Volume 045: Prior to 1873 1290 A.H., Part III (3 of 4)
BH04005: These are the verses of God sent down…
He is the Most Exalted, the Most Great
These are the verses of God sent down from the heaven of grace for people who understand—those who have drunk the water of life in the days of God, the Mighty, the Beloved. Those who have found the sweetness of remembrance are indeed servants drawn nigh, while those who have denied—for them there is no portion of this sealed nectar.
They have taken their divines as their idols. We bear witness that these are the veils of glory—blessed is the noble one who rents them through My Name, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. And he who rends them reaches the Dawning-Place of Names and beholds the light from this visible horizon. Those who have taken illusion as their beloved are wandering in the wilderness of error.
When asked “By what proof do you cling to him?” they say “Because his name was mentioned.” Say: If We were to accept this from you, why then did you turn away from the One Mentioned? We revealed in the Bayan: “Be not veiled by names from Him Who shall come with the truth.” Read it that you may know. You turned away from Him concerning Whom the Bayan was revealed, and clung to one whom you knew not. They are indeed a people in loss.
That which was revealed in the Bayan circles round Me while you perceive not. Fear God and dispute not with Him but for Whom the sun of revelation would not have shone from the horizon of the will of your Lord, the Mighty, the Loving. Is there anyone with sight in creation who might behold what hath appeared, or with hearing who might hear what hath been revealed in this Revelation? The people are dead save whom your Lord willeth—with Him is the knowledge of the heavens and earth, what was and what shall be.
Your name hath been mentioned before the Face and this Tablet hath been revealed for you that your eyes may be consoled and you may remember your Lord, that perchance the slumberers may awaken. And the glory be upon you and upon those who have believed in God, the Mighty, the Loving.
BH03975: Hearken unto what is revealed unto thee…
In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious
Hearken unto what is revealed unto thee from the right side of the Divine Spot, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting. Associate not with Me any partner, nor take unto thyself a protector other than Me. This is better for thee than all that hath been and shall be. Hold fast unto My strong cord, then drink from the choice wine of My Most Glorious Name, whose seal We have broken through My sovereignty and power. Thus have We sent down the command in a preserved tablet.
Turn thine ear toward the Throne, then hearken unto what the Tongue of Revelation speaketh. Verily He saith: These are My days; seize ye their worth. By My life! He who hath recognized their value and tasted of their sweetness hath soared in the atmosphere of My Most Glorious Name on two wings of faithfulness, and hath seen all creation behind him. Such a one is worthy to be associated with Us. Verily thy Lord is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. Be thou steadfast in such wise that the whisperings of them that have turned away from the remembrance of their Lord shall not cause thee to slip. Verily they understand not. Say: Are ye secure from God’s chastisement, or have ye been guaranteed eternal life in this world? Soon shall the breaths of punishment seize you, then shall ye find no helper.
Say: O people, cast away what ye possess and take what ye are commanded by God, the Mighty, the Beloved. See ye any protector besides Me? Nay, by My Self, if ye but knew. The Hour hath come, yet ye turn away from it. The Awakening hath appeared, yet ye remain heedless of it. The earthquake hath seized all who are on earth save those who have come unto the All-Merciful after drinking the cup of assurance. Thus have We sent down unto thee the verses, but the people perceive not. Be thou assured through God’s grace and mercy, then make thy remembrance My remembrance, thy purpose My good-pleasure, thy hope My favor, thy path My path, thy beloved My beautiful praise, and say: Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Wise.
BH04009: He is the Mighty! Praise be unto the Beloved…
He is the Mighty! Praise be unto the Beloved Who cannot be known, Who is worthy and befitting, Who hath created all who are in the heavens and on earth through a single letter from the manifestations proceeding from the Pen, and Who will likewise continue to create unto an end that hath no end. Exalted be His mention above every lofty, sublime and mighty mention, and glorified be He above every perfect and wondrous description.
And then, since the letter of that person indicated burning from separation—by God, it behooveth every lover to weep and lament from separation from the Beloved. Patience is praiseworthy except regarding the Beloved, and crying out is blameworthy except regarding the Intended One.
However, attraction and yearning and longing appear more strongly in separation and parting, for the sweetness of attainment may possibly extinguish the fire of seeking, as hath happened with some who in this journey have drawn nigh unto nearness and meeting, and have remained wholly veiled. Yea, one who hath been and will ever be sustained by the eternal wine of reunion and hath not grown cold—such a being hath been and will be rarer than red sulphur.
However, we hope that you, in the extremity of remoteness, may attain the utmost degree of nearness, and may drink and partake of the cup of the mysteries of God’s Cause which until now hath been concealed from all souls, and may become firmly established and steadfast upon the sacred carpet. All this is from the grace of thy Lord.
Tablets have been revealed in these days and mention made of that person, but since no scribe was available to make copies, they were not sent, until we see what divine destiny will require.
And peace and the spirit be upon thee and upon those who are with thee.
BH04033: Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I implore…
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I implore Thee by Them Who are the Tabernacles of Thy Divine holiness, Who are the Manifestations of Thy transcendent unity and the Day-Springs of Thine inspiration and revelation, to grant that Thy servants may not be kept back from this Divine Law which, at Thy will and according to Thy pleasure, hath branched out from Thy most great Ocean. Do Thou, then, ordain for them that which Thou didst ordain for Thy chosen ones and for the righteous among Thy creatures, whose constancy in Thy Cause the tempests of trials have failed to shake, and whom the tumults of tests have been powerless to hinder from magnifying Thy most exalted Word—the Word through Which the heavens of men’s idle fancies and vain imaginations have been split asunder. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing.
Enable, then, Thy servants, O my God, to recognize the Day-Star that hath shone forth above the horizon of Thine irrevocable decree and purpose, and suffer them not to be deprived of the Paradise which Thou, by Thy name, the All-Glorious, hast called into being in the heavens of Thine exalted omnipotence. Cause them, moreover, O my God, to hearken to Thy most sweet voice, that they may all hasten to recognize Thy unity and acknowledge Thy oneness, O Thou Who art the Beloved of the hearts of all that yearn after Thee, and the Object of the adoration of such as have known Thee!
I beseech Thee, by them that have cut down all the idols in this Revelation through which the Most Grievous Convulsion and the Great Terror have appeared, to assist, at all times, Thy servants with the signs of Thine almighty power and the evidences of Thy transcendent and all-compelling might. Grant, then, that their hearts may be made as strong as brass, that they may remain unmoved by the overpowering might of such as have transgressed against Him Who is the Manifestation of Thine Essence and the Day-Spring of Thine invisible Self, and that they may all arise to glorify and help Thee, so that through them the ensigns of Thy triumph may be lifted up in Thy realm, and the standards of Thy Cause may be unfurled throughout Thy dominions. Thou art He who from everlasting hath, though the potency of His will, been all-powerful, and will continue to remain the same for ever and ever. Thou art, verily, the All-Glorious, the Most High. No God is there but Thee, the Most Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Help in Peril, the Most Great, the One Being, the Incomparable, the All-Glorious, the Unrestrained.
BH04034: Glorified art Thou, O my God! How can I…
In the Name of God, the Most Powerful
Glorified art Thou, O my God! How can I make mention of Thee after realizing that any remembrance of aught else but Thee befitteth not Thy presence? And how can I fail to make mention of Thee when I find within my heart the love of Thy beauty? Reason saith: Make no mention of Him, for He hath ever been sanctified above the remembrance of all beings and exalted beyond the recognition of all creatures. The wings of comprehension of the sincere ones cannot soar into the atmosphere of His nearness, nor can the hearts of those who draw nigh unto Him approach Him. But Love saith: Make mention of Him howsoever thou pleaseth, for He is nearer to thee than thy life-vein. Withhold not the tongue, even for less than a moment, from the wondrous remembrance of Him, nor the eyes from beholding the lights of His countenance.
I say, O my God, I am a handmaiden among Thy handmaidens. I find no path except toward Thee and no refuge save in Thee. I beseech Thee by Thy Name which Thou hast made as a fire in the hearts of the lovers and the Beloved of the hearts of the yearning ones, that Thou cast me not out from the court of Thy mercy nor prevent me from arriving at the shore of the sea of Thy oneness.
O Lord! All men have confessed their powerlessness to praise and glorify Thee—how much more this handmaiden who is more insignificant than an ant in Thy kingdom! Yet O my God and my Beloved, the wonders of Thy grace have drawn me unto Thee and Thy bounty hath emboldened me. Therefore do I make mention of Thee and say: O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Exalted Self and by the manifestation of Thy names in the kingdom of creation, that Thou send down upon me that which will remove from me the odors of this world and make me pure for Thy sake and turning toward the sanctuary of Thy Cause. Verily Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Giving, the Forgiving, the Generous.
BH04076: Lawh-i-Liqa’
He is the Ever-Abiding
This is a Book We have made as Our presence for those who have turned to God in these days wherein the lands were transformed. Whoso visiteth what hath been sent down from the direction of the Throne in this Tablet and findeth himself in doubt concerning the meeting with his Lord—he is of them that have turned away from God, the Cleaver of the dawn.
O Birds of Paradise! Hearken unto the call of the Beloved in these days wherein feet have slipped. Through your drawing nigh, the Concourse on High rejoiced, and through your withdrawal from the Meeting, and your thirst near the ocean, lamentation was raised by the dwellers of the cities of eternity. How wonderful this joy and grief, as though they embraced each other on this Day of God, the Almighty, the Exalted, the Unconstrained. The hearts of the idolaters were consumed by what We sent before; therefore do they plot against My Self morning and evening. Blessed are ye for having entered the City and attained unto what your Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing, desired. It behooveth you to manifest from your faces gladness and joy that every soul may find in you submission and contentment. Thus hath it been decreed from the Pen of Glory. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Knower of what is secret and manifest.
Ye are beneath the shadow of My loving-kindness and within the tabernacles of My mercy. The eye of God is therefore fixed upon you, O ye who are endued with insight! Blessed are ye, and blessed is he who loveth you, and he who turneth unto you, purely for the sake of God, the Mighty, the Compelling. God beareth witness, and they who circle round the Throne, that ye have attained unto His presence and circumambulated the Kaaba of His Cause and appeared before His countenance. He, verily, is powerful over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Bestower. By My life! We have accepted what ye desired and We shall be with you at all times. And glory be upon you from the presence of a mighty Helper.
BH04129: Glorified art Thou, O my Beloved! Thou seest me…
He is the Most Exalted, the Most High
Glorified art Thou, O my Beloved! Thou seest me, yet I see Thee not; for Thou canst not be apprehended by mortal eyes, while Thou, verily, beholdest all eyes. Thou knowest and bearest witness how I have been afflicted, amidst Thy servants and Thy creatures, with such tribulation that the spirit is like to depart from the body, by reason of what the hands of the hypocrites have wrought in envy. So grievous hath our plight become that they have driven us forth from our homes, despoiled us of our substance, slain our loved ones, and led our kindred captive–without proof from Thee, and without decree from Thy presence. And I have journeyed from Thee unto Thee, and migrated through Thee unto Thee, until I attained that station which Thou Thyself dost witness and behold.
Praise be to Thee, O My God, for all that hath transpired, for verily this hath been the rule prescribed for Thy Chosen Ones and Thy conduct with those who love Thee. I swear by Thy Might, O My God and My Master, shouldst Thou slay me with the swords of Thy Decree, torment Me with every torment, or burn Me with the fire of Thy justice and vengeance, My soul will not be emptied of its love for Thee, nor My tongue stilled from mentioning Thee, nor My heart busied with anyone save Thyself. My inner being will not cling to anyone but Thee, My feet will not move except towards Thee and My hands will not be raised save unto Thee.
Praised be Thou, praised be Thou! I beseech Thee by Thy Primal Light through which the ocean of Thy Oneness hath surged and the arks of Thy Will and the paths of Thy Guidance have been fashioned, to suffer Me to be pleased with Thy Decree, to seek Thy calamity, and to long for Thy presence, as promised in Thy Book. Cause then My sister to become one of Thy handmaids who believe in Thee and are steadfast in Thy love. Shelter her moreover in the precincts of Thy mercy and grant her to dwell under the shadow of the Tree of Thy bounty, that her heart may be assured, her spirit calmed and her soul at peace. Thou art, verily, the Most Powerful, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.
BH04171: O Khurshid!
He is the Most Glorious
O Khurshid!
Thy letter hath come into the presence of God, and attained unto the court wherein His mercy-seat hath been established. Thanks and praise be unto Him. O Khurshid! Strive that thou mayest become in reality like unto thy name—a heavenly luminary shining brilliantly above the horizon of the firmament of love; for a name alone is not sufficient in this day: rather what is requisite and fitting is a matching character, a reality that correspondeth to the name. How many are the souls who, though in name “Beloved” , are in reality detested of the Lord! Please God, thou wilt, both inwardly and outwardly, exemplify thy name.
I swear by the Day-Star of the heaven of Divine Unity! Were the sun of this physical heaven to be acquainted with the sorrows that have afflicted the Beauty of the All-Merciful, it would rise no more above its dawning-place, and would divest itself of the robe of its refulgency and light. Howbeit, We have concealed Our woes from all created things, lest they that are the embodiments of names in the kingdom of creation should be consumed away.
Be not then afflicted, and occupy thyself at all times with the remembrance of the Well-Beloved. Be not saddened by the sorrows of the world, nor gladdened by its joys, for with the swiftness of lightning both shall pass away and come to naught. Detach thine heart from all that perisheth, and enter thou the imperishable dominion. Render thanks unto the Well-Beloved that thou hast attained unto His love, a love that purifieth the soul of sickness and transgression, and answereth one’s wants and needs. Please God, thou wilt remain constant in His love, and wilt not deviate from the straight path of His Cause. The sign of those that love Him, however, is that they should walk in the ways of His good pleasure, and not in the pathway of their evil passions and desires. Abide thou ever neath the shadow of His mercy, and detach thyself from all save Him. Do thou convey Our salutation and blessing to all those handmaidens who are devoted unto Him.
The Glory of God rest upon you.
BH04298: Lawh-i-Mustatab
He is the Mighty, the All-Bestowing!
This is a Book sent down from the presence of One mighty and bestowing to him who hath submitted and turned unto God when the Lord came upon the clouds—verily He is the Lord of lords. This is a sweet and pleasant Tablet, revealed with concision, sanctified from prolixity. Verily it is the decisive Word.
Say: Grace hath encompassed all things and whatsoever else is encompassed. Are ye heedless of this Cause? This is a wondrous thing! Say: O people, will ye not awaken while your feet are in the stirrups? Do ye not see the departure? Have We not informed you of the return on the Day of Return? This is that Day, O ye who are endued with understanding! Say: This is that Day, O People of the Book! This is your Lord, and the angels with goblets and cups!
Rejoice, for thou art at the gate beneath the gaze of the Lord of all men. Drink, O people—this is indeed the drink! Verily it is the Kawthar of life for the companions who have turned to the Face with courtesy. And whoso turneth away, verily he is of the people of torment. Soon shall he find himself in fire and flame, saying on that Day: “Would that I were dust!”
Take pride in His mention among the wise. We have adorned thy head with the crown of remembrance amidst the beloved. This sufficeth thee above all that hath appeared and been concealed. Blessed is he who hath rent asunder the veils and, hearing the Call, hath advanced and responded. Verily He fulfilleth the promise—this is the Day of Reckoning.
The approaching ones draw nigh and the devils are driven away by a shooting star. Grieve not for what hath befallen Us at the hands of the people of the veil. By My life! Those who have turned away are, in the sight of thy Lord, but as bubbles, and what issueth from their mouths but as the buzzing of flies. They shall behold what they have wrought. Verily thy Lord lieth in wait. He seizeth him who hath disbelieved—verily He is severe in punishment.
BH04198: Praise be to the eternal Beloved Who has…
In the name of the Peerless Beloved!
Praise be to the eternal Beloved Who has, from time immemorial and forevermore, reserved the cup of nearness and reunion for His sincere friends—those souls who have had and have no will or desire of their own, whose only purpose has been the good-pleasure of the Friend, and whose heart’s beloved is that which proceeds from Him. Tribulations have not prevented them from the Most Great Source, nor have ordeals veiled them from beholding the lights of Beauty. In all conditions they gaze upon the Friend and are detached from all else.
You must, God willing, be occupied with the remembrance of the All-Merciful at all times and be not saddened by what has befallen, for this calamity has in truth befallen Us and the True One Himself is the Bearer of these sorrows. I swear by the Most Great Name—they have ascended to a station that transcends mention, description, and explanation. If you observe with the most pure vision and reflect with the most luminous heart, you will see this is a station of joy, not grief. Intensity in His path has been the sovereign of ease, and tribulation in His love the king of comfort. All that is witnessed in this world will perish and vanish, while for His loved ones are ordained stations that will endure as long as God’s kingdom endures. Strive in these fleeting days to attain these lofty, eternal stations.
And may the glory rest upon you, upon those with you, and upon those whom tribulations have not prevented from turning toward the sanctuary of their Lord, the Most High, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious. Praise be to God, the Sovereign, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.
BH04285: The chalice of tribulation hath ever been reserved…
In the name of the One, the Incomparable!
The chalice of tribulation hath ever been reserved for the faithful, and through trials and afflictions are the steadfast distinguished from the doubters. Yet every jewel is cherished and valued by those who recognize it. The sun hath no intimacy in the city of the blind, and pearls are counted as pebbles by those lacking discernment.
Those souls who are deprived of the Merciful One’s presence by the blowing winds of trials are like autumn leaves that fall from the tree at a single gust. Know thou that trials are like winds which, after their passing, cause weak souls to fall from the divine Tree. Blessed, therefore, are those leaves that have clung so firmly to the Tree that no winds in all the world can prevent them from remaining attached to the divine Tree.
Though outwardly the tribulations endured in the path of God appear as fire, their inner reality hath been and ever shall be light. I swear by the Ancient Beauty that were this blessed word to be fully expounded, all would turn their faces to the horizon of tribulation in the path of the Beloved.
God, exalted be His glory, shall, God willing, aid His loved ones and draw them to the kingdom of His good-pleasure, that all may be content with His will and thankful. Be not grieved at the calamity that hath occurred, for this is a calamity wherein the Ancient Beauty Himself hath been the chief mourner. How blessed are they, for the Sovereign of grandeur and majesty, and then the angels nearest to God, pray for them.
And upon thee and those with thee be glory, and praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.
BH04293: This is a Book from the All-Glorious, the Beautiful…
He is by His Own right the Ruler
This is a Book from the All-Glorious, the Beautiful, unto him who hath believed in his Lord, the Sublime, that He may cause him to soar in the atmosphere of his Lord’s mercy, the Mighty, the All-Wise, and make him so steadfast that were all who dwell in the realms of creation to oppose him in his Lord’s Cause, he would not be perturbed within himself but would aid his Lord, the All-Merciful. Thus hath the matter been decreed by One Who is All-Knowing, All-Informed.
And remember the Bayan, when We created it anew and sent it unto the chief of the oppressors. By My life! We breathed into it a spirit from Our presence and manifested it through might and power, and dispatched it like a mountain of fire, such that neither the hosts nor the might of those who disbelieved in the Lord of the worlds could hold it back. Were We to command it, it would by itself confront all who are in the heavens and on earth.
Say: Verily my Lord ordaineth what He pleaseth and doeth what He willeth. He bestoweth power upon whomsoever He pleaseth among His creation. Verily, He is powerful over all things.
It behooveth every soul to be detached from all that hath been created on earth and to be ready for God’s command. He is indeed of the people of Baha, inscribed in a preserved Tablet. Blessed is he who calleth the people unto God and guideth them to the straight path. I am verily the path of God amidst all else and His sovereignty over all who dwell on earth.
Leave those who have turned away from the Cause, and take this wondrous Tablet. Should you find one who is receptive, turn to him and remind him of thy Lord’s sovereignty; and should you find one who turneth away, leave him and turn to the Lord of the worlds. Beware lest anyone’s rejection sadden thee. Be pure-hearted for thy Lord’s sake. He will suffice thee and aid His servants who turn unto Him.
BH04231: Praise be unto Thee, O my God! Thou art…
Praise be unto Thee, O my God! Thou art He Who by a word of His mouth hath revolutionized the entire creation, and by a stroke of His pen hath divided Thy servants one from another. I bear witness, O my God, that through a word spoken by Thee in this Revelation all created things were made to expire, and through yet another word all such as Thou didst wish were, by Thy grace and bounty, endued with new life.
I render Thee thanks, therefore, and extol Thee, in the name of all them that are dear to Thee, for that Thou hast caused them to be born again, by reason of the living waters which have flowed down out of the mouth of Thy will. Since Thou didst quicken them by Thy bounteousness, O my God, make them steadfastly inclined, through Thy graciousness, towards Thy will; and since Thou didst suffer them to enter into the Tabernacle of Thy Cause, grant by Thy grace that they may not be kept back from Thee.
Unlock, then, to their hearts, O my God, the portals of Thy knowledge, that they may recognize Thee as One Who is far above the reach and ken of the understanding of Thy creatures, and immeasurably exalted above the strivings of Thy people to hint at Thy nature, and may not follow every clamorous impostor that presumeth to speak in Thy name. Enable them, moreover, O my Lord, to cleave so tenaciously to Thy Cause that they may remain unmoved by the perplexing suggestions of them who, prompted by their desires, utter what hath been forbidden unto them in Thy Tablets and Thy Scriptures.
Thou art well aware, O my Lord, that I hear the howling of the wolves which appear in Thy servants’ clothing. Keep safe, therefore, Thy loved ones from their mischief, and enable them to cling steadfastly to whatsoever hath been manifested by Thee in this Revelation, which no other Revelation within Thy knowledge hath excelled.
Do Thou destine for them, O my Lord, that which will profit them. Illumine, then, their eyes with the light of Thy knowledge, that they may see Thee visibly supreme over all things, and resplendent amidst Thy creatures, and victorious over all that are in Thy heaven and all that are on Thy earth. Powerful art Thou to do Thy pleasure. No God is there but Thee, the All-Glorious, Whose help is implored by all men.
Praised be Thou, Who art the Lord of all creation.
BH04299: The Most Holy, the Most Great. This…
The Most Holy, the Most Great. This is a Book sent down from the Kingdom of Command unto him who hath taken unto the All-Merciful a way. It speaketh the truth that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath come is indeed the Promised One in the unseen and the visible, and God sufficeth as a witness.
Hearken unto that which is revealed unto thee from the right Valley in the blessed and hallowed Spot from the Tree. This is a Day wherein God hath established Himself upon the throne of grandeur and power, and calleth mankind unto a path which hath been truly set up. Blessed is he who hath heard the call of the All-Merciful and taken Him as his helper. Woe unto him who hath turned away and remained far from the precincts of nearness.
O people! Fear God and follow not him who hath disbelieved in the All-Merciful. He is indeed a manifest enemy unto you. He speaketh naught but that which leadeth you astray. Leave him behind you and turn your faces toward a countenance that hath been truly illumined.
O people! The Self-Subsisting hath come and saith: Beware, O peoples of the earth, lest ye deprive yourselves. The Beauty hath shone forth from the horizon of glory—turn ye toward Him with your hearts. He is with you and seeth you, and God encompasseth all things.
We have caused to flow the Kawthar of inner meanings and utterance from the wellspring of wisdom and exposition. By My life, whoso drinketh thereof shall find the sweetness of bounties which have existed from the beginning that hath no beginning and shall continue unto the end that hath no end. Thus hath the matter been inscribed by the Pen of Glory.
Read thou the verses of thy Lord—they shall draw thee to a station that hath been recorded in the Tablet as exalted. Think not that those who disbelieve are alive. Leave them behind thee and hold fast to the hem of thy Lord’s mercy. With Him there is reserved for thee a glorious station.
BH04206: The remembrance of God from the Tree of Fire…
He is God, the Most Glorious
The remembrance of God from the Tree of Fire upon the Spot of Paradise: God, there is no God but Him, and verily He has been knowing of all things. He Who manifested ʿAli before Muhammad and caused him to speak with mighty and impregnable verses, and made him a proof from His presence to every unique believer and every insightful mystic.
Therefore hearken, O servant, to what the Spirit calls thee from this planted, upraised, blessed, eternal, everlasting, perpetual, endless Tree, and draw nigh unto it with manifest certitude. Trust in God and fear no one, and withhold not thyself from this Lote-Tree which speaketh at every moment and calleth thee to a wondrous holy paradise. Turn to it with thy whole being and follow not those who have followed every base denier. Be steadfast in the Cause, then aid thy Lord with whatever thou art able, and turn not back upon thy heels. Trust in God, thy Lord, and God Himself sufficeth as thy Reckoner. Detach thyself from all thou hast, then take hold of the cord which shineth between the heavens and the earth and from which every luminous face hath been illumined.
Thus doth God counsel thee on this night and give thee beauteous advice. Beware lest thou grieve at what hath come upon thee, and turn not to the world and its ornaments, but be of an impregnable nature. Should the world approach thee with its ornaments, rejoice not in it, and should it fail to approach thee, grieve not, for thou shalt never find the fragrances of eternity from either of them, and to this every sound heart doth testify. And the spirit and glory be upon thee and upon those who were with thee, steadfast in the religion of God.
BH04157: O Kalim! Have you fled from the Pharaohs…
In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious!
O Kalim! Have you fled from the Pharaohs of the people after having grasped the cord of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing? Grieve not, for your Lord is with you. We shall restore you to your former state. Verily, your Lord is the Ruler over whatsoever He willeth in the world to come and in this world. He is, in truth, the Potent, the Mighty.
Beware lest the possessions prevent thee from the remembrance of thy Lord. Consider thy dwelling place. We desire not that thy reward be lost. Verily, thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Know thou what hath been ordained for thee and ponder upon it. By My life! Were you to discover it, you would leave your house alone and cry out in My Name and praise between the worlds. Are you content with this world after We have abandoned it to the dogs? Behold how We adorned those who disbelieved with ornaments and left them wandering in the wilderness of heedlessness. Soon shall We seize them with the power that proceedeth from Us. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Be patient and do not grieve over what hath befallen thee. Soon will God exalt thee in truth. He is the Guardian of the patient ones.
O Kalim! Doth tribulation prevent thee from the path of thy Lord, the Most Glorious? Would you be content with life after Him? Nay, by My life, this beseemeth thee not, if thou be of them that know. Abandon that which preventeth thee from faithfulness, then stand firm in the Cause of thy Lord, the Lord of all names, and say: O my Lord! Praise be unto Thee in all conditions. I testify that Thou art the Lord of all worlds, and praise be unto Thee, O God of all who are in the heavens and on earth. Preserve the House. Beware lest thou be heedless of it. Its matter is momentous. Know thou its worth. This is better for thee than all that hath been created on earth. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
BH04297: This is a Book sent down in truth…
In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious
This is a Book sent down in truth from the heaven of My Name, the Compassionate, the Merciful, wherein mention is made of him who was named Muhammad before Ibrahim, that he may remember the holy, mighty and beautiful remembrance of God. Give thanks, O servant, for the breezes of holiness that have wafted upon thee from the direction of Paradise and made thee steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord—this indeed is a great bounty.
Say: O people of the Bayan! Do ye claim faith within yourselves and seek to prove your cause through My verses revealed aforetime, yet deny My Self? Alas for you, O company of unbelievers! By the True One! Ye have committed that which no peoples before you have committed, as doth bear witness the Tongue of God, the True, the Speaking, the Trustworthy King. Fear ye God, and deprive not yourselves of that which hath been ordained for you, nor bar yourselves from that which hath been sent down from the clouds of holiness upon all worlds.
And thou, O servant, shun those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God and turned away after having accepted, and were among the deniers. Purify thyself from all allusions, then arise to serve the Cause of God, the Holy, the Exalted, the All-Knowing, the Wise. Blessed art thou for having attained unto the good-pleasure of God, thy Lord, and for not having associated partners with Him in days wherein most of the servants opposed Him and were among the deniers. Be thou steadfast in the Cause and fear no one, for God sendeth down upon thy heart in every moment a power from His presence and a strength from His own Self—and He ordaineth what He willeth.
And the mercy that descendeth from the clouds of holiness be upon thee and upon all who have stood firm in this Cause, from which every stubborn misbeliever hath turned away.
BH04175: O maidservant of God!
He is the Peerless!
O maidservant of God!
Render thanks unto the One true Beloved for having guided thee to recognize His own Self. Many are the daughters of kings and other notables who, through having been veiled from recognizing the Beauty of the All-Merciful, are not remembered by the Lord. Thou, however, hast been remembered by Him, and thy name set down by the Pen of His Command. Regard not this, that in these days, to outward seeming, they live in luxury and honour. For I swear by Him Who hath made true honour the exclusive portion of His loved ones, that though they repose on jewelled couches, in the eyes of God they dwell upon the dust; and soon shall they all return, in the utmost poverty and abasement, to that place wherein is neither lamp nor couch, neither friend nor comforter.
Thou, however, and other maidservants of God like unto thee, though ye be seated on the dust, are, in the eyes of God, established upon the seats of honour; and when finally ye return unto your Lord, ye shall ascend with matchless glory unto the realms above. Then shall the whole sublime and holy company of the maids of heaven come forth to greet you, and inhale from you the sweet savours of the love of God. Ever hast thou had both wealth and honour, for the love of God hath been with thee, and—God willing—shall remain with thee for evermore; and naught that hath been created in the heaven or the earth is equal to a single atom of this love. Dirhams and dinars are not the measure of true wealth; its measure, rather, is the love of Him Who is the Beauteous, the Unconstrained.
How many are they who, though rich in dinars, are yet the poorest of God’s creatures; for, even as is witnessed, each day their greed for gain increaseth, and their avarice waxeth more intense.
O maidservant of God! Hold not cheap the precious gem of love, and remain thou steadfast in His love. Such is Our perspicuous and mighty counsel unto thee.
The Glory of God rest upon thee and upon all His devoted maidservants.
BH04311: Thou beholdest, O my God, how bewildered in their…
Thou beholdest, O my God, how bewildered in their drunkenness are Thy servants who have turned back from Thy beauty and caviled at what hath been sent down from the right hand of the throne of Thy majesty. Thou didst come, O my God, in the clouds of Thy spirit and Thine utterance, and lo, the entire creation shook and trembled, and the limbs of them who repudiated Thy testimonies were made to quiver, O Thou in Whose grasp is the lordship of all things!
Thou art He, O my God, Who hast summoned all men to turn in the direction of Thy mercy, and called them unto the horizon of Thy grace and bounties. None, however, heeded Thy call, except such as have forsaken all things save Thee, and hastened unto the Day-Spring of Thy beauty, and the Dawning-Place of Thine inspiration and Thy revelation.
Thou knowest, O my God, that none can be found on the face of the earth to remember Thee except them. Thou seest how the oppressors among Thy creatures have laid hold on them. Some, O my God, have shed their blood in Thy path, others have abandoned their homes and set their faces towards the seat of Thy throne, and were hindered from stepping into the court of Thy great glory, while still others have been cast into prison and are at the mercy of the workers of iniquity.
I implore Thee, O Thou Who holdest in Thy hands the reins of unconstrained power, to succor them through the wondrous potency of Thy might. Misery, O my Lord, hath taken hold on them in Thy path, exalt them by the power of Thy sovereignty; and weariness hath afflicted them in their love for Thee, render them victorious, through Thy strength and Thine omnipotence, over Thine enemies.
Aware as I am, O my God, that Thou hast decreed for them that which excelleth whatsoever is in Thy heaven and on Thy earth, I still cherish the desire that Thou mayest behold them in Thy days exalted and honored by Thy creatures. Supreme art Thou over Thy creation. All are held within Thy grasp, and lie prisoned in the hollow of Thy hand. No God is there but Thee, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH04324: O thou who gazest upon God! Know thou…
In the Name of God, the Most Wondrous, the Most Impregnable
O thou who gazest upon God! Know thou that the idolaters have surrounded Us on every side. They have driven Us from Our homes and brought Us into other lands. Thus hath it been decreed in the Tablet by One Who is powerful and mighty. Grieve not at this, for therein lieth a mighty wisdom. Soon shall that which is today hidden from all eyes be made manifest. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
The cries of the captives have been raised from all regions—some in Mosul al-Hadba’, some in Sudan, some in Syria, while the Youth is in a mighty fortress. Through their actions Our love hath increased and the Cause hath become renowned throughout all lands. Soon shall the idolaters behold the banners of victory and hear the name of God from every direction. On that day they shall say “We believe in God.” Say: God knoweth what is in the breasts of all men.
Forget not God’s favor upon thee. Seek what hath been ordained for thee by One Who is knowing and wise. It behooveth him who desireth the presence of God to aid Him in these days wherein faces have turned black save those who have been illumined by the lights of the countenance of their Lord, the Mighty, the Great.
Rejoice thou in God’s remembrance of thee. With Him thou hast a mighty station. In the Tablet there hath been ordained for thee the good of this world and the next. Be thou steadfast and be of the thankful ones.
That which thou didst send hath come before the Throne in this remote prison. Soon shall the prison doors be opened and those around the Youth shall go forth. Thus hath it been inscribed in a preserved Tablet.
Convey My greetings to thy family and My loved ones. Blessed is he who remaineth steadfast and detacheth himself from the doubtful ones. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH04328: In the Name of God, the Ever-Abiding, Who perisheth…
In the Name of God, the Ever-Abiding, Who perisheth not! O thou who gazest upon thy Lord, the Most High! We have sent down unto thee aforetime verses manifest and clear, whereof a single word sufficeth all who are in the heavens and on earth, and We have now revealed unto thee this Tablet as a token of Our grace unto thee and unto Our near-serving servants. Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thou hast recognized the path of truth and held fast to the cord of God, the Mighty, the All-Wise. Soon shall the world pass away, and thou shalt find thyself in exaltation. By God! Were those on earth to behold thee, they would fall prostrate upon their faces. This, verily, is the evident truth.
Make mention of thy Lord amongst the servants, that perchance they may inhale the fragrance of the divine garment and turn unto the Qiblih of them that know.
Say: O people! Do ye deny Him Whose countenance hath dawned from the horizon of the will of your Lord, the Most Merciful, and Who hath come from the heaven of utterance with a manifest proof? Would ye slay Him Who hath sacrificed His soul in the path of God and made known unto you what the Most High, the Most Great, hath desired for you? Fear ye God, and make not His Cause a mockery among you. Turn ye unto the Most Merciful with spirit and with fragrance. This is better for you, did ye but know.
Think ye that what ye possess will profit you? Nay, by My resplendent Beauty! Think ye the world will enrich you? Nay, by the Self of Baha, were ye of them that are certain! Open your eyes: verily He is before your faces, and seeth what ye do. He desireth for you naught save that which draweth you nigh unto God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
Thus have We caused to rain down from the clouds of thy Lord’s will the waters of meaning and utterance, that there might grow thereby in the hearts of them that turn unto Him the plants of wisdom and exposition. Exalted be this grace that hath encompassed all the worlds!
BH04341: O servant who gazes upon the countenance! We have…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Glorious
O servant who gazes upon the countenance! We have sent unto thee a fragrance from the fragrances of the garment, and We have dispatched it in the form of a Tablet that thou mayest inhale the sweet-scented breeze of the All-Merciful. By My life! It draweth those who are sincere unto a station that transcendeth all comprehension, wherein is that which draweth men nigh unto the Spot from whose horizon hath shone forth the Sun of grandeur and majesty. And God is, verily, witness to what I say.
Blessed is he who hath cast the world behind him and hath arisen to aid My Cause amongst My creatures with wisdom and utterance. Thus hath the matter been decreed in the Tablet. Woe unto those who have denied God after He appeared with the truth with a sovereignty that encompasseth all the worlds. Say: O people! Abandon your vain desires and hold fast unto the Sure Handle. Do ye join partners with Him Who hath been from time immemorial singularly alone in truth? Beware lest the world debar you from Him Who created it. Hasten ye unto the Kawthar of grace. Thus have We expounded the matter in detail. They who in these days have been heedless of God—these shall have no portion, and God is cognizant thereof.
Let the tongue speak forth with utterance in remembrance of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bountiful. Say: O people! Fear ye God and oppose not Him through Whom God’s grace hath been fulfilled, His proof made manifest, and His countenance revealed. Hasten ye unto Him with hearts made pure through the remembrance of God. Thus have We sent down the verses and expounded them unto thee in detail from Our presence, that thou mayest be assured that He remembereth him who is engaged in His remembrance and desireth him who hath desired Him. Verily, He is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Make mention of them that are round about thee on behalf of thy Lord. Verily, thy Lord doth watch over them.
BH04485: Thy letter hath come before the Throne, and We…
In the name of God, He is the Mighty, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious!
Thy letter hath come before the Throne, and We have taken note of its contents and accepted thee for My exalted and glorious Self. We have recorded thy name in the Tablet wherein are inscribed the names of those who have fulfilled their Covenant and were among those endowed with understanding, and who attained recognition of the Cause on the Day whereon the heavens of holiness were cleft asunder and God came with manifest sovereignty.
Blessed art thou, O servant, inasmuch as thou hast been nourished from the fruits of the Tree of Knowledge on this Day when most of mankind have turned away from the Countenance of the All-Merciful, and disbelieved in God, and were numbered among the deniers. Give thanks unto thy Lord for having enabled thee to recognize the Manifestation of His Self and for having sent down unto thee this mighty and wondrous Tablet. It behooveth thee to glory in this among the heavens and earths.
But hold thou fast unto this Tree, lest the cawing of the idolators move thee, for Satan hath risen up amongst men and at every moment calleth the people unto the nethermost hell. Be thou steadfast in the Cause in such wise that thou shalt regard all else besides God as a handful of clay.
Then remember thou this Wronged One, whom the idolators have cast into the well of envy and hatred—God is verily witness and knowing of this—and upon whom hath descended from His servants that which hath descended upon no one before, if thou be of them that hearken.
And glory be upon thee if thou remainest steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord and art numbered among the steadfast, and upon him through whose pen God hath caused thy letter to flow, and thereby ordained for him a noble and holy station.
BH04537: Your letter was presented before the throne and attained…
In the name of the Beloved of the worlds
Your letter was presented before the throne and attained. What you had written concerning the two martyred brothers was observed with glances of loving-kindness, and an answer is being delivered from the tongue of the Most Merciful on their behalf:
“Verily, We shall compensate you in their stead, for He is the best Compensator and He is the Forgiving, the Generous. And We have made this a sign of mercy from Us to all the worlds.”
O brothers! We attained the most great martyrdom in the atmosphere of the mercy of the Most Merciful and sacrificed our lives in His path. Praise be to the one true God that we attained this supreme gift, for this station has been and ever shall be the most exalted of all stations. Is it better for the body to remain beneath the earth, or in the vessels of the loving-kindness of the King of Oneness? Every soul must inevitably drink from the cup of death, and after the realization of this station, is it more pleasing to die in heedlessness or to attain martyrdom in the path of the Beloved of the worlds?
By the Most Great Name! Death shall not overtake those who are certain of the Cause of the Most Merciful, nor shall mortality comprehend them. Rather it is but a transfer from one world to another, and verily it is greater than the throne and more vast than the divine seat. Its heaven is grace and its earth is loving-kindness. Can anyone enumerate what hath been ordained therein? Nay, by the Lord of the worlds!
May you, God willing, drink at all times from the wine of the remembrance of the Most Merciful and be occupied with the mention of the Intended One of all the worlds. And upon you both be the glory from God, the Mighty, the Wise.
BH04494: We have inhaled from thy words the fragrance…
In His name, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious!
We have inhaled from thy words the fragrance of thy love for thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Blessed art thou for having turned toward the Qiblih of the worlds and set thy face toward the Dayspring from which hath shone forth the Sun of the signs of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Great. Thou hast called upon God, thy Lord, with humility and supplication. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the Most High. He is, verily, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Thou hast desired therein to be content with His good-pleasure and to abide beneath the shade of Him Whom God hath made the station of them that are nigh unto Him. Say: O my Lord! Praise be unto Thee for having given me to drink the wine of Thy tender mercy and the Kawthar of Thy favors, and for having caused me to turn toward the Sanctuary which hath ever been the point of adoration of Thy Prophets and Thy chosen ones. O my Lord! Aid me to serve Thee in such wise that the opposition of all who dwell on earth shall not deter me, and to speak forth Thy remembrance in such wise that the servants may arise from the couches of self and passion and turn toward the quarter of Thy Name, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious.
O my Lord! I am the poor one who hath sought to appear before the throne of Thy riches, and I am the thirsty one who hath hastened to the spot wherefrom the Kawthar of life hath gushed forth by Thy leave and power, and I am the ailing one who hath desired the ocean of Thy healing, and I am the lowly one who aspireth toward the dawning-place of Thy glory. Deprive me not of that which lieth with Thee. Enable me, O my God, in such wise that from me may be manifested the spread of Thy remembrance amongst Thy servants and the exaltation of Thy Word amidst Thy creation. I am assured that Thou hast answered for me all that I have desired from the wonders of Thy grace and the heaven of Thy bounty and favor. There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH04396: O ʿAli! Muhammad, the Apostle of God, weeps at…
He is the Avenger, possessed of mighty vengeance.
O ʿAli! Muhammad, the Apostle of God, weeps at thy tyranny in that thou didst follow thy passions and turn away from guidance. Rejoice not in what thou hast done, for thy Lord lieth in wait. Thou hast pronounced judgment against those who have believed in God on this Day whereon thy face and the faces of those who have broken the Covenant have been darkened.
The Bearer of Glad-Tidings came to you and gave you tidings of this Revelation by which the horizons were illumined. You turned away from it just as those before you turned away when the Sun of Knowledge dawned from the horizon of Hijaz. God seized them for their sin and made them a sign unto those possessed of understanding.
Dost thou imagine that thou art a guide unto the people? Nay, by the Lord of Lords! By thy command was shed the blood of those through whom the winds have blown and rivers have flowed. The Holy Spirit lamented for them, the thunder cried out and the clouds wept. Fear God and be not proud before Him Who created thee by His command. Return unto Him with humility and contrition.
Dost thou rejoice in the tribulations that have befallen Us? We have accepted them in the path of God and from beneath the sword We summon men unto the Lord of the Day of Judgment. None on earth can prevent Us from that which We have been commanded by thy Lord, the Almighty, the Compeller. Can the power of creation hold Us back? Nay, by the Self of Truth, even if every possessor of might and authority should oppose Us.
Hearken unto the words of one who counseleth thee, if thou wilt listen for thine own sake. And if thou turnest away, verily He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.
BH04526: The Word of God hath been revealed in truth…
In the name of God, the Most Ancient, the Most Powerful, the Most Exalted!
The Word of God hath been revealed in truth with such splendor that all who are in the heavens and on earth were thunderstruck thereby, save a numbered few. From it wafted the fragrance of God, thy Lord. Well is it with him who perceiveth the divine fragrances therefrom and is drawn by the holy breezes. By the True God! Were people to discover what radiates therefrom, they would detach themselves from their own selves and from all that hath been created between earth and heaven, and would hasten to the spot which God hath sanctified from the touch of the ungodly.
Say: O people, hasten with your hearts toward the direction of God and tarry not for even a moment. Seize these days, for the eye of creation hath not witnessed their like. Thus do We impart unto you from the wondrous precepts of God’s Cause, that ye may turn unto Him with purified and exalted countenances.
And thou, O servant, hearken unto the call of thy Lord, then stand firm in His Cause in such wise that neither the violent winds of hatred nor the tempests of destiny shall move thee. Thus doth He decree for thee in truth, that thou mayest stand firm in the Cause. Remember within thyself, then remind the people of the verses of God, thy Lord, and that which hath appeared from His presence, that they may arise from the slumber of self and passion and drink from this ocean.
Thus have We commanded thee and bestowed upon thee, as a grace from Us, and upon every possessor of luminous vision. And glory be upon thee and upon those who have turned toward the divine paradise with pure and tranquil hearts.
BH04395: O servant! Days have passed and thy letter hath…
He is the All-Knowing in the luminous horizon.
O servant! Days have passed and thy letter hath not appeared before the Throne. It is as though thou hast forgotten thy Lord and remained far from the shore of nearness. Hast thou forgotten the time when thou didst attain the presence of the Beauty and the Sun of Glory shone upon thee from a holy and exalted horizon? Take heed lest thou forget the favor of thy Lord, for His favor towards thee was great.
Arise in the love of God and His Cause, then leave behind all who are in the heavens and earth, save those in whose hearts thou findest the love of thy Lord. Thus doth command thee the holy and luminous Pen. Shun those who have denied the Point of the Bayan in this Revelation which hath appeared from God’s horizon. And sit not with those who have taken vain imaginings as their lord instead of God and who have been deprived of the lights of this Dawn.
Say: The Sun hath risen and the Day of God hath appeared, effacing thereby the light of the stars, if ye be possessed of insight.
When the Tablet of God reacheth thee, take it with such humility as is praiseworthy in the sight of thy Lord. Be not of those who forgot God’s covenant and broke His testament, unaware of what they did, and returned to their families rejoicing. Say: Soon shall ye find yourselves in the fire, and whenever ye cry for help therein, ye shall be helped with yet another torment. Thus hath it been decreed on that Day by the All-Knowing, the All-Wise for the idolaters.
And the glory be upon thee if thou remainest steadfast in His love.
BH04384: O Baqir! Listen to the call of God…
He is the Almighty, the Ever-Abiding
O Baqir! Listen to the call of God from behind this blessed leaf, then follow what is therein and be not of those who remain idle. Fear God, then seek His grace from His presence. Verily He will guide you to truth and guidance through this Most Glorious Ridvan. Enter it with peace and great mercy.
Say: O people, follow what the Spirit has cast upon you and make not the Book of God to be forsaken among you, and be not of the heedless ones.
Say: The Beauty of God is hidden from you and thick veils have come between you and Him, and therefore do people differ concerning the Cause of God and devils emerge from their places and cause corruption in God’s Cause to the extent they are able, and they are among the corrupters. And you, aid your Lord to the extent you are able and follow not the ways of these people, and hold fast to the cord of your Lord and be among the helpers.
Thus have We taught you the ways of holiness and guided you to the paths of justice that you may thank God, your Lord, with a pure and exalted tongue. Forget not My favor upon you and My love for you, then trust in all affairs to God, the Mighty, the Beautiful.
There has reached Us news of the hardships and harm that have touched you—be patient within yourself and grieve not, for God will soon aid you with a near victory. Be a teacher of your Lord’s Cause with wisdom, then conceal it from those who have denied and turned away from God, the Mighty, the Powerful.
Give thanks, O servant, for what the Spirit has cast upon you of these inaccessible and exalted words.
BH04455: Glorified be He Who remembers His handmaid at…
He is the Mighty One in the heaven of eternity!
Glorified be He Who remembers His handmaid at a time when sorrows have encompassed Him from near and far, to such extent that His lips do not open in remembrance—and none knoweth this save God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing—while His fingers move the Pen to make mention of His sorrowful name.
O handmaid of God! Blessed art thou, for thy son hath attained the presence of the Throne and been honored to meet his Lord, and was among those who attained His presence. By God! His visitation is regarded by God as better than those who have visited and do visit in these days the shrines bearing Our names and are counted among the visitors—for they visit mere names while remaining veiled from their Creator and Originator, and are among the heedless ones.
Well is it with thee, O handmaid of God, that God hath brought forth from thee one who hath attained His presence and entered His vicinity and upon whom the lights of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful, have shone. Thus doth God single out whom He willeth through His grace, and verily He is the Forgiving, the Generous.
He hath made mention of thy faith and thy love for thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Great, and hath sent down unto thee these verses, the most wondrous, impregnable and wonderful. We send them to thee that thine eyes may be consoled thereby, thy heart may rejoice, thy being may be gladdened and thy soul may quiver with longing for God, the Beloved of them that know.
Remember thy Lord and what hath befallen Him of tribulations such as have befallen none else in the world. And the Glory rest upon thee and upon the handmaids of God who are steadfast. Remind them on Our behalf, then clothe them with the garments of glorification from thy Lord, the Revealer, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH04548: He is God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted!…
He is God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted! This is a letter from the servant to him who hath believed in God, the All-Protecting, the Self-Subsisting.
Say: Praise be to God Who hath caused me to know His Self and hath brought me back unto Him in days when all were veiled from His beauty, turned away from His presence, denied His signs, and were among those who were heedless. Rejoice within thyself that God hath enabled thee to know Him and hath made thee to be among those who are certain.
Remember thy Lord throughout all days and be not silent regarding the wonders of His remembrance. Whosoever remembereth Him on His earth, He remembereth him in the kingdom of His Cause. Thus hath the matter been decreed in preserved tablets of glory.
We desired to expound unto thee in this Tablet a detailed account of this announcement, but We heard the lamentation of the Concourse on High regarding a matter that was hidden from the eyes of the servants. We therefore stayed the Pen and shortened the Tablet. Be thou content with what hath been ordained for thee and say: Glorified, Sanctified is the Lord of Grandeur and Transcendence, Creator of earth and heaven, Lord of the angels and the Spirit.
We beseech God to assist thee in His Cause and to open before thy face a gate from the gates of Paradise, that His breezes may move thee at all times. Verily He is powerful over what He willeth and He is the Mighty, the Beloved.
And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who have believed in God and cast behind them all else and who glorify their Creator morn and eve and draw nigh unto Him with faces illumined with the lights of God, the King, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
BH04428: These are the holy verses which have been sent…
He is the Most Glorious, the All-Glorious
These are the holy verses which have been sent down in truth from the presence of One mighty and wise for the handmaiden of God whose [son] attained the presence of the Throne and was sustained by the lights of God. Through them mercy hath descended from the heaven of My Name, the Most High, the Supreme. Blessed, then, is he who doth not deprive himself thereof and is numbered among those who have attained. Verily they have preceded all created things, yet none comprehend them save those possessed of keen insight.
And thou, O handmaiden of God, rejoice within thyself that God hath at this time magnified thy countenance from this remote Prison and hath sent unto thee the breezes of His mercy through the hands of them that bear glad-tidings. He, verily, is the Forgiving, the Merciful. He doth not forget His handmaidens who have believed in God their Creator and who have detached themselves from all else. His grace hath encompassed all contingent beings, and He is nigh unto the believing women and then unto the believing men.
Be thou steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord, and turn away from that which occupieth the generality of creatures. Make mention of thy Lord in the watches of the night and at the ends of the day, for this shall suffice thee above all that hath been ordained in the heavens and on earth. Then give thanks unto thy Lord for having granted thee a goodly offspring and made them to be among His assured servants. However, beseech God thy Lord at all times that He may strengthen them in this Cause, for verily it is mighty indeed. And the glory be upon thee and upon the handmaidens of God who are steadfast in the Cause, pure from defilement, preserved from uncleanliness, and have attained unto the command of God, the Almighty, the Most High, the Supreme.
BH04551: Lawh-i-Quds 3
The Most Holy, the Most Exalted
This is the Holy Tablet which hath been sent down in truth from the presence of One mighty and wise. From it the believers inhale the fragrance of the All-Merciful, and by it are stirred the hearts of those who have turned towards this luminous horizon. We have sent down in every matter clear verses and have manifested such power as hath rendered impotent all who are in the heavens and on earth.
When the ungodly beheld God’s power they said: “This is sorcery,” and when they heard His verses they denied the Lord of all worlds. How many unbelievers have appeared before the Throne—among them were those who desired this world, and those who sought extraordinary things beyond their customs. But when We manifested to them what they sought, it increased them in naught save evident loss.
How many souls have turned toward the Countenance and heard a word from thy Lord’s mouth, and gave up their lives in the path of God, the Mighty, the Powerful. They in whose hearts is light desire naught save what God hath desired for them. These, verily, are upon a straight path. Upon them pray the denizens of the Kingdom and they who circle round thy Lord’s throne, the Most High, the Most Great.
Blessed art thou for having turned to God, the Lord of all worlds, and recognized Him after Our heedless servants turned away from Him. Be content with God thy Lord. Verily He shall suffice thee, and He is the protector of the sincere ones. And when thou findest from any heart the fragrance of My love, make mention of him with spirit and fragrance from the presence of the All-Merciful, that his eyes may be solaced thereby and he may be among the steadfast.
Blessed is he who hath turned with his heart unto God and cast behind him all who are on earth. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.
BH04471: Blessed art thou, O Sadiq, for thou hast been…
In the name of God, the Most Powerful, the Most Glorious
Blessed art thou, O Sadiq, for thou hast been faithful to My Covenant, and hast not forgotten My pledge, and hast not cast aside My remembrance. Thou didst turn unto My face and didst taste the sweetness of My remembrance and praise until thou becamest a captive in My love and a prisoner in My path and an exile in My atmosphere and a stranger in the lands for My name and the greatness of My Cause. By My Self, all the paradises belong to you—soon shall ye behold yourselves in manifest glory and dominion. By My Self, the Truth! Were anyone among those who circled round My pavilion and were touched by hardships for My name to look with Mine eye, he would see all beings behind him. Thus have We taught thee with truth, and none can inform thee like One Who is All-Aware.
We were with thee when thou wert seized and imprisoned and left thy homeland. Let not what hath befallen thee sadden thee—verily My Cause is mighty, mighty. Say: O My loved ones! Abandon that which causeth the Word to be divided, and take hold of that which uniteth hearts and giveth rest to the breasts of the sincere ones.
And remember when thou didst enter Iraq and God through thee broke the might of the aggressors. Blessed is thy mother when she entered the house of her Lord, whereby the hearts of the female unbelievers and male unbelievers were thrown into commotion. We have informed the servants in the Tablet We revealed to Our servant the Mihdi of what befell the House. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Say: All that hath appeared and shall appear is in the Book of my Lord—verily my Lord encompasseth all things. And the glory be upon thee and upon whosoever hath heard My call and followed that which was commanded by One mighty and great.
BH04372: Today the greatest of all things is steadfastness…
He is the Mighty, the Everlasting!
Today the greatest of all things is steadfastness in the Cause of God, and ever hath it been so, inasmuch as the satans have appeared from every direction and with utmost cunning are occupied with destroying the fortress of the Cause. It behooveth every assured soul to seek refuge with God the Exalted at all times, that perchance they may remain protected.
It is incumbent upon you to strive to safeguard the Cause to the extent of your power, lest the Pharaohs prevail over the hosts of God. This is said in consideration of your duty, otherwise the hosts of God have been and ever shall be victorious. Stand firm then in the Cause and turn not unto anyone, but place thy trust in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.
O Leaf of Oneness! Hold fast unto this Tree lest thou fall when the winds of dissension blow from every malicious deceiver. In these days Satan summoneth in the name of the All-Merciful, and the Samiri calleth mentioning the Primal One, and Iblis is occupied with the utmost deception. Flee from him, O people of the earth, that ye may be sustained by the presence of God.
We hope, God willing, that through the wondrous favors of the Eternal One and His Most Glorious bestowals thou wilt not slip from the path of the Cause and wilt find repose beneath the protection of God. God speaketh the truth and guideth to the Way.
These few words were inscribed with a broken pen. The Spirit be upon thee and upon those with thee and upon him who was named the Generous One by the All-Wise, the All-Knowing.
BH04536: Your letter was reviewed. We were grieved by its…
He is the All-Glorious
Your letter was reviewed. We were grieved by its contents, but God, exalted and glorified be He, is witness and testimony that We have ever commanded people to unity and love. If humanity had perceived the sweetness of the divine words which descended from the Source of the Command, they would surely have acted according to what they were commanded.
The concealment of God has so prevailed that even if a hundred thousand errors were to be observed from someone, mention of it would never flow from the Pen of the Command; rather it would be forgiven—except for those souls who have turned away from the Truth. This action of God, as all bear witness, were it not that their desires prevent them from truth and sincerity—in such case the servants who are focused on the Most Great Horizon must follow the Truth, let alone speaking of what they have not seen and mentioning what they have not heard.
The Supreme Pen has ever been and continues to be engaged in mention of the loved ones of God. If they would look at the revealed Tablets, it would become evident and manifest to all. Verily thou wert with Us and didst migrate in the path of God. We beseech God to make thee a helper of His Cause in such wise that His signs may be spread by thee throughout all regions. Verily He is powerful over whatsoever He willeth.
God willing, thou hast ever been and wilt ever be reposing beneath the shade of the Divine Lote Tree, focused on Him and detached from all else. Never be saddened by such statements as were mentioned. Verily thy Lord desired for thee what He desired for His sincere servants. Verily He watcheth over thee and He is the Guardian of the doers of good. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH04408: O father! The Most Exalted Pen commands: Ponder now…
He is God, the Most High
O father! The Most Exalted Pen commands: Ponder now upon your son and gaze with the most pure vision toward the Greatest Scene. After all, every flower has had its fragrance and every light its radiance and manifestation. Consider what fire has enkindled your son and what light has attracted him. The fragrance of the divine paradise is clearly distinct from all else, and the taste of honey is manifestly different from that of colocynth. The divine Cause has never been confused with aught else, and the Word of God has ever shone bright and radiant like the sun. Yet people have confused themselves and continue to do so.
Bilal was an Abyssinian and had no knowledge of learning—how is it that today you accept and believe in him, while considering all the Jewish and Christian divines who lived in the time of the Messenger of God (may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him) to be ignorant, irreligious and infidels? Now that same Cause has appeared and that same Word has shed its radiance. Let not the opposition of the divines and the people prevent you from the truth. In this luminous morn, deprive not yourself of the outpourings of the All-Merciful. Know thou the value of this Tablet. Were it not for consideration of your love for your son, you would not have attained to such a bounty even if you had given away all that is on earth. Though it has been revealed briefly, yet oceans of meaning lie concealed within it. Reflect, that you may know and say:
“Praise be to God for what I have attained unto, and I am of those who have repented.”
BH04407: O nightingales of the divine rose-garden and O birds…
O nightingales of the divine rose-garden and O birds of the eternal paradise! The morn of divine glad-tidings has dawned from the horizon of the soul, and the fire of Mosaic guidance blazes forth from the Sacred Tree of celestial glory. The divine paradise has been adorned with wondrous spiritual flowers, and the Tree of ancient Life has grown in the highest heaven. The cypress-like form of the Beloved has raised its stature in the gardens of the soul like the cypress of the rose-garden. The nightingales of the true paradise cry out in ecstasy from the radiance of the Rose and the overflow of the wine-vessels, and the lovers of the Friend’s countenance are struck senseless and bewildered by the light of His face and the melodies of the Nightingale of the rose-garden. They hear with the ear of inner awareness the call of the divine Herald in that life-giving expanse of the Sinai of Oneness.
Therefore, O seekers of the Beauty of the All-Glorious, O wayfarers on the path of the peerless King, gird up the loins of endeavor, that you may take your portion from this universal bounty and all-embracing mercy, and receive your share from this boundless ocean of the grace of the divine King of Oneness, and partake of this table of everlasting favor which has encompassed all regions and been bestowed upon all atoms of existence according to the justice of the Worshipped One. Strive that, God willing, through His grace you may soar like celestial birds in this holy rose-garden, arrive at this shore of the Most Great Sea, and drink from this pure spring and everlasting Kawthar. All this is from the grace which was in the days of God witnessed and from the heaven of holiness sent down.
BH04443: The remembrance of God in the Tree of Spirit…
He is the Mighty
The remembrance of God in the Tree of Spirit: O peoples of the earth, hearken unto Me! Say: Verily in the singing of the Spirit, the dawning of the Sun of Glory, and the warbling of the Dove are signs for a people who understand. Say: Verily in the departure of this Servant are signs for you, did ye but know, and therein lies consummate wisdom which none comprehend save they who have shown patience in God and have hastened to the shores of nearness.
O servant! Give thanks unto God, thy Creator, then be patient in the channels of destiny, for thus should the doers act. Say: Verily the Bird of Nearness hath taken flight of itself unto God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Self-Subsisting. Ye recognized it not in its days and were heedless of its presence, and God beareth witness to this, if ye do not. Say: Fie upon you, O people, for that which your hands have wrought in these days wherein hearts were consumed and holy temples were struck with fear, if ye do but perceive. Thus doth the Dove admonish you and remind you with verses of mighty glory. Say: It counseleth the loved ones at a time when it taketh flight from the branch of Iraq, that perchance the people may arise from the couches of heedlessness. Say: Beware, O people of the Bayan, lest ye create discord in the Cause and dispute in God’s religion—this is better for you than that which ye do. Fear God and speak not of that which ye know not. Verily the world shall pass away and unto dust shall ye return. Thus do We counsel you in this Tablet, if ye do but know it. And the Spirit be upon thee and upon those who turn unto God.
BH04458: Du’a-yi-Haykal
Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou hast manifested Thyself unto all things through all names, and through which the signs of Thy power have appeared in earth and heaven and the attributes of Thy oneness in the kingdom of creation, to cleanse Thy servants with the waters which Thou hast caused to flow from the clouds of Thy mercy and the heaven of Thy grace, that they may turn unto Thee with purified hearts, sanctified souls, attentive ears, illumined breasts and submissive necks.
Then gather them, O my God, beneath the shade of Thy tender mercies and bounties, and protect them from the harm of those who have forgotten Thy most exalted remembrance. Bestow upon them the good of this world and the next. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.
O my God! Deprive them not of the wondrous dawning-places of the sun of Thy oneness in Thy days, and cast them not out from the precincts of Thy mercy and beneficence. For Thou didst create them for the recognition of Thyself and certitude in the Manifestation of Thy Cause. Therefore, O my God, enable them lest they be deprived of that for which they were created.
Pour forth upon their spirits from the Kawthar of sweet life-giving water, that they may arise from the slumber of heedlessness and passion, and turn toward the sanctuary of Thy Cause, O Thou in Whose hand is the Kingdom of names and the dominion of eternity. May they circle round Thee and drink from the Salsabil of Thy gifts and the Tasnim of Thy bestowals, O Thou Who art the Physician of the hearts of them that yearn, the Companion of them that are lonely, and the Beloved of the hearts of them that know.
O Protector! O Protector! O Helper! O Helper! O Protector! O Protector! O Helper! O Helper! O Protector! O Protector! O Helper! O Helper!
BH04460: Lauded be Thy name, O my God! Thou seest…
Lauded be Thy name, O my God! Thou seest how I have been sorely vexed among Thy servants, and beholdest the things that have befallen me in Thy path. Thou knowest full well that I have not spoken a word but by Thy leave, that my lips have never been opened except at Thy bidding and in accordance with Thy pleasure, that every breath I have breathed hath been animated with Thy praise and Thy remembrance, that I have summoned all men to naught else except that whereunto Thy chosen ones have through all eternity been summoned, and that I have bidden them observe only the things that would draw them nearer unto the Day-Spring of Thy loving-kindness, and the Dawning-Place of Thy favors, and the Horizon of Thy riches, and the Manifestation of Thine inspiration and Thy revelation.
Thou art well aware, O my God, that I have not failed in my duty towards Thy Cause. At all times and under all conditions I have wafted, in every direction, the breezes of Thine inspiration, and shed abroad the sweet smell of the raiment of Thy mercy, that haply Thy servants may discover its fragrance, and through it be enabled to turn towards Thee.
I implore Thee, O my God, by the Lights of Thy unity and the Repositories of Thy revelation, to send down from the clouds of Thy mercy that which will cleanse the hearts of all such as have turned towards Thee. Blot out, then, from their hearts all that may induce Thy servants to cavil at Thy Cause.
Thy will hath overruled my will, O my God, and I have shown forth what hath grievously vexed me. Have mercy, then, upon me, O Thou Who of all those who show mercy art the Most Merciful!
Assist Thou Thy servants, O my God, to help Thy Cause, and give them to drink what will quicken their hearts in Thy realm, lest anything hinder them from remembering Thee and from extolling Thy virtues, that they may quit their homes in Thy name, and summon all the multitudes unto Thee. Guard their faces, O my God, from turning to any one save Thee, and their ears from hearkening unto the sayings of all such as have turned away from Thy beauty and repudiated Thy signs.
Supreme art Thou over all things. There is none other God save Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH04461: Glorified art Thou, O my God! Were it not…
Glorified art Thou, O my God! Were it not for the tribulations endured in Thy path, how could the stations of Thy true lovers be revealed, and were it not for the trials suffered for love of Thee, how could the exalted ranks of those who yearn for Thee be made manifest? By Thy might! The companions of Thy loved ones are the tears of their eyes, and the comforters of Thy devoted servants are the lamentations of their hearts, and the food of them that rush to meet Thee is the fragments of their stricken hearts. How sweet is the deadly poison suffered in Thy path, and how precious are the arrows of Thy enemies when encountered for the exaltation of Thy Word!
O my God! Pour out for me in Thy Cause whatsoever Thou willest, and send down upon me in Thy love all Thou hast ordained. By Thy might! I desire only what Thou desirest, and love only what Thou lovest. In Thee have I placed my complete trust at all times.
I implore Thee, O my God, by causing to appear for the triumph of this Cause one who is worthy of Thy name and sovereignty, that he may remember me amongst Thy creatures and raise the standards of Thy victory in Thy realm. Thou art, verily, powerful to do what Thou pleasest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.
Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Strengthen the hearts of Thy loved ones by Thy power and might, lest they be affrighted by those who dwell on earth. Then make them, O my God, to shine forth from the horizon of Thy grandeur and to dawn forth from the dayspring of Thy power. O Lord! Adorn them with the ornament of justice and equity, and illumine their hearts with the lights of bounty and grace. Thou art, verily, the One, the Single, the Mighty, the Great.
I beseech Thee, O Lord of eternity and Sovereign of nations and Goal of all peoples, by Thy Most Great Name, to transform the seat of tyranny into the throne of Thy justice, and the chair of heedlessness and oppression into the seat of submission and equity. Verily, Thou doest what Thou willest, and Thou art, in truth, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
BH04475: Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! I…
Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! I beg of Thee by Thy Name through which He Who is Thy Beauty hath been stablished upon the throne of Thy Cause, and by Thy Name through which Thou changest all things, and gatherest together all things, and callest to account all things, and rewardest all things, and preservest all things, and sustainest all things—I beg of Thee to guard this handmaiden who hath fled for refuge to Thee, and hath sought the shelter of Him in Whom Thou Thyself art manifest, and hath put her whole trust and confidence in Thee.
She is sick, O my God, and hath entered beneath the shadow of the Tree of Thy healing; afflicted, and hath fled to the City of Thy protection; diseased, and hath sought the Fountain-Head of Thy favors; sorely vexed, and hath hasted to attain the Well-Spring of Thy tranquillity; burdened with sin, and hath set her face toward the court of Thy forgiveness.
Attire her, by Thy sovereignty and Thy loving-kindness, O my God and my Beloved, with the raiment of Thy balm and Thy healing, and make her quaff of the cup of Thy mercy and Thy favors. Protect her, moreover, from every affliction and ailment, from all pain and sickness, and from whatsoever may be abhorrent unto Thee.
Thou, in truth, art immensely exalted above all else except Thyself. Thou art, verily, the Healer, the All-Sufficing, the Preserver, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
BH04476: Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou hearest my…
He is the Ever-Living, the Most High, the Most Exalted!
Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou hearest my cry, and witnessest my lamentation, and knowest my sighing, and the secret anguish of my heart, and the affliction of my being, and the perturbation of my essence, and the dissolution of my identity, and the annihilation of my body, and the confusion of my form, and the trembling of my core. How then can I be worthy of the stations of the glory of Thy nearness, or befitting the pavilions of the majesty of meeting with Thee? For the heart wherein aught else but Thee hath entered can never be a mirror for Thy beauty, and the foot that hath walked in other than Thy good-pleasure can never gain entrance to the garden of Thy love or dwell in the precincts of Thy mercy, and the eye that hath turned to aught besides Thee can never be capable of beholding the lights of Thy countenance or witnessing the mysteries of Thy sovereignty.
Glorified, glorified art Thou! By Thy might and majesty, I have been afflicted with all this and kept from visiting Thy beauty, and I remain upon the face of the earth like unto a sinful transgressor who findeth for himself no helper and no forgiver. And this hath come to pass only through the heedlessness that hath encompassed me from all sides. I beseech Thee now, O my God, by the fire through which Thou didst cause all things to shine forth and by the light through which Thou didst give life to all created things, to make us severed from all else but Thee, and reliant upon Thee, and seeking refuge in Thy presence, and taking shelter at Thy court, and cleaving unto Thee, and imploring Thy mercy, and abiding through Thy perpetuity. For in Thy grasp lie the destinies of all things. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest as Thou pleasest. Thou shalt not be asked of what Thou willest and lovest. Verily, Thou art powerful over all things.
BH04486: Your letter has come before Us and We have…
In the Name of God, the Most Holy
Your letter has come before Us and We have learned of its contents and have answered you with this exalted Tablet. We beseech God to assist you to attain His love and good-pleasure and to cause you to soar at all times into the atmosphere wherein you will hear the praise of the denizens of the All-Highest Paradise unto God, your Lord, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Blessed art thou for having recognized thy Lord, hearkened unto His call, and been of those who have turned towards Him. Place thy trust in God, then detach thyself from all else. Verily He is with His servants who place their trust in Him. Remember Him throughout all days—through His remembrance are illumined the hearts of them that have recognized His oneness.
Grieve not over anything, for there hath been ordained for thee in the Book an exalted station. Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy power that hath encompassed all who are in the heaven of Command and Creation and the kingdom of the heavens and earth, and by Thy Most Great Name, the All-Glorious, to grant me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones and to protect me from every affliction and harm. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. O my Lord! Deprive me not of those outpourings which Thou hast sent down upon Thy sincere ones from the clouds of Thy mercy, and remove me not from the shore of the glory of Thy oneness.
Then grant me, O my God, a seat of truth with Thee and join me with Thy sincere servants. O my Lord! I am he who hath clung to Thy gracious Name, and Thou art verily the All-Giving, the Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Write down for me, then, with the Most Exalted Pen that which will preserve me from turning to any other than Thee. Thou art, verily, powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And praise be to God, the King, the All-Giving, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.
BH04499: In the Name of God, the Most Holy…
In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Deathless One! Say: O people! By God, We have not come to create corruption in the land, but rather to reform it and to reveal that which lies treasured within it, and to purify you from uncleanliness. We commanded the servants of God in Iraq and other lands not to oppose anyone, and even if they were killed, not to kill. Therefore the people grew bold and made My family and loved ones captives unto Mosul the calamitous. There befell them what had befallen the family of the Apostle, nay worse, would ye but know.
And among the people of the Bayan are those who have united with the Persians and denied God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Such a one is of Satan’s hosts and hath ever been a misbeliever, associating partners with God, the Mighty, the Loving. When he appears before the contemptible rabble who claim to be of the Bayan, he says “I have believed in God,” but when he sees the ungodly he says “I am with you and have denied God, the Protector, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.” Woe unto those who have taken him and his like as protectors for themselves instead of God. Reflect, then observe how the secrets of hearts have been revealed, yet despite what people see of their deeds and hear of their words, they follow them unawares.
Say: Be fair, O people, concerning the Youth and those with Him. Did He ever rely upon anyone, or seek help from any soul, or unite with those who have denied God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy? Blessed, then, is he who ponders on what hath befallen Us, who in his love for his Lord becomes detached from all else save Him, and who turns his face toward the face of God, the Mighty, the Impregnable. Praise be to the Lord of the Day of Judgment.
BH04532: In the name of the Lord of grandeur…
In the name of the Lord of grandeur and power! To God belongs the dominion of the kingdom of the heavens and earth. Say: All names are My name and whatsoever is created is My proof—blessed are they who know. At times I remember Myself as the Most Exalted, and at other times as the Sovereign of Names Who is remembered as the Most Glorious, were ye of those who understand.
Verily, He Who dawned from the horizon of My heaven and appeared from the Lote-Tree of My Cause—We have caused Him to speak forth My remembrance and praise amongst the worlds. Beware lest ye join partners with God. He hath taken no partner unto Himself—thus hath it been revealed in the Tablets and Books of the Messengers. Can anything stand with Him? Nay, by the Lord of the exalted Throne!
We created the names and their kingdoms through a word from Us. Leave what ye possess and hold fast to this utterance. Say: Nothing shall profit anyone though he cling to the causes of the first and the last. Say: This is your Lord, the All-Merciful. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Powerful.
Say: Beware lest ye interpret God’s words according to your desires. Ask, that He may explain to you what He intended. He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Grieve not at what they say. Consider what was said before. Thy Lord distinguisheth between the corrupter and the reformer. With Him is the knowledge of all things in a clear Book.
Remind those who are heedless with wisdom—should they turn to guidance, theirs shall be a reward in this world and the next. And should they turn away, thy Lord is the Mighty Avenger. We beseech God to gather all upon the Most Great Ocean and cause them to speak forth this Remembrance whereby the heaven was raised up, the sun shone forth, and the faces of the sincere were illumined.
BH04544: The Most Holy, the Most Glorious. This…
The Most Holy, the Most Glorious. This is a noble Book from God, the Mighty, the Wise, unto him who hath believed in the Day of Judgment, and turned unto God, and turned away from the idolaters, that he may be assured that his Lord chooseth whom He willeth and loveth whom He loveth. He, verily, is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Despair not of the Spirit of God and His mercy, neither be thou grieved by the deeds of them that have disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the Wise. We have extended unto the idolaters all the means of earth; therefore have the gates of bounties been opened before their faces. Soon shall We seize them with Our might. Verily thy Lord is the Powerful, the Almighty.
Reflect upon those who have occupied themselves with the world and have turned away from their Lord, the Most Glorious. Can they consume of their wealth more than what God hath ordained? Nay, by thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise! Or can they carry it with them after the angel of death hath come from thy Lord, the Mighty, the Praised One? Nay, by thy Lord! They shall abandon what they possess with grief and sorrow and shall return to their abode in the nethermost hell.
Say: O people! Let not the world delude you with its vanities. How many servants above you were deluded by its ornaments, yet when their time came naught thereof profited them. Verily thy Lord is the Ruler over what He willeth.
Leave those who have disbelieved and be manifest among the servants through the name of thy Lord, and call out among them with My remembrance, the Mighty, the Wondrous. He will verily protect thee through the truth and nothing shall prevent Him from what He desireth. But the people are in a mighty veil.
Thus have We inspired thee and taught thee that thou mayest thank thy Lord in thy days and be of those who remember. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH04818: A Book sent down in truth unto men…
A Book sent down in truth unto men of insight! It biddeth the people to observe justice and to work righteousness, and forbiddeth them to follow their corrupt inclinations and carnal desires, if perchance the children of men might be roused from their slumber.
Say: Follow, O people, what hath been prescribed unto you in Our Tablets, and walk not after the imaginations which the sowers of mischief have devised, they that commit wickedness and impute it to God, the Most Holy, the All-Glorious, the Most Exalted. Say: We have accepted to be tried by ills and troubles, that ye may sanctify yourselves from all earthly defilements. Why, then, refuse ye to ponder Our purpose in your hearts?
By the righteousness of God! Whoso will reflect upon the tribulations We have suffered, his soul will assuredly melt away with sorrow. Thy Lord Himself beareth witness to the truth of My words. We have sustained the weight of all calamities to sanctify you from all earthly corruption, and ye are yet indifferent.
Say: It behoveth every one that holdeth fast to the hem of Our Robe to be untainted by anything from which the Concourse on high may be averse.
Thus hath it been decreed by thy Lord, the All-Glorious, in this His perspicuous Tablet. Say: Set ye aside My love, and commit what grieveth Mine heart? What is it that hindereth you from comprehending what hath been revealed unto you by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise?
We verily behold your actions. If We perceive from them the sweet smelling savor of purity and holiness, We will most certainly bless you.
Then will the tongues of the inmates of Paradise utter your praise and magnify your names amidst them who have drawn nigh unto God.
Cling thou to the hem of the Robe of God, and take thou firm hold on His Cord, a Cord which none can sever. Beware that the clamor of them that have repudiated this Most Great Announcement shall not deter thee from achieving thy purpose.
Proclaim what hath been prescribed unto thee in this Tablet, though all the peoples arise and oppose thee. Thy Lord is, verily, the All-Compelling, the Unfailing Protector. My glory be with thee and with those of My loved ones that asociate with thee. These indeed are they with whom it shall be well.
BH04847: This is a Book from the Youth to those…
In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious
This is a Book from the Youth to those who have grasped the cord of God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Powerful, that the breezes of revelation might attract them—breezes from which the fragrance of the Intended One is wafted. By My life! These shall detach them from the worlds and draw them nigh unto a station wherein the Tree of the Command doth speak:
“There is no God but Me, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Mighty, the Beauteous.”
O thou who art present! When thou reachest thy land, remind My loved ones on My behalf, that the breezes of My remembrance might waft over them from the paradise of My loving-kindness, and My melodies might attract them to the heaven of My mercy and the atmosphere of My favors, and might make them steadfast in My Cause in such wise that neither the oppression of any oppressor, nor the prevention of any preventer, nor all the hosts of the earth shall turn them aside. Thus hath it been inscribed by the Pen of Revelation at the time when the Ancient Beauty was established upon the throne of His Most Great Name, that it might be glad tidings for you and a remembrance for all the worlds.
Blessed are ye, O My loved ones, in that ye have attained unto the recognition of My Self, and have turned toward My direction, and have advanced toward the Kaaba of My beauty and the sanctuary of My glory. God shall soon make you stars in the horizon of My Cause, inasmuch as your names have been mentioned before the throne of your Lord, the Mighty, the Generous. Be ye steadfast in the Cause, then assist your Lord, the All-Merciful, through remembrance and utterance. Thus doth the Youth command you from the presence of One mighty and all-knowing. And glory be upon you and upon whosoever hath turned toward the Dawning-Place of the Command and hath detached himself from those who have disbelieved—verily they are of the people of Baha in a mighty and glorious tablet.
BH04778: Thy letter hath been presented in Our presence…
In the Name of God, the Most Mighty, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Holy, the Most High
Thy letter hath been presented in Our presence, and We have heard what thou hast cried out unto God, in thy open utterance and in thy secret supplication. Verily thy Lord encompasseth all things. Grieve not over the world and its vanities; for unto every hardship hath been decreed a manifest ease. They who have attained unto those days, and have acknowledged God and the Manifestation of His Self, shall not be dismayed by the Most Great Terror; they are, in truth, of the near ones of God. Say:
Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I am the one who hath sought the good pleasure of Thy will, and directed his steps towards the seat of Thy gracious favors. I am he who hath forsaken his all, who hath fled to Thee for shelter, who hath set his face towards the tabernacle of Thy revelation and the adored sanctuary of Thy glory. I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy call whereby they who recognized Thy unity have sought the shadow of Thy most gracious providence, and the sincere have fled far from themselves unto Thy name, the most exalted, the all-glorious, through which Thy verses were sent down, and Thy word fulfilled, and Thy proof manifested, and the sun of Thy beauty risen, and Thy testimony established, and Thy signs uncovered,—I beseech Thee to grant that I may be numbered with them that have quaffed the wine that is life indeed from the hands of Thy gracious providence, and have rid themselves, in Thy path, of all attachment to Thy creatures, and been so inebriated with Thy manifold wisdom that they hastened to the field of sacrifice with Thy praise on their lips and Thy remembrance in their hearts. Send down, also, upon me, O my God, that which will wash me from anything that is not of Thee, and deliver me from Thine enemies who have disbelieved in Thy signs.
Potent art Thou to do what Thou willest. No God is there beside Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
BH04741: Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee…
In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Great!
Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst draw unto Thee the hearts of them that are sincere and the souls of them that are nigh unto Thee, that Thou withhold not Thy servants from entering the gate of Thy mercy and from gaining admission into the tabernacle of Thy grandeur and Thy favors. Make them then, O my God, to be among Thy exalted Letters between earth and heaven, that every soul may recount the Word through which all things were created and whereby arose the lamentation of the denizens of the Kingdom of Names. Then cause them, O my God, to know Thy Most Exalted Self in Thy latter Manifestation through the Name whereby the dark veils were rent asunder, and raise them up unto the heights of nearness and holiness and beauty that they may hear Thy melodies and witness Thy beauty and attain unto Thy presence. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Most Great.
O Mihdi! Be thou guided by the guidance of God and abandon the cup of extinction. Then take the cup of eternity in the name of thy Lord, the Most Glorious. Give to drink therefrom at times in My Most Exalted Name, and at times in My Name through which were scattered the pillars of the people of rancor and hatred, and again in My Name, the All-Forgiving, and yet again in My Name, the All-Merciful. Fear not those who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of the Beginning and the End. Appear with a radiant countenance between earth and heaven, then summon the people unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of the highest heavens. Thus doth command thee the Youth from before God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen. Praise be to the King of the Throne and of all that lieth beneath the dust, and glory be unto the people of glory.
BH04646: O servant! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord…
In the Name of God, the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious
O servant! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most High, from the spot whereon is established the throne of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Great, that this call may draw thee nigh unto the seat of grandeur and glory and cause thee to enter the kingdom of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Wise. Dost thou rest content in thy abode while the Ancient Beauty is in grievous affliction? Dost thou drink water while the mouth of holiness is denied the water of meaning and utterance through that which the hands of the idolaters have wrought? Dost thou rejoice while the dwellers of Paradise lament by reason of that which hath befallen the Beauty of Holiness at the hands of the company of the wrongdoers? Cast the world behind thee, then turn unto thy Ancient Lord. By My life! Were the fragrance of the verses to possess thee, it would attract thee in such wise that thou wouldst detach thyself from all things and leave thy home, turning towards the wilderness, crying out therein morn and eve:
“Where art Thou, O Thou the Desire of the worlds and the Beloved of them that have recognized Thee!”
O Thou Who hast accepted abasement for the glory of Thy servants and affliction for the comfort of all that dwell on earth! Be thou in the days of thy Lord in such wise that the sweet savors of detachment may be wafted from thee among the concourse of creation. Thus doth command thee the Sovereign of creation through Whom the servants were troubled and the lands were shaken, and the hearts of them that are detached were gladdened. Give thanks unto thy Lord for having been mentioned by the Most Exalted Pen in this spot which God hath made the point round which circle all mankind. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH04641: In the name of God, the Most Holy! O…
In the name of God, the Most Holy! O My handmaiden! God hath rewarded thee from Us with the best of rewards, and granted thee what He hath ordained of the wonders of His remembrance in both the latter and former times. We have heard thy call, and recognized thy condition, and known that wherewith thou didst call upon God, the Lord of all creation, and We have answered thee with this luminous and brilliant Tablet that thine eye may be consoled thereby, thy heart assured, and thy face illumined. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the Generous.
Say: Glory be to Thee, O my God! I am one of Thy handmaidens who hath turned her face toward the court of Thy favors. The breezes of Thy mercy have wafted over me, and from them I have inhaled the fragrance of the garment of Thy grace. O Lord! Cast not Thy handmaiden away from the door of Thy bounty, and grant her that which shall cause her to endure through the endurance of Thy sovereignty.
O Lord! I am she who hath clung to the cord of Thy favors and held fast to the hem of Thy loving-kindness, and hath fled from herself unto Thee, and forsaken all else through longing to meet Thee. Cause me to soar, O my Beloved, in the atmosphere of Thy nearness and the heaven of Thy reunion, that I may thank Thee among Thy handmaidens and make mention of Thee amidst Thy creation. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. Then make mention from Us to all who are in thy household, both female and male, that they may all give thanks unto their Lord, the Mighty, the Loving. And the glory be upon thee and upon those who have turned toward the court of God, the Mighty, the Praised.
BH04643: O Hussein, who art of the people, the Most…
O Hussein, who art of the people, the Most Holy, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious! O Hussein, hearken unto the call of this Hussein at a time when the dogs of hatred have encompassed Him in this darksome pit, and He hath no helper nor defender. To His right standeth Shimr with his sword, and to His left Sinan with his spear, and before Him the accursed Khawli. By God! At every moment they desired to slay Me, but God protected Me in truth and destroyed them by their own devices, and the hosts of victory descended with manifest and clear authority. Thus did it befall the Youth, if ye be of them that understand.
Blessed is the eye that weepeth at His tribulations, and the tongue that crieth out at His afflictions, and the heart that yearneth in this supreme calamity. And thou, O servant, make mention of My tribulations and My sorrows among the company of them that know. Beware lest thou forget the time when thou didst attain unto the lights of the Countenance and wert of them that have won. Blessed art thou, again blessed art thou, in that thou hast been nourished by the fruits of the Tree of Eternity when thou didst enter the Holy Precinct, the spot whereon God established Himself upon the throne of His mighty Name.
Be thou steadfast in the Cause, then be firm, and if thou findest one who turneth towards it, turn thou towards him, and if thou findest one who turneth away, turn thou away from him and set thy face toward the holy and inaccessible sanctuary of God, the Mighty, the Wise. Thus hath He commanded thee Who is the Command of all things from a beginning that hath no beginning unto the end of them that are last. And glory be upon thee and upon every fair-minded and discerning believer.
BH04770: A tablet hath been sent down from the direction…
A tablet hath been sent down from the direction of the Throne for him who was named Ibrahim, that he might be mindful through the remembrance of God, the Most High, the All-Wise. He is the Wondrous One in the most glorious horizon. Glorified be He Who sendeth down verses for people who understand! Verily, there is no God but Him. His is the creation and the command, and all return unto Him.
This is a Book wherein a servant of God is remembered, that he might rejoice within himself and be among those who are mindful. O servant! Forget not thy Lord in these days, but remember Him in thy heart and with thy tongue, and be not of those who understand not.
Follow the religion of God, thy Lord—and verily its foundation and origin is this Cause which hath appeared with the truth with manifest sovereignty. Leave the mention of people and what is among them, and take hold of the remembrance of God by His command. Verily, there is no God but Him. He createth what He willeth through His word “Be!” and it is.
Grieve not over the world and what hath befallen thee therein, for it shall soon perish in the coming days, and sovereignty will remain with the countenance of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Trust in all matters in God, thy Lord, and He will send down for thee what hath been ordained for thee in a preserved and mighty Tablet.
Be steadfast in the love of God and His Cause, and be not troubled in the hour when the feet of the servants are shaken from this exalted and extended Path. Thus have We commanded thee with truth that thou mayest be mindful of what thou hast been commanded in the Book and be among those who remember through the remembrance of God.
BH04648: O Perfumer of Oneness, perfume all contingent beings…
He is the Wondrous One in the Most Glorious horizon.
O Perfumer of Oneness, perfume all contingent beings with the fragrance that was sent from the direction of the Garment. Then stand firm in the love of thy Lord in such wise that the turning away of those who turn away shall never prevent thee, even were all who are on earth to be gathered together.
Take comfort in the remembrance of thy Lord, then forget those who have disbelieved and associated partners with God and were deprived of God’s mercy. Leave them to themselves—sufficient for them is what issueth from their mouths, for they say “We have believed in the Bayan,” yet when it was sent down once again they denied it and halted upon the heights of rejection without right. Say: O people, dispute not about the verses of God nor deny Him Whom the Spirit of Truth serveth every morn and eve.
And thou, rejoice in the gladness of the Cause and leave the idolaters to burn in the fire of unbelief within their own hell, for thy Lord’s punishment of the idolaters was, by the mystery of justice, severe.
Remember thy Lord in the morning and the evening and in the watches of the night and the ends of the day, for by His remembrance hearts are purified and the fire of love surgeth in every pure and luminous breast. Turn thy face each day toward the court of thy Lord and say: O my Lord, I am he who hath turned his face toward the court of Thy grace and bounties. Therefore, O my God, deprive me not of what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones, and make me steadfast in the Cause from which the feet of every rejected idolater have slipped.
BH04743: Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art…
Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Thou art He the excellence of Whose glory hath exalted them who are the sources of authority and honor, the potency of Whose might hath empowered them who are the fountain-heads of energy and strength, the dominion of Whose will hath elevated the exponents of Thy Cause above all that are in heaven and on earth, and the life-giving effusions of Whose Pen have quickened the souls of the denizens of the kingdom of creation.
I am he, O my Lord, who, wholly for Thy sake, hath turned his face unto Thee, and who, while acknowledging Thy power and Thy sovereignty, hath directed his steps towards Thy dearly-loved Sanctuary, and Thine adored and hallowed Court. In this state I have reached the City (Baghdad) wherein, in the full glory of Thy names, Thou didst reveal Thy self unto all created things. In it I have communed with Thy loved ones, and from the House within its walls I have inhaled the breaths of Thy holiness and perceived the fragrances of Thy fellowship.
Cast me not from Thy presence, O my Lord, neither do Thou drive me away from the shores of Thy love and Thy good-pleasure. For the poor can find no refuge unless he knocketh at the door of Thy wealth, and the outcast can find no peace until he be admitted to the court of Thy favor.
Magnified be Thy name, O my Lord, for Thou hast enabled me to recognize the Manifestation of Thine own Self, and hast caused me to be assured of the truth of the verses which have descended upon Thee. Empower me, I implore Thee, to cling steadfastly unto whatsoever Thou hast bidden me observe. Help me to guard the pearls of Thy love which, by Thy decree, Thou hast enshrined within my heart. Send down, moreover, every moment of my life, O my God, that which will preserve me from any one but Thee, and will set my feet firm in Thy Cause.
Thou art, verily, the God of glory, the God of power, the God of knowledge and wisdom. No God is there beside Thee, the Great Giver, the All-Bountiful, The Almighty, the Ever-Forgiving.
Praised be God, the All-Glorious, the All-Compelling.
BH04838: In the Name of God, the Most Holy!…
In the Name of God, the Most Holy! The Breath of God is passing by and the Word of God is being revealed. Blessed is he who hath found it and turned unto it with an illumined heart.
Praise be to the Beloved of the worlds Who, through His vast grace and His pre-existent mercy, summoned you to the shore of the glory of oneness and caused you to dwell beneath the holy and everlasting Tree. Your mention floweth from the Pen of the Most Great Name throughout the divine scriptures and tablets. This hath been and shall ever remain the most exalted of stations. Though today, due to consummate wisdom and mankind’s lack of capacity, this greatest bounty remaineth concealed, the day shall come when it will shine forth like the sun from the horizon of divine Will.
Consider the people as dead and as naught, save those souls who have in this radiant morn quaffed from the Kawthar of divine favor. These are the gems of creation in the sight of God. Be not grieved by the opposition and objections of the people. Soon shall the people of that land and other lands pride themselves in your names. Today they are as infants, drunk and unconscious from the breast of heedlessness and desire. But after attaining maturity and awareness, they shall bear witness to that which God Himself hath testified. The hand of God is above their hands. All that hath flowed from the Pen of the Ancient of Days shall be made manifest. On that day shall the deniers behold themselves in manifest loss.
In outward matters, observe wisdom. Thus hath it been ordained by the Mighty, the Wise.
BH04663: O Jum’ih! God willing, through the grace…
In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Great
O Jum’ih! God willing, through the grace of the King of Oneness, mayest thou be ever verdant and flourishing in this divine and spiritual garden. In a former tradition it was mentioned that on the Day of Resurrection God, glorified be His majesty, will raise up Friday. Therefore We have now raised it up in thy form—praised be God, the best of creators! For whosoever today attains recognition of the Sun of Truth and remains steadfast in His love—all good hath been and will be ordained for him.
The divine worlds are not confined to these limited days. Soon will the people of Baha attain unto the endless divine bounties. For every matter there is an appointed time; when the hour arrives, that which hath been ordained by the Lord of Names and Attributes will be made manifest. Ask thou of God that thou mayest ever circle round the divine Lote-Tree of His Cause in such wise that thou seest naught but Him and countest all else as non-existent and null. Lur and Kurd, Arab and Persian and Turk—all have been and shall ever be equal in the sight of God. Whosoever turns to Him, from whatsoever group he may be, is reckoned among the people of Baha. The denizens of the Supreme Paradise and the dwellers of the Cities of Eternity shower their blessings upon such a one at all times.
BH04606: Lawh-i-Ram
Fear God, O people of the earth, and do not imagine that what We have mentioned in the Tablet by the name of “ram ram” refers to that which people drink and by which their minds are clouded, their nature altered, their light transformed and their purity sullied. Rather, by this “ram ram” We mean that which increases love for God and love for His chosen ones and love for His friends, and which kindles in hearts the fire of God and His love, then His glory and His grandeur.
For it is of that wine which, should anyone drink a drop thereof, would draw him to the precincts of holiness and nearness and bring him to the presence of God, the King, the Mighty, the Beautiful. And verily it is that wine by which the signs of limitation are erased from the hearts of lovers and the verses of unity and detachment are inscribed, admitting them into the pavilion of the Beloved before God, the King, the Protector, the Forgiving, the Generous.
And by this wine We intended the Kawthar of God and His outpouring, and the Salsabil of God and His Tasnim, and the wine of God and His grace, even as was revealed in the Furqan, if you be of those who know. He said—and His word is the truth—“wine delightful to those who drink.” And by this wine He intended naught but what We have mentioned to you, O concourse of the assured ones.
Beware lest you exchange the wine of God for your own wine, for it clouds the mind and turns the face away from the face of God, the Mighty, the Wondrous, the Inaccessible. And you must not approach it, for it hath been forbidden unto you by God, the Exalted, the Great.
BH04673: The Sun of Truth is the Word of God…
He is the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting! Blessed and exalted be His station!
The Sun of Truth is the Word of God, upon which dependeth the education of those who are endowed with the power of understanding and of utterance. It is the true spirit and the heavenly water, through whose aid and gracious providence all things have been and will be quickened. Its appearance in every mirror is conditioned by the colour of that mirror. For instance, when its light is cast upon the mirrors of the hearts of the wise, it bringeth forth wisdom. In like manner, when it manifesteth itself in the mirrors of the hearts of craftsmen, it unfoldeth new and unique arts, and when reflected in the hearts of those that apprehend the truth, it revealeth wondrous tokens of true knowledge and discloseth the verities of God’s utterance.
All the people of the world and whatsoever appeareth therein subsist through man, and appear through him, while man himself existeth through the Sun of the Divine Word. The most beautiful names and most exalted attributes have ever circled and will continue to circle round the Word. It is the divine fire which, when kindled in the breasts, consumeth all things besides God. The hearts of the lovers are aflame with this fire. This fire is in truth water appearing in the form of fire—outwardly fire, inwardly light. Through this water all things have had and will have life, for “from water doth all life come.” We beseech God that we may drink of this divine sweet water from this spiritual cup and that we may pass beyond the world and all therein for the sake of His love. And glory be upon the people of glory!
BH04713: The remembrance of God from the Tree…
In the Name of God, the Most High, the Most Exalted
The remembrance of God from the Tree of the Command has been raised up in truth. Hearken, O people, and deprive not yourselves of listening to the Word of God which has appeared in the temple of the Youth. Blessed be God Who created all things by His Command which has been witnessed by the worlds. Say: O people, be not of those who have cast the Word of God behind their backs, and deprive not yourselves of this Light which shines forth from the pavilion of glory and whose rays have dawned upon the worlds. Purify your eyes that you may be enabled to behold the holy lights from this Countenance whereon the remembrance of God has been inscribed by the Pen of the Command with the musk of eternity. Beware lest you choose for yourselves that which you have been forbidden, and abandon that which you have been commanded. Fear God and be not deluded by the world which has been rejected from time immemorial. Purify your deeds for God’s sake that God may deliver you from the fire which has been kindled in the depths of hell by God’s decree for all eternity.
And thou, O servant, arise to remember God and obey Him, then detach thyself from all that prevents thee from attaining the praised sanctuary. Thus does God command thee in this Tablet, and those who have taken refuge in the protecting shadow of their Lord, a secure station. Be grateful to thy Lord for having been mentioned by the Holy Pen in this Tablet which has been sealed with the seal of remembrance. And mercy be upon thee and upon those who remember God morning and evening.
BH04739: Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses…
He is the Mighty, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious
Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses in truth, that they may be a guidance and remembrance for all the worlds. O people! Fear God and follow not the footsteps of Satan. Follow that which God hath commanded you in the Book and be ye of them that are assured. Deprive not yourselves of God’s bounty in these days. By God! That which was never manifested in the worlds hath now been made manifest.
Beware, O people! Fear God and shun that which ye have been forbidden by One wise and knowing. Do that which draweth you nigh unto God and keepeth you from transgression and wickedness. Thus doth the Pen of Command enjoin you, that ye may be of them that act. Behold the world and ponder upon it. Do ye find its morning like unto its evening? Nay, by the Lord of the worlds! Rather doth it change every moment, as ye yourselves do witness and are of them that testify. Despite this, doth it beseem the loved ones of God to turn unto it in such wise as to be distracted from the remembrance of God, the Mighty, the Gracious? Say: O people! God hath created you for eternity. Beware lest ye choose extinction for yourselves and be of the lost. And thou, O servant! Arise to serve God and to remember Him, then detach thyself from all created things. God hath ordained in the Tablet for whosoever desireth Him a great good. Remember God, thy Lord, at all times, then turn the face of thy heart toward God, thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds. And the glory rest upon thee if thou remainest steadfast in the love of thy Ancient Lord.
BH04761: Blessed art thou for having attained the presence…
In the Name of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing!
Blessed art thou for having attained the presence of the Youth at the spot whereon the Most Great Ocean was established upon the Ark—in this are signs for them that are endued with insight—and for having heard with thine ears My call and turned thy face toward this Countenance, from which the faces of men have turned aside, save for a handful who have turned to thy Lord, the Mighty, the Beauteous. Then thou didst enter once again this land, wherein every atom of its atoms lamenteth by reason of what hath befallen the Youth without clear proof or illuminating Book. Grieve not at this, for verily the Youth is in supreme joy and gladness. By God! He yearneth for tribulations in the path of His Lord even as the sinful yearn for the mercy of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate. And the more intense the tribulations become, the more doth the fire of His love increase—and thy Lord is witness to what I say.
If thou shouldst meet My loved ones, glorify their countenances on My behalf, then recount unto them what thou hast known and learned and witnessed, that they may soar in the atmosphere of detachment and be severed from all who dwell on earth. Convey My remembrance unto Kamal and say: Be thou steadfast, then hold fast unto the Ark of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, for the waters of heedlessness have encompassed all lands—soon shalt thou find their inhabitants among the drowned, save whom thy Lord willeth, for He preserveth whom He pleaseth, and He is powerful over all things. Then make mention of Jim on My behalf, that the remembrance of the Youth may stir him and raise him to a noble station. Then remember My loved ones and thy kindred, all of them. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.
BH04771: He is God! Glorified art Thou, O my God!…
He is God! Glorified art Thou, O my God! This servant of Thine spent his days heedless of Thy beauty and remote from the holy precincts of Thy oneness, until his days reached the stage where old age overtook him and he returned to the most feeble time of life, such that his hair turned white, his limbs trembled, and his members shook.
However, O my God, since he believed in Thee through Thy First Beauty, whom Thou didst distinguish above Thy servants, making Him the Seal of Thy Prophets, the Beginning of Thy Chosen Ones, a Light in Thy lands, and a treasure and honor for Thy trusted ones—therefore Thou didst make the end of his days the beginning of Thy days, and the ultimate attainment of his maturity the attainment to the Manifestations of Thy unity and arrival in the precincts of Thy oneness.
Therefore, O my God, waft over him from the Ridvan of Thine eternity the breezes of Thy essence and the winds of Thy oneness, that he may know the mysteries of Thy uniqueness in the temples of Thy detachment and acknowledge Thy Later Beauty just as he acknowledged Thy majesty in Thy First Beauty.
Then raise him up, O my Beloved, from the graves of heedlessness and gather him among the company of the believers in the gardens of Thy exalted spirits, that he may witness with the eye of his heart the lights of the might of Thy sovereignty in the dawning-places of the holiness of Thy eternality, until he becomes certain of Thy greatest signs and the most resplendent garments of Thy Being in Thy Most High, Most Exalted Beauty, and submissive to all that He brought in the kingdom of creation and the dominion below, for in Thy hand is the kingdom of the sovereignty of the heavens and earth, and Thou art He Who doeth what He willeth in the Most Exalted Companion, and Thou art powerful over all things.
BH04844: This is Our tablet to the one who hath…
In the Name of God the Eternal, the Everlasting.
This is Our tablet to the one who hath believed in God, that the call of God may attract him to the throne of his Lord. Verily Thy Lord is the most bountiful. Make mention of thy Lord at all times with such steadfastness that the calamities and the injustice perpetrated by those who disbelieve in God, the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing, will affect thee not. Thinkest thou that their glory or what they possess of earthly treasures will endure? Nay, by the beauty of the All-Sublime! All on earth will pass away except the face of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Whenever thou are overtaken by sorrows, pass by the graves and meditate upon them, that thou mayest find thyself in manifest detachment. Canst thou distinguish the kings from the downtrodden, or the rich from the poor? Nay, by thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the Most-Compassionate.
Among the people is he who, when he witnesseth one gazing upon his home, he desireth, in his anger, to kill him. But erelong his enemies shall seize that which is in his home, and he will find himself in manifest loss. And among the people is he who, if he lacks but a single dinar, his face will turn dark with covetousness. When death overtakes him the hand of separation severs him from that which he had avidly amassed.
O my brother! By God, I summon thee but for the sake of God. Incline thy ears to My Words, arise to serve thy Lord, and make mention of Him amongst His servants. He suffices thee with the truth, and He is Powerful over all things. Rely upon Him under all conditions, and say : “O Lord assist me in thy service. Thou art the Most Compassionate. Praise be to the Beloved of the worlds”.
BH11774: Glorified be He Who sendeth down the verses…
He is the Beloved!
Glorified be He Who sendeth down the verses as He willeth. Through them He leadeth some of His servants astray while others are guided aright. This hath ever been God’s way, and no change can ye find therein, did ye but know. They who have believed and been guided by God’s guidance—these are they who are truly guided. And they who have disbelieved and turned away—these shall be brought forth in the fire. Thus hath it been ordained for this one and that, could ye but perceive with the eye of the spirit in all things.
We do relate unto thee and unto those who were before, that they may be assured of God’s signs. Grievous indeed is the utterance of those who forge lies against God and His servant while thinking they do good. Say: We have taken account of all things and encompassed whatsoever is in the heavens and on earth. Nothing is hidden from God thy Lord, if ye would but recognize His signs and be assured thereof.
Say: O women of the earth! Hearken unto that which the Spirit imparteth unto you. Think not ill of God, and be not of those who through false learned ones remain heedless of God’s religion and turn not unto the religion of God, the Most High.
Say: O people! Believe in God and associate not aught with Him. Then follow what hath been sent down in the Bayan if ye would rejoice in the paradise of light.
And thou, render thanks unto thy Lord for what He hath bestowed upon thee through His grace, honored thee through His Cause, and provided thee with the fruits of love wherein the near ones glory.
BH05015: In the name of God, the Most Holy…
In the name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious! These are the verses of the Book which have been sent down in truth from the heaven of the grace of your Lord, the Most High, the Great. By them are drawn the hearts of those who have turned towards the Most Great Scene, the Station wherein the Lord of Destiny hath been established with manifest sovereignty. Blessed art thou for having rent asunder the veils of glory and attained unto the lights of Beauty. This is of the bounty of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Most Exalted. He, verily, is nigh unto the doers of good.
Guard thyself lest thy feet slip and thou remain steadfast with a certainty that cannot be shaken by the imaginings of the calumniators who have fabricated lies against God after He came to them with a manifest proof. They were wont to call upon Him night and day, yet when the All-Compelling came, they turned away from Him and followed the wrong-doers. Shun those who have disbelieved, then remember thy Ancient Lord. He, verily, preserveth whom He willeth and aideth those who have turned unto Him. He is, in truth, powerful over all things.
Grieve not because of the wicked ones. They are assuredly the companions of the fire and shall enter their abodes therein. Thy Lord is, in truth, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Say: O people, fear ye God and follow not the promptings of the ungodly who breathe naught but their own desires and commit that which is unseemly. They are, verily, among the companions of the burning fire.
Arise thou to make mention of Me amongst My servants, that haply the Call may draw them to the Dayspring of Names and bring them nigh unto God, the Beloved of the worlds. Thus have We sent down unto thee this Tablet that thou mayest be assured of thy Lord’s grace and make mention of Him as thou hast been mentioned by Him in this perspicuous Tablet.
BH05159: In the Name of God, the Most Holy…
In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious! This is a Book from Us to him who was stirred by the call of his Lord and perceived the fragrance of the Garment after most of the servants had debarred themselves therefrom. Blessed art thou for having attained unto the recognition of thy Lord, cast away what thou didst possess, and taken what came to thee from the Lord of all creation. Thy name hath been mentioned before the Throne, and there have been sent down unto thee clear verses from thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. Detach thyself from the world and whatsoever is therein, then turn wholly unto God, the Lord of creation.
Say: O people! How long will ye slumber? The heaven hath been cleft asunder and the Lord of the Day of Mutual Calling hath come. How long will ye flee to the right and to the left? Do ye not see that the mountains pass away like clouds?
Say: O people! Fear God and follow not every doubting idolator. Arise from the slumber of heedlessness and passion, then turn your gaze toward your Most Glorious Lord. He calleth you unto God, your Lord, the All-Merciful. Beware lest ye follow the factions who have united in tyranny and denied the proof of the All-Merciful. By My life, this is indeed a wondrous thing!
Recite the verses of thy Lord, then preserve them and shun those who have denied the Lord of lords. Let not the deeds of the wrongdoers grieve thee. God shall soon seize them with His might. Verily He is severe in punishment.
And the glory be upon thee and upon whoso hath cast the world behind him and believed in God, the Mighty, the Most Exalted.
BH05078: O my God! Thou knowest that I love…
In the Name of God, the Most Mighty, the Most Mighty
O my God! Thou knowest that I love the kindred of the Tree of Thy Oneness and the leaves of the Tree of Thy Singleness. Thou hast distinguished them in this Revelation among Thy creation and hast sent down their names in Thy Tablets and dispatched unto them the signs of Thy greatness and the evidences of Thy oneness. Therefore, O Thou Beloved of the worlds, send upon them at all times the breezes of Thy grace that they may make mention of Thee upon this Tree which hath been raised up through Thy Name and uttereth by Thy leave. Withhold them not therefrom through Thy bounty and favor.
And among them, O my God, is he who hath arisen to aid Thy Cause and hath spoken in Thy praise and hath turned toward the horizon of Thy beauty and hastened to the Kawthar of Thy knowledge and drunk from the hands of Thy grace. Ordain for him, O my God, the best of what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones. Then grant him in Thy days the blessing which Thou hast sent down from the heaven of Thy Will and the atmosphere of Thy decree.
O Lord! Thou seest him turning toward the sanctuary of Thy good-pleasure and circumambulating the Kaaba of Thy Cause. Withhold him not through Thy bounty and cast him not away through Thy grace. Aid him, O my God, at all times in Thy love in such wise that neither trials shall prevent him from the direction of Thy Name, the All-Merciful, nor tests from turning toward Thy Self, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all possibilities and in Whose hand are all who dwell in the earth and heaven. There is none to gainsay Thy Will and none to withstand Thy sovereignty. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the Self-Subsisting.
BH05054: A mention from the Leaf of Paradise unto His…
He is the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting.
A mention from the Leaf of Paradise unto His servant, that he may be among those who remember God Who created him and created all things, and all unto Him shall return.
O servant! Bear witness within thyself to that whereunto God hath testified concerning His own Self, by His own Self, ere mention was made of any remembrance or names were ordained through the form of a wondrous Temple—that there is none other God but Him, and that the Tree of the Bayan is the first Tree wherein appeared the Fire and spoke forth: “Verily, I am God, the Lord of all worlds,” and verily He is the Sovereign of the Messengers, and the mention of Adam and clay was not.
Thus do We cast upon thee of the verses of God, the King, the Mighty, the Generous, that thy soul may find assurance thereby, such that thy feet shall never slip on account of any Baal or ass. Say: By God! Verily Baal shall arise by himself, and the Samiri shall appear in magnificent form, and the calf shall cry out from every nearby quarter. Therefore, O loved ones of God, be steadfast in the Cause and turn not unto them, and be not among the abased ones.
Drink ye from the hand of the Youth cups of sweet water, then a cup from this Salsabil wherefrom floweth forth the creation of the Kawthar of eternity, then the holy waters and Tasnim. Then be content therewith above all else, for it shall suffice you against all the worlds.
And the Spirit and glory and splendor be upon thee and upon every assured believer. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.
BH05155: This is a Book for him who hath been…
He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
This is a Book for him who hath been guided by God’s guidance and was of those who have drawn nigh, and hath been ordained in the Tablets that which will gladden his soul and his heart, that he may stand firm in His love and be of those who are steadfast.
O servant! There hath come before Our presence from thee a letter, and before it another letter, and We were among the witnesses. We held back the Pen, looking toward the direction of destiny, and when the promise came, We sent down the verses and dispatched them unto thee as a mercy from Us upon thee, that thou mayest be of the thankful.
Rejoice within thyself that God hath forgiven thee through His grace from His presence, and hath sent from the right hand of the divine good-pleasure the fragrances of forgiveness, whereby He hath purified thee and thy father and thy mother and thy son from the dust of disobedience. Exalted then is this bounty, the inaccessible, the glorious!
By God the True One! Were all who are in the heavens and on earth to stand firm today in the love of thy Lord, God would assuredly forgive them in truth and clothe them in the garments of forgiveness. Verily He is the Almighty over whatsoever He willeth, and He is the Most High, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.
Stand ye firm in the Cause lest ye be stirred by the croaking of the idolaters. This is the greatest counsel wherewith We have counseled you, and I am the Best of Counselors. And the Glory be upon you, O concourse of them that are assured.
BH05071: Lauded and glorified art Thou, O my God! I…
Lauded and glorified art Thou, O my God! I entreat Thee by the sighing of Thy lovers and by the tears shed by them that long to behold Thee, not to withhold from me Thy tender mercies in Thy Day, nor to deprive me of the melodies of the Dove that extolleth Thy oneness before the light that shineth from Thy face. I am the one who is in misery, O God! Behold me cleaving fast to Thy Name, the All-Possessing. I am the one who is sure to perish; behold me clinging to Thy Name, the Imperishable. I implore Thee, therefore, by Thy Self, the Exalted, the Most High, not to abandon me unto mine own self and unto the desires of a corrupt inclination. Hold Thou my hand with the hand of Thy power, and deliver me from the depths of my fancies and idle imaginings, and cleanse me of all that is abhorrent unto Thee.
Cause me, then, to turn wholly unto Thee, to put my whole trust in Thee, to seek Thee as my Refuge, and to flee unto Thy face. Thou art, verily, He Who, through the power of His might, doeth whatsoever He desireth, and commandeth, through the potency of His will, whatsoever He chooseth. None can withstand the operation of Thy decree; none can divert the course of Thine appointment. Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful.
O ‘Ali! Read thou this prayer at morn and at eventide, in yearning and utter detachment. Thereby shall the hearts of the peoples of creation and invention be drawn, that all may bear witness to thy faith in God, thy Lord, to thy turning unto His Presence, and to thy severance from all save Him. There is none other God but He, the Mighty, the All-Glorious.
And the Spirit be upon thee, and upon whoso hath clung to the hem of the All-Merciful and cut himself off from Satan. And praise be to God, the King, the Mighty, the All-Powerful, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.