Volume 039: Edirne III (year unknown, 1864–1868) (1 of 6)

BH01931: The purpose of the “victorious assistance” [nusrat] mentioned…

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

The purpose of the “victorious assistance” [nusrat] mentioned in all the Tablets hath been and still is well known to the loved ones of God. The Truth, exalted be His mention, is sanctified above this world and whatsoever is therein, and by assistance was never meant that anyone should contend or dispute with any soul. The King of Glory hath committed the kingdom of earth, both land and sea, unto the kings, for they are the manifestations of divine power, each according to his degree. Should they enter beneath the shadow of the True One, they will be accounted of God, otherwise thy Lord is, in truth, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

That which God—exalted be His mention—hath desired for Himself are the hearts of His servants, which are the treasuries of His mystical revelation and the depositories of His divine love. The eternal King’s everlasting purpose hath been to cleanse the hearts from the promptings of the world and all that is therein, that they may become worthy to receive the effulgent splendors of the sovereign of names and attributes. Thus no stranger should be allowed admittance into the city of the heart, that the Friend may hasten to His own abode—that is, the effulgence of His beauty, and not His essence or reality, for that hath ever been, and shall ever be, sanctified from ascent or descent.

Therefore, to assist God’s Cause in this day doth not and shall never mean to engage in opposition and contention or conflict with any soul. Rather, what is preferable is that the cities of men’s hearts should be conquered through the sword of wisdom and of utterance, and not through the sword of iron. Thus should anyone desire to assist the Cause of God, let him first conquer the city of his own heart with the sword of spiritual truth and of expression, cleanse it from all things save God, and then turn towards the cities of others’ hearts. This is the meaning of assisting God’s Cause that hath dawned from the horizon of the finger of the King of Names. Corruption hath never been pleasing and never shall be, and whatever occurred in the past happened without God’s leave. In brief, in this day the loved ones of God must appear among men in such wise that through their deeds they may guide all to the good-pleasure of the Lord of Glory.

By the Sun of the morn of sanctity! Never have the Truth and His loved ones who are attributed to Him regarded, nor will they ever regard, the earth and its transient riches. For had the purpose been to take possession of the earth, He was assuredly able and powerful enough and could have conquered the whole world with a single word. But He hath given sovereignty to sovereigns, wisdom to the discerning, knowledge to the learned, and reserved for Himself the love of the hearts of His servants, and naught else doth He regard, nor will He ever regard aught else. And this too is by virtue of His supreme grace, that perchance mortal souls may be cleansed from earthly conditions and attain the everlasting station which is the paradise of divine unity.

Otherwise, that Pre-existent King hath ever been, in His own Essence, independent of all things. No benefit accrues to Him from the love of contingent things, nor can any harm befall Him from their enmity. All emerged from earthly places and unto Him shall all return, while that Ancient Beauty remaineth in His own station, alone and single, sanctified above place and time, mention and description, indication and allusion, exaltation and abasement. None knoweth this save those endowed with insight and perception.

BH02555: This is a Book from the Prisoner to him…

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

This is a Book from the Prisoner to him who hath been guided by the lights of God and desireth to enter the pavilion of glory—the station that hath been concealed from the eyes of the idolaters. Say: In every age He hath appeared with one of the names, and when He appeared in this age with this Name, all who are in the heavens and on earth were struck with terror, save a numbered few.

O servant! Arise amidst the people and proclaim: O concourse of earth! The Most Great Mystery of God hath been made manifest with evident sovereignty. Fear God and differ not concerning Him. He summoneth you to naught save unto God, in Whose grasp lieth the kingdom of all things, and God is witness unto this.

Say: Do ye read the verses yet deny their Revealer? What aileth you that ye comprehend not? Say: The clouds of the Cause have been rent asunder, the Beauty of the Ancient of Days hath shone forth, and around Him are hosts of angels, while before Him marcheth the Kingdom of God and behind Him the denizens of the Concourse on High with heavenly legions that none can perceive save those endowed with true vision.

Say: Is there doubt about God, or about this Manifestation Who hath appeared with the truth with clear evidence, or about that which hath been revealed unto Him of the verses of your Lord, the All-Merciful? Fear God, O peoples of the worlds, and be not tyrannical and wretched. Say: He is verily exalted in truth and these are His verses sent down from a mighty and sublime dominion.

Purify thy vision from human limitations, then turn thy face toward the Most Sublime Vision of God—this is better for thee than all that is on earth. Then aid the Youth in these days, for thy aid to Him is to teach God’s Cause, as hath been revealed in mighty and impregnable Tablets.

Say: O people! Spread not corruption in the land and eschew all wickedness. Fear God, O peoples of the earth, and be not among the faithless and sinful. Whoso committeth that which is forbidden is not of Me, and God is quit of him. Be not occupied with the world in such wise as would make thee heedless of God, thy Lord. It shall perish while sovereignty remaineth unto the Omnipotent, the Ancient of Days.

Grieve not over anything and in all matters place thy trust in God. He verily sufficeth thee in truth and will protect thee from the harm of all created things. Thus have We imparted unto thee the word of truth and sent thee this Tablet that thou mayest rejoice within thyself and soar in this atmosphere which hath been raised up in the name of God. And mercy be upon thee and upon every discerning believer.

BH02556: In the Name of God, the Mighty, the All-Glorious!…

In the Name of God, the Mighty, the All-Glorious! This is a Book from this Youth to him who hath been guided by the lights of God and was recorded in the Tablet as among those who have attained. Give thanks unto God, thy Lord, for having aided thee to know Him and made thee to be among those who have said “God is our Lord!” and then detached themselves from all who dwell on earth. Verily, they who in these days have veiled themselves from the Cause—these shall have no portion of the holy feast, while they who have believed have been provided with that which none else hath been provided, and God is witness unto this.

Hear My words and then leave the world behind thee, for it shall pass away and naught shall endure save that which hath been ordained in the heaven of mighty glory. Verily, he who occupieth himself with the world—all that he possesseth shall perish and he shall enter the grave alone, and whatsoever assistance he seeketh from that which he hath amassed shall not assist him. Thus hath the matter been witnessed in truth.

Say: O people! Fear God and burden not your backs with the ornaments of earth. Detach yourselves therefrom and soar on the wings of detachment unto the atmosphere of intimate nearness. Beware lest anything prevent you from God, your Lord, the All-Merciful. Hold fast unto the hem of His Self-Manifestation in these days from which every sinful misbeliever hath been veiled.

Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I am he who hath turned with his heart unto the sanctuary of Thy holiness and bounty, and hath clung to the hem of Thy loving-kindness and favors. Wherefore, O my God, deprive me not of the sweet-scented fragrances of the garment of Thy grace and gifts, and withhold me not from that which lieth with Thee, for Thou art the One with power over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou hast ever been omnipotent over all things.

O my Lord! Cause to gush forth from the rock of existence the waters of Thy knowledge and recognition, that all may know Thee as Thou art, though this be greater than all that is great. By Thy glory! Thy power is not incapable of manifesting that which is impossible in existence. Weakness hath ever been the attribute of Thy creation, while Thou art the Almighty through Thy sovereignty and hast ever encompassed all things.

O my Lord! Remove me not from the shore of Thy nearness, and plant within my heart the tree of hope, lest I despair of the wonders of Thy grace and favors, for Thou hast ever been merciful unto Thy servants. Thus have We imparted unto thee the word of truth, that thou mayest be steadfast in the Cause. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon him who hath turned unto the beauteous and Most Glorious Countenance.

Convey the greetings of God unto the faces of His loved ones there, then gather them unto the Cause and remind them of this Great Announcement, that their hearts may be enkindled with the love of God and become detached from the worlds. And the glory be upon thy son and thy wife from God, the Lord of all creation.

BH11733: We had previously sent thee a Tablet, a single…

We had previously sent thee a Tablet, a single letter of which surpasseth all that hath been and shall be created, and verily it is a revelation from God, the Mighty, the Beautiful. It reached thee not, for God hath appointed a time for all things in His knowledge, and verily He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He desireth. Therefore have We now sent it unto thee that thou mayest inhale therefrom the sweet fragrances of holiness and delight in the blessing wherewith none among all the peoples of the world hath been favored. Within it are the mysteries of what hath been and what shall be, yet the people are in manifest heedlessness.

Share thou it with them that have believed in God and His signs, that haply the servants may attain unto the stations of His Cause and be numbered among them that know, though these people can scarce comprehend a word of that which hath been sent down from the Pen of God, the Omnipotent, the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

Among them are those who believed in God and then turned away, and were counted among the idolaters; and among them are those who follow their idle fancies and turn not toward the Throne, and are numbered among the prodigal; and among them are those who wish not to hear a single word save what they have heard from their fathers and mothers—thus mayest thou know the nature of the deniers. With them is naught save what the people of the Furqan have deduced, and thus have We recorded the matter in a clear register.

Among them are those who ask of the drop concerning the ocean, its waves and its depths. Say: Woe unto you, O heedless ones!

And among them are those who ask of the atom concerning the sun, its radiance, its light and its splendor—thus mayest thou know the state of these hateful ones. Say: Woe unto you, O heedless ones!

Purify thou thy heart from them, from their mention, their names, and from all that pertaineth unto them, and take thy stand in a pure and mighty sanctuary. Though thou must associate with such as these outwardly, be thou inwardly opposed to their desires and dwell in solitary dignity, for such as these are like unto dust, and thy Lord loveth to cleanse thy robe from this thick and heavy cloud of dust. Then act thou according to what We have commanded thee at the end of the Holy Tablet, and be thou possessed of manifest power. Beware lest thou see in thy power aught save the power of thy Lord, or in thy traces aught save the traces of God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Invincible.

Thus have We rained down upon thee from the clouds of holiness that wherewith the hearts of them that are nigh unto God are refreshed. The barren earth hath no portion of this mercy that hath encompassed all created things, nor of this blessed and mighty rain that poureth down.

BH02585: O handmaiden of God! Bear witness within thyself…

O handmaiden of God! Bear witness within thyself that there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Dominant, the Inaccessible, and that the Sovereign of the Bayan, through His remembrance and glory, then His light and radiance, then His might and sublimity, then His command and grandeur, belongeth unto all who are in the heavens and on earth. Know thou that We have arrived in the prison of the idolaters through what the hands of those who disbelieved and associated partners with God and corrupted and were among the corrupt have wrought. O my handmaiden! Remember My days at morn and eventide, then weep over My separation and My exile in this distant land. Remember My sitting among you, then My rising in the presence of those who love Me, then My melodies and My songs which caused the eyes of those near to God to shed tears.

Forget not My movements among you, nor My walking before you, nor My sweet fragrances at all times. Say: By God! The eyes of contingent beings have not witnessed the like of what ye have witnessed, nor the eyes of the mystics, and the ear of creation hath not heard the like of what ye have heard, nor the ears of the believers. O My handmaiden! How canst thou raise thy head from thy bed when thou findest Me not in the house, and how canst thou pass the evening when thou beholdest not the Sun of My Beauty rising from the house? Art thou able to look upon My seat empty of Me? Alas, alas for what hath befallen the City and its people, if they but knew!

Know thou that tribulations have encompassed Me in the secret and the secret of secrets, and likewise in the manifest and the manifest of the manifest, and none knoweth them save God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

O guest! Preserve the Covenant of God in thy heart and mind and strive mightily to protect the Cause of God. In complete unity, remain occupied with the remembrance of the Beloved and dwell in the highest paradise of nearness and the garden of eternity. Although the fragrance of unity was not inhaled from the men dwelling in the house, and for some time the odors of discord have wafted from the hearts of those who tarry, and for this reason the utmost sadness hath appeared—all matters are clear and evident before God. He knoweth the treachery of eyes and what the breasts conceal, and unto Him return all affairs. The purpose hath ever been and will ever be the unity of the loved ones, for if this matter is not achieved, nothing is achieved. God willing, we hope that hereafter they will act contrary to before. The matter is in God’s hands.

Convey sublime remembrance to Sister Aliyyih. A circle was sent—deliver it to her and remember all the women among the loved ones.

BH02588: O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of that servant…

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

O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of that servant whom I loved before the creation of the heavens and whom I love now, for verily Thou art the One endowed with great bounty. Say: We have indeed sacrificed Our soul in the path of the Beloved, though the people be among the fearful. Say: Would that I might sacrifice myself in His path at every moment and every instant. Say: We fear no one, though Our doubtful servants fear the might of these days. Say: By God! Should all the kings and rulers gather together, He would assuredly come forth with manifest sovereignty and stand before their faces, declaring:

“I have come to you from the Dawning-Place of the Unseen with a command from God and a mighty proof.”

And I would speak among them as I speak now, and God is witness to what I say.

Say: Blessed is the hour wherein the Youth sacrifices himself in the path of God, the King, the Just, the All-Wise, and blessed is the moment wherein the blood of the Youth is shed for love of the Beloved of the worlds. How wonderful would be that hour wherein the Youth lies prostrate upon the dust before God, the Goal of the mystics! By My Beloved! I verily desire to sacrifice Myself in His path in place of all the worlds, were ye to understand. It grieves Me that anyone should be slain in God’s path while I remain on earth, for this saddens My heart and darkens My days, were ye to be certain.

And upon thee, O Youth, be the praise of God and My praise, then the praise of all the worlds, for thou hast remained steadfast in the love of God and wert not affected in thy heart by the whisperings of the evil ones. Grieve not for anything, for He hath verily protected thee and protected him whom thou didst desire, who was named Javad, and thus was He powerful over all things. Then he appeared before the Face, and the lights of the beauty of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Great, shone upon him, and he heard from this Most Glorious Horizon the words of God, the Most Exalted, the Most High, and witnessed from this Most Resplendent Dawning-Place the countenance of his Lord, the Most High, the All-Knowing.

Be thou steadfast in the Cause, then summon the people to the holy court. Beware lest thou be disturbed by the clamor of the oppressors, for thy Lord will seize them with power from Him and sovereignty from His presence, and He is the most severe in retribution. Soon will His Cause be exalted in truth and His mention elevated between the heavens and the earth, and His loved ones will be honored thereby. This is a promise from Me, and He hath power over all things. And upon thee and upon those who are with thee among the assured lovers of God be glory.

BH02592: This is what was revealed for the handmaid…

This is what was revealed for the handmaid of God, the daughter of My messenger. He is the One Who commands in truth.

O My handmaid, pass beyond that which is apparent and turn thy gaze towards the inner reality. Behold the beauty of the loved ones of God with the eye of truth. If outwardly they do not have the best of looks, inwardly they manifest such beauty that makes them the envy of all those who are beloved. The physical beauty is adored by lust and passion, but spiritual beauty is loved by God. Now which one wilt thou choose? Of course, that which is chosen by the Beloved has been and will ever be desired by His loved ones. Know thou that the outward beauty is a worldly phenomenon; its appearance seems ornamented, adorned and beautiful, but causes the foot of whosoever behold it to slip and his head laid off.

One of the chosen ones saw the world one day in its utmost physical beauty and declared it to be most adorned and beautiful. At that moment, through divine inspiration, he was moved to ask it to appear in its true form. When it appeared in its true form, he fled from it and sought refuge in God from its countenance and its emanations.

The loved ones of God, though they may not be accepted by people, are accepted in the sight of God, and if they were to appear in their true form, by God, no one would be capable of beholding the lights of their countenance. God is sufficient as a witness to this.

O handmaid of God! You are related to the Truth, and those who are related to the Truth must appear before people with His attributes and fix their gaze upon His love. Wherever His love is found, there is the divine Joseph whom God will raise up in His image. Verily, He has power over all things.

Behold My loved ones with Mine eyes. Be kind to the Guide, for the Beauty of Divine Unity has appeared for unity and fellowship. God has ever desired ease and comfort for His loved ones, that in these fleeting days they might conduct themselves with utmost love and fellowship toward one another. The purpose of this most great Manifestation has been unity and harmony, not separation and discord. Though the Spirit of God is in prison and afflicted with countless trials, yet He desires His loved ones to be in comfort and at ease, occupied with His remembrance and praise.

The Spirit be upon thee and upon thy father and thy mother and thy sister and thy brother who have migrated with God, and upon the handmaids of God, thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds who are devoted to Him. Joy and gladness and delight be yours, while sorrow and imprisonment and grief be for the Beloved of the mystics. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH02612: Glorified be He in Whose hand is the dominion…

He is the Mighty, the Beautiful!

Glorified be He in Whose hand is the dominion of the kingdom of the heavens and earth, and He is indeed knowing of all things. His is the bounty and grace—He giveth to whomsoever He willeth whatsoever He willeth, and He is indeed independent of all worlds.

Say: O people! Hearken unto the call of God from this exalted, blessed Tree which hath grown in the holy land, the station of praiseworthy nearness, that there is none other God but Him, and that the Point of the Bayan is His Self and His Beauty, and that which was hidden is His manifestation and His sovereignty between the heavens and earth, and thus was the Command from the Tree of Fire in the Spot of Light made manifest.

Say: This is a Tablet whereon God hath manifested Himself with the lights of holy beloved-ness. Say: When God manifested Himself upon the mountain it was instantly crushed and became scattered dust, but this Tablet God hath made the place of His manifestation in this moment, and He manifesteth Himself upon it from the Ancient Beauty through that which appeareth from this Pen which was at that time intimate with the Finger of God.

O people of the earth! Fear God and follow not the steps of your own selves, but follow the Command of Him Who was dawning from the Dayspring of God. Say: Nothing in the earth shall profit you this Day even if ye take all the worlds as your helpers, nor shall the means of the heavens and earth assist you even if ye make them your supporters, except that ye enter beneath the shadow of this Countenance Who is established in the prison according to what was written in the Tablets. Enter ye therefore into the religion of God, then follow what was ordained in the Bayan and was sent down from the holy heaven. Deprive not yourselves of the Sacred House of God, differ not in the Cause of God, and cast not the pages of God behind your backs—this is My command upon you and upon all the worlds.

O people! We were among you for successive years and were with you as one of you—and God is witness to what I say—and in every moment ye visited upon Me that which none hath visited upon another, as though I were imprisoned in the prison of your selves, until We called upon God in the holy morn and the eve of nearness, until He delivered Us from those who disbelieved, until We arrived in this prison which was raised behind the mountains. And We thank God for this and praise Him for what hath transpired, and We are patient through His might and power, and We remember Him at every rising and setting.

And the Spirit be upon you, O people of the Bayan, that ye may walk the paths of praiseworthy glory and the extended pathway of holiness.

BH02632: In the Name of God, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved!…

In the Name of God, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved! This is the Book of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, unto all who are in the heavens and on earth, that through it honored servants may be quickened and those who slumber may arise from the couches of heedlessness.

Say: Through the Word of God are drawn those servants who are as the essence of creation, in all that was and will be. Say: Verily the Word is God’s magnet between the heavens and the earth, did ye but know it. Through it God draws unto Him the essence of what He hath created and casts aside the dross—this is of His justice, though ye understand not, save when ye drink from the Kawthar of inner meanings from the cups of the utterance of your Lord, the Mighty, the Loving.

They who have disbelieved—these are the dead. If they find the path of God they take it not for their path, but if they see the path of idle fancy, that is the path they tread. When the melody of God is raised they heed it not, remaining heedless thereof, but when the braying of asses is heard, then do they hearken. This is because they have turned away from the All-Merciful and taken Satan for their helper. Thus have their souls enticed them, yet they perceive it not.

Say: O people! The Beloved hath appeared in manifest glory, and before Him march the hosts of divine revelation and inspiration, while behind Him advance the hosts of the unseen with upraised standards. Fear ye God, follow not the promptings of your souls, and be not of them that wander distracted in every valley.

Rejoice, O people of Baha, in this Most Exalted Paradise, which hath been adorned with the ornaments of realities and utterance. Thus hath it been ordained for you by God, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved. Whoso entereth therein shall never leave it, and whoso leaveth it hath never truly entered. Thus hath the matter been decreed in a Tablet wherein is inscribed what hath been veiled from the eyes of all who are in the heavens and on earth.

Turn not thy gaze from the Most Great Vision, then drink the water of Kawthar in the name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Pure, and fear not the idolaters. Thus have We taught thee in truth that thou mayest stand firm in the Cause of thy Lord and be detached from all the worlds.

Arise to promote the Cause, then gather the servants unto the law of God, and be as the spring breezes unto them, that their souls may be renewed through the ornament of the name of the All-Merciful in these days, the Inaccessible, the Mighty. Beware lest anything hold thee back from that which thou hast been commanded. In all matters place thy trust in God, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. Shatter the idols by My power, then rend asunder the veils by My strength, then tear away the shrouds of vain imaginings by My Name and My sovereignty, and be not of the patient ones.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who have soared in this subtle and gentle atmosphere.

BH02637: This is a Book sent down from before God…

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

This is a Book sent down from before God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, unto him who hath believed in God, the Mighty, the Well-Beloved. Follow none save Him, then sever thyself from those who have denied the signs of God after their revelation and who have disbelieved in the presence of God. Know thou that the idolaters have transgressed against Him through Whom their names were exalted and their traces made manifest, and have reached such heights of vainglory that the eye of creation hath never beheld its like. Among them are those who have said:

“I shall send down the like of what God hath sent down.”

Thus do they speak.

Open thou thy tongue with utterance amidst the concourse of creation and say: O people! The clouds of idle fancies have been rent asunder and the Lord of all beings hath come with manifest sovereignty. Fear ye God and deny Him not after His appearance. Thus have ye been commanded in all the Tablets, would ye but perceive. He desireth naught from you save that ye should turn unto God, your Lord, if ye be of them that are assured.

There hath befallen Him in the Cause of God that which hath befallen no one else, as attested by honored servants. Say: I have been imprisoned four times, culminating in this imprisonment, as ye have heard and continue to hear. Say: Is there any doubt concerning this Revelation, or concerning Him Who hath sent it down in truth? Woe unto you and that which occupieth you! Cast the world behind you, then turn unto God, the Lord of the Last and the First. This is better for you than that which ye desire and love.

Stand firm in the Cause of God, that perchance through thee the fire may be kindled in the hearts of them that slumber upon the couch of heedlessness and are far removed from the shore of nearness. Grieve not over anything in thy Lord’s path and fear not. Say: The Cause is in His hands—He protecteth whom He willeth through the hosts of power and might. There is no God but Him, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Those who have turned away from this Cause shall soon be seized by the blasts of chastisement from every direction, and they shall then cry out for help. Thus have We sent down the verses unto thee that thou mayest stand firm in the Cause of God and summon the people to the court of grace, a station of glorious dignity.

Convey Our glorification to the loved ones of God, then give them the glad-tidings of this sacred, mighty, and inevitable Cause, and of the light that hath shone forth from the holy horizon. Upon thee and upon those who have believed in God in these days wherein the feet of every knowing one have slipped save those whom God hath preserved through His grace and delivered from the tempests of idle fancy. Verily, there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Forgiving.

BH02660: O Siyyid Muhammad-ʿAli! The Most High Pen calls out…

O Siyyid Muhammad-ʿAli! The Most High Pen calls out to all who are on earth and in heaven: Worship none but God, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Great. He has appeared in truth with a sovereignty that none can deny save those who have denied God and His chosen ones among the Prophets and Messengers.

O servants of the All-Merciful! Hasten to the remembrance of the Most Great One and follow not those who have disbelieved in God, the King, the Just, the All-Wise. Beware lest anything prevent you from turning toward God. Hearken unto the words of this Youth, Who calls you to that which is better for you than all that hath been created between the heavens and earth. Cast the world behind you, then turn unto God, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

Grieve not over the world and what befalleth therein. Observe and reflect upon its passing and its changes, O company of the knowing ones! Who hath laughed therein and not wept? Who hath built and not perished? It and all that is therein shall pass away at every moment, yet the people are in manifest heedlessness. How many a palace hath been emptied, how many a spring hath dried up! He who amasseth therein loseth, while he who spendeth is accounted among the beneficent. Be not reassured by its prosperity nor disturbed by its loss. Every sharp sword therein groweth dull, every joy turneth to weariness, every swift steed stumbleth, and every learned one erreth. Leave it to its people, O companions of truth and certitude!

O Nabil-i-ʿAli! Hearken unto My call from the precincts of the Prison, that there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent. Turn not to the right or to the left, but set thy face toward thy Lord, the Mighty, the Most High. He is the Everlasting that perisheth not. Hold fast unto the word of piety and follow not those who follow their own selves and desires. Thus doth the Dove counsel thee in this luminous Tablet. Cast aside the book of the transgressors and take the Tablet of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Chosen One, with manifest strength.

Then arise above the horizon of love with the mention of the name of thy Lord, the Most High. Say: O people of creation! The Creator of all things hath come with mighty sovereignty. Then give thanks unto God for having connected thee with Him Whom God hath purified from every wicked, ungrateful sinner, and hath illumined his countenance with the lights of His beauty, and caused him to know the Manifestation of His Self, and enabled him to speak His praise amongst the worlds. The light which hath shone forth from the horizon of sanctity be upon thee and upon those who have held fast to the Most Great Handle in these days wherein the faces of the proud have been altered. And praise be to God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment and the Beloved of the worlds.

BH02707: In the name of Him Who is manifest above…

In the name of Him Who is manifest above all things! This is a Book from God unto him who hath believed in his Lord, who hath been guided by the guidance of the Spirit, and who was mentioned in the Tablets among those who are guided. God hath caused him to speak His praise amongst the servants and hath made him recognize the Manifestation of His Self in days wherein all were deprived of the breezes of the Spirit, save those whom the hand of grace had seized and preserved from the darkness wherefrom the odors of unbelief were wafted from the direction of misbelief.

O servant! Thy letter hath come before Us and We have learned of thy love for God. Thus should it be with those who have believed in God, who have detached themselves from whatsoever is repugnant to His good-pleasure, who have shattered the idols of misbelief through God’s power, and who have turned with their hearts toward the holy court. These are servants whom God shall raise to a station that is in truth praiseworthy.

Give thanks unto God, thy Lord, for having aided thee to recognize the Manifestation of His Self, after the Sinaitic spirits fell unconscious upon the dust of heedlessness and the spirits of light were annihilated in the wilderness of misbelief. Thus was the matter decreed from the presence of the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling.

Say: O people! Fear God and associate not with Him unto Whose face ye bow down at eventide and at dawn, and oppose not Him Whom ye remember throughout all your days and Whose verses ye recite that were sent down in preserved tablets of glory. Strive within thyself lest the whisperings of Satan cause thee to slip from thy Lord’s path, the All-Merciful, for he hath appeared in every city in a different form and garment. Thus do We inform thee of the truth that thou mayest become aware of that which was hidden from the eyes of the heedless. Soon shall the call be raised in every city and thou shalt find the people fearful and trembling from the power of the Cause. Thus was the matter irrevocably decreed in the Tablets.

Take heed lest thou grieve over what hath befallen thee in God’s path. Verily nothing escapeth thy Lord’s knowledge and He is indeed cognizant of all things. Be patient, then show forth patience, and place thy trust in God in all matters. Verily He watcheth over thee. Should thou find one who is receptive, impart unto him the words of thy Lord, and shouldst thou find one who turneth away, pay no heed to him and dispute not with him. Be thou firmly established in wisdom. Thus have We commanded thee and mentioned thee that thou mayest rejoice within thyself and be mindful of thy Lord’s remembrance at all times.

And glory be upon thee and upon those whom the veils of every distant misbeliever have not prevented from entering the sanctuary of holiness.

BH02709: He is the One Who stands by the Truth!…

He is the One Who stands by the Truth! This is a Book from the Primal Point unto one of the servants of God, that he may be attracted by the melodies of God, the Help in Peril, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. Say: By God! He was not the father of any of your men, and the eyes of Grandeur and Glory have been solaced by Him from behind the pavilions of exalted might. Verily He appeared once in the name of Ali, once in the name of Muhammad, and once in the name of the Spirit, if ye but knew.

O people! Fear God and shed not His blood, nor hang Him as ye hanged Him before, and deny not what hath been sent down unto you from God, the Mighty, the Beloved. O people! Have mercy upon yourselves and oppose not Him through Whom the faith of all who are in the heavens and on earth was fulfilled, and unto Whose grace all do turn. Follow Him Who asketh no recompense from you and conveyeth unto you what the Spirit hath cast into His illumined and praiseworthy breast.

Open your eyes and behold the Cause of your Creator with your own eyes, not with the eyes of them that are veiled by their own selves. Purify your ears from the words of those from whom ye detect the odor of perfidy, then hearken unto the melodies of God, your Creator, and be fair in His Cause. He commandeth you naught save what ye were commanded by God, and at every moment He conveyeth unto you that which draweth you nigh unto your Lord, the All-Merciful, and sanctifieth you from the breaths of them that join partners with their Lord.

O people! Aid your Lord, the All-Merciful, and abandon not His Cause into the hands of them that soar in the atmosphere of idle fancies and desire to turn men away from the Ridvan of God, the King, the Help in Peril, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. Convey the Cause of your Lord and be not silent concerning the wonders of His remembrance, and be not of them that remain silent. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, created the tongue for His remembrance—remember Him and withhold not yourselves from the shore of His grace, and follow not every rejected denier.

Thus doth the Dove counsel you upon the branches of the Tree of Eternity, that haply the holy breaths may draw you away and bring you nigh unto the summit of intimacy, the scene of your Lord, the Mighty, the Beloved. Thus have We cast upon thee the truth that thine eyes may be solaced thereby and thy heart be at rest, and that thou mayest be severed from them that are not guided by the signs of God. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon them that have believed in God and heard His melodies from the direction of His Throne, and were stirred by their longing and ardor in the love of God, the Lord of the Beginning and the End, and the Lord of the angels and the Spirit.

BH02710: In the Name of God, the Most Holy…

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted! This is a Book from Us to those who are in the heavens and on earth. In it the Youth calls the servants of the All-Merciful to the right side of God’s Sacred Spot, the All-Possessing, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

O people! Hear My call and follow that which ye have been commanded in the Book of God. Then shun those who join partners with God. Were the people to purify their ears and hearken to My call, it would surely draw them to the Seat of the Command, a station of glorious might. By His call the near ones soar into the atmosphere of holiness and nearness, and by it are attracted the hearts of those who turn unto Him.

O people! Follow not your desires, but follow your Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted. He will suffice you above all that hath been created on earth, would that ye might understand. Sanctify your vision and turn toward the court of your Chosen Lord. Be not of those who are as the dead. Verily he who answereth not God when he heareth His call is indeed as one dead. Thus hath it been inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen on a preserved and glorious Tablet. Rend asunder the veils of allusions and sanctify your souls from the words of those who follow the evil of their own selves and yet show pride before God.

O Ali! When the Book of God reacheth thee, take it with the power bestowed by Him. Then present thyself at the place where are gathered the enemies of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Praised. Say: O people! Fear ye God and hesitate not in a Cause which was promised you in all the Tablets and by which were gladdened the eyes of the denizens of Paradise and those who circle round the Throne. Then bring forth the Tablet by thy Lord’s leave. Say: I have brought you God’s Tablet and His traces. Have mercy on yourselves and dispute not about verses at which minds are stupefied. We know not by what proof ye believed in God’s Messengers of old, nor in what valley ye do walk. If thou findest them stirred by the breezes of the Lord of Names and Attributes, then impart unto them that which will draw them nigh unto God. Otherwise, leave them to themselves, then turn toward God. He will suffice thee above what was and what will be.

Say: Verily He is in His Essence independent of all that hath been created in the heavens and on earth, though His names seek existence. Drink thou the water of life from the hand of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Then stay firm in the Cause and be not of the heedless. Radiant glory rest upon him who hath turned toward the Sacred Court and who is of those who hasten unto the path of truth. Praise be to God, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Beloved.

BH02736: O Siyyid Muhammad-ʿAli, upon him be the Glory…

O Siyyid Muhammad-ʿAli, upon him be the Glory of God! He is the Most Exalted, the Most High! Hearken unto what this Prisoner calleth out to thee, purely for the sake of thy Lord, that thou mayest discover the fragrance of love from the garment of words and be of them that rejoice.

Bear thou witness unto that which God did testify before the creation of all things, that there is none other God but Him, the Most Exalted, the Most Great. This is the Word whereby the realities of all things were raised up and through which the Prophets and Messengers were sent forth. Were men to purify their ears to hearken unto it, they would all detach themselves from their possessions and their own selves, and would ascend unto God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the All-Powerful, the Most Potent.

Stand thou firm in the Cause of God and His love, then leave the idolaters behind thee. Thus hath it been sent down aforetime, and now as a mercy from His presence unto all the worlds. If thou wouldst turn with the ear of divine nature unto all created things, thou wouldst hear from every atom thereof what the Interlocutor heard.

Say: O people! I am verily the Youth of God, Who hath come unto you with clear signs and a perspicuous Book. I manifested Myself aforetime under the name of ʿAli and took from all in the world, by His tongue, the covenant of My Self. Among them some were veiled and some turned towards God, and they that turned are now in gardens of delight.

O people! He is My Beloved and I am His Beloved. Whatsoever appeareth from Me is His purpose preserved in tablets of glory. He spoke not except in praise of Me, and I speak not except in remembrance of Him, the Inaccessible, the Most High. May my soul be a sacrifice for Him! He neglected not to take the covenant of My Self, as attesteth that which His tongue hath spoken and which hath flowed from His transcendent, mighty and wondrous Pen.

O servant! Preserve thou this Tablet, then read it, that the words of thy Lord may attract thee. Verily, He attracteth whom He willeth by His command, and He is in truth the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Stand thou firm in such wise that the tempests of opposition, which blow continually from the direction of them that have disbelieved in God openly while clinging to His verses to prove their cause, and who slay His own Self, the Mighty, the Most High, shall not move thee. Say: O people! Nothing shall profit you this Day, nor is there any protector for anyone save God, the Mighty, the Generous. Flee ye from all things unto His Self. Verily doth God cause His detached servants to flee.

Thus have We made mention of thee in this Prison, that thou mayest rejoice in having been remembered and be of them that read. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon the sincere servants of God.

BH02739: O emigrant servant! Hearken unto the call of this…

He is God, the Most High, the Most Exalted

O emigrant servant! Hearken unto the call of this Youth at the time when there appeared before Him some of the wondrous bounties while He was eating, and He speaketh that which the Spirit hath spoken within His beloved breast. By God! No affair distracteth Him from the remembrance of His Lord. While eating He remembereth, and while sleeping He remaineth in praise of His Lord, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

Say: O people of the Bayan! That which was present at that moment before His face was but a piece of bread and a small amount of cheese. We eat and give thanks unto our Lord, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Do not fabricate lies against Me as ye fabricated before, objecting to Me and to all that appeared from Me, even eating and drinking, and thereby ye cursed yourselves but ye perceive it not.

And unto him who came unto Us, We gave him to drink of Chinese tea, and if there was food We fed him, purely for the love of their souls, for God’s sake, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Beloved. Yet they objected to Me and mocked God and desired to diminish God’s honor amongst His servants.

Say: Woe unto you, O people, for ye have been veiled from that for which ye were created in the preserved tablets of might. Ye have done unto My person that which no one hath done unto anyone, and ye have said that which even the idolaters said not, after He created all things for Myself and My loved ones, as beareth witness to this all that was revealed before, if ye but understand.

Say: Days passed over Us when nothing was present before Us with which to feed ourselves, if ye but know. And how many were the days when diverse bounties were present before Us, and We were grateful in both conditions, if ye but recognize. Once We wore silk after it was presented before Us, and once We found no garment to change into, and We mentioned it not to anyone and concealed it to preserve God’s Cause, the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting, though in His hand was the key to the treasures of the heavens and earth, as ye yourselves have witnessed and do witness.

Say: We thank Him at all times and in all that descendeth upon Us. Die in your wrath, then burn in the fire that consumeth your very beings at every moment, but ye understand not.

O servant! Give thanks unto God, thy Lord, for having caused thee to recognize the Manifestation of His Self and made thee to be of those who are assured. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who are with thee, male and female.

BH02740: In the Name of God, the Exalted, the Great!…

In the Name of God, the Exalted, the Great! Grieve not, but rather rejoice. We were with thee when thou wert tried at the hands of the idolaters. Verily, He forgets not His servants who have turned unto Him, and He is with His God-fearing servants. Whatsoever hath befallen thee in the path of God hath been inscribed by the Pen of Destiny upon the Tablet of His decree, and He does not suffer to be lost the reward of the well-doers.

Put thy trust in God in all matters, then reflect upon that which hath befallen the Beloved of the worlds. Those whom the world and its ornaments have deluded—God shall soon return them to dust and cut them off from all they have amassed. Thy Lord is, verily, powerful over all things. They shall find for themselves neither friend nor helper, and the breezes of chastisement shall seize them from every direction. Thus hath the matter been decreed by One Who is mighty and wise.

Be thou grateful to thy Lord in all conditions for having made thee to know the Manifestation of His Self and for having numbered thee among the sincere ones. Be thou steadfast in the Cause through God’s power and might, in such wise that shouldst thou be opposed by all who are on earth, thou wouldst not be perturbed in thy soul but remain steadfast with manifest constancy. Thus it behooveth those who claim relationship with God—these are His sincere servants.

Say: O people! Create not disorder in the land and oppose not those who have opposed God. Leave them to themselves—they are among the dead. Commit not that whereby the dignity of the Cause will be lost among the people. Fear God and be not of the wrongdoers. The shedding of blood hath been forbidden in the Tablet. Beware lest ye transgress that which hath been set down in the Book. Do that which ye have been commanded by One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

O people! Cast not behind your backs the ways of God, neither follow your own ways. Thus have ye been commanded in all the Tablets, if ye be of them that comprehend. Should ye find one who is receptive, turn ye unto him and remind him with wisdom and utterance, and shun the rejecters. Verily, those who create disorder in the land—the harm of their deeds reverteth upon the Tree of the Cause, and this is indeed a grievous wrong.

Be ye among the servants with joy and radiance such that the gladness of paradise may be perceived in your faces. Thus doth your Lord, the All-Merciful, command you, and this is best for you, if ye be of them that know. And the light be upon thee and upon God’s successful servants.

BH02742: O youth! Hearken unto the call of this Youth…

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

O youth! Hearken unto the call of this Youth from this darksome, hellish Prison, and be not of the heedless ones. Verily, He it is Who speaketh in all things: “I am God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.” Beware lest thou forget what hath appeared in those days.

Say: The Sun hath dawned from the horizon of holiness with manifest radiance. Blessed is he who hath been illumined by its lights and hath dwelt beneath its shade and is of them that have turned unto it. Guard thyself lest the putrid waters flowing from the mouths of the signs of them that have turned away extinguish it.

Hearken unto the call of God from this Lote-Tree which burneth and blazeth in the wilderness of eternity, from thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, that there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Generous. Stand firm in the Cause of thy Lord, then remind the people of this mighty Cause.

Say: O people! All good hath been embodied in the Temple of the Youth, even as ye were promised in the Bayan, did ye but know it. He spake, and His Word is the truth: “In the year nine ye shall attain unto all good,” if ye be of them that turn unto Him. Say: The Pen of God moved only to make mention of Me and to praise and glorify Me. Read ye the Tablets that ye may be of them that are informed.

Beware lest ye deny the verses of the All-Merciful after they have been sent down in truth with mighty sovereignty. Say: He Himself hath been a proof unto all the worlds, and what hath appeared from Him is evidence of Him, would ye but be assured. Say: He alone hath stood up amidst the hosts of enemies and hath aided His Lord until He was imprisoned in this far-off land.

Beware, O people, lest ye render your deeds null and void and reject the truth by what ye possess. Fear God, O concourse of believers! Place not your trust in what ye possess, but in that which is with your Lord, the All-Merciful, and it shall suffice you in truth and make you independent of all creation.

Whoso harboureth My love in his heart, the denizens of the Concourse on high shall inhale its fragrance, then the dwellers of the cities of eternity, then Our servants who glorify God. Purify thy heart from the allusions of them who have disbelieved, then rend asunder the veils suddenly through My power and sovereignty, and fear not the oppressors. He will aid thee in truth, and victory is from none but Him, and His victory through the believers is nigh.

Thus have We imparted unto thee the Word of truth that thou mayest follow what thou hast been commanded by God, the Mighty, the Wise. And glory be upon thee and upon God’s sincere servants.

BH02744: In the Name of God, the Most Holy! O…

In the Name of God, the Most Holy! O Mihdi! Your letter hath come before Us, and We have taken note of its contents and have answered thee with this Tablet that thy heart may rejoice and thou mayest be of them that are gladdened.

I render My plaint unto thee concerning those who claim to love Me yet commit that which grieveth My heart, who follow their own desires and abandon that which they were commanded by One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise. Thou knowest that should people witness any unseemly act from those who claim to love Me, they would attribute it to Mine own oppressed and lonely Self.

Say: O people! True virtue lieth not in claims but in godliness and in following My glorious path between earth and heaven, and in being a banner of guidance in the kingdom of creation. This is what God desireth for those who have entered the stronghold of My Cause and then the garden of their Lord’s good-pleasure, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Peerless, the Wondrous.

Say: O people! Fear God and contend not with anyone, nor wage war against any soul. Leave the world and all that is therein to its people, and spread not corruption in the land after it hath been set in order. Be ye of them that are detached. Remind the people with goodly counsel and transgress not what ye have been commanded in the Tablets. Be not of the heedless.

Say: O people! If ye believe in God, follow what We enjoin upon you in truth and follow not the ways of the corrupt. Hold fast to the handhold of godliness—verily it is the ladder unto the source of names and attributes. This is My counsel unto you, if ye be of them that act.

Know then that the mewing of cats hath been raised up, then the barking of dogs, and behind them the howling of wolves, then the grunting of swine—if thou be of them that hear. How then can the shrill voice of the Pen be heard in mention of the mysteries of pre-existence? Fie upon them who have disbelieved in God and deprived themselves of the melodies of wondrous glory. Blessed is he who hath detached himself from those who disbelieved and from what they possess, and hath made his deeds pure for the sake of God, the Powerful, the Supreme, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Thus have We imparted to thee and informed thee of what hath befallen Us, that thou mayest inform the people, that they may stand firm in the Cause and be of them that are steadfast. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon them who have believed in God and have entered there from among the loved ones of God. Give them glad-tidings from Us and glorify their faces on behalf of this Prisoner, the Remote, the Stranger.

BH02745: O Nabil (the Most Great)! Hearken unto the call…

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

O Nabil (the Most Great)! Hearken unto the call of thy Glorious Lord from the direction of the Throne, then hear what the Spirit imparts unto thee that it may cause thee to soar in the atmosphere of longing, attraction and immortality, and establish thee in the Cause of God in such wise that thou shalt behold the worlds behind thee. Thus hath the Bird of the Throne warbled in its love for thee, that thou mayest be of them that know.

Then know thou that what We informed thee of before hath come to pass, and with thy Lord is the knowledge of what was and what shall be, but most of the people are in a mighty veil. We did inform thee before that the wolf would emerge from the thicket of hypocrisy, and lo, it hath emerged therefrom. The curse of God be upon them all! But thou, turn not unto these people, then stand firm in thy Lord’s Cause and be righteous as thou wert before, that perchance the people may perceive within themselves and not deny God, the Powerful, the Most High, the Great.

By God the Truth! The idolaters possess naught save what Al-Baqir spoke of before, and thus have their souls made a matter seem fair unto them, and they were among the lost. Thou, abandon what they possess and ascend unto the horizon of remembrance and utterance, then open the gates of tongue and heart and be not of them that are silent.

Say: O people! He hath appeared by one letter of Whom was created that which ye worship besides God, your Lord, the Most High, the All-Wise. Say: Have ye not heard that We have rolled up the carpet of the Furqan and spread another carpet, as a grace from Us to all the worlds? Say: O people! Be ye ashamed before God and speak not what the tongues of the people of the Furqan have spoken, but detach yourselves from what ye possess and turn unto the Beauty of the All-Merciful, Who hath dawned from the horizon of paradise with a holy and luminous beauty.

Then know thou that thy letter hath come before Us and We have learned what was therein. God shall soon reward thee with the best of rewards. He is the Guardian of the sincere ones. We have sent down for every soul mentioned in thy letter a Tablet that all the kingdoms of the heavens and earth cannot equal. However, We have not sent it due to corruption that hath appeared in the Letter T. We shall send it when God willeth and desireth. He is the best of senders.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon them that are with thee and upon them that have drunk the sealed wine from thy fingers through this Name, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Knowing.

BH02746: In the Name of the one God! O Ahmad!…

In the Name of the one God! O Ahmad! Thou hast heard many Persian words from the tongue of the All-Oneness, and drunk from the chalices of divine utterance the living waters of wondrous meanings. Now observe—doth a single letter thereof equal all that hath appeared in the earth of exposition and the heavens of explanation? Nay, by the Lord of the worlds!

Consider carefully the words of him who hath associated partners with God, which he wrote to thee, that thou mayest discern from the repugnance of his words the repugnance of his soul. God is Most Great! The weak and ugly bird hath claimed equality with the eagle soaring in the holy and sanctified heaven, and the perishing ant hath claimed the station of Solomon! Say: O thou who hath associated partners with God! The barren earth can never immerse itself in the holy divine sea, nor will it ever be able to do so. Know thy worth and station, and transgress not beyond thy rank. Rise not in rebellion against the King through one word of Whose command a hundred thousand like thee have been created. This is the mighty decree that hath issued from the Most Great Pen.

Say: O thou rejected one, essence of Nimrod and manifestation of all Jews! Dost thou say God’s hand is chained up? Chained up be thine own limited hand! Thou hast disbelieved in what thou hast said. Seest thou not that God’s hand is outstretched in truth over all the worlds?

In brief, thou and the other loved ones must guard yourselves well in these ephemeral days from the devastating winds that blow from the direction of the manifestations of misbelief.

O Ahmad! Be steadfast in the Cause of God thy Lord, and in all times soar in the atmosphere of His love. Then drink from the choice wine of His bounty, then speak forth in His praise, then make mention of the wonders of His Cause, then thank Him for having made thee to be mentioned before Him and for having made thee to be among the successful ones. Leave the ungodly and their idols behind thee, for this will profit thee in this world and the next. Then ascend at all times to thy abode, the station which God hath purified from every stubborn denier. At all times be engaged in the remembrance of the All-Merciful and summon the people to the direction of the All-Glorious. This is the fruit of human existence in this time and all times.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those whom the breezes of forgiveness, wafting from the Ridvan of the Command from God, the Mighty, the All-Glorious, have purified. And praise be to God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

BH02749: O Hasan! Praise the Beloved, for in successive years…

He is the Sorrowful One

O Hasan! Praise the Beloved, for in successive years thou wert present before the throne of the All-Merciful, and in all nights and days thou didst attain unto the presence of God. At sunrise thy gaze was fixed upon the Most Great Scene and thy heart was turned toward the right hand of the throne. Praise be to God that thou didst attain unto this most great bounty, for which there is no equal. Now hearken unto the call of the All-Merciful, and grieve not at separation from the Glory of the All-Glorious, and be not dismayed by the irrevocable decree of destiny. Sacrifice heart and soul in the good-pleasure of the Friend. Fix thy gaze upon the Sovereign of His Command and be severed from all else besides Him.

O Hasan! Thou didst come with joy and delight; return thou to the City of the All-Merciful and inform the people of the trials that have befallen, that perchance they may arise to aid this Wronged One, this Stranger, this Lonely One. O Hasan! Although separation from the Luminary of the horizons is difficult, yet His command is even as nearness and reunion with the Beloved and the Desired One. Be thou content with His command, and exchange lamentation and grief and agitation for patience and resignation. Be confident in the grace of God, for He hath never forgotten and will never forget His loved ones.

The example of thee and the emigrants is like unto a nightingale that hath long been intimate with the rose of the divine beauty in the holy paradise of the Eternal, and suddenly the hand of divine destiny separates them and pronounces the decree of divorce. Although the bearing of this most great burden is very difficult for mortal man, yet My command hath ever been the beloved of the soul of the mystics and the desire of the spirit of the lovers.

O Hasan! Since thou art an emigrant by My command, thou art at all times present before the throne of My good-pleasure. O Hasan! In the treasuries of My Cause are hidden the pearls of wisdom, and none hath discovered them save My All-Knowing, All-Informed Self. Therefore, walk thou in joy and contentment, not in compulsion and complaint.

O Hasan! Walk and dwell in the land with utmost sanctification and detachment, for thou hast for successive years been one who circled round the throne of sanctification. Therefore it behooveth thee to walk in the path of supreme detachment, not in the ways of wickedness and indecency. Act thou according to that which befitteth thee. God willing, mayest thou ever soar in the holy atmosphere of God and walk in the sacred realm of divine intimacy. And the glory be upon thee and upon thy father and upon those who are with thee of thy sister and thy brother.

BH02794: Lawh-i-Gul-i-Mawla

O Gul-i-Mawla! How many were the dervishes who became wanderers in the deserts of longing in remembrance of their Lord, and swimmers in the oceans of yearning, spending their days mentioning the Beloved in cities and marketplaces, yet never attained His presence in His days. Some did not recognize the days of the Spirit, and some, through their own heedlessness, remained veiled from the knowledge and presence of the Beloved even after recognizing the days of God.

But you, O My Flower [Gul], have attained to the divine holy Ridvan and inhaled the fragrance of the flowers of divine wisdom. Your separation was transformed to union, your remoteness joined to presence, your distance changed to nearness, and your sorrow turned to joy. All those souls were gathered unto you, and through you all were assembled and returned before God. Such is the all-encompassing grace of your Lord which has encompassed all the heavens and earth and what lies above them of thrones and chairs and their bearers. And We have bestowed reward in this pure and blessed leaf upon all who have been designated by this name from the beginning that has no beginning until the end that has no end.

We have named this blessed night the Night of Holiness, and it has been ordained that all dervishes should pass this blessed night and its morning in utmost joy and delight, occupied in remembrance of their Beloved. It is incumbent upon all the loved ones of God to assist these people on this noble festival according to their means and capacity, and prepare themselves through this supreme grace so that on the day of the manifestation of the Most Upright and Most Great Luminary, exalted be His grandeur, they may turn toward God’s direction and turn to no direction but His.

This servant has become disappointed with the people of the Bayan, for no sweet fragrance is perceived from this group, save those whom God has assisted. Perchance this party will separate itself from other parties and hasten to the right hand of the Most Holy Throne, which is the seat of that Sovereign of existence, and arrive at the shore of God, which is the place of presence before that Root of the Blessed Tree that is neither of the East nor of the West. O what spirit, then what light, then what blessedness, then what glory be upon those who turn unto Him!

BH02795: This is a letter from the Youth Who hath…

In the Name of the Most High, the Most Exalted

This is a letter from the Youth Who hath sacrificed Himself in the path of God, the King, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting, unto him who hath attained the recognition of God in these days wherein most of the servants have veiled themselves from turning unto God, the Almighty, the Beloved. Blessed art thou, O servant, inasmuch as the breezes of the All-Merciful have wafted over thee and awakened thee from slumber. This is a bounty that no created thing, whether of the past or future, can equal. Be thou steadfast in thy love for thy Lord, then make mention of Him throughout thy days. Verily, through His remembrance hearts are quickened.

By My life! Were people to know what rank is ordained in this Day for the loved ones of God, they would all detach themselves from all who are in the heavens and on earth, and would turn unto that hallowed and praiseworthy station. Grieve not over what people say. By God, the Truth! They are the ones who sleep. Were they to perceive less than what can be counted, they would weep and lament, then flee from their own selves. As for thee, rejoice in that thou hast attained unto the Cause of God, even though the Youth is in this prison in manifest sorrow.

Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I am he who hath fled from his self and his desires and turned toward the direction of Thy good-pleasure. Therefore, O my Beloved, deprive me not of what Thou hast ordained for them that are near unto Thee among Thy chosen ones. Thou art, verily, the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. Thou knowest what is within me and witnesseth my state. With Thee is the knowledge of the heavens and earth, and Thou art the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. O my Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou hast distinguished between Thy servants, that Thou wilt not remove me from the shore of Thy grace and bounties, nor deprive me of the fragrances that waft forth at all times from the paradise of Thy gifts and favors.

O my Lord! Send down upon me from the clouds of Thy mercy that which will sever me from all else save Thee and draw me nigh unto meeting with Thee in this Day wherein all have denied Thee and Thy signs, save a numbered few. O my Lord! Make me steadfast in Thy love, then cause me to taste the sweetness of Thy remembrance, then raise me to the heaven of Thy nearness and the court of Thy holiness and the place of meeting with Thee and Thy most holy, most glorious, mighty and beloved presence.

Thus have We revealed unto thee in truth that thou mayest read it and be of them that are assured. And the Spirit and mercy be upon thee and upon them that have detached themselves from the world in the path of God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

BH02802: In the Name of God, the Most Great…

In the Name of God, the Most Great, the Most Glorious! This is the Leaf of Paradise which We have sent unto thee, wherein is that which shall gladden thine eyes and the eyes of the believers. Verily it sufficeth as proof for all the worlds. It is a leaf upon which the breezes of God’s springtime have blown in His days and moved it as He wished and desired, as a bounty from Him to His near servants.

It is called by all names, wert thou of those who know. At times it is mentioned as the Leaf, at times as the Tablet, and this is a mighty, glorious Tablet. What hath been inscribed therein by the Most Exalted Pen are the jewels of the treasuries of the books of the ancients. Say: This is a river which hath branched from the Most Great Sea, were ye of those who know. And this is the dawning which hath shone forth from the Sun of Grandeur—illumine yourselves by it, O concourse of lovers!

Verily it is detailed from the Preserved Tablet by the command of One mighty and powerful. It is the announcement which hath appeared from this Most Great Announcement, and been sent to His assured lovers. Were God to desire to detail from one word thereof what is hidden in the treasuries of a preserving Tablet, He would be able, for He is the Ruler over what He willeth.

Rejoice thou, then be thou joyful, in that thy name hath been mentioned at the Throne and these verses have been sent down to thee, which none can equal among all that the minds of the believers can comprehend. Were there to be in thy possession the red elixir filling the heavens and earth, and were thou to spend it in the path of God, it would be little compared to My mention of thee from this Most Great Scene—this wondrous, mighty favor.

Arise to remember and praise God, then be thou enkindled by this Fire, each ember of whose embers appeareth as the sun, illumining a world among the worlds of thy Lord which none can reckon save His knowing Self.

Blessed art thou for dwelling in the land which God hath associated with My First Name, who sacrificed himself in My path and by whom all in the heavens and earth were illumined. Verily, those women who descended from him are of My kindred, wert thou of those who know. They have with God thy Lord an exalted, glorious station.

Thus have We cast upon thee the word of truth that the melodies of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Great, may attract thee. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon thy wife and upon those who have shattered the idols by My Name and My sovereignty, whom names have not veiled from their Creator, and who were among the triumphant.

BH02827: O Mirza Abu-Talib! In the Name of God…

O Mirza Abu-Talib! In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Exalted! O Abu-Talib! Hearken unto My call from My direction, then stand firm in My love, then be stirred by the breezes of My attraction, then arise to praise My Supreme and Most Great Self. Verily We have not forgotten thee and have mentioned thee before, and mention thee now in this Most Great Tablet that thou mayest know that He loveth His assured servants.

Ask thou God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers, that He may enable thee and those who have believed to stand with mighty steadfastness and not distance you from the court of His presence, neither in this world nor in the next—this being the hope of the hearts of them that are nigh unto God.

Blessed art thou, O servant, in that thou hast turned toward the direction of the House and wert among those who dwelt round about it. Then give thanks to Him in that He delivered thee from His enemies and preserved thee in truth and guided thee to His blessed, mighty and wondrous seat. Remember Him at all times, then convey the Cause of thy Lord with wisdom and utterance. Thus did We command thee before and now, that thou mayest be among those who act.

Beware lest thou dispute with any soul or contend with anyone in teaching the Cause of thy Lord, the Ruler, the All-Wise. Those who wage war and shed blood are in grievous heedlessness. By God! Victory lieth in expression, not in sword and spear, and thus have We revealed in all the Tablets, yet the people perceived it not and were among the corrupt. And thereby was shed the blood of those a single soul of whom is, in the sight of thy Lord, better than these oppressors, for they claim to believe yet slay its Establisher and Confirmer. Woe unto them from the torment of a grievous day! We have lifted the decree of killing and have ordained victory in what We have revealed in truth, and this is the best victory in the eyes of every discerning one who knows.

Grieve not for what hath befallen thee. Verily thy Lord hath ever known what afflictions have touched thee, and He is informed of all things. There hath befallen thee what befell Us, that thou mightest follow the example of thy Lord in all matters, and this is a great bounty. Beware lest thou grieve over anything, for there shall descend upon thee what hath been ordained for thee in the tablets of destiny, and He is wise over all things.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who have drunk from this Salsabil which hath flowed from the fountain of the Pen of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Wise.

BH02828: O My handmaiden!

O My handmaiden!

Bear thou witness that there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Glorious. Before Him bow down in adoration all who are in the heavens and on earth. He, verily, is the One, the Most Holy. His is the might and the power. He exalteth whom He willeth and abaseth whom He willeth. He bestoweth what He desireth upon whom He desireth, and withholdeth the breezes of Paradise from whom He willeth.

And thou, O handmaiden of God, render thanks unto thy Lord at all times, then make mention of Him as doth mention Him this Peacock whose wings have been adorned with the pearls of a holy and praiseworthy sanctity.

Know thou that We have arrived in this Prison which is remote from all and distant. Let not this cause you grief, but be content with what hath been ordained by Him, for this is the ultimate purpose. I remain bewildered in My affair and your affair until there shall appear the firmly-established Command from the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. By God! Such tribulations have descended upon Me as cannot be bounded by any limits.

Remember thou My days, then My beauty, then My rising and sitting, then My reposing and My establishment, then My melodies, then My bowing down and prostration. Let nothing cause thee grief, but place thy trust in God, thy Lord, the Mighty, the Witness.

Beware, O handmaiden of God! Guard thyself with utmost vigilance lest there appear from thee that which thy Master, the Most High, the Supreme, the Most Loving, would abhor. Conceal thyself from all eyes, then hold fast to the cord of God against the evil of every rejected sinner. Thus hath sung the Nightingale of holiness and cast upon thee from God’s counsel that thou mayest remain steadfast upon this exalted and extended path.

Spirit and glory and immortality be upon thee and upon those women who dwell in the City of God, the Mighty, the All-Conquering, the Manifest, the Self-Subsisting.

He is the Mighty.

In all matters endless bewilderment hath overtaken Me until what may later be ordained. In any case, conduct yourselves with utmost love toward the guest, be in complete harmony. Act contrary to the men, for from them no fragrance of unity was detected. Make mention of all the women, both Arab and Persian. Make mention of the wife of Abid and all the others. Verily He maketh mention of whomsoever He willeth, and He is the best of those who make mention. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH02830: O thou who art the remnant of the family…

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

O thou who art the remnant of the family of God on earth, and the lingering fragrance from the divine Ridvan, and the Word inscribed upon the holy, blessed and luminous Tablet! Blessed art thou in that thou hast joined the hosts of God in days when all people were in drunkenness and mighty veils, and hast associated with the men of God and His chosen ones, then with His trusted ones and His loved ones, and hast attained the presence of the Beloved, then the presence of Husayn, by whose name the Kingdom of Names was adorned in the heaven of eternity, and through whose submissiveness all things became submissive, and through whose remembrance every tongue was opened in praise of their Lord, the All-Merciful, and through whose turning to his Lord the Temples of Grandeur turned toward the Scene of God, the Most High, the Mighty, the Great.

How blessed art thou that the breezes of eternity have wafted upon thee from the Ridvan of My Most Exalted Name, the All-Knowing. Every soul should find from thee the fragrances of the hosts of God and inhale from thee the sweet scents of the garment of Joseph of God, the Mighty, the Luminous. How excellent it is for thee that thou hast attained the most great attainment in thy meeting with them, and thy turning to their beings, and thy orientation with their party, and thy settling in their dwelling-place, and thy hearing of their wondrous melodies, and thou wert among the triumphant ones.

It behooveth thee now to stand firm in the Cause of God, thy Lord, in these days and to be watchful of the command of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Had We found the people of the Bayan yearning toward God, We would have commanded them to visit thee in that land and to circle round about thee, for thou art of the remnant of Our detached loved ones. And if at times hesitation seized thee, God hath forgiven what is past, for He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Be thou assured in thyself that God hath ordained for thee in His presence a holy and noble station and hath accepted from thee thy obedience and whatsoever hath proceeded from thee, for He is the Kind, the Merciful. Beware lest vain imaginings cause thee to slip from the path of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, and thou become of those who are tested. Leave behind thee all who are in the heavens and on earth, then turn with thy heart toward the direction of My Name, the Mighty, the Powerful.

Thus hath the Strong in Command taught thee and strengthened thee with the Spirit of Power, from the presence of One All-Knowing, All-Informed. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who love thee for the sake of God, thy Lord and the Lord of all things and the Lord of all the worlds.

BH02832: In the name of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise…

In the name of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O Rabi’, be as the spring of God in these days, that through thee the Lote-Trees of existence may be verdant and yield the fruits of thy Lord’s remembrance, the All-Merciful. Know thou the value of these days. By God! The breezes that blow therein have never blown before, nor shall they blow thereafter. Thy Lord, the Mighty, the Help in Peril, beareth witness unto this.

O Rabi’, We have made thee manifest in God’s springtime that thou mayest be stirred by the winds of thy Lord’s will and be detached from those who have denied God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful. Loose thy tongue in utterance and convey the Cause of thy Lord, that His Name may be exalted among the concourse of all worlds. Say: O people, fear ye God and refute not the truth through your idle fancies, nor follow those who have openly denied God. Follow Him Who calleth you unto Him with power and sovereignty.

Steel thy back for thy Lord’s Cause, for unto this have We created thee and those who have believed in God, the One, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised. Grieve not over anything, for thy Lord will aid thee in teaching His Cause and will assist those who have detached themselves unto Him and remember Him with joy and radiance.

Convey Our greetings unto the faces of them that have believed therein, then deliver unto them what We have imparted unto thee, that the melodies of thy Lord which have been raised from the direction of the Throne in these times may attract them. Then gather them unto the Cause of thy Master and protect them from Satan’s party. Thus have We instructed thee and commanded thee in truth. Follow what thou art bidden; this is better for thee than all that hath been ordained in creation.

Say: O people, gather ye around your Lord’s Cause, then seek bounty from His presence, and be not of those who believed then denied and returned to their abode in the nethermost fire. Remember your Lord openly and be not disturbed by the wrongdoers, for God shall soon seize them with His wrath and His sovereign might. He, verily, is powerful over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Him, the One, the Mighty, the All-Compelling. Be as one soul, that through you terror may enter the hearts of those who have denied God. By God! They are naught but the people of loss.

And the splendor which hath shone forth from the horizon of destiny be upon thee and upon those who have hearkened unto that which the Tongue of Grandeur and Glory hath spoken at the midmost heart of paradise.

BH02834: In the Name of God, the Mighty, the Great!…

In the Name of God, the Mighty, the Great! O servant! Hear My call, for by My call are quickened the hearts of all the worlds. Remember thy Lord in the night seasons and at dawn, and be not of the heedless ones. Rejoice in that the Pen of thy Lord hath stirred to make mention of thee, for He loveth those servants who have detached themselves from all else save Him and have turned to His shining and luminous Face.

He hath created all contingent beings through a word from Him, then cast upon them another word—whoso holdeth fast to it and believeth in Him, he is indeed among the most exalted of creation with Him, and this is certain truth. Those who turn away from it are verily among the people of the fire, cursed by the realities of all things, of the first and the last. Leave thou those who have disbelieved and hold fast to the Sure Handle. By God! It is indeed the Most Great Word which hath shone forth from the horizon of thy Lord the All-Merciful’s will with a mighty radiance.

Say: O people! The Promised One hath come unto you, if ye be of them that know, and the Hidden Mystery hath been revealed, if ye be of the certain ones. The gardens have been adorned with the ornament of the All-Merciful and Hell hath been set ablaze. Blessed are they who have attained unto the lights of His countenance; woe unto the idolaters!

Be thou steadfast in the love of God and His Cause, and take hold of His Tablet with manifest strength. Recite it in thy days and be not of the heedless ones. Make mention of My handmaiden from before Me, whom We named ʿAwfih in Our ancient Kingdom, then convey My glorification unto her face and unto her daughter from thy Lord, the Forgiving, the Merciful. And the glory be upon thee and upon her from this shining and luminous Orient.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! These are Thy servants who have soared in the atmosphere of Thy love and have sought the sanctuary of Thy glory and grandeur and have heard Thy call and answered Thee on the Day whereon most faces were darkened, and each one of them hath attained according to his capacity and striving. I beseech Thee therefore, O my God, by Thy Name through which were rent asunder the veils of the people of creation and were burned away the shrouds that came between Thee and Thy weak servants, that Thou withhold not these from the robes of Thy mercy and the wonders of Thy grace and bounty. Clothe them, then, through the hands of loving-kindness with the garments of guidance, that they may be illumined by the lights of Thy favors amidst Thy creation and creatures, and may turn wholly unto Thee and be detached from all else save Thee and arise to aid Thy Cause and manifest Thine order. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Guardian, the Chosen One.

BH02836: In the Name of God, the Ever-Abiding! O Mustafa!…

In the Name of God, the Ever-Abiding! O Mustafa! Blessed art thou for having attained unto the light of the Divine Countenance, appeared before the Command, and been numbered among those who have attained. Even hadst thou possessed the equivalent of the heavens and earth and spent them both, thou wouldst not have attained unto this sacred and luminous station. Give thanks unto God for having vouchsafed unto thee His presence, honored thee with His beauty, caused thee to hearken unto His melodies, and enabled thee to attain unto the presence of His wondrous countenance. Didst thou but know, thou wouldst soar in the atmosphere out of joy and gladness, for thou hast attained unto the presence of Him for Whom God’s near servants died in their longing. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this at all times, and be not of the heedless.

Verily, thou art renowned among the Concourse on High, who point to thee with their fingers and say:

“This, verily, is he who migrated unto God, the King, the Mighty, the Great, who circumambulated the sacred Sanctuary and the Ka’bih of intimacy, unto whom were directed the glances of God, and who was numbered among those who have attained.”

Be thou steadfast in the love of God, then make mention of Him among His heedless servants. And when thou beholdest My loved ones, pronounce My glorification upon their faces, then recount unto them what thou hast learned of the story of the Youth, that they may be of those who remember.

Say: O My loved ones! Do ye rest in ease while the Youth is in dire tribulation? I know not of which tribulation to complain. Nay, by His own Self, the True One! I have not complained, nor will I complain, and I remain content with whatsoever God hath ordained for Me and whatsoever He hath prescribed for My Own Self, if ye be of those who know.

O servant! Forget not what thou hast heard from the tongue of thy Lord, and be My garment among My servants, that they may inhale from thee the hallowed, inaccessible and glorious fragrance. He who hath purified his soul and whose deeds are goodly—from him wafteth the fragrance of My good-pleasure, whereby Our servants who turn unto Us are guided. Say: O people! Purify your deeds and sanctify your souls, that there may appear from you that whereby the hearts of all men shall be attracted.

And the glory that hath been sanctified from names and their kingdom, and exalted above attributes and their dominion, be upon thee, O thou who hast been guided by God’s guidance and hast drunk the Kawthar of immortality from His exalted fingers. Then doth the tongue of grandeur and majesty proclaim: Well is it with thee, then joy be unto thee and unto those who drink and say:

“Praise be to God Who hath distinguished us with this most exalted, most mighty, most great bounty!”

BH02840: O handmaiden of God! Your mention has ever been…

In the Name of God, the Everlasting

O handmaiden of God! Your mention has ever been before the Most Great Vision and your name is recorded in the Tablets. Therefore it behooveth you to stand firm, with complete steadfastness, in the love of the Sovereign of Days and the All-Knowing King, to such an extent that should your eye turn away, you would pass it by for the sake of the Friend, even as the lovers in the path of the All-Merciful gave up their lives and turned toward the direction of the All-Glorious. Purify your ear from the unworthy words of the deniers and hearken unto the wondrous melodies. Convey My remembrance from God to Hasan and Ali, and specifically for them this prayer is revealed:

“Glory be unto Thee, O my God! By Thy Name through which souls were disturbed and limbs did quake and faces were transformed, purify our hearts from love of aught else but Thee and illumine them with the light of Thy knowledge. Then make us steadfast in Thy love to such degree that the denial of those who have denied Thee shall not prevent us. Then deliver us from the prison of self and passion, and from this prison, through Thy power and sovereignty. Verily Thou art the One with power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Bountiful.”

Read ye this prayer in place of Hasan and Ali, or send it that they may recite it in prison, for the Ancient Beauty hath now recited it on their behalf. Verily God loveth His servants even when they are sleeping. The Cause of God is sanctified from human desires and the Divine Manifestation is not a matter that any soul may claim each day.

I swear by the Sun of inner meanings that even what they have heard about Mirza Yahya had no connection with him, and God is sufficient witness. The Manifestation was specific to the Primal Point, Who was the Herald of this Most Great Manifestation. Consider John the Baptist and the Spirit (Christ), and whoever has the least insight will understand this utterance of the All-Merciful from what was revealed in the Bayan. Those who have turned to God are accounted as the Letters, the Mirrors, the Fruits, the Branches and the Leaves, if they remain steadfast. Otherwise the light returneth to its source, sovereignty to its realm, and the created thing to its limit and station.

And the glory be upon you, O handmaidens of God. Specifically for the deliverance of two souls this prayer was revealed, for verily He chose imprisonment for Himself and freedom for His servants, and He is truly the Forgiving, the Merciful.

BH02847: In the name of our Lord, the All-Merciful! These…

In the name of our Lord, the All-Merciful! These are the verses of God which have been sent down in truth from the dominion of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. In them hath been ordained every goodly mention, yet most people understand not.

Say: The verses are like unto water; even as water giveth life to bodies, as ye behold, even so do the verses give life unto spirits, and cause to grow from the soil of divine knowledge trees of exalted glory. Say: At times they appear according to the nature of fire, whereby are set ablaze the hearts of them that have turned towards God, the Mighty, the Beloved. And at times thou findest them according to the nature of water, for by them liveth all that was and all that shall be.

Verily they are the Tree beyond which there is no passing, and whatsoever is created from them are its fruits, would ye but know. Verily they are the Most Remote Temple, round which circle honored servants. Verily they are the Sun of inner meanings, and by them are nourished the realities of all things, would ye but understand. Verily they are the Cord of God amongst His creatures—whoso holdeth fast unto them is indeed saved, and whoso turneth away from them, these are they that are drowned. Verily they are the Garment of God between the heavens and the earth, and from them do all created things inhale the fragrance of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Verily they are the Rose of this Paradise—blessed is he who is guided unto this glorious and praiseworthy station.

All this is due to their connection with My Name, the Revealer, and verily it hath ever been sanctified above all that is mentioned and known, and all that hath been created between the Kaf and the Nun.

Say: O people! Verily they are the Salsabil which floweth from the right hand of the Throne as a bounty from Him—hasten ye then to drink thereof. Give thanks unto God in these days for having manifested among you the Manifestation of His Essence, in Whose grasp are all things and in Whose right hand are all spirits and minds.

Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of Him and turn unto the worms of the earth who speak that of which they are unaware. Had they known, they would not have denied Him in this Revelation. Say: Fear God, O people, and believe not those who have not acknowledged this Revelation—they are indeed a blind people. They have fabricated lies against God and turned away from Him. By God, they are as dead.

Thus have We sent down the verses and dispatched them unto those who have believed in God and who are secure from the terror of misbelief.

BH02859: In the Name of God, the Most Holy…

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted! The mention of God from the right of the Throne was upraised in truth, and through it were attracted those who detached themselves from the world and turned to the Dawning-Place of the All-Glorious Name. Say: Through it God distinguished between those who disbelieved and associated partners with God and were far removed from the horizon of nearness. Verily thy name flowed from the Most Exalted Pen aforetime, and thus did His favor encompass thee.

The clamor of the idolaters hath been raised there, even as We informed you before in wondrous tablets of glory. Arise in the love of God and His Cause, and regard not those who have disbelieved except as a handful of moulded clay. Remember God in private and in public, then be independent through Him of all who are on earth. Be at peace in the Cause of God and sanctify thy heart from the intimations of every base deceiver.

Behold the baseness of those who have taken Satan as their protector and reckoner. Say: O people, if ye have not seen the donkeys, ye have seen the Antichrist who hath disbelieved in God and was rebellious. By God! Even arithmetic seeketh refuge from his countenance with your Lord, the Most Merciful, and the All-Glorious One Himself beareth witness to what I say. From him emanates a putrid smell that changes the air of every city, as testified by whoever possesseth sound nature. He calleth people to himself in private, then in public to that which he used to mock before. When We expelled him from the house he arose with new deceit. Say: O people, is he better, or God, the One, the All-Compelling? Be fair then and be not sinful deniers.

Would that thou hadst been with Us and become aware of them both and seen the form of fancy which the people have taken for themselves as a friend besides God. By God the Truth! He would stand before Us while We recited the verses to him, and he would write them down morning and evening. But when he uttered a word of his own he grew proud against God and desired what he desired with a tyranny that was in the Tablet mighty.

Do thou sanctify thyself from them and shun them, then take up beneath the protection of thy Lord a praiseworthy station. And the glory be upon thee from God and upon those who are with thee and remain steadfast in love.

BH02903: This is a Book from Us to him who…

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

This is a Book from Us to him who hath believed in God, that it may detach him from all else save Him and draw him nigh unto his Lord, the Ancient of Days. He is among those who have quaffed the choice wine of immortality from the hand of My Most Glorious Name and who have attained His presence time and again, and who are among those who have achieved.

O servant! Call thou to mind the days wherein thou didst commune with the Youth and when the Sun of the remembrance of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, did shine upon thee, and thou wert among those who beheld. We beseech God to cause thee to ascend unto a station wherein thou shalt witness all created things within the grasp of thy Lord’s power, even as a handful of clay. Say: In the Name of God and by God! Take thou the chalice of immortality in My Most Glorious Name amidst the concourse of creation. Then give to drink again and again, and pass it round betwixt earth and heaven. Fear thou not the hosts of the infidels. Say: O concourse of deniers! Die ye in your wrath! The veil of heaven hath been rent asunder by the fingers of the power of the Lord of Lords, and your Lord, the Mighty, the Most Bountiful, hath come with manifest sovereignty. Whither flee ye on this Day and in whom do ye seek refuge? There is no protector for any soul and no refuge for anyone except God, Who proclaimeth in all things that on that Day the Kingdom shall be His, the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Glorious.

Be thou God’s wrath unto Mine enemies and His mercy unto My loved ones. Then speak forth My praise and glorification amongst My creation and My servants, and tarry not for less than a moment. Verily, those who have disbelieved, were God to bring them all the knowledge of what was and what shall be and what is hidden, or were the angels of the highest heaven to come unto them, they would never believe in Him, for God hath, by His might and power, deprived them of the spirit of faith. He, verily, is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

Remind My loved ones who are before Me, whose faces have been illumined by the lights of thy Lord’s countenance, the Most High, the Most Great. The glory rest upon thee and upon him who hath detached himself from all else save Me and who hath stood firm in My love amidst My heedless servants. Convey from Us Our glorification unto thy son who hath been named Muhammad in the kingdom of names, and remind him from Us that he may be among those who rejoice. We beseech God to make him praiseworthy in his deeds, such that there may appear through him the manifestations of My deeds and the signs of My loving-kindness. Verily, He answereth him that calleth upon Him. Then the glory that hath shone forth from My countenance be upon him and upon those who are with thee among the loved ones of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

BH02906: This is a letter from the servant to him…

He is God, the Most High, the Most Exalted

This is a letter from the servant to him who hath emigrated unto God and entered the Sacred Precincts of Paradise and was recorded among the triumphant in the Book, who attained the presence of the Countenance and upon whom shone the Sun of his Lord’s utterance from the horizon of this heaven which was raised up in truth, and who won the meeting with the Beloved and heard His melodies—and this was a mighty bounty inscribed in the Tablet.

O servant! Give thanks unto God thy Lord for having been granted that which most of the servants have not been granted. Thus did the mercy which was decreed in truth in the heaven of destiny take precedence over thee and encompass the worlds by the command of thy Lord, the All-Knowing. Yet most people remain heedless of their Lord’s mercy and are veiled by the veils of their own selves.

Should anyone ask thee concerning this Youth, relate unto him what thou hast witnessed and known. Thus do We command thee in truth by One mighty and wise. Say: He was afflicted at the hands of those who openly denied God, and the Youth was at that time forsaken in their midst.

Then mention from Our presence Our loved ones who have detached themselves from the earth and all that is therein and have turned with their hearts to a holy and luminous station. Say: O My loved ones! Grieve not over anything but place your trust in all matters in God, for verily He is your guardian. Not a thing escapeth His knowledge. He knoweth what hath befallen you and what shall befall you hereafter. With Him is the knowledge of the heavens and earth, and knowledge of all things in a preserved tablet. Remember your Lord, the Most Merciful, and leave the worlds behind you. Thus it behooveth one who claimeth the love of God in these days wherein the Sun of grace hath dawned from the horizon of a mighty name.

Say: O people! Give thanks unto God for having caused you to know the Manifestation of His Self and preserved you from the depths of fancy and desire and protected you by the hands of the angels of protection and provided you with the fruits of a lofty and glorious Tree.

Then convey Our greetings unto the handmaidens who have detached themselves from the left hand of misbelief and turned toward the right hand of an exalted name, that they may give thanks unto God their Lord by night and by day and rejoice with the joy that hath been mentioned in the Tablet. And upon thee and upon them be the Spirit from One mighty and beauteous.

All praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds.

BH02907: This is a book from the Prisoner to him…

In the Name of God, the Most Mighty, the Most Wondrous, the Most Exalted.

This is a book from the Prisoner to him who hath believed in God and loved the Manifestation of His Self and was numbered among the guided ones in the Tablets. Beware lest thou turn unto anything and cling to any matter. Turn thou in every moment unto the face of thy Lord—this is better for thee than all that is on earth.

O servant! I am a servant who hath believed in God and His signs, and I remember you at all times that ye may take unto Him a path. Give thanks unto God for having been honored to attain His presence and for having heard His most exalted melodies in days when the lights of Beauty were, in very truth, witnessed from behind seventy thousand veils. Aid thy Lord through utterance and be not silent for less than a moment—thus doth He Who loved thee aforetime command thee, and God is, verily, witness to what I say.

I have wished naught save what your Beloved hath wished, and I have desired naught save what He hath desired. Thus hath it been sent down in the Bayan from One mighty and powerful. I desire naught save your sincerity unto God and your detachment from all else but Him, and verily He watcheth over the doers of good.

Cast the world behind thee and grieve not over it. Put thy trust in God, thy Lord, and He will send down unto thee what hath been ordained for thee in the heaven of His decree, and He encompasseth all things. Remember Him in thy days and forget not His grace. By God! Ye have witnessed what no one in creation hath witnessed, would ye but ponder it ye would testify thereto and find yourselves independent of all worlds.

Drink thou the water of life in remembrance of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. Then detach thyself from all existence and be not sorrowful on earth. Rejoice thou in the joy of the spirit—if sorrow touch thee, sorrow not, and if joy reach thee, joy not, for both shall pass away and have no permanence. What endureth is that which thy Lord hath ordained. Strive thou that what hath been ordained in the Tablets may descend upon thee from a mighty and wondrous Pen.

Thus have We sent down unto thee the verses and wafted unto thee the fragrances of thy Beloved from this breeze which hath blown over all worlds. And the Spirit and glory be upon thee and upon those who have believed in God and have detached themselves from every rejected idolater.

BH02908: In the Name of God, the Most Glorious! This…

In the Name of God, the Most Glorious! This is a Book sent down in truth from the presence of One mighty and all-knowing, that perchance through it the gate of paradise might be opened unto the hearts of all created things. O people! The Sun of Eternity hath dawned—do ye not behold? The Call of God hath been raised—do ye not hear? The clouds of grace have rained down—do ye not accept? Say: O people! Hear My words and deprive not yourselves of this bounty which hath encompassed all that was and shall be. O people! Behold Me with Mine own eyes—thus have ye been commanded in a preserved Tablet. Fear God, and forge not lies against Him, nor follow any rejected idolater. Bind not yourselves with the chains of vain hopes, but look instead to your ultimate end. Thus doth this imprisoned Youth counsel you.

O servant! Cleanse thy outward and inward being with the waters We have caused to flow from the clouds of thy Lord’s mercy, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, lest there remain in thee any trace of the signs of those who have disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the Beloved. And when thou findest thyself purified from the signs of the people of creation and established beneath the shade of the Lord of Names, arise to make mention of Him and praise Him amongst His servants, that they may detach themselves from what they possess and turn unto God, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Loving. Beware lest anything prevent thee from teaching thy Lord’s Cause. Aid it through remembrance and fear not the hosts of the oppressors.

Say: O people! The Revealer of the Bayan hath come again, would ye but know it. The Most Exalted Pen hath appeared, would ye but perceive it. The Divine Lote-Tree hath been raised up, would ye but seek it. Say: The heavenly ascent hath ascended within itself seventy thousand years until it reached its goal and circleth round about it, would ye but understand. Say: Were ye to know, ye would weep for yourselves and lament. Hear My words, then rend asunder the veils through My power and sovereignty, and follow not vain imaginings and idle fancies.

And thou, O servant, if thou perceivest in thyself the power to rend the veils of the people, then do so; otherwise, remain in thy place, be patient, and shun the idolaters. God shall soon aid His Cause through the hosts of the unseen, and this is an irrevocable decree. And glory be upon thee and upon thy mother who hath believed in God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

BH02919: He Who is the Most Holy

He Who is the Most Holy

O man! Hear the call of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, from the direction of the Ridvan at this time when all have disbelieved and associated partners with God, save those whom God hath made as a beauty mark upon the countenance of those near unto Him and made them the essence of existence in both the unseen and visible worlds. Blessed be God, Who hath raised up these ones through His sovereign might and power.

By God! The shrill voice of thy pen when inscribing the words of God is better than the worship of both humanity and the jinn, if thou remainest steadfast as thou wert. Take care not to wonder at this bounty. By God! This is but little compared to My bounty. Were the eye of time able, We would show it a sign from the signs of My bounty that it might witness it encompassing all the worlds. But existence cannot bear that the Beloved should appear in the glory of His own Self, the Supreme, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Say: When We removed the veil from the face of the Cause, fewer than can be counted remained steadfast. Whereupon all who dwell in the heavens and earth were terrified.

O Haydar! Be as a lion of the Cause in all lands, that through thee the hearts of the ungodly and the hearts of the deceivers may be shaken.

Fie upon the people of the Bayan, for they have exchanged the bounty of God and sold the Lord of Lords for a handful of dust, without any proof or scripture. Thus did their evil souls entice them to object to God, the Single One, the Mighty, the Praised. Behold their words and what floweth from their pens. By God! It testifieth against their own selves, yet the people remain heedless.

Say: Praise be to God Who hath delivered me from the wrongdoing people and taken my hand with the hands of His power and brought me forth from among the company of the ungodly and purified my heart with the waters of His loving-kindness and sanctified me from the defilement of these deniers who claim faith while disbelieving in Him through Whose finger’s motion all religions were abrogated and the laws of mighty glory were renewed.

Say: O company of unbelievers! By God! Through the scratching of this Pen were created the realities of eternity. Die, therefore, in your wrath, O company of the proud!

Read thou this Tablet, then preserve it. By My Self! When it is recited, the denizens of Paradise turn toward thee to hear it. Thus have We commanded thee in truth that thou mayest be among those who act. And the spirit and glory be upon thee and upon thy pen, from which were inscribed the traces of thy Lord, the Chosen One, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving, the Compelling, the All-Subduing, the Generous, the Concealer, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

BH11742: From the right hand of the Throne hath been…

From the right hand of the Throne hath been sent down:

Hast thou not heard that My proof is My very Being, My evidence My Manifestation, My testimony My Self, and that which floweth from My Pen is the path to My knowledge, which none shall attain save those who have detached themselves from all things and have passed through this world and whatsoever hath been created therein as a cloud passeth by? My proof hath been My manifestations of power that have encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth, and I have made verses the path to My knowledge as a grace from Us to all the worlds.

And since My previous Manifestation designated verses as the proof of this most mighty, most holy and most glorious Manifestation, We have therefore caused verses to be sent down from the heaven of Will and have established them as proof for all who are in the heavens and on earth. Until this Manifestation, verses alone have been proof for all, for We had sent down this decree in all previous Books.

Although in this Manifestation all signs of power, manifest proofs, wondrous verses, glorious manifestations and divine attributes have appeared—and all this as a grace from Us to all created things—yet henceforth the matter resteth in God’s hands, that He may designate what shall be proof for future Manifestations. We shall soon send down His decree in the Tablets, for verily We have ever been the Ruler over all things. All matters are within Our mighty grasp; We do what We will and decree what We please.

For in this Manifestation God, exalted be His mention, hath willed that many of the sincere seekers should speak in verses. Therefore We shall, by His command and His will, ordain what shall constitute proof of the next Manifestation, lest anyone who produceth words should exalt himself over God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Almighty—even as did he whom We caused to speak at a level far below that of the servants who circle round My throne, yet who exalted himself over God Who created him, nurtured him, preserved him from the harm of his enemies, and protected him beneath the wing of His wondrous and ancient grace.

Thus have We decreed on this night, and We decree what We will by Our command, for verily I am the Almighty over what I will, and all else besides Me are My creation. O My creation! Be not proud before Him at Whose face the countenances of the Concourse on High bow down in adoration, and be not of the arrogant ones.

BH02933: Bear thou witness that there is none other God…

He is the Ever-Living in the Most Glorious Horizon!

Bear thou witness that there is none other God but Him and that this Youth is His splendor unto all who are in the heavens and on earth. Then bear witness that were He to desire to make any one of all names the manifestations of His most beautiful names and most exalted attributes, from all that hath been created in the kingdom of names and attributes, and bestow upon him the sovereignty of the heavens and earth, He would verily be powerful to do so without diminishing aught from His dominion. Glorified be God, thy Creator and the Creator of all created things!

Say: O people! Have ye not heard that He is living in the Most Glorious Horizon, and from this Horizon He calleth out:

“O people of the Bayan! Do ye deny Him Who hath come to you from the Dayspring of the All-Merciful with the Bayan, and Who guideth you to the Paradise whose leaves have flourished through the Most Great, the All-Wise Remembrance?”

Say: O people! He, verily, hath power over all things. He giveth and taketh away. Nothing whatsoever can withhold Him from that which hath been created between the heavens and the earth.

Know thou then that a tablet from thee hath appeared before the Throne wherein thou didst call upon God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers. Blessed art thou for that which the Spirit cast into thy breast and caused thee to speak in remembrance of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Beauteous. Thus doth God single out whom He willeth through His grace, and He, verily, is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Beware lest thou grieve over anything. Be patient, then show forth patience, and verily thy Lord is with thee under all conditions, and He is nigh unto them that are nigh. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

The Tablets were sent. The sooner they arrive the better it would be. And the Tablets that were revealed in response to people’s objections—make copies of them quickly so that Salman is not delayed, and afterward send them to whomever they deem advisable. Not a moment’s delay or neglect in assisting the divine Cause is permissible. Whatever hath appeared until now is witnessed by God.

Be not grieved over worldly affairs and what transpireth therein. God willing, the hand of divine power shall set things aright. The situation here hath become very disturbed—what shall yet appear remains to be seen. You will be informed of the details of these matters after the arrival of the emigrants. Convey greetings from God to all the loved ones.

BH02936: O Baqir! Hearken to the shrill voice…

In the name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Holy

O Baqir! Hearken to the shrill voice of the Most Exalted Pen from the direction of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious, that My melodies may attract thee, and cause thee to soar in the atmosphere of My nearness, and make thee drink of the Kawthar of My praise, and taste the wonders of My bounties through My mercy and loving-kindness, and purify thee from the defilement of Mine enemies, and grant thee the blessing of meeting Me, and honor thee with My presence, and cause thine eyes to be solaced by gazing upon My Beauty, and make the breezes of My Cause stir thee, and move thee through the gentle winds of My companionship.

Whereupon, detach thyself from all else but Me, then ascend on My wings to My heaven that thou mayest witness My might and power, and behold My dominion and sovereignty, and journey through the realms of My power, and traverse the fields of My glory and splendor. By God! When thou hearest what hath flowed from My Pen, thou shalt become an intimate of the manifestations of My glory and draw nigh unto the dwellers of My holy cities, and become apprised of that which is concealed from the eyes of My creation and the sight of My creatures.

Then thou shalt find My Book in the hands of previous Manifestations, and find it speaking of My remembrance, heralding My presence, calling out My Name, turning toward the direction of My throne, drawn to the sweet melodies of My voice, and soaring in the paradise of My nearness and reunion.

O servant! Shatter the idols of the deluded ones among My servants through My power and might, and fear not the tyrannous ones among My creation. Then rend asunder the veils of the souls of My servants, then turn at all times toward the direction of My good-pleasure, then take the water of life by My leave, then drink in My Name between My earth and My heaven, then pass it around with fingers of detachment in the gathering of My loved ones, then draw them through the wonders of My remembrance and move them through the breezes of My love and praise, that they may detach themselves from all else save Me and turn toward My face and draw near to the seat of My throne and the pavilion of My grandeur and the dawning-place of the lights of My beauty.

Thus doth My tongue command thee and My Pen move to make mention of thee on this night wherein sorrows have overtaken Me from the manifestations of Satan in such wise as cannot be described in words. Mine eyes have wept, My heart is troubled, My liver is inflamed, and My shirt is reddened with My blood, yet My creation perceive not, nor do they understand.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon them who have detached themselves from the world and all that is therein and have taken shelter beneath the shade of the Tree of My Name, the Most High, the Most Great.

BH02974: In the Name of God, the Most Wondrous…

In the Name of God, the Most Wondrous, the Most Impregnable! The remembrance of God in the form of fire from this light has been witnessed in this Revelation from the horizon of glory. O people! Turn to Him with your hearts and deprive not yourselves thereof. Thus do We command you in truth that ye may find a way unto Him Who occupieth the throne.

Say: O people! Fear God and break not your covenants, nor turn back on your heels in this Path which shineth luminously among all paths. Tread ye the path of truth with the foot of certitude and follow not those who have denied God and were far removed from the highway of His Cause.

O Mihdi! Be thou guided by the guidance of God. Verily He hath appeared in truth with manifest guidance. Detach thyself from all who are on earth, then turn to God with novel submissiveness. Beware lest the might of the oppressors hold thee back from Him. Be thou strengthened through My Name on earth and be possessed of great power. Verily He strengtheneth whom He willeth and aideth whom He pleaseth and loveth him who loveth Him and remembereth in His kingdom him who remembereth Him on His earth. Thus was it sent down aforetime and now We have sent it down once again as a grace from Us unto thee and unto all created things. Purify thy sight that it may behold the truth, then thy heart that it may comprehend what the tongue of grandeur and majesty uttereth, and be thou steadfast in the Cause.

Say: O people! Believe in God Who created you and sustained you and caused you to die and brought you to life for this Revelation which hath been inscribed by the Pen of God in all the Tablets. O people! Shun ye what ye have been forbidden in the Tablets, then walk in My footsteps that the fragrances of My deeds may waft from you among My creatures. This is the best and most excellent of deeds, and I, the True One, am witness thereunto.

O people! Cast not the Cause of God behind your backs and follow not every remote idolater. Follow ye the truth for it commandeth you naught save what profiteth you and desireth for you naught save that it may draw you nigh unto a station of resplendent glory. Thus have We imparted unto thee the word of truth and verily thy Lord is watchful over thee. And the glory shining from the horizon of eternity be upon thee and upon those who have believed in God and have wholly detached themselves from every accursed satan.

BH02985: He is the Mighty! God beareth witness that there…

He is the Mighty! God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him and that the Point of the Bayan is His servant and His Glory. This is what hath been sent down from God on the Day whereon the Beauty of the Divine Identity was established upon a mighty throne.

Say: By God! Were the people of the Bayan to acknowledge this Word which hath been sent down in truth from the presence of One mighty and wise, it would suffice them above all that is witnessed and seen—and God is witness to what I say—for therein are concealed the mysteries of God, could ye but understand. None shall comprehend them save whom thy Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate, willeth.

Soon shall ye find the idolaters breaking God’s covenant regarding this Glory Who hath appeared with holy and ancient verses, by a single letter of which the heaven of rancor is cleft asunder, the earth of hatred is split, and the mountains of the souls of the idolaters crumble. Say: By God, the Truth! This indeed is God’s touchstone whereby every matter is distinguished, whereby all things are weighed in a just and straight balance, whereby the blind and the leper and every sick and ailing one are healed.

Say: O people! Fear ye God, then have mercy upon yourselves and be not of those who turn away from Him Who hath come to you with clear signs, Who calleth you unto God your Lord, Who restraineth you from your desires, and Who nourisheth you at all times from this Divine and Most Holy Fruit which hath appeared from the Lote-Tree of near access.

And now, We have seen what appeared from thee in thy letter and have understood its contents, as though thou wert complaining of separation—that which causeth the eyes of them that are nigh to shed tears. But grieve thou not for this; rather be content with what God hath ordained for Us and for thee, and be patient with mighty patience. Should God will, He would unveil His beauty to thee and grant thee His presence in thy sleep and waking hours, for He hath power over all things. Be thou patient in all matters and place thy trust in God thy Lord. Verily He will aid thee with the truth and raise thee to a mighty and noble station.

The Spirit and glory and splendor be upon thee and upon those who place their trust in Him and are among the trusting ones. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH03004: He is the Ever-Living in the Most Glorious Horizon!…

He is the Ever-Living in the Most Glorious Horizon! Your eyes have been solaced by what the Most Exalted Pen hath made mention of thee in this Tablet, which was held in the grasp of might.

Say: This is the hand that was outstretched in truth, and this is the grasp whereby He took hold of the kingdom of the heavens and earth with mighty sovereignty, and this is the right hand by which the heavens were rolled up and spread forth again by another will. Glorified be He Who hath, by a mere expression of His will, suspended all in the kingdom. Say: Nothing hath preceded Him, nay rather His mercy hath preceded all things, and He doth indeed encompass all things.

Purify thy vision from human allusions, then take hold of God’s Tablet with manifest power. Say: O people! The Tablet of the Command hath come to us from the Dayspring of destiny with resplendent lights, and it is indeed detailed from the Preserved Tablet which God hath sent in the form of the Youth. Blessed be He Who hath sent it with the truth by a mighty command.

Take heed lest thou remain in thy place—arise, then speak forth in praise of thy Lord. Say: The Youth hath come with a luminous countenance and calleth you unto God. Fear God and be not of those who doubt in the Cause. Cast aside what ye possess and take what your Lord, the All-Merciful, hath commanded you. He will indeed make you independent of all who dwell on earth, and He hath power over all things.

Walk thou in My footsteps such that whenever the winds of trials grow fierce, thou shalt find thyself in a state of attraction and tranquility. Thus must it be for one who hath detached himself from all things and turned unto the Beautiful Countenance. And when harm toucheth thee in thy Lord’s path, be patient and remember My tribulation and exile in these lands. Thus doth the Pen of the All-Wise command thee from the presence of the Mighty, the Powerful.

Guide the people to the Most Great Law, then usher them beneath this Tabernacle which hath been raised up in the loftiest Paradise. Give the people to drink from the Kawthar of thy Lord’s love from the cup that hath been fashioned by the hand of God. Convey Our greetings to the faces of those who have taken unto the All-Merciful a path.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon her whom God hath bestowed upon thee, then upon her who serveth thee, then upon those who have turned toward the court of God and have detached themselves from every remote idolater.

BH03027: This is a Book from the Youth to those…

In the Name of our Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower!

This is a Book from the Youth to those who have been guided by God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, and who have detached themselves from the idolaters.

O people! The world and all that is therein shall perish, and ye shall return to dust with great remorse. Ye shall find for yourselves in the graves neither helper nor protector. Fear God and deny not Him through Whom the Sun of Knowledge hath shone forth from the horizon of utterance, and the breezes of forgiveness have wafted over Our sinful servants. He desireth naught from you, and hath sacrificed His spirit for all who are in the heavens and on earth, out of His love for God, your Lord and the Lord of all worlds.

Do ye deny Him through Whom the veils of idle fancy were rent asunder and the Beauty of the Ancient of Days shone forth from the horizon of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing? Say: Do ye imagine, O people, that ye have any refuge other than God? Nay, by His Self, were ye but to know! Say: There is today no refuge for anyone and no protector for any soul save God, in Whose grasp lieth the kingdom of all who are in the heavens and on earth.

O people! Fear ye God, then detach yourselves from those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God and who remain behind a thick veil. Turn your hearts toward the court of your Lord, the Most High, the Almighty, the Powerful. Beware lest anything prevent you from turning unto God, the Goal of all who seek Him.

And thou, O servant, turn thy face toward the Sanctuary that thou mayest be numbered among the triumphant. Say: This is verily God’s Sanctuary among you, and His holy Kaaba in your midst, and His Most Great, Most Holy, Wondrous and Impregnable House. Beware, O people, lest ye be heedless of it, for this would be a grievous loss.

Blessed art thou, O servant, for having attained unto the recognition of God in this Revelation, whereby the foundations of the idolaters were shaken, the idols of fancy and vain imaginings were shattered, and the Jibt and Taghut were cast down upon the face of the earth, whereupon the hearts of the deceivers were consumed.

Be thou steadfast in the Cause and fear no one, for thy Lord, the All-Merciful, shall suffice thee against the harm of the deniers.

Thus have We imparted unto thee the word of truth that thy soul might be assured thereby and thou mightest be of them that are firmly established. And mercy be upon thee and upon those who have detached themselves from the world and have clung to this pure and luminous hem.

BH03031: In the Name of God, the Most Holy…

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted! This is a Book which hath been sent down in truth from the heaven of mighty glory. In it the Youth calleth out—the Youth Who hath appeared before the Face and was illumined by the lights of the Throne: Arise to promote the Cause with steadfastness from Us, and fear not any heedless doubter.

Say: O people of the Bayan, have mercy upon yourselves and waste not the Cause of Him Who was promised in the Tablets. Fear God and doubt not His Cause, for verily He hath appeared with manifest sovereignty. Say: Is there any doubt concerning Him, or concerning the verses revealed unto Him, or concerning His power which hath encompassed all worlds? Say: This is from the appearance of that which the eye of creation hath never witnessed its like, and whoso denieth it hath disbelieved in God and His Messengers, then in Him Who came unto you with mighty sovereignty.

Fear God, O people, and if ye help Him not, oppose Him not. Leave Him to Himself, and be not tyrannical and wretched. The peoples of former times suffice Him, then His brother who desired to slay the Youth without any proof or luminous Book. This, after We had nurtured him and made his name renowned in the Kingdom of Names, and protected him for numbered years.

Aid thy Lord through utterance, for thus wert thou commanded in a former Tablet from the presence of One mighty and wise. And when thou beholdest Jim, magnify him before his face on behalf of God, then remember him from Us with beautiful remembrance. He is the one who kept company with Me in the land of Ta during the days when the Face was hidden from the worlds.

Say: Hearken unto My call and cast beneath thy feet what thou hast known and learned, then ascend unto God with manifest detachment. Knowledge is indeed praiseworthy if thou dost thereby aid thy Lord. Loose thy tongue in utterance to remember thy Lord, the Most Merciful, then be thou enkindled with this Fire which was ignited from the Tree of the Cause. We loved thee before and We love thee now, and God is witness unto this. Beware lest thou break God’s covenant, and keep thy gaze fixed upon the horizon of faithfulness. Thus doth it behove thee if thou desirest to take unto the Lord of the Throne a way.

And the glory which hath shone forth from the horizon of eternity be upon thee and upon him and upon every discerning believer.

BH03049: O Muhammad-Qabl-i-Taqi, upon thee be My glory! There hath…

He is God, exalted be His glory!

O Muhammad-Qabl-i-Taqi, upon thee be My glory! There hath come upon the Wronged One in these days that which hath caused every person of understanding to lament and every discerning soul to cry out. The heedless one hath changed God’s bounty and grace, and committed that which hath caused the limbs of trustworthiness to quake in the body of religion, and justice to weep and fairness to lament in this glorious and wondrous station. We have counseled all with that whereby the Word of God and their stations may be exalted, yet the heedless one hath done that which hath encompassed Me with sorrows. To this testify the people of My kingdom and My dominion, and beyond them the tongue of My grandeur in this exalted station.

We love to make mention of thee even as We mentioned thee before with verses that brought joy to the eyes of them that are nigh unto God. He whom We sheltered hath risen in opposition and committed that which was forbidden in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Ask thou God, thy Lord and the Lord of all things visible and invisible, to aid him to return. Verily He is the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

Praise thy Lord and rejoice, for amidst the depths of sorrows He hath made mention of thee in such wise that the Day-Star of gladness hath shone forth from the horizon of the Mount—a bounty from God, the Goal of them that know. We make mention at this time of him who hath ascended to the Supreme Companion and believed in God, the Peerless, the All-Informed.

O Habib! The grace of God hath encompassed thee and His mercy hath preceded thee—the Lord of the mighty Throne. Thou art he whom We named Habib in My perspicuous Book. I testify that thou didst hear the Call and turn to God, the Lord of all beings, when most of the people turned away, and didst believe in Him when the people disbelieved. Blessed art thou and joy be unto thee.

We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to make thee a companion in the most exalted Paradise with His Prophets and His chosen ones, to give thee to drink at all times from the Kawthar of His bounty and the Salsabil of His utterance, to cause thee to hear the warbling of the nightingales of His good-pleasure and the rustling of the Lote-Trees of the highest Paradise and the flowing of the Kawthar of His mercy amongst the Concourse on high. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

The glory from Us be upon thy beginning and thy end, thy outward and thy inward being, and upon those who made mention before thee and read what was sent down for thee from God, the One, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH03457: Lawh-i-Tal’atu’l-Hubb

He is God

O Countenance of love, we have recognized your longing for God in the pavilions of eternity, insofar as you drew near and attained, in the arenas of encounter, to the presence of God. Thus have we reckoned everything in a book that was decreed in the Tablet. Know that you have advanced to the sanctuary of beauty and visited the kaaba of holiness in the garden of paradise on the Mount Paran of love. Thus was your affair guarded from the rebellious in a tablet.

Do not grieve over any matter, and be not perplexed at the adversities of this world. God shall send you forth in a station that is, in truth, exalted. For the world, its adornments and finery, shall pass away in less than the blink of an eye. Therefore, exert yourself in what will be everlasting for you in the highest kingdom, so that you will be safeguarded in the worlds of the spirit that revolve around the tree of immortality.

Listen with the ear of your heart to what the dove warbles on the pole of infinity, insofar as it has taught you the paths of truth on that route that was raised up in light. Attest to this Tablet with the tongue of spirit so that you might be radiant with the fire of love. Fear God, and pay no attention to those who opposed him. Do not follow those who have disbelieved and who shall never find for themselves a path to the truth. Be constant in love and firm in the cause so that your foot shall not stumble, even if you are opposed by all who are on earth. Therefore, cast away what is in your right hand, then follow God’s paradise so that you might find an august station at the center of the Garden near the sea of immortality.

Thus have we written in the Tablet the details of all things, and have mentioned them to you so that you might arrive at a station that is impervious to sorrow. By God, if you smell the fragrance of this shirt, you will discover the breezes of the divine essence, your eyes will overflow with tears in your yearning for God, and you will be insightful concerning the cause of your Lord.

The spirit be upon you, and upon those who were meek, having drawn nigh and been consumed by the fire of union.

Revealed by the Ha’ after the Ba’.

BH03154: O my brother and beloved one! Much time hath…

In His Name, transcendent is His station, the Mighty!

O my brother and beloved one! Much time hath elapsed—each moment of which hath been as an age—and no word hath been heard from thee. This hath caused boundless grief. The One True God beareth witness that at all times we have been engaged in remembrance of that cherished friend, and to the extent of our capacity have not, nor shall we ever, fail in matters concerning thee. This consisteth of naught but prayer, and verily He doeth whatsoever He willeth.

Most strange it is that throughout this extended period thou hast made no mention whatsoever of these prisoners. Assuredly this delay hath been ordained by divine decree, and thus hath the matter been determined by the Mighty, the Ancient One.

If thou wishest to be apprised of the tribulations that have befallen this servant, by God, they cannot be recorded by the pen, nor flow from the ink, nor be contained in tablets, nor be borne by any soul in all the worlds. God is my witness to what I say.

In any case, I am now imprisoned in the prison of prisons, afflicted with countless trials, and none is aware of what hath befallen me and what I have endured save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Yet in all these successive tribulations and continuous trials I have been, and by God’s grace shall ever remain, thankful. What God hath willed for me is my desire, and what He hath purposed is my purpose in this world and the next.

Were I to write more than what hath been mentioned, it would surely increase thy sorrow. Therefore have I confined myself to these few words. We hope that through the wondrous mercy of the All-Merciful and the manifestations of the bounties of the Sovereign Lord of Glory, thou shalt ever remain seated upon the throne of honor and reclined upon the couch of well-being. This is not difficult for God to accomplish.

We beseech God for reunion, though I doubt I shall be blessed with it, for fate hovers overhead and waiteth in expectation. Verily, none can question His doings, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Convey my remembrance to thy noble mother from this remote exile.

BH03068: He is the Mighty. I testify within thyself…

He is the Mighty. I testify within thyself that there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Beloved, and by Him Whom He sent unto His servant and His glory, and all were created by His command and all by His command do act.

O servant! Hear the call of God from this Leaf, stirring upon this blessed Branch, and be not of those who understand not, and be not of those who violated God’s Covenant and committed injustice and caused darkness and were not conscious within themselves, nay, they made a mockery of God in their imaginings and were of those who trifle with the signs of God. Say: Woe unto you for what your hands have wrought! Ye shall be summoned to a humiliating punishment and then shall ye not be shown mercy. These days shall pass away and that with which people are occupied.

Say: He knoweth the unseen of the heavens and earth and all that ye conceal or hide. Nothing shall be hidden from God thy Lord. He knoweth what penetrateth the earth and what issueth forth from it, if ye would but understand. And since His mercy hath preceded His wrath, He concealeth for whom He willeth and revealeth for whom He willeth, and verily He is the Mighty, the Beloved.

Say: O people! Return ye unto God, then seek His forgiveness, and follow not Satan within yourselves if ye wish to be God-fearing. And be not of those in whom God findeth naught, such that He findeth in them neither truthfulness nor faithfulness nor steadfastness in any matter. Soon shall they return to dust and they shall be remorseful. God will not show them mercy nor will He ever forgive them, even if they wail in the fire.

And thou, O servant, fear God and associate not with those from whose hearts and souls thou perceivest the winds of hypocrisy, and avoid them and abide under a preserved protection. This is My counsel unto thee and unto those who act according to what they claim. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon thy wife and upon all who are in thy household and upon the handmaiden of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.