Volume 045: Prior to 1873 1290 A.H., Part III (2 of 4)

BH03354: Glorified be He Whom all things in the heavens…

He is the Ever-Abiding, the Mighty, the Impregnable

Glorified be He Whom all things in the heavens and earth do praise! He createth whatsoever He willeth through His command. He, verily, is the Powerful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent. He aideth whom He willeth through the agencies of the heavens and earth, and He is the Triumphant over all things. He, verily, is the Mighty, the All-Wise.

In the revelation of verses there are indeed manifestations for those who follow the path of truth. Say: O peoples of the earth! Compare not the creation of verses with the creation of aught else, nor their manifestation with the manifestation of other things, if ye be discerning. They are in themselves the mirror of God amidst the worlds, and they reflect God and His most beautiful names, and they guide you to a straight path. Through them God created whatsoever was and will be. Ponder upon them; they will make you independent of the worlds.

Say: They are the form of the Command into which was breathed, causing all in the heavens and earth to swoon, save those whom God preserved through manifest sovereignty. They are the proof whereby His Cause was established and His evidence confirmed. Thus was the matter decreed and the evidence came from the presence of One mighty and knowing. Those who deny the verses of God and make sport of them, these are in manifest loss.

Say: O people! We have ordained for you the laws of recognition and have expounded the verses in truth. They have been sent down from the right hand of a mighty throne. Say: God doth test those who claim to believe. Thus was the matter decreed in a preserved tablet.

O people of Baha! We have adorned the heaven of utterance with the ornament of meaning and exposition, that ye may give thanks unto your Lord, the All-Merciful. He, verily, is the Ruler over what He willeth.

O servant! Remind those who have believed of this Remembrance, whose fragrance hath wafted from the direction of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Praised. Let not the words of those who have denied God grieve thee. Verily, We behold them in the fire. Turn wholly unto God.

Say: O people! Follow him who asketh no recompense of you and who summoneth you to the supreme horizon by what hath been ordained by One All-Knowing, All-Informed. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH03373: Say: Glorified art Thou, O my God! I am…

In the name of God, the Most Holy

Say: Glorified art Thou, O my God! I am Thy servant, and the son of Thy servant. I have turned my face towards the Qiblih of Thy Cause, confident of Thy oneness, confessing Thy singleness, submitting to Thy sovereignty and might, and acknowledging Thy grandeur and Thy majesty. I beseech Thee, by Thy Name through which the heavens were cleft asunder, and the earth was rent, and the mountains were crushed to dust, to withhold me not from the blowing of the winds of Thy mercy in Thy days, and to debar me not from the shore of Thy nearness and Thy bounties.

O Lord! I am athirst—give me to drink of the Kawthar of Thy grace; and I am poor—cause me to behold the outpourings of Thy riches. Is it befitting Thy station that Thou shouldst drive away the hopeful from the court of the door of Thy favor and Thy loving-kindness? Or is it consonant with Thy sovereignty that Thou shouldst deny the yearning ones access unto the Ka’bih of reunion with Thee and of Thy presence? By Thy might! this is not my thought of Thee; for I have been assured that Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Possessor of abundant grace. O Lord! I entreat Thee, by Thy mercy that hath preceded all created things, and by Thy generosity that hath encompassed all beings, to make me one who turneth wholly unto Thee, who seeketh refuge in Thy Presence, and who standeth steadfast in Thy love. Then ordain for me that which Thou hast decreed for Thy loved ones. Verily Thou art potent to do what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Generous. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

Then know that your namesake has slandered me, and for this God hath seized him by His command, for He is the most severe of avengers. And thou knowest that I have not associated with him nor with any other souls, and only met with him in my brother’s house for about an hour after he had sought permission to attain the presence. Thus was the matter and thou art among the witnesses. He hath spoken before the people concerning me that which he hath spoken, out of spite against God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Powerful.

Say: With thy Lord is the knowledge of all things. He knoweth what thy tongue hath uttered and what hath passed through thy heart, and He is knowing of all things. Say: Turn unto God that He may perchance remit thy sins; otherwise He will seize thee with a mighty seizure. Thus have We cast upon thee the word of truth as a mercy from Us unto thee, that thou mayest be among those endowed with certitude.

BH03396: The Most Holy, the Most Glorious! This…

The Most Holy, the Most Glorious! This is a Book from the All-Knowing to those who have believed in God, the Mighty, the Wise, that they may rejoice in what they have been remembered before the Throne. This is naught but a great bounty. Blessed are they who have been given what hath been sent down from the presence of One mighty and powerful.

Turn ye unto the Countenance and turn away from the ignorant who wander in the wilderness of passion. They are indeed in manifest loss. Soon shall the dust of torment encompass them and they shall awaken in remorse. The wrath of thy Lord shall seize them—distant be they who have disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

We seized peoples before them, then after them We raised up others. Nothing hath preceded Us. We have ordained for every matter an appointed time. We are indeed powerful.

Arise to remember God amongst His servants and leave those who have disbelieved in their overwhelming ignorance. They are indeed among the heedless. Do they imagine that what they possess will profit them? Nay, by the Lord of all worlds! Did what their fathers amassed benefit them? We have left them in the fire, and thy Lord is indeed the Subduer, possessed of mighty strength. Nothing preventeth Him from what He desireth. He is in truth the Ruler over what He willeth.

Those who have disbelieved in God are deaf—they hear not the call of their Lord. They are indeed among those who slumber. When they awaken they shall find themselves in the depths of the fire. They shall say: “We have wronged ourselves and were among the wrongdoers.”

Say: Hearken, O people, to the call of your Lord, then turn unto Him and follow not every doubting idolater. Arise from the couches of passion. This is your Lord, the Most Glorious, Who hath come with a manifest light. Have ye forsaken God and taken vain imaginings as lords for yourselves? This is naught but a grievous wrong. Open your eyes! This is your Lord, the Chosen One, Who calleth you to the most exalted station. He is indeed a witness unto what He saith. Say: Is conjecture better for you, or the light that hath shone forth from the horizon of certitude? Be fair, O people, and follow not every heedless sinner.

Thus have We revealed unto thee that thou mayest remember thy Lord amongst the servants, that perchance Our slumbering servants may be awakened thereby. Say: O my Lord! I am he who hath turned his face toward Thee. Decree for me what Thou desirest. Thou art indeed the Most Merciful of the merciful ones.

BH03455: O handmaiden of God! Thy letter hath come before…

He is the All-Glorious, the Most Glorious!

O handmaiden of God! Thy letter hath come before Us and We have witnessed its contents. We are indeed the All-Witnessing. Stand thou firm in the Cause of God, thy Lord, and detach thyself from all else save Him.

Let not the cawing of the female unbelievers nor the braying of the male unbelievers disturb thee, for most people have turned away from Him Who created them for this Day and gave them glad tidings of this luminous, resplendent Manifestation. Among them are those who openly denied God and warred against Him and pronounced judgment against Him and were numbered among the ungodly. And among them are those who disputed His verses and denied His proof and rose up against Him with swords of hatred that were a thousand times sharper than swords of steel. Thus was the matter decreed by God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds.

Pay thou no heed to these people. Be steadfast in thy Lord’s Cause and place thy trust in God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forebears of old. Stand thou firm in such wise that all who are in the heavens and on earth shall not cause thee to slip, nor shall the whisperings of Satan cause thee to waver.

By God the Truth! There hath befallen Me that which hath befallen no one else, as though I were being slain at every moment, and none is aware of this save God and My own Self, the All-Knowing, the All-Encompassing.

Walk thou in the footsteps of thy father, for he witnessed such evidences from thy Creator and beheld such signs from thy Lord as no eye hath ever seen, and attained that which hath shone forth from this holy, mighty and wondrous Scene. Therefore do the denizens of the Supreme Horizon weep for Me, together with the holy angels.

Beware lest thy relationship to her who hath fabricated lies against herself concerning God and disbelieved after having believed and turned away after having advanced—such was her deed if thou be of them that hear—prevent thee. Shun her and turn away from her, then turn to God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH03558: This is a Book from the Primal Point unto…

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

This is a Book from the Primal Point unto him who hath believed in God and His signs, that he may call to mind within himself the Most Great Remembrance, Who was visible from the horizon of the Cause, and may detach himself from whatsoever beareth the name of a thing, and be drawn unto a praiseworthy station of holiness. O servant! Hearken unto that which God calleth thee from the direction of the Throne, then remind the people of that which thou art capable, for this is what the Tongue of Ancient Days commandeth thee at a time when sorrows have encompassed Him from every rejected soul.

Say: Verily the Primal Point, in His latter Manifestation, speaketh with the Most Glorious tongue, saying:

“O people! Did We not give you glad tidings of My appearance after Me? Yet when He appeared with the truth and came unto you with all of God’s clear tokens, wherefore did ye disbelieve in Him and turn away from His beauty and wage war against His person? Therefore fear ye God and dispute not against His Self, and be ye steadfast upon the straight path of truth. By My life! Whoso turneth away from Him hath turned away from the beauty of God from all eternity, and whoso turneth unto Him hath ascended unto God and chosen for himself a beloved station beneath the canopy of his Lord’s protection.”

O people! Fear ye God, then be ye ashamed before Me, and commit not unseemly deeds within your souls, and withhold not yourselves from the Law which hath truly flowed from the right hand of this Throne whereon the Ancient Beauty hath been established, from the presence of the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. And thou, O servant, strive within thyself lest the clamor of the idolaters affect thee. Rather, it behooveth thee to ascend unto a station wherein thy word will influence the hearts of every remote doubter. Purify thyself with the living waters from thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. Verily in the inner meaning of these words flow mysteries, if thou be of them that know. And glory be upon thee and upon those who have turned toward the shore of might nigh at hand.

BH03488: Make mention of thy Lord’s mercy unto His servant…

He is the Most Exalted.

Make mention of thy Lord’s mercy unto His servant that he may be of those who remember and that his eyes may be consoled by the traces of God his Lord, and be of those who have attained unto the recognition of God and the Manifestation of His Self, and whom the denials of those who disbelieved and associated partners with God and were of the heedless did not hinder.

O servant! Illumine thy sight with the verses of thy Lord and thy heart with the remembrance of His Name, the Most High, the Most Great. Deprive not thyself of the grace which hath preceded all created things and for whose appearance the Temples of the Cause waited in centuries past. Say: He hath appeared in human form. Blessed be God, the Revealer of this noble countenance.

Beware lest anything sadden thee or any matter prevent thee from the upraised and straight path of God. Turn not unto the world and what hath been created therein, but seek what thy Lord hath ordained for thee. Verily He sufficeth thee and sufficeth all worlds.

Drink from the Kawthar of life from the spring which floweth in this paradise, that it may attract thee to the face of thy Lord. Verily He is the Mighty, the Generous. He will never withhold from any soul the wonders of His grace nor cut off from His servants the rains of His mercy. There is no God but Him. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth.

Thus hath the Command been sent down from the heaven of eternity that thou mayest follow the command of thy Lord and be of the doers of good. Verily those who were heedless of the meeting with their Lord and turned away from His beauty—these God will never show mercy to in this world, and in the next world they shall have grievous punishment. Soon shall the angels of chastisement return them to their abode—what an evil abode for those who turned away!

Thus have We expounded the verses unto thee and set them forth as a grace from Us upon thee that thou mayest be of the thankful ones. The Spirit and Glory be upon thee and upon God’s sincere servants.

BH03549: This is a Book from God unto him who…

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

This is a Book from God unto him who hath believed and been guided. Hearken, O servant, unto that which God calleth thee from the direction of the Throne, that the fragrances of the All-Merciful may attract thee to the Sadratu’l-Muntaha. Arise and say: By God! He hath appeared through Whose will the Kingdom of Names appeared. Be not proud against Him Who hath appeared with all the signs in days wherein the feet of every learned one did slip and the hearts of those endued with understanding were perturbed.

Say: The clouds of destiny have been rent asunder and your Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, hath come once again from the heaven of divine decree with His Most Glorious Name. Say: Is there any doubt about God, or about His power which hath encompassed all created things, or about His signs, one letter of which all that can be counted cannot equal? O people! If ye deny Him Who hath appeared with the truth, by what proof do ye uphold your faith in God, the Most High, the Most Exalted? Say: This is Ali Who hath come unto you with all the signs and speaketh the truth in the highest heaven that this indeed is the Beloved. Whoso turneth away from Him hath gone astray and been misguided. Say: By God! This is He at Whose walking the Kingdom of God walketh behind Him, and the Spirit proclaimeth before Him, and giveth glad tidings unto the people of this Remembrance Who hath appeared in the temple of the Youth. Glorified be He Who hath appeared in the midst of noon-tide.

O servant! We sent thee aforetime a Tablet that thou mightest find therein the sweet fragrances of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and become detached from all that hath been created in the contingent world, and utter in the midmost heart of contingency a word whereby the hearts of them that possess understanding would be attracted. Hearken unto the Word of thy Lord and leave all created things behind thee, then arise from the horizon of utterance with the remembrance of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bountiful. Fear not those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God and were of them that turned away and were wretched. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who are steadfast in the Cause and were of them that witnessed and beheld from among the greatest signs of thy Lord.

BH03467: O Ali! Today the Tongue of God speaks…

He is the Grief-Stricken

O Ali! Today the Tongue of God speaks in all things, yet no hearing ear is to be found that might perceive it. The signs of God are manifest in all things, yet no seeing eye is found that might behold them. The Cause of God has ever been manifest and radiant, yet people remain immersed in pure delusion and veiled from the Purpose.

Consider the peoples of the past—though all were engaged in uttering the praise of God throughout all days and nights with utmost desire and longing, yet at the time of His Manifestation all remained veiled from the Sovereign of the Cause by their own imaginings and were deprived of His divine verses. Now observe the people of the Bayan with this same insight—all recite the Bayan, yet remain veiled from its Revealer. Would that they had been content with this much, but rather they have inflicted upon the Ancient Beauty that which no soul has ever inflicted upon another. Such is the measure of these servants.

O Ali! Turn your gaze away from all else but God and sanctify your heart from the mention of aught else. O Ali! Raise up the pavilion of detachment upon the shore of the Most Great Ocean and pitch the tent of trust beneath the shade of the Divine Unity, for there has been and shall be no shelter save His shade. Give thanks to God that the breeze of His grace has ever wafted over you and, God willing, shall never cease.

Today most of the people of the earth have risen to dispute with the Beauty of Divine Unity, though they have witnessed with their own eyes in this Revelation that which was never seen or heard in any previous Revelation. Thus does God distinguish between truth and falsehood through a word from His presence, and He is powerful over all things. Be steadfast in the Cause of God and detached from all else. And the glory be upon you and upon those with you.

BH03474: These are the verses of holiness, set forth…

He is the Mighty.

These are the verses of holiness, set forth with pure nature, and He casts forth remembrance and guidance. Verily, in the remembrance of God do hearts find rest. Nothing escapes His knowledge, and nothing is hidden from God, thy Lord. There is no God but Him. His is the Command and Creation, and all return unto Him.

Is there any god besides God? Say: Glory be to God! There is no God but Him, and all beseech His bounty. His is the dominion of the kingdom of the heavens and earth. He creates what He willeth through His word “Be” and it is.

Say: O people, fear God with true fear, and associate not anything with Him, and call not upon any god besides God, and take not your vain desires as lords unto yourselves, if ye be aware. Verily He sufficeth you against all things, while nothing can suffice against God your Lord, and unto Him do all return. With Him is the knowledge of all things, and the knowledge of the heavens and earth, and He knoweth your final home and resting place, and whatsoever people imagine within themselves.

Say: Fear God, O people, and turn not your faces from the holy sanctuary, then follow what the Spirit casteth upon you, that ye may draw nigh with your hearts to the shore of nearness, and then attain certitude of this Beauty. Thus doth the Dove counsel you with true counsel and remember you with the best remembrance, if ye but hear.

O servant! Remember thyself, then remind the people of what God hath taught thee of His grace, then make thy heart a mirror wherein this hidden and radiant Beauty may be reflected. Grieve not over anything that befalleth thee, but place thy trust in God, then strive in His good-pleasure, and be not of those who in the days of the Spirit are sorrowful. The Spirit and Light be upon thee and upon whosoever hath turned unto God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

BH03487: A remembrance from God, at a time when…

He is the Almighty

A remembrance from God, at a time when the breezes of separation blow upon all who are in the heavens and earths. Verily it is a revelation from God, the Lord of the worlds.

O Baqir! We have heard the cry of thy heart and the lamentation of thy soul, and We were well aware thereof. And by this We were grieved in such wise as none knoweth save God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Therefore did We open unto thy face the gates of counsel that thou mightest be counseled by God’s counsel and be of the patient ones. Be patient, O servant, in this firmly established and mighty decree. Put thy trust in God, thy Lord, then commit thy affairs unto Him, for He is the best of helpers and protectors. Though in this separation the pillars of the believers be demolished, yet patience therein is nearer unto righteousness, if ye be of those who know.

But O My loved ones! Remember My exile, then My tribulation thereafter, then My migration due to what the hands of the hypocrites have wrought. Then ponder upon My reunion, then upon My melodies, then upon My beauty, then upon My majesty, if ye be of those who know. For in all these nothing is seen save the attributes of God, the Mighty, the Ever-Living, the All-Knowing. Thus do We teach you the ways of wisdom that ye may be among the triumphant.

Then make mention of Abdullah Ahmad and give him the glad tidings of a mighty victory. O Ahmad! Give thanks unto God for having guided thee unto His Self and nourished thee from the freshly-plucked fruits of holiness and brought thee near unto the shore of nearness and caused thee to hear the sweet and holy melodies and accepted thee and thy brother and assisted you both in His service through what ye fashioned with your hands for His servant. And this hath been inscribed in a Tablet wherein the deeds of the doers shall not be omitted by so much as a date-stone’s weight or a whit. Soon shall appear in the earth the recompense of what ye have done, and verily He rewardeth His sincere servants.

Then make mention from Us unto those who are in your households, both young and old, and unto those women who were among the devout before God.

BH03468: O Ali, hear the answers to your questions…

O Ali, hear the answers to your questions which flow from the Pen of God.

As to what you asked regarding preserving your love for your Lord—We beseech God to guard you from the evil of Satan and to cause you to enter the seat of security and safety beneath the shadow of His Name, the All-Merciful. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Glorious.

As to what you asked regarding protection from the evil of the oppressors—do not cause corruption in the land after it has been set in order, lest the tyranny of every stubborn oppressor touch you. For if you become corrupt, you will have wronged your own self. And when you become an oppressor, it behooves God to cause another oppressor to gain dominion over you. This is justice from His presence, if you be of those who understand.

As to your asking God to grant you that whereby people wage war against each other, that you might thereby aid your Lord—hear thou that We have lifted the decree of the sword and spear, and have ordained victory through utterance, through that which proceeds from the tongue. He, verily, is the Help in Peril.

As to what you asked about Our instilling in you the courage of a lion—know that We have made the hearts of those who have detached themselves from the world and turned to the court of My Most Glorious Name like blocks of iron, such that nothing in the heavens or earth can cause them fear. They are like lions in the thickets of power and might. God has bound them with the chains of protection, and were He to will, He would loose them by His command and through them subjugate all who are in the heavens and earth. He, verily, has power over all things.

As to what you asked about Our making you free in your turning to God, such that whenever you wish you could turn to the holy court—know that in this request you have made yourself a partner with your Lord, for He is the Free, and He has not taken, nor will He ever take, any partner unto Himself. He permits you in this as He wills, by His command. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Free to Choose.

BH03449: Hearken unto the Call from the Divine Lote-Tree…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Glorious

Hearken unto the Call from the Divine Lote-Tree in the luminous and most holy spot: Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Almighty, the All-Wise.

By My life! Wert thou to taste the sweetness wherewith the Supreme Pen hath called thee, thou wouldst cast away the world and all that is therein and would delight in the remembrance of thy Lord, the Most Glorious, in such wise that nothing would prevent thee from His beautiful praise. Then wouldst thou relate unto the earth before the Throne what hath befallen it, and it would speak forth in thy name.

We have sent down unto thee the verses and made them clear evidences for all the worlds. Say: This, verily, is the News of which God took covenant from the Prophets and Messengers, and from those who claimed faith within themselves. Thus hath the matter been decreed from the presence of the Mighty, the Wise.

When thou hast drunk from the Kawthar of eternity and attained unto the lights of guidance which shone forth from the direction of the Tablet, remind the people of the News of their Lord. Say: Verily, it is that which was inscribed by the Supreme Pen, concealed within the veil of grandeur, and mentioned in the heart of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

When the days were fulfilled and the promise came to pass, He came with the truth from the kingdom of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Beautiful. Say: Be fair, O people! If ye deny Him, by what path will ye approach and to what command will ye hold fast? By God! They have no protector save that they repent and return unto God, the Lord of all worlds.

Say: Do ye rejoice in what ye possess while ye behold its passing? Leave it and turn unto the Countenance. This, verily, is the Goal, did ye but know. Verily, those who are heedless are in manifest error. Soon shall they find themselves in the fire—verily, they are the companions of the flame.

And those who have cast away the world and turned unto God, the Lord of Names—these are the people of Baha, upon whom the Concourse on High shall pray, and unto whom the denizens of Paradise shall draw near, and thy Lord is witness to what I say.

Leave the dead to themselves and enter thou the Kingdom of Life in the name of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Peerless. Thus have We bestowed Our grace upon thee, that thou mayest thank thy Lord and be of those who remember.

BH03501: Glorified is He Who sendeth down the verses…

In the Name of our Lord, the Glorious, the All-Glorious!

Glorified is He Who sendeth down the verses in truth and giveth unto whomsoever He willeth whatsoever He willeth through His grace, and verily He encompasseth all things.

O ye who remain of the family of the beloved one on earth! Grieve not for him, for he hath ascended unto the Supreme Companion and now dwelleth in the Most Glorious chambers, companioned by the maidens of paradise. He drinketh from the Kawthar of immortality from the hands of youths whom God hath created from the light of glory, whose faces shine as the sun in spheres of crystal white, illumining all who dwell in paradise. Thus doth God single out whom He willeth through His grace, and verily His grace unto those martyred in the path of truth is exceeding great.

Grieve not for him; rather, if ye must needs grieve, grieve for this lonely one who remaineth in the hands of the idolaters without helper or champion. Remember him at all times and forget him not for a single moment. Thus doth this Youth command you in this Tablet which is a clear book of truth.

Blessed are ye and blessed is he who hath ascended unto God, detached from all the worlds. God hath ordained for you in the Most Glorious Paradise a station that is truly exalted. Strive within yourselves to remain steadfast in the Cause—this is God’s counsel unto you and unto every discerning believer. Be not dismayed by what hath befallen you through the decree that is established, but rather rejoice in what God hath ordained for you and inscribed as irrevocable in the Mother Book. He ordaineth for His servants only that which is better for them than all the treasures of the heavens and earth, were ye to know it. Glory be unto him and unto you and unto every faithful and trustworthy believer.

BH03464: O Mahmud! Praise thy Lord in the watches…

He is the Most Wondrous, the Most Holy

O Mahmud! Praise thy Lord in the watches of the night and at the break of day, and sanctify thy countenance for thy Lord, and be steadfast in remembrance. Turn not to the world and what is therein, and deprive not thyself of the sanctuary of holiness. Say: Those who have denied these verses—all atoms curse them, and beyond them a most exalted tongue of truth.

Say: O people, judge fairly within yourselves—if ye deny God’s verses and His Manifestation, by what proof can your belief in Ali before Him, and before him the Messengers of God who came from the Dayspring of the Cause with clear sovereignty, be established? Say: By God, none hath any protection today from God’s decree except by believing in this Beauty Who hath come upon clouds of holiness, surrounded by hosts of revelation. Beware, O people of the earth, reject not the truth through what ye possess, and deprive not yourselves of the breezes that have been sent from the Ridvan. By God, I speak not from desire—rather the Spirit speaketh within My breast, and My proof is My arising and what floweth from a mighty holy Finger.

Say: Your belief will never increase Us nor will your rejection decrease Us, and all who are in the heavens and earth today are but as a handful of aged clay, save those who have detached themselves from all directions and turned toward the Paradise, the seat of their Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, in this Most Glorious Horizon. Thus hath the matter been inscribed by the Holy Pen upon the tablets. And thou—leave sovereignty behind thee, then stand firm in the Cause that thou mayest be praiseworthy in deed. Thus have We inspired thee and taught thee and sent thee what will comfort thine eyes and draw thee nigh unto a station which God hath preserved from the gaze of the idolaters. And glory be upon you, O people of Baha, from this Beauty Who was promised in all the tablets by the Pen of God.

BH03454: O handmaiden of God! Your letter hath come before…

He is God, the Sanctified, the Exalted, the Mighty, the Most High!

O handmaiden of God! Your letter hath come before God, wherein thou didst call upon thy Lord. Excellent indeed was that wherewith thou called, and that wherewith he called who came before thee. Now doth the Tongue of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Most High, the Most Great, make reply unto thee. Blessed art thou, O leaf, in that thou hast clung to the Branch of God. Strive then within thyself, lest the winds of discord cut thee off, and be thou among those who are steadfast upon the holy and preserved Tablets.

Give thanks unto thy Lord, for He hath drawn thee out from the darkness of fancy and brought thee to the Day wherein the Beauty of the Ancient of Days hath shone forth from a holy and gracious horizon, and hath adorned thy breast with His love, and raised thee to a station wherein thou hast known thy Lord, the Peerless, the Holy, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

Know thou that those who have turned today unto the Manifestation of God, be they male or female, these hath God sanctified from all defilement and doubt, and purified them from the veils of the worlds, and God hath ordained for them a station wherein none hath preceded them save those whom thy Lord hath willed—and this is in truth a revelation from One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

Rejoice within thyself and grieve not over aught, lest sorrow prevent thee from ascending to the heaven which hath been raised up in truth through this Mighty, Powerful Name. Yet wert thou to learn what hath befallen God, thy Lord, sorrow would seize thee; therefore have We concealed from thee in this Tablet what hath befallen Us at the hands of Our idolatrous servants. Weep thou for God, thy Lord, in all matters, then take comfort in His remembrance, for this is better for thee than the kingdom of the heavens and earth.

Rejoice within thyself now, for God hath pronounced from the direction of the Throne His “God is Most Great” upon thee and upon him who called upon God with thy tongue—and this is indeed a mighty favor. And glory be upon thee and upon all who have believed in God among the devout men and women.

BH03585: O Thou Whose remembrance is the delight…

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

O Thou Whose remembrance is the delight of the souls of all them that yearn after Thee, Whose name is the exultation of the hearts of all who are wholly devoted to Thy will, Whose praise is cherished by such as have drawn nigh unto Thy court, Whose face is the ardent desire of all them that have recognized Thy truth, Whose trial is the healer of the sicknesses of them who have embraced Thy Cause. Whose calamity is the highest aspiration of such as are rid of all attachment to any one but Thyself!

Glorified, immeasurably glorified art Thou, in Whose hands is the empire of whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on earth, Thou, Who through but one word of Thy mouth, caused all things to expire and dissolve asunder, and Who, by yet another word, caused whatever had been separated to be combined and reunited! Magnified be Thy name, O Thou Who hast power over all that are in the heavens and all that are on earth, Whose dominion embraceth whatsoever is in the heaven of Thy Revelation and the kingdom of Thy creation. None can equal Thee in Thy created realms; none can compare with Thee in the universe Thou hast fashioned. The mind of no one hath comprehended Thee, and the aspiration of no soul hath reached Thee. I swear by Thy might! Were any one to soar, on whatever wings, as long as Thine own Being endureth, throughout the immensity of Thy knowledge, he would still be powerless to transgress the bounds which the contingent world hath set for him. How can, then, such a man aspire to wing his flight into the atmosphere of Thy most exalted presence?

He, indeed, is endued with understanding who acknowledgeth his powerlessness and confesseth his sinfulness, for should any created thing lay claim to any existence, when confronted with the infinite wonders of Thy Revelation, so blasphemous a pretension would be more heinous than any other crime in all the domains of Thine invention and creation. Who is there, O my Lord, that, when Thou revealest the first glimmerings of the signs of Thy transcendent sovereignty and might, hath the power to claim for himself any existence whatever? Existence itself is as nothing when brought face to face with the mighty and manifold wonders of Thine incomparable Self.

Far, immeasurably far, art Thou exalted above all things, O Thou Who art the King of Kings! I entreat Thee by Thy Self and by them Who are the Manifestations of Thy Cause and the Day-Springs of Thine authority to write down for us that which Thou hast written down for Thy chosen ones. Withhold not from us that which Thou didst ordain for Thy loved ones, who, as soon as Thy call reached them, hastened unto Thee, and when the splendors of the light of Thy countenance were shed upon them, instantly prostrated themselves in adoration before Thy face.

We are Thy servants, O my Lord, and in the grasp of Thy power. If Thou chastisest us with the chastisement inflicted upon the former and the latter generations, Thy verdict would be assuredly just and Thine act praiseworthy. Powerful art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. None other God is there beside Thee, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

BH03680: O My God! Glory be to Thee! Thou seest…

He is the Almighty, the Ever-Abiding

O My God! Glory be to Thee! Thou seest my dwelling place in the serpent’s mouth, and hearest my cry in this dark pit, and witnessest what hath befallen me in Thy path at the hands of them that deny Thy Self and turn away from Thy loved ones.

How long, O my God, wilt Thou not rend asunder the veils from before the faces of Thy creation that they may recognize Thee in the temple of Thy beauty and majesty, and may not follow every base one besides Thee, nor take their vain desires as gods other than Thee? Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and verily Thou art the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

It hath been known to that honorable one that the essence of the Cause and its reality have until now remained concealed, such that none hath become aware of it save those possessed of illumined hearts who have been freed from attachment to all else but God. For this reason the divine Lote-Tree became the object of rejection by the manifestations of negation who have sprouted forth and appeared from the land of Bayan, as thou hast heard. And yet it remained concealed behind a hundred thousand veils of glory and majesty. I swear by the Point of the seen and unseen that were a single letter of the pure Cause and the essence of the Word to be revealed, thou wouldst witness all who are in the kingdom turned away from God.

In any case, now that this most great migration hath taken place, assuredly various groups will arise to make claims, and the satans among men, finding their opportunity, will aspire to Solomon’s throne. Thus hath it been ordained by the Mighty, the Ancient. That honorable one must gird up the loins of service firmly and plant his feet in steadfastness, that he may remain preserved from the waves of the seas through the aid of the divine celestial Ark.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon they that love thee.

BH03715: In the Name of God, the Ever-Abiding, the Changeless!…

In the Name of God, the Ever-Abiding, the Changeless! This is the Book of Bounty which hath shone forth from the horizon of the will of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. We have sent it unto thee that through it the horizons may be illumined. Arise and take it with spirit and fragrance, then recite it with the melody of the heart. By My life! It will draw thee to the heaven of the mercy of thy Lord, the All-Merciful.

When thou art illumined by the lights of the Countenance and art revived by the fragrances of the Robe, arise amidst the servants and say: O people! The Promised Day is come. Blessed is he who hath cast away the world and hath come with the Covenant. Those who have turned away, these are they whom the wine of heedlessness and rebellion hath overtaken, and thereby have they been debarred from this Kawthar which hath flowed from the mouth of the will of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Gracious.

O people! He hath sacrificed Himself for your deliverance. Fear God and follow not those who, when the All-Merciful came, turned away and denied the proof. Say: We have opened the gates of Paradise before your faces—how long will ye flee to the fire? Do ye see for yourselves any place of escape? Nay, by the Lord of the Day of Mutual Disillusion!

Say: Have ye not heard how We sent one among the servants with power from Our presence and dispatched him with a Tablet whereby We blew the trumpet in the heartland of Iran, causing all in the heavens and earth to swoon, save those whom the hand of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting, did rescue? Say: We have forsaken ease and accepted every hardship that perchance ye may arise from the couch of heedlessness and passion and hasten unto God, the Cleaver of the Dawn. Do ye doubt His Cause? Verily He hath appeared with the truth and everything proclaimeth: The Lord of the Day of Mutual Calling hath come!

When thou findest them not hearing, grieve not. Loose thy tongue in utterance and remind the people in the days of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Forgiving. Associate with the people, for they know not—had they known, they would circle round the Cause at eventide and at dawn. And the glory be upon thee and upon him who hath believed in God, the Mighty, the All-Concealing.

BH03717: This is a Book from thy Lord, the All-Merciful…

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

This is a Book from thy Lord, the All-Merciful, that thou mayest find from it the fragrance of His garment and be of them that are thankful. Beware lest anything prevent thee from God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. Take hold of God’s Tablet with the power bestowed by Us, then turn with thy heart to the Spot wherein all things proclaim that there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Generous.

Remind My servants of My command, then give them to drink of the Kawthar of inner meanings and utterance which hath flowed from the finger of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, that they may arise from the slumber of vain desire and turn unto God, the Lord of all names. Thus hast thou been commanded from before the presence of the Glory, around which circle all things, crying out: “By God, the Beloved of all worlds hath come!” Let not the world and its ornaments grieve thee. Be thou content with thy Lord, the Creator of earth and heaven. Within His grasp are the keys to the treasuries of the heavens and earth. Blessed art thou for having turned to the Qiblih of the Messengers, heard His call and turned unto Him. This is of thy Lord’s favor—verily His favor to thee is great.

Say: O people! Another cycle hath come and the All-Merciful hath appeared with great sovereignty. Read ye the Bayan that ye may become aware of the mysteries of this Revelation which hath dawned from the horizon of glory and power through a mighty command. This is He Who accepted harm for your deliverance and sacrificed Himself for your life. Fear ye God and follow not every froward devil. Can anyone speak in His presence? Nay, by the Lord of the Throne! But the people are behind a thick veil. Can anyone stand against Him? Nay, by His truth, were ye of them that know! Thus have We sent down the verses unto thee that thou mayest help thy Lord, the Lord of all names and attributes. We desired by this naught save thy exaltation and the elevation of thy station. Verily thy Lord is the Ruler over what He willeth, and praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

BH03725: This is the Kawthar of immortality which We have…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Holy

This is the Kawthar of immortality which We have manifested in truth and sent forth in the form of a Tablet, dispatching it unto thee that thou mayest be of the thankful. By My life! In every word thereof lieth concealed the Salsabil of meanings and utterance. Blessed are they that drink thereof.

Be thou in the path of thy Lord in such wise that the ornaments of the world shall not make thee heedless, nor shall the means of the heavens and earth occupy thee. Rise up in My Name and lay thee down in remembrance of Me—this sufficeth thee above all that hath been created in the earth entirely. Hearken unto the word of thy Lord—He is in truth the Counselor, the Faithful.

When thou art enkindled with the fire of the love of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Wise, turn unto those who are heedless of the remembrance of their Lord and say: O company of the veiled ones! I have come unto you from the Dayspring of the Cause with the Tablet of God, the Mighty, the Impregnable, and I summon you unto Him purely for the sake of God—verily He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Beware lest thou overstep the bounds of wisdom. Thus have We commanded in the Tablets, and none attain unto this save those whose hearts are illumined with the light of knowledge and whose faces are radiant with the lights of the countenance of thy Lord, the Most High, the Great. Say: He loveth not mischief and hath forbidden you in the Tablets from whatsoever giveth rise to sedition. Verily He is the Ruler over what He willeth.

Say: Beware lest ye enter anyone’s house except with his permission, and beware lest ye pride yourselves over any of My servants by reason of what ye have been given of the ornaments of the earth. By My life! Soon shall perish all that ye behold, and sovereignty shall remain with God, the Single, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

Blessed art thou for having attained unto the recognition of the All-Merciful in His days and turned unto Him after His servants who were created by His firm and mighty command had turned away from Him. Be thou thankful in all conditions. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having enabled me in Thy days and caused me to know Thy Self. I beseech Thee not to leave me to myself. Aid me in that which Thou desirest, for verily Thou art the Strong, the All-Purposing.

BH03608: O My handmaiden! We have sent unto thee…

In the Name of God, the Most Exalted

O My handmaiden! We have sent unto thee a ray from among the rays of the light of the Countenance, verily it is a mercy from Us upon thee and upon honored servants.

O My handmaiden! Be not grieved by separation, but rather remember thy Lord in the night and the day, for verily His remembrance is beloved of the hearts of those who long for Him and the comfort of the hearts of them that are united with Him. By God! Whenever thou rememberest thy merciful Lord, verily He is present before thy face, and though thou seest Him not, He verily seeth thee. He is indeed the All-Knowing, the All-Encompassing. And whenever thou callest out, verily He heareth thy call and answereth thee from the direction of a mighty throne.

Be thou gladdened by the remembrance of the All-Merciful, then detach thyself from the world and all that hath been created therein, for by it there hath befallen the Beloved that which hath befallen none else in the worlds.

O My handmaiden! Verily My sister desired My presence and claimed My love and recognition, but when worldliness touched her she became occupied with it and turned away from My luminous, resplendent Beauty. She chose the ungodly as a helper for herself instead of God and set aside her Lord, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate, and severed her connection with God and clung to relationship with the ungodly. Alas for her in that she exchanged the beauty of the All-Merciful for a son of the world and sold the Joseph of God for dirhams and dinars. Therefore do the denizens of the Supreme Concourse weep at her deed, then the people of Paradise, then the hosts of revelation and inspiration before the throne of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Remember thy Lord with this prayer: Glory be unto Thee, O my God, my Beloved and my Purpose! I beseech Thee by Thy beauty and by Thy call and by Thy remembrance, then by Thy Name through which were rent asunder the veils of idle fancies, that Thou make me detached from the world and its promptings lest I turn unto it and turn away from the Beloved of the worlds. O my Lord! Aid me to forsake it and to shun it and to draw nigh unto Thy wronged Self. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest and verily Thou art the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

BH03689: God hath heard thy call and was aware…

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

God hath heard thy call and was aware of what befell thee. He, verily, is the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. Nothing whatsoever escapeth His knowledge, and by the Pen of His command hath been inscribed a preserved Tablet of glory wherein is ordained the knowledge of what was and what will be, and wherein are recorded the mysteries of the Cause by the Pen of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

Be thou a lamp of the love of thy Lord amongst His servants, that the receptive ones may be illumined thereby. Consider the lamp: though it be but one, yet from it can be lit, as God willeth, lamp after lamp, all drawing their light therefrom. Even so, consider the hearts of them that have detached themselves from all else but God and have turned unto the Mighty, the Well-Beloved. By My life! Should the lamp of any heart be lit with the love of God, from it would be kindled the hearts of all creation. This, verily, is a manifest truth. Yet it behooveth every lamp-bearer to protect it from the winds of self and passion with the glass of the remembrance of the name of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious. Thus doth the King of Names set forth parables as a bounty from His presence unto thee and unto them that are assured.

Rejoice thou in thy Lord’s remembrance of thee and His mention of thee, for His remembrance precedeth all who remember and all who are remembered. Blessed is the man who is steadfast in His Cause, and the tongue that speaketh His praise and glory, and the heart that turneth unto Him in humility and submission. Give thanks unto God for having aided thee in His Cause and made thee a champion of His Faith and one who speaketh His praise. There is no God but He. He chooseth whom He pleaseth for His love, and He, verily, is the Mighty, the All-Loving.

Deliver unto the people the Cause of thy Lord and deal with them with patience, for they have not attained the summit of utterance and are among the weak ones. The glory shining from the horizon of grace be upon thee and upon them that have detached themselves from the world and have turned unto the Lord of Names, whom the rejection of the idolaters hath not deterred.

BH03612: O Rida! Be content with what God hath been…

He is the Most Exalted, the Most Impregnable, the Most Wondrous, the Most High!

O Rida! Be content with what God hath been pleased with, and be not one who doubteth His Cause. Then speak forth between earth and heaven that which the Spirit teacheth thee in this Tablet, which hath been inscribed by the finger of holiness. Purify thyself from the allusions of the people, then thy breast from that which hindereth thee from this bounty which hath encompassed all the worlds. Hast thou not heard of the power of God and His grandeur, then of God’s sovereignty and His might? Therefore come forth from behind the veils in the name of thy Lord, the Chosen One, then call the servants unto this Cause which hath been sent down in truth from the heaven of mighty glory. Know thy Lord by His own Self, then detach thyself from all else, for whatsoever is besides Him hath been created by His word, if thou art possessed of true knowledge.

Beware lest thou be one who doubteth the Cause of thy Lord. Remind the people of this Most Great Remembrance and tarry not for even a moment. Then know that whatsoever thou hast heard hath appeared from Us, and We have concealed it lest the servants become aware of it, to which every discerning mystic beareth witness. And this is due to a wisdom which none hath comprehended save God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. Let not thy soul be troubled, and fear no one. Look unto God and what is with Him, not what is with thee. Thus do We command thee in truth that thou mayest be steadfast in the Cause. Take the cup of eternity in My Most Glorious Name, then drink, despite those who have disbelieved in Him in Whom they had believed and denied the proof that encompassed all the worlds.

Thus hath the Tongue of Ancient Days commanded thee out of love for thy soul. Beware lest thou be veiled from it. Then take hold of God’s Cause with invincible strength. And the Glory rest upon thee and upon him who heareth thy words concerning God, thy Lord, and remaineth faithful to the Cause and steadfast on the path.

BH03677: Glorified art Thou, O my God! This is Thy…

He is God!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! This is Thy servant who circumambulated the sanctuary of Thy Beauty, visited the House of Thy Majesty and the Ka’bah of Thy Being, ascended to the unseen realm of the Divine Essence and the Cloud, and mounted to the repository of holiness, nearness and eternity, until he sat before Thee and dwelt in Thy presence, drank from the oceans of Thy love and tasted the sweetness of union with and meeting Thee, such that he attained the heights of knowledge regarding the ordinances of Thy Book and discovered the treasuries of meaning in what flowed upon him from the measures of Thy grace through the gems of Thy words and the brilliance of Thy evidences. He remained ever prostrate before the form of the Names in the temple of Thy attributes, and submissive to the countenance of destiny in the vestments of Thy decree.

I beseech Thee, therefore, O my God, to make him praiseworthy in deed as Thou hast made him Muhammad in name. Then raise him up to a praiseworthy station in the precincts of Thy mercy. Verily Thou didst say, and Thy word is the truth:

“It may be that thy Lord will raise thee to a praiseworthy station.”

Then send down upon his heart rapture from Thy love and passion for meeting Thee, that he may find no rest in his love for Thee nor patience in Thy Cause, that he may be detached from all that would veil him from attaining the Presence in the throne of eternity. Verily Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, the Compeller.

Therefore, O my God, send Thy blessings upon the first Sun that dawned from the horizon of Thy Most Exalted Name and the last Light that shone forth from the Dayspring of glory, and upon those who guided unto Him in the Most Glorious Kingdom. Verily Thou doest what Thou willest, and verily Thou art God, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the All-Compelling.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who were with thee and upon thy son and upon those who shared in thy Cause and upon those who are guided by the guidance of God and illumined by the light of God.

The letter of this servant known as B before H: What you sent was forwarded.

BH03643: O Friends of God, one and all! If…

In the Name of God, Exalted be He in Greatness and Power

O Friends of God, one and all! If a friend claims friendship with his tongue but commits an act that causes harm to the Beloved, what befits such a soul? Can the word “friend” be applied to him, or can he be mentioned by the name of “beloved” in the presence of the Beloved? No, by the Lord of the Great Throne! The true friend is one who becomes so intoxicated with the sweet wine of the love of the Friend that he desires naught but His good-pleasure—that is, he should have no wish, desire or thought of his own, but should see all things as consumed in the good-pleasure of the Friend. He moves not except by His leave, and desires naught save that wherein lies His good-pleasure. I swear by the Sun of Unity that has dawned from the Horizon of Divine Oneness that the turning of the loved ones to this direction causes harm to the very root of the Tree. Therefore my tongue bears witness that whosoever turns to this direction after what has been inscribed in this Tablet is not of Me, and God is sufficient as Witness.

O friends! How long will you remain heedless? Reflect at last! Consider the end of all matters at their beginning. It is known and evident that We have had and continue to have the utmost love for each one, and if We saw it advisable We would surely have summoned you Ourselves. Hearken unto this loving counsel: Move not without His good-pleasure and be not assured by any soul. Guard your tongue. Be not deceived by two words of seeming affection, and count not such ones among the faithful. The matter of this station is most severe—deem it not light. We beseech God to aid you to do what is right and proper, and to make you among those who choose what God has chosen for them. Verily, He has power over all things.

BH03679: Praise be to Thee, O My God! How can…

He is

Praise be to Thee, O My God! How can I make mention of Thee with the pen after Thou hast sanctified Thy Self above the allusions of eternity? And how can I describe Thee through that which appears from nothingness upon this honored Tablet? If I make mention of Thee, O my God, as the Sovereign of kings—by Thy glory, this befits none but those who are subjects. And if I describe Thee as the Lord of lords, I witness that Thou hast manifested this through the embodiments of dust. And if I point to Thee as the Revealer of the Book, I turn my gaze to what the Dove warbles: “All things have We recorded in a Book.” By Thy truth, O Beloved, I have become bewildered within myself.

Therefore I beseech Thee by Thy Self through which Thou hast raised up the banners of Thy guidance, revealed the mysteries of Thy Lordship, and made manifest the wondrous wisdom of Thy Divinity, that Thou make us detached from all else but Thee, turning away from aught except Thee, advancing toward Thee, placing our trust in Thee, and holding fast unto Thee—that I might make mention of Thee as befits and becomes Thee, for in Thy grasp is the kingdom of all things and Thou art, verily, powerful over all that Thou willest.

O Generous One! I desired Thee before and I desire Thee now, and I counsel thee with that wherewith God counsels His servants, that thou mayest remind the people and awaken them from their beds of heedlessness, lest they spread corruption in the earth after its reformation, follow the promptings of their souls, chase after every ignorant rabble who follows every crier, or incline with every wind.

Say unto them: O people! Fear God and follow the paths of truth. Then remove yourselves from the world and its ornaments and place your trust in God, that the winds of God’s mercy might blow upon you and the breezes of the Spirit might take hold of you and transform you from the left hand of limitation to the right hand of oneness, and cause you to enter the fortress of guidance and the house of divine authority, that you may abide therein forever. And the Spirit be upon you and upon the sincere servants, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH03648: This is a remembrance of the mercy of thy…

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

This is a remembrance of the mercy of thy Lord unto His servant Qasim, that he may give thanks unto God his Creator, and be steadfast in the straight path, and follow the command of his Lord, and choose for himself a way. O servant! Remember what befell Us in the lands of exile through that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought, and God is witness unto this.

By God the Truth! Such afflictions have touched Us as none can reckon save God, thy Lord and the Lord of all the worlds. Twenty years have passed over Us, and none knoweth how they passed save God Who created all things by His command, and He, verily, is wise over all things. Yet We were patient in that which was decreed for Us—and patience is from none but Him, and He, verily, doth recompense the patient and the grateful. We give thanks for that which hath befallen Us, and We praise Him morning and evening. We have placed Our trust in Him in all matters, and We desire naught save what He desireth, and We will naught save what He willeth, through God’s might and His power. He is the best Helper and the best Supporter.

And thou, O servant, walk thou in My footsteps and be content with what God hath ordained for thee. Then remember Him in thy heart and with thy tongue, and He will surely recompense thee with a mercy that encompasseth all the worlds. And if harm touch thee, be patient; and if good touch thee, be grateful. Be thou at all times mindful of the wonders of His remembrance, and forget not His favor unto thee, for He is merciful unto His believing servants. Thus have We made mention of thee out of love for thy soul, that thou mayest speak in praise of God and the Manifestation of His Self. He will verily preserve thee in truth from the harm of all created things. And the Spirit that hath shone forth from the horizon of Glory be upon thee and upon those who have ascended unto God with their souls and were steadfast in the Cause.

BH03616: O Word of Victory! Bear thou witness even…

He is the Sovereign, the King, the Mighty, the Beloved!

O Word of Victory! Bear thou witness even as God hath testified in the heaven of eternity that there is none other God but Him, and that ʿAli is the Manifestation of His Cause unto all created things, and that He hath appeared with the truth through clear signs which have rendered every person of great learning powerless to comprehend them. He hath delivered the messages of His Lord and hath made clear unto the servants that which He was commanded by One Who is All-Wise, All-Knowing. Through Him were made manifest the laws of God and His religion and His proof unto His creation and His grace unto all, whether small or great.

O thou who bearest My name! Hearken unto the call of the Spirit from this blessed, divine and eternal Leaf, Which moveth in this Paradise and causeth the spirits of those near unto God to move with It. And when It moveth, there riseth from It the melody of the Spirit which draweth unto itself the hearts of them that have believed in God and His signs, and who have been illumined by the lights of His countenance. Thus doth the Dove make mention of thee on this night and give thee glad tidings of a holy and luminous paradise.

Know thou that We have heard and understood the afflictions and tribulations that have befallen thee, and that which hath come upon thee according to what was ordained by thy Lord’s Pen on a preserved tablet of glory. We have been partners in thy suffering and have grieved for thy sake. Be thou patient, then show forth yet more patience, for He will surely reward every patient and grateful one.

Blessed be they both in that they have drunk of the cup of camphor from the hands of light and have been made joyous in the holy paradise, and have found rest beneath an all-encompassing shade in a garden whose breadth is as the breadth of the heavens and the earth, wherein the Beauty was witnessed from Its horizon. Thus have We imparted unto thee that which will bring tranquility to thy spirit and gladden thy being, and cause thee to remain steadfast upon the path of love.

Then remind, from Us, thy brother and those who were with thee, that the grace from this servant may reach them and all the worlds in abundance. We beseech God at this moment to unite us with thee, for verily He hath power over all things. May the Spirit, glory and splendor rest upon thee and upon all who have believed in God, thy Lord and the Lord of all the worlds.

BH03716: This is an epistle from Him Who remembereth God…

In the Name of God, Who is manifest above all things!

This is an epistle from Him Who remembereth God with His tongue from eventide until dawn, and from dawn His pen moveth upon the tablets until sunset, that perchance faces may turn unto God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. I have sacrificed my soul in His path and my comfort for His Cause, and I show no patience after His decree even should the oppressors seize me.

And aforetime the verses would descend and the servant in attendance before the Throne would write them down. And in those days, due to the weakness which had overtaken me, no voice would arise from the Ancient Tongue, as ye know. And when it would arise, all my limbs would shake such that the verses of God, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting, would overwhelm me. And at the time of revelation, such longing would seize me that my very members would quiver from the love of God, the Mighty, the Beloved.

And aforetime the verses would descend from dawn unto dawn and from sunset unto sunset, and the Tongue of God would not pause for less than a moment save for another purpose. Thus was the matter ordained, and to this do testify God’s sincere servants who were present before His face and heard the verses of God, the Mighty, the Loving.

And in those days if I speak for an hour, weakness preventeth Me in another hour. The melodies of God have been stilled by reason of that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought, yet they perceive not. I summon the people through My pen even as I summoned them through My tongue, and I shall not cease in that which I have been commanded until the spirit ascendeth to its seat of majesty and glory. Thus hath the Youth desired in the path of His Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O servant! Be thou even as the Youth was. If matters be confined to the remembrance of thy Lord, this is better for thee than what hath been and what shall be. Soon will the present-day order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead. And sovereignty and dominion shall remain with God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH03740: The hearts that yearn after Thee, O my God…

The hearts that yearn after Thee, O my God, are burnt up with the fire of their longing for Thee, and the eyes of them that love Thee weep sore by reason of their crushing separation from Thy court, and the voice of the lamentation of such as have set their hopes on Thee hath gone forth throughout Thy dominions.

Thou hast Thyself, O my God, protected them, by Thy sovereign might, from both extremities. But for the burning of their souls and the sighing of their hearts, they would be drowned in the midst of their tears, and but for the flood of their tears they would be burnt up by the fire of their hearts and the heat of their souls. Methinks, they are like the angels which Thou hast created of snow and of fire. Wilt Thou, despite such vehement longing, O my God, debar them from Thy presence, or drive them away, notwithstanding such fervor, from the door of Thy mercy? All hope is ready to be extinguished in the hearts of Thy chosen ones, O my God! Where are the breezes of Thy grace? They are hemmed in on all sides by their enemies; where are the ensigns of Thy triumph which Thou didst promise in Thy Tablets?

Thy glory is my witness! At each daybreak they who love Thee wake to find the cup of woe set before their faces, because they have believed in Thee and acknowledged Thy signs. Though I firmly believe that Thou hast a greater compassion on them than they have on their own selves, though I recognize that Thou hast afflicted them for no other purpose except to proclaim Thy Cause, and to enable them to ascend into the heaven of Thine eternity and the precincts of Thy court, yet Thou knowest full well the frailty of some of them, and art aware of their impatience in their sufferings.

Help them through Thy strengthening grace, I beseech Thee, O my God, to suffer patiently in their love for Thee, and unveil to their eyes what Thou hast decreed for them behind the Tabernacle of Thine unfailing protection, so that they may rush forward to meet what is preordained for them in Thy path, and may vie in hasting after tribulation in their love towards Thee. And if not, do Thou, then, reveal the standards of Thine ascendancy, and make them to be victorious over Thine adversaries, that Thy sovereignty may be manifested unto all the dwellers of Thy realm, and the power of Thy might demonstrated amidst Thy creatures. Powerful art Thou to do what Thou willest. No God is there but Thee, the Omniscient, the All-Wise.

Make steadfast Thou, O my God, Thy servant who hath believed in Thee to help Thy Cause, and keep him safe from all dangers in the stronghold of Thy care and Thy protection, both in this life and in the life which is to come. Thou, verily, rulest as Thou pleasest. No God is there save Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

BH03803: O handmaiden of God and daughter of His handmaiden!…

He is the Ever-Abiding, the Most Glorious

O handmaiden of God and daughter of His handmaiden! Hearken with the ear of thy spirit to the divine call, for outward ears that have hearkened to untrue words are unable to hear the celestial melody. Detach thy heart from the world and occupy thyself with the remembrance of the Friend, for it giveth life to the dead and guideth the living to the city of immortality. Today the decree concerning hearing and sight applieth not to any soul on earth save those who have recognized the truth with their own eyes and heard the revealed verses with their own ears. At all times take refuge in God, lest thou be accounted among the sightless in the holy presence of the All-Merciful. This is the most great bounty that hath flowed from the Ancient Pen, and may thou, God willing, attain unto it.

And then: thy letter was presented before God and its contents were observed. Praise God that thou art enkindled with the fire of His love and heedless of all else. Yet strive that this fire be not extinguished by the coldness of the deniers, for at all times they are occupied with manifest deception. They cut down the Divine Lote-Tree, then raise up their cry and clamor. By the Sun of inner meanings! Such wrong hath been wrought against the Beauty of God as hath not been witnessed from the beginning of creation until now, such that the leaves of the Tree of Eternity have withered and the branches of the Ultimate Tree have been broken. The curse of God be upon the wrongdoers! Convey the mention of this Wronged One’s grief to all steadfast women, and likewise to the three exalted daughters, upon them be the Glory of God, the Mighty, the Luminous.

BH03865: In the Name of God, the Most Ancient…

In the Name of God, the Most Ancient, the Eternal! We have sent thee by the hand of S. a noble Book. When Sh. arrived, these verses were once again revealed from the direction of the mighty Throne. Know thou that those who have denied God’s verses and united in hatred—the decree will soon scatter them, by the power of One mighty and ancient.

We summon the servants at all times to the Lord of the worlds. Neither the might of the oppressors frightens Us, nor do the hosts of the wrongdoers prevent Us. We make mention of God until the spirit ascends to the highest horizon. Thus have I been commanded by thy Lord, the All-Knowing.

In these days it behooveth thee to help thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and to make mention of Him to His heedless servants. We beseech God to cut off the lineage of the oppressors—verily He hath power over whatsoever He willeth.

Consider the former centuries and those who committed oppression—their tongues were stilled, their traces were erased, and the breezes of chastisement overtook them from all directions, by the power of One mighty and wise. Where are their leadership and their standards, their thrones and their crowns? The messenger of death hath brought them down from their seats to their graves. Thus was the matter decreed in former centuries. Soon these who have waxed proud and committed that which causeth the near ones to lament shall join them.

O My loved one! Blessed art thou, for thou hast been faithful to God’s covenant and His testament, and the harm of the corrupt ones prevented thee not from His love. Verily thou hast a station with Me—grieve not over anything. We beseech God not to separate between thee and Him, neither in this world nor in the next, and to cause thee to dwell in all worlds beneath the shadow of His mercy. Verily He encompasseth all things.

Remind all those around thee, male and female, on My behalf and say: Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH03802: O Abdullah! Praise the Countenance of the Intended One…

O Abdullah! Praise the Countenance of the Intended One, for through His bounty thou hast attained unto the Most Great Sea and time after time hast been honored to attain the presence of the Lord of Eternity. Thy going was unto God and thy return occurred by His command. However, should anyone venture forth after the supreme prohibition, his deed will never be accepted, and should he enter the Most Great Sanctuary he hath been and shall remain deprived, inasmuch as his harm extendeth to the very Root of the Divine Tree and the Branches of the Lordly Tree. Assuredly, ye must prevent this aforetime.

O Abdullah! The loved ones of the land of Nun, both men and women, are mentioned before the Throne. Upon them be My glory for having fulfilled the Covenant of God, the Sovereign, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Most Great. Convey My greetings to all. Whosoever hath drawn a breath for the love of God hath attained unto the precincts of the Throne, and whosoever hath taken a step for the Cause of God, God is aware thereof and he is mentioned with Him.

Some Tablets were previously revealed and sent, and now too some are being sent specifically, and if some do not receive any, let them not be saddened, for their very mention is in the divine Tablets. By My life! Each and every one is recorded in the hidden scrolls. Blessed are they for having sought the goal of the world and the Intended One of all who are in the heavens and on earth. Convey greetings to all from God.

And glory be upon you, O loved ones of God, and upon you, O handmaidens of God! Take pride in what hath flowed from the Pen of your Lord’s will concerning you. Then take the cups of joy in My Name, the All-Forgiving, and drink in remembrance of Me, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. Say: Recite My verses with the melodies of the birds of My Throne. By My life! They will draw you to My Kingdom and cause you to soar in the atmosphere of My favors and bounty. He, verily, is the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

BH03883: Say: The clouds of God have now been raised…

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

Say: The clouds of God have now been raised up in truth and have encompassed all created things with a sovereignty that encompasses all the worlds. O people, seek shelter beneath its shade that it may protect you from the heat of self and passion on this Day wherein the fire hath encompassed every base idolator.

O servant! Hear the call of God from this upraised White Tree at the heart of this blessed crimson earth, that there is no God but Him, and that this Manifestation is His sovereignty and His glory, then His might and His grandeur, then His greatness and His majesty unto all in the kingdom. At every moment He summons the people to the good-pleasure of God and His love, and draws them nigh unto a station that transcendeth all comprehension.

Say: O people, fear God and answer your Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, and follow not every remote idolator. Say: Nothing shall profit you this Day, even if ye remember God through the eternity of His dominion and the perpetuity of His celestial might. What profiteth you is to draw nigh unto this Beauty Who in these days was wronged among the oppressors. And thou, arise to remember God and serve Him, then leave behind the earth and all who dwell thereon, and turn thy face toward Him Who hath been, from the beginning that hath no beginning, illumined by the lights of might and majesty in truth.

O Qasim! Be the destroyer of the power of the transgressors in these days wherein they have opposed God’s servants who transgressed against Him and were recorded in the Mother Book by the Pen of God as among the oppressors. And glory be upon thee and upon those who remain steadfast in the Cause and have taken unto God a path and were faithful to the Covenant.

BH03872: Your letter has come before the Countenance…

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

Your letter has come before the Countenance and the gaze of your Lord, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful, has turned toward it. We found from it the fragrance of your love for your Lord, therefore We answer you with verses which have dawned from the horizon of the favors of your Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. Blessed art thou for having turned to the Qiblih of existence and for having thy name flow from the Most Exalted Pen, which God has made the Sovereign of all pens. Arise to make mention of God in such wise that the sweet savors of the garment may be wafted among all peoples. We have mentioned thee before and mention thee in this Tablet that it may be a reminder to people of understanding. Hold fast to the cord of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, detached from all possibility. We have ordained for thee a station in the Tablets. Grieve not over anything—soon We shall aid thee through the truth. Verily He does not fail in His promise.

Previously a glorious Tablet was sent. Be not sorrowful or distressed about any matter. Praise be to God, through the grace of the All-Merciful and the favors of the All-Glorious, the sea of joy is surging and the rivers of gladness flow from the right hand of the Throne. Draw nigh unto it and drink therefrom at all times. By My life, it shall seize thee and attract thee in such wise that thou shalt see all who are in the realm as more insignificant than ashes. Thus doth thy Lord, the Lord of creation, remember thee.

In all conditions be occupied with serving the Cause and be mindful of wisdom and utterance. Blessed art thou for having arisen and spoken in praise of thy Lord, and blessed are they who hear thy words concerning this Light which hath shone forth from the horizon of the will of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

What rests with you is the teaching of the Cause. As for other matters, they are within the grasp of power. Soon He shall set all things aright. Verily He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Adorn all the loved ones in that land with the ornament of the Most Great Name of the Ancient King, and upon thee and upon them be glory.

BH03790: O Abu-Talib! Hearken unto the call of the Desired…

He is the Most Manifest

O Abu-Talib! Hearken unto the call of the Desired One, then know that which He counseleth thee. He commandeth thee only to that which is better for thee than whatsoever hath been created upon earth, wert thou of them that know. First, associate not any partner with God, nor join with Him anyone besides Him. Then let God suffice thee against all the worlds. Verily, He is with thee in all conditions and will aid thee in whatsoever thou desirest in His path, and will send down unto thee that which He hath ordained for thee in the preserved Tablets of might. Say: O people! Associate not partners with God, for verily association is a grievous wrong—even should all who are in the heavens and earth oppose thee in this, shun them and turn thy face toward thy Lord, the One, the Peerless.

Say: Should He so desire, He would cause the tongues of all created things to sing His praise. He verily doeth what He willeth. He hath ever been One in His Essence, having taken neither partner nor peer unto Himself. Leave the associators behind thee and hold fast to the hem of ancient glory. Say: O people! Fear ye God and associate not partners with Him Who hath ever been sanctified above all likeness and similitude. His is the most sublime similitude, yet similitude is but His proof and evidence unto the worlds. By God! Nothing that proceedeth from Him hath any likeness—how much less His own Self, the Most Exalted, the Inaccessible, the Most High. Be thou assured by the grace of thy Lord—His grace is ever nigh unto thee. Grieve not at afflictions, for He transformeth them as He pleaseth by His command. He verily is the All-Powerful, the Almighty. Associate with people in wisdom, then seek for thyself a path on the straight way.

And the Glory be upon thee and upon those who have detached themselves unto God, the King, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

BH03825: In the Name of Him before Whose fear all…

In the Name of Him before Whose fear all are apprehensive! This is a mention of thy Lord’s mercy unto His servant ʿAli, that He may establish him in the Cause and draw him nigh unto a mighty shore of holiness. O servant! Rejoice within thyself that the Pen of the Spirit hath remembered thee with hidden holy intimations. Yet He Who giveth thee these glad-tidings is in such sorrow as none can reckon save He Who hath numbered all things in a clear Book.

Know thou that they who believed in ʿAli aforetime have now denied His splendor and His might and sovereignty, and this is an injustice wherewith no injustice in creation can compare, if thou be of them that are well-informed.

Strive thou within thyself lest thou sell the Joseph of eternity for whatsoever hath been created in earth and heaven, for through love of Him thou shalt become independent of all who dwell in the heavens and the earth, even shouldst thou possess not so much as a grain or atom of what is ordained on earth. And were His love not with thee, thou wouldst be poor though there be gathered unto thee the treasures of the heavens and the earth. This is a truth wherein there is no doubt, if thou be of them that know.

Say: O people! Exchange not the favor of God for that which ye possess, and distance not yourselves from a near seat of glory. Say: The Beauty hath dawned from the horizon of holiness with such an adorning as hath bewildered every learned sage. Remember thou thyself, then remind the servants of this Cause at which every sanctified mystic hath been thunderstruck.

Then stand thou firm in the Cause with God’s dignity and tranquility, and fear no one but place thy trust in God. Verily He shall suffice thee against every suspicious transgressor. And the glory be upon thee and upon those who are content with what God hath been content with, seeking His presence, and who are possessed of clear vision regarding their Lord’s command.

BH03846: He is the Mighty, the Beloved! Glorified is He…

He is the Mighty, the Beloved! Glorified is He Who hath sent down the verses for people who understand. Verily they are a revelation from the presence of the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting. Through them God’s proof hath been perfected, His evidence made manifest, His beauty hath shone forth, and His words been verified—yet people do not comprehend. Warn those who have veiled themselves from the Face that hath shone forth from the horizon of the Throne that they are as dead.

Say: O people of the Furqan! Do ye bar men from the path of God while ye claim to be Muslims? Do ye read the verses of the Furqan, yet play with the verses of the All-Merciful? Have ye not read what was revealed aforetime unto Muhammad, the Messenger of God: “We have indeed revealed unto thee clear signs, and none reject them save the transgressors”?

Say: If ye possess a proof greater than that which hath been sent down from the clouds of the Command, produce it, if ye be truthful. Is the Book which ye possess greater than this? Glory be to God above what ye imagine! Say: All verses have been revealed from the presence of the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting, and all clear proofs have appeared from the horizon of grace—do ye not see? Have ye any evidence greater than that which the All-Merciful hath brought? Nay, by the Lord of eternity, if ye but knew!

Say: The Beauty of knowledge hath appeared in truth, yet ye turn away from it. Have mercy upon yourselves and veil not yourselves from Him by Whose command the heavens were created and for Whose meeting ye were brought into being. Have mercy upon yourselves—this is your Lord, the All-Merciful, Who hath come with manifest sovereignty. Do ye deny His sovereignty while ye witness it? Do ye flee from the Truth while ye behold it? If ye are barred from the gate of grace, to what gate will ye turn?

Thus hath the Salsabil of life flowed from the Pen of the All-Merciful, that all people might know their drinking-place. Drink, O people, and be of those who prosper! And glory be upon thee and upon those who have hearkened to thy call in the Cause of God, the All-Possessing, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

BH03859: It behooveth them that are evanescent in the divine…

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

It behooveth them that are evanescent in the divine Ocean to summon the servants, at all times, to the direction of the All-Merciful, inasmuch as whosoever hath become evanescent from self will attain unto everlasting life in God—that is, he will circle eternally round the Truth in all the worlds. Glorified be He from taking unto Himself a partner! He, verily, is the One, the Single, the Most Exalted, the Most High, the Most Great.

All that hath been manifested from thee in the path of God is known and recorded with Him. Thou must in these days arise to assist the Cause with the utmost steadfastness, inasmuch as this is the Day wherein all the denizens of the Supreme Paradise are crying out “O my Lord! Have mercy upon Thy servants!” and are gazing upon those souls whom the trials and tribulations that have befallen them have not kept back from the Court of the Divine Unity. Ye have ever been mentioned in the presence of the Throne. Strive ye, that the seedlings of the Bayan may not wither from the poisonous winds of test and trial.

The remembrance of God is like the rain of mercy upon the seeds of inner meaning that have been deposited within hearts. Therefore it is necessary and obligatory to be engaged at all times in the remembrance of the Lord of all worlds, and to follow this servant in all matters. As ye observe, the Ancient Beauty, despite all the afflictions that have befallen Him, hath not been prevented from the divine remembrance, but hath at all times summoned the people to the summit of true understanding, that perchance feeble souls may purpose to ascend the heights of divine oneness and become purified and sanctified from the promptings of self and passion.

In the days of departure from the Land of Mystery, a Tablet was specifically revealed and sent to thee. We beseech God to assist thee in all conditions and to aid thee to mention Him among His servants. Verily, He hath power over all things.

BH03850: All-praise be to Thee, O Lord, my God! I…

All-praise be to Thee, O Lord, my God! I know not how to sing Thy praise, how to describe Thy glory, how to call upon Thy Name. If I call upon Thee by Thy Name, the All-Possessing, I am compelled to recognize that He Who holdeth in His hand the immediate destinies of all created things is but a vassal dependent upon Thee, and is the creation of but a word proceeding from Thy mouth. And if I proclaim Thee by the name of Him Who is the All-Compelling, I readily discover that He is but a suppliant fallen upon the dust, awe-stricken by Thy dreadful might, Thy sovereignty and power. And if I attempt to describe Thee by glorifying the oneness of Thy Being, I soon realize that such a conception is but a notion which mine own fancy hath woven, and that Thou hast ever been immeasurably exalted above the vain imaginations which the hearts of men have devised.

The glory of Thy might beareth me witness! Whoso claimeth to have known Thee hath, by virtue of such a claim, testified to his own ignorance; and whoso believeth himself to have attained unto Thee, all the atoms of the earth would attest his powerlessness and proclaim his failure. Thou hast, however, by virtue of Thy mercy that hath surpassed the kingdoms of earth and heaven, deigned to accept from Thy servants the laud and honor they pay to Thine own exalted Self, and hast bidden them celebrate Thy glory, that the ensigns of Thy guidance may be unfurled in Thy cities and the tokens of Thy mercy be spread abroad among Thy nations, and that each and all may be enabled to attain unto that which Thou hast destined for them by Thy decree, and ordained unto them through Thine irrevocable will and purpose.

Having testified, therefore, unto mine own impotence and the impotence of Thy servants, I beseech Thee, by the brightness of the light of Thy beauty, not to refuse Thy creatures attainment to the shores of Thy most holy ocean. Draw them, then, O my God, through the Divine sweetness of Thy melodies, towards the throne of Thy glory and the seat of Thine eternal holiness. Thou art, verily, the Most Powerful, the Supreme Ruler, the Great Giver, the Most Exalted, the Ever-Desired.

Grant, then, O my God, that Thy servant who hath turned towards Thee, hath fixed his gaze upon Thee, and clung to the cord of Thy mercifulness and favor, may be enabled to partake of the living waters of Thy mercy and grace. Cause him, then, to ascend unto the heights to which he aspireth, and withhold him not from that which Thou dost possess. Thou art, verily, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful.

BH03916: This is the Book of God, the Mighty…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious

This is the Book of God, the Mighty, the Bountiful, revealed unto the leaf who was stirred by the fragrances of her Lord, the All-Merciful, and was turned from the left hand of fancy to the right hand of certitude, that My Book may attract her and draw her nigh unto My Kingdom, that she may behold My signs, My proof, My testimony and My sovereignty.

O My handmaiden! Know thou the worth of My days, then soar with the wings of love unto the heaven of My tender care, then enter the pavilion of My glory and My favors. Beware lest anything withhold thee from My mention and My praise. Forsake all else out of love for My beauty, then speak forth My Name amongst the handmaidens, then arise with My Cause from the horizon of the heaven of My steadfastness in such wise that neither the veils of My creatures nor the intimations of My creation—whom We created to serve Me but who, when the time was fulfilled, turned away from My beauty and denied My signs—shall hinder thee. Thus have I commanded from the presence of the Mighty, the All-Wise.

Blessed art thou for having cast away all else and taken that which thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious, did desire. Hold thou fast unto this cord, then detach thyself from the worlds. Give thanks unto thy Lord for having made thee a leaf among the leaves of His Ridvan. This is naught but a manifest bounty.

Be thou in such wise that the deeds of him who hath disbelieved in God, the Most High, the Most Great, shall not grieve thee in the Cause of thy Lord. It behooveth every soul to ponder upon the bygone ages. Where are the palaces of those who turned away and warred against God? By My life! We returned them to their graves, and when they entered therein their lamentation was raised and they said: “Verily we were in manifest error!” Soon shall the servants who have violated the Covenant and were among the wrongdoers return thereunto.

Thus have We revealed unto thee that thou mayest rejoice within thyself and be of those women who stood firm in the Cause until they entered within the precincts of the mercy of their Lord, the Forgiving, the Bountiful. Remind My handmaidens who have believed in God and desired what God hath desired that they are assuredly among the people of Paradise. Unto this doth testify this mighty and wondrous Pen.

BH03795: He is the Mighty! O Muhammad! May God reward…

He is the Mighty! O Muhammad! May God reward thee with the best of rewards on Our behalf and enable thee to attain unto that which He loveth and with which He is well-pleased.

I counsel thee to achieve complete detachment and pure fear of God, and to gird up thy loins in this land for the sake of God thy Lord, and to close thine eyes to all else besides Him, such that thou takest not a step except by His leave, nor turnest thy gaze save with His good-pleasure. Aid thy Lord through all thy deeds and conditions, and be not heedless of Him in any moment or instance. Forget thyself but forget not thy Lord; pass beyond thy spirit but pass not beyond the remembrance of thy Creator.

When thou arrivest in the land which God hath ordained for thee, adorn thy head with white cloth that thou mayest be as a standard between the believers and the ungodly. Set not thy foot save in the footsteps of My feet, and be unto others as thou art unto thyself.

Then remind the servants of all that thou hast witnessed in this journey of thine, without addition or diminution, following the straight and upright path. Then make mention of My exile, then My distress, then My poverty and need, then My arrival in a land wherein no voice can be raised from Us and wherein none can hear My cry and lamentation. This is what I desired from God, My Lord, from the intensity of tribulations which descended upon Us through that which the hands of those who love and hate Us have wrought. And God knoweth that which no one else knoweth.

By God! Were My liver and heart to be revealed unto thee, thou wouldst find them pierced by the arrows that have struck and befallen them. Yet in all this, and for all that hath come to pass or will come to pass, We render thanks unto God. We beseech God to aid thee in the Cause of thy Lord and to make thee one of those who are guided.

BH03826: O My Worshipped One! Make mention of a word…

O My Worshipped One! Make mention of a word from the Youth to him who hath believed in God, the Mighty, the Bestower, that he may seize it with power from Us and cast aside that which is with those who have disbelieved in the Lord of Lords. Say: Open your eyes, O people of learning, to behold the Beauty, for verily it hath dawned from the horizon of glory and none opposeth it save every idolatrous doubter. He who hath not attained unto it is not possessed of true vision—thus hath the Revealer of the Book decreed. Say: O people! We created sight for the recognition of this Beauty, and he who hath not recognized it is blind, as they who are endued with understanding do testify. If your sight be weak, then seek illumination from Mine eye and through it behold Me, O ye who are endued with vision. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of this bounty which hath been vouchsafed unto you without question or answer.

Say: O people! This is He for Whom generations of old died in their yearning, yet when ye found Him without effort, ye turned heedless. Soon shall ye lament and weep, O ye who are veiled. Arise, O people, then address your supplication toward the Gate with humility and contrition. He who hath not attained unto the mention of this Most Great Remembrance is powerless, though he may speak with the tongue of all the worlds—thus doth He with Whom is the decisive Word bear witness. Grieve not at the wickedness of those who have disbelieved in this Revelation, for they are those who disbelieved in God throughout all ages. Say: O Lord! Preserve me through Thy sovereignty and power, then inscribe me with Thy righteous servants. O Lord! Cause me to be as Thou lovest and art pleased with, and leave me not to my passions, for verily Thou art the Almighty, the Unconstrained. And glory be upon thee and upon him who hath believed in God, unto Whom returneth the decree of the beginning and the end.

BH03791: Revealed for Shaykh ʿAbdu’l-Husayn: Verily He is ever watchful

Revealed for Shaykh ʿAbdu’l-Husayn: Verily He is ever watchful.

O Husayn! You visit Husayn yet kill Husayn. O heedless doubter! We desired your presence in Iraq and left the choice to you to appear in whatever place you wished, that We might show you the proof. You accepted, but when the appointed time came, the winds blew and you fled, O fly! We came to a house where the meeting was arranged, but We found you not, O you who associate partners with God, the Sender of winds! When you saw your own powerlessness, you made excuses, O deceiver! We desired to meet you only that God’s proof might be completed against you and those around you, that perchance the fire of hatred might be stilled in your breast and in the breasts of those who have denied the Lord of Lords. You turned away from meeting Me, though the dwellers of Paradise and the inmates of the holy retreats long for it. Soon you shall weep and lament and shall find no escape. Wait until God brings His punishment upon you from His presence. Soon shall the breezes of chastisement seize you and return you to the fire.

The All-Merciful has come in the shadows of utterance, and sovereignty belongs to God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling. The wine of passion and desire has intoxicated the dwellers in the wilderness of self and desire, while the sincere have turned with spirit and fragrance to the Dawning-Place of Revelation. The Decisive Word has come, and for the idolaters there is no abode save hell—an evil dwelling place indeed.

Tribulations shall not prevent Us from mentioning the Lord of Names. I summon the people as commanded, and neither the turning away of all on earth nor the might of any proud oppressor shall prevent Me. God has made tribulations like the spring breezes to this Tree which has been raised up in truth, and every leaf thereof proclaims: Sovereignty belongs to God, the Almighty, the Unconstrained. Soon shall death come upon you and you shall see the punishment of your Lord, O you who have turned away from Him by Whom the promise was fulfilled and the Herald has called aloud.

BH03805: O blessed and goodly leaf! If you ask about…

In the name of the Beloved Friend!

O blessed and goodly leaf! If you ask about the body, it is in utmost hardship and tribulation. If you ask about the physical frame, it is afflicted with countless trials. And if you ask about the spirit, it is in the heights of joy and delight. In the path of God, I have never complained of tribulation. Rather, in the love of the All-Merciful, I have grown accustomed to trials and afflictions just as an infant is accustomed to its mother’s breast. Yet what benefit is there while life remains and the cup of martyrdom in God’s path remains untasted, though in every moment I attain to a martyrdom.

Praise be to the Beloved of the worlds that despite all these hardships and tribulations, we are occupied with the remembrance of the Friend and detached from all else. The world has no permanence that one should attach one’s heart to it or be saddened by its events. Soon all will perish and pass away, and what has been and ever shall be is God, mighty be His glory and exalted be His station. Consider affliction in His path as mercy, and tribulation in His way as blessing. In all that we have borne there lies hidden a wisdom that none knoweth save God.

You have always been and will continue to be in my thoughts. Hold fast to truth and turn away from all else. Praise God that the tie of kinship has not been severed and that you dwell secure and at rest beneath the divine Lote-Tree. This is a blessing that is great in the sight of God. The reward of every deed is treasured in the repositories of immunity, and when the time comes it will be manifested in most beauteous array. Verily thy Lord will fully recompense the sincere among His handmaidens and His sincere servants.

Convey my greetings and praise to those who dwell round about, and the Glory be upon thee and upon those with thee.

BH03809: The Most Impregnable, the Most Exalted, the Most High

The Most Impregnable, the Most Exalted, the Most High

These are the verses of God, the True Sovereign, the Manifest One, which We have sent down from the heaven of Command and made them guidance and remembrance for all the worlds. Hearken unto that which is revealed unto thee from the direction of the Throne, the station round which circle the denizens of the Supreme Concourse and then the dwellers of the cities of Names. Verily, there is no God but Me, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

Say: O people! Do ye behold for your Lord, the All-Merciful, any partner in sovereignty? Nay, by My radiant and luminous Beauty! And do ye see for Him any minister? Nay, by His Self, the Truth, if ye be of them that know! Can anyone be associated with Him? Nay, by my Lord! Blessed is he who draweth nigh unto My Great Name. They who see for Him a peer, these are in manifest veil. Their wretchedness hath overcome them; they are of an evil people, the most lost. By God! The Lord of Power hath appeared with His most great sovereignty, and nothing in the heavens or on earth can withhold Him from that which He hath created. He sendeth down what He willeth by His command, and decreeth what He pleaseth.

O servant! Arise to serve the Cause with such steadfastness as will shake the pillars of them who have denied the Day of Judgment. By your firmness shall the mountains of idle fancies be leveled, the barren lands shall be cleft asunder, and the hearts of the idolaters shall quake. And by your ascension to the Most Glorious Horizon shall the limbs of the doubters be frozen. Beware lest anything prevent thee from that which hath been revealed in truth. Hold fast unto the cord of the Cause and cling to the hem of thy Lord’s mercy, the Mighty, the All-Praised. We have created all things for Our remembrance and have explained every wise matter. Be thou a herald of this Name, that perchance by thy call he who is heedless may turn unto his Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. Be silent for God’s sake, speak for God’s sake, act for God’s sake, detached from all else besides Him. Thus have We taught thee and commanded thee as a favor from Us. Be thou grateful and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of all who are in the heavens and on earth!

BH03860: Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! This…

He is

Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! This is Thy servant who hath been heedless of the wonders of Thy remembrance, and whom transgressions have veiled to such degree that he became occupied with what is other than Thee and turned away from Thy beauty, and who did with his feet what Thou didst abhor, and committed with his hands what Thou didst oppose, and uttered with his tongue what beseemeth not Thy loved ones, and harbored in his heart what befitteth not Thy servants. Yet after all this, since he was aforetime among those who believed in Thee and in Thy greatest signs, the breezes of mercy wafted over him such that they awakened him from slumber and brought him forth from heedlessness, until he recognized what he had done and knew wherein he had been engaged, and returned unto Thee as he had fled from Thee in the midst of his affairs, and entered the stronghold of Thy providence as he had departed therefrom in certain of his days.

Therefore, O my God, it behooveth the wonders of Thy mercy and the gems of Thy providence not to deprive him of the rain-showers of Thy generosity and the clouds of Thy tenderness and loving-kindness, that Thou mayest find him abiding by the covenant which he made with Thy loved ones. Then forgive, O my God, his grievous offenses and his grave transgressions. Then wash him, O my Beloved, in the seas of Thy bounty and forgiveness and in the deep waters of Thy grace and favor, and turn him from every direction toward the right hand of Thy holy might, that he may dwell not on earth save through Thy Name, nor move except with Thy good-pleasure, nor walk except by Thy leave, nor eat nor drink except in Thy remembrance, for in Thy hand is the kingdom of all things and Thou art powerful over all things. And send down, O my God, upon those who have detached themselves unto Thee and taken refuge at Thy court and sought sanctuary in Thy presence and dwelt beneath the shadow of Thy loving-kindness, all that is possible in the Most Exalted Paradise and in the lands of Paradise, for verily Thou art the Self-Subsisting, the Most Holy.

BH03887: The Pen of Command calleth out from the Throne…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Holy

The Pen of Command calleth out from the Throne of eternity upon the Crimson Spot of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing: Verily there is no God but Me, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

Blessed is he who hath cast behind him all that he hath heard and turneth unto the Call of God which hath been raised by the command of God, the Lord of Names. He verily sanctifieth him from all else and draweth him unto the horizon of the mercy of his Lord, the Mighty, the Beautiful, and causeth him to speak forth His remembrance amidst His creation in such wise that the clamor of the heedless shall not deter him. Say: Were We to desire it, We would transform all who are in the heavens and on earth by a word from Us, for verily We are the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

Say: O people! Would ye drink brackish water after pure water hath descended from the clouds of My Name, the All-Glorious? This indeed is profound ignorance. Break the idols by My power and sovereignty—thus have ye been commanded by One Mighty, All-Wise. Say: The idols are your vain desires, did ye but know, and then your idle fancies, did ye but perceive. Adorn yourselves with the ornament of faith in the days of your Lord, the All-Merciful. This is better for you than all ye behold, would ye but reflect.

Say: He desireth naught from you. He calleth you, in the midmost heart of tribulation, unto God, your Ancient Lord. Do ye object to Him Who desireth your good? Do ye flee from Him Who summoneth you to the Salsabil? Fear ye God, and be not as those who denied the Proof of the Chosen One in past ages, whereupon the thunderbolt of chastisement seized them and made them to be of those who perished.

Enjoin ye the truth and guidance, then restrain yourselves from desire. Thus have ye been commanded by your Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious. Take ye what ye have been commanded and lay aside that which ye have been forbidden in a perspicuous Book.

Grieve thou not over anything, for verily thou hast with Us an exalted station at the Throne. Remember thou this and be of the thankful. And praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds.

BH03931: O my God! A leaf from among the leaves…

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

O my God! A leaf from among the leaves of Thy earth desired the Tree of Thy singleness, and the fragrances of Thy days so took hold of her that she detached herself from all else but Thee and hastened with her heart to the precinct of Thy nearness and meeting.

O Lord! Purify her heart with the water of Thy knowledge, then cause her and Thy servants to drink of the living waters which flow at the heart of the Ridvan through Thy name, the All-Merciful, that they may stand firm in Thy Cause in such wise that neither tribulations shall prevent them from Thy remembrance, O Lord of all names, nor shall calamities deter them from Thy love, O Creator of the heavens.

O Lord! Send down upon them at all times the sweet fragrances of the robe of Thy mercy, that they may be drawn to the horizon wherefrom shone forth the Sun whereon was inscribed by the finger of Thy power: “By God, the Beloved of the worlds hath come!”

O Lord! Thou knowest that I have not fallen short in Thy Cause. The more tribulations increased, the more I increased in remembrance of Thee and in teaching Thy Cause to all besides Thee, such that no evening or morning, no dawn or dusk passed except that I sent forth the fragrances of Thy revelation to Thy servants and the sweet scents of Thy fragrance to Thy creatures.

O Lord! I beseech Thee by this Youth, Who hath been encompassed by wolves as He calleth the people to Thy name, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing, to unveil for Thy loved ones what Thou didst unveil for those who soared in the atmosphere of Thy nearness and the heaven of Thy will, that they may detach themselves from all else besides Thee and turn with their hearts to the spot wherein appeared that which was hidden in the eternity of eternities.

O Lord! Cause to grow, through what hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen of the waters of Thy oneness and the rains of the glory of Thy unity, in the hearts of Thy loved ones the ears of wisdom and utterance, that they may hold fast to this hem which Thou hast sanctified from mention and knowledge. Thou hast ever been the bestower to those who have sought Thee and the inspirer of those who have delighted in Thy remembrance. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH03941: O thou that gazest upon the Countenance! Hearken unto…

In the name of God, the Inaccessible, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious

O thou that gazest upon the Countenance! Hearken unto My call, and be not disquieted at that which hath befallen the loved ones of God and His trusted ones. This is the way of God, a way that hath passed in the ages that are gone and the centuries that are past. Consider them whom We sent forth with the truth, whom We made a mercy and a remembrance unto all worlds. By My life! they desired for themselves naught save that which God desired for them, and in every season they summoned the servants unto their Lord, the All-Merciful, seeking from them no recompense. All this is recorded in a Preserved Tablet.

Yet when they manifested that whereunto they had been bidden, the divines turned away from them, and the men of letters rose up against them, and they sought to quench the light of God by the might and dominion wherewith they were invested. But the hands of the power of thy Lord, the Chosen One, laid hold on them, and withheld them from that which they purposed, and made His Cause victorious through His sovereignty, in despite of them. Verily He is powerful over all things.

Say: None can shield any soul from the decree of God. Fear God, O people, and debar not yourselves from that which is better for you than the kingdom of all worlds. The generations that have gone on before you—whither are they fled? And those round whom in life circled the fairest and the loveliest of the land, where now are they? Profit by their example, O people, and be not of them that are gone astray.

Others ere long will lay hands on what ye possess, and enter into your habitations. Incline your ears to My words, and be not numbered among the foolish.

For every one of you his paramount duty is to choose for himself that on which no other may infringe and none usurp from him. Such a thing—and to this the Almighty is My witness—is the love of God, could ye but perceive it.

Build ye for yourselves such houses as the rain and floods can never destroy, which shall protect you from the changes and chances of this life. This is the instruction of him Whom the world hath wronged and forsaken.

Do thou remind the servants of that which is in the Tablet, that haply they may turn unto the Dayspring of bounty and be of them that repent. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

BH04089: This is a wondrous day. We behold the people…

He is the Most Great, the All-Glorious!

This is a wondrous day. We behold the people struck down and trees uprooted from their foundations. All have been seized by their forelocks through fear of thy Lord, the One, the All-Compelling. This is the day We mentioned in the Qur’an and then in the Bayan—take heed, O people of insight!

The idolaters rush headlong toward the Evil One. Say: He dwelleth in the lowest depths of the fire. We have shown them who led them astray from the straight path that they might recognize him and seek for themselves a way of escape unto God. They have taken him as their lord—the word of chastisement hath been fulfilled against them.

Say: This is the path of God for all who are in the heavens and on earth, and the Cause is in the grasp of power. Say: To whom will ye flee? No protector have ye this day. The Almighty hath come, and sovereignty belongeth unto God, the One, the Unconstrained.

Look not upon what hath befallen Us of tribulations. We foretold what hath appeared in the Scriptures and Tablets, and from the horizon of tribulation do We summon the servants unto the Lord of the Day of Judgment. Through tribulation have We nurtured the Cause in bygone ages. Soon wilt thou find the Cause shining forth from the horizon of glory with power and dominion.

Be thou steadfast in the love of thy Lord and remind the people in this Day wherein intoxication hath seized those in all regions. Say: To whom will ye flee? No defender have ye this day from God. Turn ye unto Him and make not yourselves deserving of chastisement. Say: Are ye content with an hour of this world while depriving yourselves of what hath been ordained for you throughout the duration of God’s kingdom? This is naught but error. Fear ye God, then hasten unto Him—with Him is excellent reward.

Glorify thy Lord before those around thee, then remind them with the remembrances of thy Lord, the Self-Sufficing, the Most High.

BH04004: These are the verses of God, the King…

He is the Most Exalted, the Everlasting, the Resplendent, the Most Glorious!

These are the verses of God, the King, the Truth, the Manifest. They have verily been sent down in truth from the heaven of His Name, the Revealer, the Mighty, the Powerful. Verily, they are the mirror of God in the kingdom of His Command wherein is witnessed and beheld the beauty of God, the King, the Most High, the Great. Verily, they are the favor of God whereby the hearts of them that hear are attracted. Verily, they are the wisdom of God and by them every firm command is sent down. Verily, they are God’s proof unto all who are on earth, yet most people remain veiled in the darkness of their own selves. Verily, they are the lamp of God amidst His servants, from which the hearts of them that are nigh unto Him receive their light. Verily, they are the magnet of the Cause between the heavens and the earth, for by them are drawn the essences of all created things.

Know thou, O servant, that My Manifestation is My proof, and My standing forth My evidence, and My proof that which floweth from My sacred, transcendent, firm and manifest Pen. When We revealed unto the servants a drop from the oceans of power which We had concealed behind mountains of moist ruby resplendent, thereupon the doubters dispersed from around God and His sovereignty, and the foundations of the idolaters were shaken. Say: Die in your wrath! By God, the Truth, that which had never appeared in the world hath appeared, and the Cause of God hath been made manifest in such wise that His words have become renowned between East and West, as every fair-minded and knowing one doth testify. When the Cause appeared, they who had concealed their faces behind veils felt secure and came forth against God with tyranny and grievous plotting. Thus did it befall Me, and We have mentioned unto thee a letter thereof that thou mayest be clear-sighted regarding the Cause of thy Lord and remain steadfast in His help and the exaltation of His Cause at all times. And glory be upon thee and upon Our God-fearing servants.

BH04030: Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses…

In the name of our Lord, the Mighty, the Helper!

Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses in truth and made them a proof for all who are in the kingdom. Verily they are the cord of God between earth and heaven. Therefore hold fast unto them, O people, and deprive not yourselves of their grace.

And thou, O Asad, hearken unto the call of thy Lord at a time when the dogs of hatred have surrounded Him from every direction, and He seeketh help from none save God, Who created all things by His command and Who hath power over all things. Be thou as a lion in the path of God, such that nothing shall make thee fear in the Cause of thy Lord; rather, let every doubting soul fear thee. Stand firm in the Cause of God and His religion, then aid it with whatsoever thou art able. Verily He aideth whom He willeth through His grace, and He is wise over all things. His aid is the teaching of His Cause among His servants with wisdom that was in the Mother Book unassailable.

Beware lest thou turn unto the world and what is therein. Rather, purify thyself from its defilement, then turn unto the lights of His beautiful countenance. Say: There is no protector today for anyone from God’s command, nor shall anything profit a soul except following the verses of God which have been sent down in truth from the heaven of mighty glory.

Remember thy Lord during thy days and nights, and forget not His grace upon thee, for His grace upon thee is abundant. Stand firm in the Cause of God and His love and be detached from all else. Thus hath the command been sent down from the direction of a wondrous throne.

And the glory be upon thee and upon those who follow the Cause of God and have taken for themselves a path unto Him.

BH04084: The Most Holy, the Most Glorious

The Most Holy, the Most Glorious.

This is a Book sent down from the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting unto him who hath believed in the Truth and followed guidance in the days of his Lord, the Mighty, the All-Loving. Know thou that My body endureth trials beyond number, while My tongue uttereth at all times the remembrance of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, that perchance the people of the world may hearken and turn toward the sanctuary of nearness. Neither the oppression of the oppressors nor the hosts of those who have disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving, have deterred Us from His remembrance.

Say: Verily He hath shone forth from the horizon of glory like the sun at its zenith. The barking and howling of dogs impede Him not, though they continue to pant. Those who have turned away shall soon behold both right and left, and none shall help them. Power hath conquered all who are in the heavens and on earth, yet the people comprehend not.

Say: Do ye find glory in your riches? Nay, by My Self! Glory is in My hands and none shall inherit it save My honored servants who have cast desire behind their backs and turned with their hearts to the Qiblih of existence.

Say: Would ye refute the Cause of God after everything testifieth that it is the Truth from God, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved? Say: Are ye able to withstand His Cause? Nay, by My life! Even were ye to seek help from all things. Verily He doeth what He willeth and is powerful over what He desireth, would that ye knew.

Say: We shall soon leave your houses to the spider and return you to the graves. Be ye therefore aware, O people, and turn unto God. How long will ye slumber? The sun hath risen, the moon hath been cleft, and the stars have fallen, would that ye perceived.

Thus have We sent down the verses unto thee and dispatched them to thee as a grace from Our presence, that they might draw thee to a praiseworthy station.

BH03966: Thus doth the Most Exalted Pen proclaim: Rejoice, O…

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

Thus doth the Most Exalted Pen proclaim: Rejoice, O people of faithfulness, for the Crimson Ark hath sailed upon the ocean of Names, and the people of Baha have embarked thereon by the leave of God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. And ye, O people of God, deprive not yourselves of entering it and clinging fast unto it. By God! Whoso clingeth fast unto it hath indeed attained salvation, and whoso turneth away hath disbelieved in God—thus hath the matter been decreed, if ye be of them that know.

Say: O people, deny not God and His signs, now that the Sun of Beauty hath dawned from the horizon of majesty and standeth at the meridian with sovereign independence, and uttereth at every moment the sweetest melodies, saying: O peoples of the earth, deprive not yourselves of His beauty, nor your eyes from gazing upon His countenance, nor your ears from hearkening unto His verses, nor your hearts from recognizing My Self, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Say: Think ye that what ye possess will profit you? Nay, by the Self of Baha! Soon shall ye find yourselves cut off from it—this is a decree that hath been irrevocably ordained in the preserved Tablets of glory. That which shall profit you is what hath been ordained for you in the heaven of eternity by your Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted. Deprive not yourselves of that which hath been ordained for you, if ye be of them that are certain.

And thou, O servant, remind the servants of what We have reminded thee, then make mention of what hath befallen My wronged Self, then stand firm in the Cause of thy Lord in such wise that the cawing of them that have disbelieved and associated partners with God and were of them that joined partners with their Lord shall not cause thee to waver. And the Glory be upon thee if thou dost follow the ways of the Cause as We have taught thee in this concealed and luminous Tablet.

BH04080: The Most Great, the Most Great! This…

The Most Great, the Most Great! This is a Book from Us to those who, in their love for Me, sleep but little and rise from their beds at dawn out of longing for My remembrance. By My life! They are sincere ones. These are they whom nothing can grieve, nor shall the Great Terror dismay them, and they drink from the chalices of success.

O My servant! Hearken unto My call from the precincts of My throne, that it may draw thee to the heaven of My grace and the court of My mercy. By God! It will make thee so steadfast in My Cause that shouldst thou be opposed by all who are on earth, thou wouldst arise by thyself to uphold My Cause and to aid Me. Thus hath the tongue of God, the King, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, spoken.

Wilt thou be patient in My remembrance after the Remembrance hath sacrificed His soul in My path? Wilt thou remain still in thy place after all those around thy Lord, the Mighty, the Wise, have been stirred into motion? Detach thyself from all else but God and remind the people with wisdom and utterance. Thus have We commanded thee in the Tablet from the presence of One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Have ye denied your Lord, the All-Merciful, after He came in the shadows of proof with manifest sovereignty? Whither do ye flee this Day? By My life, ye have no place of refuge. Shatter the idols of fancy and vain imaginings in the name of your Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Beware lest ye follow those who have denied God and have united with the wrongdoers in harming Him.

Know thou that We have stirred the barren earth by Our power. Verily thy Lord is the Almighty, the Powerful. We have raised up one with the power of might and strength and sent him to the object of worship of the ungodly, that he might perchance remember within himself and turn to the Beloved of the worlds. Thus have We cast upon thee the word of truth that thou mayest be informed and be of them that attain. And the glory be upon thee and upon those who have turned to God, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

BH03990: O Hadi! Hearken unto the call of God…

He is God, exalted be He in utterance!

O Hadi! Hearken unto the call of God from the Lote-Tree of Baha: Verily, there is none other God but Me, the All-Subduing, the Mighty, the Unconstrained. I counsel thee, O My Name, with that which We have counseled in the Psalms and Tablets. Be thou steadfast in thy love for thy Lord in such wise that thou hearest not from anyone on earth that which is contrary to the command of thy Lord—turn away from it and turn unto God, the Revealer of verses. The foolish one hath been seized with such pride that he openly uttereth that which [is cursed by] all things. By God! My heart hath grieved thereby, and the hearts of those who have turned towards the Countenance in these days wherein feet have slipped. Associate not with him; rather turn away from him through the sovereignty of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Compelling.

Be as fire to the enemies of God and as light to His loved ones. Thus hath the decisive Word been set forth in the Book. Walk thou in the footsteps of thy Lord. Fear not those who speak according to their desires—they are verily of the wolves. Burn with the fire of the Word the heart of every misbeliever and doubter. Be thou so steadfast that the words of those who have turned away from God, the Lord of Lords, grieve thee not. Grieve not—thou art with Me and beneath the canopy of My greatness. Put thy trust in God, then detach thyself from every denier and deceiver, and be not a helper to one who hath denied the Countenance.

Thus have We sent down the command from thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. To assist the people of tyranny is in no wise permissible, for this would harm the very root of the Tree. In all the Books this decree hath been revealed. In the Qur’an He saith: “Lean not towards those who do wrong.” God willing, thou must engage in the triumph of the Cause with utmost power, detached from everyone possessed of manifest rancor.

BH04067: Your letter was presented before the Scene of Transcendent…

He is the most Holy, the Most Great,

Your letter was presented before the Scene of Transcendent Glory and the gaze of God beheld it. Blessed are those souls who have not been prevented by human veils from the Dawning-Place of the Divine Command and who in all conditions are turned toward the All-Glorious. This is a Day that has not had and will never have any likeness or similarity in all creation.

The loved ones of God in these days of the All-Merciful must appear like brilliant stars shining from the horizon of the heaven of His Cause, and must be so radiant and luminous that the clouds of vain imaginings and the veils of the people will not obscure them. Verily, whosoever turns today with an illumined heart toward the Greatest Scene will assuredly be aided by God’s unseen grace and confirmations.

O ye birds of the meanings, soar in this pure and spiritual atmosphere! O ye lovers of the All-Glorious Beauty, the Beloved, like the true dawn, has risen from the Divine horizon and is manifest. This is your Day, by the Lord of the worlds! O ye who are intoxicated with the wine of oneness, and O ye horsemen in the arenas of detachment, praise be to the Beloved of the worlds that ye have not been barred from all else save Him and have chosen your abode beneath the pavilion of the Friend.

Your days shall come—be not disheartened. These are days of wisdom and kindness—observe them carefully. When the time comes, that which He has willed shall be made manifest and your hearts shall rejoice thereby, O concourse of lovers and horsemen of all regions! Thus doth your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, make mention of you.

Gather ye together as one soul at the divine spiritual table, and drink of the pure wine of the Greatest Remembrance in this Most Great Revelation, in the name of the Lord of all peoples. Happy are they that drink thereof! Blessed are ye, inasmuch as ye have been mentioned before the Throne and your names have been inscribed in a preserved Tablet.

BH04001: That which has shone forth from the Dayspring…

That which has shone forth from the Dayspring of God’s Command, which this servant should submit, is this: First, that the letter Shin should occupy themselves with their trade, and whatever they have and had intended to send to the precincts of the Throne should remain with them and they should trade therewith for the sake of God. Today each one of the loved ones of God should be occupied with some pursuit whereby, in the course of their trade, they might be able to convey a word of truth to some soul and deposit a seed of divine love in the hearts of men.

Today all the denizens of the highest Paradise and the cities of eternity are gazing upon the faces that are illumined with the light of the countenance of God, and all atoms of things are voicing this utterance:

“Blessed is he who has remained steadfast in this Day in the Cause of his Lord and whom the might of the people has failed to frighten.”

Therefore the greatest of all deeds is the mention of God amongst His servants, albeit all are commanded to observe wisdom and utterance.

O ʿAli! The evanescence of the world and the impermanence of all that is therein is evident, and had there been perceived in it even an atom’s weight of merit, the Ancient Beauty would never have been afflicted with this most great tribulation. Therefore today all must occupy themselves with the Cause of God, that perchance they might deliver a soul from the depths of extinction. By God! This deed is greater than any good deed.

God willing, you will return with wondrous and sublime Tablets the like of which no one before you has ever borne, save whom your Lord pleases. Furthermore, the servant in attendance before the Throne is writing details to your honor, according to which you should act. May you ever be refreshed by the choice wine of the Most Glorious Grace and sustained by the bounties of His favor. And glory be upon you.

BH04092: Thou knowest, O my God, that I am abased…

He is God!

Thou knowest, O my God, that I am abased before him who seeketh might through the power of Thy sovereignty, and am poor before him who findeth riches through the manifestations of Thy strength, and am as nothing before him who attaineth perpetuity through the perpetuity of Thine Essence. I desire him who desireth Thee, and love him who loveth Thee, and follow him who followeth Thy Command, and emulate him who emulath Thy decree, and seek refuge with him who taketh shelter in the house of Thy love, and sacrifice myself for him who sacrificeth in Thy path and offereth himself up in Thy love. Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! All these are beloved by me due to their connection with Thee and their relation to Thee; otherwise Thou art sanctified above all glory and pride, and all loftiness and honor. How could it be otherwise, when these are stations Thou hast not loved for Thyself nor ordained for Thine Essence? Glory be unto Thee! I am before Thee among those who repent and worship.

O Ali! Give thanks unto God, thy Lord, in that He hath named thee with His Name, the Most High, and joined it with majesty that thou mayest become great in thy love and steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord. Know thou the value of this, then detach thyself unto Him and place thy trust in God at all times and seasons. Grieve not over anything, and purify thyself from doubts and suspicions that thou mayest become a mirror of His beauty, reflecting His countenance, speaking His praise, and content with His decree.

O my God! Send Thy blessings upon the first Sun that shone from the horizon of Thy sanctity and the last Dawn that rose from the light of Thy countenance, whereby Thy Cause illumined the kingdom of Thy creation after the concealment of Thy countenance, and upon Thy sanctified loved ones and Thy exalted Letters, and upon those who have come unto Thee and descended upon Thee, for Thou art the Doer of what Thou pleasest and the Bestower of what Thou lovest, and Thou art powerful over all things.

BH04127: It behooveth the servant of God to arise…

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

It behooveth the servant of God to arise to promote the Cause of God in the Days of God in such wise that whatsoever exists beside Him shall not withhold him from the Horizon whence hath dawned the Sun of the Most Great Name with the ornament of pre-existence. Thus doth this Pen remind thee on behalf of the Creator of all nations. Hearken thou and be of them that render thanks.

Detach thyself wholly from all who are on earth and turn unto the court of the mercy of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most Great. Take thou the chalice of utterance from My words, then drink therefrom the choice wine of inner meanings and exposition through My Name and My sovereignty. By God! It shall make thee independent of all else save Me, and shall cause thee to turn unto the sanctuary of My glory, to speak My praise, and to be detached from the worlds.

Say: O people! The King of Utterance hath appeared upon the clouds of inner meanings and exposition. Abandon ye the allusions of them who have disbelieved in God—they are in manifest error.

Adorn thou thy head with the crown of the remembrance of thy Lord, the Lord of all names, and thy heart with the praise of thy Master. Thus behooveth him who hath believed today in God, the Mighty, the All-Wise. When thou art seized by the rapture of the verses revealed by the Lord of Names and Attributes, turn thy face toward the Holy Court and say:

O my Lord! I testify that Thou art God and that there is none other God but Thee. Thou hast ever been in the heights of glory, and wilt ever abide in the sublimity of majesty and grandeur. O my Lord! Thou seest me turning unto Thee and detached from all else save Thee. Have mercy upon me, O my God, through the wonders of Thy mercy; then grant me to drink from the Kawthar of Thy bounty. Then enable me, O my God, to remember and praise Thee in such wise that the veils of them who are heedless of the Dayspring of Thy most beautiful names and the Dawning-Place of Thy most exalted attributes shall not prevent me. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Most Glorious, the All-Powerful.

BH04049: The Dove hath sung, but is there any ear…

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

The Dove hath sung, but is there any ear to hear? The Peacock hath spread its plumes, but is there any eye to see? He whom the wine of passion hath seized turneth not to the All-Highest Horizon. He who is heedless knoweth not the sweetness of wakefulness, and he whose heart is inscribed knoweth not the delight of effacement. Among men are those who hate the sincere counselor and flee from the agreeable friend. They oppose those who agree with them and deny those who accompany them. They detest those who call them unto God and love those who support them in their desires. They run from the wise to the heedless, and from the learned to the ignorant. They distinguish not between what harmeth them and what profiteth them. They race through the wilderness of error in search of a mirage. Soon shall they find themselves at loss in the end.

Many a seeing one whom passion blindeth, many a knower left to wander in error. Doth the wise one boast, knowing he was created from fetid clay? Or doth he glory, while death lurketh behind him? Say: Awaken, O heedless one, and take heed, O rational one! Blessed is he who awakeneth after his slumber and ariseth after his sleep. Know that barren soil wasteth what is cast therein, while good earth bringeth forth what benefiteth its people. We beseech God that all may be prepared to know Him in His days, that none be shut out from His door nor barred from His presence. Arise in the love of God and His Cause, then stand firm and turn not to those whom passion hath stirred. We hear their call from certain lands—avoid them and turn to the Lord of those who turn unto Him. Praise be to God, the Lord of the heavens and earth, and the Lord of the mighty throne!

BH03984: O Haydar! Hearken to the melody of this Bird…

He is the Almighty

O Haydar! Hearken to the melody of this Bird that warbleth upon all the branches, and be not of the patient ones.

Say: O people of the earth! By God, the Bird of Oneness hath taken flight and hath soared in the atmosphere of holy and subtle grace, yet ye rejoice not thereat. Soon shall the punishment of a mighty day overtake you.

Say: Verily this is the Bird for Whose presence the denizens of Paradise and the Concourse on high yearn, yet ye have not recognized it nor attained unto its presence, and thus ye are an evil and most lost people.

Say: Fie upon you and upon that which your hands have wrought in the days wherein the holy and ancient feast descended from the heaven of glorious and lofty might.

Say: By God, were ye to discover what hath escaped you, ye would drown yourselves in water or sever your heads with your own hands. But ye remain veiled and are among the heedless ones.

And thou, follow My counsel and remember the days of My communion after My exile and separation, and be of the patient ones. Then be content with whatsoever God hath ordained for Us, and be patient in this separation wherein none among all the worlds hath shown patience, for separation is grievous unto those who have tasted the sweetness of love from a holy and luminous Beauty. But since it hath appeared from the Beloved, therefore it is beloved by Us, and this is an established truth.

Thus do We impart unto thee that which shall remind thee of the Truth and shall turn thee unto God, the Beloved of the mystics, that thou mayest inhale from this Tablet the fragrances of reunion should the heat of separation intensify upon thee, and that thou mayest be of those who dwell in peace.

Then convey Our remembrance unto thy wife and glorify her countenance and give her the glad tidings of an noble eternal station. Then unto those who are with thee and who are among the sincere ones.

And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who are guided by this resplendent Dawn.

BH04086: He is the Mighty, the Beloved! This…

He is the Mighty, the Beloved! This is a Book which speaks with truth, and in it is every wise command.

Say: O people, believe in God and in Him Whom He has sent with signs at which the worlds are powerless. Say: These are among the evidences which have been sent down in truth, and none attain unto them save those who have soared in the atmosphere of nearness and were among the guided ones. These are they who were men of the Heights, and upon whom the angels drawn nigh would pray.

Say: O people, the world and all that is therein shall pass away, and you shall return to the holy presence before God, the True King, the Manifest One, and shall be questioned concerning what you did in your vain life, and shall be recompensed for what your hands have wrought. This is what you were promised in the holy, luminous Tablets.

Say: By God, if you would reflect upon yourselves for less than an hour, you would return to what you have abandoned and would weep for your deeds as those who have lost weep, and would dwell on mountain peaks and flee unto God, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

And you, O believer in the verses of God and one who has turned to His beauty, know that We have found your love for your Lord and your turning to your Master, and We have sent down to you this Tablet that it may draw you nigh to the shore of nearness and give you glad tidings of a holy, manifest paradise, and that it may create in your heart the warmth of love and bring you to a station wherefrom the hands of the mystics are cut off, and join you to the places of victory such that you would arise from your seat and command the people to what We have mentioned in the Tablet, that the grace may be complete upon you and upon all creation.

Thus have We cast upon you the Word of Truth and given you glad tidings of wondrous verses and mentioned you in the Tablet that you may be of the assured ones. And the Spirit be upon you and upon those who were sleeping in the cradle of the Spirit.