Volume 038: Edirne II (year unknown, 1864–1868) (2 of 6)

BH01057: Suriy-i-Burhan (not = Lawh-i-Burhan)

He is the Most Inaccessible, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most High.

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and that this Youth is His proof unto all who are in the heavens and on earth, His sovereignty unto all who are in the realms of Revelation and creation, the Spirit of glory unto those in the Concourse on High, the Breath of holiness unto those in the Kingdom of Names, and His Most Great Name unto those who dwell in the Ark of Glory. His are the most excellent titles and the most exalted similitudes, which none save He hath known. Thus hath the Sun of utterance shone forth from the horizon of the Lord of all names and attributes with a mention wondrous to behold.

Say: O people! Do ye deny God’s sovereignty and grandeur, then His proof and His power? Fear ye God and follow not your idle fancies. Follow ye the religion of God and His command, for this is better for you than all else created between the heavens and the earth. God is my witness to what I say. Cast away what ye possess, then take hold of God’s Tablet with the power that proceedeth from Him, and be not of them who, though awaiting the days of God, when His days came and the appointed time was fulfilled and the lights shone forth from behind the veils, denied them and turned back in rejection.

Say: O people! Cleanse your hearts from allusions and veil not yourselves with words. Turn ye towards the holy precincts, the seat of resplendent holiness. They who have denied the verses of the All-Merciful, these have departed from the stronghold of His loving-kindness and denied God’s favor after it was sent down from the clouds of sublime glory made manifest.

Say: I am God’s stronghold amongst you, His manifestation in your midst, and His proof unto all in the kingdom. My manifestation is My proof, and that which floweth from My pen is the evidence of My Self. Thus was it sent down in truth on that day from the heaven of sublime and exalted glory.

And thou, O servant, hold fast unto the cord of the Cause and be not disturbed when the clamor of the ungodly is raised, when the pillars are shaken and every lofty mountain is laid low. Stand thou firm in the Cause of God in these days the like of which the eyes of creation have never witnessed. Erelong thou shalt behold the sinners fearful through their dread of God, seized by the hosts of divine wrath from One mighty and powerful.

By God the True One! They who make mention of the Primal Point this day yet deny this proof are belied by the tongue of the All-Merciful upon the seat of glory well-beloved.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear ye God and deny not Him through Whom the Beauty of the Divine Majesty was made manifest, through Whose name the crimson sea was stirred, the clouds of destiny were rent asunder, and the hosts of divine inspiration came with banners of mighty strength. Judge ye fairly within yourselves and open your eyes. If ye deny these verses, by what proof do ye feel assured within yourselves? Nay, by My Self, the All-Merciful! Ye shall not find within yourselves a particle of certitude. Thus was it inscribed by the Pen of the All-Merciful in the Mother Book. They who recite the verses of God yet deny their Revealer, these are seized by desires from every direction. All things belie them, as every discerning and informed one doth testify.

And thou, O servant, if thou desirest that the might of the All-Glorious protect thee from Satan’s darts, detach thyself from all who are in the heavens and the earth and from whatsoever hath been ordained in the worlds of creation. Then turn thy heart to the holy and praiseworthy shore and loose thy tongue in utterance, saying:

O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst separate all created things, and through which Thou didst establish Thyself upon the throne of Thy name, the All-Merciful, to make me sincere unto Thy face and detached from all else save Thee. Then grant me of the fruits of the Lote-Tree of Paradise and leave me not, O my God, to my self and my desires. Then establish for me a seat of truth with Thee, then remember me through the signs of Thy glorious bounty, then join me with those servants of Thine who feared no one in Thy path and remained steadfast in the Cause which was inscribed in the Mother Book.

O Lord! Aid me through the wonders of Thy help, withhold not from me the glances of Thy glorious care, and drive me not from the gate of Thy mighty grandeur. Verily Thou art He Who hath ever been sovereign over all created things and powerful over all beings. Thou givest to whom Thou willest from the wonders of Thy grace and deniest whom Thou willest from the proximity of Thy glorious mercy. Verily Thou art powerful over all things.

O Lord! Make my feet steadfast in Thy Cause, then make mine eyes expectant for the wonders of Thy care and mine ears attentive to the melodies of Thy glorious favors. Verily Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest and Thou hast ever been the Encompasser of all things.

O Lord! Make me not disappointed in what I have desired from the heaven of Thy grace and favors, and leave me not dejected from drawing nigh unto the seats of the holiness of Thy gifts and care. For verily, O my God, I have detached myself from all else save Thee and have turned toward the city of Thy presence and the metropolis of Thy nearness, and have held fast to the ark of Thy protection and clung to the cord of Thy grace, and I now stand, by Thy leave, before the gate of Thy mercy.

O Lord! Praise be to Thee for having remembered me through the Pen of Thy Command and for having sent down upon me that which befitteth the heaven of Thy care and the clouds of Thy tenderness and mercy. By Thy glory, O my Beloved! Wert Thou to make me abide for the duration of Thy eternal might and were I to thank Thee for the gifts wherewith Thou hast distinguished me among Thy creatures, I would still find myself powerless to render thanks for the least of what Thy knowledge encompasseth, and verily Thou art cognizant of this.

Thus have We commanded thee and inspired thee that thou mayest be receptive to what We have imparted unto thee, that thereby thou mayest be steadfast in a Cause wherein none can be steadfast save they who have detached themselves from all directions and entered beneath the shadow of this Countenance which hath been witnessed from the horizon of the Spirit. The Spirit and glory and splendor be upon thee and upon those who are with thee and who have rent asunder the veils through My sovereignty which hath ever been mighty over the truth.

BH01061: This is a letter from the Prisoner…

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

This is a letter from the Prisoner to the loved ones of God who have believed in Him and in His verses, the wondrous One that has been sent down, that they may hear My call from this Prison and be apprised of what has befallen Me at the hands of the legions of Satan. Know ye that at all times I drink from the cups of destiny, though I called the servants to naught but God, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Powerful. And whenever I called them, their hatred increased until they arose to shed My blood. God is witness to what I say.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Slay Me not with the swords of your rejection. I have come to you with the remembrance of God, your Lord and the Lord of all worlds. Fear God, O people, and spread not corruption in the earth after its reformation, and shed not blood. Thus has God commanded you in tablets of manifest glory.

Dispute not concerning the verses of God after their revelation, and consume not the property of others unjustly. Fear ye the Day when deeds shall be gathered together and ye shall be recompensed for what ye committed in your vain life—and that is a momentous day. Remember God in the watches of the night and the ends of the day, and follow not the paths of the heedless. Be steadfast in the love of God such that the harm of all creation combined shall not cause you to slip. Be patient in adversity and tribulation, and trust in Him in all circumstances. He has ordained for no one save what is best for him, and He is verily the Forgiving, the Generous.

Be patient in hardships even as this Prisoner has been patient under that which has befallen Him in the path of God, the Just King, the Single, the All-Knowing, the Praiseworthy. By God! There has befallen Me at every moment that which would cause all things created between earth and heaven to tremble, and none is aware of this save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Say: O people! Fear God and deny Him not, for this would be a wrong against your own selves, were ye of those who know. Beware lest the world and what has been created therein delude you, for soon shall ye return to dust with manifest regret. Blessed is he whom the Spirit befriends in his solitude, and with whom the denizens of the highest Paradise associate with spirit and mighty fragrance.

Say: Upon those who die in the love of God and the Manifestation of His Cause shall descend the angels of the Cause with glad tidings from their Lord, the Merciful, the Compassionate. The breezes of the All-Merciful shall waft upon them from all directions, and maidens of Paradise with downcast eyes shall circle round them with chalices and vessels, magnifying God before their faces and blessing them with melodies that draw nigh the hearts of those brought near.

Say: O people! Deprive not yourselves of that which has been ordained for you in the paradise of your Lord, the Most High, the Most Great. Beware lest ye turn to that which perishes and passes away; rather, turn to that which endures in the heaven of Command. Thus does this Prisoner counsel you, if ye be of them that act.

And if thou seest Him of the Letter Ha, convey unto him My glorification, then say: “Upon thee be the remembrance of God and His glory, then the remembrance of all things, then the praise of them that have known. Thou art he who hath detached himself from every relation for the sake of God, thy Beloved and the Beloved of the worlds. Beware lest thou be troubled by aught. Stand firm in the Cause, then remind the people of this Cause which God hath made a retribution unto the idolaters and a mercy unto them that have recognized His unity.

Grieve not for what hath come to pass in the year of tribulation, for it was ordained in the preserved tablets of might. We have informed you beforehand through the tongue of the Manifestation of My Self, Who was afflicted at the hands of the idolaters. Soon shall this earth be changed from what the hands of the evil-doers have wrought. When thou hearest this, be not troubled nor grieve, but place thy trust in all things in God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers of old. He hath ever been alive in the Most Glorious Horizon, observing and seeing. Thus hath it been sent down aforetime, and now from the heaven of God, the King, the Mighty, the Wise. Thus have We informed thee of the tidings of the unseen which none hath known save thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

O servant! Convey what We have imparted unto thee and be not of them that are patient. Then remind Him of the Letter Ha from this Prisoner, that he may aid his Lord as he is able and be not of the silent ones. Say: His aid is through utterance and that which proceedeth from the tongue. Thus hath it been ordained by the Mighty, the Ancient of Days. Beware lest thou be silent in the remembrance of thy Lord. Proclaim His Cause that perchance through thy proclamation the warmth of His love may be generated in the hearts of the sanctified ones. Hearken unto My words, then detach thyself wholly from all else save God, thy Lord, that thy face may shine with His Name amongst the worlds.

Soon shall there come unto you a manifestation from among the manifestations of Satan with tablets from hell. Shun him and them, cast them behind thee, and take hold of the tablets of God with a strength from Him and a clear authority. If the people would gather around the law of the love of God, they would surely be united and become of them that are well-assured. Then convey My glorification unto all the loved ones of God, that the fragrances of glorification may stir them and cause them to soar in the atmosphere of nearness and sever them from the idolaters.

And if thou seest the handmaiden of God who hath arisen by herself to make mention of her Lord and praise her Creator, give her the glad-tidings of a great bounty from thy Lord, the Mighty, the Beautiful. Say: Blessed art thou, O Leaf of Paradise, for the breezes of God’s will have wafted over thee and quickened thee with the life of thy Lord, the Quickener, the Mighty, the Powerful.

Hold fast unto the Tree and turn not to anyone, for He will verily protect thee in truth, and He is the best protector and helper. We have heard thy call and answered thee before, and again in this Tablet, and this is indeed a great favor. Make mention of all created things from this Prisoner, then glorify their faces from thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

And the Spirit and Glory and Splendor be upon you, O loved ones of God, from this moment unto the day which none among all the worlds can reckon. And praise be to God, the Beloved of them that have known and the Object of desire of all who are in the heavens and on the earth.

BH01062: This is a Book sent down in truth…

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

This is a Book sent down in truth from God, the Mighty, the Beautiful. It summons the people to pure truth and protects them from the evil ones. Say: O people! I am but a servant of God and His bondsman. I have come to you from the direction of God with a message from Him. Beware lest you deny God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Say: I have called you only unto God and desire for you naught save that which draws you near to His exalted and impregnable court. Will you drink putrid water and deprive yourselves of the Kawthar and Salsabil? Will you worship the calf and turn away from the Lord of all worlds? Will you gather around a mere pool after the Most Great Ocean hath appeared? What aileth you, O heedless ones!

Fear God and follow not your idle fancies. Soar in the atmosphere of the mercy of your Lord, the Most High, the Supreme. Say: O people! He is indeed in the Most Glorious Horizon and calleth you from this Supreme Horizon, saying that this is He of Whom We gave you glad tidings in all the Tablets, and from Whom We took your covenant—the Mighty, the Wondrous. He hath come to you with the truth, with My signs and My clear tokens, and reciteth unto you that which all created things are powerless to comprehend. Say: The Spirit hath ordained through His mighty and wondrous Pen, and through it He quickeneth all created things, should they turn unto Him in clear submission. Whoso drinketh of this Salsabil shall never die. By God! Death fleeth from him even as the idolaters flee from the believers.

Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of the bounty of these days and cling to mere forms and images. Sanctify yourselves from all that exists in the worlds and turn your faces toward the countenance of your Lord, the All-Merciful. This is better for you than all that hath been created between the heavens and the earth. O people! Remember the days of My manifestation and what I brought from God, the Most High, the All-Knowing. All the learned ones of the earth opposed Me—some ridiculed My verses, some belittled My person, and some denied Me after I had come to them with manifest truth.

Fear God, O people, and act not as did Our heedless servants. Help your Lord through this Name, the Mighty, the Impregnable. Did ye but know, ye would expend all that ye possess and sacrifice your very selves to enter beneath His shadow—how much more to attain His presence, the Mighty, the Impregnable. Fear God and deny not the Most Great Bounty, and be not of the heedless ones. We revealed the Bayan for His sake, yet ye were not content with its decree of faith. Alas for you, O idolaters! All things flee from your deeds, and were ye to recognize what ye have done, ye would flee from your own selves, O ye deniers!

The eye of eternity hath never witnessed any more unjust than you, and the Concourse on high are bewildered at your deeds. We created the Ridvan of the Bayan in His name and adorned it with the fruits of knowledge and inner meanings and the roses of truth for His Own impregnable and mighty Self. Yet ye were not content that He should have authority over even a single leaf of the leaves that grew from one of its trees, O oppressors! Say: The Most Great Ocean hath flowed from His finger and now surgeth in His remembrance, were ye but of those who know. Yet ye have denied Him [even] a drop therefrom. What aileth you, O heedless ones!

Hearken unto My words and make amends for your deeds, that perchance God may forgive you through His grace and absolve you of your transgressions, which are weightier than all that hath been created between the heavens and the earth. Be fair, O people, then look toward the direction of justice. Have ye seen any Kawthar sweeter than this Kawthar which [floweth] over fragments of ruby and from which is heard the remembrance of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting? Think ye that ye hear what ye have heard in this Ridvan? Nay, by His very truth, were ye to search throughout all the regions of the heavens and earth. Fear God, O people, then detach yourselves from all things that ye may find the sweetness of the remembrance of your Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Compelling. Purify yourselves from all else, then turn ye unto God, the Beloved of them that know.

And thou, O servant, give thanks unto God for having attained His presence and heard His melodies and stood before Him when He was seated upon His mighty throne. At that time none among all created things recognized Him, and His countenance shone forth from behind seventy thousand veils of light, and God was witness and well-aware of this. When the appointed time was fulfilled, We revealed the Face with manifest sovereignty. Thereupon all who are in the heavens and on earth were terrified, save a few souls who are among them that rejoice in the All-Glorious Paradise. Say: O people, is there any doubt about God, or about this Revelation which hath appeared with the truth, or about the proofs of the Prophets and Messengers? Whoso doubteth this Cause hath not believed in God, nor in His messengers, nor in those whom God hath sent with truth and made them the manifestations of His Self amongst the worlds. Cast aside all things behind thee, then speak forth in praise of His exalted and great Self.

Say: Verily He hath appeared with the truth once again and speaketh through all things that there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Wise. Be thou steadfast in the Cause, then call the people unto God, thy Lord, and be not of them that hesitate. Verily thou hast with God, thy Lord, a mighty station if thou remainest steadfast in His Cause in such wise that the cawing of the deceived moveth thee not. Know thou furthermore that the Revelations have ended with this Most Great, this Most Mighty Revelation. Whosoever shall lay claim to this exalted, mighty and impregnable station before the completion of a thousand years, hath indeed corrupted the Cause and falsely attributed that which is not unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of all creation. Thus hath it been sent down unto Me in truth from the presence of an ancient Ordainer, and We have informed thee as a favor from Us unto thee and unto every discerning believer.

Convey My glorification to the faces of My loved ones, to all males and females, to every young and old, and say: Praise be unto God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH01066: He is God, the Radiant, the All-Glorious!To reach…

He is God, the Radiant, the All-Glorious!To reach the presence of Mulla Muhammad Ja’far that he may behold the Greatest Scene.

O Ja’far! Rend asunder the veils of idle fancy, for We have rent them by a sovereignty from Our presence and a power from Our side, and I am, verily, the One Who prevaileth over whatsoever I desire, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Then open thine eyes and behold the words of thy Lord. By God! A single letter thereof outweigheth all that hath been created in the heavens and the earth. Cast away the world and all that is therein beneath thy shadow, then emerge from behind the veils with manifest radiance.

Consider within thyself: if thou wert to deny these verses, by what evidence would thy faith in God, the Supreme, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, be established? Take heed lest leadership debar thee from the remembrance of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate. Arise to serve God and set thy foot upon the head of sovereignty, then hasten to the shore of the Cause in this blessed spot, whose very atoms proclaim that there is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

Soar with the wings of holiness beyond all names and their kingdom, then beyond all attributes and their dominion, then enter the seat of security, the station wherein the fire is kindled from the Lote-Tree of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Chosen One. This is what We have ordained for thee, if thou be of them that comprehend.

Wouldst thou content thyself with a mere cup when faced with the surging waters of this Most Great Ocean? By God! This beseemeth thee not, for We have ordained for thee a holy and glorious station. By God! One breath drawn in this Cause is better for thee than the treasures of the heavens and the earth—this is a revelation from One mighty and wise. After the manifestation of God, can anything profit anyone? Nay, by My All-Knowing, All-Informed Self!

Shatter the idols of imitation, and if thou findest thyself weak, seek strength through My Name, the Victorious, the Powerful. If thou believest not in God and His verses, at least deny them not, and withhold not the hand of harm from God’s Cause, the Supreme, the Victorious, the All-Encompassing. By God! If thou wouldst hearken unto all things with the ear of thine inmost nature, thou wouldst hear from every atom what Moses heard, and wouldst testify that there is none other God but Him, and that this Ancient Sovereign is established upon a glorious throne.

O My Name! By God! I speak not of Mine own desire, but the Spirit speaketh within My breast. These words are not from Me but from One mighty and powerful. Fear God Who created and fashioned thee, and deny not that whereby thy faith in God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds, was established. Hearken unto what I have enjoined in the Tablets, and cast not the commandment of God behind thy back, nor be thou of the heedless ones. Taste from the Kawthar of eternity from the hand of Baha, and deprive not thyself of the sanctuary of immortality, nor be of them that are veiled.

Say: O concourse of divines from the people of the Bayan! Do ye act as acted the divines of the Qur’an when the Beauty of the Cause appeared with His name, the Most High, the All-Knowing? By God! This is an injustice from you against God, your Creator, whereunto every discerning and insightful one doth testify. Beware lest thou turn to the world and its ornaments, for soon shall sovereignty perish while the face of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Beautiful, shall endure. Thus have We cast upon thee from the verses of the Cause that thou mayest witness the power of thy Lord and be of them that are assured.

And if there cometh to thee he who is named Ahmad, mention him with a mention from Us, that perchance the fragrances of grace may attract him and draw him nigh unto God, the Mighty, the Generous.

Say: O servant! We counseled thee when thou didst depart from before the Throne that thou shouldst speak naught but pure truth and shouldst not veil the beauty of the Divine Unity with the veil of fancy and imitation. Yet thou hast forsaken the Cause of God and wert among the forsakers. O servant! Make thy presence a presence of fairness and justice, then ponder that which thou hast believed in concerning God, the Mighty, the Powerful. For if thou findest that which thou hast believed in the presence of this servant, then deny not the signs of thy Lord and be not of the doubtful.

And should anyone say these verses were not revealed according to primordial nature, even as they have said and were not ashamed before God Who created them and created all things—whereat the eyes of grandeur have wept, though they perceived it not and were among those who rejoiced. Say: By God, O people! This is He by Whose Pen’s command was created the primordial nature of every soul and the nature of the heavens and earths. Thereupon the Holy Spirit stood before the Throne and proclaimed: O people of the Bayan! Fear God and say not that which would cause the hearts of those near unto God to be consumed. By God! I and all who dwell in the Most Great Paradise were created by the will of this Beauty. By God! The denizens of the highest paradise circle round Him, were ye but to behold.

And furthermore, if ye desire that the Sun of Truth should shine forth from the horizon of a luminous dawn, then gather together those who were given the Furqan and others from all other faiths, then read what ye possess and what hath been sent down from the heaven of eternity from the presence of the All-Knowing Revealer. And if they find any difference between them, then ye stand upon a matter from matters—nay, by Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand, none shall find any difference save the souls of the idolaters. By God! The Most Great Spirit hath rent its garments by reason of what hath befallen Him Who is the Manifestation of God’s Self from His oppressed servants.

Say: O people! How long will ye stand upon the ground of allusions? Ascend from this station, then strive to attain unto the Cause, that ye may be among those who attain. And whoso purifieth the sense of fairness from the catarrh of hatred shall surely find the fragrance of truth from these missives even as one findeth the musk-like fragrance, and shall be of the assured ones.

Thus have We taught thee and inspired thee out of love for thee. If thou acceptest, it shall be for thyself, and if thou turnest away, thy Lord is in truth independent of all worlds. And praise be to God, my Beloved and the Beloved of the mystics.

BH01077: O Mihdi! In the name of the one peerless…

O Mihdi! In the name of the one peerless God. O Mihdi! These are grievous days when all the spirits of the worlds are in trembling and perturbation, until the breeze of gracious favor seizes whom it will and grants them dwelling in the loftiest chambers on high, and until the winds of justice pass over whom they will, consigning them to the lowest depths of hell. All this proceedeth from the command of thy Lord Who doeth as He pleaseth and shall not be asked of His doings.

But today thou must be accounted among those companions who are not barred by any allusion from the holy gardens of the Divine Unity, nor deprived by any expression from the sublime and glorious Paradise. Although the hand of divine grace doth openly and secretly nurture His servants that they may behold all who are in the world within the grasp of God’s power, in such wise that they are not excluded by any bond nor deprived by any counsel.

Even as thou hast observed that after the widespread acceptance among all the servants of the Quranic references concerning the Promised Qa’im and His appearance in Jabulqa and Jabulsa, as well as the mention of the Seal of the Prophets which was the explicit text of the Book, God created servants who rent asunder all these references and evidences and the veil of clear text that was recorded in the Quran. Now ponder a little how it came to pass that despite all these explicit recorded texts, servants were created who acknowledged that there hath been a Prophet from a beginning that had no beginning and will be unto an end that hath no end.

O Mihdi! Take wing and become light as a spirit, unburdened by all else but God, that thou mayest be enabled to traverse the realms of eternity and its holy gardens, until thou becomest aware of mysteries that none hath known and of which not a letter hath been discovered.

That which in these days hath been and shall be beloved before God, the Lord of earth and heaven, above all else, is the unity of sanctified souls to such degree that no distinction can be perceived or observed between them. For the enemies have set out to turn the people back to the first step, even as thou hast observed in the Quranic Dispensation how they nurtured all in mere delusion, such that they preferred darkness to light and were content with dust rather than the Lord of Lords. Moreover they have intended to cut off the root of the Tree and its branches, and to demolish the House of Unity and its pillars. They have been content with an imaginary remembrance of the Truth for the sake of their leadership and the promotion of their names among the servants.

To turn away from such persons hath been and shall ever be the nearest path to God’s good pleasure, for their influence is like a penetrating poison, save for those who possess the antidote of the name of their Lord, the Most High, Who hath been and shall ever be, without change or alteration, and who perceive and inhale the fragrances of Truth from every direction. This is of God’s grace upon him.

O Mihdi! Beware that thou fix not thy gaze upon the world and turn away from its people, except from those in whose hearts thou findest love for thy Lord. Exert mighty endeavors and sublime efforts that perchance thou mayest cause some souls to become mindful through the remembrance of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, for in this day all are worshipping and prostrating before mere vain imaginings, and at every moment they devise new schemes that they might cast some hatred against this servant into the hearts of men. Thus doth the Pen of thy Lord teach thee that thou mayest be of those who are well-informed.

Move in perfect unity with the loved ones, in such wise that discord may be utterly removed. His honor Ism-i-Munib is journeying to those parts. You and Mirza Mihdi must show him utmost consideration. Concerning him, naught but mighty and sublime words have been revealed from the holy precincts, and the innate fragrances, according to his capacity, are wafting and passing through him. We hope that ye may walk in the purified land and be seated and abide upon the most holy and most exalted throne in the sacred paradise.

Move with utmost tranquility and remember with utmost love. Let no sorrow overtake thee. In every breath be other than thy former self, and with every step advance beyond thy previous step, that thou mayest be occupied at all times in purifying and sanctifying thyself. This is the mystery of that utterance which sayeth that man should record his deeds each day and present them at the next Manifestation. The purpose of this statement is man’s awareness of his own deeds, that perchance he may become conscious and turn from evil to good, and from the remoteness of doubt to the nearness of certitude.

And peace be upon him who recognizeth the truth through truth and through that which appeareth from His presence, and who is detached from all the worlds. My purpose in these utterances hath been and is naught but the purification of illumined souls. Otherwise, by Him Who holdeth the reins of existence in His grasp, I have ever wished to dwell in a place where no one’s hand could reach this hem which is purified from all hands—as indeed came to pass, and now I sit alone in My house, having chosen seclusion from all.

Thus hath the breeze of holiness wafted upon thee from this Pen that thou mayest find peace in thyself and be of them that are tranquil, steadfast, and faithful. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH01078: O Mihdi! The tablet thou didst send, which bore…

O Mihdi! The tablet thou didst send, which bore witness to the gems of submission and resignation and bespoke the sorrow and grief of thy heart, was presented at the Most Holy and Supreme Threshold and was seized by the grasp of the power of “He doeth whatsoever He willeth” and was observed by the Most Holy, Most Impregnable, Most Exalted, Most High glances. Well is it with thee and with what thou hast drunk from the chalice of recognition. Strive then to be among those who are firmly established.

O Mihdi! The successive outpourings of the favors of the Lord of Names and Attributes have been uninterrupted, and the fragrant breezes of glorious divine gifts have been ceaselessly wafted. Strange it is that despite recognition of the Beauty of the All-Glorious—which is the supreme divine gift and the greatest bounty of the Sovereign of transcendent might—thou art nevertheless distressed and sorrowful.

O Mihdi! Cast off the garment of sorrow and adorn thy inner and outer being with the robe of joy. Although a grief hath encompassed the Beauty of the Lord of all worlds such that were a single word thereof to be cast upon all created things or revealed to all beings, thou wouldst find them all thunderstruck and bewildered. For this Divine Beauty hath, for twenty-two years, successively and continuously cast the verses of triumph upon all existing things and hath fortified the pillars of His Cause with the iron of His Own triumph, such that His dominion is manifest over all the worlds and His sovereignty encompasseth all possibility.

Then came the departure from Iraq. Surely thou hast heard how the Luminary of the horizons shed His radiance upon all the world. By God! No soul was seen but it became submissive, and no tongue was observed but it was rendered speechless before the All-Merciful. And in such wise did the Sun of utterance shine forth from the horizon of the words of the All-Glorious in every dwelling place and spot that it illumined and enlightened all who dwell in creation with the wondrous rays of its dawning light, save those who veiled themselves and allowed their own desires to come between them and their Lord, until the establishment of the throne of the All-Merciful ended in this land of Paran.

What more can be said of the envy and hatred of the people of tyranny and iniquity, who have at all times inflicted that which the ear is powerless to hear and the heart is far too feeble to comprehend? I complain of my grief and sorrow unto God. And now the King of eternity hath retired to the house of concealment, withholding His gaze entirely from beholding mankind and keeping His countenance pure from the sight of the people. Yet the enemies desist not from their hypocrisy, displaying at every moment strange new artifices.

In these utterances no purpose is intended save that thou mayest be informed of these wondrous matters and the griefs that have been visited upon Us, and that thou mayest not find thyself sorrowful except for the sorrow of this wronged Being. Therefore do all eyes weep for my loneliness and all hearts burn for my oppression.

O Mihdi! Today, forget thyself and arise to make mention of the Truth. Be enkindled by this divine Fire which blazeth and surgeth forth in the Tree of these words, that perchance through the warmth of thy heart souls may pass from the north of coldness to the right hand of warmth, and may appear and become manifest like divine lamps of love between earth and heaven. For today no soul possesseth aught for another, and all who are in the heavens and on earth stand at the station of heedlessness, until such time as one may be blessed to purify the ear of his heart from transient melodies and become honored and blessed to hearken unto divine words.

Today the most important of all matters has been and shall be unity with the loved ones who have drunk from the holy cup of Baha and have settled upon the crimson ark that saileth upon the Most Holy Sea. Walk ye together in perfect fellowship and unity, for through this unity the mighty Cause of the Lord of creation shall become manifest and the foundations of the tyrannical souls shall be demolished and destroyed.

His honor Ism-i-Munib hath intended to go to the City of God. Thou must walk and associate with him in perfect love, in such wise that the fragrances of love may waft and the winds of discord may be utterly cut off and prevented. Assuredly exert your utmost effort in these mentioned matters, and this is a command than which no command in creation can equal it. Therefore act according to what thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, hath commanded thee.

In previous Tablets it was mentioned that your being in that land had a wisdom from thy Lord, the Chosen One, and now some of it hath become manifest. Surely you have noticed this and the rest shall also become manifest. For this reason be thou neither grieved nor sorrowful. I swear by the One Holy Being that complete love hath been and shall be for thee, and thy residence in that city was due to the divine decrees and destined events. Soon thou shalt know and become of […] and shall discover the wisdom of thy Ancient Lord. Likewise, perfect unity with Aqa Siyyid Mihdi is beloved, and also with the rest of the loved ones and companions, as was mentioned, except for him who hath gone forth from the fortress of his Lord—for him there is no mention nor existence, and he is of them that are as nothing.

BH01113: O Ahmad in Sad! He is the Single…

O Ahmad in Sad! He is the Single, the Mighty, the Exalted, the Most High, the Sublime!

Blessed is He in whose hand is the Kingdom of the dominion of the heavens and earth, and He, verily, is knowing of all things. His is the bounty and the grandeur, His is the power and the sovereignty, His is the might and the loftiness, His is the strength and the dominion. He giveth sovereignty to whomsoever He willeth and taketh away sovereignty from whomsoever He willeth, and He bestoweth upon whomsoever He willeth whatsoever He willeth, and He, verily, is knowing of all things. He hath created all who are in the heavens and on earth by His will, and createth as He willeth by His command, and He, verily, encompasseth all things.

Say: Verily He shall appear as He appeared in truth, and He shall not be limited by any limit, nor indicated by any indication, nor veiled by any veil. He shall appear as He willeth to whomsoever He willeth, and We are witness unto this.

O believer in God! There hath come before Us that from which We have inhaled the fragrances of God wafting from a holy and glorious quarter, which God hath caused to be revealed through the pen of His Name Husayn at the sacred seat, and unto which He hath imparted words of transcendent might. Know thou that a single letter thereof is more precious than the creation of the heavens and earth—this for him who is possessed of true insight. Therein are inscribed the mysteries of the Cause by a hidden holy pen, which none can fathom save they who have detached themselves unto God and are steadfast in the true faith. In but one letter thereof lieth treasured the mysteries of knowledge and wisdom from the presence of One mighty and wise. Were We to expound a single letter thereof, all the tablets would not suffice, nor would all pens complete it, nor could any scroll encompass it. For each letter thereof hath its interpretation, and each interpretation its inner meaning, and each inner meaning yet deeper meanings, and symbols and allusions unto whatsoever God willeth. Thus hath the matter been decreed at the right hand of the Throne.

We have withheld mention thereof by reason of the malice that hath appeared in the hearts of them who claim faith for themselves yet are in grievous transgression. Therefore do thou rend asunder the veils and emerge from behind the clouds with mighty certitude, lest allusions veil thee as they veiled the people of the Furqan through mention of the Seal in a preserved and mighty Book which was sent down unto Muhammad, the Messenger of God, from the presence of a sovereign and manifest King.

Know thou that the True One hath ever been, in His own Self, the Proof unto all that are in the heavens and on the earth, needing neither argument nor demonstration, wert thou of them that apprehend. And when He desireth to make known His Self unto His servants, He manifesteth a proof whereat all who are in the heavens and on the earth are powerless, that His bounty from His presence may be witnessed among all worlds. Apart from this, none shall know Him, nor shall the testimony be completed upon any. Thus hath the Pen of Him Who knoweth, in truth, ordained the measures of the Cause.

Therefore have We sent down unto thee of the wisdom of holiness, and have diversified for thee the verses, that We may draw thee by a melody uplifted in this Ridvan. And if thou wouldst know a drop of the mysteries that lay hidden in this ocean, know thou that this is that Husayn whom ye were promised after the Qa’im, whose mention hath been recorded in all the Tablets; who hath appeared amidst the enemies in such a vesture that every neck—of every mighty and armed one—hath bowed before it. Consider the trace of God, in such wise as hath become manifest in him: this is of his proof unto all created things. Say: By God! he is a youth in the love of God, an infant nourished with the milk sent down from the heaven of holiness; and he is an old man in knowledge and wisdom, through what God hath taught him of the mysteries of hidden knowledge.

By him doth God try His servants who lay claim to faith—both the small and the great. And the faith of none shall be accepted, save he enter this station, which from everlasting hath been praised. Whoso turneth unto him hath turned unto the Messengers of God of old; and whoso turneth away from him hath turned away from the Beauty of the Name ʿAli. Soon shalt thou behold the turning away of men from this Light that hath arisen from a holy and glorious horizon—after it hath appeared with verses before which all in the heavens and on the earth are thunderstruck, except whom thy Lord willeth. Such is the decree that hath been written in truth in the scrolls of glorious favour.

Blessed, therefore, is he who stumbleth not from this Path, nor are the whisperings of Satan able to turn him aside, though every sinful transgressor should oppose him. Thus do thou comprehend all that hath been mentioned in thy Tablet; then conceal these pearls within thy breast, and scatter them not before every stubborn and rebellious one. And if thou findest a heart pure, inspire it with what We have inspired thee of these mysteries that were veiled within the coverings of the Cause; otherwise hide them with the utmost concealment, and disclose them not before them who have followed Satan in their own selves and are fierce in hatred. Then give thanks unto God for that which We have sent unto thee of the fragrances of holiness, and for having cast upon thee the Word of Truth, and inspired thee with that wherefrom mankind have been veiled.

Say: We were in the midst of the servants for months and years, yet none recognized Us, and thus were all wrapped in thick veils. And when the idolaters rose against Us and cast Us into prison in that land, We revealed Our true Self in spite of them and every wretched denier.

The Spirit and Glory and Splendor from Us be upon thee and upon thy spirit and thy heart and upon those who were swift to win the good-pleasure of God.

BH01116: This is an epistle from this Prisoner unto him…

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

This is an epistle from this Prisoner unto him who hath believed in God and desireth to turn his face toward the direction of His good-pleasure, that he may be numbered among those endued with certitude.

Its verses have been sent down at a time when sorrows have encompassed this All-Knowing, All-Wise and Most Luminous Pen from every direction, and there hath befallen the Manifestation of God’s Self that which hath caused the breaths of holiness to be cut off from the realm of contingent being and the breath of the All-Merciful from the peoples of all worlds. This is the truth, of a certainty. Were We to recount what hath befallen Us, all things would weep, and the peoples of the heavens and earth would lament. They shed the blood of the Spirit, then adduce His verses as proof, oppose God’s Self and the Manifestation of His Cause, and yet recite His words. Woe unto such heedless ones! The eye of creation hath not witnessed any more unjust than these who commit oppression and then within their own souls wail and weep that they might cause confusion to spread throughout the land among the servants. Thus have their base desires and passions seduced them, and they are numbered among the idolaters.

O servant! Arise to serve and obey God, then take what hath proceeded from His exalted fingers and flowed from His most luminous and transcendent Pen. Enter then into the abode of the idolaters among the concourse of the Bayan and say: O people! Fear your Lord, the All-Merciful. This is verily the Beauty of the Most High Who hath dawned above the horizon of the Cause with such a radiance as hath caused the dwellers of the heavens and earth to swoon away, save those whom God hath preserved through His grace, delivered through His sovereignty, upheld by the hands of His mercy, protected through His truth, and made to be of the well-doers.

O people! Fear God and associate not partners with Him Whom the Primal Point Himself would make mention of in His days, and would weep and lament for what ye have wrought against His Beloved.

O company of deniers! Fear God and be ashamed before His Beauty, for verily He hath come unto you with that wherewith ʿAli came before, and before him the Messengers of God, the Almighty, the Most High, the Most Great. There hath appeared from Him that which hath appeared from no one else, as ye have heard and are among those who have heard. Beware lest ye oppose Him for Whose meeting the denizens of the Paradise of Firdaws and the realities of those nigh unto God yearn. If ye possess any proof or testimony greater than what hath appeared in truth, then bring it forth, O company of liars! Can one who remained hidden in his house be compared with one who stood forth before all peoples? Be fair, O people, and be not of those who witnessed the power of God with their own eyes, then denied it through what Satan commanded them, and were of those who turned aside.

And thou, O servant, grieve not over anything, neither fear anyone. Stand firm in the Cause of God and His religion in such wise that the people of allusions among the company of infidels shall not deter thee. We have found the people of the Bayan to be more veiled than previous peoples, for We counselled them in all Our Tablets not to cling to anything at the time of the Manifestation, yet they have clung to everything and denied their Lord, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. We commanded them in all Our scrolls not to be veiled by anything when God would come upon the clouds of light, and to be among those who would turn unto Him, forsaking all that they possessed and turning their faces toward God their Creator.

Yet they disbelieved and took the Calf for their god instead of God, deviated from the Path, and were numbered among the idolaters. Know thou moreover that time hath brought Me so low that even those who boasted of their service to me and their attainment of my presence arose in opposition. Thus did we experience treatment from those whom we had protected through nights and days lest they be touched by the afflictions of former religions. God is witness to what I say. When they witnessed that the Cause had been raised in truth, they arose in opposition against me. By God, were I to mention what hath befallen us, the ears of the lovers would be unable to bear it.

Leave thou the world and whatsoever is therein behind thee, then stand firm in the Cause of God and His love, and be of those whom nothing deterreth in the path of their Creator and who arise to aid His Cause and glorify His Self, the All-Compelling, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent. Whoso desireth to aid his Lord in these days shall be reinforced by the hosts of the seen and the unseen. Thus hath the matter been ordained by your Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, in the tablets of destiny, whereto the dwellers of the all-highest Paradise bear witness, yet the people are in manifest heedlessness.

Purify thy heart from the world and all that is therein. Leave these people, then grasp the fingers of detachment—that cord through whose movement all creation moveth and invention is attracted—that thou mayest become a standard of guidance between the heavens and the earth, and a mention of the Divine Unity among all who dwell in the dominion of creation. Then remind, from Our presence, those servants who have detached themselves from the intimations of every idolater and the opposition of every opposer, who have shattered the idols of vain imaginings and drunk the choice wine that was sealed from the fingers of their Lord, the All-Merciful, in the garden of good-pleasure. By God, these are God’s friends on earth; through them the heaven raineth and the earth bringeth forth. Thus have We expounded the matter that thou mayest stand firm in thy Lord’s Cause and be of those who are firmly rooted. And the spirit and glory and splendor rest upon thee and upon those who circumambulate the Kaaba of God, the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

God willing, your honor must not be remiss in educating the people. Proclaim the Cause of thy Lord and be not silent, for silence is praiseworthy save in My remembrance. Thus do We command thee out of love for thyself, that thou mayest be of those who attain. Convey from this Prisoner greetings to the people of God, both men and women. Then give greetings to the face of the sister of knowledge, that perchance she may be attracted within herself and ascend among His devoted maidservants.

BH01153: This is a Book from Us to all who…

This is a Book from Us to all who dwell on earth:

Worship none but God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Self-Subsisting. He hath created all things for the knowledge of His Self and hath sent unto them Messengers from His presence to guide them to the True Faith—this being His way, if ye but knew it. And unto each one He gave such proofs as rendered powerless all who are in the heavens and on earth. This was irrevocably decreed until the days culminated in the Spirit, Whom He made manifest in truth and sent unto His servants to guide them unto God, the Mighty, the Beloved. Through Him the Kawthar of life was bestowed upon those who turned unto God and detached themselves from such as ascribed partners unto Him. Then He sent forth Muhammad, the Apostle of God, and revealed unto Him the Book to distinguish between truth and falsehood, if ye be of them that are assured.

Successive centuries passed until the clouds were cleft asunder and God came with His kingdom of might, and the matter was decided by the decree of the Powerful, the Praiseworthy. He made him the Herald of Him Who was to come after, as revealed in the Bayan, if ye be of them that know. By His life! He breathed naught save mention of this Most Great Remembrance, giving unto the people glad tidings of this Hidden Pearl, and the Dove of the Bayan warbled not save in My praise and glorification, as witnessed by such servants as are endowed with insight. Each day He took from all on earth a covenant concerning My presence and gave them glad tidings of meeting Me, until His days were fulfilled and the appointed time came. Then was revealed God’s hidden treasure and His concealed Command. The people of the Bayan waxed proud against Him—some denied and turned away, some arose in hypocrisy, and some pronounced their verdict against Him. Thus was it with the Beauty of God, the Help in Peril, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

Say: O people! I know not by what proof ye have turned away from this Cause, by what evidence ye have hesitated concerning it, and by what testimony ye have grown proud and become of them that deny—after that every matter was made dependent upon His leave, as was revealed by the Primal Point in the Tablet of Divine Decree, wherein moved the Most Exalted Pen by the will of God, the Mighty, the Beloved, the All-Loving. Naught was revealed in the Bayan but reached its consummation in this Most Great Remembrance, would ye but judge fairly. All were commanded not to be veiled at the time of His manifestation by the Bayan and what was revealed therein, inasmuch as not a single letter was revealed therein except concerning this transcendent, mighty, and beloved Cause. His purpose was none other than that ye should not cling to it in His days, nor adduce such proofs as were adduced by the people of the Furqan, and before them the people of the Gospel and the Psalms. For at the time of each Manifestation, every people clung to the words revealed aforetime, and thereby opposed God unknowingly.

Reflect upon the books of old and what was revealed therein concerning the signs of the Manifestation. By God! Thou shalt find naught save symbols and allusions, if ye would but understand. In this there lieth a wisdom known to none save God, Who created all things according to a fixed decree. However, He Who came with the name of ʿAli rent asunder the veils, dispelled the clouds of glory, and cried out with the loudest voice between earth and heaven. He spoke, and His word was most sweet, saying: “Verily, I am alive in the Most Glorious Horizon!” Then His spirit ascended to the Most Exalted Companion, the station of glorious might, having remembered Me in His days and spoken in My praise, moved by My eagerness, gazing toward the horizon of My good-pleasure, turning unto the sanctuary of My nearness and the Kaaba of My reunion, even as ye read in the Bayan.

And if He decreed in the Bayan a decree, He desired naught by it save My decree, and if He revealed therein stories, He intended naught from them save My manifestation and the establishment of My Cause. Yet when I came from the dawning-place of authority, those servants who claimed belief in Him and in God’s Messengers of old denied Me. Thus doth God reveal what is hidden in the breasts. Whoso gazeth into the Bayan and pondereth upon it will weep and lament over this Wronged One, the Imprisoned.

Say: O people! Reflect upon what hath been revealed in this Revelation from God, the Almighty, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Beloved. Then ponder upon what was revealed in the Books of old which were sent down unto God’s Messengers and the Manifestations of His Cause, that ye may perchance recognize the purpose of God and that ye may find it. And thou, O servant, forget not the Cause of God and His favors which have descended from the heaven of mighty exaltation. Remember within thyself, then remind the people, that through thee perchance dead souls may be quickened. Drink thou the Kawthar of grace from the hands of the youths in the days of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and be thou of them that are filled with joy. Thus have We commanded thee in truth as a favor from Us unto thee and unto them that are sincere.

Glorify on God’s behalf thy brother’s countenance, that his spirit may be renewed through God’s glorification, the Mighty, the Praised. Say: O servant! We love that thou shouldst spend thy days in the remembrance of God and in praise of Him. This is better for thee than that which is witnessed. Speak forth My mention amongst My creatures, that perchance they may walk in the paths of justice. Grieve not over anything, but put thy trust in God, thy Lord, in all matters. Verily, He will be with thee at all times if thou art with Him. Thus hath it been inscribed in the preserved tablets of glory. And the Glory rest upon thee and upon thy brother and upon those whom the might of every oppressor hath not hindered from this purified, sanctified, and extended path.

BH01163: This is a Book for him who should glory…

This is a Book for him who should glory among the worlds, for God hath related him unto Himself and named him ʿAbdu’l-Husayn. He is the Mighty, the Most Wondrous, the Most Glorious.

The remembrance of God from the Lote-Tree of Eternity in the Paradise of the Command hath been raised in the most wondrous melodies. Hearken, O people, unto that which is revealed unto you from the direction of the Spirit, and follow not every rejected idolater. Say: The Ancient Beauty hath appeared with the Most Great Glory, and the Spirit of Holiness hath warbled in the chambers of intimacy, “Blessed be God for this bounty that hath encompassed the worlds.” Say: The Ultimate Lote-Tree hath borne wondrous holy fruits. Deprive not yourselves thereof, O people, and follow not every sinful deceiver.

Say: O concourse of the heavens and earth, await ye the Day wherein the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give its light, and the stars shall fall, and clamor shall arise from every ignorant one and learned one, and God shall come with hosts of angels, with the dominion of Command on His right hand and the Kingdom of Power mightily on His left.

Say: We have indeed raised that Day even now, and the Ancient Beauty hath come upon clouds of glory with a sovereignty that hath encompassed the worlds, with the dominion of grace on His right hand and the Kingdom of Names on His left. Thus have We raised that Day with mighty sovereignty. Say: O people, abandon what ye possess, then take what hath been sent down from One mighty and all-knowing.

Say: When the days were the days of tyranny, We deposited a handful of clay behind the veil, and We made allusion to it as a wisdom from Us, and thus was the matter truly decreed. And We returned all names unto it through Our power and might, in glorification of My Self, Who hath power over all things.

When We had made manifest the Cause, and had exchanged the land of fear for the land of safety, then did he emerge from behind the veil, with insolence and grievous sin, and rose up against Us in warfare, until he dealt unjustly with the King of Eternity—an act accounted in the Tablet as a mighty wrong. Thus did he act with God and with the Manifestation of His Self, after We had created him by a command from Our presence. Even so hath Satan, from of old, been insolent against the All-Merciful. Say: O people! Cleanse your eyes, that ye may behold the Beauty, and your ears, that ye may hear His melodies; and turn not your faces unto every crafty and worldly deceiver.

Say: By God! the Most Great Bounty hath appeared upon the Temple of Eternity, and the Spirit of the Most Generous hath uttered between heaven and earth melodies that draw unto them the hearts of every discerning listener. O people! the Hand of God hath been made manifest from the bosom of grandeur and power, and hath seized the kingdom of all things by a sovereignty from His presence, encompassing all worlds. There is nothing in the heavens or on the earth but hath been grasped in the hold of My might and the clasp of My will; none can comprehend this save every clear-sighted and assured soul. Is there for any one an escape from My dominion? No—by My Beauty!—and to this every knower, every informed one, beareth witness. Say: The Cause hath appeared in such wise that no room hath remained for any to turn away; and whoso turneth away from it hath turned away from God and His Messengers, though he claim within himself belief in any of the Apostles of God. All things give him the lie; and God and the Manifestation of His Self are witness unto that which I say.

Know thou moreover, O servant, that thy letter was brought before the Throne, and We looked upon what it contained. We have answered thee with this Tablet, that thine eye, and the eyes of every just and discerning soul, may be comforted. And when it reacheth thee, arise in thy station, and place it upon thy head; then breathe in its fragrance, that thou mayest find therein the sweet savours of thy Lord, and be drawn thereby unto a sure and holy abode. O servant! If thou stand firm in the Cause, then loose thy tongue in remembrance of thy Lord, and fear no one; verily He will guard thee in truth, even as He preserved thee in many a place. Keep this within thy heart; then rejoice in thy soul for that God hath confirmed thee in the recognition of the Manifestation of His Self, and hath given thee to drink, from the fingers of grace, a draught most pure.

Be ye agreed, therefore, with Our Most Great Name concerning the Cause, for We have made it for you a lamp that shineth. Be ye united in the Cause of God and His religion, that no اختلاف arise amongst you. This is of a command which We have loved from everlasting, and have sent down in guarded Scrolls of might. Soon will Satan come unto you, bearing with him that which would hinder you from the love of God and His Cause; cast him, and what he bringeth, behind you, and turn ye unto the beloved station of glory.

Stand thou firm in the Cause in such wise that, though all in the heavens and on the earth should war against thee, and there be upon the earth no assured one save thyself, thou wouldst arise of thine own self for the Cause. This is God’s command unto thee; and His command encompasseth all worlds. Embark thou upon the Crimson Ark in My Most High, Most Exalted Name; then sail upon the sea of majesty, that thou mayest be numbered among the people of Baha in the Mother Book. Leave the idolaters and what they possess; take thou the Book of God through a power from Our presence and a might from Us; then read it at every morn and eventide. And glory be upon the people of glory, from the presence of One Mighty, One Beautiful.

BH01177: O my God, praise be to Thee, O my…

He is the Almighty

O my God, praise be to Thee, O my God! I testify at this moment to Thy unity and Thy singleness, and that Thou art He Who hath ever been without any mention of aught else beside Thee and shalt ever continue to be as Thou hast been in the glory of Thy majesty and grandeur. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Conquering, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! How can I mention before Thee what hath befallen me in these days—that which hath not befallen anyone before me—and verily Thou art All-Knowing, All-Informed. Thou art He Who, O my God, cast the love of me into the hearts of Thy chosen ones and loved ones before they knew me or became aware of Thy Cause in my person. Then afterwards Thou didst try them with separation when the decree of separation after union dawned from the horizon of severance. And thereby my heart and their hearts were consumed to such a degree that they left their homes out of longing to meet Thee and in quest of reunion with Thee. Some died in exile without attaining the spring of Thy reunion and the Kawthar of Thy grace. Some were scattered throughout the lands, and none knoweth what befell them or what they endured. The breezes of reunion from the direction of meeting Thee never wafted upon them, and the sun of grace never shone upon them from the horizon of Thy beauty.

Alas, alas, O my God, for their lamentation in their separation from Thee and their cry of anguish at their remoteness from union with Thee! Though they disobeyed Thy command, O my Beloved, by departing from Thy city, yet by Thy glory, naught made them leave except the rapture of yearning for Thee and the ecstasy of Thy love, one drop of which draws all created things to the seat of the sanctity of the Sovereign of Thy unity and transforms all existence to the summit of glory of the King of Thy singleness.

By Thy glory, O my Lord and my Hope! Even if the eyes of all who are in the heavens and on earth were to shed tears from the beginning that hath no beginning to the end that hath no end for their grief at being far from Thee and their agitation at separation from Thee, it would still be too little, too little. By Thy glory, Thou hast indeed been witness and aware of this.

Among them, O my God, are those who did not leave Thy city, as Thou hadst forbidden them by Thy binding command, yet the fire of separation seized them to such a degree that they sacrificed their souls for Thy name and their spirits ascended unto Thee in the Most Exalted Horizon and the Most Glorious Companion. Therefore, O my God, raise up their spirits through Thy sovereignty in such wise that there may appear from them the lights of the glory of Thy unity and the manifestations of the sanctity of Thy singleness.

Then spread abroad, O my God, their traces in the realms of the glory of Thy Self-Sufficiency and the worlds of the sanctity of Thy singleness. Then make them, O my God, to endure through Thy permanence, to gaze upon Thy beauty, to stand fast in Thy mysteries, and to have dominion over Thy creation and Thy creatures. Then make them, O my God, to be ever joined to the sovereignty of Thy reunion and the King of Thy presence in such wise that their faces shall never turn away from Thy face throughout the eternity of eternities. Verily Thou art the Lord of Glory and Majesty, and verily Thou art the Mighty, the Generous.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! By Thy glory, my tribulations have reached such a point that all encompassing knowledge and mention have been cut off therefrom, such that I am unable to enumerate them in Thy kingdom or mention them in the court of the glory of Thy unity. Shall I mention, O my God, my exile and estrangement, or my distress and desperation, or my trials at the hands of enemies, or my poverty in the midst of the wretched, or my arrival in this Most Great Prison, or shall I mention what hath befallen Thy loved ones in Thy path and Thy creatures in the ways of Thy good-pleasure? Or shall I mention, O my God, what befell me after my departure from thy city and unto my house wherein were raised thy remembrance and the standards of thy guidance and the lights of the glory of thy oneness, and which thou didst make a symbol in thy kingdom for the people of thy love and a treasure for thy creation among the people of thy chosen ones, and which thou didst distinguish among all places on earth for the exaltation of thy remembrance and the promotion of thy Cause, wherein entered the transgressors among thy creation and the rebellious among thy servants, and they plundered whatsoever was therein, and thereby did they show arrogance against thee and violate thy sanctity and dishonour thy glory before thine enemies.

By thy glory, O my God! They have reached in their rebellion the summit of transgression, and heedlessness hath seized them to such degree that they imagined thee to be unaware of them and their deeds, though thou wert ever cognizant of them and their actions. By thy glory, O my God! Nothing made them heedless of thy knowledge save the manifestations of thy glorious concealment and the evidences of thy holy bountifulness. Therefore, O my God, forgive their misdeeds and their transgressions if they return unto thee and turn in repentance unto thee, for they know not and perceive not. Although their transgression, O my God, is greater than the creation of the heavens and the earth, yet thy forgiveness is greater than all things. Then send down upon them, O my God, that which will purify their hearts and their souls. Then remind them, O my God, of the days of meeting thee. Then inspire them with that which will keep them from all that beseemeth not thy presence and befitteth not thy sovereignty. Verily thou art the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the Sovereign, the All-Knowing, the Powerful, the Exalted, the All-Perceiving, the All-Compelling, the Victorious, the All-Demanding, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Then I beseech thee, O my God, by Him Whom thou didst manifest aforetime and Whom thou wilt manifest on the Day of Resurrection, that thou transform this night by the lights of the morn of thy meeting and this darkness by the radiance of the dawn of thy beauty. Then aid, O my God, him who aideth thee through himself and followeth thee in thy Cause, though all who are in the heavens and on earth oppose him. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH01183: O servant who hath gazed upon the Countenance! There…

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

O servant who hath gazed upon the Countenance! There hath come before Us thy letter which thou didst send to the servant who standeth before the Throne, and from it were inhaled the sweet savors of love, as did the denizens of the Supreme Paradise and they who dwell within the pavilion of glory beside the crimson sea of eternity upon whose shore the very atoms of dust proclaim that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who hath appeared with the truth is indeed His sovereignty, His command, His remembrance and His glory amongst all created things. Blessed art thou for having been attracted by the divine fragrances and for having inhaled the musk-like scents from that Paradise which from time immemorial had been hidden within God’s knowledge.

When We found thy soul enkindled with the warmth of the love of God, thy spirit turned toward the quarter of His mercy, and thy tongue speaking His praise, We sent unto thee this Tablet, which in the Kingdom of eternity hath been named the Scroll of Command, in the Heaven of glory the Holy Tablet, in the cities on high the Leaf of Glory, and in the Concourse of grandeur the Preserved Book. Thus was the matter inscribed by the ruby pen upon the Tablet. Blessed be thy soul for having been stirred by God’s remembrance and praise, and blessed be thy heart for having borne that Trust which the dwellers of earth and heaven refused to bear. Thus hath the matter been recorded in the Mother Book by the Pen of God.

Rejoice thou within thyself and be a bearer of glad-tidings between earth and heaven regarding this Sun which hath shone forth from the horizon of holiness with such radiance as hath illumined the inmates of the all-highest Paradise and those who have held fast to the cord of justice in these days wherein the Beauty of the All-Glorious hath been established upon the throne of His name, the All-Merciful, and hath uttered a Word whereat all who are in the heavens and on earth swooned away, save a limited number. Thus hath God distinguished between truth and falsehood and decreed the matter from His presence—verily He is wise over all things.

Know thou moreover that the idolaters have surrounded Us from every side. Then he whom We had taught in these days and who was wont to stand before the Throne morning and eventide, when he felt secure in himself, arose in opposition in such wise as hath left all in the realm unable to describe.

Say: O people! Fear God and deny not Him Who was promised you in all the Tablets, for Whose love the Primal Point sacrificed His exalted self and wept for Him throughout all days, as attesteth the Tablets which were in truth sent down from the heaven of the Command.

Say: O people! Would ye slay His Beloved, and yet recite His words? Woe unto you, O company of idolaters! What difference is there between you and the people of the Furqan? Judge ye fairly, and be not of the oppressors in the land.

Say: Deaf are the ears that hear not the rustling of the Most Exalted Pen, and dumb are the tongues that move not in celebration of their Lord, the Most High, the All-Glorious, and non-existent are the beings that stir not at the fragrant breaths wafting from the divine paradise unto all creation.

Say: O people! Fear ye God, and be not content with this world and all that hath been created therein, for soon shall ye find yourselves beneath layers of dust, and shall be questioned concerning this Youth Who hath appeared with the standards of victory in the kingdom of creation with a sovereignty that encompasseth all worlds.

Say: Were God’s worlds confined to this world alone, by God, We would not have surrendered Ourself to the swords of Our enemies, as every possessor of keen sight doth testify.

Say: O people! Were We to lift the veil of concealment from the face of mysteries by a finger’s breadth, ye would surely detach yourselves from your possessions and wealth, and would sacrifice your souls in the path of God, your Creator. Yet We have not lifted it, by reason of a wisdom that remaineth hidden from the eyes of the idolaters.

Say: O people! Purify your hearts from all allusions, then rend asunder the veils of glory through the power of might and majesty, then raise up the pavilion of detachment around this canopy from whose horizon the lights of beauty are gloriously visible.

Know thou, moreover, that there have emerged from the thicket of doubt a band of wolves, as We had foretold in previous Tablets. With Him is the knowledge of the heavens and earth, and the knowledge of what is seen and unseen, preserved in scrolls hidden from the eyes of the idolaters.

Blessed art thou, O servant who hath drunk from the cup of everlasting life in the name of thy Lord, the Most High, the All-Glorious, for thou hast held fast to the protection of thy Lord, and from the horizon of thy heart have shone forth the lights of thy Master’s love. Thus doth God single out whom He pleaseth through His grace, and verily He hath power over all things.

Say: Praise be to God Who hath caused me to return unto Him, and hath made me know the Manifestation of His Self, and hath caused me to hear His wondrous melodies, and hath inspired within me that which hath stirred my soul and heart, and hath made me detached unto Him and observant of His good-pleasure and speaking in praise of His Self in days wherein the dwellers of the kingdom of creation were shaken, and all the tribes of the earth lamented, and the feet of every man of wisdom did slip.

Thus have We conveyed unto thee the word of truth, and expounded for thee the verses that thine eyes might be solaced thereby, and that there might flow from thy heart springs of wisdom and utterance in remembrance of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Bountiful, and that thou mightest ascend at all times unto the heaven that hath been raised up through this Announcement which was promised in the Tablets.

BH01185: This letter is dispatched from this sorrowful, grief-stricken servant…

In the Name of the Most Glorious, the Most Resplendent

This letter is dispatched from this sorrowful, grief-stricken servant to that compassionate, trustworthy quarter: O friend, veil thy face from strangers and unveil it before the countenance of the Beloved. Abandon thy life and raise thy voice in remembrance of the Well-Beloved between earth and heaven, without concealment or restraint. Rend asunder the veil of silence and tear away the clouds of stillness.

The Tongue of the All-Glorious hath spoken from the direction of the Throne, saying: Write! O Muhammad, the lover of the Beauty of the Friend findeth no rest and showeth no patience in His remembrance. Like unto the salamander, he casteth the fire of passion throughout all lands, in such wise that he consumeth and destroyeth all veils and allusions from all beings.

O Muhammad, step forth from behind the veil of stillness in such manner that all the peoples of the world may be stirred and moved by thy movement, to such extent that all the maidens concealed in silken robes and the essence of all veiled hearts may emerge from their retreats of stillness and seclusion, unveiled and uncovered, giving voice to the praise of the Lord of Lords.

O Muhammad! I swear by the Most Great Name that such power hath been manifested that were the hands of supplication of all created things to be raised toward the right hand of His bounty, all would return with radiant palms from the Sinai of divine grace and favor. Therefore, draw forth the illumined hand from the bosom of the Cause by the leave of the Creator of all beings, and guide the wayward in the valley of self and desire unto the most holy Ridvan and the most exalted Paradise of Glory.

Be not grieved by the loss of the steadfast ones or the turning away of the deniers, for through prayer a people shall be raised up who will place the foot of detachment upon all who are in the heavens and the earth, who will shake the sleeve of sanctification over all that hath been created of water and clay, and who will hasten toward the Friend, heedless of self.

Observe how in the year sixty so many people were veiled by those allusions concerning the appearance of the Qa’im which were held by the leaders of the people. Yet when the Light of the Most Holy, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Manifestation dawned from the horizon of transcendent glory, a people were raised up who effaced all these well-known allusions from their breasts and, with perfect dignity, submission and tranquility, set foot upon the straight path of glory, were hindered by no veil, and deterred by no prohibition or restriction. Thus doth He create beings through the sovereignty of His command, but the people understand not.

Indeed, they became so detached from all things that even the mention of the Seal [of the Prophets], which was an explicit text of the Book, did not prevent them from attaining the exalted court and the praiseworthy station in the presence of the Sovereign Lord. And now they testify, both secretly and openly, that prophethood hath been from the beginning that hath no beginning and will continue unto the end that hath no end. Observe now what power hath been manifested, that removed their vision from all these words and guided them to the greatest perspective.

In brief, the spring of the Sun and the rays of the Orb of divine unity and detachment cannot be sullied by the clay of envy, nor can it be deprived of its own outpouring. Soon shall appear servants who will not be veiled by any utterance, nor be deprived of the pristine reality by any words.

Say: O people of the Bayan! After the dawning of the Countenance of the Glorious One at high noon, nothing shall profit anything else, even though it may appear most great in the eyes [of men] and weightier than all that hath been created openly. Let them account all save the Friend as non-existent and turn unto the known Sovereign.

Several Surahs have been sent down from the heaven of eternity for that honored one—one was dispatched to Iraq and the Surah of [Dam] to the land of Ta, and likewise another sublime Tablet. God willing, they have reached and will reach [their destination].

In any case, this evanescent servant submitteth that: O thou who art my very life and the Physician of my grieving heart! Raise such a cry from thy soul as would awaken all the world from the slumber of heedlessness. What else can the power of thy tongue and the fire of thy luminous heart accomplish?

And in this mail wherein there was no letter from that honored one, great sadness was occasioned. God willing, henceforth they will act contrary to this instance. And that Tablet which was sent to Iraq is that same promised Most Great Tablet that was previously mentioned.

And then thy recognition that He is unto Himself a proof thereof, and His attributes are what He possesseth, and all else is powerless to describe Him, even were it the tongues of both worlds. A Tablet from the master of masters, Aqa Mirza Muhammad-ʿAli, was sent; may you attain unto its perusal.

The servant of Baha, Aqa Jan Thursday, 12 Dhi’l-Qa’dih

BH01207: For the son [Ali] Qabl-i-Nabil 110

For the son [Ali] Qabl-i-Nabil 110

O My Name! Hearken unto My call, for by My call are spirits and minds made alive. Say: O people! This is He in Whose praise and glorification the Bayan was revealed. Beware lest ye be veiled by aught from the remembrance of God, the All-Protecting, the All-Powerful, the Self-Subsisting. Say: O people! He hath come unto you with all the signs, would ye but perceive. ʿAli hath come unto you with the truth, would ye but know it. He took the covenant of My Self from you in the atoms of the Bayan, yet most people remained veiled and are now as dead. Say: Those from whom the spirit of life hath been taken shall not arise from the graves of heedlessness, thus hath the matter been ordained, would ye but know it.

Say: O people! Fear God and associate not aught with Him, for verily association is a grievous wrong, would ye but understand. This Youth of God is among you, calling you unto Him at all times, and to this do His near servants testify. He desireth from you no recompense, nor doth He seek from you any thanks. Verily your Beloved, the Most Exalted One, hath been sent for this Most Holy and Most Glorious Manifestation, as attested by that which was revealed from His presence. Look ye therefore in the Bayan, that ye may find how He counseled you not to hesitate in this Manifestation, nor to be veiled by what was revealed in the Bayan from the Countenance of the All-Merciful.

By God! He is this One, and this is the Promised One. Every atom beareth witness unto Him, would ye but testify. All things weep at His grief, would ye but weep. The denizens of the highest Paradise lament for Him, yet ye rejoice. He is in this prison while ye rest upon your seats. He drinketh of His own blood while ye drink from every cup. He is imprisoned in a strange land while ye abide secure in your homelands. By God! Husayn weepeth at My sorrow, and all that hath been created between the Kaf and the Nun lamenteth for Me. Then doth ʿAli weep for My tribulation in the Most Glorious Horizon, would ye but know.

Fear ye God, then have mercy upon My Soul, and transgress not beyond what hath been ordained in the preserved Tablets of glory. Say: Were it not for My remembrance, the Bayan would not have been revealed unto ʿAli, nor would the sun of the Furqan have shone forth from the horizon of Hijaz, nor would the Spirit have appeared with the signs of God, the All-Protecting, the Self-Subsisting.

Fear ye God and oppose not Him Whom all on earth have opposed. Sufficient unto Him is what hath befallen Him and what continueth to befall Him from those who have denied God, the Mighty, the Beloved. And thou, O thou who gazest upon thy Lord’s Most Glorious Horizon, hearken unto the melodies of the Dove, then detach thyself from all that hath been created between earth and heaven. Then remind the people of this hidden News, and drink at every moment from the cup of life, though thou didst drink therefrom in the days of thy Lord, to which all things bear witness, yet people hear not.

Drink thou therefrom, draft after draft. Thus have We ordained for thee in a preserved Tablet of glory. Be thou steadfast in the love of God and His Cause, then aid Him with what thou art able, and this is better for thee than what hath been and what shall be. Then remind from Us him who hath been named Hasan, that he may rejoice in the remembrance of God, the Most High, the Most Great.

O Hasan! Blessed art thou for having drunk from the cup of love for Husayn in those days when He was afflicted among these oppressors. O Hasan! Know thou that this Husayn at every moment beholdeth Shimr on His right, then Sinan on His left, then Khawli behind Him, and God is witness to what I say. His only crime was that He called all unto God, the King, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Blessed art thou for having found solace in the company of the loved ones of God and for having associated with them, and this is the way of the sincere ones.

The Spirit be upon thee and upon thy sister and upon those who have stood firm in this mighty and irrevocable Cause. Then convey God’s greetings to the face of him who serveth you out of love for God, your Lord and the Lord of your ancient forebears. Say: O servant! Hold fast unto the loved ones of God and separate not thyself from them. Thus did We command thee before and now command thee again from the presence of the Mighty, the Beautiful.

Be patient in adversities, for verily thy Lord hath been in grievous tribulation, such that the gates of joy were closed before His face, yet He was content with what God was content with for Him and what was decreed for Him in the preserved Tablet of glory. O My Name! Deliver the messages of thy Lord unto those who have been mentioned in this Tablet and unto those who have believed in God, the Most High, the Most Great. Beware lest thou be silent in mentioning thy Lord or grow cold in the warmth of thy love. Thus doth this brilliant and luminous Pen counsel thee. And the light that hath shone forth from the horizon of Glory be upon you and upon those with you and upon those among His assured servants who love you.

BH01208: O Muhammad! Be content with thy Lord and become…

O Muhammad! Be content with thy Lord and become independent of all that hath been created in dust, for dust and whatsoever proceedeth therefrom befitteth it and those who are devoted thereto and are among the devoted ones. Know thou that the dust which is condemned in the sight of God is the love of Mine enemies and attachment to them. But the dust which existeth in the kingdom is the manifestation of My Name, the All-Wise, the All-Knowing Director, and through it We have revealed the mysteries of the Cause and the subtleties of power, as ye have witnessed and are among the witnesses. Lift up thine eyes above all else, that My Beauty may be manifested unto thee—a Beauty which the eyes of the world have not attained.

By God, O Muhammad! There hath befallen Me that which hath befallen no one among all created things. Were I to utter but one word thereof, the pillars of the Throne would quake and the supports of the exalted Seat would crumble. Alas! Alas for that which the servants who were created by His command raise against the Ancient Beauty, at a time when the Temple of Pre-existence was established upon the throne of a mighty Name. Know thou the value of these days and emerge from the shirt of fancy, that perchance through thee the musk of divine knowledge may be diffused by thy Lord’s permission, the All-Merciful, and may perfume all the world.

O Muhammad! Soon shalt thou turn thy gaze toward the horizons but shall not find the Day-Star of the horizons, even shouldst thou circle throughout the heavens and the earth. Thus do We inform thee with truth that thou mayest be of them that know. Then shall all existence place the fingers of remorse and regret between their teeth, and all created things shall weep with manifest tears of sorrow. We have informed thee of this that thou mayest become aware of that which is veiled from the eyes of them that are shut out as by a veil.

Beware lest thou conceal the Cause of God, for thou hast witnessed His power and His sovereignty, His greatness and His might. Remind the people of what God hath shown thee and be of them that remember. And if one who turneth away should object, grieve not but be patient with beautiful patience. And if thou findest thyself alone in My love, rejoice within thyself and be of them that rejoice, for My love is of the wine of everlasting life which God hath specially ordained for them that are nigh unto Him, and no heedless soul shall ever partake thereof though he should search in the wilderness of desire unto all eternity.

Say: By God! The Holy Spirit attained but a drop thereof, and thereby did God quicken His sincere servants. This is a word which God hath made a fire unto them that deny and are proud, and a light unto them that have discerned the seat of the Cause in this Beauty Who hath been afflicted among these unbelievers. Taste thou from the divine Tree and its fruits, then take shelter beneath its shade and fear no one, but trust in God, the Mighty, the Wise.

And if thou seest him whose name thou didst mention in the Tablet, say: O servant! Thou wert present before the Manifestation of thy Lord’s Self, yet thou knew Him not and wert among the heedless. This was not unique to thee, for even those who were around Him at all times knew Him not, for We veiled the Face behind a thousand veils lest anyone discover what was ordained in the Tablets from the Pen of a holy, protecting One. Read thou these words, that perchance God may thereby give peace to thy soul and may reveal unto thee, in sleep or wakefulness, that which may bring rest to thy heart. There is no God but He. His are the creation and the command. He guideth whom He willeth and misleadeth whom He willeth. He is indeed the One, the Single, the All-Informed.

Therefore call upon God, thy Lord, at all times with this prayer: Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy most exalted Beauty, and by the manifestations of the might of Thy sovereignty between earth and heaven, and by the splendor of Thy countenance whereby the dwellers of the realms of eternity were illumined, that Thou withhold me not from the wondrous revelations of the Sun of Thy knowledge, nor deprive me from entering the sanctuary of Thy glorious presence. Thou, verily, art the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth, and Thou, truly, art the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

O my God! I am he who hath turned his face away from the faces of all created things and hath set his face toward the face of Thy sanctified oneness, who hath fled from his own self and from all else but Thee, and who hath sought shelter beneath the shadow of the tree of Thy unity. Therefore, O my God, leave me not to myself, nor to anything that hath been created between the earth and the heavens. Then cause me to enter, O my God, within the pavilions of Thy nearness and the tabernacle of Thy love. Then unveil unto me, O my God, that which is hidden from the eyes of Thy servants and concealed from the knowledge of Thy creatures. Then make me, O my God, to be of them that have entered the stronghold of Thy Cause and dwelt within the precincts of Thy mercy. Verily, Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou pleasest. Then preserve me, O my God, from mine enemies and from all that Thy good-pleasure abhorreth. Then send down upon me from the heaven of Thy bounty that which shall detach me from the world and enable me to attain unto Thy most exalted Self in this most pure and luminous Garment.

And thou, O Muhammad, if thou art not in his presence, send this Tablet to him from Me that he may read it and be of them that remember. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon such of the servants as are not hindered by the insinuations of Satan nor by the multitude of the idolaters from this resplendent and gracious Beauty.

BH01218: This is a Book that speaketh with truth…

In the Name of God, the Most Mighty, the Most Luminous, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious!

This is a Book that speaketh with truth and summoneth the people unto the Beloved of them that have known God. Were that which is treasured within it to be revealed unto men, all that dwell in the heavens and on earth would swoon away, save such as God hath preserved, His faithful servants. Say: The Beloved hath appeared, arrayed in mighty grief, yet the people are in manifest heedlessness. Say: He hath been imprisoned in this Prison through that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought, after He had promised every soul His presence. All worship Him at morn and eventide, yet recognize Him not. These heedless ones weep for what befell Him in a former Revelation, yet shed His blood in this present one. Thus do they act, being utterly unaware. They call upon Him by night and by day, yet object to Him at every moment.

Is there any possessed of vision who will behold and recognize the Beloved of God, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Most Great? Is there any possessed of hearing who will hearken unto His melodies, sweeter than those of his Most Glorious Beloved, Who was a stranger in the lands of the heedless? Say: This is He Who sent forth the Messengers from His presence and brought forth from His realm the company of the Prophets. Fear ye God, O people! Object not to Him after He hath come unto you with the signs of God, your Lord, and with the clear tokens of God, your Beloved and the Beloved of all worlds.

How long will ye slumber upon the couch of heedlessness, and how long will ye wander distraught in the wilderness of ignorance? We sent unto you aforetime Ali with a perspicuous Book, Who gave you the glad-tidings of this Most Great, Most Mighty Revelation and took from you a covenant concerning Mine own Self. Look ye, therefore, into the Bayan, that ye may be numbered among them that truly know. And Ali wept in His days until He sacrificed His life in My path—to this all things bear witness, if ye be not of them that deny.

Say: O people, fear ye God, then have mercy upon My Soul. Sufficient unto Me is what hath befallen Me at the hands of all created things. Say: O people of the Bayan, have mercy upon yourselves and be not of the wrongdoers. Verily your Beloved commanded you in this Revelation not to demand of Him proof or evidence, and when He appeared with the truth, to turn unto Him and not to be of them that tarry. He emphasized throughout the Bayan that should He appear without proof or evidence, ye should not object to Him, but rather supplicate Him with humility, that perchance He might reveal unto you from the ocean of His bounty that which would tranquilize your souls and the souls of the heedless ones.

He hath appeared in truth with all the signs ere ye asked aught of Him—and God is All-Knowing, All-Informed of this. He hath come unto you from the Dayspring of the Cause with the clear tokens of God, the King, the Just, the Manifest One. He hath stood between heaven and earth with mighty sovereignty, and there hath appeared from Him the proof of ʿAli, then the evidence of Muhammad, then the testimony of the Spirit, then that which was brought by Him Who conversed with God. Beyond all this, He hath appeared with such sovereignty as no eye in all creation hath witnessed the like thereof, nor the eyes of the angels near unto God.

Yet ye have done unto Him that which none hath ever done unto another, and have perpetrated that which hath caused the Sovereign of the heavens and earth to lament. One day ye denied Him, another ye sought to slay Him, and yet another ye disbelieved in Him. The curse of God be upon you, O company of oppressors! Say: Ye are they who cast the Covenant of God behind your backs and were heedless of that which ye were bidden in all the Tablets, and forgot that wherewith ye were counseled in holy and noble Scrolls. Be fair in your judgment, though it be for less than a moment, if ye deny, by what proof do you establish your faith, O company of the heedless ones?

By God, astonished at you are the denizens of the highest paradise, then the dwellers of the eternal realms, then the glorifying angels. Thus does the Dove warble upon the branches of the Tree of Utterance with verses of sorrow, and from its trilling weep the Pen, then the Tablet, then the eyes of the Prophets. And I say: I am content, O my Beloved, with what hath befallen me at the hands of these idolaters in Thy path, and I am content with what Thou hast ordained for me, for whatsoever Thou hast ordained for me is beloved of Baha. And I say: Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

Thus have We sent down unto thee that which will cause thee to soar in the atmosphere which God hath sanctified from the odors of the idolaters. Empty thyself of all save God, then turn with thy heart unto God, the Most High, the Most Great, that there might be impressed upon it the sign of the beauty of the mention of thy Lord’s name, and that thou mayest be of them that attain. Proclaim the greatness of God unto thy son and unto them that have believed in God, the One, the Powerful, the Almighty, and give them the glad-tidings of this Most Wondrous, Most Great, Most Mighty Remembrance. Then preserve them through God’s might and power from the wolves of the earth, and purify them from the intimations of the idolaters.

Then spread abroad what God hath sent down unto you throughout the land, that all may be quickened by the words of God and His signs, and may become aware of what hath been mentioned in the Tablets from the presence of One knowing, wise. Then make mention, from Us, of him who (Baba) hath visited the Ancient House, that he may be of them that are firm. Say: The Qiblih of all houses hath appeared, if thou be of them that know. Turn thy heart in the direction of the Most Great House, that the breezes of the All-Merciful may waft over thee and draw thee nigh unto the Purpose of the worlds. And the glory be upon thee and upon him and upon such of His handmaidens as believe and are pure, and such of His servants as remember Him. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH01238: This is a Book from the Primal Point unto…

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

This is a Book from the Primal Point unto him who hath believed in God and His signs, who hath attained unto the presence of the Throne and was numbered among the triumphant ones, who hath heard with his own ears the melodies of God, and upon whom the All-Glorious hath dawned with the wonders of His light. Thus hath God’s favor and His proof, then His signs and His evidence, been perfected unto him, that he may stand firm in the Cause and leave all created things behind him, being among the steadfast. Even should he find himself alone in his love for his Lord, such that he witnesseth none throughout all the kingdoms of earth and heaven who hath turned towards Him, he shall not be troubled in his soul, nor shall he be of them that waver.

O servant! Hearken unto My call from the direction of My mercy and My loving-kindness, and forget not My favor. Then call to mind what hath befallen My own Self among the people, that perchance they may find a way unto Him Who is the Spirit. Go forth from that land with the spirit and sweet fragrance of God and with His leave, and shouldst thou find one with hearing ears, impart unto him what the Spirit hath imparted unto thee, that thereby his heart may be quickened and he may be of them that drink from the Kawthar which floweth in truth, whose stream shall never run dry, and shall never cease to flow by the decree of thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

If thou shouldst witness the multitude of them that turn away, grieve not, but rather rejoice thereat, for God hath made the recognition of this Youth to be the exclusive privilege of His near servants, though they walk upon its heights. Thus do We make mention unto thee through Our bounty, lest there be effaced from thy heart that which hath been inscribed therein by a hallowed and luminous Pen.

Be thou united with the loved ones of God, and beware of them that have not believed in God from everlasting, and have been of the idolaters. By God! through the very presence of such souls every sweet and gentle air is turned corrupt, and from them proceedeth that wherefrom all things flee—nay, even the inmates of hell would flee. And if thou shouldst meet one who hath turned away, suffer him not to pass beyond the mention of the two Words; chastise him with the scourges of the Bayan. Say: O thou who hast turned away from God! Why fleeest thou from branch to branch, seeking an opportunity to inject what Satan hath cast into thy breast into the hearts of the believers? Know then, O thou that hast turned away from God, that We walk not in the paths of vain imaginings. We shall never pursue thee, nor will We ever listen to what thou bringest as argument from that which is past. We ask of thee one word in pure truth, if thou be of the truthful. We adjure thee by God: by what proof didst thou believe in the Primal Point? Bring it forth, for that sufficeth Us as testimony, without the mention of all the worlds.

And if he come unto thee with the Words of God and His Tablet, take it in the hand of submission; then kiss it and place it upon thy head, and say: I bear witness by mine own self, my soul, and my tongue that this is a Revelation from the presence of One Mighty, One All-Knowing. And say: In the Name of God and by God! Then bring forth a Tablet from the traces of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. By God, the Truth! thereby shall the realities of contingent being be illumined. And say: O thou who hast turned away! If thou didst believe in the first, why didst thou disbelieve in the last? The curse of God be upon them that have disbelieved in the verses of God after their revelation, and have been in doubt concerning the meeting with their Lord in these days wherein the veil of imitation hath been rent asunder and the Beauty of the Cause hath shone forth with manifest sovereignty.

And if thou findest not within thine own soul, nor perceivest the fragrances of holiness from the Words of God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Beauteous, then will We read the two Tablets before the peoples of former times, that they may render justice in the Cause of God, and in that wherewith ye have wronged the Manifestation of His Self—for ye deal not justly, though God should bring you the proof of the former and the latter.

Say: O people! Fear ye God. There hath come unto you the Youth of God, reciting unto you the verses of your Lord, and confirming that which was sent down aforetime from the realm of God, the All-Protecting, the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the All-Praised. He calleth you at every moment unto Him, and hath offered up His spirit in the path of God, in such wise that He hath not preserved His own self for even the twinkling of an eye. Unto this every just and discerning soul beareth witness. O people! Fear ye God. Shall we disbelieve in these verses by which the Cause of every Prophet of old was established, and then claim belief in one of the Messengers of God? By God! the Concourse on high would laugh us to scorn—yea, the realities of all things, if ye be of them that know; and the hosts of the unseen and the seen, and every keen and informed one, would mock us. Fear ye God, O people, and do not as they did who were before you and were of them that turned away. When the Sun of the Cause shone upon them from the horizon of holiness, they regarded it not; then they scoffed and said: “Thus have we heard from our fathers of old.”

Say: O people! Look not upon the loved ones of God with the eye of contempt. Verily, they are, in the sight of God, among the most exalted of created things, though in your eyes they be numbered among the lowliest of servants—were ye but of them that perceive. A single hair of them, in the sight of God, is better than those who practise renunciation before men to preserve their leadership, while in secret they commit that which Nimrod himself committed not. Thus hath the Cause been sent down from the Pen of the Spirit, that it may be a reminder unto Our willing servants. And the Spirit and glory be upon thee, and upon them that have believed in God and cut themselves off from all the worlds.

BH01249: O ʿAli!

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

O ʿAli!

We have heard your call and have become aware of what lies within your heart of the love of God, your Lord and the Lord of all worlds. With Him is the knowledge of the heavens and earth; not an atom’s weight of the deeds of all created things escapes His knowledge. With Him is the mystery of the heavens and what is treasured in the vaults of earth, and what lies within the hearts of His unified servants. We have been with you at all times. At times you turned to holy glances when the attraction of the Cause took hold of you from the presence of One mighty and powerful, and at times you were heedless—such is the nature of man. Grieve not over this, but be in manifest joy, for your Lord has accepted what you have done in His love and heard what you spoke in His wondrous and new remembrance. When you were engaged in My remembrance, We were before your face and heard your words, and I am the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Blessed are you for having fulfilled God’s Covenant, not breaking His pact, and not being among the idolaters.

Turn with your heart to the Qiblih of all horizons, then aid His Cause at all times and be not of the hesitant ones. Take the chalice of life and fear not the manifestations of Satan. Say “In the Name of God and by God,” then drink thereof by My leave, My command and My sovereignty, and fear not the hosts of the oppressors. Say: “By God, that which was never manifest in creation has been made manifest!” Then the tongue of grandeur speaks above My head saying, “Blessed be God Who has sent forth the Youth, then dispatched Him and caused Him to shine forth from the horizon of the Cause with evident sovereignty.”

Trust in God, then arise amidst the peoples of the earth and say: “O people! The proof has appeared and the Beauty of the All-Merciful has shone forth from the horizon of creation with a mighty adorning. O people! Fear God! This is He for Whose sake the Prophets and Messengers sacrificed themselves. This is He for Whose love ʿAli was suspended in the air and was struck by the bullets of hatred from the hosts of the deniers.” Say: “O people! Do you imagine that He gave up His spirit for His own sake or for your sakes? Woe unto you, O most lost ones! By God, He sacrificed Himself in My path and gave up His spirit for My decisive, mighty and wise Cause.”

Raise your heads from the slumber of passion, then turn to the Dayspring of eternity that you may witness the Sun of the remembrance of your Lord’s Most Exalted Name shining from the horizon of glory with the sovereignty of grandeur and majesty. Be not of those who have distanced themselves from the shore of nearness and are among the bygone ones.

Say: “O people! Fear God and deny not Him upon Whom has befallen in God’s path what has befallen no one before, as you would testify were you to be fair. Have you not heard that when the Luminary of the horizons was in the region of Iraq, all the servants opposed Him, and in every moment the arrows of the wretched descended upon Him from the clouds of destiny while He stood between earth and heaven? At times He turned His holy face to the peoples of the earth saying, O people! The clouds have been rent asunder and the Lord of Lords has come with mighty sovereignty!’ And at times He addressed the people of the Gospel saying, By God, He Who ascended to heaven has veritably descended and circles round the Youth, if you be of those who see!’ And once He addressed the people of the Furqan saying, ʿThe Messenger of Muhammad has come from before with clear sovereignty!’ Turn then to the people of the Bayan and address them in the mystery of the line: Prepare yourselves, O people, for the Most Great Manifestation and purify your hearts from all doubts and allusions, for soon shall the Dwelling Place of verses be established upon the throne of names and attributes.

For in that time the appointed hour of the Cause had not been fulfilled and the Face had not been unveiled, and We were behind a mighty veil. When the appointed time came, the fingers of divine power rent asunder the veil of concealment, and the Face shone forth from the horizon of glory and power, and the Tongue of God spoke amongst all worlds. Thereupon the pillars of all created things were shaken, and the feet of every soul did stumble, save those who had detached themselves from all things and had drunk from this Spring. Thus have We imparted unto thee from the wondrous melodies on this Night wherein the Ancient Beauty reclined upon the couch of sorrows by reason of that which befell Him from the manifestations of Satan.

His tongue doth speak, His eyes do rain tears, and the Pen of the Cause lamenteth as it moveth before His face upon this luminous and holy Tablet. Say: O people, He hath appeared with the most wondrous melodies—will ye not be among those who perceive? Soon shall all that ye possess perish and ye shall return to your abode, wherein ye shall find for yourselves neither spring nor beloved. The melodies of God have been completed and His wondrous songs have ended in the paradise of this holy and wonderful Tablet. And the mercy that dawned from the horizon of eternity be upon thee and upon the people of Baha who are established upon the crimson ark and who traverse the sea of certitude.

BH01264: This is the Book which guideth unto righteousness. God…

He is the Mighty, the Eternal, the Self-Subsisting!

This is the Book which guideth unto righteousness. God hath made it a proof and a remembrance for all who are in the heavens and on earth. There is no doubt therein. It hath been sent down in truth from the presence of One Who is All-Wise, All-Informed. Therein is that which guideth men to the paradise of eternity and draweth them nigh unto God, the Lord of all worlds. Therein hath the Point of Knowledge been expounded and the words of God have appeared in a clear Arabic tongue. Thus do We set forth the verses for you and cast upon you that which will guide you unto God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Therein doth God command His servants to observe pure justice, and this is His grace unto all created things.

O people! Be guided by the guidance of God and follow not your desires, nor be ye of them that turn aside. Say: Verily the Morn of divine revelation hath breathed forth from the presence of One Who is exalted and great. Say: Verily the Sun hath shone forth from the presence of a mighty and powerful Sovereign. Beware that ye grieve not over anything, but rather rejoice with the joy of God and enter the holy paradise, a noble and glorious seat. Beware that ye think not evil of God and sell not the Joseph of Faith for a paltry price, but enter the Egypt of certitude in the presence of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

Know ye that God had servants before you who migrated with His chosen ones, and the idolaters gathered against them until matters reached such a pass that they strove with them until they were all slain and martyred in the ways of God, the Powerful, the Most High, the All-Knowing. Among them is the true account of Husayn, when he departed from his home with his family and companions, as ye hear tell each day and hour. The hosts of unbelief surrounded them from every side and prevented them from returning to God’s sacred sanctuary. The armies of infidelity rose against them and cut off all means of entry and exit. Ye have heard all this from these idolaters who exhort others but exhort not themselves, who mention God and His loved ones from the pulpits yet in their hearts are not among those who remember.

When matters grew severe for God’s companions, they strove with their wealth and their lives to such a degree that the eyes of the Concourse on High were directed toward them and the angels drawn nigh were bewildered, until they sacrificed their souls and spirits in the path of their Lord. The ornaments of earthly dominion deterred them not, nor did love of anything hold them back. They hastened to God’s good-pleasure with great joy. Their spirits ascended to the Supreme Companion and their eyes were solaced by beholding the lights in a holy and noble dwelling-place.

O company of emigrants! Ye have migrated in the paths of your Creator, yet no adversity or hardship hath touched you, nor hath the slightest harm befallen you. Ye have traversed paths of glory in this journey of yours, and the people have welcomed you in every land and accompanied you from every city until ye arrived at a glorious and resplendent spot. Beware lest your hearts be straitened. Waste not your right, nor count your faith as a favor to God. Rather, God bestoweth favor upon you in that He hath guided you unto Himself, granted you His presence, and chosen you from among all created things. Know ye that God hath ordained no station for anyone save in following His command, and this is indeed a mighty matter in God’s presence. Apart from this, none shall be mentioned before God even should he rule over all beneath the sun. This is a certain truth.

If God should command any of the kings to sweep the threshold of the place wherein His Name is raised, this would be better for him than the sovereignty of the past and future. Verily His command is binding upon all His servants—this is His bounty unto them though He needeth them not, and He is indeed independent of all creation. Say: O people! Burn not the fruits of your deeds with the fire of your vain imaginings, and be not among the veiled ones. Say: God hath reckoned up your fancies and whatsoever was in your hearts, and with Him lieth the knowledge of the hidden things of the heavens and earth, if ye be of them that are assured.

O ye emigrants! Give thanks unto God, your Creator, and be not heedless of that wherewith God hath preferred you above His servants and guided you unto the path of mighty righteousness. Sanctify your souls and follow not your desires, nor walk in the footsteps of them unto whom God hath given no light. Follow instead him who hath come unto you with clear authority and reciteth unto you the verses in a wondrous, pleasing tongue. Know ye that God hath ordained for you that which He hath ordained for none before you, such that your names are mentioned in the company of all worlds. Can there be conceived in all creation any station greater than this? Nay, by the Lord of all worlds! Therefore rejoice within yourselves, then be patient in the Cause of God and in whatsoever befalleth you in His path, and be not of them that are perturbed. Ye shall find your deeds preserved with God in the Book wherein no deed of the doers shall be left unrecorded. Thus hath the Tablet been completed though the mysteries of the Pen are not exhausted, wherefore We say: We are content, O our Lord, with what Thou hast decreed and wilt decree, and We say: Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

BH01272: The Tongue of Grandeur speaks, addressing you

In the name of God, the Everlasting, the All-Knowing!

The Tongue of Grandeur speaks, addressing you:

Blessed art thou for having recognized God, thy Lord, for having detached thyself from all else save Him, and for having turned unto Him. This, verily, is a supreme bounty. Joy be unto thee for having drunk from the cup of loving-kindness and for having answered thy Lord when He called all who are in the heavens and on earth with a word from His presence—a word by which the faces of the heedless were transformed. Blessed art thou, for the clouds of thy Lord’s mercy, the Most High, the Most Great, have rained upon thee, and in thy heart hath grown the plant of the knowledge of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Impregnable. Blessed art thou for having cast behind thee the book of the transgressors and for having taken hold, with manifest strength, of the Book of thy Ancient Lord. Glad tidings be unto thee for having been illumined by the Sun of Grandeur and Glory, from which the birds of night have fled into the layers of hell. Joy be unto thee for having been enlightened by the lights of thy Lord’s countenance and for having turned away from the faces of the idolaters.

Blessed is he who has taken the cup of eternity in My Most Glorious Name, drinking at times in My Name, the Most Exalted, the Most High, then again in My Name, the Most High, the All-Wise, and yet again in My Name by which the pavilion of names was rent asunder, then once more in My Name, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful, and again in My Name through which all things have spoken in remembrance of Me, and yet again in My Name, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Peerless. Those who have detached themselves from all save God and have ascended to the heights of divine realities are praised by the denizens of the Supreme Paradise, then by the people of Paradise, and then by the tongues of them that have known.

Bear thou witness to thy Lord’s power, how We have made the earth a level plain and the mountain of idolatry to be scattered dust. Say: Exalted is our Lord, the Most Merciful, by Whose will the worlds were transformed. He, verily, is the One with power over all things. There is no God but He, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent. We have adorned the Garden of Good-Pleasure with the ornament of Our Name, the Most Merciful. Whosoever entereth therein shall hear from all created things therein that there is no God but He. His is the greatness and the majesty, His the power and the bounties. He creates what He willeth as He willeth. He giveth and taketh away. None can resist His command or escape His sovereignty. He, verily, is the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Powerful.

We have indeed heard the cry of the idolaters from every direction. Say: Die in your wrath! He has appeared in such wise that no one possessed of religion can deny Him, except by denying God, His sovereignty, His grandeur and His glory—and such are indeed among the lowest of the low. Say: Today your deeds and what you possess shall not be mentioned before even one of God’s servants, how much less before His Own mighty and wondrous Being. Say: Whither will ye flee, and to whom will ye cling? Can ye find any path besides Mine? Nay, by My Self, the Truth! Then run ye in the wilderness of vain desire; ye shall arrive but at the place of negation and burning fire. Try it, O heedless ones!

Behold their paucity of understanding and comprehension. They say “We believed in Ali before,” yet they deny Him Who sent him with manifest sovereignty. He was indeed sent by My command, did ye but know. Read ye what We have revealed unto him, that perchance there might dawn from the horizon of your hearts the Sun of Our Most Glorious Name, that ye might be numbered with the successful ones.

Leave thou these people and their remembrances and what they possess, and fix thy gaze upon the face of thy Lord, the Dawning, the Luminous. Give thanks unto God for having preserved thee from the hosts of Satan, from the arrows of their allusions and the spears of their indications, and for having given thee to drink of the pure wine from the hand of this Manifestation, through which the heaven of the exalted was raised and the House of Prosperity was built. Say: Praise be to God Who has detached me from all else save Him, Who has caused me to know the Manifestation of His Essence, and Who has purified me from the doubts of the doubtful ones. O my Lord! Separate me not from the Beloved of the worlds, neither in this world nor in the world to come. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the Most Generous.

And if thou desirest to know what hath befallen Me in this Prison, be thou assured that at every moment there hath rained upon Us an arrow from the arrows of fate, and We, in Our love for that which hath been ordained in the Tablet by the Pen of thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, have welcomed it. Then were Our affairs straitened from every side, and We render thanks unto God, and We have not been impatient, nor shall We ever be impatient, through His might and power, even should all who are on earth combine against My tribulation and ordeal. And I proclaim in all things, at all times, that the Kingdom on that Day belongeth to My Self, the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the Unconstrained.

Arise thou, by God’s leave, to promote My Cause, then gather together My loved ones and remind them of My remembrance, and shelter them beneath the wing of My mercy and the pavilion of My glory and the canopy of My gracious favor. Then give them to drink from the chalices of My bounty, and stir them with the passing of the breezes of My grace and favor, and gather them together in My Cause lest they be disturbed by the clamor of the oppressors and the croaking of the ungodly and the caviling of the deniers. Convey My glorification unto their faces and gladden them with My mention of them, that they may rejoice in the remembrance of God and be numbered among the steadfast. And the glory that hath no likeness or peer be upon thee and upon those who are with thee, young and old alike, and praise be to God, the King, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Gracious.

BH01279: O Ali, hear My call and be not…

He is the Mighty!

O Ali, hear My call and be not of the heedless ones. Follow the path of the Spirit in My love, for this is indeed the foundation of faith, if thou be of them that know. Cut thyself from all faces save My glorious and luminous face, then forget all remembrance save My wondrous and exalted remembrance, then be patient in all things save separation from Me. This is a revelation from one who turneth penitent unto God.

Say: By God, greed is condemned save in seeking the wonders of My great bounty, and all asking is rejected save for union with Me, if ye be of them that seek. Say: All anxiety is forbidden save anxiety in My love, and this is the straight path of justice. All fear is unseemly save fear in yearning for My beauty, and this hath been ordained by the finger of mighty glory. All passion and desperation are banished save passion in My affection, and this is better for all who believe in God and His Messengers than the sovereignty of the worlds.

Be still in all matters save in turning toward My clear and straight path. Say: By God, looking upon aught save God is forbidden unless one seeth in all things the manifestations of the revelation of My love—this is the law of them that know. Say: Of all things that have been and shall be created, My soul loveth them not save in their connection to My enduring and gracious Beloved. Verily He is Ali before Nabil, and He is the sovereign of truth and certitude.

Read ye these verses in your dwelling-places that ye may stand firm in the love of God such that the words of the ungodly cause you not to slip. Soon will the Samiri call out among you as We promised you before, and the calf will cry out, and this is an inevitability inscribed in the preserved tablets of glory.

Thus doth the Tongue of Remembrance mention you that ye despair not of the spirit of God, forget not the grace from Us, and be not of the heedless ones. By God, whoso tasteth the sweetness of a single letter of this Tablet and is blessed with what is ordained therein shall arise by himself between the heavens and the earth proclaiming his Lord’s Cause, and nothing shall prevent him though all created things oppose him. This is a revelation from God, the Exalted, the Great.

Say: This Dove hath states and melodies at this moment with God that the ears of the believers cannot bear to hear—how much less the ears wherein is the cotton of heedlessness. They shall never hear, and if they hear they hear naught save the utterances of the ungodly from their likes. Thus have We explained to thee that which will purify thy being, thy heart and thine ear from the words of the opposers.

Say: By God, We found not in all creation a single ear alone unto which the Spirit might cast what was cast into My breast, and God is unto this the Witness and the Knower. This Tablet beareth witness to that, and it sufficeth as a witness and trustee beyond all the worlds. Thus have We been brief in speech and veiled the matter until God shall bring forth a wondrous command on the day when minds shall be confounded, souls crushed, and the eyes of all mankind fixed in terror, as ye witness in these days. This is proof thereof, if ye be of the assured ones.

Thou, therefore, hear My counsel and that wherewith I have counseled in the Word of God, the Mighty, the Powerful. Find rest in thyself, then stand firm in thy Lord’s Cause and turn not unto those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God and never perceived it in their souls, being among the heedless. These are they who deny the signs of God while reciting the verses revealed before Him, and such is their way—know this, O concourse of the beloved! They make mention of God at all times, yet when He came upon the clouds of holiness in the manifestation of His name, the Husayn, they fled from Him, turned away from His beauty, and were not among those who perceived.

Thus have We taken account of them and informed you about them, lest your feet slip and that you may remain steadfast in the Cause of God, your Lord. Say: This is an ocean unto whose shore none hath attained, how much less unto its depths, were ye of them that perceive. Say: By God! Should all who are in the heavens and on earth dive therein, they would not be able to hear the call of a single pearl of its pearls, nor would they be able to bring forth what is treasured therein, save what the hand of grace may cast upon them. This is of the bounty of God, the Most High, the Most Great. Say: O people!

By God! Were it not for the Spirit speaking, My Pen would not move, but when It speaks, this Pen speaks to manifest the grace of My Lord and to bring forth His favor, and for this have I been afflicted at the hands of these oppressors. Thus does He cast upon thee the way of holiness at a time when He is imprisoned in this remote prison, like unto a bird whose wings are broken, fallen into a deep well, finding no helper for itself save God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. We beseech God to lift Us up and deliver Us from this prison, that thereby the eyes of those near unto God may be solaced. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon His sincere servants.

BH01281: To the handmaiden of God whose name was mentioned…

To the handmaiden of God whose name was mentioned in the Most Great Scene and who was named Hajar—I am the imprisoned Exile. O Hajar! Forsake all souls but be not separated from the love of thy Lord, Who hath ever encompassed all the worlds. Enter beneath the shade of thy Lord, then be steadfast in His sovereignty, then bow down before the dawning of His lights, then prostrate thyself before this Countenance which hath appeared resplendent from the horizon of the Spirit. O handmaiden of God! Mention of thee was made in the letter of Jinab-i-Rahim, and it was presented before the Throne, and after its attainment unto the holy breezes, these words were revealed from the sacred realm of the Ancient of Days

O Hajar! Migration from all else is beloved, not from the Chosen Beauty. Therefore in these days thou must migrate with thy heart from the idolaters and their manifestations, and from the evil ones and their dawning-places, and enter the holy precincts which are the seat of tranquility and the horizon of the Beauty of the All-Merciful—that is, with the heart, not on foot. Be not among those handmaidens who make mention in the realm of utterance of matters that never had nor have any truth, for thy Lord knoweth the hearts of all. Were He to desire to mention in this blessed and goodly Tablet the secrets of each heart, He would be able, but as He hath loved and ever loveth the name of the Concealer, therefore hath He veiled most matters from the eyes of strangers.

O My handmaiden and daughter of My handmaiden! Beseech God that thou be not accounted among those handmaidens who are occupied with a transient shadow and remain heedless of the enduring Sun, who inquire of the bat whether the sun hath risen, or whether the world-illumining Sun of Divine Unity hath dawned from the Most Holy and Most Glorious Horizon. They remain deprived of a single ray from the Sun of Suns while imagining they have rent asunder the veils of imitation and are seated upon the seats of the glory of unity. Vain indeed are their imaginings!

Say: O My handmaidens! By My Beauty, naught but My remembrance is acceptable and naught but My love is admissible. Even should all created things appear in the most glorious and exalted raiment, yet tarry for less than a moment on the path of the All-Merciful, they would be accounted as utter nothingness and complete void in the sight of God. Therefore, O My handmaidens, purify your gaze from darkened souls and turn unto the Greatest Horizon. By the True God! This is the Command of the Most Great Beauty Who is established upon the Most Pure Throne. These words have I revealed from the Dawning-Place of utterance out of My love for your souls, that ye may not be deprived of the Beauty of the All-Glorious through mentioning this one or that.

By My Beauty! The Tablet known as the Tablet of Baha which was sent—not all who dwell in the heavens and earth could equal a single letter thereof. Yet it seemeth it hath not been read, or if read, they have interpreted it according to their own fancy, not as it was revealed. Say: O My handmaidens! Account not the enemy of My Beauty as a friend, nor reckon the opponent of My Self as beloved. Today My love is the balance—whosoever attaineth unto it hath attained unto the Beauty of God and His presence and all good, and whoso faileth hath been and shall remain deprived.

Therefore, O Hajar, be thou one who migrateth unto the love of God—that is, migrate from all who are on earth and rest beneath the shade of the Tree of Divine Love. In this case thou art accounted among the emigrants in the sight of God, even if thou dwellest in thine own home all thy life, for migration hath not been by foot, but hath ever been and shall be by heart in the sight of God. Although for men if these two stations be combined it hath been and shall be most beloved, yet this must be with God’s leave and is specific to men, not women. So long as thou remainest steadfast in My love, know of a certainty that thou art present before the Throne, for not a single atom between the heavens and earth is visible except that the realities of all things are present before the Throne of the All-Merciful every morn and eve. This is one of the hidden mysteries which hath been manifested by the Pen of My declaration through the grace of thy Chosen Lord. Therefore dwell in perfect stillness and gaze in complete tranquility toward the horizon of the All-Merciful.

And further, remind the handmaidens of that land of the wondrous and exalted mention of the King of Oneness, and say: O handmaidens of God! Be not as those who are moved by every wind and stirred by every breeze. Ye are the leaves of the Tree of the Cause; therefore, hold fast with all your strength to the branches of the Tree, lest ye be severed by the darksome autumn winds from the original Tree. This is the counsel of the Divine Beauty, if ye be of them that are faithful. And glory be upon him who is guided and detached from all who dwell on earth.

BH01351: O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who…

In the Name of God, the Most Unapproachable, the Most Holy, the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious!

O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who hath tasted the sweetness of communing with his Lord and hath remembered his Master with wondrous breaths of love, whose letters of his words testify to his love for his Lord, and from whose heart waft the sublime breaths of the spirit. And thou, O Pen, if thou art saddened in thyself, We counsel thee to be patient lest there appear from thee that which would cause all created things to be overthrown and all existence to cease. And if thou desirest to make mention of the tribulations of the Ancient Beauty, make mention in the secret of secrets, and if thou wouldst hear from Me, conceal it lest thereby be saddened he who hath loved his Lord. Thus doth the tongue of thy Lord command thee that thou mayest exercise goodly patience.

Then make mention of the servant who desired to attain the presence in those days when all were forbidden from turning to Him, save those who had shattered the chains of idle fancy and had detached themselves from all who dwell on earth. O servant who hast ascended to the atmosphere of nearness! Hearken unto that which is revealed unto thee from all directions—that which God hath proclaimed in every age, dispensation and epoch: that there is none other God but Him, and that this is indeed His servant who hath sacrificed his spirit in His path and feared no one in proclaiming God’s Cause until the pavilion of the Cause was raised aloft through His sovereignty which hath encompassed the worlds. When he opened his eye, the eyes of all created things were opened; when he raised his hand, the hands of all beings were raised; when he unloosed, through the power of might and strength, the tongue of the Divine Will and brought it forth, then did all things speak out, saying:

“By God! This is indeed the Tongue of God which hath appeared from its treasury and speaketh in all atoms that there is none other God but Him, and that He is the Ever-Watchful over all things.”

Know thou that We have read thy letter and have turned toward that which was contained therein, and We have recognized how the fragrances of thy Lord’s love stirred within thee. Blessed art thou for having attained unto that which most of the people have been deprived of. Thou hast taken hold of the Book of God with the hand of strength and cast behind thee the intimations of the idolaters, and soared in an atmosphere wherein no wings have soared save those who have detached themselves wholly from all that is on earth and have taken their seat upon the cushions of transcendent glory. Arise to aid the Cause of God and His Command, and pay no heed to those who have taken Satan as their protector.

Say: O people! Do ye doubt God, or His might which hath encompassed all created things? Fear ye God, and deny not Him by Whose command the seas were set in motion, the trees yielded their fruits, the lights shone forth, the winds blew, and the earth was made firm. Then did it shine with the lights of its Lord, if ye be among those who know. O people! Dispute not concerning the Cause of God. By God! He hath appeared with all His signs, and none deny Him save every proud one who is far astray. Then know thou that thy Lord will aid thee in all matters and will support thee in what He desireth, and verily His favor upon thee is great. Cast beneath thy feet those babblers whose deeds belie their words and whose words belie their deeds, who comprehend not what issueth from their lying tongues, and who imagine themselves to be virtuous and well-pleasing in the religion of God.

Say: O people! If ye believed in Ali aforetime, by God, this is his very Self; and if ye believed in Muhammad, this is His Messenger; and if ye believed in the Spirit, by God, this is He Who caused him to ascend unto heaven; and if ye believed in Him Who conversed with God, this is verily His Manifestation on Sinai; and if ye believed in the Most Hidden Mystery, behold, He hath appeared in truth in human temple, and now doth the tongue of the All-Merciful proclaim in the highest paradise concerning Him:

“This is the Beauty whereby Mine eye is consoled, My spirit is refreshed, and My signs are made manifest.”

Beware, O people! Draw not against Him the swords of hatred. Have mercy upon yourselves and be not tyrannical and wretched.

Say: O concourse of unbelievers! Perish in your wrath! By God! The clouds of destiny have been rent asunder and the Beauty of God, the Most Exalted, the Most High, hath come with such an adorning as none on earth or in heaven can prevent, and He hath arisen to uphold His Cause with a sovereignty that hath been from all eternity powerful in truth. Do ye imagine that aught can withstand His Cause? Nay, by My Self, were ye to be possessed of true vision. Thou beholdest not those servants who have disbelieved save as a mirage which the thirsty one supposeth to be water, when in reality it hath no existence.

Thus have We sent down the verses unto thee that thou mayest rejoice within thyself and recite them, for verily in their recitation there is a great glad-tiding. And peace be upon thee and upon those who are with thee and upon those who hearken unto thy words concerning this Cause, from which the feet of every deceitful dissembler have slipped.