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

BH00578: Jinab-i-Fath-i-A’zam, upon him be the Glory of God

Jinab-i-Fath-i-A’zam, upon him be the Glory of God

In the Name of God, the Most Impregnable, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Mighty, the Most High

O Fath-i-A’zam! By God, the True One, today is thy day! Arise to promote the Cause amidst the heavens and earth, then sing and warble with My most glorious melody amongst the concourse of creation. Say: By God, the True One, O people! There hath come to you the proof before which, at its manifestation, every proof and evidence hath bowed down. Beware lest thou be perturbed by the intimations of those who have openly denied God and have not understood the root of the Cause, and from whom the breezes of the All-Merciful have been withheld. Soar with the wing of certitude in the atmosphere of wisdom and utterance, then subdue the cities of the hearts of the peoples of the world through the sovereignty of thy Lord. Thus doth the Pen of the Most Merciful command thee at an hour when it hath ascended above all who are in the heavens and earth and become established upon the pole of Paradise.

By God, the True One! The idolaters have cast Us into the well of envy and hatred, then raised an outcry amongst themselves to cause doubt in the hearts of those in whom thou findest no steadfastness in the Cause of God, and who dwell in uncertainty and loss. Say: God shall soon raise up a people who shall cast behind them all who are in the kingdom and shall stand firm in the Cause with power and sovereignty.

If thou desirest to know what hath befallen Us, know that We have been afflicted with tribulations the like of which have never appeared in creation. By My life! They cannot be mentioned in words and utterances. Know then that the clamor hath been raised from the direction of the hearts of the deniers, and intoxication hath seized the dwellers of the heavens and earth save those whom the hand of grace hath taken and delivered from the hosts of those who have denied and associated partners with God, and whom the melodies of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful, have attracted.

Say: O people! Fear God and cleave not unto those whom every atom denounceth, for they have denied the proof whereby their faith in God, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Praised, would be established. Reflect thou upon what they who have denied My Self have attributed unto Me, and what thou hast witnessed from Me and what hath appeared through Me, that thou mayest become aware of what hath befallen Me from the hosts of Satan.

By God, the True One! The tablets that have been written in rejection of God and His Cause—were anyone to have insight, he would witness from what hath been inscribed therein the falsehood of those who wrote them with the fingers of misbelief and who have calumniated God without clear proof or evidence. Cast thou these words behind thee, then stand firm in the Cause in such wise that the servants who have denied God from time immemorial and whose names have been written among the heedless may be shaken by thee.

By My life! He who was unable to speak in My presence, when he witnessed his own powerlessness in what he desired, attributed to this Beauty—to Whose sanctity the realities of all things bear witness—what his self and passion commanded. Then he whom God had made an example to all servants, and from whom the people of hell-fire flee, wrote a tablet rejecting God and His sovereignty, for the fire had been kindled in his heart. God hath decreed for every soul that he should write in refutation of whoever hath rejected God according to what the Spirit inspireth him. Thus hath the matter been ordained by this Beauty, through Whom the hearts of the followers of all religions have been shaken.

O Fath-i-A’zam! Say: From the first day when the Sun of Baha shone forth, pure essences and holy realities have ascended to a station wherein they have rent asunder veils whose greatness and majesty caused the hearts of the chosen ones and the minds of the people of understanding to tremble. Thus, behold the power of thy Lord, in that He hath quickened hearts wherein naught was manifest save the effulgence of the lights of His greatness, and hath established them upon the seat of the Cause in less than the twinkling of an eye. Indeed thou wert present before Us and didst hear My melodies and witness My composure and dignity, then My tranquility and patience and forbearance. Therefore ponder within thyself, O Most Great Victory, what hath moved Me to cry out between the heavens and the earth, that thou mayest know what hath befallen God, thy Lord, from these who disbelieved and associated partners with Him—they whom the peoples of both worlds denounce as infidels. By God! All things weep at My oppression, yet I, despite My power and might, showed forbearance toward him who sought My death and withdrew from among these people. Yet he was not content in his soul and fabricated words against Me which every person of insight and certitude would deny.

Then know that when We found the one named Ali-Akbar who was there immersed in the depths of fancy and desire, We sent down from the heaven of divine will a tablet and sent it to him by the hand of Salman, and We have now sent a copy of it to thee that thou mayest read it and convey it to him, that perchance he may reflect within himself and sanctify himself from the doubts that were in his heart and be purified from the uncertainties of the age. Verily he objected in his inmost heart against thee. Say: O servant! We know what thou art engaged in, and with Us is the knowledge of all things and the knowledge of the heavens and earth, and naught in all the worlds can be hidden from thy Lord’s knowledge. Arise to serve God and aid His Cause, then witness the Cause with thine own eyes, not through the eyes of any of the servants, for We have manifested Ourself with all proofs, signs, tokens and revelations, any single one of which would suffice all who are immersed in the depths of names and attributes—yet none comprehend this save those who have drunk from the chalice of certitude.

Say: Hast thou not heard what was revealed from My previous Manifestation? Beware, beware lest thou be veiled at the time of the Manifestation by the Vahid of the Bayan, for that Vahid was created by Him. Beware, beware lest thou be veiled by what was revealed in the Bayan, for these were the words of His previous Manifestation. Hast thou not heard what thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, hath said: “Say: O God! Thou art the God of Gods! Thou givest sovereignty to whom Thou willest and takest it from whom Thou willest.” Thus was the command revealed from thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Merciful. Yet thou hast hesitated because of the hesitation of a mere name among names, though thou hast not understood it or its fundamental cause, and thou art perturbed regarding Him Who hath dawned from the horizon of the Cause with God’s grandeur and His manifestations, and God’s power and His might. Fear God Who created thee by His command, and be not of those who said “God is our Lord” but when He appeared with the truth they arose in denial.

Say: By Him Who hath caused all things to speak in praise of My Self! Thou hast not understood the Cause wherein thou art, nor hast thou comprehended him whom thou hast taken as thy lord besides God. If thou art in doubt about this, then it behooveth thee to present thyself before the Throne and witness what the eyes of creation have not witnessed in manifest revelation. Hast thou not heard of God’s power and sovereignty? Hast thou not seen how He hath appeared in truth from the axis of all horizons? Say then: O ye two parties! Which of the signs of your Lord will ye deny? Fear God by Whose command every atom moveth, then act according to what thou art commanded in the Tablet, that God may forgive thee through His grace. Verily He is the Powerful over all things—He punisheth whom He willeth and bestoweth upon whom He willeth among His servants the sweet fragrances of forgiveness.

O Fath-i-A’zam! Convey the messages of thy Lord, and fear none. If thou findest in a man’s heart a ray of the lights of thy Lord, consort with him; but if it be otherwise, shun him and such as he, and draw nigh unto God, thy Lord. Verily, He shall suffice thee against all who are in the heavens and on earth, at all times.

Thus have We cast upon thee the verses of the Spirit, and have varied them for thee, that thou mayest rejoice within thyself and stand firm in this Cause, from which the feet of every hypocrite who hath joined partners with God, and trodden the paths of the people of tyranny, have slipped.

The Glory be upon you and upon whosoever has detached himself from all that has been created in the kingdoms of existence and possibility, and has held fast to the Sure Handle in these days when the breezes of sedition have wafted from all directions. Such harm has befallen My station as transcends description, and God indeed takes account of all that has come to pass. God willing, after meeting Salman, you shall become acquainted to some degree with what has transpired both secretly and openly. Tablets were revealed and sent down from the heaven of divine will in response to the objections of the people. God willing, you shall observe them.

Send copies of these two Tablets to the Land of Sad, that perchance the people may reflect within themselves and become of those who are assured. For today, as is evident, most of the servants have turned away from the King of manifest existence and clung to vain imaginings. Were you to observe carefully, you would find the veils of this group to be thicker than those of the followers of the Qur’an, to such an extent that from the leaders and followers of this group you hear naught but the words of the people of the Qur’an. All have returned to the delusions of the past and cling to vain fancies, save him whom God has purified from all that the people possess and has washed in the ocean of sanctification and delivered from the depths wherein many creatures have drowned.

We hope that you will, at all times, arise with wondrous steadfastness and regard those who turn away from the Cause as cattle, nay, more contemptible still, for the cattle have not denied Him at Whose finger’s motion all things move, from a beginning that hath no beginning, and at Whose glance’s bidding all beings were raised up, before a before that hath no before. But these people have denied God and associated partners with His proof and warred against His Self and disputed His signs, and yet they imagine within themselves that they are of the doers of good. Say: O crimson company! God shall soon seize you with a chastisement from Him and wrath from His presence, and shall return you to the lowest of the low. Show kindness to the family of Mulla Husayn, who has ascended unto God, for this is among the most meritorious deeds in the sight of God.

BH00591: Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! The tongues…

Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! The tongues of all created things testify to Thy sovereignty and Thine omnipotence, and proclaim mine own poverty and my wretchedness when face to face with the revelations of Thy wealth. Look, then, O my God, upon this sinner whose gaze hath, at all times, been fixed upon the source of Thy forgiveness, and whose eyes have been bent upon the horizon of Thy grace and Thy gifts.

Ever since the day Thou didst create me at Thy bidding, O my God, and didst arouse me through the gentle winds of Thy tender mercies, I have refused to turn to any one except Thee, and have, through the power of Thy sovereignty and Thy might, arisen to face Thine enemies, and have summoned all mankind unto the shores of the ocean of Thy oneness and the heaven of Thine all-glorious unity. I have sought, all my days, not to guard myself from the mischief of the rebellious among Thy creatures, but rather to exalt Thy name amidst Thy people. I have, thereby, suffered what none of Thy creatures hath suffered.

How many the days, O my God, which I have spent in utter loneliness with the transgressors amongst Thy servants, and how many the nights, O my Best-Beloved, during which I lay a captive in the hands of the wayward amidst Thy creatures! In the midst of my troubles and tribulations I have continued to celebrate Thy praise before all who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth, and have not ceased to extol Thy wondrous glory in the kingdoms of Thy Revelation and of Thy creation, though all that I have been capable of showing forth hath fallen short of the greatness and the majesty of Thy oneness, and is unworthy of Thine exaltation and of Thine omnipotence.

I swear by Thy glory, O Thou Who art the one alone Beloved! I find myself to be only nothing before the habitation of Thy great glory. Every time I attempt to extol any one of Thy virtues, my heart restraineth me, for naught but Thee is able to soar into the atmosphere of the kingdom of Thy nearness, or reach up to the heaven of Thy presence.

Thy might beareth me witness! I am well aware that were I to bow myself before a handful of dust, from now until the end that hath no end, in acknowledgment of its relationship to Thy name, the Fashioner, I would still find myself far removed from that dust, and incapable of approaching it, and would discover that such an adoration can in no wise befit it, nor transcend the limitations to which I myself have been subjected.

And were I to arise to serve one of Thy servants, and to wait at his door so long as Thine own kingdom endureth and Thine omnipotence will last, as a sign of my acknowledgment of the tie that bindeth him to Thy name, the Creator, I would, likewise,—and to this Thy glory beareth me witness—have to confess my complete failure to do him adequate service, and my deprivation of what can truly befit his station. And this for the reason that I recognize in them naught else except the bond that bindeth them to Thy names and Thine attributes.

How can, then, such a man succeed in befittingly extolling the One through a motion of Whose finger all the names and their kingdom were called into being, and all the attributes and their dominion were created, and Who, through yet another motion of that same finger, hath united the letters B and E (Be) and knit them together, manifesting thereby what the highest thoughts of Thy chosen ones who enjoy near access to Thee are unable to grasp, and what the profoundest wisdom of those of Thy loved ones that are wholly devoted to Thee are powerless to fathom.

I swear by Thy glory, O Beloved of my soul! I am bewildered when I contemplate the tokens of Thy handiwork, and the evidences of Thy might, and find myself completely unable to unravel the mystery of the least of Thy signs, how much more to apprehend Thine own Self.

I beseech Thee, therefore, O my God, by Thy Name through which Thou hast caused all such as love Thee to soar in the atmosphere of Thy will, and hast guided all them that yearn after Thee into the Paradise of Thy nearness and Thy presence, to waft from the heaven of Thy loving-kindness the fragrance of certainty upon the needy among Thy loved ones, in these days when the tempests of trials have compassed them on every side, and so grievously assailed them that the souls of men have been troubled and the foundations of all beings have trembled at what hath been sent down unto them from the heaven of Thine irrevocable Purpose.

They were so shaken that the lamp of their love for Thee and of their remembrance of Thee was ready to be extinguished in the recess of their hearts. Powerful art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou, in truth, art the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

Thou givest ear, O my God and my Master, to the sighing of them that are dear to Thee, and hearest from all sides their cry, by reason of what hath befallen them at the hands of those whose hearts have been deprived of the sweet savors of Thy love. There is none either to befriend or to succor them, nor can anything deter their enemies from harming them. Unrestrained, they do what they wish, and deal with them as they please.

Give, therefore, O my Lord, the wonders of Thine aid to Thy loved ones, who have sought no helper except Thee, and have turned to none save Thyself, and whose eyes have expectantly awaited to behold the wonders of Thy favors and Thy gifts. Have pity, then, upon them, O my God, through the incomparable tokens of Thy mercy, and shelter them within the stronghold of Thy protection and Thy loving-kindness. Thou art the One, O my Lord, Who from everlasting hath been the Refuge of the fearful, and the Haven of the needy. Withhold not, I beseech Thee, from these feeble creatures the matchless tokens of Thy bounteousness and generosity, and leave them not to the mercy of them whose essence hath been solely created of the fire of Thy wrath and of Thine anger, and who have never discovered the fragrance of compassion and equity, and who have been so deluded by the deceitfulness of the world that they have denied Thy proof, and joined partners with Thee, and repudiated Thy signs, and shed the blood of those who are dear to Thee, and have been trusted by Thee.

I swear by Thy might, O my Beloved! They have committed what no man before them hath committed, and have thereby deserved Thy wrath and the scourge of Thine anger. Lay hold on them by the power of Thy sovereignty, and set over them such as will have no mercy upon them, unless they return unto Thee, and enter beneath the shadow of Thy loving-kindness, and are forgiven by Thee. Thou hast from everlasting been supreme over all things, and wilt unto everlasting remain the same. Thou, truly, art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Equitable, the All-Wise.

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Look Thou upon this wronged one, who hath been sorely afflicted by the oppressors among Thy creatures and the infidels among Thine enemies, though he himself hath refused to breathe a single breath but by Thy leave and at Thy bidding. I lay asleep on my couch, O my God, when lo, the gentle winds of Thy grace and Thy loving-kindness passed over me, and wakened me through the power of Thy sovereignty and Thy gifts, and bade me arise before Thy servants, and speak forth Thy praise, and glorify Thy work. Thereupon most of Thy people reviled me. I swear by Thy glory, O my God! I never thought that they would show forth such deeds, aware as I am that Thou hast Thyself announced this Revelation unto them in the Scrolls of Thy commandment and the Tablets of Thy decree, and hast covenanted with them concerning this youth in every word sent down by Thee unto Thy creatures and Thy people.

I am bewildered, therefore, O my God, and know not how to act toward them. Every time I hold my peace, and cease to extol Thy wondrous virtues, Thy Spirit impelleth me to cry out before all who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth; and every time I am still, the breaths wafted from the right hand of Thy will and purpose pass over me, and stir me up, and I find myself to be as a leaf which lieth at the mercy of the winds of Thy decree, and is carried away whithersoever Thou dost permit or command it. Every man of insight who considereth what hath been revealed by me, will be persuaded that Thy Cause is not in my hands, but in Thy hands, and will recognize that the reins of power are held not in my grasp but in Thy grasp, and are subject to Thy sovereign might. And yet, Thou seest, O my God, how the inhabitants of Thy realm have arrayed themselves against me, and inflict upon me every moment of my life what causeth the realities of Thy chosen ones and trusted ones to tremble.

I entreat Thee, therefore, O my God, by Thy Name through which Thou hast guided Thy lovers to the living waters of Thy grace and Thy favors, and attracted them that long for Thee to the Paradise of Thy nearness and Thy presence, to open the eyes of Thy people that they may recognize in this Revelation the manifestation of Thy transcendent unity, and the dawning of the lights of Thy countenance and Thy beauty. Cleanse them, then, O my God, from all idle fancies and vain imaginations, that they may inhale the fragrances of sanctity from the robe of Thy Revelation and Thy commandment, that haply they may cease to inflict upon me what will deprive their souls of the fragrances of the manifold tokens of Thy mercy, that are wafted in the days of Him Who is the Manifestation of Thyself, and the Day-Spring of Thy Cause, and that they may not perpetrate what will call down Thy wrath and anger.

Thou well knowest, O my God, that I was regarded as one of the people of the Bayan, and consorted with them with love and fellowship, and summoned them to Thee in the daytime and in the night season, through the wonders of Thy Revelation and Thine inspiration, and sustained at their hands what the inmates of the cities of Thine invention are powerless to recount. I swear by Thy might, O my Beloved! Every morning I waken to find that I am made a target for the darts of their envy, and every night, when I lie down to rest, I discover that I have fallen a victim to the spears of their hate. Though Thou hast made known unto me the secrets of their hearts, and hast set me above them, I have refused to uncover their deeds, and have dealt patiently with them, mindful of the time which Thou hast fixed.

And when Thy promise came to pass, and the set time was fulfilled, Thou didst lift, to an imperceptible degree, the veil of concealment, and lo, all the inmates of the kingdoms of Thy Revelation and of Thy creation shook and trembled, except those who were created by Thee, through the fire of Thy love, and the breath of Thine eagerness, and the water of Thy loving-kindness, and the clay of Thy grace. These are they who are glorified by the Concourse on high and denizens of the Cities of eternity. I give praise to Thee, therefore, O my God, that Thou hast preserved them that have acknowledged Thy unity, and hast destroyed them that have joined partners with Thee, and hast divided the one from the other through yet another word that hath proceeded out of the mouth of Thy will, and flowed down from the pen of Thy purpose.

Thereby have Thy servants, who were created through the word of Thy commandment, and were begotten by Thy will, caviled at me, and so fiercely opposed me that they repudiated Thee, and have rejected Thy signs, and have risen up against Thee.

Thy glory beareth me witness, O my Beloved! My pen is powerless to describe what their hands have wrought against Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy Cause, and the Day-Spring of Thy Revelation, and the Dawning-Place of Thine inspiration. For all this I give praise to Thee. I swear by Thy glory, O my God! My heart yearneth after the things ordained by Thee in the heaven of Thy decree and the kingdom of Thine appointment. For whatsoever befalleth me in Thy path is the beloved of my soul and the goal of my desire. This, verily, is to be ascribed to naught except Thy power and Thy might.

I am the one, O my God, who, through the love I bear to Thee, hath been able to dispense with all who are in heaven and on earth. Armed with this love, I am afraid of no one, though all the peoples of the world unite to hurt me. Oh, that my blood could, this very moment, be shed on the face of the earth before Thee, and Thou wouldst behold me in the condition in which Thou didst behold such of Thy servants as have drawn nigh unto Thee, and those of Thy righteous creatures as have been chosen by Thee!

I give Thee thanks, O my God, that Thou hast decided through the power of Thy decree, and wilt continue to decide through Thine irrevocable appointment and purpose. I entreat Thee, O my Beloved, by Thy Name through which Thou didst lift up the ensigns of Thy Cause, and shed the splendors of the light of Thy countenance, to send down upon me and upon such of Thy servants as are wholly devoted to Thee all the good Thou hast ordained in Thy Tablets.

Establish us, then, upon the seats of truth in Thy presence, O Thou in Whose hands is the kingdom of all things!

Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Most Merciful.

BH00596: Bear thou witness unto that whereunto God did testify…

In the name of God, Who endures after the annihilation of all things!

Bear thou witness unto that whereunto God did testify before the creation of all things: that verily I am alive in the Most Glorious Horizon. And now from this Horizon, hearken unto that which God doth speak, and be not of them that have veiled themselves from their Lord’s command and are accounted among the heedless.

He calleth unto thee at the time when the spirit of life was taken from the people of all existence, save them who turned unto God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Compassionate, in those days wherein the Sun of eternity did shine forth from the horizon of the remembrance of thy Lord, the Most High, and the Dove of faithfulness warbled upon the twigs of the Ultimate Tree with verses that drew unto them the hearts of the sincere ones.

O friend! If thou desirest to be apprised of that which hath befallen Me, know thou that Husayn hath appeared in truth, even as was promised by the tongues of them who drew nigh unto God, and beneath His shadow have entered the realities of the Prophets and the chosen ones. Then He Who came unto you with the name of ʿAli before Nabil, as ye had heard aforetime that He would appear with manifest sovereignty and all the Prophets would enter beneath His shadow. Then the Promised Qa’im—and this is among the tidings of the ancients.

But when He appeared and His countenance shone forth amidst all the worlds, there arose against Him idolatrous servants: among them were those who denied His verses, those who said “I shall reveal the like of what God hath revealed,” those who said “He hath fabricated against God,” and those who said “He speaketh from desire.” Thus did it befall the Youth, if thou be of them that hear.

This, after We had created them by Our command and preserved them from the harm of the idolaters, and had made their names renowned and exalted their mention throughout the lands. Their likeness is as the likeness of Satan, as ye have heard before concerning that which was revealed in a preserved and mighty Tablet—that God had exalted him and named him in every heaven with one of the names, but when he perceived his own elevation and power, he waxed proud before God and became of the idolaters.

Even so did We exalt one among the servants lest any should discover God’s treasury of knowledge and the repository of the pearls of His wisdom. Yet when he witnessed his elevation and the exaltation of his mention, he grew proud before Us in such wise as none can recount.

Thou shalt not rest in thy place. Arise and say: O people! Fear ye God and follow not the satans. This, verily, is He Whose meeting was promised unto you in all the Tablets and in mighty and glorious Scriptures. Verily, He Who came with the name of ʿAli aforetime gave you glad tidings of this Manifestation and took from you the covenant of My Self before His own covenant, yet ye have broken God’s covenant and violated His testament and were of the heedless ones.

O people! By the True One! This is indeed His Beloved and His Glory, then His Purpose. Slay Him not with the swords of hatred and rancor, and be not of the oppressors.

O people! This is He for Whose sake the Primal Point sacrificed Himself, then those who took the path unto God. Say: Have ye not read in the Bayan that which was revealed concerning this Manifestation from God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise? He counseled you not to cling, at the time of His appearance, to aught that hath been created in the heavens and on earth, yet ye have clung to your own selves and desires, and have objected to Him and turned away from Him. Woe unto you, O concourse of the heedless!

Thus doth He speak between heaven and earth and address the idolaters among the people of the Bayan, yet they are in mighty veils.

O people of the Bayan! This is the Trust of the All-Merciful with which We have given you glad tidings at all times. Yet when He came to you with the truth, you denied Him. Thus did Satan make your deeds seem fair to you, and you became a people, evil and far removed. O people! I have sacrificed myself in His path and called you at every moment to His mighty, exalted, inaccessible and wondrous Self, until I was suspended in the air and martyred in His path, and my spirit ascended to the Sadratu’l-Muntaha and the Supreme Companion. From that most distant station, We observed you and saw your evil deeds, and We wept for you and for myself and for this lonely Wronged One.

O people! Reflect on those who came before with God’s signs and evidences, that you may be among those who know. O people! Be ashamed before God Who created you, and before my Beauty and what has befallen me in His path, and be not among the heedless. O people! When I heard the call of this Revelation, I witnessed how all things trembled within themselves, and Ridvan and all created therein, and Paradise and all ordained therein, sighed in their longing to meet Him. Then did I descend with the hosts of revelation and inspiration, and the denizens of the highest paradise, until I arrived in the presence of my Beloved and the Beloved of the worlds.

When mine eyes fell upon His face, I witnessed how it was changed from the buffetings of the idolaters, and I found the countenance of God turned pale through what your hands have wrought, O heedless ones! Alas, alas, that I should see the Beloved in manifest grief and tribulation! Would that I had never been created in existence, nor drunk the pure milk from my mother’s breast, nor manifested myself among the worlds! Would that the Ridvan had never been created in its essence, nor the gardens in their reality, nor any exalted kingdom of glory, rather than witness my Beloved in the clutches of these transgressors!

O people! Fear God and violate not the sanctity of His Cause. He has come to you with what is greater than what I brought you, and there has appeared from Him what has never appeared in creation. I know not by what proof you have turned away, O people of the Bayan, and by what evidence you have disbelieved in God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

And thou, O Radiyu’r-Ruh, hearken unto My call, that perchance God’s call may influence thee and detach thee from all else but Him. O Rida! We have kindled within thee the fire of God—be thou ignited by it, that its heat may be manifest throughout all regions. This behooveth thee and whoso attributeth himself to the Self of God, the Mighty, the Powerful. By the True One! God’s bounty hath been perfected for all in the horizons, were ye but to know. God’s proof hath been completed for all in the heavens and earth, were ye but to reflect. God’s grace hath encompassed you and all in the lands, and His very Self, the Truth, is witness to what I say.

O Rida! Dost thou rest in thy dwelling while the eye of God weepeth? Dost thou repose upon thy couch while the winds of dissension blow and the leaves of the Tree of Inner Meaning and Utterance fall to the earth? Yet the people are fast asleep. Say: O people! Do ye preserve yourselves while the Self of God is in the hands of the idolaters?

And among My greatest afflictions was when someone came to the gate saying that Yahya had written him words and he wished to come before the Throne that verses of mighty glory might be revealed for him. By God! Through this the hearts of existence were consumed and the Eye of God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Knowing, wept. Say: O people! By God! Were all who are in the heavens and earth to be filled with books, psalms, scrolls and tablets, they would not equal a single letter of that which proceeds from the mouth of God, if ye be of the fair-minded.

Is it fitting for dust to confront the Lord of Lords? Nay, by His mighty and bountiful Self! How great the sorrow for these veiled ones! Or is it befitting for utter nothingness to stand before the Ancient Being? Nay, by the Beauty of the All-Merciful! Yet the people are in grievous heedlessness. And on another day he came again to the Gate and said:

“I wish to come before His presence. If my soul finds rest and my heart is assured, I will prostrate myself before God and be among those who return.”

And for this he was accursed in this world and the next, for he made the Cause of God an object of mockery and derision. Thus did Satan whisper in his breast and he became one of the idolaters.

Say: If your souls find no rest, shall the Cause of God be rendered void? Nay, by the Self of God that standeth over all things, if ye be of those who perceive. Say: He hath appeared with such sovereignty that none on earth can prevent Him. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. His Cause dependeth not on any thing in the heavens or on earth; rather, all things depend upon His firm, mighty and powerful Command. He intended naught but deceit through what Satan taught him, and thought that God was unaware of what was in his breast. Say: With Him is the knowledge of all things and whatsoever is hidden in the breasts of all beings.

Thus have We informed thee of what hath befallen the Youth from those who sold the Beauty of the Ancient Being for their vain desires, who denied God throughout all ages and waxed proud before the Manifestations of the Cause at all times. Convey Our greetings to thy brethren that they may rejoice in the remembrance of God, follow thee in the Cause of thy Lord, and be among those who tread the paths of the Cause. Blessed are they in that God hath related them unto thee, and this sufficeth them if they be of those who know.

Arise to serve the Cause, then gather together those who have believed, and leave them not to themselves. Thus did We command thee before and now from the presence of One All-Knowing, All-Wise. Grieve not over anything, for We are with thee at all times. We beseech God not to separate thee from the Manifestation of His Essence, neither in this world nor in the next. Verily, He hath power over all things. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who have heard My call and who circle round thee out of love for My beauty and in conformity with My luminous and wondrous Command.

BH00646: O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who…

He is God

O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who, in these days, hath desired the countenance of his Lord, the All-Merciful, that he may soar on the wings of remembrance and utterance in that atmosphere wherein naught stirreth save the breezes of the All-Glorious, and attain unto a station wherein he beholdeth all created things beneath the shadow of his Lord, the Mighty, the Chosen One. Arise to execute His bidding, then strip the servants of the garments of fancy and desire, and adorn them with the raiment of glory and guidance, that they may detach themselves from those who have disbelieved and turn unto God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Compelling.

Say: O concourse of idolaters! Whither will ye flee this Day? By God! Nothing of all that hath been created between earth and heaven shall profit you, nor shall ye find for yourselves any refuge save by entering the paradise of your Lord, the All-Merciful, and drinking the choice sealed wine from the hands of those youths upon whose radiant foreheads hath been inscribed, by the seal of the remembrance of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted. By God! These are none other than the people of Baha, whom God created from the light of His Essence before the creation of names and attributes. Thus hath the earth of inner meanings and pre-existence been illumined by the lights of this Pen, moved by the fingers of thy Lord, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Forgiving.

Say: O concourse of idolaters! There is no protector today save God, no refuge save in Him, and no escape save through Him. How long will ye run in the wilderness of fancy, to the right and to the left? Say: Have mercy upon yourselves and associate not with Him through Whose meeting ye have been promised in all the Tablets from the Pen of God. Fear God, O ye who are endued with insight!

Know then, O Dhabih, that when the Daystar of the horizons set beneath the horizon of Iraq, he who limped called out from the direction of Zawra with hypocrisy:

“O people! Come, that I may guide you across the path that is finer than a hair and sharper than a sword.”

Take heed then, O ye who are possessed of understanding! He who cannot walk upon stable ground desireth to guide people across the path. Thus did Satan whisper within his soul, and pride and vainglory seized him. Reflect thou upon him and upon those who followed him despite witnessing him in utter weakness and distress. We have indeed sent down unto thee aforetime a Tablet wherein We expounded what We have mentioned again in this Tablet, that the righteous may be reminded thereby. Leave these people and their followers, their path and their balance, their names and their idols, and put thy trust in God in all matters. Remember thy Lord in the watches of the night and at the ends of the day.

And when it is said unto them:

“O people! The clouds have been cleft asunder and your Lord, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Bestowing, hath come,”

they cling to what they possess of the traditions of the followers of the Furqan. Woe unto you, O company of evil ones! Those in whose names and words ye take pride this day were created by My command, and none denieth this save he who hath grown arrogant before God and returneth to his abode in the fire. By My life! If thou wert to reflect upon them and what they possess, thou wouldst find naught save that which is uttered by the most abject followers of all religions. Thus doth thy Lord inform thee that thou mayest become aware of them and of what issueth from their mouths. By God, the Truth! Their habitation is the abyss of wrath, and evil indeed is that resting-place. Purify the hearts of men from allusions, that they may be enabled to drink the choice sealed wine from the hand of their Lord, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.

In the Persian tongue it is mentioned: Today the people of the Bayan are seen to be more veiled than all peoples and more remote than all nations. They have newly grasped at former traditions, saying at times that such and such a verse of the Qur’an states thus, and such and such a narrator has related thus, and how they pride themselves on mentioning former traditions. Say: For a thousand years ye have imagined a supposed being in a supposed place, and have been worshipping it unawares. And whenever holy souls appeared from the divine horizon and declared that that divine Beauty would be born, ye unsheathed the swords of malice and martyred those sacred beings with the worst of torments. Were We to mention in detail these matters which are concealed from the knowledge of most people, We would stray from Our present purpose.

In brief, observe that for a thousand years, nay more, these people have had naught but fancy in their grasp, and through a thousand established traditions and decisive utterances they confirmed to themselves this matter whose very foundation was imaginary, and they clung to it and counted as infidels and rejected ones those who denied it. Then after the appearance of the Most Great Luminary it became evident that all had been worshippers of fancy, as was clearly shown when that Luminary of creation appeared from the loins of one of His servants. “Fancies returned to their source and the Beauty of Certitude appeared with manifest sovereignty.” The cause and reason for these fancies was that several ignorant ones who styled themselves learned agreed together and so firmly established this baseless matter among the people that all the common folk became convinced and clung to it. As thou observest, even now most of the followers of the Qur’an remain fixed in these same fancies and are waiting. And these days are but the beginning of this dispensation. Several ignorant ones who have adorned their heads with green and white turbans have agreed and determined to spread such traditions and reports among the people.

By God, O Dhabih, if thou wert truly attentive, thou wouldst hear from every member of this Youth, even from His very hairs, lamentations and cries. And these lamentations are not for His own sake, but because it is observed that these deceitful and lying souls have agreed to afflict the people with the same former fancies. I swear by God that the breezes of the All-Merciful are nigh to being cut off from the realm of possibility. It is most necessary for thee to assist the Cause of God and not allow these unbelievers to defile the stronghold of divine unity with the clay of vain imaginings. This is incumbent today upon every existing being, nay it hath been and shall be more beloved than all deeds. The people must be protected and reminded, that perchance from detached hearts may flow and spread the sweet and gentle rivers. Beware lest this group again defile hearts with the pollution of vain imaginings. Soon it shall be observed that some will appear with great turbans and long staffs and cause the people to wander in the wilderness of fancy. In no age have the ignorant ones known as divines ever been guided to the truth, as was observed in the year sixty.

In this Dispensation, too, thou dost observe that most of those renowned in the Bayan have strayed from the straight path of justice, and yet remain unaware. First, that the Manifestation hath been known by His own Self and hath never needed, nor will ever need, any other. Moreover, the Point of the Bayan declareth that on the Day of His manifestation, the divines shall become as nothing, dead, and non-existent. Yet these veiled souls have newly resorted to the proofs of the people of the Furqan. Woe unto them and unto that which proceedeth from their mouths!

In any case, one of the servants sent a letter to the Holy Court, expressing therein his inability to write words befitting his station, saying “I know not Arabic, nor am I sufficiently capable in Persian to properly present my petition.” A specific response was revealed and sent to him, and as that Tablet made mention of certain ones who pride themselves on their scholarly attainments, a copy of that Tablet was dispatched. Consider it! In all conditions, fix your gaze upon the Truth and cling unto Him, detached from all who dwell on earth. For by God, besides Whom there is none other God! Should anyone today cling to a single letter of all that is visible in the heavens and on earth, he would surely be deprived of the never-failing nectar, the incomparable holy Kawthar, and the ever-flowing pure waters of Tasnim.

Take hold of the reins of authority through Our power and might, then detach thyself from all the worlds. Fear no one, and pay no heed to the clamor of the idolaters. The Spirit, glory and splendor be upon thee and upon those who have soared in the atmosphere of nearness and are of the assured ones. Convey Our greetings to all who are with thee and hear thy words, whether female or male, young or old.

BH00656: O Siyyid Mihdi! This is the Sacred Mount…

O Siyyid Mihdi! This is the Sacred Mount—look and thou shalt behold Me. He is the Wondrous One in this exalted horizon. Hearken unto that which is revealed unto thee from the sacred precinct, the seat of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, from this Most Wondrous and Most Glorious Beauty: I am, verily, He Who speaketh in all things, declaring that there is none other God but I, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. I have created all things by My command, and My will hath prevailed over all who are in the heavens and on earth, and the lights of My beauty over all who dwell in the kingdom of command and creation. All were created by My word, and all bow down before My face, though they perceive it not.

O thou who art the manifestation of My oppression! Hearken unto My call with the ear which God hath sanctified from the words of all else, that thou mayest hear what no ear hath heard throughout all that was and shall be. Thus do We bestow upon thee that which shall purify thee from the mention of all created things and make thee the embodiment of My remembrance between earth and heaven, that thou mayest recount the tale of this Hidden and Luminous Beauty. Sanctify thy heart from all created things and from whatsoever hath been created between earth and heaven, then adorn it with My love, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Know thou that there hath come before Us a tablet bearing thy mark, wherein thou didst call upon thy Lord with those who ascend unto the heights of nearness. This is more pleasing unto thy Lord than that which hath appeared from those whom ye imagine to know, could ye but perceive it. Strive then within thyself that thou mayest ascend, in this Day of thy Lord, at every moment, unto a praiseworthy and wondrous station. Then send forth before thy Lord that which is cast upon thy heart, and remain steadfast in the Cause through My sovereignty, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

When thou seest the letter J’, say: O servant! We have sent unto thee each year that which no letter thereof can be equaled by the creation of the first and the last ones. Yet thou hast not comprehended what was treasured therein of the pearls of thy Lord’s knowledge, and wert among those who remain veiled. Therefore, judge thou fairly within thyself, then read what We have sent down unto thee and what was revealed unto Ali before, and before him unto the Beloved, and before him unto the Son of Mary, that thou mayest call to mind within thyself and be of them who, when the verses of their Lord are sent down unto them, fall prostrate upon their faces in submission. By God! The Pen weepeth at what hath proceeded from thee against its Lord—nay, all things weep, could ye but hear. Yet, despite My sovereignty and power, I have forgiven thee through My loving forbearance. By God! My mention of thee was naught save out of My compassion for thee, whereunto beareth witness my honored servants. Arise then from the slumber of thy heart and make good what hath escaped thee. By God! This is better for thee than all thou hast done or shalt do until the Day when the trumpet shall be blown.

O servant! Rend asunder the veils of idle fancy, then recite what the Spirit hath uttered unto this pure and elevated Breast. Say: The paths unto God are beyond counting, yet the path unto this Ridvan which I have raised up in truth is but one, would ye but be assured.

O Mihdi! If thou detectest the sweet savors of justice, meet with him and present unto him the revealed words. Otherwise, avoidance is necessary, for in this Day consorting with deniers is accounted among the gravest sins and is displeasing unto God. By deniers are meant and shall ever be meant the rejectors from among the people of the Bayan.

O Word! One ocean is seen with a thousand dissimilar waves, one sun with a thousand differing shadows, one earth with infinite manifestations therefrom. Now all people are occupied with the waves and remain veiled from the Sovereign of the sea, of which all these limited forms are but examples. They seclude themselves in transient shadows and are deprived of the waves of the divine Sun which shineth from the holy and merciful horizon. Yet give thanks and be joyous in thy soul, for this enduring wine is not destined or decreed for every soul. It is the portion of pure hearts and the share of sanctified souls. In all conditions, hold fast to God’s grace and regard all peoples under thy protection. Be not content with what people have done. At all times await novel bounties. Turn not thy gaze from the direction of hope. Enter from mortal pavilions into the eternal tabernacle of glory, and from the hosts of the idolatrous souls choose thy dwelling in the sanctuary of God’s protection.

O Mihdi! Make thyself ready that the heat of the Paran flame and the manifestations of the holy divine Beauty may take effect in the Sinai of thy heart. O Mihdi! A fire hath been kindled in the Sinai of all contingent beings such that wert thou to perceive but a spark thereof, thou wouldst find the tongue of all things uttering the well-known words of Sinai. Yet it hath not yet affected the people of dust. Verily, dry wood is susceptible to fire, not the heart-stone of every deceitful misbeliever.

O Mihdi! Sanctify the beauty of unity from the dust of imitation and raise thy tent upon the heights of detachment. Thus doth thy Lord counsel thee that thou mayest be among the doers.

Be it known that certain exalted Tablets have been revealed and sent. Make copies of all of them and afterward deliver them according to the requirements of the time and the capacity of the people. For these are days in which even the near angels are in distress and agitation, how much more so these people who are constantly undergoing strange transformations. Let not the story of the calf and Samiri, which was mentioned at the time of the migration, fade from sight. Some Tablets were sent without names—let them be delivered to whomsoever is deemed suitable. And certain wondrous and exalted Suras were sent which must be copied with the utmost diligence upon arrival, especially the Surih of Pilgrimage, for which not the least delay or postponement is permissible.

Make copies and have them carried to the land of Shin and the land of Alif and the land of Sad by whoever intends to travel, for this is among the greatest acts of drawing near to God, did ye but know it. Beware lest ye delay in this matter. Thus hath it been ordained by the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. The revealed Suras require much reflection and meditation—nay, this is more obligatory than all else, would that ye might understand. Two Tablets were specifically revealed for Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin—deliver them, and he should review all that was sent. Thus hath the Command been sent down from the heaven of wondrous knowledge, that perchance there might be understood what none in all the worlds hath understood. None else need see them except such as have attained a station enabling them to view them with a penetrating and radiant vision.

A Tablet had previously been sent from one who followed the Interlocutor of old, and its reply was revealed, but it was delayed. However, since it was revealed in such terms as exceeded the capacity of minds and souls to bear, it was not sent. But now a brief Tablet has been sent anew—if deemed advisable, let it be copied in another hand and delivered, while the original Tablet remains with you. Thus doth God erase what He willeth and confirm what He willeth, and give and withhold, and with Him is the knowledge of all things in the Mother Book, and none knoweth this save those possessed of keen insight.

In all circumstances maintain the greatest concealment lest the hypocrites become aware of the sending of missives, whereby harm might befall the divine Tree itself. Furthermore, the Surih of Pilgrimage was specifically revealed for the land of Shin and must be implemented with utmost haste. Besides this, a lengthy visitation prayer was revealed last year but has not yet been sent, until such time as may be suitable. God sendeth what He willeth and He, verily, doeth what He pleaseth.

Convey exalted mention to all the loved ones. Adorn Mirza Muhammad and his brother and Haydar-ʿAli with the robe of remembrance, and likewise the Arabs and others among the friends, both male and female. Thus have We sent down the command that thou mayest be among those who act. At all times be vigilant in safeguarding the Cause of God and strive mightily for the unity of the friends, that God may thereby bring about a new matter. The Spirit and Glory be upon thee and upon those who follow thee unto the Day which no decree precedeth, nor any knowledge comprehendeth, nor all that was and will be, if thou be of those who know. Say to Haydar: Be as Haydar in the love of thy Lord, then proclaim between earth and heaven this Name which none in all the worlds hath known.

BH00686: Lawh-i-Zuhur (Tablet of the Manifestation)

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Learned, the Most Powerful, the Most Mighty!

O thou who gazest toward the direction of God and art immersed in the ocean of His nearness and good-pleasure! Know thou that the Manifestation hath not emerged from the four elements, but rather is the Mystery of Oneness, the Pre-existent Essence, the Self-Subsisting Reality, and the Hidden Identity. Indeed, He cannot be known through aught else, nor can it be established for anyone that He hath appeared from the four elements, or from the basic substances mentioned in the language of the philosophers, or from the four natures—for all these were created by His command and will. He hath ever been, and there was naught else besides Him. Even now He exists in truth and is established upon the throne, revealing verses unto thee inasmuch as the fire of His love hath been kindled in thy heart. Is there any possessor of utterance in all existence who could speak with Him, or any revealer who could stand with Him in His Cause, or any being who could claim existence for himself? Nay, by thy Lord, the All-Merciful! All are non-existent and void.

Were He to be known through any other than Himself, His essence could not be proven free from similitude, nor His being sanctified from likeness, nor His uniqueness from the manifestations of creation. This is an ocean which none can enter, for all that thou beholdest in the heavens and on earth was created by His Word. By My very Self, the True One! Were He to make Himself known to His servants as He truly is, all would be severed from everything and would abide in His presence, to such extent that kings would glory in their servitude to their Master, and monarchs would cast their crowns behind them and hasten toward His direction and the paths of His good-pleasure. But since He is veiled from them, they have turned to other than Him and soar on the wings of self in the atmosphere of their conjectures and imaginings.

Therefore bear thou witness with thine own essence, then with thy soul, then with thy tongue, that there is no God but Him. None can know Him save through Him, and none can draw near unto Him. He was not a manifestation in Himself, but rather a manifestation in His essence. This is what We have mentioned unto thee concerning the mystery of Divinity, the essence of Lordship, and the reality of Self-Subsistence.

As for the physical bodies, they are thrones for this Manifestation which none hath comprehended save Himself. Though these bodies have appeared in the world of creation in forms which ye behold, wert thou to regard them with the eye of reality and innate nature, thou wouldst witness that although they were created from the elements, they are sanctified therefrom such that no similarity exists between them. Observe the diamond—can stones compare with it? Thus hath it been revealed in the Bayan from thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent. Were it not for their temples, the temples of the servants would not have been created.

If thou wert to look carefully, thou wouldst see that all in the heavens and earth were created from the outward appearance of their temples. All the worlds draw sustenance from the worlds of thy Lord through the appearance of the Manifestations of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. In each world He appeareth according to the capacity of that world. For example, in the world of spirits He shineth upon them and appeareth unto them through spiritual effects, and likewise in the worlds of bodies, the worlds of names and attributes, and worlds which none hath known save God. Each hath a portion from this Manifestation, appearing unto them in His image to guide them unto God their Lord, draw them nigh unto the seat of His command, and bring them to what hath been ordained for them. Even as His reality cannot be known, likewise nothing that is attributed to Him can be known except to a prescribed degree.

Reflect upon thine own self—were it not for Him, neither thy senses nor thy limbs and members could operate: the eye could not see, nor the ear hear, nor the tongue speak, nor the hand grasp, nor the foot move. Yet He is the sovereign ruler over all, such that God has made all things dependent upon Him. Nevertheless, it is through the eye that He sees, through the ear that He hears, and through the tongue that He speaks. If you ponder upon this, you will find it to be among His greatness, such that His station is not diminished by these manifestations and descents. Consider then the jeweler who crafts a ring—though he is its maker, he adorns his finger with it.

If the Most High appears in the garment of creation, this is of His grace, lest His servants flee from Him. Rather, they draw near to Him, sit before His face, hear His wondrous melodies, take delight in what proceeds from His mouth, and in what descends upon them from the heaven of His will. In this there is wisdom—were you to contemplate it throughout the duration ordained by God, you would discover at every moment what you had not found before. If the Most High were to appear in His true station and form and as He truly is, none would be able to draw near to Him or find intimacy with Him.

For example, consider the throne or seat or chair and their like—these are crafted by one of His creatures through the confirmations that descend upon them from the heaven of His grace and the clouds of His bounty. He takes His seat upon them, though before His sitting none recognize them, seeing them merely as the work of their hands. But after He takes His seat upon them, all relations are severed from them—they become the Throne of the All-Merciful, around which circle the realities of all things created in the heavens and earth. Their recognition then depends upon the gaze of the observers and the insight of those endowed with luminous, radiant vision who bear witness that they were created before the creation of the heavens and earth, that they have ever been the Throne of the All-Merciful and will ever continue to be as they have been, having no relation, connection, direction or indication to anything else.

All things testify with their inner tongue that these are the Thrones of the All-Merciful, having no likeness in creation and no peer in invention. From their elements appeared the elements, such that you see that from their fire appeared the fire in all realms of being, which spoke from the blessed Branch of Unity on the exalted Sinai to Moses the Interlocutor. From their water, every soul finds permanence and life. Likewise, consider what is beneath them and be assured with clear certainty. This is a description of the station of that upon which He sits—how much more exalted then is the station of His Temple and that which stands upon it! Thus have We cast upon thee the word of truth that thou mayest ponder upon it and attain unto what thou desirest from God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds.

O Hadi! All that We have cast upon thee and mentioned in this Tablet is in the language of creation; otherwise, by Him Who holdeth all things in the grasp of His power, We have regarding that station such utterances as are not befitting to mention in these days wherein people have differed and cast the Lord of Lords behind their backs, fashioning with the hands of idle fancy an idol which they then worshipped and became of those who worship idols. Blessed art thou for what God hath desired for thee, and for having walked in the path of His good-pleasure until thou didst attain the presence of His shining and exalted countenance.

He manifests Himself unto His creation through His creation, even as He revealed Himself unto thee with truth and delivered thee from the depths of the allusions of those who disbelieved in God and warred against His Self and took unto themselves lords other than God at all times, and were among the people of tyranny and error in a glorious and perspicuous Book. And wert thou to be immersed in the ocean of might and power, thou wouldst surely know that He is able to make any one of His creatures the creator of whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Powerful. All power lieth therein, if thou be of them that ponder, and all grace lieth therein, if thou be of them that witness.

Ask thou God, thy Lord, that He may manifest His Cause throughout all lands and raise the servants to such a station wherein shall be mentioned unto them what He desireth, without veil or hindrance, and teach them from the wonders of His knowledge, and nourish them with the fruits of the Tree of His grace and bounty, that all may be enriched through His riches and empowered through His transcendent and glorious might.

By Him Who moveth all things by His command! Were I to find the people as We created them, I would surely open a gate from the gates of mercy and inner meanings, that all might witness all mysteries with their own eyes and subdue all lands through the names of their Lord. But thou seest the creation and hearest what proceedeth from their mouths; therefore grace hath been restricted save to the measure whose dewdrops ye find, and thy Lord is, verily, witness and well-informed of this. And were We to manifest Our Self more than what We have manifested it, the dogs and swine would surely encompass Us.

Thus doth the Bird of the Throne warble its melody, and the Dove coo its song, out of love for thee, that thou mayest be among the thankful. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH00696: In the Name of God, the Most Holy…

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

O Most Exalted Pen! Move across the Tablet by My command and authority, and behold all created things as mere bodies moved by the winds, bereft of spirit, save those who have detached themselves from all things, drawn nigh unto God, and whom God hath purified from the defilement of all who dwell on earth. Stand firm in My steadfastness, then summon the servants unto My Cause.

Say: O people! Fear God and dispute not concerning Him but for Whom the Spirit would not have been made manifest, nor would the Sun of Batha have shone forth, nor would He Who was named ʿAli have come in the Kingdom of Names. Thus hath the matter been decreed, yet the people are in evident heedlessness.

Say: Fear God, O people, and oppose not Him but for Whom the Fire would not have been kindled in the Tree of Sinai upon the blessed spot of the Mount for Moses, the Interlocutor, nor would the Fire have been made a light for Our Friend, nor would God’s Cause have been established amongst His creation, nor would the Sun of Eternity have shone from the horizon of holiness in the name of your Lord, the Most High.

Fear God, O concourse of earth and heaven, then be ashamed before Him Whose blood was shed for love of this Beauty Who hath appeared and shone forth from the horizon of holiness with a message of supreme magnitude. Say: O people! This is the Youth for love of Whom the blood of the Prophets and Messengers was shed, did ye but know. Whosoever opposeth these verses while claiming to believe in what was revealed in the Bayan shall be cursed by all who dwell in the heavens and earth, and by those who recline upon exalted thrones of glory in the Most Sublime Paradise.

Say: This is He Who took the covenant of His own Self with ʿAli aforetime in all the Tablets. Behold Him, O people of the Bayan, that ye may take Him as your path to God in this Manifestation. Beware lest ye regard Me with any eyes but Mine own; behold Me as God hath commanded you, and be not of those who follow their desires and cast the All-Merciful behind their backs, choosing instead the path of Satan.

Say: Can one who standeth between earth and heaven be compared with one who remaineth concealed behind veils? Nay, by the Self of God, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Bountiful, if ye but knew. Say: Can one through whom the realities of all things were set ablaze, and in all things was kindled the fire of God, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Unconstrained, be compared with one who is consumed by the fire of self and passion, and is far removed from the shores of nearness? Can one who walketh in the atmosphere of the spirit be likened unto one who sitteth at home? Judge fairly then, O people of the Bayan, and be not oppressors and ungrateful.

Say: This is He Who aided His Lord in the days when the hearts of those near unto God were sorely shaken, when the feet of the seekers slipped, when the countenance of every sincere soul was turned back, and Who arose to uphold God’s Cause by His own self, voicing His praise among His servants until He was imprisoned in this Prison, and God is witness unto this. By God! The Pen of the All-Merciful moveth only to make mention of Me and to praise Me, and His tongue speaketh naught but to describe My glory and beauty. Indeed, He came only to announce unto you My presence and prepare you for My days. Yet when the promise came to pass, and the Youth appeared, enshrouded in the shadows of the clouds, ye disbelieved in Him, even to the point of pronouncing against Him a manifest injustice. Purify, therefore, thine ear from all that it hath heard, that thou mayest hearken unto the melodies of God—melodies that shall draw thee unto a seat of wondrous and incomparable glory. Thereupon, convey unto the servants this Cause, by reason of which every dweller is agitated, and every silent one is seized with fear—save him who hath approached God with a luminous countenance.

Say: O people, be ye ashamed before God Who created you for My manifestation. Commit not that which would dishonor the Cause, and associate not partners with God after He hath called you to the Most Glorious Paradise and asketh from you neither recompense nor thanks. If ye are able, go forth from your homes in support of His Cause; otherwise, remain where ye are but commit not that which ye were forbidden in the Book of Ali, then in Muhammad’s Qur’an, and then in the holy and impregnable Tablets. Know thou that victory hath been ordained in the Remembrance and the Bayan—thus was it revealed at the beginning of this Manifestation, if thou be well-informed thereof. We forbade the servants from warfare and contention, yet some committed that which We prohibited and transgressed the bounds set by God. But God hath pardoned whom He willeth, for He is powerful over all things. O people! Transgress not what hath been revealed in the Book. Be God-fearing in the Cause. Cast not the ordinances of God behind your backs. Act according to that which ye have been commanded by One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

They who have shed their blood in the path of God—their spirits have ascended to the heaven of mighty glory and are established in the Most Glorious Paradise, near the mercy of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High. God shineth upon them at all times with a wondrous radiance, and they drink from the Kawthar of beauty from the hands of the grace of your Lord, the All-Merciful, while youths circle round them at every dawn and dusk. Would that we were with them and ascend to the Supreme Companion! This is what I desire for Myself and for those who follow Me, and this indeed is a mighty bounty.

Say: O people! Turn not unto the world and its ornaments. By God! It shall perish, and ye shall return to an abode wherein ye shall find no companion for yourselves. Hearken unto My words and deprive not yourselves of meeting your Lord, and be not among the rebellious in the land.

O Pen of Command! Make mention of him who was named Ahmad and was martyred in the path of God in days when all were veiled from Him. Though he committed that which was forbidden, yet God pardoned him through His grace, for verily He encompasseth all things. His spirit ascended unto the Most Exalted Companion, and the hosts of the invisible realm of glory received him, and the lights of his Lord’s countenance enveloped him from every direction until he entered the Most Glorious Paradise with a radiant visage. Were We to detail the station of those who have been martyred, the people would assuredly become detached from their own souls and ascend unto a sublime and holy kingdom. Convey Our glorification unto the faces of those whom God hath related unto Him, for verily they possess a magnificent station with God. Say: Beware lest ye grieve for him, for he dwelleth now in wondrous joy. Then make mention in the Book of him who was martyred with him, for whom an abundant recompense hath been ordained. He is now with him in the highest paradise, enjoying blessings that are sanctified above all comparison.

And thou, O Muhammad, hearken unto the call of thy Lord from the direction of the Throne once again, that the verses of thy Lord may cause thee to ascend unto the Divine Lote-Tree, the sublime and glorious seat. Grieve not over anything. Make mention of thy Lord amongst His servants, for verily thy Lord is with thee and watchful over thee. Blessed art thou for having attained unto the presence of God and stood before His countenance, and for having been illumined by the Sun of Beauty from the horizon of thy Lord’s brow with manifest splendor. Hold fast unto the cord of God, then detach thyself from all else, that thy words may influence the hearts of those who doubt this Cause.

Thus doth the Most Exalted Pen command thee. Act according to that which thou hast been commanded by One Who is Mighty, All-Knowing. Wouldst thou remain in thy house while the Youth is in the hands of the oppressors from among the people of the Bayan, and there hath befallen Him that which all created things are powerless to recount? O Muhammad! Fear no one. Arise to praise thy Lord among His creation, for this is better for thee than all that hath been created between earth and heaven. Thus hath the command been sent down upon the Tablet from One Who is Powerful, Mighty.

Then remind from Us those servants who have believed in God and have detached themselves from every remote idolater. Say: O servants of the All-Merciful! Aid your Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, in this Revelation which hath appeared in His Most Glorious Name, and turn not your attention to whatsoever hath been created between earth and heaven. This is better for you, did ye but know. He desireth naught for you save to draw you nigh unto a sublime station of glory. Remember Him in private and in public, and let not the censure of those who have denied God openly and who are wretched upon the earth cause you to fear. Purify your hearts for His recognition and your ears for hearkening unto His melodies. This is My counsel unto you and unto every discerning and insightful one. The Spirit, glory and splendor be upon thee and upon those who have remained steadfast in the Cause.

BH00705: These are the verses of God, the True King…

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

These are the verses of God, the True King, the Manifest One, sent down from the heaven of mighty exaltation. Worship none but Him and turn to the direction of His favor—this is the straight path. O people! Consider the proofs and signs of God from before, that ye may be convinced that He is indeed the One Who hath appeared with truth in these days. Yet most people remain behind a mighty veil.

Say: O people! We sent forth the First Creation by Our command, and We made him a Word, and We sent him to earth and made him the father of all creation. We gave him progeny from Our presence and made them inheritors.

Then when ages and epochs passed, We sent forth Noah from Our presence to guide people unto God and give them glad tidings of these days. We commanded him to take from the people of earth a covenant concerning this Manifestation. He said:

“O people! Fear God and be not of those who join partners with Him. Your God is one God. Worship none but Him.”

They opposed him and denied Him Who sent him with truth. At every moment he was afflicted with hardship and adversity in God’s path—the King, the Powerful, the Most High, the All-Knowing—until We delivered him and those with him, and drowned the evil-doing people who were among the lost.

Then after him We sent forth Hud and sent him to Our heedless servants. He said:

“O people! Fear God! I have come to you from the Dawning Place of the Cause with momentous tidings. Worship none but Him and be not of those who join partners with Him.”

They denied him and harmed him at all times, and We were witness and aware of what they did, until We sent against them a furious wind and destroyed them, save Our sincere servants.

Then We sent forth Salih with a word from Our presence and sent him to his people to remind them of the remembrance of God, their Lord and the Lord of all worlds. He said:

“O people! I have come to you from God your Lord. Join no partners with Him but worship Him sincerely, and wrong no one by so much as a grain’s weight. Be just among yourselves and be not of the corrupt.”

They were not guided by the lights of guidance. They rejected him and denied Him Who sent him with truth, and were among the wrongdoers. We destroyed them with a single cry and made them a lesson for others.

Then after him We sent forth the Friend (Abraham) and gave him ten scrolls from Our presence and sent him to Nimrod and his chiefs to remind them of the days of God and guide them to this clear and luminous path. He said:

“O people! God hath sent me to you and hath sent down unto me from His presence verses of mighty exaltation. Differ not concerning His Cause and follow not the ways of those who join partners with Him. Answer God’s summoner among you and be not of the heedless.”

They made God’s Cause an object of mockery and were not among the believers, until We destroyed Nimrod and his people and made the Friend an enduring Word from Our presence among the worlds.

Then after him We sent forth Him Who conversed with God (Moses) with clear signs and made him a proof unto all in the heavens and earth. We sent him to Pharaoh and his chiefs. He came before him and said:

“I have come to thee from the Dawning Place of glory and power with a clear authority. Fear God and join no partners with Him, and be not of the heedless.”

He waxed proud before God and opposed Him Who conversed with God, following the ways of Satan, until the sorcerers gathered at an appointed time on a known day, as We have sent down in the scrolls of old. We effaced sorcery and confirmed that which was given to Him Who conversed with God from Our presence, and I am the All-Powerful, the Almighty. We commanded him to depart with the Children of Israel, and when he departed, Pharaoh and his hosts pursued them from behind to seize them unjustly. We drowned them and delivered those who believed in God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Then after him We sent forth the Spirit (Jesus) and dispatched him unto mankind with a wondrous command. He said:

“O people! Believe in Him Who sent me unto you, and be not of the unbelievers.”

And when his cause grew difficult, We raised him by the sovereignty of might and power unto a heaven of exalted glory.

Then We sent after him Muhammad, the Messenger of God, with a perspicuous Book, and through him We distinguished between truth and falsehood, if ye be of them that know. We made him a mercy unto all the worlds, for whenever tribulation and adversity touched him in the path of God, he remained patient within himself. Therefore did We name him the Beloved in My great dominion, and We said unto him on the night of his ascension: “Thou art the Beloved and thou art the Well-Beloved.” We revealed unto him a light from the lights of this Manifestation, if ye be of the assured ones.

Then We raised up the Sovereign of the Messengers, who was named Ali in all the tablets, and through him We opened the gates of grace unto the faces of all created things. We made him the herald of this Manifestation. He said: “O people! When the Beloved of the worlds cometh unto you, beware lest ye hesitate in His Manifestation and cling to what ye possess from the tidings of the ancients. Verily, I have revealed the Bayan for His sake and made it as a leaf among the leaves of Paradise for Him. Beware lest ye differ concerning His wondrous Cause. Follow not your leaders at the time of His appearance, for on that Day the affairs of the worlds shall be changed, and the followers of the Mount shall perish at the dawning of a drop from that crimson Light rising from the Most Glorious Horizon. Fear God and be not of them that are veiled. O people! I have come to you to announce the meeting with God on the Day when the clouds shall be cleft asunder and the Lord of Lords shall come with hosts from the envoys of God, the Mighty, the Wise.

Beware lest ye look upon Him with your eyes or the eyes of your leaders. Look upon Him with His eye; thus have I been commanded by God, your Beloved and the Beloved of the worlds. O people! He is the Hidden Mystery and the Treasured Being. He shall come unto you with the truth, with a manifest and evident Command. Every good mention revealed in the Bayan hath no purpose except His Self. Await His days, O people of unity! Were it not for Him, I would not have revealed the Bayan nor manifested Myself amongst you, if ye be of the assured ones. I have made every matter dependent upon His leave. Beware in the days of His manifestation lest ye cling to what hath been revealed in the Bayan and its letters. Fear God, O people, and be not of them that cling.

On that Day, detach yourselves from all that ye possess and turn with your hearts unto My Beloved and the Beloved of the Concourse on High, My Purpose and the Purpose of the hearts of them that know. Beware, beware, O people, lest ye grieve Him in anything or commit that which would sadden His most gentle and tender heart. Prepare yourselves for meeting Him in His days. By God! His Day is the Sovereign of Days, and He is the King of the former and latter generations.” Thus did We reveal in the Bayan through the tongue of Ali aforetime, and We were in truth a witness unto him. Verily, he delivered the messages of his Lord unto the servants with most wondrous utterance, were ye of them that perceive.

But when the promise came to pass and God came with the truth, then did the people of the Bayan deny Him, save those whom God preserved through a power from His presence, and verily He is unto His servants All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And among the opposers was he who said that He had fabricated lies against God. And among them were those who objected, and those who united with them that pronounced their verdict against the Primal Point for my injury, and those who arose to slay me, and those who forbade the servants from my love and my remembrance. Thus did I remain bewildered amidst these idolaters. And were I to recount what hath befallen me, the hearts of the sincere would be consumed. Thus do I sit in prison and await what may transpire, and I fear no one nor am I dismayed though the harm of all the world should touch me.

Thus have We revealed unto thee, O servant, that thou mayest detach thyself from all that thou hast and arise to serve the Cause of God and to make mention of Him amongst His servants. And I am, verily, the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Stand firm through God’s might and power, then turn thy face toward the people of the Bayan and say: O people! Be ye ashamed before Him Who hath given you the glad tidings of this Manifestation, and be not of them who disbelieved after having believed. Fear God and be not among the lost. Verily, He Who hath come unto you hath appeared with all the signs, and none deny Him save every sinful detractor. Fear God and make not your deeds void and follow not the evil ones. Thus have We commanded thee and revealed unto thee. Act thou according to what thou hast been bidden and be not of the silent ones. And the glory be upon thee and upon those who have believed in God and have detached themselves from the idolaters. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH00711: In the name of God, the Most Holy…

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

This is a Book from the Presence of Baha unto him who hath believed in God on a Day whereon all foundations were shaken with the fear of His Cause, and the dwellers of the heavens and earth were thunderstruck, save those who held fast to the cord of God, turned away from all that is in the hands of men, recognized God with their own eyes, and detached themselves from all the worlds.

O thou manifestation of bounty! How can I recount unto thee what hath befallen Me at the hands of him whom We created by Our command and whose name We exalted among Our remembering servants? When he witnessed the loftiness of the Cause and the exaltation of His name amongst the people, he desired to slay Me. When the hidden secrets of his heart were revealed, he raised an outcry within himself that he might cast the rancor of God into the hearts of the rebellious ones. Thou knowest well that had I desired to harm My brother, he would not have existed upon the earth. By God! Despite My knowledge of him and My awareness of what lay within his breast, We protected him through the sovereignty of might and power from the harm of the idolaters.

O thou manifestation of bounty! Thou hast seen Me and associated with Me and witnessed the mountain of My tranquility and the ocean of My patience. Ponder within thyself what hath caused Me to raise My call between the heavens and the earth. By My life! If thou wouldst reflect upon this, thou wouldst attain unto a station of security and flee from these deniers. Beware lest the beauty of the Cause be veiled from thee by the veils of fancy and desire. Emerge from behind them through the name of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Great. Hast thou not heard that every light is darkened before His splendor? By God, the Truth! This is His splendor upon all who are in the heavens and earth, and everything speaketh that there is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Encompassing.

Whoso is not guided by God’s guidance in these days hath indeed wronged himself and is regarded as one in darkness by thy Lord. Thus have We sent down the Command in all the Tablets, and thou art among those who bear witness. Say: Do ye deny Him for Whose meeting the Primal Point longed in His first manifestation, Who moved by His name and spoke in praise of His Own impregnable, exalted Self? Say: O people! If there should come unto you today anyone from among the Jews and Christians with a Tablet of God and His signs, and call out to you,

“O people! By what proof did ye believe in the Primal Point, and by what evidence do ye deny Him in His latter manifestation?”

- what would ye say, O heedless ones? By God! They would find no escape save by using the same proofs used by the people of the Furqan when the clouds of idle fancies were rent asunder and the Beauty of ʿAli came with the truth, and the matter was decided by God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Wise.

Observe the idolaters and what issueth from their mouths. They say, “He hath appeared too soon.” By God! What issueth from their mouths doth curse them, though they perceive it not and are among the heedless ones. Say: Is God powerful in His Cause, or are ye, O band of weaklings? If ye be powerful, bring forth your proof, O company of the veiled ones! And if ye acknowledge that He is indeed powerful over whatsoever He willeth, He hath manifested the Manifestation of His Self as He hath wished and willed, and hath raised Him up with truth and sent Him unto all the worlds.

O people! Fear God and look not unto what ye possess. By God, the Truth! Nothing shall suffice you today, even if ye should cling to the books of the ancients and the scriptures of the latter ones. Fear God, then look upon Him with His eyes, not with the eyes of any created thing. Thus hath God counseled you in His holy, luminous Tablets. Then consider that by which your faith hath been established in every age and dispensation, and oppose not Him before Whose face the denizens of the highest Paradise have fallen prostrate in adoration—the Self-Subsisting, the Most High, the Most Great.

Then the tongue of the Most High proclaims between the heavens and the earth, saying: “O people! By God, the Truth, this is indeed the Beloved of the worlds and the Desire of them that recognize Him. And thou, O Manifestation of Bounty, hear My words, then pass along the path by thy Lord’s power, then call out amongst the people with the most exalted voice and be not of them that remain silent. Say: O people! By God, the Truth, there hath shone forth from the horizon of the Brow a Sun whereon hath been inscribed by the pen of God, the Most High, the Most Exalted: ʿThe Kingdom on that Day shall be God’s, the One, the Single, the All-Powerful, the Most Glorious.’ And this Word is a sword which, were it to strike upon the back of Satan, would cause him to flee with his hosts to the nethermost fire. Thus hath the decree shone forth from the Dayspring of Glory, if ye be of them that perceive. Say: O people! The heaven of knowledge hath been cleft asunder and the Lord of Words hath come upon the clouds of inner meanings. Thereupon the words of them that possess subtle allusions were struck dumb. Thus hath the matter been decreed, if ye be of them that know.

And if thou wert to recite this Tablet with the melody wherewith its verses were revealed in truth, it would attract the hearts of them that know. Would that thou wouldst turn unto the words of him who warred against God and ponder that which floweth from his pen. But after the Ancient Beauty avoided meeting with him, perchance thou mayest discover the truth of his affair and be of them that know. Then know thou that We have aforetime revealed unto thee a Tablet and sent it by the hand of one of them that seek. And We beseech God to grant thee what hath been ordained therein of the fruits of this Paradise. Verily He is the Provider, the Bestower, the Mighty, the Generous.”

By My life! If thou wert to reflect upon what the idolators have attributed to My Person, thou wouldst surely become acquainted with them and what lieth within their souls, for thou hast associated with Me and witnessed somewhat of My disposition amongst the peoples.

By God! Where is the one possessed of sight, of hearing, and of heart who may comprehend this Cause and what hath befallen Me and been visited upon this Wronged Soul at the hands of these oppressors? I swear by the True One, O Javad! The Maids of Glory and Holiness have gathered in the chambers of these words, their faces grown pale with sorrow for this Youth, calling out to all creation with mournful voices, saying:

“O people! This is God’s trust among you and His deposit within you. He is, in truth, the Beauty of Ali and the Essence of Muhammad. Through His Name the seas have surged with waves, the trees have yielded fruit, the clouds have poured forth rain, and the Ancient Essence hath been revealed with power. Beware, O ye who are endued with insight, lest ye perpetrate that which causeth tears to flow from the Eye of God, the Omnipotent, the Most Exalted, the All-Wise. Beware lest ye fail to believe in Him Who hath appeared with the proof of Ali, then with the evidence of Muhammad, then with the testimony of the Spirit, then with the signs of Moses. Slay Him not with the swords of rejection and hatred. By God! Through what ye have done, the hearts of the pure ones have been consumed, and the Spirit of Truth now lamenteth in the dust. O people! The denizens of the highest Paradise are bewildered by your deeds. Ye seek proofs from that which hath appeared from Him, yet ye would slay His all-compelling, transcendent, peerless Self.”

O Maids of the celestial chambers! Be silent within yourselves, for your sweet melodies, though they may not affect hearts that have grown hard to the remembrance of God, have yet caused the hearts of the Prophets and Messengers to burn. Veil your faces lest they be profaned by those who have disbelieved and joined partners with God, and lest the gaze of the malevolent fall upon your countenances. Remain patient in your dwellings, for the Ancient Beauty hath endured in His own Self for twenty years, wherein His daily sustenance was but morsels of His liver and His drink but drops of His blood. Thus did the days decree unto Him while He remained tranquil within His Self—the All-Possessing, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Put your trust in God and commit the Beloved’s affairs unto Him. Let not yourselves be troubled, lest the clamor of all created things rise up to the precincts of manifest glory. Thus doth He command you, He by Whose command every commanded one is commanded, by Whose sovereignty every envoy is raised up, and from Whose presence every empowered and trustworthy Messenger is sent forth.

I swear by God, O Manifestation of Bounty! The realities of all created things have been stirred by their melodies, and tears have flowed from the eyes of those near unto God by reason of their grief. Yet those who have disbelieved remain wrapped in thick veils. Would that one possessed of the sense of smell might detect the fragrance of holiness from the garment of God! Nay, by My life! None shall perceive it save those who are purified among the people of truth and certitude. Thus have We imparted unto thee the Word of Truth, that the breezes of truthfulness might draw thee to the station of steadfastness and justice, and sever thee from every lying doubter. And glory be upon thee and upon him who was named after the First Pillar of My Name, and upon those who, when they heard the Call of God, responded with manifest sincerity.

BH00734: These are the verses of the Command, sent down…

In the Name of God, the Glorious, the All-Glorious

These are the verses of the Command, sent down in truth from the presence of the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. In them the cry of God is raised concerning that which the fingers of hatred from every detested misbeliever have wrought against Him. Say: O people! Sever not the arm of God with the swords of rancor, nor His head with the blade of hatred. Fear God, and quench not His fire amongst you, nor deprive yourselves of the outpourings of this grace. Verily those who deny the mercy that hath descended from the clouds of the Command—these have taken idols as lords for themselves besides God, and Beauty hath been veiled from their eyes. And if they witness, they do not truly witness. Thus have We created them deaf, without sight, and made them dumb, gathered upon the earth of abasement. Say: Those who object to the Self of thy Lord, and yet make mention of the Point of the Bayan—these dwell in the depths of the fire, and these, on that day, cast behind the veil of passion, are thrown upon the dust of self.

Say: O people! Do ye make mention of the Sovereign of the Bayan while disbelieving in His Self? Woe unto you for that which Satan hath cast into your souls. Fear God with true fear, then sanctify your souls from the touch of Satan and his followers. Verily, he is a manifest enemy unto man. Those in whose hearts thou findest the odor of hypocrisy regarding the Light of the Command—these shall never find in the Mother Book any portion allotted unto them. Say: If ye love the Point of the Bayan, why have ye acted against His sanctuary, and disbelieved in His verses after their revelation, and distorted the word which had been inscribed by the Pen of God in all the Tablets? Indeed, ye have taken fancy as your lord besides God, after ye had been known in the realm of names by the name of God. Hearken, O people, unto the Word of God, then drink from the pure wine, then warm yourselves at the fire which was kindled from the direction of the Throne.

Say: O people! By God, the Truth! We took a handful of clay and breathed into it a spirit from Our Command, and adorned it with the garment of names between earth and heaven, and made it renowned among the worlds. When it reached maturity, it rose against Us, then objected and rebelled against God Who created it by a command from His presence, until it pronounced judgment against Him. Thus was man ungrateful to his Lord.

O My Name! Remind the people of that which the Most Great Spirit hath spoken before the throne of thy Lord. Then be steadfast in the Cause in these days wherein the Manifestations of the Names stand motionless at the Bridge. By God! All that thou hast heard concerning this Cause and that We have indicated to others hath been by virtue of a wisdom from God, thy Lord, and none save a limited number have been apprised thereof. They who speak what they speak are but wandering in the meadows of ignorance and roaming in the wilderness of misbelief—these are they who in that Day were debarred from the gardens of knowledge.

Say: O concourse of the blind! Heal your eyes with the collyrium of the remembrance of your Lord, the All-Merciful, that ye may perchance discern that which even the most perspicacious among all creatures have failed to perceive.

O My Name! By God! For twenty years I stood before Mine enemies, while they who today rebel against God remained veiled behind curtains, fearful for themselves. When We raised up the Cause through Our sovereignty and might, and when the breezes of assurance and glory wafted, they emerged from behind their veils and drew the sword of hatred against Him through Whose glance earth and heaven were illumined. If thou wouldst then incline thine ear with sanctified hearing, thou wouldst hear that which would cause hearts to be consumed behind the pavilion of exalted glory. Soon shalt thou witness the people of the Bayan doing all that the people of the Furqan had done, such that they will cling to their traditions and be veiled thereby from the Creator of Names and Attributes, and they will speak as they spoke and argue as they argued.

Indeed, thou shalt find these even more veiled than the peoples of old. Thus have We revealed unto thee that which hath descended from the heaven of grace, that thou mayest be possessed of insight into thy Lord’s Cause and remain steadfast, such that the whisperings of Satan may not cause thee to slip from the path that hath been extended by God’s leave across the paradise of the Cause. Beware lest thou be perturbed in these days wherein souls are agitated and minds are bewildered, and wherein the lowing of the calf is raised with a mighty cry. Hold fast to the handle of the Cause, lest the winds from the manifestations of phantoms should move thee. Then take up an extolled station in the shelter of thy Lord’s protection.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Were ye not enjoined in the Book not to deny the verses of God when they are sent down in truth, and not to reject them through your conjectures and desires? Why then have ye turned away from them and denied Him in Whom ye believed? Fie upon you for having broken God’s covenant and His pledge, and for having been debarred from the shore of effulgence emanating from this Beauty.

O people! Consider the proofs of the Prophets and Messengers and that which hath been revealed in the Bayan, that ye may perhaps make good what ye have neglected and find a way unto Him Who occupieth the throne. Say: If ye have believed in the Point of the Bayan, by God, this is His very Self and these are His verses, sent down from a sublime and glorious kingdom.

O My Name! By God! These people have violated the sanctity of God in their midst by following those who were created by My command—and God is witness to this. The matter hath reached such a pass that they have written tablets of falsehood in the name of the Point of the Bayan to oppose Me, and have circulated them among the people to turn them away from the path that was visible from the direction of the throne.

Say: By God! The Most Great Ocean will not be altered by the touch of dogs, nor will the beauty of the Sun be obscured by this cloud that hath come between them and the Lord of Lords. By God! It hath shone forth with the sovereignty of majesty and stood in the midmost heavens.

Whoso is guided aright is guided for his own soul’s good, and whoso turneth away—verily thy Lord is independent of all who turn aside and are rejected. We give thanks unto God that He hath purified the garment of sanctity from the touch of the idolaters and hath severed the hands of the infidels from this hem. And thou, arise thyself, then say: O people! Fear ye God and deny not His proof after He hath appeared with the truth, if ye believed in Ali aforetime through what was sent down unto him of the verses of your Lord. Therefore read ye what ye possess, and We shall read a tablet from the traces of this Manifestation. By God! Then shall the sun of certitude shine forth from the horizon of a luminous dawn. Then shall ye find their heads cast down, and the scourges of divine constraint shall overwhelm them from the presence of One mighty, self-subsisting. Thus have We cast it unto thee that thou mayest cast it upon the breasts which thou findest free from doubt. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who are with thee, whether male or female.

O My friend! Grief hath so encompassed this wronged One that the mention thereof melteth the heart. The world hath ever been, and shall forever be, a place of trial and testing. From its chalice none hath ever drunk save deadly poison, and from its cup none hath ever tasted save fatal venom. Its afflictions have ever been the portion of them that seek the Truth, and its calamities the share of them that pursue His path. Beware lest thou be saddened by its sorrows or grow heedless of the remembrance of the All-Merciful in these days. In all matters place thy trust in God and detach thyself from all else but Him. In these grievous days when the intoxication of existence hath encompassed all creation, be not heedless of the celestial realm of His love’s constancy, and like unto the sun, shine forth with the effulgences of the love of the Sovereign Lord of names and attributes, that the lights of the beauty of the Chosen One may be made manifest through thee among the servants.

Gird up the loins of endeavor to stand firm in His Cause, and be thou free and detached from all else save Him. The world hath no faithfulness, and ere long whatsoever is visible upon earth shall be hidden in its depths. And the Spirit be upon thee.

And the prevention of that friend from the nearness of the meeting hath been the cause of the winds of discord, and after the great separation and the calming thereof, God willing, it shall be made manifest according to the exigencies of the time.

BH00778: Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God!

Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God!

These are the days whereon Thou hast bidden all men to observe the Fast, that through it they may purify their souls and rid themselves of all attachment to any one but Thee, and that out of their hearts may ascend that which will be worthy of the court of Thy majesty and may well beseem the seat of the revelation of Thy oneness. Grant, O my Lord, that this fast may become a river of life-giving waters and may yield the virtue wherewith Thou hast endowed it. Cleanse Thou by its means the hearts of Thy servants whom the evils of the world have failed to hinder from turning towards Thine all-glorious Name, and who have remained unmoved by the noise and tumult of such as have repudiated Thy most resplendent signs which have accompanied the advent of Thy Manifestation Whom Thou hast invested with Thy sovereignty, Thy power, Thy majesty and glory. These are the servants who, as soon as Thy call reached them, hastened in the direction of Thy mercy and were not kept back from Thee by the changes and chances of this world or by any human limitations.

I am he, O my God, who testifieth to Thy unity, who acknowledgeth Thy oneness, who boweth humbly before the revelations of Thy majesty, and who recognizeth with downcast countenance the splendors of the light of Thy transcendent glory. I have believed in Thee after Thou didst enable me to know Thy Self, Whom Thou hast revealed to men’s eyes through the power of Thy sovereignty and might. Unto Him I have turned, wholly detached from all things, and cleaving steadfastly unto the cord of Thy gifts and favors. I have embraced His truth, and the truth of all the wondrous laws and precepts that have been sent down unto Him. I have fasted for love of Thee and in pursuance of Thine injunction, and have broken my fast with Thy praise on my tongue and in conformity with Thy pleasure. Suffer me not, O my Lord, to be reckoned among them who have fasted in the daytime, who in the night-season have prostrated themselves before Thy face, and who have repudiated Thy truth, disbelieved in Thy signs, gainsaid Thy testimony, and perverted Thine utterances.

Open Thou, O my Lord, mine eyes and the eyes of all them that have sought Thee, that we may recognize Thee with Thine own eyes. This is Thy bidding given us in the Book sent down by Thee unto Him Whom Thou hast chosen by Thy behest, Whom Thou hast singled out for Thy favor above all Thy creatures, Whom Thou hast been pleased to invest with Thy sovereignty, and Whom Thou hast specially favored and entrusted with Thy Message unto Thy people. Praised be Thou, therefore, O my God, inasmuch as Thou hast graciously enabled us to recognize Him and to acknowledge whatsoever hath been sent down unto Him, and conferred upon us the honor of attaining the presence of the One Whom Thou didst promise in Thy Book and in Thy Tablets.

Thou seest me then, O my God, with my face turned towards Thee, cleaving steadfastly to the cord of Thy gracious providence and generosity, and clinging to the hem of Thy tender mercies and bountiful favors. Destroy not, I implore Thee, my hopes of attaining unto that which Thou didst ordain for Thy servants who have turned towards the precincts of Thy court and the sanctuary of Thy presence, and have observed the Fast for love of Thee. I confess, O my God, that whatever proceedeth from me is wholly unworthy of Thy sovereignty and falleth short of Thy majesty. And yet I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou hast revealed Thy Self, in the glory of Thy most excellent titles, unto all created things, in this Revelation whereby Thou hast, through Thy most resplendent Name, manifested Thy beauty, to give me to drink of the wine of Thy mercy and of the pure beverage of Thy favor, which have streamed forth from the right hand of Thy will, that I may so fix my gaze upon Thee and be so detached from all else but Thee, that the world and all that hath been created therein may appear before me as a fleeting day which Thou hast not deigned to create.

I moreover entreat Thee, O my God, to rain down, from the heaven of Thy will and the clouds of Thy mercy, that which will cleanse us from the noisome savors of our transgressions, O Thou Who hast called Thyself the God of Mercy! Thou art, verily, the Most Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Beneficent.

Cast not away, O my Lord, him that hath turned towards Thee, nor suffer him who hath drawn nigh unto Thee to be removed far from Thy court. Dash not the hopes of the suppliant who hath longingly stretched out his hands to seek Thy grace and favors, and deprive not Thy sincere servants of the wonders of Thy tender mercies and loving-kindness. Forgiving and Most Bountiful art Thou, O my Lord! Power hast Thou to do what Thou pleasest. All else but Thee are impotent before the revelations of Thy might, are as lost in the face of the evidences of Thy wealth, are as nothing when compared with the manifestations of Thy transcendent sovereignty, and are destitute of all strength when face to face with the signs and tokens of Thy power.

What refuge is there beside Thee, O my Lord, to which I can flee, and where is there a haven to which I can hasten? Nay, the power of Thy might beareth me witness! No protector is there but Thee, no place to flee to except Thee, no refuge to seek save Thee. Cause me to taste, O my Lord, the divine sweetness of Thy remembrance and praise. I swear by Thy might! Whosoever tasteth of its sweetness will rid himself of all attachment to the world and all that is therein, and will set his face towards Thee, cleansed from the remembrance of any one except Thee.

Inspire then my soul, O my God, with Thy wondrous remembrance, that I may glorify Thy name. Number me not with them who read Thy words and fail to find Thy hidden gift which, as decreed by Thee, is contained therein, and which quickeneth the souls of Thy creatures and the hearts of Thy servants. Cause me, O my Lord, to be reckoned among them who have been so stirred up by the sweet savors that have been wafted in Thy days that they have laid down their lives for Thee and hastened to the scene of their death in their longing to gaze on Thy beauty and in their yearning to attain Thy presence. And were any one to say unto them on their way, “Whither go ye?” they would say, “Unto God, the All-Possessing, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting!”

The transgressions committed by such as have turned away from Thee and have borne themselves haughtily towards Thee have not availed to hinder them from loving Thee, and from setting their faces towards Thee, and from turning in the direction of Thy mercy. These are they who are blessed by the Concourse on high, who are glorified by the denizens of the everlasting Cities, and beyond them by those on whose foreheads Thy most exalted pen hath written:

“These! The people of Baha. Through them have been shed the splendors of the light of guidance.”

Thus hath it been ordained, at Thy behest and by Thy will, in the Tablet of Thine irrevocable decree.

Proclaim, therefore, O my God, their greatness and the greatness of those who while living or after death have circled round them. Supply them with that which Thou hast ordained for the righteous among Thy creatures. Potent art Thou to do all things. There is no God but Thee, the All-Powerful, the Help in Peril, the Almighty, the Most Bountiful.

Do not bring our fasts to an end with this fast, O my Lord, nor the covenants Thou hast made with this covenant. Do Thou accept all that we have done for love of Thee, and for the sake of Thy pleasure, and all that we have left undone as a result of our subjection to our evil and corrupt desires. Enable us, then, to cleave steadfastly to Thy love and Thy good pleasure, and preserve us from the mischief of such as have denied Thee and repudiated Thy most resplendent signs. Thou art, in truth, the Lord of this world and of the next. No God is there beside Thee, the Exalted, the Most High.

Magnify Thou, O Lord my God, Him Who is the Primal Point, the Divine Mystery, the Unseen Essence, the Dayspring of Divinity, and the Manifestation of Thy Lordship, through Whom all the knowledge of the past and all the knowledge of the future were made plain, through Whom the pearls of Thy hidden wisdom were uncovered, and the mystery of Thy treasured name disclosed, Whom Thou hast appointed as the Announcer of the One through Whose name the letter B and the letter E have been joined and united, through Whom Thy majesty, Thy sovereignty and Thy might were made known, through Whom Thy words have been sent down, and Thy laws set forth with clearness, and Thy signs spread abroad, and Thy Word established, through Whom the hearts of Thy chosen ones were laid bare, and all that were in the heavens and all that were on the earth were gathered together, Whom Thou hast called ʿAli-Muhammad in the kingdom of Thy names, and the Spirit of Spirits in the Tablets of Thine irrevocable decree, Whom Thou hast invested with Thine own title, unto Whose name all other names have, at Thy bidding and through the power of Thy might, been made to return, and in Whom Thou hast caused all Thine attributes and titles to attain their final consummation. To Him also belong such names as lay hid within Thy stainless tabernacles, in Thine invisible world and Thy sanctified cities.

Magnify Thou, moreover, such as have believed in Him and in His signs and have turned towards Him, from among those that have acknowledged Thy unity in His Latter Manifestation—a Manifestation whereof He hath made mention in His Tablets, and in His Books, and in His Scriptures, and in all the wondrous verses and gem-like utterances that have descended upon Him. It is this same Manifestation Whose covenant Thou hast bidden Him establish ere He had established His own covenant. He it is Whose praise the Bayan hath celebrated. In it His excellence hath been extolled, and His truth established, and His sovereignty proclaimed, and His Cause perfected. Blessed is the man that hath turned unto Him, and fulfilled the things He hath commanded, O Thou Who art the Lord of the worlds and the Desire of all them that have known Thee!

Praised be Thou, O my God, inasmuch as Thou hast aided us to recognize and love Him. I, therefore, beseech Thee by Him and by Them Who are the Daysprings of Thy Divinity, and the Manifestations of Thy Lordship, and the Treasuries of Thy Revelation, and the Depositories of Thine inspiration, to enable us to serve and obey Him, and to empower us to become the helpers of His Cause and the dispersers of His adversaries. Powerful art Thou to do all that pleaseth Thee. No God is there beside Thee, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the One Whose help is sought by all men!

BH00784: This is a Book which speaks with truth…

He is the Glorious in the Most Glorious Horizon!

This is a Book which speaks with truth, and God hath made it the sign of His Revelation and the sovereign evidence of His Cause between the heavens and the earth, and verily He is powerful over all things. It beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and that ʿAli is the Manifestation of His Self among all the worlds. Verily His glory is His manifestation, then His concealment, and His might and honor and proof unto all who dwell in the kingdom of creation and command, and thus hath His mercy encompassed all the worlds. Verily those who have denied God and His signs, these have no station, and these are debarred from this heavenly spring.

O people! Fear God and dispute not concerning His Cause, and follow not those in whose hearts ye find hatred toward this Beauty Who hath appeared in the Temple of Trinity in the form of Unity, made manifest. Beware, O people, lest ye cast the Book of God behind your backs. Follow ye the religion of God and His Faith, and verily today it is My love, and God is witness unto this. And when ye adorn the temple of faith with the raiment of My love, render thanks unto God for having aided you in this, and verily there is no God but Him, His is the creation and the command, and all are preserved with Him in the Tablets.

Hearken, O people, unto the call of your Lord from this crimson Tree upon the Spot of Eternity in the paradise of your Lord, the Most High! God! There is no God but Me, and verily I have been standing at the right of the Path of Truth, and I witness those who pass over it—among them are those who pass like lightning from the clouds, and among them are those who pass upon their breasts, and among them are those who pass upon their feet, and among them are those who pause before it, and thus do We witness them and We are witness unto this.

O Pen of Command! Make mention of those servants who have entered the precincts of Paradise, the station wherein lights are witnessed from its horizon. Among them are those who have attained the presence of the Throne and have heard the melodies of God, and were numbered among the successful ones in the Mother Book, written by the Pen of the Spirit. And among them are those who have believed in God but were not enabled to enter the sanctuary of Grandeur, the station which God hath sanctified from the knowledge of all creatures combined. For each is a portion in the Book of thy Lord, and none comprehendeth this save him whom God hath aided in His Cause and made him among those who are assured in the Mother of Tablets.

O Pen! Make mention of Our servant Joseph who entered the Sinai of the Cause and heard the call of God from the upraised Lote-Tree on the shore of the crimson sea of glory:

“Verily, I am God, there is none other God but Me, and I have ever encompassed all created things.”

O servant! Give thanks unto God for having blessed thee with the recognition of the Manifestation of His Self, and for having brought thee into the presence of the Throne, and for having caused thee to hear such melodies as have attracted the realities of all things between earth and heaven. Thus hath the bounty of thy Lord encompassed all. O servant! Arise to promote the Cause with steadfastness from Us and power from Our presence, and fear thou no one, for We shall protect thee from every wicked oppressor.

Say: Fear God, O people, and take not any lord besides Him for yourselves. Then shatter the idols of fancy and desire through My Most Exalted Sovereignty. This would be better for you, did ye but know it. Soon will Satan enter among you and bid you to hate the Youth. Wherefore, seek refuge in God and draw not nigh unto him. This is what God commandeth you, and He ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth with manifest authority. Say: Today naught shall profit anyone save through love for Me, even should they bring all the books of the world. Draw not nigh unto them from whom ye cannot detect the fragrance of the All-Merciful, though they bring you numerous tablets.

O Joseph! Arise from thy slumber, then remind the people of that which the Spirit hath inspired thee with in this Tablet that hath encompassed the worlds. Know thou that whatsoever thou hast heard hath proceeded from Me, and what We have indicated referreth to none but Me. This is of the wisdom that hath been concealed from the worlds. Know thou further that he who was created by My command and was given life by My Word hath risen against Me and turned away from God and denied His signs and rejected His proof, and was accounted among the idolators. Beware lest the world and all that is therein prevent you from that which hath been ordained for you in the heaven of exalted glory. Gird up thy loins to assist God and His Cause, then to serve God and His glory. Thus doth the Pen of Glory command thee from the kingdom of transcendent might.

Say: Faces have turned black wherefrom the lights of love for my Most Glorious Lord will never shine forth, and eyes have been blinded that will never turn toward the court of His great mercy, and tongues have been silenced that will never move in His sweetest remembrance, and souls have ceased to exist that will never arise to aid this Cause which hath shone forth from the horizon of holy splendor. Thus have We taught thee that thou mayest know the way of thy Lord, lest any sinful denier lead thee astray.

Make mention also of the Letter M before Ja’far, that he may remember within himself and be among those who remember in these days wherein the servants were debarred from the holy shore. Say: O servant! We showed thee in a dream aforetime that which would guide thee to the path of thy Lord. Arise then at the bidding of thy Master and summon the people to this Cause before which every lofty mountain hath been leveled. Be thou a herald of the Cause among Our servants, then gather them together in My love, for this indeed is a great thing in the Book. Beware lest anything prevent thee from the remembrance of thy Lord. Cast the world behind thee, then take up for thyself a secure station beneath the shadow of thy Lord. Say: O people! Dispute not concerning the signs of God when they are sent down in truth, and follow not those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God and were deprived of the melodies of God. Follow what the Spirit imparteth unto you, then answer the call of God’s herald among you, then summon the people to the Most Great Pilgrimage which was made manifest in the temple of the Youth.

Then cast your gaze upon the face of him who is named Mirza and give him glad tidings of his Lord’s favors, that he may rejoice in his soul. Thus have We commanded thee in truth, that God’s grace may encompass His servants who dwell beneath the shelter of this Cause. O servant! Remember thy Lord at eventide and at dawn, and establish for thyself a station which is praiseworthy before the Throne. Blessed art thou for having attained the presence of thy Lord and for being among those who circle round this House that encompasseth all worlds. Shun Mine enemies and associate not with them, and remain safely guarded. By God! Whoso remaineth steadfast in My love, God shall make him powerful over all things and shall raise him up before the Throne in the Most Great Paradise with such beauty as shall shine with the light of glory. Be thou so firm in the Cause that the words of those who have disbelieved and joined partners with God and have strayed far from the shore of justice shall not cause thee to slip.

Then convey greetings to those who have attained the presence of the Throne and to those who have not attained the presence of God, but whom God hath accepted and will reward abundantly from His grace, and will provide for them from the heaven of His Cause such bounties as have been sent down from the clouds of the Spirit. Thus have We inspired thee and wafted unto thee the fragrances of the All-Merciful from the breath of the All-Glorious, that thou mayest be steadfast in the path of thy Lord with great strength. And the Spirit and glory and splendor be upon thee and upon all, young and old.

BH00803: Suriy-i-Fath 2

This, which reacheth unto Fath-i-A’zam in the Land of Alif, that he may be of them that know.

He is the Ever-Abiding

O Fath-i-A’zam! We have discerned in thee the victory of Our own Self, the Truth, and breathed into thee a spirit of power and might at the time when thou didst present thyself before the Throne in Iraq—and God is witness to this. By My Beauty! If thou shouldst desire, through the power We have conferred upon thee, to turn the world to the countenance of thy Lord, thou wouldst be able, through the sovereignty that encompasseth all the worlds. Stand firm in thy Lord’s Cause, and be not disquieted by the sedition whereby all who are in the heavens and on earth have been shaken, such that creation hath been made to tremble, and thou seest men drunken upon the earth of extinction and covered with dust in the wilderness of fancy and desire. Thus hath thy Lord’s Cause been made terrible in truth.

We desired, at the time when thou wast before the Throne, to cast upon thee from the matter of the veiled, concealed, and hidden One, screened from all eyes, but We forbore until God’s appointed time. And when that time was fulfilled, We revealed thereof a symbol, whereupon the dwellers of earth were made to quake, and they who dwelt at Sinai in the Cause were thunderstruck, and the hearts of them that are endued with insight were afflicted by this greatest terror, and every brilliant sun was darkened. Beware, beware lest thou deprive thyself of thy Lord’s power; then take up thy dwelling in the shade of the inviolability of the Cause, upon the Most Great Truth, in an exalted station, lest the arrows of allusions from them that utter words strike thee and withhold thee from the living waters in this Ridvan which standeth witnessed at the right hand of the Throne. Cast allusions behind thee, then turn thy sight unto the Greatest Outlook of God, that thou mayest know thy Lord by His own Self and be of them that know, inscribed by the Pen of God in the Mother Book.

O Word of the Command! When We sent down the hosts of God’s revelation with the Most Great Spirit in the garment of verses, the breasts of the people of allusions were straitened, and they stopped their ears from the melodies of their Lord. Therefore We made them deprived of the shore of grace. Proclaim unto the people the Most Great Pilgrimage to this Beauty, around Whom circumambulate the Most Great House of God, then the profane and sacred precincts, then the Ancient Temples who prostrated themselves to none save the Face that hath shone forth from the holy horizon. Set thy foot upon the head of allusions and all that preventeth thee from entering the court of thy Beloved’s might. Arise with thy Lord’s arising, then aid this Wronged One, and fear not those who say what they understand not and imagine themselves to be guided. Nay, by My Self, the Truth! These are not mentioned today in the presence of thy Lord.

Hast thou forgotten what the Spirit cast upon thee when thou didst enter the pavilion of eternity, the blessed station of might? By God! The Most Great Division hath come and separated all atoms. Then were the spirits of all beings thunderstruck save a number before the face of thy Lord, and they are numbered temples. By God! Were the sight We gave thee to turn back, thou wouldst witness that the clouds weep for Me, the mists lament for Me, and the heaven yearneth for My Soul that hath been wronged amidst the worlds. There hath befallen Him what none can reckon save God, my Lord. Were the veil to be lifted from His face, thou wouldst be cut off from the Spirit and cry out between earth and heaven with a cry mighty indeed in truth. But We have concealed and been patient until God bringeth His Command and the vanguards of victory appear. Then will the Youth be aided by the hosts of the unseen as He was aided the first time when He was in the prison of darkness, and He brought Him forth in truth with authority from His presence and sent down upon Him tranquility from His side—and thy Lord’s help was indeed nigh in truth.

Say: O people! This is He through Whom all created things were illumined and the Bird of the Command soared to the station beneath whose shade all atoms took refuge. And doth anyone deny this bounty? Nay, by Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand, save every rejected hater.

Say: O people! Follow not your selfish desires, but follow the religion of the Spirit. Let not the veils of self enshroud you, for then shall ye be debarred from the love of God and His Self-Manifestation, and be drawn unto the calf. This is one of the hidden mysteries whereof We inform you, that ye may be of them that are endowed with the eye of understanding and are well-informed of the Cause.

Beware, O people, lest ye reject the verses of God when they are sent down in truth, and wage war against Him by Whom the Sun of Glory hath shone forth from the horizon of manifest might. Render not your deeds vain, but rather look upon the words of God, for ye were created to hearken unto them. They shine forth amidst the words of men even as the sun shineth forth amidst the stars that have risen.

Break the idols of vain imitation by the power of your Lord, and should ye find in yourselves any weakness, seek ye strength through My sovereignty which encompasseth all the worlds.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Now doth the Tongue of God speak from the Most Exalted Horizon, saying: O people of the earth! By what proof did ye believe in ʿAli aforetime, when He came with sovereign authority and was surrounded by the hosts of manifest glory? If ye believed in Him through the verses sent down unto Him from the immortal Kingdom—divine and wondrous verses—then by God, this is My Self and these are My verses that have filled the horizons with their splendor! Why then do ye disbelieve in that which ye believed in before, hovering on the brink of repudiation, though We counseled you in all the Tablets, nay in every line, to let nothing that hath been created between earth and heaven veil you at the time of His Manifestation? Yet ye have been veiled by all things and have turned away from a Beauty manifest and glorious.

O people! Arise to serve God and His Cause. Make good what hath escaped you and walk ye in the straight and holy path. O people! Neither your riches nor your children nor your deeds shall profit you this day except through My love. Thus hath the Spirit spoken from before the Throne, if ye be of them that hear.

O My Name! Thus have those who stood before My face and were created by My command dealt with Me. None knoweth this save My true Self, and God is witness unto this. Had We found one with an attentive ear, We would have imparted unto him that which would make him see what is hidden from the eyes of all the heedless ones.

O My Name! Leave behind all that keepeth the people veiled, then call the souls to the Most Great Paradise, that perchance there may be kindled in their hearts that which will draw them to a Beauty well-known and glorious. Leave the idolaters and what they possess, and sit not with those in whose hearts thou findest rancor against the Youth, and consort not with them, for their likeness is as the likeness of the serpent, nay worse in harm, if thou be of them that know.

Make My love thy breastplate, My Cause thy fortress, and My remembrance thy name. Then shall no venom harm thee, no fire burn thee, no water drown thee, and no malicious soul affect thee. By God! Should all who are in the heavens and on earth oppose thee, God would make thee victorious over them through His sovereignty which prevaileth over all things.

Beware lest anything keep thee from the love of thy Lord, for thou hast heard what no one hath heard and seen what every heedless one’s eyes have failed to see.

Say: O people! This is the Face of God that hath dawned above your heads. Would ye bar your sight from it? This indeed is a wrong against your own selves, and wrong is ever blameworthy. By God! The Kingdom of God walketh before you—hasten ye therefore unto it and be not deprived thereof.

Thus have We bestowed upon thee and inspired thee with wisdom that lay hidden beneath God’s veil.