Volume 038: Edirne II (year unknown, 1864–1868) (3 of 6)

BH01354: These are verses of holiness which have been sent…

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

These are verses of holiness which have been sent down in truth, and none comprehend them save those whose hearts God hath tested for faith and made to be among the successful ones. Verily they are a remembrance unto those who have been guided by the guidance of the Spirit in these days and were of those who have drawn nigh. Verily they are God’s herald amongst His servants, and by them are reminded those servants who have burned away the veils of idle fancy through the fire of the love of their Lord, the Mighty, the Wise. They are servants upon whom the Concourse on High shower their prayers, and for whose presence the denizens of Paradise yearn, and then the dwellers of the highest Paradise.

O Abraham! Hearken unto that which is revealed unto thee from the court of God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Powerful. Purify thyself from all allusions, then stand firm in thy Lord’s Cause, and be thou of the steadfast. Beware lest thou associate any partners with God, thy Lord, for verily He was one in His essence and created by His Word all who are in the heavens and the earth. Be grateful to thy Lord for having enabled thee to attain unto this most holy, most transcendent, most mighty, most luminous station, and for having caused thee to hear His melodies and granted thee the meeting with the Manifestation of His Self, and thus have We shown thee the Kingdom of the heavens that thou mayest be of the assured ones.

O servant! Forget not the days of meeting Me, nor standing before My presence, and be not of the heedless ones. Were thou to know and become aware of that which God hath ordained for thee as a reward for turning unto thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent, such joy would seize thee that thou wouldst be attracted in such wise as to turn away from the world and its ornaments, and be detached from all the worlds. Blessed be thine ears for having heard the words of God, and thine eyes for having beheld the beauty of thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the Powerful, the All-Informed.

Soar upon the wings of longing and yearning unto all regions and remind the people of what thou hast known and seen, that perchance they may be ashamed before God Who created them and fashioned them, and may become of the assured ones.

Verily thou art aware of what hath befallen Us in this Prison at the hands of these deniers. Say: O people, by God, We called you only unto God, your Lord, in Our previous Manifestations, and We call you now only unto Him. Fear God, O people, and be not of the prodigal. Fear God and transgress not against Him after He hath appeared with the truth, with a sovereignty that hath encompassed the worlds. Were ye to focus your vision, ye would surely witness inscribed upon the face of the sun that which hath been traced by a finger of mighty power. By God! It was created by a light from the lights of this Countenance which hath shone forth from the horizon of the Spirit with a brilliant, wondrous radiance.

Say: O people, be not heedless of your Lord’s Cause, and dispute not His words. By My life! God hath made them a beauty mark upon the cheek of His Books which were sent down from the heaven of grace, if ye be of the fair-minded. Say: Do ye deny Him by Whom the Holy Spirit was created? Fear God, O company of the heedless! If ye believe not, oppose Him not, and if ye help Him not, smite Him not with the swords of hatred. Thus doth your Lord admonish you, that perchance ye may be of the repentant.

Say: O people of the Bayan, judge fairly within yourselves: what is the difference between you and those whom ye denounce as unbelievers? If ye say they opposed ʿAli at the time of His manifestation, verily ye have opposed His very Self, His Spirit, and His Essence, and ye perceive it not. Fear God and follow not your desires. Follow the Spirit in these days and be not of the veiled ones.

And thou, O servant who hath migrated unto God, if thou seest My loved ones, remind them of My verses and of what hath befallen My beauty, that they may weep for Me and become partners in My sorrow and tribulation, and lament as those who have lost their beloved ones. Say: By God! The enemies of God have perpetrated that which neither Nimrod, nor Pharaoh, nor the first and second ones committed. Thus have We been afflicted, and none knoweth this save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. At every moment there befalleth Me arrow after arrow, sword after sword, and spear after spear from those who stood before My face and who used to seek blessings by standing at the threshold of My gate, which was opened unto all who are in the heavens and the earth. When they witnessed composure in themselves, they arose in opposition in such wise as hath astonished the realities of the Prophets and Messengers.

We thank God for what hath befallen Us of confirmed tribulations, and We praise Him in all conditions, and We show patience in His path as We showed patience aforetime, and He is the Helper of the patient ones. Thus have We detailed the verses unto thee that thou mayest be mindful of the remembrance of God, thy Lord, and stand firm in His love in such wise that the violent winds that blow from the direction of every accursed satan shall not move thee. The Spirit and glory be upon thee and upon those who have attained unto the love of God and are of the assured ones.

BH01359: The tongue of the Beloved speaks: Gird up…

The tongue of the Beloved speaks: Gird up the loins of service firmly and at all times and seasons be engaged in the remembrance of God and remind the loved ones of God. To Majid He says: O thou who art sincere, be steadfast in the Cause of God in such wise that thou shouldst reckon His opposers as non-existent and His enemies as extinct. If thou wert to become aware of My tribulations, thou wouldst surely weep blood. I will mention only this much: Consider how for twenty years I reared an individual, and by God, besides Whom there is none other God, I exerted such mighty efforts in his upbringing that none greater was possible. I prepared for him every means of comfort, even to the extent of summoning maidens from distant lands to serve him, that he might be at ease and occupied with pleasure.

Yet at all times he sought to harm Me, as is evident to you, and still I concealed it. Finally he openly arose to slay Me. Then, when I departed, he attributed to My Beauty all that he had committed, that he might establish his own innocence. Yet you know that had this servant desired to harm him, it would have been possible by any means, and none would have had the right to question it, for verily He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. Nevertheless, I protected him with the utmost protection. He hath written and continueth to write to all regions claiming that he was imprisoned, and whatever else he hath seen in his own self he hath attributed to this Wronged One.

I swear by God that if thou wouldst reflect a little, thou wouldst melt away, for you are aware of certain matters and the abasement of the Cause when I was not among the people.

Hearken unto My lamentation and sighing between heaven and earth, and burn away all veils with the fire of divine love. At all times look unto Him and place thy trust in Him. You have never been absent from My sight and, God willing, never shall be. When you gather in the assembly of fellowship, remember My tribulations and sorrows, for soon fabricated letters will reach everyone. By divine might and power, pay no heed to them whatsoever; nay, touching them is not permitted. Moreover, remind all other companions on My behalf and say: This is the Day of steadfastness, firmness and rootedness in God’s Cause. Speak this openly and secretly, outwardly and inwardly, and act according to this blessed verse: “Say: God; then leave them to their vain discourses.”

O Mihdi and Mihdi! Associate with people with perfect submission, contentment and goodly character, and be sagacious in the divine Cause, for today the deniers of the Manifest Beauty lie in ambush with utmost deceit. At all times take refuge in the Beauty of the All-Merciful and be protected in the fortress of His mercy. Say: O loved ones of God! Be so enkindled with the fire of His love that it shall never be extinguished. Purify your ears from what they have heard, that ye may comprehend the meanings of the words that are now manifest from the horizon of utterance.

Then remind him who asked before about the News that was indeed magnificent. Say: Verily it hath appeared in truth, so hold fast unto it and be of those who are secure. Shun all else, for this is indeed a manifest grace. Say: We have not forgotten thee, so be thou assured in thyself and be of those who rejoice. And if thou desirest to grieve for aught, then grieve for what hath befallen My wronged and sorrowful Self. And if thou lovest to weep, then weep for the sighs of My heart, for this is indeed a beauteous permission. And if thou wishest to lament on earth or cry out for any matter, then cry out for what hath befallen Me from the tyranny of these oppressors.

Furthermore, convey abundant greetings to Haji Abdul-Rahim. Say: We have received what thou didst see in thy dream. God shall soon grant thee victory over Mine enemies and make thee triumphant over them through a power from His presence. Verily He is the One Who hath power over what He willeth, and He is indeed the Omnipotent, the Powerful. A tablet was also sent to him before; God willing, it hath arrived by now.

Moreover, remind Hadi and the carpenters and all others, both Arab and Persian, of the remembrance of God. Aqa Muhammad-Rida and Aqa Muhammad-Sadiq and all who dwell in their households, both female and male, young and old.

BH01400: He is the Mighty! O Kamalu’d-Din! Bear thou witness…

He is the Mighty! O Kamalu’d-Din! Bear thou witness within thyself that there is none other God but Him, the Originator, the Wondrous. Say: Verily He is exalted in the Book of God, the King, the Most High, the Mighty, the Beauteous. In His grasp are the keys of the heavens which were raised up in the Bayan, and in His right hand is the dominion of Command and Creation, and verily He is powerful over all things. Say: Knowledge is that which hath appeared from His presence in a holy, preserved Book. Then know thou that He hath appeared in truth with manifest sovereignty and from Him hath been detailed the Book of God, the Powerful, the Munificent. He hath counseled the servants in every line of the Tablets concerning this sacred, luminous Beauty, Whom no one’s understanding hath encompassed and the hands of the peoples of the heavens and earth have not attained unto the hem of His knowledge.

Say: Verily the Truth is in itself God’s proof unto all creation and hath no need of aught else to demonstrate His Cause, if ye be of them that know. Say: O people of the Bayan! Do ye imagine that He needeth anything to establish His Cause? Nay, by the Lord of the worlds! Say: All proof is established by His Command and evidence appeareth by His leave, if ye be of the assured ones. And verily that which appeareth from Him of clear signs and that which is sent down from His presence of verses—this is a bounty from Him unto them that profess His unity.

Say: O people, fear ye God and make not His Cause limited by the limitations of your own selves. Fear God and be not of the transgressors. Say: Verily He cannot be limited by any limit and cannot be veiled by any veil. He manifesteth as He pleaseth, and verily He is the Unconstrained, the Powerful, the Wise. Nothing can prevent Him from His Command and His sovereignty, and the schemes of the schemers and the might of monarchs cannot frustrate Him. Those who would limit God’s Manifestation by a command or a sign or by what they possess of satanic imaginings—these have turned away from the Truth and disbelieved in the verses of the All-Merciful and are in manifest error.

Say: Verily We were among you for months and years, in but a moment of which God hath reckoned up the centuries of the first and the last ones. And We were, in every instant thereof, reciting unto you from the verses of God, the Single, the Most High, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. And We were manifesting in every moment with a mighty, glorious Beauty and a novel, holy dignity and an exalted, mighty majesty, yet none among you recognized Me, for ye were walking in the paths of thick delusion. Thus did We seize the sight of those who beheld not the Beauty of God with their own eyes and were among the heedless ones.

Say: By God! This is a Beauty wherein is kindled and shineth the light of God, the Mighty, the Luminous. From Him hath appeared every wondrous command, and from Him have been detailed the Tablets of God, and from Him hath appeared the embroidered vesture of this mighty News. Say: The Beauty of the Ancient One hath shone forth from His collar—blessed be God, the Sovereign of the worlds!

And thou—remind the people in thy days and fear no one, even if these deniers oppose thee. Verily thy Lord will guard thee from those who have disbelieved and from these unbelievers. Say: By God! We desired not to reveal Our Cause to anyone, and thus were We in mighty concealment. But when the ungodly imprisoned Us in this prison, We therefore revealed Our countenance in spite of them and in spite of those who denied these wondrous, revealed verses.

Say: Those who have turned away from this Countenance, these are in the torment of the blazing fire, and neither their faith nor their deeds shall be accepted, even if they prostrate themselves to God in their days or spend the fullness of the heavens and earth in precious pearls. Say: O companions of God! Fear God and be steadfast in your love, such that your feet slip not from the breaths of those who are far removed. Know ye that the Balance today is My love, and if ye desire to weigh anyone, recite unto him from the verses which have been sent down from My presence. If his eyes overflow with tears, know ye that he is upon the truth from God and is possessed of manifest certitude. And he whose face darkeneth, verily he is in grievous unbelief. And beware lest thou approach one whose breast’s rancor is as manifest as the sun in the midst of heaven, such that none among creation could mistake it, if ye be of them that witness.

Say: O concourse of the beloved! Ye helped Us not in that, but God will help Me in truth and will raise up in truth one who shall smite upon his mouth through the power of God, the Most High, the Powerful, the Wise. Say: Verily God is powerful over His creation. He seizeth whom He willeth with sovereignty from His presence and power from His court, and verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the Potent. Thus do We cast upon thee from the verses of the Spirit that thou mayest be among the steadfast ones.

BH01404: This is an epistle from this Prisoner unto him…

He is God—exalted be His station, the All-Holy!

This is an epistle from this Prisoner unto him who is illumined, and is like the garment of Joseph of Egypt divine through the word “seeing.” The garment of the Servant of Canaan bestowed outward sight, and the garment of the Servant of the All-Merciful bestowed inward vision. How blessed art thou, for God hath made thy sight keen this day! The sighs of thy heart are evident and the burning of thy soul is known, and in all this thou hast followed in My path, and there hath befallen thee in My way what befell My Beauty. On the path of the Beloved thou didst not rest for a moment nor pause for an instant. What distant journeys thou didst traverse on foot before My countenance, and what arduous deserts thou didst run through with loving feet! All this hath been and shall remain before Our sight. And now thou art afflicted with the company of dispirited souls and withered forms and veiled servants who are as dead, removed from the gathering of fellowship and the sacred dwelling place.

Yet since Our desire hath been what God desired, and Our purpose what He purposed, and Our will what He ordained and decreed, all hath been and shall remain beloved. God willing, throughout all days thou shalt remind the people of the remembrance of their Lord, the All-Compelling, the All-Knowing. Although the Water of Life is not allotted to the company of beasts, and the Choice Wine of the All-Merciful shall never be the portion of the people of error and loss—and the sincere ones drink of the wine that was pressed by the fingers of holiness—yet since the divine winds of mercy are blowing and the holy breezes of grace are passing by, perchance some souls shall be purified from worldly defilements through the Stream of Recognition, enter the most exalted and glorious station of certitude, and attain the presence of the Beauty of the All-Merciful.

In these days thou must walk among the servants with the utmost submissiveness, humility and pure servitude, for the manifestation of the Cause and the stability of weak souls depend upon these things. This is true victory, for the enemies have appeared with such craftiness that Satan himself is bewildered. Soon thou shalt know and be among those who are informed. If thou deemest it advisable to travel through the lands, it is permissible, but with utmost caution, for thy protection is of paramount importance.

If thou wishest to know of the calamities that have befallen this land—by God, the pen is powerless, nay all things are powerless to recount them! Would that I had not been born of a mother or drunk pure milk from the breast, or had not, after attaining maturity, proclaimed God’s Cause, for this station hath been and shall be the cause of the enemies’ hatred. By Him Who caused the Bird of Immortality to warble in My breast! I strove greatly that no Cause be manifested at all, and that I might leave the people in their realm of fancy, but the Spirit left Me not in peace, established Me in the Cause, and made Me speak between the heavens and the earth. In brief, such tyranny hath been inflicted as hath no likeness in creation, and yet they have taken up the pen of falsehood and attributed their own evil deeds to the Essence of Holiness.

When they observed that this manifest grace could not be veiled, and that surely not all people are blind—there must be those with penetrating vision who can distinguish between the sun and shadow, between existence and nothingness—they therefore girded up their loins to cut down the Tree. And when they found themselves disappointed and at loss, they spread all their vain imaginings around in My name, that perchance they might thereby cast rancor into hearts, for they had found all people to be without discernment or understanding. Among other things, My brother wrote to various regions that people had shunned Me for a morsel of bread. Now consider: would any base person speak thus? Moreover, such a statement about One at whose table, were all humanity to gather, they would be sustained until the end of time without showing any trace of displeasure—let alone refusing to share!

It is evident to what degree they have risen up to harm Me and how determined they are to destroy the Cause. Leave them to their unbelief and their lies, to play their games. It would be a pity for the pen to be sullied with mention of his fabrications and deeds. Would that I could recount to thee in full detail the beginning of this Cause, that thou mightest know how much bounty was shown to him and to what degree he hath risen in ingratitude.

In any case, God willing, may thou remain firm and steadfast as a mountain of steel in the Cause of God.

BH01437: In the Name of God, the Most Wondrous! My…

In the Name of God, the Most Wondrous! My mention of My servant is that he may detach himself from all else and draw nigh unto God, the All-Subduing, the Self-Subsisting. Say: O loved ones of God, do ye rejoice or do ye lament? Verily, the Youth weepeth by reason of what hath befallen Him at the hands of them that have disbelieved in the All-Merciful and followed the Evil One. Say: He weepeth not for Himself, nor for that which hath befallen Him, but rather for what hath befallen the Cause of God, the Almighty, the All-Subduing, the Mighty, the Beloved. Would that I had been slain by the swords of the wicked ones, and that My brother, whom We reared, had not allied himself with them that have disbelieved in God for a paltry sum, after We had denied him nothing, and he possessed of the world’s vanities what would suffice him in his days until he should return to them that dwell in the graves. We had exalted his mention, yet he hath violated the sanctity of God amongst them that have disbelieved in the signs of God, the All-Subduing, the Self-Subsisting.

I have spent my soul for the sanctity of the Cause until the standards of guidance were raised in the East and the West of the earth, and none denieth this save he who hath disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the All-Loving. He hath arisen in opposition in such wise as to rend asunder the veils of glory by following his rejected self. By My life! He hath no station before God—his likeness is as that of a fly, did ye but know it. And though a fly hath no station, yet when it falleth into a cup of water, man abhorreth to drink thereof. Thus should ye know him and be of them that are certain.

Were We to impart unto you what he hath done and committed, by God, ye would strike your heads and weep and cry aloud. Say: O people! This is the Youth of God among you, calling you unto Him. Through Him the Cause of God hath become renowned throughout all lands, and the breezes of glory have wafted over them that are detached. They that have disbelieved have compromised the Cause in such wise that the hem of sanctity hath been soiled by their calumnies. Thus hath it befallen this Prisoner. Therefore do I lament and weep and say:

“O my Beloved! Cause me to ascend unto the vicinity of Thy supreme mercy in the Most Exalted Companion, at the Manifestation of Thy Most Exalted, Most Glorious Self, that my soul may find peace and my body find rest. Verily, Thou art powerful over what Thou willest, and Thou art the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.”

O my Lord! Let me taste the heat of the sword in Thy path, then increase the misery of them who have disbelieved. Then sharpen the blade of their knives that they may cut me piece by piece in Thy path. This is my desire, O my Beloved! For by Thy might and Thy majesty, then by Thy greatness and Thy grandeur, I love not to remain among Thy creatures for less than an instant. Thou knowest what is within my soul, while I know not what is within Thine. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

O my Lord! Draw me nigh unto the Most Exalted Companion, then cut me off from those who speak naught except what their souls and desires command them, who are heedless of Thy Cause and Thy sovereignty in ways that cannot be described in words. Thou knowest what they have committed in Thy days, and with Thee is the knowledge of all things in a preserved tablet.

O my Lord! The light of His Countenance has been altered by the blows of them that have ascribed partners unto Thee, and the holy fragrances have been cut off from all creation by reason of what they have committed before Thy face, after Thou didst create them for Thyself and didst command them to appear before Thee. O my Lord! My distress hath reached such a point that the Supreme Pen is bewildered in mentioning it, and every witness and the witnessed are powerless to reckon it.

Then I beseech Thee, O my God, to send down upon Thy loved ones the signs of Thy victory, then gather them upon the shore of Thy oneness, then send down upon them what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones and the best of Thy creation. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the All-Subduing, the Self-Subsisting.

And thou, O servant, give thanks unto God for having mentioned thy name from the Supreme Pen, and this is indeed a great bounty. Grieve not over anything, then aid thy Lord in these severe days. Beware lest the might of Our idolatrous servants frighten you. By My life! He who hath known God and loved Him would sacrifice his soul in His path and would pay no heed to the worlds, for beyond this world there exists a kingdom and a mighty sovereignty, and worlds which none can reckon save the Self of thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Grieve not over your bodies, for We have desired that ye should possess the kingdoms of the spirit. And he who hath become aware of this station, by God, will care neither for himself nor for what he possesseth, and will hasten to the place of sacrifice in My Most Glorious Name, and will willingly sacrifice his soul for My mighty, invincible Self. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH01460: We have forewarned men of the days of tribulation…

In His Name, the All-Merciful!

We have forewarned men of the days of tribulation and of what would come to pass therein, in a Tablet of exalted glory wherein was inscribed that which was ordained by the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, lest any should be perturbed when that which was destined should be made manifest—a token of Our grace unto the sincere ones. Yet when the sun of tribulation dawned from the horizon of divine decree, We found the sincere ones in grave peril. Say: Be fair, O people! Death shall overtake you—this is a truth in which there is no doubt—and shall seize both young and old. Since this is so, would you choose to sacrifice in the path of God, or death in your beds? Ponder on this, O ye fair-minded ones! Say: The spirit was created for sacrifice, were ye but to know it. Say: This do We ask of God, even though ye be averse to it.

God is my witness! Had it not been in conflict with that which the Tablets of God have decreed, I would have gladly kissed the hands of whosoever attempted to shed my blood in the path of the Well-Beloved. I would, moreover, have bestowed upon him a share of such worldly goods as God had allowed me to possess, even though he who perpetrated this act would have provoked the wrath of the Almighty, incurred His malediction, and deserved to be tormented throughout the eternity of God, the All-Possessing, the Equitable, the All-Wise.

They who were slain but slew not are now in the highest paradise with the Prophets and Messengers. Were God to remove the veil from the eyes of those who are heedless, they would all sacrifice their souls for love of that station. But it hath been concealed from them and revealed unto another people, as a grace from Him to His detached servants. O Dhabih! When thou desirest the scene of sacrifice, consent not to alteration. Sacrifice thy body in love for the Supreme Concourse—a station that cannot be described in words. By thy Lord, the All-Merciful! God hath made mention of it virgin-pure; though all the tongues of the world should mention it, it would remain forever unmentioned, for hearing, sight and heart can only perceive what hath been created in this world, and beyond it the birds of the hearts of the mystics cannot soar, save those whose vision God hath made as His own vision. He witnesseth and veileth, in accordance with the wisdom of the All-Knowing, the Wise.

He who hath believed in this Revelation hath sacrificed in God’s path, and We are witness to this. Be thou assured that God hath ordained for thee the reward of one martyred in His path, and will protect thee from the edge of the sword if thou remainest steadfast in His Cause and conveyest His message with such wisdom as is within thy power. Indeed, He doth not burden any soul beyond its capacity. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. I complain unto thee of those who shed blood, after thou knowest that We have forbidden the people from this in all the Tablets—and God is Witness and Well-Informed. Say: O people! God hath raised Me up for fellowship and unity. Fear God, and commit not that which would harm the root of the Cause—this indeed is a grievous wrong.

Those who cast God’s Cause behind their backs and commit what they were forbidden—these are in manifest error. Say: If ye love striving in God’s path, strive with your own selves—this indeed is the greater striving. Hearken thou unto My words: Purify thy heart and the hearts of the people from all the allusions of the idolaters, then stand firm upon the throne of certitude beneath the shadow of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. He shall suffice thee against the veiled ones. We know that the letter “H” was overwhelmed by the veils of fancy, and names prevented him from entering God’s Kingdom, and he became as one asleep. The reminder profiteth him not; it increaseth naught for the wrongdoers save manifest loss. He sucketh at the breast of fancy; the time of weaning came, yet how far from maturity! Therefore was he denied what was promised in the Book and became deprived of the breezes of God, the All-Knowing, the Wise. Soon shall he say: “Woe unto me for what I neglected in regard to God!” and he shall be among the heedless ones.

Say: After turning away from these verses, dost thou consider thyself among those who believed in what was revealed in the Bayan? By God! Then would all things laugh at thee, and all the worlds would disown thee. Blessed is he who beholdeth them in the sea of heedlessness and saith:

“Praise be to God Who preserved me by His grace and delivered me from the depths of fancy and numbered me with the victorious ones!”

Thus have We imparted unto thee that which shall profit thee, as a mercy from Us unto thee and unto those possessed of certitude. Glory be upon thee and upon thy son. We beseech God to grant unto him and thee the best of what He hath ordained for those near unto Him. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH01461: O Samandar!

In the name of the one, peerless, single, unique God.

O Samandar!

Sing thou the praise of My Name, the All-Compelling, for whosoever today becometh assured of this Name shall be accounted before God among the most exalted of beings. I swear by My Beauty that these people have not recognized the All-Compelling as He should be recognized, for if they acknowledge this Name, why then do they raise these objections at all times before the King of names and attributes? If God is the All-Compelling, then to utter “why” and “wherefore” in that most holy Presence is utterly vain. For instance, should He decree water to be fire, or fire to be water, or heaven to be earth, or earth to be heaven—He was and ever will be the All-Compelling.

Say: O servants! Have ye not witnessed God’s power through My mighty hand, and have ye not heard the holy utterances of the eternal Sovereign from My most pure and sacred tongue, and have ye not observed the all-embracing divine mercy from My boundless cloud of grace, and have ye not discovered the radiance of the Sun of inner meanings from the holy horizon of My Beauty? By God, the True One! If ye were to observe with the eye of insight, ye would find inscribed upon My luminous brow, by the most ancient Pen with musk-scented ink from the fingers of My power, in the most glorious script:

“By God, this is the Most Exalted Perspective, this is the Most Great Beauty, this is He through one glance of Whose eyes were created the kingdoms of eternity, the cities of names, and the manifestations of oneness in the realm of creation. This, verily, is He through Whom the eyes of grandeur were solaced behind the pavilion of the unseen. This, verily, is He in Whose recognition, then in Whose power, then in Whose grandeur, then in Whose sovereignty, all who have been clothed with the garment of existence have been bewildered, were ye of them that know.”

O Samandar! Behold thou the pure essence of My nature, that if all the tongues of creation were to make mention of My Lordship and Divinity, He would surely find His luminous heart grieved thereby. Nevertheless, His tribulation hath reached such a pass that a handful of dust which He took up with His merciful grasp, into which He breathed the spirit of grace, and which He nurtured with the hands of His favor, hath risen up to war against His very Self. Yet he counteth himself among the oppressed. Shouldst thou observe well, no oppression in all creation hath ever appeared or been manifested greater than this. Cursed be he and those who follow him!

In any case, thy letter of arguments hath been presented and observed before Me. Blessed art thou for having taken from the virgin gardens of inner meanings. Would that thou hadst been aware from the beginning of the Cause. By Him Who is unique in His grandeur! None was aware of His Cause from its beginning. We concealed it through a wisdom from Our presence. In these days, croaking and braying have been raised, and they have sent tablets of falsehood in all directions, and surely they will reach thee also. Thou must, by God’s might and power, take up thy pen and write in response whatsoever the breaths of the Spirit of Baha cast upon thy heart. Rejoice within thyself for what God hath ordained for thee in the Most Exalted Station, a station of sublime glory.

Therefore, strive thou at all times to guide people from the paths of fire to the straight path of the All-Compelling Beauty. This is the counsel of thy Lord, which hath been inscribed by the Pen of mercy. Some time ago, an exalted Tablet was sent especially for thee, and now again this wondrous Tablet. Verily, He is the Bestower, the Munificent, the Generous. May the radiance that hath shone forth from the horizon of holiness be upon thee and upon those who are with thee, who have turned toward the direction of God’s mercy, and upon the devout men and women, and upon all, young and old.

Take thou by the hand him who was named ʿAli-Akbar, who was formerly with you, for he is drowned in the seas of idle fancies. Write thou to him what God hath cast upon thy heart, then teach him the way of truth, that he may become of those who are assured. Say: O servant! Be not proud before Me, and let not what thou possessest of mere allusions deceive thee. Hearken unto what this Youth casteth upon thee from thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, that perchance the fire of his resistance may be changed to the light of acceptance, and he may cross over the Bridge and be of those who advance. Then convey Our greetings to all in thy city who have believed in God and turned toward the holy and noble Perspective.

BH01465: O Siyyid Hasan! He is the Mighty, the Impregnable!

O Siyyid Hasan! He is the Mighty, the Impregnable!

This is the Book sent down in truth from the presence of a mighty and manifest Sovereign. Verily there is no doubt therein—a guidance unto all the worlds. Say: O people, believe in God and in that which hath been sent down in truth unto ʿAli, and in Him Who shall come in the impregnable clouds. O people, fabricate not lies against God, nor exceed the bounds in His Cause. Then walk ye upon a straight and holy path.

O peoples of the heavens and the earth! Hearken unto the call of God from this Tree that hath grown and risen up, this blessed, eternal, and unique Tree which hath been raised up on the Mount of Glory by God’s leave. Say: Verily the Tree of the Cause speaketh within My breast, if ye would hear with the hearing of God. Say: By God! The Spirit of the Cause hath rent asunder from Me the veil of concealment and hath made Me manifest in truth—this was decreed by One mighty and powerful. Say: The Faithful Spirit speaketh in this Ridvan and calleth all to a holy and mighty Beauty, and giveth the people glad tidings of the meeting with God in this Spirit that gleameth from the horizon of grace. Hearken ye on the Day when the Herald calleth from the direction of the Most Exalted Name. Then shall ye find the true Cry between heaven and earth, and God shall come in holy clouds surrounded by hosts of angels.

O people of the Bayan! When ye attain unto the presence of that Day, hasten ye unto Him and question not concerning Him any lying sinner or one possessed of knowledge. Say: Beware lest ye deal with Him as ye dealt with the Point when He appeared with a manifest Book. Fear ye God and spread not corruption in His Cause, nor visit upon Him what ye visited upon this servant, for this was indeed a grievous error in the Mother Book.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Would ye do as the people of the Furqan did before? Woe unto you for having chosen oppression as your path. Say: The people of the Furqan declared “We believe in God and in what was revealed to Muhammad, the Messenger of God” until the test came to them from a direction near to glory. When ʿAli appeared in truth with a preserved and holy Book, they then disbelieved in God, associated partners with His Self, and turned away from the grace that was sent down bountifully from a holy heaven. Even so have these people dealt with this servant in this time, after He came to them with a proof from God and luminous tablets.

Say: By God! This Day shall no one’s faith profit him unless he entereth upon this Shore whereon is heard the call of God from beyond the veils, and wherein the Nightingale warbleth with every wondrous melody. Know then that thy letter hath come before Us, and We have taken it with the fingers of grace, and thus have We bestowed Our favor upon thee that thou mightest be among the thankful and the well-pleased with thy Lord. Remind the people of that wherewith We have reminded thee in truth, that thou mayest stand firm in the religion of God.

Say: By God! This holy Mountain shall not be moved by the tempests of rancor nor the storms of hatred. The Tree proclaimeth therefrom:

“I am God, there is none other God but Him, and He is indeed the Witness unto all things.”

Step forth from the veils of fancy and desire, and turn thy face toward the direction of eternity in this decree. Put thy trust in God, thy Lord, and He shall suffice thee against all the worlds. And if grief touch thee for My sake, grieve not, but stand firm in thy love and be steadfast in truth within thyself.

Say: By God! The heavens of conjecture shall be cleft asunder by a trial that shall seize both small and great, and the mountains of idle fancy shall crumble at this Youth Who hath appeared from the horizon of God with a mighty proof. As for thee, conceal this pearl within the shell of thy heart, though We have commanded thee to mention it, and in this there is an impregnable wisdom. Speak of it to those in whom thou perceivest the fragrance of the spirit, then conceal it from those who have taken their vain desires as their god and who are blind to true vision. Thus have We commanded thee, then forbidden thee, then taught thee, that thou mightest walk upon a mighty and straight path.

Say: By God! This is indeed the path of God for all who are in the heavens and on earth, and His light for all who are in the dominions of Command and Creation, and His proof unto all the worlds. Say: When the idolaters transgressed their bounds, We made manifest Our true Self that the proof might be fulfilled against them with eloquence. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who have turned unto God with their souls and their wealth, and who have remained steadfast in the Cause.

BH01466: All that is in the heavens and on earth…

All that is in the heavens and on earth glorifieth God in wisdom, and all are His worshippers. All things glorify Him, but people do not understand. How many servants remember Him at eventide and at dawn, yet remain heedless of His beauty, turning towards various directions out of longing for Him and seeking His good-pleasure, while turning away from His presence. They spend their wealth in His path, yet remain veiled from His Self.

Say: O people! Know your Creator, then do what ye have been commanded in the preserved Tablet of glory. Before recognition, no soul’s deeds are accepted, even should they perform all the deeds of the past and future. I testify that these creatures are worshippers of idle fancies, save those whose hands have been seized by the hands of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, and whom He hath protected through His grace. He, verily, is the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.

They who claim belief in God have opposed Him and denied His sovereignty, yet they perceive it not. They recite the verses We sent down aforetime upon ʿAli, and before him upon Muhammad the Apostle of God, and before him upon the Spirit, yet they deny Him Who sent them in truth. Thus do they act, and know not.

Say: Today, should anyone weep to such extent that from his eyes flow tears equal to all the seas of the heavens and earth out of fear of God, and worship God at every spot of earth for seventy thousand years, it would profit him not except after My leave and command, and after turning towards this Sanctuary wherein the Sun of thy Lord’s remembrance hath been established upon the throne of might and power. Thus hath it been sent down from the Pen of Command, yet the people remain veiled within the veils of their own selves.

When thou receivest God’s Tablet and His tokens, arise from thy place, then turn thy face towards the Throne and say: O my God! Praise be to Thee for having caused me to hear Thy call from the direction of Thy prison and for having remembered me after I was heedless of Thee. Send down, then, upon me from the clouds of Thy mercy that which will purify me from all except Thee and draw me near unto Thy Most Exalted Self in this Revelation which hath appeared through Thy Most Glorious Name amongst the hosts of creation. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

At that time thou shalt find thy Lord’s fragrant breezes from every direction and find thyself detached from all allusions and tokens, and thou shalt hear thy Lord’s call with thine inner ear from all things, that there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Exalted, the Beloved.

Beware lest thou be heedless of thy Lord’s Cause. Seek thy Creator’s grace, then detach thyself from those who join partners with God. When the breezes of thy Lord’s Command encompass thee from all directions and thou findest the sweet savors of the musk of inner meanings from the ink of the words of the King of Names and Attributes, arise amongst the servants to His remembrance and praise, and fear not those who act unjustly.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear your Lord, the All-Merciful, and dispute not with Him Who hath dawned from the horizon of the Cause with manifest sovereignty. O people! Fear God and deny not Him around Whom circle the proof and the evidence, Who came in the shadows of the clouds when the matter was decreed by God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Loving.

Say: O people! Ponder this Cause—this is greater than all great things, could ye but perceive it. Then reflect on what was revealed in the Bayan concerning Him, that ye might become aware. This is He but for Whose mention the Most Exalted Pen moved not between the fingers of the Primal Point, Who gave you glad tidings of His presence, were ye but fair-minded.

Read what hath been sent down from the heaven of your Lord, the All-Merciful, upon the Point of the Bayan, that ye may arise from the slumber of passion and turn towards the holy precincts, and be not of those who disbelieve. O people! He desireth naught from you, and His reward is with Him Who sent Him with the truth and caused Him to speak in praise of His Self among His servants. Be fair in His Cause and be not of those who act unjustly.

If thou findest one who is receptive, impart unto him what thou art commanded; otherwise, turn away from him and turn unto God, thy Lord. He, verily, shall suffice thee in truth against all that hath been created in the heavens and on earth. Nothing escapeth His knowledge, and all things are recorded with Him in a clear tablet.

And glory be upon thee and upon those who, when they heard God’s call, responded to it and cast behind them the allusions of every rejected opponent.

BH01479: He is the One Who has power over whatsoever…

He is the One Who has power over whatsoever He willeth, Who manifesteth as He pleaseth through His command. There is none other God but He, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

O ʿAli! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, from the direction of the Throne, that it may draw thee to the sacred and beauteous court and detach thee to such degree that thy body may be freed from the allusions of the concourse of creation, and thou mayest speak between earth and heaven in the name of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Compelling.

Say: O people! By the True One! There hath appeared from the horizon of glory a Sun, upon which hath been inscribed by the Pen of God, the Most Exalted:

“The Kingdom on that day shall be God’s, the One, the Single, the All-Powerful, the Most Glorious.”

This is a sword which, were it to strike the back of Satan, would cause him and his hosts to flee to the nethermost fire. Thus hath the decree shone forth from the dayspring of glory, if ye be of them that are endowed with insight.

Say: O people! Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is He Who chooseth whatsoever He pleaseth, and naught in the heavens or earth can prevent Him from that which He hath created. He hath manifested through the power of might that which hath rent asunder the heavens of knowledge, split the veils of understanding, and caused the hearts of the righteous to tremble.

O ʿAli! Where are the believers among the people of the Bayan who claimed they had known God through God? Say: The test from your Lord, the Mighty, the Bountiful, hath come unto you. The Bird of Paradise singeth with sweetest melodies upon the branches of the Lote-Tree that hath been raised in the celestial garden, and its leaves proclaim:

“There is none other God but I, the One with power over all things, the Mighty, the Transcendent, the All-Forgiving.”

O ʿAli! Purify the hearts of those who are veiled by a name among names from this Living Water, that the holy fragrances may draw them to the realm of nearness and sever them from all directions.

Say: O people! By the True One! The Cause of God shall not be obscure to anyone, for it is manifest above all things and shineth like the sun in the heaven of eternity. None deny it save those who have turned away from God throughout all ages. Among the people are those who acknowledge that He is the Chooser in His Cause, doing as He willeth, yet when that which contradicteth their own desires appeareth, they become agitated and perceive not. Thus hath God set veils of fire upon their hearts.

Say: By God, O people! All that ye have heard regarding him who warred against God hath appeared from Our presence, as every discerning one whom veils and coverings have not withheld doth testify. Place yourselves, O people, in the presence of God. If ye deny that which hath appeared and shone forth from the horizon of His Cause, by what proof do ye uphold that which ye possess? Be fair, then, O ye who are endowed with vision.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear God and dispute not with Him Who hath endured that which no one in all lands hath endured, Who hath suffered the arrows of the ungodly for twenty years, and Who hath arisen to establish the Cause with sovereignty and power. By God, O people! My heart hath melted, my liver hath been consumed, and my vitals have been torn asunder. Have mercy on Me, O company of the righteous!

Beware lest ye differ regarding the Cause of God. Reflect upon the proofs of God that ye possess, and upon former ages, and that which hath appeared from the realm of eternity. Then be fair, O ye who are endowed with understanding.

Say: If My crime be My appearance among you, by God, this was not of Mine own accord but by God’s command, the Mighty, the Compelling. O people! By God, I have stood between heaven and earth in days when souls were shaken by the onslaught of the wicked ones. By God, had any other than I arisen to champion the Cause, God would not have sent Me forth nor commissioned Me. This sufficeth you, did ye but know the mysteries.

Say: O people! I have sacrificed My soul in days when ye preserved yourselves behind veils. When the Cause was made manifest and the Temple of the Remembrance was established upon the throne of independence, he whom We had nurtured and taught, morning and evening, rose up against Me.

Say: O people! Do ye doubt God, or His power which hath encompassed all created things, or His signs which have filled the East and West of the earth? Be fair then, O company of divines!

Thus have We informed thee and mentioned thee, that thou mayest be apprised of the Cause and remember thy Lord in the night season and at dawn. And glory be upon thee and upon those who have rent asunder the veils of idle fancy through the name of their Lord, the Mighty, the Bountiful.

BH01482: These are the verses of God, the King…

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

These are the verses of God, the King, the manifest Justice, unto him who hath believed in God and His Most Great Sign on the day whereon all who are in the heavens and on earth were thunderstruck, when the hypocrites were debarred from the Kawthar of grace, and the lovers attained unto the Law of impregnable glory. Say: Blessed is he who hath attained unto that which hath flowed from the right hand of the Throne. Woe unto them that doubt, whom self and desire have withheld from turning unto God, the Most High, the Most Great. They shall drink of boiling water and be unaware thereof.

Say: O people! We have ordained all good in this Shadow that hath encompassed the worlds. Thus did We send it down aforetime upon Ali, and he delivered the messages of his Lord until he was suspended in the air in the presence of the oppressors and offered up his spirit unto God, my Lord and the Lord of all created things. And verily this is Ali who in truth calleth you once again unto that whereunto he called you before, and God is witness and well-informed of this. He awaiteth that which befell ʿAli aforetime, if ye be of them that know.

Say: He yearned to meet Me, and I verily yearn to meet him, and he is with Me now, would ye but see with clear vision. I desire to sacrifice Myself in his path, though this is but a trifle compared with His bounties that have encompassed the worlds. Say: O people! Fear ye God, then be ashamed before His Beauty, and shed not the blood of His Beloved and the Beloved of God, the Sovereign, the Almighty, the Most High, the Most Great.

Say: The Beauty of the Unseen hath appeared through grace, and the Tongue of the Unseen speaketh the truth. Blessed be God, the Best of Manifestors. Whosoever perceiveth any difference hath indeed strayed from the paradise of divine unity and departed from the stronghold of uniqueness, and is counted among the idolaters.

O people! Behold ye My Beauty in His Beauty, then His signs in My signs, then His Manifestation in My Manifestation, then His dawning in My dawning, then His effulgence from this manifest horizon. Say: He hath enjoined upon you in all the Tablets to make mention of Me and to praise My Self, yet the people have denied My Self, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Exalted, the All-Knowing.

By My life! He desired naught but what I desire, and I desire naught but what He desired. My Self beareth witness to this, and My testimony in itself sufficeth those who know, for no testimony besides Mine existeth before God’s testimony, and none denieth this save he who hath disbelieved in God and joined the company of Satan.

O servant! Give thanks unto God for having raised thee up and given thee life after We caused thee to die, and made thee vibrate with the breaths of My glorious and wondrous remembrance. Were all the kingdoms of the seen and the unseen in thy possession, and were thou to expend them in thy Lord’s path to attain that which thou hast attained, it would still be but little compared with the grace that hath encompassed thee from the presence of One mighty and powerful.

They who today stand firm in this Cause in this Manifestation are indeed more exalted than all who dwell on earth, and this is a manifest truth. Give thanks unto thy Lord, then rejoice that My Self maketh mention of thee, and be glad that My radiant and luminous Beauty praiseth thee.

Say: Praise be to God Who through His power hath preserved me and through truth hath guarded me from turning to any but Him, and hath delivered me from the depths of self and passion. He is verily the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Beware lest the murk of the world prevent thee from ascending to the stations of Names and Attributes. Remember thy Lord and proclaim His Cause, for this is better than all that hath been created between the heavens and earth. His victory is not achieved through disputation and conflict, but through utterance, yet most people are heedless of this, have caused corruption in the Cause, and are among the mischief-makers. Through their actions harm hath returned to the very root of the Tree, yet they remain in profound heedlessness.

Stand thou firm in the Cause in such wise that shouldst thou find thyself alone in God’s Cause, thy being shall not be troubled and thou shalt be among the steadfast. For thereby every base one is exalted, every mighty one is abased, and every tongue is made eloquent. Thus have We ordained the matter in preserved tablets of glory.

Beware lest thou be veiled by the veils of the people of the Bayan, for they cite My verses of aforetime, yet turn away from My Self and are unaware. Thus have We imparted unto thee the word of truth that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Mighty, the Generous. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon Our sincere servants.

BH01483: O Mirza Mihdi! In the House—He…

O Mirza Mihdi! In the House—He is the Most Holy, the Most Pure, the Most Exalted, the Most High, the Self-Subsisting!

These are the verses of God, the King, the Most High, the Powerful, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Beloved. He remindeth mankind of all wherein they have transgressed against God, that perchance they may return with their souls and hearts unto the seat of holiness, the station of glorious might, and that they may recognize their Lord and witness this exalted and inaccessible bounty.

Hearken, O people, unto the call of God from this Blessed Branch which hath been planted in the Garden of Eternity by the hand of God, the Sovereign, the Prevailing, the Manifest, the Hidden, the Witnessed—that there is none other God but I, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. I have created all possibilities through My generosity, and all existence through My grace, and I am the Almighty over whatsoever I will, and I am the King, the Worshipped One.

I have sent unto them Messengers with the truth to convey unto them the messages of God and guide them to the hallowed and blessed court. Among the people are those who have remained heedless and turned away from the melodies of God, denied His verses and fled from His presence like frightened wild asses fleeing from a lion—God, the Most High, the Exalted, the Gracious, the Desired One. And among them are those who have turned unto God, detached themselves from all else, and attained in nearness unto an exalted and wondrous station, and have drunk from the Kawthar of grace from the Cup-Bearer of the Spirit, and entered in the name of God into the depths of a surging ocean.

Thus passed the centuries and ages until time reached the days wherein the dawn of eternity broke forth and the Sun of the Ancient of Days rose without name or description, beyond every attribute described. When creation witnessed its blindness, He took for Himself a name from among names that this limited people might know Him by it, else He, exalted be He, is sanctified from being known by any name or described by any attribute. All names are but creation in His kingdom and all attributes are but signs of that which is created.

Therefore did He appear with the name of Ali between the heavens and the earth and said:

“O people! I have come to you from the Sinai of the Spirit with the tidings of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. O people! Fear God and deny not the signs of God, the King, the Mighty, the Dreaded One.”

But none heard His call and none among those on earth responded save a few numbered souls.

When He returned unto God, We testify that some people claimed to love Him with lying tongues that were witnessed. Say: O people! If ye believed in Him and His verses, how do ye deny these revealed and sent down verses? When ye denied these, it is proven that ye believed neither in their like, nor in God’s Book in any age, nor in His Cause in its time, nor in God’s Messengers, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Thus do We cast upon you from the verses of the Cause and counsel you with the most excellent counsel and remind you with the most wondrous remembrance, that ye may not go astray in your days and that none may be able to cut off your path to God, and that ye may be as firmly-fixed mountains, and that no ignorant rabble may lead you astray in My absence. This is a bounty that hath been inscribed by the hands of power.

Spirit, light and glory be upon those who turn toward this beloved quarter, whom no hindrance of any hinderer, nor the denial of any denier, nor the turning away of any who turneth away can repel, even should they be hindered by those who claim authority for themselves and are filled with pride and vainglory. He is the Mighty One.

Although these are days of perplexity, to such an extent that it hath encompassed and will encompass all who are on earth, yet your honor must move with the utmost protection and wisdom, that no opposition or conflict may arise from that House and its inhabitants, for the harm thereof would return upon the Tree. Seclusion in these days is more beloved than can be imagined. Assembly and association with these people hath never yielded and will never yield any fruit for oneself or others. Commit the matter unto God, then suffice thyself with Him above all else. The actions of the people are a truthful witness, as ye have seen. After the breaking of the respect for the House, what expectation remaineth from anyone? If that door be closed, it is better in the view of this servant, for perchance another matter might arise. In any case, remaining in that place hath conditions—I know not whether they will be fulfilled or not. Until now they have not been. Therefore, remain ye most concealed; pass by these faithless people. And peace be upon him who followeth guidance.

BH11712: O servant! Fear God in thine own self…

O servant! Fear God in thine own self and abide under Our protection in such wise that nothing shall grieve thee nor shall any matter trouble thee.

Thus do We cast upon thee from the sweet-scented breaths of His holiness that thou mayest be established upon the throne of detachment by the leave of the All-Merciful. Even shouldst thou possess all the hidden treasures of the unseen realm, which those who have tasted the love of the Youth possess, they would not divert thee from the beauty of God, Who hath dawned in truth from this horizon which was witnessed upon the cloud of the Cause from the heaven of this atmosphere.

Strive thou within thyself, then struggle in thine own being, lest anything prevent thee from the love of thy Lord, for in these days the breezes of temptation have blown from the direction of tests, causing leaves to fall even as the autumn winds cause them to fall—thus hath the Cause been known in truth. Hold fast unto this Tree which hath been raised in truth, beneath whose shade none can rest save those who have detached themselves from all things. Thus doth the Dove of the Cause warble between earth and heaven, that perchance thereby the servants of the All-Merciful may hasten to the shore of this bounty which hath been raised up in justice.

If thou wouldst remember within thyself and remind others of this Most Great Remembrance, it would be better for thee than all thou witnessest and beholdest. This is what hath now been sent down from the Pen of the Cause upon a preserved holy tablet.

Then mention the generous one from Our presence that he may receive glad tidings within his essence, and perchance detach himself from his self and desires, and ascend to praiseworthy heights of sanctity. Then remind him that We have not issued an explicit command regarding thy daughter, but rather We revealed it in the name of the Penitent One, whom ye have not known and who remained forsaken among you. And We commanded him to choose her for himself with joy and fragrance, should he be content in his soul and she content in her soul. Thus was the command sent down from the horizon of wisdom by the Pen of Glory.

And We commanded him thus after his letter came before Us and he sought permission from God, his Lord, to send her to this Station which was sanctified above turning to the worlds. But if she were to rend asunder the veils of fancy from her face, she would find from Him what cannot be found from any other, and thy Lord is indeed knowing of what I say. But since the veils of fancy have not been rent from the eyes of created things, they pay no heed to what they say and will never recognize the beauty of the Cause when it was established in truth upon the heaven of exalted glory.

By God! If she but knew, all who are in the heavens and earth could not compare with My Cause. But time has brought Me low through what ye have imagined within yourselves, and ye have deprived yourselves of the beauty of glory.

O concourse of creation! By God the Truth! That which hath appeared cannot be compared with the command of all that hath been created in the kingdoms of creation, nor can the knowledge of the mystics, the eloquence of the eloquent, nor the learning of any possessor of distinction attain unto the precincts of His sanctity.

Thus hath the Dove warbled with melodies the like of which have never been raised in the realm of possibility, that perchance souls may be attracted thereby and ascend to the station which was mentioned behind the veil of reason in the pavilion of love.

O Javad! If thou wilt purify thy heart from attachment to the world and all that is therein, and with a holy and merciful spirit enter the right side of the blessed vale of divine oneness in Sinai, then in this case thou art permitted and it is fitting and timely.

And it is known that the bird of the yearning heart in separation is like a fish writhing upon the dust. Verily the mystical fish of holiness seeketh to swim in the Most Great Ocean of the Lord and the deprived seeker yearneth for the sanctuary of the Intended One. However these are days the like of which the eye of creation hath never seen, and a mighty test hath come to pass. God willing, one must cling to the strong cord of grace and hold fast to the cloud of mercy, that perchance He may illumine spiritual eyes with the beauty of the divine Youth and not deprive the seekers of the Kaaba of the All-Merciful and the dwellers in the sanctuary of divine holiness from the wonders of His bounty.

As for the one addressed in the Temple, it is the outward form of His Most Holy Temple, and—exalted be His grandeur—at times He addresseth His outward form with the tongue of His inward reality, and likewise the reverse. Thus hast thou heard and continues to hear before the Throne, and thou art among those who hear.

BH01523: Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou dost witness…

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

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou dost witness and behold what hath befallen me at the hands of them that have denied Thy most great signs and turned away from Thy Beauty, having followed their own selves and idle fancies. By Thy glory, O my Beloved! The wolves have encompassed me from every side, and I remain alone in Thy dominion, solitary amidst Thy creatures. Whenever I impart unto them that which Thou hast taught me through Thy bounty and inspired me through Thy favors and loving-kindness, their wretchedness and their veils increase, until matters have reached such a pass that my heart is pierced by the arrows of their association of partners with Thee and the spears of their hatred. Yet when all this hath befallen me in Thy path and for Thy good-pleasure, O my God, I remain thankful for it and content with whatsoever Thou hast ordained in the kingdom of Thy decree.

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having caused me to taste the sweetness of Thy remembrance and given me to drink from the chalices of Thy grace and mercy. I beseech Thee, therefore, O my God, by Thy Name through which Thou didst join together the Kaf and the Nun, and didst manifest Thy hidden Name, that Thou send down upon Thy servants from the direction of the paradise of Thy favors that which will sever them from all else save Thee, turn them away from all besides Thee, and draw them nigh unto the direction of Thy nearness and Thy tender mercy. Thou, verily, art the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

By Thy glory, O my God, my Lord, and my Hope! Whenever I desire to arise to praise Thy Self amongst Thy creation and open my lips to mention Thee, I find myself bewildered therein, for I am certain that no remembrance of aught else beside Thee can ascend to the heaven of Thy mighty oneness, nor can any description of what is other than Thee soar to the atmosphere of Thy near singleness. Every possessor of utterance is powerless to rightfully mention Thee or render thanks unto Thee, and every possessor of sight is blind to beholding the lights of Thy beauty. Thou hast ever been sanctified beyond the remembrance of all else save Thee and the description of aught besides Thee. Thou, verily, art the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Generous.

O servant! Hearken unto the call of this Prisoner Who hath been imprisoned in the path of God, thy Lord, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Conquering, the Powerful. Then know thou that they who prided themselves on serving me have risen up against me with hypocrisy, have cast at me the darts of dissension, and have objected to me for having imparted unto them the mention of their Lord, the Most Exalted, the Great.

Say: O people! If this be my crime, then I am not the first criminal. Fear ye God, and pervert not the words of God from their places, and be not of the wrongdoers. By God! Whosoever possesseth the least sense of smell would assuredly detect the fragrance of truthfulness from this Shirt, sent forth and wondrous, which hath appeared upon the form of this Tablet and which We have sent unto thee that thou mayest remember thy Lord at morn and eventide.

Say: O people! Can the fragrance of musk be confused with aught else? Nay, by my life! Save by him who causeth the matter to become confused unto himself and followeth in the footsteps of Satan. Say: O company of the heedless! The Sun can never be concealed by the veils of rancor and hatred; verily, it hath shone forth in truth from a sanctified horizon resplendent. Say: O people! Fear ye God, then adorn your tongues with truthfulness, your hearts with equity, and your faces with humility before your Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate. Beware lest ye conceal the beauty of the Cause through the falsehood of your tongues. Fear ye God Who created you by a command from His presence, and be not of the negligent ones.

O believing servant! When this Tablet reacheth thee, remember God, thy Lord, and be not heedless of Him. He, verily, is the Protector of the doers of good. Say: O my God! I am he who hath detached himself from all else save Thee and hath fled to the shore of the might of Thy mercy, which hath preceded all created things. O my God! Drive not this poor one from the door of Thy riches, nor this thirsty one from the Kawthar of Thy grace and the Tasnim. O my God! Leave me not to myself and my desires, then rend asunder the veils that have prevented me from arriving at the shore of the might of Thy mercy. Thou, verily, art He Who doeth what He pleaseth and ordaineth what He willeth.

O my God! Send down upon me from the clouds of Thy bounty the rains of Thy generosity and grace, then cleanse thereby my heart from the remembrance of all else save Thee. Thou, verily, art the Supreme, the Most Exalted, the All-Encompassing.

O my God! Deprive me not of the wonders of Thy favor, then cause me to soar in the atmosphere of Thy nearness and ascend to the heaven of Thy mercy, that I may speak forth the praise of Thy Self between the heavens and the earth. Thus doth this Prisoner teach thee that thou mayest remember thy Lord and be of them that are certain. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH01531: This is a Tablet which bestoweth remembrance upon all…

He is the All-Possessing!

This is a Tablet which bestoweth remembrance upon all the worlds and guideth the heedless unto the paradise of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Great. Therein is healing for the breasts of those who have turned with their hearts toward the direction of God, and for the idolaters there is a grievous chastisement.

O servant! Be thou steadfast in the Cause which none can withstand save those who have detached themselves from all who are in the heavens and the earth. Then take hold of this handle whereby the hearts of those near unto God have taken hold.

Say: O people! Know ye that God hath made Us independent of you and of what ye possess and of all the worlds. We have no need of you nor of what ye possess. Rather, all things are in need of the grace that is with Me, and I am the Munificent, the Generous. Say: He is indeed self-sufficient in His own sufficiency, and all else is made sufficient through His sufficiency, were ye but to perceive it. And if We accept anything from anyone, that is of Our favor unto him, if ye be of those who know.

Say: By God! All who are in the heavens and earth cannot equal a single letter that proceedeth from My Pen, and I am the Bestower, the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. Say: What ye possess befitteth you and is worthy of your station, O concourse of the heedless! By God! If ye were to expend all that is in the heavens and earth, and what ye possess of gold and silver, and beyond these your spirits and your bodies, for one who would bring you glad tidings of this Cause in this Name, it would still be more insignificant than anything else, were ye but to know.

Say: O concourse of the Bayan! By the True God, heedlessness and intoxication have seized you more severely than the peoples of old, and this is testified to by this truthful and trustworthy Pen. Say: We have been imprisoned in this Prison behind towering mountains, and We seek from you neither helper nor assistant save God Who created Us and you, and help cometh from none but Him, and He is the Helper, the Almighty, the Powerful.

Say: Today nothing shall profit you, even if ye were to expend all that hath been created between earth and heaven, except that ye believe in this wise Remembrance. Nothing shall be accepted from anyone, even if he were to fast and pray for the duration of God’s existence, except that he draw nigh through this exalted and sublime Prayer.

Say: By the True God! Today none is permitted even to breathe except by My leave, much less anything else, were ye but of the God-fearing. And by this there ariseth the fire of hatred in the breasts of those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God, and tranquility in the hearts of the believers.

Say: If ye deny these verses, then by what proof have ye believed in all the Prophets and Messengers? Bring it forth if ye be truthful! Say: Remain ye in your homes and seats, then occupy yourselves with what your desires command you, and do not oppose these captives in this distant land. Fear ye God and dispute not with Him Who hath appeared with manifest sovereignty, the like of which hath never appeared before and shall never appear unto the end that hath no end, and Who remained behind the veil of concealment when He found you wrapped in veils of heedlessness and thick coverings.

And thou, read thou this Tablet and share it with the letter Mim that he may become aware of God’s sufficiency and be of the assured ones. And send its transcript to his land that its people might be transformed from the left hand of fancy to the right hand of certitude. Then convey Our remembrance to the letter Za’ and others among the steadfast loved ones of God whose feet slip not from this Path wherefrom slip the feet of the mystics.

Say unto them: Emerge from the darkness of heedlessness and convey yourselves, then convey the servants, and be not of the fearful ones. God will protect you from those who have disbelieved and oppressed, and from the hosts of the idolaters.

What they say regarding the letter Qaf in the presence of Mihdi is incorrect. Love for him has ever been and shall ever be manifest. The intent of that statement was to investigate the circumstances of the writer who wrote from the land of Ta, not you and them. In any case, pay no heed to the words of those who intend and raise up, for most are devoid of truth. What was mentioned in the Tablets was intended to manifest the unity of you Mihdis in Qamsin, naught else. We remember the people of the sanctuary, and likewise Majid and Rida and others among the assured ones.

BH01532: This is a Tablet that speaketh with truth…

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

This is a Tablet that speaketh with truth, and in it is that which guideth the people unto God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, Who hath ordained for Us that which He hath ordained for none else of His creation. We are, therefore, in great thanksgiving.

Say: O people! Successive years and consecutive months have passed, and the Face was among you like unto the resplendent, shining sun, yet ye turned not towards it for a moment, nor did ye recognize it for an instant, though it moved amongst you morning and evening. Thus did days and nights pass while the people were in great heedlessness and intoxication. And whenever We increased for them the proof, they increased in their wretchedness and were in manifest loss.

Say: O concourse of the Furqan and all who are in the heavens and on earth! Do ye follow what your desires command you and forsake Him Who created you and sustaineth you? Woe unto you, O company of Muslims! Fear God and cast not the Book of God behind your backs, and deprive not yourselves of this wondrous bounty. If ye have a proof greater than this, or an evidence mightier than it, then bring it forth and be not of the patient ones. And if ye have not God’s proof and His evidence, then by what proof did ye turn away from the Truth and were among the rejectors?

Do ye imagine within yourselves that God’s Cause will be altered by My imprisonment? Nay, by the Lord of all worlds! Rather, His Cause will be exalted and His decree elevated, even should all creation oppose it. He is triumphant over His Cause and firm in His support. He will aid His Cause through the hosts of His invisible realm on high.

Thus have We set forth the verses in truth that they might guide those who are guided by God their Creator. When the verses of God are recited unto them, they offer up their souls and are among those who draw nigh unto the homeland of nearness before God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

And thou, O Nabil, know that those who have left their homes and dwelling places, emigrating unto God—their reward falleth upon God. This is glad tidings for thee and for those who were among those who sought the right hand of holiness. Then know that those who claim faith in these days—their faith will not be complete except through their turning unto God and turning away from all who are in the heavens and earth. Be not as those who were before, and follow not that which they have no authority to follow, and be not of the heedless ones.

Say: O people! Follow not those unto whom God hath given no authority or power. Follow him who reciteth unto you the verses of God—this is one of His signs, if ye be of those who hear. Say: The bounty was among you, yet ye turned away from it after God had enjoined it upon you in all the Tablets, nay in every line, if ye be of those who see. When they turned away from God’s decree and denied God’s bounty, God removed it from their midst and left them in manifest darkness, and caused it to dwell in a place whose hem neither those who accept nor those who reject can touch.

We praise God for having confined Us in this remote prison. And thou, be thou at peace through thy Lord’s favor and grieve not for anything. God will assist thee through His Command and will ordain for thee abundant good, and will exalt thy name in truth among the company of those who are brought nigh.

Then know that We have written no letter to anyone, nor do We write except as God willeth. He verily ordereth all things as He pleaseth, and He is the Mighty, the Powerful. And if thou desirest, convey the fragrances wafting from this Tablet to those who have believed in God and His signs and were among the assured ones, that perchance the people may arise from the couches of heedlessness and turn with their hearts toward the direction of God, the Supreme, the Most High, the Great.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who have relied upon their Lord.

BH01542: O my God and my Lord! Thou seest what…

O my God and my Lord! Thou seest what Thou seest and dost witness what Thou dost witness, and Thou beholdest, O my Beloved, how I have been afflicted at the hands of Thy creatures, such that I have fallen into this well that hath neither beginning nor end. Before Me riseth up the Serpent of wrath with jaws stretched to engulf Me, and behind Me stalketh the lion of anger intent on tearing Me in pieces, and above Me, O My Well-Beloved, are the clouds of Thy decree, raining upon Me the showers of tribulations, whilst beneath Me are fixed the spears of misfortune, ready to wound My limbs and My body.

Yet O my God, despite these tribulations which no other among Thy servants hath endured, I give thanks to Thee with my inner and outer tongue, my visible and invisible being, and I say: Where is Thy hidden grace, and where are Thy lofty favors, O Thou Who art my Creator and Ordainer?

Glorified art Thou, O my Best-Beloved! If Thou dost not ward off from Me these tribulations that have descended, withhold not from My heart the sweet delights of Thy wondrous revelation, and if Thou dost not lift from Me these calamities that have befallen Me, close not off from My face the sweet-scented breezes of Thy sanctity.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! By Thy might, the melodies of Thy unity shall not cease from my mouth despite the sorrows that encompass Me from the manifestations of Thy negation and the dawning-places of Thy wrath, nor shall my lips cease moving despite the cares that have seized me from the direction of Thy decree. O my God, I have reached such a state of grief that the lamp weepeth at what hath befallen Me at the hands of the oppressors among Thy creatures and the rebellious among Thy creation.

Glorified art Thou, O my Beloved! Hear Thou the cry of this oppressed one in this Most Great Prison, O Thou in Whose hand is the Kingdom of might and eternity, and in Whose right hand is the sovereignty of command and destiny. Thou doest what Thou willest through Thy power and ordainest through Thy will what Thou desirest.

By Thy beauty, O my First and my Last, many days and known nights have passed, and I have not emerged from the house of sorrow to meet Thy loved ones, though I long to meet them that I might behold in their faces the lights of Thy unity and find comfort in their presence through the sweet breezes of the love and affection for Thee that waft from their hearts. Therefore, O my God, take me not to task for this grievous error, and leave me not in this state, O Thou in Whose hand is the dominion of might in the most exalted heaven.

Thou knowest, O my God, that this is not due to any pride towards them or independence from them, but rather, O my Beloved, I fear they would be saddened by My sadness and troubled by My trouble. Therefore have I kept myself from meeting them and veiled my face from their sight.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name through which appeared the sun of Thy beauty and the moon of Thy majesty, and through which were raised the heavens of the sanctity of Thy oneness in this Word whereby were manifested the melodies of the Sovereign of the might of Thy bounty, and through which all existence entered the pavilion of Thy oneness, and through which the servants acknowledged and confessed that which Thou didst call them to from the throne of Thy grandeur—that Thou mayest make those who have clung to Thee and to the hem of the robe of Thy loving-kindness to be among those who are honored at all times by meeting with Thee, who hear Thy melodies, who serve in Thy service, who stand firm in Thy Cause, who gaze upon Thy countenance—for Thou art the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Then I beseech Thee, O my God, by this treasured Name and this hidden Word, that Thou accept from Thy servant who hath migrated unto Thee and repeatedly circumambulated the sanctuary of Thy holiness, that Thou fulfill what he hath guaranteed to Thy loved ones—for Thou art the Fulfiller, the Giver, the Wise.

Then raise them to a station wherein they shall perform Thy prayer from time immemorial and which shall never cease throughout eternity—for the elevation of this prayer which none among Thy creatures hath comprehended.

Then accept, O my God, from these ones the compensation for the yearning of the lovers in their remoteness and separation from Thee, and the compensation for those who have attained unto nearness to Thee and reunion with Thee.

Then send down, O my God, upon the hearts of Thy loved ones that whereby Thy servant who hath been named Salman may be loved, that they may honor him with Thine honor and turn toward him through Thy grace, such that they withhold not from him what Thou hast given them through Thy bounty according to their capacity—for Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest, and Thou art the Mighty, the Exalted, the Generous.

And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH01569: Thy letter hath come before Us, and We have…

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

Thy letter hath come before Us, and We have read that whereby thou didst call upon God, thy Lord, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Praised. We have learned of the love thou bearest for the Beauty of thy Lord, the All-Merciful.

O Hasan! Be thou beneficent in all circumstances and deeds, that thou mayest exemplify the name wherewith thou wast named in the Kingdom of Names. Thus doth the Pen of Command enjoin thee from the presence of God, the Mighty, the Bestower.

Hearken unto that which is revealed unto thee from the direction of sorrows, the Spot whereon is established the throne of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, that He is God and there is none other God but Him. He hath created all things by His command. No God is there but Him, the Supreme, the Transcendent, the Mighty, the Help in Peril.

Be thou steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord, then be thou assured in thyself. Verily, He exalteth whom He willeth and abaseth whom He willeth. In His grasp are the keys of all things. He ordaineth for whomsoever He pleaseth whatsoever He pleaseth by His command, and nothing in all the worlds can prevent that which He hath created.

Say: O people! Do ye imagine that aught can frustrate the Cause of your Lord, the Most High, or that the heavens and earth can withstand Him? Nay, by My Beauty that shineth upon all things, were ye of them that know! Say: Fear ye God, O people, and follow not your desires. Follow ye the religion of God and spread not corruption in the earth after its reformation. Then take ye for yourselves a path unto God in the midmost heart of paradise. Thus have We imparted unto thee the word of truth, that thou mayest hear what the Tongue of Unity hath warbled in the highest paradise.

Moreover, convey Our remembrance unto him who was named Muhammad in times past, whose mention was in thy letter, that he may rejoice within himself at having been remembered before God, thy Lord and the Lord of all things and the Lord of the Concourse on High, He before Whose praise stand the realities of all created things.

Say: O servant! We sent down unto thee aforetime a Tablet wherein We counseled thee to hold fast unto the Tree in such wise that the tempests of winds would not shake thee, lest thou fall upon the earth of abasement and deprivation. Beware, beware, O Zaman, lest thou forget that which thou wast commanded in the Tablet.

Hearken unto the word of thy Lord, then cut thyself off from the manifestations of Satan from whom thou dost perceive the stench of hatred for this Youth, through Whom the veils of creation were rent asunder and by Whose Pen’s decree were created the realities of the people of paradise. Beware lest thou sit with Mine enemies. Flee from them and shun them. Then take for thyself a station beneath the shadow of thy Lord’s protection, which God hath purified from the doubts of time. Taste thou the cup of eternity and cast behind thee the cups of those who doubt that which hath appeared with truth. Leave them to themselves and place thy trust in God, thy Lord. Verily, He will protect thee through His power and dominion.

Say: God knoweth what is in your breasts, and with Him is the knowledge of all things in a Book which none hath discovered, neither the Concourse of the Bayan nor the people of vision, save they who have severed themselves from all ties and have taken fast hold of the Most Glorious Cord between earth and heaven. By God! By the light of their countenances are illumined the dwellers of the most exalted Paradise and the inhabitants of the canopies of names. Thus have We expounded the verses unto thee and set them forth in truth, that thou mayest be of them that are assured.

Say: O people! Do ye read words wherewith children ought to play, while ye stop your ears from hearing the words of God? Woe unto you, O concourse of loss!

And thou, O Zaman, hear the counsel of thy Lord. Shun those from whom thou perceivest the odor of hypocrisy, and fear not thy solitude, for God is with thee at all times if thou standest firm in His Cause and detachest thyself from all who are in the heavens and the earth. Thus have We cast upon thee the truth as a bounty from Our presence, and I am He through Whose command hath appeared the kingdom of grace and beneficence.

And the glory be upon thee and upon him whose letter came before God, and upon his family. Thus doth God single out for mercy whomsoever He pleaseth, and He, verily, is the Mighty, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Sovereign, the Bestower.

BH01571: He is God! O servant who gazes upon…

He is God! O servant who gazes upon the Face! Hearken in the most sweet Persian tongue to the shrill voice of the Most Exalted Pen. I swear by the Ordainer Who caused to flow from the tongue the fountains of wisdom and utterance, that if all who are on earth were to purify their hearts from the hints of imitation and the veils of fancy, they would all be drawn by a single melody from the divine melodies and would turn toward the holy divine dwelling place. But the cotton of imitation has blocked their ears and the veil of limitation has concealed their hearts.

O Ali, the Cause has reached such a state that the people of the Bayan are considered before God more veiled than previous peoples, even though the King of mighty establishment, after rending the veil of the people, gave glad tidings in the year sixty of this manifest, evident, shining Beauty in all Tablets. Nevertheless, all have arisen with swords of malice to cut down the divine Lote Tree with utmost vigor. Those who were never aware of this Cause have now united to prevent the weak servants from reaching the shore of the divine presence. They understand not what they say and are unaware of what they do.

They cling to the Book while turning away from the Lord of Lords. They pride themselves in words from before while turning entirely away from words that surpass whatever has been created in the heavens and earth. Like a gnat in barren land they make claims to divinity. How quickly they erased God’s signs from hearts and focused on distorting His words rather than the creation of the Bayan and what was revealed therein, for all were created before by His word. Despite the explicit nature of this statement in the words of the All-Merciful, all have turned from the divine direction and turned to that from which Satan seeks refuge.

This is why the Point of the Bayan—may the spirit of all in the kingdoms of existence be sacrificed for Him—states that soon it will be witnessed that the people of the Bayan will inflict upon the All-Merciful what no one inflicted upon previous Manifestations. In the days when the Sun of the horizons was rising from the horizon of Iraq, Tablets were revealed in that land and all events that would occur in this land were inscribed by the Pen of Power in those Tablets—blessed are they who perceive. It has been known that the more manifest and perfect the Revelation, the more evil and base appear the manifestations of negation and dawning-places of hell. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of the Beloved that the Primal Point was grieved by my grief in His days and wept over my tribulations.

In any case, the deed of Truth is entirely distinct from all else, but veils of fancy have prevented the sight of creatures. In these days the Beauty of Divine Unity is afflicted in the hands of the basest of His creatures. But they are pure nothingness and sheer nonexistence, for power and might and glory and exaltation, and likewise all names and attributes, are all praiseworthy and beloved in their relation to God. After severing this connection they all are and will be pure nothingness and sheer nonexistence, even if they should appear with all the means of the heavens and earth.

That servant who gazes toward God must be grateful at all times that by God’s might and power they have broken the idols of fancy and turned toward the holy direction of Divine Unity. How lofty is the station of a servant who arises today to aid the Cause of God and protect the weak ones of creation from satanic suggestions. Blessed art thou for having attained this and God has ordained as recompense for thy deed a station in His presence—and it is the best of stations and most excellent of abodes.

Strictly forbid all the divine loved ones today from corruption and conflict, for whatever occurs, its harm returns to the divine Lote Tree itself, as has occurred and returned in these days. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who hearken to thy word regarding the Cause of God thy Lord and who drink the purest wine at the mention of this Greatest Scene. By God, they are among the most exalted of creation before God, my Lord and thy Lord and the Lord of our forefathers.

BH01586: Glorified be God, Who created the heavens…

In the name of our Lord, the Exalted, the Most High

Glorified be God, Who created the heavens and the earth in less than an instant. This is what He hath ordained by His command, if ye be of them that understand, and what hath been mentioned in the Book concerning the boundaries of the six [directions], which is nothing but a wisdom from God, the Help-in-Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

Say: O concourse of the earth! Fear God, and have mercy upon yourselves. Cling to the Cord that is moving in all directions with the tokens of the splendor of the Beloved. Be ye not heedless of it and hold fast to it, if ye desire to ascend the summits of holiness. I swear by God, O concourse of the earth! The Hour is now manifest in the Temple of evident might, the Resurrection hath come to pass and appeared through the celestial light of the Beloved, and the Path hath been raised up through the Self of God, the Protector, the All-Praised. Paradise is now visible and adorned with the ornament of Him Who is the supreme object of desire. The souls of men are suspended in the heaven of transcendent glory, and the Nightingale is warbling its melody upon the branches of the Tree of Command, if ye be of them that hearken. Verily, the Beauty of God hath appeared from behind the veil, and yet ye are veiled in veils of your own.

Hearken to My words, and attend to that of which ye have been careless. Consume all the veils in the name of God, the Help-in-Peril, the Most Exalted, the Self-Subsisting. Perchance ye may enter into the gardens of Paradise, inhale the sweet fragrances wafting from the holy flowers of the Beloved, and not withhold yourselves from attaining that which hath been ordained for you through the grace of God, the Protector, the Almighty, the Most Holy.

By the righteousness of God! Soon whatever ye regard as precious in this vain life will be folded up, ye will return to God, and will be called to account for your deeds, and ye will no longer be able to make amends for that which hath escaped you. In the holy Presence, before the angels of the Realms above, ye will be shame faced, and nothing ye have done in your lives will avail you, neither will the worldly vanities ye have accumulated profit you. This is the clear truth, which the fingers of the Self-Subsisting have inscribed and made manifest through the power of truth, if ye be of them that understand.

Say: By the righteousness of God! The days of the Spirit have passed you by while ye were heedless of them. Wherefore, be advised by this counsel of Mine, and turn towards the Face of your Creator, if ye be of them that understand. Take no rest except in remembrance of God. This is what the Dove of the Spirit counseleth you that haply ye may be guided by the guidance of God, and may conduct yourselves upon the earth in accordance with His will. This is better for you than all that hath been and will be. And take no breath except in remembrance of the Beloved, if ye would be guided by this counsel.

Say: By the righteousness of God! At this moment the Dove of the Command is singing the most exalted call in the centre of the heavens, if ye be of them that hearken. Sanctify your ears and purify your vision that haply ye may see with the eyes of God that which He hath ordained for you in His kingdom of glory and what He hath inscribed with the fingers of the Spirit upon the guarded Tablet of holiness.

O ‘Ali, give thanks to God, thy Lord, inasmuch as He hath enabled thee to recognize Himself and imbued thy heart with His love. This, indeed, is the intended goal. Moreover, He hath manifested to thee that which thou didst see in the world of the dream. This, indeed, is an evident bounty. Wherefore, sanctify thy soul and soar with the wings of power in the glorious atmosphere of the Beloved. Have no fear of anyone, and forget not the grace of thy Lord unto thee. Be thou in thy love for thy Creator like a mountain of ruby, and withhold not thyself from the remembrance of thy Lord. Make mention of Him, then, at all times. This is the grace of God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting. Trust in God in all affairs, and avoid those who have disbelieved in God and were shut out from meeting Him. We bear witness at this moment that thou hast been faithful to thy promise and responded to thy Creator at a time when the hateful have not responded to Him.

Thus, hath His mercy preceded thee and those who have trusted in God, their Lord. Announce the glad tidings to thyself, and rejoice in thy spirit, inasmuch as thou hast arrived in a land around whose precincts the angels of holiness circle. Thus have We bestowed our bounty upon thee and upon those who have believed in God, their Lord, who have turned towards the Countenance of the All-Glorious. Salutation upon thee and upon those who are steadfast in their love. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH01588: Your letter hath come before Us, and We have…

In the Name of God, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing!

Your letter hath come before Us, and We have understood its contents. We beseech God to aid thee to recognize Him, to detach thee from all else save Him, and to draw thee nigh unto His Self. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Help in Peril. Blessed art thou for having turned unto this Prisoner, Who hath been imprisoned in the path of God by reason of that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought. It behooveth one such as thee to know God and to ascend, by the ladder of certitude, unto the station of true knowledge.

Verily, when We found in thee the love of God, We responded to thee with this Tablet, that thou mayest be among those who, when the verses of their Lord are sent down unto them, fall prostrate upon their faces before God, the One, the Peerless, the Self-Subsisting, the Just. Turn unto God with proof and evidence, and with that which He hath made a testimony from His presence. Thus hast thou been commanded by thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Test not thy Lord, for it is His to try His servants as He pleaseth. Turn unto Him, then be content with what He hath ordained for thee in the Tablet, and be thou in a state of joy and tranquility.

Verily, He hath not sent down upon anyone save that which is better for him than all that hath been created in existence. And if thou art unable to immerse thyself in the depths of the oceans of thy Lord’s good-pleasure, the Lord of Names and Attributes, then ask of Him what thou desirest, for He fulfilleth the needs of those who ask of Him, and He is indeed of great bounty and supreme benevolence. Beware lest thou condition thy turning unto Him upon any matter, for He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He shall not be asked of His doings. There is no God but Him, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Bountiful.

Abandon what the people possess and take what is with God. He will suffice thee above all that hath been created in existence and ordained in contingent being. Know thou that I am but the servant of God among you, moved by the winds of the will of your Lord, the All-Merciful, as He pleaseth and willeth. I possess for myself neither life, nor death, nor stillness, nor motion. I speak not except by His leave, as evidenced by that which hath appeared from Me by His command, which none can perceive save those endowed with insight.

Hearken unto the rustling of the Most Exalted Pen, the rushing of the winds of grace, and the cooing of this Dove that singeth by thy Lord’s command upon the branches of the Lote-Tree of inner meanings and utterance with diverse melodies. Gird up thy loins to assist the Cause of God, then arise from the horizon of the Cause with remembrance and utterance. Say: O people! The clouds of idle fancies have been rent asunder and the verses have been sent down from God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Knowing. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of Him Who hath come to you with power and sovereignty.

If thou wouldst hear My word concerning thy Lord’s Cause, God would raise thee to a station wherein thou wouldst behold most of mankind beneath thy shadow, and He would send down unto thee that which would gladden thy heart. Verily, there is no God but Him. His is the creation and the command. All things are with Him in due measure. By what proof can one who denieth this Cause establish his faith in God? Say: By which of your Lord’s signs do ye cry lies, O ye who are in loss!

Detach thyself from all things, then turn thy face toward thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and say: O my God and my Master! I beseech Thee by the Name through which Thou didst unlock the tongues of them that know Thee in Thy praise and glory, and through which the hearts of the sincere ones were severed from all that was created on earth in their quest for Thy nearness and good-pleasure, that Thou deprive me not of the breezes that waft from the right hand of the gardens of Thy paradise, nor of the fragrances that are wafted from the direction of Thy Name, the All-Forgiving, upon the sinners among Thy creatures. Then cause me, O my God, to be wholly turned unto Thee and detached from all else save Thee.

Then remove, by the fingers of Thy power, the veils that have come between me and the lights of the countenance of the Manifestation of Thy most exalted Self in this Revelation, which hath appeared in Thy Most Great Name between earth and heaven. Then send down upon me, from the clouds of Thy mercy and the heaven of Thy grace, the good of this world and the world to come, and ordain for me a seat of truth with Thee in the highest paradise. Verily, Thou art the Almighty over what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Exalted, the Most High, the Unconstrained.

BH01596: This is the Book of God, the Most Exalted…

He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the Ever-Abiding, the Gracious

This is the Book of God, the Most Exalted, the Powerful, the Gracious, unto God, the Mighty, the Sovereign, the Inaccessible, the All-Protecting. Herein is mentioned what hath come upon Us from the people of the Bayan, that it may serve as a remembrance unto those who exist today and as guidance and mercy unto another people, and that My tribulations may be recalled before God on the Day whereon the creatures of the first and the last shall be gathered together.

O people of the Bayan! Did not God announce unto you in the Book this Revelation in a language of manifest truth, in that which was revealed unto the Great One when he inquired about God’s Hidden Name, and He answered him in truth saying:

“Verily, he is the son of ʿAli, an Imam of indubitable truth.”

And this was the last that was revealed concerning this irrevocable, mighty, transcendent and powerful Cause. The Tablets of God were filled with mention of this Youth, if ye be of them that bear witness. Moreover, this is the proof whereby the Revealer of the Bayan and all that appeared from Him were established, as ye yourselves and all who dwell in the heavens and on earth do testify.

Despite this, how is it that ye have turned away from these verses that have filled the East and West of the earth, if ye be of them that comprehend? Say: O people, if ye believe not in these verses, then by what proof did ye believe in God aforetime? Bring it forth and be not of the patient ones. Say: O people, am I not the son of ʿAli in truth? Was I not named Husayn in God’s almighty, mighty and gracious dominion? Have I not recited unto you each day verses that have left hearts unable to reckon their number, nay, even the minds of them that are nigh unto God?

Yet ye, O people of the Bayan, have denied Me, calumniated Me, and rejected Me without any clear proof or illuminating Book. And whenever We increased the evidence, ye increased in your rejection, to such extent that ye kindled the fire of hatred in your breasts, O people of malice! Do ye wish to obstruct this Breeze from blowing, or to prevent the Spirit from ascending unto God, the Sovereign King, the Mighty, the Ancient? Nay, by my Lord, ye shall never be able to do so, even as the peoples before you were unable, O heedless ones!

Say: By God, besides Whom there is none other God, no one’s faith shall be complete this Day except by acknowledging this Cause. This is God’s punishment upon the idolaters and God’s mercy upon them that believe in His unity. O people of the Bayan! Do ye believe in part of the Book while denying God’s Book, the Revealed, the Gracious, the Trustworthy?

O people! Fear God and follow not your desires. Follow the fear of God and flee not from this Great Announcement. Will flight profit you? Nay, by the Lord of the worlds! Will turning away avail you? Nay, by the glory of God, the Great King! And if ye have forgotten what the peoples of old did, the people of the Furqan are not far from you. Remember when the Most High came unto them with manifest authority, bearing a conclusive proof from His Lord, the Bestower, the Honored, the Gracious. He sent unto the leaders of the people the angels of the Cause with an illuminating Book. They entered their presence with a mighty and glorious Tablet. Among them were those who turned away and took not the Tablet, and those who took it and looked upon it as one in a swoon, saying “These are but tales of the ancients.” And among them were those who took the Tablet with one hand and gave it less attention than can be reckoned, then cast it upon the ground, being among those who showed arrogance toward God Who created and fashioned them. Thus do We recount unto you the tale of the perplexed ones.

O people of the Bayan! Strive within yourselves not to act as these idolaters acted. When the Youth of the Spirit entereth upon you with God’s Book, arise instantly from your seats, then take the holy Book in your hands, then kiss it, then honor the Youth with gracious respect. By God, this shall profit your souls more than all that ye are engaged in. And if ye transgress, verily God is independent of what is past and what is to come and what appeareth in these few days.

The Spirit, the glorification, and the splendor be upon you, O people of the Bayan, if ye follow that which the Dove hath warbled in this eventide.

BH01636: O Mulla Muhammad! He is God, the Glorious…

O Mulla Muhammad! He is God, the Glorious, the Most Glorious!

Hearken unto what the Tongue of God inspires thee from His holy, mighty and impregnable dominion, that thou mayest hear the call of thy Lord, rend asunder the veils, and emerge from behind the veil of concealment through My Name, the Mighty, the Inaccessible, the Impregnable. Perchance thou mayest become among men as the sun by which all created things are illumined, or as a tree which bears fruit at all times, or as an angel crying out between the heavens and the earth:

“This is indeed the Ancient Beauty Who hath appeared once again in the mantle of grandeur, yet the people of understanding have opposed Him, as have these unbelievers who have openly denied God and turned away from His verses after they were sent down in truth.”

Thus doth it descend even now from One Who is All-Knowing, All-Informed.

Say: By God! The clouds of bounty have been raised up and the rain clouds of grace have appeared, showering forth at every moment clear verses that bewilder the minds of the believers. Say: By God! Were but a single letter thereof cast upon the graves of all created things, they would surely emerge from their tombs, humble before God, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Impregnable. And were another letter thereof cast, they would return to what they were. Thus have We made the Word to be the Sword of God, distinguishing thereby between the believers and the ungodly. Those who are brought to life by the Word of God—these are the companions of eternity who soar in the atmosphere of the spirit on wings of detachment, and upon whom shower blessings the angels of the divine Command, then those who dwell in the precincts of the Divine Essence, then those within the veil of the Kingdom, then those in the atmosphere of the Realm of Might, then those in the earthly realm, if ye be of those who know.

As for those who flee from the Word of God, depart from its shadow, and die to the holy melodies—these are like unto ashes, if ye be of those who witness. Even as ashes are not moved by anything, these are not moved by the Word of God and its forms, nor by the divine fragrances and glory. Thus do We impart unto thee the mysteries of what was, that thou mayest be of those who know.

O My Name! Leave behind the veils of earth and the coverings of sovereignty, then arise from the dawning-place of the divine names through My Name, the Self-Sufficient, the Mighty, the Wondrous. Convey the Cause of thy Lord to the East and to the West. Tarry not therein, and be not of those who linger. Be as a flame of fire or a pillar of light, such that if thou appearest from one direction, thy radiance is manifest from another. Thus doth the Pen of Holiness command thee from the presence of One Mighty, Wise.

When We desired to withdraw Ourself from among these people, We sent down unto thee that which would render thee detached from all the worlds. We have sufficed with these verses, that thou mayest be mindful within thyself and remind the people of days the like of which the eyes of the lords have never seen, how much less the eyes of the veiled ones. We had indeed sent down unto thee aforetime a Tablet wherein was treasured in each letter a fragrance which, were it to waft over all created things, would cause them to arise from the dust of heedlessness and turn with their faces toward the countenance of God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent. However, We did not send it unto thee until its time should come, for all matters are dependent upon the signature that returns to the Decree that returns to Destiny that returns to the Will that returns to the Primal Will which creates by My command, the Mighty, the Exalted, the Most Exalted, the Powerful, the Impregnable.

Thus have We given thee glad tidings thereof, that thou mayest be gladdened within thyself until it is revealed unto thee with the sovereignty of letters and words. This is indeed My bounty unto thee and unto all the worlds. As for those whose names thou didst mention in thy letter, convey unto them from Us greetings and mercy and salutations and loving-kindness and glorification and spirit and sweet fragrance, that they may rejoice within themselves and be of those who return unto God, unto Whom all matters return on the Day whereon the feet of the sincere shall slip.

Say: By God! The Day hath appeared in truth in the temple of the Youth. Blessed be God, the Most Wondrous of the wondrous ones, the Manifestor of the treasuries of the unseen as He pleaseth. He is, in truth, the Single One, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Generous.

BH01637: O thou Name of God! Hearken unto the sweet…

He is the Glorious, the Most Glorious

O thou Name of God! Hearken unto the sweet melodies of the Spirit, and take no heed of them who have disbelieved in God and His Verses, and who have turned against His Cause. Follow thou the Faith of the Spirit in the love of thy Lord: this is the root of religion, though none shall know it save all that are well-assured and discern aright.

Say: O people! The veils of idle fancy have been torn away; the heaven of impiety hath been cleft asunder; and God hath come down upon the cloud of holiness, surrounded by a host of angels. Thereupon all things were changed; every soul was shaken; and every proud and lofty peak was reduced in dust. Remain thou steadfast in the Cause through the power of God and His might; and assume thou in this state a seat of conspicuous glory. Assist then the Cause to the extent that thou art able, for the people of the Bayan would fain return the Cause unto the abyss where they themselves are fallen. Lay hold upon the reins of the Cause lest the fingers of impiety profane it: this is that which hath been destined for thee in His glorious and preserved Tablets. We have decreed that every soul should write touching this Cause that whereby the feet of them who are endued with understanding shall be confirmed in an exalted honour.

O Khalil! Shatter thou the idols of imagination through the power of thy Lord; then lead out the people from the darkness of passion, and usher them into an abode of safety beneath the shadow of the Divine Lote Tree that hath sprung up in truth from beside a mighty throne. Beware lest aught distract thee; do thou of thine own accord draw nigh unto God, Who created thee, fashioned thee, and appointed thee to be a glorious remembrance unto His servants. Shouldst thou wish to learn what hath touched the Beauty of an Effulgent Glory, know that He hath fallen into the well of envy: here is His raiment, bespattered with His blood, which we have sent unto thee that thou mayest have clear proof of Our claim. Thus have we inspired thee, and revealed unto thee what befell the Manifestation of the Self of God at the hands of His servants who, though created by a mere indication of His purpose, as articulated by His pen, dealt frowardly towards their Lord.

Be thou the Word of God, and the Sword of His Command among His servants, that through thee He may distinguish between those who believed in God and His Verses, and those who disbelieved and rebelled against the Cause. Take heed that thou aid thy Lord at all times, and approach not those from whom thou inhalest the odour of animosity towards this Youth, Who hath shone forth above the Dawning-place of Eternity with manifest dominion.

Say: O people! If ye believed in ʿAli because of the revelation to Him of the Bayan; and before Him in Muhammad because of the revelation to Him of the Furqan; and again in the One Who conversed with God (Moses) because of the revelation to Him of the Torah, then by the righteousness of God these are their selfsame Verses, which, in this peerless form, have been sent down from the throne on high. These apart, the whole earth hath been filled with the evidences of a sovereignty that hath encompassed all the worlds. Be ye then abashed, O people, before God, Who created you by His command; and repent ye for having failed in your duty towards Him—a duty that is owed here, did ye but know it.

Say: Blind are the eyes that will not turn towards His court; and mute is the tongue that will not celebrate the wonders of His praise; and deaf are the ears that will not hearken unto the sweet melodies of the Spirit uttered by this tongue, which proclaimeth in all things:

“I, in very truth, am God: no God is there but Him; His knowledge, truly, embraceth all things.”

Say: O people! Cast away that which ye possess. Take hold, then, of the Tablet of God with a power born of Him, and inhale its savour: should ye discover therefrom the fragrance of the All-Merciful, guard it from the blight of demons. Then assist Him so far as lieth in your power: He, verily, assisteth His loved ones as He pleaseth; and verily His assistance is nigh unto the believers. Beware that ye dispute not with God; nor contend with the One Who is His own Self; nor repudiate that whereby your names shall be exalted, and the truth of your own religion hath been established. Fear God, and be not distant from the shore of nearness. The Spirit be upon thee, and upon all who follow thy Lord’s command at even and at morn.

BH01639: In the Name of Him at Whose advent all…

In the Name of Him at Whose advent all are disturbed save His honored servants. In the Name of God, the Exalted, the Great.

O thou remnant of My family! Hearken unto My call from the precincts of My throne, that the melodies of the All-Merciful may attract thee to a station raised above the understanding of the worlds. Blessed art thou, for the breezes of the Spirit have seized thee in His days, and thou didst attain the presence of the Beloved Who was martyred in My path and ascended to the pavilion of holiness, the spot concealed from the eyes of the idolaters.

Verily, We were with thee in thy disturbance and tranquility, and We have effaced the disturbance and confirmed the tranquility in a Tablet preserved in the shelter of protection. We have accepted what befell thee of hardship and tribulation in the path of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, and We have quickened thee from the Kawthar that floweth from the right hand of the Throne, and given thee to drink from this Cup that was held in the hands of God. Drink yet another draught in the name of thy Lord, the Most Glorious, and fear not the concourse of creation. By God! Verily thy Lord protecteth thee as He protected thee in truth, and He is powerful over all things.

Move thy tongue in My remembrance, then adorn thy heart with My love, then thy temple with the robe of distinction through this Name through which appeared the Kingdom of Names and the Dove of Eternity warbled upon the branches of the Tree that was planted by the hands of God. Purify thyself from the conditions of earth and all who dwell thereon, then ascend at all times to the heaven that was raised up in the name of God. Remind the people of this Most Great Remembrance. Beware lest anything prevent thee from this, for thou hast been numbered among the successful ones in the holy Tablets by the Pen of Command. Let not thyself be prevented from the lights of this Sun which hath shone forth from the horizon of eternity with lights that encompassed the worlds.

Give thanks unto God that thou hast entered His party and attained the presence of the Beloved in days wherein the dwellers of earth and heaven were disturbed, and the hosts of revelation were sent down with banners visible to all the worlds. Blessed art thou and those who attained His presence and stood before Him and heard His melodies and sheltered beneath His shade and circled round about Him and drank from the Kawthar of His utterance and aided Him as they were able until they were martyred in His path and soared in the atmosphere which God had sanctified from every rejected idolater.

O thou remnant of the family of God! By God! There hath befallen the Beloved what hath befallen no one, for He drank the cup of tribulation from both friends and enemies, and thou art aware of some of what befell Him from those who were around Him, but God forgave them inasmuch as they were martyred in His path and adorned them with the ornament of forgiveness, for He is indeed Kind, Forgiving. But there befell His loved one in those days what had not befallen Him or anyone before. By God! All things wept at this, and the dwellers of the cities of eternity lamented, and the eyes of grandeur and majesty wept, and the hearts of the Prophets and Messengers were disturbed in a Paradise that was created through My love, for the Beloved was afflicted before one who was known among the worlds by His name.

Say: By God! He for Whose meeting the people of Paradise yearn, and by the dust of Whose door the Concourse on high seek blessing, and by a movement of Whose Pen all created things were brought into being, was afflicted before an idolater who was known among the company of misbelief as being among the believers. Therefore weep thou for Me, then cry out at My tribulation, then lament in thy soul for My suffering, and be not of those who show patience in the Cause of God and care not for what befalleth Me, remaining joyful in their seats. Thus have We informed thee and made mention of thee that thou mayest be apprised of what befell the Beloved and be numbered in the Tablets among those possessed of insight.

And the Spirit and Glory be upon thee and upon those who have known God through God in this Manifestation whereby truth was distinguished from falsehood and the Ancient Beauty appeared with a sovereignty that was mighty in truth.

BH01663: This is a Tablet revealed previously for Ali-Qabli-Rida…

This is a Tablet revealed previously for Ali-Qabli-Rida, which was sent because the messenger was lost.

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

This is a remembrance from the Prisoner to him who hath believed in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Worship none but Him, then detach thyself from all that was and shall be, out of love for God, the Mighty, the Beloved, the All-Powerful. Stand firm in the Cause of God, thy Lord, and say: “O people! There hath come to you the news at which all in the heavens and earth were struck with terror, save the near-servants who have detached themselves from the world and all within it, purified their vision from human limitations, and turned with their hearts to their Lord, the All-Merciful, in this time when the Sun of Utterance hath shone forth from the horizon of all existence with the ornament of God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Loving.

Say: O people! This is the Cause ye were promised in all the Tablets. Fear God and be not of those who differ. Say: This is He of Whose meeting the Primal Point gave you glad tidings in the Tablets of Destiny, and made the Bayan a paradise for Me and My loved ones who now rejoice therein. Fear God, O people, and withhold not the Word from its station, nor the Names from their Creator, nor divide the Letters that were joined together in truth by God’s command, the King, the Mighty, the Praised. He counseled you throughout the Bayan not to pause at the time of His manifestation for anything created between the heavens and earth. Now ye are in it—look, and be not of those who understand not.

He said—and His word is the truth: Beware lest ye be veiled by what was revealed in the Bayan from meeting and knowing Him. He is the One Who cannot be known through aught else—all are His servants and all act by His command. Yet ye have been veiled by the Names though ye had no knowledge of them or their command. Woe unto you and those who perceive not! Do ye read My words, then object to My Self? Do ye cite His verses, then deny their Revealer? Say: This is the Youth of God among you Who hath come with all the signs, if ye be fair-minded.

And thou, O thou who gazest upon the Face, hearken unto what is revealed unto thee from this blessed and holy Quarter: There is no God but Him, and He Who hath appeared in truth is His Glory unto all who witness and are witnessed. Preserve this Tablet and recite it in thy days—this is better for thee than all that was created in existence and all that is hidden. Say: O people! If ye deny this Cause, then by what testimony do ye believe and have certitude? Fear God, spread not corruption in the land, and be not of those who opposed God on the Day when Ali came with truth with manifest sovereignty. By God! None can protect anyone today and none can find refuge save in God Who created all things by His command, then established Himself upon the Throne, around which circle the denizens of the Supreme Concourse and honored servants.

Say: He desireth naught from you—He calleth you unto God, and His reward is with Him Who sent Him with truth and dispatched Him to those created by God’s Word, the Mighty, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Rend asunder the veils of the people through the power of the Lord of Names and Attributes, then sever them from those who make allusions, who openly denied God and followed every rejected idolator. Blessed art thou for having drunk the holy Kawthar in this Paradise which hath appeared at the heart of existence by God’s command, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beloved.

We counsel thee in this Tablet regarding the remaining descendants of Husayn in that place, and she who is related to him who was in another land. Thus doth command thee this imprisoned servant. Neglect not the loved ones of God—be kind to them. Thy Lord shall fully reward the doers of good. The Spirit and Glory be upon thee and upon those who have believed in God and detached themselves from those who disbelieved and associated partners with God and who act according to what they were commanded.

BH01682: O Muhammad! Hearken unto the melody of God…

O Muhammad! Hearken unto the melody of God that hath descended from the heaven of the Command’s might, and rend asunder the veils of idle fancies through the power of the All-Merciful. Make not thy dwelling in the jungle of the world and its ornaments. Empty thy heart and enter the city of maturity. How long wilt thou, like children and youths, remain occupied with the dust of vain imaginings and the clay of idle suppositions? Rend asunder the veils of heedlessness that thou mayest become aware of the Countenance of Oneness that hath dawned from the Orient of glory and grandeur.

O Muhammad! The Word of Truth, like the Existence of Truth, is manifest and evident, radiant and apparent and visible. Therefore, deprive not thine ear from hearing it and prevent not thy heart from knowing it. Enter into the presence of God—and that is the station wherein thou openest the eye of justice, seeing neither right nor left, and with the gaze of fairness and a pure heart thou knowest the Truth by the Truth. In whatever station thou attainest unto this bounty, it is as though thou standest in the presence of God.

O Muhammad! Reflect a while upon the proofs of the Prophets and consider the ways of the Messengers. If thou wert asked by what proof thou didst believe in the former one, and by what proof thou didst turn away from the latter one, what wouldst thou say? Nay, by Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand, thou wouldst find naught to suffice thee and wouldst be in grievous perplexity.

In truth, the favors of God have ever encompassed thee, but when He found thee heedless, He left thee bereft. Now attention is drawn to the former favors shown unto thee, that thou mayest never entrust the reins of vision to another. Enter the most great prospect, which is and shall ever be the station of recognizing the Beauty of the All-Merciful.

O Muhammad! Bind not the spiritual wings with the cords of self and passion, and prevent them not from soaring in the holy atmosphere of the All-Bountiful. I swear by the Beauty of the Most Great Point that the purpose of these utterances is the elevation of the manifestations of names and attributes, that perchance those who are uncertain may enter the arena of mighty certitude and drink of the wine of steadfastness and assurance. For it is observed that certain ones have desired to contaminate the pure essence of unity with the clay of limitation and imitation. Therefore strive that thou mayest deliver thyself from the depths of extinction and enter beneath the shade of the glances of eternity. If thou hearest what God hath counseled thee, verily it shall profit thee in the hereafter and the former life, and apart from this, He is indeed independent of all the worlds.

Reflect a while upon the people of the Furqan (Qur’an), who for one thousand two hundred and seventy years unconsciously rejected some while unknowingly accepted others. At last the fruit that appeared from them was that they suspended the Divine Beauty in the air and martyred Him with the bullets of unbelief. The curse of God be upon the wrongdoing people! And now too, if thou observest well, the people of the Bayan are engaged in the same deed. As thou seest, they have all turned toward this All-Knowing Beauty with swords of the tongue and arrows of misbelief from every direction, although He appeared with such clear proof and came with such manifest power that from the beginning that hath no beginning until now, none hath heard or seen the like thereof. Nevertheless, those who were more abject than dust raised objections against Him—evil indeed is that which they do!

In any case, this much is expected: that the people of the Bayan may not make themselves like the people of the Furqan, and that they may not be veiled from the Lord of Mighty Oneness by the limitations of mention and name and description and attribute. Know ye God by God, for whatsoever is besides Him is but a creation in His presence, if ye be of them that know.

BH01690: Mulla Muhammad in Khunsar—He is the Most…

Mulla Muhammad in Khunsar—He is the Most Glorious, the Most Luminous

Make mention of thy Lord’s mercy unto His servant Muhammad, who emigrated unto God and entered the City at the time when the Ancient Beauty departed therefrom with mighty sovereignty—a sovereignty that encompassed all created things, and this proved grievous for the idolaters. Therefore bear witness within thyself, then rejoice in thine inmost being, that God hath accepted thy obedience and raised up thy name in truth among the worlds, and hath ordained for thee in nearness a station that none can attain save those who are brought nigh, if thou wilt not slip upon this Path from which every wicked sinner hath turned away.

Be thou enkindled by this Fire, then [kindle with it] the people of the lands, and be not of the fearful ones. Come forth from the garment of silence, then be one who crieth out between the heavens and the earth. Cast the world behind thee, then call the people to the Most Great Paradise in this Most Pure, Most Manifest Garden, and be not of the silent ones. For silence is praiseworthy except in My remembrance, the Mighty, the Inaccessible; and patience is commendable except in My love—this is a revelation from One Who is Mighty, Beautiful.

Arise amongst the people with the steadfastness of thy Lord, then remind them of this Mighty News. Make My remembrance thy shield, then My love thy fortress, then reliance upon My Self, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate, thy army.

O Muhammad! By God the Truth! If thou remainest steadfast in My love, and all who are in the heavens and earth oppose thee, God will cause thee to prevail over them through My sovereign might, the Powerful, the Omnipotent, the Almighty. And if all the divines of every religion dispute with thee, thou shalt confound them through My Name, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, for at the time when thou contendest for God with His enemies, the hosts of the unseen will aid thee, and when thou speakest with souls concerning thy Lord’s Cause, the Holy Spirit will confirm thee from the presence of One Mighty, All-Wise. And I am He Who speaketh in all things that I am God, there is no God but Me, the Guardian, the Mighty, the Generous.

Then know, O Muhammad, that the Concourse of the Bayan turned away from this Beauty and returned to their abode in the nethermost hell, save whom thy Lord willed, and thus doth the All-Knowing inform thee that thou mayest be of those who are well-aware.

Say: O people! This is the Beauty of the First One Who hath appeared in the Temple of the Last One, and these are His verses which have been sent down in truth from a kingdom of ancient glory. Say: O people! Fear God and refute not the truth with your mouths, and be not of the lost. And do thou inhale from this Garment that thou mayest find therein the fragrance of the All-Merciful and be of the firm ones.

Then know that victory lieth not in the sword and its like, but victory lieth in the tongue and what proceedeth therefrom of utterance for the Cause of God, thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds. Say: O people! Remind mankind of the remembrance of God with wisdom and counsel. Beware lest ye spread corruption in the earth and be of the corrupt ones.

O servant! Set thy face toward the Egypt of the All-Merciful in this Paradise, and if thou beholdest Satan at its gate preventing thee from entering the sanctuary of the All-Merciful, seek refuge in God from his evil, then enter therein and be of the secure ones. Thus have We acquainted thee and taught thee and made mention of thee that thou mayest glory thereby between the heavens and the earth.

Then make mention from Us to the loved ones of God who have attained the presence of the Throne and heard the melodies of their Lord and were of the triumphant ones. Say: Blessed are ye for having attained the presence of God at a time when neither ye nor anyone among all created things recognized Him. Then make mention of those who were in thy land and in other lands, upon whose realities the clouds of holiness have rained down showers of purity that cleanse them from the dust of contingent things and sanctify them from whatsoever [would hold them back from God], the Mighty, the Powerful.

BH01691: Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses…

In the Name of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful!

Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses in truth from the heaven of transcendent might, and made them a proof from His presence unto all the worlds. Even thus do We apprise you of the Manifestation of the Primal Point in this Revelation. Thus have We sent down the verses in truth, and verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is powerful over all things.

God counseled the servants in the Bayan not to tarry in this Cause even for a moment, yet the people of the Bayan broke God’s covenant and His testament, and opposed the Sovereign of Revelation with a tyranny grievous in the Tablet. The more the proof increased, the more their wretchedness increased, and the reminder from One mighty and wise profited them not. Nay rather, they sought to slay the Youth after He summoned them unto their Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Thereby did the dwellers of the cities of names lament, and God was indeed aware of this.

Say: O people! In all the Tablets ye were commanded to make your way unto this Countenance, and at the time of the Revelation to cling to naught else. Yet ye have clung to a mere name and denied Him Who created all things by His command, and were far removed from the shores of nearness. Say: He hath appeared as Ali appeared aforetime. Open your eyes that ye may behold Him now upon this most luminous horizon, speaking forth the truth with a sorrowful voice saying:

“Do ye deny, O people, Him Who created you from dust, then from a drop of fluid, and made you complete beings? Fear God, and commit not what the people of the Furqan committed when I came to them from the dawning-place of the name Ali. Consider, then remember their objections at the time of My manifestation, that ye may perchance become aware of this Cause which hath shone forth from the horizon of the will of your Lord, the All-Merciful, with manifest lights.”

Cast aside what ye possess and take what is with God with power, and be not doubtful of His presence. By My life! He is the One promised in the tablets of old, and I was indeed the herald of His manifestation in the days which were illumined by the light of the Countenance. But when the promise came to pass and the heaven was cleft asunder and the Youth came with hosts of invisible might, ye denied Him and opposed Him and followed every wicked denier.

Say: O people! God created you to be servants of this Cause which was promised in the Tablets, and to be as glass globes for this Lamp lest the winds of every idolater blow against it with enmity. Yet ye did not fulfill what ye were commanded in the Book; nay rather, ye arose to extinguish this Light which hath shone forth from the horizon of the Countenance with brilliant rays. By My life! Were all who are in the heavens and on earth to gather together to extinguish this Light, they would be powerless and unable, even were they to aid one another.

Say: This is a fire kindled by the will of the All-Merciful—can anyone extinguish it? Nay, by His own Self, the Bestower! Yet the people are behind a thick veil. Say: Can ye prevent the clouds from raining, or the sea from its waves, or the sun from shining? Then be fair, O people, and be not tyrannical and wretched.

Thus have We explained to thee what shall make thee independent of all else and keep thee steadfast in the Cause. Blessed art thou for having been mentioned by the Pen of the Command in these days wherein all have arisen in opposition save those whom God preserved with sovereign protection. Remember thy Lord among His creatures, that perchance through thy words may be quickened the hearts of those whom death hath overtaken from every direction and who have taken Satan as their friend. God hath prescribed for every soul the teaching of His Cause, and this was sent down at the beginning of this Revelation from the heaven of transcendent might with resplendent glory. Follow what thou hast been commanded in the Tablet and tarry not even for a moment. The glory be upon thee and upon those who hearken to thy words concerning this Cause, whereby the hearts of all who hesitate have been sorely troubled.