Volume 038: Edirne II (year unknown, 1864–1868) (5 of 6)
BH01978: This is a Book sent down in truth. Verily…
In the name of God, the Most High, the Single, the One, the Powerful
This is a Book sent down in truth. Verily it is a remembrance for all the worlds, wherein floweth that which shall quench their thirst with the Living Waters that stream forth by the command of God, the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Compelling.
O people! Hear My call from the right side of the Divine Throne, the Spot from which hath appeared all goodness from time immemorial and from which shall appear every wondrous command unto the end that hath no end. God commandeth you to be submissive before His Most Great Gate and forbiddeth you from committing unseemly acts. Fear God, O people, and cast not My ways behind your backs, and be not of the heedless. Remember Me at eventide and at dawn, then at morn and at sunset. All things are quickened through His remembrance, were ye of those who know. Dispute not about any matter, but rather convey the Cause of your Lord, the All-Merciful, unto both the lowly and the noble. This hath been prescribed for every soul, if ye be of those who act. Convey the Message, O people, in a spirit of joy and fragrance. Beware lest ye dispute with anyone or be among the violent. Whoso guideth a soul through the Books of God shall have the recompense of one who hath striven in His path and been among the martyrs.
Blessed art thou, O Ashraf, in that thou hast been honored once again and hast entered the Garden of Paradise time after time, and art among the successful ones. God hath ordained for thee abundant good, and verily He rewardeth whomsoever He willeth with a goodly reward, and He is the Fulfiller of the recompense of those who turn unto Him.
Blessed art thou, O servant journeying towards God, inasmuch as thou hast trodden the path of guidance and turned thy face unto thy Ancient Lord.
We have caused thee to return to thy home as a token of Our mercy unto thy mother, inasmuch as We have found her overwhelmed with sorrow. We have enjoined you in the Book “to worship no one but God and to show kindness to your parents”. Thus hath the one true God spoken and the decree hath been fulfilled by the Almighty, the All-Wise. Therefore We have caused thee to return unto her and unto thy sister, that thy mother’s eyes may thereby be cheered, and she may be of the thankful.
Say, O My people! Show honour to your parents and pay homage to them. This will cause blessings to descend upon you from the clouds of the bounty of your Lord, the Exalted, the Great.
When We learned of her sadness, We directed thee to return unto her, as a token of mercy unto thee from Our presence, and as an admonishment for others.
Beware lest ye commit that which would sadden the hearts of your fathers and mothers. Follow ye the path of Truth, which indeed is a straight path. Should anyone give you a choice between the opportunity to render a service to Me and a service to them, choose ye to serve them, and let such service be a path leading you to Me. This is My exhortation and command unto thee. Observe therefore that which thy Lord, the Mighty, the Gracious, hath prescribed unto thee.
And when thou dost come into the presence of Our servant whom We have named Basir, magnify from My behalf his countenance, for verily he occupieth with Us a station of great eminence. Say: O loved ones of God, be ye intimate with him and depart not from his company, for he shall guide you unto God, the Sovereign, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Then magnify from Our presence those souls who have believed in God and have remained steadfast in this Cause from which have slipped the feet of the wavering.
Then make mention, from the presence of the All-Merciful, of Our servant who hath been named Iman, and give him the glad-tidings of the waftings of the All-Glorious that blow from the direction of the mighty Throne. Say: Verily thou art of those who have attained unto the presence of God and have reached Him in this remote Prison.
And the Spirit from God be upon you, O concourse of the sincere ones. And praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds.
BH01993: O servant! Hearken to the call of thy Lord…
O servant! Hearken to the call of thy Lord, the Most High, from the right hand of the Spot of Eternity, that thou mayest become aware of this Wronged One Who hath been imprisoned in this mighty prison, and beyond imprisonment hath been cast by the idolaters into this dark pit whose depths none can fathom save whom thy Lord, the Mighty, the Praised, willeth. If thou art able, let down the rope of trust and faithfulness that perchance the Youth may be drawn up thereby and the worlds be illumined by the light of His countenance.
Know thou that were the Dove of Baha to speak of what hath befallen It, all existence, both seen and unseen, would cease to be. Therefore hath It concealed the mysteries of the Cause within Its breast, yet the people remain heedless.
Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear God and contend not with Him with Whom should anyone contend, all who dwell in the highest Paradise and the realities of the Prophets and Messengers would curse him. Say: Were ye to look with the eye of God, ye would witness how the Temple of Ali rent the garment of patience, how the Reality of Muhammad fell prostrate upon the dust, and how the Holy Spirit crieth out at what ye have wrought, O ye who are wrapped in veils! Do ye make mention of Ali while slaying Him Who sent him with the truth? Fie upon you, O heedless ones! Do ye deny Him Who created the Spirit through a movement of the Pen moved by the fingers of Power? Woe unto you, O idolaters!
By God! Through what hath proceeded from the Breath of the All-Merciful at the heart of all creation, the realities of the Prophets and the hearts of the Messengers are gathered together. Then ye who, though ye should soar with the wings of detachment for seventy thousand ages, could never attain to the heaven of their knowledge, how much less to their innermost reality, the inaccessible, the exalted, the transcendent, the holy, the mighty, the impregnable. Blind are your eyes, O ignorant ones!
The Sun of Eternity hath shone forth from the Most Glorious Horizon, yet ye have not been illumined by Its radiance, though both worlds have been enlightened thereby. Say: Think ye that ye can prevent the clouds of holiness from their rain, or the winds of grace from their wafting, or the breezes of God from their blowing? Nay, by the Self of God, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Great! Should ye and all who are on earth deny, not a hair would be diminished from My servants who have prostrated themselves before My face, the Mighty, the Wondrous.
Say: Fear God, O people, and exchange not the good for the evil, nor light for darkness, nor the Spirit for what ye possess of satanic imaginings. Thus have We commanded thee that thou mayest remind the people with the words of thy Lord, the Most High, that they may turn towards the holy precincts at the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, and hearken to what the Dove singeth upon the twigs of exalted glory. Should they hear thy word, good shall return unto them; otherwise, turn away from them and turn not towards them. Put thy trust in God, thy Lord, and He shall suffice thee against all the worlds.
Be thou assured by the grace of thy Lord, then stand firm upon the carpet of steadfastness and independence, and fear no one, for He shall protect thee from the harm of devils. Thus do We mention thee and command thee to act according to what thou hast been bidden by the Ancient Sender. And the Spirit be upon thee, O servant who gazeth toward the holy precincts, and upon those who have believed in God in these days wherein all have opposed Him in Whom they took pride, and thereby their names were inscribed among the idolaters.
BH02016: In the name of Him Who hath established Himself…
In the name of Him Who hath established Himself between the heavens and the earth! This is an epistle from Him Who was in the hands of the enemies in the path of God, the Most High, the Most Exalted, and upon Whom fell the arrows of tribulation until He was imprisoned in this Most Great Prison—the station of Him from Whose robe’s hem were severed the hands of those near unto God—unto him who hath heard the call of God, that he may stand firm in the Cause and be detached from those who believed and then denied God, the Most High, the Most Great.
O servant! Know thou that tribulations in the Cause of God are sweeter than all else that hath been created between earth and heaven, and none shall find their sweetness save the hearts of the lovers. How many nights did I find solace in the chains of iron, and I would kiss them for love of God, the King, the Protector, the Mighty, the Bountiful. And how many days did I address my neck beneath the fetters, saying:
“Blessed art thou for having borne, in the path of the Beloved, the chains of the oppressors.”
And I was grateful for all that befell Us, and We were among the thankful.
I bore such hardships as none had borne, until the Sun of the Cause shone forth upon all created things. Then rose up against Me those servants whom We had supported in all matters and taught throughout the months and years. And they reached such heights of opposition that they would read My words, then war against My Self, being unaware. They would seek help through My names, then shed holy blood with the swords of hatred. Thus dost thou witness the state of these people. Be thou possessed of keen insight.
O servant! Hear My counsel, then ponder what hath befallen My Self from previous peoples and what I have borne for God’s sake. By God! It is a testimony unto all the worlds. Beware lest anything hold thee back from God. Be thou detached from all that veils thee from Him, then turn with all thy being to His shining, holy and luminous countenance. Verily, those who have denied God—God will seize them with a vengeance from His presence, and He is the most severe in retribution.
Then aid thy Lord through utterance. Say: O people! Have mercy upon yourselves and oppose not Him at Whose door the Faithful Spirit standeth, in Whose presence the denizens of the all-highest Paradise glory, and Whom the inhabitants of Paradise serve at all times. O people! Do ye deny Him through Whom God granted you victory in truth and raised the pavilions of the Cause upon the shore of a mighty sea? O people! This is the Lamp of God among you, which He hath preserved through His Most Great Name from the winds that blow from the direction of your hearts, O company of unbelievers! Be ye ashamed before Him Who created and fashioned you, and render not your deeds vain, but be among the doers of good.
Thus do We counsel thee, O thou who doest good, that thou mayest be beneficent in God’s Cause and remind thyself of what the Spirit hath cast upon thee, and also remind the veiled souls who have neglected God’s Cause and shall never attain understanding, who cling to traditions in their possession even after they have not comprehended the Cause. Thus have their souls enticed them in a matter and made them to be among the deniers. And thou, avoid those from whose hearts the breezes of holiness have been entirely cut off, and place thy trust in God, the Most High, the Most Glorious. Verily, He sufficeth thee in truth, and He is the best Sufficing One and Helper. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon thy son and thy family, and upon those who have passed over the Path and were among the detached ones.
BH02018: O Siyyid Mirza, upon him be the Glory…
O Siyyid Mirza, upon him be the Glory of God! In the Name of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed! This is a Book from Us to him who hath been illumined by the lights that have shone forth from the horizon of his Lord’s Will, the Most High, the Most Exalted, in the days when the Beauty of the Unseen cast aside the veil from His face and appeared with the sovereignty of His Most Glorious Name amidst the concourse of creation, and every thing proclaimeth that there is none other God but He, the Mighty, the Gracious.
Blessed art thou for having rent asunder the veils and for not having been hindered by the clouds of glory from turning towards thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. The Spirit of God hath quickened thee and the breezes whose fragrances have been wafted throughout the worlds have awakened thee. Blessed art thou for having associated with him whom We have chosen for Our remembrance and whom thou didst honor when he came unto thee with the mention of God, the Beloved of those who know.
Take thou the Tablet of God and its effects, then leave those who have disbelieved even if they should come unto you with the scriptures of the first and the last ones, for today nothing shall profit anyone save attachment to this Cord which hath been stretched between the heavens and the earth. They who are in doubt in these days of their Lord—these shall have no portion of this Kawthar which hath flowed from the mouth of the loving-kindness of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, at the midmost heart of Paradise. God shall soon seize them with a mighty grip from His presence, for He is the most severe in punishment.
Soon will come unto you one who will call you to Satan. Thus doth the Pen of the All-Merciful inform you beforehand in a Tablet of wondrous glory. Say: O people, shun him and follow not those who have disbelieved in Him in Whom they had believed. By God! They dwell in nothing but manifest delusion. Say: O people! Do ye worship names and deny their Creator? Woe unto you from the punishment of a grievous day!
We have ordained for thee in the heaven of Our command a glorious and noble station. He, verily, aideth those who have stood firm in His Cause, and He is the Rewarder of the doers of good. Vain imaginings have encompassed all men except such as have laid hold on the hem of thy Lord’s robe, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. He is among the most exalted of creation—the denizens of the Supreme Paradise and the angels nearest to God send their prayers upon him. Say: With Him is the knowledge of all things. Not an atom’s weight in the breasts of all created things can escape His knowledge. He recompenseth every soul for what it hath earned, and He knoweth all things.
We beseech God to manifest through thee that which shall bring joy to the eyes of them that have recognized His unity, and to make thee a standard of guidance among His creatures and a leader of His servants in this Day wherein the veils of glory have been rent asunder and God hath come with manifest beauty. At all times will He aid thee to remember and praise Him amongst His servants, for He hath power over all things.
Rejoice thou in God’s loving-kindness and mercy, for His mercy hath encompassed thee through His grace—none can comprehend it save those who have soared in this atmosphere which God hath sanctified from the idle fancies of them that doubt. Were the veil to be lifted from what We have ordained for thee in this Tablet, the servants would be bewildered, nay thunderstruck. Therefore have We concealed it as a grace from Our presence, for He is the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
We beseech God that He change not His decree and that He send down upon thee at all times that which will draw thee unto Him and sever thee from all else. There is none other God but He, the Giver, the Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The fragrance that hath been wafted from the garment of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, be upon thee and upon them that are with thee among God’s sincere servants.
BH02019: O Muhammad-Sadiq! In the name of God, the Most…
O Muhammad-Sadiq! In the name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious! This is a letter from the Prisoner to him who hath believed in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, who came to Iraq and upon whom shone the Day-Star of the horizons with mighty splendors, who entered the Spot of Paradise and attained the presence of his Lord, the Most High, the All-Knowing, with Whom the Tongue of God conversed in words of impregnable glory whereby were created the heavens and earths, the treasures of inner meanings were revealed among His creation, and there emerged from the earth what God, the King, the Powerful, the Forgiving, the Merciful, had buried therein of His treasures.
Blessed art thou for having attained the Most Great Scene, the Spot wherein was established the throne of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and thou wert among those who attained. However, in those days the appointed time for the Cause had not been fulfilled, therefore We concealed the Face lest the servants recognize it, though it was shining from the horizon of holiness with manifest radiance. When the appointed time was fulfilled, the veils were rent asunder and thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower, appeared from behind them and spoke a word whereat all in the heavens and earth were struck with terror.
By God! Those who have purified their vision from names and turned to their Creator are among the choicest of creation—through them mercy descends from the clouds of the Cause and there grows from the earth the plants of knowledge and wisdom from the presence of One mighty and knowing.
Know thou that We have not forgotten thee—be thou assured by the grace of thy Lord. Verily He forgets not His sincere servants. We have sent down to thee a Tablet wherein is detailed all things, wert thou of those who know. However, when Satan lurked in every pathway, We were prevented from sending it. When the way was opened by Our power, We sent thee this mighty, impregnable Tablet that thou mayest find from it the fragrance of the Beloved and be independent of the tablets of the worlds.
Say: Through one word of this Tablet have all the Tablets of God been sent down aforetime. Beware, O people, lest ye deny it and be of the heedless. This is He of Whom the Bayan spoke, sent down by your Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful. Say: O people, be ye ashamed before Him Who created you by His command, and deny not Him but for Whom the Books of God, the Just King, the Wise, would not have been revealed.
Fear thou no one, but remember thy Lord—verily He will guard thee from the hosts of the wrongdoers.
Say: O loved ones! Ye dwell in your homes while the Youth is imprisoned by the hands of the heedless. Ye lie upon your couches while the Eye of God rains tears from the oppression of these unbelievers. Time hath brought Me so low that he who was created by My word hath risen to oppose Me and prideth himself in serving Me—God is witness to what I say. Soon shall they know, when death comes upon them and their frames tremble from the force of divine wrath—then shall they cry:
“Alas for what we neglected toward our Lord, the All-Merciful! We were truly among the most lost!”
Though their souls be seized and they be among the dead before thy Lord, they are deaf, dumb and blind, though they witness things and speak what their selves and desires confirm unto them. Thus have We judged with truth, and I am the Doer of what I will.
Convey God’s greetings to the faces of those who have turned to His Face and detached themselves from the ungodly. Praise be to God, thy Beloved and the Beloved of the mystics.
BH02025: O denizens of the Concourse on High! Other decrees…
In the name of God, the Holy, the Most Holy.
O denizens of the Concourse on High! Other decrees have been ordained for Us, and they are intending yet another Pit into which to hurl this eternal Joseph. That Pit is in the fortress of ʿAkka.
Very soon they will expel Us from this land and they will incarcerate Us there. In truth that city is decrepit, unclean; its air is bad, its waters are polluted and foul-smelling, and they wish to shut from His Face all bounties and gifts which have been ordained for His Self by God, the Omnipotent, the Almighty, the All-knowing. Very soon you shall see and hear that of which We inform you in this Tablet—things whereat the tears of the near ones will be shed, and mysteries of divine decree about which the lamentations of the sincere ones will be raised—all by virtue of what will befall us yet another time. In all circumstances We thank God in all that will befall us in his love and his good pleasure.
As to Akka it is a City one direction of which is towards the River Jordan across which the Friend of God, Abraham, passed and in whose environs He called God His Lord using the melodies of the peoples of Paradise. In another direction it faces the Holy and Sacred Vale from which was raised the call of all the Prophets and Messengers saying: “Here we are! Here we are! O Lord our God!” Very soon We shall smell its air and We shall hear all that was raised therein. And yet from another direction ʿAkka faces the wilderness of Sinai. I swear by the righteousness of God! When this Youth turns towards it every atom of its earth, every leaf of its trees, and every pebble of its sands cries out saying: “there is none other God but He”.
O my Friends when you shall hear of My calamities, the like of which the eye of creation has not seen, do not be saddened inasmuch as We have been created for all these afflictions and tribulations and God has ordained that they be the oil for My Lamp. Blessed is the one who understands My meaning and blessed is the one who is enraptured by the fragrances of the words of this Youth Who has always been the targets of the arrows of men in the path of God.
Say unto them: this is a Youth for if He were to be drowned in the sea He will praise God in the company of the fish of the sea, and if His head be raised on the cross He will make mention of His God, the All Merciful. And if every member of His body be cut, that cut member will raise its voice testifying:
“in truth I have attained to that which was my highest hope and highest aspiration.”
O My loved ones! Be not grieved. Rather walk over My traces and cling firmly to the Cord of God. If the veil be lifted you would all sacrifice yourselves to hear that Word that ascendeth from the mouth of the Well-Beloved, and so much will yearning enrapture your beings that chains and tumults will not deter you from turning to this Luminary of the entire world.
O My loved ones! You are the children of the Spirit. Be not grieved over your bodies. Rather be gladdened by the glad-tidings of the All-Merciful with spirit and fragrance. Then remain steadfast in the love of God and His Cause, then follow what hath been revealed in the Book and follow not every doubtful misbeliever. Thus doth the Youth counsel you at a time when He is immersed in an ocean of sorrows through what the hands of the heedless have wrought, while My tongue, My heart, My limbs and My hair all proclaim “Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.” The Youth hath been prevented from writing, else We would have sent to each one of the loved ones of God that which would cause him to be detached from all the worlds.
My Self hath been imprisoned, then My Pen, and the latter is greater than the former. This hath not occurred except due to lack of capacity in the realm of creation. Soon shall come a time when they shall become aware of some of what they have perpetrated; they shall weep and supplicate but shall find nothing for themselves to compensate for what hath passed them by. Thus doth the Pen of Truth inform you, and verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is witness to what they have done and what they do, and He is indeed cognizant of what lieth within the breasts.
BH02038: O emigrant unto God! Hearken unto the voice…
In His Name, the Beloved One!
O emigrant unto God! Hearken unto the voice of this Bird of Immortality, who hath been afflicted beneath the talons of the wicked, and upon whom hath descended in the path of the Beloved that which hath descended upon no one else, who hath at every moment drunk from the cup of destiny and quaffed from the chalice of tribulation. Yet praise be to God that we have bowed our heads in acceptance of the Friend’s good-pleasure and set our hearts upon His decree. We do not complain of the oppression of enemies nor do we protest the tyranny of the wicked. We eagerly seek the arrows of our Beloved’s decree and yearn for the poison of tribulation in His path. We have attached our hearts to Him and become detached from all else. I swear by His beauty that all else hath been non-existent and all save Him shall cease to be.
And thou, O traveling servant and emigrant, hearken unto My call with the ear of thy soul. Be steadfast in the path of the All-Merciful in such wise that should all who are in the heavens and earth arise to turn thee away, thou wouldst not slip from the path of His love nor remain distant from the way of His good-pleasure. Purify thy heart from the world and all that is therein, and with holy detachment turn thy soul toward the All-Merciful. At all times be occupied with His remembrance and be severed from all else, for all else neither nourishes nor satisfies. All things are captive in the grasp of His power and all the wealthy are poor at the threshold of His riches. Strive that thou mayest drink from the pure crystal waters of His grace and enter beneath the shade of His all-encompassing mercy. At all times soar in the heaven of inner meanings and contemplate the wonders of His divine craftsmanship, that thou mayest not remain heedless of the wonders of His power nor be veiled from beholding the mysteries of His handiwork.
Adorn thy tongue with His remembrance and give peace to thy heart through His love. God willing, thou shouldst manifest thyself in such wise that the signs of God become evident and apparent in thy deeds, words and actions amongst His servants. For in this day most people remain veiled from God’s Cause and are occupied with their own comfort. How many souls there are who claim attachment to the Truth yet remain far heedless of it, for association is not perfected through words alone and no claim is validated without proof. Thus those who claim attachment to the Truth must surely manifest signs of sanctity in their deeds and the radiance of joy must be witnessed in their countenances.
In any case, your honor must gather the loved ones of God upon the universal Word and ever remind them of the wondrous verses of His remembrance. Whosoever arises today to teach God’s Cause shall be confirmed by the Holy Spirit and aided by the hidden divine power.
Convey wondrous greetings to all the friends of God who dwell in that land. God willing, we hope that thou shalt not remain deprived of the cloud of the All-Merciful’s mercy nor be left hopeless of the rain-clouds of divine bounty, for His grace hath ever been and shall ever remain with His loved ones. And peace be upon him who followeth the Truth.
BH02047: Glorified is He Who sends down the verses…
In the Name of God, the Most Mighty, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted!
Glorified is He Who sends down the verses in truth for people who understand. Verily, there is no God but Him. His is the creation and the command. All were created by His command and all are prostrating before Him. Among them are those who recognize and prostrate, and among them are those who prostrate but do not recognize. Thus are all worshippers. And he who worships but does not recognize—his deeds are not accepted and return unto himself, if you but knew. And he who recognizes his Lord—his deeds have ascended unto God. Thus has the matter been ordained, but people do not understand.
Say: O people! Recognize God, then observe what He has ordained in the Tablets of His laws and ordinances, and be not of those who differ. Say: Deeds must follow recognition—thus have you been commanded in all the Tablets and in this blessed, mighty and praiseworthy Tablet. Say: All remembrances have ended in this Most Great Remembrance, and all paths have ended in this Straight Path. Say: Verily, He was Ali in a mighty and glorious Book, then Muhammad in the Furqan, if you be of those who know, then Husayn in a luminous and mighty Book.
Say: O people! Differ not in the Cause of God. Behold His Messengers in this Messenger, and His verses in these holy, mighty and wondrous verses. Beware lest you make distinctions between them. Bear witness to them all in this Most Great and Mighty Announcement. Say: This is a station beyond your allusions, O heedless ones! Thus was it revealed in the Bayan, if you be of those who testify.
O servant! Arise by God’s leave and command. Cast names behind you, idols to your left, and vain imaginings beneath your feet. Take in My name the cup of My praise filled with the wine of My remembrance and My glory. Drink from it again and again, and pay no heed to the clamor of the idolaters. Whenever their outcry and screaming rises, drink again from the cup, again and yet again, to spite them. Thus have you been commanded by One All-Knowing, All-Wise. Walk in My footsteps and My way, and be not of the heedless ones.
In the days when the Luminary of the horizons arose with God’s command in Iraq, the people of hypocrisy opposed Him and sought to shed His blood, having followed the evil ones. We did not withhold the Cause because of their opposition to the remembrance of God, your Lord and the Lord of all worlds. The more they increased in opposition, the more We increased in manifestation, to spite them. Thus was the matter decreed, if you be of those who hear.
Shatter the idols of vain imaginings by the command of your Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Then cut yourself off from every sinful misbeliever. Then the people gathered around His love and His Cause—and this is indeed a great bounty. Thus have We caused the Kawthar of utterance to flow from the finger of your Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower, that you might drink and be of those who are thankful to God Who created you by His command and made you among His successful servants.
And the Spirit be upon you and upon those with you and upon those who turn toward the holy court with a pure and luminous heart. The Most Glorious! Therefore glorify God before the face of your father and mother and family, and by His glorification the people of Paradise and the angels of the highest heaven glorify Him.
BH02083: O thou whose name hath been named with My…
In the Name of God, the Most Glorious, the Most Splendid
He is the Peerless One in the dominion of Glory.
O thou whose name hath been named with My Name in the Kingdom of Names! Hearken unto that which the Spirit casteth upon thee from the heaven of a wondrous might. Then stand thou steadfast in the love of God and in His Faith; for We have beheld the people, in those days, sunk in a vain imagining that lay heavily upon the inmost veil. Do thou rend asunder the veils of idle fancy with the fingers of power, from One Who is mighty, all-powerful.
Beware lest thou turn thine eyes toward them that bid men to commit idolatry in regard to this Youth, above Whose head the Spirit speaketh; for, by God, this is a Beauty round Whom the Kingdom of transcendent holiness shall circle. Thus have We made mention of thee in the Tablet, that thou mayest remind the people of God, thy Lord, and bring them into the shore of a glorious Name. Say: By God, all that ye have heard from any one beside Me is My creation—and God is witness thereto. And what ye have heard among men proceedeth from My Cause; none hath been made aware of it save Mine own Self, the True One, and behind Me a few souls, numbered.
When pride seized them, and they waxed arrogant before God, then did We lift the veil and manifest the Cause, that the people might be God-fearing in the Faith of their Lord. Do thou, therefore, render thanks unto God that He hath concealed from thee that which hath befallen the Beauty of God at the hands of His servants; and be thou among them that yield abundant thanksgiving. By God, wert thou to behold it, thou wouldst weep within thy very soul, wouldst cut thyself off from all that walk upon the face of the earth, wouldst sit with none, wouldst take comfort with no soul, and wouldst choose for thyself a far-off retreat.
The oppression reached such a pitch that they would slay Me with their swords, and then would ascribe it unto their own selves, that they might cast hatred into the hearts of men. Thus do they devise schemes against the Cause of thy Lord. Say: Verily, it is the most grievous of plots, and the most terrible in its vengeance.
Beware lest thou falter in thy station. Call thou the people unto the direction of the Throne, and be manifest and clear in thine utterance. Should harm touch thee, be patient; yea, be thou patient with a patience within patience, for thy Lord shall come unto thee with a beauteous gladness. Say: O people! If ye disbelieve in that which hath been sent down from the direction of the Throne, then in what discourse have ye believed in God? Bring it forth, and tarry not, even for less than an instant. Thus have We commanded thee—this which the Ancient Beauty hath caused to descend upon this Pen which, in the realm of creation, by the leave of God, hath ever been beheld.
And the Spirit, and Glory, and Beauty be upon thee, and upon them that have entered the Spot of a wondrous might.
Grieve thou not for thy mother; for she hath been lifted up unto the Most Exalted Companion, in an impregnable holy abode. She hath entered the chambers of Paradise—an estate whose horizon the lights have made resplendent. The breezes of divine favor have encompassed her and cleansed her from transgression. Thus hath the grace of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, surrounded her; and His grace hath ever encompassed all worlds. Blessed is she, in that she hath drunk from the chalice of holiness and attained unto the presence of the Beauty of God in a Paradise of abiding glory. When her soul was borne aloft unto the Lote-Tree of Eternity, the maidens of the Most Splendid Realm came forth to meet her from their celestial chambers, and with them a company of angels. Thus doth God bestow what He willeth, and send down His grace upon His servants; and He, verily, is forgiving and merciful unto His loved ones.
BH02084: O Dervish! Hearken unto the call of this Dervish…
He is God, the Most Wondrous, the Most Wondrous
O Dervish! Hearken unto the call of this Dervish, that perchance the breezes of love wafting from the direction of the Beloved of all worlds may stir thee, may detach thee from all else save Him, may establish thee in His love, and cause thee to speak His praise amidst His heedless servants. Blessed art thou for having attained the presence of the Countenance in these latter days wherein the Sun of the horizons hath set from the horizon of Iraq and hath dawned from another horizon, as ordained in the preserved Tablets of glory.
Remember thou My days and what thou hast heard of the tales of the Youth. By God! The hearts of those near unto God are consumed by His tales. Say: O people! I am verily the Youth of God amongst you, His servant amidst you, and His mercy unto all created things. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves thereof, for whoso depriveth himself is in manifest loss.
When thou enterest the gathering of lovers, remember then the burning of the Youth’s heart. When thou seest one who is joyful, remind him of My great sorrow. When thou findest one imprisoned, recall My imprisonment and tribulation. When thou beholdest a stranger, reflect upon My exile in this land wherefrom the feet of the unity-professing ones are severed.
O servant! By God, My suffering hath reached such a state that I cannot recount it, and there hath befallen Me that which none can reckon. Yet know thou that I complain not of what hath befallen Me, but rather give thanks unto God, the Beloved of the mystics. Would that all the tribulations of the first and the last might descend upon Me! By God, through His love I shall not be dismayed by anything, though the swords of the oppressors, the spears of the ungodly, and the arrows of the falsifiers rain down upon Me. Would that I had a thousand souls in every moment that I might sacrifice them in His path, even as He sacrificed in My path, if thou be of those who know.
Say: He spoke naught but My remembrance and praise, and I speak naught but His praise. He testified unto My Self, and I testify unto His Self, the Inaccessible, the Mighty. All that befalleth Me in His path is beloved of My heart—and God is witness unto what I say—and all that befalleth Him in My path was beloved of His Being, yet the people of the Bayan are in grievous heedlessness.
Say: By God, I have sacrificed My head in His path and await in every moment what is ordained in the preserved Tablet. Say: He is now living in this Most Holy and Mighty Horizon, and He saith:
“O people of the Bayan! Have mercy upon your Lord, the All-Merciful, and oppose Him not after He hath come unto you with the verses of your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
Say: O people! Be fair within yourselves and deny not Him through Whom the Cause of God hath become renowned amongst all created things.
O people! Ye were behind the veils, fearful for yourselves. But when the Youth appeared, He rent asunder your veils and your faces were illumined amongst the worlds. Fear ye God and deny not this precious and wondrous blessing.
Say: He desireth naught for Himself, but rather desireth to draw you nigh unto God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Beautiful. Thus warbleth the Dove upon the twigs of the holy and lofty Paradise. And upon thee be the Spirit, and upon God’s sincere servants.
BH02087: In the Name of our Lord, the Everlasting…
In the Name of our Lord, the Everlasting, the Eternal, the All-Encompassing! Blessed be He in Whose hands is the Kingdom of the heavens and earth. His are the most beautiful names and the most exalted attributes. He giveth to whomsoever He willeth whatsoever He pleaseth. None can gainsay His firm and mighty command. Were He to desire to adorn all things with the ornament of names, He would be able to do so through His sovereignty which hath encompassed all created things from the first to the last. And were He to desire to strip from them all names, He would be powerful to do so, and none may say “why” or “wherefore.” Whoso sayeth this hath disbelieved in God and His signs and is accounted among the idolaters.
Say: Every first name hath been established through the mention of the Inaccessible, the Sublime, and every last name is raised up through His Word, if ye be of those who perceive. Say: The manifestations of primacy are created in His dominion and the manifestations of inwardness are owned by His Presence. He is in truth the Possessor Who doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He desireth. Beware lest ye be veiled by names from their Originator and Creator. He hath created them even as He created all things, and He is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing.
Every name that boweth down today before His face is among the greatest and first of names, were ye of those who know. And were it to hesitate in His Cause for less than a moment, it would become among the lowest. This is what hath been sent down in truth in the Tablets of your Lord, the Most High, the Most Great. Beware, O people, lest ye look to names, but rather to that whereby they subsist. Thus were ye commanded before and now, lest ye be among the heedless.
Whoso turneth to names because of their connection to God, he is indeed among the believers. And whoso fixeth upon them in themselves and for themselves, he is among the worshippers of names and is accounted among the idolaters. Say: O people! Leave what ye possess, then take what is with God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers. He desireth for you naught save what draweth you nigh unto Himself and His presence, and purifieth you from the hints of the opposers who seek to prove their cause through what We revealed before, yet have denied My Self, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
Say: I am but a servant of God and the son of His maidservant. He hath sent Me with the truth to remind you of what ye have forgotten of the wondrous remembrance of His new creation. I speak not of Mine own self, but rather through what the Spirit uttereth within My breast, and God is witness to what I say. Say: O people! Would ye slay him whom the winds of your Lord’s Will, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate, have seized and move as they please by His command? Fear God and be not among the corrupt. He hath sent him to you to make you united in His Cause and brethren upon facing thrones. Be united, O people, then make peace among yourselves. This is what God desireth for you, if ye be of those who act.
Say: He loveth not discord but desireth harmony among you. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of what your Lord, the Mighty, the Great, hath desired for you. Hearken, O people, unto what the tongue of counsel hath spoken, and be not among the transgressors. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon God’s unified servants. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH02102: My call hath been raised from around My throne…
In the Name of God, the Mighty, the Overshadowing, the Self-Subsisting!
My call hath been raised from around My throne—blessed are they that hear! The Face of God hath appeared, unveiled and unconcealed—blessed are they that behold! The Sun of Utterance hath dawned from the Most Glorious Horizon—blessed are they that attain! The breezes of grace have wafted from the right hand of justice—blessed are they that turn unto them! The Straight Path hath been raised by the hands of the All-Merciful—blessed are they that walk therein! The gates of the Most Exalted Paradise have been opened in My Name, the Most High, the Most Glorious—blessed are they that enter! The Youth hath come, bearing in His hand the cup of immortality, which He hath passed round among the company of the sincere—blessed are they that drink!
The strong and mighty rope of God hath appeared—blessed are they that grasp it! The hem of grace hath been lengthened—blessed are they that cling thereto! The Maid of inner meanings hath appeared in the chambers of thy Lord’s words, the All-High, the All-Knowing—blessed are they that comprehend! The Tree of the All-Merciful hath yielded the fruits of utterance—blessed are they that take them! The fragrances of divine realities have been diffused in this garden—blessed are they that inhale them! The Youth’s robe hath been suspended between earth and heaven—blessed is he who findeth from it the fragrance of holiness and is of them that are at peace!
Say: O people of the Bayan! The hearts of them that are nigh unto God are bewildered at you. I know not what ye desire, O ye heedless ones! If ye seek God’s signs, by God they have descended in the most wondrous utterance, to which every thing beareth witness, if ye be of them that deny. If ye seek God’s power, verily it hath appeared in truth, and ye have beheld it with your own eyes, would ye but be fair-minded. And if ye seek His beauty, verily it hath dawned in truth from the holy horizon with manifest sovereignty. And if ye seek knowledge, from it have appeared the treasuries of the knowledge of the first and the last. Say: I know not what ye have made the standard for recognizing your Lord—consider this, O ye idolaters!
Blessed art thou, O My name, for having been named with this Name through which God hath distinguished between the believers and the idolaters. There hath befallen Me what befell not My previous name, yet the people are in grievous heedlessness. Say: Verily My previous name was martyred with his loved ones in a single day, and ascended to the Supreme Companion with gladness and manifest joy. But this Name witnesseth his enemies in every moment as they slay him with the swords of hatred. Thus hath the matter been ordained, and We have sent it down in truth as a reminder to them that know.
They are naught in thy Lord’s sight but worthless rabble, nay more contemptible, and thy Lord is verily the Almighty, the Powerful. They have committed what none before them committed, even violating God’s sanctity among His servants—yet they have only harmed themselves, though they perceive it not. Thus have We taken from them the spirit of understanding and left them in barren wastes, wherein they wander distracted.
But thou, be thou assured by thy Lord’s grace and fear not the hosts of the oppressors. By My life! Wert thou to know what hath been ordained for thee, thou wouldst sacrifice thyself in love for that most wondrous and wonderful station. Grieve not at anything—verily thy Lord is with thee in all conditions and will aid thee through His power. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Powerful. And the Spirit be upon thee, upon thy wife, and upon them that are with thee of God’s sincere servants.
BH02104: O Muhammad-Ibrahim! In the Name of God, the Most…
O Muhammad-Ibrahim! In the Name of God, the Most Manifest, the Most Holy! Your letter has reached Our presence in this prison, and We have found the fragrance of your love and recognized your sincerity towards God, your Lord and the Lord of all worlds. Those who have believed in God and held fast to the cord of His favor—upon them do the denizens of Paradise pray, and this is indeed a great bounty inscribed in the Tablet. Give thanks unto God for having given thee to drink the Water of Life from the chalice of eternity, and for having caused thee to ascend to the heaven of inner meanings, and for having made thee to hear wondrous melodies of glory.
Leave the idolaters in the depths of the fire, then proclaim thy Lord’s praise amongst His servants. Thus doth the Pen of glory and might command thee.
Say: O company of the heedless! Have ye forgotten that which God counseled you in all the Tablets, to fear God and not to be tyrannical and wretched in the land? Say: Be fair—if ye deny what hath been sent down in truth from God’s heaven of grandeur, by what proof do ye find rest in your souls and seek to guide others? Fear God and refute not the truth by what ye possess—this would be better for you, did ye but know.
Sanctify yourselves from idle fancies and desires, then turn your gaze toward the Most Glorious Horizon. Thus doth your Lord, the Most High, command you in preserved Tablets of glory. Beware lest the world and what is therein delude you, or the intimations of the people of the clouds prevent you. Rend asunder the veils by a power that is mighty in truth.
Know thou that from thy letter wafted the fragrance of love to all regions, and the angels of the Cause have preserved it from One mighty and powerful. God shall resurrect it in the most beauteous form—with Him is the knowledge of all things and He encompasseth all things. Were We to acquaint thee with the station God hath ordained for thee in thy love for Him, thy spirit would depart thy body in its longing for what is destined for thee. But We have concealed this through a wisdom known only to God, thy Lord and the Lord of all creation.
Give thanks unto God for having made thee a repository of His love, but strive to preserve it from every accursed thief. For Satan and his manifestations have spread throughout the land, and should they find anyone heedless, in less than a moment they would steal what their Lord hath entrusted unto them. Thus hath the tongue of truth spoken faithfully. Be distinguished among the servants from all others, such that thy countenance shineth amidst all faces, and be among those whose faces are illumined by the lights of the Countenance.
O thou servant who hast turned unto God! Ask God to grant thee what thou desirest. He bestoweth upon whomsoever He willeth whatsoever He pleaseth by His command, and He is indeed cognizant of all things.
By God! It grieveth Me that thou shouldst seek to attain My presence and I must deny thee. But as We observe the decree of destiny, We have withheld the Pen from its ruling and suspended it in the heaven of the divine Will until God cometh with a manifest sovereignty. Should We remain in that land in such condition for a complete year, We shall reveal what hath been truly ordained, and He is indeed wise in all things.
Spirit, glory and splendor be upon thee and upon those who are steadfast in love.
BH02115: This is the tablet of the Primal Point…
He is the Glorious in the Kingdom of Eternity
This is the tablet of the Primal Point for him who hath taken God as his protector. Who, when he perceived the Sun of Holiness from the horizon of that holy garment, lowered his gaze and fell to the ground.
Verily, those who have believed in God and in the return of His Primal Point in this Manifestation have been sanctified by God of all that is unseemly, and their Lord has enwrapped them in His mercy without bound. Say:
“O people, fear God and follow not those who have fought Him, denied His testimony and away from Him have turned.”
Fear Him who is the Revealer of His Cause in this Day, arise to help Him who created you and fear not those who have disbelieved.
Say: “O people, do you still take your vain desires as your lord while casting aside Him of whom every atom in creation testifieth ʿthere is no God but He, the One, the Only’?”
O thou who bearest my name, listen to what the dove in eternity’s midst doth say, and turn not toward those in whose hearts is hatred for this Beauty, so faithful and exalted. The sweet scents of the Rizvan of the All Merciful have captivated those who have believed and stood fast, and from the loving kindness of the Spirit they are nurtured.
Praise be to Him who hath revealed Himself so gloriously that His light has through all creation shined. Those endowed with spiritual insight testify that there is no God but He, the Peerless, the Everlasting, for to them His light as proof of His cause hath sufficed.
He hath revealed His verses as he willeth and desireth and in such wise that the sweet fragrances of His spirit have encompassed every horizon, which none can deny save those in whose hearts is envy and hatred.
Say “O people, fear God and turn a just eye to the testimonies of the Prophets and the Messengers. Beware lest ye deprive your own souls of the holy threshold.”
Do not dare to refute the Truth with what knowledge you possess, for through My command was the Truth created. This is known only to those with sight refined.
And whosoever would deny the bounty of this Day hath nothing. They are those whose sight has died. Say “O people, the mirrors of your hearts ye must purify, and your vision ye must rectify, ere you lose your way on this long and holy road.”
And it is for this that we have given thee inspiration and revealed to thee our verses, that that mayest show thy mettle in the Cause of thy Lord, calling mankind to this path, for thee to be of those who are well guided.
Know then, that we have fallen beneath the sword of inequity brandished by those who have indeed replaced God with their vain desires, and so they have been scourged by One who is wise and well aided.
Thou must separate thyself from them and desire not their friendship. Seek for thyself, under the protection of thy Lord, a shelter fortified. Do not consort with those who have disbelieved and denied what they had accepted. Woe to the one who once believed and then rejected.
Rid thyself of all allusions that thou mayest speak plainly about the Possessor of all names and attributes. Well it is with them whom the veils of creation hindereth not from hearing the word of God, so the dove of the Spirit has warbled.
Upon thee be the Spirit of God and His might, and also upon all who have taken a lofty place within the shadow of their Lord.
BH02118: The Most Holy One!
The Most Holy One!
There has come before the Face a noble Book, which was read by a servant present in My court with the melodies of the sincere ones. When he read its first line, the eyes of the inhabitants of the cities of Names wept. Then arose a cry that filled creation. And at another line, sighs of sorrow burst forth from the hearts of those near ones, and grief seized the dwellers of this Ridvan who circle round the Face—the Spot whence waft the breezes of the All-Merciful upon the peoples of the worlds and the breaths of glorification upon all creation. And grief reached such a degree that the eyes of the Youth wept, both secretly and openly, for His love of thee, and the eyes of the people of the pavilion of glory and the domes of holiness in the presence of fellowship shed tears, and God was witness to that. And he who read it wept, and by his weeping increased the weeping of those who had sought shelter beneath the shade of the mercy of their Lord, the Most High, the Supreme.
Blessed art thou for having been turned by the breezes of grace toward the right hand of justice and been made one of the sincere ones. Verily thy remembrance of thy Lord and thy seeking His pardon is better than the worship of most of the servants. To this beareth witness he who hath drunk of the most pure Salsabil from this wondrous Spring. And by thy sighing were consumed the hearts of those who soar in the atmosphere of nearness and holiness and beauty; then did the faces of the mystics turn pale. How wonderful are the winds of thy Lord’s will, the All-Merciful, which blew upon thee and made thee purified from the defilement of the idolaters. I testify that thou wast born again from the breaths of the All-Merciful, and this is from the grace that nothing ordained in the heaven of destiny by the Mighty, the Powerful can equal.
We beseech God to make thee a leader of His servants unto the paradise of God, the King, the Mighty, the Beautiful, and to raise up in thee that whereby the hearts of His creatures shall be attracted, that they may enter into the tabernacle of His mercy that hath encompassed all created things. We have found from thee at all times the sweet savors of faith, and thus it is preserved in a guarded Tablet of glory. When the appointed time came, that which was treasured within thee was revealed, and verily thy Lord knoweth all things.
Arise and say: O people! Fear God and spread not corruption in the earth after it hath been set in order, and follow not those who desire naught but the desires of their own selves and have turned away from the Spot of nearness and are among the heedless. If they would heed that wherewith ye have been counseled in all the Tablets—thus doth this Youth command you from the presence of One All-Knowing, All-Wise. He desireth naught in the kingdom save what God desireth. Open your eyes that ye may behold the Sun of Beauty of the Most High shining forth from this holy and luminous horizon. Soon shall ye arise from sleep and find not the Youth, and shall find yourselves in grievous loss. Seize ye the measure of My days and exchange them not for what ye possess. Fear Him in Whose grasp is the kingdom of all things. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Great.
Thus have We inspired thee and made mention of thee at a time when We were in grievous sorrow. The Spirit and glory and splendor be upon thee and upon those who hearken unto thy word concerning God, thy Lord and the Lord of the noble Throne. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH02135: O Hussein in Sad, He is the Mighty…
O Hussein in Sad, He is the Mighty, the Everlasting! O Hussein, bear witness with your self, then with your tongue, then with your heart, then with your essence that there is no God but Him and that Ali before Muhammad was the Manifestation of His Beauty, the Dawning Place of His Glory, the Mine of His Revelation and the Source of His Knowledge for all who are in the heavens and earth. Through him was established the Divine Unity and appeared the Beauty of Divine Singleness, and the Dove sang upon the branches of the Lote-Tree of Eternity that there is no God but Him, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate.
Know then that your letter came before Us and We learned what was therein, for We were well-informed, and We answer you with these verses which have rendered the learned powerless. Say: O people, fear God and corrupt not the earth, and be not of the corrupt ones. And when the verses of God are sent down unto you, make them not an object of mockery, and be not of the heedless ones.
Know then that We desired not to reveal Our countenance to anyone while We were among the servants, and none knew Us, for We were behind a mighty veil. But when the idolaters imprisoned Us in this remote prison, We therefore rent asunder the veils of concealment and revealed the Face like the manifest, radiant Sun, that thereby might be consumed the hearts of the deceivers and might increase the faith of the believers.
Say: By God, from the Ancient Sovereign hath descended upon this Pen a word at which the heavens and earth would be cleft asunder, save whom thy Lord willeth, the Mighty, the Everlasting, the Inaccessible. Thus sang the Dove unto thee that thou mightest become aware of that which was concealed from every possessor of clear sight, and become steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord, and trustworthy in His messages, and find joy in thine essence and self, and be upon the Path with clear certitude.
Know then that We forgot thee not before, nor have We forgotten thee in this Prison which lieth behind mighty mountains. We beseech God that He may enable thee in the Cause and raise thee to the Holy Seat, a faithful station wherein thy foot shall not slip from the Cause than which nothing is more mighty, and was greater than every great thing. And the Spirit and Light and Glory and Radiance be upon thee and upon those with thee from this day unto the Day of Judgment.
O Hussein in Sad, He is the Mighty! It hath been known to that honored one that the purpose of creation hath ever been and shall ever be the knowledge of God, and this knowledge dependeth upon the recognition of His servants who perceive the Truth through their own vision and heart and nature, for imitation sufficeth not, whether in acceptance or rejection. If thou attainest unto this most glorious and most exalted station, thou shalt reach the Greatest Perspective, which is the station of steadfastness after striving in God. This is the guidance thou didst seek, and We have sufficed with these two words which are from the jewels of God’s consummate wisdom, and were any to turn unto them he would be independent of all who are in existence. And God sufficeth as a witness.
BH02164: O Shaykh Sultan! In the Name of God…
O Shaykh Sultan! In the Name of God, the Mighty, the Wondrous! This is a Book from Us to him whom God has loved and ordained for him an exalted station in His presence, that he may give thanks to his Lord and be detached from all else and remember Him among His praising servants.
We have learned what has befallen you. Do not grieve. Be patient, then show forth ultimate patience, and be in great joy. Verily the world and its hardship and ease shall pass away, as every insightful and certain one bears witness. Grieve not over anything. We beseech God to bring about that which will set your affairs aright and comfort your eyes. He is verily the Guardian of the sincere ones. We grieved when We heard of the disorder in your affairs. Soon will your Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, bring them together. Grieve not except for My tribulation and affliction, and when sorrows intensify upon you, reflect on what has befallen My Soul at the hands of the oppressors.
O Sultan! Know that a great ransom has been ordained for Us which cannot be exchanged for another—neither for sheep nor for all that exists between the heavens and the earth. Thus has the Most Exalted Pen inscribed in the Tablet of Destiny by My binding and wise command.
O Sultan! The Cause of God has become obscure to most people, and We have veiled it from them when We found them wandering in the wilderness of delusion. Detach thyself from all else, then remember what has befallen My Soul, then speak My praise among the heedless, that they might recognize their Creator and become detached from the idolaters.
Say: O people! Know the worth of these days, then hearken to God’s call from the direction of His prison. He calls you at all times to draw you to the station ordained for you in a preserved Tablet. Yet you have risen in opposition, and there issues from your tongues concerning His Cause that which causes the heart of every possessor of a heart to burn and the faces of the mystics to pale.
Say: O people! If the matter were as you claim, why did We send ʿAli before and sacrifice him in this clear and manifest path? If you were true to what you say, why did you change your religion? By God, you are of those who seek refuge from the frying pan in the fire. Woe unto you, O company of idolaters!
If you find one who is receptive, cast upon him the words of your Lord; otherwise conceal them and avoid those who have disbelieved in God, the King, the Mighty, the Peerless. Thus have We cast upon you that which causes tears to flow from the eyes of the believers.
By God, if you were to look upon Me with the eye of your heart, you would find in My outward and inward being naught but the wounds from the spears of the fettered ones. The evil ones of the Bayan have united with the evil ones of the Furqan for My harm and affliction. Fie upon them and that which they possess of satanic deception! Nay, Satan himself flees from these and seeks refuge with God from their evil and their plots. Your Lord is witness to what I say.
Convey My glorification to your son’s face, then remind him of My remembrance, that the remembrance of God, the King, the Just, the Wise, may stir him. And the Glory be upon you and upon him and upon those who are with you among Our assured servants. And praise be to God, the Beloved of the worlds and the Goal of the mystics.
BH02165: This is a Book from Baha unto him who…
He is God, the Most Holy, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Exalted
This is a Book from Baha unto him who dwelt within himself in the days of his Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Merciful, that perchance the sweet-scented breezes of the All-Glorious from this Paradise might seize him from himself and detach him from all creation and whatsoever hath been created in the realms of being, and draw him nigh unto the court of his Lord, the Mighty, the Bountiful, and purify him from all that God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Compelling, loveth not.
Hearken unto the crowing of the Cock of the Throne and the cooing of the Dove of Paradise, then unto the rustling of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, then the rushing of the winds that blow from the right hand of thy Lord’s throne and the downpour of the rain of mercy which descendeth from the heaven of holiness upon all created things, that there might be kindled within thy heart such fire of the love of God that thou shalt be detached from the world and all that is therein and arise to praise the Manifestation of the Self of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
O servant! Hear My words, then efface from thy heart all allusions, that there might be imprinted thereon the lights of thy Lord’s countenance and thou mightest behold with thine own eyes what hath been ordained for thee in the dominion of destiny by thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, and be of them that attain. Cast away what is in the hands of men, then take what is with God, thy Lord. This indeed shall suffice thee above the kingdom of the dominion of the heavens and earth.
Say: O people! This is a servant of God and the son of His servant who hath come unto you with God’s signs and His proof. Beware lest ye deny him by reason of what ye possess and be of the heedless. He desireth for you naught save that which is better for your own selves than whatsoever hath been created between the heavens and earth. Say: O people! Ponder within yourselves—have ye witnessed a Revelation more mighty than what hath appeared in truth? Fear God and be of the fair-minded. Should ye deny this bounty, by what proof then do ye affirm your faith in God your Lord? Bring it forth and tarry not even for a moment. Say: He hath come to quicken the world and gather all upon the ancient, eternal, fresh and verdant table.
Beware lest ye deprive yourselves thereof and be of them that are veiled. Say: Verily the Sun hath risen in truth and reached its zenith, yet ye have not turned to its rays but remain as dead ones within the veils of your selves. Therefore lift up your heads from the couch of heedlessness and passion, then turn toward the heaven that ye might behold with your own eyes what none before you hath ever witnessed. Thus do We set forth the verses and expound them in truth, that perchance there might be generated in the hearts of the servants that which shall draw them nigh unto the shore of grace, the spot wherein shine forth the lights of the countenance of thy Lord, the Powerful, the Most High, the Most Great.
Arise to fulfill the Cause and fear no one, then bring people into the religion of God, thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who, when they hear the verses of the All-Merciful, fall prostrate upon their faces before God, the King, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And praise be to God, the Beloved of them that know.
Cast then the greeting from thy Lord, the All-Merciful, upon the countenance of thy son, then upon the side of knowledge, then draw her through the breezes of thy Lord from the left of wisdom and standing unto the right of attraction and yearning, out of love for the face of God, the King, the Just, the All-Wise.
BH02168: This is a Book that speaketh the truth…
He is God, the Most Holy, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Exalted
This is a Book that speaketh the truth, that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting. It summoneth all men unto God and guideth them to the right shore of this blessed spot, whose sand proclaimeth: There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Well-Beloved.
O people! Fear ye God and oppose not Him Who hath appeared with the truth by a manifest command. Say: The Youth desireth naught for Himself, but rather desireth for you that which God hath desired, did ye but know. Know ye that His will is the very Will of God, could ye but understand. He is indeed the One Who hath arisen in pure servitude unto God, your Lord, could ye but perceive. He loveth naught but servitude unto the True God, and unto this testifieth all things, even should ye deny it.
Say: He is the One Who hath called upon God in every tongue, yet ye comprehend not. Every mention that hath ascended unto God, in whatsoever tongue, hath appeared from His tongue, and this is a truth well-known. Every face that hath turned toward the Beloved of earth and heaven hath turned only through the turning of this imprisoned Servant. Say: He was prostrate before God ere the creation of the heavens and earth, and ere the pearls of divine knowledge emerged from the shells of hearts. Say: He fell prostrate with his face upon a spot of earth in submission unto God, Lord of what was and what shall be.
Say: O people! Fear ye God, deny Him not, and follow not every rejected ignorant one. Whensoever this Dove warbled upon the twigs of the Divine Lote-Tree in remembrance of His Most Exalted Self, this was only after God’s command, your Lord, would ye but be certain. The Beloved of Baha hath previously informed you that He Who would come after Him with the name of the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, would proclaim in all things:
“I am God, there is none other God but Me, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting.”
And as I was beholding the direction of His Cause, there was revealed in this Manifestation that which hath caused every witness and the witnessed to tremble. By the life of the Beloved! Were I not beholding His wisdom, I would not have mentioned Myself save in pure servitude, for this is the desire of My heart, and unto this testify My spirit, My soul and My being, could ye but understand.
O servant! Worship thy Lord, then prostrate thyself before Him, and be not of those who disdain. Say: O people! Fear God and follow not those who mock at the signs of God. Soar upon two wings of detachment unto this atmosphere wherein hath been raised the mention of God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. Beware lest anything prevent thee from turning toward thy Lord, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.
Remember Him at all times, and He shall suffice thee against those who have disbelieved in God, mocked His Messengers, and were of the despairing ones. Thus have We counseled thee in truth, as a grace from Us unto thee and unto those who have shattered the idols and were of the detached ones. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon the sincere servants of God.
BH02195: To be typed
To be typed.
BH02200: O Majid!
O Majid!
Hear thou the call of this Wronged One. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of glory and detachment that from the beginning of creation until now such tyranny hath not been inflicted upon anyone. Why dost thou sit at ease? Hast thou forgotten My wondrous melodies, or hath association with people made thee heedless? Thou hast witnessed My patience, forbearance and tranquility. Now consider what hath occurred that hath caused the lamentation, crying and wailing of the Beauty of Oneness. By God, besides Whom there is none other God! Had I drunk the cup of martyrdom at the hands of the most wicked of men, it would have been preferable to Me than that these matters which cause the abasement of the Cause should become known among the people. By God! My soul weepeth, and Mine eye, and My heart, and My pen, and from My sighs the dwellers of Paradise do lament, but the people neither perceive nor hear.
O Majid! Thou knowest how much I strove to exalt the Cause of God, until it reached the station thou didst witness. And then the first token of love shown to this Wronged One was that they arose to slay Me and exerted their utmost to cut down the divine Tree. When this became known, this Servant withdrew alone to another house, that perchance the fire of malice and hatred might subside. Then they sent messengers to all regions writing that they had girded themselves to slay Me, and whatever they had done and whatever was in their hearts they attributed to the Divine Lote-Tree that none can know. Yet thou knowest that had this Servant desired to harm him, he would not have existed at all.
When his writing was observed, I felt compelled to inform the people of these matters, lest they be led astray from the luminous path by the fabricated words he had written. By Him Who is unique in grandeur and glory! Had he remained quiet after this Servant’s departure, this Servant would never have mentioned it. Among other things he wrote that they had left Me for want of bread. Observe the baseness and meanness of his soul, what he hath said and what he hath done. Let that honored one himself reflect. Having associated with this Servant for years, is it befitting to attribute such calumnies to the Lord of Names and Attributes, possessed of supreme sanctity and detachment? No, by the Self of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting! The mention of My tribulations hath exceeded both tongue and pen. I do but complain of My grief and sorrow unto God.
In any case, they will exercise the utmost scheming to cause thee to turn away from the Cause of God. O chosen one! Among all the servants, thou wert the first to attain unto God Himself and to believe in His presence. Stand thou firm in the Cause in such wise that through thy steadfastness all may become steadfast.
BH02202: Blessed is He unto Whom belongeth whatsoever…
He is the Mighty, the Everlasting, the All-Knowing, the Powerful!
Blessed is He unto Whom belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on earth, and all are His worshippers. His is what He hath created and shall create, and He hath ordained all things in due measure, and all bow down before Him. His is the Command and the Creation. He giveth life to whomsoever He willeth through His command and causeth to die whomsoever He willeth through His authority. His verily is the might and the glory, His the grandeur and the splendor, His the power and the permanence, His the loftiness and the radiance, and unto Him do all return.
O servant! Remind the servants of that which We inspired thee before the creation of the heavens and earth, before the creation of the Concourse on High, and before the appearance of honored servants. Fear thou no one, but place thy trust in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. We shall protect thee from those who have disbelieved and turned away, even as We protected thee from the serpent’s mouth and raised thee to a praiseworthy station. Beware lest thou conceal thy beauty as thou didst conceal it before. Rather, reveal what thou art commanded and delay not the Cause of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Sovereign, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Beloved.
Call thou the people to the Most Great Ocean which surgeth in thy name, the Exalted, the Praiseworthy. Then deliver unto the people what was revealed in the Bayan and tarry not for less than a moment. Command what is right and turn away from those who turn not their faces toward thy countenance.
Say: I am the Beauty of God on earth, His Proof amidst His servants, His Evidence amongst His creation, His Testament in His realm, and His Path amongst His creatures, would that ye might know. Say: Whoso turneth away from Me hath turned away from God from all eternity, and whoso gazeth upon Me hath gazed upon God, the Generous, the Forgiving. Say: The faith of no one shall be complete except through entering beneath My shadow—and this is My shadow which hath encompassed the heavens and earth, wherein have entered the sanctified ones who dwell in the precincts of eternity, and none hath knowledge of them save God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
Say: O people! Fear ye God, then have mercy upon yourselves. Keep not distant from the station wherein the name of God is upraised at every moment and hour, at eventide and at dawn. Say: Nothing shall be accepted from anyone today except by My leave, would that ye might understand. Therefore, die in your wrath, O people of hatred, for God’s punishment and His wrath have come upon you, and ye are tormented within your own selves.
Then rejoice, O people of love, in the meeting with God and His days, and in His beauty and His signs—ye shall indeed rejoice! Thus have We inspired thee, O people of the Bayan, with that which I have been commanded by God, my Lord and your Lord, would that ye might hear. Whoso wisheth, let him accept, and whoso wisheth, let him turn away. Verily God is independent of them and of all who are in the kingdom and of all that they do or know. And the Spirit be upon those who have prostrated themselves before the countenance of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.
BH02203: That which descended from the right hand…
That which descended from the right hand of the Throne—let Jim and Sad, being gladdened by the fragrances of divine loving-kindness, know that special favors have ever flowed and will continue to flow from the threshold of the Divine Unity upon those messengers in the valley of the glory of the All-Sufficing.
But O friends of God! Today stillness and tranquility are forbidden, while ardor and rapture and restlessness in the path of the Chosen Beauty are beloved. For if one observes with a subtle eye—by God the Truth!—verily the Most Great Paradise is stirring within itself and all that is ordained therein out of longing to attain the presence of your Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, Who hath appeared once again in His primordial garment, whereupon the embodiments of limitation fled from His presence—these wretched ones between earth and heaven.
Know ye that the Most Great Paradise and all that hath been created therein of the essences of the hearts of the Maids of Heaven and the quintessence of the spirits of the secluded ones, as well as the subtle divine crafts and the jewels of holy creation—all are in motion today and restless from longing for the Chosen Beauty. Therefore beware lest ye grow cold in My love or choose silence regarding the wondrous remembrance of Me. At all times cast forth My new remembrances upon those who await the snares of My mention, that all may, through God’s grace and bounty and through God’s might and mercy, be set in motion like fire and become ignited, so that by the heat of these sanctified temples the people of the world may be consumed and refined by the fire of the divine Tree of Love, until the signs of God’s fire become manifest and evident upon all else.
Today the cup and what it contains and the one who takes it are all considered as one and witnessed before the Throne. But the sword of separation that hath appeared in the garment of the Word of God is occupied with its appointed task in all things, and soon will holy hearts surge forth from their hidden places like the manifestations of the fire of the Divine Tree and become visible in the world of appearance. Blessed are they and what they have attained from their Creator and what hath been ordained for them of God’s mercy, the Mighty, the Luminous.
Do not restrain the tongue from explanation and elucidation. At all times, dedicate heart and soul to teaching the Cause. And peace be upon him who conveyeth the Cause of his Lord and is not prevented by the derision of enemies nor their heedlessness nor their harm. Furthermore, be vigilant regarding the Cause of God at all times and never let go of wisdom lest harm occur. Convey the holy salutation, free from the veils of writing, to the servants of God and His loved ones, both female and male, from the tongue of God. Blessed are they who convey it.
BH02210: He is the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious! A remembrance…
He is the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious! A remembrance from God, from the presence of Glory, unto him who hath believed in his Lord and was numbered among the faithful in the Mother Book, inscribed by the Pen of Command.
O servant! We have sent thee Tablets before this, from whose horizon the sun of thy Lord’s mercy shone forth upon thee, that thou mightest be filled with joy. And besides these We have sent thee this Tablet containing thy Lord’s messages—deliver them unto His servants, fear no one, and place thy trust at all times in thy Lord.
And if thou desirest to know what hath befallen My Beauty, by God! words fail to recount this Cause, whose measure even the hands of them that reckon cannot encompass. Were a thousand seas to be made ink for My tribulations, by God! they would be exhausted while the mention of My tribulations, visible from the horizon of destiny, would not be ended. And if thou wishest to know a trace thereof, breathe the air, and if thou detectest the fragrance of blood, then ponder what hath befallen the Beauty of the Ancient of Days from the arrows of those who disbelieved in God and denied His signs after He had, by His word, created their own selves and all who dwell in the kingdom, gathered together.
We commanded thee before to emerge from behind the veil of silence and to speak forth between earth and heaven concerning this Most Great Remembrance, and to warble with the sweetest melodies in the Kingdom of Names and Attributes. Yet until now We have not heard thy call, as though thou hast held back in what We commanded thee. Beware lest thou hold back—be thou as a flame of God’s fire kindled among His servants, that through thee may be set ablaze the hearts of those whom intoxication hath overtaken in these days when heedlessness hath seized both young and old.
Raise thy call throughout the land and make mention of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, in these days when the hosts of misbelief have surrounded Him from every direction, and He hath no helper nor supporter in all the earth. Beware, beware lest thou turn to the earth and its people. Rather look with the eye of truth toward thy Lord’s direction and be possessed of enlightened vision. Verily, they who have broken God’s Covenant and devoted themselves to the idols of their own selves—these have no standing with God and are not mentioned before the Throne.
And if thou findest one possessed of enlightened vision, reveal unto him the pearls of thy Lord’s Cause, that perchance he may find peace in his soul and stand firm, by thy Lord’s leave, upon the Most Great Path.
O servant! Purify the hearts of the servants from vain imaginings, then illumine them with the splendor of thy Lord’s remembrance. Thus doth the Temple of Eternity command thee, that thou mayest be faithful to the Covenant. Leave those who are veiled by delusion from the Sovereign of the Cause and have turned from the garden of nearness to the lowest of stations—the place which was created in fire, above fire, in the abyss of divine wrath.
Thus have We remembered thee and sent thee that which will purify thee and purify the people from every rejected misbeliever.
BH02218: God hath, through His tongue that uttereth the truth…
God hath, through His tongue that uttereth the truth, testified in all His Tablets to these words: “I am He that liveth in the Abha Realm of Glory.”
By the righteousness of God! He, from the heights of this sublime, this holy, this mighty, and transcendent station, seeth all things, heareth all things, and is, at this hour, proclaiming: Blessed art thou, O Javad, inasmuch as thou hast attained unto that which no man before thee hath attained. I swear by Him Who is the Eternal Truth! Through thee the eyes of the inmates of the Exalted Paradise have been gladdened. The people, however, are utterly heedless. Were We to reveal thy station, the hearts of men would be sorely agitated, their footsteps would slip, the embodiments of vainglory would be dumbfounded, would fall down upon the ground, and would thrust the fingers of heedlessness into their ears, for fear of hearing.
Grieve thou not over those that have busied themselves with the things of this world, and have forgotten the remembrance of God, the Most Great. By Him Who is the Eternal Truth! The day is approaching when the wrathful anger of the Almighty will have taken hold of them. He, verily, is the Omnipotent, the All-Subduing, the Most Powerful. He shall cleanse the earth from the defilement of their corruption, and shall give it for an heritage unto such of His servants as are nigh unto Him.
Say: O people! Dust fill your mouths, and ashes blind your eyes, for having bartered away the Divine Joseph for the most paltry of prices. Oh, the misery that resteth upon you, ye that are far astray! Have ye imagined in your hearts that ye possess the power to outstrip Him and His Cause? Far from it! To this He, Himself, the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Most Great, doth testify.
Soon shall the blasts of His chastisement beat upon you, and the dust of hell enshroud you. Those men who, having amassed the vanities and ornaments of the earth, have turned away disdainfully from God—these have lost both this world and the world to come. Erelong, will God, with the Hand of Power, strip them of their possessions, and divest them of the robe of His bounty. To this they themselves shall soon witness. Thou, too, shalt testify.
Say: O people! Let not this life and its deceits deceive you, for the world and all that is therein is held firmly in the grasp of His Will. He bestoweth His favor on whom He willeth, and from whom He willeth He taketh it away. He doth whatsoever He chooseth. Had the world been of any worth in His sight, He surely would never have allowed His enemies to possess it, even to the extent of a grain of mustard seed. He hath, however, caused you to be entangled with its affairs, in return for what your hands have wrought in His Cause. This, indeed, is a chastisement which ye, of your own will, have inflicted upon yourselves, could ye but perceive it. Are ye rejoicing in the things which, according to the estimate of God, are contemptible and worthless, things wherewith He proveth the hearts of the doubtful?
And thou, be thankful unto God, thy Lord, for having purified thee from the defilement of these people. By God! Through their existence all that hath been created of water and clay hath been defiled. And if thou wert to become aware of that which We have ordained for thee, such rapture and longing would seize thee that thou wouldst cease to distinguish between right and left, between day and night. For this reason have We concealed it from thee, that thou mayest be of them that are at rest. And remember thy Lord amongst His servants at all times, and be thou of them that remember Him. And may the mercy that descendeth at every moment rest upon thee and upon them that are with thee, and upon them that love thee, and upon them that associate with thee and sit with thee, and turn unto thee out of love for God and purely for His sake, the Gracious.
Then make mention from Us unto thy brother who hath been named Rahim, that he may remember God and be of them that are thankful. And may the glory rest upon thee and upon him from this moment unto the Day whereon mankind shall stand before God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds.
BH02234: This is a letter from the Servant to him…
In the Name of God, the Most High, the Most Exalted
This is a letter from the Servant to him who journeyed unto God and was numbered among the emigrants in the Tablet, until he entered this Prison, this Station wherein tribulation hath rained down from the clouds of destiny at every moment.
O servant! Blessed art thou, inasmuch as hardships have touched thee in the path of God, and thou hast borne difficulties in the ways of His good-pleasure, and hast turned thy face toward that quarter wherefrom the Countenance was visible from the horizon of sorrow. Be thou steadfast in the love of thy Lord and grieve not for what hath befallen thee. Be patient, then show forth patience. He, verily, will give full reward to those who have shown patience in the presence of His Face, and He, verily, hath power over all things.
Say: O my Lord! I am he who hath turned his face toward the court of Thy good-pleasure and bounty, and hath sought the sanctuary of Thy protection and safekeeping. Deprive me not, then, of that which lieth with Thee, and ordain for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee and will detach me from all else besides Thee, for verily Thou hast ever encompassed all things.
O emigrant servant! Hearken unto the call of this imprisoned Servant and render thanks unto the Beloved of the worlds that thou hast attained unto His recognition and hast passed from the left hand of doubt to the right hand of certitude, and hast forsaken comfort in His path and turned toward the court of His bounty and hast shown patience in face of the tribulations that have befallen thee. All these stations are from the grace of the Lord of the worlds, for were it not for the winds of bounty that blow from the right hand of His grace, no soul would succeed in attaining unto His good-pleasure or would become illumined with His recognition. As thou observest, many among the servants who awaited the Truth night and day, yet after its appearance none attained unto His recognition save whom thy Lord willeth. Therefore must these servants at all times be thankful for His wondrous grace, and seek from Him the power to remain steadfast in His love and to be detached from all else besides Him.
Ere long will the days of life draw to a close and we shall all take up our abode beneath the earth. In that station there will be no helper or companion save His grace. The rich and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, the mighty and the lowly—all shall enter that station of absolute oneness in the same way, and all distinctions and glories of this earthly kingdom shall be completely effaced, and nothing shall be of any benefit in that place save the wonders of His grace. Therefore must thou beseech God that we may not be deprived of His grace and bounty, and may not remain without portion of the river of His mercy, and in these few fleeting days may not become heedless of His remembrance or turn unto aught else besides Him. In times when hardships and trials descend, we must be patient, and in times of comfort and ease we must be grateful.
And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who have placed their trust in God, the One, the Single, the One, the Self-Subsisting, the Mighty, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. And praise be to God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Beloved.
BH02235: O Haji Mulla Baqir! In the Name of God…
O Haji Mulla Baqir! In the Name of God, the Most Great, the Most Great! This is a Book from the Youth to him who hath believed in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, that the words of God may once again attract him and cause him to speak forth His praise amidst such servants as have remained heedless of the remembrance of God, the Mighty, the Beloved.
We, verily, sent down verses unto thee aforetime and dispatched them to thee, yet We found not from thee that which beseemeth thee, and thereby was I grieved, and through My grief all that hath been and shall be were grieved. Ponder upon My tribulation and My affliction, that thou mayest not be saddened by adversity and tribulation in thy Lord’s path, and mayest be numbered with them that fear not, neither are they grieved.
Dost thou wish to rest at ease upon thy couch after the Youth hath been imprisoned in this dark pit through that which the hands of such as disbelieve in their Lord’s signs have wrought? Know thou that protection lieth in God’s hand—He protecteth whom He willeth through His sovereignty and none can avert that which is ordained.
Be thou at peace within thyself, then arise and say: “O people! The Beauty of Him Who was promised hath come with manifest sovereignty. This, verily, is Husayn, Whom ye were promised in all the Tablets aforetime, Who hath appeared after the Qa’im, as was inscribed by the Pen of Command upon a preserved and glorious Tablet. Say: Is there any doubt concerning Him, or concerning His manifestation and sovereignty, or concerning Him Who hath raised Him up and sent Him forth, then established Him and caused Him to speak forth His own praise? Fear ye God, O people, and be not of them that understand not.
Say: This, verily, is He Whose meeting was announced to you by the tongue of His previous Manifestation, and now He speaketh betwixt earth and heaven, would ye but hear. All religions have risen against Him, and behind them all governments, yet He hath been set ablaze with the fire of God’s love in such wise that it shall not be quenched in Him though all the seas created by the command ʿBe’ were to be poured upon it. How blessed the ear that heareth the melodies of the Beloved! How blessed the tongue that speaketh forth the praise of the Intended One! Were all upon earth to purify their ears and hearken unto but one of His melodies, they would surely be drawn to this holy, mighty and praiseworthy station.
I have no purpose save to detach thee from the transient abode and cause thee to ascend unto a station illumined by the lights of thy Lord’s countenance, the All-Merciful. Whoso entereth therein shall never die, as do testify His sincere servants. The world and all that is therein and thereon shall perish, and sovereignty shall belong to God, thy Lord. In that hour naught of what hath been ordained in the earth shall profit thee, nor shall any be enriched by the hidden pearls of glory treasured therein.
Hearken thou unto My words, then convey unto the people this Message, whereby the pillars of all things were shaken, save them whom God preserved through His grace and sheltered beneath His extended shadow. And the Spirit and Glory rest upon thee and upon them that hear that wherewith thou remindest them concerning thy Lord’s Cause—these are they that shall prosper.
BH02270: Muhammad-Taqi, cousin of Salman! He is God, the Most…
Muhammad-Taqi, cousin of Salman! He is God, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious! O Muhammad! Hear the call of Husayn at the moment when Shimr stood at his right, and the spearhead was aimed at his head, and the accursed Khawli stood before his face, while he cried out among those unbelievers saying:
“O people! Slay me not with the swords of hatred! By God, I am none other than the soul of Ali among you, and the spirit of Muhammad within you, and the beauty of God before you! Fear ye God, and be not of the wrongdoers! Fear God, and shed not the blood through which the pillars of the Throne are shaken, and the foundations of Paradise do tremble, and the hearts of them that are nigh unto God are consumed! O people! By God, I have spoken naught among you save the truth, and I have commanded you only according to what the Spirit hath uttered within my illumined and exalted breast. Have shame before Him Who hath sacrificed Himself in My path, then show mercy unto My oppressed and lonely soul!”
Thus was the matter with the Youth among these cattle in this most remote and far-distant prison.
And thou, O servant, give thanks unto God for having enabled thee to recognize His Self and guided thee to the greatest scene, the seat of thy Lord, the Most High, the Mighty. Be thou steadfast in the love of God and His Cause, then shun the ungodly. Thus do We command thee in truth, as a favor from Us unto thee, that thou mayest be of the knowing ones.
O servant! Make mention, on Our behalf, of such servants as thou findest bearing upon their faces the radiance of God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the Powerful. Say: O loved ones of God! Be steadfast in the Cause and follow not the footsteps of any accursed devil, for soon will Satan cry out from your midst and bid you to disbelieve in God, the Almighty, the Most High, the Great. Beware lest ye forget God’s favor unto you, for verily He maketh mention of you in truth in holy and perspicuous Tablets. Arise, O people, in support of God’s Cause and His victory, and be not of the heedless ones. Thus do We command thee, O servant, that thou mayest remind the people through this remembrance and magnify before their faces on Our behalf, for We have ever been powerful to judge.
Then make mention there of such servants as thou findest in them the fragrance of the garment from Joseph of eternity, that they may arise to support the Cause through My sovereignty that neither passeth away nor perisheth. Say: O people! Fear ye God, then gather ye together in support of the Cause, and commit not that whereby the pillars of righteousness between earth and heaven would be divided. Fear God, O people of understanding! Help your Lord, the All-Merciful, with all that ye are able in the realm of possibility, for this is what the Tongue of Glory hath spoken at the midmost heart of Paradise in His most sweet utterance. Thus have We cast upon thee holy words from the Most Exalted Pen that thou mayest remain firm in the Cause through My sovereignty, the Almighty, the Most High, the Most Glorious.
And the glory be upon thee and upon those who, when they heard the call of God from the Tree of the Cause, said “Yea, verily, yea!” Then magnify on Our behalf before the faces of those women who have detached themselves from all who are in the heavens and on earth, and have turned unto God, the Lord of the Hereafter and of the former generations.
BH02280: O Nabil, who visited the House before Ibrahim! He…
O Nabil, who visited the House before Ibrahim! He is the Ever-Abiding Who perisheth not! Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses in truth in this Prison, which God hath made the Most Sublime Vision, wherein descend the angels of His Cause at eventide and at dawn.
He Who created the heavens and the earth, Who sendeth forth the winds and causeth the clouds to be subdued—His heralds bearing glad-tidings before Him to those who have turned towards the Dayspring of Revelation on this Day whereon the Herald calleth out from the right hand of Glory and Power:
“His sovereignty hath conquered all things, and His Word hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth”
- yet none comprehend this save they who are endued with understanding.
The believers soar in the atmosphere of nearness and majesty, while the evil-doers are bound in chains and fetters. The Lord of the heavens and earth, Who hath sent down the verses and caused the Youth to speak forth, hath blown the Trumpet, whereupon all who are in the heavens and on earth have swooned away. Then did the mountains pass away through the might of His Command, and all creation was shaken.
Say: The heavens are folded up in His right hand, and the earth is but His handful—your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Compelling. The Bridge hath been laid, the Balance set up, and sovereignty belongeth unto God, the One, the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the Irresistible. Lord of the Throne and of the dust, there is none other God but Him, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.
Say: The Compeller hath come upon the clouds of His Name, the Chosen One. Thereupon did flesh creep and feet slip, save those who severed themselves from all who are in the heavens and on earth and sought the Kaaba of Glory with humility and contrition. All who are in the heavens and on earth glorify Him, except those whose eyes are drunken and whom intoxication hath overtaken on the Day of Mutual Calling.
The hearts of those who denied the signs have been deflected. Say: Do ye hasten towards evil, when examples have already gone before you? Fear God, for He is mighty in His grasp and severe in His punishment. We behold the people prostrate, their faces darkened by the breezes of wrath. Verily thy Lord is severe in chastisement.
Say: The Sun of the Cause hath dawned from the horizon of Revelation, whereupon the hearts of those who disbelieved in their Lord, the All-Merciful, were straitened and eyes were turned aside. When the Tablet of Glory cometh unto thee, take it with humility and supplication, then arise from the horizon of certitude and raise up the Tablet amidst all creation.
Say: O people of the Bayan! This, verily, is the Proof that hath shone forth from the horizon of the All-Merciful with power and sovereignty. Do ye doubt it, or Him Who sent it? Lost indeed are they who denied Our signs—soon shall the fire consume them.
The breezes of the Ancient King have taken hold of the Pen in such wise that it uttereth remembrance at morn and at eventide, and the might of the wicked ones who disbelieved in their Lord, the Mighty, the Chosen One, hath not hindered it. It calleth out while behind it stand the Pharaohs upon whom the word of torment hath been fulfilled and for whom is reserved an evil abode.
Take thou the Book of Grace and leave those who disbelieve—they are in naught but error. Call thou the people unto God and fear not those who follow every doubtful idolater. And upon thee be glory, and upon those who believe in the Day of Judgment.
BH02281: Glorified be He before Whom all in the heavens…
He is the Everlasting, the Single, the Exalted!
Glorified be He before Whom all in the heavens and earth bow down in adoration, and unto Whom all shall return. All in existence, both seen and unseen, praise God, and unto Him shall all be turned. In His hand is dominion and creation. He createth what He willeth by His command. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. He aideth whom He willeth through the agencies of the heavens and earth, and withholdeth aid from whom He willeth. He is the All-Conquering, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved.
Say: In the revelation of verses are manifestations for those who walk the paths of certitude. Say: O people of the earth! Compare not the creation of verses to the creation of any thing, nor their manifestation to the manifestation of any thing, if ye but knew. Say: The verses are in themselves the mirror of God, for in them are reflected God’s attributes, could ye but perceive it. They are the first creation that told of God in the manifestation of His names and attributes, could ye but understand. By them hath God created what was and what will be, could ye but witness it. Say: They are the forms of the Cause that breathe the spirit of the Living, the Life-Giving into the temples of those who turn their faces to the sanctuary of holiness. They are the proof whereby God’s Cause was established from before the beginning of beginnings and shall be established unto the end that hath no end, would ye but reflect upon it.
They who deny God’s verses and make sport of them—these denied God from all eternity, and these are they who shall not warm themselves at God’s fire. Say: O people! We have laid down for you the laws of the Cause and expounded the verses that ye might be guided thereby. Say: God testeth those who claim faith within themselves—this is what hath been inscribed on tablets of hidden glory.
O people of the Bayan! Stand firm in the Cause when trials shall come upon you from all directions nigh. Know then that We were among you for numbered years, and every day thereof We recited unto you from the verses of God, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. We walked among you with such bearing as no embodiments of antiquity have surpassed, and from which was manifest the dignity of God, the Most High, the Most Holy. Yet ye remained heedless though ye witnessed God’s signs at every moment and every appointed time.
Judge fairly within yourselves, O heedless ones! If ye turn away from this Countenance, then to what countenance do ye wish to turn? Thus did We veil your knowledge from the recognition of Our Self and withhold your eyes from this resplendent, hidden Beauty. Then when the Cause came, We rent asunder the veils from My face and tore away the coverings from your hearts that ye might stand firm in My love such that your feet would never slip from the path of God, the Mighty, the Loving.
O beloved ones! Efface from your hearts all idle fancies and vain imaginings, then hold fast to the cord of God, the Praiseworthy, the Glorified. The Spirit and Glory be upon you if ye hear God’s counsels and return unto Him with your hearts.
BH02285: Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses…
He is the Mighty, the Beloved!
Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses in truth for people who understand. Verily it is a revelation from God, the Sovereign, the Self-Subsisting. Through it God’s proof hath been perfected, His evidence made manifest, His beauty hath shone forth, and His words have been made firm for people who comprehend.
O servant! Warn those who have veiled themselves from meeting Him in His days and who deny His verses. Say: Woe unto you, O people of vainglory! Do ye bar men from the paths of God while ye claim to be Muslims? Do ye acknowledge God in your souls while ye play with His verses? Have ye a proof greater than this? Produce it then, if ye be truthful! Can the Book which is in your hands be greater than this? Glory be to God concerning what ye imagine!
Say: All verses have been sent down from the Sovereign, the Self-Subsisting, and all signs have appeared from His presence. There is no difference between them if ye look with the eye of oneness. Say: If ye have any proof, evidence or argument other than this, then bring it forth and tarry not! Say: The Beauty of knowledge hath appeared from behind the veils of the hidden. Say: The Sun of Beauty hath risen at high noon, yet ye turn away from it.
O people! Have mercy upon yourselves and be not veiled from Him for Whose meeting ye were created, if ye but knew! Do ye deny God’s grace while ye witness it? Do ye flee from the Truth while ye behold it? If ye deny the lights of this Countenance, then to what countenance will ye turn? If ye close this Door upon your faces, then through what door do ye wish to enter?
Fear God and deprive not yourselves of these breezes sent by the Beloved. Whether ye accept or turn away is equal before God, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. Your belief will not profit Him nor will your rejection harm Him, if ye but knew. But ye shall lose that which ye shall never find again, though ye seek it from all eternity and weep and lament in His absence.
Arise from the beds of heedlessness and seek illumination from this Lamp which hath been lit in the Lamp-niche of holiness, from which the inhabitants of the heavens and earth have been illumined, and those men who circle round the Throne. Fear God and cast not the Book of God behind your backs, nor the Word of God behind your souls, if ye understand.
Thus doth God cause the Salsabil of holiness to flow from this confined Pen, and through it establish truth and abolish falsehood, if ye would ponder His Manifestation. If He wished, He could reveal from it mysteries of what was and what will be, and manifest from it that which would necessitate Tablets of preserved glory. All this would only be by His leave, and this Tablet beareth witness to His leave, would ye but be certain.
And the Spirit be upon you, O loved ones of God, inasmuch as ye have turned away from the world and turned unto God, the Sovereign, the Self-Subsisting.
BH02323: The Remembrance of God, upon the right side…
He is the All-Mighty, the All-Subduing, the Self-Subsisting
The Remembrance of God, upon the right side of the Sinai of Nearness, on the Eternal Spot in the Paradise of Glory, has indeed been witnessed. Bear thou witness that no God is there but Him, He who pronounceth at all times that I am God, there is none other God but Me, verily, I am, at all times independent of the entire creation. He revealed Himself unto thee once in the Realm of Glory, then once in the contingent world and the heavenly kingdom, then yet again during these days whence the lights west of the Sacred Realm are aglow, and with their radiance have illumined the denizens of the cities of eternity, and the Concourse of high, and thereafter them who set within themselves their path towards His Countenance.
Go thou straight on and persevere in that which the Pen of God, in truth, commandeth thee, and remain upon the straight path of God, steadfast in His Cause. Say: Verily, this is the straight path of God upon earth and heaven, and His Testimony in the kingdoms of Revelation and creation. He was named “Ali” amongst the people of the Bayan, and then Muhammad amongst the people of the Qur’an, and, in ancient times, was named with each one of the most excellent names of God. Thus does the Tongue of power and might counsel you with Verses that have embraced all mankind, that thou mayest rejoice within thyself and convey unto all people the glad tidings of this Announcement, hitherto concealed from the world, and proclaim unto all men that which we have proclaimed unto thee in this Tablet, and bid them to turn with justice towards the Most Exalted Throne.
Say, the Truth proclaimeth; By God! No created thing having His love can ever be harmed. Verily, He is the Spring that floweth from the well-spring of a Name that is great indeed. Whosoever drinketh therefrom shall fear no one, and heaven and earth cannot withstand him. Thus hath the sacred Pen of glory irrevocably decreed. Be thou steadfast in the Cause of God, and in that which hath been prescribed unto thee, and fear no one. Place thy trust in Him, He verily shall protect thee from every plotting sinful one.
By God! Whosoever hath the love of this Youth in his heart, God shall verily render him victorious over all who dwell upon earth and heaven, and verily God shall be the witness thereof. He shall walk upon water as he waketh upon the earth, and shall soar in the realm of the Spirit in the limitless expanse of heaven. Thou shalt find the infidels fleeing from this Youth as mules flee from the lions of eternity, and they shall turn upon their heels, and shall violate the Covenant of God after It hath been revealed. Verily His knowledge embraceth all things.
It behooveth thee to make firm thy steps in the Cause of God. Admonish then the people with thine loudest voice in this Ridvan that is in truth exalted. May the Spirit of God, His glory and grandeur be upon thee and upon thine consort, and upon them who, whence they heard the announcer call them to God, responded, and held fast unto the chord of glorious splendor.
BH02332: Glorified is He Who sendeth down in every season…
He is the Sovereign!
Glorified is He Who sendeth down in every season that which purifieth the hearts of them that have recognized Him, and uttereth at all times verses that leave powerless all in the world. The Revelation in this Dispensation hath attained such a station that were all who are in the heavens and on earth to gather together to enumerate that which hath been sent down from it, by God, thou wouldst behold them utterly powerless.
Say: O servant, woe unto every sinful denier who, when he heareth the verses of the Spirit, his face darkeneth with rancor and he turneth away therefrom, and waxeth proud before God, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. Say: By God, such grace hath been manifested in a manner that none can conceal it, if ye be of them that are discerning.
And among the people is he who saith “I have believed in God and His verses,” yet when the verses of the Spirit are recited unto him, he persisteth in pride as though he heard them not, and shaketh his head in mockery before God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And among them are those who, when they hear God’s verses, their eyes overflow with tears out of their love for God, the Single, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
Say: O people, fear ye God and differ not among yourselves, lest the hearts of the deniers rejoice thereat. Be as one soul in upholding the Cause, then aid your Lord, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate, though He is in truth independent of the help of all in the heavens and earth, if ye be of them that are endued with insight. He commandeth His servants to render aid that they may thereby detach themselves from all else but Him and turn towards a holy and luminous direction.
And thou, O believer in God, remind the servants of that wherewith We have reminded thee, and place thy trust in God, thy Lord, and be of them that trust. Fear thou no one and be not troubled by anything, even shouldst thou witness all who are in the heavens and on earth turning away in manifest rejection. Know thou that God hath prescribed mercy for Himself, that He will aid those who have patience, seeking His face, and cut off the last remnant of them that disbelieved and were of the idolaters.
Soon shalt thou witness thy Lord’s triumph, whereby His Cause shall be raised to such a station that before it shall bow the necks of the proud ones. Thus do We make mention unto thee in truth and cast upon thee that which purifieth thy spirit and expandeth thy breast and consoleth thine eyes, that thou mayest give thanks unto God, thy Lord, for this bounty which shall never cease unto all eternity.
Then remind the servants not to follow every ignorant rabble and every sinner remote from this Kawthar which floweth from the right hand of a mighty Throne. Know thou moreover that We have arrived in a Prison which none can reach save through mighty effort and determination, and thereby have been severed from Our hem the hands of both those that have turned towards Us and those that have turned away, except whom thy Lord willeth, the All-Conquering, the Almighty, the Most Compassionate.
And the Spirit be upon thee and upon him that hath shown gratitude and patience, and We are in manifest thankfulness.
BH02338: O M.H.! In the Name of God, the Most…
O M.H.! In the Name of God, the Most Holy! The Call of God hath been raised from every direction—can ye not hear it? The glances of God have been directed toward you, O concourse of the chosen ones—how is it that ye remain occupied in your seats? Lift up your heads and open your eyes, that ye may behold the Sun of the Beauty of your Lord shining forth from the horizon of destiny with the sovereignty of His Most Glorious and Most Sublime Remembrance. This is better for you than all that was and all that shall be. Blessed art thou, O servant, in that God hath washed thee with the Kawthar of Paradise and purified thee from the defilement of those who believe not in His signs.
Cast behind thee all mundane concerns, then speak forth in praise of thy Lord and say: O people! He Who was promised hath come unto you. Beware lest ye hesitate. Hasten unto Him with your hearts, for thus have ye been commanded in all the Tablets from God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Say: This is He for Whose sake the Exalted One sacrificed His life, would ye but know it. This is He Who was mentioned in all the Tablets and Who was treasured in God’s Scriptures—the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Beloved. Through Him were the heavens of utterance adorned with the suns of wisdom and exposition, to which the All-Merciful Himself beareth witness, even should ye deny it.
Arise to serve God and aid His Cause, then deliver unto the people that which thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High, hath commanded thee—He Who hath appeared once again. Exalted be thy Lord, the All-Merciful, Who hath manifested from all creation that which was inscribed in the preserved Tablets of glory. Grieve not for those who have disbelieved and joined partners with God, and pay no heed to them. Turn away from them and set thy face toward God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the All-Loving. Those who remain heedless of this Cause are nourished at the breast of idle fancy—how can they attain unto this most exalted station? Thus hath it been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen, that perchance the people may return unto the seat of the Command.
Say: With Us is the knowledge of the heavens and earth. Beware lest ye object to the words of God, for they have been revealed according to human nature, would ye but understand. Say: If ye wish to test your Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, then ask Him concerning the sciences ye possess, that ye may be assured within yourselves that the reins of knowledge are in the grasp of His power. With Him are sciences of which no one hath learned a single letter save God alone. Fear God, O people, and transgress not.
The Chosen One hath attained unto the presence of his Lord and hath appeared before His countenance, and the Sun of His loving-kindness hath shone upon him in such wise as none can reckon. We beseech God to preserve him from the darts of idle fancies and to grant him that which is ordained for him in a hidden Tablet of glory. Blessed be his eyes for having fallen upon this imprisoned Youth. By God! Were the veil to be lifted, he would behold himself in the most exalted Paradise, in a station of praised glory. And upon thee, and upon him, and upon those who follow thee in the Cause of thy Lord and hearken unto thy words concerning this inevitable Event, be the Glory of God.
BH02345: The Essence of Eternity, in the Temple of Glory…
He is the Most Wondrous, the Wondrous One
The Essence of Eternity, in the Temple of Glory, in the sweetest Persian melodies, uttereth:
O thou who art the beloved of God! Free thyself from all else save Him, that thou mayest enter upon the pleasant precincts of the All-Merciful and the paradise of the All-Glorious One, attaining unto the holy Temple and wondrous Beauty.
O thou who art the beloved of God! Compare not this holy and wondrous Paradise with any other paradise, nor liken it unto any other garden. I swear by God that beneath the shade of but one leaf of its Tree have been and shall be created infinite paradises, though not all souls shall receive their portion thereof save whom thy Lord willeth. For at its gate stand the denizens of the all-highest Paradise and its chosen ones, who will not permit entry into this blessed and sublime station until they find one purified and sanctified from all human allusions, earthly indications, personal imaginings and idle fancies. Therefore, O beloved one, regard the vanishing world as non-existent and count all save My remembrance as null. Hold fast unto the cord of My love, that through divine bounty and glorious favor thou mayest enter this spiritual paradise and behold such realms that all thou hast heretofore witnessed shall appear as but a drop compared to the Most Great Ocean, and thou shalt be wholly freed and delivered from earthly dross, entering the holy retreats of divine oneness.
O beloved! When the Day-Star of the horizons shone forth from the Iraq quarter, as that holy and wondrous Temple was seated before the Throne, He desired to utter a wondrous and glorious word and draw thee, through the gems of outpoured and hallowed grace and universal, divine mercy, from the realms of fancy and passion to the pleasant expanses of certitude and eternity. However, in view of the weakness of all created things and whatsoever is therein, and the poverty of the people of creation and all that pertaineth unto them, that Beauty of the All-Sufficient withdrew from the heaven of utterance to the kingdom of silence, lest the pillars of men be shaken and the hearts of people be cut off.
For in those days the appointed time of silence in the kingdom of the divine Cause had not yet been fulfilled. Therefore, as a token of grace and bounty toward men, the tongue of clear utterance remained still in the hidden corners of silence. But as in these days the grace of the All-Knowing One hath appeared from the most holy, most gracious, most glorious and most exalted horizon, and the time of silence hath been fulfilled, He hath therefore spoken forth with these most decisive, most perfect and most exact words, that perchance the eyes of the mystics may become purified and sanctified from the veils of sinners and the shrouds of the heedless, that ye may perceive the Beauty of the Lord of Glory Who hath appeared from the horizon of grace and bounty in another turn, and that ye may attain unto His presence, which hath been the true purpose of the Lord of existence. And peace be upon thee, if thou be of them that hear.
BH02348: In the name of God, the Ever-Abiding! This…
In the name of God, the Ever-Abiding! This is a Book from God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, unto him who hath been named after the Spirit in the kingdom of his Lord, the Mighty, the Well-Beloved, that he may cast the world behind him and turn with his whole being unto God, with Whom lieth the knowledge of what hath been and what shall be.
O servant! The Hidden Secret hath been revealed, and from the horizon of bounty the Concealed Beauty hath shone forth. Arise and herald unto mankind this Cause, through whose name all that exists between the Kaf and the Nun hath been created. Rend asunder the veils, that there may appear unto thee the Sun of the remembrance of thy Lord’s name with manifest sovereignty.
They who have disbelieved—these shall have no portion of this Ridvan, and soon shall they enter the fire. And they who have believed—these are God’s people, and they shall rejoice in Paradise.
Say: O people! This is the Lamp of God among you, and the Sun of bounty above you, and the Cloud of mercy for you. Beware lest ye be veiled therefrom. Arise from the slumber of passion, then remember your Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious—this is better for you than that which ye have known and shall know.
Say: Through His name hath God distinguished between His servants, such that upon every brow hath been inscribed that which is decreed for it. Exalted then is He Who possesseth this power that hath encompassed all whereunto the name of existence can be applied.
Say: O people! Were ye to sanctify your ears, ye would hear from all things that He is God, there is no God but Him, the King, the Exalted, the Great, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Glorious, the Praiseworthy. Leave the idolaters to themselves and their deeds, then call upon God every evening and morn.
Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by this Dawn which hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of Thy mercy, and by the showers of the rain of Thy grace which have descended from the clouds of Thy gifts and favors, that Thou leave me not to myself and my desires. Deliver me from all else but Thee, and purify me from all save Thee, and direct me unto the splendors of the light of Thy face, the Mighty, the Luminous. O my Lord! Deprive me not of the fountains of Thy generosity and the oceans of Thy favors. Then cause me to speak Thy praise amongst Thy creatures. Verily Thou art powerful over what Thou willest, and Thou art the Most High, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.
O my Lord! Thy days have appeared and Thy face hath shone forth from the horizon of Thy Will, and every soul that hath turned unto Thee hath been adorned with the ornament of Thy most beautiful names, and the seas of Thy bounty and forgiveness have surged for the sinners among Thy creatures, and the river of beneficence hath flowed for the seekers among Thy servants and the deserving ones among Thy creation, and the gates of Thy supreme mercy have been opened unto all who dwell in Thy earth and heaven. Here am I, among those who have turned unto Thee and placed their trust in Thee, and I am gazing toward the direction of Thy mercy and loving-kindness. I beseech Thee not to deprive me of that which Thou hast ordained for the sincere ones among Thy loved ones and the near ones among Thy servants. Verily Thou art the Giver, the Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Merciful, the Mighty, the Loving.
BH02350: In the Name of God, the Most Holy…
In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Holy! This is a perspicuous Tablet from God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, which God hath adorned with the ornament of His knowledge among the worlds. Glorified be He Who created the Point by itself and detailed from it the knowledge of the first and the last ones. Verily it is the treasury of knowledge wherein are stored the gems of sciences which none hath discovered save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Verily it is the mirror of knowledge wherein naught is witnessed save the knowledge of our Lord, the Most High, the Most Great.
Say: Through it We have raised up all created things and sent forth the Prophets and Messengers, and through it We have guided the servants to the Law of the All-Merciful and caused all things to speak in praise of My All-Knowing, All-Informed Self. Say: When it reached its ultimate goal, We then raised it up in the temple of man who speaketh at the hub of all worlds in His Name, the All-Merciful, and calleth the people unto this Salsabil which floweth from the right hand of a mighty throne.
Say: By itself it is the Salsabil of the Command, for by it the temples of those brought nigh were quickened. Say: At times it is transformed by the winds and wafteth from the direction of the Ridvan, and at times the fragrance of the garment is diffused from it, and at times there appeareth from it the decree of fire and the hearts of the sincere are consumed by it in their love for God, the King, the Mighty, the Beautiful. And at times thou findest it as though it were the sun from which all that was and will be is illumined, were ye of those who know.
Verily it is the Mother of the Bayan and the treasury of the pearls of God’s knowledge, the King, the Just, the Wise. Through it the oceans of wisdom have surged in the contingent world and knowledge hath been ordained in all things, if ye be of the perceiving ones. Thus have We mentioned unto thee in this Tablet that whereby Our assured servants shall be made independent of all that hath been created between the heavens and the earth. Verily it is the mercy that hath preceded all worlds and the vengeance that hath encompassed the guilty ones.
O loved ones of God! Hearken unto what the Dove of the All-Merciful warbleth upon the branches of this Tree which hath been raised up in truth and which God hath made the gathering-place of the people of all the worlds. Detach yourselves from all else but Him, then turn unto Him with radiant white faces and pure illumined hearts. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, will suffice you, and naught besides Him will ever suffice you. This is a revelation from One All-Knowing, All-Informed.
And thou, O servant, cleanse thine eye from the ophthalmia of the world that thou mayest be able to behold the countenance of thy Lord and be of the triumphant ones. Then stand firm in the Cause of God, thy Lord, and turn not unto the clamor of the ungodly. Be thou at peace within thyself, then drink the Kawthar of certitude in the days of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and be not of those who hesitate.
Say: God! Then leave the ungodly in the lowest depths of hell. Say: Whoso hesitateth in this Cause, he is of the ungodly in the tablets of mighty glory. And whoso believeth in this Revelation, he is of the believers before God, thy Lord and the Lord of all creatures. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH02369: Praise be to God Who has distinguished between…
He is the All-Subsisting, the Self-Subsisting!
Praise be to God Who has distinguished between the believers in divine unity and the ungodly through a word from His presence, and verily He is the Almighty, the Exalted, the All-Wise. And you, O servant who gazes upon the Countenance, give thanks to God, your Lord, inasmuch as He has caused you to know His Self and detached you from the ungodly. God has indeed heard what issued from your lips in praise of the Manifestation of His Self. Nothing escapes His knowledge and He has knowledge of all things.
Know that the tongue was created to praise God, your Lord and the Lord of the worlds, and that the heart was fashioned to love your Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Most High, the Most Great, and that the ear was formed to hearken unto His most wondrous and incomparable melodies. How blessed art thou for having heard His words and for having spoken in His remembrance and praise, and for having attained unto His love and good-pleasure. This is indeed a supreme triumph.
Be steadfast in thy love for thy Creator in such wise that shouldst thou find no one else who shares His love and His Cause, thou wouldst not be perturbed within thyself but wouldst remain steadfast and filled with manifest joy, for this is a cup from which none can drink save the near servants of God. Hast thou ever seen the dung beetle yearn for the fragrance of musk, or the swine drink from the Kawthar of life? Nay, by the Lord of the worlds! Each one acts according to his nature and associates with his own kind. Thus has the decree been sent down in the Tablets by the command of God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forebears of old.
And if thou wert to look with the eye of thy Lord, thou wouldst surely behold those who have denied God in these days in the form of dogs and swine. Shun these people, then hold fast to the protection of thy Lord. If thou findest one who is receptive, impart unto him what God hath imparted unto thee, and if thou findest one who turneth away, turn away from him and set thy face toward the face of thy Lord, the Luminous, the Radiant. By God the Truth! Ye were created to teach this Cause. Blessed are ye, O chosen ones of God! Ye have attained unto that which none else hath attained. Thus doth God single out whom He pleaseth through His mercy, and verily He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Know then that We have heard the call of those who have called upon their Lord and beseeched Him secretly and openly, and there have come before Us the pages which ye have transmitted. We have answered them with words of sublime glory and sent them that they may be forwarded unto them, that they may give thanks unto God, their Lord, under all conditions and be among the thankful ones.
Be thou steadfast in the love of God in such wise that the words of the deniers may not cause thee to slip. Place thy trust in God, thy Lord, and verily He will guard thee and protect thee in truth. Then detach thyself from every sinful misbeliever. Thus have We bestowed Our bounty upon thee and made mention of thee in this Tablet, that thou mayest rejoice in the glad-tidings of the Spirit in these days wherein the Ancient Beauty is in profound sorrow. And peace be upon thee and upon the sincere servants of God.
BH02384: Beware lest thou falter, then speak with wondrous power…
Beware lest thou falter, then speak with wondrous power. The time of silence hath passed. The day when the Sovereign of Eternity emerged from behind the veils of names and attributes, rent asunder the clouds of knowledge and tore apart the mists of wisdom, and without concealment or veil the Tongue of the Lord of Lords began to speak—in such wise that the oceans of meanings flowed from His blessed lips and the surging waves of utterance streamed forth from His life-giving words. Therefore today the dwellers in the heaven of glory must detach themselves from all else and speak forth with healing words, holy breaths, and the warbling of the Dove of transcendent majesty in the paradise of inner meanings, bringing the contingent world into a state of attraction, rapture and joy through wondrous melodies.
O Javad, the Beauty possessed of bounty and grace commandeth: Rend asunder the veils of fancy and tear apart the curtains of silence. Like a lover bereft of patience, step forth from the city of forbearance. Let no barrier restrain thee, nor any word conceal thee.
For in this year of tribulation, mention of which was made aforetime in the tablets of glory, the greatest tumult and severest calamity shall assuredly arise, such that infants shall be cut off from their mothers’ breasts and lovers shall be barred from the cities of their Beloved. Perchance in those days and times that servant may hold fast to the grace of God and cling to the hem of His mercy, standing so firm and steadfast in the Cause of the Beloved that even should all the embodiments of hatred and the souls of opposition determine to turn him aside from the straight path of truth, they would be powerless and unable to do so.
O manifestation of the name of Bounty! Plant firm the foot of steadfastness, for the winds of discord are blowing from the direction of schism with such force that thou shalt soon witness how they cut off the yellowed leaves from the divine Tree and cast them to the dust. Therefore, O verdant and flourishing leaf, hold fast to the Most Great Tree, that the Most Glorious and Noble Holy Spirit may keep thee, through the blowing of phantom winds and the passing of the breezes of associating partners with God, from being severed from the divine Tree. Rather mayest thou be stirred with such rapture and ecstasy that thy movements give rise to the melodies of truth in such wise that all faces turn to the countenance of thy Lord, all ears become attuned to the strains of thy Creator, and all hearts are prepared for the dawning of the sun of thy Maker.
Thus have We ordained for thee from the power We bestowed upon thee in the form of words in this Book, that thou mayest be among those who are firm and steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord.
BH02389: These are the holy verses which have been sent…
He is the Mighty, the Everlasting, the All-Praised!
These are the holy verses which have been sent down in truth from God, the Mighty, the Beautiful. In them is that which will make men independent of all who are in the heavens and on earth, and will convey unto them the messages of God, and give them the glad-tidings of their meeting with the Self of God Who standeth over all created things, and warn them of the Day whereon all shall return unto God in a holy and gracious station.
O people! Look ye unto the Book of God and that which hath been sent down therein of mighty and glorious sovereignty, and forget not God’s covenant within your souls, neither be heedless of it, nor be of them that turn aside. Beware lest ye shut the gates of divine good-pleasure against your faces and deny the verses of God at the time they are sent down unto you. Fear ye God and reject not His verses, nor be of them that are veiled.
Say: O people! Know ye that God created what is in the Bayan for the manifestation of His handiwork and the revelation of His grace and the exaltation of His Word, if ye be of them that understand. And He commanded them not to reject him who would come unto them with the truth on the Day when He would come with the truth—a Day which none can avert—and this is the decree of One mighty and knowing. And that they should not do unto him as they did unto this Servant—this hath been inscribed in holy and resplendent Tablets.
Yet ye, O people of the Bayan, by God, ye do unto him that which none hath ever done unto anyone, and this is assuredly the truth made certain, even as ye did unto His Servant after He came unto you with a manifest sovereignty which the peoples of the heavens and earth are powerless to produce the like thereof. And ye imagine within yourselves even as imagined they who were before you. Woe unto you, O company of evil-doers!
Know ye that this Tablet shall itself be God’s proof against you and His evidence unto all creation. Whoso turneth aside from it hath turned aside from God in His Manifestations, the Prophets and Messengers, and God will accept naught from anyone except that he believe in this Tablet, even should he worship Him unto all eternity. Thus do We impart unto you, O people of the Bayan, that which I have been commanded by God, the Almighty, the Powerful. Whoso wisheth, let him turn aside; and whoso wisheth, let him take unto God his Lord a way.
And thou, O Letter M, give thanks unto God thy Creator for that We have sent down unto thee this mighty Tablet and mentioned thy name on this blessed night which glorieth over a brilliant dawn. Then know thou that We have commanded thee to dwell in the city whose name is renowned among all peoples, and to protect those servants who enter therein from among the loved ones of God, the Most High, the Great.
Thus have We bestowed Our favor upon thee in this Tablet that thou mayest thank God thy Lord at all times. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who have migrated in the paths of God, the Ever-Living, the Exalted.
BH02394: Praise be unto my Beloved, Who hath ever been…
Praise be unto my Beloved, Who hath ever been sanctified beyond the description of all created things and will ever be exalted above the attributes of all existing things. For the praise and attributes of all who are in earth and heaven are created and fashioned by His command. How can that which is created by His command be worthy of His presence or ascend unto His court? He is not worthy of it, and all else is not capable of it, nor of accepting that which proceedeth from the servants. This is a bounty from that King of Oneness to His creation. Glorified and exalted be He above what they attribute unto Him!
Furthermore, it hath been known that the preservation of the servants and all else hath been and will ever be within the grasp of God’s power. Is there any preserver besides God? Say: Glory be to God! There is no preserver except Him. His is the creation and the command, and all are preserved by Him. His servants have ever been and will ever be under His protection and safeguarding.
And unto those two souls in the City of God, that is, the Abode of Peace, was verbally promised the revelation of every good thing, and from that day the gates of grace have been and will remain open, except as God willeth. Be utterly assured that so long as the hand of God remaineth open and extended, the hand of harm and affliction is severed. Assuredly strive with utmost endeavor and mighty effort to remain steadfast upon the straight path of love, and so long as this station endureth, all grace and good shall endure.
Today nothing is more difficult than remaining firm in this Cause, and this is that most mighty and formidable matter which none beareth save whom thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent, willeth. And strive ye both within yourselves not to be like him who ascended unto God, my Lord and the Lord of the worlds. For when he wavered regarding this Youth, he attained not unto visiting the City, and his spirit was taken by the sovereign might of the Powerful, the Almighty. He reached not the shore of nearness after having sought permission for this, as ye witnessed. But God pardoned him and raised him to an exalted station. We have not revealed this matter lest any humiliation come upon him, and thus were We among the concealers. And ye both must conceal it such that it not pass from your lips. Thus doth the Pen of Command bid you be among the doers. For this is a mystery from the mysteries of God, the Help in Peril, the Mighty, the All-Wise.
And peace and mercy and glory be upon you both and upon those who love you, as a mercy from Us upon you and upon all the worlds.