Volume 043: Prior to 1873 1290 A.H., Part I (1 of 4)

BH00821: Tablet of the Divine Springtime

The Divine Springtime is come, O Most Exalted Pen, for the Festival of the All-Merciful is fast approaching. Bestir thyself, and magnify, before the entire creation, the name of God, and celebrate His praise, in such wise that all created things may be regenerated and made new. Speak, and hold not thy peace. The daystar of blissfulness shineth above the horizon of Our name, the Blissful, inasmuch as the kingdom of the names of God hath been adorned with the ornament of the name of thy Lord, the Creator of the heavens. Arise before the nations of the earth, and arm thyself with the power of this Most Great Name, and be not of those who tarry.

Methinks that thou hast halted and movest not upon My Tablet. Could the brightness of the Divine Countenance have bewildered thee, or the idle talk of the froward filled thee with grief and paralyzed thy movement? Take heed lest anything deter thee from extolling the greatness of this Day—the Day whereon the Finger of majesty and power hath opened the seal of the Wine of Reunion, and called all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth. Preferrest thou to tarry when the breeze announcing the Day of God hath already breathed over thee, or art thou of them that are shut out as by a veil from Him?

No veil whatever have I allowed, O Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens, to shut me from the recognition of the glories of Thy Day—the Day which is the lamp of guidance unto the whole world, and the sign of the Ancient of Days unto all them that dwell therein. My silence is by reason of the veils that have blinded Thy creatures’ eyes to Thee, and my muteness is because of the impediments that have hindered Thy people from recognizing Thy truth. Thou knowest what is in me, but I know not what is in Thee. Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. By Thy name that excelleth all other names! If Thy overruling and all-compelling behest should ever reach me, it would empower me to revive the souls of all men, through Thy most exalted Word, which I have heard uttered by Thy Tongue of power in Thy Kingdom of glory. It would enable me to announce the revelation of Thy effulgent countenance wherethrough that which lay hidden from the eyes of men hath been manifested in Thy name, the Perspicuous, the sovereign Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Canst thou discover anyone but Me, O Pen, in this Day? What hath become of the creation and the manifestations thereof? What of the names and their kingdom? Whither are gone all created things, whether seen or unseen? What of the hidden secrets of the universe and its revelations? Lo, the entire creation hath passed away! Nothing remaineth except My Face, the Ever-Abiding, the Resplendent, the All-Glorious.

This is the Day whereon naught can be seen except the splendors of the Light that shineth from the face of Thy Lord, the Gracious, the Most Bountiful. Verily, We have caused every soul to expire by virtue of Our irresistible and all-subduing sovereignty. We have, then, called into being a new creation, as a token of Our grace unto men. I am, verily, the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days.

This is the Day whereon the unseen world crieth out: “Great is thy blessedness, O earth, for thou hast been made the footstool of thy God, and been chosen as the seat of His mighty throne.” The realm of glory exclaimeth: “Would that my life could be sacrificed for thee, for He Who is the Beloved of the All-Merciful hath established His sovereignty upon thee, through the power of His Name that hath been promised unto all things, whether of the past or of the future.” This is the Day whereon every sweet smelling thing hath derived its fragrance from the smell of My garment—a garment that hath shed its perfume upon the whole of creation. This is the Day whereon the rushing waters of everlasting life have gushed out of the Will of the All-Merciful. Haste ye, with your hearts and souls, and quaff your fill, O Concourse of the realms above!

Say: He it is Who is the Manifestation of Him Who is the Unknowable, the Invisible of the Invisibles, could ye but perceive it. He it is Who hath laid bare before you the hidden and treasured Gem, were ye to seek it. He it is Who is the one Beloved of all things, whether of the past or of the future. Would that ye might set your hearts and hopes upon Him!

We have heard the voice of thy pleading, O Pen, and excuse thy silence. What is it that hath so sorely bewildered thee?

The inebriation of Thy presence, O Well-Beloved of all worlds, hath seized and possessed me.

Arise, and proclaim unto the entire creation the tidings that He Who is the All-Merciful hath directed His steps towards the Ridvan and entered it. Guide, then, the people unto the garden of delight which God hath made the Throne of His Paradise. We have chosen thee to be Our most mighty Trumpet, whose blast is to signalize the resurrection of all mankind.

Say: This is the Paradise on whose foliage the wine of utterance hath imprinted the testimony: “He that was hidden from the eyes of men is revealed, girded with sovereignty and power!” This is the Paradise the rustling of whose leaves proclaimeth: “O ye that inhabit the heavens and the earth! There hath appeared what hath never previously appeared. He Who, from everlasting, had concealed His Face from the sight of creation is now come.” From the whispering breeze that wafteth amidst its branches there cometh the cry: “He Who is the sovereign Lord of all is made manifest. The Kingdom is God’s,” while from its streaming waters can be heard the murmur: “All eyes are gladdened, for He Whom none hath beheld, Whose secret no one hath discovered, hath lifted the veil of glory, and uncovered the countenance of Beauty.”

Within this Paradise, and from the heights of its loftiest chambers, the Maids of Heaven have cried out and shouted:

“Rejoice, ye dwellers of the realms above, for the fingers of Him Who is the Ancient of Days are ringing, in the name of the All-Glorious, the Most Great Bell, in the midmost heart of the heavens. The hands of bounty have borne round the cup of everlasting life. Approach, and quaff your fill. Drink with healthy relish, O ye that are the very incarnations of longing, ye who are the embodiments of vehement desire!”

This is the Day whereon He Who is the Revealer of the names of God hath stepped out of the Tabernacle of glory, and proclaimed unto all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth:

“Put away the cups of Paradise and all the life-giving waters they contain, for lo, the people of Baha have entered the blissful abode of the Divine Presence, and quaffed the wine of reunion, from the chalice of the beauty of their Lord, the All-Possessing, the Most High.”

Forget the world of creation, O Pen, and turn thou towards the face of thy Lord, the Lord of all names. Adorn, then, the world with the ornament of the favors of thy Lord, the King of everlasting days. For We perceive the fragrance of the Day whereon He Who is the Desire of all nations hath shed upon the kingdoms of the unseen and of the seen the splendor of the light of His most excellent names, and enveloped them with the radiance of the luminaries of His most gracious favors—favors which none can reckon except Him, Who is the omnipotent Protector of the entire creation.

Look not upon the creatures of God except with the eye of kindliness and of mercy, for Our loving providence hath pervaded all created things, and Our grace encompassed the earth and the heavens. This is the Day whereon the true servants of God partake of the life-giving waters of reunion, the Day whereon those that are nigh unto Him are able to drink of the soft-flowing river of immortality, and they who believe in His unity, the wine of His Presence, through their recognition of Him Who is the Highest and Last End of all, in Whom the Tongue of Majesty and Glory voiceth the call:

“The Kingdom is Mine. I, Myself, am, of Mine own right, its Ruler.”

Attract the hearts of men, through the call of Him, the one alone Beloved. Say: This is the Voice of God, if ye do but hearken. This is the Dayspring of the Revelation of God, did ye but know it. This is the Dawning-Place of the Cause of God, were ye to recognize it. This is the Source of the commandment of God, did ye but judge it fairly. This is the manifest and hidden Secret; would that ye might perceive it. O peoples of the world! Cast away, in My name that transcendeth all other names, the things ye possess, and immerse yourselves in this Ocean in whose depths lay hidden the pearls of wisdom and of utterance, an ocean that surgeth in My name, the All-Merciful. Thus instructeth you He with Whom is the Mother Book.

The Best-Beloved is come. In His right hand is the sealed Wine of His name. Happy is the man that turneth unto Him, and drinketh his fill, and exclaimeth: “Praise be to Thee, O Revealer of the signs of God!” By the righteousness of the Almighty! Every hidden thing hath been manifested through the power of truth. All the favors of God have been sent down, as a token of His grace. The waters of everlasting life have, in their fullness, been proffered unto men. Every single cup hath been borne round by the hand of the Well-Beloved. Draw near, and tarry not, though it be for one short moment.

Blessed are they that have soared on the wings of detachment and attained the station which, as ordained by God, overshadoweth the entire creation, whom neither the vain imaginations of the learned, nor the multitude of the hosts of the earth have succeeded in deflecting from His Cause. Who is there among you, O people, who will renounce the world, and draw nigh unto God, the Lord of all names? Where is he to be found who, through the power of My name that transcendeth all created things, will cast away the things that men possess, and cling, with all his might, to the things which God, the Knower of the unseen and of the seen, hath bidden him observe? Thus hath His bounty been sent down unto men, His testimony fulfilled, and His proof shone forth above the Horizon of mercy. Rich is the prize that shall be won by him who hath believed and exclaimed:

“Lauded art Thou, O Beloved of all worlds! Magnified be Thy name, O Thou the Desire of every understanding heart!”

Rejoice with exceeding gladness, O people of Baha, as ye call to remembrance the Day of supreme felicity, the Day whereon the Tongue of the Ancient of Days hath spoken, as He departed from His House, proceeding to the Spot from which He shed upon the whole of creation the splendors of His name, the All-Merciful. God is Our witness. Were We to reveal the hidden secrets of that Day, all they that dwell on earth and in the heavens would swoon away and die, except such as will be preserved by God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Such is the inebriating effect of the words of God upon Him Who is the Revealer of His undoubted proofs, that His Pen can move no longer. With these words He concludeth His Tablet: No God is there but Me, the Most Exalted, the Most Powerful, the Most Excellent, the All-Knowing.

BH00598: O Lord my God! Whensoever I attempt to unloose…

He is the Manifest, the Hidden, the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing, the Ever-Forbearing

O Lord my God! Whensoever I attempt to unloose my tongue to extol the wondrous expressions of Thy transcendent oneness, or to open my lips to disclose the mystic gems of Thine incomparable handiwork wherewith Thou hast inspired me, I am compelled to recognize that all things sing Thy praise and glorify Thy remembrance—a remembrance which hath so pervaded the heavens and the earth that all things proclaim, in their very being, the wondrous testimonies of Thine exalted praise and bear witness to the marvellous tokens of Thy transcendent unity. Wherefore am I ashamed, as are all who mention Thee, to approach the exalted heights of Thy remembrance, and am powerless, as are all who extol Thee, to ascend unto the lofty summits of Thy praise.

Glorified, immeasurably glorified, art Thou! So exalted are the wonders of Thy bounty unto Thy creatures that Thou hast made all things to serve as a sign unto the mindful amongst Thy servants and as an admonishment unto the heedless amidst Thy people. Thy glory beareth me witness! They that are endued with true understanding can discern naught in all creation save the wondrous tokens of Thy matchless handiwork, nor behold aught else in the world of being but the hidden gems of Thine all-glorious sovereignty.

I swear by Thy glory, O my Best-Beloved! Whensoever I raise mine eyes to the heavens and witness their loftiness, I recognize naught therein but the wondrous heights of Thy supreme power and sovereign authority. And whensoever I turn my gaze towards Thine earth and observe the potentialities wherewith it hath been endowed, I perceive naught but the peerless signs of Thine immutable nature and abiding constancy. And whensoever, O my God, I behold the sea and its waves, methinks I hear the billowing ocean of Thy wealth and power. In the sun I discern naught but the marvellous splendour of the light of Thy hallowed countenance and presence, and in the wind I sense naught save the stirring breezes of Thy nearness and reunion. In the trees I behold only the revelation of the fruits of Thy wisdom and knowledge, and in their leaves I read but the pages of the books enshrining the mysteries of all that hath been through Thy command or will be through Thy power.

Glorified, then, be Thou, O my God! I am powerless, as are all those who enjoy near access unto Thee, to reckon the least sign of Thy creation, inasmuch as Thou hast made all things to mirror forth the manifestations of Thy handiwork and the revelations of Thy sovereign rule. Such being the bounds of powerlessness and poverty that confine me and all created things, how then can any soul ever hope to approach the portals of the sanctuary of Thy knowledge or conceive the least expectation of attaining the city of Thy transcendent glory? Glorified, immeasurably glorified, art Thou! From everlasting Thou hast been sanctified above the comprehension of Thy creatures, for this comprehension is naught but the product of such idle fancies as pertain to their own selves, while Thou hast remained, in the reality of Thine own Self, exalted above them and all that they possess, and beyond the grasp of all that are in heaven and on earth. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Incomparable.

Having acknowledged, O my God, with my soul, my tongue, mine essence, and with mine inner and outer being, all my trespasses, whose like mortal eyes have never beheld nor human minds conceived, I implore Thee to pardon me and Thy loved ones for whatsoever we have failed to observe of Thy laws and ordinances. Attire us then with the robe of forgiveness, O my God, in this Day whereon Thou hast assumed the throne of Thy grace and bounty invested with the full glory of Thy names and attributes; the Day whereon the sun of Thy beauty hath dawned above the horizon of Thy grandeur, and the signs of Thy glorious sovereignty have been vouchsafed from the treasury of Thy grace; the Day whereon the sweet savours of reunion have wafted over all who are in Thy heaven and on Thine earth, and the hidden Word hath shone forth from the repository of Thy protection and power.

I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast ordained this Day to stand unequalled amongst all the days of Thy world and unrivalled amidst all that Thou hast fashioned through Thy creative power. This is that primal Day which Thou hast singled out from among all other days, and exalted over all other times, and appointed as the King of Days unto all peoples, inasmuch as Thou didst manifest on this Day the tokens of Thy transcendent power and the evidences of Thy holy unity. Thou hast caused its radiance to surpass the splendour of the sun, the moon, and the stars, and to transcend the brightness of every lofty and glorious, every shining and brilliant light. Nay, Thou hast illumined this Day, O my Best-Beloved, with the very lights of Thine own inaccessible Being and with the full glory of Thine own exalted Essence.

Magnified, then, be this Day whereon Thou hast revealed unto all things the effulgent lights of Thy glorious unity and cast upon all creation the radiance of Thy sovereign and transcendent oneness, the Day whereon Thou hast lifted the veil of concealment from the countenance of Thy beauty; burned away, through Thy gracious favour, the shrouds of idle fancy blinding the eyes of the people; and summoned all to partake of Thy nearness and reunion. Immensely glorified be this Day whereon the oceans of splendour and grace have surged and the rivers of bounty and justice have flowed, a Day whereon Thy bounty hath attained such a degree that every stammering tongue hath celebrated Thy praise, every blind eye hath beheld the lights of Thy beauty, and every deaf ear hath hearkened unto the glorious strains of the Dove of Thy oneness.

On this Day the poor have been enriched through the wonders of Thine incomparable wealth, the abased have been exalted through the manifold revelations of Thy majesty and glory, the sinful have partaken of the wine of Thy forgiveness, the sick have quaffed from the waters of Thy gracious healing, the disconsolate have taken refuge beneath the shade of the tree of Thy hope and bestowal, and the destitute have attained the shores of the sea of Thy grace and favour.

Blind is the eye that faileth, on this Day, to behold Thee seated upon the throne of Thy sovereignty, or to witness Thine undisputed authority over all that Thou hast created to be the exponents of Thy names and attributes! Can any of Thy signs and tokens, O my God, be confounded with those that pertain to Thy creatures? Nay, by Thy glory! Whatsoever proceedeth from Thee and from Thy presence shineth as brightly as the noonday sun in the heaven of Thy justice, whilst all else, even though it be among the treasures of Thy creation or of the quintessence of Thy handiwork, fadeth into utter nothingness. And inasmuch as Thou hast assigned no partner unto Thyself, whatsoever is manifested from Thee hath likewise no peer or equal. And even though Thou hast shed upon all created things the effulgent lights of Thy sublime singleness, and nothing proceedeth from anything except it be manifested from Thee and be created at Thy behest, yet that which appeareth from Thine own Self excelleth and surpasseth all else in Thy heavens and on Thine earth, and thus the tokens of Thy glorious sovereignty are revealed before the eyes of men and Thy testimony is fulfilled before all creation.

Since Thy bounty hath suffused the whole universe and the lights of Thy countenance have illumined all created things, I beseech Thee by this Day, and by the hearts which Thou hast made to be the repositories of Thy knowledge and inspiration and the treasuries of Thy revelation and recognition, to grant that the signs of Thine undisputed ascendancy may shine above the horizon of Thy command, that the showers of Thy surpassing mercy may rain from the heaven of Thy grace, and that the tokens of Thy deliverance may appear through the operation of Thy sovereign Will.

Thus may Thy friends be released from the clutches of Thy foes, and Thy loved ones delivered from the hands of the wayward among Thy servants, that they may extol Thee, O Lord, with ringing voices in the supernal realms of Thy names and worship Thee with their entire beings in the kingdom of Thine attributes. And thus may Thy Name be exalted, Thy testimony established, Thy proof vindicated, Thy favour completed, Thy bounty fulfilled, Thy verses promulgated, and Thy signs expounded, in such wise that the entire world may be filled with the light of Thy countenance and all dominion may be Thine alone. No God is there but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling.

I entreat Thee, moreover, O my God, by Thy Name through which the Bird of the celestial Throne hath warbled in the Realm of the unseen the melodies of Thy transcendent unity, and the Dove of Thy Revelation hath sung forth in the Kingdom of eternity the paeans of Thy sovereign oneness, and the Holy Spirit hath magnified in wondrous tones Thine everlasting glory—I entreat Thee not to withhold from these servants the gentle breezes of the morn of Thy nearness and presence, nor to suffer them to be far removed from the sweet savours of the dawn of Thy reunion and recognition.

Grant, O my God, that this Festival may be a source of blessings for them and for all Thy loved ones. Supply them, then, with all the good Thou didst ordain in the heaven of Thy decree and purpose and in the Tablets of Thy protection and behest. Vanquish, then, O my God, in the course of this year, their enemies through the power of Thy wrath and of Thy resistless might, and ordain for them, O my God, all that I have asked of Thee and all that I have left unasked. Endue them, then, with such constancy in Thy love and in Thy Cause, that they may never break Thy Covenant nor violate Thy Testament to which they pledged themselves ere the creation of the heavens and the earth.

Render them victorious through the most wondrous means that lie hid in the treasuries of Thy power and the repositories of Thy might, and grant them, O my God, to attain the Hour Thou didst promise them in Thy latter Resurrection through the appearance of the Manifestation of Thine all-glorious Self—for this in truth is the very object of their existence and the existence of all things, the cause of their creation and the creation of all things. Suffer them then, O my God, to submit to Thy will under all conditions. Verily, Thou art the Lord of grace and bounty, of endless bestowal and unfettered sovereignty. And Thou art verily the Most Exalted, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.

I beg Thee moreover, O my God, by all the Exponents of Thy names and all the Revealers of Thine attributes, not to number these Thy servants with those who outwardly observe the Festivals associated with the advent of Thy Manifestation, who honour and glorify these days as beseemeth their means and abilities, and yet who remain shut out as by a veil from the One Who is, through His command and decree, the Author of these observances and of all else, for thus will all their works be rendered vain, even though they perceive it not.

I implore Thee, O my God, by the appearance of Him Whom Thou hast manifested in these days through Thy Name “He Who is Invoked”, and by His beauty, and His majesty, and the afflictions He hath been made to suffer, and His divine fragrances, and His sweet accents, and His grandeur, and His might, to grant that the eyes of Thy loved ones may be freed from the veils of ignorance and blindness and from the obscuring mists of doubt and wretchedness. Perchance they may fix their gaze upon the Tree of Thy Revelation and upon that which appeareth thereon of the wondrous leaves of Thine ancient eternity and the precious fruits of Thy holy unity, may take delight in them and in that which they contain of Thy hidden gifts and concealed knowledge, and may rid themselves thereby of attachment to aught else. This, verily, is but perfect grace and unalloyed blessing, and the very essence, origin, and ultimate abode thereof, for within the compass of Thy knowledge there is naught higher than this grace nor sweeter than this blessing. Thou, verily, art the King, the Omniscient, the Omnipotent, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH00769: God testifieth to the unity of His Godhood…

He is the Ever-Living, the Ever-Abiding, the Self-Subsisting.

God testifieth to the unity of His Godhood and to the singleness of His own Being. On the throne of eternity, from the inaccessible heights of His station, His tongue proclaimeth that there is none other God but Him. He Himself, independently of all else, hath ever been a witness unto His own oneness, the revealer of His own nature, the glorifier of His own essence. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the Beauteous.

He is supreme over His servants, and standeth over His creatures. In His hand is the source of authority and truth. He maketh men alive by His signs, and causeth them to die through His wrath. He shall not be asked of His doings, and His might is equal unto all things. He is the Potent, the All-Subduing. He holdeth within His grasp the empire of all things, and on His right hand is fixed the Kingdom of His Revelation. His power, verily, embraceth the whole of creation. Victory and overlordship are His; all might and dominion are His; all glory and greatness are His. He, of a truth, is the All-Glorious, the Most Powerful, the Unconditioned.

Praise be to Thee, to Whom the tongues of all created things have, from eternity, called, and yet failed to attain the heaven of Thine eternal holiness and grandeur. The eyes of all beings have been opened to behold the beauty of Thy radiant countenance, yet none hath succeeded in gazing on the brightness of the light of Thy face. The hands of them that are nigh unto Thee have, ever since the foundation of Thy glorious sovereignty and the establishment of Thy holy dominion, been raised suppliantly towards Thee, yet no one hath been able to touch the hem of the robe that clotheth Thy Divine and sovereign Essence. And yet none can deny that Thou hast ever been, through the wonders of Thy generosity and bounty, supreme over all things, art powerful to do all things, and art nearer unto all things than they are unto themselves.

Far be it, then, from Thy glory that anyone should gaze on Thy wondrous beauty with any eye save Thine own eye, or hear the melodies proclaiming Thine almighty sovereignty with any ear except Thine own ear. Too high art Thou exalted for the eye of any creature to behold Thy beauty, or for the understanding of any heart to scale the heights of Thine immeasurable knowledge. For should the birds of the hearts of them that are nigh unto Thee be ever enabled to soar as long as Thine own overpowering sovereignty can endure, or to ascend as long as the empire of Thy Divine holiness can last, they shall, in no wise, be able to transcend the limitations which a contingent world hath imposed upon them, nor pass beyond its confines. How, then, can he whose very creation is restricted by such limitations, attain unto Him Who is the Lord of the Kingdom of all created things, or ascend into the heaven of Him Who ruleth the realms of loftiness and grandeur?

Glorified, immeasurably glorified art Thou, my Best-Beloved! Inasmuch as Thou hast ordained that the utmost limit to which they who lift their hearts to Thee can rise is the confession of their powerlessness to enter the realms of Thy holy and transcendent unity, and that the highest station which they who aspire to know Thee can reach is the acknowledgement of their impotence to attain the retreats of Thy sublime knowledge, I, therefore, beseech Thee, by this very powerlessness which is beloved of Thee, and which Thou hast decreed as the goal of them that have reached and attained Thy court, and by the splendours of Thy countenance that have encompassed all things, and by the energies of Thy Will whereby the entire creation hath been generated, not to deprive them that have set their hopes in Thee of the wonders of Thy mercy, nor to withhold from such as have sought Thee the treasures of Thy grace.

Ignite, then, within their hearts the torch of Thy love, that its flame may consume all else except their wondrous remembrance of Thee, and that no trace may be left in those hearts except the gem-like evidences of Thy most holy sovereignty, so that from the land wherein they dwell no voice may be heard except the voice that extolleth Thy mercifulness and might, that on the earth on which they walk no light may shine except the light of Thy beauty, and that within every soul naught may be discovered except the revelation of Thy countenance and the tokens of Thy glory, that haply Thy servants may show forth only that which shall please Thee and shall conform wholly unto Thy most potent will.

Glory be to Thee, O my God! The power of Thy might beareth me witness! I can have no doubt that should the holy breaths of Thy loving-kindness and the breeze of Thy bountiful favour cease, for less than the twinkling of an eye, to breathe over all created things, the entire creation would perish, and all that are in heaven and on earth would be reduced to utter nothingness. Magnified, therefore, be the marvellous evidences of Thy transcendent power! Magnified be the potency of Thine exalted might! Magnified be the majesty of Thine all-encompassing greatness, and the energizing influence of Thy will! Such is Thy greatness that wert Thou to concentrate the eyes of all men in the eye of one of Thy servants, and to compress all their hearts within his heart, and wert Thou to enable him to behold within himself all the things Thou hast created through Thy power and fashioned through Thy might, and were he to ponder, throughout eternity, over the realms of Thy creation and the range of Thy handiwork, he would unfailingly discover that there is no created thing but is overshadowed by Thine all-conquering power, and is vitalized through Thine all-embracing sovereignty.

Behold me, then, O my God, fallen prostrate upon the dust before Thee, confessing my powerlessness and Thine omnipotence, my poverty and Thy wealth, mine evanescence and Thine eternity, mine utter abasement and Thine infinite glory. I recognize that there is none other God but Thee, that Thou hast no peer nor partner, none to equal or rival Thee. In Thine unapproachable loftiness Thou hast, from eternity, been exalted above the praise of any one but Thee, and shalt continue for ever, in Thy transcendent singleness and glory, to be sanctified from the glorification of any one except Thine own Self.

I swear by Thy might, O my Beloved! To make mention of any created thing beseemeth not Thy most exalted Self, and to bestow any praise upon any one of Thy creatures would be wholly unworthy of Thy great glory. Nay, such a mention would be but blasphemy uttered within the court of Thy holiness, and such praise would amount to no less than a transgression in the face of the evidences of Thy Divine sovereignty. For the mere mention of any one of Thy creatures would in itself imply an assertion of their existence before the court of Thy singleness and unity. Such an assertion would be naught but open blasphemy, an act of impiety, the essence of profanity and a wanton crime.

Wherefore, I bear witness with my soul, my spirit, my entire being, that should They Who are the Daysprings of Thy most holy unity and the Manifestations of Thy transcendent oneness be able to soar so long as Thine own sovereignty endureth and Thine all-compelling authority can last, they will fail in the end to attain unto even the precincts of the court wherein Thou didst reveal the effulgence of but one of Thy most mighty Names. Glorified, glorified be, therefore, Thy wondrous majesty. Glorified, glorified be Thine unattainable loftiness. Glorified, glorified be the pre-eminence of Thy kingship and the sublimity of Thine authority and power.

The highest faculties which the learned have possessed, and whatsoever truths they, in their search after the gems of Thy knowledge, have discovered; the brightest realities with which the wise have been endowed, and whatever secrets they, in their attempts to fathom the mysteries of Thy wisdom, have unravelled, have all been created through the generative power of the Spirit that was breathed into the Pen which Thy hands have fashioned. How, then, can the thing which Thy Pen hath created be capable of comprehending those treasures of Thy Faith with which, as decreed by Thee, that Pen hath been invested? How can it ever know of the Fingers that grasp Thy Pen, and of Thy merciful favours with which it hath been endowed? How can it, already unable to reach this station, be made aware of the existence of Thy Hand that controlleth the Fingers of Thy might? How can it attain unto the comprehension of the nature of Thy Will that animateth the movement of Thy Hand?

Glorified, glorified be Thou, O my God! How can I ever hope to ascend into the heaven of Thy most holy will, or gain admittance into the tabernacle of Thy Divine knowledge, knowing as I do that the minds of the wise and learned are impotent to fathom the secrets of Thy handiwork—a handiwork which is itself but a creation of Thy will?

Praise be to Thee, O Lord, my God, my Master, my Possessor, my King. Now that I have confessed unto Thee my powerlessness and the powerlessness of all created things, and have acknowledged my poverty and the poverty of the entire creation, I call unto Thee with my tongue and the tongues of all that are in heaven and on earth, and beseech Thee with my heart and the hearts of all that have entered beneath the shadow of Thy names and Thine attributes, not to shut us from the doors of Thy loving-kindness and grace, nor to suffer the breeze of Thy bountiful care and favour to cease from being wafted over our souls, nor to permit that our hearts be occupied with any one except Thee, or our minds to be busied with any remembrance save remembrance of Thy Self.

By the glory of Thy might, O my God! Wert Thou to set me king over Thy realms, and to establish me upon the throne of Thy sovereignty, and to deliver, through Thy power, the reins of the entire creation into my hands, and wert Thou to cause me, though it be for less than a moment, to be occupied with these things and be oblivious of the wondrous memories associated with Thy most mighty, most perfect, and most exalted Name, my soul would still remain unsatisfied, and the pangs of my heart unstilled. Nay, I would, in that very state, recognize myself as the poorest of the poor, and the most wretched of wretches.

Magnified be Thy name, O my God! Now that Thou hast caused me to apprehend this truth, I beseech Thee by Thy Name which no scroll can bear, which no heart can imagine and no tongue can utter—a Name which will remain concealed so long as Thine own Essence is hidden, and will be glorified so long as Thine own Being is extolled—to unfurl, ere the present year draw to a close, the ensigns of Thine undisputed ascendancy and triumph, that the whole creation may be enriched by Thy wealth, and may be exalted through the ennobling influence of Thy transcendent sovereignty, and that all may arise and promote Thy Cause.

Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Highest, the All-Glorious, the All-Subduing, the All-Possessing.

BH02091: Praise be to God that thou hast traversed…

Praise be to God that thou hast traversed the expansive plain of eloquence, ascended to the heavens of rhetoric, drunk from the wine of utterance at the dawn of certitude, attained the lofty stations of exposition which is the ultimate station of language, and brought forth in their completeness the pearls of speech from the shell of possibility. It seems thou hast gained knowledge of the comprehensive words and the perfect word as they truly are. Well done to thee, again well done!

Yea, the manifestations of action in the world of existence appear through divine destiny and arrangement, but destiny and arrangement do not become the cause of deficiency such that an argument would arise or a flaw would find its way. If thou becomest aware of this subtle point, thou wilt gain knowledge of all the stations of the worlds of destiny, of which the world of compulsion and free will is but a single letter.

Rules and customs are of the characteristics of the world of creation, while the world of command is sanctified and exalted above all such limitations. Therefore one must lift one’s foot from the realm of nothingness and step into the realm of eternity, so that we may raise the banner of being in the heaven of non-being and comprehend the meaning of “All things perish save His face,” and pass beyond the earthly homeland to return to the original divine homeland, of which “Verily we are God’s and to Him we return” is indicative.

O my beloved! After ascending to the heavens of inner meanings, the wayfarers attain to three stations, meaning that the manifest Sun shines and becomes revealed in the mirrors of existing things according to these three ranks, although some consider the ranks of determinations to be five and have named them the five presences. Were I to explain in detail, a book would not suffice and I would not be able to fulfill it, just as that divine mystic and knower of divine mysteries, the lordly Imam, mentioned a drop from these stations in defining the world of the heart, which has surely come to your noble attention—that the final rank of these three stations is the journey from God unto God. In this station and rank, existence is effaced from self and subsists through the Truth. All are from God and unto God shall they return, and “Say: All things are from God” is sufficient witness and adequate proof of this point, as the mystic of Rum has said:

His attributes are annihilated in the attributes of Him While His essence remains through the survival of His essence

This station certainly has no rules and seeks no customs, meaning all His deeds are pure justice even if outwardly they appear as injustice, and pure knowledge even if in form they appear as ignorance. This station needs no explanation—it is manifest and evident. God willing, may we drink of the peerless wine of the Eternal Presence and be sustained by the effulgences of the beauty of the Countenance of the All-Glorious, that we may enter the Egypt of immortality and attain to the honor of the divine presence, so that we may comprehend all meanings without veil or covering. And peace be upon you.

BH00834: The Arabic utterances which were revealed in wondrous Hijazi…

He is the Forgiver! He is the Bestower and the Kind!

The Arabic utterances which were revealed in wondrous Hijazi melodies from the heaven of Divine sovereignty exceed the limits of enumeration and the comprehension of men of understanding. However, due to differences in tongues and perception, some have failed to grasp God’s purpose and have remained veiled from the Desired One and deprived of their goal. Therefore, in this Tablet, We shall mention briefly some of the gems of divine counsels and realities of heavenly exhortations in melodious Iraqi and Persian verses, so that God’s purpose may become manifest and evident to all the world like the rising sun and the true dawn. This is from the grace which was foreordained for you.

Know ye that the Truth, exalted be His mention, has been and will ever be sanctified above the worship, servitude and remembrance of His servants, for none among created things has had or will have the capacity or ability to know Him as He should be known. The possible can soar as it may in the atmospheres of nearness, reunion, attainment and immortality, yet it can never transcend the point of contingent existence which was created by the Will that pertains to the realm of possibility.

The King Who doeth what He willeth has, in the eternity of eternities, dwelt in the loftiness of His glory and the utmost heights of His beauty. And since all paths to Him were blocked and cut off from all besides Him, He did, through pure bounty and sheer grace, kindness and favor, raise up in every age and epoch a Soul to guide His servants from the valley of heedlessness and passion to the heights of glory and eternity, and to lead them from the realm of poverty and nothingness to the heaven of wealth and existence, that perchance these holy birds might be drawn to their divine homeland, and being sanctified from selfish and earthly allusions, might gather in the shade of the Countenance of God and abide forevermore in the eternity of God.

In all ages and epochs some among His servants have claimed these stations, yet never has mere assertion been accepted. Hence tests and trials have ever descended from the heaven of power that the true might be distinguished from the false. Consider how all these people claim the love of God, which is the greatest, foremost and most precedent of all things, yet even before trials descend they turn away in deed—how much more after afflictions, ordeals, calamities and tribulations! Reflect on what I say, O ye who are endowed with insight!

In brief, it is certain that that Ancient Being dwells in the retreat of transcendence and the treasury of inaccessibility, established upon the throne of sanctification and abstraction. Entry and exit, ascent and descent have no place in that station. After this subtle point is established, it becomes clear to every person of insight that neither does the obedience of created things add to His glory, nor does the disobedience of existing beings detract from His majesty.

Never can the deeds of the finite reach the court of the Eternal, nor can the stain of the transient soil the hem of His everlasting glory. None besides Him is mentioned before Him, and nothing other than Him has any name in His presence. The possible remains within the bounds of contingency, and the Necessary exists in the heights of sanctity and glory.

After these stations are established, there remains no doubt that whatsoever has been sent down from the eternal heaven—whether the purpose is the upliftment of the servants themselves—it is nonetheless far from fairness that they should deprive themselves of the holy fragrances of these days.

Let this much be known: not an atom’s weight of the deeds of created things remains hidden or concealed. However, in view of supreme compassion and the all-encompassing mercy upon all things, these have not been and will never be revealed or disclosed. Yet when audacity exceeds the bounds of moderation, He therefore informs certain servants that perchance they might feel ashamed and desist. Otherwise, out of His perfect mercy and grace, He has never been and will never be willing to expose the faults of His servants.

Say at last to the servants of God: those who are given to transgression and lewdness, the heedless and the blind—when they visit visible gardens, strive upon their return to bring back what flowers they can as gifts. You who claim to have entered the holy paradise of divine beauty—what sign or token have you brought back from that sweet realm of the Beloved?

After all, the people of the Bayan should be characterized by the fragrance of the All-Merciful, and the loved ones of the Beloved must possess the gentle breezes of the All-Glorious, that all the peoples of the earth might inhale the divine perfumes from His loved ones, and distinguish the traces of truth from falsehood as clearly as the luminous morn from the dark night.

I swear by God, had this small band moved among humanity with divine attributes, by now all the peoples of the earth would be circling round the Cause of God and turning toward His sanctuary. What was decreed has come to pass. God willing, We hope that hereafter they may be resurrected from the dust of heedlessness by the holy breeze of divine oneness in a new form and wondrous guise, and arise to fulfill what they have neglected.

I swear by God that never have days more delightful than these days appeared in creation, nor will there ever appear a greater season than this season. While time remains, deprive not yourselves of the eternal paradise of the All-Glorious and the garden of beauty of the All-Beauteous, and be not despairing and debarred from the cloud of bounty and the rain of grace.

It is evident that this servant has always kept in view and considered the good, welfare and righteousness of God’s loved ones, to such extent that He has shown more consideration for them than they themselves—and God suffices as witness.

It is clear to you what measure of hidden and manifest trials have been poured upon this servant, all of which He has endured that perchance the dead bodies might be quickened by the breezes of God and might arise from the slumber of negligence through the divine morning breeze. Not that We should completely avoid association and prefer concealment to manifestation, as has become common in these days.

In these days when all peoples—Arab and Persian, Turk and Fars, Christian and Jew, learned and ignorant—have risen to oppose this servant, seeking nothing but to extinguish the light of God and quench the fire of God, this servant has stood firm against them all, though aware of what they have concealed in their hearts.

Now at least the loved ones should not become another source of grief and sorrow for such a servant who is encompassed by trials, afflictions and ordeals. Let us see what fairness will accomplish and how God’s Cause will unfold.

In all things my trust is in Him, and God is sufficient for us and the best of guardians.

BH00837: Glorified art Thou, O my God! To whom shall…

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

Glorified art Thou, O my God! To whom shall I complain of what Thou hast done to me through Thy power and sovereignty, and to whom shall I mention what Thou hast caused to descend upon me through Thy might and authority?

Thou art He Who hath taken my heart and left me in the valley of Thy separation, Who hath attracted my soul and cast me into the wilderness of separation from Thee. Thou art He Who, O my God, hath kindled my heart with Thy love, then forbidden me from beholding Thy beauty, and Who hath caused my heart to melt in passion and yearning for Thee, then prevented me from entering the sanctuary of Thy nearness and attaining Thy presence.

I know not toward which direction to turn, nor with what voice to complain and recount what hath befallen me through the wonders of Thy decree in Thy days. O Lord, if I say Thou hearest not the cry of them that long for Thee in their separation and remoteness from Thee, all atoms testify to Thy knowledge and all-encompassing awareness; and if I say Thou knowest but showeth not mercy, my tongue, my reality, my soul and my limbs bear witness that Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful.

Therefore, O my Beloved, the wonders of Thy Cause, the operations of Thy decree and the manifestations of Thy determination have bewildered me.

This is what a handmaiden among My handmaidens cried out in the tongue of her heart unto her Lord, the Mighty, the Bountiful.

Then her Beloved called unto her from the direction of His mighty throne, saying:

O My handmaiden! Be thou fair in thy judgment regarding thyself and reflect upon that which hath befallen the Beloved of the worlds. Have I taken for Myself a house on My earth wherein I might dwell and summon unto it My loved ones and My handmaidens? Nay, by My grieving and mighty Self! Have I found for Myself a safe refuge whereon I might rest My feet and beneath whose shade Our accepted handmaidens and near servants might take shelter?

I have been wronged at the hands of enemies at all times, and no day hath passed except that there descended upon Me that which causeth the hearts of the sincere ones to burn.

O My handmaiden! The peoples of the earth have risen up against Me in malice, and behind them stand all who wield power. The realm of utterance hath been filled with their deeds. By God! Such harm hath been inflicted upon Me as hath caused the Eye of the All-Merciful to weep in the Ridvan of His Name, the Self-Subsisting. At this the tears have flowed from the eyes of the denizens of the highest Paradise, and then from the eyes of the sincere ones. This Bird hath been imprisoned in the cage of the horizons, while enemies have sought to harm Him, and even those of Our heedless servants who claim kinship.

O My handmaiden! Reflect upon My Cause and what hath befallen Me in the path of My Beloved, after all the peoples rose up in opposition. My sister hath risen in opposition—she who hath done that which hath caused the letter Ta to weep in the Most Glorious Paradise, and the people of the Ridvan to lament, and then the Maids who dwell in the chambers of thy Lord’s protection, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Love of the world hath so seized her that she hath clung to the most degraded of men and turned away from the Beloved of the worlds. By God! She hath done that which hath caused the Most Great Spirit and then the Faithful Spirit to lament. When she entereth the abode of the ungodly, she declareth: “I have disbelieved in God, the Lord of the worlds.” And when she entereth the abode of the believers, she saith: “I am the first handmaiden to believe in God, the Beloved of the worlds.”

O My sister! Didst thou desire by thy deeds to grieve My heart? By God! Nothing can affect it, for the All-Merciful hath established Himself upon it with manifest sovereignty. Even if all the handmaidens of the earth were to dwell in houses in My name, and thou wert to give them in marriage by thy hand to Mine enemies, this would not grieve My luminous heart. God hath made it the treasury of His revelation, the source of His knowledge, the dawning-place of His Cause, and the seat of His mighty throne.

However, it grieveth Me that thou shouldst take pride in serving the ungodly and in thy association with them. This hath saddened My heart and the hearts of the sincere ones.

O My sister! For what crime didst thou abandon Me and take those who have disbelieved in God, thy Lord, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate? I desired thy good, while thou desired My grief. I have resigned My affair unto God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Whenever I reflect, nothing hath appeared from Me that would grieve thy heart. I know not what hath deluded thee concerning thy Lord, the Gracious. But yea, by My Lord, I know, and with Me is the knowledge of the heavens and the earth. That which was hidden in thy heart hath been manifested through what thou didst acquire beforehand. Thus doth God reveal the treachery of the eyes and what lieth within the breasts of the deceivers.

O My handmaiden! Thus did My sister act, and the world deluded her until she disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the Wise. We did not oppose her for Our own sake, but when she turned away from God, We turned away from her. Thus were We commanded by the One Who is the Powerful, the Ancient. We severed the ties of kinship between Us and her because she disbelieved in Him Who created her by His command, and God is witness to what I say.

If any of My children should transgress the bounds of God, by God! My glance would never turn to him again—to this every fair-minded and informed one beareth witness.

O My handmaiden! Guard thyself lest kinship prevent thee from God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. Sever the ties of kinship from all who claim kinship, and hold fast to the kinship of God, the Forgiving, the Merciful. By God! Through His kinship, souls become independent of the kinship of all the worlds.

By My life, O My handmaiden! If thou shouldst find the sweetness of detachment, thou wouldst detach thyself in the path of the Beloved, and neither worldly kinship nor its ornaments would prevent thee from turning to the face of God, the King, the Mighty, the Great. Thus it behooveth Our devoted handmaidens and [Our] detached servants.

We have severed the ties of kinship from all who claim kinship, except from those who have believed in God and turned away from the ungodly.

O My servants! Should any one of you hear that his brother or sister hath turned away from God, it behooveth him to turn away from that one and to turn towards the Beloved of the sincere ones.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Withhold not from my brothers and sisters the breezes through which Thou didst quicken the hearts of them that have recognized Thee, nor the sweet fragrances of Thy days wherein the Sun of Thy beauty hath shone forth upon all mankind. O my God, all Thy servants are in Thy grasp; none can find stability when the winds of trials blow, nor can any find repose when the manifestations of temptation appear. I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Healer of the hearts of them that yearn after Thee, to preserve Thy male and female servants from the promptings of self and passion, that all may turn toward the direction of Thy mercy, O Thou in Whose hand is the dominion of decree and the kingdom of ordainment. Verily, Thou doest what Thou willest, and Thou art the Mighty, the All-Wise.

O my God! My sister hath forgotten Thee and turned away from Thee, and the world hath so moved her that she hath spoken concerning the Manifestation of Thyself that which hath caused the tears to flow from the eyes of them that are nigh unto Thee and hath burned the hearts of the Messengers. O Lord! If she hath any good deeds in Thy presence, cause her to return unto Thee and purify the atmosphere of her heart from the clouds of self and desire, and sanctify her from the world and all that hath been created therein, that she may hold fast unto Thee and be severed from them who have disbelieved in God on a day whereon all who are in the heavens and on earth were thunderstruck.

O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy beauty whereby the earth and the heavens were illumined, and by Thy name through which the verses were sent down and the idols of fancy and allusion were shattered, to preserve Thy male and female servants from all that may withhold them from Thy love and Thy good-pleasure. Then assign unto them a seat of truth in Thy Most Exalted Paradise. Verily Thou art God, the Most High, the Most Exalted. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Gracious.

BH00848: Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I supplicate…

Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I supplicate Thee by Him Whom Thou hast called into being, Whose Revelation Thou hast ordained to be Thine own Revelation and His Concealment Thine own Concealment. Through His Firstness Thou hast confirmed Thine own Firstness, and through His Lastness Thou hast affirmed Thine own Lastness. Through the power of His might and the influence of His sovereignty the mighty have apprehended Thine omnipotence, and through His glory they who are endowed with authority have acknowledged Thy majesty and greatness. Through His supreme ascendancy Thy transcendent sovereignty and all-encompassing dominion have been recognized, and through His will Thine own will hath been revealed. Through the light of His countenance the splendors of Thine own face have shone forth, and through His Cause Thine own Cause hath been made manifest.

Through the generative power of His utterance the whole earth hath been made the recipient of the wondrous signs and tokens of Thy sovereignty, and the heavens have been filled with the revelations of Thine incomparable majesty, and the seas have been enriched with the sacred pearls of Thine omniscience and wisdom, and the trees adorned with the fruits of Thy knowledge. Through Him all things have sung Thy praise, and all the eyes have been turned in the direction of Thy mercy. Through Him the faces of all have been set towards the splendors of the light of Thy countenance, and the souls of all have been inclined unto the revelations of Thy divine greatness.

How great is Thy power! How exalted Thy sovereignty! How lofty Thy might! How excellent Thy majesty! How supreme is Thy grandeur—a grandeur which He Who is Thy Manifestation hath made known and wherewith Thou hast invested Him as a sign of Thy generosity and bountiful favor. I bear witness, O my God, that through Him Thy most resplendent signs have been uncovered, and Thy mercy hath encompassed the entire creation. But for Him, how could the Celestial Dove have uttered its songs or the Heavenly Nightingale, according to the decree of God, have warbled its melody?

I testify that no sooner had the First Word proceeded, through the potency of Thy will and purpose, out of His mouth, and the First Call gone forth from His lips than the whole creation was revolutionized, and all that are in the heavens and all that are on earth were stirred to the depths. Through that Word the realities of all created things were shaken, were divided, separated, scattered, combined and reunited, disclosing, in both the contingent world and the heavenly kingdom, entities of a new creation, and revealing, in the unseen realms, the signs and tokens of Thy unity and oneness. Through that Call Thou didst announce unto all Thy servants the advent of Thy most great Revelation and the appearance of Thy most perfect Cause.

No sooner had that Revelation been unveiled to men’s eyes than the signs of universal discord appeared among the peoples of the world, and commotion seized the dwellers of earth and heaven, and the foundations of all things were shaken. The forces of dissension were released, the meaning of the Word was unfolded, and every several atom in all created things acquired its own distinct and separate character. Hell was made to blaze, and the delights of Paradise were uncovered to men’s eyes. Blessed is the man that turneth towards Thee, and woe betide him who standeth aloof from Thee, who denieth Thee and repudiateth Thy signs in this Revelation wherein the faces of the exponents of denial have turned black and the faces of the exponents of truthfulness have turned white, O Thou Who art the Possessor of all names and attributes, Who holdest in Thy grasp the empire of whatever hath been created in heaven and on earth!

Praise be to Thee, therefore, O my God—such praise as Thou didst ascribe to Thine own Self, and which none except Thee can either comprehend or reckon. Thou art He, O my Lord, Who hath made known His own Self unto me, at a time when Thy servants have failed to recognize Thee—servants who, by virtue of the ties that bind them to Thee, have been ruling over all that dwell on earth and have been vaunting themselves over its peoples. Were I, O my God, to exercise from pole to pole supreme dominion over the earth, and were I to be offered all the treasures it containeth, and were I to expend them in Thy path, I would still be powerless to attain unto this station, unless I were assisted and strengthened by Thee.

And were I to glorify Thee, O my God, so long as the glory of Thy majesty endureth and the influence of Thy sovereignty and power will last, such a glorification could never be compared with any of the praises which Thou, as a token of Thy grace, hast taught me, and wherewith Thou hast bidden me to extol Thy virtues. If such be the excellence of each one of the praises which Thou hast taught me, how immeasurably greater must be the excellence of the station of the One Who hath known Thee, Who hath entered Thy Presence, and pursued steadfastly the path of Thy Cause!

I have clearly perceived, and I am wholly persuaded, that Thou hast from everlasting been immeasurably exalted above the mention of all beings, and wilt continue unto everlasting to remain far above the conception of Thy creatures. None can befittingly praise Thee except Thine own Self and such as are like unto Thee. Thou hast, verily, been at all times, and wilt everlastingly continue to remain, immensely exalted beyond and above all comparison and likeness, above all imagination of parity or resemblance. Having, thus, recognized Thee as One Who is incomparable, and Whose nature none can possess, it becometh incontrovertibly evident that whosoever may praise Thee, his praise can befit only such as are of his own nature, and are subject to his own limitations, and it can in no wise adequately describe the sublimity of Thy sovereignty, nor scale the heights of Thy majesty and holiness. How sweet, therefore, is the praise Thou givest to Thine own Self, and the description Thou givest of Thine own Being!

I testify, O my God, that Thou hast, from eternity, sent down upon Thy servants naught else except that which can cause them to soar up and be drawn near unto Thee, and to ascend into the heaven of Thy transcendent oneness. Thou hast established Thy bounds among them, and ordained them to stand among Thy creatures as evidences of Thy justice and as signs of Thy mercy, and to be the stronghold of Thy protection amongst Thy people, that no man may in Thy realm transgress against his neighbor. How great is the blessedness of him who, for love of Thy beauty and for the sake of Thy pleasure, hath curbed the desires of a corrupt inclination and observed the precepts laid down by Thy most exalted Pen! He, in truth, is to be numbered with them that have attained unto all good, and followed the way of guidance.

I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy Name through which Thou hast enabled Thy servants and Thy people to know Thee, through which Thou hast drawn the hearts of those who have recognized Thee towards the resplendent court of Thy oneness, and the souls of Thy favored ones unto the Day-Spring of Thy unity,—I beseech Thee to grant that I may be assisted to observe the fast wholly for Thy sake, O Thou Who art full of majesty and glory! Empower me, then, O my God, to be reckoned among them that have clung to Thy laws and precepts for the sake of Thee alone, their eyes fixed on Thy face. These, indeed, are they whose wine is all that hath proceeded out of the mouth of Thy primal will, whose pure beverage is Thine enthralling call, whose heavenly River is Thy love, whose Paradise is entrance into Thy presence and reunion with Thee. For Thou hast been their Beginning and their End, and their Highest Hope, and their Supreme Desire. Blinded be the eye that gazeth on whatsoever may displease Thee, and confounded be the soul that seeketh the things that are contrary to Thy will.

Deign, O my God, I implore Thee, by Thy Self and by them, to accept, through Thy grace and Thy loving-kindness, the works we have performed, however much they fall short of the loftiness of Thy state and the sublimity of Thy station, O Thou Who art most dear to the hearts that long for Thee, and the Healer of the souls that have recognized Thee! Rain down, therefore, upon us from the heaven of Thy mercy and the clouds of Thy gracious providence that which will cleanse us from the faintest trace of evil and corrupt desires, and will draw us nearer unto Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy most exalted and all-glorious Self. Thou art, verily, the Lord of this world and of the next, and art powerful to do all things.

Do Thou bless, O Lord my God, the Primal Point, through Whom the point of creation hath been made to revolve in both the visible and invisible worlds, Whom Thou hast designated as the One whereunto should return whatsoever must return unto Thee, and as the Revealer of whatsoever may be manifested by Thee. Do Thou also bless such of His Letters as have not turned away from Thee, who have been firmly established in Thy love, and clung steadfastly to Thy good-pleasure. Bless Thou, likewise, as long as Thine own Self endureth and Thine own Essence doth last, them that have suffered martyrdom in Thy path. Thou art, verily, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

Moreover, I beseech Thee, O my God, by Him Whom Thou hast announced unto us in all Thy Tablets and Thy Books and Thy Scrolls and Thy Scriptures, through Whom the kingdom of names hath been convulsed, and all that lay hid in the breasts of them that have followed their evil and corrupt desires hath been revealed,—I beseech Thee to strengthen us in our love for Him, to make us steadfast in His Cause, to help us befriend His loved ones and challenge His enemies. Shield us, then, O my God, from the mischief wrought by them that have denied Thy presence, and turned away from Thy face, and resolved to put an end to the life of Him Who is the Manifestation of Thine own Self.

O my God and my Master! Thou knowest how they have disgraced Thy Cause and dishonored Thee among Thy creatures, how they have joined Thine enemies, that they may undermine Thy Revelation and injure Thee. Lay hold on them with the power of Thy wrath and might, O my God, and expose their shameful acts and their wickedness, that whatever is hid in their breasts may be revealed unto the people that dwell within Thy land, O Thou Who art the Inflictor of trials, the Fashioner of nations, and the Bestower of favors! No God is there beside Thee, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful.

BH00846: Let thine ear be attentive, O Nabil-i-A’zam…

Let thine ear be attentive, O Nabil-i-A’zam, to the Voice of the Ancient of Days, crying to thee from the Kingdom of His all-glorious Name. He it is Who is now proclaiming from the realms above, and within the inmost essence of all created things:

“I truly am God, there is none other God but Me. I am He Who, from everlasting, hath been the Source of all sovereignty and power, He Who shall continue, throughout eternity, to exercise His kingship and to extend His protection unto all created things. My proof is the greatness of My might and My sovereignty that embraceth the whole of creation. Bear thou witness, within thine own self, that there is none other God but Me. By a single act of My will, proceeding from My Pen, I have called all things into being, and have caused them to return again unto Mine own Self; thereafter will We bring them forth once more, as a promise from Our presence. Thus hath the command been inscribed by the Pen of Bounty upon the Tablet of Justice in truth.”

Give ear unto that which the Spirit of Holiness on that Day intoneth in the Kingdom of all things, declaring:

“By God! There hath appeared My Well-Beloved and the Beloved of all the Prophets and Messengers. I would sacrifice My very self for him who loveth Him and turneth unto Him. The moments of the Lord of Names and Attributes have been turned away from beholding a Name resplendent in glory.”

Blessed art thou, O My name, inasmuch as thou hast entered Mine Ark, and art speeding, through the power of My sovereign and most exalted might, on the ocean of grandeur, and art numbered with My favored ones whose names the Finger of God hath inscribed. Thou hast quaffed the cup which is life indeed from the hands of this Youth, around Whom revolve the Manifestations of the All-Glorious, and the brightness of Whose presence they Who are the Daysprings of Mercy extol in the day time and in the night season.

His glory be with thee, inasmuch as thou hast journeyed from God unto God, and entered within the borders of the Court of unfading splendor—the Spot which mortal man can never describe. Therein hath the breeze of holiness, laden with the love of thy Lord, stirred thy spirit within thee, and the waters of understanding have washed from thee the stains of remoteness and ungodliness. Thou hast gained admittance into the Paradise of God’s Remembrance, through thy recognition of Him Who is the Embodiment of that Remembrance amongst men.

Wherefore, be thankful to God, for having strengthened thee to aid His Cause, for having made the flowers of knowledge and understanding to spring forth in the garden of thine heart. Thus hath His grace encompassed thee, and encompassed the whole of creation. Beware, lest thou allow anything whatsoever to grieve thee. Rid thyself of all attachment to the vain allusions of men, and cast behind thy back the idle and subtle disputations of them that are veiled from God. Proclaim, then, that which the Most Great Spirit will inspire thee to utter in the service of the Cause of thy Lord, that thou mayest stir up the souls of all men and incline their hearts unto this most blessed and all-glorious Court.

Convey the messages of thy Lord unto the East of the earth and unto the West thereof, and suffer not thyself to tarry even for the least moment; for this is a command issuing from the presence of One All-Powerful, All-Wise. Shatter the idols of vain imaginings through a power derived from Us and a might bestowed from Our presence, then shine forth from the horizon of knowledge with a wondrous exposition. Cause the loved ones of God and His chosen ones to be united in the Cause, and gather them together upon a river, sweet and mighty. Move thou among men with the dignity of God and His tranquillity, then stand firm in the Cause in such wise that by thy steadfastness every wavering and feeble soul may be made steadfast.

Know then that thy letter hath been presented before the throne, that We have taken it in the hand of bounty and read it with the tongue of holiness, and have turned toward it with glances of mercy, as a favour from Us and a grace from Our presence unto thee. We have decreed for thee in the Mother-Book a goodly portion which, in the sight of the All-Merciful, is great indeed. We have beheld what it contained and that thou didst bear the message of thy Lord unto the regions of the East. Well is it with thee for that thou hast attained unto a matter recorded in the Mother of Tablets by the Pen of God, and sent down from the precincts of the Throne for every soul whose name thy letter contained, a Tablet which, in truth, is impregnable.

By God! Wert thou to make mention of every name for whom a creation in the kingdom of existence hath been ordained, We would assuredly send down from the clouds of bounty for each one a Tablet, from a single letter of which all the worlds would be satisfied. Thus have We conferred upon thee favour after favour, that thou mayest lead men out of the darkness of illusion and give them the glad-tidings of the lights of certitude, and remind them of the Days of the Spirit. By God! Those days, on that Day, were sent forth in truth in the fairest of forms, wafting the fragrances of God.

Rend asunder the veils of delusion through My Most Great Name, even as the Pen of the Ancient hath commanded thee from the realm of the all-glorious Name, that thou guard thyself with the utmost vigilance lest any harm befall thee. Consort with men with the wisdom that hath been bestowed upon thee from the presence of thy Lord, the All-Choice, that no discord be made manifest amongst His servants and that thou be not afflicted with hurt from every guilty idolater.

Know thou that We have annulled the rule of the sword, as an aid to Our Cause, and substituted for it the power born of the utterance of men. Thus have We irrevocably decreed, by virtue of Our grace. Say: O people! Sow not the seeds of discord among men, and refrain from contending with your neighbor, for your Lord hath committed the world and the cities thereof to the care of the kings of the earth, and made them the emblems of His own power, by virtue of the sovereignty He hath chosen to bestow upon them. He hath refused to reserve for Himself any share whatever of this world’s dominion. To this He Who is Himself the Eternal Truth will testify. The things He hath reserved for Himself are the cities of men’s hearts, that He may cleanse them from all earthly defilements, and enable them to draw nigh unto the hallowed Spot which the hands of the infidel can never profane. Open, O people, the city of the human heart with the key of your utterance. Thus have We, according to a preordained measure, prescribed unto you your duty.

By the righteousness of God! The world and its vanities, and its glory, and whatever delights it can offer, are all, in the sight of God, as worthless as, nay, even more contemptible than, dust and ashes. Would that the hearts of men could comprehend it! Cleanse yourselves thoroughly, O people of Bahá, from the defilement of the world, and of all that pertaineth unto it. God Himself beareth Me witness. The things of the earth ill beseem you. Cast them away unto such as may desire them, and fasten your eyes upon this most holy and effulgent Vision.

That which beseemeth you is the love of God, and the love of Him Who is the Manifestation of His Essence, and the observance of whatsoever He chooseth to prescribe unto you, did ye but know it.

Say: Let truthfulness and courtesy be your adorning. Suffer not yourselves to be deprived of the robe of forbearance and justice, that the sweet savors of holiness may be wafted from your hearts upon all created things. Say: Beware, O people of Bahá, lest ye walk in the ways of them whose words differ from their deeds. Strive that ye may be enabled to manifest to the peoples of the earth the signs of God, and to mirror forth His commandments. Let your acts be a guide unto all mankind, for the professions of most men, be they high or low, differ from their conduct. It is through your deeds that ye can distinguish yourselves from others. Through them the brightness of your light can be shed upon the whole earth. Happy is the man that heedeth My counsel, and keepeth the precepts prescribed by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Thou, Nabil-i-A’zam! Arise to champion the Cause, then convey My counsel unto those who have believed in God and in His signs, that they may perchance take the counsel of God as a help unto their own souls.

Know thou that We have sent down unto thee certain Tablets: some of these have reached thee, while others, withheld in the realm of God’s Will, shall, as a promise from the presence of One All-Powerful, All-Glorious, in due time be delivered into thy hands.

Know, moreover, that the Well-Beloved hath fallen into the hands of Nimrod, and shall find for Himself no helper save God alone. On that Day He shall be imprisoned, through the injustice of these wretched ones, in the dungeon of the hateful; and the idolaters shall have arisen to plot a scheme the like of which hath never been witnessed in the realm of creation. But God, thy Lord, was assuredly mightier in His devising and more severe in His retribution.

Magnify, from the precincts of Baha, those servants who have entered the hosts of God and whose faces He hath purified from turning toward every guilty, iniquitous denier.

BH11698: God testifieth in the midmost heart of eternity…

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

God testifieth in the midmost heart of eternity that there is none other God but Him, the Self-Subsisting, the Gracious, the Sublime, the Omnipotent, and He calleth to witness at the Throne of the Mystic Tabernacle that there is none other God but Him, the All-powerful, the Exalted, the Omniscient, the All-Wise.

God testifieth in the exalted Dominion of Majesty: “I am God, and there is none other God but Me, the All-Glorious, the Inaccessible, the Wondrous.” He calleth to witness in the Kingdom of Grandeur: “I am God, and there is no God but Me, the Transcendent, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Peerless.”

God testifieth on the throne of all existence, that there is none other God but Him, and that the Primal Point is His Servant and His Glory.

The days of the Servant have come to pass and He hath ascended to the throne of the Most High, wherefore Baha shone from the horizon of eternity once more with a sovereignty exalted above all creation, and all the kings and the rulers bowed their heads before the splendor of His dominion.

The veils of vain imaginings were cleft, the mantles of concealment were rent asunder and the standards of glory were raised betwixt the heavens and the earth, and God came on the heavenly clouds with hosts of glory, on His left the angels of Revelation and on His right the concourse of the sincere ones.

He rose in the midst of heaven and earth and called unto all created beings with such ascendency that caused the hearts of the denizens of Paradise to tremble and the foundations of all things to quiver, and this is verily that which was sent down upon His well-favored servants as a token of His absolute loving kindness and spoken through his most eloquent, most wondrous, most articulate, and most beauteous tongue.

O ye people of the earth! We have created ye through our behest and have made known unto ye Our Self, the True One, through the Manifestation of My own Self, the Exalted, the Great. We raised Him by the power of truth and endowed Him with Our sovereignty and sent Him to you with a Manifest Book. He came to you from the dawning place of Revelation with signs which attracted the hearts of every fair-minded and knowledgeable soul and every person of high station, but, ye have repudiated Him and denied that which was revealed unto Him of the verses of thy Lord, the All-Powerful, the Most Compassionate.

A few souls amongst you believed in Him-them who had crushed the idols of vain imaginings with My exalted power, and abandoned the bastion of blind imitation and perversity in My Name, the All-Powerful, the All-Subduing, the Almighty. No sooner have ye believed in Me and acknowledged My sovereignty and recognized My book, than We admonished you in all Our Tablets not to act as the infidels amongst our heedless servants had done. And We revealed not the Bayan but to announce unto you Our appearance in the kingdom of all creation. And when the Lord of Divine Decree manifested Himself once again and appeared on the clouds of Divine behest, you denied Him and rejected that which you had believed in, and turned away from that which you had turned unto, and wert of the infidels.

O ye people of the Bayan! By the righteousness of God, this is My beauty with which I pride Myself in My realm, and the denizens of My celestial kingdom seek blessings from My presence. Nay, rather, all else move by His Will, He verily is powerful over all that He willeth and He is the Gracious, the All-Bountiful. He appeared amongst you with such power that astonished them that devoutly worship Him. He rose alone before all that dwell in the heavens and on earth with the power bestowed by Us and I, verily, am the Almighty, the All-Glorious.

Thus calleth the tongue of the Merciful One the people of the Bayan, that perchance they may shake off their slumber and be of them that are attuned to that which God hath counseled them in all the Tablets, and be of them who reflect, and that they may vacillate not in the Cause in which whomsoever hesitateth all his work will come to naught, even if he cometh forth with all pious worship of the former and latter generations. They had hesitated in His Cause, rejected His appearance, gainsaid His signs, and denied that which He did bring to them as bidden by the Omniscient, the All-Informed.

Arise then for the service of thy Lord, and aid Him Who hath sought no support for Himself but God; this is His bounty upon you, He, verily can afford to dispense with all creatures. Say: O people! This is the heavenly Youth amongst you and He hath come to you with Divine Sovereignty and Power and reciteth unto you at all times that which is beyond the power and comprehension of the whole creation. He did succor you whilst you wert destitute on earth until the standards of victory were hoisted upon every lofty and indomitable mountain.

O thou Nabil! Know, verily, that among the froword are those who claim that these verses were not revealed according to true faith. Say: woe betide you and that which flows from your tongues. By God! The true faith of God, the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the All-Subduing, hath appeared through these verses. And there are those who say that this Youth hath slandered God and thus hath repudiated the signs of God and hath denied His proofs and is counted among them who perceived not. They repeat that which the people of the Quran said when Ali came with the truth and they returned to their original seat of denial. By the righteousness of God! I heard from these people that which the ears of creation had not heard. Thus did the Eyes of Grandeur cry behind His most holy and exalted veil.

Say: O people! I believe in the scriptures of God and the tablets of His Cause amongst you, and I was commanded to believe not but in Him and to recite unto you that which the Spirit speaketh in my heart. By God, this is from Myself, rather at the bidding of God, the All-Compelling, the Almighty, the All-Wise. And if this is My crime, then with which proof have ye believed in the prophets of God in the past? Produce it if ye are amongst them who speak the truth. That which befell Me at the hands of these people had not befallen anyone in the whole of creation. To this bear witness the tongues of the worlds.

O Thou the Pen of the Most High! Proclaim Thou unto Nabil the mysteries of God’s irrevocable Decree that perchance he may drink of this soft flowing river of immortality that runs on the right side of His Throne, and that he may become cognizant of that which is hidden from the eyes of the heedless. Haply he may pursue steadfastly the path of this Cause which no man hath the strength to withstand except him who fixeth his gaze onto the Most Sublime Vision, and is sanctified from the uncertainties of this ephemeral realm at this time in which all are veiled from beholding the beauty of the All-Merciful but for them whom thy Lord, the Sovereign, the All-Wise, ordaineth.

Say: Nabil-i-Akbar who ascended unto God had hesitated in the Cause of this Youth, hence was not granted admission to visit the city and his breath of life was extinguished by virtue of God’s sovereign power as bidden by the Almighty, the Most Powerful. He reached not the shores of God’s nearness and acquired no sustenance from the earthly riches he amassed, and returned to dust with great remorse. And yet, none other soul was awakened and those who claimed to believe perceived not and were in manifest error. We disclosed not his doings and concealed them in layers of veil, but now have revealed them unto thee so that thou may be steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord.

In spite of this, God pardoned him and forgave his misdeeds. There is no Lord but Him, His are the kingdoms of Revelation and creation, He ordaineth as He wisheth and doeth as He pleaseth. Thus have We informed thee and recounted unto thee choices from many tales so that thou may find the sweet fragrances of thy Lord from these resistless, all-compelling and mighty words. Know then that we isolated Our Self and departed from amongst Our companions and We remained at home alone relying on God, My Lord and thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds. Ponder then this; perchance God may open thy eyes that thou may perceive that which the eyes of the onlookers have failed to discern. Joy, grandeur and glory rest upon thee and upon every discerning man of insight.

He is God.

A missive requested previously by one of the friends was sent, and a tablet in Persian was revealed for that soul, but it was not sent now, until later as circumstances may require.

BH00853: From Dughabad has been revealed unto the Name…

From Dughabad has been revealed unto the Name of God who was called Muhammad, and who was touched by afflictions in the path of his Lord, and was among those endowed with certitude, from the Pen of God inscribed in the Tablets

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

O servant who hast been imprisoned in the path of God, thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds! Hearken unto that which the Tongue of Holiness doth speak in the most exalted Paradise with sacred and sweet melodies.

By God! Whoso entereth beneath the shadow of but one leaf of the leaves of the trees that have been raised up in this Garden which hath appeared in this holy, lofty, inaccessible, most pure, most luminous, most holy and wondrous court, verily around him shall circle the inhabitants of the Supreme Concourse, then the denizens of the realms of eternity, then they that abide upon the Ark of Grandeur, then the sanctified realities and the embodiments of them that are nigh unto God, then the spirits of the Prophets and Messengers.

And thou, ascend thou with the two wings of holiness and soar in this atmosphere wherein no atom moveth but it proclaimeth the Truth, even as the Tree of Eternity proclaimed at the divine Lote-Tree:

“There is none other God besides Me, the Holy, the Mighty, the All-Praised.”

Purify thy sight, O servant! By God, there hath appeared that which hath not appeared in all the worlds, and there hath been uttered the Most Great Word, through one letter of which the suns of past and future generations were raised up, and none hath comprehended it save My All-Knowing, All-Wise Self.

Through it have appeared the words of God and been attracted the hearts of them that have detached themselves from all who are in the heavens and on earth, and drawn nigh unto this Beauty, the Mighty, the Holy, the Luminous. Deprive not thyself of the sanctuary of God, and cut not off thy portion of that which hath been ordained for thee. Therefore, gird up thy loins to exalt His Word, then cry out between the heavens and the earth with the call of them that are enraptured, that thou mayest attract by thy cry the hearts of all created things and turn them to the holy direction, the seat of mighty glory.

However, O thou who believest in God, first recite thou these verses with the melodies of eternity, that thou mayest be attracted within thyself and attract thereby the hearts of them that are endued with understanding. And if thou art not attracted within thyself, thy word will not encompass the servants nor affect the hearts of them that are nigh unto God. Thus have We commanded thee, inspired thee, remembered thee and given thee glad tidings as a bounty from Our presence, and I am the Powerful, the All-Bountiful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent.

By God! These are the words of the Primal Point revealed anew from His tongue in this holy, radiant, most luminous Temple. Strive thou within thyself not to deny that through which thy faith and the faith of them that acknowledged and confessed what was revealed unto Him of the verses of God, the Great, the Firm, the Wondrous, were established. And whoso denieth a single letter of these words hath denied the Primal Point, then His Book, then His proof, then Him Who sent Him with the truth. This is what the tongue of truth hath spoken with knowledge.

Therefore ponder within thyself: can the name of faith be applied to them that have denied these verses? Nay, by My true Self, if thou art of them that know! And shouldst thou find them that have acknowledged the Bayan and all that is therein denying that which is now revealed in truth, beware of them, shun them, and remain safely protected. Neither let thyself be consumed by the fire of their souls, nor sit with them, nor draw nigh unto them, for their likeness is as the likeness of the serpent – should anyone draw nigh unto it, it would instantly bite him. Guard thyself against these and their like. Nay, indeed! Were We to find thee possessed of the power within thyself, We would assuredly enjoin upon thee that thou pass not through their markets, nor enter the city wherein dwelleth any one of them; for by the breath of their own selves is the very air of every exalted land corrupted. Thus doth the Beauty of God counsel thee, out of love for thine own self and for His loved ones, that ye may follow that which ye have been commanded. By God! We enjoin upon you naught but that which is for your own good, if ye be of them that perceive.

Grieve thou not for that which hath befallen thee in the path of thy Lord. By God! Those who are nigh unto Him yearn for tribulations in the paths of God even as the thirsty yearn for the Kawthar of God’s mercy, and as the suckling babe yearneth for its mother’s breast. Thus have We given thee glad tidings in truth, that thou mayest be of those who rejoice. We verily gave thee glad tidings in the prison and showed thee in thy dream thy release therefrom and thine attainment to the pinnacle of the Cause in those days, if thou hast not forgotten what thou didst see and art of those who remember.

Thus doth God protect whomsoever He willeth through the hosts of the heavens and earth and deliver him from the hands of the idolaters. There is none to protect except Him; He guardeth whom He willeth through His sovereignty. His is the creation and the command, and all things are preserved with Him in tablets of imperishable glory. Beware lest thou forget the favor of thy Lord or deprive thyself of this mercy which hath preceded all created things and which every blind and seeing one who is just may perceive.

Take the love of thy Lord and preserve it in thy heart, and exchange it not for aught else of what hath been or shall be created, that thou mayest profit in thy commerce through the love of God, thy Lord. Otherwise thou shalt be in manifest loss. Arise to serve the Cause, then take this Tablet and enter into the presence of those who have veiled themselves from the Concourse of the Bayan.

Say: O people! I have come to you from the right hand of divine authority with a momentous message which is, in truth, supreme. Then recite unto them the verses of God, the Sovereign, the Revelator, the Mighty, the Wise. And when thou hast recited them unto them say: O people! If ye possess a proof greater than this, bring it forth and be not of those who tarry.

O people! Be fair and deny not this Dayspring which hath shone forth upon the horizons with the lights of God, the Sovereign, the Dawning, the Mighty, the Luminous. By God the Truth! All that ye possess of the signs of God is proof of Him, were ye of those who know. O people! Have mercy upon Him, then upon yourselves. Those who have risen against Him from all religions suffice Him. If ye help Him not, ye will not harm Him. Be not of the oppressors.

Fear God Who created you for His Revelation and took from you His covenant in the atoms of the Bayan, and before that in the atoms of the Furqan, and before that in the atoms of the Gospel, until it reacheth the primal atoms. Thus was the matter, were ye of those who know. And if ye believe not, deny Him not, nor wage war against His person. Fear God, O concourse of believers! Nay, by My life! These will not be content with anything, and will soon rise in discord and emerge from the thicket of hypocrisy with swords of steel.

Thus have We made clear unto thee the matter with manifest proofs and decisive verses, that thou mayest become aware of that which is veiled from the eyes of the world. Preserve thou this Tablet, then read it and take comfort in it, and be of those who remember. Thereby will God resurrect thee on the Day of Resurrection in His presence and protect thee from the earthquake of the Hour. This verily is a great bounty.

Blessed is he who readeth the verses of God and pondereth them and draweth forth from their depths the pearls of a preserving knowledge. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who, when the verses of God their Lord are sent down unto them, fall prostrate upon their faces before God, the Omnipotent, the All-Compelling, the Most High, the Most Great, the Most Mighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Subduing, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And praise be to God, thy Lord and the Lord of all creation.

BH00871: Lawh-i-’Azim

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

The evanescent servant hath received thy letter which indicated thy steadfastness in God and thy turning unto Him, and from it I inhaled the fragrance of thy love and caught the sweet savors of thy affection, our Lord, the Mighty, the Bountiful. When I had read and learned of its contents, I brought thy letter before the Most Great Book through which all the books of what was and what shall be were expounded, and I stood before the Throne and presented what thou didst desire of our Lord, the Omnipotent, the All-Bountiful, the Ancient. When my supplications were completed, He commanded me with this conclusive address, His word—exalted and mighty be He:

O My servant! Take up the Pen and write unto Our great servant that which shall quicken every mouldering bone. Verily the breezes of the Most Exalted Pen on this blessed and most glorious Day have been the source of life for all created things, the bestower of existence unto all who dwell in the unseen and the visible realms, and the dispenser of the wine of immortality unto all who are in the heavens and on earth.

O ʿAzim! Hearken in the Persian tongue unto the utterance of thy Lord, the All-Bountiful, that thou mayest attain in manifest clarity unto that which is intended. Concerning what thou didst mention regarding the commission of deeds that are not pleasing, blessed art thou for having confessed before the Throne, and He hath, through His grace, absolved thee of thy misdeeds. He is verily the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. This year, when the fragrance of thy love wafted by, a Tablet was specifically revealed and sent forth from the Dayspring of divine verses before thy petition and mention. Therefore render thanks and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou with Whom lieth the knowledge of all things in a clear Book.

Furthermore, be it known that in this Day whosoever committeth that which causeth souls to be debarred from the sweet-flowing waters of divine knowledge shall be rejected and shall remain rejected. The Cause of God is sanctified above carnal desires and deeds that are not pleasing. All must arise to serve the Cause of God with complete sanctity and detachment, that all people may become aware through the character, deeds, actions and words of these devoted souls, and, awakening from the slumber of heedlessness, may turn toward the sanctuary of oneness. Say: By God! The wine mentioned in the Qur’an is My love, and the Kawthar is My remembrance, and the milk is that which is concealed within My words, and the honey is My sweetest utterance, the mighty, the inaccessible. Say: O people of vain desires! That wine increaseth heedlessness, while this wine bestoweth life everlasting. Which then is more excellent? The latter, by the Lord of the oft-repeated verses and this perspicuous Book! Had the people acted in accordance with Our commandments, assuredly most of the inhabitants of the cities would now be witnessed having attained unto the recognition of the All-Merciful.

In any case, thou must arise to serve the Cause of God with utmost sanctity and strive diligently, to the extent of thy capacity, to promote His Cause with the wisdom revealed in the Books. Blessed art thou for having attained unto this Tablet after what was revealed before. Therefore give thanks and be of those who are grateful.

As for the negligence and laxity shown in serving him who ascended unto God, We have pardoned this. Grieve not therefore, for thy Lord is verily the Omnipotent, the Almighty. He doeth what He willeth through His sovereignty. None can stay His command and none can avert His judgment. He is in truth the All-Compelling, the Omnipotent over all the worlds. However, know thou that this matter was among the gravest of transgressions, for the good-pleasure of parents is mentioned as a weighty matter in the Book of God, especially regarding the one who hath hastened unto the Most Glorious Horizon and attained unto the Supreme Companion. Therefore render thanks that the All-Informed Lord hath forgiven this grievous sin. Give thanks for this and be of those who rejoice.

Concerning the mention of Our Name, the Luminous, upon him be the Glory of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, thou hast made mention. We have forgiven thee what thou didst before and after. Avoid that which thou hast been forbidden in the Book of God. This is the command of God, before and after. Blessed are they that act.

And concerning what thou hast submitted about thy claim from the aforementioned souls, forgive them as We have forgiven thee. Verily thy Lord is the All-Forgiving, the Compassionate. It hath been clear and evident to everyone that most of the people of the Bayan were not cognizant of the divine commandments and followed their selfish desires until, through divine grace and infinite bounty, they became somewhat aware of the divine laws in this Most Great Revelation. Henceforth must all appear in complete sanctity and purity, and not soil the illumined and pure hem of trustworthiness with the dust of treachery.

O ʿAzim! If the servants would observe with pure and penetrating eyes and illumined and sincere hearts the evanescence of things and their transformation and variation, they would assuredly sacrifice their lives and property in the path of God. They would pay no attention whatsoever to the riches of the world, let alone the property of others. Trustworthiness among deeds is as sight in the human temple and as the sun amidst the stars of heaven. The comfort and tranquility of the servants and the glory and wealth of those in the land have depended upon trustworthiness. God willing, all must hold fast unto it and appear among the people with this supreme gift and mighty bounty. Blessed is he who hath attained thereunto, and alas and regret for the treacherous ones!

The basest and most rejected of souls in the sight of God have been and will be the treacherous ones. He who betrayeth shall be betrayed and shall find no blessing even if all the wealth of the world should gather unto him. God will make it the portion of another. Thy Lord knoweth, while those who are heedless know not. Ere long it shall be witnessed that thereafter the servants shall be adorned among the people with the crown of trustworthiness and the ornament of justice. These are the stars of the heaven of detachment, and through them shall the lost ones be guided. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

That honorable one should not grieve over what is past and perished. God will verily compensate thee in truth. He, verily, is the Bestower, the Munificent, the Generous. All have been commanded to occupy themselves with some affair; therefore that honorable one should engage in some occupation, and blessings shall descend from the heaven of the bounty of thy Lord, the All-Bountiful, the Enriching, the Mighty, the Merciful.

Concerning what thou didst write about not mentioning the treachery of those souls to strangers—this matter was most acceptable. Blessed art thou for having concealed and preserved, for in these days if someone commits a deplorable act and people become aware of it, they attribute it to the Cause itself. That honorable one hath truly preserved the beauty of the Cause. Thy reward is with God Who created thee, fashioned thee, and guided thee to this straight path. Verily, he in whose heart is My love is indeed independent of the worlds, for he possesseth the Most Great Treasure, the Supreme Store, and Absolute Wealth. Thus have We expounded for thee in detail that thou mayest thank thy Lord and be of those who are firm.

Convey to all the friends of God who dwell in that land, one and all, young and old, male and female, from this evanescent servant, infinite greetings and the Most Glorious, Most Holy, Most Exalted, Most Beauteous mention. The Glory be upon you all.

The evanescent servant, the servant

BH00890: Your letter was presented before the face and what…

He is the Most Exalted, the Most High

Your letter was presented before the face and what was written therein was observed. Praise be to God in all conditions, for by His grace He has preserved the devoted servants from the odors of the ungodly and protected the temple of understanding with the armor of spiritual meanings from the arrows of the deniers and the malicious ones. This is among the greatest gifts of the Lord.

Inquiry was made about the established mirrors of this most wondrous and most impregnable Revelation. Today no one is bound by such matters, for the Sun shines forth and radiates by itself, and all must move by the thread of servitude and hold fast to the truth. By Him Who holds my soul in His hand, this station is greater than all stations and is regarded as the most exalted of ranks in the sight of God, for through pure servitude the truth has been and will be established among humanity.

By God, besides Whom there is no other God! Had what was witnessed not been witnessed of the deceit, trickery and corruption of the leaders of the Bayan, and had all been seen united and gathered upon the Cause of the previous Manifestation, nothing would ever have been mentioned except servitude. But God’s command is His, both before and after. Today the nearest, most exalted, most detached, most illumined, most God-fearing, most knowledgeable, and purest souls are those from whom nothing is witnessed save pure servitude, as is clear to every person of insight.

If today anyone should act contrary to what has been mentioned, the Cause of God will be wasted among the people, for many enemies from among the Bayan eagerly desire such matters to arise and for souls to arise with claims. By my life! If people were to find and comprehend the sweetness of servitude, they would become detached from all else. Do not consider the Cause of God as vain nor His Manifestation as idle, such that any soul might desire to make claims.

The wondrous Manifestation appeared in the year sixty and gave tidings to the people of this most great Manifestation, as has been explicitly stated throughout the Bayan. And besides Him, whosoever has stood firm in His Cause and followed what was revealed—these are guides unto Him. Thus was the command, if you but knew.

Say: O people! Fear God and waste not His Cause. Gather beneath His shadow and this suffices you above all good, if you but know. There is no greater bounty than this, if you but understand. Beware, then beware, then beware, then beware lest you be veiled by what you possess. Follow God in His commands, then remain steadfast in His remembrance, His praise, and the promotion of His Cause, the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting.

Walk not in the paths of pride and arrogance. Be humble before His countenance, submissive before His beauty, and prostrate before His Self, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Those souls who are known today for their support of this Cause, whose mention has been revealed in the Tablets—respect for these souls is incumbent upon all, so long as they remain firm and steadfast in the love of God and His Cause. This is the word of truth which falsehood does not follow, if you but understand.

If in every day a manifestation were to appear, the Cause of God would never spread throughout the earth, and surely consummate wisdom would be rendered void. Glory be unto Him above this! Beware lest you differ in the Cause of God. Gather upon the law of His love and be not among the dissenters.

In response to that one who associates partners with God—the letter “J”—a servant present before the Face has recorded some divine verses that were revealed regarding this matter. Nevertheless, it is strange that you have asked again. Never pay attention to such matters that cause the Cause of God to be wasted. Let all dwell in repose in one station beneath the shade of the raised heaven which is the Manifestation itself. What is desired today is that all should appear among people with purity, sanctity, humility, submissiveness and pure servitude, so that all people may turn toward God’s direction through witnessing the deeds and actions of those assured souls. It is incumbent upon every soul to teach the Cause according to their capacity, but with perfect humility and submissiveness, not through conflict and disputation, for the decree of killing, bloodshed and opposition has been entirely lifted in this Manifestation of the Sun of inner meanings.

We have repeatedly stated this, yet people do not understand. By Him Who holds my soul in His hand, if people had acted according to what they were commanded in this Manifestation, now most of the people of the earth would be seen adorned with the robe of guidance and radiant with the lights of God. But what was destined has come to pass. God willing, henceforth they should move according to God’s good-pleasure, not according to their selfish desires. Thus was the command revealed before and now, and God was witness to that.

God is greater than what people imagine! God is greater than what they mention, what they suppose, and what they say! Still no one has comprehended the appearance, encompassing nature, greatness and power of this Manifestation. Therefore they have not arisen to love Him and His Cause as they should. Moreover, they have engaged in corruption and committed what they have committed without God’s permission. The harm of everyone’s deeds has returned to the Root of the Divine Tree, just as that one who associates partners with God went to the great city and attributed to the Truth all that he, his companion, and the people of the Bayan committed in these numbered years—even though all souls witness and testify that in all days and nights We have been occupied with reforming the affairs of the corrupt ones, and have forbidden all people from everything God detests through decisive proofs, goodly counsels and firm statements, as all servants witnessed and heard during the years of Our sojourn in Iraq.

Nevertheless, what befell Us befell Us. Now the Beauty of Divine Unity sits waiting to see when the ordained trials will descend. May my soul be sacrificed for His soul, my spirit for His spirit, my essence for His essence, and my beauty for His beauty, if you be of those who know!

God willing, may all accept the divine counsels given in loving kindness and gather at the stream of inner meanings. This has been and will be the foundation of victory.

As for what you mentioned regarding your brothers, We beseech God to decree for them what is best for them and to deliver them. With Him is the knowledge of all things in a clear Book, and He has power over all things. The Spirit, glory and splendor be upon you and upon those with you among the loved ones of God, your Lord and the Lord of all worlds. And praise be to God, the Beloved of those who know Him.

BH00899: God beareth witness unto His Own Self by His…

He is the Ever-Abiding, the All-Knowing!

God beareth witness unto His Own Self by His Own Self that verily I am alive in the Most Glorious Horizon. Therefore doth My Self, My Being, and My Essence bear witness even as He hath borne witness unto Himself, and verily He is alive at this moment in this Horizon—He heareth and seeth. And whoso turneth away from that which God hath testified unto, he is of them that have gone astray, have been misguided, have denied His Self, have warred against His signs, and are numbered with those who have joined partners with His Beauty at the time when He came upon the clouds of holiness with the sovereignty of His Most Exalted, His Most High Name.

Say: O people! Deny not the proof whereby ye believed in God’s Messengers aforetime and were numbered with them that believed and were guided.

O My Name! Thou knowest what hath befallen Me, for thou wert with Us in Iraq and didst witness My sufferings beyond measure or count. Thou knowest that I fled alone from among these people and migrated unto God, the Lord of the hereafter and of the former times. By God, O My Name! When I raised up the mention of My brother among the people and his cause became renowned, he arose in secret to harm Me, such that none would meet with him but that he would cast hatred of Me into their hearts. And when I became aware of his secret and what was in his heart, I departed from Iraq lest there should arise among the servants that which would compromise the dignity of the Cause. We left them to themselves that perchance the fire of negation and wretchedness might be stilled. I wandered through the lands for two successive years, and none knew of My person save God Who created it and fashioned it. Thou knowest that I sent no word or trace of My pen to My family lest they discover the land wherein I dwelt, while they remained in turmoil, trembling and lamentation. Yet withal they concealed the matter lest there be revealed that which ought to remain hidden.

By God, O My Name! During My first migration there befell Me that which would cause the hearts of all believers to burn at its mention and to fear. How many nights did I spend alone in the wilderness with none to comfort Me as companion, and how many days did I walk on foot. All this I bore, despite My power over those in whose hearts was hatred for this Youth and for Him Who created and established the Throne. When We were made to return, We found that My brother had filled the servants with rancor against Me through his lies and calumnies. We witnessed hearts filled with hatred for this Youth—to this testifieth all who witnessed and saw. I found My brother and those known by this name in profound abasement, such that My brother would leave the city each month in fear for himself, finding no place of rest. When We saw them in such condition, We arose among the servants and associated with the divines of the city morning and evening. I proclaimed the remembrance of God among the people until the Cause became renowned throughout all lands and every heart that God had purified and refined turned toward Him.

Thou knowest how I stood against the enemies with a sovereignty more manifest than the sun in its meridian. Thou wert not in Iraq in the days when nations and governments rose against Me—some saying “Let us seize him and send him to the King of Persia,” and others saying “He will surely be taken.”

By God, the Truth! I have arisen to the Cause in such wise as to astound the denizens of the Most Exalted, Most Holy, Most Glorious Concourse, until necks were brought low before the sovereignty of thy Lord and every proud and rebellious one submitted, until the decree of departure came and We left the city with supreme power, until We entered this land, this Most Great Prison. When My brother witnessed that My name had become renowned among the servants and that no harm had befallen Me in My manifestation among the people, he regretted his concealment and emerged from behind the veil in ways that cannot be uttered by the tongue. His first act was to secretly decree My death as commanded by self and passion. When the hosts of God’s sovereignty descended and protected Me by His sovereignty and prevented him from what he intended, he then arose to calumny and wrote to every soul that his brother intended to kill him. Thou knowest that had I desired such, I would have been capable of it, yet despite My knowledge of his self and what lay in his breast, We protected him from the harm of every harmful one, as they who possess understanding can testify.

By God, O My Name! When I first heard of his affair, it was from Me and none was aware of it save God Who created the heavens and all beneath the earth. By God! He knew not a single letter until We taught him through nights and days that he might aid his Lord. But when the breezes of assurance wafted and the Cause was established, the love of leadership seized him in such wise that, by the True God, all who dwell in the highest heavens are powerless to describe it. I had ever protected him and exalted his mention even in My distress and abasement, but God preserved Me from him by His supreme power. Therefore doth My Pen weep over My state and My heart lamenteth My suffering.

I have been patient and continue to be patient, and complain not of anyone. Unto God do I complain. And thou, arise to the Cause of God, then make mention of Him, then aid Him as thou art able, and He shall protect thee from all who turn away and are averse. Say: O people! Do ye dispute with the Spirit concerning what He hath witnessed and beheld in the Most Glorious Horizon of God’s signs, the Most High?

By God, He speaketh not of His own desire, but rather by what the Spirit hath uttered in His most pure and sanctified breast. Say: Every atom testifieth to His supreme sovereignty. Leave behind all that is with the people, then ascend on two holy wings unto the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, that thou mayest witness all created things beneath the furthermost Tree.

Thus do We command thee in this Tablet. Act upon what thou hast been commanded with spirit and fragrance and might and grandeur from God, the Most High. Then remind all those with thee in whom thou findest the radiance of the Most Glorious. Then mention thy family from the tongue of God, then bestow upon thy daughter that which shall gladden thy heart. Thus have We permitted thee in this Tablet, as a mercy from Us unto thee and unto the God-fearing.

Would that thou wert with Us in this land to witness what none hath witnessed save God, from Whom all things have their beginning and unto Whom all shall return. And the Glory be upon thee and upon those who are with thee on God’s path in these days wherein the feet of the possessors of knowledge and understanding have slipped.

BH00893: O Joseph! Thou art seen to be deprived…

In the Name of the One True God, the All-Knowing!

O Joseph! Thou art seen to be deprived of the fragrance of the Merciful’s garment. Strange it is that Jacob’s eyes were illumined by the fragrance of his son’s garment, yet the vision of thy recognition, despite the diffusion of the fragrances of the Merciful’s raiment throughout all creation, remaineth clouded by the ophthalmia of idle fancies. Art thou dwelling in the valley of hesitation even after the very stones cry out: “Hasten ye to the scene of your Lord, the Chosen One”? This beseemeth thee not, shouldst thou be of them who are endowed with insight.

Beloved is he who rendeth asunder all veils through the name of the Lord of Names and Attributes, and ariseth from the horizon of the heaven of acceptance, turning toward the Kaaba of Beauty. Cast away thy vain imaginings! By Him Who illumined the dawn of utterance through the light of His Name, the Most Merciful, wert thou to ponder on that which We have sent down aforetime unto thee, thou wouldst swoon away, and upon rising, thou wouldst exclaim:

“I believe in the Dawning-Place of Thy Cause and the Source of Thy Revelation, O God of the worlds!”

Immerse thyself in the oceans of the words of the Most Merciful which flow from the fountainhead of the Pen of Utterance, detached from all else, that perchance thou mayest attain unto its hidden pearls. O Joseph! The Divine Word among human utterances is even as the sun, manifest and resplendent. Deceive not thyself. Consider the revealed Tablets and reflect upon the manifestations of power and the divine conditions that have encompassed the realm of creation, that thou mayest attain unto the Ancient Ocean and the Most Great Name. If thou hast not succeeded in heeding the divine counsels revealed from the Pen of Divine Might in this Revelation, then consider, wholly detached from all else, the Persian Bayan sent down from the heaven of Divine Revelation. By My life! If thou wert to look upon it with the eye of certitude, thou wouldst behold thyself shining forth from the horizon of detachment, hastening unto God, the Lord of Creation.

O Joseph! Awaken at the call of God and say: “Here am I, O Kaaba of the yearning ones!” He saith: “Be not veiled from the Bayan and what hath been revealed therein and its letters from the Dawning-Place of the command of the Most Merciful.” Yet thou remainest veiled from the manifest Sovereign by one whom thou hast not seen and of whose cause thou knowest naught. Think not that any benefit or harm returneth unto the Truth from thy acceptance or rejection, or from that of the peoples of the world. By the Truth itself, verily He is independent of all the worlds.

In all times the Ancient Beauty hath been and shall be afflicted in the hands of the oppressors. The arrows of hatred from the direction of the idolaters have at all times rained upon the Manifest Beauty. Nevertheless, purely for the sake of God, He inviteth all else to turn toward the Lord of Power and the Most Great Horizon. If thou shouldst find the sweetness of but one word from among the words of God, thou wouldst forsake the world and all that is therein, and by the power of the Most Great Name soar above the kingdom of earth and heaven, crying out amongst the servants in the name of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

O Joseph! Turn away from the pond and set thy face toward the ocean of My Name, the All-Powerful, each drop whereof proclaimeth: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed!” Turn away from the tree that hath been planted at the gate without right, then turn with thy whole being unto God, the Lord of all worlds. Canst thou find today any refuge or shelter for thyself? Nay, by His very Self, wert thou of them that know! Draw forth the hand of trust from the bosom of detachment, then rend asunder the veils that have held thee back from turning toward the Creator of all things. This is better for thee than all that is in the heavens and earths.

Be not of them who said “God is our Lord,” yet when He appeared in truth they disbelieved and turned away until they descended to the lowest of the low. If thou deniest this proof, by what proof wilt thou uphold that which thou believest? And if thou deniest this power, by what power wilt thou hold fast and be of them that turn unto God? Wouldst thou ask the Jews concerning that which the Spirit (Christ) spoke, or the people of the Gospel concerning that which Muhammad, the Apostle of God, brought? This indeed would be a grievous wrong.

If thou art in doubt concerning a matter, ask God, thy Lord and the Lord of all things, to make clear unto thee what thou desirest. He verily is the Unfolder, the Concealer, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Wert thou to reflect upon this Cause, thou wouldst testify that He is the Originator of the heavens and earth, and that nothing more wondrous than this hath appeared in all creation. To this testify all atoms and beyond them the tongue of God, the True, the Faithful King. Set aside the left and turn unto the right through thy Lord’s grace. Say:

“Aid me, O my God, to recognize Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy Cause, the Dayspring of Thy signs, and the Source of Thy inspiration. O Lord! I am poor and Thou art the All-Possessing, the All-Powerful. O Lord! Deprive me not of the gift that hath shone forth from the horizon of Thy bounty, nor of this cup proffered by the hands of Thy favors. Draw me nigh unto Thee, detached from all else but Thee. I testify that Thou doest what Thou pleasest and ordainest what Thou willest.”

O Joseph! Since previously the fragrant breezes of faith were inhaled from thee, therefore this Tablet hath been sent down from the heaven of divine Will, that perchance through the fragrant breeze of the utterance of the All-Merciful thou mayest attain to the kingdom of exposition, and not wander in the wilderness of heedlessness and the valley of bewilderment. Observe thou the consummate wisdom of God, that in that Guidance which was previously revealed and sent forth from the Pen of Command, We concealed two stations, and thou didst enquire about them. Nevertheless, from the Pen of Will there appeared no fitting explanation concerning the mention of those two stations. We concealed them in the divine treasuries of knowledge for these days, that thou mightest become aware of them and ask about the wisdom of their concealment. Yet thou wast so heedless that it never occurred to thee. Ponder thou upon this, that thou mayest comprehend what was decreed aforetime and be assured that with Him is the knowledge of all things in a perspicuous Book.

Although these are not days for questions and answers—it behooveth everyone, when hearing the Call, to turn to the horizon of the Revelation of his Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, and say:

“Yea, yea! Here am I, here am I, O Beloved of the worlds!”

- yet the purpose is that thou shouldst understand that there was wisdom in the concealment of those two stations, whereof thou wast unaware. We beseech God, should He wish, to assist thee to know Him and draw thee nigh unto a station round which circle the near angels. Praise be to God, the Protecting, the Self-Subsisting.

O Joseph! The Cause is mighty, mighty! Observe how mighty it is when He declareth that the loftiest Tree of affirmation in that Dispensation becometh lower than the most inferior tree of negation. Yet thou hast regarded this mighty Cause as insignificant and hast paid, and continuest to pay, no heed to it. Hearken unto the call of this Wronged One, Who from the horizon of the prison calleth out: Abandon what thou hast heard and return to the direction of the Chosen One.

BH00924: We have returned from Our brother’s house and entered…

In the Name of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing!

We have returned from Our brother’s house and entered the dwelling. Then thy letter arrived and was read before Our face in its entirety, and from it We perceived the fragrance of love, faithfulness, and steadfastness in the Cause of thy Lord, the Possessor of all Names. Therefore the Pen of loving-kindness was moved to make mention of unity, that thou mayest be assured that I am with you and you are with Me. We beseech God not to cause separation between Us and you, and to make us the helpers of His Cause in all conditions. Verily, He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.

By My life! This is the Day of steadfastness and faithfulness. Blessed is he who hath shone forth from their horizon with power and might. God willing, ye have ever been and will ever remain gazing toward the direction of the Most Great Scene and turning unto the lights of the countenance of the Lord of Power. Praise be to the Beloved of the worlds Who granted success enabling you to arise in His Cause and to drink from the chalice of tribulations in His path. The reward of those who have turned toward the Kaaba of His knowledge hath not been and will never be lost. And if, in association, some displeasure hath arisen for certain ones, it hath never been and is not ever considered, for in frequent association and companionship, sometimes weariness and sadness occur, but this is from the requirements of human nature. How could one look to these things after the atoms themselves bear witness that His mercy hath preceded all things and His grace hath encompassed the worlds?

The True One, exalted be His mention, hath called Himself the Forgiving, the Merciful, the Compassionate, the Generous. How then could He turn away from His loved ones for minor matters or withhold the glance of mercy? O Nabil-i-ʿAli! By My life! He hath ever been, from the Most Exalted Perspective and Most Sublime Station, beholding naught but the good deeds of His loved ones and what hath befallen them in His path, passing over all else. This is what the Supreme Pen hath testified to in most of the Tablets. The Truth hath ever been and is observant of the righteous deeds of creatures, save that soul from whom truly wafteth the odor of turning away, as hath wafted and appeared from that known person—whereat all things lament. His connection was severed when he openly arose among the people to waste the Cause of God. Thou art aware of his words, deeds, actions and wickedness, and likewise of the kindness, mercy and consideration shown to him over numbered years. Nevertheless, he committed that which beseemed and befitted him, and now he seeketh to mislead some of the loved ones of God and obtain glory for himself.

Thou and the friends of Truth must arise in such wise in divine love and steadfastness in His Cause as to cause the exaltation of God’s Word amongst His servants, that the outcast may be assured that they have not followed his vain desires and that loss remaineth for him alone. Verily, He is the Recompenser, the Wise. Observe and give thanks that the Truth hath ever been like unto the sun, manifest and evident, while falsehood hath been clearly revealed as false before it, as all the loved ones of God know that that soul hath never believed in anything nor adhered to any religion nor followed any path. Night and day he spoke to invalidate what the Truth brought forth, and at all times he clung to the vain imaginings of men. Nevertheless, he now claimeth faith while Satan ever accompanieth him. Thus doth God make clear what He willeth.

That which is concealed in the breasts of the fettered ones shall be made manifest. Nevertheless, each day someone is wandering through the marketplaces, having been influenced, spreading words. God willing, you should arise with the utmost joy, gladness, delight and expansiveness to protect God’s Cause and His loved ones. You have ever been and continue to be remembered before His presence. You yourself witness that the breezes of loving-kindness have ever wafted upon you from the paradise of the Most Great Mercy, and shall continue to do so. Be not disheartened by the concealment of these days, for it hath come to pass through wisdom and expediency. Strive with the utmost effort to unite hearts and harmonize souls. Soon shall you behold the banners of God’s favors and bounties raised upon the hills and valleys.

O Nabil! By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hands! I have desired for My loved ones whatsoever good I have desired for Myself, and I have turned to them only as a lover turneth to his beloved, and I have spoken with them only as a true friend speaketh with his friend. We beseech God to make them stars in the heaven of His steadfastness and stability, and suns in the horizon of His victory and triumph. Verily, He is the Protector of those who love Him, and He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

You mentioned the aged musician. Excellent is what you have mentioned, for in this darkness of sorrows, this remembrance brought joy. God willing, you shall tune the spiritual instrument with spiritual fingers in the name of the Luminary of the heaven of inner meanings. We beseech God to aid you and to manifest through you that which shall gladden the hearts of the sincere ones. Convey on behalf of this servant an exalted greeting to all the loved ones, and declare that if at any time something occurred that caused distress to any of the friends, be not saddened by it. Follow the example of the Truth and act as He has acted.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou seest me and Thy loved ones in the hands of Thine enemies, and Thou knowest what hath befallen us in Thy path, and how tribulations have encompassed us for love of Thee and for the promotion of Thy Cause and the exaltation of Thy Word. I beseech Thee, O Lord of eternity and Educator of the nations, to make us of them who have stood firm in Thy Cause, who have been illumined by the horizon of Thy Will, who have drunk the Salsabil of power from the hands of Thy bounty, and who have appeared through Thy Name and Thy sovereignty in such wise that neither the howling of the enemies hath prevented them from Thy mention and praise, nor the opposition of the wicked from turning to the city of Thy Command and the treasury of Thy names. O Lord! Aid us to remain faithful in Thy days and to manifest that which befitteth Thy greatness and majesty. Thou art He in Whose grasp is the reins of all power. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou pleasest. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Unconstrained.

As for what thou hast mentioned regarding the women, they remember thee and glorify thee and beseech God to protect thee from the evil of every evil-doer and deceiver, and to make thee a helper of His religion and one who mentioneth His name among His servants. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

BH00931: O My beloved! Divine grace in its totality hath…

O My beloved! Divine grace in its totality hath been made manifest, and the all-embracing Word hath been made to shine with utmost brilliance. Ancient bounty hath appeared in its most glorious manifestation, and universal munificence hath been revealed in its highest emergence. The greatest sign hath shone forth with most wondrous tokens, and the supreme proof hath become evident through its most mighty testimony. No grace remaineth hidden in the Essence of the Unseen save that which hath been revealed through this exalted Manifestation.

The august Countenance of God had remained concealed for countless ages, cycles, centuries and infinite periods within the pavilion of the beauty and glory of the Unseen, such that all eyes and visions and the pure, hidden, subtle realities of the immortal realms of the Divine Unity were veiled, forbidden and concealed from It. When the resplendent Sun rose from the dawning-place of the fire of Its Own beauty, It consumed with a single revelation all veils and pavilions of the highest horizons through the fire of Its Own sacred Tree, and stunned all the abstract realities of the unseen with a single effulgence from the light of Its holy countenance.

Glory be unto Him, glory be unto Him! What fire is this, that the very essence of the true spirit is prevented from soaring around it, and the pure reality of the Eternal is cut off from ascending into its atmosphere! The Most Great Tree is rent asunder by the call of Its nearness, and the Ancient Essence is thunderstruck by the revelation of Its glory. Resurrections are raised up through Its august arising, and gatherings are prepared through the spreading of Its wondrous Cause. At every moment there issueth from the Most Perspicuous Pen the cry “Verily I am God, the Lord of all worlds,” and the revelation of “Exalted, exalted be God, the Most Manifest of the Manifest” shineth resplendent.

Were I to describe this Manifestation’s praise, A hundred thousand trumpet blasts could not convey;

For in each instant from It a hundred resurrections spring, And in each, the spreading of a Greater Rising doth display.

Were I to attempt describing just one Rising fair, A hundred resurrections would pass, yet still unfinished there.

But how strange, how passing strange! By the utterance of His Holiness the Most Exalted Lord—may the spirit of all creation be His sacrifice—strange upon strange, strange from above strange, strange from the right of strange, strange from the left of strange, and strange beyond all strangeness! Had not His Holiness the Most Exalted Lord pronounced it thus far, I would forever and ever exclaim: How strange, how strange that with this wondrous and transcendent Revelation, not a single soul has yet emerged from the veil of fancy and imitation; and despite all these divine confirmations manifest in the visible world, not one person has attained true certitude.

I swear by the Essence of the Divine Purpose that the sweet-scented breezes of holiness have been cut off from all beings, and the gentle winds of intimacy have been forbidden from all hearts. Exalted spirits have turned to base stations, remaining distant from the most sublime horizon and the Most Glorious Tree. Though twenty years have passed since all were brought forth with a new nature, they have not even imagined the Most Great Ocean of oceans, and have turned away from the Essence of all essences through conjecture and fancy.

They have imagined that all the ascending steps and degrees of this glorious Cycle—around which hundreds of thousands of infinite divine cycles have revolved in the worlds of the unseen and the visible until culminating in this Cycle—are merely the learnings to which these companions have attained. I swear by the Essence of the Purpose and the Educator of the unseen and visible realms that none among those who have attained the heavens of true knowledge and certitude, who stand in the heights of unity and the summit of detachment and abstraction, have understood even this much: what was the fruit of this Cycle and what was the purpose of this Revelation.

Setting aside ascent to the Ultimate Tree and rising to its exalted stations, even those of noble heart have descended to dusty imaginings. How strange, how strange that the people of the Exalted City, who for years have dwelled beneath the shadow of the Supreme Education and have been nurtured by the hand of divine favor, have not yet shown even the measure of one steadfastness in the Cause. Each has clung to a cord and become content with a fancy, remaining utterly deprived of this infinite grace which surges like a billowing sea.

I swear by the truth of the Beloved that the pure holy fragrances have been entirely cut off from that direction. Not a single holy breath can be detected from any of the inhabitants of the earth. I know not in what realm they walk or what path they follow. This much is certain: that despite all the divine counsels bestowed upon each one at every moment, not a single steadfast soul in love can be found—especially in these days which are the time of the supreme trial and the great separation.

Consider with utmost care the sublime Tablet known as the Holy Mariner and its Persian translation, which was revealed in the wilderness of Vashshash seven months before the blessed migration, and was sent because of the hidden events recorded therein. Then the extent of everyone’s faithfulness and these loved ones’ claims will become clear—at what rank and station they truly stand. Though from what is evident and what can be sensed in the air, even if a hundred thousand such revealed tablets were to be read to these souls, they would never be stirred.

In these wondrous Tablets, newly revealed and sent forth from the Most Holy and Most Glorious Court, observe how during this period all the people of the Bayan, without exception—even unto the most exalted among them—have been heedless of the essence of the Cause. Would that after all this heedlessness shown during this time, they might now become mindful and make amends for the past. Nay! I swear by the Holy and Eternal Being that day by day the veils of existence increase, and the attachment of hearts to this earthly world grows stronger. Glory be to God! This is a strange mystery that not a single soul should in these days attain to the good-pleasure of God, even were that soul to be created from the very essence of all essences. Now that the greatest tumult and the mightiest separation have come to pass, let us see what will appear hereafter. And verily He is the Manifestor of all things and of whatsoever was then hidden.

I make mention of the dwellers of the Sacred Sanctuary and remind them of the Most Glorious Beauty. Each and every inhabitant of the City do I specially mention and remind with the jewels of glorification and the essence of veneration, that they may all, God willing, remain firm and steadfast in the stations of divine love and be gladdened by the glad-tidings of the Spirit from the holy Paradise of grace.