Volume 044: Prior to 1873 1290 A.H., Part II (4 of 4)

BH02782: The Command hath come from the unseen realm…

In the Name of Him Who hath appeared with the Most Glorious Beauty!

The Command hath come from the unseen realm of the Divine Identity, from the right side of My heart, that: O Ancient Beauty! Remember Thy servant who hath believed in God and in whose heart hath entered the love of Thy Supreme and Most Great Self. Then make mention of him in the Tablet, that neither the tempests of those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God, nor the storms of the deniers may move him.

By God, the True One! Whosoever remaineth steadfast in this Cause this day, verily the denizens of the Supreme Concourse shall circle round him, and then the billows of the Names. For this is a Cause the like of which hath never appeared in creation, and to this My tongue now beareth witness. But the people hear not My words and have denied this resplendent and wondrous Beauty by veiling themselves from it.

O servant! Should thine own self oppose thee in My Cause, sever its head and fear not its passing. Place thy trust in God, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Ancient. And shouldst thou see among the people of the Bayan one who denieth this Beauty, draw nigh unto him and stand before his eyes and say:

“O thou who associateth partners with God! By what proof didst thou believe in ʿAli while denying Him Who sent him with the truth? Alas for thee and for those who have denied God, the Help in Peril, the Mighty, the Peerless!”

Beware lest the pride of the turbans of those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God prevent thee. All that thou hast witnessed among the people of the Furqan (Muslims), witness it in these people, for there is no difference between them. Those denied God when He appeared with the name of ʿAli in truth, and these have denied Him when He appeared once again with this Name, at which all who are in the heavens and earth were struck with terror.

O servant! Leave them and what they possess, then take the Book of God with a strength from Him and recite it with the melodies of the believers, that it may draw thee away from thy self and thy desires and bring thee to this hallowed station whose courtyard the Spirit of Truth sweepeth clean.

And the Glory be upon thee and upon those who are with thee in this Cause and who, when they hear this Name, fall prostrate upon their faces and lay their cheeks in the dust in humility before God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forefathers of old. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH02766: The remembrance of God from the Pen of Command…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious.

The remembrance of God from the Pen of Command hath at this moment been witnessed in truth, and from it hath flowed the knowledge of what hath been and what shall be, then the hidden sciences of the unseen, and from it hath appeared the Word whereby all contingent things were created, and God is witness unto this.

O servant! Hearken unto the call of the Ancient King from this Pen wherefrom the spirit of life was breathed into the heart of every pure and sanctified one, and whereby God distinguished between the fortunate and the wretched, between darkness and light, and thus was the matter decreed by thy Lord in truth.

Glad tidings unto thee for having remained steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord, unmoved by the tempests of trials or the storms of tribulation, standing firm in the Cause. Verily those who have denied this Beauty and have taken the Calf as their lord besides God are in grievous loss. Leave them to themselves that they may worship their lords besides God; soon shall they be summoned before the seat of justice where the Balance shall be set up by the command of the Mighty, the Wise.

By God! Were they to worship their own selves and desires it would be better in God’s sight than what they have taken as partner unto Him and unto which they cleave morning and evening. Thus hath God testified against them while they perceive not, cursing what they possess while imagining they follow a wondrous cause. Say: Fie upon you and upon what ye possess and upon him who biddeth you deny God after He hath come unto you from the dawning-place of the Spirit with manifest sovereignty.

Arise thou in the Cause with such steadfastness that were all who are in the heavens and earth to assemble against thee, thou wouldst not be disturbed by them, remaining immovably steadfast.

Grieve not for thy brother who hath ascended unto God. By God! We have sanctified him from all defilement and raised him to a most exalted station of holiness, causing him to dwell in the highest paradise which God hath brought forth through His Name whereby all names were created and every mighty matter was originated.

Then convey Our greetings unto his wife and remind her of Our remembrance, and unto all those who were with thee, both women and men. The radiance which hath shone forth from the Most Exalted Horizon be upon thee and upon every penitent servant.

BH02750: O Salman! Thou wert commanded by the All-Merciful…

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

O Salman! Thou wert commanded by the All-Merciful to conduct thyself with wisdom and to speak with care, lest harm should befall the perspicuous Tablets from the hosts of Satan. Render thanks unto God that He protected thee by His power, notwithstanding that the chiefs of the idolaters in every land had given orders to seize thee and that which thou didst bear from thy Lord. This was one of the manifest powers of thy Lord, that thou mightest thank Him and be of them that are assured.

However, after having attained thy goal and received the Tablets, rend asunder the veils through the sovereignty of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower, that the fresh and radiant splendor of Baha may shine forth from thy countenance between earth and heaven. The Beloved is one and the heart is one—ponder thou and be of them that know.

And if thou art asked about the Truth, say not “I know not.” Say: “Yea, by my Lord! I know and am aware. He, verily, is the Truth. There is none other God but Him. He hath preserved me from the harm of His heedless servants and hath removed from me my veil in the days when I was present before His face, and He made His verses, then His words and His power which hath encompassed the worlds to shine upon me.”

Today it is incumbent upon all to strive that perchance through divine grace some deed might appear from them on earth that would become the cause of eternal salvation and enable them to enter the kingdom of true everlasting life. Consider the cooing of the dove and the buzzing of the fly—the former draweth the hearts of men through God’s grace and guideth them to the court of the Beloved, while from the latter no effect appears nor is its purpose understood.

Therefore the manifest Word of Truth must needs be uttered with clear explanation. Say: “God is the Truth,” then leave the people to their veils and their idle fancies. Fear thou no one but place thy trust in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Wisdom is beloved, but not to such extent that the Word of God remain hidden. Wisdom is befitting among the righteous but not among the wicked. Hearken unto the counsel of him who counseleth thee in truth and be of them that act accordingly.

And the glory rest upon thee and upon God’s sincere servants. Thou hast not been absent from sight all this time—strive thou to be mentioned forever before His face. And peace be upon him who followeth guidance.

BH02797: In the name of God, the Most Wondrous…

In the name of God, the Most Wondrous, the Most Impregnable! This is a Book sent down in truth from the heaven of God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Wise. Therein He hath ordained the measures of all things through His firm and unshakeable command. No thing escapeth His knowledge, and none in the kingdoms of the heavens and earth can frustrate His power. He quickeneth whom He willeth through His Most Glorious Name, and causeth to perish whom He desireth through His name the Slayer.

Verily, they who have denied the signs of God—these shall have no portion of this grace, even should they come with the scriptures of the ancients and the writings of the latter generations. Soon shall the traces of Satan, who hath denied God, thy Ancient Lord, be spread abroad in that place. Guard thyself from the intimations of them who have joined partners with God and from the souls of men, if thou be of them that are able.

By God! Whoso drinketh the choice wine of His love shall become enabled through the sovereignty of his Lord, Who created all contingent things through His firm and wondrous command. For this is the Day whereon God hath manifested Himself with all names unto all things. Whoso turneth unto Him—from him shall appear the evidences of his Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And whoso turneth away becometh deprived, and is indeed the most abject of servants, even should he possess great might. Turn not thy gaze from the Most Sublime Vision, but rather be illumined from this shining and luminous horizon.

Say: O people! Change not the blessing of God within yourselves, and be not of the wrongdoers. This, verily, is He Who sent down the Bayan in remembrance of His blessed and wondrous Name, and by Whose name the Spirit crieth out in the Concourse on high, and the Faithful Spirit likewise. He, verily, is the One Who hath rent asunder the veils of names through His transcendent sovereignty, and brought forth the hand of divine favor from the horizon of the Unseen: lo, it is white to them that know.

Say: O people of Baha! Be so steadfast in your love for your Lord, the Most Exalted, that Satan shall not be able to draw breath in your midst. Thus doth your Lord, the All-Merciful, command you aforetime, and now in this perspicuous Tablet. Detach yourselves wholly from all else but Him. Your Lord sufficeth you above all created things.

Blessed art thou for having entered the garden of eternity, and found the fragrance of its flowers, and heard the melodies of its nightingale, the murmur of its waters, and the cooing of its dove, and become of them that have attained. Beseech God, thy Lord, to make thee steadfast in that whereon thou art, and to render thee a helper to His Cause. Verily, He is powerful over all things. Convey my greetings unto thy kindred and relatives who have attained the summit of divine knowledge and detached themselves from the idolaters.

BH02728: Therefore, O my God, I call upon Thee…

Therefore, O my God, I call upon Thee with my tongue and remember Thee with my heart, and I beseech Thee by the Manifestations of the sanctity of Thy eternal sovereignty and the Daysprings of the glory of Thy divine unity, that Thou mayest clothe the temple of Thy loved ones with the garment of the coolness of Thy tender mercy and the robe of Thy loving-kindness. Then cause us to be present, O my Beloved, before the flames of the fire of Thy divine Tree on the Day whereon Thou didst establish Thyself upon the throne of Thy mercy and didst arise to execute Thy command through the power of Thy will. Therefore, O my God, drive us not from Thy holy presence, and remove us not from Thy grace and mercy, and deprive us not of the sanctuary of Thy meeting and the Ka’bah of Thy beauty, for in Thy hand is the kingdom of all things and Thou art, verily, powerful over all things.

Then I beseech Thee, O my God and my Beloved, by Thy Most Beautiful Names and Thy most exalted attributes, and by the Manifestation of Thy Most Great Name, and by Thy resplendent beauty in the heaven of eternity, that Thou forgive me and my parents and my brothers and my kindred, and that Thou absolve them of their misdeeds, and veil them not, O my God, from the effulgence of the lights of Thy countenance, and withhold them not from the showers of the clouds of Thy grace and bounty. Then cause them to enter, O my God, within the precincts of Thy supreme mercy, for verily Thou doest whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art, in truth, the Mighty, the Generous.

And I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy bounty through which Thou didst bring existence into being, and by Thy loving-kindness through which Thou didst create the temples of beauty in the heaven of names, and by Thy Spirit through which Thou didst quicken the decayed bones from the graves of heedlessness and passion, that Thou mayest renew my outer and inner garment in this springtime wherein Thou hast renewed the garment of all things from whatsoever was created in the worlds of eternity unto the uttermost point of earth, and deprive me not, O my Beloved, of the robes of Thy guidance, and strip me not of the beauty of Thy raiment in Thy days. Then give me to drink that which will quench the fire of heedlessness and error, and purify my sight, and sanctify my heart, and make firm my feet, and tranquilize my mind, for verily Thou art the Mighty, the Giving, the Bountiful.

Then teach me, O my God, from the wonders of Thy knowledge that which will make me independent of all knowledge but Thine. Then cause to descend upon my heart from the clouds of Thy mercy that which will cause to grow therefrom the ears of Thy wisdom and the fruits of the sanctity of Thy knowledge, that I may become enriched above all who are in the heavens and the earth through the wonders of Thy riches and the jewels of Thy grace and bestowal, for verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Single, the All-Glorious, the Help in Peril.

BH02779: He is the All-Knowing of all things, yet all…

He is the All-Knowing of all things, yet all know Him not. Glorified be He Who created the heavens by His command and blew the trumpet and quickened thereby the hearts of those who have detached themselves unto God and who reclined upon the crimson cushions in the presence of God, and drank from the Salsabil of love, and were enkindled by the fire of God, and perceived the fragrance of the garment from Egypt which was renowned by the name of God in the holy concourse.

Thus do We teach thee from the mysteries of knowledge and cast upon thee that which shall make thee independent of those who imagine they have ascended to the heights of knowledge, that thou mayest know the paths of knowledge and wisdom and stand firm in the Cause and become acquainted with the knowledge which God hath concealed behind the pavilions of glory that it might remain hidden from the eyes of the proud.

Say: O people, fear ye God and walk not in the ways of transgression and wickedness, and think not evil of God lest ye be numbered with those who have turned aside in God’s Cause. These are they who, should they behold the path of Paradise, would not choose it for themselves as their path, but should the breezes of the Evil One pass by them, they would take it as their portion. This is because they have disbelieved in God and His signs, and were of those who turned away and showed pride before God in His Cause which hath dawned like the sun from the horizon of the spirit.

Say: O people, do ye not witness how the sun hath risen and the light hath shone forth and the veil hath been rent asunder and God hath stood forth in the holy concourse while the Dove announceth before Him with such melody that all in the kingdom are stunned thereby? Hearken then, O people of the kingdom, that ye may be drawn by the melodies of God. Then have mercy upon yourselves and deprive not your beings. The world and its ornaments shall pass away and ye shall return unto God in a station which hath been raised up by the path of power.

Know thou that We sent thee aforetime a book wherein We made mention of thee with the mention of eternity in such wise that none could produce a single letter thereof save whom thy Lord willeth. Thus do We inform thee of that which hath flowed from the Pen of Creation that thou mayest be convinced that God is potent over all things. And thou, grieve not over anything, neither fear anyone. Then preserve these words and recite them unto those who have believed in God that thou mayest be victorious in His Cause within thyself.

BH02785: God hath heard the call of those who disputed…

He is God, the Most Unapproachable, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted

God hath heard the call of those who disputed His Cause, denied His signs and turned away from the proof whereby in every age, time and wondrous era the Beauty of the Ancient of Days was made manifest. When one said unto another:

“O servant, fear God and associate not with Him in Whom thou hast believed. Fear God Who created thee, fashioned thee and made thee manifest in these days wherein the Sun of Eternity hath dawned from the horizon of sublime glory. Beware lest thou deny Him Whose praise hath been voiced by the denizens of Paradise and by those who dwell in the lofty chambers of the Ridvan round the throne of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Fear God and be not of those who doubt concerning the Cause of thy Lord.”

And he who disbelieved said: “We find thee not possessed of any proof or evidence.”

Say: Blind is thine eye, for verily the Sun hath risen from the horizon of creation and hath illumined all who are in the kingdom. By God! There hath appeared the proof of Ali, then the evidence of Muhammad, then the testimony of the Spirit, then that which the Interlocutor brought from the Sinai of God through this Announcement which was inscribed by the Pen of God in the mystery of the line, concealed from the gaze of the hypocrites. Hearken unto My words and say not what the idolaters said when Ali came unto them with God’s Book and a manifest proof. Follow thou God’s religion and His way, then seek shelter beneath the shade of this Youth Who, when He appeareth from the horizon of the House, causeth suns to rise from the horizon of the worlds of the unseen and the seen, shining from a station truly exalted. Turn thy sight unto the horizon of the Spirit that thou mayest find the Sun of the remembrance of thy Lord’s name with a light truly luminous.

O servant! Purify thy heart, then thine ear, then thy sight from these who have openly denied God and what they possess, then turn thy face toward this Sanctuary round which circle the angels of eternity with hosts of wondrous glory. Thus doth thy Lord God command thee. Follow what thou are commanded and be steadfast in the truth.

And the glory be upon thee and upon him who hath heard God’s call from the Sinai of his heart in this Most Great Remembrance and hath detached himself from the idolaters and what they possess. Thus doth God remember His servants who have taken unto the All-Merciful through this Youth a path of truth.

BH11738: Your letter hath reached Our presence, and We have…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, glorified be His station!

Your letter hath reached Our presence, and We have noted its contents. We shall answer thee with that which God casteth upon the breast of His servant, who is imprisoned in this remote prison. We give thanks unto God for this, and for whatsoever hath befallen Us in His path. We are patient in His decrees, and verily He rewardeth the patient ones. We desire naught save what God hath desired for Us, and We wish for naught save what He hath wished. Verily, He is the One praised in His deeds and obeyed in His command. He shall not be asked of His doings, and He, verily, hath power over all things.

O servant! Grieve not for what hath befallen thee from the decrees of fate. Be content with what God hath ordained for thee, for naught descendeth upon anyone save that which is better for him than all that hath been created between the heavens and the earth. Beware lest thou grieve in the face of destiny. Put thy trust in God in all matters and be of the thankful ones. All affairs are in the grasp of His power. He doeth what He pleaseth and ordaineth what He willeth.

Purify thy heart from the world and its mention, then remember thy Lord at eventide and at dawn, and in every morning and evening. For the world and whatsoever is therein and thereon shall perish, and that which endureth is that which is with thy Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate. Forget every mention and find solace in the Most Great Remembrance. He is the Most High, the Most Great.

Detach thyself from all else but God, thy Lord, then turn thy face toward the sanctuary of His love and good-pleasure, and be of them that are detached. We beseech God to heal thee and cure thee of thy ailment and illness. Verily, He is the Answerer of the prayers of the suppliants. When the appointed time cometh, He will cause the rains of mercy and healing to descend upon thee from the clouds of His grace. He, verily, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

Beware, beware lest thou be impatient. Be thou patient and hold fast unto God’s cord in these days wherein most of the servants have become heedless of the remembrance of their Lord and are numbered among the negligent. Their only concern in this world is to amass its ornaments unto themselves, and thus do they cast themselves into grave peril. Keep thyself away from such as these, for God shall soon return them to dust, and they shall be in manifest loss.

Peace be upon him who followeth guidance and is firm in certain truth. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH02865: A remembrance from Us to him who hath believed…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Glorious

A remembrance from Us to him who hath believed in God, the Mighty, the Praised, that he may be assured through God’s grace and remember Him amongst His servants. This indeed is a mighty matter.

Hearken unto the Call once again from the shore of guidance in the crimson spot from the Ultimate Lote-Tree:

“Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Wise. I have created all contingent beings for My knowledge and brought forth all creation for My Cause. I am the Powerful over whatsoever I will. There is none other God but Him, the Omnipotent, the Almighty.”

We have nurtured thee for My remembrance and preserved thee for My praise. Be not heedless of that for which thou wast created. Hold fast to the hem of remembrance in mentioning this wise Remembrance. Beware lest those who were created from the dust of hatred prevent thee. They are assuredly the companions of hellfire. Be thou in such wise that thy mention may influence hearts. Thus did We command thee before and in this mighty Book.

The earth hath related before Our face what hath befallen it. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Arise to serve Me among My servants, then remind them not to follow vain desires. Verily thy Lord desireth to purify the earth and all who dwell thereon. He is verily the Forgiving, the Merciful. Command the handmaidens to the Most Great Chastity from thy Lord, the Most Glorious. Thus have We ordained the matter in the Tablets. Blessed is he who hath attained unto that which was commanded by One All-Knowing, All-Wise.

We have sent down the Tablets unto thee and inscribed thy name by the Most Exalted Pen in a preserved tablet. Preserve what hath been ordained for thee and follow what thou art commanded. This is naught but a great bounty. Turn not unto those who opposed God and turned away from His beauty. Leave them to their vain desires and take what thou hast been given from thy Lord, the Lord of the mighty throne. Forget not thy Lord for He hath not forgotten thee. He hath sent down unto thee in the prison verses decisive and We sent them unto thee that thou mayest rejoice and be of the thankful ones.

The intoxication of desire hath seized the people of creation and they have turned away from God, the Lord of the hereafter and of the first life, save those who have held fast to this luminous Ark. Thus was the matter decreed in the Qayyumu’l-Asma by One mighty and powerful. Those who have turned to the Countenance are in an honored station. Soon shall they find themselves in the Most Great Paradise which was created in My name, the Mighty, the Impregnable.

Grieve not at anything. Verily thy Lord is with thee. He is the Friend of the sincere ones. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH02869: Glorified be He in Whose grasp is the dominion…

He is the Wondrous One in the Most Glorious Horizon

Glorified be He in Whose grasp is the dominion of the kingdom of the heavens and earth, and He verily encompasseth all things. He sendeth down upon whomsoever He willeth among His creatures that which draweth him to the holy court, the dawning-place of a mighty Name. Say: His favor hath encompassed all created things, yet the people have been debarred from the court of grace.

Hearken, O servant, unto the call of thy Lord from the right hand of Paradise, that He may draw thee in truth and sever thee from all the worlds, and bring thee to a station wherein thou shalt behold naught except that thou witnessest therein the lights of thy Lord, dawning and radiant. And thou shalt not see a single letter from the words of thy Lord except that thou hearest from it “Verily there is no God but Him,” and “He Who appeared with the name of ʿAli is His sovereignty, and He Who speaketh with truth is His glory”—unto all who are in the kingdom of Command and Creation. Sufficient is that which hath appeared from His presence as a witness thereto.

Say: O people, the Primal Point was not as any one among you, nor is this Youth, were ye to know it. Be ye steadfast in the Cause of God and His sovereignty, and be not of those who believe in part of the Book and deny part of it, and are recorded among the idolaters in the Tablets.

Say: The Kawthar of eternity hath flowed from the fountainhead of this Pen, and all who are in the heavens and earth were struck with fear, save a limited number. Upon these do the denizens of the Supreme Paradise call down blessings, and around them circle the angels of the Cause with chalices of wondrous sanctity, from which they drink at all times in the name of their Lord, the All-Merciful, and are made glad with the joy of God.

And thou, O servant, be thou steadfast in that hour wherein the mountains shall crumble and souls shall be agitated and cries shall be raised by the dwellers of earth and heaven, and the skin of every idolatrous rejector shall shiver. Thus have We commanded thee and counseled thee in the Cause of thy Lord, that thou mayest stand firm in that Cause wherefrom every mighty foot hath slipped.

We beseech God to aid thee in His Cause and to send down upon thee that which shall preserve thee from the harm of every harmful one and draw thee nigh unto Him, for verily He is powerful over all things. And glory be upon thee and upon those who are steadfast in the Cause and are endowed with true vision.

BH02873: Glorified art Thou, O my God! All praise be…

In the name of God, the Everlasting, the All-Sufficient, the Eternal!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! All praise be unto Thee for having made me to know Thy Self, and rendered me assured of Thy oneness, and acknowledging of Thy singleness, and submissive to Thy Lordship, and certain of Thy Divinity, and yielding to Thy sovereignty and power. By Thy might, O Thou Who art seen yet cannot be seen! Were I to praise Thee throughout the duration of Thy kingdom and thank Thee throughout the continuance of Thy dominion, it would still be insignificant compared to the wondrous tokens of Thy grace and bounties which Thou hast singled me out to receive despite my unworthiness—nay, rather, due to the manifestation of Thy favors and the emergence of Thy gifts unto this servant who is the most contemptible of Thy servants and the poorest of Thy creatures.

O my Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which all things have turned to the holy sanctuary of Thy unity and the Ka’bah of Thy detachment, and whereby Thou hast guided the sincere ones to the precincts of Thy most great mercy and illumined the hearts of the mystics to recognize the Manifestation of Thy most exalted and most glorious Self, that Thou mayest assist me to aid Thy Cause and exalt Thy Word and spread Thy verses. O my Lord! I find no helper for myself other than Thee and no supporter besides Thee. I implore Thee by Thy Self and by all that Thou art, that Thou mayest enable me to do what Thou lovest and pleasest. Verily Thou art the Lord of the Last and the First. Within the grasp of Thy power lie the dominion of destiny and the kingdom of its execution. And verily Thou art the Lord of the Throne on high and of the dust below.

Blessed is he who hath heard Thy call and responded to it, and soared in the atmosphere of Thy love and good-pleasure, and detached himself from those who denied Thy presence. O my Lord! Chastise those who denied Thy most great signs and neglected Thy Cause by following their own selves and their desires. O my Lord! Seize them through Thy power and might, and shut before their faces the gates of Thy mercy and loving-kindness. O my Lord! Make them taste the scourges of Thy wrath and the heat of Thy anger. There is no God but Thee, the Powerful, the Vengeful, the All-Compelling.

O God! Send Thy blessings upon Thy loved ones who have fulfilled their covenant and detached themselves from all else save Thee and turned unto Thee. Then cause to descend upon them, O God of gods, from the clouds of Thy mercy, the good of this world and the next. Then make them wealthy through Thy riches and mighty through Thy might and steadfast in Thy remembrance and victorious in Thy Cause and gazing upon Thy countenance. Verily Thou art God, there is no God but Thee. Every atom beareth witness that Thou art the Creator of names and attributes. Thou doest what Thou willest by Thy command and decreest what Thou desirest by Thy power. Verily Thou art the Mighty, the Unconstrained.

BH02874: God witnesseth that there is no God but Him…

He is the Mighty, the Everlasting

God witnesseth that there is no God but Him, the Gracious, the Best-Beloved. All grace and bounty are His. To whomsoever He will He giveth whatsoever is His wish. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. We, verily, believe in Him Who, in the person of the Báb, hath been sent down by the Will of the one true God, the King of Kings, the All-Praised. We, moreover, swear fealty to the One Who, in the time of Mustagháth, is destined to be made manifest, as well as to those Who shall come after Him till the end that hath no end. We recognize in the manifestation of each one of them, whether outwardly or inwardly, the manifestation of none but God Himself, if ye be of those that comprehend.

Every one of them is a mirror of God, reflecting naught else but His Self, His Beauty, His Might and Glory, if ye will understand. All else besides them are to be regarded as mirrors capable of reflecting the glory of these Manifestations Who are themselves the Primary Mirrors of the Divine Being, if ye be not devoid of understanding. No one hath ever escaped them, neither are they to be hindered from achieving their purpose. These Mirrors will everlastingly succeed each other, and will continue to reflect the light of the Ancient of Days. They that reflect their glory will, in like manner, continue to exist forevermore, for the Grace of God can never cease from flowing. This is a truth that none can disprove.

And whoso saith that the Manifestations have ended in thy land—pay no heed to him, and be of them who with the eye of God regard His Cause.

Say: The Jews claimed that the hand of God is chained up, and likewise do the peoples of latter days say what they said. Say: Woe betide you for what ye utter! His mercy hath preceded all things, and His grace hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth, could ye but know. His outpouring hath not ceased and will never cease, by the everlastingness of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. He manifesteth in the realm whomsoever He willeth, and there is none other God but Him.

All are heedless of His command in these days, save those who behold the Leaf of Paradise with their own eyes and hear the melody of God with their own ears. No hindrance can hinder them, even should all men seek to hinder them. Yet it behooveth the believer to distinguish between truth and falsehood as he distinguisheth between light and darkness, that he may not follow those who claim what God hath not ordained for them and who walk in the ways of their own desires.

Thus hath crowed the Cock of eternity, thus hath warbled the Dove of glory, and thus hath spoken this Speaking Tongue, would ye but turn unto it. And upon thee be the Spirit, and upon whoso hath turned toward the direction of God in this shining and beloved Countenance.

BH02904: This is an epistle from Us to him who…

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

This is an epistle from Us to him who hath believed in God, turned his face unto His countenance, and tasted in His love the cup of tribulations, until the heedless drove him out because he followed the command of his Lord, the Mighty, the Wise.

O thou who gazest upon the Face! Hearken once again unto that which the Tongue of Grandeur and Glory calleth unto thee from the direction of the Throne, that the Call of God may so attract thee as to detach thee from all the worlds.

Know thou that thy letter which thou didst send to the One like unto Moses hath come before Us and been read in the presence of the Countenance. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. By My life! Had he who was in Iraq heard from thee and not transgressed what We commanded him, he would surely have found himself in manifest glory. However, he cast away God’s command and took what he was commanded by the basest of people. Then he shall find himself in abasement and grievous affliction. But verily he is of those who turn with every voice, and this is from the weakness that hath seized him. God hath pardoned him. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

We perceive in the inmost secret the fragrance of My love, and We are beholding him. Thy Lord loveth not that the reward of one who hath turned towards Him be lost, even by a single step. Verily He is the Most Merciful, the Compassionate.

Verily he is of those whom the taunts of the people did not prevent, in his first turning toward the Sacred House. Thus was the matter ordained in a guarded Tablet. Therefore it behooveth thee to write unto him that which will remind him. And what thou hast written regarding his affairs is better for him, should he accept it and not be prevented by what the tongues of the ignorant utter.

Say: Glory is in My shadow, and whoso emergeth therefrom is in abasement, even though he possesseth all the treasures of earth. Was Qarun glorified by what he possessed? Nay, by the Lord of all worlds! It behooveth him to cry out in My Name and come forth with you and be detached from all he possesseth. By God, through this his glory shall become manifest, his station shall be exalted, and his position shall be elevated among all creatures.

We counsel Our loved ones not to speak that which would grieve his heart. Verily thy Lord is the Concealer, and verily He is possessed of great bounty.

Grieve not over what hath befallen thee. We know the hardship and distress thou art in. God shall soon change it to ease. Be thou assured and be of the thankful ones. Say: Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

BH02860: The remembrance of God from the Tree of Command…

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

The remembrance of God from the Tree of Command crieth out at this moment, saying: O people! Follow that which the Ancient Beauty commandeth you, and follow not every rebellious satan. Purify yourselves from the veils of idle fancy and your breasts from all doubt. Thus have We commanded you aforetime, and now through a holy and exalted Pen. Then purify your tongues for the remembrance of God, the Most Great, for verily He hath appeared in truth with a sovereignty that encompasseth all the worlds.

Thereupon did the feet of those who disbelieved and joined partners with God slip, and they were in doubt concerning the meeting with their Lord on the day when the veils were rent asunder and the Countenance of the Chosen One appeared with verses of wondrous glory.

Say: O people! Nothing shall profit you this day though ye should cling to all things between earth and heaven, or remember God throughout the duration of His kingdom. Thus hath the command been sent down from the presence of One mighty and wise. Say: Fear ye God and follow not the dictates of your desires. Follow the religion of God for verily it hath appeared in truth in the form of a Youth. Glorified be He Who created Him in truth and sent Him unto all the worlds.

O servant! When the Tablet of God reacheth thee, arise at His command, then take the Tablet and place it upon thy head. Then turn thy face toward the House and say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by this Tablet through which Thou didst raise up the Prophets and Messengers and made it a proof from Thy presence unto them, that Thou deprive me not of the fragrances of these days wherein the Sun of Thy Beauty hath shone forth with illuminating holy rays. Leave me not to myself, O my God, and preserve me lest my feet slip from the path of Thy Cause, for verily Thou art powerful over this. Preserve me, O my God, from the promptings of Satan, then turn me toward Thy beauteous countenance and send down upon me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy near servants. Verily Thou art powerful to do what Thou willest and Thou art wise over all things. O Lord! Make me not despairing of the wondrous lights of Thy Beauty, nor leave me deprived of the sanctuary of Him Who hath appeared in truth. Then purify me from whatsoever Thy good-pleasure abhorreth, for verily Thou hast ever been the Answerer of those who call upon Thee.

BH02849: Tell His Honor Aqa Siyyid Mihdi to meet…

Tell His Honor Aqa Siyyid Mihdi to meet with the letter Jim if he takes heed, otherwise leave him to himself to be consumed by its fires until he enters His habitation. Say: Exchange not thy religion for the world, and behold the Truth with the eye of Truth. Do not compare this Cause with previous ones, and cease mentioning Husayn-ibn-Ruh and the letters of the Qur’an. All have been created by a letter from thy Lord, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

Consider the Letters of the Living of this Dispensation, most of whom you have seen with your own eyes and whom the Exalted One has placed a hundred thousand degrees above the letters of the Qur’an—examine the Bayan if you wish to be of those who understand. Perchance your heart may be cleansed of hearsay evidences and analogical tales, and drink from the incomparable pure water of the All-Bountiful One, becoming free from all else.

Every year you requested medicinal compounds and sought efficacious prayers, and you always acted upon them. Did any fruit ever appear? Nay, by God! No antidote will ever have effect except by My leave. Now purify your heart from aversion to this Youth and from love of His enemies, that healing manifestations may appear from the treasury of mighty oneness. This is the message from my Lord, and the Messenger is only responsible for its delivery.

During this time you have not heeded this clear and manifest proof. Soon all that you have known and understood will be rolled up, and all that is in the hands of the servants, for the world and all that is in it shall perish and sovereignty will remain with God, thy Lord, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. Therefore hearken unto the word of thy Lord, then rend asunder the veils of fancy concerning worldly dominion, then ascend beyond it that thou mayest witness the sovereignty of thy Lord and be of those who attain.

By God! There is naught in My heart save compassion for those who turn toward the Throne, and I desire no recompense from them for this, nor do I seek anything from them except that they turn to the face of their Lord, the Mighty, the Beloved. As for certain statements made herein, construe them not as indicating the lowliness of some stations, but rather look to the exaltation of the station of the Cause. Thus do We teach thee that thou mayest be of those who know.

BH02858: Indeed there hath been sent unto thee…

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

Indeed there hath been sent unto thee from the right hand of glory that which was revealed for thee from the heaven of the mercy of thy Lord, and from it the fragrance of the All-Merciful is wafted throughout all worlds. Take hold of it in the name of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most Great, and remember when thou didst reach the seashore and didst behold the family of God in the hands of the oppressors. Read thou what hath been revealed in the Tablet. By God! That whereof We informed thee therein shall be made manifest. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The heavens and whatsoever hath been created therein may pass away, but that which hath been revealed therein from the presence of One Who is All-Knowing, All-Informed, shall never pass away. This is the day when thy Lord hath aided thee. Move thou through the lands with the breezes of thy Lord, the Lord of all names, that perchance the people may arise from their graves. Thus hast thou been commanded from the presence of One Who is Almighty, Ancient of Days.

We hear the cry of the Calf from certain lands. Say: O people, fear ye God and be not of the mischief-makers. Say: Whoso layeth claim before the completion of a full thousand years, he hath indeed disbelieved in God, the Lord of the mighty throne. By My life! The people are wrapped in heedlessness and are today numbered among the dead. They have not recognized God, and were they to recognize Him Who hath appeared, their hearts would melt with longing. Thus hath the All-Knowing informed thee.

Verily, the Ta is in concealment, and from the land of Fa My Herald hath appeared—He Who is the Beloved of the worlds. Her light hath appeared therefrom. Ask thou God, thy Lord, to protect her from the fire. Know thou what thy Lord hath intended. He doth encompass all things.

Arise thou for the Cause. Leave the world and all that is therein behind thee, then those on whose faces thou seest the darkness of hell-fire. Thou hast indeed witnessed him who openly denied God. Say: O people! By God, he was in Our presence as but one of those who serve. Fear ye God and say not that which ye know not.

Recount unto the people that which thou hast witnessed of Our Cause, and be thou in such wise that the mention of thy Lord’s name may be spread abroad amongst all the worlds. Were the people to discover that which is with thy Lord, the might of the idolaters would not frighten them. Sedition hath seized most of the servants, and they are today struck with terror. Therefore breathe thou upon them the sweet savors of the mention of thy Lord of attributes, by Our command. Verily thy Lord is He Who judgeth as He pleaseth.

Convey My glorification to My loved ones. Say: Be not grieved at what hath befallen Us. We are in great joy. Aid ye Him and be not of them that slumber. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

BH02902: This is a Book from Us to her who…

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

This is a Book from Us to her who hath believed in her Lord and was among the devout ones in a Tablet of mighty glory.

Blessed art thou, O handmaid of God, for having hearkened unto the call of thy Lord from the direction of the Throne and turned unto Him with a pure and luminous heart. Be thou steadfast in the love of God. He, verily, shall suffice thee apart from all else. Remember Him, then, in the night season and in the days. Through His remembrance the faces of His handmaidens who have turned unto Him and His servants who have turned unto Him are illumined.

Grieve not over what hath befallen thee, for there hath befallen Us what hath befallen no one else in all the worlds. Grieve not over thine afflictions, but weep for Mine afflictions. Thus have We commanded thee in truth from the presence of One All-Knowing, All-Wise.

Know thou that every learned one who hath hesitated in this Cause is the most ignorant among the ignorant, and every person of distinction who hath turned away from this Countenance is among the most wicked and unfortunate people. Verily, true knowledge is bound up with the knowledge of My Self, and all sciences are dependent upon My leave. He who hath not beheld Me with Mine eye knoweth Me not, nor will anything profit him even should he lay hold of the knowledge of the first and the last ones.

Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Praise be unto Thee for having made known unto me the Manifestation of Thy Self, the Dayspring of Thy Cause, the Source of Thy knowledge and the Treasury of Thy verses. By Thy glory! Were I to possess the fullness of the heavens and earth in gold and silver, and were I to spend them in Thy path, I would not have attained unto this station except through Thy grace and favors.

O my Lord! Make me steadfast, then, in Thy love and establish me in Thy Cause in such wise that should Thy servants who are veiled by learning from Thy Self-Subsisting Name oppose me, their opposition to Thee and their turning away from Thee would not disturb me. O my Lord! Bestow upon me that which Thou hast bestowed upon Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones in Thy days. Then send down upon me that which will purify me from the remembrance of any one except Thee. Make me so steadfast that those of my kindred would not prevent me from turning unto Thee and beholding the direction of Thy bounties and gifts. Verily, Thou art my Beloved and the Beloved of the worlds, my Goal and the Goal of those who are in the heavens and on earth. Then make my desire, O my God, to be extinguished in what Thou hast desired. Behold me, then, with the glances of the eyes of Thy mercy and Thy grace. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Exalted, the Supreme, the Help in Peril.

BH02833: O Sultan, hear the call of the Sovereign…

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

O Sultan, hear the call of the Sovereign from the direction of thy Lord’s merciful throne, that it may detach thee from all that hath been created in the worlds and draw thee nigh unto His Beauty, the All-Merciful, a station holy and resplendent. Then rejoice within thyself that the Pen of God, thy Lord and the Lord of all who are in the kingdom, hath moved at the mention of thy name.

Know thou that We have not forgotten thee and Our Arab loved ones, and We have made mention of them in the Tablet which We shall soon send unto them that they may become aware of God’s remembrance of them, for He hath ever been merciful to His servants. Know thou further that thy letter hath come before Us and We have read what was therein, and We have answered thee with these words which have shone forth from the horizon of glory with manifest sovereignty.

Take heed that thou assist thy Lord to the extent of thy power and forget not His grace, for His grace hath ever encompassed the worlds. Shun those who have disbelieved and joined partners with God, and draw nigh unto those from whom thou dost inhale the fragrance of love from this Youth whom the idolaters have cast into a deep pit. Blessed art thou for having remained steadfast in the Cause and turned away from those whose essence and reality were created from the fire of opposition and who took the Calf as their beloved.

Say: O people! Did We not inform you at the time of departure that the Samiri would appear among you, that the Calf would cry out and the birds of night would stir? Beware lest ye forget what We previously told you and hold fast to a mighty and manifest handle. Say: Today there is no escape for anyone and no refuge for any soul save God Who created all things by His command and manifested the Manifestation of His Self with a great proof and testament. Say: O people! Cast not the Cause of God behind your backs and follow not every froward devil.

And thou, O Sultan, by God, wert thou to become aware of what hath befallen Me, thou wouldst weep and lament and cry out every morn and eve. But We have concealed from thee what hath befallen My Beauty, the All-Merciful, lest thou be saddened in thy soul, and this is indeed a mighty grace unto the truth.

And the Glory be upon thee and upon Our Arab loved ones, both male and female, young and old. Then convey My greetings to My handmaiden who hath believed in her Lord, that she may rejoice within herself and be in graceful happiness.

BH02871: Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Thou seest…

Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Thou seest my poverty and my misery, my troubles and my needs, my utter helplessness and my extreme lowliness, my lamentations and my bitter wailing, the anguish of my soul and the afflictions which beset me. The power of Thy might beareth me witness! Such is the depth of mine abasement that Thy servants who have strayed far from Thy path deride me. Thou knowest that I am recognized as the bearer of Thy name among Thy creatures. Thou knowest that my station is but an image of Thy station, that my virtues recount Thy virtues, that within mine inmost being naught can be found except the revelations of Thy signs, and that my very essence is but a reflection of the evidences of Thy unity.

All these things Thou hast noised abroad among Thy creatures, in such wise that none can recognize me, except as one who beareth Thy name. I swear by Thy glory! My lamentations are not for the things which have befallen me in Thy path, but are due to my recognition that by reason of mine abasement the hearts of them that love Thee have been sore shaken, and the souls of Thine adversaries have been so filled with joy that they rejoice over those who have detached themselves from all except Thee and have hastened towards the river of Thy remembrance and praise. So great is their waywardness that when meeting Thy loved ones, they shake their heads in derision of Thy Cause and say:

“Where is your Lord Whom ye mention in the daytime and in the night season? Where is He to be found Whom ye call your Sovereign, to Whom ye summon all men to turn?”

Their pride and haughtiness waxed greater and greater until they denied the power of Thy might and rejected Thy sovereignty and dominion.

Thy glory beareth me witness! I delight in mine own afflictions and in the afflictions which they who love me suffer in Thy path. Neither I nor they, however, are able to bear such affronts and reproaches as are uttered by Thine enemies against Thy Self, the Unrestrained. How long shalt Thou remain seated, O my God, on the throne of Thy forbearance and patience? Speak Thou Thy word of wrath, O Thou Whom no eyes can see! Well-beloved is Thy mercy unto the sincere among Thy servants, and well-beseeming Thy chastisement of the infidels among Thine enemies. Send down upon them, therefore, O my Lord, that which will unmistakably reveal unto them the fury of Thy wrath and the ascendancy of Thy power, and will enable them to recognize the weight of Thy might and the greatness of Thy strength. If Thou refusest, O my God, to aid them that love Thee, assist Thou, then, Thine own Self and Him Who is Thy Remembrance.

I entreat Thee by Thy name, that hath caused the ocean of Thy wrath to surge, to chastise them who have repudiated Thy truth and disowned Thine utterances. Abase them, then, by Thy might and power, and exalt such as have, wholly for Thy sake, set their faces towards Thee, that through them the ensigns of Thy glorification may be unfurled among all nations, and Thy tokens be spread abroad among all peoples, and that all may testify that Thou art God, that there is none other God beside Thee, the God of power, of majesty and glory.

BH02872: Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Every time…

Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Every time I am reminded of Thee and muse on Thy virtues, I am seized with such ecstasies and am so enravished by Thee that I find myself unable to make mention of Thy name and to extol Thee. I am carried back to such heights that I recognize my self to be the same as the remembrance of Thee in Thy realm, and the essence of Thy praise among Thy servants. As long as that self endureth, so long will Thy praise continue to be shed abroad among Thy creatures and Thy remembrance glorified by Thy people.

Every man endued with insight among Thy servants is persuaded that my self liveth eternally and can never perish, inasmuch as remembrance of Thee is eternal and will endure so long as Thine own Self endureth, and Thy praise is everlasting and will last as long as Thine own sovereignty will last. By its means Thou art glorified by such of Thy chosen ones as call upon Thee and by the sincere among Thy servants. Nay, the praise wherewith any one, in the entire creation, praiseth Thee proceedeth from this exalted self and returneth unto it, even as the sun which, while it shineth, sheddeth its splendor upon whatsoever may be exposed to its rays. From this sun is generated, and unto it must return, the light which is shed over all things.

Exalted, immeasurably exalted art Thou above any attempt to measure the greatness of Thy Cause, above any comparison that one may seek to make, above the efforts of the human tongue to utter its import! From everlasting Thou hast existed, alone with no one else beside Thee, and wilt, to everlasting, continue to remain the same, in the sublimity of Thine essence and the inaccessible heights of Thy glory.

And when Thou didst purpose to make Thyself known unto men, Thou didst successively reveal the Manifestations of Thy Cause, and ordained each to be a sign of Thy Revelation among Thy people, and the Day-Spring of Thine invisible Self amidst Thy creatures, until the time when, as decreed by Thee, all Thy previous Revelations culminated in Him Whom Thou hast appointed as the Lord of all who are in the heaven of revelation and the kingdom of creation, Him Whom Thou hast established as the Sovereign Lord of all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth. He it was Whom Thou hast determined to be the Herald of Thy Most Great Revelation and the Announcer of Thy Most Ancient Splendor. In this Thou hadst no other purpose except to try them who have manifested Thy most excellent titles unto all who are in heaven and on earth. He it was Whom Thou hast commanded to establish His covenant with all created things.

And when Thy promise came to pass and the set time was fulfilled, He Who is the Possessor of all Names and Attributes was made manifest unto men. Thereupon all that were in the heavens and all that were on the earth were terror-stricken save those whom Thou didst keep under Thy protection and preserve within the shelter of Thy power and gracious providence. There befell Him, at the hands of such of Thy creatures as have transgressed against Thee, that which the tongue of no one of Thy servants can recount.

Look down, then, upon Him, O my God, with the eye of Thy tender mercy, and send down upon Him and upon those that love Him all the good Thou didst ordain in the heaven of Thy will and the Tablet of Thy decree. Aid them, then, with Thy succor, for Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the All-Compelling.

BH09209: O emigrant servant! Your longing and yearning…

In the Name of the Friend

O emigrant servant! Your longing and yearning for the presence of God is evident and clear, and your mention is recorded in the Most Great Scene. Transform the cups of sorrow into cups of joy. Be not grieved, for God is nearer and kinder to you than your own self. Whatever you traversed in the wilderness of separation, yearning for the presence of the Friend—its reward has been written and recorded by the Pen of Destiny in the Kingdom of Divine decree. All that befell you in the path of the Friend is evident and known in the Tablet of Knowledge.

God’s curse be upon those who created barriers between us and you! Most difficult is it for the Ancient Beauty that His loved ones should arrive at the shore of the sea of reunion, yet meeting be delayed and they remain distant from the gathering of nearness. However, in all conditions one must be content with the good-pleasure of the Friend and keep one’s gaze fixed upon the direction of His Command, for none has been or ever shall be aware of His hidden wisdom. God’s curse be upon those who caused your remoteness from the seat of nearness and reunion! Divine grace has been and shall continue to be with you.

Today all the friends of God must keep their gaze upon the welfare of the Cause, for both external and internal enemies have appeared with all their schemes, just as the previous Manifestation foretold, and likewise in the Persian Tablets known as “Istidlaliyyih” these days were foretold by the Pen of Knowledge, including that during the severe days of the Manifestation the Cause would become so difficult that the companions of that King of existence and Essence of Purpose would flee to mountains and deserts, hiding from the oppressors, while some would sacrifice their lives with complete detachment, as all was fulfilled and you witnessed.

And grieve not for what has befallen you, for greater than what has befallen you has befallen My wronged Self. God willing, may you be enkindled with the fire of divine love and be illumined like a lamp in the gathering of servants, in such wise that the seas of heaven and earth shall not extinguish you nor deprive you of light. And the Spirit be upon you and upon those who love you for the sake of God, the One, the Single, the Ancient.

BH02973: The remembrance of God from the direction…

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

The remembrance of God from the direction of the Abode of Life, the Spot wherein the Tongue of God uttereth the most melodious strains, addresseth His servant, that My remembrance from His presence may encompass all created things, and that He may remind the servants of the remembrance of God, the Most Great, and bid them observe righteousness and piety, and forbid them from transgression and indecency, that they may perchance find a path unto Him Who occupieth the throne.

O servant! Thy name hath been mentioned before the Throne, and We have revealed unto thee clear and holy verses, and have sent them unto thee as a token of Our grace, that thou mayest read them and be possessed of insight into the Cause. Stand firm in the Cause of God and His religion, and be not shaken by the tempests of trials that have blown from the direction of temptation, causing most of the leaves to fall. Thus hath the matter been decreed by One Who is mighty and powerful.

Turn unto God, then turn away from all else besides Him, and fear no one. Place thy trust in all matters in God, thy Lord, and abide under His mighty protection. Remember thyself throughout all days, lest thou be veiled by the veils of idle fancies which have encompassed most of mankind, who remain shut out from the glances of God.

Know thou that God hath accepted from thee what thou didst dedicate specially to Him from the land which He bestowed upon thee. This is of His grace unto thee, and verily His grace is nigh unto the doers of good. Beware lest thou efface from thy heart the love of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Guard it from the manifestations of Satan who bid people to deny Him Who created them by His command, and who have taken for themselves a partner with God. Shun such as these, neither sit with them nor associate with them. This is My bidding unto thee, if thou be of those who understand.

Preserve the Tablet of God, then read what hath been revealed therein by night and by day, that it may create within thy heart that which will draw thee nigh unto a mighty and exalted station. Let God suffice thee above all else, and take not Satan as thy helper. Thus have We commanded thee in truth as a token of Our grace unto thee, that thou mayest be endowed with true understanding. Glory be upon thee and upon whosoever hath detached himself from those who have disbelieved and hath turned with radiant countenance unto God.

BH02935: O son! Hearken unto the call of this Bird…

In the name of Him Whom all worship yet do not know.

O son! Hearken unto the call of this Bird that warbleth upon the branches of the Tree of Eternity and summoneth the people unto God, the Sovereign, the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Most Great. He aideth them at all times in the Cause of God and assisteth them through His grace from His presence. Verily He is the Truth, there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Knowing.

Bear thou witness unto that whereunto God did testify before the creation of the heavens and earth, that verily I am alive in the Most Glorious Horizon. Be not of the patient ones. Stand thou firm in the Cause with such steadfastness as would stupefy all who dwell in the heavens and on earth. Be thou so enkindled with the love of thy Lord that should anyone encounter thee, the warmth of thy love would influence him. Thus doth this Mourning One counsel thee, if thou be of them that hearken.

Detach thyself from all else but God, thy Lord, then turn thy face unto Him with a countenance pure, sanctified and luminous. Then follow thy father in whatsoever he commandeth thee, for verily he hath, in the sight of thy Lord, a station that is truly great. Let him stand firm in the Cause of God and be not influenced by the hints of the sinful ones.

We beseech God to assist him in His Cause, to enable him to voice His praise, to detach him from the world, and to give him to drink from the Kawthar of life in this Paradise which God hath manifested at the center of heaven, whose trees have been adorned with leaves whereon hath been inscribed by the Finger of God, the Sovereign, the Guardian, the Most Exalted, the All-Conquering, the All-Powerful:

“By God! He Who hath appeared with His Most Great Name is verily the Beauty of the All-Merciful between the heavens and earth. Around Him circle the denizens of Paradise, then the realities of creation and all that hath been. Yet the people have turned away from Him and become veiled by a name from among the names that were created by His irrevocable and wise command.”

Thus have We remembered thee at this time which, by God, causeth sighs of grief to issue forth from the Breath of the All-Merciful, and tears to flow from His eyes, and He lamenteth within Himself and crieth out in His secret heart saying:

“Is there any helper who will help this wronged, single and lonely One?”

The Spirit that hath appeared from the holy horizon be upon thee and upon every discerning believer.

BH02937: He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise! O Letter…

He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise! O Letter of Ba! Hearken unto the call of Him Who summoneth thee at a time when the dogs of the earth from every direction have gathered against Him with claws of strange hatred, while He hath placed His trust in God, His Lord, at all times, and hath feared no one nor will He ever fear any soul, even should all who are in the heavens and on earth deny Him. For this world and whatsoever is therein are in His sight no more than a handful of light dust.

Say: Verily in this exodus are signs for those who remember, and in this movement are evidences for those who perceive. Say: Therein lieth concealed the wisdom of God, if ye be of them that comprehend. And it shall be made manifest in truth, despite the arrogant ones.

Thus do We impart unto thee of the verses of the Spirit that thou mayest be of the guided ones, and stand firm in the Cause and be of them that are steadfast, and find tranquility within thyself such that the hosts of the evil ones shall not cause thee to slip. Beware lest thou forget this counsel from this trusted, all-knowing One. Soon shall Baal roar and the Samiri call out from every nearby place. But ye shall abide beneath the shade of God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Best-Beloved. Verily He will assist His loved ones with hosts ye cannot see, and this is easy for God to accomplish.

And thou, O Baqir, grieve not for what hath befallen Us, and be not of them who are distressed in tribulation nor of them who are content therewith. Be thou content with what God hath ordained for Us, then be patient in the Cause of thy Lord and be of the patient ones. Beware lest thou be dismayed in this greatest dismay wherein the minds of the mystics are bewildered. God shall soon transform thy distress into tranquility and thy sorrow into joy. Verily there is no God but He, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent.

Say: O people! Hearken unto My call and differ not in God’s Cause, and turn not unto them in whose breasts ye find rancor against God, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Bountiful, and from whom the odors of discord are diffused though their tongues may speak with mighty and impregnable words. By God! These are more harmful than all poisons. Fear ye God and draw not nigh unto them, and be not of them that approach them. Thus have We counseled thee in this Tablet with that which shall suffice thee above all else, if thou be of them that act.

And the Spirit and glory rest upon thee and upon the detached servants.

BH03022: Among the people is he who asks about…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great

Among the people is he who asks about the Promised News. Say: It hath come, by the Lord of the Frequented Fane! Among them is he who saith: If the Hour hath come, where are its signs? Say: They have passed, by the Lord of what was and what shall be! One saith: Where are the earthquakes? Say: The tribes have been seized while ye were slumbering. When the standards of the signs appeared with clear proofs, the earth was shaken and the mountains crumbled, while ye were heedless. Do ye see any light in the sun before the lights of the Countenance? Nay, by My life, it hath darkened and the stars have fallen. Say: Have ye not heard when the Trumpet was blown, and every rejected idolater was thunderstruck? The All-Merciful hath come, and the smoke hath seized all in the worlds, yet they see not, save whom thy Lord, the Mighty, the Loving, willeth.

Say: Do ye see for yourselves any refuge or escape? Nay, by the Lord of the Unseen and the Seen! Rend ye the veils by the sovereignty of your Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. Beware lest the buzzing of flies prevent you from turning to God, the Self-Subsisting, the Eternal.

Remember when there came in Iraq one who desired to test God. When We manifested unto him, he broke the Covenant and turned back to his kind, even as people turned back in former ages. Among the people is he who came to the Most Great Scene, and We shed upon him the lights of the Countenance, whereupon he was thunderstruck. When he recovered, he believed in God, the Mighty, the Beloved. And among them is he by whom We passed in the marketplace, and who heard a verse from the verses of his Lord, whereupon longing seized him and he turned to the Intended One.

Say: O people! Were ye to look with the purest eye, ye would see in all that hath appeared in this Revelation the sovereignty of God and His power prevailing over every witness and witnessed thing.

O thou who hast turned to the Face! Thy name hath been mentioned before the Throne, and there hath been sent down for thee that which causeth the sincere ones to soar. Seize thou the days of God, then aid Him with that which will awaken those who slumber. Victory hath been confined to utterance in this Revelation wherein the All-Merciful hath manifested Himself to all who are in the worlds. Thus have We commanded the people in the Tablets, yet most of them understand not. And glory be upon him who hath remained steadfast in this Cause whereby eyes have been solaced.

BH03029: This is an epistle from before Baha unto him…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious!

This is an epistle from before Baha unto him who hath believed in God and stood firm upon the straight path. We beseech God to assist him in His Cause, to confirm him in the truth, and to send down upon him at all times that which shall gladden his heart and sever him from all the peoples of the earth.

O Muhsin! Hear thou the call of God from this Spot which hath been raised up in truth—that there is none other God but Him, and He hath been, in truth, All-Wise over all things. Arise, O Muhsin, to assist the Cause of God with all thy limbs and members, and forget not God’s grace and mercy upon you, the people of Baha, and be thou mighty in rendering assistance. Remember thou this Wronged One and fear no one. Put thy trust in God and verily He will protect thee in truth, for He hath ever been the Protector of those who do good, and their Guardian.

Know thou that in all the Tablets We promised the servants this Most Great Revelation. But when its appointed time drew nigh and He manifested Himself with all the signs and tokens, with power, majesty and sovereignty, most of the servants denied Him and turned away from Him, and were recorded in the Tablets as idolaters. And among the deniers was one who said that so-and-so had not believed in this Cause. Say: Woe unto thee! He whom ye made the criterion for God’s Cause hath stumbled on the path and returned to his former state, if ye be aware. Say: O people! Fear ye God and link not God’s Cause to anyone’s will, for all else was created by His will. He is in truth the Ruler Who ordaineth as He pleaseth, and He hath power over all things. Fear God, O people, and make not your desires your god, and wage not war against Him through Whom God’s Cause hath been manifested in every age and dispensation.

Thus do We inspire thee, O Muhsin, that thou mayest be gladdened in thyself by this bounty. Then convey Our greetings to Our Arab loved ones and mention to them what thou hast heard of the story of the Youth, that perchance it may create in their hearts that which shall make them steadfast in the Cause.

BH04736: Glorified be He Who created the names and made…

Glorified be He Who created the names and made them the means whereby His servants might attain unto the realms of eternity, that they may come to know that which was concealed from them in the Kingdom of Creation. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. He hath ordained for every name an influence and sovereignty over the seen and the unseen, and hath made the effect of all names dependent upon His Most Great Name, which hath indeed been made manifest through truth, yet most people have turned away from it….

Say: This is the Most Hidden Remembrance which Al-Kazim mentioned after the Hidden One at the end of his renowned book, concluding it with this Remembrance that its ending might be musk, whose fragrance might be inhaled by such servants as God hath purified from the cold of vain desire and attracted through His Most Exalted Word from the left hand of fancy to the right hand of certitude.

Say: O people! The cock hath crowed, the raven hath croaked, the peacock hath spread its wings, and the Dove hath cooed. How long will ye tarry? Say: The Herald hath called out in the Kingdom of Creation and hath given glad tidings to the servants of the Point from which emerges the letter Ha with the Alif, without excess or breach. When it appeared and shone forth, the decree of divorce was pronounced and leg was wound around leg, after the horizons were illumined by the lights of this Dawning. Among the people are those who violated the Covenant and rose up in hypocrisy, and among them are those who turned to God, in Whose grasp lies the Kingdom of the heavens and earth, and with Whom is the knowledge of all things in a preserved Tablet….

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst raise up the heavens of exposition and establish the earth of utterance, from which sprouted the ears of wisdom and meaning, that Thou assist me to exalt Thy Word and aid Thy Cause. Withhold me not from the splendors of the lights of Thy countenance, and deprive me not of the fragrances of the garment of Thy Name, the All-Merciful, in Thy days. O Lord! Praise be unto Thee for having caused me to hear Thy call and recognize the Manifestation of Thyself. I have arisen, O my God, before the fountain of Thy mercy and favors. Sever me from all else but Thee and sanctify me from the mention of aught except Thee. Then assign unto me a seat of truth with Thee. Verily, Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but He, the Omnipotent, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Wise….

BH02939: O Khalil! Thou wilt never know what befell…

He is

O Khalil! Thou wilt never know what befell the Friend of the All-Merciful from the manifestations of Satan. Say: Verily Nimrod and Pharaoh have again rebelled against God, and this hath been decreed in the preserved tablets of glory. Say: By God! Nimrod acknowledged God when he witnessed the Beauty of God and His power, but the Nimrod of today hath not acknowledged and will never acknowledge, if ye be of those who know. Even if God should bring a company of angels, or the treasures of the heavens and earth, or a manifest sovereignty, or knowledge of what was and what shall be—by God, they will never believe, ever. This is a revelation from God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

If thou shouldst know what befell the Friend, thou wouldst detach thyself from thine own self and from all who are in the heavens and earth and from all upon which the name of a thing can fall. This indeed is a known truth. But We have veiled the matter in preserved tablets of glory, lest the cry of all things be raised between earth and heaven, and the hearts of those who dwell in the pavilions of grandeur be disturbed, and those who are nigh fall prostrate upon the limited dust.

O Khalil! The Beloved speaketh with beloved melodies of sorrow: Soon shall ye bite your fingers in remorse when ye find not the Youth, though ye search throughout the heavens and earth. Thus do We inform you that ye may be of those who are aware. By God the Truth! The eye of creation hath never witnessed its like, nor shall it witness hereafter, and to this do honored servants testify.

This Tablet was revealed at a time when the Shirt of God was reddened with blood because one cast upon all created things a letter of the vision he witnessed within himself—He, the Protector, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. Preserve thou this Tablet and recite it morning and evening, and in all years and months, that perchance the people of the holy places may arise from the couch of heedlessness and become certain of their Lord’s verses. Then remind, from Our presence, those loved ones whom nothing in the heavens or earth can cause to turn aside except what issueth from the mouth of the Spirit in these days wherein most faces are turned away.

BH02944: Thou knowest, O my God, that my lips were…

In His Name, the Lord!

Thou knowest, O my God, that my lips were not opened save by Thy permission, and that the Pen of Pre-existence moved only by Thy command, and was stirred solely by the winds of Thy Will which have encompassed all who dwell in the kingdom of Thy Cause and creation. I summoned Thy servants, as Thou didst command me, unto the holy paradise of Thy oneness and the seat of Thy glorious mercy. No hour hath passed over me except that from the clouds of destiny there rained down upon me the arrows of tribulation. Yet I remained content with what was decreed for me in Thy path and longing for what was ordained for me in the scrolls of Thy decree.

My soul be a sacrifice for Thine arrows, and my spirit be a ransom for Thy decree, O Thou Who art the Beloved of Baha, the Companion of Baha, Who kindled the fire of faithfulness in the breast of Baha, Who speaketh Thy most great verses through the tongue of Baha, Who proclaimeth Thy most exalted Word in the mystery of Baha. The essence of Baha be a sacrifice for Thy grace, and the reality of Baha be a ransom for Thy mercy. By Thy glory, O my Beloved! I find for myself no portion save what was ordained for me by Thy Most Exalted Pen, and nothing is more beloved to me than the tribulations that have touched me in Thy love—the destined afflictions and the decreed calamities.

Therefore, I beseech Thee, O my Beloved, drive not Thy servants from the door of Thy mercy and bounty. Then rend asunder the veils of their hearts and eyes with the fingers of Thy power and might, that they may behold Thee manifest above all things and seated upon the throne of grandeur and glory. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Great, the Most Exalted.

Then send down, O my God, from the clouds of Thy mercy upon him who hath been named with the First Name of these two Most Exalted Names that which will purify him from all except Thee, sanctify him from all save Thee, and turn him toward the direction of Thy unity and the seat of Thy glorious singleness, and preserve him from whatsoever is abhorrent to Thy good-pleasure. Then cause him, O my God, to speak Thy praise amidst Thy creation and Thy remembrance among Thy servants, for Thy remembrance is the ladder whereby Thy creation ascendeth to the heaven of the glory of Thy oneness.

Verily, Thou art He Who hath ever been, through Thine Essence, powerful over all who dwell in the kingdoms of the heavens and earth, and Self-Sufficient from all who dwell in the kingdoms of Command and creation. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou pleasest. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Glorious, the Unconstrained.

BH02940: O guest of God! Where is the Host…

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

O guest of God! Where is the Host and where is His companion? Know thou that He is in the hands of enemies who plot against Him morning and evening. Woe unto him who would shut the door which hath been opened before the face of all who are in the heavens and on earth! Take heed, O ye who are endowed with discernment!

How many houses have We left to the spider, and how many kings have We brought down from their palaces to their graves! Take heed, O ye who are possessed of understanding! Will any upon earth remain as they were? Nay, by my Lord, the Most Merciful! Blessed is he who hath cast away the world and turned with humility and repentance toward the Most Glorious Horizon.

God willing, you must be grateful and content in all conditions. All people have claimed to love God, yet each was barred from the path of the All-Merciful by some test, for the Ancient Beauty hath never accepted any but the sincere, and trials and tests are like a sieve—that which is unacceptable passeth through it. Today is the day of steadfastness. Dissimulation in the Cause of God is not permitted. Hearken unto the voice of the Wronged One. Speak the truth, stand with truth, and utter truth, even if thou shouldst behold all on earth as enemies. For the example of the souls who turn away is like the foam that appear on the surface of water—they have had and shall have no stability or permanence.

God willing, thou must bear hardships for the sake of God and be patient in what hath befallen thee, even as trials greater than those that have befallen all others have befallen the Ancient Beauty, Who even now, in tribulations that cannot be mentioned, is nonetheless occupied with the remembrance of God and His commandments. Thou hast ever been before Our gaze and remembered in the Most Great Scene. Act in a manner befitting this most great station. Remember all handmaidens on behalf of the Wronged One. Remember on My behalf My handmaiden Sakinih and her daughter. Say to them: Grieve not over anything, for your Lord is the Truth. He is with His handmaidens and adorneth whomsoever He willeth with the ornament of His wondrous and matchless remembrance.