Volume 042: Early Akka 1868–1873, Part II (3 of 6)

BH02542: That which you sent from your pen in remembrance…

He is God, the Most Holy, the Most Pure

That which you sent from your pen in remembrance of God to Our name Mihdi has come before Us. Blessed are you, for your heart, veins and inner being are filled with the love of your Lord, the Mighty, the Generous. We have recognized your steadfastness in the Cause of God, your firmness in His religion, your rootedness in His love, and your passionate longing to attain His presence. Thus it behooveth you and those whose hearts God hath purified from the defilement of satans. As We previously sent you a Tablet, We therefore content Ourselves with what was revealed at that time. We beseech God to grant you the best of rewards and not separate you from His Most Exalted Word—and this indeed is a mighty bounty. Convey Our greetings to the faces of those who have turned wholly to God and turned away from those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent.

Convey the greetings of this imprisoned servant to all the loved ones of God. It is incumbent upon every soul, to the extent possible, to protect people from the wolves of the earth—that is, from the ungodly among the people of the Bayan. I swear by the Luminary of the horizon of holy glory, they have arisen to practice such deceit and hypocrisy that the mention of it transcends the pen of all existence. How quickly changed the faces of those who claimed belief! Would that you could have known the object of worship of this group! Would that these servants had worshipped one like themselves! They worship naught but delusion, and they serve naught but delusion. Their origin is the fire and unto it shall they return.

Strange it is how awareness has been stripped from this people! It is not known by what evidence and proof they establish their own belief. They have drawn the swords of hatred against One for Whom the Primal Point sacrificed His very Self, and with utmost determination they have arisen to cut down the divine Tree. Yet still they count themselves among the people of certitude! God willing, We hope that the people of that blessed land will remain protected from the evil of these satanic manifestations and hold fast to the hem of the divine mantle.

Blessed are they who attain! Convey Our infinite greetings to K. A detailed and extensive Tablet was previously sent especially for him. God willing, they must become detached from all the world and what is therein, and occupy themselves with the remembrance and praise of God. The greatest of all matters today has been and will continue to be the unity of the loved ones of God. And the Spirit and Glory be upon you, O people of the Spirit!

BH02513: O servant who gazeth toward God! Hearken to My…

In the Name of the Most Exalted, the Incomparable

O servant who gazeth toward God! Hearken to My call from around the throne: verily there is no God but the Self-Subsisting, the Eternal!

Blessed art thou for having migrated unto God and detached thyself from thy home for the love of God, the King, the Mighty, the Loving. By the True One! They who turned toward the throne after My arrival in the Most Great Prison—the Concourse on High pray for them and perceive from them the sweet fragrances of the mercy of their Lord, the All-Merciful. This is most excellent with God, the Mighty, the Praised. And they whose letters reached the throne after the Ancient Beauty entered the Supreme Prison—this is nearer to piety, did ye but know. For in the turning of the servants to the court of the Lord of creation there ariseth a tumult that causeth hearts to tremble. God hath ordained for those who desired the Face and whose letters reached the throne the reward of one who attained His presence and circled round the pavilion of His glory. Thus hath the bounty of your Lord encompassed all, would ye but understand.

Let not the hardships of the world sadden thee in the path of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious. By God! We would not exchange an atom thereof for the treasuries of the worlds. When the Face of the Ancient One turned crimson from the breezes of revelation and His tongue spoke between the heavens and earth:

“I am He Who hath accepted for Himself the harm of the worlds, and the hardships of the world in their entirety dismay Me not, nor the might of the idolaters.”

Be as thy Lord was. Thus doth the Pen of the Ancient One counsel thee from the presence of One All-Knowing, All-Wise. We have ordained for thee in the Tablet that which the hearts of the mystics cannot comprehend, save those who have drunk the cup of eternity from the hand of Baha. Thus was the command, but the people are in evident remoteness. And praise be to God, the Beloved of the mystics.

He is God, exalted be His station. Glory and majesty belong to Him!

O migrant unto God! Pass beyond all else but Him and be content with the love of God, which is the source of wealth. Though this station be hidden today, due to the lack of capacity of the peoples of the world, ere long in the kingdom of the All-Merciful the greatness and majesty of the lovers of Truth and their wealth and exaltation shall be made manifest. Blessed are they who strive to the extent possible to improve your outward affairs and who secretly spend what God hath given them with the utmost humility and submissiveness, that thereby your worldly affairs may be set right. Never before hath such a word flowed from the Pen of the Ancient One, and this is naught but His grace toward His honored servants. And glory be upon thee and upon them and upon those who counsel one another to good deeds and righteous acts. Praise be to God, the Lord of names and attributes.

BH11737: Glory be to Him Who maketh mention of His…

He is the Most Manifest

Glory be to Him Who maketh mention of His handmaidens who have believed in Him, who have detached themselves from all that is repugnant to His good-pleasure, who have walked in the ways of the righteous, and have hearkened unto the melodies of the birds of eternity from the direction of the Throne of God, the Most High, the Most Exalted, and who soar on the wings of love and faithfulness toward the most sublime and resplendent heaven at dawn and in the early hours.

O My handmaiden! Hearken with thy heart’s ear unto the call of Ali in truth, then unto the call of Muhammad, then unto the call of the Spirit from the precincts of the Prison, that there is none other God but He, and that He Who hath appeared in truth is, verily, His sovereignty, His might and His grandeur unto all who dwell in the unseen and the visible realms.

O My handmaiden! Know thou that God hath heard thy call and hath become aware of how His love hath consumed thee, and with Him is the knowledge of all things in the sacred Scrolls and Books. Rejoice in that thou hast been given to drink from the cup of everlasting life and hast attained unto that which they who have wound their heads in white cotton to display their learning have failed to attain, and who remained heedless of the Day wherein the Sun of utterance hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Unconstrained.

By God! A single step taken by one of My handmaidens is better than the deeds of those who have denied God, even should they be among the great ones of the earth. Thus hath the command been sent down with sovereignty and power. Know thou that knowledge is the recognition of God, and when thou hast recognized Him, thou art better in the sight of thy Lord than the learned ones of the age. Therefore give thanks and bow down before the countenance of God, Who hath caused the night to be followed by day.

In every moment, taste the holy water of nearness from the fingers of divine companionship, then turn away from every prideful oppressor. They who have denied God after He appeared in truth are among the most evil of men, and have no station with thy Lord—these are the companions of the fire.

We have been with thee in thy rising up and thy sitting down, and in thy migration unto God, and We have accepted thy deeds and have ordained for thee in the heaven of Our command a station which none can comprehend save them who are endued with insight. Thus doth God make mention of such of His handmaidens as He pleaseth. There is none other God but Him. His is the creation and the command. He doeth what He willeth, and He is the Mighty, the Unconstrained.

And the Glory rest upon thee and upon those handmaidens who have believed in God in this Day wherein God hath come upon clouds of light. Convey Our greetings unto their faces, then give them to drink the wine of verses from the chalices of the words of thy Lord, that they may stand firm in the love of God and be detached from every denying deceiver.

BH02800: Lawh-i-Quds 2

O Muhammad Hasan! In the name of God, the Ancient, the Everlasting! This is the Holy Tablet sent down from the heaven of divine command for one who has found the fragrance of the Divine Garment from the direction of holiness and has turned to God, the Lord of the worlds. Blessed art thou for having drunk from the cup of everlasting life and turned toward God, the Creator of names. This indeed is a great bounty.

Give thanks to God for having revealed in this Prison what has caused the sweet savors of the All-Merciful to waft throughout creation. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Whosoever speaks His praise on His earth speaks His remembrance in His kingdom. His grace has encompassed all things and His mercy has preceded all who are in earth and heaven. Thus has the matter been decreed by One Who is mighty and wise.

Let not the intimations of those who have disbelieved in God sadden thee. The breaths of chastisement have seized them from every direction and today they burn in the fire of their own selves. God will soon return them to their abode—evil indeed is the abode of the wrongdoers.

Turn with thy heart to the Qiblih of all who are in the heavens and earth and address those who have disbelieved among the people of the Bayan, saying: O people! Have ye disbelieved in your All-Merciful Lord after He announced to you His advent—He Who came with the truth with manifest sovereignty? He called you in the wilderness of guidance saying ʿThe days of your Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious, draw nigh.’ But when the promise was fulfilled and the Promised One came, ye turned away and became among the idolaters.

Say: If ye desire the power of God, verily it has shone forth from the horizon of the will of your Lord, the Most High, the Most Great. And if ye desire that which the servants are powerless to achieve, then look at all that hath appeared from Him, then ask Iraq and the City which God made the Throne of His Most Great Name, if ye be fair and not among the heedless. And if ye desire signs, the east and west of the earth have been filled therewith. Fear God, O people, and follow not every stubborn idolater.

O thou who gazest upon the Most Great Vision! Say: By God! The Hour has struck and the moon is cleft asunder. None has any refuge or resting place except by turning to a station of glorious dignity. Hold fast to the cord of grace in such wise that the hosts of earth and heaven cannot separate thee from it. Forget all else but Me and take comfort in My remembrance. Then confine thy affairs to teaching My Cause and making mention of Me amongst My servants, that they might cast away what they possess and take what they have been given by One Who is All-Knowing, All-Informed.

BH02808: O thou who dwellest in Hadba (Mosul)! Hearken unto…

He is God—exalted be His glory and majesty!

O thou who dwellest in Hadba (Mosul)! Hearken unto the call of this Wronged One Who is imprisoned in ʿAkka. Then remember those days when the heedless made captives of the family of the Apostle—those by whose faces Yathrib and Batha were illumined—until they entered spacious Damascus. Among them was the Lord of the Worshippers and the Ornament of the Unity of God. They were asked: “Are you the rebels?” He replied: “No, by God! We are servants who have believed in God and His signs. The smile of faith hath appeared on our faces and the darkness of creation hath been dispelled by our presence. Through us was raised the pavilion of divine knowledge and strengthened the pillars of faith.” They were asked: “Have you made lawful what God hath forbidden, or forbidden what God hath made lawful?” He replied: “No, by God! We are the first to follow God’s commandments.” They were asked: “Have you abandoned the Qur’an?” He replied: “We are of the household wherein the Qur’an was revealed. Through us appeared the sign of the All-Merciful, and with us are its meanings and mysteries. From us came its remembrance and its spread.” They were asked: “For what crime have you been afflicted?” He replied: “For the love of God and our detachment from all else.”

Today people deny the deeds of those who tyrannized in the past, while they commit tyranny worse than what was committed before, and they perceive it not. It is as though they feel secure from the grave and are guaranteed immortality. I know not in what valley they wander. Do they not see that they depart and return not? Do they not know that tomorrow they shall be called to account and shall not be ransomed? How long will they drag the skirts of passion and traverse the hills of error? By God! If they knew what lies behind the veil of the life-giving waters of their Lord’s knowledge, the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing, they would cast away their vain imaginings and occupy themselves with the remembrance of the Most Great Name by night and day.

We, by God’s grace and favor, are content with His decree. Neither tribulations prevent Us from His love, nor calamities from His remembrance. Even if all who are on earth were to assemble against Me with piercing spears and sharp swords, My tongue would not cease from the remembrance of God. Reflect thou, then look upon what befell God’s loved ones in ages past and what hath befallen Us in these darkened days. Soon shall the hand of the All-Forgiving rend asunder the hem of this darkness, for verily He hath ever been a helper to the weak. We beseech God to draw thee nigh unto Him, to grant thee the good of this world and the next, and to make thee a helper to His weak servants and one who is confirmed in that which He loveth and is pleased with. Verily, He is powerful over all things and worthy to answer prayer.

BH02798: This is the Book revealed from the Kingdom…

He is the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious

This is the Book revealed from the Kingdom of your Lord, the All-Merciful. Take it with the hand of power and assurance. Thus does the Pen command you at this hour when the Ancient King has established Himself upon the throne of His Most Great Name, the All-Glorious. Blessed is he who has drunk the living waters from the cup of the mercy of his Lord, the All-Merciful, and having drunk, has said: “All praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.”

O servant! You have drawn near to the Divine Lote-Tree and heard from it the melodies of your Lord, the Most Exalted. You have attained His presence, beheld His countenance, and appeared before God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. All this is from God’s bounty upon you. Give thanks to Him by night and day, and glorify your Lord with praise among His slumbering servants, that perchance they may arise from sleep and turn toward the Face whereby the Hour has come and earthquakes have seized all who dwell on earth, and whereby all in the heavens and earth were terrified, save those whom the hand of your Lord’s grace had taken hold, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the Most High, the All-Praiseworthy.

Know then that what you crafted has been presented before the Throne in this Prison. We beseech God to aid you in His love and good-pleasure and to grant you what He has ordained for His sincere servants. But the Youth has not taken for Himself any house adorned with worldly ornaments, nor has He desired for Himself any life sustained by what exists in earth and heaven. At all times His gaze has been fixed upon the direction of His Lord, the All-Merciful, desiring naught save to ascend unto Him and to dwell in that station which transcends mention and utterance.

Thus have We sent down the verses to you from this remote spot. Grieve not for what has befallen Us, for tribulations do not cause Us to despair of God’s spirit and mercy. Verily your Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Assist Him throughout all days—thus have We commanded you in this glorious Tablet.

What you crafted out of love for God—We have accepted it from you and from him who was the cause of it, as a grace from Us. God will soon reward you with the best of rewards in both beginning and end. Even if you had no other deed in this world, this deed would suffice you and make you independent of all else. Glorify your Lord with praise and give thanks to Him for this bounty by night and day, at eventide and dawn.

BH02758: Lawh-i-Jamal 2

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

O J.L.! Hear the call of thy Lord, the Self-Sufficing, the Most Exalted. Arise to promote the Cause and enjoin what is right unto the people. Thus doth thy Lord, the Compassionate, command thee from this Prison which is encompassed by the hosts of heedlessness and error. We have made thee one of Our Most Beautiful Names that thou mayest summon the people unto thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious. Thus hath the Sun of Wisdom shone forth from the horizon of thy Lord’s Will, the Mighty, the Unconstrained. None hath the right to object to thee; rather must every soul follow that which thou hast been commanded in the Tablets. The hearts of those who have turned away from the Countenance have been corrupted. Verily, they are in doubt and dissension.

Arise to promote the Cause. Say: O people! The Cause hath come, and ye have no protector from God this Day. Abandon what ye possess and take what hath been given you from God, the Mighty, the Compelling.

O My Name! Hear My call once again from the horizon of tribulation. The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the One, the Almighty, the All-Compelling. Tribulation hath not prevented Us from Our Cause. Soon shall We seize those who have wronged—verily thy Lord is severe in punishment.

Adorn thyself with the ornament of servitude unto God, the True One. Through it shall God’s Cause be established throughout creation. Thus did We command thee aforetime. Glorify thy Lord with praise at eventide and at dawn. We have been with thee in all conditions. Grieve not at what hath befallen thee in thy Lord’s path, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. Soon will God exalt His Cause and manifest what hath been revealed in the Tablet. He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Magnify those who are present before the Throne. Blessed is the face wherein thou findest the radiance of thy Lord, the Most Merciful. Gather the people on the shore of the Most Great Ocean. Say: O people! Fear God and follow not every doubtful idolater. Soon shall the world and all that ye behold today perish, and the throes of death shall overtake you. Then shall ye find no escape, save for him in whose heart is the love of God. His face shall be illumined in that hour and he shall see at his right hand the angels of Paradise with goblets and cups. He shall drink from their hands the Water of Life and his spirit shall ascend to the highest horizon. Thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.

Confine matters to the remembrance of thy Lord and grieve not at the cawing of the wicked. Soon shalt thou see them prostrate for what they have denied. Verily, thy Lord is severe in chastisement. And glory be upon thee and upon whoso hath turned unto God, the Lord of the Day of Mutual Calling.

BH02934: The Wronged One desires to make mention of him…

He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous

The Wronged One desires to make mention of him who drank the choice wine of divine proof when he was barred therefrom by those who disbelieved in the All-Merciful, and who turned to the surging ocean of utterance when all in creation turned away from it, and who responded when the Call was raised between earth and heaven on a day wherein ears were prevented from hearkening and tongues were stilled from remembrance and praise.

O Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli! I bear witness that thou wert with the Wronged One in Iraq until the time of separation drew nigh, and thou didst migrate with the Ancient Beauty, directing thy steps toward the Land of Mystery by reason of what the hands of the people of discord had wrought on the day of parting, and thence to the Most Great Prison which We have named, in the Scriptures and Tablets, with Our most comely names. Through My remembrance of thee the ocean of forgiveness surgeth, and through My call the fragrance of the mercy of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, is diffused. Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thou hast attained unto the testimony of My Most Exalted Pen in the Most Glorious Horizon.

Thou art he who hast attained unto that which God hath revealed in His perspicuous Book. Thou didst forsake that which was with the people, clinging fast to the Self-Subsisting One through Whom the hidden Secret was unveiled and the seal of the choice sealed Wine was broken. My Pen and My Tongue have borne witness unto thee with that whose fragrance shall never cease to endure so long as the kingdom of God, the Lord of the Throne and of the dust, and the Possessor of the next world and of this, shall endure.

Thy death was naught but a translation from the earthly abode to the divine dwelling, from the lowest station to the Most Exalted Companion. Thou art he who didst drink the Kawthar of divine knowledge in the earliest days and who didst circle round the Cause until thy days were ended. Blessed art thou, and blessed is he who maketh mention of thee through that which hath been sent down at this time from the Mighty Announcement whereby the heaven of idle fancies was cleft asunder and the earth was rent and the mountains were crushed—a command from God, the Lord of all men.

Praise be unto Thee, O God of the world and Desire of the nations, for having fulfilled Thy promise and purified, through the rain-showers of Thy mercy, him who ascended unto Thee and held fast unto Thy cord and was attracted by Thy verses and dwelt in Thy presence. O my Lord! Send down upon him, at all times, the signs of Thy mercy and the heavenly table of Thy grace. Thou, verily, art powerful to do what Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all who are in the heavens and on earth. Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds!

BH03026: This is the Book of God which hath been…

In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Inaccessible, Most Mighty, Most Glorious Lord!

This is the Book of God which hath been sent down in truth, and wherein mention is made of a servant who was martyred in His path, and whom the breezes of longing bore away until they turned him toward the countenance of the All-Merciful in the heavenly Pole, an exalted and gracious station. And the near ones make mention of him in the heaven of eternity, for the Most Exalted Pen hath been moved to his remembrance by the fingers of Glory. Thus did the bounty of his Lord encompass him, and verily His bounty towards the sincere ones hath ever preceded in truth.

Blessed art thou, O servant, for thou hast dyed thy radiance with fire. By God! By radiance We mean but thy hair which turned white in thy faith in God, and by fire We mean but thy crimson blood. Thus did the Dove of the Spirit warble upon the branches of the Divine Lote-Tree in this dark and gloomy night, that the mercy of God might be witnessed by all the worlds. How wonderful art thou, O servant who hast ascended unto God and detached thyself from all else, for thy beard was reddened with thy blood in the path of thy Lord. By God! This is a station which the Ancient Beauty Himself longeth for, and God is witness unto this.

O ye dwellers in the tabernacle of holiness, whom God hath related unto Himself! By God! It behooveth you to glory in him and make mention of him throughout all nights and days. Thus doth the Pen of the All-Merciful command you now upon a luminous and mighty finger. And the Maids of Paradise, and the secluded Maidens of eternity, and the Countenances whom God created from the light of Glory before the creation of earth and heaven, find his fragrance. And upon their brows is inscribed by the golden Pen:

“By God! They are the handmaidens of Glory and were created for those who were martyred in the path of this Youth Who sitteth upon the throne of cloud.”

Thus was the matter decreed in truth by the finger of the Spirit upon the Tablet.

Thus doth God strengthen whom He willeth with might from His presence, and verily He hath made might exclusively His own and His loved ones’, if thou be of them that know. And glory be upon Him and upon you, O remnant of the family of Hasan who was deemed good in God’s path, to whose deed every atom beareth witness, and upon this Beauty Who hath been imprisoned in this pit through that which the hands of every wretched tyrant have wrought.

BH02986: Infinite harm hath been inflicted by the doings…

He is the Most Great, the Most Holy

Infinite harm hath been inflicted by the doings of the oppressors, yet boundless joy existeth, for we gaze upon God, the Most High, the Most Great. His trials are the hope of them that love Him, and His decree the desire of them that long for Him. Chains in His path are as sweet waters, and deadly poison in His love is as pure honey without compare. He hath ever appeared from the horizon of tribulation, and now gazeth from the horizon of prison.

Praise be to God that despite these afflictions We are in gladness and ease, and despite this abasement We dwell in supreme glory. In the midst of tribulation We shine forth from the Most Exalted Horizon, proclaiming that there is none other God but Him. The tongue hath not been prevented from remembering the All-Merciful, nor have the verses from the right hand of the throne of the All-Glorious been cut off.

The cawing of the ravens preventeth not the Day-Star of the horizons from shining forth, nor doth the tyranny of the wicked impede the helping standard of the Chosen One. The winds are commanded to pass over all, both ruin and prosperity, neither sorrowing at ruin nor rejoicing at prosperity. Whatsoever occurreth on earth preventeth it not from its commanded course—this is evident in the realm of creation, how much more so with the Truth, exalted is He, Whom none in earth or heaven can prevent from that which He desireth.

The waves of the Most Great Ocean of the All-Merciful cannot be impeded by worldly happenings, nor can the Day-Star of inner meanings be veiled by the dark superstitions of fancy. The moon poureth forth its light while the dog barketh. Although it beseemeth not the Supreme Pen to record such words, yet out of love for thee they are mentioned, that thou mayest know with certitude that the Truth sitteth with manifest joy upon the throne of establishment. Sorrow be unto him who loseth aught of this, for verily none in the heavens or earth can escape His grasp.

God willing, be thou occupied at all times with the remembrance of the True One, the Most High. Strive that perchance some heart may be admitted through the wine of the remembrance of the All-Merciful to the Kingdom of life. The effects of these deeds endure by the perpetuity of God, yet wisdom, the Ever-Beloved, hath ever been remembered in the Most Great Scene and witnessed in the Most Pure Spot.

Thou hast been mentioned in the Supreme Horizon and witnessed in the Most Pure Station. We beseech God to grant thee the good of this world and the next. And glory be upon thee and upon those who are with thee.

BH03110: Glorified art Thou, O my God! I call upon…

He is the Ever-Abiding One!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I call upon Thee in this hour when sorrows have encompassed me from all sides and the arrows of hatred have been directed toward me from every quarter by those who believed not in Thee and in Thy mighty signs from time immemorial, and whose essence was created from the fire of envy and the clay of error. Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for all that Thou hast caused to descend from the clouds of Thy decree and the heaven of Thy determination upon this servant who is imprisoned in this distant land.

By Thy might! I complain not of whatsoever Thou hast ordained for me, nay rather I yearn for all that is associated with Thee, even though it be beyond my strength and capacity. Yet I beseech Thee, O my God, by this Name through which the heaven of names was rent asunder, to protect Thy servants from the evil of Satan and from those who have taken their idle fancies as their god. Then guard them, O my God, within the stronghold of Thy care and beneath the canopy of Thy grace and favors. Then purify, O my Beloved, their eyes that they may recognize Thee in the garment of Thy Most Glorious Name and attain unto Thy presence in the Revelation of the Manifestation of Thy Most Exalted Self. Thou art, verily, the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth, and Thou art, verily, powerful over all things.

Furthermore, I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy pure Name which none among all created things hath known, and which no soul among the manifestations of Names and Attributes hath understood as it truly is, to send down upon Thy loved ones that which will draw them nigh unto Thee and detach them from all else besides Thee. Then send down upon them from the clouds of Thy mercy the good of this world and the world to come, for they are poor at Thy gate and helpless before the manifestations of Thy power, hoping for the wonders of Thy grace and gazing toward the direction of Thy mercy and bounty. Thou art, verily, the All-Powerful, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

O thou who art my companion! Know thou that were I to recount unto thee what hath befallen me, my weeping and the sorrow of my heart would prevent me. We have therefore concealed it and withheld the Pen from its mention. We beseech God to raise up through His sovereignty one who will make mention of my grief and tribulation. There is no God but Him, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. And glory be upon thee and upon those who were around thee among those who were present.

BH03095: God maketh mention of His servant, that he may…

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

God maketh mention of His servant, that he may remember within himself and detach himself from all that hath been created between the heavens and the earth, and stand firm in the Cause in such wise that the winds of differences will not move him, and he may remain steadfast in the Cause.

O servant! Hear the call of thy Lord from this Prison, and turn not unto those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God, and were far removed from the gardens of witness, and who eat of the tree of Zaqqum while imagining it to be of the fruits of Paradise. Nay, by My Self, the All-Merciful! They have no knowledge thereof, and they walk in the grades of fire while fancying they walk in wondrous gardens of glory. Thus do We seize the guilty ones and seal their hearts and minds in such wise that they perceive not and become as visible asses upon the earth.

Thou must shun such as these, then suffice thyself with God, thy Lord, and He will suffice thee against all the worlds. Then make mention of Him according to thy capacity, and follow not every base misbeliever. Soon will Satan call out among you and command you to disbelieve in God. Thus do We inform you through Our grace that ye may remain steadfast upon the path.

Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Glorious Name in Thy Later Manifestation that Thou protect me from the evil of every Satan and the call of every calf and the guile of every impostor and the filth of every wretched misbeliever. Then preserve me, O my God, within the protection of Thy safekeeping, and send down upon me the good of this world and the next, for Thou art powerful over all things.

O Lord! Send down upon me from the clouds of Thy grace that which will make me detached from all else save Thee and draw me nigh unto the seat of Thy mercy and favors. Then give me to drink, O my God, from the Kawthar of life that the breaths of Satan may not affect me. Then establish for me a seat of truth with Thee, and make me one of Thy servants who have detached themselves from all who are in the heavens and the earth and have turned unto Thee with an illumined and pure heart.

Thus have We taught thee that thou mayest read what hath been revealed in the Tablet and mayest be well-pleasing unto God. And glory be upon thee and upon those who are with thee and upon every trustworthy one who hath turned unto God.

BH03097: The Remembrance of God from the Tree of Fire…

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

The Remembrance of God from the Tree of Fire upon the Spot of Light in the Mount of Revelation hath appeared in human form with the name of the All-Merciful, in truth made manifest. He speaketh at all times that sovereignty belongeth unto God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower. Thus hath the Command been sent down from the presence of the All-Merciful.

O attentive servant! Arise and warn those who are veiled. Say: The All-Merciful hath come with clear proof. Fear God and make not His Cause forsaken among you. Hold fast unto the Sure Handle which hath been suspended between earth and heaven. Beware lest ye follow him who hath denied God and was far removed from the sanctuary of nearness.

This is the Day wherein necks are bowed down and the idolaters have risen in hypocrisy, even to the point of breaking the Covenant and taking Satan as their helper. Say: Nothing shall profit you this Day, nor shall all that hath been created in the worlds avail you before the Sovereign of the Throne. Thus hath the All-Merciful spoken in this Tablet which hath been illumined by the lights of His countenance.

Say: From each letter We create beings whose number none knoweth save God, and He hath knowledge of all things. Say: Have ye occupied yourselves with the world and turned away from the Lord of Names? How long will ye slumber and not arise? Lift up your heads! By God, the Sun of Grace hath dawned from the horizon of justice with a light that encompasseth all worlds.

As for those who have cast the Command of God behind their backs, We have forbidden them the Living Waters. Soon shall they find themselves in the abyss of wrath and shall find no helper.

Rejoice thou in the Tablet of God. He remembereth thee in the prison while encompassed by the hosts of misbelief. His grace toward thee hath been great. Be not saddened by their acts. Take comfort in His remembrance, then detach thyself from all else. He verily sufficeth thee in truth. He hath power over all things.

Grieve not over anything. All that thou beholdest shall perish, and sovereignty shall remain with God, the Truth, while loss shall be for those who have not taken a path unto Him. Convey the greetings of thy Lord to those with thee who have believed, and give them the glad-tidings of what hath been ordained for them in a Tablet that lieth concealed behind the veil of glory.

BH03098: This is a remembrance from God, from the Tree…

He is the Most Wondrous, the Most Impregnable, the Most Glorious.

This is a remembrance from God, from the Tree of Light in the form of fire, which was witnessed from the direction of the Throne. Verily He hath unveiled Beauty, whereat all those of lofty station were thunderstruck. Through Him God tested His servants who claimed faith within themselves, and through Him truth was distinguished from falsehood from that time until the Day when the Beauty of Baha will come upon the crimson Buraq and the matter will be decided by One mighty and powerful. Those who believed in God in those days—these will God raise up on that Day with faces from which all created things will be illumined. And those who disbelieved and joined partners with God—the angels of chastisement will drive them away with whips of wrath, and they shall find no way unto God. Thus do We set forth the verses and explain the two paths that whosoever willeth may choose for himself what he desireth. Verily my Lord is independent of all worlds.

O Leaf of paradise! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, from the direction of the Throne, that it may draw thee to a station holy and luminous. Purify thyself from the hints of earth and whatsoever is thereon, that thou mayest be detached from the world and its ornaments, remembering thy Lord with a pure and wondrous heart. Remember thy Lord in the darkness of night and at the break of dawn, that God may make thee one of the leaves that were witnessed upon the Branch of the Cause. Hold fast to the cord of God and His grace, then place thy trust in Him in all matters. Verily He watcheth over all things. Give thanks to thy Lord that We have sent down the verses in this Tablet and dispatched them unto thee, that thou mayest find from it the fragrance of holiness from this Youth Who was imprisoned under oppression.

O handmaid of God! Stand firm in the Cause of thy Lord and be not of those women who take for themselves in every age a god to worship. Turn thy face toward God and sanctify thyself from the defilement of sovereignty, that God may cause thee to dwell in the shadow of His protection in a station that was exalted in truth. And glory be upon thee and upon those women who have turned their faces to the countenance that shone from the horizon of holiness with radiant light.

BH03071: O Khalil! Arise to serve the Glorious Cause…

In the Name of God, the Most Holy!

O Khalil! Arise to serve the Glorious Cause in these days wherein faces have darkened and eyes have turned away, save those who have set their faces toward the Dayspring of the bounty of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower.

Say: O concourse of divines! Consider and call to mind the days when the Sun of Hijaz shone forth from the horizon of the Will of your Lord, the Chosen One. The learned ones turned away from Him and the scholars objected, until the earth became strait for Him by Whom the horizons were illumined. Say: Were ye to ponder that which appeared aforetime and in those days, ye would surely cast away what ye possess and hasten to the Holy Court in humility and submission.

Say: Ali came to you before and gave you glad tidings of this Kawthar through which God hath quickened hearts and souls. Ye turned away from Him and from that for which ye were created. Fear God, O people of understanding! Soon shall come upon you a day wherein ye shall be called to account for your deeds in this vain life, and ye shall find no place of refuge.

Verily thou hearest My words and dost appear from the horizon of assurance in the name of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Remind the people with wisdom and utterance. Say: O people! Fear God and commit not that which causeth the Messengers to lament in the highest Paradise.

Know then that calamities have encompassed Us from all sides through that which the hands of the unbelievers have wrought, they who have denied God, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Forgiving. Yet the Youth hath not been deterred from that which He was commanded by the Lord of Names and Attributes. Nothing can withstand His Cause. Verily thy Lord is the Almighty, the Powerful, the Chosen One.

Neither the ascendancy of kings nor all who are on earth can hinder Us, as witnesseth the Call that hath been raised from this Prison whose gate hath been seized by the hosts of the wicked. Seest thou any protector for anyone? Nay, by thy Lord Who hath subdued the names and caused the Youth to speak, save God, the Lord of earth and heaven!

Soon shall the world and all that is therein perish; seek thou therefore that which shall cause thy remembrance to endure in the Scriptures and Tablets. We beseech God to aid thee in His Cause, to enable thee to make mention of Him and praise Him, and to grant thee that which He hath ordained for His chosen ones who have detached themselves from all on earth for love of Him and have turned unto the Dawning-Place of lights.

BH03143: This is a gracious Book sent down…

He is God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted

This is a gracious Book sent down from the heaven of the Will of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Great. Within it is the Water of Life, whereby the hearts of those who have recognized Him are quickened. Verily, he whom the fragrances of My raiment have stirred findeth in every word of God’s words the sweet scents of his Lord, the All-Merciful, if he be of them that are assured.

Say: O people, abandon transgression and error. We created you for My knowledge and remembrance, if ye be of them that know. Say: Doth vain desire profit you? Nay, by the Lord of Names! It calleth you unto wickedness, while We summon you unto guidance. Which of these two is more worthy, if ye be fair, and follow not every doubting idolater. Sanctify your souls for My knowledge, your hearts for My love, and your tongues for My wondrous remembrance. Though I be in prison, I desire for you naught save to draw you nigh unto God, the Mighty, the Peerless. Soon shall that wherewith the people of vain desires are occupied perish, and sovereignty shall remain with God, the Creator of earth and heaven. He who turneth away from guidance is in manifest error.

Hold fast unto the Book of thy Lord, then recite it by night and by day. It shall verily protect thee and draw thee nigh unto the Most Sublime Vision. Thy Lord is He Who ruleth as He pleaseth. Be thou steadfast in the love of thy Lord in such wise that nothing that happeneth on earth may disturb thee.

Say: O my Lord! I have turned with my whole being to the Dayspring of Thy Cause and the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation. Make me pure for Thy sake, that I may desire naught save what Thou desirest, and will naught save what Thou willest. O my Lord! I have laid down my will and taken up Thy will. Write down for me what beseemeth Thy bounty and grace. Verily, Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful. Praise be to Thee, O God of the worlds! The Most Glorious!

Grieve not for thy brother. By My life! He dwelleth in the precincts of thy Lord’s mercy, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. He saith: Would that the people had known this exalted station! He is in the presence of his Lord’s loving-kindness, turning not his gaze toward those on earth. Thus doth the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, acquaint thee, that thou mayest know thy Lord and thank Him, saying: Praise be to Thee, O God of all who are in the heavens and on earth! Then make mention from Us to those who are round about thee. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

BH03067: In the Name of God, the Most Great…

In the Name of God, the Most Great, the Most Glorious! Hearken unto what is revealed unto thee from the direction of the mercy of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Verily, there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Self-Subsisting. Cast behind thy back all created things, then turn thy face toward God with a countenance from which the lights shine forth. By God! Should anyone hear the call of his Lord and taste the sweetness therein, it would surely draw him to the court of nearness and glory and beauty.

O Ha! Hear once again the call of thy Lord, the Most Glorious, from the direction of this Prison from whose horizon hath shown forth the Sun of the beauty of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. Arise to make mention of Him amongst the servants and fear not those who have denied the Return. Say: This is the Day wherein the faces of the idolaters have been darkened, and the faces of the righteous have been illumined—they who have detached themselves from all that is with the people, seeking that which is with their Lord, the Mighty, the Compelling. By My life! Should one possessed of hearing turn toward all things, he would hear from them “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Forgiving!”

O Sin! That which was hidden in the breasts hath been unveiled, the secrets have been revealed, and every soul hath been gathered according to its deeds in this Day whereon the Ancient Beauty hath been established upon the throne of grandeur and power. Say: O people! Do ye deny that which ye were promised? Fear God and be not of them whom We behold in doubt and schism. This is the Promised One Who hath come from the dawning-place of the Promise with proof and evidence.

O Nun! Be thou as the letter Nun of this Ocean—immerse thyself therein by thy Lord’s leave at morn and eventide. Stand firm in His love and remind the people of thy Lord’s verses. This is better for thee than all that hath been created in the contingent world. Let not the words of those who have disbelieved in God grieve thee. Already hath been inscribed upon their foreheads: “These are they who have disbelieved in the Lord of Lords.” Beware lest thou pause in the remembrance of thy Lord. Be thou a herald of My Name and glorify His praise at eve and dawn. Soon shall come a day when thou shalt behold the wrongdoers in the fire, and thyself in the vicinity of the mercy of thy Lord, the Self-Subsisting.

And glory be upon thee and upon whosoever hath believed in this Day wherein the Herald doth call out from the right hand of the throne of thy Lord, the One, the Powerful, the All-Compelling. And praise be to God, the King, the Mighty, the Most Exalted.

BH03174: O Leaf of the Divine Tree! Blessed art thou…

In the Name of God, the Most Pure

O Leaf of the Divine Tree! Blessed art thou, for the breezes of thy Lord’s mercy have stirred thee, severed thee from all else, and turned thee toward the Most Holy Paradise where the lights have dawned from the countenance of thy Lord, the Most High, the Great. Happy art thou for having drunk from the cup of camphor, the pure wine in this Revelation wherein hath appeared the Preserved Tablet that was hidden from the eyes of the heedless. Therefore God proclaims His greatness upon thy face from this remote prison, and through His proclamation the tongues of all things speak forth the glorification of God, the King, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Stand firm then in His love and inhale the fragrance of holiness from My garment that hath been suspended between the heavens and the earth. O Leaf! By God, wert thou to behold it with thine eyes, thou wouldst find it pierced by the spears of the ungodly and the arrows of the deniers. Every thread thereof crieth out between earth and heaven saying:

“O peoples of earth and heaven! If ye desire to gaze upon your Best Beloved, the Most High, look upon me that ye may know what hath befallen Him at the hands of the hosts of Satan. Behold, O people, the blood that floweth from me—it is indeed the blood of God, yet the people are in manifest heedlessness.”

Were We to detail for thee what hath befallen Us, thou wouldst hear the lamentation of the Concourse on High and the cry of the angels drawn nigh. I am indeed the Youth heralded by the Primal Point and, before Him, by the Prophets and Messengers. Yet when I came from the heaven of command and rent asunder the veils, there arose the clamor of the perverse ones who broke God’s covenant and His testament, cast the Bayan behind their backs, and worshipped the calf instead of God. Woe unto them from the torment of a mighty day!

And thou, loose thy tongue in My remembrance and praise among My handmaidens, that they may detach themselves from their own selves and desires and turn unto the King of kings and rulers. Verily thy Lord knoweth what hath befallen thee. Grieve not in His path, but place thy trust in Him. He will, in truth, protect thee from the harm of the corrupt ones. And the glory rest upon thee and upon those who have shown patience in hardship out of love for God, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Powerful.

BH03117: Blessed art thou, for God hath named thee…

In the Name of our Lord, the Most Invincible, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious!

Blessed art thou, for God hath named thee the first pillar of the two Names derived from this Name, before which all who are in the heavens and earth were struck with terror, all faces were transformed, all feet did stumble, and the skin of every sinful unbeliever did quiver. Glad tidings unto thee, O servant, for thou didst draw nigh unto God and didst detach thyself from those who disbelieved and associated partners with God, and didst turn thy face toward God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Unconstrained. Therefore, rejoice within thyself, for God hath magnified thy face from this Prison and doth make mention of thee at this moment with such remembrances through which all things were created from a beginning that hath no beginning, through which spirits were raised up and lights did shine.

Thus doth God give unto whomsoever He willeth from the Kawthar of grace and bounty, and clotheth with the robe of forgiveness those who were martyred in His path and soared in the atmosphere of nearness on two wings of detachment. Thus doth God single out whomsoever He willeth through a command from His presence. There is no God but Him, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving. He forgiveth whomsoever He willeth through His sovereignty and chastiseth whomsoever He desireth through His command. He shall not be questioned about what He doeth. There is no God but Him, the Guardian, the Powerful, the All-Compelling.

O remnants of the family of Husayn! Rejoice within yourselves and grieve not over anything, for your Lord, the All-Merciful, hath ordained for you in Paradise a station that none knoweth save God, the One, the All-Seeing. Were you to witness the station of Our servant in the highest Paradise, you would beseech God to raise you up unto him. But it hath been veiled from you by a wisdom that none hath comprehended save God, Who perceiveth all vision while no vision perceiveth Him. Were people to become aware of the station that God hath ordained for those who were martyred in His path, they would sacrifice their own souls in hope of attaining that station. Thus hath the matter been decreed from the presence of God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Effulgent. Glory be upon him and upon you, O dwellers of the pavilion of glory, from this Beauty from Whose face suns have dawned and from Whose brow moons have shone forth.

BH03249: The Covenant was taken at the break of morn…

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

The Covenant was taken at the break of morn from those who believed, that they should worship none but God and should not corrupt the earth. Among them are those who have attained unto guidance and those who have followed vain desire—these are indeed among the heedless.

I sorrow not for the burden of My imprisonment. Neither do I grieve over My abasement, or the tribulation I suffer at the hands of Mine enemies. By My life! They are My glory, a glory wherewith God hath adorned His own Self. Would that ye know it!

The shame I was made to bear hath uncovered the glory with which the whole of creation had been invested, and through the cruelties I have endured, the Daystar of Justice hath manifested itself, and shed its splendor upon men.

My sorrows are for those who have involved themselves in their corrupt passions, and claim to be associated with the Faith of God, the Gracious, the All-Praised.

It behooveth the people of Baha to die to the world and all that is therein, to be so detached from all earthly things that the inmates of Paradise may inhale from their garment the sweet smelling savor of sanctity, that all the peoples of the earth may recognize in their faces the brightness of the All-Merciful, and that through them may be spread abroad the signs and tokens of God, the Almighty, the All-Wise. They that have tarnished the fair name of the Cause of God, by following the things of the flesh—these are in palpable error!

Ask thou God that He may guide them unto what He hath willed, and strengthen them in that whereby the breezes of detachment may waft over all the worlds.

We have servants who, were all the treasures of the heavens and earth to be offered unto them, would pay no heed nor turn their gaze from the Most Great Vision—these indeed dwell within the pavilion of My protection. The people of the holy precincts seek blessings through them. Verily thy Lord is knowing of all things.

These have passed by the world and its adornments as clouds pass by, and thy Lord is witness to what I say.

Take thou the cup of detachment in the name of thy Lord, the Creator of invention, then drink thereof and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of all who are in the heavens and on earth.

Be thou content with His good-pleasure, then make thy desire what thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, hath desired. For verily the world and all that is therein shall perish and change, while that which hath been ordained for thee in My great Kingdom shall never end.

Forget not the favor of thy Lord, for He hath called thee unto Himself and delivered thee from the depths of vain imaginings, and hath sent down unto thee clear verses. Read them and be thou among the thankful ones.

BH03190: O My companion on the pages and My name…

He is the All-Knowing, the Most Glorious!

O My companion on the pages and My name in the Books! Hearken unto the Call of God from the shore of the Ancient Sea in the luminous spot from the Most Glorious Tree—verily there is no God but Me, the Mighty, the Powerful.

God’s curse be upon him who hath wronged thee and denied thy rights in the Bayan. We testify that he is among the wrongdoers. Grieve thou not—God hath frustrated what they intended and hath sent down for thee that whereby thy mention shall endure amongst the worlds.

Arise by My leave from the horizon of the heaven of My Cause and convey unto the people with wisdom and utterance. Thus hast thou been commanded by thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Beware lest those in the contingent world prevent thee from the remembrance of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Praised.

Consider the people of the Bayan and their lack of understanding. They have denied Him by Whose name the heaven of the Bayan was adorned with the sun of wisdom and exposition. But for Him the Tree of Sinai would not have spoken nor would the Dove of the Cause have warbled upon the branches of the Tree of Revelation. Thus hath the Sun of Revelation shone forth from the horizon of thy Lord’s remembrance, the Mighty, the Wise.

Say: O people! Were anyone to inhale, he would detect from every letter revealed in the Bayan the fragrance of My luminous garment. Say: This is He Whose covenant God took before His own covenant and before the creation of the heavens and earths. The winds of destiny have blown from the direction of might and power and deprived them of stability. Verily thy Lord is the Ruler over what He willeth.

After Our arrival in the Most Great Prison, We delivered God’s messages to the East and West of the earth that all might know that tribulations prevented not their Lord, the Most Glorious, from what He desired. And from the horizon of the Prison We summon the nations unto God, the Lord of eternity. Thus have We manifested power despite those who disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Leave the heedless in their vain disputes, then remember thy Lord with spirit and fragrance. He is with thee and will aid thee with truth at all times. Make mention of the son on My behalf and give him glad tidings of My remembrance of him. Soon will God remove those who have wronged without clear proof or enlightening Book. And glory be upon thee and upon them from God, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

BH03299: O Abdu’l-Nazir! We have turned toward you as you…

He is the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious

O Abdu’l-Nazir! We have turned toward you as you have turned toward God, the Lord of the worlds, and We have faced you as you have faced the Dawning-Place of the Cause. Know this and be of the thankful ones. Whoso occupieth himself with My remembrance amongst My servants, him will I remember in My kingdom and My realms of might. Verily My mercy hath preceded all things and I am the Forgiving, the Merciful. Blessed is he who hath found and turned, who hath cast away and taken up, who hath heard and responded—he is of those who have attained.

Let not My imprisonment and tribulation grieve you, nor your hardship and affliction. By My life! Behind you lies the ocean of joy which yearns for your arrival. Soon shall you enter it through My Name, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. God hath ordained joy beneath My shadow—whoso departeth from it is of the distracted ones. The people of Baha behold the passing of all things as they see the sun in the sky. These are the dwellers in the cities of eternity. The harm of the ungodly grieveth them not—though their bodies be grieved, their spirits find glad tidings and manifest joy. We have found in the cup of tribulation the sweetness of Kawthar and Tasnim in the love of God and His path. To this do My limbs bear witness, saying: Yea, by the Lord of the mighty Throne!

Be thou in such wise that the people of thy realm may detect from thee the fragrance of My garment. Glorify thy Lord with praise and be of those who remember. Those whom this world hath deluded—for them there is no escape. Soon shall a violent wind pass over them and render them like scattered stubble or scattered dust, and return them to the flames. Verily thy Lord is the Powerful, the Mighty. The world laughs at those who desire it and says: “Have you seen from me any good or faithfulness?” Should anyone reply “Yes,” it cries out saying: “Thou hast lied, by the Lord of the exalted Throne!” Leave those who have turned away from God and faced toward it, then turn thy heart’s face toward God, the Mighty, the Generous.

Know thou the worth of what hath been sent down and dispatched to thee, then recite it morning and evening, nay rather at all times. Verily He is with His remembering servants. Say: Praise be to Thee, O God of the worlds and Object of worship of all in the heavens and earths.

BH03274: This is a mighty Tablet revealed from the Kingdom…

In the name of God, the Eternal, the Ever-Abiding

This is a mighty Tablet revealed from the Kingdom of thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. In each word surgeth the ocean of names from the Fashioner of earth and heaven. Blessed are they that comprehend. And in each verse thereof is ordained the creation of that which none knoweth save God, the Lord of all worlds.

They whose eyes are illumined with the light of recognition, these shall behold in My traces the beauty of the All-Merciful. Thus have We expounded the Cause from the presence of One knowing, wise. They who have forsaken that which is with the people and have turned with their hearts to the Dawning-Place of inspiration, these are of the people of Baha, as attesteth that which hath been sent down in a preserved Tablet.

Say: O people, follow not your desires, follow rather guidance. Verily it hath appeared in truth from the horizon of the Will of your Lord, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Beware lest the world prevent you from turning to the Kingdom of immortality, or the hosts of the oppressors frighten you. Remember your Lord amongst My servants, that perchance they may recognize their Creator and be drawn by the traces of truth to the scene of His mighty Name.

They who are heedless and have turned away, these are cursed by the atoms, though they are today among those who rejoice. Then shall chastisement come upon them from every direction, whereupon their faces shall be seen turned yellow from fear of thy Lord, the Subduer, the Mighty, the Powerful.

When the idolaters drove Us from the Land of Mystery, We called out to the servants with the most exalted call and summoned them unto God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Until they cast Us into another prison, whereupon We arose with another call and conveyed the Command of thy Lord to kings and monarchs. That which befell Us did not prevent Us from His remembrance, and that which appeared is a witness to what is recorded. But the people are in evident veils.

Through His love, no harm from those in the worlds can dismay Us, nor can what the hands of the aggressors have wrought sadden Us. Thus have We set forth the verses for thee and sent them down in truth that thou mayest find the sweetness of the table that hath descended from heaven. By My life, through it shall thy face shine forth amongst Our hesitating servants. Blessed is he who readeth what hath been sent down from the direction of the Throne and pondereth My Cause. He is of those brought near.

Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH03252: That which thou didst address to God, thy Lord…

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

That which thou didst address to God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds, hath reached Us in the Prison. This is better for thee than all that hath been created on earth. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. We have answered thee in truth as a bounty from Our presence. Verily thy Lord is He Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. In His right hand is the kingdom of names, and within His grasp the dominion of the realms of eternity. He, verily, is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

At the moment when thou didst open thy lips in remembrance of God, the Lord of Names, We heard it and answered thee in truth, and ordained for thee in the Most Glorious Pavilion a station that was illumined by the lights of the countenance of thy Lord, the Most High, the Great. Wert thou to become aware of what We have ordained for thee, thou wouldst soar on the wings of longing in the atmosphere of detachment and behold all who are in creation beneath the shadow of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Praised.

When thou dost inhale the fragrance of the verses which have descended from the right hand of the throne of thy Lord, the Lord of Names and Attributes, turn thy face toward the Prison and say: O my Lord! Praise be unto Thee for having caused me to soar in the atmosphere of Thy knowledge and to turn toward the sanctuary of Thy certitude and the Kaaba of Thy presence. I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the tongue of all things hath spoken in praise of Thy Self, to make me in all conditions to gaze toward the direction of Thy good-pleasure and whatsoever Thou hast ordained for me in the heaven of Thy decree. Then make me to be detached from the cawing of those who have disbelieved in Thy signs, of whom Thou hast informed us in Thy Tablets. Cause me, O my God, to be so steadfast in Thy love that were all who are on earth to claim the stations of Thy Cause and the conditions of Thy Manifestation, I would not turn toward them, for I bear witness that the seal of the Manifestation of God is set in this Most Great Revelation, and whosoever layeth claim to a Revelation speaketh through the promptings of self and passion.

Thus hath it been inscribed by Thy Most Exalted Pen upon the Tablets which have been adorned with the ornament of Thy words, O Creator of the heavens! I am certain, O my God, that Thou hast answered what I have beseeched of Thee and ordained for me what I have desired, through Thy grace and bounty. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Exalted, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

BH03404: Has the earth carried one whom kinship cannot prevent…

In the Name of God, the Everlasting, the Inexhaustible

Has the earth carried one whom kinship cannot prevent from turning to the Lord of creation, and who casts behind him relationships and allusions out of love for God, the Lord of names and attributes? Blessed is he who sees no glory for himself except through the glory of God and who is detached from all else. He is indeed among the most exalted of creatures before the Truth. Thus has the matter been decreed and the verses have come. And he whom love of kindred does not prevent from turning to his Lord—his face shall shine forth between earth and heaven. The hosts of the unseen and the visible shall assist him, and the angels of the Command shall aid him in drawing near to the station wherein the lights of the Divine Essence are kindled and shine forth.

Hearken to what is revealed to thee from the direction of the Prison and what hath been sent down from the Pen of Command. It is musk from which fragrances waft. When the Tablet of Fire cometh unto thee, set it aside and take what hath been given thee from thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower.

Glory be to Thee, O my God! Thou hearest my lamentation in this Prison and knowest that I have summoned the servants only to the court of Thy mercy and favors, and have commanded them only what Thou hast commanded in the kingdom of Thy decree and the dominion of Thy judgment. I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst subjugate the winds, to protect this servant who hath turned to Thee and held fast to the hem of Thy bounty. O Lord! Thou knowest what is in hearts, verily Thou art the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. Thou knowest the secrets of breasts. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name to strengthen him in such wise that nothing shall prevent him from Thy love, that he may arise to aid Thy Cause and stand firm in Thy Command. O Lord! When Thou hast made known to him the paths of Thy grace and guidance, deprive him not through Thy generosity. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

O thou attentive servant! Arise to aid thy Lord in these days, that the dwellers of Paradise may glory in thee. Thus doth the Pen of Grace command thee from before God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And praise be to God, the Beloved of the mystics and the Goal of the sincere ones.

BH03411: O My handmaiden adorned with the ornament of My…

He is the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Wise.

O My handmaiden adorned with the ornament of My love! Happy art thou and that handmaiden who hath attained My days, turned toward My face, and answered when My call was uplifted; who was blessed with My remembrance when other maidservants turned against Me; who hath testified to that which My tongue hath declared and acknowledged what hath been sent down in My Book.

O My handmaiden! Let not grief overwhelm thee on account of that which hath occurred in the early days of our arrival in this prison. We have sacrificed Mihdi for a purpose inscrutable to all save God. That branch offered up his soul in the flower of his youth and with the utmost joy and gladness he hastened to the realm beyond. Every soul that departeth from this world with the love of God in his heart is and hath ever been the possessor of all good. If this be attained by virtue of the verses of the Pen of the Most High, this is a gift eternal and a grace everlasting. Praise be to God that he attained unto that to which nothing else can compare.

Today, because of the lack of capacity of the people of the world, the station of the Word of God is concealed. I swear by the waves of the ocean of God’s utterance, O My handmaiden, that a single word thereof excelleth whatsoever is now evident in the world of being. How many princes of the earth and queens of the world have passed away, yearning to hear these words: “O My servant” or “O My maidservant,” but they heard them not. As Ansari says:

O my God! If but once Thou sayest: “My servant,” By the Throne my laughter will pass.

Since thou hast attained this time and again, be full of joy.

God, glorified be His glory, is faithful, and He received His trust with joy and gladness. What occurred was in accordance with the exigencies of consummate wisdom. Be thou patient, therefore, for, verily, thy Lord is the Most Patient, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, and He shall not delay the recompense of those who endure with patience. We send praise to all the maidservants of that land and exhort them to be steadfast in His Cause.

BH03326: O Muhammad! Hear the call of the Beloved…

In the name of God, the Exalted, the Great.

O Muhammad! Hear the call of the Beloved in these days when He was cast into the well of hatred by the hands of the oppressors. And He, from the depths of the well, calls out saying: O people! Forget not the days in which the Beauty of God shone upon you and His tongue spoke unto you from the holy, mighty, powerful and wise verses of God. And He walked among you yet none recognized Him save His own all-knowing, all-informed Self. And there appeared from Him the signs of God and His grandeur, then the sovereignty of God and His power, but none was aware of this save God, your Lord and the Lord of all creation.

And you, O servant, remember My days and what you heard from My tongue, and forget not My favor upon you, for My favor upon you has indeed been great. Then remember My tribulations which have befallen Me in this remote prison. Beware, beware lest you become occupied with the world and its ornaments. Then purify yourself from all that prevents you from God, your Lord. This is My counsel unto you and unto Our believing servants.

Say: O people! Fear God and commit not that which would cause God’s Cause to be lost among His servants, even though His Cause is sanctified above the defilement of the guilty ones. And if harm befalls you, be patient, then show forth yet more patience, then remember My harm. And if sorrow comes upon you, be patient, then reflect on the sorrows that have befallen the Beauty of your Lord, the Merciful, the Compassionate. And when you are settled in a place and find rest within yourself, then weep for My tribulations among the company of the ungodly. And if you find comfort with anyone, then remember My loneliness in this land from which the feet of seekers are cut off.

Thus have We remembered you and commanded you that you may remain steadfast in the Cause of your Lord and remember Him morning and evening. And the glory be upon you and upon those who have believed in God, the King, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

BH03362: The clouds of holiness have been raised up…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Exalted

The clouds of holiness have been raised up in truth in this heaven that towers above all contingent things, raining down upon all created things from the outpourings of an impregnable mercy. Through it there have sprouted forth from the breasts of the sincere the flowers of wisdom and utterance. Thus has the grace of the All-Merciful encompassed all the worlds. O servant! Hearken unto the call of this Wronged One, Who has fallen beneath the sword of the enemies and in this prison lies captive in the hands of the idolaters. By God! Those who were given the Furqan did not wrong Us—those who wronged this Beauty were of the people of the Bayan, who were renowned among all creation. They arose in such wise that none can recount it.

By God! Because of this all who dwell in the heavens and earth wept, and all within the sacred and impregnable pavilion. They imagine within themselves that they have believed in God and the Manifestation of His Self, but when the veils were rent asunder and the Countenance of the Chosen One appeared, they dispersed from around Him, denied Him, warred against His Self, and disputed His verses. Thus has it befallen this Youth, if thou be of those who know. O servant! Stand firm in thy love for thy Lord and turn not unto those who have wronged and associated partners with God. Then seek the grace of Him Who was observed above the horizon of eternity with My Most Glorious Name. And the glory be upon thee and upon those who have stood firm in the Cause at which the feet of every learned one have slipped.

O servant! Make mention from Us to him who was named Husayn, that he may rejoice within himself at having been remembered by the Pen of Holiness, and may stand firm in that which was inscribed in the Tablet. Then glorify him who was named Hasan in the Kingdom of Names and who was at that time mentioned before the Throne. Say: Blessed are ye both if ye forsake sovereignty behind you and turn with your hearts unto God Who created you by His command and guided you to a holy and wondrous path.

BH03353: The Most Holy, the Most Glorious! Glorified is He…

The Most Holy, the Most Glorious! Glorified is He Who remembers His loved ones while in prison, when He was in the hands of the wicked, that the fragrances of revelation might draw them and lead them forth from all directions. Blessed is he whom the breath of the All-Merciful hath caught in these days wherein souls were shaken with fear of thy Lord, the Almighty. Is there any path for anyone? Nay, by My life, save this path which was heralded by the Bayan from God, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

How many servants heard the call of God yet answered not—these lay asleep on the couch of heedlessness and error. And how many heard and hastened to the court of His Cause—these verily are the essence of creation in the sight of the Truth, as thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, doth testify. And among them were those who turned to the Dayspring of Revelation and were of those who heard and answered.

Verily those who drank the wine of life in the days of their Lord, the All-Merciful—these are not held back by the veils of those in creation from turning toward God, the Lord of the Day of Mutual Disengagement. They hasten, detached from all directions, turning to God, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

When asked by what proof they believed, they say:

“Blind be thine eye, O perfidious misbeliever! Hast thou not seen God’s manifestation in every condition, and hast thou not seen His power which hath encompassed the lands? Hast thou not heard the call of the Herald when the appointed time came and eyes were dazzled? Is there doubt in His sovereignty? Nay, by the Lord of lords! Or in His manifestation which hath shone forth from the horizon of the Cause with grandeur and power? Do ye deny the Sun after His rays have encompassed the horizons?”

These are servants who adduce no proof except the sovereignty of the Manifestation and what hath appeared from Him. Exalted is this station whence the lights have shone forth! Thus hath flowed from the Pen the Kawthar of pre-existence, and this Sea hath surged, each drop whereof proclaimeth: “Sovereignty belongeth unto God, the Mighty, the All-Compelling!”

When the wine of revelation hath taken thee from this luminous cup, arise to make mention of thy Lord amongst the servants, that thy words might affect hearts in such wise as to transform the horizons. Thus have We imparted to thee from the prison-quarter that thou mightest remember thy Lord at morn and eventide.

BH03358: Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou seest how…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Glorious

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou seest how He Who is the Manifestation of Thy Name, the Unique, and the Dawning-Place of Thy glorious Book, spendeth the days of the Festival in the prison of Thine enemies, where they have prevented Him from going forth and Thy loved ones from entering. In such condition He calleth upon Thee, saying:

“O my God! Grant Thy loved ones patience in their separation from Thee, then make them content with Thy good-pleasure and the manifestation of Thy decree.”

Thou knowest, O my God, what hath befallen those of Thy servants who have turned toward Thee, after they sought the Ka’bih of Thy presence and the sanctuary of Thy nearness and reunion. Among them were servants who entered the city, turning toward the Spot which Thou hadst made the Qiblih of those in Thy heaven and earth, yet were prevented from beholding Thy beauty—those whom Thou didst name Abu’l-Hasan and Rasul, and another from the land of Alif and Ra. By their prevention, tears flowed from the eyes of the maidens in their chambers, and the hearts of the meanings were set aflame in the palaces of words.

When Thou didst know, through Thy hidden knowledge, the fire of Thy love and longing for Thy beauty that was in their hearts, there came Thy binding command from the heaven of eternity, and there was revealed concerning them that which stirred the hearts of all created things with longing for the sweet savors of Thy revelation and yearning for the fragrances of Thy days. Thou didst decree for them the reward of those who attained Thy presence and appeared and beheld and heard that which shone forth and dawned and was sent down from Thy throne and Thy beauty and Thy verses, and Thou didst accept their deeds in such wise that mention thereof flowed from the Pen of Thy Revelation in numbered Tablets. I thank Thee, O my God, on their behalf, for what Thou hast granted them, O Lord of all names and attributes!

Blessed is he who draweth nigh unto the lands wherein Thou dwellest. Blessed is he who turneth toward the heaven from whose horizon Thou dost shine forth. Blessed is he who visiteth the wall of the City from which Thy fragrances waft. Blessed is the soul that hath turned toward the land of Syria and wandered therein with longing for Thee. Blessed is he who is content with what Thou hast decreed for him. Blessed is he who hath been enabled to turn toward Thee, O Lord of grandeur and majesty!

There is none other God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Single, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.

BH03553: This is a Book from Us to him whom…

In the Name of God, the Most Holy.

This is a Book from Us to him whom nothing prevented from this wise Remembrance, and by it the idol wailed and the liver of the false one melted when he entered unto them by permission of his Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful.

O thou who gazest upon the Face and art turned toward the Throne! Hearken unto the Call from the wilderness of guidance: “Verily, there is no God but Me, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.” Then know that the deniers have cast Us into the Most Great Prison. When We arrived therein, We adorned the heaven of utterance with the stars of wisdom and expression. Exalted is He Whom the tyranny of the worlds prevented not from mentioning thy Lord, the Most Merciful. By My life! We blew the Trumpet once again, whereupon those who were in Sinai fell swooning, and all who were on earth were shaken, save whom thy Lord willed, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. Can the tyranny of the oppressors or the assault of the infidels prevent Him? Far be it from the Most Merciful that the hosts of earth and heaven should prevent Him from what He willeth. He is powerful over what He pleaseth through His wise and wondrous command.

We were with thee and saw what befell thee in the path of God and what thou didst bear in His love. Thy Lord is verily the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Grieve not, for thou art with Me and thy reward is with God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. Be thou steadfast in the Cause, then spread abroad thy Lord’s command amongst His servants, that they may recognize their Lord in this radiant morn. The signs of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Chosen One, have appeared throughout all regions. Soon shalt thou behold the idolaters in manifest loss.

Recount unto the people of Baha what thou hast seen and known when thou wert before the Throne, that their eyes may be solaced in the days of their Lord, the Mighty, the Beautiful. Say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having honored me with Thy presence and mentioned me in Thy prison. I testify that Thou art the best of rememberers and the most merciful of the merciful. And praise be to Thee, O Thou Who art the goal of the mystics and the Beloved of all in the worlds.

BH03551: This is a Book from Us to him who…

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

This is a Book from Us to him who hath attained unto the lights of faith in the days of his Lord, the All-Merciful. We make mention in the Tablet of whomsoever We please, that his remembrance may thereby be established amongst all worlds. At the time when there floweth from the Most Exalted Pen the name of any one of the people of creation, the Concourse on High make mention of him and his name is spread abroad in the Kingdom of God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Wise. Blessed is he who hath been mentioned by the Pen of the Ancient of Days and whose name hath been inscribed in the preserved Tablet.

Give thanks, O servant, for having attained unto this mighty, this exalted Tablet. Know thou that We have stirred up the land of tyranny through a Book from Our presence, and by this means the smoke hath ascended. For this reason We have withheld the Pen of grace from making mention of those who have believed in God, the Almighty, the All-Praised—a wisdom from Our presence, and I am verily the All-Wise, the All-Knowing.

Know thou further that thy brother serveth his Lord in the prison. Be thou assured and be of them that render thanks. Remember on My behalf those servants whom the might of them that have disbelieved in God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling, hath failed to perturb. O youth! We counsel thee with a word from thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. Stand firm in the Cause of thy Lord in such wise that nothing whatsoever, even should all that are in the worlds perish, shall deter thee. Whoso is not steadfast in this path, his feet shall slip. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Though under the sword, We make mention of the servants with that which shall profit them and draw them nigh unto God, the Mighty, the Peerless. By My life! I have sacrificed My soul for your sake, O My servants. Fear ye God and be not of the heedless. He who drinketh of this choice wine shall not be dismayed by the oppression of them that have oppressed, nor by the might of the chief of the idolaters. He shall regard him as more contemptible than an ant. Thy Lord, verily, is the Strong, the Lord of power, the All-Compelling. Thus have We imparted unto thee a word from Our presence; whoso apprehendeth it and that which is contained therein shall find himself independent of all worlds. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH03460: O ʿAli! We have indeed been witness to those…

In the Name of God, the Most Great, the Most Glorious

O ʿAli! We have indeed been witness to those who consult regarding thy affair, and among them is one who said that he had denied God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. We were with thee when the people wronged thee. Verily thy Lord knoweth what is in the breasts. Thou wert indeed Our partner in Our tribulations when the ungodly surrounded Us with grievous tyranny. Grieve not over anything. God shall soon seize those who have wronged thee. He is severe in punishment. He best knoweth the transgressors. Know thou that the Youth remembereth thee in this prison whose door is shut. God shall soon open it in truth. He is verily the Powerful, the Mighty.

Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I praise Thee and thank Thee for what hath befallen me in Thy love and good-pleasure. My shortcoming before Thy creatures was only my turning toward the horizon of Thy Revelation and my drawing nigh unto the Tree of Thy Oneness. O Lord! Make me steadfast in Thy Cause and firm in Thy love in such wise that tribulations may not prevent me from turning toward Thy direction, O Thou in Whose hand are the names. Moreover, cause me, O my God, to be focused upon Thee in all conditions, for what is with Thee and what belongeth unto Thee endureth through the perpetuity of Thy sovereignty, while all else perisheth in numbered days.

Thou art the Possessor of Names and Attributes. O Lord! Preserve me beneath the shadow of Thy Most Great Mercy, then send down upon me the good of the last and the first. Verily Thou art the Ruler over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Possessor of Names and Creator of heaven. Convey My greetings to the loved ones of God. Be thou a bearer of glad-tidings unto them through wisdom and utterance. Verily thy Lord, the All-Merciful, is with thee and He is the Protector of the sincere ones. Praise be to God, Creator of the heavens and earths.

BH03459: In the Name of God, the Lord of Names…

In the Name of God, the Lord of Names and Attributes! O servant who hast ascended unto God! Know thou that We have sent thee that whose fragrances have been wafted and whose perfume hath been found by him who hath renounced the world and turned toward the direction from whose horizon hath shone the Sun of Knowledge. Blessed is he who hath been illumined by its lights!

Know thou further that the Youth hath arrived in the Most Great Prison through that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought. Thus hath the land of tyranny cast forth its burdens even as the land of power hath made manifest its sovereign. Thou findest the Youth in joy while the people have been seized by the power of the Hour and its convulsion.

The seas of meaning and utterance have surged through the mention of thy Lord, the All-Merciful—these are their sprinklings. Say: When the Youth came, the heaven was rolled up and every soul was summoned according to its deeds. The Tablets have been sent down from the heaven of the Will of the All-Glorious. Blessed is he who hath been attracted by its verses.

Grieve not for the Youth. He hath accepted tribulations in the path of God and their hardship doth not dismay Him. Consider those who oppressed aforetime—where are their lofty palaces? Those are their houses, fallen into ruin with their trellises. Say: By my Lord, the Most Glorious! That which was created shall perish even as the kings and palaces perished, and today thou seest not their traces.

The Tree of Knowledge hath been planted by the hand of the All-Merciful and soon shall its branches bear fruit. The melodies of God have been raised from the right of the Throne and the believers have been attracted by their rapture. Arise to serve the Cause in such wise that the tree of Zaqqum and its branches shall not hinder thee. Say: The Tree hath been raised in truth. Blessed is he who hath been seized by its modes and hath tasted of its fruits.

Say: O people! Turn ye to the supreme horizon. By God! The world and its riches shall not profit you. Enter ye the Garden by God’s leave and eat freely of its bounties. The City of Immortality hath been built by the sovereignty of thy Lord, the Most High. Soon shall its gates be opened and thou shalt hear the melodies of the birds of Paradise from its precincts.

And glory be upon thee and upon every soul that hath fulfilled its covenant.

BH03515: The Most Great, the Most Glorious! The Promise hath…

The Most Great, the Most Glorious! The Promise hath come, and this indeed is the Promised One. The earth hath told its tidings, and the mountains have passed away, yet the people understand not. The heaven hath come with its smoke, and the matter hath been decreed by God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting.

Say: O people, ye hear the call of God—what aileth you that ye answer not? By God, the True Call hath come, yet ye perceive it not. The heaven hath been cleft asunder with clouds, and the Youth hath come upon the clouds, yet ye know Him not. Say: Do ye read the verses of God and then deny them? What aileth you that ye are not guided?

Power hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth, and the Call hath been raised between earth and heaven, yet ye are as dead. The Trumpet hath been blown, and bodies have swooned away, while the Tongue of Grandeur proclaimeth: The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Mighty, the Loving! Say: Do ye deny while ye witness? Will ye not remember while ye hear?

Arise from the slumber of passion, in the name of your Lord, the Most Glorious—this would be better for you, did ye but know. Say: He hath borne tribulation for your sake, yet ye turn away from Him. At every moment He drinketh the cup of destiny, yet ye remain heedless of Him. Do ye sit while He standeth before your faces? Arise at My call, then walk in My Kingdom which We have adorned with My Name, the Mighty, the Beloved.

O servant! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One—He calleth thee from this Prison, after being surrounded by the hosts of the idolaters. Arise to serve God and remember Him, then summon the people through utterance to thy Lord, the All-Merciful. He will aid thee—verily He is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.

Blessed art thou for having turned to the Countenance and turned away from those who act unjustly. Leave the world behind thee and remind the people in the days of thy Lord, that perchance the breaths of revelation may attract them and make them turn toward the Goal. Thus have We commanded thee and inspired thee—act according to what thou art commanded. He will verily reward thee in truth—there is no God but He, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting.

BH11752: Glory be to Thee, O my God!

Glory be to Thee, O my God!

We are Thy servants and in Thy grasp. We desire naught but what Thou hast desired through Thy Will, and we wish for naught save what Thou hast wished through Thy power and sovereignty and ordained in the Tablet of Thy decree by the Pen of Thy determination.

O Lord! We bear witness, and those who uphold the throne of Thy grandeur, and the dwellers of the pavilion of Thy glory, and all created things besides, that we have acknowledged Thy oneness and been assured of Thy unity and submitted to what Thou hast sent down upon Thy Prophets and Messengers and upon Him Whom Thou hast made the Seal of Thy chosen ones and made Him a bearer of glad tidings to those of Thy creation who are on the right hand and a warner to those who are on the left hand among the rebellious of Thy creatures. Nothing hath appeared from us in Thy kingdom that would be contrary to Thy laws and ordinances. I beseech Thee, therefore, O my God, by Thy Most Beautiful Names and Thy Most Exalted Attributes, to make this Prison blessed for us, and make it a remembrance for Thy servants and a sign for Thy creatures. Verily, Thou art the One with power over what Thou willest.

O Lord! Thou knowest that we love what Thou hast ordained for us and desire naught except what Thou hast willed through Thy command. We know not what lieth with Thee. If Thou hast decreed our release from this Prison, deliver us from it through Thy power and sovereignty, and manifest what is in our hearts before Thy servants that they may know that we desire none other than Thee and have chosen naught for ourselves save Thy love and good-pleasure, and that we were not corrupting Thy realm but desired to journey through Thy lands and visit Thy Sacred House and stand at the Sacred Monument and Station. I beseech Thee by the flame in the hearts of them that are one in their love for Thee and by the burning of the sincere ones in their passion for Thee to ordain for us what is best for us and gather us with Thy loved ones in the paradise of Thy mighty oneness and the carpet of Thy holy mercy.

Thou art our Purpose and our Object of worship. Through Thee we have become independent of all else, and through Thy grace we have detached ourselves from the worlds. Verily, Thou art the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful, and verily, Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful.

BH03550: This is a Book from Our presence unto him…

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

This is a Book from Our presence unto him whom the breaths of the verses of his Lord, the All-Merciful, have seized, and who hath attained unto the lights of guidance in this luminous dawn. Give ear unto My call from the right side of the Throne, within this manifest Prison: Verily there is none other God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Wilt thou remain silent, when the Day of the Call hath come? Arise, in My Cause, to commemorate Me and to celebrate My praise amongst My servants, and be not of them that sleep.

The Pen of the Most High hath decreed and imposed upon every one the obligation to teach this Cause. Follow thou that which thou hast been commanded by One Who is All-Powerful and Almighty. Let not what hath befallen Us at the hands of them that have disbelieved in God grieve thee. Verily, this Youth hath accepted every affliction for the life of all worlds. The aversion of the unjust saddeneth Me not, neither doth the turning of all upon the earth toward Me rejoice Me. We summon the people unto God, the Possessor of the Day of Calling aloud; and no trial shall withhold Us from that whereunto We have been commanded by thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Great.

Gaze not upon men and their turning away; fix thine eyes upon the horizon of the Cause and upon that whereunto thou hast been bidden. Thus doth the Tongue of Grandeur command thee in this remote Prison. God will, no doubt, inspire whosoever detacheth himself from all else but Him, and will cause the pure waters of wisdom and utterance to gush out and flow copiously from his heart. Verily, thy Lord, the All-Merciful, is powerful to do as He willeth, and ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth.

Wert thou to consider this world, and realize how fleeting are the things that pertain unto it, thou wouldst choose to tread no path except the path of service to the Cause of thy Lord. None would have the power to deter thee from celebrating His praise, though all men should arise to oppose thee.

Go thou straight on and persevere in His service. Say: O people! The Day, promised unto you in all the Scriptures, is now come. Fear ye God, and withhold not yourselves from recognizing the One Who is the Object of your creation. Hasten ye unto Him. Better is this for you than the world and all that is therein. Would that ye could perceive it!

And the Spirit be upon thee, and upon them that have remained steadfast in the Cause of their Lord, the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the Generous.

BH03500: Glorified be He Who remembers His servant in this…

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

Glorified be He Who remembers His servant in this night that he may remember God, the Exalted, the Great, and draw him nigh unto the shore of immortality which hath appeared through My Most Glorious Name, and be of them that are sincere. O servant! Forget the world, then remember My Self and find solace in My Name which was named Mihdi and which We made one of Our most beautiful names among the worlds. Associate with him that what wafteth from the direction of Names from this luminous and shining quarter may attract thee. Then aid thy Lord with what thou art able and be of the helpers.

Say: O people! Take not the calf as your lord besides Me. Fear God, verily We are of them that fear. Beware lest ye join partners with God or ascribe to God any rival, equal or likeness. Thus do We command thee in truth, verily We are the Commander. Drink thou from the Kawthar of justice from the fingers of grace, then find rest within thyself—verily We are imprisoned. And if thou desirest to know what hath befallen Me, look at the clouds when they rain upon you—thus mayest thou know Mine eyes if thou art of them that know. And if thou desirest to know My heart, look at the flame of fire. By God, it blazeth with what hath befallen it from the hosts of devils. And if thou desirest to know My liver—by God, no spot remaineth therein but hath been pierced by the spears of the idolaters and arrows of the hateful ones. Thus hath befallen the One Whom God created and nurtured through all months and years.

O servant! Leave behind all remembrance, then remember thy Lord at all times and be not of the patient ones. Then thank Him for having made Himself known to thee and sent down verses unto thee that thou mayest rejoice within thyself and be of them that rejoice. And glory be upon thee and upon whoso hath relied upon God in these days and been of them that trust.

BH03489: This is a mention from Us to the servants…

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

This is a mention from Us to the servants of the All-Merciful who have believed in God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower, in days wherein the Sun of Grandeur and Power hath shone forth, the moon been eclipsed, and the Balance set up, that the Call of God might draw them to the Dawning-Place of Revelation and detach them from all else. Be thou severed from all save Him in the path of God, then turn with thy heart toward the quarter from which the lights have shone forth. We have indeed sent down verses unto thee before—these once again—that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord at eventide and at dawn. Let nothing grieve thee. Hold fast unto the cord of thy Lord. He hath verily appeared with the truth, and before Him the Spirit proclaimeth:

“The Kingdom is God’s, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Chosen!”

Behold him who fabricated lies against Us—God seized him with power and authority. Then he who claimed sovereignty for himself—God seized him for his sin and made him a lesson for those possessed of insight. O people! This is He Who hath borne all tribulations for your salvation. If ye will not help Him, at least oppose Him not. Fear God Who hath caused the dawn to break and subjected the winds. None can draw breath save by His leave. Thus hath the Command been sent down in the Book from the presence of One mighty in bestowal. He protecteth whom He willeth through His sovereignty and chastiseth those who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of lords. Say: Protection lieth in God’s hands—He protecteth whom He willeth, even were he in the serpent’s mouth. Those whom this world hath deluded shall soon find themselves in the fires.

How many generations did We send Messengers unto, but they denied the signs of their Lord. We seized them for their sins and left them as a reminder for those possessed of understanding. Blessed art thou, O thou who hast turned to God after the servants turned away from Him. Turn thy face toward the Prison, the seat of thy Lord. Say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having enabled me to recognize the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Dawning-Place of Thy signs. I beseech Thee by Him not to shut me out from Thy door, then make me steadfast in Thy love and good-pleasure. Thou art verily the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower.

BH03556: This is a Book sent down in truth unto…

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

This is a Book sent down in truth unto those who have chosen a path unto God and followed the Truth when it came from the Dayspring of the Unseen with clear sovereignty. Say: By my Lord, the All-Loving! The Promised One hath appeared, and on His right hand are the hosts of divine revelation and inspiration, and on His left hand is the Kingdom of God, the Mighty, the All-Praiseworthy. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of the Most Great News, for which the Concourse on High and the Prophets and Messengers yearn to attain. Turn unto Him with your hearts, for He is the One with Whom God made His covenant before the creation of the heavens and earth.

O people! Do ye disbelieve in God in Whom ye had believed? This is naught but manifest calumny. Cast not behind you that which God hath entrusted unto you; turn unto it with an illumined heart. Unite in the days of God—thereby will His Cause be spread amongst His servants and His sweet savors waft over all lands. Hearken unto that wherewith ye have been counseled by the Pen of Revelation from the presence of One mighty and beauteous. Differ not in the Cause of God, for thereby are gladdened the hearts of the idolaters. Gather ye together in spirit and fragrance, then recite the verses of the All-Merciful—through them shall the gates of true knowledge be opened unto your hearts. Then shall ye find yourselves possessed of steadfastness and behold your hearts in manifest joy.

Grieve not at anything. Remember My tribulations and afflictions, then My imprisonment and trials. Thus do We impart unto thee that which shall tranquilize thy heart and cause thee to be of them that are firmly established. Give thanks unto thy Lord for having caused His Pen to move in the prison in remembrance of thee. By My life! This is naught but a supreme bounty. Seize thy chance in these days. Arise to aid thy Lord amidst all peoples. He, verily, aideth whomsoever He willeth and ordaineth for every soul that which beseemeth it. Thy Lord is, in truth, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH03720: This is a tablet from this Youth…

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

This is a tablet from this Youth to the one who, no sooner had he hearkened the Call of His Lord, than he turned to the Dawning-Place of splendors. Verily, numerous signs can be perceived by those who comprehend, as the Ancient Beauty abideth upon His Most Great Throne in the Fortress of Akka. Take heed, O ye who are endued with insight.

He Who created the world for Himself resides in the most desolate of cities as a result of what the hands of those who disbelieved in God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment, hath wrought.

Ponder thou the world and the pettiness of its state. If it was of any worth, We would not have accepted this lowest of conditions, notwithstanding that every great one is raised to loftiness by the will of thy Lord, the Gracious, the All-Powerful.

The Pen exclaimeth: ʿO My Lord, how long will Thee desire that I move upon the tablets. The whole world hath been filled with Thy wondrous tokens. One word from Thee suffices Thy servants, if they but taste the sweetness of the utterance flowing forth from the Lips of the All-Merciful and partake of the treasuries of wisdom and mysteries that lay within.’

O thou My Pen! With thy praise of thy Lord, the world is regenerated and the hearts of the true ones are stirred in such wise that will set the whole world on fire. Grieve not as you witness the people in waywardness and error. Erelong, the pure waters of utterance that have surged from thy lips, at eventide and at dawn, will flow in all directions. Summon thou the people of the earth to the mystic wine of everlasting life. Wherefore have thou been created by the will of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Beneficent.

Call thou to mind My servant who sought Me, say, if thou hearkeneth to My call from this Court, arise thou to proclaim My Cause amongst My servants, and diffuse My praises amongst My people, thus have thou been commanded in this Day in which all eyes stare up with terror.

Sorrow not in the oppression thou encountereth, erelong will your Lord take the tyrants. He is verily powerful in His command and He is mighty in prowess.

Counsel thou the people with wisdom and utterance, so that thy words may create in their hearts what will draw them nigh unto God, your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Compelling.

May the glory of God rest upon thee and those who remain loyal in the Covenant.

BH03667: In the Name of God, the Ever-Abiding, Who perisheth…

In the Name of God, the Ever-Abiding, Who perisheth not! Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou seest what hath befallen Thy loved ones, and what hath touched Thy servants and Thy handmaidens in Thy path. From every quarter rise the cries of them that long for Thee, the sighs of the grief-stricken, and the lamentations of them that are wronged.

Among them are those who are imprisoned with the Manifestation of Thy Beauty in the prison of ʿAkka, and those who are confined in other places, and those who have migrated unto Thee out of love for meeting Thee, desiring to attain unto Thy holy presence. But after traversing land and sea, they were prevented from meeting Thee by what the hands of Thine enemies have wrought.

And among Thy handmaidens is this one who hath migrated in Thy path and desired to visit the Most Great House and circumambulate the sacred precincts. The winds of Thy decree seized her and prevented her from entering into the sea of nearness unto Thee and from dwelling in Thy presence.

Though I bear witness, O my God, that they who have left their homes, hastening toward the seat of Thy glory and gazing toward the horizon of Thy grace, are ever dwelling within the precincts of Thy mercy and drinking from the wine whose seal hath been broken by the hands of Thy power, yet I beseech Thee, O Thou the Beloved of Baha, to ordain for her the reward of those who have outwardly entered the pavilion of Thy grandeur, heard the melodies of Thy transcendent unity, and drunk from Thy hand the Kawthar of Thy mercy.

O my God! Thou knowest the yearning of the lovers in their separation and remoteness from Thee, and the sighs of them that long for Thee when prevented from turning to the heaven of Thy grace. I beseech Thee to accept their deeds and to send down upon them that which will gladden their hearts at the descent of Thy decree and cause them to be content with what Thou hast ordained for them in Thy Tablets.

Then send down upon her, O my God, from the wonders of Thy mercy that which will comfort her heart, tranquilize her being, and give rest to her body. Verily, Thou art powerful to do what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

BH03730: In the Name of God, the Most Holy…

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Holy! This is a Tablet that lamenteth and saith: O people! Oppose not Him Who hath come for your life, and turn not away from Him to Whom the All-Merciful hath testified in all conditions that He is the Goal of all worlds.

O people! He desired for you everlasting life, yet ye imprisoned Him in the prison of ʿAkka. He opened before your faces the gates of bounties, yet ye prevented Him from that which was created for His Own Self. What aileth you that ye have cast aside your God and taken your vain desires? Open your eyes that perchance ye may recognize your Lord, the Unconstrained One. Thus doth the Tongue of Revelation counsel you from the presence of One All-Knowing, All-Wise.

O servant! Grieve not at what hath befallen Us. By God! Baha was created for tribulation and hath accepted fate in the path of God, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Powerful. This is He for Whom the Point of the Bayan wept most times, and calleth unto Him at all times, and before Him, He Who dawned from the dayspring of Batha by the command of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

Say: O people! What ye possess profiteth Him not, nor harmeth Him the power of those on earth. He calleth you for the sake of God, and every just and clear-sighted one beareth witness to this. Do ye take desire and set aside your Lord, the Most Glorious? This indeed is a grievous wrong. Soon will come days wherein ye shall lament for your souls by reason of what ye neglected in the Cause of God, and shall find for yourselves neither intimate friend nor helper.

Soar then with the wings of detachment in this atmosphere which God hath made sanctified from the knowledge of all who are on earth save those who have clung to this exalted Cord. Remind the servants and give them the glad-tidings of thy Lord’s command, that perchance they may arise from the slumber of desire and turn unto the Lord of Names. Thus have We commanded thee before and in this glorious Tablet. Remember those who are with thee from before thy Lord. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days.

BH03723: This is a Book sent down in truth…

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

This is a Book sent down in truth from God, the Most High, the Most Great, wherein mention is made of Our servant who was named Muhammad in the Kingdom of Names, who attained the presence of God and did not break His Covenant, and was among those who remained firm upon the tablets of might well-preserved.

O Muhammad! Hearken unto the call of this Wronged One, upon whom at every moment the spears of tribulation rain down from the clouds of destiny, and around whom circle the wolves of the earth in this Prison wherein He is cut off from the hands of them that yearn after Him. Blessed art thou for having remained steadfast in the Cause of God, thy Beloved and the Beloved of the worlds.

By God! He who hath risen up against Me in enmity—I created him with a word from My presence and preserved him for twenty years, and whatsoever was heard concerning him proceeded from Me, for I am the Doer of whatsoever I will, and I am the Ruler over whatsoever I desire. Leave behind the world and those who have disbelieved, and associate not with them, for their likeness is as the likeness of the serpent, nay worse than it, if thou be of them that know. Shun those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God, then sanctify thy heart that there may be reflected therein at every moment the effulgences of this resplendent and luminous Sun.

Say: O concourse of unbelievers! Have ye not witnessed the signs of God and His sovereignty, and then the manifestation of God and His power? Blind are your eyes, O heedless ones! Do ye worship a calf and forsake Him Who created you and fashioned you and came unto you with manifest sovereignty? Fear God, O people, and render not your works vain, then detach yourselves from all that ye possess and take what is with God with mighty strength.

Thus doth the Ancient Pen command thee. Act according to what thou hast been commanded and be at peace concerning the Cause of thy Lord, the Ancient of Days. And the glory be upon thee and upon them that are with thee and upon them that hearken unto thy words concerning God, thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds.

BH03617: In the Name of God, the Most Holy! O…

In the Name of God, the Most Holy! O Nabil-i-ʿAli! Hearken unto that which the Pen of Glory addresses thee with from the prison precincts on this night. Verily, He is the Stranger in the lands of destiny and the Wronged One in the hands of enemies, in the path of God, the King, the Mighty, the Beloved.

By God! No morning dawns except that calamity overtakes Me, and no evening falls save that another tribulation touches Me. It is as though trials were created for My wronged Self alone, and whenever I move, affliction moves with Me, and when I rest and sleep, it never rests. Thus has the matter been decreed by the Pen of mighty destiny.

As for the Youth, He shall never be dismayed by what befalls Him in the path of God, but rather shall drink from the cups of destiny the sealed choice wine of holiness. However, when We see those who were created by a word rise up in tyranny and calumny, and commit that which causes the Cause to be lost, My soul is troubled thereby, My skin crawls, and My wounded heart is agitated.

Would that God might raise up one possessed of discernment who would perceive the fragrance of sorrows from the garment of the All-Merciful and become aware of what hath befallen Him at the hands of these ungrateful ones. Say: Through the garment of the former did Jacob’s sight return after he found therein the fragrance of his Beloved. Thus was the matter inscribed by the finger of mighty glory. And were the fragrance of sorrows to waft from the garment of God, those who have turned to God, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting, would surely perish thereby.

And thou, O youth, though We have sent down unto thee words of sorrow, grieve not in thy soul, but put thy trust in God. Verily, He will protect His Cause and aid it, for He is the Omnipotent over whatsoever He willeth. He doeth by His sovereignty that which every accursed misbeliever is powerless to achieve. Rejoice thou in the joy of God, then stand firm in the Cause, and He will verily aid thee with the truth through victorious hosts. And glory be upon thee and upon every patient and grateful one.

BH03645: This is a remembrance from God unto His servant…

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

This is a remembrance from God unto His servant who was touched with adversity in the path of his Lord and ascended unto God at a time when he was wronged at the hands of the oppressors, and who believed in God his Creator and recognized His Cause in days wherein all faces were turned away from the court of sublime glory and most of the servants denied God Who created and fashioned them—thus was the matter irrevocably decreed.

O servant! How excellent it is for thee that thou didst fulfill thy covenant, and if there occurred to thy heart that which was not befitting God thy Lord, He hath verily forgiven thee in truth and purified thee at the time of thy ascension from the defilement of all the idolaters. The angels drawn nigh welcomed thee from the highest paradise until they reached thee between earth and heaven, and thou didst witness with thine own eyes the grace of God—thus did the mercy of sublime glory encompass thee.

Would that thy people knew how thy Lord forgave thee and made thee among the honored ones in Tablets of resplendent glory, and how thy name flowed from the Ancient Pen and thy remembrance was recorded in a Tablet preserved from the eyes of all the worlds. We were with thee at the time when the clouds of death enveloped thee, and We took thee with the hand of mercy and caused thee to ascend to a station which We had ordained for thee before Adam was created from a handful of subtle clay.

Therefore, walk thou through the levels of paradise and partake of the fruits of the holy Lote-Trees as thou pleasest, by the command of One Who is mighty and bountiful. And associate with the maidens in chambers of moist crimson ruby, then mention unto them what hath befallen this Wronged One in this Prison which was concealed from the eyes of the loved ones.

And glory be upon thee, O servant who hath ascended unto God, and upon those whom God hath related unto thee, and verily He was their Guardian, then their Protector, then their Helper.

BH03651: A remembrance from the All-Merciful to His servant…

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

A remembrance from the All-Merciful to His servant, that He might draw him to the Dayspring of the Cause with a countenance illumined by the lights of the Throne. We make mention of thee in the prison, that thou mayest make mention of thy Lord in thy days, that perchance they that slumber may rise from their graves and find a way unto Him Who is the Lord of Grace.

Say: O people! The All-Merciful hath come in the shadows of light, while the evil ones flee to the right and to the left. Say: There is no protection this Day save for him who hath laid hold on the cord of his Lord, the Chosen One. Thus hath the matter been decreed. And he who believed and then denied, in every age hath he been in doubt concerning the Cause. Say: O people! Doth He Who calleth you amidst the floods of tribulation desire aught for Himself? Nay, by His Lord, the All-Merciful! He desireth from you neither recompense nor thanks. He calleth you for the sake of God, and whoso hesitateth, he is indeed far removed from the precincts of nearness.

Say: O people! Dispute not in the days of God. Sanctify your seats from the mention of those who have disbelieved. And he who layeth hold on the remembrance of the All-Merciful, he is indeed independent of the mention of all else. The heavenly table hath been sent down; abandon ye the carrion behind you. Drink ye from the Most Great Ocean, then forsake the brackish water. Arise to aid the Cause with wisdom and utterance on this Day wherein eyes are fixed in wonder while the idolaters are thunderstruck by this Light that hath shone forth upon the horizons. Thus hath the matter been ordained in the Tablet.

Say: Had the idolaters heard the verses of God and found the sweetness of what they contain from the Kawthar of utterance, they would have cast away what they possess and would have turned unto a station known by the name of God. Thus have We sent down unto thee clear verses that thine eyes may be solaced thereby and that thou mayest remind the people of this Dawn which hath been witnessed from the horizon of God. And glory be upon thee and upon him who hath turned unto the Countenance. By God! He hath indeed been mentioned before the Truth as among the most exalted of creation.

BH03727: The Most Great, the Most Holy

The Most Great, the Most Holy

This is a Tablet that hath been sent down in truth, that it may draw men nigh unto God, the Almighty, the All-Wise. Verily, those who have turned towards Him, when the verses of their Lord are recited unto them, soar aloft with longing—these are the people of Baha, inscribed in a preserved Tablet. Draw ye nigh unto God with your hearts—this indeed is the true purpose. He hath come on the Day of Judgment.

When We revealed a mystery from Our Most Great Mystery with clear proof and evidence, the people of the Bayan fell stunned upon the dust of idle fancy. Thus was the matter decreed by One Who is All-Knowing, All-Informed. Then rose up against Us the people of the Furqan in rebellion, until they cast Us into the Most Great Prison. Thus were We under the swords of the idolaters. We give thanks to God for this, and We summon the servants unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Tribulation is indeed the garment of Baha, did ye but know it. When it is in the path of my Lord, it is the crown of My head, were ye of them that are well-assured.

Would that thou hadst been present before the Throne when We shone forth from the horizon of mystery with manifest sovereignty, and at the time when We were driven from the city wherein We dwelt with grievous tyranny, and hadst witnessed the power of God with thine own eyes and heard His verses with thine own ears. In those days the verses were sent down openly amidst all creation. Thy Lord is verily the Almighty, the Powerful.

Among the people were those whom the radiance of revelation overwhelmed, and they were struck down, and were among the perishing. And among them were those whom the attraction of the Compeller seized and raised to an exalted station.

Until We arrived at the seashore, when one of the military chiefs came before Us. Then did the Tongue of Grandeur speak and informed him of what would appear thereafter, from One Who is All-Knowing, All-Informed. His condition was transformed and he nearly wept before Our face. Thus was the matter decreed by thy Lord, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Be thou steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord in such wise that the steps of them that have turned aside shall not cause thee to slip, and remember Him in thy days. Verily, He is with His remembering servants. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

BH03792: O thou who dyest in the divine cloud! Dye…

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

O thou who dyest in the divine cloud! Dye all created things with this dye which hath appeared on the horizons, that they may be dyed with the dye of God, thy Lord and the Lord of all creation. His dye is to purify the soul from all colors, and whoso attaineth unto this hath indeed attained unto the dye of God and is numbered among the successful ones in the preserved Tablets. Beware, beware lest thou dye thyself with the dye of allusions from those who make claims. Purify thyself from these, and if thou art able, cause all created things to enter the vats of the dye of My power, that they may all appear in the color of My love—and this is indeed a mighty favor.

Empty thy spirit of those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God, then thy heart of those who have warred against the Self of God that standeth over all things. Then turn thy face toward the quarter that shineth with truth. Beware lest thou forget thy Lord, for We have not forgotten thee and have remembered thee in this Tablet which verily shineth with truth.

Preserve the verses of thy Lord, then recite them that thou mayest be reminded of the remembrance of this solitary, lonely Prisoner Who hath been imprisoned in the prison of destiny, and beyond the prison the idolaters have cast Him into the depths of the pit of darkness. None hath comprehended Him, His Self, and what hath befallen Him save He Who created Him in truth, raised Him up through grace, and sent Him forth with justice unto all who are in the worlds.

Thus have We cast upon thee the word of truth and sent from the quarter of loving-kindness the holy and beloved fragrances, that thou mayest rejoice within thyself and give thanks unto God thy Lord and be numbered among the thankful ones in the mighty and glorious Tablets. And glory be upon thee and upon all who have believed in God and turned away from all else, whether small or great.

BH03940: In the Name of Him Whom all seek yet…

In the Name of Him Whom all seek yet know not! O thou who gazest upon the Countenance, hear My call from the precincts of the Prison, that there is none other God but Him, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

Know thou that the ungodly drove forth the Youth from the City of Mystery with manifest tyranny, and its inhabitants of every creed lamented over Us. Thus was the matter decreed, and We had forewarned of this in a Tablet of mighty glory which We sent to Iraq. Verily thy Lord is cognizant of all things.

Yet the Youth went forth adorned with the ornament of thy Lord, in such wise that the Most Great Name became renowned throughout the realms that were attributed to the Son, until We reached the shore of a mighty sea. Then did the Most Great Sea take its place upon the Ark with manifest sovereignty, until We arrived in this land through that which the hands of the hypocrites had wrought.

But know thou and be assured that the calamities in the path of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Great, do not dismay Us, nor can the winds of tribulations extinguish this Lamp from which the heavens and earth are illumined. Grieve not for what hath befallen Us. Say: By God! Calamities prevent Him not from His Cause, nor do tribulations hold back His sovereignty. Should all who are in the heavens and earth assemble against Him with drawn swords and piercing spears, He would still speak forth and proclaim:

“Verily, I am the Beauty of God amongst all worlds, and neither your swords harm Me nor your spears dismay Me, and I yearn in the path of God for that which none before Me hath borne.”

Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Arise to promote the Cause, then summon the people unto it. God will soon reward thee with the best of rewards. He is with thee, and He is the best of helpers.

Convey My remembrance to My loved ones there, that the fire of the love of thy Lord may be kindled in their hearts and their covenant in this luminous Cause be renewed. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH03923: This is a Book from God unto His servant…

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

This is a Book from God unto His servant who was named Haydar before ʿAli, that the fragrances of the Command may seize him from this Paradise wherein the Beauty of the All-Merciful shineth with holy and wondrous lights, and may detach him and enrich him from all that he possesseth, and may turn him from the left hand of evanescence to the right hand of eternity, and make him among those who are recorded as steadfast in the Mother Book by the Pen of Command.

O servant! Be not grieved within thyself that thou hast migrated unto God and hast not been honored with His presence, for God hath accepted thy obedience and hath inscribed thy name with the finger of power among those who have attained the presence of God, and this is of His bounty unto thee, that thou mayest be steadfast in the Cause. We were verily with thee in thy departure and arrival, and in thy bewilderment and grief, and We witnessed thy condition. Therefore, grieve not within thyself, but be joyous through the loving-kindness of thy Lord.

Beware lest thou hesitate in this Cause in these days wherein the feet of most of the servants have slipped from this Path which hath been raised up in the name of God. Arise in the Cause and fear no one. Then shun those who have disbelieved in God after He came upon the shadows of the Cause with manifest and evident sovereignty, and everything speaketh that there is no God but Him, and that this is indeed ʿAli Who hath appeared from the Most Glorious Horizon with a Command that hath encompassed all the worlds. Purify thyself from allusions and cling not to that which the people of the Furqan clung when We manifested the Face from behind the veils with a radiance that was mighty indeed upon the truth. Rejoice within thyself that the Beloved of the worlds hath remembered thee in this Prison wherefrom the feet of those who seek have been forbidden.

BH03871: Your letter came before the Countenance while in prison…

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

Your letter came before the Countenance while in prison, and its opening was adorned with the word which We have loved in the path of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, and which We have desired for Myself and for those with Me. And your Lord, the All-Merciful, He is indeed cognizant of what I say. And this is it: “Would that I had been among those martyred in Thy path!” By My life! By this yearning the Glance of God turned toward you and the denizens of the Supreme Concourse drew near unto you, but the people do not understand. Because of this, your yearning, We have recorded for you the reward of one martyred in My path. Verily your Lord is the Forgiving, the Loving.

Know thou that in such days as these, whoso arises to make mention of God, the Creator of Names, amidst His ignorant servants—he is indeed of those who have attained unto the best of what hath been and what shall be. Reflect upon these days, that their greatness and He Who hath appeared in them through the sovereignty of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Praised, may become evident unto thee. The greatest of all deeds is the mention of thy Lord amongst His servants—thus hath it been sent down in a preserved Tablet. Whoso attaineth unto this hath attained unto that which God hath desired for him. With thy Lord is the knowledge of all things, but the people remain veiled therefrom.

Arise from the horizon of certitude through the power of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Great. Then enter the dwelling-place of the ungodly among the people of the Bayan who have disbelieved in God, the Creator of earth and heaven. Say: O people! Abandon that which is vain—the Self-Subsisting hath come upon the clouds of proof. Verily, He is your Lord, the All-Merciful, upon Whom the Bayan depended. Fear God and follow not those who are heedless.

Thus have We imparted unto thee that whereby the hearts of those who have turned toward the Countenance with humility and reverence may be quickened. We have ordained for thee a reward unfailing. Rejoice thou in this and hold fast unto the cord of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

BH04042: Verily they have expelled Us from one city…

He is the One Who Speaketh within all things.

Verily they have expelled Us from one city and caused Us to enter another, and at the pole of tribulation the Most Exalted Pen proclaimeth between earth and heaven:

“The Beloved of the worlds hath been imprisoned. He Who desired to free all who are on earth from the prison of self and passion hath been imprisoned through what the hands of the idolaters have wrought.”

Say: Tribulation is as water for that which We have sown in hearts. Soon there shall grow from it ears of corn, each grain whereof shall proclaim: “There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Wise.” Let not the words of those who have denied God grieve thee, nor the deeds of the oppressors. By God! We are in manifest joy and call the servants unto God, the King, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

God hath made tribulation a crown for the head of Baha. Through it shall the horizons shine forth, even as We informed you before. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. This is a day wherein that which lay hidden in the breasts of the idolaters is made manifest and the faces of those near unto God shine forth.

Arise from the horizon of assurance with the remembrance of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, in such wise as to attract thereby the hearts of those who have advanced. Look not upon the world and what thou seest therein of hardship and prosperity. By My life! All who are therein shall perish, and there shall endure what hath been ordained for thee by One mighty and powerful. Were there any glory in it, the Ancient Beauty would not have remained in this Most Great Prison. By God! Were We to desire it, We could seize the spirits of all who are on earth with but one word from Him. Verily thy Lord hath power over whatsoever He willeth.

Be thou a helper to the Cause of thy Lord through wisdom and utterance, that perchance through thee the veil may be removed from the eyes of the heedless. This is the greatest of all deeds in the sight of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Most Exalted. He aideth whomsoever He willeth through His command. He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH04003: These are verses of holiness which have been sent…

He is God, the Most Pure, the Most Manifest, the Most High, the Most Exalted!

These are verses of holiness which have been sent down in truth from the heaven of God, the Exalted, the Great. In each letter thereof lies concealed an ocean from among the oceans of inner meanings. Blessed is he who attaineth thereunto and entereth into its depths, stripped of all else save Him, and from which appear the pearls of a luminous sanctity.

O servant! Thy mention hath been made before the Countenance, and the Pen of God hath moved to inscribe thy name, as a favor from Him unto thee, that thou mayest be among the thankful. Hearken unto that which this Prisoner calleth unto thee from the shore of fate: that there is none other God but Him, and that this is He Who hath arisen between earth and heaven with the praise of God, and feared no one after all the peoples contended with Him, as ye have heard and were among those who heard.

And thou—walk thou in My footsteps. Arise to serve the Cause through God’s might and power. Then inform the people of this Most Great, this mighty Announcement. Fear thou no one, but place thy trust in God. Verily He will protect thee in truth and aid thee with the hosts of the unseen. His victory is nigh unto them that are detached. However, act with wisdom and counsel lest harm befall thee and thou be numbered among those who are tested.

Say: O people of the Bayan! The head of wisdom is the fear of God. Fear ye Him Who created you and raised you to the heavens of knowledge, and sent down unto you wisdom and utterance, and made you to be among those endowed with understanding. Beware lest ye exchange the favor of God upon yourselves and be numbered among the deniers.

Thus have We imparted unto thee and made mention of thee in the Tablet, that thou mayest be among the steadfast. And glory be upon thee and upon every knowing believer.

BH03991: The Most Great, the Most Glorious! We, verily, remember…

The Most Great, the Most Glorious! We, verily, remember from within this prison the loved ones of God, that they may remain steadfast in this Cause on this wondrous Day and make mention of God in such wise that all faces may turn towards the Almighty, the All-Wise. From the right hand hath been raised the call of God, and from another direction the fragrance of His garment hath wafted over all creation. Blessed is he who hath cast away the world, turning unto God, the Peerless, the All-Informed. Say: Verily it shall perish, while the Cause remaineth with God, your Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and on earth.

O people! I am the Manifestation of God amongst you, and His proof amidst you, and His sovereignty unto you, were ye to be of them that know. Beware lest ye deny Him through Whom the sun hath shone forth and the moon hath appeared in this heaven which hath been raised up through this Great Name. Cast behind you all created things, turning unto the Dayspring of the signs of your Lord, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Thus have We adorned the horizon of utterance with this remembrance through which the hearts of them that know have been illumined.

O Rahim! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord, the All-Bountiful, from the precincts of the prison—there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Arise to make mention and say: O people! The Day hath come and the call hath been raised betwixt earth and heaven. The Lord of Names hath come with manifest sovereignty. Beware lest anything withhold you from Him through Whom the power of God was revealed and His sovereignty encompassed all things great and small. They who have believed in the Unseen and in Him Who speaketh the truth are indeed on a straight path.

Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation before the completion of a full thousand years, such a one is assuredly a lying impostor. And whoso interpreteth this verse otherwise is of them that are lost. Thus do We instruct thee and teach thee of Our grace, that thou mayest make mention of thy Lord and be of them that are thankful.

BH04088: This is a Tablet from Baha to him who…

In the Name of God, the Eternal, the Everlasting

This is a Tablet from Baha to him who hath believed in God, Creator of all things, that he may be mindful of that which hath been sent down from the Most Exalted Pen after the imprisonment of the Ancient Beauty in the Most Great Prison through that which the hands of the aggressors have wrought.

Verily, in the departure of the Luminary of the horizons from the region of Iraq, and His embarkation upon the ship after passing through the realm, and the establishment of the Chosen One’s throne in the Land of Mystery, and His departure therefrom through tyranny, are signs for those who perceive and evidences for those who discern. He it is Who hath caused the clouds to be subdued and the rain to pour forth from the heavens, and Who hath split asunder the tongue of dawn through His firm and mighty command. Say: Verily He is the One Who calleth unto Himself between the heavens and the earth, and neither the harm of those who have disbelieved nor the might of the ungodly hath deterred Him.

Say: If ye desire the supreme bounty, by God, it hath shone forth from the horizon of the will of your Lord, the Most Glorious. Seize it with the hand of certitude and cast away what ye possess of the intimations of the wayward ones. We have ordained for thee a reward in the Kingdom of recompense. Beware lest the utterances of the heedless sadden thee. Soon shalt thou behold that which thou wert promised by the True One shining forth from the horizon of faithfulness. Verily thy Lord is possessed of great bounty. Those who have cast behind them the Book of God and followed those who have turned away from the Countenance—these are among the bewildered ones in the valley of heedlessness.

Beware lest ye differ in the Cause—gather ye on the shore of this Most Great Sea. By My life! Through your unity the pillars of the deniers shall be demolished. Be ye people of this City—whoso entereth therein must needs be adorned with the attributes of God, the King, the Mighty, the All-Wise. And mercy and glory be upon thee and upon him who hath restrained himself from all else save Me and hath found solace in My wondrous remembrance.

BH04015: The Most Holy, Most Holy, Most Glorious. This…

The Most Holy, Most Holy, Most Glorious. This is the remembrance of God unto His servants who have believed in their Lord, the All-Merciful, on a day when the heavens wailed, the tribes of the earth were thrown into commotion, and those who dwell in the Kingdom of Names were struck with terror, that they may know that He remembereth those who have turned unto the Dawning-Place of Revelation. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Bountiful.

Blessed is he who hath freed himself from the depths of vain imaginings and clung to the hem of the mercy of his Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. He is assuredly among the sincere ones.

Say: O people! Doth this world prevent you from the path of your Lord, the Creator of earth and heaven? This is naught but manifest loss. Leave it to its people. Take what hath been given you from the presence of One mighty and ancient. Should tribulations befall you in My path, remember ye My trials and imprisonment. Thus have ye been commanded by One all-knowing, all-wise.

They who have sacrificed their souls in My path are of the people of Baha. The Concourse on High will seek blessings from the dust of their footsteps. O blessed be this glorious, mighty station!

They whose eyes have been opened behold this world and its ornaments as a mirage which the thirsty one thinketh to be water. They are indeed possessed of insight. Nothing can prevent them from the Most Great Vision. They shall soon find themselves in an exalted station.

Grieve not at what hath befallen Us through evil decree. We have chosen all tribulations for Ourself, and thy Lord is, of what I say, a witness and well-informed.

They who have turned away from the Path are in manifest loss. They shall soon find themselves in the fires. Thus hath the matter been decreed from the presence of the All-Merciful. He, verily, is the All-Wise, the Almighty.

Blessed art thou for having turned unto the Dawning-Place of the verses of thy Lord and for being among those who have turned unto Him. Place thy trust in Him, then hold fast to the cord of His bounty. He will suffice thee in truth, and He hath power over all things.

And the glory be upon the people of Baha from the presence of One all-knowing, all-informed.