Volume 039: Edirne III (year unknown, 1864–1868) (4 of 6)

BH04973: In the Name of God, the Quickener! O thou…

In the Name of God, the Quickener! O thou who art enkindled with the fire of God! Hearken unto the sighing of this Fire which hath been ignited at the heart of creation in the name of God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful. Blessed art thou, for thou hast drunk from the Kawthar of immortality and partaken of the table of thy Lord, the Most High, in the paradise of the mercy of thy Lord, the All-Merciful.

Leave the idolaters behind thee, then speak forth in praise of My Self and fear not the hosts of Satan who believed in one of the verses of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, yet denied Him Who revealed the Bayan. Say: All the Books and Tablets have appeared in the temple of the Youth. Glorified then be He Who hath appeared with power and sovereignty!

If thou hearest the clamor of those who have disbelieved, grieve not, but rather convey the Cause of thy Lord with spirit and joy. Say: O people! Do ye profess belief in My Manifestation while ye deny Him Whom He hath truly sent? Woe unto you, O people of loss! Then will the flame flee from them, and hell-fire seek refuge in God from the fire of their unbelief, and the inferno shun them, and likewise the reckoning.

And thou, drink at all times from the chalice of immortality in My Most Glorious Name, then detach thyself from those who have denied God and believed in the calf without any clear proof or evidence. May the radiance which hath shone forth from this white Hand be upon thee and upon whoso hath found solace in the remembrance of God and severed himself from the followers of all religions who have denied God, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Help in Peril.

BH04985: O Hadi! Give thanks unto God for having delivered…

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

O Hadi! Give thanks unto God for having delivered thee from the idolaters, and for having made thee to know the Manifestation of His Self, and for having detached thee from those who have disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Such thanksgiving behooveth all servants, yet God hath upon thee in this Cause a mighty claim, for had the matter been as it was before, they would have done unto thee whatsoever they desired in their hearts—and thy Lord well knoweth and is informed of what lieth within them. Ponder thou upon this, that thou mayest recognize the purpose of God and arise to render thanks and praise unto Him amongst His remembering servants.

Say: O people! Send not your women unto every treacherous man and woman. Take ye refuge in the shadow of the protection of your Lord, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. By God! He is treacherous in his very essence, his hands, and his tongue, were ye of them that know. And likewise is he who attributed that unto him—he was more treacherous than any traitor and more iniquitous than any transgressor. God is quit of them both and of their followers, and We are quit of these transgressors.

O people! Take shelter beneath the Lote-Tree of holiness. Verily it hath been among you for numbered years, and ye have known it according to your measure and capacity. Whoso denieth it is assuredly in grievous loss.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon her whom God hath related unto thee, who was among the devout ones in the preserved Tablets of glory.

BH05014: These are the verses of holiness which have been…

In the name of our Lord, the Help in Peril.

These are the verses of holiness which have been sent down from the direction of a mighty throne. Therein is mentioned he who believed in God and whose name was inscribed by the Pen of Command. Hearken unto My call from the precincts of the Prison, that there is none other God but Him, and He Who came to you aforetime hath appeared at this most luminous horizon with manifest splendors. From this horizon He summons you unto God and forbids you from every sinful proud one.

Turn thy face toward God, for verily He beholdeth thee at this moment and is ever watchful over thee. Remember Him throughout all days, and verily He shall suffice thee against all the worlds. He aids whomsoever He willeth even as He aided Me in truth and preserved Me through His sovereignty from those who have waxed proud in the earth with mighty pride. Soon shall He aid those who have desired the presence of their Lord, the All-Merciful, and verily His help through those who are nigh is at hand.

Forget all things, then find solace in the Most Great Remembrance, which hath indeed been inscribed in the Book by the Pen of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower, as a truth indisputable. Purify thy breast from the allusions of the doubtful ones and shun them, then turn with thy heart to a horizon of mighty glory. Thus doth the Supreme Pen command thee in this Most Great Prison from one who is powerful and ancient.

Then convey the glorification from God upon the countenance of thy son, and remember him with beauteous remembrance. And the glory be upon thee and upon him and upon every insightful believer.

BH05029: The remembrance of God unto His servant Rahmatu’llah…

He is God, the Most Holy, the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious

The remembrance of God unto His servant Rahmatu’llah, that he may, through the bounties of his Lord, be remembered amongst all peoples, and that the breaths of eternity may take hold of him from the direction of this Pen, and sever him from the allusions of them who have disbelieved and joined partners with God, and draw him nigh unto a station of holy praise, and make him steadfast in the Cause of his Lord in such wise that the tempests of trials from the direction of Satan shall not move him, and turn him wholly towards the court of mighty love.

O servant! Give thanks unto God, thy Lord, for having been nourished by the fruits of the Tree of Knowledge from this Paradise, which hath been established at the axis of contingent being by the command of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, as a manifest truth. Purify thyself from every allusion, that thou mayest be enabled to soar in the atmosphere of holiness and glory, and witness the Sun of thy Lord’s remembrance at its noontide zenith with a sovereignty that hath encompassed all the worlds.

By God! Whoso harboureth in his heart even less than a mote of remembrance of aught else beside Me shall never be able to soar in this atmosphere wherein the breaths of God have been sent forth as a manifest truth. Thus have We imparted unto thee the word of truth, that it may detach thee from all things and bring thee unto a station wherein thou shalt witness all created things beneath the shadow of thy Lord’s name, and remain steadfast in the Cause.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon them that have taken refuge in a mighty stronghold.

BH05031: This is a remembrance from the Prisoner to His…

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

This is a remembrance from the Prisoner to His servant Majid, that he may rejoice in the glad-tidings of the Spirit and be attracted by the fragrances of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Verily His fragrances waft forth at all times from the direction of His Name, the Mighty, the Beloved, and then from His words and what floweth from His Pen, did ye but know. Say: Were ye to look with the eye of innate nature, ye would find the hidden meanings within the garment of the words of God, your Lord and the Lord of all that was and shall be, and ye would find every garment pierced through by the spears of hatred and arrows of the enemies. Then would ye lament and weep.

Say: O people! I am God’s trust among you, and His deposit within you, and His holy and beloved fragrances. Beware lest ye object to Him Who took from you the covenant of His own Self, Who appeared in truth with the name of Ali and descended from the heaven of mighty glory. By God! I moved not except by His command, even as He moved not except through My remembrance and praise, did ye but know. He is indeed the Beloved of My heart and My soul, and that which appeareth from Me beareth witness that there is no God but Him, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

O My name! Recite thou the verses of God and turn not unto the world and its ornaments. Put thy trust in Him. Unto Him do all matters return. Upon every soul descendeth what hath been ordained for it—neither less nor more—except after His leave. He, verily, is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.

BH05070: Glory be to Thee, O my God! I beseech…

In the Name of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise

Glory be to Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst deliver those who were drowned and didst guide those who yearned for Thee, and through which was established the unity of Thy Being, free from all likeness and semblance, and the sanctity of Thy Self, purified from all similitude and opposition, to gaze with the eyes of Thy mercy upon this community who have sought Thy presence, who have drunk from the wine of Thy love, who have clung to the hem of Thy loving-kindness, and who have held fast to the cord of Thy grace. O my God! Send down upon them from the clouds of Thy mercy and the heavens of Thy tenderness that which will purify them from all else beside Thee and cause them to be devoted solely to Thy love and good-pleasure, that they may speak in remembrance of Thee, utter Thy praise, gaze upon Thy countenance, and turn their hearts toward Thy most exalted Self, Who hath appeared with Thy Most Great Name in the kingdom of creation. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Most Powerful, the Self-Subsisting.

Then send down, O my God, upon her two daughters that which will sanctify them from the mention of aught else beside Thee and from turning to any other than Thee, that they may remain steadfast in Thy remembrance and praise. Then cause them to drink, O my God, that which will draw them unto Thee. Verily, Thou art the Most Exalted, the Powerful, the All-Praised.

BH05086: God beareth witness within His Own Self, then within…

He is the Mighty, the Everlasting, the All-Praised

God beareth witness within His Own Self, then within His Essence, then in His exaltation and grandeur, that there is none other God but Me, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting. And I bear witness within My Self, then within My Essence, then in My exaltation and grandeur, that He is God—there is none other God but Him, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting. Thus hath sung the tongue of the unseen even as hath sung the tongue of the manifest, yet all people understand not.

Say: O people! By God, the Beauty of God desired not to be in your midst, did ye but know it. Say: The Ancient King was among you, yet ye recognized Him not, would ye but understand. Soon will He be taken from your midst, and remorse shall remain in your souls, would ye but perceive it.

And thou, O beloved one, stand thou firm in thy love, such that thy feet shall not slip even should all the known world oppose thee. Leave behind the world and all that is therein beneath thy shadow, and abide under assured protection. Take care that nothing on earth sadden thee—put thy trust in God, the Mighty, the Beloved. He will verily suffice thee in truth against all that was and shall be, and hath ordained for thee in the heaven of nearness that which the pen cannot recount. This is of My bounty unto thee, then of My favor towards thee, and I am the All-Bountiful, the Mighty, the Most Holy.

And thus have We bestowed Our favor upon thee that thou mayest give thanks unto God, thy Lord, and be of them who are guided by the lights of God.

BH05097: He is God! Most of the friends have been…

He is God! Most of the friends have been seized with agitation due to the tribulation of these grievous days, though We had informed them of it beforehand so that they might not be agitated but rather be among the steadfast ones. With thy Lord is the knowledge of the heavens and earth, and knowledge of all things is preserved in a guarded tablet. Should they become agitated, verily We shall never be agitated, and We shall continue to summon the people unto God, the King, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

Say: The more their agitation increases, the more We are filled with tranquility—thus mayest thou know the character of those who are nigh unto God. Say: Though they may fear for their bodies, We do not fear, for We have sacrificed Our body in the love of God, the Exalted, the Great.

O Ancient Beauty! I have sacrificed my soul for Thy soul and my spirit for Thy Cause, and I love to be reviled in Thy love and to be scorned in Thy path, even as I have heard in these days from Thy misbelieving servants.

Verily, remember thou thy Lord and pay no heed to the oppressors. Soon shall oppression and its perpetrator pass away, while justice and its manifestations shall endure, by the decree of the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Can anything withstand Him? Nay, by the Lord of the heavens and earths!

Be thou steadfast in the Cause and grieve not over anything, for soon that which shall gladden the hearts of the believers shall be made manifest. We have not forgotten thee, but Satan hath lurked in every pathway, and thus the divine fragrances have been withheld from God’s successful servants.

And the glory be upon thee and upon God’s steadfast servants.

BH05105: Thy brother hath appeared before Us and attained…

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

Thy brother hath appeared before Us and attained the presence of the Youth. Verily, He recompenseth His servants who have turned towards the direction of His good-pleasure, who have detached themselves from all else save Him, and who have sought to attain the Most Great Pilgrimage of God, whom neither the derision of the deniers nor the prohibition of the hinderers hath deterred. These are My loved ones beneath the canopies of My providence and the shadows of My mercy. Upon them be the glorification of God, the King, the Mighty, the Most High, the Great.

O Husayn! Hearken unto My words, then unite with My loved ones and associate with them in a spirit of fragrance, that thereby may be raised the standards of the guidance of the mention of thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Make thyself a servant of His Cause in such wise that His remembrance may be exalted through thee amongst His heedless servants. It behooveth My loved ones to be sanctified from all things and from whatsoever is repugnant to God’s good-pleasure, that through them may be made manifest the sanctification of His Self from any likeness and the exaltation of His Being above any similitude. Thus hath the Command been sent down from the presence of One Who ordaineth, Who is All-Informed.

A Tablet had indeed been revealed for thee aforetime, but one of the servants came between thee and it. We have therefore revealed these verses once again as a bounty from Our presence unto thee. Read thou and be of the thankful. Adorn thyself with My attributes, then manifest thyself amongst the people with My character and qualities. Thus doth it behove thee and Our sincere servants. And praise be upon thee and upon those who have detached themselves from the world and have found solace in the remembrance of God, the Mighty, the Powerful. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH05138: Whenever Thy musk-laden pen remembers Us, it earns…

Whenever Thy musk-laden pen remembers Us, it earns the reward of freeing two hundred slaves. The dewdrops of musk that trickled from the ocean of ink onto the luminous tablet of the heart—when they appeared like the point of hidden knowledge upon the preserved page—were as the beauty spot on the Beloved’s cheek, becoming the mirror of mystic knowledge and the manifestation of divine beauty.

How exalted and powerful, that He referred all letters to the Word, and the Word to the Point, and the Point to a speck of darkness, and made that darkness a Fisher, giving it dwelling on the shore of the sea of eternity! And how swift is this Fisher, who catches His prey before releasing the arrow—nay, in every instant brings a world of fishers into His net! With a single hair He has ensnared hundreds of thousands of necks, and with one glance from His eyelashes has wounded countless hearts. In a moment He has shattered the heart of creation, and in an instant has consigned all contingent beings to extinction.

O my Beloved! This letter, whose very point merits such description and is worthy of such praise—how can this perishable frame prove equal to answering it or venture to make response? Unless Thou regard it with the eye of forgiveness and behold it with the glance of favor. And glory be upon those who are with Thee and who circle round about Thee.

BH05160: This is a Book from Us to him who…

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

This is a Book from Us to him who hath believed in God, the All-Protecting, the Self-Subsisting. Walk thou in none other path save My path, turn thy face to none other face save My face, utter naught save My praise, speak of naught save My remembrance, move not save by My leave, and gaze at none other save the wondrous rays of My luminous and beloved countenance. Be thou detached from the world. Walk thou in My footsteps. Thus do We command thee, if thou art of those who understand. Avoid whatsoever God, thy Lord, abhorreth. Strive within thyself that there may appear from thee goodly deeds and pure effects, that through thy deeds thou mayest attract the hearts of those who are heedless of the remembrance of their Lord. This is true counsel, did ye but know.

Say: O people! Nothing ascendeth unto God save pure words and goodly deeds, and He loveth those who are detached. Aid ye God through your deeds, and be not of those who are veiled. Adorn your tongues with truthfulness, your temples with the ornament of trustworthiness, and your hearts with the remembrance of God, the Mighty, the Beloved. He from whom appear goodly deeds—God will praise him by His own Self, for through him are raised the standards of His Cause amongst His servants. Thus doth God counsel you in a preserved and mighty Tablet. Grieve not over anything. Rather, rejoice in thy love for thy Lord. Then seek His help in all matters. And the glory be upon thee and upon thy family and upon every praiseworthy believer.

BH05167: In the Name of God, the Most Holy…

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Great! This is a Book from the Prisoner to those who have believed in God, the King, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. They shall inhale the fragrances of the Youth from the words of their Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, and shall be numbered among those who are assured.

Do you repose in your homes while the Youth is imprisoned—how then do you find rest? Do you laugh while the Youth of God weeps—how then do you rejoice? Do you drink sweet water while the Youth must sip His own sweat like blood—how then do you remain patient? Do you gaze at the sun after the Sun of Grandeur has been eclipsed by the gestures of those who associate partners with their Lord? Do you turn to the moon after God’s Moon has been darkened through the tyranny of those who ascribe equals to their Lord?

Were We to describe Our true state to you as it deserves, by God, you would weep and lament, and were We not to pour forth patience upon you, you would surely rend your garments and sit upon the dust. Thus have We imparted to you that which causes the Most Exalted Pen to weep, and then the Tablet of Decree, and then what was and what will be, that you may become aware of what has befallen My soul after I called the people to naught but God, the King, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Beloved.

And the glory which has shone forth from the horizon of eternity be upon you if you remain steadfast in the Cause of God, your Lord, and be numbered among those who are detached, and upon those who have rejected the Evil One and believed in God, the Mighty, the All-Loving.

BH05169: In the Name of God, the Mighty, the Most…

In the Name of God, the Mighty, the Most Exalted! This is a Book sent down from God, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing, unto him who hath turned towards God and detached himself from every doubting idolator. Blessed art thou for having remained faithful to God’s Covenant and not broken His pledge at a time when We found souls in fear and perturbation.

Hearken thou time and again, and yet again, that He is God, there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath come from the heaven of the Spirit is verily God’s proof in the beginning and the end.

Say: O people! By God, your Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, calleth you from this most glorious horizon and summoneth you unto Himself. Fear ye God, O people of the veil! Say: whoso remaineth veiled from Him cannot be deemed to have attained unto faith, and is among the lost and the frustrated.

They who have hesitated in this Revelation while claiming to believe in the Manifestations of the past are like unto the People of the Book. Those who were given the Torah and the Gospel claim faith within themselves, yet they are naught but lying imposters. Likewise are the other religions—each clung to what they possessed and denied the Lord of Lords.

Thus have We imparted unto thee the truth and sent down unto thee verses from the right hand of the Throne, that thou mayest give thanks unto God, thy Lord, and recognize those who were in doubt and discord. And upon thee be glory and the Spirit, and upon those with thee, from One Who is mighty and ever-forgiving.

BH05170: In the name of God, the Most High…

In the name of God, the Most High, the Most Exalted! This is a Book from the Primal Point unto him who hath believed and been guided, and hath ascended in the knowledge of his Lord unto the Most Holy, Most Glorious Kingdom. Verily, He showeth thee from the direction of the Throne the Station whereon He is established, and causeth thee to speak the truth as a bounty from His presence, that He may draw thee nigh unto the Divine Lote-Tree and enable thee to ascend unto the ultimate Station—the Station wherein thou shalt be illumined by the lights of the countenance of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted.

Say: O people! The Youth hath come with the most great signs and calleth you unto God, the Lord of the first and the last. Verily, He appeared by the name of Ali in the first time, then by the name of Husayn in another time. Glorified be God, the Lord of the visible and the invisible! And verily, in this most glorious horizon He heareth and seeth what is uttered by those who have disbelieved and transgressed.

Blessed is he who hath believed in God in this Revelation and hath been faithful to His Covenant. Woe unto him who hath hesitated on the Path and was of them who turned away and rebelled.

Blessed art thou, O servant, inasmuch as thou hast attained unto the knowledge of God and thy name hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen. Be content with God and independent of him who waxed proud and was wretched, and chose this world over the next by following his passions and desires. And the glory be upon thee and upon him who is mindful of the remembrance of God and is of them who remember and fear.

BH05172: In the Name of the Self-Subsisting! This…

In the Name of the Self-Subsisting! This is a Book that speaketh with truth, and in it is that which kindleth the hearts of them that are near unto God. Whosoever draweth nigh unto this Fire, verily he shall be set aflame within himself, and through him shall all the worlds be set ablaze, and he shall testify that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.

O servant! Fear not the oppression of them that have wronged, and be not of the heedless. Be thou enkindled with the name of God, thy Lord, that through thee the hearts of them that are dead may be quickened. Should anyone gaze upon the countenance of thy Lord, the Almighty, the Most Glorious, the All-Knowing, make mention unto him from this Prisoner, that perchance he may arise to remember God, his Lord, and be detached from every ignoble denier.

Say: O people! I am but a servant who calleth you at all times unto God, and We command you naught save that which We have been bidden by One mighty and ancient. Beware lest ye transgress the bounds set forth in the Tablets and be numbered with the lost. Appear amongst men with the light of God and His radiance, that from your faces may be witnessed the brightness of your Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate.

And thou, O servant, render thanks unto God for having aided thee to recognize Him and numbered thee among them that have attained, and for having been nourished from the fruits of the Tree that with its branches and leaves proclaimeth: There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Inaccessible, the All-Powerful. Thus hath the Pen of Command inscribed mention of thee that thou mayest be among the thankful ones. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH05300: Thou who art wise! If thou shouldst meet Javad…

Thou who art wise! If thou shouldst meet Javad, spread this Tablet before him that he may inhale therefrom the fragrance of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, in these days when souls are seized with the cold of heedlessness and have returned to their former state, being as dead. And if thou findest him in his first temple, say: Verily the letter Qaf and Fa with the addition of Alif thereto hath been concealed. If thou art able, bring it forth through a power from Us and a sovereignty from Our presence, and I am, verily, the Mighty, the Beloved. And if thou findest him not in his first temple, search, perchance thou mayest find him in his other garment. If thou seest and knowest him, do what We have commanded thee. Otherwise, preserve this Tablet until God shall bring forth for His servants that which is treasured therein. He, verily, is the Gracious, the Forgiving, the Mighty.

Be not distressed at the delay of matters. For every matter there is an appointed time from the presence of the Ordainer, the All-Powerful. God willing, purify thy heart from doubt and set forth with complete trust, for God is the best protector and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.

Afterwards, if thou shouldst meet Mirza Javad, deliver to him that aforementioned sum, otherwise deliver it to the sacred precinct. Keep Siyyid Mihdi and others informed of all matters both general and specific.

BH05330: He is the Most Wondrous! O thou who journeyest…

He is the Most Wondrous! O thou who journeyest in God and migrateth through God! Praise be to the Beloved that thou hast entered the eternal holy Sinai and hearkened with pure ears to the melodies of God. Thou didst enter with God’s good-pleasure and return by God’s command without reluctance. Blessed art thou for having attained the presence and good-pleasure of God and for swimming in the ocean of contentment by the command of thy Ancient Lord.

O My servant, O My servant! Return thou to My dwelling-place and My loved ones, then inform them of My tribulation and imprisonment and affliction, and be thou of them that remember. Say: O loved ones of God! The back of this Wronged One hath been bent by the oppressors and black musk hath turned white.

O My servant and son of My servant! Be thou steadfast on the path of God and turn away from all else. Associate with My loved ones and shun My enemies. Hold in utmost reverence the House of God, for the holy breezes of My grace blow forth and pass through My House—verily I pass by My House at all times, did ye but know.

Convey to all the friends of God greetings from the Tongue of God. God willing, thou shalt stand before Me in all worlds and circle round Me. Convey sublime remembrance to thy kinsmen. My glory be upon thee.

BH05347: These are the holy verses sent down…

In the Name of God, the Mighty, the Invincible

These are the holy verses sent down from the heaven of God’s Will, the All-Powerful, the Most High, the Most Great, that He might guide thereby such servants in whose hearts the dove of love hath nested, and make them to be of those who have drawn nigh.

And thou, O handmaiden of God, draw near unto the Tree of Knowledge with thy heart, then detach thyself from those who have turned away. Should sorrow touch thee in the path of God, grieve not, but place thy trust in all things in God, the King, the Mighty, the All-Praised. And should joy befall thee, rejoice not, for all that hath come to pass in this world or shall come to pass shall perish, and the dominion shall remain with God, the King, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Remember thy Lord and follow not the desires of the heedless. Free thyself from all things that God may adorn thee with the ornament of His remembrance amongst the worlds. Verily, hearts that are occupied with the remembrance of aught save God shall never be illumined by the lights of the revelation of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. This is a truth about which there is no doubt, yet the people are in grievous heedlessness.

Taste thou from the Tree of Knowledge and eat of its wondrous fruits, then take shelter beneath its mighty and luminous shade. Thus have We imparted unto thee in this Tablet that which was inscribed by a glorious and wondrous Pen.

And upon thee, and upon the pure handmaidens, and upon the sincere servants, be the Spirit.

BH05349: These are the verses of God, the True Sovereign…

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

These are the verses of God, the True Sovereign, the Manifest, unto him who desires to be guided by God’s guidance and to be of them that attain.

Know thou, O servant, that He Who summoned the people unto God hath now been imprisoned in this remote prison, and there hath befallen Him at the hands of them that are veiled such as hath befallen no one before. Thy Lord is, verily, witness unto what I say.

Say: O people, judge ye fairly the Cause of this Youth, then ponder the proofs of previous Prophets and Messengers. Is any able to speak forth of his own accord that which all peoples would oppose? Nay, by my Lord, the All-Merciful, save him whom the Spirit confirmeth from the presence of the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Say: O people, render not your deeds vain, and deny not Him Who hath come unto you from the horizon of the Cause with a manifest proof. And thou, O servant, purify thy heart from human limitations, that there may be imprinted upon it the lights of thy Lord’s revelation, the Forgiving, the Bountiful.

Thus have We recounted unto thee some of what hath befallen the Youth through that which the hands of the heedless have wrought. By God! I have sacrificed My soul in God’s path and fear no one, though all the peoples should oppose Me. And I await what God hath ordained for Me—verily He is the Beloved of My heart, wert thou of them that know. And upon thee be glory from the presence of One All-Knowing, All-Wise.

BH05350: In the Name of God, the Most Manifest…

In the Name of God, the Most Manifest, the Most Manifest! These are the verses of God, the King, the Truth, the Manifest, which have been sent down through grace upon all who are in the heavens and on earth, that all may find thereby a path unto God.

Say: This is verily God’s rope stretched between you—hold fast to it, O people of unity! And this is God’s sun shining upon you—be illumined thereby, O people of truth and certitude! By it are the servants given life, and every mouldering bone.

Say: O people, doubt not this Cause, around which certitude itself doth circle, if ye be of them that know. And think not vain thoughts about this Youth. By God! He moveth in an atmosphere that the birds of the hearts of them that are well-assured can never attain.

Say: O people, suspicion is a sin in God’s Book—thus hath it been sent down in the Tablets, and thy Lord, the All-Merciful, is witness to what I say.

Blessed art thou for having drunk of My cup and soared in My atmosphere and tasted of the fruits of this Divine Tree which hath been raised up in truth and speaketh forth that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Beautiful.

Be thou steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord, then efface from thy heart the allusions of them that have turned away, that thou mayest be purely devoted to thy Lord, the Just, the All-Wise.

And the splendor rest upon thee and upon all who have attained unto the lights of guidance in this wondrous dawn. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

BH05396: He is the Mighty! Glorified be He Who guideth…

He is the Mighty! Glorified be He Who guideth whom He willeth, and verily He is the Single, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. He revealeth unto whom He willeth whatsoever He willeth, and ordaineth the matter in a Tablet well-preserved and glorious. He granteth knowledge unto whom He willeth and withholdeth it from whom He willeth, and verily He is the Single, the Most High, the Best-Beloved.

Unto Him submit all who are in the heavens and the earth, and He hath created all things through His word “Be!” and it is. His is the glory and the splendor, His the power and the radiance, His the grandeur and the perpetuity. All were created by His command and all beseech His bounty.

Say: With Him is the knowledge of the heavens and earth, and the knowledge of all things in a Book concealed. Yet His mercy hath preceded all things; therefore doth He conceal for whom He willeth whatsoever He willeth, and verily He is the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.

And thou, O servant, give thanks unto God thy Creator, inasmuch as He hath guided thee through His own Self and hath sent down unto thee this Tablet that was sent forth, that thou mayest thank God thy Creator throughout all thy days, at eventide and at dawn. Be thou steadfast in the Path and be not heedless of God thy Lord. Then hold fast unto His cord that thou mayest be among those who hold fast unto God’s protection. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who are with thee and upon honored servants.

BH05427: Blessed are they who drink from the cup…

He is God!

Blessed are they who drink from the cup of tribulation and partake of the chalice of destiny in the path of the Friend. Ever have the people of truth been distinguished and separated from falsehood in times of hardship and calamity. Happy art thou to have been afflicted with that which the Beloved was afflicted, and to have tasted from the cup which He Himself did drink. Be not sorrowful, for the world and all that is therein shall perish, while that which thy Lord hath ordained especially for thee shall endure and remain forever. Abasement in the path of the Friend is beloved. Soon shall thy sorrow be transformed into joy, and from the corner of darkness thou shalt enter the realm of light.

Say: O my Lord! In the grasp of Thy power lieth the empire of all things, and in the right hand of Thy will resideth the kingdom of creation. I testify with my tongue, my heart and my innermost being that wert Thou to desire to subjugate all created things with but the motion of Thy finger, Thou art indeed capable through the sovereignty of Thy dominion and powerful through the authority of Thy self-subsistence. Therefore, O my God, I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the Ark of Thy Cause did sail upon the ocean of Thy will, that Thou mayest deliver me from my condition, purify my heart through Thy knowledge, and make me steadfast in Thy Cause and Thy love. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and verily Thou art the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

BH05539: This is an epistle from Him Who was imprisoned…

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

This is an epistle from Him Who was imprisoned in God’s path in this far-off land, and upon Whom hath descended at every moment that which hath descended upon no one before—and my Lord is witness to what I say. Yet in all this I give thanks unto God, for I have offered up my soul in His path, and I besought Him for this before the creation of the heavens and earth. Would that I had a thousand thousand bodies and a thousand thousand souls to sacrifice at every moment for my Beloved and the Beloved of the worlds!

O Husayn! Hearken unto the call of this Husayn. By God, the tale of weeping hath returned, wert thou but of them that understand. Dost thou dwell in thy house while the Beloved is imprisoned in the lands of the heedless? Dost thou take thy rest while at every moment there descendeth upon Him that which causeth the hearts of the mystics to burn? Dost thou drink water while He sucketh from His own veins? Dost thou sleep while His eyes are fixed upon the quarter of destiny at every morn and eve? Beware lest any remembrance divert thee from His remembrance and His love. Thus doth this Youth command thee, that thou mayest be of them that act. And glory be upon thee and upon whosoever hath hearkened unto the call of his Lord and responded, and was of the sincere ones in Tablets of mighty glory.

BH05542: This is a Book from Us to him who…

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

This is a Book from Us to him who hath sought the sanctuary of his Lord’s presence, and journeyed from his home to the Most Great House, the scene of his Lord’s glory, the All-Praised, and entered the Garden of Paradise until he attained the presence of God and heard the melodies of God, the Powerful, the Glorious, the Best-Beloved. Upon him shone the lights of the countenance from this Youth, Whom He hath sent with the truth and dispatched unto every witness and witnessed thing, and made to speak with the verses of His glory, and manifested at the station of His Self amongst His creatures, whereat the pillars of existence were shaken. Among the people are those who turned away and disbelieved in God their Lord, and those who believed and sought shelter beneath this extended shade.

Blessed art thou, O servant, in that thou hast attained the presence of God and drunk the cup of inner meanings from the hand of utterance in this Paradise which God hath sanctified from allusions and limitations. And now hath risen the sun of leave from the horizon of thy Lord’s command, and We grant thee permission to return to thy dwelling, that through thee the people of heedlessness may arise. Forget not thy Lord, but rather remember Him amongst His creatures. This is what hath been ordained for thee from God, the Mighty, the Witnessed. And the Spirit and glory and splendor rest upon thee and upon those who have purified their faces for God, the Powerful, the Glorious, the All-Desired.

BH05547: This is a Book from the Primal Point unto…

He is the Mighty, the Everlasting!

This is a Book from the Primal Point unto him who was named Nabil-i-ʿAli, that he may call it to mind within himself and be of them that remember, and that he may arise to love his Lord in such wise that the souls of the ungodly shall never change him.

Know thou that We have been faithful and shall continue to be faithful—nay rather, through Us hath faithfulness been made manifest among all the worlds. And verily We have fulfilled all that We promised unto you, and by this was kindled the fire of jealousy in the breasts of that company, such that they shall find no rest upon their seats until they have shed My blood—if thou be of them that understand.

And after the Youth hath departed from your midst, it behooveth you to remain steadfast in faithfulness to My Cause, than which nothing else standeth, whether in the heavens or on the earth, or in what was or what shall be—if thou be of them that perceive.

By God! Then shall all things weep, and beyond them the hosts of holiness behind the veils of mighty glory. Soon shalt thou witness the turning away of them that turn aside from this Beauty, through Whom have shone forth the suns of the Command and appeared the signs of God and emerged the pearls of knowledge and risen the Beauty of the Unseen with luminous sovereignty.

Thus have We cast upon thee the word of truth, that thou mayest be apprised of that which was concealed and be of them that are firmly grounded.

BH11781: The candle is aflame and the heart in melting…

He is the Wondrous One!

The candle is aflame and the heart in melting anguish. None knoweth what is the cause of this, and what its reason. Some maintain that the source and essence of elemental fire is the warmth in the hearts of lovers and the sighs of yearning souls. Others hold that this quality existeth in all things, for had the attraction of the Divine Beauty not seized upon His servants, their realities, being of pure essence, would never have accepted these opposing forms, becoming thus the manifestation of worldly events and the target of earthly decrees. Therefore it becometh evident that the cause of realities and meanings accepting the garments of limitations and forms hath been, and ever shall be, the warmth of Divine love.

And in the estimation of them that are endowed with divine vision and spiritual insight, the cause of elemental fire and its generation is from the Pen of Destiny which is occupied in inscription, and from it the freedom of all created things hath been and shall be made manifest. And from that which floweth from the Pen are illumined hearts and sanctified souls set ablaze in such wise that they turn away from all who are in the heavens and on earth, and hasten unto their Source. Thus hath it been ordained from the Pen of sublime holiness.

BH05700: O Mihdi! Rejoice in the grace of thy Lord…

O Mihdi! Rejoice in the grace of thy Lord, and be enkindled by the wonders of His bounty. Drink from the cup of His remembrance, let the wine of His love set thee aflame, and hearken unto His glad-tidings. Verily I say: be not negligent in watching over the Cause of God, neither tarry nor delay. Move amongst men in accordance with the ordinances of God, and walk with His loved ones in the utmost lowliness and humility–most especially with that Beloved, in winning whose good pleasure thou must exert the fullest endeavour. Be intimate with him, and advance together in perfect love; for his satisfaction, in this day, is dear and acceptable.

O Mihdi! Suffer not thy days to pass in heedlessness. In all seasons occupy thyself with the recitation of the verses of God, and be constant in pondering His firm and decisive words. This world is fleeting. By My beauty! they who cleave unto it have never prospered, nor shall they ever prosper. Wherefore arise, with utter earnestness and consummate steadfastness, to serve the Cause of God, and be united with His loved ones. This is My command and My good-pleasure; and the inmates of the sanctuary have, from the Tongue of God, been remembered with wondrous mention… and likewise those associated with thee.

And peace be upon him who hath heard the melodies of holiness from the Beauty of God, the Most High, the Most Exalted, and hath followed His good-pleasure in his returning and his abiding place.

BH05833: He is the Mighty, the Everlasting! God hath witnessed…

He is the Mighty, the Everlasting! God hath witnessed thy letter and perceived the love for Him concealed in thy heart, and hath sent thee from this Ridvan the holy fragrances of the Beloved, that thou mayest be quickened thereby and speak forth the truth and be numbered among those who utter the verses of God, whom no blame from any blamer can deter, and whom no hindrance from those who are not guided to the beauty of God can prevent.

Say: O people! This is in truth Husayn Who hath come to you with verses, a single letter of which all who are in the heavens and on earth cannot equal, did ye but know. Say: This is He Who was promised to you after the Qa’im, did ye but perceive. He hath appeared with the adornment of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Say: God hath manifested Him amidst the enemies with such sovereignty that all have bowed down before Him, did ye but hearken.

Thus recognize the power of thy Lord, then make mention of Him morning and evening, at eventide and at dawn. And grieve thou not over anything, but put thy trust in God, thy Lord, the Mighty, the Most High, the Best-Beloved. And if tribulation should befall thee, be not perturbed, but stand firm in thy love, and He will assuredly help thee with the truth and protect thee with justice—this is a certain truth.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who are with thee and upon those who hold fast to this Cord.

BH05670: He is the Mighty. O Mohsen, bear witness…

He is the Mighty. O Mohsen, bear witness with thy tongue and heart, even as the Dove hath testified upon the sacred and exalted branches, that He is God, there is none other God but Him, and that Ali-before-Nabil is the Dawning-Place of His Cause, and His Light, and His Radiance, and His Glory unto all who are in the heavens and on earth, and He was indeed knowing of all things.

Through Him the Resurrection was established and the Hour appeared, and the Bridge was set upon the Balance of the name Ali. Through Him the Sun shone forth and the treasures of the earth were revealed of precious jewels of might. Through Him the Face appeared and Beauty was manifested from the Dayspring of a name most luminous.

And thou, O Mohsen, do thou show kindness unto thyself, then unto the people of God who are with thee, then unto those who follow God’s decree in the atomic realm of immortality and were possessed of evident certitude, and who answered God’s call within their souls and were upon a straight path.

Thus have We cast upon thee the word of truth and inspired thee with that which rejoiceth thy spirit, and have remembered thee with a wondrous holy tongue. Then convey Our greetings unto the people of God, remind them and give them the glad tidings of My love for them, that they may abide securely upon the cushions of joy.

BH05671: O Muhammad!

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

O Muhammad!

Hearken unto My call once again, even as thou didst hearken before, when thou didst enter the Garden of Paradise, the Seat of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, and didst hear His voice with thine ears, and attain His presence, and wert of them that have attained. Forget not My covenant and My remembrance. Speak forth amongst My servants in praise of My Self. Thus did We command thee before, and thus do We command thee at all times, that thou mayest be of them that act.

Verily, We have not forgotten thee, and We make mention of thee in this Tablet, that thou mayest be assured that thy Lord hath preceded in faithfulness His sincere servants. None can outstrip Him in aught. Therefore place thy trust at all times in God, the King, the Supreme, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Take comfort in the remembrance of thy Lord, for it shall suffice thee above all the worlds.

Blessed are the days wherein thou didst attain the presence of thy Lord’s countenance and didst drink from this Most Great, this Mighty Ocean. Strive within thyself to remain steadfast in His love, and let not the intimations of the idolaters cause thee to slip. Verily, Satan hath appeared in every form in every city. Thus hath the matter been decreed by One who is mighty and powerful.

Give glad tidings unto the people through this Wise Remembrance, that they may haply find a way unto Him Who is the Lord of the Throne. And the glory be upon thee and upon those who have drunk from this Salsabil which hath flowed from the Pen of might and wonder.

BH05673: In the name of God, the Most Victorious…

In the name of God, the Most Victorious, the Most Victorious! O Nassar, aid thy Lord amidst the wicked ones and be not of the heedless.

Every soul hath been created to propagate His Cause and praise His Being, yet the people are in grievous heedlessness. They who have turned their faces toward My countenance, these are the dwellers of Paradise, and the holy angels shall glorify them. And they who have turned away shall enter the fire.

Say: O people! Spread not corruption in the earth after it hath been set in order, neither shed blood nor commit that which is unseemly. Sanctify yourselves and surrender not to your desires, and be not of them that are far removed. Take hold of the ways of God with power from Our presence and be not of them that forsake them.

Say: Victory in this Revelation hath been confined to remembrance and utterance, at the time when He Who is the All-Merciful hath established Himself upon the throne of His Name. Would that ye might know! Detach yourselves from all else but Him, then turn toward Him with pure hearts and radiant faces.

Glorification from Our presence be upon thy son who hath been named Habib, that he may open his lips in praise of his Lord, the All-Knowing, the Peerless. And glory be upon thee and upon him and upon them that have detached themselves from the world and followed the paths of truth and certitude. And praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds.

BH05687: O handmaiden of God! After every hardship comes ease…

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

O handmaiden of God! After every hardship comes ease, after every distress comes tranquility, and after every separation comes nearness and reunion. If the pure handmaidens and assured believers were certain of the existence and permanence of God, they would not fear their own non-existence and evanescence, nor would they be saddened by any vicissitudes.

For the shadow has ever been with the sun and moves around it, and the fruit has ever been with the ultimate tree—at times manifest and at times hidden. Yet the non-existence and evanescence of the shadow becomes the cause of its nearness and reunion and its very existence. None but the righteous have had or will have a share of this cup.

And whosoever attains to this station and causes his own will to be annihilated in the Will of God, has everlastingly been in nearness to the Eternal Presence. Therefore, wherever you may be, you are present with Us and standing before God. My mercy be upon you and upon Our remembering handmaidens.

And beyond this, at all times the realities of all things are present before the Divine Throne and recount what has befallen them, but people are unaware and do not comprehend.

BH05719: These are the verses of holiness which We have…

He is the Mighty!

These are the verses of holiness which We have sent down in truth from Our presence upon all the worlds, that the people may follow the paths of their Lord and enter into the garden which hath been made manifest in the name of God.

Say: O people! Hearken unto that which the Spirit casteth upon you, and follow not those unto whom God hath given no authority and who are recorded in the Mother Book as among the heedless. Follow ye the path of God, unto Whom belongeth the kingdom of the heavens and of the earth, and follow not every foolish madman.

Thus do We cast upon thee the word of truth and reveal unto thee that which gladdeneth thy heart and delivereth thee from the veils of fancy through this Name which hath been concealed from the eyes of the mystics. Say: By God! This is the Beauty of the Unseen Who hath appeared in truth, despite those who have denied God and been veiled from this Youth.

O Rahim! Rejoice thou within thyself, then give glad tidings unto the people, and fear no one but place thy trust in God, thy Lord. Verily He will protect thee from every rejected misbeliever. And beware lest thou deviate from wisdom by even less than an atom, lest discord be stirred up and harm return to the court of the glorious Beloved.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon every believer who hath been regarded by the eye of God.

BH05738: The remembrance of God’s servant—verily through His…

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

The remembrance of God’s servant—verily through His remembrance He quickeneth every decomposed bone, and verily His remembrance is the Physician of hearts, whereby every soul is healed of every ailment, and He is, verily, powerful over all things. Remember thy Lord and forget not God’s favor unto thee when He brought thee forth from thy mother’s womb and nurtured thee through the hands of grace until He caused thee to recognize the Manifestation of His Self and made thee among those who have attained success, inscribed in the Tablet.

Aid thy Lord in teaching My Cause that perchance the people may drink from this Wine which hath been sealed with the seal of might. It hath been prescribed for every soul to teach His Cause that the signs of God may be spread among His servants and that they may be united in this Cause which hath been inscribed in the Book. Fear thou no one but place thy trust in God, thy Lord, and He will suffice thee against all the worlds.

Wash the people with the spirit and with this Kawthar which hath flowed from the fingers of grace in a wondrous paradise of glory. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon whosoever hath been illumined by the lights of the Countenance and is numbered among the believers, recorded in the Tablet. By God! He is renowned among the denizens of the Supreme Concourse as one of the people of Baha.

Convey Our greetings unto thy wife and unto those who have been with thee on a straight and glorious path.

BH05763: Praised be He Who sendeth down verses morning…

In the Name of the Most Glorious, the Most High!

Praised be He Who sendeth down verses morning and evening, yet none believed in them save those who were carried away by the winds of the will of their Lord, the All-Merciful.

Say: O people, deal fairly with this Youth, then fear God, O people of the Bayan, and deny not Him Who hath come unto you with the verses of ʿAli, then with the proof of Muhammad, and with that whereof no likeness hath appeared in all creation.

Say: Do ye dispute with Him Who hath come from the Dayspring of the Cause with power and sovereignty? He hath indeed beheld such signs of His Lord as cannot be described in words.

Say: The eye of the Spirit hath not deviated; verily He is, at this moment, in the Most Sublime Prospect, calling you unto God, the Most High, the Most Exalted, from this Most Glorious Horizon. He desireth no recompense from you; His reward is with God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Bountiful.

Well is it with thee, O servant, for having believed in God and separated thyself from the hosts of Satan. Guard thyself henceforth, for they who have disbelieved and associated partners with God have appeared with such craftiness as the eye of creation hath never witnessed the like thereof. They are indeed in manifest loss.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon whoso hath recognized God in this Revelation and is firmly seated upon the throne of certitude. Praise be to God, the Sovereign, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Compassionate.

BH05766: Glorified be He Who created the heavens…

In the name of our Lord, the Help in Peril!

Glorified be He Who created the heavens and the earth by His command. He, verily, is the Omnipotent, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. He hath ordained for every soul that which beseemeth it, and He, verily, is the Just One in what He hath decreed in the preserved Tablets of glory. He wrongeth no one by so much as a grain of mustard seed, but people wrong their own selves. He hath commanded them to observe justice and goodness, yet they act not accordingly. He forbiddeth them tyranny and wickedness, yet they persist in committing them.

Say: O people! Fear ye God, and follow not the ways of them that scoff at His signs. He guideth you unto the Most Great Paradise—will ye then deny His favor? He commandeth you only that which draweth you nigh unto a station of glory well-beloved, and He seeketh no recompense from you, nor doth He desire your gratitude. Fear God, O people, and follow not the ways of them that spread corruption. Walk ye in the paths of truth—this is better for you, would that ye might understand.

And thou, O servant, rejoice in what hath been sent down concerning thee from this wronged Servant Who is imprisoned in this land, after having called all unto God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon them that gaze toward the Dayspring of Glory.

BH05778: Give thanks that thou wert not present…

He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise

Give thanks that thou wert not present with the Ancient Beauty on this journey. By God, the True One! The heavens wept and the earth lamented, and the hearts of existence were consumed. Such grief and sorrow, such tribulation and affliction descended from the clouds of divine decree that all the members of the household are now ill. Yet in all conditions we remain content and thankful. Do thou likewise neither lament nor grieve, but be content with the divine decrees and whatsoever hath been ordained by Him.

O handmaiden of God! The world and all that is therein is not worth even a mustard seed. Set thy heart upon God and be detached from all else but Him. Complain not of the Friend, for He hath not forgotten thee, and whatsoever hath transpired of separation and parting was through divine decree and heavenly destiny. Some time ago a certain matter was intended, but God ordained what He desired. Be not disheartened—be content with the good-pleasure of the Friend.

Convey my greetings to thy mother and other relatives. Walk thou in utmost dignity and composure. And the glory be upon thee and upon those women who have believed in God, the Mighty, the Powerful. Convey greetings from God to all the women believers.

BH05809: The melodies of God have been raised in this…

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

The melodies of God have been raised in this Paradise which was known by His name. Say: Paradise hath appeared in the temple of the Youth. Blessed be He Who hath revealed that which was hidden from the eyes of the world.

O handmaidens of God! Know ye the value of these days, for they are like unto the days in which Ali appeared in truth—nay, rather, this is the Sovereign of days, and God is witness unto this. Remember God Who created you for the recognition of the Manifestation of His Self, Who hath come upon the shadows of the Cause with manifest sovereignty.

And thou, O handmaiden of God, purify thy heart from the love of aught else, that the sun of the beauty of thy Lord’s remembrance may be imprinted thereon, for verily it hath been recorded by this name in the Mother Book. Praise thy Lord, then prostrate thyself before God Who created thee and all things, though He was independent of all worlds. Then seek forgiveness from thy Lord, for verily He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Merciful.

Thus have We remembered thee in this Tablet that thou mayest rejoice and be illumined by the lights of the countenance. And the glory be upon thee and upon those handmaidens who have fallen prostrate in the dust before God, in Whose grasp is the dominion of the kingdom of the heavens and earth, and verily He encompasseth all things.

BH05852: Say: O people of the Bayan! Hearken unto…

In the Name of our Lord, the Most Merciful

Say: O people of the Bayan! Hearken unto the call of this Prisoner. He commandeth you to observe that which God hath ordained in all the Tablets. He desireth from you neither recompense nor thanks. Follow that which ye have been commanded, and be not of them that comprehend not.

Gather ye together in support of God’s Cause and His religion—this would be better for you, did ye but know. Drink ye of the Kawthar of faith from this cup which hath appeared in the name of your Lord, the Most Merciful, wherein is that which bringeth tranquility to hearts. Cast not behind you the ordinances of God. Follow that which hath been sent down in truth from the heaven of God’s might, the Overshadowing, the Self-Subsisting.

Say: O people! Cause no division in God’s Cause, and break not His Covenant, and be not of them that perceive not. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of the breezes of this springtime. By God! Through them the Lote-Trees of existence bear the fruits of the knowledge of your Lord, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Thus doth this Prisoner counsel you at a time when tribulations have encompassed Him from all sides and His servants have risen in opposition against Him. Thus was the decree, did ye but know.

And peace be upon thee and upon them that have believed in God in these days—they are indeed honored servants.

BH05908: This is a Holy Tablet from God to him…

This is a Holy Tablet from God to him who believed in the Spirit in His days and journeyed unto Him until he entered the seat of the Throne and was recorded among the successful ones in the Tablet, and unto whom were directed the holy glances in the gathering of intimacy, and who heard the call of God with his own ears and drank from the hands of grace the sealed choice wine. Know thou the worth of that which thou hast attained, then relate unto the people that which thou hast heard and witnessed. Beware lest thou add or take away therefrom. Thus doth the Youth counsel thee from before the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

Thy letter hath come before Us and We have taken note of its contents. Verily thy Lord is informed of all things, and with Him is the knowledge of the heavens and earth and whatsoever is concealed in the hearts of all the worlds. However, We conceal through Our forbearance and then Our mercy which hath preceded all things, and verily He is merciful unto His servants.

We were with thee and thy companion and heard what he mentioned both secretly and openly, and verily thy Lord encompasseth all things. Nothing moveth save after His leave and with Him is the knowledge of all things preserved in a Book. Grieve thou not over anything. Remember thy Lord amongst His servants and be thou steadfast in a manifest way.

And the Glory be upon thee and upon every discerning believer.

BH05909: This is an epistle from the imprisoned Stranger…

In the Name of God, the All-Powerful, the Sovereign

This is an epistle from the imprisoned Stranger to him who hath believed in God, the Mighty, the One, the Peerless.

Worship none but Him. He, verily, suffices thee in truth. He is possessed of invincible strength. He aideth whom He willeth through His sovereignty, and He, verily, hath power over all things. His is the bounty and the grace, and He, verily, knoweth all things.

Say: Verily He appeared aforetime under the name of Ali before Nabil, and in this Revelation under the name of Husayn before Ali. Say: This pertaineth to the Seven Letters, if ye be of them that know. And ye were promised Him in the Tablets of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Say: He was, verily, the Herald of My Own Self—read ye the Bayan, that ye may be of them that understand. Say: Were it not for this One, that One would not have been, and He hath testified thereunto, whilst ye remain heedless. Say: He liveth in the All-Glorious Horizon.

Blessed be He Who hath dawned from this luminous Horizon and hath proclaimed:

“Noon-tide approacheth while ye slumber even as We found you among the slumberers.”

Thus have We taught thee and cast upon thee that which sufficeth the worlds, would they but ponder upon this Cause for less than a moment.

As to them that have disbelieved, nothing shall profit them save the punishment of thy Lord, and He, verily, is possessed of terrible might. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

BH05917: This is a letter from this Youth to him…

In the Name of God, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting

This is a letter from this Youth to him who desires to drink from the Kawthar of immortality from cups of impregnable glory, that perchance the words of God may influence him and draw him nigh unto a station of exalted glory.

O servant! Purify thy heart from the allusions of all who are on earth, that the lights of thy Lord’s revelation may be imprinted thereon, and this is a bounty which hath been, in the Tablet, magnificent. Fear God and be not of the doubters in His Cause. Then stand firm in the Cause and follow not those who have denied God and were far removed from the tree of nearness.

Say: O people! The servant hath come unto you with clear signs and calleth you unto God Who created you and created all things, and He desireth from you neither recompense nor thanks. Fear ye God and commit not that which is indecent, for it hath been forbidden unto you by One mighty and all-knowing. Follow ye God’s ways and His bounds and follow not every sinful ignorant one.

Thus have We made mention of thee in truth that thou mayest follow that which thou hast been commanded in this Tablet and mayest be detached from all created things. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who have believed in this Most Great Announcement and who have detached themselves from every rebellious wretched one.

BH05918: This is a Book which hath been sent down…

This is a Book which hath been sent down in truth from the heaven of God, the Exalted, the Great. Therein is that which hath attracted the hearts of the sincere ones.

O people! Hearken unto that which hath been sent down unto you from God, your Beloved and the Beloved of them that know. Whoso hath heard it hath attained unto that which none attaineth except he who cometh before the All-Merciful with an illumined heart.

Say: O people! Differ not in God’s Cause, and be not of them that join partners with God. Fear God, and make not your desires the standard of judgment, and be not of them that lose. Read ye what hath been sent down unto you, then act according to what ye have been commanded in the Tablets, for this is a mighty good. They who have committed that which was forbidden them in the Tablets, these have transgressed the bounds set by God and are of the heedless ones. And they who have acted according to what they were commanded, these shall abide in the paradise of wisdom among them that rejoice.

O servant! Hear thou My call, then be thou assured through thy Lord’s grace, for He forgetteth not His sincere servants. Then remember Him at all times, for by His remembrance the sleeping servants of God shall be awakened. And upon thee be the Spirit, and upon whosoever hath detached himself from all things and found solace in the remembrance of God, the Most High, the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent.

BH05930: In the Name of God, the Most Mighty…

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

God hath prescribed for all people to visit this Most Great Shrine, which He hath forbidden unto those who have disbelieved and associated partners with Him, and which He hath specifically reserved for those servants who have turned unto Him in humility and penitence.

Hearken unto My words: Free thyself from the world, then enter into the wilderness of detachment, the place wherein the lights of Beauty have dawned forth with the sovereignty of grandeur and majesty, that thou mayest discover that which no one else hath discovered. Thus have We imparted unto thee the word of truth, as a grace from Us unto thee and unto those possessed of understanding.

Leave all creation behind thee and say: In the Name of God and by God, then traverse the path with the power of God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Bestowing. Purpose for thyself naught except what God hath purposed and willed, for He desireth for no one save that which will distance him from self and passion and draw him nigh unto the Manifestation of His Self, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious. God sufficeth as a witness, and he who possesseth knowledge of the Book.

Detach thyself from the murky and perishable water, then take in thy right hand the everlasting and eternal cup and drink therefrom. By God! That which is therein will purify thee from doubt and misgiving. Thus hath it been decreed by the Most Effective Pen from God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving.

BH05976: O servant! Hear My call, then grieve thou…

In the Name of God, the Ever-Abiding

O servant! Hear My call, then grieve thou with My grief and imprisonment. By God! No greater tribulation hath befallen My soul than that which hath befallen My loved ones, if ye be of them that understand.

Verily, they who have been martyred in the path of God—these hath God made detached from all else save Him and caused them to ascend unto a station of glorious honor. And now the angels of Paradise circle round them with chalices of Kawthar and Salsabil. Would that I were with them and had attained unto the Most Exalted Companion in the presence of thy Lord’s mercy, the Mighty, the All-Praised!

But as for him who sowed corruption and killed—verily he hath met the recompense of his deeds, for by his action were troubled the hearts of them that profess the unity of God. And they who were slain, having committed no wrong—round them circle the denizens of the highest Paradise at eventide and at dawn, offering up their very souls in their path, while the people of the Concourse of the near ones derive light from their countenances. How blessed are they in having attained unto the mercy of their Lord and in being numbered among the martyrs!

As for thee, render thanks unto thy Lord and grieve not for aught, for He sufficeth thee above all created things. Find sufficiency in Him rather than in aught else, and associate not any partner with Him, for verily He is One in His essence and then in His actions, were ye of them that know.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon the steadfast servants of God.

BH09797: He is the Beloved One! O handmaiden of God!…

He is the Beloved One! O handmaiden of God! Praise God that thou hast drunk from the wine of the Most Merciful’s grace and hast been nourished from the chalice of bounty. Among the Concourse on High thou art mentioned as a handmaiden of God, and among the people of earth thou art known as a maidservant of the Beloved. Thy service hath not been, nor ever shall be, effaced from the view of the Most Great Scene.

O My maidservant! Move among the handmaidens of God in the sanctity of the Ancient Beauty, that perchance all may be sanctified through thy holiness from the defilement of self and passion, and soar in the atmosphere of detachment.

Hearken unto the counsel of the Most Exalted Pen and say: Deprived is the soul that turneth from the immortal Wine to that which perisheth, and from the manifestations of the lights of oneness to the promptings of self. O servants! If ye be lovers, behold, the Beloved is present; if ye seek the Wine, lo, the Cup of the Beloved floweth manifest and evident. Cast off the wings of fancy and with the wings of reality soar toward the realm of the All-Merciful.

This is the Sun of counsel and utterance that hath shone forth from the Dayspring of the mouth of the All-Glorious. Blessed are they that hear and are illumined thereby.

My handmaiden! Thou hast become aware of the attributes of the Beauty of Oneness and art informed of the sanctity of the Ancient Beauty. Apprise the handmaidens of God that perchance they may purify themselves from whatsoever God loveth not.

BH11786: The Day hath come, and the people have denied…

He is the Most Great, the Most Glorious!

The Day hath come, and the people have denied God, the Almighty, the Compeller. The signs have appeared and the verses have been sent down, while the people flee to the right and to the left. Say: There is no refuge for anyone this Day save in God, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. Say: Do ye flee from your Lord, the All-Merciful? Whither can ye flee? The idolaters have been seized by their forelocks and beards, looking about in all directions, perchance they might find for themselves some way of escape. Say: Ye have left escape behind you; hasten ye then to what hath been ordained for you of chastisement.

We seized those who oppressed aforetime, and soon shall the others among the factions join them. Turn not unto the world, but behold the generations of old, for therein lieth a lesson for men of understanding. Each hath attained according to his deeds—among them were those who found a goodly end, and among them were those who found an evil abode.

Grieve thou not over anything, for with thy Lord is a station for thee. Blessed is he who hath fulfilled the Covenant. Be thou steadfast in such wise that even should all in creation deny the All-Merciful, thou wouldst remain firm and proclaim: “The Kingdom is God’s, the One, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving!” Remember thy Lord and place thy trust in Him. Verily, He is with His chosen servants. And praise be to God, the Sovereign, the Almighty, the Supreme, the All-Powerful.

BH06024: In the Name of God, the Ever-Abiding! The Prisoner…

In the Name of God, the Ever-Abiding! The Prisoner in Adrianople calls out and says: Another tribulation has been decreed for Us. Soon will they imprison Baha in the fortress of ʿAkka with utmost humiliation. Verily it is the most unsightly of the world’s cities in appearance, the most detestable in climate, and the most putrid in water. Thy Lord knoweth what is hidden in the breasts of men. Soon shall its climate be changed, and there shall enter it those who will develop it, for God hath adorned it with the embellishment of His Most Great Name, the All-Glorious.

They desired to banish Us from this land to extinguish God’s Cause and quench the fire of His love in all else. Say: This humiliation is glory for this Cause, and this tribulation is oil for this Lamp, whereby its light increaseth among the worlds.

Be thou assured through thy Lord’s grace, then thank Him in thy days, and forget not the Youth Who swimmeth in the depths of tribulation and glorifieth His Lord, the Lord of Names and Attributes, saying:

“O my Lord! Make known to Thy servants him who calleth upon Thee at morn and eventide.”

And upon thee be peace, and upon thy brother and thy son, and upon those who are with thee among them that have detached themselves unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds. Convey my greetings to my loved ones, both young and old.

BH06048: O My handmaiden! Hearken unto My call, then detach…

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

O My handmaiden! Hearken unto My call, then detach thyself from all else but God, and make mention of thy Lord in the evening and at dawn. Grieve not for what hath befallen thee in the path of God, for He shall soon reward thee with the most excellent of rewards from His presence. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.

Make mention of thy Lord, then be thou steadfast in devotion, and bow down in worship. Despair not of thy Lord’s grace, for He will assist thee with the truth and will send down unto thee that which is best for thee. There is no God but Him, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Unconstrained.

Act thou according to His good-pleasure, then abandon what thou hast been forbidden in the Books and Scriptures. Then give thanks unto thy Lord for having enabled thee to recognize the Manifestation of His Self in these days wherein all have remained heedless of Him save His chosen servants.

Detach thyself from the world and all that is therein, and walk not in the ways of them who have remained heedless of the remembrance of God and have taken their idle fancies for their god besides God, and were of the wicked ones. The world and all that is therein shall perish, and sovereignty shall remain with thy Lord, the Mighty, the Almighty.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon such handmaidens as make mention of their Lord in the watches of the night and at the ends of the day.

BH06050: In My Name, the All-Bountiful!

In My Name, the All-Bountiful!

O handmaiden of God! Blessed art thou and blessed is thy brother who migrated unto God until he entered the seat of the mighty throne, and the lights of the Divine Countenance shone upon him, and God chose him for Himself. This is indeed a glory and honor for him and for thee and for the kindred whom God hath related unto him. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Strong, the Mighty.

Give thanks unto thy Lord, then place thy trust in Him. Verily, He is with thee and with His assured servants. Make mention of Him among the handmaidens, then detach thyself from the love of all who are in the heavens and on earth.

Grieve not concerning Our Name “The Bountiful.” We verily preserved him by the truth from the hosts of the ungodly when he was in prison with a few souls. We caused him to go forth by Our command and sent down upon him tranquility from Our presence until he sought refuge in the shadow of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. And he is with Us, and God was with him, and He is the best Protector and Helper.

Thus have We imparted unto thee that thou mayest rejoice in what hath been imparted from the presence of One Who imparteth knowledge. And the Glory be upon thee and upon whosoever hath held fast unto the handle of grace and was of the steadfast ones.

BH06052: O Salman! Hearken unto My call from the direction…

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

O Salman! Hearken unto My call from the direction of My prison, then inform the people of what hath befallen Me at the hands of Mine enemies. Speak thou the truth and fear no one, and place thy trust in God, thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower.

Say: O people! Fear ye God, and commit not that which hath been forbidden you. Remember your Lord at eventide and at dawn, and guard yourselves against the wiles of Satan, for he appeareth at all times with cunning. Seek ye refuge in God, O company of the righteous, that He may, through His power and sovereignty, protect you from his evil.

Blessed art thou, O Salman, for thine eyes did overflow with tears when thou wert separated from the presence of the Countenance, and through thy sorrow was the heart of this Prisoner made sorrowful. Thy Lord, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Praised, doth bear witness to this.

Strive thou within thyself to remain steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord, such that the whisperings of the rebellious ones who have denied God’s Messengers aforetime without proof or evidence shall not cause thee to slip. The Spirit be upon thee and upon those with thee and upon them that have believed in God in these days wherein the peaks of the mightiest trees were scattered.

BH06053: Bear thou witness within thyself, then within thine essence…

He is the Self-Subsisting, the All-Knowing!

Bear thou witness within thyself, then within thine essence, then within thy spirit, that verily there is no God but Him, the Single, the Self-Subsisting, the Mighty, the Self-Existing, and that Ali is His servant and His Glory unto all who are in the heavens and the earth, did ye but know it.

Say: By God! The Sun hath dawned from this Hidden Dawn, and the Youth hath appeared from behind the veils through this Name, the Concealed, the Sorrowing. Thus hath crowed the Cock of the Divine Throne, and sung the Dove, and warbled the Nightingale of Paradise, did ye but hear it.

And thou, give thanks unto God, thy Lord, for that He hath sent down unto thee verses in an eloquent Arabic tongue, that thou mayest rejoice within thyself and be gladdened in thy heart and receive the glad-tidings of the Spirit, and be of them who rejoice at the verses of God. And when the verses of God are sent down unto them, their eyes roll in their sockets out of longing and love for God, the Protector, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Holy.

Thus doth thy Lord remember thee on this night, that thou mayest be of them who are guided by the lights of God. And the Spirit and the Light and the Glory be upon thee and upon them who walk upon the path of might.

BH06054: O Abdul-Karim! O thou servant named before as Karim!…

O Abdul-Karim! O thou servant named before as Karim! Give thanks unto God thy Lord, inasmuch as He hath honored thy countenance by turning it away from aught else but Him, and hath purified thee from the defilement of those who have denied God, the Powerful, the All-Forgiving. He hath nourished thee with the fruits of the Tree of His love. Thus doth God ordain for His chosen servants. Rejoice thou in the gladness of God, though He Who biddeth thee rejoice is himself in such sorrow that the Trees of Oneness have been deprived of their fruits.

I bear witness that thou hast visited the Sanctuary of God and circumambulated the Holy Kaaba in the ascension of eternity above the Lote-Tree of the Utmost Boundary, nigh unto the Most Glorious and Most Luminous Pavilion—that Station beyond which all names and attributes are cut off. God hath openly conversed with thee in the sweetest tongue, that thou mayest remain firm in His Cause and be detached from all that hath been created, whether in secret or in public. By God! O servant, the Word of God hath been perfected in truth and justice, and His favor hath been completed upon thee and upon every discerning believer.

When thou returnest from before the Divine Throne and enterest the City of God, inform those who are consumed by the fire of separation about what hath befallen the Sun of the Horizons at the hands of these wicked ones. Say: The Countenance of the All-Glorious hath been transformed by the blows of destiny, and thereby have the clouds been prevented from their rain and the trees from their fruits.

BH06095: O Ali! Thou hast attained the presence of God…

O Ali! Thou hast attained the presence of God and been illumined by the light of His countenance—and this is a great bounty.

O Ali! Detach thyself from all who are in the heavens and on earth, then proceed with the spirit of God and His good-pleasure to the city, and inform its people of what thou hast witnessed and known of the harm that hath befallen the Ancient Beauty from the idolaters.

O Ali! Adorn thyself with My characteristics and associate with My loved ones in complete humility.

O Ali! Forget not the firm counsels which thou didst hear from the tongue of God before His throne. Occupy thyself in remembrance of the Beauty of Him Who is the Unconstrained at early morn, and seek communion with Him at the hour of dawn.

O Ali! Remembrance of Me is a healing medicine to the souls and a light to the hearts of men. Be not heedless of the Eternal Countenance for the sake of this transient world, and be not grieved by its hardships. In all matters place thy trust in the Sovereign of Revelation. If thou actest according to divine counsels, thou shalt attain the Most Great Good and the Most Manifest Horizon.

O Ali! Be thou intimate with My messenger, for verily the glances of My loving-kindness have ever been directed towards him. Thus doth the Ancient Beauty command thee, that thou mayest be among those who act.

BH06116: Blessed is He in Whose hand is the kingdom…

In His Name, the First

Blessed is He in Whose hand is the kingdom of the dominion of the heavens and earth. Verily He is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth and the Ruler over whatsoever He desireth.

Say: O people, commit not that whereby the honor of the Cause will be lost among the heedless servants.

Say: O My loved ones, take heed lest ye spread corruption in the land after its reformation. Be ye the trustees of God on earth and His chosen ones amidst the idolaters. Beware lest ye shed blood, for God hath forbidden this unto you in the Tablets of God, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Omnipotent.

Say: Whosoever sheddeth the blood of any one, he is not of Me and God is quit of him. Thus hath the command been revealed in a preserved Tablet. Sanctify yourselves from whatsoever ye have been forbidden in the Book from One Who is Mighty, All-Wise.

Say: O people, follow ye the ways of God and His religion, and dispute not about His verses, and be ye not of the wrongdoers. Whoso wrongeth anyone hath indeed neglected the remembrance of God and is accounted among the lost.

And thou, render thanks unto God for that the Pen of Command from this repentant, penitent servant hath moved to make mention of thee. And mercy be upon thee and upon God’s sincere servants.

BH06170: A remembrance unto Abdullah, that he may find joy…

In the Name of God, the All-Knowing!

A remembrance unto Abdullah, that he may find joy within himself and remember God at dawn and sunset, and stand firm in such wise that the whisperings of the people of hypocrisy shall not cause him to slip. Arise in the love of God and His Cause, and turn not unto them that have violated the Covenant.

Say: O people, be not grieved in adversity, nor be ye troubled in tribulation. By God! The spirit must be sacrificed for God, the Lord of the first and the last, in these days wherein the Sun of the horizons hath dawned from the dayspring of the Command. Say: In His hand is the dominion; He preserveth whom He willeth through His sovereignty. Verily, He is the Protector of them that have believed on the Day of Meeting. As for them that have disbelieved, God will soon chastise them with a punishment from His presence, and they shall find none besides Him to protect them.

Say: Are ye content with this earthly life, and have ye forgotten Him in Whose possession is the decree of beginning and return? Thus have We cast upon thee the word of truth and revealed unto thee the verses with power and sovereignty. Be thou assured in thyself that God is with them that have fulfilled what they covenanted and have not transgressed what was ordained in the Book. And the Spirit be upon thee from God, the Mighty, the Bestower.

BH06182: Glorified is He Who hath sent down the verses…

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

Glorified is He Who hath sent down the verses in truth and hath ordained therein the measures of all things. He is verily the Mighty, the Unconstrained. He hath manifested the Manifestation of His Self with the name of ʿAli, to give glad tidings unto all men of the Revelation of God, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Compelling.

But when the clouds parted and the Promised One came with sovereignty and power, then those who had believed denied Him, and all who are in the heavens and on earth were dismayed, save those whom God preserved through His grace and purified from the imaginings of the wicked.

Blessed art thou for having attained unto the recognition of God and believed in Him in days wherein the Sun hath dawned from the horizon of the Cause, and by its light were illumined the denizens of the highest Paradise and then Our honored servants. Make mention of thy Lord amongst His servants, then aid this Wronged One Who hath been afflicted at the hands of the wicked.

Say: O people of the Bayan, die in your wrath! By God, the True One, the King, sovereignty on that Day belongeth unto God, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Subduer.

Convey Our greetings unto the faces of those who are with thee, that they may remember their Lord at eventide and at dawn. And the splendor of God be upon thee and upon those who have ascended unto God and have attained unto the lights of faith at this Daybreak which hath shone forth from the horizon of God, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.

BH06219: Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli, He is the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting!

Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli, He is the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou hearest my weeping and my crying in this prison which is in the farthest reaches of Thy kingdom and the most remote of Thy lands, such that none can draw nigh unto the Tree of Thy nearness and the Branch of Thy communion. Yet, by Thy glory, O my God, were I to be tormented more severely than this, such that the limbs of my body be torn asunder by the hands of the ungodly among Thy creation and the rebellious ones among Thy creatures, it would but increase my love for Thee, my ardor in Thee, and my longing for Thee. For whoso hath tasted the sweetness of Thy love, neither tribulations can keep him from the gate of the city of Thy mercy, nor calamities from the precincts of the glory of Thy grace.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! When the gates of the outpouring of Thy bounty were opened unto Thy servants, I beseech Thee by that Name through which grace hath appeared from the Dayspring of Thy favors, that Thou protect this servant who hath attained unto the presence of the Sovereign of Thy oneness at every daybreak. Then assist him, O my God, with Thy help, and grant him that which is best for him from the Kingdom of the dominion of the heavens and earth, and make him steadfast in Thy love, and establish him upon Thy path, lest his feet slip from Thy straight way. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful, the Generous.

BH06225: O people of truth! God grant that ye are…

In the Name of the Incomparable Friend

O people of truth! God grant that ye are happy and cheerful by the grace of God and the outpourings of His loving-kindness on this triumphant Day. Verily, it is the King of days. He who is other than the Friend is the enemy; flee him; and he who is other than the Beloved is the snake; fly from him. The scorpions of spite lurk in ambush, and the dragons of jealousy lie in wait. Seek thou shelter in the Greatest Name, and appear in the utmost strength and power.

I swear by the Horizons of the Sun of My Cause! If one shall remain steadfast with perfect confidence, he shall surpass all beings. The Sun of Munificence hath appeared, and the Clouds of Generosity have gathered. Happy is he who hath attained unto those lights, and blessed is he who hath partaken of these divine outpourings.

Today is the Day of remembering God with eloquent words, not the day of forgetfulness. It is the Day of striving and effort, not the day of indolence and laxity. Thus, with the assistance of the Incomparable Friend, hasten thou to the immortal City and to the eternal world. Speak thou, and be not afraid of the wicked. With utter kindness and compassion call men to the Lord of the Day of Resurrection, for perchance this life-giving breeze may set them astir.

BH06228: He is the Beloved! The All-Merciful has appeared upon…

He is the Beloved! The All-Merciful has appeared upon the Sinai of all worlds and the Divine Lote-Tree speaks. Blessed is he who hears its melodies. The breezes of the All-Merciful have wafted from the direction of the Ridvan, and souls have been stirred by their stirring. The crimson sea has surged and upon it sailed the Most Great Ark whereon were established the people of Baha. Glad tidings to those who join its companions!

Say: From the horizon of the Garment has shone forth the Sun of sanctification, around which circle radiant suns. O people of holiness! Be illumined by its effulgence. The Self of the All-Merciful has appeared upon the throne of His name, the All-Glorious—that Self of the All-Bountiful. From its melodies have been raised: O morning breeze! Take the garment of Baha to the region of eternity that perchance the people of the divine cloud might catch its fragrance.

The hosts of destiny have appeared with swords of hatred—that throat of Baha cut by their blades. Enter, O servant, beneath the glance of thy Lord. By God! Through it were opened the gates of the Paradise of the All-Merciful which were never opened in all eternity, and God created beneath the shade of one of its leaves all the gardens and what was ordained of its bounties. The clouds of tribulation have rained crimson blood—that Garment of Baha reddened by its drops.

BH06306: This is a mighty Book that cometh from God…

He is God, the Most Holy, the Most Holy

This is a mighty Book that cometh from God, the Mighty, the Wise. Despair not of God’s mercy, for His mercy hath preceded all created things. He aideth whom He willeth through the hosts of the heavens and earth. In His hand is the dominion of all things; He doeth what He willeth. They who in these days have remained heedless of Him are in manifest error, while they who have been guided by the light of His countenance are upon a straight path.

Say: O people! Cast not aside this Youth from your midst, and be not of the lost.

O servant! Cast behind thee what is with men and take what is with thy Lord, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Then let it suffice thee against all that hath been created between the heavens and earth—this is a revelation from One All-Knowing, All-Informed.

Say: O my God! Behold this poor and helpless servant, and leave him not to himself. Then make me steadfast in Thy love and deprive me not of Thy bountiful grace. Then make me among those who have turned toward Thee and detached themselves from the idolaters. Verily Thou art powerful to do what Thou willest, and verily Thou art powerful over all things.

BH06310: This is a letter from the servant to him…

In His name that speaketh forth

This is a letter from the servant to him who hath believed in God and was illumined by the lights of the Countenance at this Dawn in truth, and attained the presence of God and heard the melodies which were raised from the direction of the Throne.

Blessed art thou for having attained unto the recognition of God, thy Lord, and having drunk the water of life from the fingers of thy Lord’s will, the Most Merciful, and having detached thyself from every rejected misbeliever. Stand thou firm in the Cause through God’s might and power, then convey unto the people what thou hast known and witnessed in this Revelation, which hath been mentioned as the most wondrous of revelations among the worlds.

Say: This is indeed the Wonder of the heavens and of the earth, if ye be of them that know. Say: Were it not for Him, God would not have come upon an illumined cloud.

Stand thou firm in the Cause in such wise that through thee may stand firm those servants who have hesitated and who remain halted in heedlessness around the Path. They shall pass over it through My sovereignty and power and grandeur. Thus hath the Pen of Command inscribed upon this Tablet which hath been beheld by holy glances.

Say: O people! Gather ye around Our Name Sad, then help your Lord, the Most Merciful. Thus hath it been sent down from the presence of One Wise, All-Informed.

BH06311: In the name of God, the Everlasting, the Ever-Abiding!…

In the name of God, the Everlasting, the Ever-Abiding! This is a Book from before the Youth to him who hath walked in the paths of guidance and recognized the Manifestation of God’s Self, the Most High, the Most Exalted, after all others opposed Him, following the evil ones.

O servant! Hear the call of thy Lord from the direction of the prison, and be thou of them that remember. By His call the souls are stirred with longing for His presence and desire for His reunion, but the idolaters are veiled by a mighty veil. How wonderful it is for thee that thou hast drunk from the cup of immortality and attained unto the presence of God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds!

Say: O My loved ones! Ye rest upon your seats while the Youth is in grievous affliction. Yet We are content with that which hath been ordained for Us by the All-Knowing Ordainer. We beseech God to assist His loved ones to love Him and to bring them to such a station that they will be detached from all that hath been created in the heavens and on earth. Thus warbleth the Dove of the Cause at a time when sorrows have encompassed it from every side, and it findeth for itself no helper or supporter save Him Who created all things by His command. Verily He encompasseth all things.

And glory be upon thee and upon those who have turned with their hearts toward the holy shore of the ocean of mighty glory.

BH06313: This is a letter from the Prisoner to her…

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

This is a letter from the Prisoner to her who hath believed in her Lord and was among those who remember, and who recognized her Lord in days when most of the people were heedless save those who detached themselves from the kingdom and soared in the atmosphere of nearness which God hath sanctified from all names and attributes.

O handmaiden of God!

Hearken unto the call of this Glory which hath shone forth from the horizon of holiness and hath come from the heaven of the Command with a kingdom of verses, that the fragrances of God may attract thee and detach thee from all else and draw thee nigh unto the Dayspring of divine manifestations. Purify thyself from whatsoever God detesteth, then remember Him with thy heart and tongue and be not of them that are silent. Ascend through the power of faith unto the seat of the All-Merciful which God hath sanctified from all indications and allusions.

And she who hath sanctified herself, verily she standeth before the Throne and no distance cometh between her and her Lord. Thus hath the sun of wisdom shone forth from the horizon of utterance that the believing handmaidens may be illumined thereby.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon such handmaidens as have believed in God and were among the pure and devout ones.

BH06314: This is a letter from the Prisoner to him…

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

This is a letter from the Prisoner to him who hath believed in God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

Thy letter hath come before Us, and the glances of the Youth have been directed towards it. He hath taken note of its contents and become one of those who bear witness. Give thanks unto God for having singled thee out to recognize the Manifestation of His Self. By God! This is a bounty with which nothing that hath been created between the heavens and earth can compare. Whoso attaineth unto His love is indeed wealthy in the kingdom and shall soon behold himself in a station of glorious and lofty might.

Grieve not over anything. Verily He is with thee and will help thee with truth. In His hand is the dominion of victory and within His grasp is the empire of command and creation. He, verily, is powerful over all things.

As to thy desire to attain the presence of the Countenance, We have granted thee permission for what thou didst wish, as a bounty from Us unto thee, that thou mayest be of the thankful. Soon will Satan appear there in human form with tablets of fire. When ye recognize him, smite him with the flame of the Command from the presence of One mighty, all-knowing. This is of the tidings of the unseen wherewith God hath informed you, that ye may be assured that with Him is the knowledge of all things preserved in a mighty and guarded tablet.

And glory be upon thee and upon the sincere servants of God.

BH06319: He is the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. This…

He is the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. This is a Book which guideth all the worlds and from which light shineth forth, visible to those possessed of keen insight, lest anyone go astray after the Light hath shone forth from its Niche with wondrous radiance, illuminating all regions—if ye be aware of this.

Say: O people! By God, the Sun hath risen from a mighty horizon. Deprive not yourselves of that which hath appeared in truth, whose light shineth with brilliant radiance. Sanctify your souls and your bodies that ye may be raised up to the plane of a glorious Name.

Know then, O servant, that We have not failed in Our promise, but the idolaters have opposed and disobeyed their Lord’s command, eagerly persisting in their wrongdoing. Were it not for their oppression, We would surely have fulfilled Our promise and remained steadfast to Our Covenant. For this reason have We withheld it from you and most of the people, who have not heard, and the matter was ordained.

Grieve not over anything, but be patient within thyself and put thy trust in God, thy Lord, and be not sorrowful in the kingdom. Strive within thyself that thy countenance may not turn away from love, though every grievous torment be inflicted upon thee. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who remain faithful to the Covenant.

BH11868: The honored Mirza Mihdi hath been specially favored…

The honored Mirza Mihdi hath been specially favored with God’s all-embracing mercy. He hath, at no time, been careless in recording the words of God, nor hath he neglected their dispatch. Would that he might, with utmost renunciation, abide within the retreats of celestial glory, and spend His days in close union with them who are the manifestations of His love. The world shall pass away and be no more. Were it found to be endowed with any special distinction, would He Who is the Most Pure Essence have consented to condemn Himself to such incalculable and deadly perils? Wherefore take ye good heed!

Convey special greetings to My esteemed spouse. Be not careless of her needs, for manifold are the adversities that have befallen her. Such adversities, however, are painless in the path of the Well-Beloved. Aqa Muhammad Ali will acquaint thee with certain details and thou wilt readily acknowledge that all the afflictions of the world fade into utter nothingness when compared with the harm that hath been inflicted upon Us.

Convey My greetings to thy distinguished Guest. No news hath reached Us concerning Munib. The spirit of God rest upon thee!

A Tablet, revealed in honor of the renown Muhammad Husayn who dwelleth in the Land of Kaf, hath been written to Aqa Siyyid Mihdi that he may deliver it. It would be highly acceptable in Our sight should a number of additional Tablets and Scriptures reach him.

BH06572: Glorified art Thou, O my God! These are Thy…

Glorified art Thou, O my God! These are Thy servants who have acknowledged Thy unity and confessed Thy oneness. There hath befallen them in Thy path that which Thou hast reckoned with Thy knowledge and ordained by Thy will. Therefore, O my God, deprive them not of that which is with Thee, but send down upon them from the heaven of Thy mercy that which will detach them from all else save Thee and draw them near to what Thou lovest and art pleased with. Verily, Thou doest what Thou willest.

O my God! Illumine their hearts with the lights of Thy remembrance and knowledge, and ordain for them what Thou hast ordained for the choicest among Thy creatures—those whom nothing hath deterred from Thy love and the love of the Manifestation of Thy Cause, and who have soared in the atmosphere of nearness and recognition until they reached a station wherein they sacrificed their wealth and souls in the path of the Manifestation of Thy Self. O my God, my Beloved, my Master! Since they have hastened to the fields of Thy mercy and turned to the paradise of Thy grace, accept them through Thy bounty and favor. Then deliver them from those who have denied Thee and Thy mighty signs on the Day when the Manifestation of Thy most exalted Self appeared. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Help in Peril.

BH06430: O handmaiden of God!

In the Name of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful

O handmaiden of God!

Give thanks to thy Lord for having attained the presence of His countenance, for having been faithful to thy Lord’s Covenant, and for having heard the melodies of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. God hath singled thee out for this bounty that thou mayest remember and thank Him in thy days. He, verily, is the Truth, there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Blessed art thou, for God hath purified thee from the defilement of the idolaters, taken thy hand through His bounty, caused thee to enter the holy paradise, and recorded thy name among the steadfast women in a preserved Tablet of glory wherein are inscribed the mysteries of what hath been and what shall be, which none hath discovered save Him. He, verily, is the Truth, the Knower of hidden things.

Be thou steadfast in thy love for Him, then be thou submissive unto Him—this is better for thee than all that is witnessed. Thus doth the Pen of Command move to make mention of thee. Praise Him, then glorify Him, and keep thyself apart from those women who have denied God, thy Lord. Thus doth thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Loving, command thee.

And remembrance and mercy be upon thee and upon those handmaidens who glorify their Lord morning and evening.

BH06437: O servant!

In His name, the Other!

O servant!

Hearken unto the rustling of the Most Exalted Pen. Verily it calleth thee unto God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Knowing. Remember thy Lord throughout all days and turn not unto whatsoever hath been created in the heavens and earths. Detach thyself from all else, then turn with thy whole being unto thy Ancient Lord.

He sendeth down upon His servants that which He hath ordained for them in the Mother Book, and verily it is a noble Tablet wherein hath been inscribed by the Finger of Power the knowledge of what hath been and what shall be, were ye of them that know. And He hath not left therein an atom’s weight of the deeds of all creation. Therefore praise Him at all times and forget not His grace, and be in mighty thankfulness.

Say: O my Lord! I am he who hath detached himself from all else but Thee and hath turned toward Thy beautiful countenance. Send down upon me from the heaven of Thy bounty that which shall make me independent of all the worlds. Verily Thou hast power over all things.

Thus doth this Prisoner teach thee in this Prison that thou mayest not be of the heedless ones. And the spirit be upon thee and upon the sincere servants of God.

BH06438: In the Name of God, the Most Wondrous…

In the Name of God, the Most Wondrous, the Most High! O servant! Hear My call from the direction of the prison, and be not of the heedless ones. Trials have intensified upon Me to such a degree that all created things are powerless to recount them.

And after your return, the clouds of destiny have rained down the arrows of tribulation at every moment, and I have drunk from the cup of adversity at every instant, as decreed in a preserved tablet.

And now I beseech My Lord to raise Me up to Him in the highest companionship and to render Me detached from these unbelievers who boasted of serving Me but when they witnessed My affliction and imprisonment, they rose up against Me and proceeded to manifest oppression.

By God, O servant, I have tasted what no one before Me has tasted among God’s near servants. Fie upon them and upon their loyalty, and upon their claims! They have reached such a degree in their calumnies as to violate the sanctity of God among His servants, whereat the Spirit of Command has lamented.

And you, remember My days and forget not this imprisoned, lonely and solitary One. And glory be upon you and upon those who have believed in God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

BH06439: O servant! Behold with the sight of thy Lord…

In the Name of the All-Merciful.

O servant! Behold with the sight of thy Lord, that thou mayest find inscribed upon the brow of all things that which the Most Exalted Pen hath recorded by the leave of God, the Lord of the First and the Last.

By God! This is the Beloved of the All-Merciful, Who hath been afflicted at the hands of the people of the Bayan—they who claim to believe in that which was revealed aforetime yet have denied Him around Whom circle the Kingdom of Verses, and Who is now seated upon the throne of the All-Merciful with power and sovereignty.

Say: From the horizon of Glory He calleth you and summoneth you unto God, the Mighty, the Bestower. Fear ye God, and slay not Him through Whose remembrance the Dove warbleth upon the branches of the Uttermost Tree with most wondrous melodies.

Say: By God! Whosoever possesseth a heart hath been drawn by that which hath been sent down from this Kingdom and hath detached himself from all created things out of love for God, the One, the Single, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

We have sent down for thee that from which the sincere ones inhale the fragrances of the Beloved. Say: Which then of the signs of your Lord will ye deny?

And the glory rest upon thee and upon those whom God hath preserved through His sovereignty and delivered from the depths of trials.

BH06440: O ʿAli!

He is the Mighty!

O ʿAli!

Bear thou witness that there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Conquering, the All-Powerful. And that ʿAli before Nabil is the Manifestation of His Self to all who are in the heavens and on earth, and He hath sent Him with a proof that confoundeth the minds of the wise and the hearts of them that are near unto God.

And thou, O ʿAli, forget not My love for thee, nor My exile from your midst, nor My banishment to this distant land, nor My anguish amidst friend and foe alike, nor My imprisonment in this deep pit. Turn thou with thy whole being unto God, then detach thyself from thine own self and desires, and in all matters place thy trust in God, the Mighty, the Exalted. For this world and its adornments shall pass away ere the keen eye can turn back to things.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who have placed their trust in God Who created them by His power and made them to be of the believers. Then convey Our greetings to thy wife and give her glad tidings of a generous paradise.

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

BH06442: O youth! Blessed art thou, inasmuch as God hath…

In the Name of God, the Powerful, the Mighty

O youth! Blessed art thou, inasmuch as God hath adorned thee with the ornament of the knowledge of His Self, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and hath given thee to drink of the pure water from the hand of this Beauty, through Whose face’s light have been illumined the heavens and the earth and whatsoever was and shall be. Arise and say: “O people! I am verily God’s servant among you and in this do I glory, were ye but heedless ones.” And we thank Him at all times for having made known to us His Beauty and for having numbered us among such as are certain. And for such a Lord it behooveth us to sacrifice our spirits and all that we possess, would ye but understand.

Thus hath the Most Exalted Pen taught thee and moved upon thy name on this dark night, that thou mayest be of those who give thanks. Grieve not over anything and trust in God in all matters. He exalteth whom He willeth and abaseth whom He willeth. All things lie within the grasp of His might. There is no God but Him, the Powerful, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. And glory be upon thee and upon those who, when they heard their Lord’s call, responded: “Yea, verily we are all worshippers.”

BH06500: These are the verses of God which have been…

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

These are the verses of God which have been sent down in truth from the heaven of mighty glory, that thou mayest give thanks unto God, thy Lord, detach thyself from the world, and turn thy heart toward the dawning-place of a resplendent Name.

O servant!

We made mention of thee before with verses of wondrous glory, and sent down unto thee the Tablets and dispatched them to thee that thy heart might rejoice thereby and that thou mightest stand firm in the Cause. Verily thy Lord forgets not those servants who have attained unto His presence and who trod the paths of holiness until they entered a station of luminous glory. Yet We have found the people drunk, such that they have forgotten that whereof they were reminded, and verily thy Lord watcheth over all things.

Remember thy Lord and forget not His grace, for His grace hath ever been abundant toward thee. Stand firm in the Cause of God, then purify thy heart from the doubts of those who have denied the verses of the All-Merciful and opposed that which they were promised in a mighty and glorious Tablet. Convey Our glorification unto thy two sons, then give them glad tidings from One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon all who have turned unto God with radiant countenance.

BH06514: Praise be to the Beloved Who, by His divine…

He is the Ever-Abiding!

Praise be to the Beloved Who, by His divine power, rent asunder the dense veils of contingent beings and, despite the opposition of the flies, established Himself unveiled and unhindered upon the throne of “God was, and there was nothing else besides Him.” From His right flow forth the seas of the elixir, and from His left stream the lights of loving-kindness. Blessed is he who drinketh therefrom and is numbered among the successful ones.

O friends! Drink ye of the everlasting Kawthar in the days of the manifestation of the Divine Beauty, for by Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand, if ye were to search throughout all regions of the heavens and earth during the time of His absence, ye would not attain unto a single drop thereof.

The Ancient Beauty declareth: The mysteries of this Revelation remain concealed, and were they to be revealed, verily would the people of the earth be struck with terror, save him whose heart God hath purified with this Kawthar.

O people of the Bayan! The banners of the Revelation have been raised in the name of the All-Merciful, and the pavilion of the Cause hath been pitched at the midmost heart of contingent being, and the most exalted Tasnim is being passed round by the immortal youths. Take ye and drink, O people of holiness, in this glorious paradise, and be not of them that delay!

BH06518: At that moment there came from the direction…

In the Name of God, the Powerful, the Mighty

At that moment there came from the direction of the Most Exalted Paradise a breeze from which I detected the fragrance of the Beloved, and through it I came to know what none in the worlds had known, and I found what none among the mystics had found. And I felt it stirring around my right ear as though it had come with glad tidings from God, the King, the Mighty, the Beautiful. When I turned my ear toward it, by God, it gave me such joyous tidings that I could not remain still within myself. I trembled, and everything that had been created between the heavens and the earth trembled with me. And for this reason I nearly forgot what We intended to mention in this exalted Tablet.

O servant!

Give thanks unto God, thy Lord, for having been mentioned at this time wherein all things and all who dwell in the kingdom of the Command have rejoiced. We beseech God to assist thee in His Cause, to rain down mercy upon thee from His presence, and to grant thee a seat of truth with His near servants. And glory be upon thee and upon those who have desired the countenance of the Youth and have attained unto this Most Great, this mighty Command.

BH06525: God makes mention of His servant that he may…

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

God makes mention of His servant that he may find joy in His remembrance, for nothing that exists between the heavens and the earth can compare with His remembrance, if thou be of them that know.

Blessed art thou for having emigrated with Nabil and traveled the path with him. By God! There hath been ordained for thee, by virtue of this, a station that is, in truth, sublime. Be thou assured in the grace of thy Lord and grieve not over anything, for verily He watcheth over thee. There hath been written for thee in the Tablet the recompense of one who hath attained His presence in this Prison, which lieth beyond the mountains and behind a mighty sea.

Make mention of this Wronged One amongst His loved ones. Say: He hath sacrificed Himself in the path of God, your Lord, that He might draw you nigh unto an exalted station of glory. Fear God, O people! Slander Him not, neither commit that which hath been forbidden you in all the Tablets. Thus doth this Prisoner counsel you out of love for your own selves, and God is witness to what He saith.

And the Spirit be upon thee, and upon thy companion, and upon every steadfast and pious one.

BH06526: The remembrance of God is a leaf among His…

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

The remembrance of God is a leaf among His leaves, and verily His remembrance hath preceded all worlds. Were it not for His remembrance, none would have known Him to remember Him. Thus hath the matter been decreed, but the people are in a mighty veil. And verily His remembrance hath appeared in the temple of the Youth. Blessed be God, the Best of creators! He verily remembereth the servants through the remembrance of God, the Exalted, the Great.

O handmaiden of God! Rejoice within thyself that the Pen of this Great Remembrance hath moved to make mention of thee. Then give thanks unto thy Lord at eventide and at dawn that thou hast been remembered by the tongue of God, the Speaker, the True, the Manifest. Beware lest thou grieve over anything, for the world shall pass away and sovereignty shall remain with thy Lord, the Mighty, the Praised. He exalteth whom He willeth and abaseth whom He willeth. Within His grasp lies the dominion of the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He, verily, is powerful over all things. He doeth what He pleaseth and ordaineth what He willeth. His is the Command and the Creation, before and after. All are His servants and all are among those who bow down before His countenance.

And glory be upon thee and upon the steadfast handmaidens and steadfast servants.

BH06580: Glorified art Thou, O my God! I know not…

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

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I know not what Fire hath been kindled in the midmost heart of creation. By God! Through it all that existeth hath been consumed, yet the people are wrapped in veils and thick darkness and are sunk in profound heedlessness. Though I knew it not, I beseech Thee by it, as I know it hath appeared from Thy Most Exalted Word, that Thou wilt not withhold me for less than the twinkling of an eye from the knowledge of Thyself and the wondrous manifestations of the glory of Thy Lordship and the signs of Thy Divine Unity. Leave me not among those of Thy creation who associate partners with Thee and who oppose Thee. Detach me from all else but Thee and cheer me through Thy remembrance in the kingdom of Thy Cause, for Thy remembrance sufficeth all the worlds. To this my tongue, my innermost being, my reality and my veins do testify, and in this I am possessed of clear certitude.

BH06620: Know thou that thy brother hath attained the presence…

In the Name of God, the Most Wondrous!

Know thou that thy brother hath attained the presence of the Countenance and was among those who have won the victory. God hath ordained for him a station of mighty honor, and he is now with Us in an exalted and holy place. Therefore give thanks unto God, then make mention of Him amongst His servants, and be thou of them that give counsel.

O Yahya! Take hold of the Book with strength, then detach thyself from the worlds. Guide the people unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forebears of old. He will verily assist thee with the truth and aid whomsoever He willeth with hosts of discerning angels. He hath ordained for thee a station with thy Lord—beware lest thou deprive thyself thereof. Seek thou His grace, for He is the Most Merciful of them that show mercy.

Thus have We imparted unto thee that which will cause thy face to shine forth out of love for God, the King, the Mighty, the Beautiful. Convey My greetings unto the faces of My loved ones, then turn away from the idolators. Grieve not over what thou hast heard from the clamor of the wrongdoers. In all matters put thy trust in God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent.

And the glory rest upon thee and upon them that are with thee among the assured servants of God.

BH06635: A noble letter has been sent to thee, O…

In the name of God, the Ever-Abiding!

A noble letter has been sent to thee, O Ibrahim the Inkmaker.

Verily it is from the All-Glorious and it is in the name of God, the Most Wondrous, the Most Mighty, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Great. Worship none but God, the Lord of all worlds.

Sever thyself from those who have disbelieved in God and who have no escape this day. They have turned away from the Path and followed those who were wrongdoers in ancient times. Shun them, then take refuge in God. This is what thou hast been commanded in the Books of God, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.

Be not disturbed by anything, for this is the way of the heedless. Say: The bird that soareth in the atmosphere of the love of God cannot be snared by the birds of the idle fancies of those who have turned away. Such souls abide beneath the canopy of the mercy of their Lord. Nothing can move them, nor can the hints of the idolaters cause them to slip. These are they who have ascended unto God with their spirits and their souls, and they are among those who rejoice in the eternal Paradise.

Be thou steadfast in the Cause, then put thy trust in God. Verily He sufficeth thee, and He is the shelter of those who turn unto Him. And glory be upon thee and upon those who have taken refuge in a mighty stronghold.

BH06653: That which thou hast composed hath come before Us…

In the Name of the Most Luminous

That which thou hast composed hath come before Us, and God hath accepted from thee that which thy tongue hath uttered and thy pen hath inscribed. Verily He was with thee and aided thee to uphold the truth, and He, verily, is the Ancient Bestower.

Make mention of thy Lord as thou pleasest, then impart unto the servants that which is imparted unto thee, that perchance the people may remember their Lord in these grievous days wherein the Hour hath been made manifest, the feet of the agitated have slipped, and the faces of the idolaters have changed.

Blessed art thou, O ʿAli, inasmuch as thou didst hear My call, didst soar in the atmosphere of My nearness, didst drink the Kawthar of My loving-kindness from the fingers of My mercy, didst journey through the regions of My love, wast nourished by the fruits of the Tree of My remembrance, wast attracted by My melodies and My wondrous songs, and wast illumined by My lights, the Dawning, the Luminous.

Thus have We wafted unto thee the fragrances of the All-Merciful from this Paradise, and verily thou shalt find them in My most wondrous and matchless words. And upon thee be the Spirit, and upon that which thou hast been inspired with, and upon God’s near servants.

BH06687: O Lord! Through Thy name which set aflame…

O Lord! Through Thy name which set aflame the hearts of them that are near unto Thee, and awakened Thy slumbering servants, and through which Thou didst shine upon all created things with the lights of the glory of Thy oneness, and didst rise above all things through Thy sovereignty and power—I beseech Thee not to deprive me from the sanctuary of Thy holiness and the Kaaba of Thy favors, nor bar me from the shore of the ocean of Thy gifts and bounties.

O Lord! I am he who hath turned toward the direction of Thy good-pleasure and held fast to the cord of Thy generosity and grace. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me at the door of Thy mercy which was opened before the faces of all who are in Thy earth and heaven, and remove me not from the court of Thy nearness and presence.

Then purify me, O my Beloved, with the living waters of Thy Cause and the Kawthar of Thy paradise, that there may remain in my outward and inward being no trace of the odor of Thine enemies and mention of the oppressors among Thy creation, that I may be detached from all else save Thee and turn to the splendors of the lights of Thy countenance.

Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Most High, the Most Great, the Mighty, the Compelling, the Most Exalted, the Unconstrained.

BH06689: Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God!

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

Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God!

I am a servant who hath believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and I am assured of Thy oneness and do testify to Thy singleness. Yet at times doubts seize me and return me to the abode of the doubtful ones, and at times the breaths of Thy name, the All-Merciful, take hold of me and cause me to soar in the atmosphere of them that are nigh unto Thee.

Therefore I beseech Thee, O my Beloved, by Thy Name through which Thou hast erased the names of the proud ones and cast them into the depths of hell, and through which Thou hast established the names of them that profess Thy unity and caused them to dwell in the paradise of Thy exalted and mighty Name, to make all my remembrance a single remembrance and my state in Thy service everlasting. Leave me not to myself and my desires, then cut me off from those who have denied Thee and Thy signs, that I may turn wholly unto the Dayspring of Thy loving-kindness and the Dawning-Place of Thy favors and the Manifestation of Thy beauty and Thy majesty.

Then give me to drink, O my God, of that which will make me abide in the paradise of Thy Cause, that I may speak Thy praise and glorification amidst Thy creatures. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Most High, the Most Great, the Most Proud, the Mighty, the Unconstrained.

BH06769: This is a letter from the servant of God…

In the Name of our Lord, the Self-Subsisting, the Help in Peril!

This is a letter from the servant of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, to the servant of God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beloved. Grieve not over anything, but place thy trust in God in all matters. Verily, He sendeth down upon His loved ones that which He hath ordained for them in the preserved Tablets of glory. Nothing whatsoever escapeth His knowledge, and He, verily, is the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.

Say: O people! Spread not corruption in the earth after it hath been set in order, neither dispute regarding the signs of God after their revelation. Fear ye the Day when ye shall all be brought before God. Ye shall be questioned concerning what ye have wrought in your vain life, and shall be recompensed accordingly. Shed not blood, neither commit that which your hearts approve not, nor can reason accept. Purify your hearts from all earthly suggestions, that the revelation of your Lord, the All-Merciful, may be reflected therein. This is better for you than all that was and all that shall be.

Read ye the verses of God at eventide and at dawn. This is My counsel unto thee and unto those who walk in the good-pleasure of God. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who have believed in God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

BH06771: This is a Book from Us to him who…

In the name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious!

This is a Book from Us to him who hath heard the call of his Lord and hath answered it through that which the Spirit hath confirmed from the presence of one mighty and powerful, that he may detach himself wholly from all who are in the heavens and on earth and turn with his face toward the dawning-place of a luminous Name.

O servant! By God, the Truth! My words are wings for those who desire to soar unto the atmosphere of nearness and holiness and glory. Therefore soar with them in an atmosphere of mighty loftiness. And when thou hast ascended and risen up through the assistance of the Word of God, then shalt thou behold all created things beneath thy shadow, and thus hath the Sun of Utterance shone forth from the horizon of thy Lord’s Will, the All-Merciful, with lights that were truly radiant.

Say: My Word is My armor and whoso attaineth unto it, the darts of the idolaters, all of them, shall not harm him. Take refuge in the fortress of My Cause and hold fast to the cord of My love, then speak forth My praise amidst My creation. Thus doth My tongue command thee, and this Pen through whose movement all in the kingdom were created, if thou be of them that comprehend. And glory be upon thee and upon every discerning believer.

BH06773: This is a Book from God unto him who…

In the name of God, the Deliverer!

This is a Book from God unto him who hath been imprisoned even as the Manifestation of the Cause was imprisoned in the path of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

Give thanks unto God for having befallen thee that which befell His own Self. This is of His bounty unto thee, that thou mayest be of them that swim in the depths of glorification and thanksgiving. Grieve not for that which hath befallen thee, for tribulations are characteristic of those who have set their faces toward the All-Merciful and are assured of the signs of God.

We did aforetime send down unto thee a Tablet wherein was ordained thy release from prison, for the command is in the hand of God, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Best-Beloved. Stand thou firm in the Cause of God like unto an immovable mountain, then turn away from them that have disbelieved and associated partners with God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.

Verily a station among stations hath been ordained for thee from God, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. Walk thou among men with wisdom, even as the Command hath been sent down in a preserved Tablet. And the glory rest upon thee and upon them that are with thee of such as have believed and are God-fearing in the Cause. Praise be to God, the Sovereign, the Powerful, the Adored One.

BH06774: This is a Book from God, the Lord…

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

This is a Book from God, the Lord of the latter and the former times, unto him who hath believed and been guided.

O servant! Hearken unto that which is revealed unto thee from the direction of the throne of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High. By God! His call purifieth hearts from the doubts of self and passion, and draweth them nigh unto God, the Lord of the visible and invisible.

Say: Verily He hath appeared in truth from the most glorious horizon, and uttereth at every moment that there is no God but Him, the Lord of the highest heavens. Say: He hath come unto you once again in His name, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious. Say: Is there any doubt concerning Him or concerning Him Who hath sent Him with truth through His greatest signs?

Fear ye God and follow not Satan, O people of understanding. He commandeth you to transgression and wickedness, while God commandeth you to truth and godliness.

Thus hath the Most Exalted Pen moved to make mention of thee on this night wherein the Face hath been illumined with the lights of guidance. Glory be upon thee and upon him who hath been guided and found the right path, and fire be upon him who hath disbelieved and gone astray.

BH06776: This is a Book from this Youth to all…

In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

This is a Book from this Youth to all who are on earth: Worship none but God, the King, the Most High, the Most Great. Thus hath the Command been sent down in all the Tablets from the presence of One mighty and powerful.

And furthermore, We have heard that the opposers desired to present themselves before the Youth. Say: Present yourselves and be not of those who hesitate. And We have appointed as the place of meeting the House of God which was built by one of the sovereigns, and which hath been named Selim in the Kingdom of Names, were ye of those who know. And We have set the day of meeting as either Sunday or Monday, and God is witness to what I say.

Say: Were all who are on earth to gather together, the Youth would bring them momentous tidings. Say: Were He to move, with Him would move the hosts of the unseen, then the Concourse on High, then the realities of all worlds. Fear God, O company of opposers, then be fair in the Cause of the Youth and in what He hath brought, and be not of the wrongdoers. He desireth naught except what your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, hath desired for Him.

BH06780: This is a Book which speaks with truth…

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

This is a Book which speaks with truth and guides people to the Kingdom of exalted glory. God has made it a proof from Him unto all created things.

O people! Sanctify yourselves from whatsoever prevents you from your Lord, the Most Merciful, and be not tyrannical and wretched in the earth. Fear God and commit not unseemly acts. Follow the ways of God and follow not every froward devil. Call not upon another god besides God; verily He encompasses all the worlds. And He has sent unto you one of His servants with an authority that was manifest in truth, to call you unto Him and draw you nigh unto the court of exalted glory. Beware lest ye dispute with him after he has come to you from the Dayspring of Revelation with a momentous announcement that was inscribed in the Tablet. Thus has the Dove warbled upon the branches of the Divine Lote-Tree by the command of One Who is mighty and wise.

O handmaiden of God! Hearken thou unto My call from the direction of My prison, then act according to that which thou hast been commanded in this Tablet which hath been inscribed by the Pen of Command. And mercy be upon thee and upon every penitent servant.

BH06784: In the Name of the All-Merciful! These are…

In the Name of the All-Merciful! These are the verses of God, sent down from the heaven of Command to all the worlds. They are indeed God’s proof amongst His creation and His evidence to all who are in the heavens and on earth. Through them in every age is established the Most Great Word among the servants, and they are verily a reminder to the heedless.

Hearken thou unto My words, for I desire for thee naught save that which will draw thee nigh unto God, the Beloved of them that know. Cast behind thee all creation and take hold of the hem of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

Beware lest thou be perturbed by anything, for this beseemeth the oppressed and those who have fixed their gaze upon the Most Great Prospect. These are in a spirit of delight, in a garden of pleasure and blissful paradise. By the life of the Beloved! They sacrifice themselves in the path of the Loved One out of their yearning for His mighty and wondrous Kingdom. Nothing shall perturb them even should all who are on earth and all the kings and rulers gather against them. These gaze toward the sanctuary of the All-Merciful.

Upon them rest My blessings, then My praise, then My glory, then the remembrance of God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. Thus have We expounded for thee that which shall gladden thine eyes and the eyes of them that put their trust in God.

BH06786: This is a leaf from this Prisoner unto…

He is the One Who abideth through the perpetuity of His own Self

This is a leaf from this Prisoner unto a leaf among the leaves of the Tree of the Cause, that the breaths of the All-Merciful may stir it and cause it to turn toward God, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.

O leaf!

Hearken thou unto My call, then remember thy Lord in the evening and at dawn, for He loveth those who remember Him. Sanctify thyself from whatsoever preventeth thee from the love of God, thy Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and on earth. Then turn thou at all times unto Him, for He is the Beloved of them that know. Be thou content with His remembrance above the remembrance of aught else, with His love above the love of all else, and with His praise above the praise of all the worlds. Verily He sufficeth all things above all things, and through Him the servants can dispense with all that hath been created in the realm of origination and in the generations of the first and the last.

Be thou steadfast in the Cause and grieve not over anything in the path of thy Lord, for He sendeth down for every soul that which hath been ordained in the Tablets inscribed by His Most Wondrous and Incomparable Pen. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon His sincere handmaidens and His sincere servants.

BH06932: O Ahmad, whom God caused to behold His True…

O Ahmad, whom God caused to behold His True Beauty in a dream! He is God, the Most High, the Most Exalted. Give thanks unto God, thy Lord, for having enabled thee to meet Him both in sleep and in wakefulness, for He is verily the Most Merciful of the merciful. And that which thou didst drink from My hand is the Kawthar of inner meanings wherewith God hath, as a token of His grace, given thee to drink, and He is verily the Most Generous of the generous.

Rejoice within thyself for having shown thee in thy dream My hallowed, mighty and resplendent Beauty, even as We showed thee when We were in Iraq, and from My mouth there flowed the Salsabil of thy Lord’s wisdom, the Mighty, the Powerful.

Be thou steadfast in the Cause, then stand firm in His love, and He shall suffice thee against all the worlds. Move thou not except through His love, and walk not save in His remembrance, and be not silent in praise of this wronged and unique One.

Say: verily He remembereth His servants who remember Him and He loveth those who have purified their hearts from the love of aught else but Him and who have detached themselves from the idolaters. And the spirit and glory be upon thee and upon those through whose mention the tongues of all created things speak forth the remembrance of God, the Mighty, the Beauteous.

BH06944: O Javad!

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

O Javad!

Hearken unto My call, then bear witness to that which God did testify before the creation of the heavens and earth—that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who hath appeared with the truth is indeed His Manifestation, His dawning, His might, His grandeur, and His glory amongst all created things. Then be thou steadfast in the Cause and turn away from the idolaters.

Beware lest thou deal in a friendly manner with the enemies of God or associate with any of them. Thus doth it beseem Our steadfast loved ones who have remained firm in their love for God and have shunned every remote idolater.

Forget not God’s favor unto thee, nor thy presence before Him in days when none recognized Him save His Own Self, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Be thou severed from all else save Him, and hold fast unto the cord of His bounty, and be not of the heedless.

Thus did We command thee before, and now again do We command thee to act according to that which thou hast been bidden, and be not of them that turn aside. And the glory be upon thee and upon whosoever hath inhaled the fragrance of the divine Vesture and is numbered among them that are assured.

BH06948: He is the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting! O My chosen…

He is the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting! O My chosen one! Hearken unto the call of God from this Tree which hath been raised up betwixt earth and heaven, and which calleth aloud unto all: “Verily, I am God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Generous!” By this do the lands of existence split asunder and the heavens of knowledge are cleft and every possessor of knowledge fleeth.

And thou, beseech God that He leave thee not to thyself, that thou mayest remain steadfast in thy love and be of them that return unto God Who created thee and guided thee and made thee to be of the guided ones.

Know thou that numerous Tablets have been presented before Us, and We found not among them any trace from thee, as though thou hadst forgotten Us and wert of the heedless ones. Yet We have not forgotten thee and have made mention of thee in this Tablet from which the light shineth forth and by which the denizens of the highest Paradise are illumined.

Thus have We inspired thee with the word of truth that thou mayest rejoice within thyself and be gladdened with the joy of God, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who place their hopes in God.

BH06955: O Kalim! Hearken unto the call of the All-Knowing…

He is the Beloved One!

O Kalim! Hearken unto the call of the All-Knowing, Who verily is in supreme joy though He be in grievous affliction. Though the body be sorrowful in tribulation, yet the spirit is gladdened by the glad-tidings of God, the King, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Would that we were among those martyred in His path! Then would we appear in the worlds of holiness with manifest sovereignty. Were there any worth to this world, We would not have delivered Ourself into the hands of the idolaters.

Grieve not at anything, but put thy trust in God, the Lord of all worlds. Whatsoever descends from the Beloved is beloved by the lover. These are the days for assisting the Cause of God. God willing, be vigilant on all sides. Several Tablets were sent—deliver them specifically to those affiliated.

And the light and glory be upon thee and upon those with thee, through the eternity of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Convey My greetings to Sabz-ʿAli Bey, for during the sojourn in Iraq he would often visit, therefore, out of consideration for his faithfulness, mention is made of him.

BH06956: O Muhammad! Be thou assured in thine own self…

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

O Muhammad! Be thou assured in thine own self through God’s grace and mercy, and leave behind those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God, the Revealer of verses. Say: O people! Do ye object to Him but for Whom the Bayan would not have been revealed? Thus doth ʿAli bear witness to the truth in the Tablets and Scriptures. Arise thou to make mention of God and to praise Him, then through Him become independent of whatsoever hath been created between earth and heaven. He verily sufficeth thee above all else. Detach thyself from all save Him and hold fast unto God, the Lord of Names and Attributes. They who claim to love thee, love thee only for their own sakes, whereas thy Lord loveth thee for thine own sake. Behold then the difference, and shun those who deal in allusions. Unite with My loved ones and gather them together upon the Cause of thy Lord. God will surely reward thee with the most excellent of rewards, for He is the Fulfiller of the promise to those who fulfill their covenant and detach themselves from all directions. And the glory rest upon thee and upon those who have believed in God, the Render of veils.