Volume 039: Edirne III (year unknown, 1864–1868) (3 of 6)

BH03728: In the Name of God, the Ever-Abiding! This…

In the Name of God, the Ever-Abiding! This is a Tablet which hath been sent down in truth from God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Blessed are they whom trials have not prevented from turning to God and who have drunk the Kawthar of inner meanings from the hand of this Youth, Who hath come in the shadows of clouds, accompanied by the hosts of revelation and inspiration.

Say: We gave you tidings aforetime of this Most Great Revelation and of these days. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of Him for Whose meeting ye were created. Fear God, O concourse of men!

Say: Those who have denied God in this Revelation after He came unto them with the truth—these have no portion of this grace and these are as cattle.

Say: O people, worship God Who created you by a sovereignty from Him and fashioned you as He pleased in the wombs, then brought you forth therefrom and was ever watchful over you until ye reached maturity. Then He sent unto you His Messengers with guidance and the true religion to summon you unto Him, for He is the Lord of grace and bounty.

And thou—arise to serve the Cause of God and His love, and fear not the clamor of those who have emerged from the thickets, nor grieve at anything, for God shall soon send down what He hath ordained for thee—this is what We foretold thee aforetime in the Mother Book. In His hand is the dominion of the kingdom of the heavens and earth, and with Him is the knowledge of all things in the Book.

Stand firm through the power of God, for He is with those who place their trust in Him and preserveth them from illness. Be independent through Him of all that hath been created between the heavens and earth—thus hath the Pen of Command enjoined thee, and it is the Sovereign of all pens.

And the glory rest upon thee and upon those who are steadfast in the Cause—these are they whom God hath purified from the defilement of every wicked slanderer who denied God on the Day of Resurrection.

BH11754: O Majid!

O Majid!

With My own hands have I reared thee, and in My exalted Paradise have I planted thee, that through My loving care thou mightest bring forth goodly branches, pure boughs, and blessed fruits. And now is the time of thy fruition. Beware lest thou suffer thy leaves, fruits and branches to be withered by the scorching winds of extinction or be brought to naught. Therefore, through remembrance of My glorious Name, keep fresh the fruits of thine own tree and preserve them from violent gales and destroying tempests.

O Majid!

Consort not with Mine enemies, nor turn thy attention unto them, save when thou arisest to champion My Cause.

O Majid!

Face to face have I breathed into thee of My holy fragrances, and from the narrow wilderness of death have I drawn thee to the pleasant expanse of life, and by My purifying hand of power have I delivered thee from the perils of fancy and the depths of heedlessness. Therefore, show not faithlessness to thy Beloved, and stand firm in thy covenant, for none hath been or shall be acquainted with the root of the matter. I swear by My Beauty that all that hath been heard hath proceeded from Mine own Self, and none beside Me hath been or shall ever be My partner. Yet in the concealment of matters there lie hidden wisdoms which none save the discerning and perspicacious can comprehend.

O Majid!

Be thou as a cutting sword against Mine enemies and as a beneficial mercy unto My loved ones. Through My remembrance, be thou independent of all else, and through My love, be free from aught else besides Me. Like a restless lover, seek intimacy with the Best Beloved and at all times occupy thyself with the wondrous praise of Him. Should thou find the whole world turned away from My Beauty, account them all as non-existent and consider them as nothing. These are the compassionate counsels which have shone forth from the Dayspring of My holy mouth. Hearken thou unto them and be of them that prostrate themselves. And praise be unto My Self, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

BH03924: There is no doubt therein that it hath been…

He is the Mighty One.

There is no doubt therein that it hath been sent down in truth from God, the Mighty, the Peerless. God hath made it from His presence a conclusive proof and an enduring Word between the heavens and the earth, and verily it is guidance and a remembrance from His presence unto all the worlds.

O servant! Bear thou witness unto that which God hath witnessed concerning His Own Self by His Own Self, that there is no God but Him, and that ʿAli before Muhammad is His lamp and His light and His remembrance and His glory unto all who dwell on earth. Through Him doth every seeing one see, every knowing one know, every speaking one speak, and every certain one attain certitude. And whoso hath been given spiritual insight by God beareth witness that all this is truth wherein there is no doubt, and verily we were of those possessed of clear certainty. Thus hath God testified, and His angels, and His Messengers, and His chosen ones, if ye be of them that hear.

O servant! Give thanks unto God, thy Creator, for what hath been sent down unto thee on this night of mighty and impregnable words, by a single letter of which all who are in the heavens and on earth were created, if thou be of them that know. Open thou thine eyes and gaze intently upon the signs of God, and take hold of them with strength, and be not of the doubters. Thus doth God counsel thee in His Tablet and decree in truth that thou mayest be of them that are well-assured.

Rejoice, O servant, in what hath been sent down unto thee, a noble Book from the presence of One Mighty, All-Informed. Thus doth God bestow His favor upon whomsoever He willeth of His servants, and single out whomsoever He pleaseth for His mercy, and verily He is the Lord of great bounty. And the Spirit and Glory be upon thee and upon the servants of God, they that believe in His unity.

BH03811: These are the verses of God which have verily…

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

These are the verses of God which have verily been sent down in truth. Blessed is the soul that hath been attracted by their fragrances. At times they appear in the form of the sun and shine forth from the horizon of eternity—how excellent is he who hath been illumined by their lights! And at times they appear in the form of clouds, from which the drops of inner meanings and utterance distill—blessed is he upon whom their rains have fallen! And at times they appear in human form, and verily this is the Most Great Word from the All-Merciful unto the peoples of all worlds.

It singeth upon the branches of the Tree of Eternity that there is none other God but Him, the Most High, the Most Glorious. Blessed is he who hath been attracted by its melodies. Say: The Tree of Sinai hath been raised up in the holy wilderness and hath yielded the fruits of divine companionship. Happy the soul that hath tasted of its fruits, while its leaves proclaim that there is none other God but Him. This indeed is the Sun that hath shone forth from the horizon of grace—turn ye, O people, unto its radiance.

Say: The oceans of knowledge have surged and the clouds of destiny have been cleft asunder. God hath come with the hosts of the unseen, and the Supreme Pen hath inscribed upon the tablets of divine decree the mysteries of His Cause. Ponder, O people, upon their significance.

Blessed art thou, O servant, inasmuch as thou hast drunk of the most pure wine. Look, then, with the greatest vision. By the Beloved God! The Cause hath been exalted and made manifest. Blessed the soul that hath fulfilled its covenant. Leave behind what thou hast and take what thy Lord hath—this is better for thee than all that hath been created between the heavens and the earth and whatsoever hath been treasured in their ranges. Be thou steadfast in the love of God and His Cause, and shun those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God. Purify thy face for God, thy Lord, in these days wherein every soul hath come with its book.

And glory be upon thee and upon them who have soared in the atmosphere of nearness and holiness and reunion, and have become detached from the world and its ornaments.

BH03823: In the Name of God, the Mighty, the All-Wise!…

In the Name of God, the Mighty, the All-Wise! The remembrance of God unto His servant Javad, that he may rejoice in His remembrance, for verily His remembrance of him is better for him than all that hath been created in the heavens and on earth.

O Javad! Hearken unto My call, then soar in the atmosphere of My love, then turn away from thine own self in My path and hold fast unto My strong and mighty cord in such wise that the winds of hypocrisy from the people of dissension—they who have broken the Covenant and denied the lights of the Daystar of the horizons and were among the wrongdoers—shall not cause thee to waver. And when the Ancient Beauty walketh before their faces, they look upon Him with disdain. Thus hath Satan whispered in their breasts and made them to be numbered with the idolaters.

Be thou steadfast in thy love for thy Lord in such wise that neither the tempests of trials nor the storms of tribulation shall move thee. Thus behooveth it him who hath believed in God, the Most High, the Most Great. Remember thy Lord amongst His servants and be not of the heedless ones. We have not forgotten thee, and thou shalt not forget thy Lord, and be thou of them that remember. Shun Mine enemies and turn thy heart toward My luminous countenance. Say: O people! Through Him have I become independent of all else save Him, and detached from the worlds.

And thou art of those who attained the presence of the Youth in days when He was alone in the land of exile and had no one with whom to find solace, and God is witness and all-knowing of this. And thou wast the second one to attain His presence, and by this was thy name inscribed in the Tablets by the Pen of thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, and He hath ordained for thee a glorious and lofty station. Beware lest thou deprive thyself thereof.

Be steadfast in His love, then walk among the people in My footsteps that there may be manifested from thee that which thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, doth love. And the glory be upon thee and upon those who have believed in God, the King, the Mighty, the Peerless.

BH03824: In the name of God, the Most Unapproachable…

In the name of God, the Most Unapproachable, the Most Holy! The remembrance of God unto His servant, that he may rejoice in His remembrance of him, be detached from all the worlds, turn with his heart unto God and remember Him at morn and eventide.

O servant! Blessed art thou in that thou hast drawn nigh unto God, thy Lord, attained His presence, and been honored to meet Him. This, verily, is a mighty triumph. Beware lest thou forget what thou hast heard from the tongue of God. Preserve it as thou wouldst preserve thine eye. Thus art thou commanded by One Who is knowing, wise.

O servant! Be steadfast in the Cause of God, thy Lord, and follow not those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God and were doubtful of the Cause. Purify thy heart from all allusions, then walk in the path of those who have detached themselves from all save God and turned wholly unto the Almighty, the Powerful. Those who have removed themselves from the shore of nearness—these shall have no portion of this Paradise which hath been made manifest in the name of God.

Taste at all times of the fruits of the Tree of Knowledge which hath been planted by the hands of God in the holy land. Avoid Mine enemies and hold fast unto My loved ones who have held fast unto the Sure Handle and have detached themselves from every remote idolator.

Say: This is indeed the Day wherein, were ears to be purified from the clamor of the idolators, they would hear from all things: “By God the Truth! God hath come with manifest sovereignty.” Leave all remembrance behind thee, then hold fast unto the remembrance of the name of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High, Who speaketh the truth in all things, that there is no God but Him, and He Who hath appeared in truth encompasseth all things.

Thus have We imparted unto thee the Word of Truth and revealed unto thee that whereby are illumined the spirits of the Concourse on High and those who circle round the exalted Throne.

BH03863: The remembrance of the All-Merciful hath been raised…

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

The remembrance of the All-Merciful hath been raised from the Divine Lote-Tree of man in this Ridvan which was witnessed at the heart of all worlds. Verily it speaketh at all times that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who hath appeared in truth is His servant and His glory, and He hath sent Him unto all the worlds with manifest sovereignty. Through Him He withholdeth and bestoweth upon whomsoever He pleaseth whatsoever He pleaseth, and verily He hath knowledge of all things. Through Him the clouds of the will of your Lord, the All-Merciful, rain down the showers of knowledge upon the heart of every discerning believer.

Beware, O people, lest ye deprive yourselves thereof and dispute concerning the Cause of Him Who was promised in the Book. Fear God and corrupt not His Cause, and follow not those who have disbelieved in God after there came unto them mighty evidences. Say: O people, be steadfast in the Cause of God and His love, and turn not unto the divine presence except by His leave, for thus hath the matter been decreed in the Mother Book. And whosoever turneth without leave from Our presence, his work shall not be accepted and he shall be recorded among the heedless in the Tablets.

Say: O people, fear God and shed not blood, for this hath been forbidden by One mighty and all-knowing. Whosoever deliberately killeth a soul hath indeed departed from the stronghold of justice—thus hath the command been sent down from the realm of mighty glory. And thou, O servant, grieve not for anything, but place thy trust in God in all matters, for verily He will protect thee even as He hath protected thee in truth, and He is the best of protectors and the most excellent helper. O Bahi, remember on Our behalf thy wife and thy son, then him who serveth you, then the sincere servants of God. Arise to serve the Cause, then make mention of thy Lord amongst His heedless servants.

BH03870: Thy letter hath come before Our presence, and this…

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

Thy letter hath come before Our presence, and this Youth, Who hath been imprisoned for calling the people unto God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, hath read it. We have been apprised of thy turning unto God, the Lord of the last and the first, and thy orientation towards the paradise of His good-pleasure, the Mighty, the Beloved. We beseech God to assist thee in His love and to strengthen thee in steadfastness in this Cause, whereby the faces of those who have turned towards the sanctified realm were illumined and who have drunk from the sealed cups of glory.

Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! This is Thy servant who hath turned towards the shore of the ocean of Thy oneness and the depths of the sea of Thy singleness. I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst clothe all created things with the garment of existence, and through which Thou didst adorn whomsoever Thou willest with the ornament of Thy most beautiful names amongst the concourse of creation, that Thou shouldst not deprive me of the clouds of Thy mercy and the heavens of Thy grace, nor leave me forsaken among Thy creatures. Take my hand with the sovereignty of Thy will and purpose, and illumine the eye of my heart with the light of Thy knowledge and recognition, and my outward eye to behold the lights of Thy beauty. Then make my heart a treasury of the pearls of Thy love and a repository of the lights of Thy manifestations. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Sanctified, the Transcendent, the Mighty, the Unconstrained.

How excellent it is for thee, O servant, that thou hast desired the Law of the All-Merciful in these days, and hast recognized Him from all else, and hast turned with thy heart unto Him. Were the veil to be removed from thine eyes, thou wouldst find thyself among the denizens of the Supreme Concourse, whom God hath honored with visiting the Manifestation of His Self, the All-Compelling, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Praised One. Glory and might be upon thee for having recognized the Intended One and turned unto the Worshipped One, and become detached from all that is seen and unseen.

BH03917: This is an epistle to the servant of God…

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

This is an epistle to the servant of God who was named Ali in Our Most Great and Glorious Kingdom, and who attained the presence of the Countenance at a time when he was unaware and heard the melodies of his Lord, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. And if he recognized Him not, no blame attacheth unto him, for in those days We concealed Our face behind seventy thousand veils lest the eyes of the ungodly should fall upon it.

O Ali! Forget not My days, but rather remember My presence and what thou didst hear of the wondrous melodies of My voice, and be not of the heedless ones.

O Ali! If thou wouldst reflect upon My Cause and what hath befallen My Soul, thou wouldst detach thyself from thine own self out of love for the Cause of God, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.

O Ali! Dost thou rejoice within thyself while the Eye of God sheddeth tears from the buffetings of the ungodly? Dost thou sit at home while the Beauty of the Cause is imprisoned in this remote land?

O Ali! All things weep over what hath befallen Me, even though My loved ones may be among those who rejoice. And thou grievest not over what hath come upon Us, for We have chosen affliction from all the peoples for Ourselves, that perchance Our sleeping servants might be awakened—they who have been heedless of the remembrance of their Lord and have disbelieved in God, the Protector, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise.

O Ali! There hath befallen Me what none can reckon save God, thy Lord, and verily He hath recorded My tribulations in a Tablet of might well-preserved. Hold fast unto the Sure Handle, then detach thyself from the ignorant ones. Leave them to their own devices, then ascend unto the Most Exalted Kingdom in the name of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious. Turn not thy gaze from this luminous Scene. Thus doth the One sore with grief teach thee from this Prison, wherefrom even the feet of those near unto Us have been debarred. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon whosoever hath detached himself, through remembrance of the Beloved, from the remembrance of all created things.

BH03918: O Mulla Hasan! He is the Most Exalted…

O Mulla Hasan! He is the Most Exalted, the Most High! This is an epistle from Him Who took to Himself the Covenant of the Point of the Bayan before taking the covenant of all who are in the heavens and on earth, and who spoke His praise in His days, and through whose love He appeared amidst all created things, and who slept not except in His love, and arose not except in His remembrance, and moved not except by His will—may my spirit be a sacrifice unto Him!

He failed not in my Cause, my remembrance and my praise, and gave glad-tidings unto all people in every Tablet of this wondrous Remembrance. But when His Object and the Object of the mystics appeared in truth and was established upon the throne with manifest and clear sovereignty, then did most of the people of the Bayan deny Him, opposing Him then, before then, and after then. Among them were those who desired to shed His blood, those who calumniated Him, and those who derided the verses of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent. By God! They committed what the basest of the earth committed not, and said what the heedless ones of old said not.

And thou, O servant, purify thyself from the insinuations of those who disbelieved, then detach thyself from the idolaters, then remember Me in thy days. This is what thou hast been commanded in the Tablets of God, the King, the Mighty, the Wise. Say: The worship of both worlds cannot equal My remembrance today, for worship profiteth no one except after the remembrance and love of God. Thus hath it been inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen, if thou be of them that know.

Give thanks unto God for having aided thee in His Cause and made thee one of the believers in His unity. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon such servants of God as have turned unto Him, who have believed in God their Creator, and whom the world hath not prevented from turning to God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. The dwellers of the kingdoms of remembrance shall pray for these, if ye be of them that know.

BH03919: This is a Book from God to him who…

In the Name of God, the Most High, the Most Glorious.

This is a Book from God to him who was faithful to the Covenant and patient in the Cause of God and was God-fearing in the Faith. And remember in the Book the time when the servant of God came to him in days of hardship and sought his protection, and he protected him. By God, this good deed was better than the worship of those who worshipped their Lord for months and years. Be grateful to thy Lord for having enabled thee to recognize God and to perform that whereby thou art mentioned in the Supreme Concourse among the people of Baha. This is better for thee than all that is on earth. Soar in My atmosphere, then detach thyself from all else save Me, then speak forth My praise and glorification. Thus doth this Prisoner command thee from the presence of One mighty and wise.

We previously informed the people about the days of adversity, lest they be disturbed when the winds of trials blow from the direction of the All-Merciful. Thus was the decree ordained in the Tablet. And when they blew, souls were disturbed, but God pardoned them, for His mercy hath preceded all worlds. Blessed art thou for having been faithful to God’s Covenant and for having soared in the atmosphere wherein the breezes of God, thy Lord and the Lord of all creation, wafted. The glory of God be upon thee, and His praise be upon thee and upon thy daughter and upon all who are with thee, whether bondmaids or free. And praise be to God, for He is worthy of it and He is the best Helper and Assister.

Convey Our greetings to thy son, and We beseech God to enable him to follow His Cause and to grant him the good of this world and the next. By God, He hath ordained for thee and for him that which no one knoweth. It shall soon be revealed in truth, and He is the All-Knowing.

BH03920: In the Name of the Most High, the Most…

In the Name of the Most High, the Most Exalted! This is a Book from the Point of the Bayan, who was named Husayn between the heavens and earths, then by His most beautiful names among the concourse of the worlds, and was named by the tongue of God, the Most High, the Most Exalted, as Baha, and by it all who are in the heavens and earths were struck with terror, and by it God distinguished between the believers and the ungodly, and by it the breezes of forgiveness wafted upon the temples of the sinners, and by it the sun of wealth shone upon the poor and needy, and by it the Dove warbled upon the twigs of the Lote-Tree of the Uttermost End, and the Cock of the Throne crowed in the paradise of eternity, and the Tree of Sinai was set ablaze and spoke that there is no God but Him, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Mighty, the Omnipotent.

O servant! By God, through this Name the horizon of the Bayan was rent asunder and the sun of inner meanings rose with manifest and evident sovereignty, yet the people veiled themselves from its lights and radiance, and took darkness as light for themselves instead of God, and such was the condition of these heedless ones.

And verily I complain of those who disbelieved in God in this Revelation whereby the verses were sent down from all eternity, and the Beauty of God, the Sovereign King, the Most High, appeared with mighty lights, and there befell Him from His servants what befell no one else, and God is witness to what I say. And you, O servant, remember My days, then grieve with My grief, then weep for what befell Me from these wrongdoers.

We beseech God to make you steadfast in love for the Youth and to provide you from the fruits of the Tree of His knowledge and to comfort you with His own Self in the Most Exalted Paradise, whose gate was opened through this Most Great, Most Holy, Supreme Name. And the mercy which descended from the heaven of the Command be upon you and upon those with you from among God’s remembering servants. And praise be to my Beloved and the Beloved of the mystics.

BH11760: From a beginning that hath no beginning He hath…

He is the Glorious, the All-Glorious!

From a beginning that hath no beginning He hath been, and unto an end that hath no end He shall be. The purpose of all creation hath been and ever shall be the recognition of the Ancient Being and the assurance of attaining His presence. This sublime and most exalted matter cannot be realized except through the Manifestation of His Self, Who is Him and none else. His Manifestation hath never been, nor shall ever be, confined within any limitation or made contingent upon any permission or command, inasmuch as every command is ordained by His command and remembered by His remembrance. He hath been and shall ever be, in His own Self, independent of and sanctified above all else besides Him.

In every Revelation, He revealeth the essence of that Revelation in a manner contrary to the understanding and desires of men, and this very contrariness is the standard and the path of His Cause, and the source of tests and trials. Even as was witnessed in the Revelation of the Year Sixty, when the Promised Beauty appeared in a way contrary to all that the people possessed, whereupon such a clamor arose among the servants that every learned one fell, every illumined one was darkened, and every exalted one was brought low—all these conditions being witnessed with manifest evidence.

In such circumstances, man must at all times fix his gaze upon the fundamental proof of God and that whereby all proofs have been established, lest he be veiled from the Source of Revelation and all his deeds and actions be rendered null and void while he remaineth unaware. As witnessed today, all are veiled by this malady save whom thy Lord willeth. Yet we hope that a breeze of grace may waft over you and draw you from the west of remoteness to the east of nearness, that you may find repose in the eternal holy Ridvan in the company of the holy manifestations of divine fellowship.

And the Spirit be upon thee.

BH05690: O beloved! Thy letter was read before the Throne…

O beloved! Thy letter was read before the Throne, and its mentioned sorrows brought grief upon the Ancient Beauty. But despair not of thy Lord’s spirit and thy Master’s mercy. In truth, when the root of the tree enters into the greatest sorrow, it surely spreads to its twigs, branches and fruits, especially unto thee who art specially related to the Ancient Beauty. The Tongue of the All-Merciful counsels thee that thou shouldst manifest such love that all servants would be astounded by its expression toward the Ancient Beauty, and arise with such servitude that all creation would become manifest in pure servitude, and be enkindled with such heat that all beings would be set ablaze by its warmth.

Be not grieved by the sorrows that have come upon thee, and arise with all thy soul, limbs and members to fulfill the matters commanded from the court of the Beloved, in such wise that all days become perfumed by thy fragrance and all times acquire the holy scents from thy diffusion. This is the utterance of the Ancient Beauty to the beloved. And afterward, God willing, in the last week the mighty, impregnable Tablet will be sent. Thou hast never been forgotten and never shall be, by His grace and favor, as if thou art present before the Throne at all times.

BH03976: O people! Drink of the choice wine…

O people! Drink of the choice wine of the All-Glorious before the great cry is raised, lest the whisperings of Satan affect you and prevent you from attaining the good-pleasure of God, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

It is incumbent upon the people of every city that upon receiving fresh news of the loved ones of God, they gather in a place and drink a beverage in the love of God, adding to that beverage eleven mithqals of rosewater, and while drinking, recite these words that perchance they may be preserved from the trials of the days:

“Most choice wine! Glory be to Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Beauty, through whose manifestation the dwellers of the Supreme Paradise rejoiced, and the denizens of the crimson seas in their most exalted retreats were gladdened by its presence, and the Maids of Heaven in the All-Highest Paradise were blessed by its beauty at the Ultimate Lote-Tree, and through which those at Sinai fell unconscious upon the dust of self and passion, and the skin of the sincere ones trembled in the wilderness of fancy and blindness—to preserve us, O my God, from all else but Thee, and purify our hearts from the mention of aught save Thee. Then make us steadfast in Thy love and Cause, and attract us through the sweet-scented breezes of Thy holy favors and bounties. Verily Thou art the One with power over whatsoever Thou willest, and verily Thou art the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

Then preserve us, O my God, from the whisperings of Satan who warred against the Beauty of the All-Merciful and turned away from the Countenance of Glory and was among the heedless concerning the Paradise of the Cause. O my God! Have mercy upon us through Thy generosity, then preserve us through Thy grace and care, then make us steadfast upon the shore of Thy love and good-pleasure, then cause us to take refuge in the shadow of Thy Most Great Infallibility, then enable us to say ʿYea’ at the time of the manifestation of the lights of Thy Most Glorious Countenance. Verily Thou doest what Thou willest, and verily Thou art the Victorious, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Beloved.”

BH03977: He is the Mighty. I bear witness…

He is the Mighty. I bear witness that in this Revelation the Tree of Sinai speaks forth the truth that there is none other God but Him, and that the Point of the Bayan is His servant, and His splendor is unto all who are in the kingdom. His is the bounty and grace, His the grandeur and justice. He aids whom He willeth through a command of victory that is nigh.

Know then, O Sultan, that We dwelt among the people as one of them, such that We would sit with them and walk before them morning and evening, and none among them recognized Us, for they were seized with vain imaginings and were drowned in the ocean of fancy. When the days were fulfilled and the promise came, We emerged from behind the veils with manifest power and rent asunder the veils of fancy and showed forth Our countenance from this Dawn which was radiant from the horizon of God. Thus do We cast upon thee the verses and manifest unto thee the Cause that thou mayest become aware of that which God hath concealed from the eyes of the world.

Know then that missives and tablets were presented before Us and We found no trace from thee among them, and We became inwardly grieved. Change thy habit, then cast upon the Tablet that which the Spirit casts into thy heart, then present it before Us through a trustworthy messenger. Thus do We teach thee the ways of the Cause that thou mayest act according to it and be possessed of true insight.

And the spirit and glory and splendor be upon thee and upon those who were with thee and upon those who were well-pleased in God. Then remember on Our behalf thy son, then he who was named Mustafa and upon the name of Javad and upon the loved ones, every one small and great, rich and poor.

BH03987: O all things!

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

O all things!

Hearken unto My call, that ye may find a way unto God. Purify your souls from desire, then turn ye all unto God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the Powerful. When ye behold those on whose faces shineth the light of the All-Merciful, remind them of this momentous News. And when ye find those who have turned away, avoid them and remain in an impregnable fortress. Beware lest ye dispute with anyone, for this hath been forbidden unto you in preserved Tablets of might. Aid ye your Lord, the All-Merciful, and transgress not what ye have been commanded by the Mighty, the Powerful One.

Take comfort in God and His remembrance, then leave the idolaters behind you. They are heedless of that for which they were created—to attain His presence, the Mighty, the Powerful. They are dead, not living. Their names shall not be mentioned today in the precincts of mighty glory.

Be ye united, O My loved ones, and commit not that which would dishonor God among His creatures. This is better for you than all that hath been created in the heavens and earths.

Those who in these days have veiled themselves from the Cause are in manifest loss. Soon shall they know what they have wrought against God when death overtaketh them. Then shall they feel the winds of hell. But those who have believed in God and acted according to His command—soon shall the angels and the Spirit receive them with chalices of Kawthar and Salsabil, and give them glad tidings of the presence of God, and usher them into the station wherein shineth the light of the face of your Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Blessed are they who have attained unto the knowledge of God and then detached themselves in His love from all the worlds. And upon you be the Spirit, and upon those who have sought shelter beneath this Tree which hath been raised up in truth by God’s command, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Powerful. And praise be to the Beloved of the mystics.

BH03988: Hearken unto the call of thy Lord, the Mighty…

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

Hearken unto the call of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Beloved, from this Tree which hath been raised up in truth and speaketh that there is no God but Him, the All-Encompassing, the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

O Muhammad! By God, the story of Husayn hath been repeated in this prison, yet the people understand not. Thus hath He fallen into the hands of enemies, and at every moment there befalleth Him what never befell this Name before. Therefore doth the eye of Muhammad weep in a praiseworthy station.

Blessed art thou for having drunk the cup of divine knowledge in these days wherein most of the people are veiled from their Lord, the All-Merciful. By God, they are a people who understand not. Forget thou all else save God, thy Lord, and take comfort in His remembrance, for His remembrance now biddeth thee in truth, if thou be of them that know.

Say: O people! This is the Servant of God in your midst, calling you unto Him, if ye be aware. Say: O people! Deny not after having believed in Him, and deprive not yourselves from the knowledge of God, the All-Encompassing, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

Be thou grateful to thy Lord for having attained unto the recognition of the Manifestation of His Self—this is of His greatest bounty, yet the people know it not. Blessed is he who hath detached himself from all else save Him and hath turned toward Him with beloved submissiveness.

Grieve not over anything, but place thy trust in God, for He shall send down unto thee what hath been ordained for thee in a preserved Book. Verily His mercy hath preceded all created things and His grace hath encompassed all that is seen and unseen.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who have remained steadfast in the Cause and have placed their trust in God, the Mighty, the Loving.

BH03989: O Mahmud! Praise thy Lord and be praiseworthy…

In the name of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised!

O Mahmud! Praise thy Lord and be praiseworthy in His Cause, that all things may testify to thy turning unto God, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved. Rend asunder the veils of idle fancy through the power of thy Lord, then cross over the bridge through the might of God, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

Should anyone prevent thee, say:

“O Satan! By what proof didst thou turn away from the mention of the name of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and by what evidence didst thou believe in God, the Mighty, the Beloved?”

Be fair within thyself, then bring thyself into the presence of God. If thou deniest this Most Great Revelation, by what proof can thy faith be established and thy soul find rest? Nay, by Him Who created all things between the Kaf and the Nun!

Don thou the robe of certitude and arise to warn the servants of the great terror, saying:

“Have mercy upon yourselves and be not of those who differ among themselves.”

This is He Who was promised to you by the tongue of Ali aforetime, as witnessed by praising servants. Beware lest ye be negligent in the Cause of God and cast the Most Great Word behind your backs. Fear ye the Day when all shall be brought before Him.

Break not God’s Covenant, nor set aside His Book, nor take the book of those whose unbelief is attested by the Concourse on High and those who rejoice in the Garden of Paradise. Sanctify thyself from the insinuations of those who oppose God and shun them as thou wouldst shun the plague. God sufficeth thee. He is with thee and will aid those who walk in the paths of His good-pleasure and who rejoice in His remembrance.

Thus doth the Youth command thee out of love for thee, that He may draw thee nigh unto God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Kind. And mercy be upon thee shouldst thou inhale the fragrance of the Beloved from this Missive that hath been sent.

BH03995: O beloved of the age! God was, and there…

He is the Most Wondrous, the Wondrous, the Glorious, the All-Glorious!

O beloved of the age! God was, and there was nothing besides Him. Soon thou shalt find remoteness even as it was before, as We have informed thee of this in the Holy Tablet a year before the Luminary of the horizons departed from Iraq—and thou art of them that know.

These are days wherein all have taken their vain desires as their god and dust as the Lord of Lords. In such circumstances, whom should the Pen mention and by what merit should the Tongue of Grandeur sing? Leave them to their vain disputes. Yet be not grieved, for verily God, glorified be His majesty, hath behind the pavilions of infallibility servants whom neither the cawing of the raven nor the croaking of the profligate deter. They regard all who are in the heavens as non-existent and hasten with steadfast feet and trustworthy hearts to the court of their Goal.

However, in teaching the Cause, persistence is necessary. This is Our duty and yours, but God doeth whatsoever He willeth. Although the cry of the ungodly is raised to such heights that the voice of the believers cannot be heard, save by him who hath a penetrating ear, consider the hollow drums: though inwardly empty and bereft of the wondrous tokens of divine mercy, their noise and clamor outwardly deafen the world. How excellent is this similitude We have struck for thee, that thou mayest be of them that understand!

In any case, with such a discordant sound it is difficult for the Most Great Remembrance to reach the ears. All these degrees pertain to the limitations of the human world; otherwise, were the divine melody to appear even less than what can be counted, it would encompass all worlds. And praise be unto this Lord, for verily He is the Lord of all worlds.

BH04013: He is the Beloved! In this hour when…

He is the Beloved! In this hour when the bride of love hath emerged from behind the veil, and the fire of separation hath blazed forth from heart and soul, and cast patience from its throne, as the countenance of the Friend hath been unveiled—we are in separation, yet wagering our lives in hope of union, though even in union there is fear of separation. Nay, in the path of love, separation is sweeter than union, remoteness more precious than nearness, and separation more favored than union. For in union there is fear of separation, while in separation there is hope of union. After every parting comes meeting, and after every perpetuity comes extinction.

They have created the world compounded of honey and colocynth. How can the heartless one draw a peaceful breath in this dusty realm of water and clay, or spread the couch of repose? If it offers a sweet draught to the lip, it draws forth a cry of anguish from the soul. Therefore one must not set one’s pure heart upon it, but pass over it like a cloud and soar beyond it like an eagle—neither content with its sweetness nor distressed by its bitterness. One must set one’s heart upon the eternal kingdom and pass beyond the mortal dust, that perchance on spiritual wings one may fly to the divine holy nest, there to sing with wondrous Iraqi melody this song of spiritual glory: We are all drunk with annihilation, We are all the light of glory, We are all the spirit of eternity. O conscious soul, be aware, be aware!

As for the rest of this tale, let whoever wishes come to the Friend’s threshold and understand it, until God may grant it and gather all together.

BH04050: We previously revealed a tablet for you and sent…

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

We previously revealed a tablet for you and sent it by way of Salman that you might be mindful of the remembrance of God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

O Zaman! Hear the call of your Lord, the Most Merciful, from the precincts of the prison and be not patient with yourself—traverse the paths of your Lord with joy and fragrance. Forget not the days of God nor what you have heard of His exalted Word. Verily, He remembers whoever remembers Him at all times. Be not occupied with the world in such wise as would make you heedless of the remembrance of your Lord, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Help in Peril.

Soon will pass away all that you witness on earth, and sovereignty will remain with God, the Single, the One, the All-Glorious. Those who have turned away from God and been heedless of His remembrance, and have sold the beauty of divine unity for the ornaments of the contingent world—God will soon seize them with a wrath from His presence and return them to the lowest fires.

Consider the world and its hours and days—do you find it remaining in one state? Nay, by your Lord, the Most Merciful! Every person of insight witnesses its changes and transience at every moment. Blessed is the one who looks upon it with penetrating vision and attains certitude and assurance.

Thus have We imparted to you the word of truth that you might rejoice within yourself and detach yourself from Satan and stand firm in the love of God and the praise of His Being among the followers of all religions.

Convey Our greetings to your son Javad—We previously mentioned him through Our grace and We have been with him at all times. And also to your other son who was named Husayn in the Kingdom of Names, that he might turn with his whole being to God, Who has caused all things to speak in praise of His Being and in Whose grasp lies the dominion of all that has been ordained in the realm of possibility.

BH04083: In the Name of God, the Most High…

In the Name of God, the Most High, the Most Glorious. This is an epistle from the Youth to him who hath turned towards the Dayspring of grace and been seized by the fragrances of revelation in these days wherein hearts are troubled and eyes are fixed in fear, save those who have turned unto God and detached themselves from such as have disbelieved in their Chosen Lord.

O thou who hast drunk the wine of life! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. By God! Through His call are drawn the hearts of the righteous.

The Youth was seated in prison, turning unto God, His tongue moving in remembrance of His Lord, and from His pen floweth that which descendeth from the right hand of the throne of His Lord, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving. Can anyone prevent the Pen of Command from that which it hath been bidden? Nay, by Him Who hath caused the rivers to flow! Can tribulations prevent Me from the remembrance of the Lord of Names? Nay, by Him Who hath made the night and day to succeed each other! I remember My Lord, the All-Merciful, at all times, and the hosts of the wicked do not frighten Me. Were it not for His remembrance, My tongue would profit Me not, and were it not for His command, I would not love My life. He knoweth the secrets that lie within hearts.

O thou bird soaring in the atmosphere of thy Lord’s love! Know thou that were the Youth to perceive any permanence or station for this world in the sight of thy Lord, the Most High, these wicked ones would not have been given power over Him. Follow thy Lord and grieve not over what transpireth in the world. Soon shall perish all of impotence and power that are therein, and sovereignty shall remain with God, the One, the All-Compelling.

Hearken unto My words, find solace in the remembrance of thy Lord in private and in public. That which hath been ordained for you hath not been ordained for any others. Blessed are ye, then, and blessed is he who loveth you purely for the sake of your Lord, the Mighty, the Compelling.

Praise be to God, the King, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bountiful.

BH04096: He is God! O my brother and my beloved!…

He is God! O my brother and my beloved! God willing, may you ever soar in the atmosphere of the holy nearness of the All-Glorious, and swim in the sea of His endless favors.

After your letter arrived—may God reward you with the most wondrous reward for mentioning Him Who was in the hands of the enemies at all times until He was imprisoned in this prison—and if you inquire about conditions, I swear by the Pre-existent King that they are beyond description. However, this much was known to you, that all which this servant strove for over successive years to exalt the Cause of God was scattered to the winds.

Surely you have heard the details of this servant’s arrival in these realms and conduct with the people. I swear by your life, O my brother, after my arrival the tongues of the servants were opened in praise of your Lord, yet all laughed and mocked. By God, I am ashamed to mention to you what my brother did—he whom we taught and protected for twenty years. Surely by now news of him has reached those parts. Whoever looks upon his words with the eye of God will recognize him and be among those who know.

Would that you were present to witness and see what cannot be described in words. The Tongue of the All-Merciful on His throne bears witness to this, and My Self suffices as a witness and knower.

Hear the words of one who loves you and desires your good pleasure: Arise to serve the Cause of God and aid it, then burn away the veils of all created things with the fire of your love for God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Make your desire what God has desired, for it is better than all that was created between the heavens and earth, than what was and what will be.

And glory be upon you and those with you.

BH11767: Your letter, imbued with loving allusions and sprinkled…

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

Your letter, imbued with loving allusions and sprinkled with the dewdrops of attraction, was received and presented before the Throne. He spoke, saying:

“The servant of the One has fallen into the well of envy, and the Spirit’s Servant into the prison of hatred, and the Ancient Beauty into the cage of rancor. God shall soon send forth hosts of angels and deliver Him forth in truth and render Him victorious throughout the earth, and His countenance shall shine forth amongst all the worlds. The servant hath sought no help from anyone, and there is no victory save through His bidding. He aideth whomsoever He willeth by His leave, and He is the Ever-Victorious from time immemorial, and He is the Helper throughout all eternity.”

Infinite tokens of favor have been revealed concerning that loving leaf. God willing, may you remain occupied with the remembrance of the Beloved throughout all days, sanctified and detached from aught else but Him. May you drink from the Most Glorious Wine and be sustained by the most enduring grace, that perchance, through the favors of the All-Glorious Lord, you may become purified from the allusions of these days and find rest and repose in the seat of steadfastness and the station of luminous glory through the love of God. And should anyone resolve to journey, God willing, the wondrous and glorious Tablet that hath been sent down from the heaven of exalted glory shall be dispatched.

Blessed art thou, for the tongue of thy Lord hath moved at the mention of thy name, and for having been remembered in His presence, and thou art of those who are remembered. Convey in every circumstance the Cause of thy Lord unto the handmaidens of God, that they may become aware within themselves and make good what hath escaped them. Verily, He is the best of teachers, the All-Knowing. And the Spirit and praise be upon thee and upon the near servants of God.

BH04130: He is God! Take up thy station, hearken…

He is God! Take up thy station, hearken to My words, then be thou enkindled with the fire of God and leave behind thee all who are on earth. Ascend unto the Kingdom of God that thou mayest hear His melodies and witness, beyond all creation, a mighty dominion.

Say: I am but a servant of God among you, and I summon you only to a station of sublime sanctity. Fear ye God and deny not Him of Whom ye were promised in all the Tablets from One All-Knowing, All-Wise. He hath indeed come to you with all the signs and with manifest sovereignty. He is the Wondrous Originator of the heavens and earth—the eye of creation hath seen none more wondrous than He, and God is witness to this.

Say: The cry of the distressed hath ascended to the heaven of destiny, and the Sovereign of Revelation hath descended with the hosts of the unseen with mighty power. Say: He hath come after ʿAli even as the Spirit came after the son of Zachariah. Thus hath the Truth come and judgment been decreed from One mighty and powerful.

Say: In the name of God and by God, then arise to serve the Cause and fear not those who follow every doubtful deceiver.

Blessed art thou for having attained the presence of the Throne in days when the countenance of Beauty was veiled behind clouds of Glory, though from the horizon of grandeur He was in truth ever visible. Thus have We bestowed upon thee through grace that which a single letter thereof surpasseth all things, and none comprehend this save those endowed with insight.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who have stood firm in this Cause whereby feet have slipped save those whom God preserved through His grace, and He verily encompasseth all things.

BH04143: In the Name of God, the Most Manifest! Hearken…

In the Name of God, the Most Manifest! Hearken unto that which the Herald of the All-Merciful calleth out from the direction of the Ridvan, for verily thy hearkening unto His call is better than all that hath been created in the realms of being and ordained in contingent existence by God, the Almighty, the Most High, the Great.

Say: Through His call are the hearts of them that are nigh drawn forth, and through it is stirred up in every heart that whereby the breasts of the doubters are purified. Say: This indeed is the Kawthar of life amidst the Concourse of existence—drink ye thereof and be not of the heedless.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Do ye deny Him Whose meeting ye were promised in all the Tablets? Alas for you and for those whom ye have taken as lords for yourselves besides God! Fear ye God, then turn unto Him that He may forgive you your evil deeds, for verily He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Merciful.

Say: This indeed is He through Whom hath shone forth the sun of grandeur and power, through Whom the Cause of God hath become renowned throughout all else besides Him, and through Whom the faces of them that are nigh have been illumined. He hath aided the Cause of His Lord until He was imprisoned in this remote prison, and now from the direction of the prison He calleth out to all who are in the heavens and on earth, saying: “Worship none but God!” All the peoples of the earth combined have not prevented Him from the Cause of His Lord. Though ye help Him not, commit not that which would grieve His heart and cause the hearts of the Concourse on high to burn.

Thus have We imparted unto thee the word of truth that thou mayest rejoice within thyself and arise to aid this Wronged One Who hath been afflicted at the hands of the oppressors. The Spirit and Glory be upon thee and upon the servants of God who are nigh unto Him.

BH04149: O Javad! Hear what God calls to thee…

He is the Mighty!

O Javad! Hear what God calls to thee from this Most Pure Station.

Say: By God! The Spirit hath appeared from this Most Great Scene, and the heaven hath been cleft asunder, and God hath come with manifest sovereignty, and thereby the sun was darkened and the moon was split, and all are in continuous tribulation. Do thou remind the people with this Most Evident Embroidery that they follow not Satan within themselves, but rather follow this Cause that is inscribed and concealed. Say: By God! The Cause hath dawned from this Dayspring quicker than the twinkling of an eye, and there is no refuge nor escape for anyone except that they enter this Most Pure and Most Luminous Ridvan. And verily the Tree of Sinai speaketh the truth in this Station and calleth all: “Where is your resting-place, O ye who are possessed of sight?” We had forbidden thee before from mention in this Greatest Word, but now We permit thee to remind people with what is made easy. And this is indeed God’s grace unto all who possess vision, and God’s conquest over whoso turneth away and disbelieveth. Say: This is indeed the Cause that is most calamitous and most bitter, from which every rabble and ass fleeth. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon whoso hath acknowledged.

He is the Mighty!

God willing, thou art in the utmost joy and delight and gladness, and be not heedless of the mention of the Beloved Who is concealed, hidden, and unknown. And remind the loved ones. A small gift was emphasized to Salman to give to you. And God giveth what He willeth, and verily He is the Honorer of those who love Him, and verily He is the All-Bountiful.

BH04177: O thou pure Leaf! Thy lamentation hath ascended…

He is God!

O thou pure Leaf! Thy lamentation hath ascended to the heaven of Oneness and the sighing of thy heart hath saddened the inhabitants of the Celestial Paradise. O thou who, after separation, seekest reunion with the Luminary of the universe! Cease thy lamentation and be patient, although teaching patience to the nightingale is like preventing the fire from burning. But in one’s nearness to and remoteness from the True One there hath ever been, and will continue to be, a wisdom. The Almighty hath at all times ignited the fire of yearning in the hearts and hath concealed Himself; He hath caused the souls to long for reunion, then separated from them.

O that He Who is visible yet concealed would come in truth and the right of that Leaf and other lovers would be extracted from Him! But what can be done? Neither He, nor His sword can be seen.

O Leaf! Be assured of the bounty of the Sovereign of Oneness and leave thy affairs to the Beloved. He hath never forgotten thee and in the presence of the Great One thou shalt never be absent. The eye of My favour hath ever been and will continue to be turned to thee. Render praise, for divine confirmations have embraced thee in such wise that all created beings testify to thy love.

Be not sad. If God wills it He will enable thee to become like unto a moth circumambulating the everlasting Lamp and circling round the divine Light. Convey My greetings to all the believing handmaidens. Convey my remembrances to the pure and brilliant handmaid Zahra, the one who hath desired to behold My Face and hath attained My glory. Convey greetings on behalf of the Self of God to Khatun Jan and say to her: ʿThou art residing in thy home and the Ancient Beauty is captive in the hand of tyrants.

BH04186: Thou seest, O my God, how Thy servants have…

Thou seest, O my God, how Thy servants have been cleaving fast to Thy names, and have been calling on them in the daytime and in the night season. No sooner, however, had He been made manifest through Whose word the kingdom of names and the heaven of eternity were created, than they broke away from Him and disbelieved in the greatest of Thy signs. They finally banished Him from the land of His birth, and caused Him to dwell within the most desolate of Thy cities, though all the world had been built up by Thee for His sake. Within this, the Most Great Prison, He hath established His seat. Though sore tried by trials, the like of which the eye of creation hath not seen, He summoneth the people unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Fashioner of the universe!

I beseech Thee, O Thou the Shaper of all the nations and the Quickener of every moldering bone, to graciously enable Thy servants to recognize Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Revealer of Thy transcendent might, that they may cut down, by Thy power, all the idols of their corrupt inclinations, and enter beneath the shadow of Thine all-encompassing mercy, which, by virtue of Thy name, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, hath surpassed the entire creation.

I know not, O my God, how long will Thy creatures continue to slumber on the bed of forgetfulness and evil desires, and remain far removed from Thee and shut out from Thy presence. Draw them nearer, O my God, unto the scene of Thine effulgent glory, and enrapture their hearts with the sweet savors of Thine inspiration, through which they who adore Thy unity have soared on the wings of desire towards Thee, and they who are devoted to Thee have reached unto Him Who is the Dawning-Place of the Day-Star of Thy creation.

Cleave asunder, O my Lord, the veils that shut them out from Thee, that they may behold Thee shining above the horizon of Thy oneness and shedding Thy radiance from the dawning-place of Thy sovereignty. By Thy glory! Were they to discover the sweetness of Thy remembrance and apprehend the excellence of the things that are sent down upon them from the right hand of the throne of Thy majesty, they would cast away all that they possess, and would rush forth into the wilderness of their longing after Thee, that the glance of Thy loving-kindness may be directed towards them and the radiance of the Day-Star of Thy beauty may be shed upon them.

Let their hearts, O my Lord, be carried away by Thy remembrance, and their souls enriched by Thy riches, and their wills strengthened to proclaim Thy Cause amidst Thy creatures. Thou art, verily, the Great Giver, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.

BH04187: These are the verses of the Command which have…

He is the Ever-Abiding, the Most Glorious

These are the verses of the Command which have been sent down in truth from this holy and ancient atmosphere, informing the people of the good-pleasure of God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Wondrous, that perchance the hearts of men may be purified by this pure water which descendeth from the clouds of grace upon the hearts of all the worlds.

Thou must purify thyself from all who are in the heavens and on earth, that thou mayest be enabled to take thy stand in My love and be of those who are firmly established. Beware lest thou turn unto those in whose hearts thou findest hatred for the Youth, neither associate nor commune with them. Then turn away from such as these and draw nigh unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds.

Arise to promote the Cause in the name of thy Lord, then aid the Youth with whatsoever thou art able, and walk not save in My straight and manifest path. Soon shalt thou hear from the opposers that which shall rend asunder the hearts of those near unto God. When this cometh to pass, remain thou steadfast and be of those who are firm.

Thus do We recount unto thee from the tidings of the unseen, that thou mayest know thy Lord apart from all else and be among those who are steadfast in His love. We have indeed ordained for thee in the Tablet an honorable and glorious station, shouldst thou remain firm in the Cause and not be shaken in the hour wherein all who are in the heavens and on earth shall be shaken.

Cast the world behind thee, for it shall never suffice thee, but what shall suffice thee is thy Lord, the Mighty, the Exalted, the Inaccessible. Then make mention from Our presence to those who are around thee and with thee from among the loved ones of God, if thou findest in their hearts love for the Youth; otherwise, leave them to themselves and abide under gracious protection.

BH04204: O Abdul-Rahim! In the Name of God, the Most…

O Abdul-Rahim! In the Name of God, the Most Holy. The remembrance of God mentions His servant that he may rejoice within himself and become detached from all creation. Say: Through His remembrance do they who have recognized His unity drink the wine of life in this paradise in the name of their Lord, the All-Merciful. And through His remembrance is the fire kindled in the breasts of those who have detached themselves from the world and turned toward the direction of the All-Glorious.

Say: O people! Do ye deny Him Who hath come to you from the dayspring of the Spirit with power and sovereignty, and Who calleth you unto God, the Lord of the former and latter generations? Judge ye then with fairness, O concourse of creation! Say: Is there any doubt about God, or about His Manifestation, or about these verses which have been sent down from the throne of your Lord, the Mighty, the Bountiful?

Say: He hath come with the truth, and this is His white hand, and these are His fingers through which the moons of idle fancy have been cleft asunder. By what sign then do ye deny, O concourse of loss? Say: My proof is My Self, and My evidence that which hath appeared from Me and that which hath been sent down from My dominion—this is another sign, and verily it is the proof. Do ye imagine that what ye possess can make you independent of God? Nay, by His Self, O concourse of transgressors!

Arise thou with such steadfastness as hath been vouchsafed unto thee from Us, then assist thy Lord through remembrance and utterance. We have recognized thy turning toward the direction of the Spirit, and have sent down upon thee those verses which quicken the hearts of those who have turned toward paradise. Blessed is he who hath recognized God and drunk the water of life from the cup of His bounty and remained steadfast in the Cause in days wherein the breezes of trials have blown. And the glory rest upon thee and upon those who have detached themselves from all else and held fast unto God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Helping.

BH04224: In the name of Him to Whom all return!…

In the name of Him to Whom all return! Glorified is He Who sendeth down the verses in truth unto people who understand. Verily there is no God but Him. His is the creation and the command, and all are His worshippers. He aideth whom He willeth through the power that proceedeth from Him, and He sendeth down upon whom He pleaseth that which rendereth him independent of those who are enslaved by vain imaginings in these days and are among those who perceive not.

They say “We believed in Ali,” but when He came to them again with His Name the All-Glorious, they then denied Him. The curse of God be upon those who have disbelieved in God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

And thou, O servant, hearken unto that which the Tongue of thy Lord, the Most High, calleth unto thee from the right hand of His Most Glorious Throne, that verily there is no God but Me, the Mighty, the Beloved. Say: O people! Is there any doubt about God, or about His Glory through Whose light all created things are illumined? Fear ye God, and reject not the truth through what ye possess, and be not of them that join partners with God.

Then know thou that thy brother who hath migrated unto God and entered the Precinct of Paradise—the spot wherein shineth the light of the countenance of thy Glorious Lord—and attained the presence of God and won that which the honored servants have won—by God, his spirit hath ascended unto the atmosphere of nearness and reunion, and entered the Ridvan wherein shine forth the lights of Beauty, and hath come to rest in a station of glory most praiseworthy. Thus do We inform thee of the tidings of the unseen, that thou mayest be assured that with Him is the knowledge of all things, of what was and what shall be.

And the glory be upon thee if thou remainest steadfast in the Cause of God, the Mighty, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

BH04247: Glorified art Thou, O my God and my Lord!…

He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Glorified art Thou, O my God and my Lord! Thou seest my helplessness and poverty, then my distress and anguish, and Thou witnessest, O my God, my stillness and my sitting in this Prison which lieth in the farthermost lands of Thy kingdom and the most remote regions of Thy earth.

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for what Thou hast ordained for us through the wonders of Thy decree, and thanksgiving be unto Thee, O my Beloved, for what Thou hast sent down upon us through Thy firm destiny. By Thy glory, O my God! I am content with all of this, but Thine enemies rejoice therein and mock Thy loved ones, and because of this mine eyes weep and my heart bleeds and my liver is consumed.

Glorified, glorified art Thou, O my God! Raise up Thy servants to such a station wherein they taste the sweetness of Thy trials in Thy path and the delicacy of Thy decrees in Thy love, or transform their abasement through the sovereignty of Thy might, and their poverty through Thy riches, and their harm through Thy well-being, lest they witness in Thy kingdom that which they love not. Thou art indeed the Almighty, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Then I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name through which Thy Cause was raised up and Thy Name was exalted and Thy proof was perfected and Thy countenance shone forth and Thy evidence was made manifest, and by Him Whom Thou promised would appear on the Day of Resurrection, that Thou make this servant assured in Thy Cause and steadfast in Thy love and gazing unto Thee and speaking of Thee. Then send down upon him, O my God, that which will gladden his heart and bring tranquility to his soul. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art the Mighty, the All-Compelling, the Powerful, and toward Thy servants All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

BH04279: Divine words which have descended from the Source…

He is!

Divine words which have descended from the Source of glorified utterance in a wondrous Arabic accent have been heard and listened to beyond measure and count. Now hear them in eloquent Persian, that perchance thou mayest pass from this transient abode to the immortal Kingdom, and in these dark days when the dust of trials hath encompassed all contingent beings and their peoples, thou mayest not remain far from the pathway of the flowing stream which is the station of recognition of the Beauty of the All-Merciful.

O servant! The world hath never had, nor hath, any permanence. Soon thou shalt find all who are visible therein and all that exists therein to be non-existent, such that thou shalt see no trace of all that is on earth. Therefore, sanctify thyself from all that exists before the people, that perchance thou mayest recognize the First Beauty in the Last Garment.

For today all people remain veiled and concealed behind imaginary veils. Take refuge in the One God, that perchance thou mayest be saved from these depths of fancy wherein all are drowned, and arrive at and find rest at the fountainhead of life. This is the grace of thy Lord Who hath mentioned thee through His holy words.

Therefore, purify thy heart from worldly grief, for grief is rejected save in trials of this divine Youth Who dwelleth in the well of envy and hatred. In any case, mighty effort is needed lest thou remain deprived of the wondrous outpourings of these days. Thus doth thy Lord counsel thee, that thou mayest be among them that hear.

BH04292: In the name of Him to Whom all return…

In the name of Him to Whom all return. This is a Book from God unto him who hath believed and been guided.

Say: By God! The breezes of the All-Merciful have wafted from the direction of the All-Glorious, and by them are attracted the hearts of all who have believed and fear God. Say: The Spirit hath once again descended from the Most Exalted Horizon with My Most Glorious Name, and this is better for you, O people, than the kingdom of earth and heaven.

Say: Do ye dispute with the Ancient Beauty concerning that which He witnessed in the most remote dwelling places near the Divine Lote-Tree, when He beheld of the greatest signs of His own Self? By God! The Mighty Spirit inspired Him in the Most Glorious Pavilion with mysteries that can neither be witnessed nor seen.

O Muhammad! Step forth from behind the veils by My sovereignty that encompasseth all created things, and say: “Glorified be my Lord, the Most High!” Leave all beings behind thee, then move thy tongue in praise of My Self, and fear not him who hath disbelieved and transgressed.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Do ye dispute with Him Who hath come unto you with a proof wherewith all who are in the highest heavens could not prevail? Fear God and be of the righteous.

O people! Open your eyes that ye may behold the Kingdom of God above your heads and His omnipotence before you, and be not of them who turned away and forsook Him. Hold fast unto the cord of God and the handle of His Cause, and differ not in that which appeareth from His presence, for verily He hath appeared with truth in the midst of noon-tide, and none shall deny Him save every heedless one who hath gone astray and been blinded.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon the servants of God, the Most High, the All-Glorious.

BH04295: This is an epistle from this Prisoner to him…

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

This is an epistle from this Prisoner to him who hath believed in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Worship none but Him, and be thou severed from those who have disbelieved in God, the Almighty, the Beloved. Say: O people! Fear ye God, and spread not corruption in the land, nor follow any rejected idolater.

Know thou that at the outset of this Revelation We forbade the servants from tyranny and wickedness, and from the shedding of blood. Yet they abandoned that which they were commanded and committed that which they were forbidden, and they are at this moment unaware.

Say: O people! By God the Truth, I have come to you from the Orient of the Cause for unity, did ye but know it. Say: If ye desire to strive against anyone, then strive against your own selves—this would be better for you, could ye but understand. We ordained victory through the Bayan, did ye but know it. Thus hath the Command been sent down in all the Tablets, but the people do not comprehend.

Hearken thou unto My call and shun those who have disbelieved and associated partners with Him Who revealed the Bayan by His binding, transcendent and inevitable command. Say: O people! Fear ye God and commit not that which causeth the hearts of the denizens of the most exalted Paradise and honored servants to burn. We desire naught from you and summon you to that which is better for you than all that was and shall be.

Be not silent in remembrance of thy Lord. Arise to praise His Self amidst the heavens and the earth, that perchance the people may arise from the slumber of heedlessness and become aware. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon whosoever hath clung to the cord of God, the Mighty, the Loving.

BH04361: O Isma’il! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord…

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

O Isma’il! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing, that verily there is none other God but Him. He preserveth whomsoever He willeth, how He willeth, and verily He is the Lord of lords.

O people! Tarry not upon the Path, but pass over it as passes the cloud. The Day which ye were promised in the Tablets hath come unto you, and every soul hath come with its deeds, though none comprehend this save those possessed of understanding. Wash thyself clean of the allusions of the people, then cleanse thy heart from those who have disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving. Verily those who have disbelieved shall enter the fire and shall find for themselves no helper. Then shall they cry out and say:

“Woe unto us for what we have neglected of that which we were commanded in the Book!”

Thou shalt keep thyself apart from them and hold fast to the cord of God and His mercy. Verily He forgets not His servants who have presented themselves before His Face with humility and turned unto Him.

Blessed art thou for having attained the presence of the Youth in days wherein the sun of thy Lord’s beauty hath shone forth from behind the veil. Beware lest thou forget what thou hast witnessed of God’s favor and power; then make mention of what thou hast seen amongst the company of the loved ones, that they may arise from the slumber of passion and remember their Lord at eventide and dawn.

Guard thyself and follow not those who have disbelieved in God on a Day wherein He hath established Himself upon the throne and set up the balance of justice and fixed the Path, and all have presented themselves for the reckoning. Thus have We made mention of thee in this Tablet that it may attract thy heart and the hearts of the loved ones. And glory be upon thee and upon those who have arisen for the Cause of God and whom no trepidation hath seized.

BH04385: O Baqir! Bear thou witness in thy soul, thy…

He is the Almighty

O Baqir! Bear thou witness in thy soul, thy being and thy spirit that the Tree of Sinai hath been raised up in truth in the year sixty and hath spoken in the most exalted voice that there is none other God but Him, the Sovereign, the Powerful, the Almighty, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, and that ʿAli before Nabil—His light, His glory and His sovereignty over the dwellers of the heavens and the earth—hath come with the truth upon clouds of light, and around Him circled the denizens of the Supreme Concourse and the angels drawn nigh. He hath manifested His beauty with such a proof as hath rendered all created things powerless, and through it His evidence hath been perfected, His proof completed, and His testimony hath shone forth unto all in the kingdom, whether female or male, whether young or old. Bear thou witness within thyself that with Him is the knowledge of the heavens and earth and the knowledge of all things in a mighty, luminous Book. Be thou assured of this, then stand firm in it and go not beyond it, if thou be of them that comprehend.

And furthermore, Tablets have been presented before Us but among them We found not thy Tablet, as if thou hadst forgotten Us within thyself. This indeed is a loss unto thee and verily this is a great regret. Know thou that We have not forgotten thee and make mention of thee in this beauteous Tablet that thou mayest rejoice in thy heart and remember thy Lord with love and manifest gladness.

The Spirit and the Glory and the Might and the Splendor be upon thee and upon those with thee and upon them that pass along this Path, the Exalted, the Powerful, the Almighty.

BH04387: In the Name of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful!…

In the Name of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful! O Hasan! Be excellent as God hath shown excellence unto thee, then take Him as a friend unto thyself. Arise and take the cup of life in the name of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, then drink therefrom and fear not the idolaters. Say: His cup is His words, and therein is filled the wine of inner meanings and utterance. Blessed are they that drink thereof.

Turn thou unto God and be not disturbed by the clamor of the hypocrites. Ascend by God’s power to the heaven of might and authority, then detach thyself from all else and be of them that are firm. By Him Who hath caused all things to speak forth His praise! Should anyone stand firm in My love and detach himself from all else but Me, he would, through one of My names, gain ascendancy over all who dwell on earth. Hast thou forgotten what was promised thee in the Tablets? Return then unto them that thou mayest find thyself possessed of clear certainty.

Say: O people! The Beloved of the worlds hath appeared, and He, verily, is the One Who sent Muhammad aforetime, and before Him the Spirit, and before Him the Interlocutor. Fear ye God and commit not that which hath been forbidden you in every wondrous verse. Take ye the laws of God and that which He hath ordained in His Book, and be not of them that forsake them. Unite ye on God’s Cause and His religion, and divide not His words, and be not of them that differ.

Thus have We revealed unto thee that which shall move thy soul and draw thee nigh unto thy Ancient Lord. Be patient and steadfast, then stand firm and be not of them that are perturbed. And upon thee be the glory of God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH04388: In the name of God, the Most Exalted…

In the name of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Unapproachable! O Hasan! Hear the call of Husayn from the direction of this mighty Prison. By God! There hath befallen Him that which hath befallen no one before Him from among His servants who circled round about Him.

Say: O people! Fear ye God. This is that Husayn Who was promised to you aforetime, did ye but know it. Have ye not heard that He would come after the Qa’im with manifest sovereignty, and through Him would be raised the standard of guidance, and beneath His shadow would enter all the Prophets and Messengers? And have ye not heard that the Qa’im would be sent forth once again and would enter beneath His shadow? Thus did the tongue of revelation inform you aforetime, yet now ye all remain veiled.

Say: O people! Verily He hath seated Himself upon the Throne, and at His right hand sitteth the Primal Point, addressing the veiled ones among the concourse of the Bayanis, saying:

“O people! Fear ye God, then be ashamed before His beauty, and shed not this pure and radiant blood. But for Him, God’s Cause would not have been made manifest in all else, nor would the cock of the Throne have crowed, nor would the Dove have warbled upon the twigs of the Lote-Tree of the Bayan, nor would those brought nigh have been created.”

We commanded you not to hesitate in His Cause at the time of His appearance, yet ye committed that which hath caused the hearts of the sincere to be consumed. Thus doth the Ancient Pen recount unto thee that thou mayest aid thy Lord to the extent of thy power and be numbered among the helpers.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who have believed in God and whose faces have remained unchanged by the insinuations of the words of the idolaters.

BH04389: O Hasan! Call to mind the time when thou…

In the Name of God, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved

O Hasan! Call to mind the time when thou didst attain the presence before My face, and when the holy glances were turned towards thee, and thou didst hear the melodies of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. By God! Thou hast attained to that which most of the servants have failed to attain, and for which near servants have died in their longing. Know thou the value of that which thou hast been given from the fruits of Paradise, and be of those who are thankful.

By God, O Hasan! If thou wert to attain the presence of Husayn in those days, thou wouldst not recognize him, so grievously had he been afflicted with tribulations and hardships by those who disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Best-Beloved.

O Hasan! The countenance of God hath been changed by the blows of the people of tyranny and wickedness, and His body hath been pierced by the spears of those who are unbelievers. At every moment I walk while Shimr walketh behind Me, and the spearmen are on My right and on My left—tyrannical servants. Verily the tribulation of Husayn of old was accomplished in a single day, but this Husayn hath been afflicted at every moment with that which no one hath ever been afflicted with, and all things bear witness to this, but the people do not understand.

At every moment I desire to ascend to the Supreme Companion, yet the decree of destiny holdeth Me back. Verily, thou hearest My words from the direction of the prison. Therefore, cut thyself off from those who have disbelieved in God and remember this Prisoner. Forget not My days and My Manifestation. Thus doth the Pen of thy Lord command thee, that thou mayest be of those who act.

And glory be upon thee and upon those who walk in the good-pleasure of their Lord.

BH04390: He is the Mighty. O Rida, bear thou witness…

He is the Mighty. O Rida, bear thou witness within thyself that there is none other God but Him, and that He hath ever been All-Wise.

With Him is the knowledge of the unseen in the heavens and earth, and He is cognizant of all things. He knoweth what the treacherous eye beholdeth and what the insincere conceal in their breasts, even if it be as minute as a speck or a date-stone. He it is Who causeth the night to pass into day and the day to pass into night, and ordereth all things through His wisdom—and who is greater than God in wisdom or more truthful in utterance?

O Rida, be thou content with thyself and with whatsoever hath befallen thee and Us. Be patient in adversity and tribulation, and grieve not over anything, but place thy trust in God, for He doth keep account of thee. He aideth such of His servants as hold fast unto Him and follow the paths of guidance, and are strong in His Cause.

Say: They who choose for themselves a protector other than God—these have lost whatsoever they have wrought, and weak indeed are both the seeker and the sought, and God is aware of all things.

Say: O people, believe in God and His signs, and transgress not the bounds set by God, and spread not corruption in the land. All this is My bidding unto you and My remembrance of you—through it take ye a path unto God, your Lord.

The Spirit and Glory be upon thee and upon those with thee, and upon those who call upon God at morn and eventide.

BH04391: At the outset of these words we render thanks…

At the outset of these words we render thanks unto God and praise Him for having delivered thee and saved thee from the company of the wrong-doers.

He is the All-Glorious, the All-Sufficing.

O My companion in prison! For We have been imprisoned in this prison even as thou hast been imprisoned in that prison; and this is from the decree of God, the Exalted, the Most Great. Do thou, then, give thanks unto God for what hath come upon thee, even as We give thanks unto God for what hath come upon Us; for verily We are in a state of manifest gratitude.

Say: By God! There hath befallen Us that which hath not befallen any one among former or latter generations; and if I were to mention but a single letter thereof, the heavens and the earth would be rent asunder thereat, save those whom thy Lord, the Bountiful, the Ancient, shall please to preserve.

Be thou not, then, grieved by aught. Be patient, and then yet more patient, for the end is for such as endure with constancy. And if hardships touch thee, be not disquieted, but put thy whole trust in God, the Ever-Abiding, the All-Glorious. Blessed art thou, for that thou hast followed Us in trials and afflictions, and after Us the servants of God who are drawn nigh unto Him.

It behoveth thee to stand firm upon this Path which hath been exalted in truth from before One Who is Mighty, All-Powerful. Live thy days in a joy bestowed by God, such that no harm wrought by the evil-doers shall cause thee to waver.

And if thou findest in thy heart My love, then cleave unto it; otherwise, keep aloof therefrom and be of those who turn aside. And if thine eyes rebel against thee in My love, pluck them out and pay no heed unto them. This is My command unto thee and unto every faithful believer.

Then, on Our behalf, magnify before God all who are in thy house, both young and old. The Spirit be upon thee and upon the servants of God who confess His oneness.

BH04392: O servant, hear the call of this servant who…

In the name of God, the Most Mighty, the Most Mighty!

O servant, hear the call of this servant who hath sacrificed his spirit in the path of God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Powerful. Remember thyself at all times lest thou be veiled by the hints of those who have disbelieved in God after He came in the shadows of clouds with manifest sovereignty. Drink thou the Kawthar of life from the hands of thy Lord’s grace, the Mighty, the Bestower, and be not of the heedless ones.

Fear thou nothing in the path of God and be not disturbed by the hosts of the oppressors. Verily, those who have been martyred in God’s path, these shall abide in gardens and delight—the maidens of Paradise shall circle round them with chalices of Kawthar and Salsabil, and the denizens of the Supreme Concourse shall find solace in their company, while youths shall serve them morning and evening.

Be thou enkindled with the heat of thy Lord’s love that the heedless among His servants may be enkindled from thee. Sanctify thyself from all that thy Lord hath forbidden thee in His Tablets and follow not the ways of the deluded ones. Unite with the loved ones of God and shun the devils who whisper in the breasts of men and call them to rebellion. By God! They are but in manifest error.

Preserve thou God’s Tablet and recite what hath been revealed therein that thy face may be illumined thereby amongst all peoples. Keep far from the manifestations of negation and draw nigh unto those who remember God at eventide and at dawn, and thou shalt find in their faces the radiance of thy Lord, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

Thus hath the Most Exalted Pen counselled thee while it was in grievous sorrow. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon God’s sincere servants.

BH04394: O servant!

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

O servant!

Be thou gladdened within thyself, for verily We were with thee at the time when thou didst rend asunder the veils and didst make mention of thy Lord amongst the servants. Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thou hast fulfilled God’s Covenant and discharged His trust in these days wherein most people have taken for themselves a lifeless calf that loweth not, for We have withdrawn from it the spirit of life, and thus it remaineth a dead body. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling.

Then bear thou witness, even as all things at this moment bear witness, that sovereignty on that Day belongeth unto God, the Protector, the Almighty, the Exalted, the Unconstrained. He verily forgetteth not His servants who remember Him at eventide and at dawn, and at sunset and at daybreak.

Be thou as thou hast been, then aid thy Lord through utterance, and fear not the hosts of those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God, for they shall on that Day find no place of refuge.

And verily Our name the All-Bountiful was present before the Face and attained the presence of God, the Almighty, the Exalted, the All-Forgiving, and appeared before the Face by Our leave. Thus doth it beseem everyone who hath believed in God and detached himself from the wicked. God hath ordained for thee a station among stations, and He wasteth not the reward of those who have done good in His Cause, and all things with Him have their measure.

Remember thou on Our behalf those who were with thee, then gladden them with the mention I have made of them, that they may rejoice within themselves. This is the recompense of those who have trodden the path of the righteous. Blessed art thou, and blessed are they, and blessed are those who have believed in God and detached themselves from the evil-doers.

And the glory of this Glory be upon thee throughout the duration of His exalted, All-Forgiving Self.

BH04430: In the name of God, the Most High…

In the name of God, the Most High, the Most Great! These are the verses of God sent down in truth, and none remember them except those possessed of understanding.

Say: O people, fear God and do not oppose the One through Whose will the suns of names were eclipsed and the moon was cleft in the heaven of destiny and the mountains passed away as passing clouds. Beware, O people, lest you change God’s command according to what is with you. Aid your Lord, the Most Merciful, in these days and do not follow those who have denied God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower.

Say: He desires nothing for Himself, but rather desires for you what has been ordained in the Book. Say: The Day that was promised to you has come, and the face has shone forth with lights. Blessed is he who has attained unto it, and woe unto every doubting misbeliever.

Arise and convey to the people, as much as you are able, this Cause through which faces were transformed and necks were humbled. Be steadfast and fear no one, for verily your Lord is with you and will aid you in your cause and inspire those who remember Him at eventide and dawn.

Say: Praise be to God Who has caused me to dwell beneath the shade of His mercy and delivered me from those who denied Him and made known to me the Manifestation of His Self in these days wherein God came in the shadows of clouds. Thus have We taught you the path of truth that you may walk therein and be of those who heard the call from the Most Exalted Horizon, then responded. And glory be upon you and upon those who have turned towards God, with Whom is the Final Judgment.

BH04431: In the name of God, the Most Wondrous…

In the name of God, the Most Wondrous, the Most Wondrous! These are verses which have appeared from the mouth of God with strange burning, and from each letter thereof appear grievous sighs, and none hath comprehended them save Him, the All-Knowing.

Say: O people, have mercy on this Youth Who hath been afflicted amidst the company of the ungodly. Fear ye God Who created you for Himself and gave you glad tidings of His presence and promised you His manifestation at every time, and hath not made His manifestation dependent on anything that hath been created between the heavens and the earth. Consider ye what was revealed aforetime that ye may be of them that know.

Hearken unto the call of God from the precincts of the prison, then aid Him through whatsoever ye possess of the words of God, the Holy, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Blessed art thou for having attained the presence of thy Lord and heard His call in days wherein the hearts of the loved ones were troubled and wherein arose the cries of every soul, then did weep the eyes of them that are nigh unto God.

Say: The Youth hath gone forth from the city by reason of that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought. Thus hath the matter been inscribed in the Tablet of Destiny by the Pen of God, the King, the Just, the All-Wise. Verily, they who have been deprived of the love of God are dead and not living. God hath not ordained for them any portion in this most wondrous and glorious Ridvan.

Thus doth the Glory remember thee with faithfulness that thou mayest be assured that He hath excelled in faithfulness and in all goodness all the worlds. Be thou steadfast through God’s grace and His loving-kindness in His love and His good-pleasure, then recount unto the people the days of attainment unto His presence, and be not of them that are silent. And the Glory be upon thee and upon them that are with thee of Our unified servants.

BH04457: Glorified be He Who came upon clouds of light…

He is the All-Glorious!

Glorified be He Who came upon clouds of light with manifest radiance, surrounded by the Concourse on High and the angels of the Command. Thus did the All-Merciful come with great sovereignty and sent His angels to all regions to give the people glad tidings of this wondrous Day. In their hands were Tablets that surpass all the books of the ancients, wherein was revealed that which came upon the Prophets and Messengers.

Among the people are those who denied them and cast them behind their backs—these are indeed in manifest loss. And among them are those who inhaled from these Tablets the fragrance of their Lord, the All-Merciful, and were illumined by this Lamp through which the heavens and earth were made to shine. Were the veil to be lifted, those who disbelieved would cry out: “Alas for us, for what we neglected towards God!” Thus was the matter decreed, and the pronouncement came from thy Lord, the All-Merciful, encompassing all worlds.

O servant! Be thou assured of God’s grace and mercy. Soon will the believers behold the banners of victory from all directions through My Most Great Name. Know then that the Youth hath not grieved at what befell Him in the path of God’s love, and His face hath shone from the horizon of tribulation with a light from which the dwellers of the cities of eternity and the near angels derive illumination.

Place thy trust in God in all matters, then aid thy Lord, for in such days as these the gaze of God is fixed upon those who have stood firm in His love and aided His Cause. He boasts of them in the kingdom of His Command. Verily, He encompasseth all things. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH04493: The land of mystery has lamented, while the prison…

In the Name of God, Who has dawned from the Most Glorious Horizon!

The land of mystery has lamented, while the prison land has rejoiced—the former weeps at separation from the Beloved, while the latter glories over all other lands at the meeting with its Lord. How wondrous is this grief and this manifest joy! God has chosen the lands whereon the Beloved of the worlds has arrived. Blessed is he who arrives therein and finds the fragrance of his Lord’s robe, the Most Exalted, the Most Great, and inhales the sweet-scented breeze of the Beloved. By God, he is of those who have attained.

O servant! The Youth remembers thee in this remote prison out of love for thy being, inasmuch as thou hast believed in God, the Mighty, the Powerful. Be thou of those who fulfill their covenant. Remember thy Lord and be not of the heedless. In days such as these it behooveth the Youth to summon all beings unto their Lord, the All-Merciful, and ye make mention of Him at all times. Thus hath the Pen of Command taught you in this wondrous Tablet. Make ye mention of Him in your homes; verily He maketh mention of you in the prison at a time when He is cut off from all the worlds.

Behold the world and its changes. Take heed lest thou place thy reliance upon it. Place thy reliance upon the grace of thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. It shall pass away in a day, but that which God hath desired for thee shall endure and not perish, and thy Lord is, to what I say, a witness.

Reflect upon what We have imparted unto thee of meanings and utterance, then seek for thyself what thou desirest. We beseech God to assist thee in what He hath purposed and to draw thee nigh unto Him in all conditions. Verily, He is powerful over what He willeth. And praise be to the Beloved of them that know.

BH04546: In the Name of God, the Mighty, the All-Wise!…

In the Name of God, the Mighty, the All-Wise! This is an inscribed Book sent down from God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, that through it they who have believed may rejoice and the souls of them that are troubled may find peace. Say: Through the Book of God are hearts made steadfast, and through it do they who profess His unity ascend unto the heaven of exalted glory, and through it doth the Beloved speak in all things, saying: “I am God!”—yet few there are that understand.

They who have disbelieved, these shall eat of the tree of Zaqqum, while they who have believed shall rejoice in Paradise, these shall delight in the fruits of divine knowledge. And unto each is appointed in the Book a portion according to their deeds—a just decree from God, the Mighty, the Loving.

O David! Reveal that which was buried beneath the tree through the schemes of them that join partners with their Lord, that the deception of them that practice deceit in this Cause may be made manifest among the people. And if thou art not able to bear this, then wait until God shall manifest it even as He hath manifested through His irrevocable decree. Be thou thankful unto thy Lord in the days of God and be thou of them that render praise.

Grieve not over anything, but find solace in the remembrance of thy Lord. He sufficeth thee against all that was and that shall be. He forsaketh not His servants. His grace encompasseth all things—thus hath it been inscribed in truth upon a hidden and glorious Tablet.

Soar upon the wings of detachment unto the kingdom of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted. Thus doth it beseem thee and them that are detached. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon them that have ascended unto God and upon him whom God hath raised to a station that is praiseworthy.

BH04559: By God! We have heard thy call…

By God! We have heard thy call in the nights and at dawn. Therefore have We preserved thee that thou mayest hear this Call both secretly and openly. Hearken to His Call from the direction of the Prison, then speak forth in praise of His Self among the chosen ones. Proclaim the Cause of thy Lord with wisdom and utterance. Thus doth thy Lord, the Mighty, the Unconstrained, command thee.

Say: O people! Hearken to the rustling of the Most Exalted Pen. By God! Through it are drawn the hearts of those near unto God to the Dawning-Place of lights. How long will ye slumber upon the couch of heedlessness? Raise up your heads, for the Sun of Eternity hath shone forth from the horizon of the Most High and illumined thereby are the faces of the learned. Protect the loved ones of God with wisdom, then assist them according to thy capacity. Thus did We command thee before and in this time wherein secrets are revealed.

How sweet is thy mention in this Cause! Verily thou wast created for this, as doth testify the Tongue that speaketh in all things that sovereignty belongeth unto God, the Powerful, the All-Compelling. Beware lest thou deprive thyself of that which hath been ordained for thee. By God! The clouds have been rent asunder and God hath come with power and might. Turn not unto the world and its conditions, then shun the evil ones. Be thou attracted by the Call of thy Lord, then seek His aid through His power and grandeur. Arise amidst the servants, then speak forth in His praise. Thus doth command thee the Pen of the Unconstrained.

Wert thou to hear what We have counseled thee with, thou wouldst surely subdue all created things through one of the names of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Unconstrained. And the light which hath shone forth from the horizon of the Most Glorious be upon thee, O thou who hast called upon thy Lord at all times.

BH11770: By My Name, the Triumphant, the Mighty!

By My Name, the Triumphant, the Mighty!

Hearken unto that which the Pen of God makes thee hear of wondrous notes of glory, and unto that which thy Lord reveals unto thee from His holy Finger, which was inscribed upon tablets preserved in God’s treasuries. Say: O people! Do ye dispute with Him through Whom the sovereignty of God and His power have been manifested, and His proof and His evidence established, and through Whom the Tongue of Eternity hath spoken sanctified and exalted words?

Say: On this Day there is no refuge for any soul, no haven for anyone, save beneath My shadow. Thus hath the command been sent down from the heaven of a glorious Name. Say: By God, the Truth! The trumpet hath been blown by My command, and the Bell rings out in remembrance of Me, and the Bugle sounds forth My Name, which encompasseth all created things.

O thou who bearest My Name! Stand firm in the Cause in such wise as to manifest the signs of God, and sing with such melody as hath been heard from the melodies of God. Say: The voice of God hath been raised amidst all created things, and all things have melted away in their longing to attain His presence. But they whose hearts are hardened are deaf in the earth, and their names shall not be mentioned before thy Lord on that Day, and they shall remain far removed from the sanctuary of nearness.

Glory be unto thee, O Javad, in that thou hast attained unto that which most of the servants have been deprived of. Thus hath thy Lord’s favor preceded thee, and His favor unto thee is great indeed. We have adorned thy body with the garment of acceptance, that men might be illumined thereby and find a way unto Him Who sits upon the throne.

BH04647: O servant! Give thanks unto God for having manifested…

O servant! Give thanks unto God for having manifested Himself unto thee yet again, that He might reveal unto thee the mysteries in the crystalline vesture within the Most Glorious Temple.

Say: By God! Verily He was mighty in command in the highest heaven of grandeur, then established Himself upon the throne in the heaven of eternity.

Say: O peoples of the earth! Do ye dispute with him concerning that which he hath witnessed and beheld of the signs of his Lord in the most exalted Kingdom? Say: By God! The foot of holiness shall never slip, though all who are in the heavens or upon the lowest earth should oppose him. Say: Verily he ascended once above the Sadratu’l-Muntaha near the Furthermost Tree, and once unto the station of nearness behind the pavilions of holiness in the unseen cloud—a station whereof the understanding of those possessed of wisdom was cut off. Thus did the Dove warble concerning that which was revealed and concealed, that thereby the people of guidance might be guided aright and the rancor might increase in those who disbelieved and were wretched.

Know thou then that thy letter hath come before the Holy Seat, and We have taken note of its contents and answered thee with this reply, that thou mayest know that thy Lord hath not forgotten thee in thy first life, and likewise will never forget thee in the latter resurrection. He hath sent down unto thee from this most sweet perspective His greatest signs, and hath ordained for thee from the Pen of the Spirit that which none knoweth. Glorified be thy Lord, the Most High! And He hath sent the Spirit upon thee and upon those with thee who are God-fearing.

Say: Glorified be my Lord, the Most High!

BH04642: O My handmaid! Mention was made of thee before…

O My handmaid! Mention was made of thee before Us, whereupon the ocean of loving-kindness and bounty surged, and is now sprinkling upon thee in the form of words, that thou mayest detach thyself from the limitations of earthly directions and turn thy face toward the Beloved. Blessed art thou for having turned thy heart to the Qiblih of all created things and for having attained to the recognition of God, the Mighty, the Glorious, the Witnessed.

Detach thyself from all else but Me, then purify thine ear that thou mayest hear My melodies from the direction of My Throne on this Promised Day. Arise to make mention of Me and praise Me, then recite what We have sent down unto thee, for this is better for thee than all that hath been created in the kingdoms of existence.

Verily, they who have denied My Self and turned away from My Beauty—their names shall never be mentioned before thy Lord, and they are more remote than the idolaters and the Jews. Know thou that the people have opposed Me after I came unto them with the sovereignty of God, the Mighty, the Loving.

Blessed art thou, O handmaid of God, for having tasted of the fruits of Paradise and having attained to the mention of thy Lord in these days wherein the Ancient Beauty hath been tried at the hands of every rejected misbeliever. Give thanks unto thy Lord for having raised thee up in His days and caused thee to dwell in a house wherein the mention of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Glorious, the Praised One, is raised. Thus doth God perfect His favor upon His handmaidens who have believed in Him and turned away from every proud and rejected one.

And upon thee, and upon thy father and thy brothers be the Spirit and Glory from this Youth Who hath been imprisoned wrongfully in this limited land.

BH04682: Blessed is He in Whose hands is the dominion…

In the name of the All-Glorious!

Blessed is He in Whose hands is the dominion of the heavens and earth, with Whom are the treasuries of all knowledge, and Who sendeth down naught save in due measure. The clouds glorify Him in their awe, and the thunder in its fear of Him, and the heavens shall be folded up in His right hand on the Day when all eyes shall stare in terror.

Say: Today He hath appeared in truth, and none have understood save those possessed of insight. This is the Day whereof We gave you tidings aforetime through Our true utterance:

“Lead mankind out of darkness into light and give them glad-tidings of the days of God, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the Unconstrained.”

Say: The Kingdom on this Day belongeth unto God, the One, the All-Compelling. Then shalt thou find the idolaters in the abyss of wrath, and those who believe in divine unity at the dawning-place of lights. Verily He hath appeared in truth while the sinful are in fear and distress, finding for themselves neither refuge nor protector. Thus hath the matter been decreed from the presence of God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Compelling.

The sincere have turned toward the holy precincts and entered the Most Glorious Paradise, where the All-Merciful shineth upon them at eventide and at dawn. Be thou assured in thyself and be not disturbed by those who have disbelieved—they are truly the companions of the Fire. Grieve not over anything, for God is with those who have laid hold of the handle of justice and detached themselves from the wicked.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon whoso hath arisen to mention the name of his Lord at eventide and at dawn. And praise be to God, the Knower of what is hidden and manifest.

BH04683: Blessed is He in Whose hand is the dominion…

He is the Mighty, the Most Holy!

Blessed is He in Whose hand is the dominion of the Kingdom of the heavens and earth, and within Whose grasp lies the realm of Command and Creation. He giveth life and death as He pleaseth. There is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling.

O Dhabih! When thou desirest the station of sacrifice in complete evanescence, accept no alteration. Sacrifice thyself for love of God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. And should any of the hosts of Satan confront thee in the path of the All-Merciful, cast at them the stones of wisdom and utterance. Thus hath the Tongue of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bountiful, commanded thee from this remote Prison.

He who hath believed in this Revelation hath sacrificed himself for the Beloved of the worlds—to this every person of illumined vision doth testify. By the life of Him Who hath appeared with the truth! Were We to lift the veil from the face of the Cause, people would surely sever their own necks with their own hands in this path. Bear witness that what remaineth concealed is like unto an ocean, while that which We have manifested among the servants is but as a drop that none can reckon save those endowed with keen vision. Thus shouldst thou understand the Cause and be of those possessed of clear certainty.

Arise to make mention of God and His praise, and fear not the hosts of the idolaters. Say: O people! Cast not the ordinances of God behind your backs, and be not of the heedless. Verily the greatest and most exalted of all deeds is to teach His Cause—thus hath it been revealed in this wondrous Revelation. And whoso quickeneth a soul with the spirit of faith, it is as though he hath quickened all mankind. And glory be upon thee and upon thy wife and upon all who are endowed with vision and certainty.

BH04688: These are the verses of God, the King…

He is God, the Most Wondrous, the Most Wondrous

These are the verses of God, the King, the Truth, the Manifest, which have been sent down from the heaven of the will of your Lord, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

O people! This is a servant of God among you who calls you to Him at all times, and has sacrificed his spirit and his soul in the path of God, your Beloved and the Beloved of the worlds. And whenever tribulation intensified upon him, he proclaimed with the loudest voice the remembrance of his Lord between the heavens and the earth. No hindrance of any hinderer, nor the mockery of any mocker, nor the turning away of any rejecter, nor the blame of any blamer prevented him. He has appeared at the pole of the horizons and called all to the covenant, the station wherein the very atoms of its dust proclaim that there is no God but Me, the Most High, the Most Great.

Say: O people! Unite amongst yourselves and gather around the one Law—this indeed is the purpose of this Great Announcement which has appeared in truth and has stunned all who are in the heavens and the earth save a numbered few of Our knowing servants.

Say: O people! Fear God and spread not corruption in the land after its reformation, and be not of the wrongdoers. It behooveth you to manifest the signs of God and to diffuse from you the sweet fragrances of His sanctity amidst His heedless servants, that they might perceive from you the fragrance of truth and be guided by you to the paradise wherein its leaves proclaim that there is no God but He, the Omnipotent, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

And the Spirit and Glory be upon you and upon God’s sincere servants.

BH04689: In the name of God, the Most Holy…

In the name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted! These are the verses of God which have been sent down in truth from the heaven of mighty glory. Indeed they are God’s testimony amongst His creatures and through them His remembrance shall endure amongst all created things. Cast aside what thou hast and take what is with God with manifest power. Remember Me on earth that I may remember thee in My heaven. Thus hath the command been sent down in a preserved Tablet of glory.

Judge according to what God hath ordained for thee, then rule by what God hath decreed, and be God-fearing in the Cause. Rend asunder the veils, then enter into the pavilion of the Cause which hath been raised up in the name of God. And if thou findest therein a cup of the Kawthar of life, take it in My name, the All-Merciful, then drink thereof as thou pleasest. By God! Through one drop thereof every decomposed bone shall be quickened. Thus doth the Most Exalted Pen command thee from thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious, in these days wherein the Sun of Holiness hath dawned from a luminous horizon of glory.

And when thou drinkest, the rapture of the Beloved shall seize thee in such wise as to detach thee from all who are on earth and draw thee nigh unto a kingdom of wondrous glory. Then thou shalt arise to praise and remember God and say: O people! This is the Great Announcement with which ye were promised in all the Tablets. He hath indeed come with the truth with mighty sovereignty. Beware lest ye be veiled from Him through Whom the Dove hath warbled and the Cock of the Throne hath crowed and this Morn hath breathed forth with resplendent lights.

And upon thee be peace and upon him who hath taken unto the All-Merciful a way.

BH04731: In the name of God, the Most Beauteous! I…

In the name of God, the Most Beauteous! I make mention of one of My handmaidens who believed in her Lord and was among the devout ones, preserved in a Tablet of sublime glory.

O My handmaiden! Hear My call from the direction of My prison, then weep for My tribulations and afflictions. Thus does the Beloved of the worlds command thee.

Verily, He Who created the heavens and the earth by His command hath been imprisoned in this remote land, and He Who ordained all things unto Himself hath been forbidden even from making mention of His own Self, how much less of aught else. Thus hath befallen the Youth at the hands of these oppressors. Verily, He in Whose name houses have been built, around which all the peoples of the earth circumambulate, had no house wherein to dwell. Such was the condition of those servants who were heedless of the remembrance of their Lord, the Most High, the Most Great.

All handmaidens pride themselves on their relationship to God, yet there was not in the house a single one of them to serve Him Who is the Desire of those that have recognized Him. Grieve not thou at this, for We have ordained for Our own Self what hath befallen Us, and My Soul beareth witness to this, and with Us is a wisdom whereof none of Our near servants hath knowledge.

Be thou thankful unto God, then make mention of Him and be devoted to Him, for verily He is with His handmaidens who do good and His servants who do good. Then praise God for having recognized the Manifestation of His Self, from Whom most men have remained heedless. Thus doth God single out whomsoever He willeth from among His handmaidens, and He is, verily, powerful over all things.

And glory be upon thee and upon Our handmaidens who have believed in God and have detached themselves from the idolaters.

BH04742: Glorified art Thou, O my God! I testify at…

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

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I testify at this moment that Thou hast ever been sanctified above the comprehension of them that comprehend, and exalted above the understanding of all who dwell on earth and in heaven. All created things bear witness to Thy singleness, and all existing things to Thy oneness.

I beseech Thee at this moment by that Name through which Thou hast guided them that know Thee to the Dayspring of Thy revelation and inspiration, and drawn them that are sincere unto Thee to the shores of Thy grace and favors, that Thou leave me not to myself and my desires, nor keep me far from the shore of Thy nearness, nor deprive me from the sanctuary of Thy reunion and presence, nor bar me from the shore of the sea of Thy oneness.

O Lord! Thou art the Rich and I am the poor, Thou art the Mighty and I am the lowly, Thou art the Possessor and I am the possessed. I have come before Thee in utter poverty and complete powerlessness, and I ask of Thee to shower upon me from the clouds of Thy mercy that which will purify me from all else but Thee and draw me nigh unto that station whereon Thou hast established Thyself upon the throne of Thy mercy and the seat of Thy bounties and favors.

Then kindle within my breast, O my God, the lamp of Thy love in such wise that I cannot remain still within myself, and cause me to be stirred by the breezes of Thy will in such wise that I speak naught except Thy praise, move not except by Thy leave, and turn not except toward Thy direction. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Dear, the Unconstrained.

BH04755: He is the Mighty. God hath testified within His…

He is the Mighty. God hath testified within His Own Self, unto His Own Self, before the manifestation of His attributes and names in the dominion of His creation, that there is none other God but Him, the Single, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. His is might and sovereignty, His is grandeur and grace, His is power and testing. He testeth whom He willeth among His creatures, and He is the Mighty, the Best-Beloved.

He it is Who hath sent forth the Messengers with truth that there is none other God but Him and that ʿAli is the Manifestation of His Self in what was and what shall be. Say: He is the King of Kings and the Merciful unto the servants. He distinguisheth whom He willeth with His mercy, and verily He is the Forgiving, the Compassionate.

And thou, O servant, give thanks unto God for what hath been sent down unto thee—a Book inscribed. Verily it hath been sent down with truth for people who understand. Then remind others of what is therein, for it sufficeth thee beyond all who are in the heavens and earth, and guideth thee to the right-hand Mount in this blessed and praiseworthy spot.

Say: By God, this is a detailed Book, detailed from the presence of God, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. Say: The Holy Spirit speaketh in this polished and burnished breast, and calleth the loved ones of God to what was ordained in the Bayan, and this is an irrevocable decree inscribed by the Finger of Power upon a preserved and mighty tablet.

Thus have We sent down unto thee this Tablet that thou mayest rejoice therein and be of those who warm themselves at the fire of God. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon every patient servant.

BH04766: In the Name of God, the Most Wondrous…

In the Name of God, the Most Wondrous, the Most Impregnable, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted! Upon thee be My glory, My remembrance and My mercy, then the praise of all things at all times.

We have read thy letter before Us and heard thy cry and supplication at thy remoteness from the Dawning-Place of Lights. Be patient and do not bewail thy plight. Be content with that which God hath ordained for thee. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

It behooveth thee to bear all hardships in the path of thy Beloved, Who hath loved thee more than thou lovest thyself, as doth testify the Tongue of God, the King, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving. Hast thou not seen My tribulation, My injury, My affliction amidst all creatures and these wicked ones? Follow then the ways of thy Lord, and among His methods is the suffering of His well-favoured servants. By God! Were there any worth to this world, I would not have committed Myself into the hands of these evil ones, nor would I have borne an atom of hardship.

Say: Take heed, O ye who are endued with insight! Let nothing grieve thee. Stand firm as an immovable mountain in the Cause of thy Lord. He is with thee and will preserve thee in truth by His command. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Compelling.

Walk thou in My footsteps in such wise that nothing shall sadden thee, even should the arrows of tribulation rain down upon thee from the clouds of the hearts of the wicked ones. Rend asunder the veils by the sovereignty of God and His command, that the sun of the remembrance of thy Lord’s name might shine forth upon the hearts of His servants, both small and great.

Thus have We imparted unto thee the word of truth so that nothing may disturb thee and thou mayest remember thy Lord in the evening and the dawn.

BH04828: It is known that the travelers unto God, after…

He is the Mighty, the Everlasting

It is known that the travelers unto God, after traversing the stages of all else besides Him, descended at the known place famous as Istanbul. Until now, nothing has been observed from its people except the customary formal courtesies, until what may appear later and what may be decreed from behind the veil of destiny. However, many withered trees and lifeless snows were observed. It seems this city was built of snow, and at every moment the warmth decreases and the cold increases. We had heard of the fire salamander, whose appearance was caused by fire, from the All-Wise, the All-Informed. However, a snow salamander had not been observed, but now many snow creatures are seen among the wondrous handiworks of the Creator. Let us see what the divine white hand of power and the radiance of the heavenly arm will manifest later. All are within His grasp and suspended by His will. There is no God but Him, the Powerful, the Self-Subsisting.

Furthermore, until now no matter has appeared, meaning no word has been spoken, and after the discussion details will be sent. Let all remain at ease in their place until its time, which is in the hand of God, the Mighty, the Beloved.

We remember all the loved ones and counsel them all not to become heedless of any remembrance of the remembrance of God, and not remain veiled from His love by love of aught else.

And peace be upon whoever follows the truth.

BH04843: This is a Book mighty and bountiful, sent down…

He is the Wondrous One

This is a Book mighty and bountiful, sent down in truth from God, the Exalted, the Great. Therein lies healing and mercy for all the worlds, and remembrance and guidance for them that know. By it every wise matter is distinguished and the believers are set apart from the idolaters.

O servant! Hearken unto the call of God from the direction of the Throne, that there is no God but Him, the Powerful, the Exalted, the All-Knowing. Say: The Beloved of the worlds hath appeared and the Spirit hath spoken between the heavens and the earth that this is verily a noble King and a mighty Sovereign.

Say: The poison of the idolaters hath penetrated the holy fingers and prevented them from writing, and what floweth from My pen beareth witness to what I say. Thus have We been afflicted time and again by those who disbelieved, and We give thanks to God for His decrees and show forth mighty gratitude.

And thou, O servant, arise to serve the Cause of God and leave behind thee the mention of the deniers. Hold fast unto God, then detach thyself from all else beside Him, and He will suffice thee in truth and He is the best of helpers and supporters.

Say: O my God! Deprive me not of the wonders of Thy mercy and render me not bereft of the sweet fragrances of Thy holiness, and leave me not, O my God, in the hands of them that have denied the beauty of Thy glorious splendor. Then send down upon me, O my God, from the heaven of Thy bounty that which will cause me to be ever turned toward Thee and detached from the worlds. And praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds.

BH04848: This is an epistle from the Sorrowful One…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Glorious

This is an epistle from the Sorrowful One, the Prisoner, unto the servants of God, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting, that they may detach themselves from all else save Him and turn unto the countenance of the Beloved, and that they may be stirred by the breezes of inner meanings which waft from the paradise of the words of God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Loving.

O loved ones of God! Have ye forgotten the remembrance of Him at Whose command the letter K was joined with its pillar N, by Whom all faces were turned toward the face of your Lord, the Mighty, the Praised, through Whom the Tree of man yielded the fruits of divine knowledge and the oceans of understanding surged in human hearts? Beware lest ye be veiled from Him by what hath been created between earth and heaven. Thus doth counsel you this grieving, sorrowful servant.

O handmaiden of God! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord from this holy and blessed quarter, that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who speaketh at this moment is indeed the Primal Point, Who hath appeared once again—whereat all witnesses and the witnessed were thunderstruck, save those who had quaffed the water of life, and these were but a numbered few. And verily, thou art of the fruits of the Ultimate Tree which was planted by the hand of the Most Glorious. Blessed be God, in Whose hand is the kingdom of all things, and all are submissive unto Him.

Remember thy Lord at all times—this is My counsel unto thee. Act thou according to what hath been counseled, for this is a manifest truth. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon the devoted women from this Sorrowful Youth.

BH04849: This is an epistle from the Prisoner to her…

In the name of Him Who was manifest above all things!

This is an epistle from the Prisoner to her who hath believed in her Lord and was among the devout, and who recognized her Lord in days when all were heedless of Him save those who had detached themselves from the world and attained unto the station which God had made sanctified from names and attributes.

O handmaiden of God! Hearken unto the call of this Youth Who hath appeared at the horizon of creation with the kingdom of verses, that His call may attract thee and detach thee from whatsoever hath been created in the world and draw thee nigh unto the repository of divine manifestations. Purify thyself from whatsoever God abhorreth, then remember Him with thy heart and tongue, and be not of them that keep silent. Beware lest thou commit that whereby the Cause of God would be wasted among His servants, for people attribute every evil deed to this station which God hath sanctified from all directions and allusions.

O handmaidens of God! Drink ye the wine of inner meanings from the chalices of utterances, then abandon that which minds abhor, for it hath been forbidden unto you in the Tablets and Scriptures. Beware lest ye exchange the Kawthar of life for that which pure souls detest. Be ye intoxicated with the wine of the love of God, not with that which confoundeth your minds, O ye who are devout! It hath been forbidden unto every believing man and woman. Thus hath the sun of wisdom shone forth from the horizon of utterance that believing women may be illumined thereby. And the Spirit be upon those who act according to what hath been commanded by God and are among the pure and repentant ones.

BH04852: Lawh-i-Quds 4

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

This is the Holy Tablet from Us to him who hath believed and been guided, wherein is mentioned that which will draw him nigh unto God, the Most Exalted, the Most High.

Leave behind what thou hast and take what hath been sent down unto thee from the One mighty in His Cause, Who hath appeared and proclaimed:

“Verily, He appeared once by the name of ʿAli, then by this name in His final return.”

Say: O people! Verily, He is the Youth of God amongst you, Who hath come unto you with the truth, with mighty signs. Hearken unto what He imparteth unto you. By God! One word from Him is better for you than the dominion of the hereafter and of the first world. Beware lest ye differ concerning His Cause after He calleth you unto God, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious. The light is for them that believe in Him and the fire for them that deny and transgress.

Say: O people! I am the Most Great Sign amongst you and the Most Exalted Word within you. Fear God and commit not that whereby My sanctity among all peoples would be violated. Arise to remember your Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High, through this Name which hath dawned forth from the horizon of the Spirit and calleth you unto the Divine Lote-Tree, the station wherein the countenance of your Lord, the Most Merciful, was illumined. Draw nigh unto Him, O people of understanding! Ascend, O people, unto My Kingdom which perisheth not, then behold the lights of your Lord’s countenance which fade not away.

Thus have We taught thee that which shall profit thee in truth and make thee to be of the people of guidance. The Spirit be upon thee from Us, and upon thy children, and upon her who is with thee, and upon the companions of righteousness.

BH04854: This is a Tablet from Us to him whom…

In the Name of God, the Most Near!

This is a Tablet from Us to him whom God has related to one of His near servants. We testify that thy father remained faithful to God’s Covenant and did not break His pledge, and was among those who stood firm until his spirit ascended unto God, the King, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. Know thou that he is with Us and abides in manifest spirit and delight. Were the veil to be lifted, the servants would behold him in an exalted station, would arise to praise him among the people, and would beseech God for his station and companionship with him in the Ridvan of wondrous glory.

Be thou grateful therefore to God for having made Himself known to thee and for having numbered thee among the believers. Grieve not over anything, and should tribulation and adversity touch thee, reflect upon My sorrows and afflictions. Thus doth this lonely Wronged One command thee.

Be thou steadfast in the love of thy Lord, then detach thyself from the idolaters. And shouldst thou see the Satan from whom thou perceivest the stench of misbelief, shun him and be under mighty protection. He appears in human form and speaks of what was revealed in the Bayan, that he might cause confusion among Our weak servants. Say: Should anyone manifest the essence of piety and worship his Lord with the devotion of both worlds, yet not believe in this Revelation, God will render his deeds void and return him to his abode in hellfire.

Walk thou in the footsteps of thy father and remind the people of this wise Remembrance. Thus have We commanded thee in truth, and I am the All-Knowing Commander.

BH05064: Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses…

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

Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses with wondrous melody, and made manifest His proof and evidence in such wise that every possessor of knowledge standeth powerless before it. He speaketh the truth in the kingdom of creation and command, and calleth mankind unto a sanctified and glorious station.

Say: O people! Believe in God and in that which was revealed in the Bayan, and follow not every rebellious devil. Follow rather God’s decree concerning yourselves and respond to God’s Call, if ye desire to find a path unto the Lord of the Throne.

Say: This indeed is Husayn, who hath fallen victim to oppression at the hands of the wrongdoers.

Say: Fear ye God, O people of the Bayan, and harm him not through your selfish desires and passions, neither slay him with the swords of your tongues, nor be ye tyrannical and wicked.

Say: By God! Your faith shall profit you not except through love for Me—thus hath it been ordained by One mighty and powerful.

And thou, O servant! Give thanks unto God that thy letter hath come before Us, and We have remembered thee on this night in this Prison which lieth behind lofty mountains, where the hands of men have been cut off from Our robe—thus hath it truly been decreed by One mighty and wise. Even so have We bestowed Our favor upon thee and revealed unto thee that which will bring peace to thy heart and detach thee from all the worlds.

And the glory be upon thee and upon every faithful and loyal believer.

BH04942: In the Name of God, the Most Invincible! Hear…

In the Name of God, the Most Invincible! Hear My call from the realm of My loving-kindness—verily there is no God but Him, the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the All-Wise.

O Moses! We chose the Interlocutor aforetime and sent him to Pharaoh and his chiefs with nine clear signs, and I am verily the Sender, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the Ancient. Among these was the staff of Command whereby We parted the sea and delivered those who believed, and drowned the idolaters.

And if thou wouldst look with the glance of the All-Merciful, thou wouldst witness that they who have denied this Revelation are drowned in the sea of passion and desire, and have returned to the lowest of the low. And they who have believed, these dwell in the highest Paradise, and are now numbered among the blessed in the Abha Paradise.

Be thou thankful unto God for having been nourished from the Tree of Faith and for having become one of those who have attained. Forget not thy Lord, but rather make mention of Him amongst His servants, that they may arise to remember and praise Him amidst all peoples.

Grieve not over anything, but place thy trust in God and be at peace within thyself. Verily He loveth those who trust in Him and aideth them through His wondrous victory. He exalteth whom He willeth and abaseth whom He willeth, and in His hand is all good. Verily He hath power over all things.

Kindle thou the lamp of His love within the lantern of thy heart, that both thy outer and inner being may be illumined thereby, and that through it the God-fearing servants of God may be enlightened. And upon thee be glory, and upon every faithful believer.

BH04960: Know that contentment lies in being content with God…

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

Know that contentment lies in being content with God, and in these days His good pleasure cannot be attained except through being well-pleased with the Manifestation of His Self, Who hath appeared with the truth amidst all worlds—before Whom all in the heavens and earth were struck with terror, save those whom God preserved through His grace, for He is verily the Powerful, the Mighty.

Adorn thy temple with the ornament of certitude amidst the concourse of creation, then speak forth the praise of thy Lord, the Merciful, amongst His heedless servants. By God! Whoso hath tasted the sweetness of His remembrance beholdeth all who dwell in the heavens as though it were the day whereon they were created, save him who findeth in his countenance the radiance of divine bounty.

Leave the people to their vain imaginings and take hold of God’s Tablet with manifest strength. Beware lest anything prevent thee from the remembrance of God, the Most Great, the All-Glorious. All shall perish and sovereignty shall remain with thy Lord, the Peerless One.

Were the world to possess any worth in God’s sight, We would not have delivered Ourselves into the hands of the idolaters. We behold a station which none hath comprehended save God; therefore We fear not the harm of the oppressors.

Walk thou in My ways, then detach thyself from the deniers. Keep thy distance from them and draw nigh unto God’s chosen ones, for in this lieth abundant good. Thus have We imparted unto thee the word of truth, that thou mayest thank God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers of old, and say: Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

BH04961: In My Name, the All-Glorious, the Most Glorious

In My Name, the All-Glorious, the Most Glorious

He is the Everlasting in the glory of His everlastingness

Hearken unto that which is revealed unto thee from the holy precincts, the wilderness of divine knowledge, the spot wherein is kindled and shineth forth the fire of the All-Merciful from the Tree of Man, and wherein speaketh forth at the heart of contingent being:

“Verily, I am God, there is none other God but Me, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.”

O servant! Call to mind the time when thou didst enter the Paran of love without turning towards it, and didst drink from the Kawthar of divine knowledge from the hand of the All-Bountiful ere thou knewest Him. Thus doth God bestow His grace upon whomsoever He willeth of His servants, and recompense those who have believed, and cast the fear of God into the hearts of them that understand. Well is it with thee for having recognized thy Lord before the recognition of all created things. Strive therefore within thyself to increase in thy recognition and to remain steadfast therein, for this is greater than the creation of the heavens and earth, and none shall remain steadfast therein save the sincere ones.

Give thanks, then, unto God for having singled thee out for His love and sent unto thee that which turneth thee toward the right hand of eternity and draweth thee nigh unto a station of glorious praise. Take hold of the Tree of the Cause, taste of its fruits, and pay no heed to this world and what lieth therein, nor to what the idolators say. Know thou that the world is the love of Mine enemies and the turning away from My sanctified, luminous and beloved Beauty. Thus doth the Dove inspire thee with the verses of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Witnessed One.

BH04970: O my handmaiden! Hearken unto that which My Pen…

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

O my handmaiden! Hearken unto that which My Pen calleth thee to in My prison, and verily it calleth thee to naught save God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. Grieve not at anything. Rejoice in the remembrance of God, thy Lord, for by His remembrance are tranquilized the hearts of them that are drawn nigh, and in it do rejoice God’s sincere servants. Say: His remembrance is the healing of every ill, the companion of every stranger, and a treasure for the poor and needy. Nothing that hath been created between the heavens and earth can be compared with His remembrance. Through it the mystics become independent of all created things, and through it do the believers ascend unto the heaven of exalted glory.

And thou, O handmaiden of God, take comfort in the remembrance of thy Lord, then detach thyself from all else beside Him, for verily He sufficeth thee above all worlds. Grieve not over anything and place thy trust in thy Lord, the Help in Peril. Verily He forgeteth not His devoted handmaidens and servants.

Be thou grateful for having attained unto the recognition of His Self and for having detached thyself from the satans who desired to cut down the Divine Lote-Tree after having sought its shade and having been among those who remembered God. But when the winds of tests blew upon them, they departed from the stronghold of God’s Cause and returned to the nethermost fire. Thus have We imparted unto thee the word of truth that thy spirit may rejoice therein, and this is indeed a great bounty.

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

BH04971: O My handmaiden! Move not thy tongue except…

He is the Most Wondrous.

O My handmaiden! Move not thy tongue except in My remembrance, and turn not except toward My direction. Efface from thy heart all things save My love, and from thine ear all save the wondrous descriptions of Me. Thus doth the Beloved counsel thee, if thou be of them that hearken.

O My handmaiden! Forget not My wondrous remembrance and harbor naught in thy heart save My exalted remembrance. Be not gladdened by the acceptance of the world and whatsoever is therein, nor be saddened by its loss. The similitude of the world is as a shadow—at times it existeth and at times it existeth not. No wise one would attach their heart to such a thing, but rather would consider it vain.

Think not that the world and what is meant by it are the ordained bounties therein or its varied ornaments, for these things are the creations of the Truth and the manifestations of His handiwork. Rather, they are the mirrors of the divine creative revelation and the manifestations of His power. Nay, what is meant by the world are they who deny the peerless Beauty and turn away from the eternal Countenance. Therefore, avoidance of such persons is necessary and turning away from them is obligatory. And today, the essence of worldliness is heedlessness of My remembrance and love of Mine enemies.

O My handmaiden! Be steadfast in My love and turn thine eyes away from all else. This is the counsel of the Pen of Command to its handmaiden.

BH04972: O handmaiden of God! Hearken unto the call…

He is the Ever-Abiding, the All-Sufficing, the All-Glorious

O handmaiden of God! Hearken unto the call of God from this Branch Who was, in truth, planted at the right hand of the Holy Vale, beside the Spot of Paradise. He speaketh the truth when He saith: There is none other God but Him, and that ʿAli-before-Nabil is, in truth, the Sovereign of the Cause gathered unto all worlds.

Therefore, rejoice thou within thyself, and be thou gladdened in thine innermost being, for the veil hath been lifted, and the covering removed, and the Youth hath dawned from the Dayspring of holy beauty. Take heed lest thou grieve over aught, then detach thyself from whatsoever is in the hands of men, and hold fast unto the hem of Him Who is, through grace, ever-extended.

Say: By God, the Truth! This, verily, is the shadow of God upon earth, and His beauty in the heaven of Command and Creation, and His proof unto all who dwell in the kingdom of the clouds and the Throne, and He is, in truth, a victorious Sovereign.

Thus do We cast upon thee from the verses of thy Lord, and recite unto thee that which draweth thee nigh unto the shore of nearness, the blessed seat of glory. Take heed lest thou fear anyone, then give to drink unto thy kindred from a cup whose essence is of camphor. Then follow thou the paths of justice, that no mischief may arise in thy land, that thou mayest be preserved within the protection of thy Lord.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon the women who dwell beneath the canopy of holiness.