can be described by names and attributes which exist in the human temple. All these diverse names and manifest attributes appear and are witnessed from this sign of unity, yet in its essence and reality it is sanctified above all these names and attributes. Rather, all else in its presence is utter nothingness and complete void.

If thou wert to contemplate with the minds of the first and the last unto eternity upon this divine subtlety and manifestation of holy eternality, thou wouldst assuredly find thyself incapable and wanting in truly knowing it. And when thou observest thine own powerlessness and limitation in attaining to the knowledge of the sign that exists within thyself, thou wilt surely behold with the eye of inner and outer vision thine own impotence and that of all created things in knowing the Divine Essence and the Sun of eternal glory. The acknowledgment of powerlessness in this station, when based on insight, is the utmost limit of the knowledge of the servant and the highest attainment of the worshippers.

If thou shouldst ascend, through the degrees of trust and detachment, to the heights of holy independence, and open thy spiritual eye, thou wouldst see this utterance free and detached from the limitations of self, and wouldst hear with the ear of understanding from the divine holy Dove that “whoso knoweth anything hath known his Lord,” for in all things there is the sign of the manifestation of eternal glory. The resplendent dawnings of the Sun of Divine Unity are manifest and visible, and this hath never been, nor shall ever be, confined to any single soul, and this is the truth in which there is no doubt, if ye be of them that know. But the primary purpose of knowing the self in this station is to know the Self of God in every age and dispensation, for the Ancient Being and the Ocean of Truth hath ever been sanctified above the knowledge of all else.

Therefore the knowledge of all knowers returneth unto the knowledge of the Manifestations of His Cause, and they are the Self of God amongst His servants, His Manifestation amidst His creation, and His Sign among His creatures. Whoso knoweth them hath known God, whoso acknowledgeth them hath acknowledged God, and whoso confesseth their truth hath confessed the signs of God, the All-Subduing, the Self-Subsisting. Thus do We expound the verses unto you, that ye may be guided by the signs of God.

O Hadi! Be thou guided by the guidance of God, thy Lord and the Lord of all things. Then gird up thy loins to aid the Cause of God, and follow not those who have taken the Samiri as their protector instead of God, who scoff at the signs of God in derision and are among the transgressors. When the verses of thy Lord are recited unto them, they say: “These are but veils.” Say: By what discourse, then, did ye believe in God, your Lord? Bring it forth, if ye be of the truthful! The Cause hath now reached such a pass that, by Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand, all who are in the heavens and on earth secretly weep and lament over the oppression of this servant. Yet We have placed Our trust in God, our Lord and the Lord of all things, and I behold all who are in the kingdom but as a handful of clay, save those who have entered into the depths of the love and knowledge of God. Thus do We make mention unto thee, that thou mayest be of them that know.

Section 2: “As to what thou didst ask concerning…”

As to what thou didst ask concerning the tradition that the believer is alive in both worlds—yea, this is true, even as the sun which hath risen in this atmosphere, which hath appeared in this heaven, which was in this cloud, if ye be of them that understand. Nay, if thou remainest steadfast in thy love for thy Lord and attainest unto the station wherein thy feet shall not slip, there will appear from thee that which shall quicken both worlds. This is a revelation from One mighty, all-knowing. Therefore give thanks unto God for having bestowed upon thee from this Kawthar whereby the spirits of them who draw nigh are quickened, and for having raised thee up in truth and sent down unto thee the verses whereby God’s proof hath been perfected unto all the worlds. By God! Were a single drop thereof to be bestowed upon the dwellers of the heavens and the earth, thou wouldst find them all enduring through the endurance of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful.

It is known to that honored one that all names and attributes and all things, both visible and manifest and hidden and unseen, after the removal of the veils from their faces, naught shall remain save the sign of God which He hath deposited therein, and this shall endure for as long as God, thy Lord and the Lord of the heavens and earths, willeth—how much more so the believer, who was the very purpose of the creation of existence and life. Even as the name of faith hath existed from the beginning that hath no beginning and will endure unto the end that hath no end, likewise the believer hath been and ever shall be alive and enduring, circling round the Will of God from time immemorial. He it is who endureth through the endurance of God, abideth through His abiding, is manifest through His manifestation, and is hidden through His command. It is evident that the most exalted horizon of immortality hath ever been the dwelling-place of them that believe in God and His signs. Never shall extinction find its way unto that sacred seat. Thus do We impart unto thee the verses of thy Lord that thou mayest stand firm in thy love and be of them that know.

Since all these matters have been set forth in detail in most of the Tablets, they are here mentioned with utmost brevity. We hope, God willing, that thou mayest attain unto the furthermost horizon of detachment and arrive at the reality of the journeys which is the station of survival through God, and like unto the sun become influential, radiant and luminous in the world of dominion and the kingdom. Despair not of God’s grace, for none despaireth of His bounty save those who are in loss.

Then make mention from Us to thy companion who hath been named Rida, and give him the glad tidings of what God hath desired for him, that he may be of them that rejoice. Then remind the servants not to falter when a momentous matter cometh unto them. Say: Be steadfast in the Cause of God and His remembrance, transgress not the bounds of God, and be not of the transgressors.

Indeed, it behooveth all in this day to attain unto and remain firm in such a station that should all the devils of the earth gather together to turn them aside from the path of God, they would prove powerless and would find themselves utterly impotent. Say: O people! Be ye the might of God against His enemies and His mercy unto His loved ones. Be not of them who are so overcome by atmospheric moisture that no trace remaineth in them of male or female, and they become of the indolent. Arise, O people, from the couches of heedlessness through a fire which, were all who are in the heavens and earth to face it, ye would find its trace. This is what God counseleth you, that ye may be of them that know.

When thou arrivest at the City of God, remind its people and give them glad tidings of the remembrance of God in their remembrance, that they may be of those who receive glad tidings. Then remind the House and its people, and those from whom thou perceivest the fragrance of holiness from this sacred and noble scene. Then give glad tidings to Rida and those who are with him from among the loved ones of God. Then remind them from Us with a gracious reminder. Then recount to them what hath befallen Us from those who desired to sacrifice themselves in Our path while in their hearts was a rancor greater than every lofty mountain. Thus doth God reveal what is in the hearts of those who disbelieved and associated partners with God, the Lord of all worlds. And among them was he who turned away, then repented, then disbelieved, then believed, until he ended at his beginning in the lowest depths of hell.

O people of the Bayan! Fear God and be conscious of Him in your own selves, such that ye neither associate with him, nor feel comfort in his presence, nor sit with him in gathering, nor be of the heedless ones. Flee from him unto God, your Lord, that God may protect you from him and from his evil and from his hosts. Thus do We inform you with justice that it may be a mercy from Us upon you and upon all created things. By God! Were ye to have the glance of faith, ye would find in his countenance the trace of hell. By God! From him wafteth the odors of hatred which, were they to waft over all created things, would transform them to the lowest of the low. Thus do We recite unto you from the verses of God and cast upon you from the words of wisdom and teach you the ways of piety, purely for the sake of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent.

By God! His face testifieth to his unbelief, his utterance to his hypocrisy, and his form to his turning away, if ye be of those who perceive. He claimeth within himself the essence of detachment just as Satan claimed and said:

“I have purified my face for God, the Lord of all worlds, and therefore I did not prostrate before Adam before, nor will I prostrate, for were I to prostrate to other than God, I would then be of the idolaters.”

Say: O accursed one! If thou hadst believed in God, why didst thou disbelieve in His glory and His beauty, His light and His radiance, His sovereignty and His grandeur, His power and His might, and wert of those who turned away from God Who created thee from dust, then from a drop, then from a handful of clay?

By God, O people! Were he to mention God, he would mention Him only for the deceit that is in his breast. Fear God and draw not nigh unto him, O people of unity! And if he commandeth you to good, he commandeth you to evil, if ye be of those who know. Beware lest ye trust in him or in what he possesseth, and sit not with him in the gatherings of the loved ones. By God! We desired naught in what We mentioned to you save My love for you, O concourse of the sincere ones.

And ye, O people of the Bayan! Aid the All-Merciful with your hearts, your souls, your tongues, your bodies, and all that ye possess and all that ye have, and be not of the patient ones. By God! O hosts of God and His party! This hypocrite hath done unto Us what Satan did not unto Adam, nor Nimrod unto Abraham, nor Pharaoh unto Moses, nor the Jews unto Jesus, nor Abu-Jahl unto Muhammad, nor Shimr unto Husayn, nor the Dajjal unto the Qa’im, nor the Sufyani unto God, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Generous.

By God! The clouds of the Cause weep over Us, then the clouds of bounty, then the eyes of those brought nigh. Thus hath befallen Us in the land of exile in the prison of the enemies. We have informed you of a letter thereof, nay less than that, that ye may be of those who are informed, and perchance there may be kindled in your hearts the fire of love and ye may aid Us in every matter and not be of the heedless ones.

Then mention the Mihdi, against whom that which grieveth the hearts of the mystics was perpetrated. Say: O servant, be patient in the Cause of God and His decree, then be steadfast in all things and be not of them that waver. And if abasement toucheth thee for My name’s sake, be not disheartened within thyself, but stand firm in thy love. Then call to mind the days when the sweet-scented breezes of God, the Exalted, the Mighty, the Great, wafted among you. Then detach thyself, thy spirit and thy very being from such as these, and be in the kingdom among Our steadfast servants.

Then mention the Majid in Our behalf, and those with him among God’s chosen ones and His loved ones, that ye may be of them that rejoice. Say: Beware lest thou gather with the enemies of God in any place, nor hear aught from them, even if they recite unto thee from the verses of God, the Mighty, the Generous. For Satan hath led most of the servants astray by their agreement with him in mentioning their Creator with the utmost of what they possess, as ye find among the concourse of Muslims, in that they make mention of God with their hearts and tongues and do all that they are commanded, and thereby have they gone astray and led the people astray, if ye be of them that know. When Ali came unto them with the truth, with the signs of God, they turned away from him and disbelieved in what he brought from the presence of One Wise, All-Informed. Thus doth God cast upon you that which shall preserve you from all else but Him, as a mercy from His presence unto the worlds. Then mention the Rahim in Our behalf, that he may be mindful within himself and be of them that remember.

Say: O servant, remind the servants of that which God hath taught thee, then guide the people to the good-pleasure of God, then forbid them from drawing nigh unto the satans. Say: By God, on that Day there was no balance of God save the love of God and His Cause, then My love, if ye be of them that know. They who turned away from Me have turned away from God, and this is My proof, were ye of them that perceive. O people, sanctify your eyes, then your hearts, then your souls, that ye may distinguish the countenance of God from the faces of the idolaters. Then mention those who have believed in God and His signs, then His light and His splendor, then in Him Who shall be made manifest in the Mustaghath, that it may be a mercy from Our presence unto them and a remembrance unto the worlds. And whoso turneth away from Me, turn ye away from him and draw not nigh unto him ever, and this is what hath been inscribed in the preserved tablets of might. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH00233: 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 Glorious!

This is a Book sent down in truth, and verily it is a guidance and mercy unto all the worlds. Indeed it is God’s testimony amongst His servants, His proof amidst His creation, His most great evidence among His creatures, and His balance which hath been established in truth—yet the people comprehend not its utterance. Verily it is the Most Great Sign, the Most Exalted Countenance, and the Mystery of the First and the Last, made manifest in the Most Glorious Garment—glorified be He above the comprehension of every wayward misbeliever. He hath appeared with divine adornment between the heavens and the earth, and hath come from the Kingdom of Glory with manifest sovereignty.

Fear ye God, O peoples of the earth, and be not veiled from Him through Whose will the fountains of wisdom have gushed forth from the hearts of them that are God-fearing. Were it not for Him, the veils would not have been rent asunder, and the Lord of Lords would not have come in the shadows of a transcendent Name. Verily He is the Creator of all names, if ye be of them that know. At His right hand is the dominion of authority, and within His grasp is the Kingdom of the heavens and earth. He is, in truth, the Exalted Beauty—open, therefore, your eyes that ye may behold Him once again through this Name which hath dawned from the horizon of this Dayspring with wondrous radiance.

Verily, this is He Who was suspended in the air in the path of God, His Lord, and upon Whom befell that which caused the pillars of the mighty throne to tremble. O people of the Bayan! Be ye ashamed before the Beauty of Him Who sacrificed His soul, then take ye the path unto the Beloved in this Revelation. Beware lest ye be veiled from Him for Whose meeting ye were created and Who calleth you at all times to a sublime horizon. He desireth naught but to draw you nigh unto God’s Kingdom, to purify you from earthly defilement, and to raise you up to the pavilion which hath been upraised in God’s Name. He desireth nothing for Himself, but rather for you that which hath been ordained by the One Who is omnipotent and ancient.

We have not sent down the verses except as a reminder to him who feareth God, and God is indeed aware of this. Verily it is a revelation from your Lord, the Most Merciful, and He hath indeed ascended the throne, and at His right hand is the Sovereign of the Messengers, who in the Book was exalted. O people! Fear God, then follow the path of truth, for it is indeed a straight path. We have, verily, honored you, O My loved ones, above all who dwell on earth, and have preferred you above many of Our servants. We have sent down unto you the Book wherein We have detailed every matter, and have ordained for you the laws of the Cause that ye may know your course and remain steadfast in the Cause.

Arise to serve the Cause, then assist this Youth Who in these days hath been afflicted with tribulations which no reckoner, however learned, can compute. Beware lest ye be neglectful in the Cause of God and cast His laws behind your backs, for whoso doeth so is recorded among the wrongdoers in the Tablet. Beware lest ye abandon this Book. Unite, O people, in the Cause of God—this is what ye have been commanded in the Tablets, and We are witness to this. Through unity shall God’s Cause be made manifest among His creatures, and faces shall turn toward the dawning-place of a glorious Name. Show forth among the servants My nature and My traces, and be not deprived of the breezes of these days.

And thou, O Leaf of Paradise, hearken unto My call from the direction of My throne, that it may attract thee to the heaven of My grace and the atmosphere of My bounty, and may cause thee to speak My praise among the worlds. Leave thou what lieth behind thee, and turn thy face towards this Sanctuary which God hath built with the hands of His power, and round which circle the Concourse on High, then the angels brought nigh. Be thou not grieved at aught, for soon shall the world pass away and all matters shall return to their Source. This is truth, certain truth. Rejoice thou at the glad-tidings of the Spirit, for He hath assisted thee in truth and will assist thee as He pleaseth. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Powerful. Blessed art thou for having heard the melodies of thy Lord and attained the lights of His countenance in days when all were wrapped in thick veils. Blessed art thou for having entered a paradise in whose shade all other paradises seek shelter. This is the supreme triumph, the manifest bounty.

Were We to recount to thee what hath befallen Us, thou wouldst weep and lament. Therefore do We conceal it from thee as a token of Our grace, for We are the Forgiving, the Merciful. I have been touched by tribulations that have caused the hearts of the chosen ones to burn, and then the hearts of the Prophets and Messengers. To this testifieth all things and everyone possessed of knowledge. Yet We thank God in all this, for He, verily, is the Beloved in whatsoever He willeth, and He, verily, is the Desired One in whatsoever He desireth.

By God! His purpose is My purpose, and what He willeth for Me is My wish. I fear not anything, even were I to be slain at every moment by all the swords of the idolators. Would that I were among those whose blood was shed in My path in that year of tribulation whereof We informed you beforehand in tablets of mighty glory. Those who have ascended unto God and sacrificed their spirits for love of My Beauty, by God, they now dwell in the Most Glorious Paradise, while the dark-eyed maidens and angels glorifying God circle round them. Their blood hath reddened the faces of the denizens of the highest Paradise, then those who dwell nigh the Sidrat-el-Muntaha, then the angels who were not commanded to prostrate, if ye be of them that know. Such is the station of those who were slain yet slew not. These are among the most exalted of creation in God’s sight, and the company of holy angels seek blessing from their presence.

O My loved ones! The shedding of your blood upon the earth is dearer to Me than that ye should shed the blood of any soul. This was revealed at the beginning of this Manifestation, were ye of those who know. We have abolished the decree of killing in the Tablets on the day when the Ancient Beauty was established upon the throne of mighty glory. This hath been revealed in all the Tablets, were ye of those who understand. Give life to souls through the breaths of your Lord, the All-Merciful—this is the way of them that are brought nigh. We have repeatedly emphasized this command in the Book, and God is witness to what I say.

Beware lest ye commit that which would cause harm to the Tree of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Powerful. Upon thee, O Leaf of Eternity, be the fragrant breezes of Baha, then His praise and remembrance, and the remembrance of all worlds. Blessed art thou for having held fast to the Tree of the Cause, not falling away through the winds of trial which caused leaves to fall from the Tree of sublime glory. God counseleth thee, out of love for thyself, to hold fast to it through My Name, the All-Conquering, the Powerful, that thou mayest remain steadfast therein as thou wert for it and through it. This is a deed unequaled by the works of both worlds. Be thankful to thy Lord at all times, for He hath distinguished thee among His handmaidens and associated thee with His Most Great Name, the All-Glorious.

Then convey God’s greetings to thy sister, whose companion was martyred in the path of his Lord, attaining the lights of God and soaring in the atmosphere of near and gracious presence. His spirit then appeared before the Throne, speaking in praise of his Lord. Thus doth God reward His servants who strive.

O Pen of Command! Make mention in the Book of Abu’l-Hasan, who hath believed in God, the Lord of the First and the Last, and hath heard His melodies in the days when the Ancient Being was made manifest through His Most Great and Most Glorious Name. O youth! Soar on the wings of detachment unto the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, the Spot wherein shineth the countenance of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted.

Purify thyself from the veils of them that have disbelieved in God when Ali was once again made manifest in truth. Arise through My Name and My sovereignty and say: These are the verses of God which have been sent down in truth, and verily they are a reminder unto them that fear; a revelation from Him Who created the heavens, and verily He it is Who is established upon the throne. Before Him bow down in adoration all who are in the Concourse on High, and whatsoever hath been created in the cities of eternity, and all that lieth beneath the earth. Fear ye God, O people, and withhold not yourselves from Him around Whom circle the realities of the pure ones and Who knoweth the secret and that which is yet more hidden. Say: By the Lord of the Throne! He speaketh not of His own desire, but rather through that which the Spirit casteth into His pure and radiant heart.

Blessed art thou for having shattered the idol of him who disbelieved and turned away, and for having turned unto thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious. Say: Verily He is now at the most exalted horizon, uttering the mighty verses of His Lord, which God hath made a testimony from Him unto all who are in earth and heaven. With Him is the knowledge of the heavens and earth, and He witnesseth both those who have gone astray and those who are rightly guided. Say: O people! Do ye dispute concerning Him Who hath come from the Dayspring of Glory with supreme sovereignty and Who calleth you unto God every morn and eve? Be ye guided, O people, by this Revelation through Whose beauty the eyes of the denizens of the highest Paradise have been solaced. Beware lest ye be veiled by names from Him around Whom circle the most excellent names.

Then make mention in the Book of him who was named Nabil-i-Qabl-i-Husayn in the Tablets of Decree, that he may rejoice in what hath been revealed from the Pen of Command in the pavilion of Names, and that he may aid his Lord to the extent of his power and be of them who have been guided and who seek guidance.

O youth! Take delight in My remembrance, then proclaim My Cause. This is My counsel unto thee and unto them who have been illumined by the lights of the Countenance in these momentous days. Say: The Mighty One of the Cause hath come unto you from the heaven of God, the Most High, the Most Exalted. None can protect you this day, O concourse of the idolaters, save God, the Lord of the lofty heavens. Fear ye God, and dispute not His verses after their revelation, and follow not every idolatrous infidel. Follow Him in Whose grasp lieth the kingdom of all things, Who hath sacrificed His spirit in the path of your Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, and Who hath suffered at the hands of the idolaters what cannot be numbered.

This, verily, is God’s Most Great Ship, His most mighty Cause, and His most exalted Word, and it is the Most Firm Handle. Fear ye God and deprive not yourselves of Him Whose appearance was promised you in the Tablets of Ali and the Book of Muhammad, then in the Scrolls of Abraham and Moses. Say: The vision of the Youth hath not deviated when He beheld the signs of His Lord. Do ye dispute with Him, O people? By God! He is mighty in strength and hath known what the possessors of wisdom knew not. O people! Do ye worship Al-Uzza while ye deny God Who hath revealed unto the Youth what He revealed? Say: Did He not proclaim “Verily I am alive in the Most Glorious Horizon”?

Fear ye God and do not that whereby the Cause of God would be frustrated among men. Verily, He doth now, from this Horizon, witness and behold and summon you unto Himself that He may bestow upon you the most complete reward.

Section 2: “Fear ye God Who brought you into being…”

Say: Fear ye God Who brought you into being by His command, and unto Him is your ultimate end. Know ye the value of these days wherein ye were promised in the ancient Scrolls and later Books. The Spirit and joy and gladness be upon you, O My loved ones, though the Beloved doth now lament and weep. Then doth He magnify God before the face of Baha’u’llah and make mention of Him in truth, that it may be a reminder to those who shall come after. His magnification equalleth not the creation of the heavens and earth, and through His magnification are the tongues of all created things opened in praise, if ye be of them who know.

Then turn your face of holiness unto the handmaiden who hath opened her tongue in remembrance of the Lord of all worlds. O My handmaiden! Soar in the atmosphere of My nearness, then hearken unto My most sweet melodies from this most holy and most glorious throat, and unto that which proceedeth therefrom to quicken all beings. Grieve thou not over anything, but rejoice with the joy of the spirit. He hath not forgotten thee and hath caused thy tongue to speak His beauteous remembrance. Remember thy Lord in whatsoever manner thou pleaseth, that perchance thy remembrance may influence the hearts of them that slumber and awaken them from the sleep of heedlessness and make them of them who remember. Blessed art thou for having been touched by the breezes of the Beloved and been turned toward the precincts of Paradise, the Vale on the right wherein everything proclaimeth:

“I, verily, am God! There is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the All-Knowing!”

That wherewith thou hast described God, thy Lord and the Lord of all creation, hath been presented before Us, and it is better than all that is on earth. Thus hath the command been sent down at this moment from the heaven of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful. By God! The very breath that proceedeth from one’s love for this Youth shall be present before the throne of thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, and God shall manifest it in such form that were the veil to be removed from its face, the heavens and earth would be stunned thereby.

Be thou steadfast in the Cause of God and in His love in such wise that the whisperings of them who have disbelieved in God and believed in the idol may not cause thee to slip. Woe unto them and unto those who have followed them without clear proof or an enlightening Book! Remember thy Lord at all times, for by His remembrance His slumbering servants shall arise. Blessed be the mother who bore thee and the breast from which thou didst drink, for from thy tongue appeared praises in description of this imprisoned and lonely Youth. Were the veil to be lifted, thou wouldst witness how the denizens of the Supreme Concourse turn toward thee to hear that which floweth from thy lips in remembrance of thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. Grieve not over anything. Verily God is with thee, and He is the Protector of devoted women and the Helper of devoted men.

O Pen of Command! Return to the mention of the Leaf of Paradise, in whose name this impregnable and exalted Tablet hath been revealed. Say: O Leaf! Hold fast unto this sublime, exalted, mighty and all-knowing Tree. Verily it is the Sidrat al-Muntaha, the Ultimate Tree, and the Beauty of the All-Glorious in this Temple which is mentioned as the All-Glorious among the Concourse on High, lest thou be shaken by the winds of trials which blow from the direction of Satan. Thus doth thy Lord, the All-Merciful, counsel thee, both aforetime and now from before His great throne. Then gather My loved ones at the fountain of My love, sever them from all else besides Me, and magnify their faces before God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. Say: O loved ones of God! Be steadfast in His Cause and follow not every sinful idolater. Be united in the love of God and the Manifestation of His Cause. Beware lest ye differ in aught. Thus have ye been commanded by One Who is the Mighty, the All-Wise.

Remember God at all times, be not heedless of Him, and be not of the negligent. Verily, this Youth of God is among you, Who hath come to you with clear authority, Who forbiddeth you from tyranny and wickedness and commandeth you to righteousness and godliness. Thus hath the Command been sent down in the Tablets of the Prophets and Messengers. Turn your faces toward the House and be not of them that are veiled. Be steadfast in the Cause in such wise that the whisperings of the devils may not cause you to slip—they who, when asked “Who is your Lord?” say “God Who created us by His command,” yet when He appeared with the truth and came upon the clouds of destiny, they denied Him.

The curse of God be upon the infidels! Among them are those who sought to shed His blood, those who calumniated Him, and those who turned away from the path of God, the Mighty, the Powerful. At every moment there befalleth the Youth that which causeth the eyes of the near ones to weep, and by reason of what hath befallen Him, the faces of the denizens of Paradise have turned pale and the hearts of the Messengers have been consumed. Were anyone to turn with penetrating vision toward Paradise, the place wherein hath been raised the pavilion of holiness, then the canopy of grandeur, then the tents of wondrous glory, he would witness that the Temple of Grandeur is now seated upon ashes through the tyranny of these oppressors.

They slay God with their swords, then recite His verses. Why do they not understand? They shed the blood of the Beloved, then make mention of the Friend. Such hath been the state of the Youth. We have recounted it to you in truth that ye may be of them that know. And the Spirit be upon you, O My loved ones, and Glory be upon you, O My chosen ones, and Splendor be upon you, O hosts of God in all lands.

O Leaf of Paradise! Make mention on Our behalf of the handmaidens of God who circle round about thee and who worship their Lord at eventide and at dawn. O handmaidens of God! Blessed are ye, inasmuch as ye have believed in God, the One, the All-Forgiving, and have detached yourselves from all else but Him, and have held fast unto the Most Great Handle in these days wherein the hearts of Our righteous servants have been set ablaze with love for this Youth Who hath appeared with truth and hath come from the dawning-place of the Spirit with sovereignty and power. Blessed is the ear that hath heard the melodies of God, and the eye that hath beheld His beauty, and the hand that hath been raised toward the quarter of His good-pleasure, and the foot that hath walked in His path.

Thus have We sent down the command in this Tablet from which the lights have shone forth. We have altered the pronoun in these verses which were revealed in truth, for verily We have power over whatsoever We desire. None comprehendeth this save them that are endued with insight. With Him is the knowledge of all things, and nothing that hath been created between the heavens and the earth escapeth His knowledge. None understandeth this save them that are endued with understanding. Whatsoever knowledge ye possess hath appeared from Him, and We possess other knowledge, were We to utter but one word of which, the heavens would be rent asunder and the skin of the evil ones would quake with fear.

Whatsoever ye behold in Our words that differeth from that of the people, know ye that it hath been revealed with wisdom which none knoweth save God, the One, the Mighty, the All-Compelling. Know ye, moreover, that the use of the plural pronoun for women was not seemly; therefore We have abandoned it and replaced it by Our command, for verily I am the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the Unconstrained.

O Leaf of Paradise! Send Our greetings to her who was with you through the days and nights, who observed the rights of God concerning you and circled round about you for the sake of your Lord, the Mighty, the Compelling. Then convey My greetings to her who hath been named Mardiyyih in the Kingdom of Names, that she may rejoice in the gladness of the Cause and be numbered among the thankful in this Tablet wherein mention of the righteous hath not been omitted. And likewise to her who hath been named Shahr, that she may glory in the remembrance of God, the Most Great, and may detach herself wholly from the wicked. Blessed is she in having attained unto the recognition of God in days wherein the heavens were cleft asunder, the earth was rent, the mountains were crushed, and the fruits did fall.

O Leaf of Paradise! Be thou ignited with this Fire which hath been kindled at the midmost heart of creation, that through thy heat the people of the lands may be set ablaze. Make mention and be thou devoted to God Who hath aided thee to recognize the Manifestation of His Self, through Whom the oceans of grandeur and might have been set in motion. Beware lest thou forget the remembrance of thy Lord, for He hath not forgotten thee. Remember Him in the morning hours and at dawn. He is with thee under all conditions, He doth witness and see, though eyes perceive Him not. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Seeing.

Be thou steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord in such wise that through thee the handmaidens of God and His devoted servants may stand firm. Arise to make mention of the Youth and to praise Him in private and in public. Thus have We commanded thee before, and now as a token of Our grace upon thee and upon those who, when God’s verses are recited unto them, shed copious tears from their eyes. These are My loved ones whom God hath sanctified from the defilement of those who have disbelieved and joined partners with God, and whom He hath preserved from every wicked deceiver. Upon them rest My blessings, My mercy, My praise, My remembrance, and My glory, from this day until the Day which none can reckon save them that are endued with insight.

Know thou that he whom We named the Most Great Nabil hath come into Our presence and made mention of your love for God and remembrance of Him. Blessed are he and you in that God hath singled you out for His mention and made you to be among the pure ones. He is even now with Us and hath entered the ocean of nearness and reunion by leave of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Chosen One. May the Spirit, glory, holiness and splendor rest upon him and upon thee and upon them, for as long as God, the Lord of the free, shall endure.

BH00246: That which hath been sent down from the heaven…

Introduction

In the Name of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing

That which hath been sent down from the heaven of the dominion of God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting, unto Nabil before Hasan: That which was brought before Us beareth witness to thy turning unto God, the Most High, the Most Great, and thy recognition of the Manifestation of His Self, by Whom the faces of the idolators were darkened, while the countenances of the denizens of the highest Paradise were illumined—they who are such servants as have believed in this Most Great, this Most Mighty Revelation. We have made them angels by virtue of their having detached themselves from that which hath veiled all created things.

Know thou that We have witnessed that which thou didst ask of God, thy Lord, and have answered some thereof ere thou didst ask, as a mercy from Us unto thee and unto Our assured servants. Shouldst thou reflect upon it, thou wouldst find therein all that thou hast asked, for with Him is the knowledge of all things preserved in tablets of mighty glory.

On teaching thine own self, even as We had revealed aforetime

As to what thou didst ask concerning teaching thine own self, even as We had revealed aforetime in luminous tablets: We bear witness that thou hast conveyed unto thyself that which caused all who are in the heavens and earth to tremble, whereupon they who are of Sinai fell prostrate upon the dust of self and passion, and every exalted name was transformed. Say: Whoso beareth this day the trust of the love of God and restraineth his soul from that which would violate the sanctity of His Cause is among those who have conveyed unto themselves the messages of their Lord, the Supreme, the Mighty, the All-Wise. He is known to the inmates of the highest Paradise in the heaven of destiny, then to the people of Baha in the kingdom of names, and by all the most beautiful names before the Throne, though the people are unaware.

Blessed is he who in these days hath borne that trust whereby the Hour was shaken to its depths, the pillars of the Resurrection were made to quake in their essence, and the foundations of all things were convulsed, save those whom God preserved through His wondrous, most exalted, and glorious protection. Say: O people! By God, ye are slumbering, though ye walk upon the earth; nay, ye are dead in the estimation of your Lord, and ye perceive it not. Say: The Beloved of all worlds hath appeared, He Whom the Point of the Bayan doth now truthfully extol, saying:

“Upon Thee, O Baha’u’llah, be the praise of God and His glorification, then the praise of all things, then the praise of the people of the realms of eternity, then the praise of the inmates of Paradise at every moment, before every moment, and after every moment.”

Say: Think ye that he who hesitates in this irrefutable, this wise Cause can be truly accounted among the living? Nay, by the Lord of all worlds! He hath ever been deprived of the breaths of God, even though he may claim belief in the previous Revelation. This is but a phantom wherein We have seized him through My sovereignty that transcendeth all possibilities and through My command that encompasseth all who are in the realms of earth.

On that which was revealed unto Muhammad, the Messenger of God

Concerning what thou didst ask regarding that which was revealed unto Muhammad, the Messenger of God, aforetime, where it is written that it is a tree that springeth out of the bottom of Hell, whose fruit is as it were the heads of devils—know thou that Hell signifieth the essence of him who was the first to turn away from God, his Lord and the Lord of all things and the Lord of all worlds. The Tree is his own self which was enkindled with hatred of God and rancor, and through it were created the abyss, then destruction, and the scorching fire, and the burning flame. He it is who hath stood before the Face at all times, and We cast unto him from the verses of God, the King, the Resurrector, the Peerless One. When We exalted his mention, he then denied Him Who created him, through his own utterance, whereunto every just and informed one doth testify.

As to the fruit, it referreth to the leaders of fire who have associated themselves with the essence of Hell, and thou beholdest their heads in most lands. By God! These are indeed the heads of devils; nay, Satan himself seeketh refuge from their deeds and from what they plot in the Cause of God, the King, the Single, the One, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent.

In one sense, the fruit is that which hath grown from that Tree, as thou witnesseth. We have made it and its essence a trial for the wrongdoers. But the trial is for those who have not tasted the sweetness of the fruits that have grown from the Divine Lote-Tree, the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. Those who have tasted thereof, nothing shall prevent them, nor shall anything that hath been created between the heavens and the earth alter them. These have entered the Most Glorious Paradise, and whoso entereth it shall never leave it. Thus hath it been inscribed by the fingers of hallowed and resplendent glory. And whoso leaveth it, know that he had never entered it in the first place. Thus do We inform thee that thou mayest be of the knowing ones.

Then know thou that every name save goodness returneth to that Tree, its fruits, its leaves, and its branches, even as We revealed it aforetime through the tongue of ʿAli-before-Nabil. And in one sense, behold Hell as its ink, the Tree as its pen, the leaf as its tablet, and the fruit as that which is inscribed therein of its words, whereby the hearts of the Prophets and Messengers have been consumed. The fruits of that Tree have appeared in such wise as to proclaim naught save “Nay, nay! The curse of God be upon the wrongdoers!” Yet the fruits of the Ultimate Lote-Tree have appeared in the Most Glorious Paradise proclaiming “There is none other God but I, the Most High, the Most Great!”

Say: O people! By the True God! This is indeed a Youth Who in every day layeth His face in the dust before God, His Lord and the Lord of His forebears of old, saying:

“O my Lord! How long shall it be delayed, the shedding of this blood which Thou desirest to flow upon the earth in Thy path, that the faces of them who are near unto Thee may be reddened thereby? O my Lord! Thou art He Who created the Bayan for My sake, and planted the Tree of Knowledge for My mention and the praise of My Being, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. I arose not save by Thy Name, nor sat I save by Thy other Name, nor spoke I save in remembrance of Thee amongst all worlds. Thou didst command the people of the Bayan to detach themselves at the time of the Manifestation from all that they possess, and all allusions have been severed from this sanctified and luminous hem. Yet now Thou beholdest Thy Beloved One in the hands of these oppressors, and they have assailed Him such that He findeth not a moment to weep for Himself. When He turneth to the right, He is met by the spear of the ungodly, and when He turneth to the left, He is wounded by the arrows of the hypocrites. Then witness Me in tribulations the like of which the eye of creation hath never beheld, after Thou didst sanctify Me from all mention and novel praise. Thou didst command the people of the Bayan not to commit that which would sadden My heart at the time of My manifestation. Yet by Thy might, O my Beloved! I witness from them naught save that which causeth My liver to burn, My heart to be fettered, and My eyes to shed tears. And sufficient art Thou Thyself as a witness to what I say.”

O servant! Arise, by the might and power of God, then help thy Lord to the extent of thy capacity, and be not of them that hesitate. Verily His help is to promote His Cause amongst all who are on earth, and this is the first commandment that hath been sent down from the heaven of eternity upon the Most Exalted Pen, and it hath been inscribed upon tablets of imperishable glory. But this must be done with wisdom and utterance, with humility and submission manifest, in such wise that all men may perceive from every teacher the sweet savors of detachment and behold in their faces the radiance of the All-Merciful. Thus must it be with them who have quaffed the living waters of inner meaning from this most wondrous, this most sublime chalice.

They who spread corruption in the land after it hath been set in order, such are heedless of the remembrance of God, and whatsoever they do shall redound as harm unto the Divine Lote-Tree exalted and glorious. Say: O people! Shed not blood, for We have forbidden it unto you in all the Tablets, and contend not with anyone. If ye find one who is receptive, impart unto him that which God hath imparted unto you, and shun those who have turned away, whose unbelief is attested by every atom even as this Ancient Being hath testified.

On that which was revealed aforetime

As to what thou hast asked concerning that which was revealed aforetime—“If We willed, We would make of you angels to be Our successors in the earth”—know thou that thy Lord is verily the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth, and He, verily, is potent over all things. Should He wish, He could make all who are on earth among the angels drawn nigh unto Him. Nothing escapeth His knowledge, and naught in the heavens or on earth can frustrate His power. Should He desire to clothe all things with the garment of names, He is able to do so, and this would be easy for Him. And were He to strip them thereof, none may say why’ or wherefore’, and whoso sayeth so hath disbelieved in God, his Lord, and is numbered with the infidels.

Know thou that We have made thee an angel to convey unto men this Most Great, this Mighty Announcement. Beware lest thou transgress the bounds of wisdom. Thus do We command thee now, even as We commanded Our trusted servants aforetime. Verily, wert thou to render thanks unto God from this moment until the day that hath no end, it would be as nothing compared with this great bounty. Be thou at peace within thyself, then stand firm in the Cause, and in all things place thy trust in God. With Him is thy final abode, and the final abode of the sincere ones.

Know thou furthermore that this verse was revealed at the time when the concourse of the Gospel disputed with Muhammad, the Apostle of God, and were among the opposers. And there were some among them who said that the Spirit was the Son of God and therefore nearer to God, the Supreme, the Great, than thou art, for he was born without a father, and this is a nobility sufficient for all the worlds. Therefore it behooveth not anyone to come after him and abrogate his law, for through him God’s favor to His servants was perfected, and none before had preceded him in this bounty, nor would any after him excel him therein.

When God heard how they disputed with His Beloved, that verse was revealed that they might know that He is verily the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth, and He, verily, is potent over all things. “If We willed, We would make of you angels”—that is, We would create you without father or mother by Our Word, and make you successors in the earth. Verily, We have power over all things.

And verily he is a sign of the Hour—that is, the Spirit was indeed aware of this Hour which appeared in human form, and by his arising the Resurrection arose amongst all created things. The intention of what was revealed was that they should not deny Him Who came to them with the truth, nor cling to what they possessed. Thus was the matter, if thou be of them that comprehend.

The people have not understood the mysteries of the Cause, nor can they know what is intended in the words of God save by His leave. With Him is the knowledge of all things, yet the people remain unaware. In one station He made him a sign of the Hour, for he was promised to descend at the time of the subsequent Manifestation; thus was he a sign thereof, as was revealed in truth. Blessed are they that attain!

Were We to mention what is treasured within the repositories of thy Lord’s words, the tablets of the world would not suffice. Therefore have We condensed it to what hath been mentioned in truth. Be thou content with what We have been content with, and be thou of the thankful ones.

Know that what was asked concerning “the shadow with three branches” refers to the first one who turned away from God in every Dispensation, and likewise in this most impregnable and exalted Revelation. He is called a “shadow” because outwardly he claims to be among the faithful while the fire of negation lies hidden within his soul and heart, which none perceive save those endowed with insight. It has manifested in three branches: Through one branch, in rebellion against God, he says “I am the Tree”; through another branch, in arrogance against his Lord, he says “I am the Sun”; and through another branch he says “The Sun is in the shadow of the mirror.” Thus does the desire of self move him to the right and left and upward, while he remains unaware.

Say: O ye idolaters! Even if we were to accept that he is a mirror, We have already revealed in clear Persian in the Book named the Bayan that should a mirror claim the station of the Sun, verily the Sun knows it to be but its reflection—how then could it be above it? Thus has he grown proud before God Who created him from a worthless fluid. Great indeed is the word that issues from his mouth! He speaks unaware, just as Pharaoh spoke before Me saying “I am your Lord, the Most High.” We seized him for his sin and caused him to be among the drowned, just as We drowned those who turned away from God in the sea of self and passion—and they were more deeply drowned than Pharaoh, being among the most lost of peoples.

Say: He was but one of My servants who stood before the Countenance. We taught him a single letter from Our presence and elevated his mention, though none were aware of this save certain of God’s informed servants. The three branches in one station are his tablet, his pen and his tongue, from which is kindled the fire of jealousy and rejection, even as it first consumed his own self, then the souls of those who opposed God, denied His sovereignty, disbelieved in His signs and associated partners with His Most Impregnable and Exalted Self.

And in one station he hath been named ʿthe Shadow,’ for whenever anyone entereth into his presence, he sitteth cross-legged, boweth his head, extendeth the tips of his fingers from his sleeves, and assumeth an outward demeanor as though he were at all times in submission before God, his Lord and the Lord of all the worlds, as though he were ever mindful of His remembrance, turning toward His direction, and drawing nigh unto His sacred, mighty, and impregnable Sanctuary. Yet when he who hath been endowed by God with penetrating sight doth observe him closely, he beareth witness that the fire of denial burneth within his inner being, as doth likewise the fire of idolatry and blasphemy. This is what hath been revealed in Tablets of glory and grandeur, nor doth it cool within him, but rather blazeth forth continually.

Behold, then, what hath been revealed thereafter: that it casteth forth sparks like unto palaces, as though they were yellow camels! God hath made known what hath been revealed concerning the littleness of his station and the magnitude of his pretension, were ye of those who comprehend! For in one station he hath claimed: I can write in one day all that hath been revealed from the heaven of the Cause in this most mighty, wondrous Manifestation!’ Yet that which hath been revealed in this Manifestation is equivalent to what was revealed unto Ali aforetime—nay, more abundant still—and God is witness unto that which I declare. This word of his is a spark like unto palaces—nay, mightier still, were ye of those who perceive!

And in another station he hath said: ʿWhen will the Eternal Spirit flow? Should the Promised One appear, it would behoove Him to follow me!’ By God! This word from him constitutes a transgression against God, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the Omnipotent. How small is his station and how great his pretension! He hath made the Cause of God an object of mockery within himself and hath become one of the scoffers, notwithstanding that he was created by His word, though he perceives it not. His every utterance belies him, were men to be possessed of insight. At one moment he says: “If the Promised One appears, I will surely follow Him and be the first of His worshippers”—this is his state of shadow, whereat people testify that he speaks the truth and is of those who are certain.

At another moment he says: “If the Promised One appears, it behooveth Him to follow me”—and this is his station wherein, should anyone draw nigh unto it, he would find its fire and flames, to such extent that he would pronounce judgment against a thousand prophets to preserve his leadership. Thus do We inform thee that thou mayest attain unto certain truth. By God! Through one word that proceeds from his mouth, he slayeth the realities of all things, and the realities of the Prophets and Messengers, yet people perceive it not and take him as their lord instead of God. What aileth these people that they understand not a single word from God, the Most High, the Most Great?

At one point God desired to demonstrate to His servants how a shadow can become identical with heat itself—and this is from that knowledge which none hath comprehended save God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. We have veiled mention of it until its time shall come, and thy Lord encompasseth all things. Say: O concourse of unbelievers! That which ye have taken as a shadow to cool your hearts is a shadow from a smoking fire, could ye but perceive it. Even as thy Lord God destroyed thereby the peoples of old who denied God’s Messengers and His Emissaries, among them the people of Midian, were ye of those who know. They denied God after He came to them in the manifestation of His Self with clear signs, and they were among the ungodly, until there descended upon them the punishment of a grievous day and the heat seized them from every direction, such that the rule of shadow and sun became as one with no distinction between them.

Thus was thy Lord powerful over all things, and He is verily the Mighty, the Wise. Whenever they fled from the sun’s heat to the shadow, they found the shadow to be like unto it, until they all perished together, save the sincere servants of God. Even as ye witness today those who have denied God—they have perished and been consumed, and were not of those who understand. He punisheth whom He willeth, and exalteth whom He willeth, and abaseth whom He willeth, and He is verily the Most Wise of Judges.

O servant who gazeth upon the Countenance! Detach thyself from all else but God, then turn with thy whole being to the Sovereign of names and attributes. By God! In whatever land thou mayest be, thou wilt find thyself in the presence of His Face. This, verily, is a certain truth. Grieve not at separation, but place thy trust in Him in all matters. Arise to aid this wronged and lonely One, and whosoever spreadeth abroad the verses of God and His signs, and His stories and what hath befallen Him at the hands of the oppressors. Such a one is, in the sight of God, among the most exalted of men and among those who circle round Him at morn and eventide. Strive within thyself to remain steadfast in this Cause—the Cause concerning which My Beloved and the Beloved of the mystics hath announced that every light groweth dim before its splendor, every exalted name descendeth from its station, and every verdant leaf falleth from its tree. Ponder, then, that thou mayest find this Cause greater than all that is great and mighty.

Should thou find the loved ones of God in any land, find solace in their company and remind them of thy Lord’s remembrance. And shouldst thou find it empty, grieve not within thyself, but be thou joyful and filled with mighty gladness. Let My Self, My remembrance, and My praise suffice thee as companion and helper. Be patient in thy journey toward the direction of the Beloved, for that land is agitated within itself and stirreth in its inmost being, though none hath perceived this save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Soon shall be made manifest that which is concealed therein, and the people shall become aware of it. Say: Blessed be He Who hath informed me of this and with Whom lieth the knowledge of the heavens and the earth. When God willeth, He shall grant thee what thou desirest, for He, verily, is the Most Merciful of the merciful ones and the Most Generous of the generous ones.

Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Praise be unto Thee for having preserved me from the fire of exile and its flames, for having guided me to Thy shade and the proximity of Thy mercy, and for having given me to drink from the cup from which none can drink save Thy sincere servants. Thanks be unto Thee, O my God, for Thy wondrous gifts and favors. I am he who lay sleeping in his own self until the breezes of Thy mercy and the winds of Thy grace awakened me to the truth and cast upon me Thy Word whereby Thou hast distinguished between Thy creatures and made it the sword of Thy Cause between the heavens and the earth.

By Thy might, O my Beloved! Were I to thank Thee throughout the duration of the might of Thy glorious sovereignty and the permanence of the kingdom of Thy holy Command and Power, it would still be little compared to what Thou hast honored me with through Thy grace and bestowed upon me through Thy beneficence. I beseech Thee, O my God, to accept what hath appeared from me, to forgive what I have left undone, and to render me sanctified from all except Thee and purified from the mention of aught else but Thee. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving, the Generous.