Volume 037: Edirne I (year unknown, 1864–1868) (4 of 6)

BH00290: A letter from thee hath come before Us…

Section 1: “A letter from thee hath come before Us…”

He is God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted

A letter from thee hath come before Us, and from it We perceived the sweet savors of thy love for the Beloved of the worlds. We have therefore made it one of the leaves of this garden, which God hath placed above all paradises out of love for thee, that thou mayest be of the thankful ones. The first words that thou didst write in the Tablet were “The Most Glorious, the All-Glorious,” and at the shrill voice of thy pen when this Name flowed from it, the tongues of the Concourse on High were loosened in praise of thee. Thus doth God reward His servants who make mention of Him.

Say: He is the Splendor of God amongst the worlds, and His glory between the heavens and the earth. He is the Glory before Whose lights every shining sun and luminous moon grow dark. Say: He is the Splendor that was revealed in the Bayan, if ye be of them that know. Say: He is the Glory through Whom the Messengers were sent aforetime, from a beginning that hath no beginning, and through Whom they shall continue to be sent unto an end that hath no end, testifying that there is no God but Me, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Most High, the Most Great. Say: He is the Glory through Whom ʿAli was raised up in truth, and before Him Muhammad the Messenger of God, and before Him the Spirit, and before Him the Beauty of Moses shone forth from the Dawning-Place of the Cause. Say: He is the Glory through Whom God’s books were sent down in every age, and scriptures of manifest might. Say: He is the Glory through Whom God’s Cause was established among His servants, the veils were rent asunder, and the Ancient Beauty arose with the lights of a luminous dawning-place.

Say: Through His glory were illumined the denizens of the highest Paradise, then the dwellers of the cities of eternity, then the inmates of the pavilions of grandeur, were ye of the assured ones. Say: Whoso is not illumined by this Glory that shineth from this heaven shall not be mentioned before my Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate. Say: Every pure glory derives its glory from this Glory, and every possessor of light and radiance is illumined by His Cause, which hath appeared through the gesture of but one finger of His mighty, exalted, glorious and wondrous hand. Say: By the movement of His fingertips were ordained the laws of divine knowledge and the paths of all religions, were ye of the certain ones. Say: He hath appeared in days wherein no suns of grandeur and majesty have ever shone forth. By God! He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth.

Say: This indeed is the Glory but for Whose love the Primal Point moved not, nor breathed save in His praise, nor spoke except in remembrance of Him, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. Say: Were it not for Him, the Bayan would not have been revealed, nor would its heaven have been raised up, nor its laws promulgated, nor its lights have shone forth—to this every fair-minded and perceiving one doth testify. Say: O people of the Bayan! Die in your wrath, for ʿAli hath appeared anew and drawn nigh. O people of the Furqan! The Night Journey hath returned suddenly. O people of the Gospel! The Spirit hath descended from the heaven of the Cause with manifest sovereignty.

Say: All began from this Glory and all returned unto Him, then appeared from Him once again. Blessed be God, the Best of creators! Say: He is God’s Balance among His creation, His proof amongst His servants, and His path between the heavens and the earth. Whoso hesitateth today in His Cause hath strayed from God’s Balance, disbelieved in God and His messengers, and is among the perishing ones.

God now bestoweth His glory upon thy countenance as a reward for having mentioned His name in thy book. Upon thee be the glory of God, then His glory, then the glory of all things, then the glory of the worlds.

Should all who are in the heavens and on earth assure thee of God’s eternity, it would be but little in comparison with this supreme bounty; and should all things praise thee through the perpetuity of the Kingdom and the Realm above, it would not equal what hath passed through thy mind in remembrance of this Name, through which God hath distinguished between truth and falsehood, and made it the sword of His might against the wayward and the cloud of His mercy unto those who have turned unto Him. And thou didst say: “If I send thee my salutation, Thou art the Salutation itself.” Whereupon God from the direction of the Throne magnified thy countenance, and through My magnification of thee, the people of the unseen and the seen magnified thy countenance.

None comprehendeth this save he who hath drunk the choice wine of understanding from the hand of thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And peace be upon thee from this Peace which hath been a mercy unto all the worlds, and glory be upon thee from the quarter of Glory, for He is the best of all who glorify. Were We to make mention of what thou hast mentioned and expound every letter of thy letter, their remembrance and what they contain would never be exhausted, for they flowed from thy pen at an hour when the fragrances of the love of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Great, were wafted from the direction of thy heart.

Then know that most of the people of the Bayan are still being nourished from the breast of heedlessness and ignorance—their weaning time has not yet come, much less their maturity. Thus have We been witness. Behold their lack of understanding and knowledge! They claim belief in the previous Manifestation, yet from My Own Self they remain veiled. They read My words, yet remain heedless of their Revealer. They cite My previous verses as proof against Me, though all of them proceeded from the Point of the Mouth of My all-pervading, all-encompassing Will. They object to Me while clinging to one who was in My sight but as one among them, save that We adorned him with one of the Names that he might aid his Lord and be among the thankful. Indeed, My servants have become veiled by one of My Names, though We commanded them not to be veiled in this Revelation by anything created between the Kaf and the Nun.

Say: Is there doubt about God, or about His verses which have descended in truth from the heaven of exalted glory? Say: We have revealed in the Tablets explicitly that you should not cling, at the time of the Manifestation, to the letters of the Bayan nor to what was revealed therein, lest you follow the path of previous peoples and commit what they committed when We sent ʿAli with the truth, with the verses of God, the King, the Mighty, the Praised. By My life! They are more veiled than previous peoples, would ye but reflect upon their deeds. Say: Do ye deny Him from Whose countenance all suns shine forth, before Whose presence all bow down in worship, and by Whose Name all are remembered—after We supported them in the Bayan and exalted their mention, as ye yourselves witness? We cast the Word upon all who are in the heavens and earth—to this My Self, the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting, bears witness.

We commanded them according to what was revealed in the Bayan and forbade them what was forbidden in the Tablets of God, the King, the Mighty, the Beloved. I appeared among them as though I were one of them—this was My grace unto them, though they perceive it not. I aided the Cause of God by My Own Self, yet they made My Cause an object of mockery and continue to deride it. Say: Ye mock yourselves and your leaders, though ye perceive it not. They read the verses morning and evening as though ascending the heights of knowledge, yet they deny their Revealer and comprehend not what they do. Say: The very pen with which ye write God’s verses condemns you, though ye hear it not. The verses themselves, by their very essence, disavow you and seek refuge with God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

Their heedlessness has reached such a state that the Pen does not wish to record their names or even compare them to previous peoples, for they are more veiled than all that was or ever shall be. Say: Die in your wrath! He has indeed appeared with all the verses, whether ye be convinced or turn away. O My Name! They imagine themselves to be virtuous and to have reached the heaven of knowledge, and all peoples, due to their arrogance, bear witness to their shadow. But when the Cause came and the heavens of their idle fancies were rolled up, We found in them not even an atom’s weight of worth in God’s sight—then were they counted among the most contemptible of creatures.

By My life! He who objected to My Self was standing before My face in the Land of Ta, and I cast upon him from the verses of God, the King, the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting. He wrote them in his own hand until there wafted from his nature a breeze from the surging of the Most Great Ocean. Then did he grow proud and became one of those who are veiled, as thou hearest now from those who were present before the Face while We cast upon them thy Lord’s verses every morning and evening.

By God! There hath appeared from these souls that which excelleth what hath appeared from him, and they are at this hour honoured servants. All this is from Our bounty unto them, that they might aid God, their Lord, the Lord of the heavens and of the earth, the Lord of what was and what shall be. Would that thou hadst been present to witness these souls and what floweth from their nature by the command of My All-Compelling, Self-Subsisting Pen. Their every melody is none other than the cooing of the doves of the divine cloud, would ye but know it, and their every song is none other than the crowing of the cock of glory, even as We revealed aforetime, if ye would bear witness.

Section 2: “Their likeness is as a child who, whenever…”

Their likeness is as a child who, whenever he doeth or committeth aught, is praised by his father and mother and then by his kinfolk, as ye observe. And this is naught but for his encouragement, for were one who hath reached maturity to commit what he committeth, would any praise him? Nay, by My Self, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting! Thus observe thou the description of every soul in its station and condition. Beware lest ye transgress. Say: He can never be confused with any other, and that which hath appeared from Him shall ever be distinguished from what hath appeared and shall appear, would ye but know it. Say: He, verily, is the Truth, there is no God but Him, and His verses are indeed the Sovereign of verses, would ye but be assured. I seek God’s forgiveness for this, for the words of others cannot be mentioned in the presence of what hath been sent down from Him, even as naught else can be mentioned before His Self, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

Say: Verily the ocean of inner meanings surgeth within itself. When We desired to distinguish some parts from others, We created the names and through them made distinctions between them, as ye reckon and remember. Say: The names are Our raiment wherewith We adorn whom We will and strip from whom We will, and We consult none of Our servants in this, would ye but be assured. Look not upon them save as that which hath ordained and created them by His command, for He, verily, is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. Were the people of the Bayan to sharpen their vision, they would witness all things in the garment of names, but they understand not, and though they claim, they speak not truth, for had they been aware, they would not have allowed a name from among the names to come between them and their Creator, as ye observe.

Say: We commanded you aforetime not to look upon the names in themselves, but rather upon that through which the names were established. Observe how ye have taken unto yourselves a name from among them and been veiled thereby from God, your Lord, and thus ye are reckoned among the worshippers of names in the sight of God. Say: Were We to desire to name an atom of dust with all the most beautiful names, We would be able, for I am the Most Exalted, the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. By My Self! We have made all things repositories of My names and manifestations of My attributes. All that ye pride yourselves upon today in mentioning “thou art He and He is thou” or other names pertaining to the Essence and the Self and the like—that which is composed of letters or comprehended by minds or uttered by tongues—all these were created by My Word and exist within the bounds of My creation and return to that which is other than Me by My command, would ye but understand. And We manifest from all things whatsoever We will of Our most beautiful names, would ye but know.

And these are remembrances and names We have ordained in the rank of creation, and He is exalted, exalted far above what ye know, and exalted, exalted far above what ye witness, and exalted, exalted is He above what ye make mention of, and exalted, exalted is He above what ye affirm, and exalted, exalted is He above what ye comprehend, and exalted, exalted is He above what ye know, and exalted, exalted is He above what ye judge, and exalted, exalted is He above what ye behold, and exalted, exalted is He above the loftiness of every lofty one and the sublimity of every sublime one, and above the knowledge of every knower and the cognizance of every cognizant one and the certitude of every certain one and the perception of every perceiver, and exalted, exalted is He above the mention of “He” and its like, for by it His creation is indicated, and exalted, exalted is He that there should be attributed to Him what His creatures possess, and verily He is sanctified from all else and from what those who make mention mention.

How can He be mentioned by the sun when the sun in its essence was created by His power and moveth by His will? How can He be mentioned by names when they in their kingdom were created by His leave and His purpose? All names are servants at His court and prostrate themselves at the dawning of the lights of His mighty sovereignty. And if He nameth Himself by names, this is of His grace toward His creation, would ye but know it, that the servants who act according to His command might mention Him thereby. Otherwise He is sanctified from every description, transcendently glorious, and from every name, supremely magnificent.

And when We gazed upon creation and desired its ascent to the heights of recognition, We commanded them in the Bayan that they should trace every mention of good to this Revelation, that perchance thereby they might comprehend all good. Yet they abandoned that which We commanded them and were not content that We should trace a name from among the names to Our own Self. The Truth, therefore, blessed are they who weep for what hath befallen My Self at the hands of these, and verily honored servants shall lament their deeds. Say: O people, fear God! We created all names even as We created all things, and they glory in their relation to Us. Beware, O people, lest ye transgress your bounds, then disbelieve in the signs of God. Beware lest ye be veiled by aught from My beauty, then join partners with My Self. Reflect upon that which I have brought; by God, were ye to reflect, ye would find…

O My Name! Know thou that We desired to expound in detail whatsoever hath appeared from thy pen upon thy tablet, but since time was pressing, We have contented Ourselves with two words from thy letter, as a remembrance from Us unto thee and unto them that are God-fearing. And verily the servant in attendance before the Throne who writeth at this moment before the Countenance saith that were more to be revealed than hath been revealed, the time would pass and it would not reach those who bear it. And he speaketh truly in what he saith, and besides this he is occupied with the verses of God at all times, such that he findeth no opportunity to move of his own accord. Even so hath the matter been, would ye but know it.

Behold then how We have manifested Husayn in truth, who was present before the Throne in My previous Manifestation and from whose pen flowed the verses of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. Then observe his writing, how it is he himself, yet the people perceive not. And were God to will it, He would manifest that which is hidden today, for verily He is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth. There is no God but He, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Look thou therefore upon the power of thy Lord, then look upon the people and what issueth from their mouths. By God, all things curse them thereby, yet they perceive it not. Leave them to themselves, then detach thyself from them through the power of God and His sovereignty, then aid this Youth in whatsoever thou art able. By My life, it is better for thee than whatsoever hath been ordained for the creation of what was and what shall be.

As to what thou hast mentioned concerning thy affliction, We beseech God to deliver thee from it and to purify thee from every calamity, misfortune, illness, ailment, plague and infirmity. Verily, He is nigh and responsive to those who call upon Him.

Say: Glory be to Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by this Name through which Thou hast shattered the idols of fancy and desire, and through which Thou hast become independent of all who dwell in the kingdom of glory and eternity, to send down upon me from the clouds of Thy mercy that which will purify me from this malady that hath troubled my inner and outer being. I am he, O my God, who hath called upon Thee by Thy Name, the Healer, then by Thy Name, the Sufficing, then by Thy Name, the Bestower, that Thou mayest cause to flow upon me from the ocean of Thy healing that which will deliver me from this sickness that hath seized me. Then clothe me, O my Beloved, with the robe of well-being from Thy presence and the garment of mercy from Thy side. Verily, Thou art the Bestower according to Thy pleasure, and Thou art the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Thus have We commanded thee in truth. Act thou according to what thou hast been commanded and be not of them that hesitate. And glory be upon the countenance of him whom We loved before and love now and shall love hereafter, and upon the members of thy household and upon the servants of your house, be they female or male, young or old. Read thou this Tablet unto the loved ones of God, then convey to them the remembrance of thy Lord at all times, that they may remember God in His days and be not of the heedless.

BH00305: Namaz-i-Hajat and instructions re ablutions

Section 1: “O Mulla ʿAli-Akbar in the Land of Alif!…”

O Mulla ʿAli-Akbar in the Land of Alif! He is the Ever-Abiding, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!

O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who is immersed in the oceans of fancy and desire, that haply what floweth from thee may deliver him and purify him from the defilement of the deluded ones. Say: O servant who standeth perplexed upon the land of bewilderment and circleth round the fire! Utter “In the Name of God, the Most Glorious, the Most Holy, the Most Splendid,” then enter therein and fear no one. Put thy trust in God, the Almighty, the Powerful. Verily He shall make it a light for thee, and a mercy upon thee, and a peace unto all worlds. Beware, beware lest thou fear any save God Who created thee by His command, and be not of those who doubt Him Who sent down the Bayan and all that is therein for the recognition of His Own Self, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate. God hath quickened all things for His meeting, and this We have revealed in all the Tablets, if thou be of them that understand. All matters lie within His grasp, all faces are submissive to His sovereignty, and all creation existeth by His firm and wise command.

Dost thou doubt Him before Whose countenance every possessor of splendor boweth in adoration, before Whose grandeur every possessor of beauty humbleth itself, before Whose sovereignty every possessor of light submitteth, before Whose knowledge every possessor of learning is ignorant, before Whose door every possessor of wealth is poor, before Whose manifestations of might every possessor of glory is abased, before Whose evidences of power every possessor of strength is impotent, before Whose holy court every possessor of simplicity is confined, before Whose rays of everlasting light every possessor of perpetuity is evanescent, and before Whose luminous countenance every possessor of radiance is darkened? Dost thou hesitate regarding Him through Whom every Book was sent down, every Scripture was revealed, and every exalted and lofty name was created?

Dost thou inquire about the shadow from the sun and its light? Open thine eyes and behold it at its zenith with the sovereignty of grandeur and majesty, with lights whereby the denizens of the highest Paradise, the dwellers in the depths of the names, and all that was and shall be have been illumined, if thou be of them that witness. And if the ophthalmia of vain imaginings preventeth thine eyes from beholding the lights of thy Lord’s Beauty, the Most High, the Most Exalted, then seek healing through My Name, the Healer, the Sufficient, the Manifest, the Wondrous.

Dost thou inquire about the drop remaining at the bottom of the dark well concerning the ocean, its waves, and its sovereignty? By God, this is an injustice from thyself against thyself and against God, thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Would it befit one possessed of sight to inquire about the sun in heaven after its rising? Nay, by the Lord of all worlds! Beware, beware lest thou make the Cause of thy Lord dependent upon the acceptance of others or the approval of any among created things, for all else besides Him is created by His command and brought into being by His Will. He created them even as He created thyself, and there is no difference today between thee and any other save those whom God hath aided through His Cause and made to recognize the Manifestation of His Self. Such are among the most exalted of creation in the Tablets of holy preservation.

Say: He hath ever been known through His Own Self, not through the testimony or acceptance of any among His servants, and will ever continue to be what He hath been. None denieth this save every froward denier. O servant! Judge fairly within thyself: Is God powerful in His Cause, or art thou powerful in determining the time of His manifestation? If thou acknowledgest that He is powerful through His sovereign might, then verily He hath manifested Himself as He pleaseth and shall not be asked of what He willeth. And if thou thinkest thyself powerful, then bring forth thy proof and be not of the patient ones. Beware lest thou confine the Cause of God within the limitations of thy self or of any other among His creatures. Know thou that all else are powerless to recognize His Self and the manner of His Revelation save through what He graciously vouchsafeth unto them as a token of His bounty and mercy, for He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.

From thy fancies well nigh do the tempests of wrath and the storms of anger blow upon all created things. Fear God, then seek forgiveness seventy times, that He may forgive thee through His grace, for verily He is the Munificent, the Generous. Purify thy heart from the allusions of such words as thou hast from those possessed of the Furqan, then ascend unto that atmosphere wherein shine the lights of thy Lord’s countenance, the All-Merciful, that thou mayest find thyself independent of all thou hast heard and find it empty of all the worlds. By God, O servant! The proof of God in this Most Great, Most Mighty Revelation had been established ere a single letter of His verses was revealed, which every learned and wise one failed to comprehend. And after the Revelation, look thou with the eye of origin at the proof whereby thy faith was established aforetime. Beware lest thou ask anyone concerning this; rather be content with what appeareth from thy Lord, for it sufficeth thee above all else.

Say: Glory be to God, the King of the Mighty Throne! Many a questioner remaineth veiled by his own veils at the time of Revelation and is among the heedless. The example of one who asketh such as these is like unto a blind man asking another blind man—can this profit him in aught? Nay, by thy Lord, the Most High, the All-Wise! Beware lest thou be like those who clung to the hem of their leaders when God came upon the clouds of the Cause with His name, the Most High, the Most Great. They turned away from God by their turning away, and thus was the word of chastisement fulfilled against them and they returned to their abode—evil indeed is the abode of them that turn away. Cast the veils of fancy beneath thy feet, then ascend to the seat of glory, sanctity and majesty, that thou mayest witness all things beneath the shadow of the Word that hath proceeded from His Pen, how much more His own exalted and wondrous Self.

O servant! We have found from thee the fragrance of the allusions of those who were given the Furqan before concerning mention of successorship and the like, and by this have We grieved, and grieved have the Manifestations of the Names in their Kingdom and the Dawning-Places of the Attributes in their Dominion. For We commanded the servants in the Bayan to sanctify themselves from that which they possess, for what they possess did not profit them on the Day of Resurrection and veiled them from the meeting with God and deprived them of the breezes of His holiness, as thou hast witnessed and wert among the witnesses. Hast thou not heard that He liveth in the Most Glorious Horizon? Can He need a successor after His manifestation? Say: Glory be to God from what thou hast imagined regarding My Self—I have wronged and am among the wrongdoers.

He hath no perishable things that His successor might divide among the heirs. His Cause is with Him and will never be separated from Him. Beware lest thou take for thyself a deputy, or successor, or reckoner, or minister, or peer, and be thou among the penitent. He sufficeth by Himself all created things, and naught sufficeth in His stead, neither in the heavens nor on earth, if thou be of those who perceive. Yea, for His Self are mirrors wherein He shineth upon them through themselves for themselves when they face the Sun and its radiance, and this is what thou witnessest in the outward mirrors, if thou be of those who observe.

The mirrors give account of the shining of the sun when they face it and remain steadfast as they were, and after turning away the light returns to its source and resting-place, while the veil remains with the mirrors. Thus have We explained to thee that of which thou wert heedless, that thou mayest be of them that are certain. This station is not reserved for any one to the exclusion of another. By God the Truth! If today all created things were to turn towards the lights of this Sun which hath dawned from the horizon of holiness with the ornament of God, the Almighty, the Most High, the Great, the reflection of the lights of the Sun would be imprinted in them, and none would deny this save every remote ignorant one.

Apart from this, hast thou not heard, O servant, that the Manifestation Who appeared in the year sixty is the Manifestation of God, and that Prophethood was sealed with the appearance of Muhammad, the Apostle of God, and that God, thy Lord, is sanctified from every mention, indication, sign, relation and connection, and that He hath ever been established upon the throne of sanctification and exalted above all creation, and it behooveth no one to appoint for Him a successor, for successorship pertaineth only to the Prophets who were created by His Word—then say: Blessed be God, the best of creators, blessed be God, the best of inventors. Verily We have raised up such names in the Bayan and have shattered the idols of vain imaginings lest anyone be veiled thereby from God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers of old.

Beware lest thou regard Me through any eye save Mine own, for if thou desirest to know Me, look with Mine eye, otherwise thou wilt never know Me even shouldst thou ponder My recognition till the end which none among the reckoners can reckon.

Section 2: “And if thou desirest to attain the summit…”

And if thou desirest to attain the summit of grace and reach the Most Exalted Habitation, and have ordained for thee every good thing in the heaven of destiny from thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious, then detach thyself from all things, then perform ablutions with pure, clean water as thou wert commanded in the Bayan from an ancient Revealer, and when thou washest thy hands say:

“O my Lord! Purify me from all else save Thee, then make me ready to meet Thee in the Day of the manifestation of Thy Beauty and the appearance of Thy Self, then sanctify me from that which hath veiled me from Thy resplendent Beauty, and deliver me, O my God, for the recognition of Thy exalted, all-knowing Self.”

And when thou washest thy face say:

“O my Lord! This is my face which I wash as Thou hast commanded me with this water. Then, O my God, I beseech Thee by Thy Name from which the servants are veiled except the sincere ones among Thy creatures, that Thou wash my face with the water of Thy mercy which hath flowed from the right hand of the throne of Thy grandeur, that it may be pure for Thy holy, radiant, resplendent Face. O my Lord! Preserve it from turning to any but Thee and from approaching those who have disbelieved in Thy greatest signs at the appearance of Thy Most Exalted Self, by Thy Most Holy, Most Invincible, Most Wonderful, Most Glorious Name. Make me not, O my God, deprived of the glances of the eyes of Thy grace, nor despairing of the sweet savors of the sanctity of Thy favors. Verily Thou hast ever been the Answerer of those who have called upon Thee, and nigh unto those who have sought Thy presence. Verily Thou art the Lord of great bounty. O my Lord! Make it radiant on the Day wherein faces shall be darkened, and illumined with the lights of Thy generous Countenance.”

And if thou readest after the ablutions there is no harm upon thee, as a grace from thy Lord, the All-Knowing. And after completing this, use perfume, then don thy finest garments, then turn thy face toward the Sanctuary of God, round which circle at this moment the spirits of existence from the unseen and the visible realms, and then the spirits of those who were not commanded with any command and have ever been gazing upon the face of thy Lord, the Exalted, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. Then stand firm in thy place and raise thy hands toward God with evident tranquility and dignity, saying:

O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst manifest Thyself unto all created things and didst exalt Thyself above all beings, that just as Thou hast perfumed me with this fragrance, so do Thou perfume me with the sweet-scented breezes of the paradise of Thy divine unity and the fragrances which bear the scent of the garment of Thy luminous and glorious Self, that none may perceive from me aught save the holy fragrances of Thy grace and bounty. May I be wholly turned toward Thee and detached from all else but Thee, for Thou art the All-Powerful over what Thou willest, and Thou art the All-Bountiful, the All-Merciful.

O Lord, my Beloved, my Hope, the Sovereign of my being and my soul! Rain down at this moment upon Thy servant that which befitteth the sovereignty of Thy tender mercy and grace, and that which is worthy of the wonders of Thy bounty and favor. Deprive me not, O my God, of that which Thou hast ordained in the heaven of Thy Will and the clouds of Thy Purpose for Thy chosen ones, whom Thou hast singled out for Thy glorious and beauteous Self.

O Lord! I am the poor one who hath clung to the cord of Thy riches; I am the lowly one who hath held fast to the thread of Thy glory and majesty; I am the weak one who hath drawn near to the pavilions of Thy mighty power and the tabernacle of Thy glorious dominion and sovereignty. Here am I, O my God, standing before Thee, hoping for Thy grace, forgetting all else save Thee, fleeing from all but Thee, and turning to the sanctuary of Thy presence and the Kaaba of Thy good-pleasure. Is there any existence besides Thee to which I might turn, or any manifestation other than Thee to which I might repair? Nay, by Thy Beauty! Rather, all manifestation is as nothingness before the revelations of the holy lights of Thy grandeur, and all loftiness is as non-existence before the evidences of Thy transcendent glory and elevation. Therefore, O my God, send down upon Thy servant that which will render him independent of all that hath been created between the heavens and earth. Verily, Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful.

Then walk three paces toward the direction of God, and at the first pace say:

O Lord! Reveal in this station what Thou didst reveal unto Him Who conversed with Thee in the Paran of Thy love, the Horeb of Thy grace, and the Sinai of the glory of Thy divine unity, the Mighty, the Impregnable. Then cause me, O my God, to be detached from all names and their kingdom, lest I be veiled by them from Him Who created them by His command. Verily, Thou art powerful over all things. Then cause me to hear, O my God, Thy call from all the trees, even as Thou didst cause Thy servant, whom Thou didst choose and send unto all the worlds, to hear it from the Divine Lote-Tree.

At the second pace, pause and say:

O Lord! Reveal unto me in this station what Thou didst reveal unto the Spirit, that I may arise to praise Thy Self and speak forth Thy verses among Thy heedless servants, that perchance thereby their hearts may be purified from doubt and misgiving concerning Thy Cause, whereby all who dwell in the realm of names were thunderstruck, save a select few. O Lord! Sanctify me in that station from all attributes and their realm, which stand as a barrier between me and the vision of the lights of the Divine Essence. Then give me to drink, O my God, from the cup of everlasting life through the hands of the remembrance of the name of my Lord, the Most Exalted, in this latter resurrection. Verily, Thou art possessed of great bounty. O Lord! Let me taste of the fountain of life that I may be enkindled with the heat of Thy love in such wise that Thy servants may be set ablaze by me. Then cause to flow from my mouth the pure springs of divine knowledge in recognition of Thy Self, the All-Merciful, that I may thereby guide Thy creatures who have strayed from Thy manifest, evident, and straight path.

Then at the third pace, pause and say:

O Lord! Manifest Thyself unto me in this station even as Thou didst manifest Thyself unto Thy Prophets and Thy chosen ones who are nigh unto Thee. Then detach me, O my God, from this world and the next, and cause me to enter the garden of Thy presence and the paradise of Thy glory, the Mighty, the Luminous. O Lord! Efface from my heart every remembrance except Thy remembrance, that I may arise to praise Thee between the heavens and the earth. O Lord! Forgive my grievous trespasses and my great sins, and what I have neglected in regard to my Lord, the Most Exalted, and my hesitation on the path that encompasseth the worlds. O Lord! Clothe me with the robe of forgiveness and the garment of certitude, for Thou art the Fulfiller of the needs of them that seek Thee.

Then prostrate thyself upon the dust and say:

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for the wonders of Thy bounty and the manifestation of Thy favors towards me, whereby Thou hast taught me the ways of Thy knowledge and the paths of Thy guidance. Therefore, O my God, I beseech Thee by the light of Thy countenance, through which all created things and all existence were illumined, that Thou make me not of them who heard Thy call yet answered Thee not, and unto whom Thou didst reveal Thyself in Thy most exalted manifestation and most glorious dawning, yet who obeyed Thee not. Then assign unto me a seat of honor near unto Thy name, the All-Merciful, in the paradise which Thou hast created in the heart of heaven. Then join me with Thy chosen servants, and send down upon me every good thing in Thy knowledge, and raise me up on the Day of Resurrection before the Manifestation of Thy Self, the Most High, the Supreme, the Almighty.

Then lift up thy face from the dust, for thou hast completed the deed which thou wert commanded in this perspicuous Tablet. By the life of Him Whom God shall make manifest, whosoever performeth this deed purely for the sake of his Lord and detached from all else, God will fulfill his needs and will raise him up on the Day of Resurrection adorned with such beauty as to astonish the angels who are nigh unto God. Thus have We taught thee and made mention unto thee that thou mayest attain unto the presence of thy Lord and not be deprived of that which is better for thee than the treasures of the heavens and the earth. If thou performest it, it shall be for thine own self, and if thou forsaketh it, verily thy Lord is independent of all the worlds.

BH11537: These are verses of the Cause, sent down…

Section 1: “These are verses of the Cause, sent down…”

He is the One manifest upon the Throne of Sorrow.

These are verses of the Cause, sent down from the Realm of Everlasting Life. None can comprehend them save such as have taken flight, on the two wings of detachment, unto the heaven of exalted glory. Within them there is that from which the hearts of the Messengers are rent asunder, and from which tears flow upon the luminous cheeks of holiness.

Whomsoever God openeth the eye of the Cause, he shall behold every letter of these verses traced upon the temple of man. Blessed, then, be God, Who hath revealed him in the fairest form, beloved. In the chambers of the Words there is weeping with crimson tears, and none knoweth this save every true knower endowed with insight.

In them is mention of My loved one, whose kinship God hath ascribed unto My very Self; and this is, in truth, a bounty from God unto him, would that he might but be aware thereof.

O My brother! Hearken unto the Call of thy Lord from the direction of the Throne, then turn unto it with an ear chaste and sanctified, that thou mayest apprehend the mysteries of the Cause in those days when the souls have been encompassed by dense veils of delusion.

Give ear unto that which the Spirit casteth unto thee from the direction of the Throne; then rend asunder the veils, with fingers of power and holiness, that thou mayest pass beyond the curtain and behold that which shall rejoice thine eyes and gladden thy heart—for beyond it lieth that which no created being can grasp in its entirety.

By God, O My brother! Wert thou to behold with the eye of the spirit, thou wouldst witness that the Kingdom of God doth circumambulate around the Words of these verses, which have been sent down from the heaven of exalted might; and that the Kingdom itself weepeth for its own sake and for the sake of its denizens, because of what hath befallen the Ancient Beauty at the hands of those who have cavilled against God, after He had created them through a command from His presence.

Thus was the matter inscribed by the Pen of Holiness in the Mother of the Tablets. And beyond all this, the very eyes of God weep, in the furthermost Tabernacle, with a cry at which the pillars of every soul endued with true recognition are shattered.

For this same cause, all atoms and all who have taken refuge beneath the shadow of the Names and Attributes lament and weep. Thus do We acquaint thee with the truth, that thou mayest attain unto a knowledge most wondrous.

And wert thou to look with yet another vision, thou wouldst behold this ink as though it were dyed the colour of blood; for when it was consumed in the burning heart of sorrow, it came forth between earth and heaven as black as pitch. Sufficient is My mention as a witness hereunto.

Thou, verily, didst desire aforetime to become acquainted with what hath come upon Us. Hear, then, that which is revealed unto thee from the Sidrat of Fire, beyond the fathomless deep of the Cause, upon the Spot which, from the beginning that hath no beginning, was preserved from the touch of the idolaters—that thou mayest know what hath befallen thy Brother, after God had made Him the Manifestation of His Sovereignty on earth, the Dawning-Place of His power in the kingdom, and the Treasury of His Revelation amidst all the worlds.

Know then that this My Brother, known among you, hath laid upon Me, in these years, that which none can reckon save God.

By God! Wert I to give utterance to it and speak the truth thereof, the Ear of Pre-Eternity itself would be too shaken to hear it; and God is, in truth, a witness unto that which I say.

If thou art able, then remind him of what he hath neglected towards his Brother—perchance he may find for himself a path unto the Spirit. Say:

“O My Brother who hast risen up against Me with the sword of hatred, and hast forged against Me such calumnies as lay within thy power—after that We had reared thee in truth, and safeguarded thee from every repulsed wrongdoer!

By God, O My Brother! The matter was not, in the beginning, as thou didst hear at first. Nay rather, We veiled it in wisdom from all eyes, and We taught thee and confirmed thee at all times. None were made aware of this save a few souls who made mention of the Name of thy Lord; and these were but a handful.

Thou knowest what befell Me in the early days, even unto the time when they seized Me with chains and fetters and cast Me into the Land of Ta [Tihran], until the term ordained by thy Lord was accomplished—four successive months. Then did the first dawnings of victory appear, and God succoured Me with the truth, with the hosts of the seen and unseen, sent down upon Me a tranquillity from His presence, and brought Me forth from the prison with a sovereignty made manifest unto all mankind.

Then they expelled Me from the city with a few souls, and We traversed the road until We entered ʿIraq; thus was the decree of the Pen of Destiny upon the Tablet fulfilled.

When We entered ʿIraq and a number of days were passed, My Brother came unto Us and dwelt with Us for months, as had been mentioned in the Tablets. He desired from Us a rib [a partner, a “side”] from among Our own, and We granted unto him what quieted his soul, that he might be at rest upon earth.

When he had found rest within himself, he arose, in the inmost of the inmost, against Us, with that which the heavens and the earth could not bear; and God is verily a witness to that which I affirm.

We, notwithstanding, continued to make mention of him among the people, exalting thereby the Word of God. He, however, searched for any soul whose heart he might turn to hatred against the Youth, until at length We left that land to him and went forth alone from their midst. Thereupon the eyes of the Ancient of Days wept over Me within the canopy of exalted glory.

And wert thou to know what befell Me after My departure, thou wouldst weep, and all who are in the dominion would weep, for My sake.

When the term of God—exalted be He—reached its fulfilment, after two years, then did the loved ones of God invite Us to return; and a mighty turmoil was thereby raised in the Realm of Command and creation.

We entered the House [in Baghdad] in manifest sorrow, and found that the Cause was not remembered among the servants: abasement had seized all the loved ones, high and low alike, as if the hosts of the Revelation of thy Lord had ceased to descend and the clouds of grace had been hindered from pouring down the rain of that mercy which had aforetime been sent upon the world.

We found Our Brother sunk in abasement such as cannot be compared with any abasement; whereupon We took hold of the pillars of the Cause and re-raised the Tabernacle of remembrance to a station beyond the reach of the hands of the wrongdoers.

When the mention of God became renowned in every land, the fire of hatred was enkindled in the breasts of the people, from the highest to the lowest, and they rose up against Me with drawn, keen-edged swords; and I stood alone in the face of them all in those days wherein every soul was agitated and every foot, once firm, stumbled.

How many were the days when My Brother was at ease upon his carpet, whilst My family was sorely distressed by the onslaught of the times, their eyes shedding tears each morn and eve!

The matter grew so grievous that most of the people of ʿIraq were shaken at My afflictions, as thou hast heard and art well aware. Hardship mounted until every soul was made to tremble for My sake and every eye to weep because of what befell Me in calamities from all directions. The wolves of idolatry encompassed Me, and beyond them every vicious soul.

Yet withal, We fawned not upon any man in the Cause of God, but the very heart of all things proclaimed that there is no God but He, and that He verily hath encompassed all things.

Then did the Pen of the Cause address My Brother and say:

“O My Brother! Thou hast done unto thine own Brother that which no one hath done unto another, and thou hast brought upon Him that whereat the eyes of the denizens of the Realm of Eternity have wept in their lofty chambers of holiness.

We had, at all times, confirmed thee and guarded thee from the hands of the oppressors, whilst thou, behind My back, didst stand with the sword of hatred, awaiting thy chance to wreak that which would cause the very pillars of a mighty Throne to crumble.

We sent unto thy lands such of Our handmaidens as are devoted, that they might be present before thee, that thou mightest find solace in their company and live in manifest ease.

But in thine inmost heart thou didst cut thyself off from My Face and from the breaths of joy.

Section 2: “Thus have We recorded all things…”

Thus have We recorded all things in the Archetype, which was, in the form of a Tablet, visibly set within the Temple of the Spirit.

Thou didst ask of Me that whereby thy soul would be gladdened, until there gathered around thee a number of handmaidens and thou didst live with them in thine own self. And in secret thou didst send Tablets unto the loved ones wherein thou didst make mention of the prison, that thereby My hatred might enter the heart of every ignorant oppressor.

Then did two rivers gush from the two eyes of these Two Most Great Names who, from time immemorial, had stood about the Throne upon the axis of justice.

We knew thy deeds and that which lay hidden in thy heart, yet veiled all this after Our full knowledge thereof, for a wisdom graven by the Finger of the All-Merciful upon the Tablet of existence in the line of mystery.

By God, O My Brother! Were the matter in Mine own hand, I would have veiled My Face from all who are in the heavens and on earth, gone forth from among the people, and dwelt upon a mound of red earth, beyond the fathomless deep of grandeur, that no mention of Me might remain among My loved ones. What then of those who have disbelieved in God, contended with His sovereignty, and been of a people most lost?

By God! As often as I desire to depart from among these and to be silent regarding the wondrous melodies of this Ridvan, straightway the breezes of the All-Merciful seize Me, the Holy Spirit maketh Me to speak, and the Spirit of Eternal Life moveth the tongue of Baha. It is not from Myself but from the presence of One All-Powerful, Self-Subsisting.

O My Brother! How many nights wert thou resting upon thy couch with thy spouses, whilst I Myself watched over thy soul until the dawn broke from the horizon of holiness!

How many days wert thou in ease of life, whilst I was standing in the face of the enemies, that no harm might reach thee from any stubborn denier!

Yet, in the inmost of the inmost, thou wert in afflicting Me, that thou mightest seize the time to perpetrate such deeds against Me as would cause every spirit to be severed from the body of every ancient Name.

By God! By that which went forth from thy pen, the faces of majesty fell upon the dust of blackest grief, the veil of grandeur was rent asunder in Paradise, the hearts of the denizens of nearness were torn upon the seats of the Most Exalted, and the hearts of every intelligent seer were thrown into turmoil.

Thou then journeyedst with Me in this voyage, through which the tears of the dwellers of the chambers of Paradise flowed upon their holy faces, for all that thou didst ask and seek permission regarding. I uttered not a single word, for I had perceived in thee that which no one among mankind had ever manifested.

When thou didst enter that land with Me, thou didst, thereafter, rise up against Me, day after day and moment after moment.

By God! Not a place upon My body remained without a spear from thy contrivances having struck it. If thou deniest this, the Tongue of Truth, well-informed, beareth witness.

Thou didst at length issue thy judgement against Me. When God laid bare that which was hidden within thee, and the servants—those who had migrated unto God—became aware thereof, their outcry was raised, whilst thou remained in a state of great heedlessness within thyself.

When We beheld thy deed and what had proceeded from thy mouth, We departed from your midst, alone, without helper or companion, until there was not beside Me any who would serve Me or serve those whom God had raised above the grasp of the Pen of the Cause.

Then did every discerning eye weep for Our sake.

After this, thou didst find no peace within thyself; thou didst spread thy deeds, under My Name, throughout the lands, that My rancour might be cast into the breasts of those who desired their Lord, under the Temple of the Name ʿAli, and from thy tongue and pen there proceeded that which the pen of the world is ashamed to mention.

Thou didst this only because thou didst imagine that whatsoever thou sayest, the servants—who were themselves far from the shore of the Cause—would straightway accept from thee.

By God! Be not assured of this; for God hath servants who witness the Cause by the Cause itself, whom no veils of fancy can blind and no hints can withhold from a path of sanctity exalted.

Call thou to mind what was sent down aforetime:

“If thou stretch forth thy hand to slay Me, I shall not stretch forth Mine to slay thee.”

Thus have We not raised Our hand against thee, despite Our power over thee; and God is witness to what thou hast done.

Say: O My Brother! By God, thou shalt perish, thou and those with thee, and ye shall return unto dust; and the dominion shall remain unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of all beings.

By God, O My Brother, there hath never lodged within My heart any hatred towards thee, nor towards any soul among contingent beings. Hear My words, then turn back from what thou art upon, and repair unto thy Lord in lowliness and humility.

If thou remain upon that whereon thou standest, and all that are upon the earth prostrate thee and exalt thee, shall this avail thee aught? Nay, by Him in Whose grasp is the soul of Baha! Be, then, just, and take for thyself a path unto the Throne of thy Lord.

Should all the servants rise up against God—thy Lord—with thy words, and hate Me in their hearts, would this profit thee in the Cause? Nay, by thy Lord, if thou be of them that understand!

At this My Pen and Mine eye, and all who are in the heavens and on earth, do weep—if thou but knowest.

Cast the world and its adornments behind thy back; let not leadership debar thee from the remembrance of thy Lord. Then tread the paths of justice and deprive not thine own soul of the Sanctuary of Nearness.

Yet still thou wast not content, until thou didst write unto the ruler of the land with such abasement as destroyed My honour. Thus have We indeed recorded thy deeds in the Tablet from which not a single letter of the deeds of men, small or great, is omitted.

Thou didst hide thy face behind the veil, in fear of thyself; but when We made the Cause manifest and the breezes of assurance blew, and thou didst feel secure, thou camest forth from behind the covering and attacked Me with whatsoever lay within thy power, bringing upon Me that from which the hearts of every assured and keen-sighted soul are torn.

Then thou didst join in thine opposition with him whom thou hadst ever hated and he had hated thee; thou hadst heard from his very lips that which thou didst complain of before My Face—and yet, when thou didst find in his heart hatred towards the Youth, thou didst unite with him and take him as thine aider.

By God, O My Brother! Wert thou just, thou wouldst weep for thine own self and then for Mine, and lament throughout thy days until God forgiveth thee and recordeth thee, in the Mother Book, among such as have repented.

Look to the earliest times: Did he who slew his elder brother, he who was named Abel, gain aught thereby? Be thou then fair, and be not far removed from the Path of Truth.

Beware lest that which We have bestowed upon thee of the dominion of the Names veil thee; for they have all been created by a command from Our presence, and We have ever been powerful over all things.

O Pen of the Cause! Purify thyself from every mention save the mention of thy Lord. Leave the people unto themselves; turn not towards them; dwell thou within an impregnable stronghold. Thy Lord shall suffice thee apart from all else; sufficient is God, in Himself, as thy helper.

Then make mention of thy Brother, who in the Kingdom of Names is called Rida; then despatch unto him this Tablet, that he may inhale therefrom the sweet savours of a holiness beloved, that one of his eyes may be cheered thereby and the other weep over that affliction which hath come upon his Brother, whose hurt is the hurt of the worlds.

Let him become aware of the Cause of the Youth and of what hath befallen Him from the spears of hatred:

By God! At that hour He is as one cast into the pit of envy, raising therefrom a feeble, sorrowing cry and saying:

“Is there any helper to succour the Youth and avert from Him the spear of every fettered sinner?”

And in another strain He saith:

“By God! I have sought succour from none but God.”

Thus have We remained, solitary, in the face of the peoples of the earth.

The spirit, the blessings, and the glory rest upon thee and upon those who recite the verses of God, ponder their mysteries, and perceive their fragrances. Blessed are they, and blessed art thou, and blessed is every soul that tasteth a delicate perfume thereof.

BH00331: This is a Book from Us to him who…

Section 1: “This is a Book from Us to him…”

In the Name of God, the Most Mighty, the Most Pure

This is a Book from Us to him who hath been named the Beloved, that he may be remembered through the remembrance of God. Verily, His remembrance hath preceded all created things, and God is witness unto this. Were He not to remember His servants, none would be able to remember Him. Thus hath the matter been inscribed in the Tablets.

Arise to remember and praise God, then shun every sinful idolater. Follow the religion of the Spirit in this Cause which hath come in the shadows of lights with manifest sovereignty. Tarry not in thy Lord’s Cause even for a moment. Draw nigh unto Him with thy heart, then remember Him with wondrous tongue. Recite what hath been sent down unto thee of His verses. Thus hath the matter been ordained from the heaven of mighty glory.

Grieve not at anything, but put thy trust in thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Verily, He will guard thee from every wretched infidel. Say: The Kawthar of life hath flowed from the Pen of my Lord, the All-Merciful. Therefore, come ye, O peoples of the worlds, with the chalices of certitude and take therefrom according to your capacity.

Dost thou remain in thy house after all things have been stirred by the stirring of thy Lord, and every soul possessed of spirit hath been enraptured with love for My Self, which hath appeared with a glorious name? He that is not enraptured with My love is indeed dead—thus doth this Tongue testify in this Spot whereon the Throne of Glory is established, and around which circle the realities of all things past and present. Yet the people are wrapped in thick veils.

Thus doth the Sovereign of Command instruct thee, that thou mayest be numbered in the Mother Book among the doers of His bidding. Convey Our blessing unto thy mother’s face and establish her firmly in this Cause which hath been inscribed as mighty in the Tablet. Glory be upon thee, and upon her, and upon those who in the Book are accounted among the God-fearing.

If you inquire about the state of the Prisoner, He is the target of the arrows of the wicked and the object of the swords of enemies. He drinks from the cup of woe and partakes of the chalice of tribulation and hardship. Though outward friends are visible, they offer no aid; and though those who claim to love are present, they give no succor. He is afflicted as was Joseph in prison, Noah in His lamentation, Abraham in the fire, Job in His suffering, Zechariah in His anguish, Isaiah in His grief, the Spirit [Jesus] in His trials, and the Primal Point in His adversities. Each of these chosen ones was afflicted by the oppression of enemies, and this Servant has endured and continues to endure from both friends and foes that which none can reckon save God, my Lord and the Lord of all worlds.

The oppression of enemies is well known and needs no mention, but this Servant’s cry of anguish, lamentation, and grief arises from the afflictions caused by those who claim to love the previous Manifestation. For they all prove more veiled than the followers of previous religions, just as it was observed that all professed love, obedience and submission to the Point of the Qur’an [Muhammad], yet after the appearance of His reality, all remained in the wilderness of error, to such extent that they all rose in opposition and objection against His person. Woe unto them and to what they wrought in the days of God without proof or divine Book!

Throughout the Bayan, the people were given glad tidings of this holy divine Manifestation and celestial dawning, to such degree that all Tablets began with this Name and concluded with it. Despite this, most turn away from the cloud of His mercy and flee from the rain of His grace. They have manifested such hypocrisy as has never been seen in creation, striving with all their might and main to cut down the divine Tree, though they are considered the most base of all people and the most contemptible of all in God’s sight. Now observe: if these idolatrous souls were to appear with manifest power, what would they bring to pass? At all times We take refuge in God, lest through the promptings of the satans of self and passion, His weak servants remain deprived of the Beauty of God and bereft of His recognition.

Ask God for sight, for without sight none can gaze upon the Most Great Scene. Blessed are those souls who behold the Truth with the eye of Truth. Such souls are not held back by allusions nor veiled by indications, for they attain to the purpose of the Bayan and discover the pearls of divine knowledge hidden in the ocean of words. Besides such souls, none have any portion of this cup except after their return unto God.

For instance, consider the utterances of the Point of the Bayan, exalted be His glory. In one place He says that Sun of divine glory will shine forth at the time of Mustaghath from the horizon of the divine Will. In another place He tells one of the Letters of the Living that “thou wilt recognize Him as thou hast recognized.” In yet another place He reveals a tablet stating that He should be present in the school before God. And in another place He states that whenever He appears, all must acknowledge that Sun of Reality and render thanks to God.

Now behold how these united statements, which outwardly appear different and contradictory, can be comprehended by these weak servants and let them drink from the crystal waters of inner meanings that flow from the streams of divine utterances. There is no doubt that none shall attain save those possessed of pure hearts, illumined breasts, penetrating vision, sanctified souls, attentive ears and assured hearts—except such souls as are touched by the breezes of divine favor. This is a station bestowed without desert and given without request.

Soon will the martyrs of negation who have appeared in the Bayan, who have become proud of their stations and remained deprived of the shore of divine unity, each cling to one of these verses while interpreting away others according to their desires and passions, each seizing upon some point and conforming it to their own selfish inclinations, using those very verses revealed by the Truth to veil the weak from the Truth itself. Consider, for instance, the Qa’im who was promised—all the Shi’ih sects would prove through transmitted traditions and successive reports that He must now exist and appear from a specific land with specific signs. Yet with the appearance of the Point of the Bayan it became clear that all had been walking in the wilderness of error and treading the path of ignorance.

If you would reflect a little on what was in the possession of this group before, you would become aware of many hidden and concealed matters. In brief, they who possess insight and certitude today are those who look to the essence of the Cause, and who turn with the same vision by which they recognized and knew the Point of the Bayan to the Most Sublime Vision, interpreting all the words of the Ancient Beauty that have flowed from the Pen of His binding Command in light of Him Whom God shall make manifest. For the Bayan and all that was revealed therein is identical to the words of this Revelation.

Therefore seek divine assistance and turn to none but Him. If you cannot yourself understand the complexities of divine principles, ask of the Fountain of eternal meanings, for none but Him has understood or will understand His words. As you observe, the leaders of the Bayan have used the verses of the Bayan to reject the All-Merciful, while remaining utterly veiled from Him by Whose will the Bayan was revealed. All these diverse statements that He uttered converge upon a single word, namely His saying that at the time of His manifestation, be not veiled from Him by the Bayan and what was revealed therein. And now “the Truth hath become manifest and falsehood hath vanished away.” May my spirit be a sacrifice unto His Being!

He hath not failed in manifesting His Cause and proclaiming His praise. This word is the mightiest word—whosoever is veiled from it is veiled from the entire Bayan at the time of His manifestation. Now observe that although that Ancient Beauty declared that whenever He appears all must acknowledge Him and render thanks to God, He did not suffice with this, for He knew what the people of the Bayan would perpetrate. Therefore these words were revealed: “Beware, beware on the day of His manifestation lest thou be veiled by the Single Chapter of the Bayan, and beware, beware lest thou be veiled by the words that were revealed in the Bayan.” Despite these decisive and established verses, most of them remained veiled from God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Section 2: “Moreover, they have manifested such deeds and actions…”

Moreover, they have manifested such deeds and actions that the name of the All-Forgiving is nigh ashamed to cleanse the sins of these transgressors. They commit all manner of grievous sins while forbidding others from minor transgressions in order to display their piety. For instance, they have tampered with that which was forbidden unto them in all the Tablets, and concerning the next Manifestation—about Whom it is recorded in all the Tablets of God that even were He to appear without proof, none should utter an unseemly word—they have issued the death verdict against Him despite His presentation of the most perfect and complete proofs and evidences. Yet in their own inflammatory tablets they write: “Do not eat onions” and “Do not smoke tobacco” and such like. The curse of God be upon them and upon whatsoever hath proceeded and will proceed from them. Their habitation is none other than the fire, and evil indeed is the abode of the wrongdoers.

Your honor should strive earnestly to protect and safeguard the people, for they are weak and moved by every breeze. God willing, through your servant’s endeavors and efforts, may all become steadfast in the Cause of God and be united, for such unity is divine assistance, would that they knew. Strive that His servants may be adorned with divine attributes and heavenly characteristics, and that these may become manifest among the people. From the beginning of this wondrous Revelation, in all the Tablets there has been prohibition of conflict, contention, warfare, opposition and bloodshed. Nevertheless, some acted in ways whose harm has affected the very root of the Divine Tree. I swear by the Beauty of the Beloved that God’s conclusive proof has not been completed for His servants, though His proof has ever been and will ever be perfect, complete and conclusive.

For instance, observe how most people have not attained to the Source of Divine bounties and the Mine of the pearls of divine mystical knowledge, and have been and will remain heedless of the proof’s sufficiency in itself and what proceeds from it. For the seat of the establishment of the throne of manifestation is confined to one place, thus it remains concealed from most and most are veiled from it. What is spread abroad and apparent and manifest among people are His words and His loved ones. Yet from His loved ones who are known by His name and attributed with His love, none has inhaled the fragrance of sanctity and detachment, as most engage in deeds that are displeasing and commit reprehensible acts. People judge by analogy—what they observe from this group they attribute to the Manifestation of the lights of Oneness. This is why divine wrath has not yet seized the ungodly.

I swear by the Ancient Beauty that if the loved ones of Truth had appeared among creation with sanctity, detachment, deeds and character like unto His, to the extent of their capacity, you would today find most people believers and turned toward God. Consider for example a tree—before its fruits appear, if it is described, some people will acknowledge it while others will waver between acceptance and denial until the fruits appear. And after the fruit appears, if it is bitter, they will surely reject the descriptions of that describer and all will arise in denial, both those who wavered and those who accepted. Thus the tree of human existence becomes known and proven by the fruits of deeds, and all observe its acts and deeds.

If they find them good and pleasant they will surely accept, and without this they will surely turn away. Now from the divine loved ones who are counted as fruits of the tree of the All-Merciful, people have perceived naught but unpleasant deeds, therefore all remain turned away and veiled. God willing, in this springtime season may the sweet fragrances of the divine holy Ridvan be inhaled from those who seek the sanctuary of the August King, so that through breathing in the fragrances of those sanctified souls, the servants may return to the original Ridvan. In any case, some of the loved ones have caused the robe of holy glory to be soiled with the dust of people’s vain imaginings, and the beauty of the Cause has remained hidden behind veils of suspicion. We beseech God to sanctify them from all that His good-pleasure abhors, for verily He answers whoever calls upon Him.

Say: Glorified art Thou, O my God! Purify the hearts of Thy servants with the waters of Thy mercy and loving-kindness, then with the Kawthar of Thy grace and bounty, then with the Tasnim of Thy gifts and favors, then with the Salsabil of Thy generosity and beneficence, that all who dwell between the heavens and the earth may arise to praise the Manifestation of Thy Self, the Dayspring of Thine Essence, the Repository of Thy Revelation, the Treasury of Thine inspiration, and the Dawning-Place of Thy Cause. I beseech Thee, O my Beloved, by Thy Name which Thou hast made sanctified from the allusions of the ungodly and the signs of the opposers, through which Thou hast distinguished between Thy servants, and through which Thou hast caused to flow among them the laws of Thy Cause and the streams of Thy ordinances and decrees, to gather all upon the shore of the ocean of Thy oneness, that they may sanctify Thee from all things and praise Thee with the most wondrous tongues amidst the peoples of all worlds.

Then raise them, O my God, to such heights that they shall see in all things naught save the effulgence of the lights of Thy unity and the manifestations of the glory of Thy mercy, that they may turn wholly unto Thee and be detached from all else besides Thee. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over what Thou willest, and Thou art the Mighty, the All-Wise.

O Lord! Protect Thy creation from the wolves of the earth who have denied Thee and Thy signs, and who have disputed with Him Whose covenant Thou didst take ere His own covenant was taken, and concerning Whom Thou didst send down the Bayan in His remembrance and praise. I moved not except in His remembrance, nor breathed save in His description, nor desired in Thy days aught but His beauty. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over what Thou willest, and the Ruler over what Thou desirest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, the Most Exalted, the Most High, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, the Almighty.

BH00339: In the Name of God, the Most Inaccessible…

Section 1: “In the Name of God, the Most Inaccessible…”

In the Name of God, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Holy, the Most Mighty, the Most Exalted, the Most High, the Most Glorious!

Blessed is He in Whose hand is the kingdom of all things. He createth whatsoever He willeth by His command, and verily He is powerful over all things. He giveth life and causeth death, then He raiseth to life as He pleaseth through a breath from the breezes that waft from His Pen, the influence and decree of which encompasseth the worlds. Hearken unto that which is revealed unto thee from the Divine Mouth, the Tongue of God, the Speaking, the Articulate, which speaketh in all things:

“Verily, I am God; there is none other God but Me. I have created all contingent beings for My meeting, and have brought all existing things into being that they might stand before the gates of My Cause.”

Thus have We ordained aforetime and thus do We now reveal it in truth, that thou mayest be possessed of knowledge thereof.

Know then that thy letter hath come before the Divine Throne, and We have read it and become acquainted with its contents. When We found therein the fragrance of thy love for God and thy sincerity towards Him, We therefore answered thee with these words, each letter of which, were one possessed of insight to behold it, would testify that all shine forth like the sun in the midst of the heaven of knowledge, illuminating the hearts of them that have set their faces toward the Divine Countenance and have detached themselves from every rebellious devil. Put thy trust in all things in God and He will suffice thee, sending down upon thee that which is ordained for thee. Verily He doth watch over His servants. He will never forsake His loved ones for a moment, but will be with them in all conditions, causing the melodies of the spirit to surge within their breasts. Indeed His grace hath ever been great toward the doers of good. He exalteth whom He willeth through the sovereignty of His Cause and abaseth every proud and wretched one.

Blessed art thou, O thou who gazest toward the Holy Court, for having remained steadfast in the Cause of God and His religion, and for having recognized thy Lord in these days when all have turned away from Him after He came unto them with all the signs and with a sovereignty that was manifest. His servants, who were created by His command, opposed Him and denied Him in Whom they had believed, unaware in their vain lives of what they had perpetrated. Thus have We sealed their hearts such that they understand not a word. Thou hast tasted of the fruits of the Tree that hath been raised up in truth and planted by the hand of the All-Merciful in the midst of the Ridvan, and hast drunk the water of life from the lips of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Bestower.

Cut thyself off entirely from them that have disbelieved and associated partners with God and broken their covenant and turned back on their heels. Arise to promote the Cause through God’s might and power and say: O company of the heedless! Do ye doubt God Who created all things by His command and created you for His meeting and came to you with a Cause before which all in the heavens and earth shall prove powerless, did ye but know it? Do ye turn your backs on the Most Great Ocean while drinking the bitter waters of hell? Woe unto you, O company of sinners! How long will ye occupy yourselves with your selves and your desires, and not turn toward the desert wherein every Prophet did remove his sandals and walk barefoot?

Fear God and dispute not with Him through Whom was established the prophethood of every Prophet, the message of every Messenger, the proof of every bearer of proof, the authority of every bearer of authority, the evidence of every possessor of evidence, the sign of every guide, the faith of every believer, the certitude of every one convinced, and the knowledge of every learned one elevated. Say: Fear God, then open your eyes that ye may behold the Sun of Glory at its zenith with the sovereignty of grandeur and independence. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of the wondrous effulgences of its dawning. Fear the day when God’s wrath and vengeance shall return you, and be God-fearing in this Cause.

Say: O people! Dispute not with Him Who speaketh among you with truth and remindeth you of this Great Announcement which hath ever been supreme in all the Tablets. Say: By God! Were ye to discover the root of the matter, ye would sacrifice yourselves in the path of Him Who remindeth you with this Remembrance—how much more for My Beauty that encompasseth the worlds! Fear God, O people, and spread not corruption in the earth, and speak not according to the promptings of your souls and your desires, but rather speak from your seats that which the Spirit inspireth you in the Tablets. Interpret not the words of God according to your desires, for this is indeed a grievous error in the Tablet.

Say: O people! Associate not partners with God. He hath taken unto Himself neither partner, nor likeness, nor peer, nor equal, nor opposite, nor similitude. He hath been and will forever remain One in His Essence, and none shall deny this save every ignorant doubter. Say: Purify your hearts from doubt and misgiving, then aid your Lord, the All-Merciful, in these days, and be not of them that rest at ease upon their seats. Is he who calleth the people unto the All-Merciful like unto him who calleth them unto Satan? Nay, by My glorious and mighty Self, the All-Bountiful—were ye but to know it!

Say: O people! Have mercy upon yourselves and upon Me, for ye know what I have borne in the Cause of God for the exaltation of His Word. Beware lest ye differ in His Cause and be not an oppressive wretch. Say: Are diverse lords better for you than He Who hath been One from all eternity, Whose oneness every atom doth attest? Beware, O people, lest ye ascribe partners unto Him. Purify your faces for God, your Creator, then call upon Him at eventide and at dawn, and He will verily answer you with truth and send down upon you that which shall make you independent of all else on earth. O people! Fear ye God and refute not the truth by that which ye possess. Read ye what We have revealed in this Tablet, then ponder it, that ye may know what God intendeth for you. This is better for you than all ye love, and God is witness unto this.

O thou servant! Convey that which thou art bidden and fear no one. Verily thy Lord will protect thee from those who dispute the signs of God and follow their own desires, and who are far removed from the straight path. We have loved thee aforetime and have sent down unto thee this Tablet that thine eyes may be consoled thereby, that thou mayest read it purely for thy Lord’s sake and reflect upon that which hath flowed from the wondrous Pen of Glory. And the splendor of God be upon thee and upon thy kindred and upon those who have shattered the idols of vain imaginings through the power of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, and who remain steadfast in the true path.

Hearken with thine ear, in the Persian tongue, to the firm words of God, and praise thou the Ancient Beloved that thou hast attained unto the recognition of His Self. By God, besides Whom there is none other God! This is a bounty which, like unto the Essence of Truth itself, hath had and shall have no peer or likeness in all creation, from time immemorial unto time everlasting. Shouldst thou render thanks throughout thy entire life for this abiding divine gift, it would assuredly be but little in comparison with this most great bounty. Blessed art thou that thou hast drunk from the Most Glorious Wine and been sustained by the blessings of the Supreme Paradise. However, seek thou refuge with God at all times, that thou mayest remain steadfast in the path of God, for the deceitful and guileful are ever engaged with all their cunning and strategems that perchance they might prevent people from approaching the holy and eternal Spring. Like unto wolves they lie in wait for the servants, busying themselves in diverse ways to snatch them away, save those whom God hath preserved through His power.

Section 2: “The Oppressor of the world hath arisen…”

The Oppressor of the world hath arisen in hypocrisy and claimed to be oppressed. O thou helper of the Truth! He hath not appeared with such sovereignty that His manifestations of power, His revealed verses, and His evident signs could remain hidden from anyone save those who have veiled themselves with the veils of idle fancy and clung to the flimsiest of dwellings. What regret and remorse shall be the portion of such souls who have remained heedless of the Sovereign of all creation and who have found joy in clinging to this or that one. Fie upon them and upon that which their hands have wrought and that which their souls and desires have commanded them! But that honored one must not be saddened by the turning away of those that have turned aside, for the greater the Revelation, the more powerful have been and shall be its deniers and those that turn away from it. This hath been among the ways of God, and none hath understood its wisdom save My All-Knowing, All-Informed Self.

And think not that Revelation is such that any soul may, whenever it pleaseth, manifest itself in any day or hour. The wondrous Revelation was specifically reserved for the Primal Point, exalted be His grandeur, and “whoso associateth any partner with Him hath verily disbelieved in God and His signs and His Messengers and His chosen ones, and hath been recorded among the idolators in the Tablets by the Pen of Glory.” And those who have dawned forth from that Luminary of the heaven of inner meanings and that Sun of eternal glory are considered as mirrors in the sight of God, and this station endureth so long as they remain in a state of facing Him, but after deviation they are and shall be as nothing.

Blessed are they that have turned unto Him! That holy and eternal Being was the Herald of this glorious and divine Revelation, and now all besides God stand at one level and one station. Whosoever hath become assured and hath faced Him, upon him have shone the lights of the never-setting Sun, and he is mentioned as being of the people of God in all the Tablets, and besides this all are unmentioned and are and shall be consigned to the fire. By God, besides Whom there is none other God! Whosoever hath believed in and become assured of this Revelation is facing all who are in the heavens and the earth. And in the manifestation of this Most Great, Most Glorious Revelation, even though but days had elapsed since My previous Revelation, there lieth a hidden wisdom and a veiled mystery, reserved for an appointed time, which none hath known or shall ever know save he who gazes upon the Hidden Book.

Therefore seek thou from God that thou mayest attain unto that Book, for We have not yet made it manifest and its appearance hath been and shall remain suspended in the heaven of Will. In all the heavenly Books, from that which was revealed from the beginning that hath no beginning until this time, in all of them mention of this hidden Manifestation hath been made, and all the Prophets in their primal reality have been its heralds, such that should any soul now observe with penetrating vision the Tablets revealed aforetime, he would become aware that the Cause of God hath not been a frivolous thing that any soul might lay claim to it. Woe unto those who have openly denied God and turned away from a grace the like of which hath not appeared between the heavens and the earth.

At the time of the Ancient Beauty’s departure from Iraq, it was revealed in Tablets sent to various regions that the Calf would cry out, the Samiri would appear, and the birds of night would stir after the setting of the Sun. The Samiri and the Calf did appear, but the birds of night are those souls who arise to make claims and measure the Spirit of God by their own standards and consider His words like unto their own. Now if thou wouldst reflect upon the manifestations of power and the extraordinary signs that have appeared in this most wondrous and exalted Revelation, thou wouldst comprehend how great the Cause of God hath been and will be.

Say: O people! Be not content with a mere drop from the Most Great Ocean, and seek not to cling to a shadow when the Sun of unfading glory hath risen and shineth from the horizon of the heaven of inner meanings. If ye show no mercy unto yourselves, at least show mercy unto the Cause of God and consider how many infinite tribulations and countless afflictions I have borne so that the Cause of God might become manifest, encompassing and evident to all else besides Him. Say: O loved ones of God! It behooveth you on this day to raise up the pavilion of detachment upon the shores of this Most Great, Most Exalted Ocean and to unite in the Cause of God and His ways. Show at least some fairness and be not the cause of discord. Today it is incumbent upon all the loved ones to manifest themselves in such wise that all who dwell in earth and heaven may inhale from them the sweet savors of truth, for mere verbal claims cannot suffice.

Say: None can find protection from the Cause of God today save through obedience to My Command. This verily is the truth that hath been sent down in all the Tablets, were ye of those who understand. All besides God have been and ever shall be created beings, and never have they been nor shall they ever be capable of transgressing their limitations. However high a contingent being may soar, it can never transcend its own contingent nature.

Hearken unto the counsel of this compassionate Counsellor. Say: O people! By God! This servant’s life hath ever been in the hands of His enemies, as ye have witnessed and do now witness. Not for a moment have I sought to preserve it, while ye all dwell secure and at rest in your homes. Yet even if ye arise not to aid Me, at least be not the cause of My harm, and be not of those who distort the words of God and interpret them according to their desires. Truth hath ever been and shall forever remain independent of the belief or denial of all created things. That He counseleth His servants is a grace bestowed upon the servants themselves, that perchance a few may pass from the narrow confines of mortality to the holy precincts of everlasting life and attain the Most Sublime Vision and the most exalted, most pure station. This hath been and shall ever remain crystal clear. Neither doth the belief of His servants profit Him nor their denial harm Him. Rather, belief and denial pertain to the believers and deniers themselves. God speaketh the truth, but most people understand not.

O Nasir! Be thou confident in God’s grace and steadfast in His Cause. Ere long the rain of His bounty shall descend upon thee from the clouds of eternal glory. Verily, He ordaineth what He pleaseth for whomsoever He pleaseth, and sendeth down through His truth according to a decreed measure. All praise be to God, the Almighty, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Then give greetings from Our presence to thy family, then give them the glad-tidings of the good-pleasure of God, the King, the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Most Great, and of the mercy which hath shone forth from the Dawning-Place of eternity from the direction of the throne of thy Lord, the Most Glorious. Upon thee and upon Our sincere servants be the glory of God.

BH00344: In the Name of God, the Most Invincible…

Section 1: “In the Name of God, the Most Invincible…”

In the Name of God, the Most Invincible, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Great, the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious, the Most Splendid

These are the verses of God which have been sent down in truth. Verily they are the water of life for the people of the Supreme Concourse, the food of eternity for the dwellers of the cities of names, the white light of the Cause for those who abide behind the pavilions of the divine cloud, the Most Great Sea for the whales of knowledge and utterance, and the Fire of Sinai for those who have cast off the sandals of idle fancy and have attained unto the crimson hill, the station wherefrom this Tree of eternity was raised up, proclaiming that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Praised.

Verily these verses are a light unto those who have detached themselves from all who dwell on earth and have sought guidance from the Merciful, and a fire unto those whom the whisperings of Satan have prevented from turning to the Beauty of the All-Bountiful in the midmost heart of Paradise, which God hath created in the highest heaven. Thus have We sent down the Command in truth for Our servants who have ascended to the seat of the throne with joy and fragrance.

Say: By God! Every letter of God’s Book hath an effect in the realm of being, whereby it giveth every rightful one his right and raiseth up its voice at all times, proclaiming that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Praised.

O thou servant who hast attained unto the presence of the throne! Know thou that from the first day when the Sun of Baha dawned forth from the horizon of eternity, the realities of creation were so transformed that they rent asunder the veils whose glory had caused the hearts of the pure ones to tremble. These indeed are servants whom God hath raised up through His power, the like of whom the eye of creation hath not seen, and whose deeds have astounded the denizens of the Supreme Concourse, how much more those below them! Thus do thou witness thy Lord’s power and say: Blessed be God Who hath manifested this Revelation, through which, if He wished, He could quicken all things by His power and sovereignty.

Say: By God! No power hath been manifested in creation greater than what hath been manifested in truth, yet the people have veiled themselves therefrom and are in heedlessness and loss. Say: O people of the earth! Consider how the hand of divine Will hath rent asunder the veils of contingent beings and brought forth from behind them a numbered few, and caused them to ascend unto the Lote-Tree of the uttermost boundary, while leaving those who disbelieved and associated partners with God in their abode at the root of the fires.

O thou servant who gazest upon the countenance! Remind the people of the Bayan who are today veiled from the beauty of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Say: Have ye forgotten what We revealed aforetime?

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou art the God of gods and the Lord of lords. Thou givest sovereignty to whom Thou willest and takest it from whom Thou willest. Thou bestowest lordship on whom Thou willest and withdrawest it from whom Thou willest. Verily, Thou art the Almighty over what Thou willest, and Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Bountiful.

When We manifested less than a needle’s eye of this power which We have mentioned to you, and removed from the temple of one of Our servants the garment of a name from among names, you turned away and denied Him in Whom you had believed. Woe unto you, O concourse of the heedless and rebellious! Say: Woe unto you! He Whom you testify hath power to remove Lordship from whomsoever He willeth—when He changed the garment of one of His servants, why did you object to Him and become of those who have denied God from all eternity? Thus have you deprived yourselves of that which God ordained in this Paradise. Say: By God! Were We to name this lamp which is before Us with all the most beautiful names of God at one time, and take them away at another, We have the power to do so, and none hath the right to object. Whoso objecteth hath denied God, and all created things shall deny him. Say: O people, fear God, then open your eyes and be assured that your Lord, the Most Merciful, hath power over all things. He withholdeth as He giveth, and taketh as He bestoweth. Verily He hath power to give and to take, and His might over all things hath never been diminished.

Say: Do you believe in His giving but deny His taking? Then all things shall belie you, as those of understanding know. Say: If He so willeth, He can transform all created things by His command, and thus His power encompasseth all beings. None deny this save those wrapped in heedlessness and forgetfulness. Say: Fear God and deny not His power, His greatness and His majesty. Compare not His Self with your selves, nor His power with your power. Fear God, O people, then be ashamed before God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Merciful. By My life! Were men to reflect on what hath been manifested in truth of God’s sovereignty and grandeur, they would surely fall upon their faces in the dust and proclaim: “There is none other God but Him,” and that this Cause is one against which neither all who are in the heavens nor all who are on earth can prevail, neither what is nor what hath been. But when people are veiled by the veils of fancy, they recognize not God’s Cause and remain heedless of the wonders that have appeared in truth, and thus they follow in Satan’s footsteps.

O servant who hath migrated unto God! If thou journeyest to those lands and seest him who is submerged to his throat in the mire of self and discord, say: O thou bat! By the True One, this is not thy day, for the hour of thy death hath come, since the Sun hath dawned from the horizon of eternity in My Most Glorious Name, and by it are illumined the realities of the Prophets and the chosen ones, who seek blessing through this Name in the most exalted Paradise and seek intercession through it on the Day when eyes shall stare in fear. Say: O thou who associateth partners with God! It behooveth thee to dig a pit in the lowest depths of hell and hide thy face from its radiance, for God hath ordained that in its shining forth thy spirit shall be seized, thy heart shall die, and thy self shall perish.

Thus hath it been decreed for thee, O thou from whom even the denizens of hell take flight! Say: O thou gnat! By My true Self, thou shalt find no rest or stability this day, for the fragrance of the Cause hath wafted from the direction of destiny and the tempest of divine wrath hath come from the repository of judgment, and for thy vile self there is no refuge, no protector, no helper, and no defender. Through thy disbelief hath every infidel denied God, and through thy turning away have Satan’s temples turned from prostration.

O thou rejected misbeliever! God hath ordained within thy soul all the layers of fire, and from thee hath appeared the heat of infidelity and hypocrisy, and within thee hath grown forth the Zaqqum tree, which was watered with putrid water and hath borne in these days the fruits of misbelief and denial. Yet thou perceived it not and wert among those who take pleasure in God’s punishment while remaining unconscious thereof. Thus have We detailed thy soul that thou mightest know it and be among the people of understanding. O essence of hell! Hast thou not reflected upon thyself for even a moment concerning the proof whereby thou wouldst establish thy faith in God at the hour when the heaven of destiny was cleft asunder and the Temple of the Exalted One came upon the throne of eternity, and the matter was decreed by the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful? O thou wretched one! Did We not manifest Ourself with all the signs? Dost thou play with God’s clear proofs after their appearance, or with His verses after their revelation? Woe unto you and unto those who detect from thee the stench of hell yet remain unaware within themselves. By God! The hearts of men and jinn are bewildered by such as these.

Section 2: “O Most Exalted Pen! Leave them, then abandon…”

O Most Exalted Pen! Leave them, then abandon these ones in the whisperings of fancy and desire. Then mention him who circumambulated the sanctuary of grandeur and entered the holy spot, the station whereby the chosen ones were guided, that he may remember the mention of his Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Bountiful. O servant who hath attained unto God! Hearken unto the call of this Prisoner, then act as thou art bidden and tarry not in what thou art commanded for less than a moment. Adorn thy head with the bandage of detachment and thy body with the robe of sanctity, then journey through the lands with God’s signs and clear proofs. Fear no one, for verily thy Lord will protect thee from those who have risen in denial—they who speak of that whereof they are unaware and who bid others to righteousness while forgetting their own selves. Thus doth this Bird, warbling upon the branches, command thee. Tell the servants what thou hast seen with thine eyes, heard with thine ears, and known with thy heart, that they may take unto God a way. Say: By God! The lips of utterance have smiled at my utterance, and from my beauty hath the garden of exposition blushed crimson.

Say: This is the sanctuary which Moses sought aforetime, then the Spirit thereafter, then Ali. By God! He drank no water save in remembrance of Me, nor breathed save in love for Me, nor moved save in longing to meet Me, nor spoke save in praise of My Self. What aileth you, O concourse of loss? Do ye deny Him by Whose pen’s will the gardens and all within them were created, and from Whose right hand wafteth the fragrance of forgiveness? Say: He who prideth himself on the dust of My sandals, then writhed like a spotted snake behind Me after having stood before My face while verses were revealed unto him which he would write and send to various lands—then he manifested such hatred as the eye of possibility hath never witnessed.

Verily, he whom We reared with the hands of mercy and protected beneath the cloak of grace hath risen against Me with the sword of hatred and sought to shed this radiant crimson blood. When he failed in what he intended, he became oppressed by what Satan cast into his soul and desired nothing by this except to lead people astray and prevent them from their Lord’s path. Thus do We impart to you what you may impart to the servants, and what you have learned after arriving at the place of this Prisoner Who is surrounded by sorrows.

Trust in God in all matters, then walk in the paths of His good-pleasure, then aid Him with the swords of exhortation and utterance. Say: O people! Fear God and do not dispute His verses, and forget not what you have been commanded in the Tablets. If you wish to help Him, help through remembrance, then abandon disputation and the sword, for these are forbidden to you, O people of certitude! Beware lest you dispute with anyone or wage war against any soul. Fear God with true fear. Thus doth the Most Exalted Pen teach you and counsel you with truth, lest harm befall you and that you may abide in joy and delight.

Remind people of what the Spirit teaches you. If you find one turning to God, turn to him, and if you see one turning away, turn away from him and leave him in the fires. Say: O people! By God, if you were aware of what hath befallen My person, you would surely weep and lament night and day. But since you are far from the Holy Court, you are heedless of what hath befallen this Wronged One from the manifestations of Satan. By God, at every moment there hath descended upon Me from the direction of destiny what hath caused the eyes of those near unto God to weep, and then the eyes of the devoted ones in the pavilions of good-pleasure. Say: O people! If you deny Him Who hath appeared with the truth, then by what cause do you rejoice within yourselves or find tranquility in your beings? Nay, by My wronged Self! There is no protector today for anyone, nor refuge for any soul, except through repentance and returning to God Who created all things by His command. There is no God but He, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Glorious.

O servant who gazeth upon the Throne! Forget not the days of meeting Me, then remember each day My imprisonment and tribulation, and what befalls Me morning and evening from the hands of the oppressors. We beseech God to deliver Us from among these people and settle Us in another land, or to raise Us to the Holy Place, the station where the decree of eyes and ears becomes one. You have indeed become aware of most matters, their roots and branches. Tell the people what God hath taught you, that they may detach themselves from that which the followers of religions have clung to. Say: O people! Today the decree of existence is not valid for anyone except those who submit to this Garden whose gates have been opened to all in the heavens and earth. Those besides these are non-existent on earth and have no mention before thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Judge.

O servant who gazeth upon the Face! Hear what issues from the mouths of the ungodly. Among them are those who mention guardianship, succession, and leadership, attributing these to one who has no knowledge of them nor of their fundamental reality. By God, they wander distracted in the wilderness of error, unaware of what their tongues utter. Say: The carpet of these names has been rolled up, and God Himself has come upon crimson clouds, and the matter has been decided by Him, and none knows this save those endowed with insight. Say: All names from Our most beautiful names have returned to their kingdom before the Throne. Blessed is the soul upon whom descends from God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Glorious.

Say: The Letter of the Living is he who acknowledges My Cause, and the Mirror is he who hath detached himself from all else save Me, and the Guardian is he who hath loved Me, and the Leader is he who hath attained unto the knowledge of My Self, and the Executor is he who hath responded to My Word, and the Immaculate One is he who hath arisen to aid Me and taken refuge in the stronghold of My Cause, and the Messenger is he who hath proclaimed My Cause, and the Prophet is he who hath acknowledged God, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Praised.

O My Name! Time hath abased Me, hath abased Me, and hath humbled Me, hath humbled Me, to such extent that I must strive against those who were created by My Word. Thus have vain imaginations in this earthly life preoccupied them, and they have denied God in these days wherein the parties have been separated. Grieve not thou at this, for it behoveth such as these to follow the calf instead of God and to follow every ignorant rabble, even as did the idolaters of old in the time of every Prophet, denying them and that which they brought from God, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Merciful.

Thus have We imparted unto thee the word of truth and have mentioned thee in this Tablet as a mercy from Us unto thee and unto those who hearken unto thy words concerning God, thy Lord, in all lands. The Spirit and Glory be upon thee and upon those who have purified their hearts from self and passion and have drunk from the Salsabil of love from this Ocean, every wave of which proclaimeth that there is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful.

BH00402: Suriy-i-Shahada

Section 1: “This is what hath been sent down…”

This is what hath been sent down from the heaven of God’s dominion, the Mighty, the Glorious, the Sublime, unto His servant who was named Isma’il, as a token of His grace—and verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Beautiful.

He is God, the Most Invincible, the Most Exalted, the Most Wondrous, the Most Holy, the Most High!

Thy letter hath come before the Throne, and the glances of God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Omnipotent, have been directed towards it. We have understood that which thou didst call upon God, thy Lord and the Lord of all creation. We have sent down unto thee that which shall enrich the hearts of all peoples, should they turn their gaze toward the direction of thy Lord’s mighty Throne.

Hearken unto that which is revealed unto thee from the right side of the heavenly Paradise, the Spot wherein the Ancient Beauty speaketh and calleth out to all created things with His holy, supreme, and wondrous verses:

“I am God, your Lord and the Lord of your forebears of old! Hear ye My Word, then detach yourselves from all directions and turn toward the holy precincts, the abode of God, the Mighty, the Generous.”

Know ye that on this Day nothing shall profit anyone, even should he cling to all who are in the heavens and on earth, except that he sever himself from them and hasten with his heart toward the Throne, seeking forgiveness for his hesitation in the Cause of his Lord, and be of them that repent. Say: O people! Cleanse your souls with this water that floweth from the direction of the Throne, and tarry not in this, that perchance ye may ascend unto the heaven of holiness and behold the beauty of God, the Mighty, the Luminous. Thus hath the Kawthar of knowledge flowed from the Pen of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Therefore, O ye peoples of the worlds, fear ye the Beauty of the All-Glorious, and be not of them that turn aside.

Then know, O Greatest Sacrifice, that thy Lord hath been sacrificed at every moment by the swords of hatred wielded by the hands of the wicked ones, as all things do testify, if thou be of them that hear. I was slain for no reason save that the Spirit spoke within My breast, that the Most Great Spirit called out above My head, and that the Holy Spirit circled round about Me. This is My crime amongst these people, if thou be of them that know. By God! This is indeed His garment which We have sent unto thee in truth, and thou shalt find it pierced by the arrows of hatred from these idolaters. Thereupon did the Ancient King bare His head, and the Maids of Paradise cried out in their exalted chambers, and verily if thou wouldst turn toward all things, thou wouldst hear their wailing and their outcry at that which hath befallen the Beauty of the All-Glorious through that which hath proceeded from the mouths of the deniers.

Know then, O Sacrifice, that when the hosts of thy Lord’s revelation descended with the standards of verses, the people of allusions rose against My Beauty and denied the proof of God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Say: O people! If ye possess a proof greater than that which hath appeared from the Dayspring of the Spirit with the sovereignty of My Most Great Name, then bring it forth, and wait not if ye be of the truthful. Then thou shalt find their heads bowed to the earth and their eyes dimmed, and thus have We taken account of the matter in My Self, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Great.

Thus hath the sun of utterance shone forth from the horizon of the finger of the King of Names and Attributes. Therefore, fall thou prostrate upon thy face before God, thy Lord and the Lord of all the worlds. O Sacrifice! Verily We have been tried amongst those who have denied the signs and proof of God and who were of the transgressors. At every moment they strike at Me with the swords of hatred, then cry out within themselves that they might cast doubt into the hearts of the seekers. Thus did the servants who denied God scheme aforetime, and these idolaters continue to scheme. Say: O people! Have ye not witnessed the sovereignty of God and His power after He appeared in truth and all lofty necks bowed before Him? Have I not sacrificed Myself at all times for God, My beloved and the beloved of all that have recognized Thee?

As to the triumph of My Cause, verily the banners of victory have been unfurled throughout all lands. Then did the Beauty of Holiness appear from the realm of God, the All-Possessing, the Mighty, the Glorious, the Bountiful. By My Life! Through My establishment hath the Temple of Holiness been seated upon the Most Great Throne, and by My ascendancy upon all thrones have I renewed the temples of all created things with the garment of grace. The Tongue of God beareth witness to this at the time when He was established upon the throne of His name, the All-Merciful, the Compassionate.

And thou—emerge from the abode of silence, then speak forth My melody between the heavens and the earth. Take care to rend asunder all veils, then cast aside all allusions, then place all indications beneath thy right foot. And if thou findest thyself subdued, then seek inspiration from this Tree wherein the crimson fire was kindled, which speaketh between earth and heaven and calleth out to the denizens of the Supreme Concourse and the realms below, saying:

“Verily, I am God, there is none other God but Me. I have created all things by My command and raised them up by My will. Yet My creation hath grown heedless of My sovereignty and power, and they are among the negligent.”

Take heed that thou fear no one, then walk in the footsteps of God and sing the sweetest melodies through that which the Spirit hath spoken unto thee in this luminous and resplendent Tablet. By God! A single letter thereof is proof against all who are in the kingdom and is supreme over all who are in the heavens and the earth. Take thou the Tablet of God and preserve it through the power bestowed by Us, then enter unto the seat of the idolaters and say:

“O people! By God, I have come unto you from the Dayspring of the Cause with tidings from the Spirit, and this is a proof that hath come with truth despite those who have denied the signs of God and were among the veiled ones.”

Then remind them of that which the Spirit hath cast into thy heart, then spread the words of God among them that perchance they may discover the sweet savors of the All-Merciful from the garment of His name, the Bestower, and may return unto the Ridvan, the seat of thy Lord, the Most High, the Supreme, the Holy, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

And if the idolaters turn away from thee in rejection, be not grieved but remember My oneness, then My exile, then My tribulation among these erring ones. By God! I have been tried among all peoples and beyond them the people of the Bayan, and to this doth bear witness the tongue of your Lord, the All-Merciful, from this purified, transcendent, holy and mighty Tongue. Take care that thou be not impatient in the Cause of thy Lord. Deliver His messages according to thy capacity, for this is My command unto thee if thou be of them that hearken. Then be steadfast when Satan approacheth thee with a tablet of fire and calleth thee to the Samiri and preventeth thee from the love of God and the Manifestation of His Being. Thus do We inform thee of the tidings of the unseen that thou mayest be among them that are firmly established in the Cause of thy Lord.

Say: O people! Do ye call others to the words of God, then prevent them from His Beauty? Woe unto you, O heedless ones! Do ye write the verses of God with the fingers of heedlessness, then dispute with His own Self, the Most High, the Most Great? Then doth the Tongue of God, the Most High, the Most Exalted, call out from the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, addressing the people of the Bayan:

“O people! Did We not command you in all the Tablets to be submissive before the All-Merciful, and did We not forbid you from all else at the time of His appearance? Why then have ye denied that wherein ye believed, and turned away from His Beauty after He appeared in such wise as the eyes of creation have never seen the like thereof, nor the eyes of invention beheld its similitude, and all signs have appeared from Him, and around Him circle the kingdoms of God, the Mighty, the Most High, the Most Great […]”

Section 2: “Verily We have made all utterance dependent upon…”

Verily We have made all utterance dependent upon His Word and all deeds upon His good-pleasure, yet ye have pursued all that We forbade you and have committed that which your selves and your desires have commanded you. Woe unto you, O company of the heedless! Arise from the couches of vain desire, then turn unto God, your Creator, the Most Exalted, the Most High, that He may forgive you and absolve you of your evil deeds, and send down upon you from His traces that which shall draw you nigh unto His Self, the All-Subduing, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

And if thou seest Our Name “The Letter Ha,” remind him of the verses of his Lord, that he may perchance call them to mind within himself, become God-fearing, and return unto God with a sincere heart. Say: O servant, by God the Truth, there hath never been hatred for anyone in My heart, as ye yourselves would testify, were ye to be fair-minded. We opposed not Our enemies despite Our power, and We pardoned them despite Our knowledge; how much more then Our loved ones, were ye but to observe! And all that We have revealed unto thee had no purpose save thy detachment from all who are in the heavens and on earth, and thy drawing nigh unto God, thy Ancient Lord. And from thy veiling was My heart saddened, for thou wert submissive unto God and believing in His verses, and thy brother was with Me at the time when the fire of God was kindled behind the pavilion of concealment, beyond the veils of thy Lord’s protection, the All-Concealing, the Strong, the All-Wise.

Follow what is revealed unto thee and turn not unto anyone besides Me, for all else was created by My Word, as attesteth that which hath appeared from My fingers, if thou be of them that bear witness. Ponder upon that which hath been sent down from the clouds of might and power, that haply it may draw thee to the beauty of thy Chosen Lord, that thou mayest recognize Him in His other beauty and be of the assured ones. Say: Verily thy Lord, were He to desire to make all men one community, would be able to do so through a word from His presence, yet He hath withheld this for a wisdom from His side, which none knoweth save they who are endowed with clear vision.

Beware lest thou be veiled by allusions. By God! Not a single letter was revealed in the Bayan except concerning My Cause, and God hath taken My covenant from you in the atoms of the Bayan, then from Muhammad in the atoms of the Furqan, then from the Spirit in the atoms of the Gospel, then from Him Who conversed with God in the atoms of the Torah, then from the Friend of God in the atoms of sacred and preserved scrolls. Beware lest thou dispute with God or contend against His Self. Rather, purify thyself with the water that floweth from the direction of the Throne and say within thyself: In the Name of God, the Most Unapproachable, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the All-Glorious. Then lift thy right foot from the left of fancy and place it upon the right of certitude by My leave, for I am the All-Powerful, the All-Ruling, the All-Knowing.

Say: By God! The Spirit speaketh not of his own desire, but rather by what the Holy Spirit warbleth within his most pure and crystal breast, as witnessed by that which hath descended from the most exalted Dominion at the Lote-Tree of the Utmost Boundary in His sweetest melodies, were ye but to hearken. Thus hath the tongue of the Spirit warbled unto thee, and the favor of thy Lord been perfected upon thee, that thou mayest be of them that attain.

O Dhabih! If thou seest him, deliver unto him the message of thy Lord. If thou findest him receptive, then turn unto him; otherwise, verily thy Lord is independent of him and of the acceptance of both worlds. Strive then, O servant, within thyself, lest thy feet slip when the feet of the mystics slip. Read what We revealed aforetime in the Qayyumu’l-Asma’. By God! It is indeed My Remembrance unto all the worlds, and therein is sufficient for all that the servants desire, and God is witness unto this.

Know thou that We have not commanded the servants in this matter except because of their weakness; otherwise, thy Lord is in truth independent of aught else to establish His Cause. Verily, He is known through His own Self, and all else is known through Him, were ye of them that perceive.

And if thou seest the Friend, glorify Him before His face from Us, then remind him of the sacred heights, that he may perchance find in himself a way unto Him Who is enthroned on high. Say: O servant! When We journeyed from the land of creation to the most distant stations and encompassed all things through Our sovereignty and command from Us, then did We find thee standing in the land of bewilderment between Paradise and the Fire, at times ascending in thyself and at other times descending. This beseemeth thee not, for there hath been ordained for thee a station from among the stations on well-preserved holy tablets. Magnify thyself, then turn toward the direction of Paradise, then enter therein by thy Lord’s leave, and be thou of them that are secure.

Say: Today naught escapeth His knowledge, and not an atom stirreth between the heavens save by My leave, and this is a certain truth. Be thou steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord in such wise that should all who are in the realm oppose thee, thou wouldst find them but as a handful of clay. Without this, none shall ever attain unto the heaven of My Cause, nor shall any soul enter the paradise of My good-pleasure. Thus doth the Tongue of truth and knowledge inform thee.

Abandon the world and whatsoever is upon it and within it in thy shadow, then observe with the eye of fairness that wherewith the splendors of the Cause have shone forth between the heavens and the earth. By My Beauty! If thou wouldst purify thy sight, thou wouldst witness all that appeareth from the traces of thy Lord as a luminous lamp and a brilliant light between the heavens and the earth, whereby each one of them guideth the people unto the holy and impregnable paradise. Beware lest thou veil thyself with the veil of self, and withhold thy spirit from that which hath been ordained in thy Lord’s paradise. This is Our command upon thee, that thou mayest be of them that act.

Then make mention from Us unto all who have entered Iraq and attained the presence of the Throne and were of them that have succeeded, and unto them that have believed in God and His signs and were steadfast in manifest constancy. And the Spirit and glory and splendor be upon thee and upon whomsoever heareth thy word concerning the Cause of thy Lord and is of them that are firm.

BH00415: Lawh-i-Sirr al-Tankis

Section 1: “We have heard that which you addressed…”

We have heard that which you addressed to God through what He had taught you aforetime. Repeat this verse as We repeat:

“O my God! I beseech Thee by the appearance of Thy Name, the Self-Subsisting after the Arising One, that Thou separate me not from Thee, neither in this world nor in the world to come. Verily Thou art the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.”

This is of My favor unto thee. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days.

That which was sent from the handmaidens in thy land hath been presented. We have accepted it as a token of Our grace. Verily thy Lord doth not suffer to be lost the reward of him who hath turned unto Him, having detached himself from all who are in the heavens and the earth. Convey My greetings unto them both, then send what We have sent of the garment of My Name, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful, that it may attract them unto God, the Lord of all worlds. Verily thy Lord remembereth whomsoever He willeth. He is the Protector of good deeds and the Guardian of the righteous.

There hath been presented before Our face the letter sent from the land of Sad, and there had been revealed aforetime unto Our servant K and those around him clear verses that none in all the worlds can equal. We sent them by the hand of Sin. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the Bountiful. Once again do We send down unto them from the supreme verses of their Lord. This indeed is a great favor unto you, O My loved ones in that land. My fragrances, My remembrance, and My praise be upon you. Blessed are ye for having turned unto God, your Lord and the Lord of your fathers of old. Rejoice ye in My remembrance of you, for naught can equal it. Soon shall appear unto you that whereof the True One, the Trustworthy, shall inform you. Drink ye the wine of utterance with wisdom and clear exposition, to spite those who have denied the All-Merciful. Lo! they are among the lost ones in a perspicuous Book.

We have pardoned him who desired pardon and have ordained salvation for whosoever sought it. Verily thy Lord is the Ruler over whatsoever He willeth. We have sent down for each one of them that which gladdeneth the heart of the world. This is of My bounty unto them and unto the peoples. Blessed is he who hath found the fragrance of loving-kindness and hath turned with his heart unto this noble prospect. Convey My greetings unto them and unto those handmaidens who were mentioned in their letter, and give them and these women the glad tidings of that which hath moved the Supreme Pen through their names and that which the tongue of their Most Glorious Lord hath spoken in their remembrance from this resplendent station.

O favored Darvish-ʿAli! Fortunate indeed wert thou that by thine own choice thou didst turn to the countenance of the All-Chosen One. Praiseworthy is that vision which is fixed upon and beholdeth the Most Exalted Horizon, and now from that Horizon the Most Glorious Eye gazeth upon thee. Blessed art thou that thy Persian words were presented before His presence and were accepted. Praise the Best-Beloved of the worlds that thou hast attained to this exalted station and this beauteous mention, while most of the eloquent and learned remain distant and deprived. Every lowly one who turned unto Him found Him to be as a pearl, and every sweet thing that was kept from Him became bitter.

O Darvish! If thou shouldst discover the sweetness of divine utterance in these brief and concise words, thou wouldst be seized with such joy as no sorrow could ever overtake or grasp, and with both outer and inner tongue thou wouldst proclaim these blessed words:

“I am content with Thy good-pleasure and have believed in Thy decree, O Thou Repository of tribulation and Dayspring of destiny!”

Thy letter in its entirety was repeatedly presented before His presence. Be thou thankful unto thy Lord for this manifest bounty and evident favor. Thy services in God’s path shall never be lost. The reward of those consumed by the fire of separation and enkindled by the flame of longing hath been ordained for thee. In these days the Supreme Pen hath revealed the most great prohibition, therefore all must be content with it. Be not grieved by separation, for all matters depend upon God’s acceptance. Praise be to God, thou hast attained unto it. This indeed is the good and its source—seize thou upon it and be of the thankful ones.

The mention of two souls from N and R that was in thy letter was presented before His presence. Give them glad-tidings of My favor unto them. God hath forgiven their misdeeds. Verily thy Lord forgiveth whom He willeth and chastiseth whom He willeth. Within His grasp is the dominion of all things. He, verily, is powerful over all things. Then give glad-tidings to the son of H of what hath been revealed for him from the heaven of his Lord’s favor, the Most Glorious, that he may praise his Lord and be of the thankful ones.

Blessed art thou, O Zayn, for having sent to Me My Writings. We have accepted them and bestowed them upon the Branch as a favor from Us unto thee. Write thou in all thy days the verses of thy Lord, that His mention may through thee be spread throughout the lands. He is, verily, the Protector of them that remember Him.

We have heard that which Haydar-ʿAli called out to his Lord, the Most High, the All-Chosen. We beseech God to aid him to be steadfast in His love and to ordain for him that which shall be a companion and friend to him in this world and the next, and to make him independent of His creatures and focused on His Throne, the Mighty, the Luminous. The mention of Our servant Rahim was made in thy letter and We heard that which he uttered. We beseech God to preserve him beneath the shadow of His Name, the Preserver, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

And concerning what thou didst mention about two souls from the people of Riz, this is what was revealed for them from the presence of the Mighty: O Husayn! Hearken unto the call of the Lord of nations from His Most Great Prison. Verily, there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Bestowing. A letter hath come from him whom We have named Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin in the Kingdom of Names, wherein was mentioned thy name. Therefore hath the sun of loving-kindness and bounty dawned from the horizon of thy Lord’s favor, that it might draw thee to the horizon illumined by the lights of thy Lord’s countenance, the Mighty, the Gracious. Be thou steadfast in the love of God and His remembrance in such wise that the proofs of the wicked ones who follow their vain desires and point with the fingers of idle fancy toward Him Who hath disbelieved in God, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, shall not deter thee.

Blessed is he who hath attained unto the knowledge of God in His days and hath shattered the idol of fancy with the hand of certitude. Be thou grateful for having been mentioned and for that which hath been revealed unto thee whereby eyes are gladdened. Preserve the verses of thy Lord, then recite them in the night season and in the daytime. Aid thy Lord through utterance and trust in Him in all matters. Verily, He heareth and beholdeth His servants in all conditions.

Section 2: “O Hashim! Hearken unto the shrill voice…”

O Hashim! Hearken unto the shrill voice of the Most Exalted Pen which hath been raised between earth and heaven. Verily, there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Wise. The face of God hath turned toward thee inasmuch as thy name was mentioned before His great throne. Say: O my God and my Lord! All praise be unto Thee for the wonders of Thy gifts and the manifestations of Thy grace and favor. Thou hast mentioned me though I was not worthy thereof. I testify that Thou art the All-Bountiful, that Thou art the Giver, that Thou art the Bestower, the Forgiving, the Merciful. O my God! Strengthen me to serve Thee and to remember Thee, then make me of those who were drawn to Thy love and attained unto Thy knowledge in Thy days. Then ordain for me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy servants who have circled around Thee, purely for Thy sake. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Wise. O my Lord! I know not what profiteth me with Thee. The knowledge of all things is with Thee, therefore send down unto me that which is best in Thy sight. Verily, Thou art the Most High, the All-Knowing.

Should there be present one named Ali, give him the glad-tidings of his Lord’s remembrance of him. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Bountiful. Say: Blessed art thou, O Ali, for having drawn nigh unto the City of God and having inhaled the fragrance of the garment of thy Beloved. When thou wert prevented, thou didst obey the command of God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, and didst return to thy home with devotion. For this do the denizens of the heavens and honored servants pray for thee. Rejoice in My remembrance of thee. By God! Nothing that hath been created in the heavens and earth can equal it, but the people are heedless. When thou attainest unto the Tablet of God and its effects, turn with thy heart to the Most Great Scene. Say:

O my God and the God of all worlds, my Goal and the Goal of all who dwell in the heavens and the earth! O Thou towards Whose heaven of grace all hands are upraised, towards Whose horizon of bounty and favor all eyes are fixed, and by the sweet savors of Whose days of reunion and the fragrances of Whose robe of nearness and meeting all hearts are stirred! I beseech Thee by Thy Name, through which Thou wert wronged amongst Thy creation and imprisoned amidst Thy creatures, to preserve me beneath the shade of the Tree of Thy mercy. Then ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones, and decree for me the reward of those who have attained unto Thy presence and stood before Thy face. Thou, verily, art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Loving.

O my God! Thou seest my face turned towards Thee and my heart drawn to the Heart of all possibilities, through which the breezes of Thy revelation waft through Thy domains and the winds of Thy mercy blow throughout Thy lands. Make me steadfast in Thy Cause and in Thy love, and send down upon me from the clouds of Thy mercy that which will purify me from all else but Thee and turn me wholly toward Thy face, such that I may turn to none but Thee and follow naught but Thy commandments and what hath been sent down from Thee. Verily, Thou doest what Thou willest, and Thou art the Mighty, the Forgiving.

As for what thou didst mention regarding Hasan and Habib, convey My greetings to them both and give them glad tidings of God’s favors. They possess an honored station. May glory rest upon the Messenger and His people from the All-Glorious, the Resplendent, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.

The letter that was sent in the company of Aqa Rafi’—since in those days tablets were not sent by post and no special courier was departing, the reply was consequently delayed. If the postal service is reliable, there shall never be any delay in replies. God willing, it shall be sent hereafter. Regarding the blessed verse in the Surih of the Kings that was mentioned, both versions are correct, though if the first remains as it is, it would be sweeter and better.

Concerning the passage revealed in the Tablet of Mulla Husayn and his son, it was “and glory be upon him and upon his son.” The letter ha had been written in error. God willing, all must be occupied with service to the Cause through divine grace. Convey abundant greetings to all on behalf of the Truth and adorn them with the ornament of the love of the Beloved of all worlds. And glory be upon thee and upon those who have migrated in the path of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

As to the matter of statements attributed to Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsa’i, upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory of God: the original statements were written by one of the Shaykhi school who inquired about them in Iraq. Several errors were observed therein, but no attention was paid to correcting them. The statements were copied exactly as written by the scribe, as is also referenced in the Tablet to Mir Karim Khan. One passage from these statements will be mentioned, that thou mayest be assured that thy Lord is indeed the All-Knowing, the All-Wise: “The letter Vav comprises three letters making six, and one Alif, and six, and six days have passed.” This refers to the creation of the heavens and earth in six days.

They say that creation was completed, and the Alif between the two Vavs indicates the completion of the first six, and that Alif represents the station of the arising of the Qa’im, as was made manifest. And the other Vav refers to the creation of new heavens through the manifestation of the Qayyum in the latter six days. After the appearance of this station, the mystery of inversion is witnessed, according to the symbol of “the chief,” as thou hast heard: “He maketh their highest to become their lowest.” The Shaykh’s intent was that what was created in six days has passed and ended with the Alif standing between the two letters, and in another six days that which was raised before will be raised again. Then all matters will be transformed as thou hast seen and known. Thus was the matter completed through the Proof, and the Most Great Name appeared among creation. His is the praise for this.

In these days the Supreme Pen is not inclined to interpretation. He loveth to speak at all times:

“There is no God but Me, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower.”

These two words were also revealed for that person without his asking. In truth, through these two words alone all the statements of the Shaykh have been interpreted. The purpose of mentioning him in the tablet to the ignoble one was that perchance he might recognize his own impotence and inquire of the Truth. But due to pride and vainglory, despite his soul’s helplessness, he did not inquire nor turn unto God. Lo! He is among the lost. All the Shaykhis, by their own admission in Iraq, were unable to understand its meaning. They even mentioned that they presented it to the late Siyyid, but he concealed the matter and did not reveal an answer. Thus have We related unto thee what We intended. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.