Volume 041: Early Akka 1868–1873, Part I (5 of 5)
BH00796: The Most Holy, the Most Exalted
The Most Holy, the Most Exalted
Praise be to God! Through the effulgent rays of the Most Great Luminary the horizon of the world is illumined and resplendent, and the outpourings of divine grace are streaming down and descending from the heaven of mercy and bounty. Blessed are they who through the promptings of malicious souls have not been debarred from the shores of the sea of oneness, and who through the favors of the Lord of creation have rent asunder the veils of idle fancy. These are they who have taken the wine of mercy from the hands of grace without hesitation and have quaffed thereof. Theirs is a goodly habitation.
O ye who soar in the atmosphere of the All-Merciful and who circle round the Kaaba of divine knowledge! Hearken unto the call of this Wronged One Who, in the midst of intense tribulation and affliction, hath not forgotten you and at all times enjoineth upon the loved ones of the All-Merciful that which is best for them, transcending all that hath been created in the heavens and on earth. The greatest of all things is steadfastness and unity around God’s all-embracing Word. God willing, through divine grace and heavenly bounty, may ye all attain unto this. It is clearly evident that whatsoever is mentioned herein hath as its purpose the deliverance of souls from the prison of self and passion and their advancement unto the Most Exalted Horizon. All must hold fast unto the cord of steadfastness and cling to the hem of unity and concord. They must be so firm in the Cause that the fragrance thereof may guide aright those who are unsettled and wavering. This is not difficult for God to achieve.
If ye see [the letter] Jim, say to him:
“By what proof didst thou accept and by what evidence didst thou turn away from God, the Almighty, the Exalted, the Wise? Verily thou hast followed the desires of one who knoweth not his right hand from his left—he is assuredly among the most lost. And he who led thee astray—We have seized him for his transgression. Now in the sea of fire he saith: I repent unto Thee, O Beloved of the worlds!’ The hand of power hath struck his mouth and it was said: Be silent, O thou remote misbeliever! Thou didst call the people unto one whom thou hadst neither seen nor known nor had any knowledge of his cause, and thou thyself dost testify to this, wert thou to be fair.’ O servant! Have mercy upon thyself and upon the people, and follow not those who follow vain imaginings and have taken these as lords besides God. Cast away what they possess, then stand with supreme steadfastness in the Cause of thy Lord, the Creator of earth and heaven. Thus doth the Lord of Names command thee, wert thou of them that comprehend.”
Speak in the Persian tongue, that perchance he may comprehend the counselling words of the Lord and return to the shore of the Most Great Ocean. Strange it is that after the wondrous and exalted waves of the seas of divine favors and the effulgences of the words of the Lord, they are seen to be deprived and kept back from the shore of the sea of oneness by ancient allusions to the worn-out and obsolete notion of succession and the like. Say: God knoweth what is in your hearts and that which ye utter and speak. In these spiritual days all must attain unto the new divine adornment, sanctified from all that is in the hands of men and from all that they have heard, let alone the false succession which hath appeared from the direction of the liars.
Such mentions have been veils of glory which most of humanity have been powerless to rend, yet God hath servants who, through divine power, have rent them all asunder and joined their Beloved. Today the people of God are those souls who regard all in the heavens and earth as dependent upon God’s will, to such extent that were He to desire, by the movement of the Finger of His Will, He could raise a speck of dust to the loftiest heights of creation, and likewise return the highest summit to the lowliest particle. All that He saith is truth and all that He decreeth behooveth to be the beloved of them that know. Wondrous in all respects hath this Revelation appeared, were men to ponder thereon.
In brief, certain people of the Bayan have, through the utterances of the widows of the people of the Furqan, forbidden men from the Law of the All-Merciful. Say unto him of the letter Jim and his like: Observe with the eye of insight how for a thousand years or more all the Twelver sects assigned a specific place in imaginary cities for an imaginary being who never existed, along with imaginary wives and children, and they prostrated themselves before him. And if anyone denied him they would issue a decree for his death. Lo! They are recorded as worshippers of vain imaginings in the Book of thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. And after the birth of the Point in a known land, it became clear to them that possess insight that all that was in the hands of that people was false and meaningless.
Similarly observe all the beliefs held by that people. I do not wish to rend certain veils. Blessed is the strong one who rendeth with the fingers of certitude that he may behold what is intended by his Lord, the Possessor of existence. All are commanded in this Revelation to observe the Revelation itself and its verses in complete sanctification from all else. This bounty hath been specific to this Revelation. And likewise He saith: When He appeareth He changeth light into darkness and darkness into light. Despite this, by your own self, since ye are unaware of His beginning and end, ye remain deprived of the Dawning-Place of the lights of oneness and the Dayspring of divine verses.
Say: Consider for a moment the Persian Bayan, that perchance ye may abandon vain imaginings and behold the Sun of the name of your Lord, the Self-Subsisting, shining between the heavens and the earth. Hearken unto the voice of the faithful counsellor and, putting aside all that ye have heard, observe the divine verses and ponder upon that which hath appeared in the Revelation, that perchance ye may abandon selfish desire and turn unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. If ye and all on earth deny, verily He is the Self-Sufficient, the All-Praised.
O My loved ones in Qaf! Leave these people, then turn with your hearts toward the court of God, the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved. Be ye of such character that through you the horizons will be illumined and faces will be turned toward the court of your Lord, the Mighty, the Loving. Give thanks unto God that your names have flowed from the Pen of Revelation and that the tongue of the Prisoner makes mention of you. We beseech God to aid you to be united in the Cause of your Lord, the Master of the Day of Judgment, and to make you among those who have no fear and who shall not grieve. Drink ye the cup of life with spirit and fragrance, in spite of those who have denied the All-Merciful and who have turned away from His presence. Blessed are ye for having been mentioned by the Lord of Eternity in the Most Great Prison, and for having been the object of the gaze of God, the All-Powerful, the Self-Subsisting, the Eternal.
Stand ye firm in the Cause of God in such wise that every wavering one may become steadfast and every mouldering bone may be set in motion. Strive ye that the darkness of contingent being may be illumined by the lights of the mention of the All-Merciful. God willing, may ye all arise to that which befits your stations and your relationship to God. The Divine Lote Tree speaks—hearken ye with the ear of the soul. The tongue of the All-Merciful is uttering—attain ye unto its hearing. Thus doth your Lord, the All-Speaking, the All-Knowing, remind you.
O My handmaidens in that land! Rejoice that ye have been mentioned by the Most Exalted Pen, then remain steadfast in the Cause of God, the Lord of Names. Thus doth your Lord counsel you in this Tablet which hath been adorned with the ornament of the utterance of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. O handmaidens of Mine! God willing, drink ye forever and always from the Kawthar of the love of the Self-Sufficient, the Ever-Abiding, and be ye engaged in His mention and praise. Verily, the glory be upon you, O loved ones of God, and upon those who hearken to your words concerning this most wondrous and mighty Cause.
BH00811: The exalted Arabic Tablet was sent. Now…
He is the Everlasting One, manifest and evident from the Most Glorious Horizon
The exalted Arabic Tablet was sent. Now in the Persian tongue the wondrous holy divine words are being revealed. Blessed are they that hear!
The True One, exalted be His mention, has ever been and shall ever be sanctified above manifestation and appearance—an unknowable Mystery, an imperceptible Concealment, an unmanifested Inner Reality, an unhidden Treasure, and an unwitnessed Secret. For the term “mystery” applies only when something is not witnessed; in such case it is not manifest that it might be known. And after witnessing, the term “mystery” no longer exists that it might be understood. Therefore the Mystery has been and shall ever be unknowable. Blessed is the soul that ponders this perfect, firm, divine Word and attains to the jewel of its purpose which is deposited in that Treasure. Should any soul claim to know the Mystery as it is in itself, such a one has been and shall ever be among the falsifiers. That Ancient Beauty is too exalted to be known through aught but Himself, and too sublime to be described save through His own holy Being. For whatever created beings may comprehend at the ultimate degree of their understanding is but a fancy they have invented for themselves by themselves. Exalted is He above being known by that which is contingent!
And since the doors of knowledge and understanding were closed, and the ultimate degree of the servants’ knowledge rejected, the King of existence, through His grace and bounty, made the Manifestations of His Oneness and Daysprings of His eternal might to appear from the horizon of “Verily I am the One manifest above all things,” that all people might attain to the knowledge of God through recognition of these Suns rising from the horizon of truth, and might be blessed with obedience to God and conformity with His good-pleasure through obedience to these holy Beings.
And in accordance with justice and the manifestation of grace, He bestowed upon each of these eternal and glorious Manifestations a proof and evidence, that no soul might have excuse to turn away or object, and that the divine proof might be complete and perfect for all. The purpose of this greatest grace is that people might be educated, that perchance they may enter the kingdom of the divine countenance and attain to the station where “thy Lord’s face endureth”—which is the ultimate goal of human existence—and may abide forever. I swear by the Ancient Beauty that if a soul becomes purified and sanctified from this world even once and ascends to the Supreme Companion, he will never see extinction but will attain unto existence within existence, and annihilation and extinction shall never find their way to this existence and subsistence. But what benefit when these people with their impure hearts do not comprehend this divine melody?
In any case, these glorious divine Manifestations have existed from the beginning that hath no beginning until the time ended with the wondrous First Manifestation in the garment of the Last, and the Primal Point, exalted be His grandeur, elevated be His signs, and mighty be His glory, rose from the Most Exalted Horizon and guided the people to the pathway of eternity. All the servants clung to their religious leaders among the divines and never turned to the Essence of Divine Unity, although He appeared with such compelling proof that all found themselves powerless to produce the like thereof. Then they arose in opposition and demanded supernatural signs.
That Ancient Being hath revealed the treatise of proof, known as the Seven Proofs, and hath concluded every argument and evidence with the divine verses. From the Pen of Holiness hath flowed the declaration that, in this Day, these verses—sent down from the clouds of majesty—are the conclusive proof unto the East and unto the West of the world, and that no testimony above them hath ever been, nor ever shall be, vouchsafed. Even as the Crown Prince summoned that Essence of Eternality to his court and demanded proof, that Ancient Beauty declared that the verses were the testimony. Yet in the end they accepted it not, and all pronounced sentence of death upon that Quintessence of pre-existence, save a few who became assured through the divine verses and turned from the west of unbelief and error to the east of faith and recognition.
Thereafter did that Pre-existent Being, in all His revealed tablets, give glad tidings to all of this Most Great Revelation, such that not a single line of the Bayan was revealed except that this most glorious mention was recorded therein, and He counseled all lest they remain, at the time of His manifestation, veiled from the Beauty of the All-Merciful by the letters of the Bayan and the words revealed therein, even as the people of the Furqan. Despite these counsels, and this Most Great Revelation, and this most holy and glorious Dawning which hath appeared with all divine power and with all the proofs of the Manifestations of abiding glory, all have turned away.
Would that they had contented themselves with what the people of the Furqan committed, for the people of the Furqan merely pronounced sentence of death upon the Beauty of the All-Glorious. But this people have striven to cut down the divine Tree, and when they found themselves powerless, they loosened their tongues in calumny. Surely by now the clamor of the ungodly hath reached that land. Yet praise be to God that they have attributed to this most pure Essence such things that any soul possessing the least grain of discernment and the tiniest particle of insight would perceive that these calumnies have issued from the source of rancor, the treasury of envy, and the mine of hatred. Therefore do the tongues of all atoms proclaim:
“The curse of God be upon the first oppressor who wronged the Primal Point in His latter Manifestation, who warred against Him, who disputed His verses, who denied His presence, and who then calumniated Him.”
O servant! Such is the condition of these immature souls. For twenty years hath the Ancient Beauty been in the hands of His enemies, such that at every moment He hath been exposed to destruction—at times imprisoned by His foes, at times in chains and fetters, at times captive to the wicked. Yet despite this they have attributed worldliness and love thereof to this Essence of Spirit, though all the world and whatsoever is therein were His creation. And if the Temple of the Throne were to rest upon a ground of diamonds, it would be befitting—nay, worthy of even the servants at His threshold. Yet I swear by the King of Pre-existence that they who circle round His court have been and shall ever remain sanctified above the world and all that is therein. Indeed, were anyone to observe, he would not find even a penny of worldly goods or belongings with the emigrants. Praise be to my Beloved, Who hath created all to be patient and thankful.
They have mentioned these words and their like only to cast doubt in hearts, unaware that the deed of Truth is even as the manifest and shining sun, and every possessor of sight hath perceived and will perceive it. O servant! With spiritual wings soar to the divine holy heaven, and having purified thyself from the hints of all else but God, gaze upon the Most Great Scene. I swear by the Truth that My grief and sorrow are greater than can be recorded by the pen. I pour out my sorrow and lamentation unto God, and verily, He is the best Protector and the best Helper. God willing, in these days you will not be deprived of the wondrous favors of the eternal Sovereign, nor be forbidden from partaking of the peerless nectar of the All-Glorious. And the Glory be upon you and upon all who are with you among the believers who are steadfast, assured, patient and thankful.
BH00813: This is a Book from the presence of Baha…
In the Name of God, the Most Mighty, the Most Impregnable, the Most Holy!
This is a Book from the presence of Baha to those whom God hath preserved from the shame of self and passion, and caused them to enter the pavilion of the Most Glorious through His grace. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. That the breezes of the All-Merciful may waft over them from this distant quarter and remind them in these days wherein every tree proclaimeth: “There is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Wise.”
Give thanks unto God for having delivered you through His sovereignty and preserved you through the hosts of the seen and the unseen, until He made you recognize the Manifestation of His Self, before Whom the Faithful Spirit doth speak. The Kingdom of God hath appeared and been established upon the throne, the Beloved of the worlds. Through Him were opened the gates of reunion before the faces of the Prophets and Messengers, all of whom drew strength from His remembrance and rejoiced in His mighty, glorious Name.
Until We sent ʿAli in truth and made him the herald of this wise Remembrance. Verily, he spoke not from desire, but through that which We inspired him with from Our greatest signs. He was the one who called out on land and sea, summoning the people to the Greatest Scene. When the veils were rent asunder and the All-Bestower came in the shadows of clouds, all the tribes of the earth were thrown into confusion, the suns of idle fancies were darkened, and the moon of vain imaginings was eclipsed. Thus was the matter decreed from God, the Mighty, the Wise.
Those who remained immersed in the oceans of vain imaginings after the Sun of Certitude had dawned from the horizon of divine inspiration are indeed among the idolaters. We have left them to themselves and delivered those who held fast to the handle of grace—these are among the sincere ones.
We have sent down the Bayan in such wise that none hath excuse save that he turn unto God or be numbered with the perishing ones. God hath made the Bayan a gift unto My Self and adorned it with My mighty, wondrous Name, such that every word thereof proclaimeth: “The Beloved of the worlds hath come!” Yet when that which was the purpose of all Tablets appeared, the people of the Bayan who claim allegiance to the All-Merciful opposed Him and committed that which the Pen is powerless to recount. To this doth the Ancient Beauty testify, if ye be of those who know.
Among them were those who sought to take My life, and those who said He hath fabricated a lie against God, even after each of My deeds testifieth to God’s Manifestation, His sovereignty, might and grandeur. Thus do We recount unto you that which We have reckoned. Verily your Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Do ye object to Him through Whom the Most Exalted Pen was set in motion and through Whose appearance every leaf of the Lote-Tree of the utmost boundary doth speak? O people of creation! This is He concerning Whom God took your covenant in all the Tablets. Fear ye the All-Merciful and be not of those who violated the Covenant and denied God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
By My life! He who hath ears hath heard God’s call and hath detached himself for love of Him from all the worlds. And he who hath eyes beholdeth God’s power in this mighty News. Those who have denied—they are deaf and blind. Their names shall not be mentioned before the Throne; they are among those who have perished.
Know ye then, O My loved ones, that such weakness hath seized Me as to hinder My tongue from remembrance and utterance. Whenever from the direction of the Throne a Tablet, or yet another, is sent down, this feebleness overtaketh Me by reason of that which hath befallen this body at the hands of those who have turned away from the Countenance and waxed arrogant before God, the Almighty, the All-Wise.
Yet, in truth, the spirit abideth in might and in power—no host among the first or the last can stand against it. At every moment it speaketh forth, and summoneth the concourse of all created things unto God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Beautiful. He is never still, praising His Lord by night and day, and nothing frightens Him even if He faces what no one before Him has faced at the hands of the oppressors. When the idolaters cast Us into this Most Great Prison, We desired to convey the Cause to the kings and rulers, and We did convey it to them with a sovereignty from Us and a power from Our presence, even while We were in the hands of Our enemies. He is verily the Almighty, the Powerful.
Arise to aid your Lord, that perchance through your mention those who slumber on the couch of heedlessness and pride may be awakened. This is what you have been commanded by the Supreme Pen after My establishment upon the throne of My Most Great Name. Let not the opposition of those on earth grieve you. Cling to the hem of your Lord’s mercy; He will verily suffice you in truth, and He is the Protector of those near ones who speak His praise and glorification among the servants. These are the companions of Baha, whose names have been inscribed by this Luminous Pen.
Let not the world grieve you. Follow your Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious. In hardship and tribulation He calls the people to this Straight Path. Do sorrows overtake you while you see yourselves beneath the canopy of your Lord’s mercy, the Most Merciful? Rejoice in My joy, then turn to the Kingdom of eternity and what has been ordained for you by God, the Lord of Names. By My life! This is better than all that has been created in the kingdoms of heaven and earth.
Read My verses with joy and fragrance; they will draw you to God and make you detached from all else. This is how you have been counseled in the Tablets and in this Clear Tablet. Beware lest you exceed the bounds of wisdom. Preserve the Cause among you lest discord arise and the hearts of the weak be troubled. Should anyone come to you with the writing of the wicked, cast it behind you, then read to him a tablet from the tablets of your Lord, the Mighty, the Generous. If you see in his face the radiance of the All-Merciful, turn to him; but if it is covered with the dust of fire, leave him and turn with your hearts to God, the Lord of all worlds.
We have sent down to you before clear verses to comfort your eyes, and We have sufficed in this instance with this Mighty Tablet. Command My male and female servants to purity and righteousness, that they may arise from the slumber of passion and turn to God, Creator of earth and heaven. Thus did We command the servants when the light of the horizons dawned from the direction of Iraq. Among the people are those who broke the Covenant, and among them are those who followed what was commanded by One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
My harm is not My imprisonment and tribulation, nor what befalls Me from the tyrants among My servants, but rather the deeds of those who attribute themselves to this Wronged One and commit that which causes the sanctity of God to be lost among His creation. They are assuredly among the corrupt. Those who spread corruption in the land and seize people’s property and enter houses without permission—I am innocent of them unless they repent and return to God, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Thus have We revealed in most tablets that they might become aware within themselves and follow the truth in their days. Among them are those who accepted and those who rejected, and those who accepted are among the near ones.
Blessed are you, O My loved ones, for My Pen has flowed with your names and My tongue has spoken your mention in My imprisonment and tribulation, that it might draw you to the Kingdom.
It will acquaint you with My grandeur and power, and will bring you to such a station that you will behold naught but My beauty and hear naught but My call. Cast away all else save Me and take the chalice of My remembrance from the hand of My bounty and favour. Then drink deeply therefrom in My Name and My sovereignty. By My life! It will cause you to become detached from all else but Me and draw you nigh unto that which We have desired for you in the realm of My power. Thus have We revealed unto you Our verses and caused the sun of My loving-kindness to shine forth upon you from the horizon of My bounty, that you may become aware of My love for you, My compassion towards you, and My tender care for those who have turned their faces to My resplendent and luminous countenance. Spirit and glory be upon you, O companions of guidance and people of Baha, from the presence of One Who is mighty and wise. Praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds.
BH00875: This is a Book from the Self-Subsisting to people…
This is a Book from the Self-Subsisting to people who know. Are they who turned away based on anything? Nay, by thy Lord, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting! Are they who denied among the people of witness asleep? Yea, by thy Lord, the Mighty, the Loving!
They say “We were promised in the Tablets,” yet when the Promised One came, they denied the Witness and the Witnessed. When told “The verses have been revealed,” they say “Are they according to the innate nature?” Say: Silence thy tongue, O stubborn misbeliever! The innate nature itself was created by His command, if ye but understand.
The Herald proclaimed: If thou deniest the verses, what sayest thou about power? Then was confounded he who denied God, Lord of the unseen and the seen. We have seen from the people of the Bayan what the Point’s eyes saw not from the people of the Furqan, nor the Spirit’s eyes from the people of the Jews. The Bayan hath disowned them, yet they perceive not. God’s wrath pursueth them, yet they rejoice. Are they the people of faith? Nay, by my Lord, the Most Merciful! The Bayan curseth them, yet they are thunderstruck.
Blessed is he who casteth away desire and taketh hold of righteousness—he is of the people of Baha, inscribed in a preserved tablet. Say: God calleth you to everlasting life, yet ye wander distracted. Cast off the burden of desire, turning to God, the Most High, the Most Glorious. Thus doth the Pen teach you, if ye but know. Can desire profit you? Nay, by your Lord, the Mighty, the Beloved!
Say: For Myself, the eye of the All-Merciful weepeth in the garden of the Bayan, yet ye care not. The Maidens of Inner Meaning lament in the palaces of utterance, yet ye laugh. By God! The Most Exalted Pen hath been forbidden from mention and praise, yet ye write what ye understand not. The leaves of the Lote-Tree have yellowed from the blasts of rejection’s winds, yet ye hasten in the wilderness of error. The pillars of justice have shaken from your oppression, yet ye slumber behind your veils.
Can anything revealed before equal a single verse of His? Nay, by the Manifestation of Grace! Thus hath the All-Merciful testified in the Bayan, yet ye are not fair. Ye have taken desire and cast away guidance—why do ye not reflect? Were ye to hearken with the ear of nature, ye would hear from all atoms: “The Lord of attributes hath come with the kingdom of verses,” yet ye turn away from Him.
The tongue of power proclaimeth: “The Beloved hath come”—a written tablet. Have ye seen anything greater than what hath appeared? Nay, by the Lord of destiny! But desire hath prevented you from your Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious. By My life, ye shall not be helped!
Say: Is doubt befitting after ye behold the All-Bestower riding upon the clouds? Why do ye look, yet deny? Hath any excuse remained for anyone? Say: Consider, O people! They have denied, and the smoke’s darkness hath enveloped them, yet they see not. When verses are recited unto them, thou seest them playing, and when power is manifested, they say “The like hath appeared in ages past.” Thus do they treat their heart’s wound, yet know not.
Say: Nothing shall profit you today, even if ye cling to all in the unseen and seen. This is your Lord, the All-Merciful—to whom do ye flee? This is the King of the Bayan—to whom do ye hasten?
Say to him who turned away after accepting: Cast thyself down, then come! Thus commandeth thee the Dayspring of Beauty, as grace from Him, and I am the Generous, the Forgiving. Say: Can desire profit thee? Nay, by thy Most Glorious Lord! Can the first to deny suffice thee? Nay, by the Most Great Scene! Hear My counsel, purely for thy Lord’s sake, and follow not every rejected misbeliever.
If poverty’s fear restraineth thee, We shall fulfill thy measure. Verily, thy Lord is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is! If thou fearest for thy faith, read the Bayan detached from all thou hast heard, then behold with the eye of fairness that which hath been sent down from the heaven of certitude by thy Lord, the All-Merciful.
Then shalt thou witness the Sun of thy Lord’s remembrance dawning from the horizon of proof and evidence, and thou shalt say:
“Praise be unto Thee, O Heaven of bounty and Educator of existence!”
By My life! Every proof hath been abashed before My proof, and every evidence hath bowed down before Mine evidence, and all things lament for My sake, could ye but hear.
Say: Can ye prevent the sun from its dawning place? Verily it hath shone forth with truth. Blessed are they who possess eyes to see. Say: If ye inhale the fragrance of the Bayan, by God ye shall find therein the fragrance of My garment, the Mighty, the Well-Beloved.
Say: Have ye taken fancy as your lord and cast behind you the Source of Certitude? What aileth you that ye ponder not? Say to him who turneth away: Dost thou see thyself following aught save that which is in the Preserved Tablet? Say: Be fair, O servant! Were it not for the Beauty, who would assist the Lord of heaven with manifest sovereignty?
The pillars of might were shaken when the Tablet was sent unto him from the presence of One mighty and ancient. When We reached the prison, We desired to convey unto all the messages of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Say: Hast thou not seen how We created the wondrous One through the spirit of power and might, and sent Him forth like a ball of fire with thy Lord’s chosen Tablet? Can His Cause be compared with aught in creation? Nay, by the Lord of the worlds! Say: Hast thou seen the like of what hath appeared in any previous Manifestation? Nay, by the Creator of the heavens and earth!
Say: Free thyself for an hour for the sake of God’s countenance, then read the Tablet with joy and delight, that perchance thou mayest find the fragrance of the All-Merciful and be among the detached. Therein hath been revealed of every matter that which the servants are powerless to comprehend, save whom thy Lord willeth, the Mighty, the Wise.
And therein the Dove of Utterance hath warbled various melodies, though We have restrained the Pen and not loosened its reins, as a bounty to the peoples. Read, that perchance the breaths of revelation may attract thee and render thee detached unto God, the Mighty, the Praised.
Say: Dost thou think thy faith profiteth Me or thy rejection harmeth Me, after thou witnesseth that I have never compromised God’s Cause with anyone? If thou deniest, every fair-minded one who is well-informed beareth witness for Me. Say: God’s proof hath been completed against thee. Choose for thyself what thou desirest. He is indeed independent of all the worlds.
O thou who art mentioned before the Throne! Convey the messages of thy Lord. Blessed is he who turneth unto Him, and woe unto them that turn away. Gather My loved ones and remind them from Me, then those who are around thee. Verily thy Lord is the best of rememberers.
Aid thy Lord through wisdom and utterance, and for thee is with Us a mighty station. God shall soon exalt thy mention among His creation for having detached thyself in His love from all else and been among the steadfast. Grieve not for what they say. Nations like unto them have spoken similarly. We seized them and made them a warning to the worlds.
And the Spirit and Glory be upon thee and upon thy brother and thy mother and thy father and those among thy kindred, and upon those who have believed in this Most Great and Mighty Announcement.
O Samandar! Today thou must appear among people in such wise that through word and deed thou mayest guide those who have lost their way in the valley of heedlessness. The divine fragrance of sanctity must be inhaled from thee, that all creation may thereby turn toward the court of oneness. Beware lest there appear from thee that which beseemeth not thy station. Know thy rank before God and be among the thankful ones. Strive night and day that perchance thou mayest guide a soul from the depths of error to the expanse of guidance. Beware lest there appear from thee that which would disturb souls.
BH00874: This is an epistle from the Wronged One, Who…
In His Name, the All-Compelling Lord of the heavens and earth!
This is an epistle from the Wronged One, Who was named Husayn before ʿAli, unto thee, that it may draw thee nigh unto God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. Be not of those who clung to learning when there came unto them the All-Knowing One from God, the Mighty, the Loving. Rend asunder the greatest veil by God’s leave, the Lord of destiny, then turn thy face toward the Most Pure Horizon. This is better for thee than all the learning thou dost possess. Cast aside vain imaginings. By God! The morn of faith hath dawned through the light of certitude. Blessed be the All-Merciful Who created man and made him the repository of His hidden knowledge. Is there any doubt about His power which hath encompassed all horizons? Or concerning His sovereignty? Vain indeed are their imaginings.
We impart unto thee a word that perchance thereby the slumberers may be awakened. Behold and call to mind when the Sun of Truth shone forth from the horizon of Hijaz: the divines opposed Him while those who tended sheep believed in Him. Thus doth this imprisoned Youth remind thee. Then consider when the Spirit came: the Pharisees among the scholars of the Torah opposed Him, while those who caught fish believed in Him. Shouldst thou ponder that which We have imparted unto thee purely for thy Lord’s sake, God will surely open before thy heart’s face the gate of true knowledge, and the breaths of utterance will so attract thee that thou wilt become detached from all possibility, turning unto God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. Cast aside doubts, for the rose of certitude hath smiled in the garden of revelation and witnessing.
In the Persian tongue We make utterance, that perchance through the favors of the Lord of Lords thou mayest not, in this most perfect of all seasons of possibility, be deprived of the outpourings of the All-Merciful. The world hath never had, nor hath it now, any worth. This is what hath passed away, and this is what remaineth. Seize ye the opportunity, O people of insight and understanding! In view of the promotion of God’s Cause and the former friendship, it was necessary that a mention be made unto thee concerning that which God hath willed, that perchance through the assistance of the King of Oneness, the seed of remembrance may find its place in thy heart, and from the rain of the All-Merciful’s mercy, which in these spiritual days poureth down from the clouds of divine bounty, there may spring forth from that seed the ears of divine knowledge and wisdom. This is not difficult for God.
Ever have the vain imaginings and idle fancies of men kept them from the All-Glorious Truth. Let your honor ponder the times of the manifestation of the Divine Luminaries. Although in every age mankind has sought perfection and waited day and night, yet when the hour came, most turned away and remained deprived of the waters of divine grace. Consider the days of the Manifestation of the Apostle of God. After that Sun of Truth rose from the horizon of Hijaz, how many were the people of fancy who afflicted that divine Tree with the stones of denial and objection. In the early years, the Jewish and Christian divines strove with utmost diligence to extinguish the light of that resplendent Luminary. Through their turning away, all people, both high and low, turned away as well. Some of these divines lived in complete detachment and seclusion, dwelling in temples in the name of God and abstaining from all worldly pleasures. Nevertheless, they remained debarred from the glorious Truth and distant from the stations of nearness. Reflect upon this, that perchance the veils of idle fancy may be rent asunder by the hand of certitude, and you may attain to the manifest light which is the recognition of the Manifestation of the Lord of all worlds.
Likewise consider the appearance of Jesus, son of Mary. All the Pharisees among the Jewish clergy denounced that King of existence, and Annas, who was the most learned divine of that age, pronounced the death sentence against Him. Yet Peter, known as Simon, who was but a fisherman on the shores of the sea and had not learned a word of the outward sciences, accepted and believed in Him upon hearing but a single word from that Manifestation of the Divine Cause. Such is God’s grace—He bestoweth it upon whomsoever He willeth.
The purpose of these words is that your honor should not heed the denial and objection of the people, whether learned or ignorant. Look to the essence of the Cause, that you may attain the Most Sublime Vision. For the turning away of people has never been and will never be of consequence. O ye who thirst in the desert of separation, deprive not yourselves of the surging ocean of attainment. The Sun of Recognition has risen from the horizon of the mercy of the All-Merciful—deny not yourselves its effulgent rays. Should your honor reflect upon the Cause of this servant, it would suffice. For you yourself bear witness that this servant has not acquired the outward sciences nor attended any school. Yet the waters of divine knowledge and wisdom flow from his tongue and pen in such measure that all creation is powerless to comprehend or enumerate them. This is mentioned not to display station, but in light of the blessed verse which says “But as for thy Lord’s favour, proclaim it!”—that perchance a stranger might turn to his true home, the station to which all must return, or that decayed bones might attain eternal life through the breaths of divine utterances.
O Abbas! We have summoned thee unto God, the Lord of all names, whilst We lay imprisoned beneath the swords of the enemy. Thus was the decree ordained. No affliction deterreth Us from making mention of God, the Creator of earth and heaven. Blessed is he who hath turned unto Him in these days wherein eyes are intoxicated save those who have laid fast hold on the Sure Handle and have turned toward His Countenance with humility and contrition. We beseech God to aid thee to know the Manifestation of His Self, and to draw thee nigh unto the Dayspring of revelation and inspiration. Count ye these days as precious; that which escapeth a soul today cannot be regained even in a hundred years. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. When thou hearest the call of the Herald, turn thy face toward God, the Lord of creation. Say:
O my Lord! I beseech Thee by the blood of Thy lovers which was shed in Thy path, and by the cry of the yearning ones which was raised in their separation from Thee, and by Him Who hath borne tribulations in His love for Thee until He was imprisoned in the most desolate of lands through what the hands of the heedless among Thy creatures have wrought—not to render me deprived of the breezes of these days wherein Thou hast manifested Thyself through Thy Most Great Name unto all nations. Then cause me, O my God, to be a servant of Thy Cause and a champion of Thy Faith in such wise that neither the oppression of the oppressors may hold me back from Thy remembrance and praise, nor the turning away of the heedless from directing myself toward the horizon of Thy Cause and Thy favors.
O Lord! I am weak and Thou art the Strong One; I am poor and Thou art the All-Possessing, the Most High. O my God! I am one who hath cast away idle fancy and taken hold of what Thou hast commanded me, O Lord of Names and Creator of earth and heaven. I beseech Thee to make me turn wholly unto Thee, detached from all else but Thee. Verily Thou art the Lord of the worlds and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and on earth. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH00889: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having…
In the name of God, the Almighty, the Unconstrained!
Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having gathered together Thy loved ones to celebrate Thy Most Great Festival, whereon Thou didst shed the splendour of Thy most excellent names upon all who are in heaven and on earth, the Festival whereon the Day-Star of truth hath shone resplendent above the horizon of Thy will and the Ancient King ascended the throne of Thy mercy.
This is the ninth day of Ridvan, O my God, and on this day one of Thy loved ones hath, as a token of his love for Thy Beauty and in the eagerness of his devotion to Thee, invited Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Dayspring of Thy glory to leave His room in the prison for another. There he hath spread before Thy presence such of Thy gifts as he hath been able to provide, notwithstanding that the people had plundered all his possessions and the possessions of others among Thy loved ones.
O Lord, since Thou hast gathered them round Thee and aided them to attain this surpassing grace, endue them with constancy in Thy Cause and bind their hearts together in such wise that no differences may arise in their midst. Grant, then, that they may guide all people unto this Luminary, the like of which the eye of creation hath never beheld and which standeth peerless in the realms of the seen and the unseen. Thou well knowest, O Lord, that it hath been the desire of all that circle round Thee to receive Thee during the days of Ridvan. A few have been enabled, in accordance with their means, to attain this honour, while others, through its want, have been prevented therefrom. These have contented themselves with passing round in white vessels that crimson-coloured wine that is brewed from the leaves of China.
I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Word which Thou hast made to be the lodestone of the hearts and souls of men, the Word whereby Thou hast drawn Thy servants unto the heaven of Thy loving-kindness and the horizon of Thy grace and bounty, to accept from the former all that they have accomplished in Thy path and to ordain for the latter the recompense of whatsoever they had purposed to accomplish. Thou, verily, art the Lord of bounty and generosity, of grace and glory. O Lord, help certain souls among them to know their own selves and to restrain their tongues, lest they utter that which would abase their stations and bring their works to naught. Thou, verily, hast power over all things.
O Lord, hear Thou the lamentations of the sincere amongst Thy loved ones who were hindered from meeting Thee during these days, days which Thou hast ordained as a festival unto Thy people and as a treasure and honour unto the inhabitants of Thy realm.
And among them is Ha’, who hath not halted in this Cause—through which the trembling seized all that are in earth and heaven—save those whom Thou hast willed, O Lord of Names. And among them is one whom I have named Mansur, whose temple Thou hast adorned with the vesture of Thy love, O All-Forgiving. And among them are they whose plaintive moanings Thou hearest from without the City—those who have been denied Thy meeting in these days wherein all things have attained unto Thy favours.
And among them is Nabil, who, in the presence of the Throne, hath chanted what he chanted in remembrance of Thee and in Thy praise; and among them is Nabil, before ʿAli, whose call Thou hearest from the quarter which Thou hast honoured with the name of the Spirit. And among them is he who is named Abu’l-Hasan.
And among them was Rasul, and another servant from among the people of Alif and Ra—upon him and upon his father be glory—who, O my God, emigrated in Thy path, turning toward the Ka’bah of Thy meeting. They entered the City and found the fragrance of the garment of Thy reunion; yet were they withheld from attaining the presence before the throne of Thy majesty, by reason of that which the hands of the oppressors among Thy creatures had wrought; and they were driven forth from the City with an injustice whereat all who dwell in the Kingdom and the Realm on high lamented.
And among them was one named ʿAbdu’llah, whose longing kindled the lamp of exultant joy; and among them one named Nasir, who drew nigh unto the Station and was nevertheless prevented therefrom—and Thou hearest, O my God, the outcry of the faithful from the quarter of Hayfa. And among them was one named Khalil, who speaketh forth Thy remembrance and Thy praise—he, and his brother, and his mother. And among them was one named Isma’il, through whom Thy Most Great House was, the first time, rebuilt; and among them one named Yusuf, who was hindered from visiting Thy Beauty through that which the hands of the wicked among Thy creatures have committed. And there were other servants besides these—and then he who arrived there in those days.
Accept from them, O Lord, that which they have purposed in their love for Thee, and ordain for each and every one of them the recompense of such as have attained unto every good Thou hast in store. Thou, verily, hast power over all things.
Look Thou moreover, O my God, with the glances of the eye of Thy mercy, upon Thy loved ones who are scattered in the land of Ta. They have tarried there ever since they were prevented from seeking shelter beneath the shade of the Tree of Thy oneness. O Lord, deny them not the things Thou dost possess. Verily, Thou art the Ruler of the heavens and of the earth. No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Wise. Praise be to Thee, O Lord of the worlds and Desire of all them that have recognized Thee!
The glory of Thy might beareth me witness, O my God! It behoveth all to lay down their lives for the sake of Thine ear that heareth the cries of Thine ardent lovers in every land and the sighs of Thy friends who suffer at the hands of Thine enemies. Verily, the voice of their lamentation hath been raised on account of their love for Thee, and their hearts are consumed with the fire of separation in Thy days. May my soul be a ransom for Thy long-suffering, O Countenance of glory, and may my spirit be a sacrifice for Thy forbearance, O Thou in Whose hand is the kingdom of earth and heaven!
I swear by Thy glory, O Beloved of them that yearn after Thee and Desire of those who cherish Thy love! Were any man of insight to press upon this holy Tablet, he would see the blood of my heart flowing from it, a blood that hath melted for the love of Thee and of those who have been hindered from beholding Thy face after having directed their steps towards Thee and having come to abide within the city or its precincts. May my entire being be offered up as a sacrifice for Thy patience, O Lord of might and power! May my soul be a ransom for Thy forbearance, O Thou the fear of Whose wrath causeth the hearts of the dwellers of the kingdom of names to tremble!
Praise be to Thee, O solace of the hearts of the people of Baha! I testify, O my God, that none besides Thee can fathom Thine inscrutable wisdom or apprehend the truths and mysteries enshrined in all that hath proceeded from the manifold tokens of Thy power and the manifestations of Thy will. I entreat Thee moreover, O my God, to graciously enable my loved ones to show their hospitality unto Thee through their character and their conduct, that the heavenly table of Thy loving-kindness may thereby be spread before all Thy servants and that all the peoples of the world may gather round it. This, verily, is the true meaning of offering hospitality unto one’s fellow men. Thy might and Thy power are, verily, equal to all things. Praise be to Thee, O Lord of the worlds, Thou Whose power embraceth the heavens and the earth!
On the ninth day of Ridvan, one of the inmates of the prison invited this Prisoner unto his dwelling; and in that most pure abode and most august retreat—after the effulgences of the Sun of knowledge had shone forth from the horizon of Our Name, the Self-Subsisting—the divine decree so ordained that an account of these days and of that which befell therein should be set down for that aforementioned person, that he might become acquainted with what hath been inflicted upon Us by a people utterly lost. Wherefore hath that which flowed from the Pen been sent down from the heaven of eternity.
God willing, that honoured one should devote all his times to the service of the Cause of God. The diffusion of the Cause throughout all regions hath been brought to pass through that which hath appeared from the Chosen One, and the seed of divine knowledge hath been scattered in hearts. Therefore must the water of remembrance and utterance reach him at all times; in no wise is neglect permissible. Ere long shalt thou behold the lights of the Cause from every quarter. Remind and proclaim! Thus hast thou been created, and thy Lord, the Mighty, the Unconquerable. And glory be upon thee from One Who is Mighty, All-Knowing.
BH00915: Lawh-i-Laylatu’l-Quds (Tablet of the Sacred Night—’Akka)
Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst deliver Adam from Satan, and Noah from the flood, and Abraham from the fire, and Moses from Pharaoh, and the Spirit from the Jews, and Muhammad from the Abu-Jahl of the age; and by Thy Name through which the breezes of Thy bounty wafted over the bodies of all created things, and the sun of Thy grace shone upon all who dwell in earth and heaven; and by Thy Name through which every poor one was enriched at the gate of Thy wealth, and every abased one was exalted through the manifestations of Thy mighty glory, and every remote one drew near to the wonders of Thy grace and favors; and by Thy Name through which the sun rose from the horizon of Thy providence, and the pavilion of glory was raised in the kingdom of Thy beneficence, and the trees of unity were planted in the paradise of Thy grace and bounty; and furthermore by Thy Name through which all faces were turned toward Thy face, and all souls were drawn to the shore of Thy holy nearness and meeting, and the birds of the hearts of them who are nigh unto Thee soared in the atmosphere of Thy reunion and glory, and the hearts of the holy ones drank from the cups of Thy divine oneness—that Thou mayest look, O my Beloved, with the glance of Thy favor upon these who have kept vigil on this Night which Thou hast made a festival for Thy creation, wherein Thou didst manifest Thyself by Thy Name the All-Merciful unto all creation, and wherein the Beauty of Thy Lordship was established upon the throne of forgiveness.
Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by this Night and by those who have kept vigil therein, that Thou mayest send down upon these souls every most perfect good, every most excellent bounty, every most abundant wealth, every most beauteous beauty, every most manifest manifestation, every most steadfast utterance, every most enduring sovereignty, every most perfect word, every most ancient providence, every most powerful sign, every most great name, every most excellent beneficence, every most resplendent glory, every most brilliant radiance, every most powerful might, every most clear permission, every most wondrous book, and every most gentle fruit. For they, O my God, have gathered around Thee on a day when the dwellers of earth have turned away from Thy presence, and have sought the sanctuary of Thy knowledge after all others rejected it.
I beseech Thee, O my God, to change their sorrow into joy from Thy presence, and their grief into gladness from Thy court. Send down upon them, O my God, from the clouds of Thy mercy that which will cause to grow from their hearts the plants of Thy knowledge and wisdom. Make them, O my Beloved, so steadfast in Thy love and Thy Cause that should all who are in the heavens and on earth endeavor to prevent them, they would pay no heed to any of them, but would turn with their inner and outer beings toward the court of Thy bounty and grace. Honor them, O my Beloved, with Thy presence on the Day when Thou wilt be established upon the throne of eternity, when the feet of the wise shall slip, and the dwellers of earth and heaven shall tremble.
Then, O my God, leave them not to themselves. Take their hands with the power of Thy grace and gather them before the sovereign of the might of Thy bountifulness. Then raise them up, O my Beloved, unto that which Thou hast purposed for them through the sovereignty of Thy mighty dominion, for this is the good than which there is no likeness in creation nor equal in invention. Verily, Thou art powerful over this, mighty and omnipotent. Glory be unto Thee, O my Beloved! I beseech Thee by Thy hidden Name, and by Thy treasured Sign, and by Thy guarded Secret, that Thou deprive not these souls of the surging waves of the sea of Thy oneness, and cause them, O my Desire, to embark upon the ark of Thy glorious might.
O My Hope! Withhold not from them that which Thou hast, and send down upon them that whereby their spirits may be calmed, their hearts reassured, their souls established, their tongues loosed, their minds soar, their eyes be gladdened, their ears hear, and their hearts be enraptured, that they may be drawn, O my Beloved, by the breezes of Thy days, which none have attained save those whom Thou hast chosen for the recognition of Thy Self, elected for Thy Revelation and inspiration, approved for the manifestation of Thy Cause and sovereignty, and made the dawning-places of Thy Cause in Thy lands, the daysprings of Thy divine sustenance amongst Thy creatures, and the manifestations of Thy lordship between Thy heaven and Thy earth. Thou art, verily, the Powerful over what Thou willest, and the Dominant over what Thou desirest. None can resist Thy command or reverse Thy decree. Thou doest what Thou willest by Thy sovereignty and ordainest what Thou desirest by Thy will. Thou art, verily, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, the Giver, the Bountiful, the Beloved, the Generous.
Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the oceans of Thy names surged in the kingdom of Thy attributes, and the sun of Thy decree shone forth from the horizon of Thy judgment, to gather these beneath the shade of the tree of Thy oneness. Then grant them, O my God, from the wonders of Thy bounties which Thou hast sent down at all times from the heaven of Thy will and concealed from the eyes of Thy creatures, that they may delight in secret as they have delighted openly in the wondrous gifts of Thy divine unity. Send down, O my Beloved, into their hearts that which will purify them from all else but Thee and draw them near to the sanctuary of Thy good-pleasure and the source of Thy will, that they may speak naught except in Thy love, turn to none save in devotion to Thee, face no direction but the direction of Thy mercy and bounty, raise not their hands save toward the heaven of Thy might and generosity, and open not their eyes save unto the wondrous splendors of the lights of Thy countenance.
O Beloved! Give them to drink from the cups of everlasting life by the hand of this Youth in this paradise, that they may be severed from the idols of Satan and unite in Thy Cause in these days, remembering Thee at eventide and at dawn beneath the canopy of Thy grace, O Thou Bestower! O Thou Who sendeth down the Revelation, and bringeth the contingent world into being! I beseech Thee, O my Beloved, to remove discord from among these, then clothe them in the robe of Thy grace and the garments of Thy favors, in such wise that they may speak only of the wondrous traces of Thy divine sovereignty, and there may appear from them naught but that which will guide all created things to the court of Thy holy love, whereby the servants may ascend to the atmosphere of nearness to Thy unity, rise unto the heaven of Thy uniqueness, gather in the precincts of Thy mercy, and be as one soul before the sanctuary of Thy grandeur.
Then I beseech Thee, O my God, to purify their hearts from the dust of contingent things and the soil of created things, that the mirrors of their hearts may be cleansed and there may be reflected therein the wondrous splendors of the lights of Thy luminous beauty. Verily, Thou art the Giver, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, and verily, Thou art wise over all things.
Bless, then, O my God, those who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs and in Thy Beauty which shineth between Thy earth and Thy heaven. Thou art, verily, the Lord of forgiveness and mercy, and the Lord of grandeur and majesty. Then, O my God, detach Thy servants from all else but Thee and draw them to the court of Thy glory. Verily, Thou art the Forgiving, the Resurrector, the Life-Giver, the Almighty, the Powerful.
BH00972: In the Name of the Nameless Friend! Your letter…
In the Name of the Nameless Friend! Your letter was received before Us and what was written therein was noted and heard. God willing, may you remain engaged at all times in the remembrance of the Lord of all names.
As to what was asked concerning the verse revealed in the Suriy-i-Muluk, it is correct as revealed, with no word omitted. The movement of the Supreme Pen in the fields of Tablets is witnessed in different styles. In one instance, the matter is revealed with brevity—this expression is known as easily impossible’—and in another instance, both modes are combined. Therefore in the Surih of Kings the aforementioned verses were mentioned concisely, and this is most eloquent. “When it is asked, For what crime have they imprisoned Him?’ they answer, ʿIndeed, they desired to renew religion”’—meaning that if it be asked for what crime and transgression have ye imprisoned the Luminary of creation, they say these people desired to renew religion.
From the Most Exalted Source the answer was revealed: If ye choose the ancient and it is preferred by you, why then did ye abandon the previous religions? At the beginning of this verse, “Say” is implied, so it would read “Say: If the ancient is what is chosen…” etc. And since the meaning of “Say” is understood from the utterance of the All-Merciful, it was therefore not mentioned, and this is the manifestation of perfect eloquence. In any case, this verse is not missing anything and is correct. And what you mentioned regarding the other verse, His exalted Word was “He hath dawned from the horizon of detachment.”
As to what you asked about the verse revealed in the Tablet to the Pope, these expressions are allusions to the words of the Son [Christ] that were mentioned. In one place He says: “And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And in another place it is mentioned: “Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” From these two passages, the allusion in the words of the Lord of Names in the revealed verse becomes clear.
Some statements in certain Tablets refer to previous Books and what was written therein. In these days, Tablets have been specifically revealed for the Zoroastrian people, and what had remained hidden in their books until today has been mentioned. However, until what they possess becomes known, no one will understand the allusions in the revealed verses.
With regard to what you asked about spirits and their awareness of each other after their ascension, know that the people of Baha who are established in the Crimson Ark consort with each other, associate intimately, gather together, soar, aim for their goals, and ascend as if they were one soul—except that they are the discerning ones, they are the seeing ones, they are the knowing ones. Thus has the matter been decreed from the presence of One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise. The people of Baha who dwell in the divine Ark are all aware of each other’s conditions and are intimate companions and associates with one another. This station depends on the certitude and deeds of souls. Those souls who are at the same level are aware of each other’s qualities, characteristics, ranks and stations. But souls who are below them cannot fully comprehend the levels and stations of those souls who are above them. Each has their portion with your Lord. Blessed is the soul that has turned to God and remained steadfast in His love until its spirit took flight unto God, the King, the Almighty, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
As for the spirits of the infidels, by My life, at the time of death they recognize what has passed them by, and they lament and implore. Likewise after their spirits depart from their bodies. It is very clear and evident that after death all will become aware of their deeds and actions. By the Sun of the horizon of might! The people of truth will at that time experience such joy as cannot be described. Similarly, the people of error will be seized by such fear, anxiety and terror as cannot be imagined. How excellent is the state of that soul who has taken and drunk the choice and everlasting wine of faith from the hand of the favors and bounties of the Lord of all religions.
Since a promise was previously made to respond, therefore this brief message is revealed and sent at a time when the clamor of the slanderers is raised and the cry of the heedless has drowned out the sound and echo of thunder. Today the loved ones of God must fix their gaze upon the Manifestation and what appears from Him. Some previous traditions had and have no foundation, and most of what former peoples understood and recorded in their books was according to their own desires, as you have observed that most of what people possess of meanings and interpretations of divine verses has been contrary to truth. Thus after the rending of the veil some things became clear and evident and they acknowledged they had not understood a single word of God’s words. The intent is that if God’s loved ones would purify their hearts and ears from what they have heard before, and with complete attention fix their gaze upon the Dawning-Place of the Cause and what has appeared from His presence, this would be most loved before God.
Despite these afflictions that have befallen and trials that have descended, the Most Exalted Pen has not liked and does not like aught save what speaks the truth: Verily there is no God but Me, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. For the fragrance of this word prevents the entry of sorrows, but if one becomes occupied with interpretations of previous words it will aid sorrows. We shall see what God wills and what time requires. For now this much will suffice. Give thanks and be among the grateful ones.
Convey My greetings to My loved ones whom God has singled out for His love and made them among the successful ones. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH01012: In the Name of God, the Most Inaccessible…
In the Name of God, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Holy, the Exalted, the Most High, the Most Glorious!
These are the verses of the Book which have been sent down in truth. God hath made them a proof from His presence and a manifestation from His own Self unto all who are in the heavens and on the earth. Verily, He accepteth what He willeth through His command, and He is, in truth, wise over all things. His is the creation and the command. He giveth life unto whom He willeth through His command and causeth death unto whom He desireth through His sovereignty. He shall not be asked of His doings, and He hath ever been, through His sovereignty, encompassing all the worlds.
O servant who gazes upon the Countenance! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High, from this Most Glorious Horizon, that verily there is none other God but Him, and that He Who speaketh at all times in all things, that there is none other God but Him, hath been the Manifestation of His Cause, the Dawning-Place of His Revelation, the Repository of His knowledge, and the Treasury of His revelation unto all worlds. Say: O people, fear ye God and follow not every sinful infidel. Have ye forgotten God’s sovereignty and His power, and God’s might and His glory in the days when He stood forth by His own Self and revealed His Cause between the heavens and the earth, whereunto ye were witnesses?
O Trustworthy One! We did promise these people in a previous Manifestation that I would reveal unto them My beauty once again and would reveal unto them a mystery beyond reckoning, and when We manifested Ourselves once again by Our Most Glorious Name and We did not unveil the mystery but rather desired to bring the fingers of My will near to its veil, thereupon all who dwell in the heavens and on earth were struck with terror, and all returned to their original station, and God was witness to this. We had informed them beforehand that upon the unveiling of the mystery, those of Sinai would be thunderstruck and those of light would perish upon the Sinai of destiny by reason of this Most Great News. Yet they were unaware of this, and when a number were struck down, the hearts of those who had believed in God and witnessed the wonders of His power every morn and eve were sorely troubled.
O Trustworthy One! By the True God! He who fought against My Self and whom the servants took as a lord besides God was created by My Word and did circle round Me, as every fair-minded one who is possessed of knowledge doth testify. Thou beholdest the people as those who walk yet know not the way, or like the blind who walk in the shadow of the sun yet recognize it not and inquire about it from every ignorant blind one, or like sheep whose shepherd hath become the wolves of the earth and who can find no safe retreat. Thus do We set forth similitudes for thee that thou mayest recognize those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God, and that thou mayest abide in an impregnable stronghold.
Blessed art thou for having drunk the cup of life from the fingers of the All-Merciful in this Paradise which hath appeared at the heart of heaven, wherein all created things speak even as the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing spoke at the ultimate retreat, and the Tree of Sinai upon the crimson hillock, and the Tree of Eternity beyond the sea of grandeur. Thus is thy Lord powerful over whatsoever He willeth, and verily He encompasseth all things.
Be thou ignited by the fire We have kindled in the paradise of thy heart, then ignite the servants therewith. By God! The Spirit of Glory will strengthen thee in all matters, and the Holy Spirit will speak within thy breast and will aid thee in times when thou openest thy tongue in remembrance of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Verily, He strengtheneth whom He willeth through His grace, but the people are wrapped in thick veils.
Know thou then that thy letter hath come before Us and the gaze of God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds, hath fallen upon it, and We have witnessed from it thy longing for God and thy yearning for Him. How excellent it is for thee that the breezes of Paradise have wafted upon thee from this direction which hath been, from time immemorial, raised above the knowledge of the worlds. Therefore, give thanks unto God for having protected thee through the sovereignty of His Cause and delivered thee from the depths.
O thou who art attracted by My love and hast been raised to a station which is, in truth, praiseworthy! Sanctify thyself from the allusions of those who have disbelieved, and arise to praise thy Lord with a pure and wondrous tongue. Say: O people, be fair in the name of God—by what proof did ye believe in the Manifestations of the past, and by what evidence do ye establish your faith, after having denied this Sun which hath dawned from the horizon of eternity and by Whose light all who are in the heavens and on earth have been illumined? And now It standeth at its zenith with the sovereignty of grandeur, might and glory, having come unto you with God’s proof and His testimony, then His evidence and magnificent signs.
Fear ye God, and war not against Him Who hath come unto you with all the signs, through Whom God’s power and proof, then His greatness and might have been made manifest. Fear God, O people, and be God-fearing in His Cause. If thou detectest from them the sweet savors of the All-Merciful, turn towards them; otherwise leave them to themselves and say “In the Name of God and by God,” then embark upon the Crimson Ark in My Most Glorious Name, which saileth upon the sea of grandeur from whose essence have appeared the seas of attributes and names.
Thus do We impart unto thee in this night which hath been illumined by this Sun that was visible from God’s horizon. Were We to recount unto thee what hath befallen Us in this prison, thou wouldst weep and lament and become detached from all things in creation. But We have been patient and concealed it, and patience is from none but thy Lord, and verily He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful unto His servants. Be thou at peace within thyself, then rejoice in God’s joy, for there hath been ordained for thee in the Tablet a station that is, in truth, magnificent.
God’s glorification from this prison be upon thy countenance, and by His glorification have the denizens of the highest paradise and the dwellers of the crimson chambers beyond the veils of the cloud-shrouded mysteries glorified thee. Thus doth God single out whom He willeth through His grace, and verily His grace hath ever been nigh unto them that are brought near. And the mercy that descendeth from the heaven that hath been raised in its essence be upon thee and upon them that are with thee and upon those who hearken unto thy words concerning God, thy Lord and the Lord of all creation.
BH01053: This is an epistle from the servant…
He is God, the Most Manifest, the Most Powerful, the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious
This is an epistle from the servant of the All-Merciful, who is named Abdullah and known as Aqa Jan, to those who have detached themselves from the shadow of Satan and have held fast to the cord of God, the Mighty, the Bestower, that it may be a remembrance to them that believe in divine unity, a light to the mystics, a fire to the deceivers, a sword to the idolaters, and a reminder to those who shall come after, to them that have eyes to see and minds to perceive.
Be it known that some time ago, when the Beauty of God was dwelling alone in the House, certain matters were mentioned concerning Mirza Husayn-i-Mutavalli-yi-Qumi. Therefore, Hadrat-i-Kalim, exalted be His praise, out of pure kindness and affection, penned a letter to the aforementioned person. By God, besides Whom there is no other God! With the utmost mercy and compassion, and with pure kindness and affection, they wished to remind him, for none among the people of the Bayan was aware of this matter. Out of kindness to him, they wrote to him about certain matters, that perchance he might be illumined by the light of piety and guidance, leaving the darkness of fancy and error. And in that letter, they wrote in detail about their brother. By God! They had no purpose save his guidance.
Later, news arrived that the aforementioned Mirza Husayn had gone to Bombay. Time passed until these days, and this servant was dwelling in utmost grief and lamentation when someone came and gave this servant a sealed writing. I observed that the blessed name of the Embodiment of the Cause, exalted be His glory, was written on the letter. From this supreme violation, I realized that this letter must be from one of those who have turned away from God. Therefore, I opened it and observed that in response to Hadrat-i-Kalim, exalted be His praise, the aforementioned person had written fabricated words with a pen of hatred, ink of animosity, and fingers of polytheism….
And so the letter of that rejected one, that manifestation of Nimrod, was read to its end….
Hadrat-i-Kalim narrated in detail the story of the two brothers’ departure from Persian Iraq to Arab Iraq…
He saith, mighty be His utterance: “O people of the Bayan! Be fair within yourselves and speak with pure truthfulness and be among the truthful ones. Most of you have associated with Me and have become aware of My nature. Has anyone witnessed from Me that which would grieve his soul? No, by Him Who sent Me with the truth, if you be of the fair-minded. I have been ever-forgiving to whoever repented, concealing the sins of whoever committed wrongs, most merciful unto him who hath repented and returned, compassionate unto him who hath failed, a refuge unto him who hath feared, and responsive unto him who hath called at the Gate—to this every discerning and fair-minded soul doth testify. Can any among you deny this bounty? Nay, by My own Self, the Truth! None save he who denieth all the favors of God and followeth the path of them that imagine vain things….
In another instance, in denial of God and in opposition to Him, he wrote that the Primal Point had decreed that that Person must never have smoked a water-pipe nor lived in the time of the late Shaykh. Say: O associator with God! How did you ascertain that the one whom you now wrongfully consider as truth apart from God never smoked a water-pipe and was not present in the Shaykh’s time? In the land of Ta, he was the keeper of the water-pipe in his assembly. Though this servant was not present and did not witness it, I have heard from all who were with him in the land of Ta that he indeed smoked frequently. Even in Baghdad, whenever he went to Ibn-i-Alusi’s or to the coffeehouse to rent lodgings, he would both smoke the water-pipe and drink coffee. Ask Ibn-i-Alusi…
You are the one who emigrated from your land called Qum until you joined the hosts of God and associated with them in the place called Tabarsi, wherein was the holy and luminous Beauty named Muhammad-ʿAli in the Kingdom of Names and Quddus among the Concourse of eternity. You remained with them until circumstances changed and the oppressors surrounded the hosts of the All-Merciful. When thou didst behold the outward weakness of the loved ones of God and the fewness of their helpers, thou didst flee from them and desert them, joining the hosts of Satan. The curse of God be upon those who have wronged God, warred against Him, disputed with Him, denied His signs, turned away from what He possesseth, and joined the company of the polytheists.
By God! Through thine actions the heavens and earth have wept, and the hearts of them that profess His unity who were present there were troubled. Yet thou wert heedless within thyself and rejoiced in thy deed. And thou didst all this only to save thine own wicked self. This was the first harm thou didst inflict upon God and His chosen ones, His loved ones, His intimate friends, and His trusted ones, and thou wert with the polytheists until the hosts of tyranny outwardly prevailed over the hosts of God, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling. The polytheists slew some and took others captive.
Yet thou wert not content with what thou hadst done, O thou who hast associated partners with God, turned away from His signs, and warred against His very Self, until thou didst desire to absolve thyself from God, His love, and His good-pleasure. Thou didst perpetrate such tyranny that I am ashamed to mention it, and all created things are ashamed to hear it. By God! The dwellers of the pavilions of eternity have wept at thy tyranny, yet thou wert not aware of it and wert among the heedless ones. O thou wicked one! Is this thy faithfulness to thy Lord’s covenant, or thy steadfastness upon the throne of love? Fie upon thee and upon those like thee….
Until such time as certain of those souls were delivered forth, wholly for God, and returned unto their own land; and others, escaping from the hands of the idolaters upon the road, went back unto their homes…
Among them was the honored Mulla Muhammad Sadiq, who is now in Mashhad, and the honored Mirza Muhammad…
Aqa Mirza Husayn, when he perceived that affairs had taken such a turn, came into the presence of the idolaters, before the face of His Holiness Quddus—may the spirit of all else beside Him be offered up for His sake—and, solely that he might prove unto the idolaters his repudiation of the Truth, committed an act which this feeble tongue is powerless to utter; whereupon his vile life was spared from being slain, and they sent him to Tihran. And after his arrival in Tihran he again professed faith, that there might appear the final disclosure of his unbelief…
BH01068: Lawh-i-Husayn
The Friend is eternal and all else perishable. O Husayn! Be intimate with the remembrance of God and heedless of aught else, for His remembrance is a companion without duplicity and an associate in perfect harmony—a guest who betrays not and a comrade who works neither harm nor treachery. It is a reliable assembly and a steadfast and established intimate. It is a faithful friend who, wherever thou goest, accompanies thee and never parts from thee. It transforms sorrow into joy and wipes away the rust of heedlessness.
This is the Day wherein the attractive Word of God is suspended between earth and heaven, drawing unto itself the essences of the hearts of all created things. As for those souls who have not ascended from their earthly habitations, the decree of former religions and their rejection has been issued concerning them from God. I swear by the Sun of inner meanings that were there to be found but a particle—nay, less than that—of the essence concealed in a mountain, the attractive and distinguishing Word would assuredly draw that particle and separate it from that mountain.
Thus do you observe in the Concourse of the Bayan that whatsoever hearts were pure, souls sanctified, and breasts holy among that people have ascended to the most exalted stronghold and the ultimate station of the Divine Lote-Tree. And whatsoever souls were impure and sullied have returned to their origin. For a mere fancy they have turned away from the King of certitude, and through attachment to a passing shadow they have become heedless of the eternal Beauty. They are now seen before God as the most rejected of the world and the most limited of all people, for they have disbelieved in that which is greater, more perfect and mightier than that wherein they had previously believed and whereof they had boasted over other peoples. Thus doth God render vain the deeds of those who disbelieved and associated partners with God, and were in doubt about meeting their Lord after He had appeared with all the signs and with manifest sovereignty.
O Husayn! The chalices of eternity and extinction have both appeared with utmost manifestation and evident emergence, borne by the angels of paradise and hell. How excellent is the state of that soul who becomes the recipient of the chalice of eternity and leaves the chalice of extinction to its people.
O Husayn! Behold the Cause of God today as thou wouldst the sun, and all created things as mirrors. Any mirror that faces and turns toward the sun will have its image reflected therein, clear and evident. Today, in any heart that turns toward the Divine Beauty, the lights of His countenance become manifest and visible, and without this it remains deprived, nay, as one lost. Today none have turned except a few, and these are the essences of existence in the sight of God.
The Most Exalted Pen declares: None but Mine ear can hear My words, and none but Mine eye can recognize My beauty. How can the eye afflicted with the ophthalmia of desire behold the Most Great Scene? My love hath been the physician for all ailments, and My affection shall be the healer of all diseases. Know divine love to be purifying—wherever it enters, no defilement remains. It transforms illness into health and sin into mercy. Blessed are the souls who attain unto this matchless grace.
Therefore, O thou servant who art assured in God, be thankful that thou art mentioned before God among the enduring letters. The cloud of His All-Merciful grace hath rained upon thee, and the clouds of His glorified bounty have showered their favors upon thee in thy native land and praiseworthy station.
You have taken up residence in the City of Divine Love. God willing, strive at all times to attain and be nourished by His wondrous mercy which is specially designated for that time, for in every moment the Divine Beauty sheds Its most wondrous effulgence. The heedful ones have no share of this celebrated grace. You must remain steadfast in the Cause of God and strive to the extent possible to teach His Cause, for today this most exalted and glorious station is the nearest of all things that draw one nigh unto the King of Names and Attributes.
O Husayn, follow in the footsteps of the Servant and walk therein, and never be saddened by any afflictions that may come to pass. By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hand! If God’s infinite worlds were limited to this world, and its delights confined to what is witnessed by its people, I would never have subjected Myself to these countless afflictions. Consider the near ones among the Prophets and the tribulations each endured in the path of God. By the Most Exalted Pen! Were anyone to possess consciousness even less than an atom and reflect upon this utterance, they would never pay heed to this world nor be saddened by its existence or absence. Moreover, they would become assured of that which none hath been assured save those whom God hath aided to recognize Him and whose eyes He hath opened to witness His mysteries.
Were I to mention the afflictions We have endured in this City, you would surely be saddened, but know this much: By Him Who caused the tongue of dawn to speak His praise! From the beginning of creation until now such tyranny hath never appeared, nor hath anyone endured what the Beauty of the Divine Unity hath endured, and thereby all things have lamented, though they perceive it not. And I say: Nothing shall befall Us except what God hath decreed for Us. In Him do We put Our trust, and upon Him let the near ones place their trust.
Jinab-i-Nabil-i-ʿAli is with Us; be thou assured concerning him and give thanks unto God for having made him one of His companions among the worlds. Praise be to God that he beholdeth the Most Great Scene with his eyes, heareth the words of God with his ears, and with his heart is turned to His remembrance. Blessed is he and blessed are ye. Convey the mention of this Wronged One to the loved ones of God.
BH01171: O ye beloved of God! May ye ever be…
In the Name of the peerless One God!
O ye beloved of God! May ye ever be and continue to be blessed and joyful through the grace shining from the horizon of the Cause of the immortal King. At all times be ye engaged in the triumph of the Cause of the All-Merciful. O thou servant who gazeth unto God, gird up firmly the loins of service, in such wise that thou mayest be known and renowned for thy service to God amongst all else. The world and whatsoever is witnessed therein shall ere long perish, and that which shall endure is what hath been ordained by the Truth for His loved ones, and ever shall be.
Today must such a breeze of steadfastness waft from the loved ones of God that none can prevent those enkindled souls from the divine Unity. Say: O servants, guard yourselves and take refuge in God, exalted be His mention, lest the croak of the raven prevent you from the Lord of Lords. For in most lands the call of false pretenders shall be raised—tidings We gave at the time of Our migration from Iraq, and which hath been detailed in numerous Tablets from the Pen of the Lord of creation. Say: Take ye the chalice of steadfastness in the name of your Lord, then drink therefrom with this wise Remembrance.
Today all must manifest spiritual qualities among mankind, that all people may inhale the sweet fragrances of sanctity and detachment from those who are related to the Truth. Praise God that thou art mentioned before the Divine Presence and the Pen of God’s Cause hath flowed in thy remembrance. Most great is this station—blessed is he who recognizeth its worth and is of them that preserve it.
O thou bird soaring in the heaven of divine love! Hearken unto the call of this Prisoner. Convey to all the beloved ones the greetings from God. Blessed are they in that they have believed, turned unto Him, heard and responded on a Day wherein the mountains were scattered and flesh did quiver.
God willing, all must act according to the loving counsels that have shone forth from the horizon of the Will of the Lord of creation. We have enjoined wisdom upon all, for corruption, conflict, contention and unauthorized seizure of others’ property have all been forbidden in this Most Great Revelation. Say: O servants, hear ye the call of the Most Exalted Pen which crieth out betwixt earth and heaven. Strive ye, that perchance through divine grace and heavenly favors there may appear from you that which befitteth this Most Great Revelation.
All must be united, and through deeds, character and conduct must attract and draw people from the gloomy wilderness to the pleasant spiritual realm. The essence of man is his humanity. Blessed is he from whom it is manifested—he is indeed of them that have attained. Man must not expend all his energy on his own imaginings, but must strive with utmost endeavor to attend to one another’s affairs. This is the binding command of the Lord of nations that hath flowed from the Pen of the Ancient of Days.
A Tablet hath been sent down from the heaven of Will concerning the education of all, but in these days it hath not been dispatched, as the time was not propitious. When the hour cometh, We shall send it unto you. By My life, it is a perspicuous Book sent down from your Lord, the Lord of the worlds.
O friends of the Truth! Let your endeavors be directed towards serving the loved ones of God. To care for the weak is essential and to assist the poor is among those things most necessary before the All-Forgiving, and shall ever be so. I swear by the Sun of sanctified glory that has risen from the horizon of the prison, that the cry of those who are oppressed among the loved ones of God and the poor among His friends has been and shall ever be effective. Had people perceived the station of the Truth and turned towards God’s direction, there would have surely appeared a matter that would have caused the enrichment of all. What they have withheld from themselves of that which their Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, desired has been concealed.
Hearken unto that which the Lord of Destiny reveals unto thee from the direction of His Most Great Scene. Verily, there is no God but Me, the Mighty, the Powerful. Arise to serve the Cause and be steadfast through God’s might and power, then convey that which thou hast been commanded by the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
Say: O people! The Sun of Beauty hath risen from the horizon of your Lord’s Command, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, and all things have proclaimed: The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the One, the Peerless, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Say: Are ye among the dead? Yea, by my Lord! Were there in you a breath of life, ye would have heard the call of your Lord and would have turned to Him and said:
“My spirit be a sacrifice for Thy tribulations, O Beloved of the worlds! Thou art He Who hath borne hardships in God’s path for the quickening of all beings, until Thou wert imprisoned in a mighty prison.”
Were ye to find the sweetness of that which hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen and hear that which the Tongue of Grandeur and Glory proclaimeth, ye would surely abandon what ye possess and hasten to the seat of the Throne with evident submission. Fear ye God and deprive not yourselves of the breezes of these days. Turn ye with illumined hearts and radiant faces. Thus doth your Lord, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Beauteous, command you.
O thou who gazest! Rejoice in God’s remembrance of thee and turn not unto those who speak what they comprehend not. The glory rest upon thee and upon thy son and upon those who have turned to the Countenance. They are indeed the triumphant ones. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Beloved.
BH01172: Exalted is He Who sendeth down verses…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Glorious
Exalted is He Who sendeth down verses from the Kingdom which was illumined with the lights of the Throne, and Who speaketh in the Lote Tree of Revelation that perchance men may find a way unto Him.
Say: O servants, fear ye the Lord of the Day of Mutual Calling, and await the grace that was made manifest from the horizon of the All-Merciful. Say: The Sun of Utterance hath dawned from the horizon of the revelation of the King of Names and Attributes. Prostrate yourselves before God, your Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, Who was remembered in the heaven of eternity by the name of Glory, and in the kingdom of names as the Most High.
O people! Deny not the verses of the All-Merciful after their revelation. Follow that which ye have been commanded in the Book. Verily His grace draweth nigh unto the doers of good. Say: The names were shaken and the heaven was cleft asunder when the Glory came with the kingdom of eternity, save him who took Him as his protector. Cast away that which veils you from God, then soar on the wings of sanctity unto this atmosphere which was raised through this Name.
The breezes of grace have wafted, and by them were all things borne, and God is witness to what I say. Soon shall there appear from all things that which shall gladden the hearts of the believers. Then shall the idolaters flee to the right and to the left, and shall find for themselves no secure refuge.
Say: O people! Take ye the chalice of eternity from the hands of Glory, then turn ye unto God, the Lord of Names. And if ye are able within yourselves, then sail upon the crimson ark in My Most Exalted Name and traverse the sea of grandeur that ye may find yourselves beneath a shade illumined by the lights of His countenance.
Hearken, O people, unto the call of the All-Merciful, for verily it is raised at all times. Turn not your gaze toward him who disbelieved in Him Who believed, and was far removed from the truth. Among men are some who have halted in this Cause—though the Tablets were revealed for none other end than this Manifestation, which was, in truth, promised. And among the deniers are such as strove, with their substance and their very lives, to exalt the Word of God; yet when it appeared and shone forth from the horizon of elucidation, they disbelieved in the All-Merciful and turned back upon their heels.
Be thou steadfast in the Cause in such wise that no affliction can withhold thee from thy Lord, the Most Glorious. Then thank Him morning and evening for having sent down unto thee a Tablet truly wondrous. Thus have We bestowed upon thee of the marvels of Our bounty, and sent unto thee that whereby thou mayest inhale the fragrance of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, that thou mayest take, beneath His shadow, a stronghold impregnable.
They who, openly, have turned away from God—when the verses of God are recited unto them—their faces are darkened; yet are they in a state of abasement, deprived of the fragrances of Revelation. Whoso hath turned away from God and forged lies against Him, his works are rendered vain; he is of those who denied the Prophets and the Messengers, and in the religion of God became a transgressor.
Say: O people! Fear God, and utter not that which the idolaters uttered in all the days, until there came the Day wherein the Beauty of Eternity shone forth from the horizon of a Name that, with God’s Throne, was exalted and high. Sanctify the ears of men from the words of the idolaters, and then lead them into the ocean of recognition by the leave of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, that they may find the precious pearl of knowledge.
Say: We took a handful of dust and kneaded it with the waters of power and assurance, and breathed into it a spirit from Our presence; then did We adorn it with the vesture of the Names in the kingdom of creation, and sent it unto the sovereign with the Book of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Exalted be this Cause which hath encompassed all the worlds!
Say: Naught shall hinder Us from the remembrance of God, the Fashioner of earth and heaven. The Tongue of Eternity speaketh in this Most Great Prison, and summoneth the peoples unto their Lord, the All-Merciful. Thus have We announced unto thee and informed thee, that thine eye and the eyes of the Concourse on high may be gladdened, and that perchance men may behold the power of God and take Him for their helper.
Say: O people! if ye deny this power and this proof, by what word shall your faith in your Lord, the All-Merciful, be established? Nay, by Him through Whom earth and heaven have shone with the light of glory, they shall find no path unto the truth.
Say: O people! when the Messenger of God entereth in upon you bearing His Tablet, arise from your seats; then turn unto Him, and take hold of Him with the fingers of certainty and assurance. Inhale His fragrance: if ye perceive in Him the scent of utterance and the perfume of the garment of the mercy of your Lord, the All-Merciful, then deny Him not. Thus have We sent down the Cause from the Realm of Eternity—a Revelation from One Who is Mighty, powerful over all worlds.
O people! Follow the religion of God and His command, and commit not that whereat the sincere ones lament in the Most Exalted Companion. This is that wherewith ye have been admonished in the Tablets, and God is witness unto what I say.
And if one of the idolaters should bring thee the Book of the Sijjin, cast it behind thy back, and say: I have abandoned the religion of a people that believed not in God; these are the inmates of the Fire. Thus hath the decree been inscribed by the Pen of the Chosen One in the Tablet.
O people! Fear God, and pursue not them upon whom the word of chastisement hath been made binding, and whose faces are covered with the dust of fire; verily they are of the people of the coffin. Thus hath the matter been decreed by the King of kings and Sovereign of the Kingdom, Who hath come down from the heaven of the Cause in a Name that was, in truth, well-known.
Know thou the worth of these days, and gird thy loins therein for the triumph of My Cause. Let not the world and what befalleth therein grieve thee. That which thou seest shall soon pass away, and abiding glory and power shall remain with God, the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the Chosen.
BH01217: Lawh-i-Hirtik (Tablet to David Hardegg)
In the name of God, the Most Holy
Thy sealed letter hath reached the presence of this Wronged One, and from it We have inhaled the sweet savour of thy devotion to God, the Omnipotent Protector, the Self-Subsistent. We beseech Him to make known unto thee that which is con cealed within the Written Tablet, and to grant that thou mayest catch the accents of the Mystic Dove that singeth upon the celestial bough, and hear the soft murmur of the water that is life indeed as it floweth in a stream of utterance and wisdom from the fountainhead of the Will of Him Who is the Lord of all mankind.
O friend! It behoveth thee to reflect upon the Word of God, to ponder its greatness, and to meditate upon its sweetness. This Word, verily, is sufficient unto the peoples of the earth. The first one to believe in Him Who was the Spirit was so enraptured by the Word of God that, in his eagerness to embrace its truth, he detached himself from everything that men possess. Such is the condition of all who would be leviathans in the Most Mighty Ocean.
O thou learned doctor and percipient divine! Know that the people have, for the most part, been hindered by their passions from turning themselves to God, the Lord of all names. Whoso looketh with his inner eye, however, shall be granted vision, and shall testify to what he witnesseth, exclaiming: “All praise be unto my Lord, the Most Exalted!” The tidings of God’s loving-kindness have been announced to land and sea, and unto the nations hath been given the promise of the advent of Him Who shall heal their sicknesses, even Him Who shall build up the Temple of the Lord. Well is it with them who understand!
Lo, the appointed time is now arrived, and Carmel crieth out as if moved to ecstasy by the soul-stirring breezes of her Lord. Happy are those who hear her cry! Whoso hearkeneth with his inner ear shall hear the voice of the Rock as he beareth witness, with a mighty voice, to the Everlasting God. Blessed are they who perceive the savour of Divine utterance and, severing themselves from the world of being, advance towards the Kingdom. Behold! The things that had been mentioned in the Books of old have now appeared, and yet the people, though they look upon them, comprehend them not!
Regard thou, O friend, the mystery of the Great Reversal in the Sign of the Sovereign. Through this reversal He hath caused the exalted to be abased and the abased to be exalted. Call thou to mind how, in the days of Jesus, it was those who were distinguished for their learning, the men of letters and religion, who denied Him, whilst humble fishermen made haste to gain admittance into the Kingdom—this is the meaning of that which hath been expressed by symbol and allusion in the obscurities of words.
Great, immeasurably great is the Cause! Peter, the Apostle, despite the pre-eminence of his rank and the loftiness of his station, when questioned held back from speaking. Wert thou, with thy thoughts centred wholly on God, to reflect upon the happenings of former times, thou wouldst see the light shining refulgently before thy face, and wouldst keep it constantly before thy gaze. The truth is, of a certainty, too evident to be enshrouded in a veil, the way too clear to be obscured by darkness, and certitude too manifest to be eclipsed by any fleeting whim. Those who have been debarred therefrom are the followers of their corrupt desires. Today they are reposing on their bed of slumber; erelong they shall awake and rush, without avail, to find the things that have escaped them. Well is it with them who have inhaled the Divine fragrance at the time when it was shed abroad: These, verily, have attained unto that which is the portion of the sincere among God’s servants.
Know thou that We have seen the letter “Sad”, which appeareth in the word “Sulh”, become embellished by the ornament of the upright Alif. This, verily, is that which hath been recorded in an outspread Tablet. No sooner were the splendours of that Divine Word revealed than the portals of heaven were unlocked, the Kingdom of Names made manifest, and all was brought to consummation by the appearance of the letter “Ha”, which had been connected to the recumbent Alif, itself embellished by the Point from which had sprung the Treasured Name, the Hidden Secret, and the Guarded Symbol—that same Point from which all things have appeared and unto which they have all returned. Thereupon We saw the Word give utterance to a Word which was received by every people in accordance with its own particular tongue and language.
As it spoke forth, there rose above the horizon of its utterance a Sun of such effulgent splendour that, overshadowed by its radiance, the celestial sun grew dark; then it cried out: “The brow of seventy hath been adorned with the diadem of forty and united with the seven before ten”; at this it sighed, and moaned aloud: “Alas, I see the house oblivious of its Master, the son unmindful of his Father, the seeker heedless of the sanctuary and refuge for which he yearneth.”
O thou who soarest in the atmosphere of understanding! Whoso perceiveth that which though solid, floweth; which though static, flieth; which is both manifest and hidden, both resplendent and obscure will be so enraptured by the effulgence of heavenly illumination that he will rise up on the wings of ardent longing into the empyrean of nearness, holiness, and heavenly reunion.
Respecting thy comments on the question of “darkness”, We testify that it hath encompassed all mankind. Happy the man who hath been illumined by the light of Him Who hath shone forth resplendent from the horizon of the mercy of His Lord, the Most Holy. This darkness is naught but the idle imaginings of men, by which they have been prevented from directing themselves towards the Kingdom when, by the bidding of God, the Lord of the realm on high, it was made manifest.
As for thy mention of the opinion expressed to thee by a certain individual that, in so far as concerneth the Spirit, there existeth no difference between us, his assertion is correct, for the Spirit is too exalted either to admit of differences or to be comprehended by allusions. It is the revelation of the Light of God’s singleness amongst men, the Sign of His ancient eternity before the nations. Whoso turneth himself thereto hath turned himself unto Him Who sent it forth, and whoso turneth away therefrom hath turned away from the One by Whose power it hath been manifested and endowed with utterance. It hath not changed from age to age, and such as it hath been it shall remain. Such differences as may be witnessed in the effulgence of its light are to be attributed to the mirrors that receive it, and to the disparity, in form and colour, of the images they reflect.
O friend! Were but a single token to be revealed of the Secret which hath lain wrapped in mystery, the hearts of all those who, clinging to the things of men, have cast away the things of God, would be thrown into perturbation. Shouldst thou, having meditated upon the words that We have addressed to thee, arise with perfect steadfastness to act in such wise as We have intimated, thou wouldst undoubtedly accomplish such things as have been witnessed in a former age.
O friend! This Bird lieth imprisoned beneath the talons of cruelty and malice; It seeth for itself neither nest wherein to shelter nor heavenly expanse in which to fly. In such a plight as this, it summoneth mankind unto everlasting life. Blessed then be the attentive ear!
We beseech God to unite us in one holy court, and to graciously assist us to do that which is pleasing and acceptable unto Him.
BH01237: This is a letter from the Prisoner to him…
He is God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious!
This is a letter from the Prisoner to him towards whom His glance was directed ere any among created things knew him, for We concealed the matter and clothed one of the servants in the garment of names, through a wisdom which none hath comprehended save God, the Almighty, the Most High, the Great.
O servant! Hearken unto the Call of God from the holy precincts, the spot wherein the Sun of eternity hath shone forth from the horizon of My Most Glorious Name, that there is none other God but He, the Almighty over what He willeth, and He is the Mighty, the Wise. Say: O people! The dawn of eternity hath broken from the horizon of your Lord, the Most High, and its lights have encompassed the worlds. Fear God, and corrupt not the earth, nor measure the words of God by your own standards. Fear God and be among the God-fearing.
O thou servant who gazeth toward God! Remember those days when thou wert present before the Countenance, and We imparted unto thee secrets veiled by screens and coverings. Thus did thy Lord’s mercy precede thee and thou wert among the successful. Yet hadst thou known in those days what befell Me, thou wouldst have wept and lamented and detached thyself from all the worlds.
By God, the True One! We manifested the Cause with the power of might and authority, and We sacrificed Ourself in the path of God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forebears. All peoples disputed with Me with whatsoever they possessed, and I arose to fulfill the Cause as I was commanded by an Almighty, All-Powerful, Mighty, and Ancient Ordainer.
When the traces of God were noised abroad throughout the lands, and the lights of the Cause appeared amongst all peoples, then did he arise against Me—he whose mention We had exalted among the servants—and he waged war upon My very self, until he purposed to shed My blood, without proof and without a luminous Book. By God, O Sacrifice! whatsoever thou hast heard concerning his affair was from Our presence; and none hath been aware thereof save God, Who hath numbered all things in the Tablets of unassailable might.
They who, this day, object against God—these have not been informed of the origin of the Cause; and though they claim otherwise, they lie. This is the certain truth. Do thou hearken unto My word; then be steadfast in the Cause, and shun them from whose hearts thou dost perceive the odours of hatred toward this Youth who hath expended His life for God, the All-Powerful, the Most High, the Most Great.
For We loved thee aforetime, and God hath ordained for thee, in the heaven of decree, a station that is, in truth, exalted; and God will assuredly raise thee up in truth, and will send down upon thee that which shall gladden thy heart. Verily He doeth whatsoever He willeth by a command from His presence, and He is indeed the Ruler over what He desireth.
Leave men to themselves and to their vain desires; then turn thou, with thy heart, toward that quarter wherein the remembrance of God is raised up at every morn and eventide. And know thou that, when We departed from ‘Iraq, We apprised the servants of the uprising of the Samiri, and then of the cry of the Calf, that they might be of them that are aware. And We revealed in the Tablets that when the sun setteth, the birds of night are set in motion. When, therefore, the birds moved, most of the servants dispersed from around the Cause, and returned unto the lowest of the low.
He whom God made his outward self an admonition unto men—he it is who rose up in opposition there, and was sunk in grievous idolatry. Say: O people! Deal justly before God. By what proof did ye believe in God and the Manifestations of His Self aforetime, and by what evidence did ye disbelieve in Him Who hath arisen in His own Person amongst all created things, from Whom, at every moment, hath shone forth the power of God and His greatness, then the sovereignty of God and His dominion—Who was wont to recite in your midst that whereunto the hearts of the Concourse on high, and then of the angels nigh unto God, were drawn?
Say: Could ye but see with piercing sight, ye would bear witness that the Primal Point, in that hour, in the Most Exalted Companion, weepeth and lamenteth for that which your hands have wrought, O company of liars! Would that thou hadst been with Us in this prison, and hadst learned that whereof none of the servants have learned, and hadst attained unto a wondrous insight.
They who were not acquainted with so much as a letter of the Cause have risen to falsehood, speaking only as their own selves and desires have bidden them; and thereby are they accursed in this world and in the world to come, though they perceive it not. Thou seest them not this day but as a rabble—nay, thou wilt find them more contemptible than that, wert thou of them that know. Woe unto them, and unto that which their hands have wrought! By My life! they are indeed in manifest error.
Do thou, then, be steadfast in the Cause; arise to praise God, thy Lord; fear no one, for He shall preserve thee with the hosts of the unseen and the seen; verily He hath ever been nigh unto the doers of good.
Thus have We met thee, and thus have We informed thee, and have set forth for thee some part of what hath befallen Us, as a mercy from Our presence toward thee, that thy soul may rejoice at the holy breezes that have blown upon thee from this radiant and luminous Scene. And glory—which hath dawned from the Daybreak of eternity—be upon thee, and upon them that have clung to the Firm Handle and cut themselves off from all the worlds. And praise be to God, my Lord and thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds.
BH01278: Praise be to God! The pearls in the shells…
Praise be to God! The pearls in the shells of the sea of divine bounty are ever manifest and renowned. His signs have encompassed the world, and His evidences shine resplendent before all faces. Yet all remain heedless and veiled. What hath prevented thee from beholding, and likewise from hearkening to the call raised from the direction of the Divine Throne by day and by night? The light of His Cause doth shine forth and is manifest from every direction, such that the signs of the Hour and the mysteries of the Resurrection have become apparent in a manner that all the pens in the world are powerless to recount. This servant conveyeth greetings to each of the loved ones, and from the ocean of God’s bounty and the sun of His mercy beseecheth that all may be assisted in that which will cause the exaltation of the Word of God and their own stations.
Blessed are those souls who, having acknowledged and recognized this incomparable Treasury, have attained unto the Most Great Steadfastness. Today the pavilion of glory hath been raised to its loftiest station, and the lights of the dawn of His Revelation have appeared from the Most Exalted Paradise in such wise that no fair-minded person hath denied or will deny it. This servant and the loved ones in that land must, with the utmost lowliness and supplication, beseech from the Self-Sufficing One whatsoever is worthy of this Day and cleave unto it. Verily He is the Kind, the Generous, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
And this is what was revealed for his honor Mirza Muhammad-ʿAli, upon him be the glory of God. His word, exalted be His majesty and His glory: O Tongue of Grandeur! Withhold not Thy bounties from Thy loved ones, nor disappoint them of that which Thou hast ordained in Thy Book for Thy chosen ones. Turn unto him who hath turned unto Thee, then make mention of him with such remembrance as to attract the hearts of all the world. I testify that this Day is Thy Day—sing before all faces and warble that the Kingdom of Utterance and its dominion have come to hearken unto Thy most exalted call and the shrill voice of Thy most exalted Pen. Withhold not those who have turned unto Thee from the Day-Star of Thy Revelation. Take their hands with the hands of Thy power and deliver them from the mire of idle fancies through Thy might, Thy sovereignty, Thy strength and Thy will. Thou art He Whom the affairs of men cannot hinder, nor the turning away of them that have denied and disbelieved. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Bountiful, the Generous.
O Muhammad-ʿAli! Verily We have mentioned thee before and at this time, and We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to aid thee and those who have believed in that which beseemeth the heaven of His generosity and the ocean of His bounty. Say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having guided me and sent down unto me from the heaven of Thy grace the signs of Thy grandeur. O my Lord! Thou seest the poor one standing before the gate of Thy bounty, and the helpless one clinging to the cord of Thy power and sovereignty. Ordain for him that which beseemeth Thy glory and Thy bounty. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful.
We have desired to make mention of him who is named Ustad-Aqa, that he may rejoice and be of them that are thankful. Today the Sun of Truth hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of will, proclaiming: O peoples of the earth! Ye have been created for this Day—recognize ye its station and that which hath appeared therein from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And He saith: O party of God! Be not grieved at that which hath befallen you in My path. Soon shall ye behold that which no eye in creation hath beheld, and shall find yourselves in a glorious station. Strive that ye may attain unto that which will adorn you with the glory of God’s good-pleasure. Rejoice not in that which ye possess.
You find yourselves in a noble station; strive that perchance ye may attain unto that which adorns you with the glory of God’s good-pleasure. Be not gladdened by what ye possess, nor despair of the Spirit of God and His mercy. Verily He is with His servants who turn unto Him. Great is this Day and great is its bounty. Deprive not yourselves. The Truth, exalted be His glory, hath ordained for His loved ones that which is the cause of eternal life and everlasting rest.
Say: Praise be unto Thee for having caused me to hear Thy call and enabled me to turn towards Thee, and for having given me to drink of the choice wine of Thy knowledge, and for having mentioned me in Thy verses and shown forth unto me Thy clear tokens. O my Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I beseech Thee not to withhold from me the heaven of Thy grace nor the ocean of Thy bounty. Thou art verily the Generous, the Lord of abundant grace.
O teacher, O Husayn! Hear My call from the precincts of My prison and remember My days and what hath befallen Me in the path of God, the Goal of all mystic knowers. He whom I had nurtured turned away from Me and rose up to slay Me after I had protected him for successive years. I testify that he denied My verses and rejected My favor and turned away from My beauty after We created him from the clay of refinement. He who possesseth the perspicuous Book beareth witness to this.
Say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having remembered me, and thanks be unto Thee for having guided me, and glory be unto Thee for having caused me to hear. I beseech Thee to strengthen them that deny to acknowledge, them that turn away to turn towards Thee, and the oppressors to be just. O my Lord! I have forsaken my self, turning unto the lights of Thy countenance. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me from the wonders of Thy grace and bounty. Verily Thou art the Almighty over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Supporter, the Helper.
BH01280: O Ali! From the fire of separation from thee…
He is the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate!
O Ali! From the fire of separation from thee were consumed the hearts of them that are nigh unto God, and by thy departure have wept the eyes of the inhabitants of the cities of eternity, and the Maids of Paradise have rent their garments in the lofty chambers, and the Holy Spirit hath cried out, and the Dawning-Place of the Most Beautiful Names hath lamented in the Most Glorious Paradise, and the eyes of the sincere ones have shed tears. O Ali! From thy sighs were the veils consumed and the pillars of the House did quake, and the Faithful Spirit did cry out.
By God! When thou didst turn thy face toward the Most Holy Court, the scene of thy Lord, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Most Great, the denizens of the Supreme Kingdom did journey with thee and circle round thee, until there appeared the darkness of the City wherein was imprisoned the Beloved of the worlds. By God! At every footstep did the people of the Kingdom and they that dwell in the cities of Names send their blessings upon thee, from thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
And the Most Great Spirit addressed thee between earth and heaven, saying: “O Ali! Blessed art thou for having drawn nigh unto the Spot round which circle the Manifestations of the Cause from among the Prophets and Messengers. Blessed art thou for having inhaled the fragrance of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate, and for having desired to attain the presence of Him for Whose loss Moses, He Who conversed with God, did lament. O Ali! Thou art he who hath been named in the Supreme Concourse the Sultan of Pilgrims. By God! None among all created things hath preceded thee in this, and all things bear witness unto this, even as thy Lord, the Possessor of all Names and the Creator of earth and heaven, hath testified.
How excellent is this station which none hath attained save him whom thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Praised, hath willed. Thou art he at whose lamentation the heart of the world hath lamented, and at whose cry of longing and wail of separation the Eye of Grandeur hath wept upon the Spot wherefrom mention of the worlds hath been cut off. Blessed art thou for having attained unto the Most Great Pilgrimage. By the Beauty of the Wronged One, Who speaketh between the heavens and the earth: Mina yearneth for thy presence, and the Hill hath moved from its place in its longing to behold thy countenance, and the Station longeth for thy station, and the Sacred Monument perceiveth what thou hast been given by God, the All-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful.
O Ali! This is the shore of the Most Great Sea—thine eyes have been solaced by gazing thereon, and from it wafteth the breeze of reunion and the fragrance of attainment. Give thanks unto thy Lord, then prostrate thyself and say: Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds!’ This is the station wherein the Son of Imran cast off the shoes of separation and drank the choice wine of verses from the cup of thy Lord’s will, the Lord of all names and attributes, and the intoxication of the wine of thy Lord’s call seized him in such wise that he swooned, and when he recovered his senses he said: Thou art my God and the God of all that are in the heavens and on earth.’ And before him came the Friend of God, and We lifted for him from the hem of the veil a thousand thousand veils, whereupon he said: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having shown me the kingdom of command and creation and made me one of them that have attained.’
O Ali! Verily, We were with thee in all conditions, beholding thy burning with the fire of separation and thy longing for the precincts wherein every atom proclaimeth that there is none other God but Him, the King, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O Ali! Thy purpose was the Purpose of the world, and thy turning toward the Kaaba of eternity is better than the deeds of them that circle round the Ancient House. There hath been ordained for thee that which none can reckon save thy Lord, the All-Encompassing, the All-Knowing.
Say: Glorified art Thou, O my God, O Beloved of my heart and Purpose of my inner being! Praise be unto Thee for having enabled me to draw nigh unto the station wherein the lights of Thy countenance have shone forth and the sun of Thy bounty hath dawned. O Lord! I know not by what deed Thou hast honored me with this station which hath ever been the goal of Thy chosen ones and the refuge of Thy loved ones. And praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having heard the cry of the yearning one in his separation and guided him to the abode of nearness and glory and reunion. O Lord! Deprive not Thy servants from drawing nigh unto the seat of Thy Cause, and drive them not from the court which Thou hast made the dawning-place of Thy bounty.
O Lord! Thou seest the burning of the hearts of them that yearn in their separation from Thee, and the agitation of the hearts of them that hope in their remoteness from Thee. O Lord! Give them to drink the wine of reunion by the hand of Thy mercy, and grant them the pure water of nearness and meeting through Thy grace and favor. Verily, Thou art the One with power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.
Praise be to the Beloved of the worlds that thou hast attained unto the Most Great Pilgrimage and been blessed with the greatest good deed. From thy longing for the Most Exalted Horizon, all the dwellers in the cities of names are in lamentation and burning, and they have beseeched God—exalted be His grandeur—to honor thee with attainment unto the Most Pure Station and the Most Great Vista. By the Ancient Beauty! Thou hast attained unto a bounty that hath no likeness. Be not grieved, for thy grief causeth signs of sorrow to appear upon the Countenance of the Ancient Beauty. Hearken unto the divine call from the horizon of the will of the Lord of the world and Creator of the cities of names, and return with utmost tranquility and composure to the Dawning-Place of the revelation of the All-Merciful. However, there is no need for haste. Verily, God loveth them that are patient.