Volume 043: Prior to 1873 1290 A.H., Part I (4 of 4)
BH01478: O Ahmad in the city! He is God…
O Ahmad in the city! He is God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most High!
O Ahmad! Hearken unto the call of Ali from the Supreme Kingdom, then unto the call of Muhammad from the Divine Lote-Tree, then unto the call of the Spirit from the ultimate station, then unto the call of Moses from the Sinai of Grandeur, that verily there is no God but Him, and He Who is named Baha in the Kingdom of Names is indeed the Manifestation of God between earth and heaven, and the Most Great Word in the Concourse on High, and the Mighty Announcement in the cities of eternity, and the Preserved Tablet concealed from the eyes of the heedless.
O servant! Hesitate not in this Cause wherein, should anyone hesitate, he must needs deny all the Manifestations of Unity throughout all ages, and all the Dawning-Places of Divinity throughout all dispensations, and all the Daysprings of the Command from the first to the last. Cast behind thee all that thou findest among men, then soar with the wings of holiness in this atmosphere which God hath sanctified from mention of aught else, that thou mayest attain the station of sanctity and nearness and beauty, and witness the lights of thy Lord’s countenance, the Mighty, the Most High, with the vision which God hath deposited within thee, detached from the sight of all men.
Arise to remember God and praise Him. By God, the Truth! All that thou hast heard concerning him who warred against God hath appeared from Us for a wisdom which none knoweth save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. And those who deny today the grace of God—these have not recognized him whom they have taken as their protector besides God, and whosoever maketh such a claim is a lying impostor. To this testifieth the tongue of all creation, if thou be of them that hear.
Beware lest thou be veiled by these from God Who created thee by a command from Him and made thee of the beneficent ones. Fear God and hesitate not in the Cause which hath appeared with manifest sovereignty. Trust in God in all matters, and take this Tablet, then enter the abode of the ungodly. Say: O people! By God, I have come to you from the Orient of the Command with God’s momentous announcement, the Mighty, the Most High, the Great. Then recite unto them God’s Tablet and chant it with the melodies of them that are detached.
Say: O people! Be fair unto yourselves. If ye possess that which can equal these fragrances sent forth by the Mighty, the Wondrous One, or a proof greater than what We have, then bring it forth and tarry not, O people, and be not of them that slumber. Say: Think ye that the Most Great Ocean can be prevented from its waves, or the Cloud of Grace from its rain, or the Tree of Holiness from its fruits? Nay, by the Lord of the worlds! Nothing can prevent it from what ye possess, and it speaketh the truth from the heaven of eternity in the Most Glorious melody, celebrating His Most Exalted Self, and it feareth no one even if all the peoples of the heavens and earth should oppose it.
Say: Verily, He hath sought help from no one and will aid the Cause of God by Himself, even as He aided it in truth when ye were beneath the veil of women and concealed your faces in fear for yourselves in those days when your feet were shaken by the might of the Cause, and ye were among the fearful ones. And He stood alone between the heavens until the pavilion of remembrance was raised at the heart of all creation. Then came ye forth from behind the veils and opposed the Beauty of the Chosen One, and were among the opposers.
Say: Be fair, by God! If ye deny this Cause, by what proof was your faith in God, the Mighty, the Wise, established? Say: Do ye occupy yourselves with My mention instead of that which hath descended from My Pen aforetime, and seek to slay My Self? Woe unto you, O company of unbelievers!
And thou, O Ahmad, say: In the Name of God and by God! Then pass over the Bridge as the clouds pass, in the name of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing, and be not of the patient ones. Stand between earth and heaven and call out to the whole creation with this firm, mighty, and wondrous remembrance. Sanctify thyself from all allusions and compromise not in the Cause of thy Lord with those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God, and be of those who have recognized God through God, then detached themselves from all the worlds.
Thus have We cast upon thee the Word of Truth, for My love for thee, that thou mayest remember thy Lord among His servants with the melodies of them that are attracted. The Spirit, glory and splendor be upon thee if thou hearest the call of God and art of those who have purified their vision from the veils of human limitations and turned unto the Most Great Prospect, this hallowed, illumined Station.
BH11711: This is a Book that speaketh the truth, wherein…
In the Name of Him Whom all worship, though they perceive it not!
This is a Book that speaketh the truth, wherein lieth mercy for all the worlds. From but one letter of that which hath been sent down in this sacred, blessed, mighty and wondrous verse, God hath created heavens whose number none can reckon save God, the Lord of all creation. In each heaven He hath ordained clouds bearing His name, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate, raining upon all created things that which purifieth them from the mention of aught else but Him. This, verily, is the truth certain.
By God the Truth! Should all created things turn, in less than a twinkling of an eye, to those clouds raised up by the truth in but one of the heavens created by a single letter of thy Lord’s Book, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Most High, the Great, they would be purified from all things and would give voice to that which the Dove hath warbled in the midmost heart of eternity, and to that which reached the ears of Moses in the Sinai of the divine presence, when one of Our most beauteous names was manifested. Thus doth the Pen of Command impart its message, that perchance mankind may find a path unto God.
O Rida! Hearken unto the melodies of eternity from the Pen of Glory, by one note whereof the fire was kindled in the realms of eternity, then in the cities of names, then in the hearts of them that are nigh unto God. Take thou a brand therefrom, that thou mayest kindle all created things and turn them toward the court of God, the All-Possessing, the Most Holy, the Mighty, the Powerful. Perchance thereby warmth may be generated in the hearts of those who have grown cold through the chill of this world and its ornaments, and who have remained heedless of this Sun that hath shone forth from the horizon of grace, its rays encompassing all worlds.
Tarry not for a moment in propagating the Cause of thy Lord, the Most High, the All-Powerful, the Ancient of Days. Detach thyself wholly from all else but God, thy Lord, that thy words may influence the hearts of all creation. Say: O people! Know ye God by God and by that which proceedeth from Him. Thus have We commanded you in all the Tablets and in that which We sent down unto ʿAli before Nabil.
O people! Fear ye God, then be ashamed before Him Who was suspended in the air and sacrificed Himself in the path of God, the Just King, the All-Informed. By God! He sacrificed Himself for naught else but to manifest that which hath been manifested in these days. Yet ye, O people of the Bayan, have remained heedless of that which was intended and have clung to your own idle fancies, without any clear authority or enlightening Book.
Say: Would ye slay the Manifestation of God’s Self with your swords while ye make mention of Him with your tongues? What aileth these people that they fail to comprehend even a single utterance from God, the Speaking, the Manifest, the All-Evident? Say: O people! Do ye claim that ye have believed in God and His signs, after ye have turned away from His resplendent, radiant and luminous beauty? Would ye find peace within yourselves after the head of the Youth was raised upon the spears of hatred by these idolaters, crying out “Is there any helper who will help ʿAli who was before, then Muhammad before him, then the Spirit before him, then He Whom We sent in the name of Moses?”
O people! This is indeed ʿAli in truth, who hath appeared with such evidence as hath rendered powerless all who are in the heavens and on the earth. He reciteth unto you at every moment from verses of which a single letter surpasseth all things, were ye of them that know. If ye deny them, by what proof do ye uphold your belief in God? Produce it, if ye be truthful! Nay, by My Self! Every cord hath been severed from you save that ye take hold of this firm and mighty handle.
O people! Act not as did the peoples of former times, nor compare the Self of God with aught else, nor His words with that which people utter, nor what He possesseth with what ye possess, if ye be of those who comprehend. Say: He hath appeared with a sovereignty which no one can dispute except by disbelieving in God and being accounted among the idolaters.
And thou, O servant, know that when We first began this Tablet, We intended to recount unto thee what had befallen Us, but at this moment came the Divine Decree from the realm of the unseen; therefore We stayed Our Pen from its mention lest thou be grieved with a sorrow that would sadden thy heart and the hearts of the seekers. Soon shalt thou hear, if God should will and desire, and verily He shall make mention of His Cause through the tongue of His patient servants.
And the glory be upon thee and upon those who have hearkened unto thy words concerning God, thy Lord and the Lord of the hereafter and of the former times, and the Lord of the mighty throne.
BH02335: O my God! I call upon Thee when calamities…
O my God! I call upon Thee when calamities descend from the clouds of Thy decree and tribulations rain down from the heavens of Thy command. How long wilt Thou make us drink from the cups of joy in Thy dominion, and how long wilt Thou provide us with the chalice of sorrow among Thy servants? Have the rains of Thy bounty ceased to pour, though I witness them still flowing in Thy lands? Have the gates of Thy mercy and favor been sealed, though I see them still open before Thy creation?
By Thy might, O my Beloved! The drink of Thy lovers has become their hearts’ blood, and the food of Thy faithful ones the pieces of their livers. Days pass over them without the breezes of Thy mercy wafting upon them, and nights elapse without the fragrances of Thy loving-kindness reaching them. Dost Thou, O my God, bar them from the shores of Thy mighty ocean after they have confessed Thy oneness? Dost Thou, O my Lord, drive them from the precincts of Thy sanctity after they have acknowledged Thy unity?
Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee, O my Heart’s Desire! Tribulation has reached such a state that it gives us no respite even to draw breath, encompassing us from all directions and seizing us with mighty force. By Thy might, O my God! I am bewildered in mentioning Thy descending trials and falling afflictions. I know not of which tribulation to complain to Thee.
Shall I complain, O my God, of my imprisonment for known months, or of the chains whose weight has broken my neck, or the iron upon my feet? Of what the hands of the wicked have wrought, or how our families were made captive in the hands of enemies, or how they seized our possessions and destroyed our homes? Or shall I recall, O my God, when they took me and led me from village to city, my head bare and my feet unshod, my neck in chains and my hands bound? Then the people gathered around me—some who knew me and some who did not. Those who knew me stood bewildered at my plight, some mocking me, while those who knew me not all cast at me whatever stones and sticks they could find, as though they had never drunk the wine of equity nor caught the fragrance of fellowship.
By Thy Ancient Beauty and the wondrous lights of Thy countenance! They inflicted upon me that which I am ashamed to mention before Thee, which the pen cannot move to describe, nor ink flow to express, nor tablet bear, nor souls endure. Therefore I cease with this, O my God. Or shall I mention how they drove us out with our women and children from our homeland—and Thou hast counted all that befell and descended upon us—or what occurred to us thereafter, or this fresh calamity and unprecedented tribulation that has grieved hearts, disturbed souls, broken backs, and constricted breasts?
Since all this has come to pass through Thy irrevocable decree and decisive command, I beseech Thee by Thy luminous Beauty and Thy manifest Glory to make us patient in the occasions of Thy trials and tranquil in the places of Thy decree. For Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Glorious, the Omnipotent.
Thou knowest, O my God, that my complaint before Thee is but as the yearnings of lovers before their Beloved, for they desire not to complain of what they have witnessed in the paths of love and separation, or of how they have been consumed by the fire of longing. Rather, their purpose and hope is to demonstrate their sincerity before the Beloved and to prove their steadfastness in what has befallen them in the paths of affection and love, that it might serve as testimony for the lovers who will come after them upon this path.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God and my Beloved! By Thy might! I find no sweetness save in the descent of Thy trials, and I behold no glory except in the appearance of Thy tribulations. May necks be deprived that have not been placed in chains of retribution in the paths of Thy good-pleasure, and may hearts perish that have not tasted the wine of afflictions in the desert of Thy love and favor, after Thou didst promise us all this in Thy inviolable Book, saying—and Thy word is the truth:
“We shall surely test you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth, lives, and fruits; but give glad tidings to the patient—those who, when affliction strikes them, say: ʿVerily, we belong to God and to Him do we return.’ These are they upon whom are blessings from their Lord, and mercy; these are they who are guided aright.”
BH01480: He is the Mighty One! O Ancient Pen! Set…
He is the Mighty One! O Ancient Pen! Set down upon the Tablet that which God hath cast upon thee in the world of eternity, ere the letter “K” was joined unto its sister, and ere the mysteries of the Cause were revealed in preserved tablets of glory. Beware lest thou fear anyone; then detach thyself from all that hath been created between the heavens and the earth, and hold fast unto this purified and beloved hem. Say: By God, the True One! When the days of sorrow had passed and were sealed by the Day of the Festival, there appeared therein a matter which caused all who dwell in the heaven of Command and Creation to swoon, save the number that correspondeth to Our Most Glorious Name in the heaven of eternity, did ye but know.
Say: The Ancient Being hath appeared in truth, and the Essence of Pre-existence hath dawned from this holy, exalted, mighty and manifest horizon. Thereby hath the Beauty of the Adored One been revealed with all names and attributes, would that ye might perceive. Say: This is a Day wherein God hath transcended all Manifestations, and wherein the Holy Spirit ascendeth at every moment, would that ye might be assured.
Say: By God! No good thing remaineth but it hath appeared on this Day, no matter but it hath been fulfilled, no bounty but it hath been completed, no word but it hath been confirmed, no secret but it hath been revealed, no sovereignty but it hath risen, no power but it hath emerged. Thus do We cast upon you the word of truth from the Pen of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
O ye dwellers of the Throne! O ye Concourse of Holiness in the Most Exalted Paradise! O ye dwellers of the precincts of intimacy in the most glorious heaven! O ye denizens of the Supreme Concourse in the pavilions of names! Hearken unto the call of God from this enkindled, blazing Fire within this lofty, upraised, blessed, unique, eternal, everlasting Tree upon this visible Mount in this blessed, transcendent Valley, that “Verily, I am God; there is none other God but Me. In truth, I have ever encompassed all worlds. I created all things in the world of the newly-created Will at a station which was sanctified and purified from all limitations and allusions to unity, in truth and by the truth.” O concourse of earth! Deprive not yourselves, nor your spirits, nor your eyes from the beauty of this unique, eternal, self-subsisting Youth. Hasten ye unto Him! This indeed is a grace from God unto all the worlds.
Say: By God! Flight shall profit you not on that Day from this Youth, Who hath been named the Great Announcement in the heaven of eternity, the Inscribed Mystery in the most exalted heaven, the Ancient Life in the kingdom of names, and the Ancient Light in this Paradise which hath been raised in truth above the pavilions of glory and grandeur.
Say: By God! At times I behold Him as the sun in the temple of holiness, and at times I witness that He surgeth within His Own Self, by His Own Self, for His Own Self, like the ocean that encompasseth all worlds. At times I behold that He hath risen like the heaven, and all created things dwell beneath His shadow, nay, beneath the shadow of His shadow, inhabited in justice. At times He appeareth with light, then radiance, then effulgence, then manifestation and gleaming that seizeth the eyes of all who are in the heavens and earth from turning to His countenance or gazing upon His beauty.
Thus have We revealed unto you from the mysteries of this Youth, and explained unto you less than the eye of a needle, nay, less than can be numbered, of the wondrous matters of the Command which had been preserved behind the veils of eternity by God’s protection in the holy Tablet. O concourse of earth and heaven! Deny not the grace of God and His favor, then the mercy of God and His honor, then the proof of God and His evidence. Distance not yourselves from drawing nigh unto this Garden which hath been spread in the atmosphere of this Spirit by the name of God.
Say: By God! We have bestowed upon all things, then upon all possibilities, from that mercy which hath encompassed all created things, that this bounty might be dispensed from this justice unto all worlds. Whoso willeth, let him hearken unto the melodies of the birds of the Throne upon this Branch which hath been raised in truth and hath encompassed all existence with an authority that was known in truth. And now We say at the end of Our utterance: All praise be to God, my Lord and the Lord of all the worlds together.
BH01520: In the name of God, the Most Holy…
In the name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Invincible, the Most Glorious! The mercy of God from the Primal Point hath verily descended in the form of words in the Tablets by virtue of truth. Well is it with the soul whom God hath not deprived thereof, and who hath tasted the sweetness of the remembrance of God, the Most Great, in these words which have issued from the mouth of God in truth. Verily it is the Most Great Sign in the Concourse on High, and the burning fire in the Tree of Eternity, and the glorious fruits upon the Tree of the Cloud, and the Ark of Eternity upon the Sea of Grandeur, and the Dawning-Place of the Command in the depths of the Names, and the Rising-Place of Light amidst the company of creation. Yet the people have remained heedless thereof and have deprived themselves of the melodies of God.
O servant! Bear thou witness that these are words which the Ancient Beauty hath sent down from the heaven of grace, and through them He maketh mention of thee that thou mayest rejoice within thyself and tread the paths of glory. Cast aside what thou possessest, then take the Book of God with the power that proceedeth from Him and the might that emanateth from His presence, and follow not every rejected satan. Follow thou the way of God and His command, then turn thy face toward the All-Merciful, that the lights of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, may take hold of thee and transform thee unto a station of sanctified love.
When the Tablet of God reacheth thee, place it upon thy head, then read what hath been revealed therein with such melodies as shall attract every praised and receptive soul. Beware lest thou be still in the Cause of thy Lord or remain silent in His remembrance. Aid thy Lord, the Bestower, in these days wherein the manifestations of Satan have dispersed from around Him. Thus doth the Pen of God instruct thee, through whose melodies were created the hearts of the Concourse on High and the realities of those who dwell in the Kingdom of Names—thus hath the Command been, if thou be of them that know.
Read thou the words of God in thy days and follow not those who have followed their desires in the days wherein the Ancient Beauty was established upon the throne of His Most Glorious Name by the command of Him Who was witnessed from the holy horizon. Then arise in the Cause of God and remind the people to turn unto the court of His grace and His presence. Say: O people! This is the Ancient Mystery that hath appeared in the temple of Him Who speaketh among you with verses that cause all in the kingdom to be thunderstruck. And if thou art capable within thyself, address the dwellers of the Cloud, then remind them of how this Beauty hath shone forth from a manifest horizon of glory.
By My Beauty, the Truth! Should anyone arise in this Cause and desire to subjugate all created things through a word from His presence, he would be empowered to do so. Thus hath the power of thy Lord encompassed all who are in the worlds. Say: In the name of God, the Holy, the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious! Then subjugate what is in thy right hand and what is in thy left hand, then turn thy face toward this Dawning-Place wherefrom the Ancient Beauty was witnessed. Leave the idolaters and what they possess. Verily, We have found some of them upon the hill of turning away, and some upon the hill of questioning, and some upon the hill of hatred, and some upon the hill of ignorance. Thus hath God reckoned their affair in this Tablet which hath been, from time immemorial, sanctified from the touch of the idolaters.
Hold thou fast unto the cord of God, then remain steadfast in His Cause. Take thou no rest in thyself, nor tarry in thy place. Wouldst thou rest while the Temple of God was raised upon the cross of hatred by these idolaters? Oh, what sorrow for the servants who have found rest within themselves while the Ancient Beauty hath been afflicted amidst the company of the hateful ones, and there descendeth upon Him at every moment that which no ear can bear to hear. By this have the hearts of the Concourse on High been consumed, then the hearts of those who dwell within the pavilions of eternity, then what was and what will be, if thou be of them that know.
Guard not thyself in the Cause of God in such wise that the fire of His love should be quenched within thee. Come forth from behind the veils of silence with manifest and glorious utterance. The glory of God be upon thee and upon whosoever hath heard the melodies of God and followed what hath been commanded in truth. Thus hath the sun of wisdom shone forth from the horizon of the mouth of thy Lord, the Most High, if thou be of them that perceive. And praise be to God, the Lord of the heavens and of the earth, and the Lord of all the worlds.
BH01528: This servant’s purpose concerning the loved ones of God…
In the name of the one incomparable Beloved!
This servant’s purpose concerning the loved ones of God has ever been truthfulness, justice and drawing nigh unto God. Throughout all days and nights I have summoned all, purely for the sake of God, to the holy court. Even in times when there was not a moment’s hope of safety outwardly, as you have all seen and understood, when enemies from all sects lay in ambush for this celestial bird, nevertheless, to the extent possible and even beyond that, there was no negligence in teaching the Cause of God. I swear by His sacred Being that I never had, nor have, any purpose of my own. Rather, the purpose was that a gathering of spiritual birds might assemble in His most glorious and impregnable Paradise, engaging in the remembrance of the Friend, that perchance the fragrances of detachment might waft over the world and its people, causing all to turn toward the Friend and become freed from the abasement of self and passion, and that the edifice of oppression built by the hands of the ungodly and transgressors on earth might be demolished by the hands of justice of holy, detached souls, so that all people might receive their share and portion from the ocean of His bounty and not remain deprived of His all-encompassing mercy.
Tablets have arrived from the land of Sad, and all are certain that that wicked associator has written falsehoods and calumnies. I swear by the Beauty of the Beloved that the mind is bewildered by the craftiness of these souls. Some of you have seen it. Now that associator has become the “leader of women.” Observe the power of that Almighty One Who has made manifest the falsehood of these wicked souls through their own actions, such that every person of insight and understanding has recognized and will recognize that “leader of women” as the “leader of men.” Therefore take refuge in God, O people, from their deceit and their lies. May God protect us and you from their evil.
Hear the call of this servant and with complete steadfastness protect the Cause of God from the oppression of the ungodly of the Bayan. Say: O people of the Bayan! Judge fairly yourselves. The deeds, actions and words of those souls have become evident and manifest. Is it now permissible for anyone to turn to such souls or speak in praise of such persons? No, by the Lord of the worlds! Whatever is mentioned is for the protection of God’s Cause, not for the protection of this prisoner, for it is quite evident that if any days of life remain for this servant, rest will never be attained, just as it was not attained before. Rather, by God, I have never sought nor do I seek rest, for at all times I proclaim:
“Would that my blood might be shed at this moment in the path of God, my Beloved and the Beloved of the mystics.”
In this case, whatever occurs on earth will bring no benefit to this servant. Whatever loving counsels have been and are mentioned in the Tablets are solely for the sake of the loved ones’ turning to the holy court of the All-Glorious and All-Bountiful.
O Abdullah! God’s favor has ever been and continues to be with you, and you have been in His presence and have become aware of the two parties. The record of the ungodly of this land are those souls who are in that land, and whatever you have observed of deeds, actions and words in those souls is the reflection of these souls that has appeared in those souls. Now ponder on the deeds and actions of Truth and His words, and on what you have observed from others besides Him, that the truth may become clear to you.
Previously two Tablets were sent specifically to you; God willing, they have arrived. Today you must strive and endeavor to the extent possible to teach God’s Cause, for this is the greatest bounty and supreme good. Although most people have ever turned to falsehood, as the affinity between them is evident, just as most people on earth today are idol worshippers—what else until the will of the Doer of whatsoever He willeth decrees, and verily He is powerful over what He willeth. However, you must stand firm in the Cause with perfect steadfastness and teach God’s Cause with tongue and pen to the extent possible. This is the fruit of existence, and verily He is the Mighty, the Adored One.
BH01514: O friends of God! In the name…
O friends of God! In the name of the King of the horizons! Praise be to the Beloved in His absolute sovereignty, Who through His all-embracing grace and all-encompassing mercy made His loved ones steadfast in His love, to such a degree that the dissension of the contentious ones did not prevent them from following the path of the All-Merciful, and they have borne hardships in the path of God, and have not remained veiled from the Lord of Lords by the might of the possessed or the veils of kings. However, had the seekers of the Ka’bih of the All-Merciful hearkened with their inner ears to the counsel of God, they would not have been afflicted with these tribulations. Although tribulation in His path is beloved to the soul and the desire of the spirit, this station is reserved for the sincere ones, while the weak are seen to be disturbed and shaken in times of tests and trials. Therefore, all are commanded to observe wisdom, that through divine prudence they may cause immature human realities to ascend to the heights of maturity, so that all may be engaged in His remembrance.
Today, no one should be heedless of wisdom. For example, it is observed that some become so assured by a word of acceptance from someone that they mention all matters without any restraint. This is sheer heedlessness. Never be assured by anyone, and speak not beyond their station and capacity. Many souls have been appointed by satanic souls merely to investigate and spy, that they might, in the guise of friendship, become informed of the secrets of the friends. Even as in certain cities some have feigned friendship and, having learned the details of matters, have informed their kind. Hearken unto the call of the Most Exalted Pen and depart not from wisdom. Permission has not been given for anyone to turn to this direction without leave.
The friends of Truth in all lands must act in unity, in such wise that no trace of disagreement may remain between them. They are neither of Sad nor of Kaf nor of aught else. They are the dwellers of the pavilion of faithfulness and the companions of the Most Glorious Paradise. Let them efface these differing letters and soar in the spiritual atmosphere of unity, and drink from the stream of Sad which floweth from the right hand of the Throne of Unity. The favors of God have been and will be with you. Ere long shall the souls who have oppressed the people of Baha be observed in utter remorse. Verily, the All-Merciful is with you and loss shall be unto them. You are the captives of God in the land. This is a great station; account it not small. Ere long shall your mention and that of the other friends of Truth be spread throughout all regions of the earth, even as now your names are mentioned in the divine Kingdom.
O My friends! You are the foundations of the houses of the Cause. If the foundations be not firm, the houses will not endure. And you are the wellsprings of the earth of knowledge. If the source be muddy, it will spread to all the divergent streams, and all will become turbid. My Son aforetime said to His companions:
“Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”
Your acceptance, detachment and orientation should attract those on earth and draw them to the arena of eternal life. And those souls who have become disturbed and anxious in this greatest turmoil, treat them with the utmost kindliness and love, and guide them to the divine pathway through goodly exhortation, for God hath not wished that any soul should remain deprived, especially those who have become the target of vilification and humiliation in the path of God, even though it be for but an hour. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Assured, powerful and steadfast souls have been and will be rarer than the philosopher’s stone. Such souls must not leave these weak ones to themselves, but must draw them anew to eternal life through divine utterances. Blessed are they who keep in mind the service and care of the friends of God, even as some have attained to this station and have shown love to the emigrants and friends according to their means. God willing, may all attain to this exalted station. The reward of no deed shall be lost. Verily, He is aware of what His loved ones do. He is the All-Wise, the All-Informed.
BH01507: O Letter of the Living! The ear of God…
He is the Most Exalted, the Most Powerful, the Most High
O Letter of the Living! The ear of God hath heard thy cry, and His eyes have beheld thy written supplication. He is calling thee from His seat of glory, and is revealing unto thee the verses that have been sent down by Him Who is the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
Blessed art thou for having utterly abolished the idol of self and of vain imagination, and for having rent asunder the veil of idle fancy, through the power of the might of thy Lord, the Supreme Protector, the Almighty, the one Beloved. Thou art indeed to be numbered with those Letters that have excelled every other Letter. Wherefore thou hast been singled out by God through the tongue of thy Lord, the Bab, the brightness of Whose countenance hath enveloped, and will continue to envelop, the whole of creation. Render thanks unto the Almighty, and magnify His name, inasmuch as He hath aided thee to recognize a Cause that hath made the hearts of the inhabitants of the heavens and of the earth to tremble, that hath caused the denizens of the Kingdoms of creation and of Revelation to cry out, and through which the hidden secrets of men’s breasts have been searched out and tested.
Thy Lord, the Most High (the Bab), addresseth thee, from His Realm of glory, these words: Great is the blessedness that awaiteth thee, O Letter of the Living, for thou hast truly believed in Me, hast refused to shame Me before the Concourse on high, hast fulfilled thy pledge, hast cast away the veil of vain imaginings, and hast fixed thy gaze upon the Lord, thy God, the Lord of the unseen and the seen, the Lord of the Frequented Fane. I am well pleased with thee, inasmuch as I have found thy face beaming with light on the Day when faces have been made dismal and turned black.
Say: O people of the Bayan! Did We not admonish you, in all Our Tablets and in all Our hidden Scriptures, not to follow your evil passions and corrupt inclinations, but to keep your eyes directed towards the Scene of transcendent glory, on the Day when the Most Mighty Balance shall be set, the Day when the sweet melodies of the Spirit of God shall be poured out from the right hand of the throne of your Lord, the omnipotent Protector, the All-Powerful, the Holy of Holies? Did We not forbid you to cleave to the things that would shut you out from the Manifestation of our Beauty, in its subsequent Revelation, be they the embodiments of the names of God and all their glory, or the revealers of His attributes and their dominion? Behold, how, as soon as I revealed Myself, ye have rejected My truth and turned away from Me, and been of them that have regarded the signs of God as a play and pastime!
By My Beauty! Nothing whatsoever shall, in this Day, be accepted from you, though ye continue to worship and prostrate yourselves before God throughout the eternity of His dominion. For all things are dependent upon His Will, and the worth of all acts is conditioned upon His acceptance and pleasure. The whole universe is but a handful of clay in His grasp. Unless one recognize God and love Him, his cry shall not be heard by God in this Day. This is of the essence of His Faith, did ye but know it.
Will ye be content with that which is like the vapor in a plain, and be willing to forgo the Ocean Whose waters refresh, by virtue of the Will of God, the souls of men? Woe unto you, for having repaid the bounty of God with so vain and contemptible a thing! Ye are, indeed, of them that have rejected Me in My previous Revelation. Would that your hearts could comprehend!
Arise, and, under the eyes of God, atone for your failures in duty towards Him. This is My commandment unto you, were ye to incline your ears unto My commandment. By Mine own Self! Neither the people of the Qur’an, nor the followers of either the Torah or the Evangel, nor those of any other Book, have committed that which your hands have wrought. I, Myself, have dedicated My whole life to the vindication of the truth of this Faith. I, Myself, have announced, in all My Tablets, the advent of His Revelation. And yet, no sooner did He manifest Himself, in His subsequent Revelation, clothed in the glory of Baha and arrayed in the robe of His grandeur, than ye rebelled against Him Who is the supreme Protector, the Self-Subsisting.
Beware, O people! Be ye ashamed of that which hath befallen Me at your hands in the path of God. Take heed that ye be not of them that have rejected that which hath been sent down unto them from the Heaven of God’s transcendent glory.
Such, O Letter of the Living, are the words which thy Lord hath spoken, and addressed unto thee from the realms above. Proclaim the words of thy Lord unto His servants, that perchance they may shake off their slumber, and ask pardon of God, Who hath formed and fashioned them, and sent down unto them this most effulgent, this most holy, and manifest Revelation of His Beauty.
As for what you wrote regarding Our name “the All-Bountiful,” that you have secluded yourself with Him and recognized that His good pleasure is the good pleasure of your Lord—excellent is what you have recognized, and you are among those who know. Remain there, then remind those who come to you, then convey to them what God has conveyed to you, and be among those who speak concerning the Cause of their Lord. Strive within yourself to remain steadfast in the love of your Master, for soon the winds of difference will blow from every direction—then be not disturbed, but take shelter in the shadow of the protection of your Lord.
Thus have We taught you and distinguished you, that you may give thanks to God, your Lord, and be among the thankful ones. And the glory be upon you and upon those who have detached themselves from all else and turned with their hearts to this holy and beloved Scene.
BH01529: This is an epistle from this servant to him…
In the Name of the Most High, the Most Exalted
This is an epistle from this servant to him who hath believed in God and journeyed unto Him until he entered the sacred shore in the vicinity of the mercy of his Lord, the Mighty, the Gracious, and heard the melodies of God and drank from the seas of nearness, then was guided by the guidance of the Spirit and attained unto the lights of a luminous countenance. O servant! We have heard thy call and have answered thee with a reply that transcendeth the minds of the mystics, that thou mayest rejoice within thyself and soar with longing and be of them that have attained unto the lights of Beauty, and be detached from the world and its ornaments to such extent that nothing in the kingdom shall cause thee grief, and be as a fire in thy love that may consume the veils of those who were veiled in the days of God and were among the lost, that perchance they may arise from the couches of their heedlessness and seek forgiveness of God within themselves and return unto the paradise of nearness.
Say: O people! Fear God and believe in Him and differ not concerning His Cause, and be not of the mischief-makers. Follow the command of God and migrate unto Him with your hearts, and when ye hear the verses of the Spirit, fall down in prostration before them, and follow not those who have cast the Book of God behind their backs as though they had never heard it, and who walk in the valley of misbelief.
Say: O people! The Cause of God hath come upon clouds of spirit with angels round about it, and the Sun of Beauty hath shone forth and the Face hath appeared from behind the veil with manifest sovereignty, and the believers at that time rejoice in the joy of God and are attracted by the melodies of the Spirit, while ye lie sleeping upon the couch of heedlessness.
Say: O people! Know ye the value of these days and deprive not yourselves of the fruits of Paradise, and be not of the heedless ones. This is what this servant counseleth you in his epistle and strengtheneth you through the Spirit and conveyeth unto you the messages of his Lord and remindeth you of the remembrance of God, the Mighty, the Luminous.
And thou, fear no one and grieve not for anything, but put thy trust in God. Verily He will protect thee from the hosts of Satan and will aid thee by His command and will provide thee with everlasting bounties and will give thee glad tidings of lights of ancient glory, that thou mayest abide in the Concourse on High and soar with two wings of longing unto the precincts of a mighty nearness.
O servant! the ungodly say there is no spirit in these words. Say: Woe unto you! The spirit of life from this Paradise wafteth upon the worlds. And thereby they turned away and waxed proud before God and the Manifestations of His Cause, and were dead within the veils of their own selves. Thus hath Satan made their deeds seem fair unto them and their hearts have hardened as though they were behind a thick veil, after God had commanded them in all the Tablets not to follow their desires and when they hear the verses of the Spirit to rejoice within themselves and hasten unto a holy and noble seat.
Say: If ye be in doubt concerning what hath been revealed in this Tablet, then bring forth a proof from God or an evidence from His presence, then call your witnesses if ye be steadfast in your words. And if ye be unable, then fear God and join not partners with Him in His Cause, then follow what hath been revealed unto you and follow not every ignorant multitude, and be not of them that turn aside.
Thus do We recount unto thee the story of those who disbelieved and turned away, though I desired naught save servitude unto God, the True One, and thou art witness unto this, and God behind thee is All-Knowing and All-Witnessing.
Say: Doth not My tribulation among the servants suffice you, wherein We were manifest among them like the sun in the midst of heaven, and there befell Us what hath befallen no one before? Yet withal We desired no help from you and We put Our trust in God, the Mighty, the Exalted. This is the extent of their understanding in this vain life, and in the hereafter they shall have no helper nor supporter.
Convey the Spirit from Our presence unto him whose writing We found in thy letter, and give him glad tidings of the light of a wondrous morn. Then remind him not to make any reference to Us, that God may sanctify him from the veils of heedlessness and make him one of the angels of the highest heaven. And peace be upon thee and upon the women in thy household and upon those who remember God in thy land and who are upon a straight path of certain truth.
BH01548: These are the verses of holiness which have been…
In the Name of God, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Holy!
These are the verses of holiness which have been sent down from the presence of One mighty and wise. He guides the people to the heaven of grace and bestows upon them that which quickens their hearts and draws them nigh unto God, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.
Blessed is he who finds the sweetness of his Lord’s remembrance, who detaches himself from the world, and ascends to the station wherein he hears the melodies of God with his ear and beholds the signs of God with his eye, and is possessed of clear vision. When he attains to that station and arrives at this holy, pure and exalted Seat, he becomes so steadfast in the Cause of his Lord that he regards all else as under His shadow, and his gaze never wavers from this Most Great, Most Pure and Wondrous Horizon.
O servant! Hearken unto that which is revealed unto thee from the holy precincts of this Blessed Spot:
“I am, verily, God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers of old. Cast away from thyself whatsoever keepeth thee back from God, thy Lord, then enter beneath the shadow of His Name, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful.”
When thou hast sanctified thyself from allusions and purified thyself from intimations, the breezes of the All-Merciful will draw thee to the right hand of Paradise. Then loose thy tongue in remembrance amidst the heavens and earth and convey thy Lord’s Cause, for God hath prescribed unto every soul the duty to deliver His Cause. Thus hath the matter been decreed from the presence of One mighty and powerful. Whoso opens his lips today in remembrance of his Lord will be reinforced by the hosts of God’s revelation through wondrous inspiration, and God will cause the Kawthar of divine knowledge to flow from his mouth and will make him speak with wisdom and utterance in such wise that none among all created things shall be able to speak in his presence.
By God, O servant who art mentioned before the Throne! Were it not for the opposition of the people of the Bayan against thy Lord, the All-Merciful, I would have manifested, through the power which God granted Me before the creation of all things, that which would have caused all necks to bow before the command of thy Lord, the Almighty, the Powerful. By My life! If what hath befallen Me at their hands were to befall thee, thou wouldst weep for My loneliness, then My solitude, then My tribulation between the claws of those who were created by My command. But We have concealed it lest the cry of the sincere ones be raised.
Thou knowest that the people of the Bayan used to hide their faces behind veils to protect themselves, and were among the heedless. We were manifest between the heavens and earth, speaking in praise of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. I did not protect Myself for less than a moment, and was ever shining above the heads of the enemies with the lights of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful, until the Beauty of the Word dawned from the horizon of grandeur and power and the Cause encompassed all the worlds. Then they felt secure in themselves and emerged from behind the veil with swords of hatred and manifest deceit, striking Me at every moment with their blades. By God! There remained no place on My body that was not struck by iron, and they reached such heights of vainglory that they denied the proof whereby their own faith had been established and their mention had been exalted among the servants, both great and small. Such was the condition of these people—they say what they understand not and imagine themselves to be among the doers of good.
Say: Today, whosoever turneth away from this Cause hath turned away from God and His Messengers; his name shall not be mentioned before the Throne and he shall be in manifest loss. As for thee, avoid such as these, then put thy trust in thy Lord. He will protect thee in all conditions and guard thee from the hosts of Satan. Be thou steadfast in thy love for thy Lord and fear not those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God and were among the idolaters. Put them behind thee, then turn thy face toward thy Lord at all times.
Thus have We detailed the remembrance for thee and informed thee of what hath befallen Us, that thou mayest become aware of the harm that hath touched Us from these heedless ones. And the glory be upon thee and upon those who have remained steadfast in the Cause and were among the firm ones.
BH01544: This is a Day in which every soul…
In the Name of God, the Most Unapproachable, the Most Holy, the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious!
This is a Day in which every soul and spirit must arise to promote the Cause of God—that is, to teach His Cause with wisdom and utterance, not through disputation. Such a Cause has appeared that even the pure ones and those near to God have been confounded, let alone the idolatrous and hateful embodiments who have ever been and shall ever be non-existent and unmentioned.
O Mihdi! This is the Day of the Most Great Steadfastness. Stand firm in the Cause and, to the extent possible, do not neglect to promote God’s Cause. We are aware of the sorrows that have befallen you, but be patient as We were patient, and be not of the perturbed ones. Salman is departing, as are several others, and after their arrival you will be informed of the details of this land.
The idolatrous embodiments are constantly occupied with new calumnies, and they have surely sent letters to various regions. By My life! If people had insight, they would recognize from these very fabricated calumnies the station, power, measure and falsehood of those who oppose and war against God. Just as these false embodiments are occupied with spreading fabricated words, you too must occupy yourself with spreading words of truth and sincerity, that perchance the people may not be prevented by the narrators of lies and calumnies, and may be confirmed in the path of God, to Whom belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and earth.
Write to Mirza Baqir:
“Stand firm in the Cause and grieve not for what was taken from you. God will soon give you double what you lost. He is the Powerful over what He willeth, and He is Powerful over all things. Beware lest you grieve over such matters, for all are God’s servants—He takes and gives, causes to die and brings to life. Whatever He does to anyone is better for him than the treasures of the heavens and earth. Be patient in what has befallen you, then stand firm in the Cause. Grieve not in the least, for soon He will bestow upon you that which will gladden you in truth. He is the Protector of the doers of good.”
And convey to Jinab-i-Rasul that his exposition has reached the Seat of Exposition. Praise God that the favors of the All-Glorious and the Beauty of the All-Merciful have been and will be with you. Sing and warble as you please, and grieve not for anything, for He loves His servants who do good, and will never neglect them for less than a moment. He is near to those who love Him.
Furthermore, the lamentations of Aqa Muhammad-ʿAli were heard. It behooves him to be thus, for he heard God’s melody with his own ears and was with Him in prison and witnessed what befell Us of tribulations. Convey to him Our greetings and give him the glad tidings of Our remembrance of him, that he may be of those who rejoice.
Then convey Our greetings to the people of the sanctuary and to all the friends, both Arab and Persian. Then remind them of this wondrous Remembrance. And the Glory be upon you and upon them and upon God’s servants, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Sovereign, the Wise.
They commanded to write that God’s favors have ever encompassed you and will continue to do so. That you have not yet been summoned has been due to the wisdom of God’s Cause, for this Servant has ever sacrificed His life for the good of God’s Cause, and I love that God’s loved ones should all act likewise. Had you been summoned, given the conflicts in that land, it would not have been advisable; otherwise you would surely have been summoned by now. Now remain in perfect peace and tranquility. God willing, you will be summoned in the hot season. Grieve not at your separation, but be patient and be not of the sorrowful ones. God willing, we hope you will be blessed with attaining Our presence. Rest assured and fear not, then speak forth in praise of God among the worlds.
BH11590: Lawh-i-Haji Muhammad Baqir I
To be typed.
BH11592: Lawh-i-Haji Muhammad Baqir III
To be typed.
BH01560: This is a Book from Us to him who…
In the Name of God, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most High!
This is a Book from Us to him who hath turned his face unto God, the Lord of all worlds, and who hath traversed the path until he arrived at the Living Waters which flowed from the finger of the will of his Lord, the Most Merciful, and was numbered among the successful ones. He arrived at the Holy Shore and found companionship with the Beloved of the worlds.
After his arrival, We commanded him to enter the abode of those who wronged themselves and God, the King, the Mighty, the Wise, until he came upon them suddenly like a thunderbolt of chastisement upon a sinful people. He sat and prevailed through what the Most Merciful cast into his heart, until he arose and returned to the Most Great Ocean, detached from the idolaters.
Blessed art thou, O servant, in that God hath made thee as fire unto the idolaters and a spirit and sweet fragrance unto His believing servants. Cast away all that is possible and take what thou art commanded by thy Lord, the Most Merciful. Turn unto His hesitant servants that perchance through thee the withered trees may become verdant and those who are remote may draw nigh unto God in manifest humility.
Arise and say: O people! By God, the Primal Word hath been fulfilled, the Hidden Alif hath appeared, and the sun of thy Lord’s authority hath dawned from the horizon of possibility with brilliant, resplendent light. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of its fragrances. Thus doth the Most Exalted Pen counsel you, and God is, verily, the Witness and the Informed of this.
Say: O people, be fair and then observe: Can darkness persist when the sun shineth forth? Nay, by the Lord of all worlds! When the Most Great Ocean surgeth, the flame of fire cannot endure beside it, and when the winds of might blow, the gnat cannot remain stable, were ye but of those who know.
Say: O people, abandon names and the idols of the idolaters. Turn unto God, the Lord of Names and Attributes, sanctified from all allusions. Thus hath Truth spoken—hearken and be not of the heedless ones.
Say: O people! By God, he whom ye have taken as lord besides God is like the ashes of dogs’ bones, nay more despicable, were ye but of the assured ones. Whoso looketh into his words knoweth his worth and findeth from them the exhalations of hell. Those who mention fabricated words when that which hath been sent down from God’s dominion hath been revealed are cursed by the denizens of the highest paradise and God’s near servants. Say: Today one letter thereof cannot be equaled by all that hath been created in the heavens and earths.
Say: O concourse of idolaters! Die in your wrath! The Luminary of inner meanings hath shone forth and its radiance hath dazzled your eyes. Return to your abode in the depths of hell. He who compareth the verses of God with his words is like unto Pharaoh when he said “I am your lord, the most high.” Say: This is greater, were ye but possessed of insight.
O Nabil-i-Qabli-ʿAli! Hear the word of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious, from the Shore of Eternity. Then wash thyself in the waters of sanctity and speak forth His praise amongst His servants, that the words of God may influence the hearts of all peoples. Grieve not over anything, and regard not those who are heedless except as insects driven by the winds of self and passion, carried wheresoever they list. Thus hath it been sent down from God’s dominion—thy Lord and the Lord of the first and the last.
Say: O people! If ye have guaranteed immortality and are secure from the grave, then follow your desires. Otherwise, fear God Who created you by His command. Death is truth and shall come upon you. Then shall ye find yourselves in manifest loss.
Then inform the people of what thou hast seen and known, that they may detach themselves from what they possess and turn with their hearts toward the Holy Court, and not follow Satan. When thou openest the door of utterance, thy Lord, the Lord of lords, shall assist thee with the angels of revelation. Thus hath the Pen of the Most Merciful given thee glad tidings in this Tablet, one letter of which cannot be equaled by all that hath been created in all existence, as every possessor of keen vision doth testify.
Remove the veil from the people and burn their veils with the fire of thy Lord’s love, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. And when thou seest those who have believed, glorify their faces on My behalf and give them the glad tidings of the Youth’s remembrance of them out of His love for God. This, verily, is a great bounty.
The Spirit and Glory be upon thee and upon those whom the cooing of the Dove of Eternity hath attracted to the direction of God, the Mighty, the Generous. And praise be to the Beloved of the worlds.
BH09309: Glorified be He Who hath ordained the measures…
He is the Everlasting upon the Throne of Grandeur and Independence!
Glorified be He Who hath ordained the measures of the Cause as He hath willed and desired, and verily He hath power over all things. He hath sent down verses from the heaven of holiness in wondrous remembrance, and with Him is the knowledge of the heavens and earth. He knoweth what passeth through the hearts of His servants, and verily He hath knowledge of all things.
O Nabil-i-ʿAli! Hearken unto that which We reveal unto thee from the direction of the Throne, the station which God hath raised above the comprehension of the worlds, that He may make thee strong in this Cause wherein every mighty one hath been brought low, and may purify thee from all things and from whatsoever the people utter, and may cause the springs of wisdom and utterance to flow from thy tongue, that all creation may be enriched thereby.
Arise to serve God, then detach thyself wholly from all who are in the heavens and on earth, that the drops of grace may take hold of thee from this cloud which hath been raised in the heaven of holiness. Be thou of such countenance that the faces of the heavens and earth may be illumined thereby. Thus doth command thee the tongue of holy love. Be thou of such manner that should the idolaters behold thee, their foundations would be shaken, and should the believers see thee, their hearts would surge with the surging of love from this Fire which hath been kindled in the blessed Mount Sinai.
O Muhammad! Know thou the worth of these days, the like of which God hath not created in all creation, wherein the dwellers of the heavens and earth were stirred up, and the pillars of a mighty throne were made to quake. In them the wealthy became poor, the strong became weak, and every renowned scholar became ignorant. Purify thou the hem of thy sanctity from all created things, then ascend by the wings of holiness unto this heaven, that thou mayest witness all beings in the shadow of thy Lord as aged clay.
Stand thou firm in the Cause and turn not unto anyone, though all things rise against thee. Thus did We command thee before, and thus do We command thee now, that thou mayest stand firm in the Cause of thy Lord. Say: O people! Do ye deny Him through Whom God’s Cause was exalted, His beauty appeared, His proof dawned, and His evidence was perfected unto all creation assembled? Thus do We make mention of thee in this Tablet in these days wherein the Youth hath desired to veil His face from eyes, by reason of that which the hands of every sinful hypocrite have wrought.
Say: O people! By God, were ye to cut off your ears it would be better for you than to hearken thereby to the words of any rejected idolater, and were ye to sever your heads with your own hands it would be more excellent in God’s sight than to associate thereby with any hateful hypocrite. And thou, O Muhammad, cast behind thee all remembrances, then hold fast to the remembrance of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, Who hath appeared with a glorious and radiant beauty. Then give thanks unto God for having made thee a servant to His Most Exalted Self in the kingdom of earth and heaven. By God, this is a bounty which no other bounty in the dominion of creation and the kingdom of eternity can equal, and to this doth testify the Tongue of Grandeur from behind the pavilion of intimate nearness.
We beseech God to recompense thee with the most excellent recompense, to grant thee the best of the hereafter and of the former days, and not to withhold thee from the splendors of the light of His Face for less than what can be counted. Verily, He is wise in all things.
He is.
These are days the like of which no eye in all creation hath ever seen, and no soul among all created things hath ever perceived. At all times must ye take refuge in God, that perchance ye may remain safe beneath the protection of the Lord of the Day of Judgment from the schemes of the schemers and the deceits of the deceivers. For the craft of the plotters hath reached such heights that were all the pens in the universe to attempt to enumerate them, they would surely prove powerless and fall short. And if for a moment they should tire of their deceptions while awake, or find themselves unable to pursue them, they reach into the realm of sleep and make mention of dreams, that perchance they might cause some innocent soul to stray from the straight path. They remain heedless that the Hand of Divine training and the Grasp of the Power of the Eternal doth raise up such servants as will never take their eyes from the Beauty of the Friend, though the arrows of tribulation should rain down from the clouds of destiny, and should regard the world and all that is therein as utter nothingness, as though it had never been mentioned.
BH01545: Hearken unto that which is revealed unto thee…
In the Name of God, the Ever-Abiding, the Imperishable!
Hearken unto that which is revealed unto thee from the Realm of Divine Identity at the Sacred Spot of Oneness by the Tongue of Divinity: Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Unconstrained. Leave behind all creation and turn with thy heart unto God. By God! The heaven hath been cleft asunder and the Lord of the Day of Mutual Calling hath come. Say: O people of hypocrisy! Whither do ye flee? Can ye penetrate the extremities of My grandeur and dominion? Nay, by the Lord of the Day of Separation!
Know thou that We have rent asunder the veils and shattered the idols of vain desire when We raised up one among the servants and adorned his heart with the ornament of strength and certitude, and sent him with a Tablet from thy Lord unto him by whom the dwellers of Paradise lament at eventide and at dawn, that he might know that He is indeed the One Who doeth what He willeth. The tribulations of the world deter Him not from that which He desireth. He is, in truth, the Almighty, the Mighty, the All-Compelling.
When the Tablet was opened, the Great Cry was raised anew, and all who dwell on earth were thunderstruck save whom thy Lord, Who causeth night to succeed day, willed to spare. Can anyone create the like thereof? Nay, by thy Lord! Thus hath the matter been decreed by God, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
When thou art honored with God’s Tablet, take it with power from Us, then hasten unto her who claimeth faith in God, the Lord of lords. Say: I have come unto thee from the Dawning-Place of verses with thy Lord’s clear proofs. Then bring forth the Tablet and recite unto her what hath been sent down from the Supreme Pen. Thus hath the matter been decreed and truth hath come with clear evidence and proof. Say: If thou be fair in God’s sight, can any word equal what thou hast witnessed? By God! Wert thou to be fair, thou wouldst find from every word of God’s words the sweet fragrances of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Can any matter of his Lord be obscure to one who is endowed with insight? Nay, by My Self! Be fair, O ye who are possessed of vision.
He hath appeared in such wise that none can speak in His presence. Thy Lord is, verily, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Say: The Word of God shineth forth among words even as the sun at high noon. Fear God, O people, and follow not every doubting idolater. Hath vain desire withheld thee from thy Most Glorious Lord, or have names prevented thee from turning toward God, the Creator of earth and heaven? Leave behind all who are on earth, for by My life, all that dwelleth thereon shall perish, and the Tongue of Grandeur and Power proclaimeth: The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the One, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.
Sever not the tie that bindeth thee to Him; hold fast unto it. Thus doth the Lord of eternity command thee at this moment when He is established upon the throne of His Most Great Name, while hosts of evil have surrounded Him. Say: Hearken unto the word of thy Lord and reflect upon him by whom thou wert made to pause in a Cause but for which the Bayan would not have been revealed nor would the Dove have warbled upon the branches. Hast thou forgotten what thou didst witness from Him after We removed the veils for thee? Can aught be hidden from God Who hath caused all things to proclaim His praise? This is better for thee than all that is hidden or manifest.
Arise through My might and power, then take the cup of detachment in the name of thy Lord, the Creator of all things. Then drink therefrom in remembrance of thy Lord, the Revealer of verses. Wouldst thou dwell in the spider’s house after the coming of the Lord of all kingdoms? Leave it to its people, then turn thee toward this House round which circle the Concourse on High at morn and eventide. By Him Who gave Me utterance, I desire naught but good for thee thereby, and remind thee purely for the sake of thy Lord, that thou mayest abandon thy desire and hold fast to the hem of thy Master.
Thereto beareth witness every atom, that thou, O thou who hast turned towards God and gazed upon His countenance, must cast upon them the words of thy Lord. If thou beholdest in their countenance the radiance of the All-Merciful, then draw thou nigh unto them, but if they be veiled by the dust of the fire, then turn away from them. Thus hast thou been commanded by the Lord of all men. Fear not thine own self; be as thy Lord was. Dost thou not see that from the horizon of tribulation, beneath the swords of destiny, He calleth the peoples of creation unto God, the Lord of all names, and the might of the wicked deterreth Him not? We have sent down unto thee a Tablet whereof were but one letter to descend upon every mountain, thou wouldst surely behold it soaring, out of longing, toward the Dawning-Place of Names and Attributes. Gather thou My loved ones together, then make mention of them on My behalf, that they may be drawn unto the station from whose horizon hath shone the Sun of the remembrance of the name of thy Lord, illumining thereby all who dwell in the realms of being.
BH01593: O Mihdi! God willing, be ye ever occupied…
O Mihdi! God willing, be ye ever occupied in the remembrance of God and in His service. I have said: I beseech Him, and I crave an answer from the King of His power, even as one of His servants–who was reckoned among the people of the Son—hath called upon Him, that He may make us steadfast in the face of the shocks of aggression; for verily He is powerful, all-powerful; and that He may safeguard us within the stronghold of His providence, His bounties, and His gracious favour, and so forth. Thy Lord, in very truth, hath already answered all this before thy supplication, in such wise that He hath aided thee to serve Him, to proclaim His Cause, and to magnify His Name amongst His servants; hath preserved thee from the insinuations of the guilty and the doubts of the deniers; and hath confirmed thee in seasons of turmoil and of trial. For such a Lord befitteth praise and glorification and thanksgiving. Verily He is the Mighty, the Incomparable.
That which ye wrote concerning the sending of copies of Tablets hath been most acceptable. In truth, the Words of the All-Merciful are like the breezes of the springtime of divine favors for all creation—the more they blow and pass by, the sweeter and more excellent they become. This is of God’s grace unto them. Previously certain Tablets were revealed unto you wherein were recorded from the Pen of the Most High explanations of the revelation of certain Quranic verses and some stories of earlier times. Those Tablets, nay rather all that hath been sent unto you, should be dispatched to all lands, for they shall prove most beneficial. Some of the servants are unaware of what hath come to pass and are heedless of what shall come to pass, therefore such Tablets shall be profitable. Those to whom copies are sent should make copies themselves and send them abroad. Although this wondrous Cause is one that hath had and shall have no likeness before or after it, blessed is he who beholdeth it with his own eyes, detached from all that he hath heard aforetime.
In any case, the service to the Cause rendered by your honor is befitting and meet. All that ye have undertaken hath been and is acceptable. Concerning the letter to the Land of Kh, they had written:
“By My life! We love to hear their call at all times. We have not forgotten them, rather We remember them as is meet and befitting. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”
God willing, after the way is assuredly opened, We shall send unto them that which will cause their spirits to soar and their eyes to be gladdened.
As for what ye wrote concerning Fars, his book was presented at the Most Great Scene, and an answer was revealed and sent. However, they must proceed with the utmost wisdom. They must never speak openly of the Sender or that which is sent. Most people are immature and as infants. When a child is born of its mother, it must be given milk, not meat and heavy foods, so that step by step it may be educated and reach a station wherein it can partake of diverse fruits and manifold bounties. Ye must greatly emphasize concealment of the Cause, wisdom, and forbearance with people. Although the command to teach hath been revealed in the Tablet, yet this is not intended for these days. They must act according to the capacity of the people. The more matters remain concealed in these days, the better it is. Previously a Tablet was specifically revealed for them, but it was not sent.
We beseech God that they may remain firm and steadfast. The ultimate bounty concerning him is that his mention hath been recorded by the Eternal Pen in the Divine Tablet. Blessed is he, and again blessed is he. If at any time he should desire to turn towards this land, ye must surely forbid it. The explicit command is that no one should turn towards this direction except by permission of his Lord.
Convey greetings from the True One to N.S. Say: God hath seized him who cast thee into the well. Verily He is the Deliverer of the loved ones and the Destroyer of the idolaters. Likewise, convey the honor of greetings to Khalil of the land of S, to Darvish, and to other loved ones of God, and especially to Aqa Muhammad-Rida who is consumed in the fire of separation, and to his family convey countless greetings. The Glory be upon thee and upon those with thee and thy family.
BH01572: Hearken unto the Divine Call and with penetrating vision…
He is the One Who gazeth from the All-Glorious Horizon!
Hearken unto the Divine Call and with penetrating vision and illumined heart, consider and ponder His wondrous words. All names have been and shall forever remain within the grasp of His power, and all people of diverse nations are clinging to and holding fast unto the divine names, for no soul hath the power to transgress the Kingdom of Names or to step outside His command. All make mention of His Name and turn toward His direction, and yet concerning some, there hath been revealed and sent down from the Divine Pen that they are worshippers of idols.
Now ponder what hath been and shall be the cause of this. If We were to say they clung to names and remained veiled from the recognition of the Essence, all people share this station, for all besides Him have been and shall ever be veiled from recognizing His exalted Essence. The way is barred and the path is impassable. He was, and there was nothing besides Him that could know Him. Therefore, all recognition from the peoples of the worlds returneth to the ocean of Names, and it is most evident that every nation of the earth calleth upon Him by a name, and none can transgress this station. Yet upon some hath the decree of misbelief been issued from the Ancient Pen, and upon others hath the decree of Divine Unity been sent down, and this is for no other reason save that they are heedless of that which they have been commanded in this Day. Therefore are they reckoned among the people of the fire and are not mentioned in the presence of God.
The ultimate goal and the furthermost Lote-Tree and the most exalted horizon of human existence is that one should not remain veiled from the Truth in the days of God, and should will that which He hath willed, and should not perceive in himself any will, purpose, existence or life. He should see all these as perishing in His will and purpose. These are the essences of existence and the daysprings of the manifest. This is a Day wherein all the denizens of the highest Paradise are gazing upon the sincere ones and are crying out “O Lord, have mercy upon Thy servants,” for rarely can be seen one who truly gazeth toward the horizon of God’s Cause and is detached from all else. From every direction ariseth the cry of haste, and the manifestations of Satan are occupied with deception, each day calling the people by a different name.
O people of the earth! Alif and Shin! Hearken unto the Call of the Lord of the Worlds and with perfect certitude and assurance, gaze toward the direction of the All-Merciful in such wise that ye behold all the peoples of the earth as non-existent and turn unto the intended Goal. Interpret not the divine Word, and remain not veiled from its outer meaning, for none knoweth its interpretation save God and those who are heedless of the outer meaning of the words and claim to understand their inner meanings—I swear by the Most Great Name that such souls have been and shall ever be liars. Blessed are they who act upon the outer meaning and hope for the inner meaning. The Truth hath ever been one, sanctified from peer or likeness. We have borne all tribulations that perchance the people might enter the realm of sanctity. Strive ye that in these days ye may be adorned with the ornament of the mercy of the spring of the All-Merciful.
Recite ye this prayer morn and eve:
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name, through which the sun of Thy Cause hath shone forth from the horizon of Thy Revelation, not to deprive us of the breezes that waft from the direction of Thy grace. Then make us, O my God, purely devoted to Thy Face and detached from all else but Thee. Then gather us, moreover, with those servants of Thine whom the intimations of human nature have not prevented from turning unto the Divine Presence. O Lord, cause us to enter beneath the shadow of Thy most great mercy, then preserve us from those servants who have disbelieved in Thy Most Glorious Name, and give us to drink of the pure wine of Thy providence and the choice wine of Thy bounty and favors. Verily Thou art powerful to do what Thou willest, and verily Thou art the Forgiving, the Merciful. O Lord! Make us steadfast in Thy love amongst Thy creatures, for this is Thy greatest gift to Thy creation, and verily Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful ones.
BH01591: The Pen of Revelation exclaimeth: “On this Day…
He is the Eternal, the Most High
The Pen of Revelation exclaimeth: “On this Day the Kingdom is God’s!” The Tongue of Power is calling: “On this Day all sovereignty is, in very deed, with God!” The Phoenix of the realms above crieth out from the immortal Branch: “The glory of all greatness belongeth to God, the Incomparable, the All-Compelling!” The Mystic Dove proclaimeth from its blissful bower, in the everlasting Paradise: “The source of all bounty is derived, in this Day, from God, the One, the Forgiving!” The Bird of the Throne warbleth its melody in its retreats of holiness: “Supreme ascendancy is to be attributed, this Day, to none except God, Him Who hath no peer nor equal, Who is the Most Powerful, the All-Subduing!”
The inmost essence of all things voiceth in all things the testimony: “All forgiveness floweth, in this Day, from God, Him to Whom none can compare, with Whom no partners can be joined, the Sovereign Protector of all men, and the Concealer of their sins!” The Quintessence of Glory hath lifted up its voice above My head, and crieth from such heights as neither pen nor tongue can in any degree describe: “God is my witness! He, the Ancient of everlasting days is come, girded with majesty and power. There is none other God but Him, the All-Glorious, the Almighty, the All-Highest, the All-Wise, the All-Pervading, the All-Seeing, the All-Informed, the Sovereign Protector, the Source of eternal light!”
O My servant, who hast sought the good-pleasure of God and clung to His love on the Day when all except a few who were endued with insight have broken away from Him! May God, through His grace, recompense thee with a generous, an incorruptible and everlasting reward, inasmuch as thou hast sought Him on the Day when eyes were blinded. Know thou that if We reveal to thee but a sprinkling of the showers which, through God’s decree, and at the hands of the envious and the malicious, have rained upon Us, thou wouldst weep with a great weeping, and wouldst bewail day and night Our plight. Oh, would that a discerning and fair-minded soul could be found who would recognize the wonders of this Revelation—wonders that proclaim the sovereignty of God and the greatness of its power. Would that such a man might arise and, wholly for the sake of God, admonish, privately and openly, the people, that haply they may bestir themselves and aid this wronged One Whom the workers of iniquity have so sorely afflicted.
Methinks that I hear the Voice of the Holy Spirit calling from behind Me saying: Vary Thou Thy theme, and alter Thy tone, lest the heart of him who hath fixed his gaze upon Thy face be saddened. Say: I have through the grace of God and His might besought the help of no one in the past, neither will I seek the help of anyone in the future. He it is Who aided Me, through the power of truth, during the days of My banishment in ‘Iráq. He it is Who overshadowed Me with His protection at a time when the kindreds of the earth were contending with Me. He it is Who enabled Me to depart out of the city, clothed with such majesty as none, except the denier and the malicious, can fail to admit.
Say: My army is My reliance on God; My people, the force of My confidence in Him. My love is My standard, and My companion the remembrance of God, the Sovereign Lord of all, the Most Powerful, the All-Glorious, the Unconditioned.
Arise, O wayfarer in the path of the Love of God, and aid thou His Cause. Say: Barter not away this Youth, O people, for the vanities of this world or the delights of heaven. By the righteousness of the one true God! One hair of Him excelleth all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth. Beware, O men, lest ye be tempted to part with Him in exchange for the gold and silver ye possess. Let His love be a storehouse of treasure for your souls, on the Day when naught else but Him shall profit you, the Day when every pillar shall tremble, when the very skins of men shall creep, when all eyes shall stare up with terror. Say: O people! Fear ye God, and turn not away disdainfully from His Revelation. Fall prostrate on your faces before God, and celebrate His praise in the daytime and in the night season.
Let thy soul glow with the flame of this undying Fire that burneth in the midmost heart of the world, in such wise that the waters of the universe shall be powerless to cool down its ardor. Make, then, mention of thy Lord, that haply the heedless among Our servants may be admonished through thy words, and the hearts of the righteous be gladdened.
Then know that thy letter hath come before Us, and We have heard that wherewith thou didst call upon God thy Lord in that which proceeded from My tongue, and it was read before Us by him who was present before the Throne, and We have answered thee with truth. Soon it shall reach thee, if God should will and desire. Verily there is no God but Him. His is the creation and the command, and all things with Him are according to measure. Give thanks unto God for having delivered thee from thy people and brought thee forth from among them with tranquility and power, and aided thee to recognize the Manifestation of His Self after they all turned away from God. Even thus doth light proceed from fire. Then unite with the loved ones of God and speak among the people with wisdom, for We have lifted the law of disputation and have left the earth to its people. Thy Lord desireth naught but the hearts of the righteous. And the glory be upon thee, and the splendor be upon thee and upon thy sister and upon whoso hath rent asunder the veils.
BH01568: In the Name of God, the Most Holy…
In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted! Hearken unto the Call of thy Lord from the direction of the Throne, that verily there is none other God but Him, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.
Say: O people, abandon your desires and set your faces toward the Most Remote Sanctuary—this would be better for you, did ye but know. Say: Verily He standeth at the pivot of tribulation and calleth you to the Ultimate Tree. Fear God and follow not those who have taken their desires and cast aside their God. Thus doth the Pen of Command remind you, would ye but understand.
He hath come for the life of the world and hath sacrificed Himself through that which was ordained by God, the Mighty, the Loving. Say: By the barking of dogs the Most Exalted Pen shall not be silenced. It speaketh between earth and heaven and summoneth you unto God, the Lord of Names, but the people perceive not. Tribulation deterreth Him not from that which He hath been commanded, even though His very life be in grievous peril. Can the rays of the Sun be prevented by that which the servants have interposed? Nay, by the Lord of creation! But the people are wrapped in thick veils.
Those who have turned away from the Countenance are they who are drowned in the sea of allusions which We have left to previous generations, and with these do they seek to heal the wounds in their hearts. By My life! They have no refuge this Day. Soon shall ye behold them prostrate upon the ground of fancy. By God! They have not understood the melody of utterance in this wondrous Revelation. Thou hearest My words and shunnest these people. Enter, in the name of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, a station which their minds have not attained. Thus doth the Tongue of Ancient Days command thee from thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
Say: This is a Cause with which no other cause can be compared. God hath made it sanctified from the allusions of the worlds. Through it hath shone forth the Sun of wisdom and utterance from the horizon of the will of your Lord, the All-Merciful. How blessed are they who have advanced toward it! Through it hath been established the decree of origination, and by it have been illumined the hearts of the believers. Were it not for it, the degrees of origination would not have been completed. Reflect that ye may know what hath been inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen. Thus hath the Truth come and the matter been decreed from One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
Know then that thy brother hath turned away from the Truth, having followed his desires. He is but in grievous delusion. A letter from him was presented before the Countenance. We found him wandering in the wilderness of error and We left him as a warning to the worlds. He spoke that which even children would not speak. Alas for him! Soon shall he find himself in evident loss.
Say: O people! If ye recognize not the Truth by its own self, then look unto that which hath been revealed from His presence, that perchance the fragrance of the verses may sanctify you from allusions and draw you nigh unto God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. That which the Tongue of Revelation hath spoken shineth like the sun among the words of the worlds. When the Word issueth forth from the Dayspring of utterance, its fragrances waft between the heavens and earth, yet none perceive it save those who have detached themselves from all that is with the people and have turned toward the countenance of their Lord, the Mighty, the Praised.
Say thou: In the Name of God, and take the cup of certitude in the name of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. By God! Through it thou shalt ascend to an atmosphere wherein thou shalt hear from the rustling of its winds “The Beloved of the worlds hath come!” Leave these people and their fancies, and stand firm in the Cause of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Then summon the people with wisdom and utterance. This is better for thee than all that hath been created in existence. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Rend asunder the veils in the name of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. He shall assist thee in the Cause, and He is the Powerful, the Almighty. Soon shall the world pass away. Strive thou to enter the Kingdom of immortality. By God! Wert thou to discover it, thou wouldst cry out between the heavens and the earth and stand firm in the Cause in such wise that neither the opposition of the divines nor the objections of the learned nor the power of rulers would deter thee.
Choose for thyself what We have chosen for thee and regard not those who have wronged save as an ant that flieth for an hour or less. God shall soon purify the earth of these people and shall raise up His Cause as He pleaseth. Verily He is the Triumphant over all who are in the kingdom of command and creation. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Generous.
We beseech God to give thee to drink of that which floweth from the right hand of the Throne and to make thee among those whom the denial of the ungodly hath not deterred in the Cause of their Lord. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH01595: The Divine Call was raised from the Blessed Tree…
The Divine Call was raised from the Blessed Tree of Oneness in the Holy Vale, calling all and giving them the glad tidings of the manifestation of transcendent glory, even as the son of Zacharias gave the glad tidings of the appearance of the Spirit to all. Blessed is the state of those souls who hearkened to the Word of God and attained His recognition, while those who failed to hear the Primal Word are accounted among the dead and shall abide forever in the fire.
This is that Manifestation which in the Book of God was not made contingent upon any matter, nor dependent on anyone’s acceptance. The deeds of the doers, the acceptance of those who accept, and the sincerity of the sincere—all are contingent upon His permission and dependent on the will of that True Goal.
Nevertheless, some among the people of the Bayan, following Satan, have been debarred from the path of the All-Merciful, although the previous Manifestation gave tidings, saying that the purpose of the Bayan and all that was revealed therein returns in its primal reality to the subsequent Manifestation, and whatever good mention was made in the Bayan He made it return to and reserved it for that Dawning-Place of Divine revelation and Treasury of heavenly knowledge. O people of the Bayan! On that Day which is the King of Days, God forbid that you should cling to your divines and leaders and thus remain deprived of the Goal.
And further He says: Despite all these firm and established counsels and revealed verses, it is seen that at the time of the Manifestation you will commit that which no people before have committed. God, the Most High, the Most Great, speaks truth. For it was witnessed that some clung to one like themselves and thus remained deprived of the Truth.
I swear by the Sun of the horizon of inner meanings that if today all who are on earth were to claim leadership or more, and were to perform all good deeds, yet hesitate in this Cause, they would never be accepted. For all deeds and stations are verified through recognition of the subsequent Manifestation—whoever remains veiled from Him, no deed will ever profit him. In all times take refuge in the All-Merciful, that you may remain protected from the evil of Satan. Soon will His signs be spread in that land. Leave them behind you with manifest steadfastness.
God willing, all the loved ones should gather together in perfect love and unity at the fountain of the Divine Cause, and conduct themselves among the servants in such wise that all may discover from them the fragrances of the love of the All-Merciful.
Today is the day of assistance, and assistance has never been and is not by the sword, for in this most great Manifestation all have been forbidden from corruption, contention and warfare. In truth, the purpose of holy war in every age has been to guide people to the direction of Divine Unity, even if by force. But in this case it cannot be known who has become intoxicated with the Kawthar of merciful grace and turned toward the divine direction, and who has entered beneath the Tree of grace in chains of force. Moreover, the sword of deeds has been and will be sharper than the outward sword. For if the loved ones of God in this merciful Manifestation had conducted themselves among creation according to His characteristics, assuredly by now all would have turned toward the straight path of glory.
What was destined has come to pass. God willing, henceforth all must act according to goodly deeds, excellent actions and praiseworthy character, so that people may discover the Source through the manners and conduct of these souls. The cause of most people’s perplexity and hesitation has been the deeds of some. Furthermore, whatever the divine loved ones do today is attributed to the Source of the Cause. People’s vision is not pure, so they cannot perceive the reality of the Cause or discover the Greatest Scene.
We beseech God to assist you in His love and good-pleasure, to detach you from those who have disbelieved in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, and to send down upon you that which is best for you. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Forgiving.
BH01623: This is an epistle from the Beloved to him…
He is the Most Wondrous in the Supreme Horizon!
This is an epistle from the Beloved to him for whom God hath ordained a station in the Ridvan, and who hath received a portion from the mercy of his Lord in the Tablets. Be patient, O servant, in hardships and in the sorrows that afflict thee from the manifestations of Satan, for He verily recompenseth the patient ones their rewards and sendeth down upon them such wondrous bounties as will establish them in His Cause—and none knoweth this save every discerning sage.
Say: O people, fear God and render not your deeds vain, and follow not every doubtful misbeliever. Say: The thunderbolt of chastisement hath come upon you, and the forces of divine wrath have seized you from every direction. Then there shall be no escape for anyone from God’s command save by entering beneath the shadow of this penitent servant. Those who have departed from the shadow of God’s mercy—these are they whom all things curse, and every mature and sagacious one beareth witness to this.
Say: O company of the deluded ones! Ye are but a clot of fancy and a morsel of conjecture, and ye have not clothed the bones of your heedlessness with the flesh of understanding from the presence of the Mighty, the Beloved. We behold you between Paradise and the Fire, as though ye had fled from God’s bounty and mercy, and warred against His Self and His sovereignty. Soon shall most of you be seized by the angels of the flame.
O people! Hearken unto God’s counsel regarding your own selves and transgress not against it. He hath counseled you at all times with clear verses and conclusive proofs, and He desireth naught for you save what shall deliver you from the darkness of fancy and draw you nigh unto the lights of certitude, near unto God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Reckoner.
Say: O people! Do ye follow him who neither heareth nor seeth, and do ye deprive yourselves of God, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, the Answerer? And among the people is he who doubteth God, the Originator of the heavens and earth; when the Youth of the Spirit entereth upon him with God’s Tablet and His testimony, and reciteth unto him from God’s verses, he is at peace within himself, but then he turneth unto those who have disbelieved, turneth within himself, then doubteth.
Say: O people! Fear God and consort not with those who have denied God and His verses. Then shun such as these. Thus have We commanded you before and do We command you now, that perchance ye may purify your souls for God, the Powerful, the Generous, the Bestower.
Say: O people! Are ye not ashamed before God Who sendeth down upon you from the clouds of grace the verses of His Cause even as He sendeth down from the clouds the rains of mercy—nay, greater still, for the mercy We send down from the clouds perisheth, while that mercy can never be cut off or exhausted—and to this every discerning and sagacious one beareth witness.
O My Name! Leave the mention of those who have disbelieved and warred against God, then stand firm in the Cause at a time when the leaves of faith fall from the trees of men, and every ignorant one is disturbed, and every denier fleeth away. Thus have We inspired thee and sent down upon thee the verses of the Cause with clear and decisive evidences, that thou mayest remain steadfast in thy Lord’s Cause and in what hath touched Him of harm from those who were created by His word. By God! They are this day behind a veil and barrier.
Rejoice within thyself at the Spirit’s glad-tidings and despair not of God’s bounty. Soon shall He send down upon thee that which shall make thee independent of all else and shall increase thee in all things if thou remainest firm in the Cause. And verily His bounty unto mankind is nigh. Thus did We give thee glad-tidings before and do We give thee glad-tidings now, as a favor from Our presence and a mercy from Us upon thee and upon every wayfaring stranger who hath taken shelter beneath the shadow of their Lord’s mercy, who, when God’s verses are recited unto them, are moved in their very foundations with longing for the meeting with God, and from whom waft throughout creation the sweet fragrances of holiness. These are they whom nothing shall prevent from the ultimate retreats, the vista of their Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, and they shall hasten through the wilderness of love even upon burning sands.
Say: O people! Turn ye unto God in repentance for what ye have neglected in His presence, then call upon Him secretly and openly that He may forgive you through His grace, for verily He is the Answerer of prayer and the Observer.
BH09306: Blessed art thou, O Hasan, for having entered within…
He is the Most Wondrous, the Most Wonderful
Blessed art thou, O Hasan, for having entered within the fortress of My love, which hath been built up from the tablets of the Cause and is verily the frequented Fane amidst the Concourse of the Manifestation, and the Sacred Sanctuary in the Most Great Paradise, and the Holy House for all who dwell on earth. Say: O people, take refuge therein that God may protect you from the arrows of Satan in these days wherein the veils of fancy have encompassed both the lowly and the noble. Go forth therefrom by My sovereignty, then witness thyself in such wise that thou beholdest all who are in the heavens and on earth as a coin in thy palm, which thou canst turn as thou pleasest. Thus hath the power of thy Lord encompassed all created things, yet the people are in evident heedlessness.
O Hasan! Take thou this Tablet with the spirit and fragrance of God, then preserve it within thyself, then enter upon those who believed and then denied, and say: By God the True One! I have come to you from the Dayspring of God’s Cause with this News which hath been recorded in the Mother of Tablets by the Pen of God. Say: By God! This is the Mother of Tablets and what is mentioned therein is what flowed from the divine Finger on that Day, if ye be informed thereof. Then recite unto them what the Spirit hath cast upon this Tablet. Thereupon thou shalt find the dust of hatred upon their faces. Say: O people! Die in your wrath, for the Sun of the Cause hath dawned from the horizon of a brilliant dawn. O people! By what proof did ye believe, and by what evidence did ye deny? Bring it forth if ye have something more wonderful than what We possess, or the like thereof. Therefore fear ye God and be not tyrannous and wretched.
O servant! Observe with the glance of the beginning what We have ordained for Our servants and what they have chosen for themselves, that thou mayest discover what every remote idolater’s soul hath perpetrated. We commanded them in the Tablets and counseled them not to be veiled at the time of the dawning by all that hath been created in the horizons, yet they were veiled by a name among the names which We created by Our command and Our sovereignty, and none were aware of this save a few souls. And thereby they turned away from the Ancient Beauty and spoke as spoke the peoples of old when the Cause came from the heaven of an exalted Name.
O servant! Recount unto them what the Tongue of Grandeur recounteth unto thee, that perchance they may find a way unto the Lord of Majesty. Say: When the hosts of God’s revelation descended in the guise of verses upon the Temple of Words, the dwellers of Sinai were thunderstruck upon the Sinai of nearness and the mountain of every learned one was crushed. And thereby were the breasts of the fettered ones constrained, such that they arose to war against His Beauty. Thus have We detailed the matter unto thee in detail, that thou mayest know the state of those who claim faith within themselves and consider themselves among the most exalted of servants, though today not one of them is mentioned before thy Lord.
And thou, give thanks unto God for having confirmed thee in the Cause and made thee among those whom He hath chosen, and provided thee with ripe and holy fruits from the Tree of Knowledge. Be thou steadfast in thy love such that no fettered and obstinate one may cause thee to slip. Then remind those who are with thee from Us, those who have shattered the idols of desire through the power of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, and have embarked upon the Crimson Ark through My Most Glorious Name. By God! They are servants whose presence is longed for by those in the heaven of grandeur and all discerning ones besides them. Witness thyself in such a station that were thou to find no helper for thy Lord on earth, thou wouldst arise by thyself to help thy Lord. Then would thy relation to My Self, which encompasseth the worlds, be confirmed.
Say: The musk of the All-Merciful hath been diffused from the trace of the All-Glorious, and God hath made it a proof from Him unto all who are in the heavens and earth, and no peer hath been ordained for it in the kingdom. Verily those whom the cold of heedlessness and desire hath seized will never find from this Garment the fragrances of a beloved glory. Blessed is he who hath inhaled the divine fragrances from the trace of his Lord and was steadfast on the path. Then remind from Us the handmaidens of God who have believed in God and His signs and were among the devoutly obedient ones inscribed in the Tablet.
BH01617: Say: The verses have been sent down…
He is the All-Knowing in the Most Exalted Horizon!
Say: The verses have been sent down from the Kingdom on high from the presence of the King of Names and Attributes. Through them were rent asunder the veils between earth and heaven, and the maidens of Paradise emerged with their heads from the chambers, crying out with the most beautiful call: “This is none other than a mighty tiding!” And we would sacrifice ourselves as did he who loved Him and was martyred in His path, and who took for himself a station on the shore of nearness that was faithful to the truth.
O servant! Grieve not for thy father. He hath ascended unto God and entered the Most Great Paradise, the seat of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Great. At every moment he drinketh of the pure water of life before the throne of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and at every instant there shineth upon him the beauty of the All-Glorious through wondrous manifestations of might. Thus doth God single out whom He willeth through His grace and sendeth down upon him mercy from His presence. There is none other than He who hath power to recompense those who have drawn nigh unto Him and detached themselves from all else with the most excellent reward. He, verily, is the Best of rewarders, the All-Wise.
And thou, walk thou in the footsteps of thy father, then follow his guidance and be steadfast in the Cause at a time when most faces shall turn away and the feet of the mystics shall slip. Preserve thou the words of God in this Tablet, then recite them day and night that the fragrances of the Cause may attract thee to a holy and luminous seat, and bring thee to a station which God hath sanctified from the knowledge of all things save those whose hearts hear the mention of God and in whose movements and stillness is seen the tranquility and dignity of God, and from whose faces shineth the freshness of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Beautiful.
Know thou that thy father was martyred in the path of his Lord through the tribulations and hardships that befell him from those who transgressed against him and were among the wrongdoers. With thy Lord he hath a station that none can attain save those whom thy Lord willeth from among the truthful, the near ones, then the assured ones and the sincere ones. And whosoever dieth while certain of God his Lord, knowing himself, and turning unto Him, hath verily died a martyr. To this doth the tongue of thy Lord now testify from this holy and glorious seat.
And thou, mention from Our presence those servants who loved him and were in his company and took him as a friend to themselves and were among those present before him. Had all who are on earth held fast to the cord of his love, We would have effaced their evil deeds and clothed them in the robe of forgiveness. But when they veiled themselves, their portion was decreed and they were in manifest loss. Thus did the grace of thy Lord precede all created things, and His mercy encompass all beings, and His word excel all the worlds. But the people veiled themselves therefrom and followed the path of error in that they followed every rebellious devil.
Say: O people! Be not of those who name the Point of the Bayan as the Beloved while at the moment this name issueth from their mouths their eyes turn right and left in show of their longing for Him, yet they slay His very self and essence with the swords of rejection and turning away, and are not among those who perceive. Those who have denied this Cause have not believed in the Messengers of God, and their mention shall never ascend unto God, and their names shall never be remembered before the Throne, even should all creation prostrate before them.
Say: O people! Have ye taken fancy as your lord besides God? What then is the difference between you and those who mention the Names but deny their Creator? Consider this, O heedless ones! Those ones are encompassed by the veils of self and passion, and are seized by vain imaginings, and are among the ungodly.
By My life! Whoso reflecteth upon this Revelation for less than a moment will recognize what none recognized before, and will find no likeness for it in creation, and will be among those endowed with certitude. Thus hath the word of thy Lord been fulfilled in truth and justice, and His proof hath been made manifest, and the Face hath shone forth between the heavens and earth. And glory be upon you, O people of the pavilion of majesty, from this Cause, the gleaming, the luminous, the holy, the most mighty, the wondrous!
BH01622: A letter from your honor arrived before this servant…
In the name of God, exalted be His remembrance!
A letter from your honor arrived before this servant indicating excessive anxiety and distress. Nothing was observed therein except the mention that two persons in that land had read a writing which indicated that people should go to Baghdad to render assistance to the Truth. Subsequently your honor, resorting to reason, did not deem it advisable and attributed it to falsehood. In any case, this matter did not warrant lamentation, nor was grieving permissible, for absolutely no one has ever been commanded to do such a thing.
Secondly, several years have passed since these servants were expelled from their homeland and have taken up residence in the land of exile. And now two years have passed during which the enemies have been plotting day and night, lying in ambush. Naturally some writings mention these successive tribulations and calamities that have befallen us. If someone should read such a writing containing these matters, it is no proof that assistance is being sought. It is strange that your honor was not pained and saddened by such statements, but instead began to complain. We pour out our grief and sorrow unto God.
Is it not evident that these servants are manifestly in the hands of enemies? “Is one who strives in the path of God like one who sits idly at home?” If the servants had tasted but a drop of divine love, by God they would not remain settled in their homes, but would wail in the mountains. This is why all are occupied with wisdom—that is, with whatever preserves the commanding self. If they had drunk a drop from the cup of love, they would surely burn a hundred thousand wisdoms with fire and cast a hundred thousand prudences to the wind.
Surely in your honor’s eyes the deeds of those lovers of the Ka’bah of the Beloved who have laid down their lives in the path of the Friend and freely given up a world for His sake have never been and are not praiseworthy, for the prophet of the body, which is reason, would never confirm such matters. And the Prophets too, in every age and time, when people saw their actions contrary to their own reason, were therefore judged insane and were not believed.
Apart from all this, if someone invites a lover to the land of the Beloved, it becomes cause for him to send letters of complaint to all regions. By God, the fragrance of the love of God has not been inhaled, else you would have sacrificed your life for those very letters and would have been grateful too. A ray cannot be prevented from the sun, and a fish cannot be kept from the sea. Have you not seen how the moth gives up its life around the lamp?
Have you not heard that the nightingales of the divine rose-garden have fallen prey to Satan’s talons, and the spiritual songsters are being barred from the holy and spiritual rose-garden? If you do not wail from your soul, why then complain? If you have no grief for the Beloved, why then rejoice?
All these words are because this year several letters came from that direction expressing longing, and permission was given from here that whoever wishes to journey to the Ka’bah of the Ultimate Goal and the Sanctuary of the Worshipped One is not forbidden, and has never been and will never be forbidden. This decree happened to be contrary to the temperament of some. And God knows the reformer from the corrupter. Now you should forbid all people from ever setting out in this direction. By God, the Truth is beholden to none and He is indeed independent of all worlds. Praise be to God that We have never sought any helper and have desired no assistant besides Him. And God is sufficient as witness.
BH01640: O servant! Thy letter hath come before Us…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Inaccessible, the Most High
O servant! Thy letter hath come before Us, and We have understood its contents. God is indeed aware of what is in thy heart. Nothing escapeth His knowledge. He knoweth what is hidden from sight and concealed from minds, and He is independent of all worlds.
And now concerning thy reference to the existence of two Gods. Beware, beware, lest thou be led to join partners with the Lord, thy God. He is, and hath from everlasting been, one and alone, without peer or equal, eternal in the past, eternal in the future, detached from all things, ever-abiding, unchangeable, and self-subsisting. He hath assigned no associate unto Himself in His Kingdom, no counsellor to counsel Him, none to compare unto Him, none to rival His glory. To this every atom of the universe beareth witness, and beyond it the inmates of the realms on high, they that occupy the most exalted seats, and whose names are remembered before the Throne of Glory.
Bear thou witness in thine inmost heart unto this testimony which God hath Himself and for Himself pronounced, that there is none other God but Him, that all else besides Him have been created by His behest, have been fashioned by His leave, are subject to His law, are as a thing forgotten when compared to the glorious evidences of His oneness, and are as nothing when brought face to face with the mighty revelations of His unity.
He, in truth, hath, throughout eternity, been one in His Essence, one in His attributes, one in His works. Any and every comparison is applicable only to His creatures, and all conceptions of association are conceptions that belong solely to those that serve Him. Immeasurably exalted is His Essence above the descriptions of His creatures. He, alone, occupieth the Seat of transcendent majesty, of supreme and inaccessible glory. The birds of men’s hearts, however high they soar, can never hope to attain the heights of His unknowable Essence. It is He Who hath called into being the whole of creation, Who hath caused every created thing to spring forth at His behest. Shall, then, the thing that was born by virtue of the word which His Pen hath revealed, and which the finger of His Will hath directed, be regarded as partner with Him, or an embodiment of His Self? Far be it from His glory that human pen or tongue should hint at His mystery, or that human heart conceive His Essence. All else besides Him stand poor and desolate at His door, all are powerless before the greatness of His might, all are but slaves in His Kingdom. He is rich enough to dispense with all creatures.
Know thou that all things are nurtured under the shadow of one of the names of thy Lord, and He hath created that name through His originating Will which He ordained within the essence of creation itself. Therefore, bear witness to His sovereignty and His power, then to His greatness and His might, then to His loftiness and His transcendence, that thou mayest become aware of that which hath been hidden from the eyes of the world.
Hold thou fast unto God, then detach thyself from all else besides Him, that He may give thee to drink of the wine of understanding from this cup which the fingers of the All-Merciful cause to circulate in this Paradise which hath been raised up, by God’s leave, in the highest heaven. Purify thy heart from the defilement of those who believed and then denied the faith, and who are recorded with thy Lord as being among the opposers. Cast the world and all that hath been created therein behind thee, that God may open before thy heart’s face the gates of knowledge and meaning, and raise thee to a station wherein thou shalt behold all who are in the heavens and on earth abiding under the shadow of one of thy Lord’s names. Thus hath the Sun of Utterance shone forth from the horizon of speech from the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.
Verily, We have answered thee regarding what thou didst mention in thy letter because We loved thee. Otherwise, by Him Who is unique in majesty and glory, such tribulations have befallen Me as none can reckon save God, and thereby hath the Pen been prevented from remembrance, and this wrong hath been recorded as grievous in the Mother Book. By God! He who hath warred against My Self was indeed created by My Word, and those endowed with keen vision know this to be the truth wherein there is no doubt. But those who are seized by vain imaginings have taken him as their protector instead of Me. Leave thou the people to their selves and their desires, then make mention of thy Lord and fear no one. Place thy trust in God, and verily He will protect thee with manifest sovereignty. And the glory be upon thee and upon every illumined heart.
BH01645: These are the verses of God which have been…
He is the Mighty, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious!
These are the verses of God which have been sent down in truth from the heaven of a glorious Name. Therein lies that which would sever the peoples of the world from all else beside them, were they to purify their holy ears from the croaking of the idolaters and hearken unto the Word of God which hath been detailed in truth and sent down from a holy and exalted heaven.
O Kazim! Rejoice within thyself and in thine essence, inasmuch as the Pen of God hath moved in thy name. This is a bounty that cannot be equaled by aught that hath been created between earth and heaven, as doth testify the Tongue of truth that knoweth. We had previously sent thee an epistle in the Persian tongue and dispatched it unto thee upon the breezes of holiness—if thou be aware thereof. By God, the True One! Shouldst thou not hold thyself back from that which hath wafted upon thee from the direction of the Ancient One, it would, in less than a moment, cause thee to turn unto a seat of glorious love. The lights of the Spirit would shine upon thee and make thee abide in the eternity of thy Lord. Thus have We detailed the matter unto thee that thou mightest turn in thy innermost heart toward the direction of the Throne and draw nigh unto a praiseworthy shore.
Close thine eyes to all who are in the heavens and on earth, then turn thy face toward the direction of the Cause and be possessed of luminous insight. Then remind the people of that which the Spirit hath cast into thy breast. Deprive not thyself of the breezes of the All-Merciful in these days wherein all are veiled by the veils of their own selves. Arise with divine arising between earth and heaven, then summon the people that they might remember within themselves and take unto the Lord of the Throne a path. Say: By God! Every path hath been cut off, every proof prevented, every learned one confounded, every mystic brought low, and every known name overturned. Beware, beware! Arise thou to the Cause with a steadfastness from Us and a sovereignty from Our presence. Fear no one and place thy trust in His own Self, the Truth. Verily, He will protect thee from every rejected enemy.
Purify thyself through that which We have caused to rain upon thee from this heaven that hath been raised in this atmosphere, that it might sanctify thee from the mention of aught besides God and cause thee to ascend unto a heaven of wondrous remembrance. Thus have We sent down unto thee the Book and inspired thee with that which will make thee independent of all save thy Lord, shouldst thou act upon what is contained therein and be severed from all the worlds entirely.
Know thou that We had previously commanded thee to divide what thou hast of the rights of God into three portions, then spend two-thirds upon thy kindred and upon the poor in that place, for We have heard the cry of those in distress and therefore have We commanded thee thus. Act thou according to what thou hast been commanded by One All-Wise, All-Knowing. Then inform the wealthy not to be heedless of Our poor servants, for they are God’s trust among you. Say: Beware lest ye be unfaithful concerning them. Preserve them from the harm of poverty and desperation. Thus doth command you the Pen of might and blessing.
If thou wouldst purify thyself from the veils of idle fancies, by God, the True One! this would be better in thy Lord’s sight than spending the fullness of the heavens and earth in red gold. Thus have We detailed the matter unto thee in detail. What God desireth from His servants is their detachment from all save Him and their entry beneath the shadow of mercy that encompasseth all the worlds. He hath ever been independent of all else beside Him and self-sufficient above all things, and the kingdom of wealth is created by His word, if thou be aware thereof.
Thus have We sent down unto thee the verses as a mercy from Our presence and a light from Our nearness, that the lights of the Countenance might take thee from the direction of a praiseworthy might. Then remind on Our behalf all who have believed in God and sought guidance through the guidance of the days, then taken shelter in the shadow of the Cause at the Ultimate Tree, the spot wherein the fire is kindled and shineth forth from the Chosen Lote-Tree and speaketh the truth with that wherewith the Spirit speaketh in a wondrous holy Lote-Tree.
The Spirit, the glory and the splendor be upon thee and upon those with thee and upon those women who are in thy household and upon every young and old one.
BH01653: O my God! Every night I am consumed…
In the name of God, the Self-Sufficing, the Most High!
O my God! Every night I am consumed by the fire of separation from Thee, and every day I am gladdened by the wondrous tokens of Thy bounty. In the night-time I weep in my despair at being remote from the evidences of Thy triumph and Thy loving-kindness, and in the daytime I laugh with hope at the wondrous manifestations of Thy generosity and benevolence. Glorified art Thou, O my God! All days have passed, yet the tribulations of Thy chosen ones have not ceased; every matter hath ended, yet the afflictions of Thy trusted ones do not end. It is as though adversity hath become eternal through the eternity of Thy Being, and hardship abiding through the permanence of Thy Self, and enduring through the endurance of Thy Countenance, wherein all things in Thy dominion change save the tribulations of Thy loved ones, and all things in Thy realm are transient save the abasement of Thy chosen ones.
By Thy might, O my Beloved! Abasement hath reached its utmost degree, and there hath come from the ignorant that which cannot be recounted in words. O Thou unto Whom all grace and bounty lead, and verily Thou art the Lord of beauty and majesty! Dost Thou not, O my God, look upon Thy loved ones with glances of Thy tender mercy, and dost Thou not, O my Hope, turn toward Thy creatures with looks of Thy loving-kindness? Is there anyone besides Thee to whom they might flee? Is there any sovereign but Thee to whom they might turn? Nay, by Thy might! And I, being among Thy lovers, do testify before Thee now that they have desired none but Thee, have worshipped none but Thee, have known none but Thee, and have cut themselves off from all directions to turn to Thy face of oneness, and have abandoned all dwellings until they entered the precincts of Thy divine singleness.
How long, O my God, wilt Thou not send upon their hearts the breezes of Thy mercy, and not cause to waft over their souls the gentle winds of Thy grace and loving-kindness? Didst Thou not promise, O my Lord, to gather the detached ones in the shelter of Thy greatest mercy? And didst Thou not promise them a haven of security beneath the shadow of Thy Most Exalted Name? Then fulfill what Thou hast promised, and manifest all that Thou hast covenanted, for verily Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful and the Fulfiller of the needs of them that seek Thee.
Thou knowest, O my God and my Lord, that I complain not for myself, nor grieve for my own being, nor sorrow for my body, for on the day when Thou didst make Thyself known to me and made me drink the wine of Thy beauty, I sacrificed my spirit for Thy spirit, my being for Thy being, and my body for Thy body. Thou knowest what hath befallen me in Thy path and what hath touched me through the courses of Thy decree. By Thy might! I cannot mention it before Thee, nor can any of Thy loved ones bear to hear it. In all conditions I have been thankful for Thy bounty and content with Thy decree. Nay, I have been waiting for the swords of Thine enemies in Thy path and the arrows of Thy decree in Thy love. I have not preserved myself for even an hour, and I have been as a burning fire among Thy sinful servants, as a shining lamp before Thine enemies, and as the rising sun above the heads of the wretched ones.
Every day they conspire to banish me, and every night they gather to slay me, while I say:
“O my God! Increase their unbelief and heedlessness, then their misbelief and wretchedness, that thereby my meeting with Thee may draw near, until I return unto Thee and appear before Thee, for this is my hope from Thee and my expectation in Thee.”
But O my God! When I witness the agitation of Thy loved ones and the distress of Thy creatures, I am saddened to a degree that cannot be counted in words nor completed by the pen in its task. Verily, if Thou wert to remove from them the veils of the Cause as Thou hast removed them from this Thy servant, they would not be agitated in the places of Thy trials nor confused in the courses of Thy decree. But Thou hast veiled it from them through Thy all-encompassing knowledge and revealed it to Thy perishing servant.
Therefore, I beseech Thee, O my Beloved, by Thy Most Exalted Manifestation, by Thy mirrors that reflect Him, by Thy Most Sublime and Eternal Mirror, and by the tongues that speak of Him, that Thou make us among those who arrive at the shore of Thy detachment, who descend into the city of Thy bounty, who drink from the cup of Thy beauty, and who rest upon the carpet of Thy majesty. For in Thy hand is the kingdom of all things, and verily Thou art the Mighty, the Single, the Most High, the Self-Subsisting.
BH01677: O people of Baha! Raise up the pavilion…
In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Exalted!
O people of Baha! Raise up the pavilion of holiness upon the shore of this Sea, unto which all seas flow and upon which sail the ships of the Cause by leave of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Unconstrained. Board these ships, O people, and tarry not, for this is what hath been ordained for you in the heaven of destiny, in the Tablet of the Command which God hath preserved from the gaze of all eyes.
Say: The Tree of Eternity hath been made verdant through the remembrance of God and His glory. Blessed is he who seeketh shelter beneath its shade and tasteth of its fruits which appear at all times by the command of God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.
Say: O people, hesitate not in the Cause of God, but look with the eye of fairness. By God! It hath appeared with a sovereignty that hath encompassed all contingent things, and none deny it save every froward denier. Purify yourselves from the defilement of allusions, and cling not unto them as did the people of the Furqan before, and before them the people of the Gospel, and before them the people of the Torah. Thus do We set forth the matter for you now, that ye may take heed, O people of insight.
Say: O people, by God! When the sun ariseth the stars fade, and likewise when the breezes of the All-Merciful blow, the lamp is extinguished of itself. This is not of its own accord, but by leave of One mighty and compelling. Witness ye the breeze—though it extinguisheth the lamp, yet by it are all contingent things given life. Thus observe ye and ponder what issueth from the Pen of Command, O people of understanding.
Beware lest ye doubt Him by Whose command the seas were made to surge, the trees to bear fruit, the suns to shine, the heavens to be raised up, the mountains to be fixed, and the Dove to warble upon the branches of the Tree of Holiness behind the veils and coverings. Is there any doubt concerning God, or concerning His power which hath encompassed all contingent things? Fear God, O people, and be mindful of this Day wherein the breezes of the Command waft from every direction.
Purify yourselves from those who have disbelieved in what they had believed in, and who denied the proof of God and His evidence after He appeared in truth, around Whom circle the suns and moons. Though We find none on earth possessed of insight, yet make thou thy presence the presence of God, then open the eye of thy heart and observe what hath proceeded from the Tongue of Eternity in these days wherein the idolaters have encompassed Him from every side, and the clouds of grandeur rain down in grief for Him. Perchance thou shalt discover the root of the matter and what hath befallen the Youth from those who were created by His word, and thou shalt aid Him to the extent thou art able, though He hath never sought help from anyone save God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bountiful.
Were one possessed of insight, he would cry out between earth and heaven saying: “O people! By what proof have ye denied this Beauty Who hath dawned from the horizon of holiness with sovereignty and power? If ye believed in Ali, by God, he weepeth now in the Most Exalted Companion by reason of what hath befallen His Most Glorious Beauty in His latter manifestation, Who hath appeared with all the signs and from Whose Pen flow forth ordinances and mysteries.” And he saith: “O people! Fear God and cling not to the idols of your desires. By God! This is My Beauty, then My Manifestation, and My Power, and My Sovereignty. He hath appeared unto you greater than what I revealed unto you, and this is testified to by the tongues of all created things, and beyond them the Tongue of God, the King, the Mighty, the Unconstrained.”
Thus have We imparted unto thee that thou mayest hear the word of truth, that thou mayest arise to aid Him Who hath no helper and Who hath fallen into the depths of this pit, wherefrom the feet of the righteous and the chosen ones are cut off. And the Glory be upon thee and upon whosoever hath turned unto God and turned away from every disbelieving infidel.
BH01700: The call of God has been raised…
He is the Most High, the Most Great
The call of God has been raised from the right of the Throne: “Verily, I am God, the One, the Single, the Unique! Stop not your ears from hearkening to the Word of God. Turn to Him with pure and sanctified hearts. He who hath sanctified his ear to hear the Call from the luminous Tree raised upon the blessed crimson Spot—by God! The Promised One hath appeared with His name, the All-Loving, from the presence of the Mighty, the Trustworthy. Come ye forth from the cities of fancy! The King of Certitude hath come with the light of the All-Merciful. Thus hath the matter been decreed from the presence of God, the Single, the All-Sufficient.
“Necks have bowed down at the appearance of the Luminary of the horizons, yet veils of hypocrisy have enveloped the people. Thus hath spoken the Tongue of Revelation and warbled. Today all atoms proclaim: ʿThe King of Names and Attributes hath come, He Who hath taken neither partner nor offspring.’ Say: True knowledge is the knowledge of My Self. Whoso attaineth unto it hath attained unto God, and whoso denieth it is of them that have denied the verses of the All-Merciful. Thus doth the Tongue of Grandeur speak and testify. We have adorned the Kingdom with Our names and the Realm of Power with Our signs.
“Fear ye God, O people, and follow not everyone who hath denied and deviated. Verily, the Most Holy Sanctuary is among you, and God’s Sacred Precinct is before your faces, and the Sacred House for all people. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of that which hath been ordained for you and be of them that have turned away from God and then called upon all who are in the heavens and earth. Doth not God suffice you, He Who hath caused all things to speak by His sovereignty? There is no God but Him. His is the greatness and pride, His the power and transcendence. With Him are the treasuries of names which He sendeth down according to a fixed measure. They who have clung to names and turned away from their Creator—these are the worshippers of idols. God shall soon chastise them with an extended chastisement.
“Say: Do trials in the path of God, your Most Glorious Lord, frighten you, or doth fate prevent you from the Lord of Names? Rend ye the veils by the name of your Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. Then turn ye to the Face before which the Bayan hath bowed down and prostrated. Hold fast unto the cord of God and detach yourselves from all else. The fragrances of sanctity have wafted from this Garment—blessed is he who turneth unto them and findeth. Shun ye, O people, him who hath denied God. He is Satan and hath stood at every path and lookout. Hold fast unto God—He will protect you from the hosts of rejection and aid you with authority from His presence. His are the mobilized hosts.
“Hasten, O people, with your hearts to the Dayspring of proof. By God, He is your Lord, the All-Merciful! Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of this bounty which shall endure for you and never end. Thus hath the Sun of Glory shone forth upon you from the horizon of grandeur. He is your Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, unto Whom the atoms have turned and around Whom the verses have circled. He who turneth away from Him is of the people of tyranny and envy. We have today adorned all things with the ornament of names. Thus hath grace encompassed all in the kingdom of creation. Blessed is he who hath known and witnessed.
“O servant! Hearken unto the Call from the Most Glorious Quarter, then deliver unto the servants what We have delivered unto thee. Say: The Lord of creation hath appeared and calleth you unto Him. Beware lest ye follow him who hath denied God. We have sent down from the heaven of utterance the table of wisdom and exposition—blessed is he who turneth unto it, and woe unto him who knoweth and denieth.
“Arise to mention God and His Cause amongst His creation, then give them the glad tidings of this News which was mighty in the Kingdom of Names and great in the cities of eternity. He whom God hath chosen for Himself shall endure forever. Blessed is he who is illumined by the lights that have shone forth from the horizon of this holy, glorified Tablet. Say: The Spirit hath come as ye were promised and hath stood before the Throne, and this is the glory. Turn with all thy being unto God and be of them who have strived and endeavored in His path.”
BH01678: O Ali! Bear thou witness within thyself that there…
He is the Rememberer and the Remembered.
O Ali! Bear thou witness within thyself that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who appeared with the name Ali before Nabil is verily the Manifestation of His Self, the Dayspring of His Cause, the Treasury of His knowledge, the Rising Place of His Revelation, the Repository of His signs, and the Source of His mercy unto all worlds. And He Who hath appeared and shone forth with His Most Luminous, Most Glorious Name in His latter Manifestation is for His glory, then His might and grandeur over all who are in the heavens and the earth.
Through Him light was distinguished from darkness, and the fortunate from the wretched. Through Him was established the Temple of the Cause upon a throne of mighty glory, and through Him every ignorant one ascended to the Kingdom of knowledge and utterance, while every learned one returned to the nethermost depths. Through Him were the names and their kingdoms transformed, such that darkness was changed into light and light into darkness. Through Him descended the hosts of revelation from the heaven of decree, and the matter was decided by One mighty and powerful.
Thus have We adorned the heavens of the Tablet with the ornament of remembrance and utterance, and sanctified it from the knowledge of every accursed satan. And thou, O servant, hearken unto what God hath revealed unto thee from the direction of pre-existence, then arise to serve the Cause and be among those who arise with such arising whereby all things shall arise to serve and assist God. Without this, it beseemeth not those who are established upon a holy and secure seat.
By God the Truth! Whoso today yieldeth up a breath in love of his Lord and detachment from all else, God shall make him influential among the realities of things—and none shall comprehend this save every detached and discerning one. When thou attainest unto this station, thou shalt seek whatsoever thou willest through My Most Exalted, Most Great Name, and shalt accomplish what thou desirest through the name of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate. By My life! Whoso attaineth unto this maturity shall speak only for God, move only by God, rest only by His command, walk only in the paths of His good-pleasure, witness naught but His beauty, and fear no one even should all creation combine against him.
O thou who believest in God! When thou readest the Tablet of thy Lord and art seized by the breezes of the Spirit that waft from the direction of the verses from the traces of thy Lord, arise to teach by Our command and be not among the patient ones. For the honor of the servant lieth only in his remembrance of his Lord. Thus hath the matter been ordained for the near servants of God.
Deliver unto the people the remembrance of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, and fear not the manifestations of Satan. He will guard thee from the hosts of devils. When thou openest thy tongue in utterance, then shall the Holy Spirit confirm thee, and the Spirit of Glory shall teach thee from the direction of eternity, and the Spirit of Truth shall speak upon thy tongue. Thus have We commanded thee and given thee leave that thy heart may be strengthened and thou mayest be in mighty assurance. Beware lest thou cast the Cause of God behind thee and be among the inactive ones. Remind the people with wisdom and utterance, for this is the station of man, and without this it beseemeth not the sincere servants of God.
Know thou then that thy brother who journeyed unto God hath entered the seat of thy Lord’s throne, stood before His presence, was illumined by the lights of God, the Mighty, the Glorious, the Luminous, attained unto the meeting, heard the verses of his Lord, and was among the successful ones. He wrote thy name upon the Tablet and presented it before the Face. When the glances of thy Lord turned unto it, there was sent down for thee from the direction of the throne verses of wondrous glory, and We sent them unto thee as a mercy from Us upon thee and upon Our assured servants.
Glory be upon thee if thou forsakest imitation, ascendest to the heights of unity, and makest thyself purely devoted unto God, the King, the Sovereign, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.