Volume 048: 1872–1873 1289–1290 A.H., Part II (2 of 5)

BH02333: Upon thee, O Mihdi, be the splendor of God…

Upon thee, O Mihdi, be the splendor of God and His glory! Rejoice that thy name is oft-mentioned before the Throne. Say: Praise be to Thee, O our Lord, the All-Merciful! Thou, while in prison, dost remember those who love Thee and call out to those who seek Thee. I testify that Thy mercy hath encompassed all creation. O Lord! Withhold not the glances of Thy loving-kindness from this servant whose gaze is fixed upon Thy most exalted horizon. Preserve him, then, beneath the shade of the Tree of Thy grace. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Unconstrained.

Know thou that there hath come before Our presence a leaf from the Afnan which We found adorned with the ornament of love for thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. Blessed is he in that he hath been mentioned before the Throne and the tongue of Revelation hath spoken in his remembrance words of light that have shone forth from the horizon of the favors of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. Remember him on My behalf and say: Should thou ask of the Prisoner, verily He is in the hands of the wicked, and at all times His tongue doth make mention of His Lord and there descendeth from the heaven of Command that which giveth life unto souls. Blessed art thou for having turned unto the Qiblih of all horizons and for having been encompassed by the grace of thy Lord, the Creator of all things. Say: O people! The Day hath come—the Kingdom is God’s, the One, the Almighty. Doth it beseem anyone to tarry when every rock proclaimeth with loudest voice: Hasten with your hearts unto the Dayspring of grandeur and power!

Give thanks unto God for having adorned thee with the ornament of His love and clothed thee in the raiment of righteousness, which is the recognition of the Manifestation of His Cause, whereby the standards of remembrance have been raised upon the highest mountains. Know thou that upon Our arrival at this Spot, We chose to designate it as the “Most Great Prison”. Though previously subjected in another land (Tehran) to chains and fetters, We yet refused to call it by that name. Say: Ponder thereon, O ye endued with understanding! All that hath appeared and will appear hath been recorded in the Book. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Among the people are those who recognize Him before His manifestation, and among them are those who, when He is made manifest, say: “This is what hath proceeded from the Pen of Revelation from God, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.” Blessed is he who pondereth the verses of God and readeth them at eventide and at dawn.

We beseech God to make thee steadfast in His Cause in such wise that thou seest all else beneath thy shadow. This beseemeth one who hath laid hold on the Most Great Cord, by whose movement all creation hath been moved. O My Afnan! We love to remember you by night and by day. Blessed is he who hath aided Me and hath arisen to serve his Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. Rejoice and be glad on this Day wherein the veil hath been rent asunder and that which was hidden in God’s knowledge from time immemorial hath been made manifest. Convey My greetings unto the face of him who loveth Me. Verily thy Lord remembereth whom He willeth through His grace. His grace hath indeed preceded creation. Upon thee be My glory and the glory of all things unto the Day that shall not be followed by reckoning.

BH02364: The Pen testifieth in the Most Great Prison…

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

The Pen testifieth in the Most Great Prison and calleth out amongst the nations: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Lord of eternity!” Yet the people understand not. Every thing hath voiced the praise of its Lord, yet most of the people hear not. The trees and stones have been stirred by the breezes of thy Lord, the Revealer of verses, yet the people recognize not. All faces have turned toward the Countenance of Beauty, yet the people of error perceive not. The Herald crieth out: “Hasten with your hearts toward the direction of the Beloved!” Yet the people are as dead. From the very midst of tribulation, I summon the entire creation unto God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

O thou who hast turned toward the Qiblih of existence! By My life, wert thou to know what I endure, thou wouldst lament. Yet the Youth is in joy and gladness. In the darkness of tribulation, the countenance of Baha hath shone forth—exalted be He Who hath caused Him to speak with truth and sent Him with manifest sovereignty.

We have found the fragrance of thy love; therefore have We sent down for thee two Tablets, and after them this holy, mighty, beloved Tablet, from whose horizon hath shone the sun of the favors of thy Lord. When thou attainest unto it, say:

“Praise be unto Thee for having moved the Pen of Command to my remembrance, and caused Thy sacred, cherished tongue to mention my name.”

Arise to promote the Cause with such steadfastness as cannot be hindered by the worshippers of idle fancies nor the conditions of those who have disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the All-Loving. Blessed is he who hath cast away what the people possess and turned wholly toward the praiseworthy station.

We make mention, at all times, of the loved ones of the All-Merciful, that the fire of remembrance may be kindled in their hearts in such wise that the radiance of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, may be witnessed in their faces. Blessed is he who hath drunk the Salsabil from the hand of his gracious Lord and followed Him upon this path which hath appeared in truth from God, the Lord of the seen and unseen.

Say: O people! Take ye warning from those who disbelieved aforetime, then ponder what they possessed. Do ye see them today? Nay, by My life! All are in unremitting torment. Those whom this world hath deluded are indeed a people cast down. Blessed is he who hath cast aside all else and held fast to the cord of his Lord. He, verily, dwelleth beneath the shadow of his Lord’s mercy, and the honored servants pray for him.

Say: Abandon ye the pond, then turn ye toward the river of your Lord’s mercy, the Mighty, the Beloved. They who have kept their covenant with God and His testament are indeed the choicest of all creation in the Preserved Tablet. Were they to behold their stations in the heights of Paradise, they would soar aloft from longing. Thy Lord is, verily, the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.

Say: O My loved ones! Be ye of such a nature that the people of creation may inhale from you the sweet fragrances of your Lord, the Most High, the All-Glorious, that your sanctification of His Cause may be made manifest among those who are veiled. Thus have We sent down the verses unto thee and dispatched them in truth as a grace from Him unto thee and unto those who are guided.

Convey My greetings unto those from whose faces thou perceivest the radiance of Baha and in whose hearts thou findest the love of God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

BH02419: This is a missive from Us unto her who…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most High

This is a missive from Us unto her who hath believed in God, hearkened unto His call, recognized His Self, and turned unto Him. Her letter hath been presented before the Throne that We might attract her once again unto God, the Mighty, the Wise.

O Most Exalted Leaf! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord, the Most High, from the Divine Lote-Tree in the luminous spot: Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Generous. O Leaf of Paradise! Hearken once again unto the call from the Ultimate Tree upon the crimson hill from this Most Great Scene: Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Thy letter hath been presented in the presence of the Throne, and towards it hath been directed the gaze of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Great. Blessed art thou, inasmuch as We have inhaled therefrom the fragrance of thy love for thy Lord, the All-Merciful, the Compassionate. Thou hast, in most of the hours, been remembered in the presence of the Countenance–this is of His bounty unto thee; verily He is the Ordainer of whatsoever He willeth.

Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thou hast remained faithful unto the Covenant of God and His Testament, and hast turned away from the treacherous. From thee have We perceived the sweet savour of fidelity: glory thou in the testimony of God among all the worlds. Grieve not at aught; by My life! He is with thee at all times. It behoveth every soul to honour thee, to exalt thee, and to observe in thee the right of God and His Cause. Thus hath the decree been sent down from One Who is Powerful, Most Mighty. Render thou thanks unto God, and then make mention of Him with spirit and sweet savour, for that which hath been revealed unto thee from the Pen of Revelation in this perspicuous Tablet.

O my God and my Beloved! I am she who hath turned unto Thee, believed in the Dawning-Place of Thy Cause and the Source of Thine inspiration, and attained unto that which Thy handmaidens have not attained. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name—He Who was afflicted amongst the oppressors of Thy creation and the rebellious ones among Thy creatures, Whose liver was pierced by the arrows of Thine enemies and Whose garment was stained with the blood of hatred through what befell Him in Thy love—to make me steadfast in Thy Cause and Thy love, speaking Thy praise and glorification, taking refuge in Thy presence in all Thy worlds. O Lord! Deny me not the sweet-scented breezes of the garment of Thy Revelation, the fragrant emanations of the robe of Thy mercy, and Thy signs through which the winds of Thy grace pass.

O Lord! Thou art He Whose bounty hath encompassed all things and Whose mercy hath preceded all who dwell on earth and in heaven. Send down upon me in all conditions that which beseemeth Thy presence and befitteth Thy sovereignty. I am she who, O my Beloved, hath acknowledged Thy singleness and confessed Thy oneness and found intimacy with the Manifestation of Thy Self. Thou seest me, O my God, seeking protection in Thy custody and clinging to Thy grace and favors. Therefore, O Beloved of the worlds, cause me to drink, by the hand of Thy favors, the wine of Thy generosity, that the intoxication of the Kawthar of Thy bounty may so overcome me as to render me detached from all else save Thee and wholly turned unto Thee. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Transcendent, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

BH02410: The Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted…

The Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most High! We have heard thy cry and learned of what hath befallen thee. Therefore did the ocean of thy Lord’s loving-kindness surge, that thou mightest witness with thine inmost being that His mercy hath preceded all created things and His grace hath encompassed the worlds. Doth the loss of earthly treasures grieve thee? By My life! All affairs are within the grasp of thy Lord’s might, the Powerful, the Almighty. Grieve not for what hath passed thee by. Turn with thy most pure heart unto the Most Sublime Vision.

Say: O Thou Lord of destiny and Creator of humanity! I have cast away what is with me in hope of what is with Thee. Thou art, verily, the Forgiving, the Merciful. He accepteth thee in this state, having found thee detached from that wherewith men occupy themselves. He is, verily, the Forgiving, the Bountiful.

If what thou hast is lost, be confident in what God hath. If thou art left without a helper, seek help from Him in Whose grasp lieth the kingdom of the heavens and earth. If thou findest no one to aid thee, know thou and be assured that He is thy helper. If thy companions and those who were with thee disperse, He will accompany thee and remember thee in truth. He is the helper of him who hath no helper, and the succourer of him who hath no succourer. He is, verily, the Mighty, the Wise.

By My life! Shouldst thou inhale the fragrances of these verses and discover the breezes of thy Lord’s mercy that waft from them, such joy would seize thee that thou wouldst forsake all who are in the realm of being and arise to praise this wronged One, the solitary, the remote. Arise, then remember thy Lord, and fear not what hath passed thee by. Thy Lord, verily, hath power over whatsoever He willeth. He is, verily, the Ruler over whatsoever He pleaseth.

Know thou that thy adornment is My love, thy wealth My remembrance, thy treasure My praise, and thy pearls thy trust in God, the Eternal, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Cast away thy sorrows, then take the cup of joy in the name of thy Lord, the All-Merciful.

Say: O my God and my Beloved! O my God and my Purpose! O my God and my Object of worship! Unto Thee be praise for having encompassed me with the outpourings from the clouds of Thy bounty and the manifestations of Thy gifts and favors. Though, O my God, what befitteth Thy station and beseemeth Thy sovereignty hath passed me by, yet I behold that Thou hast not withheld from me what befitteth Thy mercy and favor, and what beseemeth Thy generosity and bounty, inasmuch as Thou hast remembered me while I was silent in Thy remembrance. O Lord! Make me detached from all else save Thee, steadfast in Thy love, uttering Thy praise, and gazing toward Thy direction, that I may be a servant unto Thy Cause in my remaining days.

O Lord! Have mercy upon me through Thy bounty, then ordain for me that which shall preserve me from the evil of those who have disbelieved in Thy Self and turned away from Thy Beauty, after Thou didst come unto them from the heaven of Thy Cause with Thy sovereignty and power. O Lord! Leave me not to myself, nor cast me out among Thy servants. Take my hand with the hands of Thy power, then deliver me from the seas of sorrows. Thou art, verily, the Forgiving, the Bountiful, the Mighty, the Help in Peril.

BH02386: That which hath been revealed in the Tablets…

That which hath been revealed in the Tablets of loving counsel regarding unity and other matters hath been and will continue to be intended for all created things, both those who are round about Me and those in all lands. The knowledge of the True One encompasseth all things. That which hath streamed forth from the Most Ancient Pen hath been based upon observation of what was and what would be. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

O thou physician! Convey My glorification to the people of Zawra who have embarked upon the Crimson Ark by the leave of God, the Lord of all names. Blessed are they, inasmuch as they have migrated in the path of God, the Originator of earth and heaven. In their departure from Zawra there are signs for those possessed of understanding, and in their return there are clear tokens for those who have been heedless of their Lord’s remembrance. Thus doth God single out whom He pleaseth through His grace. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

Say: Be not grieved by that which hath befallen you. Ye have borne what I have borne. This is of God’s grace—He bestoweth it upon whom He willeth, though the people are in doubt and behind a veil. Rend it asunder through wisdom and utterance. Thus hath it been ordained in the Tablets of your Lord, the All-Merciful. He, verily, is the One Who ordaineth what He willeth. God hath made you a sign of His remembrance amongst His servants, and this is of His grace upon you, O ye who are endued with insight. Blessed be your ears, for they have heard; and your hearts, for they have turned; and your faces, for they have been illumined by the lights of your Lord’s countenance, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

We have read the letter of Our name Muhammad-Qabli-Mustafa and have turned toward him from this Horizon whence the daysprings have been made to shine. He hath been wronged by those who wander in the wilderness of heedlessness and forgetfulness. God shall soon exalt those who have desired His presence and seize such as have persisted in pride and discord. Upon them be the glory of God, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Compelling.

Thy likeness hath been honored to attain the presence of the Lord of Majesty, and this is yet another turn. We beseech God to make it one of the supreme examples in the kingdom of creation and to manifest through it that which thy Lord, the Lord of all names, hath desired. He, verily, is the Mighty, the All-Wise. We make mention of thee in the realms of eternity even as thou makest mention of Us among the peoples. To this beareth witness the Pen that moveth between the fingers of thy Lord’s will, the Powerful, the Almighty.

Excellent is that which thou hast inferred regarding him whom thou didst mention. He, verily, is the Protector of those who remember. He aideth him who speaketh by His command and openeth upon hearts the gates of knowledge. He, verily, is the Mighty, the All-Wise.

Convey abundant greetings on behalf of the True One to all the loved ones in that land. Be vigilant in all regions regarding the Cause of God, lest any matter arise that might cause harm to the loved ones of that land, for these souls are known by the name of God and their protection is necessary in all circumstances. Let them not be saddened by the disruption of outward means. Verily, He enlargeth unto whom He willeth. In His hand is the dominion of all things. He ordaineth for whomsoever He desireth whatsoever He desireth. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Mighty, the Generous.

BH02449: The Ancient of Days, the Most Great, the Most…

The Ancient of Days, the Most Great, the Most Exalted! These are the verses of God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the All-Wise, sent down in truth to all who are in the heavens and on earth.

The Most Exalted Pen addresses those who dwell in the kingdom of creation: O people! The Lord of Names has come and calls you in truth. Fear God and be not of those who remain veiled. Leave behind all created things and hasten with your hearts unto God, the Revealer of verses. This is what you were promised in the Tablets from One All-Knowing, All-Informed. Arise to aid the Cause of your Lord—this is better for you, if you be of those who understand.

Seize the measure of these days wherein has appeared the Dayspring of your Lord’s verses, the Mighty, the Praised. Will anything in creation profit you? No, by His very Self, the True One, save what He has ordained for you in His mighty, beautiful kingdom. Hasten to the good things which have been inscribed by the Pen of your Lord, the Lord of Names and Attributes, and follow not every sinful idolater.

By My life! Steadfastness is among the most mighty and greatest of all things. Blessed is he who attains unto it—he is indeed among the most exalted of servants before his Lord. Thus has the matter been decreed in a preserved Tablet.

We have heard your call and answered you with that which has caused the First Ornament to shine forth. This is indeed a manifest grace. When you receive the Tablet, take it with the hand of certitude, then read what has been revealed therein. Thus does He command you Who is imprisoned in this remote spot.

Let not the intimations of the heedless grieve you, nor the might of the ascetics who visit the House and endure hardships, thinking themselves to be among the doers of good. Yet when the Lord of the House appeared, they denied Him—they are indeed among the lost. How many learned ones have perished, and how many ignorant ones have passed over the Bridge as passes a cloud! Thus does the All-Informed apprise you.

Hold fast to the cord of your Lord’s tender mercy, then rest assured in His grace. Say: O my God! Aid me to be steadfast in Thy love and in following Thy command, then ordain for me what befits Thy station and Thy gifts. Thou art indeed the Almighty over what Thou willest, and Thou art the Forgiving, the Merciful.

If you find one who makes mention of your Lord, convey to him greetings from this exiled Prisoner. Say: He has desired for no one save what God has desired for him—to this testifies every fair-minded, discerning one. Throughout His days He was beneath the swords of His enemies, yet from the horizon of prison He calls you unto God, the Lord of Names. Beware lest you deprive yourselves of that for which you were created. Draw near with your hearts unto the Beloved and be not of those who hesitate. You are in your homes while He makes mention of you in exile, being in the hands of the aggressive ones.

Glory be upon the people of Baha who have embarked upon the Crimson Ark in the name of God, the Cleaver of the Heaven, and who are among those possessed of certitude.

BH02489: This is a fragrance from the fragrances of thy…

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

This is a fragrance from the fragrances of thy Lord’s loving-kindness which We have sent unto thee, that thereby thine eyes may be solaced, and the eyes of those who have turned with their hearts toward the direction of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower.

We have heard of thy drawing nigh unto God, and We prevented thee from attaining His presence because of that which the hands of those who rode the steeds of passion have wrought, and who committed that which caused the dwellers of the highest Paradise to lament. The Pen of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, beareth witness to this.

O Jamal, grieve not at what hath befallen thee. Nothing hath been ordained for thee save that which is best for thee. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Forgiving. The Evil Whisperer hath whispered among the people and caused them to fear God, the Sovereign, the Supreme, the Chosen One. Therefore hath the matter become severe, and they have prevented from attaining His presence those servants who have turned toward the Kaaba of Beauty. Be thou content with what God hath decreed for thee. We desired to preserve thee that thou mightest aid thy Lord through utterance. He, verily, ordaineth as He pleaseth.

Despair not of God’s Spirit and mercy, and forget not when thou wert in the vicinity of thy Lord’s mercy and the countenance of God, the Mighty, the Bountiful, was turned toward thee. Remember Him in thy days, and the tribulations which befell Him from those who perceived not the fragrance of faithfulness and followed vain imaginings.

Thou art indeed aware of what befell Us in the Land of Mystery when two persons rose up against God, the Lord of Days. God seized one of them with His might, whereupon, seeing this, he said:

“I repent unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp is the dominion of all men!”

And the other presented himself and repented with hypocrisy, and thy Lord rent not asunder the veil until the appointed time arrived. When We reached the prison, he committed deeds whereby the honor of God was dishonored among His servants. By My life! We showed patience and concealed matters until the affair reached a point where the Cause was well-nigh transformed. Therefore We expelled him and his sister from the gate.

O Jamal! I have sacrificed My soul and My spirit to exalt the Word and to glorify the Cause of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bountiful. Should We observe any of the Branches acting contrary to that which God desireth, We would assuredly cast him out with truth, for verily I am the Mighty, the Compelling. Thou art aware of their deeds. By God! The Eye of Eternity wept at what they committed in the Most Great Prison, and the righteous lamented thereby.

Take thou the reins of the Cause with the power of thy Lord, then make mention of Him amongst the servants with such remembrances as will cause spirits to be attracted. Detach thyself from all else but God, then suffice thyself therewith. He is with thee under all conditions. Beware lest the cares and sorrows of the world take hold of thee. Behold, then remember what hath befallen Us from the hosts of the wicked ones. God will soon exalt thee through the truth and will aid thee through His grace. He, verily, fulfilleth His promise.

Convey My greetings unto the faces of those who have turned toward the Dayspring of Revelation and unto thy kindred from thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Luminous.

BH02483: This is a Book from Us to him who…

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

This is a Book from Us to him who desired the countenance of his Lord, the Mighty, the All-Praised, and who migrated with Him from Baghdad until he arrived in the Land of Mystery with manifest joy. Then he journeyed thence until he entered the Most Great Prison when the Ancient Beauty arrived there with great sorrow, and he circled round about it until the days reached that day whereon the hand of destiny closed the gates of attainment before the face of those who sought Him. And on this day We make mention of him that his remembrance may endure in the world. He, verily, is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

O servant! Be thou steadfast in the love of God and His Cause in such wise that the hearts of the ungodly may be made to tremble by thee. Blessed is he who hath visited thee and dwelt in thy house whereby the horizon of victory was illumined and the power of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Wise, was made manifest. Blessed is he in that he followed the command of his Lord and went forth from his home, turning unto his Master. We bear witness that he was among those at whom the Evil One trembled and the idol wailed, and the foundations of the transgressors were shaken. We beseech God to aid him and thee in His service and to make you both among the triumphant ones.

We bear witness that thou didst arise to serve the Wronged One and didst endure tribulations in His path, and wert standing at the gate at every morn and eve. Know thou the worth of this station, then give thanks unto thy Lord at all times. He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Beseech thou God to make thee steadfast in that wherein thou art, for this is a station greater than every station and mightier than every mighty thing. Blessed is he who hath clung unto it and from whom its lights have shone forth. By My life! He is of them that are nigh unto God.

Say: O my God, my Lord and my Hope! I beseech Thee by the wrong suffered by the Manifestation of Thy Cause to make me of them who have tasted the sweetness of Thy remembrance in such wise that neither the opposition of Thy creatures nor the objections of Thy creation shall turn them aside. O Lord! Thou art the Generous One. I have turned toward the pavilion of Thy generosity and have clung to the hem of the robe of Thy mercy. I beseech Thee by Thy Self not to deny me nearness unto Thee nor prevent me from standing before the gate of Thy bounty. Then aid me in all conditions to do what Thou lovest and approvest. Verily, Thou doest what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Wise.

Ordain for me, O my God, what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones, then write down for me what Thou hast written for them who have martyred themselves in Thy path, detached from all created things and turning unto Thy beauteous countenance. O Lord! Inscribe my name upon the Tablet whereon is recorded the mention of them who have circled round the sanctuary of Thy knowledge and kept Thy Covenant. Then cause such of Thy handmaidens as have inhaled the fragrance of Thy garment and turned toward that quarter from whose horizon hath shone the light of Thy countenance to inherit from me. Thou art, verily, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Compelling.

BH02485: The Most Great, the Most Wondrous! This…

The Most Great, the Most Wondrous! This is a Book from Us to him who hath attained unto the lights of the Countenance in this Dawn which hath appeared from the horizon of the Cause, that the breezes of utterance which waft from the direction of the All-Merciful may seize him, and that he may summon the peoples in My Most Great Name, whereby trembling hath seized all the tribes. Thus hath the decree been inscribed by the Finger of Command in a Tablet.

Thou art among those who have remained faithful to the Covenant of God and His Testament, and who are mentioned before the Throne. We have adorned thee with the ornament of Mine own remembrance amongst My servants, and clothed thee with the robe of My Name, as a token of grace from My presence. Verily thy Lord is He Who hath power over what He willeth, and He is, in truth, potent over all things.

Say: Fear ye the All-Merciful, O people of the Bayan! Verily He is the Dawning-Place of Revelation and the Source of inspiration, and unto Him return all the most excellent names of God. Beware lest ye pervert them from their proper meaning. Fear God, and follow not those who are deprived of the truth.

Say: The true believer in divine unity is he who cleaveth unto this Name which God hath made the Sovereign of Names, and he who turneth away from it remaineth veiled in concealment. Among the people are those who have taken a partner unto God, and among them are those who have denied Him—these shall find none to help them. And among the idolaters are those who have said the verses are ambiguous, even as was said before that they are forgeries. Say: Is that which hath proceeded from thy mouth greater, or that which proceeded from the mouths of thy forefathers? Thus hath his wicked self prompted him, and he remaineth far removed from the horizon of nearness.

And remember the Lame One when he was in Iraq. We sent him the Tablets and summoned him unto God, the Almighty, the All-Chosen. He turned away from the All-Merciful after We had revealed unto him the verses and shown him clear proofs, in such wise that from their horizon shone forth the Sun of evidence and proof. When his Lord’s testimony was perfected against him, We promised him torment and seized him with a decree from Our presence. Then We left him as a sign unto those possessed of understanding. He claimed within himself that which was greater than that which was claimed by the first one to disbelieve in God, and promised the people his appearance in this year, heedless of that which had been ordained for him by God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling.

If thou seest the Letter Ha’, say unto him: O Letter of Hell! Thou dost rejoice while the Primal Point weepeth because of thy deeds, O thou idolater, full of doubts! We granted thee respite according to Our wisdom. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Fear God, and speak not that whereby the atoms, and beyond them the Sacred House and the Station, curse thee. Is doubt befitting after thou beholdest the Sun of My Name, the All-Bountiful, shining from the horizon of certitude? Abandon vain desire and hold fast unto guidance.

From the horizon of tribulation He summoneth mankind unto the Mighty, the Bestower. Thus have We inspired thee and revealed unto thee that whereby hearts are gladdened and eyes are solaced.

BH02521: O Divine Healer! God willing, mayest thou be joyous…

O Divine Healer! God willing, mayest thou be joyous and successful through the divine bounties. A letter from thee was presented before Us wherein thou hadst mentioned a house for the travelers. Act in whatever way thou deemest advisable. As for the travelers, they have not been and are not commanded to stay in that land, for if people gather there from outside it will become the cause and reason for certain events. Two souls had permission to stay, and later mention was made of Nabil-i-Qabli-ʿAli regarding Rafi’ and his companions—upon them be the Glory of God for drawing nigh and returning without entering, in obedience to their Lord, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. These are souls who have not moved according to their desires but have acted by God’s leave. Regarding travelers, it hath been repeatedly counseled that they must conduct themselves with perfect character, courtesy, truthfulness and sincerity amongst the people. We beseech God to assist us in what He loveth and approveth. It is most essential that they act according to the character and conduct which they have been commanded, that the fragrance of passing through the divine lane may be inhaled from them.

A letter from Milani was presented before Us. Blessed is he who, when he heareth God’s prohibition, refraineth and returneth to his place, enkindled with the fire of love and longing. By My life, he is among the successful ones and among the visitors. Blessed art thou, O son of Ahmad, for having turned unto God, the Lord of the worlds. Thy mention came before Us and this wondrous Tablet was revealed for thee. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having enabled me to love Thee and turn unto Thy face, and for having made me know Thyself after every ignorant and remote one turned away from Thee. Thou knowest, O my God, that I desired to attain Thy presence and appear before Thy face and abide in the precincts of Thy mercy, but I was prevented by the conditions of Thy Cause which have shone forth from the horizon of Thy wisdom and power. Therefore I beseech Thee, O God of Names and Ruler of earth and heaven, to ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for those who drew nigh and attained unto every good in Thy days. Then write down for me the reward of those who have attained Thy presence. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Supreme, the Exalted, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

Convey the greetings from Us to those in thy land. We have sent them the breaths of revelation. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful. And the Glory be upon thee and upon those who have obeyed the command of their Lord. They are among the successful ones.

BH02517: O Muhammad-Qabli-Mustafa! Hearken unto the call from the crimson…

He is God, exalted be His glory and might

O Muhammad-Qabli-Mustafa! Hearken unto the call from the crimson horizon, wherewith the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing doth speak: Verily, there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Powerful. Thy letter hath come before Our presence, and the two souls have entered. We have caused them to depart by Our command, for He is the Ruler, the All-Knowing. The matter hath been decided through other hands, for He is the Decider, the All-Wise. We beseech God that He may assist them and strengthen them, inasmuch as they have turned with pure detachment unto God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. We have commanded them to return unto thee. Thus hath the decree gone forth from thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Great.

In thy letter was mention of one who desired to be remembered before the Countenance, that he might arise to praise his Lord, the Glorious. Say: O Sasson! There hath come forth from Zion that which was hidden, and the Call hath been raised from every direction. Blessed is the ear that hath turned and heard, and woe unto the heedless. Stand firm in the Cause of thy Lord, detached from all that is on earth. This is better for thee, if thou be of them that know. He loveth him that loveth Him, and ordaineth for whomsoever He willeth that which He willeth. He, verily, is the Ordainer, the All-Wise.

Praise thy Lord for having enabled thee to turn unto Him, after all the heedless and the dubious had turned away. His letter hath come before Our presence, and We found from it the fragrance of his love for the Beloved of the worlds. That which he hath deduced concerning this Cause is the truth, about which there is no doubt. The land of Syria hath been given glad-tidings of God’s righteousness. Verily, He hath appeared with the truth. Blessed are they that turn unto Him. The mount of God hath quivered from the breeze of reunion. It is named Carmel, and it proclaimeth:

“The Builder of the Temple hath come, and the Healer of all ills.”

Blessed are they that attain.

The enemies have surrounded Us in these days, yet in this state We remember him with that which shall eternally establish his remembrance. It behooveth him to be of the thankful ones. We counsel him to observe wisdom, lest there occur that which would disturb the hearts of the weak ones. O Muhammad! Convey My greetings unto Daniel, and upon him be glory. Blessed is he who hath attained the remembrance of the Lord on this Day which was promised unto men by One Who is All-Knowing, All-Informed. We beseech God to assist thee and His loved ones to remember and praise Him, and to make them keys of providence for the doors of men’s hearts. He, verily, is the Ruler over what He willeth.

Blessed are ye for having fulfilled God’s Covenant and His Testament, and for having cast behind your backs all vain imaginings, turning unto the Kaaba of all mankind. All this is from His grace upon you, O concourse of the sincere ones. We hear your call in the Most Great Remembrance, and your proclamation of this mighty Cause whereby the hearts of men have been shaken, except for those whom your Lord, the Guardian, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, hath preserved.

BH02530: A mention from Us to him who hath acknowledged…

In the Name of God, the Everlasting, the Eternal

A mention from Us to him who hath acknowledged what God hath testified when He was established in truth upon His mighty throne, and who hath perceived the fragrances of revelation when they were diffused throughout all lands, and who hath turned with radiant countenance toward the Dayspring of the Cause. He is of them who were stirred by the breeze of God when it wafted from the paradise of His wondrous Name. We have answered thee before and ordained for thee a station in the Tablet. Preserve it through My Name, the Protector over all the worlds. Thou wert mentioned before the Throne, and We have sent down for thee such verses as cannot be equalled by all the treasures of creation. Thy Lord is verily the All-Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Generous.

Blessed art thou for having answered thy Lord when the Tree raised its call that there is no God but Me, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Be thou steadfast that the servants may become steadfast through thee and that the hearts of them that are disturbed may find peace through thee. Beware lest thou be moved by the intimations of those who outwardly claim to love God and His Cause but inwardly speak that which rendeth the veil of sanctity. Thy Lord verily is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. He knoweth what is in their hearts and heareth their whisperings. With Him is the knowledge of the heavens and the earth. These have made mention of the inward a snare for the servants.

We testify that they have not found the fragrance of God—had they found it they would have testified to that which the All-Merciful hath testified concerning this Revelation whereby the Most Great Depth was stirred and all who are in the heavens and earth were thunderstruck, save whom thy Lord, the Almighty, the Powerful, willed. They worship their desires and reckon themselves among the sincere ones. Were anyone today to worship with the duration of the kingdom and the dominion and to recite what God hath revealed from the beginning that hath no beginning, it would not be accepted from him except through My Name, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.

God shall soon reveal what is in their hearts and thou shalt find concerning them what the All-Merciful hath revealed in this wondrous Tablet. He knoweth them better than their own selves. With Him is the knowledge of all things in a Book that none hath encompassed save His all-encompassing knowledge. Regard creation as though no one had ever been mentioned except him who hath held fast to the cord of the Cause and clung to the hem of My Name, the Merciful.

Grieve not at the conditions and hardships of the world. Remember thy Lord with joy and fragrance in such wise that all possibility may be attracted thereby. This behooveth thee, for We have specially chosen thee for the service of this Great Announcement. We have mentioned thee in the Tablets and shall mention thee, if God willeth and desireth, with such a mention as shall gladden the hearts of them that know. We have sent down for thee what thou didst desire of the Tablets and dispatched them to thee as a bounty from Our presence, that thou mayest be of the thankful ones. Verily the glory be upon you and upon those who are with you, whether young or old.

BH02538: In the Name of God, the Most Holy…

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious! God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. From time immemorial He hath been hidden in the essence of His Being and concealed in the reality of His Self. No one among all created things hath known Him, and no soul among all existing beings hath comprehended Him. He whom He hath manifested is, in truth, His Manifestation amongst His servants and the One Who standeth in His stead. Through Him His sovereignty, then His command, became manifest, and through Him the sun of His Will hath shone forth from the horizon of His purpose upon all who are in the heavens and on earth. Whoso denieth Him hath denied Me, and whoso denieth Me hath denied Him.

Say: Fear God, O people, and let not the atoms curse you. Fear the All-Merciful, and be not of the ignorant ones. Say: He hath appeared in truth with His sovereignty, and He is the Dawning-Place of His prevailing Will, the Manifestation of His all-encompassing Purpose, the Source of His transcendent signs, and the Dayspring of His wondrous inspiration. By God! Through a movement of His finger all things were drawn unto Him. Thus was the decree ordained, if ye be of them that understand. Whoso hath hesitated in His Cause hath strayed from the Path and cast aside justice. By My life! He is of the wrongdoers.

Say: Through My sovereignty His sovereignty hath appeared, and through My exaltation His exaltation hath been manifested to all things, and through My Own Self-Subsistence His Self-Subsistence hath been revealed as the One dominant over all worlds. O people! He is the Most Great Sea and the Most Ancient Mystery. He is the One Who hath been named in every world among the worlds of God by one of the most beautiful names, and in the Kingdom of eternity by that which the tongue hath uttered. Thus doth your Lord, the All-Merciful, testify, yet the people of all realms remain heedless save those who have turned to the Dayspring of Revelation and said: “I believe in Thee, O my Lord, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling.”

Blessed is he who hath rent asunder the veils and entered the presence of his Lord, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous, and hath drunk the most pure wine from the Supreme Horizon. He is assuredly among those who have detached themselves from all else but Him and soar in the atmosphere of nearness. Blessed is he who hath recognized the new in this wondrous One through Whom the cry of the deluded ones and the clamor of the ungodly have been raised—they who, when that which was hidden was made manifest, denied God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling.

O servants of the All-Merciful! Cast behind your backs what is with men and turn unto the Qiblih of all creation, Who calleth out from the midmost heart of Paradise: “There is none other God but Me, the Almighty, the Best-Beloved.” Beware lest that which ye possess prevent you from this glorious Quarter. Turn with your faces unto the Face of God and with your eyes unto His Luminous and Radiant Horizon. Thus doth the Pen command you from the presence of the Ancient King. Beware lest ye abandon the decree of God and follow those who have disbelieved in the Witness and the Witnessed.

BH02631: In the name of the Friend without name or…

In the name of the Friend without name or trace! The fragrances of the Beloved’s love are beloved by His lovers, therefore We have sent them with these sublime words. The emanations of the love of those who seek the throne are desired—this is what the Revealer of verses has testified to. Praise be to God that the outward gates are also opened and the fragrances are wafting and passing from both directions. We beseech God to punish those who have come between us and you, just as He punished those who came before. Verily He is the Mighty, the Powerful.

The letter that was sent to the friends in the land of Alif was presented before the Countenance. They had inquired about new tidings. The new tidings are that in these days it was mentioned that the ruler of the great city heard that a sandal belonging to the Prophet, peace be upon Him, was in the possession of a nobleman in Diyarbakir. Therefore an order was issued from the government to bring it, and the mentioned person arrived with a messenger at the Black Sea shore. Afterwards multiple ships were specially sent from the great city to receive it and transport the trust. And as they approached the great city, numerous other vessels were sent and the bearer with the trust was settled in the royal vessel as they proceeded to the city.

Upon arrival at the seashore, the Grand Vizier and all the deputies and ministers came to receive it and were waiting. After arrival the Grand Vizier approached and took the trust, placed it in a most distinguished carriage, and the bearer of the trust rode behind the carriage on a most distinguished horse, followed by all the ministers and deputies as they proceeded to the special place that had been designated. On the right and left of the carriage walked a group of clergy with censers of incense, chanting glorification and praise, until they arrived at the appointed place. After the arrival, the ruler and other people came in successive groups for three days to attain the bounty of visiting it.

Now is the time for reflection and awakening. Observe how they cling to the branch while remaining heedless of the root. Thus it has ever been and ever shall be. Even as in these days no one has paid attention to the imprisonment of those souls, but ere long they shall speak of the details of what befell you. More detail than this is not permitted in this station. We send greetings to the friends. Praise be to God, first and last.

BH02636: The Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most High!…

The Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most High! This is a Book from Us to him who hath heard the Call and answered his Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful, that he may hear once again that which hath been raised betwixt earth and heaven, and may arise to serve the Cause of his Lord Who hath been imprisoned in the most desolate of lands. Blessed is he who hath quaffed the wine of life from the hands of the grace of his Lord, the All-Merciful, in these days wherein the Promised One hath come with the ornament of God, the Almighty, the Unconstrained.

Have they who turned away departed? Nay, by the Lord of Lords! Are they who hesitated among the living? Nay, by His Self, the One Who dominateth the horizons! This is a Day wherein the Beloved proclaimeth: The Best-Beloved hath come, and this Day belongeth unto God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Compelling. And wherein He Who conversed with God calleth out: The Ancient of Days hath come with power and sovereignty. And the Spirit rusheth forth in the wilderness of longing, and proclaimeth among the people and remindeth them of the Covenant. They who hesitated have lost, and he hath won who cast away all else save God, turning unto Him, the Lord of Religions.

O thou who gazest upon the Countenance! Blessed art thou for having turned unto God, the Lord of all men, after all the oppressive learned ones had turned away from Him. Be thou steadfast in the Cause, then bid the servants likewise. By My life, this is the Most Great Sign among men. Blessed is he who hath clung unto it in the path of God, his Lord, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.

Arise in the Cause, say: O concourse of divines! Be silent that ye may hear that which hath been sent down from the heaven of utterance from your Lord, the All-Merciful. This is better for you, as testify they who are endowed with insight. Say: Cast down your pens, for the authority thereof hath appeared. This indeed is the Most Exalted Pen, whose cry hath been raised in the kingdom of creation. Fear God, and follow not your own imaginings. Cast away your fancies, take hold of that which ye are bidden in the Book. Say: Will aught profit you this day? Nay, by the Creator of earth and heaven! Ye are dead today save him who hath arisen to serve the Cause and hath extolled his Lord amidst the peoples of the worlds.

Hold fast unto the cord of the Cause, then read that which the Wondrous One, Whom We have manifested with authority from Us and made Him the Manifestation of power, hath sent down. Therein hath been revealed from every aspect that which causeth eyes to be solaced and mountains to bow down in awe. Read thou what is therein, then ponder the verses that have shone forth from the horizon of the Tablet and illumined thereby the worlds.

Thus have We turned toward thee from the precincts of the Prison, that thou mayest rejoice in the remembrance of thy Lord while He was in the hands of the wicked ones. Verily, the glory be upon thee and upon thy son and upon them that are with thee from among the loved ones of thy Lord, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.

BH02589: In His name, the One Who remains after all…

In His name, the One Who remains after all things have passed away! God willing, may you be detached through divine grace from all else save Him, and be focused on and hold fast unto Him.

It behooves such as your honor in this day to strive with utmost endeavor in God’s Cause, that perchance the waves of vain imaginings which have emerged from the seas of heedless hearts may be stilled, and may surge forth through the breezes of the will of the Lord of creation. This momentous and mighty Cause has been and will continue to be dependent upon teaching. Therefore, it is incumbent and obligatory upon your honor to give the heedless to drink of the choice wine of the wondrous, sublime verses of the Lord of the worlds. Be thou a cupbearer of the wine of thy Lord’s verses—by God, through them are attracted the minds of all peoples.

Every deed that is manifested for God’s sake in this day will endure through the perpetuity of the kingdom and the realm of heaven. Blessed is the soul who in this day speaks a word in the path of Truth and becomes the cause of reviving dead hearts. I swear by the Most Great Name that today is the springtime of deeds and actions. Just as there is no likeness for the Day of God, likewise there will be no likeness or equal for any deed manifested therein for His sake. Blessed are they who understand.

In these days the Most Holy Book has been sent down from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s will. In it is that which brings joy to eyes, gladdens hearts, and causes spirits to soar. Blessed are those souls who gaze upon it with the eye of insight and ponder the sweetness of God’s verses and what is concealed therein of the pearls of knowledge and wisdom. Should God will, it shall be sent. Consider all aspects in this wondrous Revelation. If thou ponderest this blessed word, thou wilt understand what none before hath understood.

Call the people to the supreme steadfastness, lest they be deprived of the horizon of certitude through the manifestations of doubts and idle fancies, and be veiled from the Truth by the intimations of creation. For ere long will be lifted up the cawing of the crows. Blessed is he who remaineth steadfast and is of those who are firmly rooted. All must be detached and severed from the vain imaginings circulating amongst the servants, and must fix their gaze upon that which the Truth hath commanded and doth command. This is the foundation of religion, before and after, to which thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, doth testify.

May the Glory rest upon thee and upon those who have believed in God, the Just King, the Mighty, the Powerful. And a Tablet hath been revealed specifically with verses for your honor and sent. Preserve it, then recite it in such wise as to attract hearts and minds.

BH02597: Thou seest Thy dear One, O my God, lying…

Thou seest Thy dear One, O my God, lying at the mercy of Thine enemies, and hearest the voice of His lamentation from the midst of such of Thy creatures as have dealt wickedly in Thy sight. He it is, O my Lord, through Whose name Thou didst beautify Thy Tablets, and for Whose greater glory Thou didst send down the Bayan, and at Whose separation from Thee Thou didst weep continually. Look Thou, then, upon His loneliness, O my God, and behold Him fallen into the hands of them that have disbelieved in Thy signs, have turned their backs upon Thee, and have forgotten the wonders of Thy mercy.

He it is, O my God, about Whom Thou hast said:

“But for Thee the Scriptures would have remained unrevealed, and the Prophets unsent.”

And no sooner had He, by Thy behest, been manifested and spoken forth Thy praise, than the wicked doers among Thy creatures compassed Him round, with the swords of hate drawn against Him, O Thou the Lord of all names! Thou well knowest what befell Him at the hands of such as have rent asunder the veil of Thy grandeur, and cast behind their backs Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, O Thou Who art the Maker of the heavens! He is the One for Whose sake Thou (the Bab) hast yielded Thy life, and hast consented to be touched by the manifold ills of the world that He may manifest Himself, and summoned all mankind in His name. As soon as He came down, however, from the heaven of majesty and power, Thy servants stretched out against Him the hands of cruelty and sedition, and caused Him to be afflicted with such troubles that the scrolls of the world are insufficient to contain a full recital of them.

Thou seest, therefore, O Thou Beloved of the world, Him Who is dear to Thee in the clutches of such as have denied Thee, and beholdest Thy heart’s desire under the swords of the ungodly. Methinks He, from His most exalted station, saith unto me: “Would that my soul, O Prisoner, could be a ransom for Thy captivity, and my being, O wronged One, be sacrificed for the adversities Thou didst suffer! Thou art He through Whose captivity the standards of Thine almighty power were hoisted, and the day-star of Thy revelation shone forth above the horizon of tribulation, in such wise that all created things bowed down before the greatness of Thy majesty.

“The more they strove to hinder Thee from remembering Thy God and from extolling His virtues, the more passionately didst Thou glorify Him and the more loudly didst Thou call upon Him. And every time the veils of the perverse came in between Thee and Thy servants, Thou didst shed the splendors of the light of Thy countenance out of the heaven of Thy grace. Thou art, in very truth, the Self-Subsisting as testified by the tongue of God, the All-Glorious, the one alone Beloved; and Thou art the Desire of the world as attested by what hath flowed down from the Pen of Him Who hath announced unto Thy servants Thy hidden Name, and adorned the entire creation with the ornament of Thy love, the Most Precious, the Most Exalted.

“The eyes of the world were gladdened at the sight of Thy luminous countenance, and yet the peoples have united to put out Thy light, O Thou in Whose hands are the reins of the worlds! All the atoms of the earth have celebrated Thy praise, and all created things have been set ablaze with the drops sprinkled by the ocean of Thy love, and yet the people still seek to quench Thy fire. Nay—and to this Thine own Self beareth me witness—they are all weakness, and Thou, verily, art the All-Powerful; and they are but paupers and Thou, in truth, art the All-Possessing; and they are impotent and Thou art, truly, the Almighty. Naught can ever frustrate Thy purpose, neither can the dissensions of the world harm Thee. Through the breaths of Thine utterance the heaven of understanding hath been adorned, and by the effusions of Thy pen every moldering bone hath been quickened. Grieve not at what hath befallen Thee, neither do Thou lay hold on them for the things they have committed in Thy days. Do Thou be forbearing toward them. Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.”

BH02614: The Most Great, the Most Holy. Glorified be…

The Most Great, the Most Holy. Glorified be the All-Merciful Who hath sent down the proof in the form of man and made him the dawning-place of His signs for all who dwell within the realm of possibility. He summoneth the people unto God even while in the serpent’s mouth. There hath befallen Him in the path of God that which hath befallen none before Him. To this testifieth that which was sent down in the Bayan. Soon shall the clamor be raised in all regions. Blessed is he who hath cast away the people of discord and stood firm in the Covenant. This is a matter that hath no parallel in creation. Verily it is wondrous in the heavens and on earth.

O people of Baha! Be not veiled by what the people possess from Him through Whom the Sun hath shone forth and the religions have been distinguished. Those who are drowned in the ocean of idle fancies—these are far removed from the Kawthar of nearness and are debarred from the wine of reunion. They run about in the valley of error and say “Where is guidance?” Say: Here is the Lord of creation! They hasten in darkness and say “Where is the light?” Say: Open your eyes! Verily it hath shone forth from the horizon of glory with power and sovereignty. Among them is he who turned away and said “Where are the signs which we were promised in the Book?” Say: They have all appeared while ye were beneath the veils. Rend them asunder through My Name; then shall ye behold the Sun of grace shining from the horizon of might. Among the people are those who are veiled by vain imaginings from their Lord, the Self-Subsisting, and among them are those who cling to tales of old, cut off from this Cause through which the worlds have been illumined.

Say: O people! Fear God and follow not what your idle fancies command. Follow Him Who, when He speaketh, all things speak: “There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Bestower.” The call of God hath been raised from the precincts of the Prison; hasten unto it, O people of understanding. Act not as did the servants before you. Beware lest the veils of glory prevent you from turning to the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Ye were created for this Day and were promised this Remembrance around which circle all remembrances. Is there any who will hear the verses of God and recognize what is treasured therein of wisdom and mysteries?

O My loved ones! Grieve not over those who speak according to their desires. By My life! They are among the companions of the left hand. Be ye My trustees among My servants, the dawning-places of My justice among My creation, and the daysprings of My courtesy among My creatures. Thus doth your Lord, the Mighty, the Chosen One, counsel you.

Blessed art thou for having attained unto the lights of knowledge in the days of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and for having turned unto Him after most of the servants were prevented therefrom. Give thanks unto God for having confirmed thee in that whereon thou art, and glorify Him with praise at eventide and at dawn.

BH02673: O Abdu’l-Karim! Hearken unto the call of the All-Bountiful…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Bountiful

O Abdu’l-Karim! Hearken unto the call of the All-Bountiful, as the Countenance of the Ancient Beauty turneth toward thee from this bountiful horizon, inasmuch as thou hast turned toward Him with a heart enkindled with the fire of thy Lord’s love, the Mighty, the All-Wise. Blessed art thou for having recognized the Purpose of the world and discovered the fragrances of the Ancient Beauty from the garment of thy Lord’s utterance, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

He hath created all things for His mention and praise; yet when He appeared, they who followed their desires denied Him, while they who were given the vision of light by the All-Forgiving, the Merciful, believed. Behold the people and their lack of understanding: they make mention of God morning and evening, yet when He came with the truth they denied Him and followed every ignorant remote one. They clung to what they possessed and cast behind them Him Who created all things by His binding, wise command.

Among the people are those who recite the Qur’an yet deny Him Who revealed it in truth—they are indeed among the abased. And among them are those who recite the Bayan yet deny the All-Merciful—thus doth the Lord of all creation recount unto thee while in the hands of the oppressors. And among them are those who said He came before the appointed time, thereby objecting to Him through Whom the decree of the appointed time was established between the heavens and the earth.

We have heard thy call and accepted thy mention which was adorned with the ornament of thy Lord’s love, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. Thus have the breezes of forgiveness wafted over thee from the direction of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and ordained for thee that which shall gladden the eyes of the mystics. Rejoice in the remembrance of thy Lord and in that thy letter was accepted at the Throne, for We found it purified from the mention of aught else. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. Blessed is the servant who hath attained this day to the mention of My Name, the Self-Subsisting, and is among the steadfast.

Despite this tribulation, I summon all created things unto God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Calamities have encompassed Us to such extent as cannot be mentioned by the pen nor completed in tablets. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. The swords of tyranny have not prevented Us from remembrance and utterance. We make mention of Him at all times, even though the hosts of oppression from these heedless ones surround Me.

We beseech God to make thee a servant of His Cause among His creatures, to strengthen thee for the mention of this Remembrance at Whose appearance all on earth would swoon except whom God willeth, the Almighty, the Powerful, and to aid thee in helping His Cause and to manifest through thee that whereby His mention shall be spread among the worlds. Verily the Glory be upon thee and upon those who have circled round the Cause with such power as was not prevented by the affairs of misbelief nor the onslaughts of the oppressors.

BH02786: Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of Lords…

In the Name of God, the Eternal, Who perisheth not!

Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of Lords, for having consumed the veils with the fire of attraction and drawn me, through the heat of the Word which hath appeared from the mouth of Thy Will, unto the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation and the Dayspring of Thy Cause, until the lightning flashes of the lights of Thy countenance and the breathings of the days of Thy manifestation seized me.

I am he, O my God, who hath raised empty hands toward the heaven of Thy grace and favors, and turned my face toward the direction of Thy tender mercies and gifts. Wilt Thou render me deprived after my gaze hath been fixed upon the horizon of Thy mercy, awaiting the outpourings which Thou hast sent down from the heaven of Thy bounty? Or wilt Thou make me forbidden after Thou hast caused me to hear the singing of Thy Most Exalted Pen which was raised between earth and heaven? Nay, by Thy Self! Such was not my thought of Thee. Rather, I remain certain that Thy mercy hath preceded all created things and Thy grace hath encompassed all beings. Thou drawest nigh unto whoever draweth nigh unto Thee, and givest unto whoever hath held fast to the cord of Thy favors.

O Lord! The thirst of separation and remoteness hath consumed me; give me to drink, by the hands of Thy favors, from the Kawthar of nearness and reunion, that the intoxication of the choice wine of Thy mercy may seize me in such wise that I may arise to aid Thy Cause amongst Thy creatures and rend asunder the veils of glory that have prevented the servants from turning toward the horizon of beauty.

O Lord! All things testify to my poverty and Thy wealth, to my powerlessness and Thy might. I beseech Thee, O Lord of Names and Creator of earth and heaven, by the Word whereby the world was set ablaze and the Most Great Ocean was made to surge, to aid me in Thy love and Thy Cause in such wise that I may arise from the horizon of detachment through Thy Name, O Lord of creation and King of invention.

Then I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name whereby Thou didst raise the standards of Thy power in Thy lands and uplift the banners of Thy Cause in Thy realms, to make me self-effacing in Thy Will and enduring through the endurance of Thy countenance in every world of Thy worlds. Then make me to arise through Thy Self-Subsistence in remembrance of Thee amongst Thy creatures and in praise of Thee throughout Thy realm. Then ordain for me what Thou didst ordain for Thy chosen ones who soared in the atmosphere of Thy nearness until they were martyred in Thy path.

Verily, Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth and Who ruleth over whatsoever He desireth. Thou hast ever been in the heights of grandeur and glory, and wilt ever remain in the exaltation of loftiness and majesty. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

BH02799: In the Name of God, the Most Holy…

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted! This is a Tablet We have caused to shine forth from the horizon of grace for people who understand. Through it We give the believers to drink of the Kawthar of immortality and the seekers from a sealed nectar. Say: Verily it is the water of reunion for those seized by the thirst of separation, and a torment for those who have turned away from the Truth—these indeed are a people cast down.

Blessed are they who have answered their Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious, when the Call was raised from the right of the Mount through this Revelation whereby the All-Merciful has come, set up the Balance, and the Spirit has proclaimed: The Kingdom belongs to God, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting! Blessed is he who has attained the lights of the Tablet and has arisen through this Spirit which was breathed from the mouth of the will of his Lord, the Mighty, the Beloved.

When thou dost inhale the fragrance of the All-Merciful, arise and say: O people! The proof has been perfected, the evidence has come, and the Cry has been raised amongst the worlds. We sent it upon a human temple and dispatched him to the chief of the oppressors with a Tablet from thy Lord, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. When he appeared, he raised the Tablet through the grace of the Spirit with such steadfastness as amazed the denizens of the highest Paradise, then the dwellers of the celestial garden and the hosts of favored angels.

Through this We manifested the power of thy Lord that they might know that prison and tribulation have not prevented Us from the remembrance of God, the Most High, the Great. We proclaim at all times: O peoples of the worlds! This is your Lord, the All-Merciful, Who has come with the truth—turn to Him with your hearts and be not of the heedless. Through His power the sun of might has shone forth and through His proof the proofs of the Messengers have appeared. Were it not for Him, the All-Merciful would not have been manifest, the evidence would not have come, and the faces of those who have attained to this wondrous Cause would not have been illumined.

Blessed is the one who has arisen in the name of the All-Merciful, detached from the worlds, who has taken the wine of detachment in the name of the Creator of innovation and drunk thereof despite the ungodly. Does the animal desire the water of life? Nay, by My Self, were ye of those who know!

O people of Baha! Give thanks to your Lord for having aided you to recognize the Manifestation of His Cause, the Mighty, the Wondrous. Stand firm in your station and arise to assist the Cause with such steadfastness as cannot be shaken by the might of the hypocrites. Thus have We sent down the verses to thee and dispatched them through grace that thine eyes might be consoled thereby and thou mightest be of the thankful. Hold fast to the hem of sanctity with a power from Us—verily thy Lord is the Strong, the Powerful, the Transcendent, the Mighty, the All-Powerful.

And upon thee be glory, and upon whoever has heard the call of his Lord and turned to Him with an illumined heart.

BH02771: In the Name of God, the Most Holy…

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted! A remembrance from Our presence to him who has adorned his heart with the ornament of faith in the days of his Lord, the Most Merciful, that he may be assured that He remembers whoever remembers Him and loves whoever seeks the face of his Lord, the Mighty, the Wise. We have indeed found the fragrance of thy love for thy Lord; therefore have We sent down to thee clear verses whereby the eyes of those near unto God have been solaced, that the verses of thy Lord may attract thee in such wise that thou mayest hear from all things:

“The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Almighty, the Most Glorious, the All-Praised.”

Remember thy Lord in thy days—this is the best of all deeds before thy Lord, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

Say: O people! The Beloved hath come and the horizons are illumined. Why do I see you among the heedless? Doth it beseem anyone to seek the pond and turn away from the Kawthar and Salsabil? Nay, by my Lord! This beseemeth you not, were ye of them who know. Say: The pond representeth your vain desires, while the ocean speaketh the truth. Hasten with your hearts and follow not every remote misbeliever.

Blessed art thou for having tasted the pure wine which hath flowed from the direction of the Most Great Scene, and for having attained unto a station wherein He Who possesseth all destiny remembereth thee in the prison—He through Whom the divine fragrance wafted throughout all creation and every wise decree was made manifest.

Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear God and follow not him whom ye know not. Follow the path of God—this indeed is the straight path.

Give thanks unto thy Lord for having attained and turned toward the Wronged One in days when He was in the prison of the ungodly. Be thou steadfast in the Cause in such wise that the winds that blow from the hearts of the heedless cannot move thee. They whisper in the breasts of men even as the Evil One whispered aforetime, whose mention was sent down in a clear Book. We see nothing greater than steadfastness in God’s Cause. Hold thou fast unto it through thy Lord’s sovereign might, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

We beseech God to assist thee in all conditions and to strengthen thee among His servants through His remembrance and praise. He is the Protector of those who remember Him. Trust in Him in all matters. He, verily, will help those who help Him. He is indeed the Strong, the Mighty, the Powerful.

We have heard thy call in remembrance of thy Lord and have answered thee with this exalted Tablet. When the wine of thy Lord’s verses intoxicates thee, turn thy face toward the holy court and say: Praise be to Thee, O God of the worlds! Verily, all glory be upon Thee and upon those who have heard the call of their Lord from this Scene wherein the Temple of the Cause is established upon a mighty throne.

BH02738: O Rida! Your letter hath reached the prison…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great

O Rida! Your letter hath reached the prison, and come before the gaze of the Prisoner, through Whom the Tree hath spoken, and the Mount called out, and the Rock cried aloud, and the Vale flowed, and the Dove sang: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Most High, the Most Great!” We have taken note of its contents and heard that wherewith thou didst call upon God, thy Lord. He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

We had previously sent thee a Tablet, wherewith We adorned the heaven of utterance with the stars of wisdom and explanation. Exalted be the All-Merciful Who hath sent it down in truth. He, verily, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Ancient of Days. Hold fast unto it and recite what hath been revealed therein with joy and radiance, that perchance they who slumber on the couch of idle fancies may awaken and hear the call of thy Lord from this Quarter wherein the Remembrance hath been raised from this All-Wise Remembrance.

Recite the verses of thy Lord unto them that have turned away and hesitated. Thus hast thou been commanded by One Who is the Mighty, the All-Wise. Follow in all matters thy Lord, the Lord of Revelation, in such wise that nothing shall prevent thee from celebrating His praise amongst His servants. This is what God hath chosen for His chosen servants who sleep in His love and arise in His remembrance and move by His command and proclaim wisdom among His creatures.

The Table hath been sent down, and the proof completed, and that which was mentioned in the Scriptures of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised, hath come to pass. They who have veiled themselves there and followed the Calf are in grievous error. There hath been sent down for each one of them that whereby the sun of proof and evidence hath shone forth. Blessed is he who hath turned with his heart unto this momentous News.

We sent the Badi’ unto the Chief with thy Lord’s Book, which hath no equal in all that hath been created in the heavens and earths. Through it was the proof completed unto all creation. When they turned away, tribulations seized them and they were encompassed by hardship and adversity. Were it not for thy Lord’s mercy that hath preceded all things, thou wouldst have seen them all among the perished.

Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy mercy that hath preceded all created things, and by Thy grace that hath encompassed all beings, to have mercy upon Thy weak servants. O my Lord! Look not upon their deeds and what beseemeth them, but rather upon the generosity Thou hast chosen for Thyself and Thy mercy which Thou hast made the Most Great Sign for all who are in earth and heaven. O my Lord! Thou art He Whom the turning away of Thy creatures harmeth not, nor doth the acceptance of Thy servants profit Thee. The atoms bear witness that Thou are the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. There is no God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

BH02747: O My servants! It behoveth you to refresh…

O My servants! It behoveth you to refresh and revive your souls through the gracious favors which, in this Divine, this soul-stirring Springtime, are being showered upon you.

The Day Star of His great glory hath shed its radiance upon you, and the clouds of His limitless grace have overshadowed you. How high the reward of him that hath not deprived himself of so great a bounty, nor failed to recognize the beauty of His Best-Beloved in this, His new attire.

Say: O people! The Lamp of God is burning; take heed, lest the fierce winds of your disobedience extinguish its light. Now is the time to arise and magnify the Lord, your God. Strive not after bodily comforts, and keep your heart pure and stainless. The Evil One is lying in wait, ready to entrap you. Gird yourselves against his wicked devices, and, led by the light of the name of the one true God, deliver yourselves from the darkness that surroundeth you. Center your thoughts in the Well-Beloved, rather than in your own selves.

Say: O ye that have strayed and lost your way! The Divine Messenger, Who speaketh naught but the truth, hath announced unto you the coming of the Best-Beloved. Behold, He is now come. Wherefore are ye downcast and dejected? Why remain despondent when the Pure and Hidden One hath appeared unveiled amongst you? He Who is both the Beginning and the End, He Who is both Stillness and Motion, is now manifest before your eyes. Behold how, in this Day, the Beginning is reflected in the End, how out of Stillness Motion hath been engendered. This motion hath been generated by the potent energies which the words of the almighty have released throughout the entire creation. Whoso hath been quickened by its vitalizing power, will find himself impelled to attain the court of the Beloved; and whoso hath deprived himself therefrom, will sink into irretrievable despondency.

He is truly wise whom the world and all this is therein have not deterred from recognizing the light of this Day, who will not allow men’s idle talk to cause him to swerve from the way of righteousness. He is indeed as one dead who, at the wondrous dawn of this Revelation, hath failed to be quickened by its soul-stirring breeze. He is indeed a captive who hath not recognized the Supreme Redeemer, but hath suffered his soul to be bound, distressed and helpless, in the fetters of his desires.

O My servants! Whoso hath tasted of this Fountain hath attained unto everlasting Life, and whoso hath refused to drink therefrom is even as the dead. Say: O ye workers of iniquity! Covetousness hath hindered you from giving a hearing ear unto the sweet voice of Him Who is the All-Sufficing. Wash it away from your hearts, that His Divine secret may be made known unto you. Behold Him manifest and resplendent as the sun in all its glory.

Say: O ye that are bereft of understanding! A severe trial pursueth you, and will suddenly overtake you. Bestir yourselves, that haply it may pass and inflict no harm upon you. Acknowledge the exalted character of the name of the Lord, your God, Who hath come unto you in the greatness of His glory. He, Verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Possessing, the Supreme Protector.

BH02900: The Most Holy, the Most Glorious! This…

The Most Holy, the Most Glorious! This is a remembrance from Us to him who hath believed in God, the Mighty, the Bestower, that the Call of God may attract him in such wise that the oppression of the oppressors and the gathering of them that have disbelieved in God when He came in the shadows of the clouds will in no wise affect him. We behold thee among them that have turned away. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Be thou at peace, then stand firm.

Say: O people! Is this the Day of doubt after the Promised One hath come with sovereignty and power? Fear ye God and deny not Him Whose sovereignty hath encompassed the horizons. Who else but Him could establish the Cause, if ye be fair, O company of transgressors? Through Him were raised the standards of triumph and the banners of remembrance were hoisted throughout all lands. Say: Doth it beseem anyone to turn unto a fly, turning away from the All-Bountiful? This indeed is a strange thing! Say: Leave ye the rivulet and behold the Most Great Ocean before your faces, if ye be of them that perceive, O ye that have eyes to see!

Say: By my Lord, the All-Merciful! But for Him the Bayan would not have been revealed, nor would the Tablets of God, the Mighty, the Exalted, the Unconstrained, have been sent down. Break ye the idol of vain imaginings through the power of certitude, turning unto the Dayspring of inspiration. The Bayan was revealed for My name and was adorned with My remembrance, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. He made the Bayan dependent upon My leave and a leaf from My Paradise, yet ye assail Me with the arrows of hatred. What aileth you, O company of wolves? Read ye it that ye may recognize this Day wherein the proof circleth round the throne of your Lord, the All-Merciful.

But for the Glory who would help God in secret and in public? By My life! Were these people to ponder what hath appeared in this Revelation, they would cast the world behind their backs and hasten unto the Kaaba of Him Who is in earth and heaven. Grieve thou not. Put thy trust in God. He, verily, will help whom He willeth through His power and sovereignty.

Say: O my God! Thou beholdest me among Thine enemies who have disbelieved in Thee and turned away from Thy beauty after that which they were promised in Thy Book and Thy Tablets. I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy Name through which the fragrance of the garment of Thy mercy was wafted throughout Thy dominions, to help me in all conditions and to ordain for me the recompense of such as have arisen to serve Thy Cause and have remained steadfast in Thy love. O my Lord! Aid me to help Thee in Thy lands, then write down for me that which Thou hast written for Thy chosen ones who were martyred in Thy path. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the All-Wise.

BH02861: This is a remembrance from Us to those who…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Ancient, the Most Great

This is a remembrance from Us to those who have attained the lights of the Bayan when the All-Merciful came with manifest sovereignty, that it may kindle within their hearts the fire of God in such wise that the waters of opposition from those who are heedless cannot extinguish it. By God! Whoso heareth My call with the ear of the heart is drawn to a station wherein he ariseth to aid his Lord, detached from all the worlds. Blessed is he whom the warmth of his Lord’s love hath seized and whose face hath been illumined by the lights of His shining and radiant countenance. Blessed is the ear that hath attained unto this call, and blessed is the mouth that hath tasted the sweetness of this utterance, and blessed is the nostril that hath inhaled the fragrance of the garment from the breezes of the Pen of his Lord’s will, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Is he who turneth away alive? Nay, by My soul, he is among the dead! Is he who is remote from the Kawthar of nearness possessed of sight? Nay, by My soul, he is blind. Blessed are they who behold!

O friends of the All-Merciful! Mount ye the ark of certitude and sail upon the Most Great Ocean, every drop of which proclaimeth:

“The kingdom belongeth unto God, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Praised!”

Then drink ye the Kawthar of certitude, despite the people of creation who speak according to their desires and utter that which their souls command them. They are indeed behind a mighty veil.

O friends of God! Ye are the eyes of the world. Through you must be opened the eyes that have been veiled by the dust of vain imaginings. Thus hath it flowed from the Pen of the All-Merciful in this Great Prison. Be ye steadfast in the Cause in such wise that the tongues of all created things may speak in praise of you. This is what We counsel you on this day whereon the Ancient Beauty hath been established upon the throne of His Most Great Name. Differ not in the Cause of God. Gather ye together around this River which hath flowed from the Source of the Pen of your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Blessed are the servants who have cast away vain desire and laid hold on guidance, and blessed are the handmaidens who have held fast unto this mighty cord.

When ye attain unto a Tablet of God and His traces, preserve it, then read it that the fragrances of that which hath proceeded from the mouth of the Will of your Ancient Lord may waft between you. How many a wealthy one hath been prevented this day, and how many a poor one hath been admitted to the ocean of wealth, and how many a learned one do We see among the most lost!

May His bounty be upon those who have shattered the idols by the power of their Lord, the Lord of all mankind, and have turned with their hearts to the court of their Lord, the Almighty, the Powerful. Glory be unto the people of Baha who have attained unto the knowledge of God and were among the steadfast!

BH02879: We sent forth Badi’ through a favor from Our…

In the Name of Him Who is powerful over all who are on earth and in heaven.

We sent forth Badi’ through a favor from Our presence, bearing with him a precious Book. Our sole purpose was to draw the servants nigh unto the Most Exalted Retreat; yet they perpetrated deeds whereat the denizens of Paradise have lamented, and likewise the inmates of the Concourse on high, and they who circle round the Throne of God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We sent him that he might announce unto the people the glad-tidings of God, but they met him with torments the like of which hath not appeared in all creation, until at length they slew him with manifest injustice. When his blood was shed upon the earth, it trembled and quaked, cried aloud and called out:

“Behold, O Thou in Whose grasp of power is the dominion of the kingdom of the heavens and the earth! Were it not for the precedence of My mercy, I would cause the earth to swallow them up; yet have We withheld it through a grace from Our presence, and I am the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous.”

Thereupon We tried its people with that wherewith We tried them, that perchance they might awaken and turn repentant unto God, the Mighty, the Praised. Behold, then, how the might of thy Lord encompassed them; verily I am the All-Compelling, the Severe. We seized them first, for through them the root of oppression was strengthened; ere long shall We return unto it, for He is indeed the Powerful, the Omnipotent. The proof of God and His testimony have been completed against him and against them; therefore hath that which hath descended descended upon them. This is what was set down in the Tablets aforetime, could ye but understand. Say: That which ye possess can never prevail against Him, nor can the sting of the aggressors weaken Him.

Were He to will it, He could destroy all that are on the earth by but a word from Him. Verily He is powerful over all worlds. O My loved ones! call ye to mind al-Badi’—his dominion, his power—then ponder the burning ardor that seized him through the Word of God, the Almighty, the All-Conquering, the Mighty, the Wise. Remember, O Pen of the Most High, when he stood before the Throne, and there was breathed into him the spirit of might and dominion from One strong and faithful; and the attractions of longing laid hold upon him after he had been thunderstruck by the first Word. Thus was the decree ordained in the presence of the Throne. Blessed are they that remember.

Then did We send him forth, by a command from Our presence, with a countenance from which the horizons were illumined, and likewise the faces of them that are nigh. Thus have We commemorated him through a favor from Our presence, and have sent these words unto thee, that thou mayest read and be of the thankful. We make mention of him in most of the Tablets, for he bore that which none among men hath borne. Upon thee and upon him be My glory, and thereafter My mercy until a Day that none can reckon but God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

BH02848: Say: We have heard the call of Thy mystery…

In the name of his Lord, the Mighty, the Great

Say: We have heard the call of Thy mystery and Thy turning toward God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Say: I give praise to Thee, O my God, that the fragrance of Thy loving-kindness hath enraptured me, and the gentle winds of Thy mercy have inclined me in the direction of Thy bountiful favors. Make me to quaff, O my Lord, from the fingers of Thy bounteousness the living waters which have enabled every one that hath partaken of them to rid himself of all attachment to any one save Thee, and to soar into the atmosphere of detachment from all Thy creatures, and to fix his gaze upon Thy loving providence and Thy manifold gifts.

O Lord! Make me ready, in all circumstances, to serve Thee and to set myself towards the adored sanctuary of Thy Revelation and of Thy Beauty. If it be Thy pleasure, make me to grow as a tender herb in the meadows of Thy grace, that the gentle winds of Thy will may stir me up and bend me into conformity with Thy pleasure, in such wise that my movement and my stillness may be wholly directed by Thee.

Thou art He, by Whose name the Hidden Secret was divulged, and the Well-Guarded Name was revealed, and the seals of the sealed-up Goblet were opened, shedding thereby its fragrance over all creation, whether of the past or of the future. He who was athirst, O my Lord, hath hasted to attain the living waters of Thy grace, and the wretched creature hath yearned to immerse himself beneath the ocean of Thy riches.

I swear by Thy glory, O Lord the Beloved of the world and the Desire of all them that have recognized Thee! I am sore afflicted by the grief of my separation from Thee, in the days when the Daystar of Thy presence hath shed its radiance upon Thy people. Write down, then, for me the recompense decreed for such as have gazed on Thy face, and have, by Thy leave, gained admittance into the court of Thy throne, and have, at Thy bidding, met Thee face to face.

I implore Thee, O my Lord, by Thy name the splendors of which have encompassed the earth and the heavens, to enable me so to surrender my will to what Thou hast decreed in Thy Tablets, that I may cease to discover within me any desire except what Thou didst desire through the power of Thy sovereignty, and any will save what Thou didst destine for me by Thy will.

Whither shall I turn, O my God, powerless as I am to discover any other way except the way Thou didst set before Thy chosen Ones? All the atoms of the earth proclaim Thee to be God, and testify that there is none other God besides Thee. Thou hast from eternity been powerful to do what Thou hast willed, and to ordain what Thou hast pleased.

Do Thou destine for me, O my God, what will set me, at all times, towards Thee, and enable me to cleave continually to the cord of Thy grace, and to proclaim Thy name, and to look for whatsoever may flow down from Thy pen. I am poor and desolate, O my Lord, and Thou art the All-Possessing, the Most High. Have pity, then, upon me through the wonders of Thy mercy, and send down upon me, every moment of my life, the things wherewith Thou hast recreated the hearts of all Thy creatures who have recognized Thy unity, and of all Thy people who are wholly devoted to Thee.

Thou, verily, art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH02835: O Abdullah! Thy letter hath come before thy Lord…

He is the One Who endureth after the passing of all things.

O Abdullah! Thy letter hath come before thy Lord and the glances of divine favors have been directed towards it. He, verily, is the Hearer, the Answerer. We have become aware of what was mentioned therein concerning that which was revealed from the heaven of command in the Surah of Counsel. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Ye are mentioned before the Throne—the Tongue of Grandeur speaketh in remembrance of you and His Pen, the Subduer of the worlds, floweth over your names. Rejoice ye at this bounty, then give thanks unto your Lord, the Forgiving, the Generous.

O Abdullah! By God, the Wronged One hath remained without helper or assistant. Had My loved ones acted according to that which they were commanded, thou wouldst have seen the banners of victory raised upon every lofty and impregnable mountain. Arise to help the Cause of God. He hath ordained that victory lieth in the manifestation of His goodly character amongst all people. Blessed is he who attaineth unto this mighty station.

Say: O My loved ones! Be ye of such nature that those who approach may behold in your faces the radiance of the All-Merciful and in your gatherings the gathering of letters in a single word. This behooveth those who have turned unto God, the King, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Ye are they who have been mentioned by name of the Beloved and have attained unto a station whereunto none have attained save honored servants. Blessed art thou for having remembered thy Lord and for this mighty Tablet which hath been revealed for thee. Grieve not over separation—ye are before the Throne. Thus doth the All-Merciful testify.

Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the worlds! Verily he who hath arisen to serve his Lord is among those who circled round the Cause from time immemorial. Thus doth your Lord, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, give you glad tidings. Arise to serve in that place and unite hearts in remembrance of the Beloved. This is what God, the Goal of the worlds, commandeth thee.

Convey My greetings to the loved ones of God and give them the glad tidings of this mighty remembrance. We beseech God to assist them to love and unity, to gather them beneath the pavilions of His Cause, and to make them of those who, in helping the Cause, have not regarded themselves and what they possess, but have helped God’s Cause through their character, deeds and remembrance. Verily He is powerful over whatsoever He willeth. There is no God but Him, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Mighty, the Generous. Glory be upon thee and upon them and upon those who have arrived there, turning unto God, thy Ancient Lord.

BH02863: The Most Great, Most Holy, Most Glorious. A remembrance…

The Most Great, Most Holy, Most Glorious. A remembrance from Us to him who hath turned unto God, the Mighty, the Wise, that he may rejoice in Our mention of him and be drawn unto a station ordained in a preserved Tablet. Blessed art thou, O servant, inasmuch as thou hast turned unto thy Lord, the Ancient, and hast responded to His call when it was raised betwixt earth and heaven, and hast arisen to serve His Cause amidst all people. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

There hath come before the presence thy letter which thou didst send to one of My loved ones, and toward it hath been directed the gaze of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous. We have found from it the fragrance of thy love for thy Lord, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Blessed art thou for having been faithful to God’s Covenant when He came with the truth with manifest light, and blessed is thy father who hath ascended unto God—verily he is in a noble station.

Beware lest anything prevent thee from that whereon thou art. Hold thou fast in all conditions unto the cord of thy Lord’s loving-kindness. He, verily, is with His servants who have turned unto Him. We have sent down unto thee aforetime manifest verses through which the fragrances of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Beautiful, have been wafted. Blessed is the eye that hath attained unto them, the tongue that hath uttered them, and the heart that hath recognized what they contain of the wondrous favors of thy Lord, the Lord of all worlds.

Be thou thankful that the gaze of God hath been directed toward thee from the horizon of this mighty Prison, and that He remembereth thee with that whereby thy mention shall be established in the Concourse on High and thy name in the Kingdom of Creation. He, verily, is the Forgiving, the Generous.

None should grieve over aught save that which hath befallen this imprisoned Stranger. By God! I am in the mouth of the serpent, calling the peoples of possibility unto their Lord, the All-Merciful, yet the people are in manifest remoteness. Hath anyone become aware of what hath befallen Me in God’s path? Nay, by His All-Knowing Self! I was born but to bear tribulations in the path of God, the Lord of Names. Thus hath the matter been decreed in the Tablets. Thy Lord, verily, is the Ruler over what He willeth. I have desired naught but what He desired, and I desire naught save what hath been ordained by God, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Peerless.

Follow thou thy Lord in the remembrance of thy Lord, and be thou of the thankful ones. Beware lest thou transgress the bounds of wisdom wherewith We have adorned My Kingdom and wherewith We have commanded those who have turned unto the Countenance. Thy Lord, verily, is the Mighty, the Wise.

The glory be upon thee and upon those who have attained unto the lights of guidance when the Lord of Names came with His everlasting Kingdom, the Most Wondrous, the Most Beautiful.

BH02905: This is a Book from Us to him who…

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

This is a Book from Us to him who was named Muhammad-before-ʿAli, that he may testify in his being to that which God did testify before the creation of all things that there is none other God but Him, the Help in Peril, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

O Muhammad! Hearken unto the Call from this Tree planted in the Paradise of Decree: Verily, there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Wise. Arise to serve thy Lord, then aid thy Lord, detached from all the worlds. Blessed art thou in that thou hast turned unto Him, attained His presence, hastened forth and heard that which most of the servants have not attained, and which no ears have heard except those who have turned with clear certitude toward the Dayspring of the Cause.

Give glad tidings of My remembrance unto the servants, then recount unto them what thou hast witnessed and known. Thus hast thou been commanded by the Most Exalted Pen which moveth by God’s leave, the Lord of all names, upon the Tablet which God hath made the source of all tablets and the dawning-place of the books of the heavens and earth.

O Muhammad! Grieve not at anything. Place thy trust in the All-Powerful, the Almighty. Turn by thy Lord’s command unto the lands, then remind the people of this wise Remembrance. We have known thy condition and are aware of thy hardship and what hath befallen thee in the path of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Be thankful that thy name hath been mentioned in the Tablet and the Tongue of the Spirit hath spoken of thee. By My life! This is indeed a great bounty. Despair not of His grace, for it hath encompassed all created things, nor of His mercy, for it hath preceded all contingent things.

Glorify the name of thy Lord, then immerse thyself in the ocean of My Name, the Help in Peril over the worlds. Blessed be thine ear, for it hath heard the call of thy Lord when the Tongue of Grandeur did speak verses that have no equal in all creation—thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, doth testify to this. Blessed be thy foot, for it arose when the verses descended from the kingdom of the mercy of thy Lord, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

Say: O my Lord! Praise be to Thee for having honored me with Thy presence, for having turned toward me the gaze of Thy grace, and for having caused me to hear that which Thy tongue of revelation hath spoken. O my Lord! Thou art the All-Sufficient and I am the poor one. Write down for me that which befitteth Thy grace and bounty, then number me among Thy servants who have circled round Thy Cause and Thy Will, and who have arisen to serve Thee such that neither the clamor of the idolaters nor the whisperings of the evil ones deterred them. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Mighty, the Invincible.

BH02829: In His Most Holy Name! O thou who gazest…

In His Most Holy Name! O thou who gazest upon the Countenance! This is a Day wherein We bid patience itself to be patient in the Cause of its Lord, the Mighty, the All-Wise. Grieve not for what hath befallen Us. Nothing that hath been created in the heavens or on earth can frustrate Him. Whoso is for God, God is for him. We testify that He was with Us on the day We were born and will continue to be until the end that hath no end. Verily thy Lord is the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

Did might avail Al-ʿUzza? Did Pharaoh prevail? Nay, by His very Self, the Truth! Rather were they among those who were brought low. God shall soon obliterate all traces of those who turned away and clung to calumny that they might lead people astray from the path of God, the Lord of all names. They are indeed in manifest loss.

Remember when he who turned away thought We feared him. Say: Neither the might of those who transgressed nor the ascendancy of the oppressors can intimidate Us. We speak the truth as We have spoken and summon all to God, the Sovereign Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

They who have quaffed the living waters from the hands of the All-Merciful are those who call humanity from behind them, turning unto God, the Lord of all worlds. By thy life, O My patience! Neither the barking of dogs nor the grunting of swine can deter them.

He thought We were grieved by what he had wrought. Nay, by the Self of God Who overseeth all creation! Rather do We walk and call upon God morn and eve, saying:

“Draw nigh the days of meeting with Thee, then make me one of those who lay down their lives in Thy path. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.”

By God! Should all who dwell on earth gather against Me with sharpened swords and piercing spears, thou wouldst find My tongue in that hour speaking His Name and Mine eyes fixed upon His shining and luminous horizon.

Know then that what thou hast composed in remembrance of this wronged Exile hath reached Our presence. We beseech God to strengthen and assist thee in all conditions, to make thee a champion of His Cause from beginning to end, and to draw thee nigh unto Him in such wise that remoteness shall never intervene. Thy Lord is verily the Ruler over whatsoever He willeth. We moreover beseech Him, exalted be He, to unite us in His love, to cause us to speak His praise and glorification, and to make us among those who have soared in the atmosphere of His love and who have detached themselves through His Name from all the worlds. Glory be upon thee and upon those who have arisen to serve the Cause of God, the Almighty, the All-Encompassing, the Mighty, the All-Wise.

BH02949: O mother, I write this letter to you…

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

O mother, I write this letter to you in Persian that you may hear the sweet utterance of the divine bird in the Iraqi tongue and forget the melodious songs of Hijaz, and acknowledge that the spiritual nightingale sings in all tongues upon the holy branches in the gardens of the spirit, in remembrance and utterance, that you may hear from these outward songs the inward melodies.

O mother, pass beyond the heart and turn to the Beloved of hearts; transcend the soul and attain to the Beloved of souls. Join the stream of the heart to the ocean of the Heart-Transformer, and firmly bind the cord of love to the root of nearness to the Loved One. A soul without the Beloved of souls is not worth a dirham, and a heart without the Beloved of hearts cannot be exchanged for a farthing. Better that the head without its Lord be in dust, better that the heart without pain be consumed, better that the neck without its cord be severed by the sword.

Say: O friends, lie down thinking of the Friend, and find repose in your beds contemplating the Beloved. Smell the fragrance of the Beloved in the flowers, and behold in the bright flames the light of the countenance of the Friend. I swear by the life of the Friend that if you catch the fragrance of Joseph’s garment and enter the Egypt of divine friendship, O mother, you will become one of all those near to God.

Therefore strive with your soul in love and enter with your heart the abode of the Friend. Leave the grief of the age to those who belong to it. Pay no heed to the fleeting days of this world, that this old garment of the world may fall from your body and you may take up your dwelling upon the everlasting throne, don the divine brocade, drink from the cup of the Beloved the wine of love, be illumined by the candle of love, and sew the garment of love.

This is that which never changes. Know then that all divine laws in every age and dispensation change and are transformed according to the requirements of the time, except the law of love which forever flows and never changes or is transformed. These are the wondrous divine mysteries which He has mentioned for His servants, and He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Merciful. And clothe Sakineh with the robe of glorification from the divine lights.

BH03013: Thy letter which expressed the degrees of utter powerlessness…

In the name of the One Friend

Thy letter which expressed the degrees of utter powerlessness, nothingness, complete effacement and absolute non-existence was received in the Most Holy Presence and was accepted. He who acknowledges his powerlessness and confesses his nothingness before the manifestations of the greatness of his Creator is indeed among those who have recognized their Lord and are counted among the successful ones. The soul that has ever been convinced of and confessed to utter powerlessness and complete effacement has been and will continue to be reckoned before the All-Merciful as one of the people of true knowledge.

By the truth of My Self, thy letter which was in the Persian tongue is more beloved before God than the utterances of the deluded ones who day and night fancy themselves to have attained the stations of knowledge of the Lord of all creation. For today the purpose of all things is that the fragrance of the good-pleasure of the All-Merciful should waft from them. Whatever thing is deprived of this station is recorded before God as among the most worthless of things.

How many souls who day and night, in their own imagination, were occupied with the remembrance of the Lord of all names and were speaking the highest stations of vain mystical utterances, while the Truth was sanctified and exempt from all such souls. Observe how some souls are so weak that through the croaking of a croaker they have been and continue to be deprived of the ultimate goal and the divine Lote-Tree. The Truth, Whose lights of manifestation have encompassed the world and Whose banners of grandeur and power have been raised upon all hills and heights—they have remained far from Him through the word of the basest of people. Each day a hasty cry is raised and the mewing of a cat appears.

We beseech God to protect thee and protect those who have drunk the Kawthar of the All-Merciful from this gleaming, resplendent cup and who have become so detached through His remembrance from the remembrance of all else that they see naught in creation save as a handful of clay. God willing, thou shouldst in all conditions fix thy gaze upon the All-Glorious and associate and consort with upright souls, illumined hearts and steadfast minds. Thus doth the Beloved counsel thee out of love for thyself. Verily He is the Beloved and the Lord of all the worlds. Verily He is the All-Forgiving, the Possessor of great bounty.

BH02998: The call of the Ancient King hath been raised…

In His Name, Who is established upon the Throne

The call of the Ancient King hath been raised from His Most Great Prison, when He was in the hands of the oppressors, summoning the people unto God, the Mighty, the Wise. The nations and religions have united against Him because He calleth the servants unto God, the Lord of all causes. Say: Die in your wrath! Verily He doeth what He willeth through the sovereignty vouchsafed unto Him. The hosts of earth and heaven cannot withhold Him. All are within the grasp of His power and encompassed by His sovereignty which hath embraced the worlds. Were He to will it, He would destroy all who are on earth with but a word from Him. But His mercy hath preceded all creation. He is verily the Forgiving, the Generous.

Say: O people! Fear God and follow not those who have turned away from the Countenance and have turned unto those who are forbidden unto them in the perspicuous Book. Say: This is the Countenance of God, did ye but know with certainty, and this is the Cause of God, were ye of them that comprehend. The Divine Will hath been fulfilled through what He hath willed, and His Purpose through what He hath purposed. He is verily the Ruler over what He desireth. Every matter hath been realized through His command, every manifestation through His manifestation, and every book through this Book which walketh and speaketh. Exalted be the Ancient One Who hath sent down this great bounty!

Among the people are those who have cast guidance behind their backs, turning to their desires, thinking themselves to be guided. Most of creation standeth in the wilderness of bewilderment—they hear but understand not, they see but perceive not. Say: Draw nigh with illumined hearts. By God the Truth! He is verily the One manifest from the Supreme Horizon and the Dawning-Place of the Most Beautiful Names, were ye of them that discern.

Blessed art thou for having turned, heard, recognized and become of the triumphant. Thy mention was made before the Countenance and this wondrous Tablet was revealed for thee. God shall soon adorn the brocade of existence with the mention of His loved ones who turned unto Him when every stubborn tyrant turned away. Grieve not at anything. He will assist thee with the truth. There is no God but Him, the Powerful, the Mighty.

We beseech God to protect thee from every harmful one, to exalt thy station among the servants, and to ordain for thee the good of the seen and unseen. He is verily the Powerful, the Mighty, the Generous. And upon thee and those with thee be the glory from thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

BH03011: This is a Book from Us to him whose…

In His Name, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!

This is a Book from Us to him whose letter was present before the Throne and who attained the presence of his Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, that he may be assured that He remembers the one who hath voiced His praise and heareth that which he hath called upon Him with. Verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. We have read thy letter and recognized thy advancement in the Cause of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Wondrous. We beseech God to assist thee in such wise that the imaginings of those who make mention of Him among the people while harboring other intentions in secret shall not cause thee to slip. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Say: Nothing whatsoever escapeth His knowledge. He heareth that which their tongues utter and that which passeth through the hearts of the doubters. Guard thyself from the utterances of them that make allusions, and immerse thyself in the oceans of the favors of thy Lord, the Forgiving, the Bountiful. Place thy whole trust in God, detached from all else. This is My counsel unto thee and it shall profit thee in this world and in the next. Verily, He is the Protector of the sincere ones.

O servant who gazeth upon the Countenance! Thy letter from which wafted the sweet savors of the love of the All-Merciful was presented at the Most Great Scene. Blessed art thou for having attained thereunto and for being among those who have turned towards Him. Praise be to the Goal of all the worlds that thou hast recognized Him and art celebrating His praise.

That which is desired in these days is steadfastness in the Cause of God, for there are many who harbor doubts, and from every direction the voice of the calf is raised. Those souls who have drunk from the cup of the love of the All-Merciful and have raised high the pavilion of certitude in the midmost heart of the world must regard all else besides God as utter nothingness and absolute void, save those souls who arise to serve the Cause outwardly and inwardly. The most abject of people in the sight of God are those who prostrate themselves at the call of every calf and who worship every idol out of vain imaginings. The worshipper and the worshipped are both in manifest loss. And certain souls have become the cause of the waste of God’s Cause while counting themselves among the mighty ones. Humiliation shall soon overtake them from every direction unless they repent and return unto God, the Lord of all the worlds.

O thou who art mindful of the Truth! God willing, thou shalt ever drink from the cup of steadfastness and quaff from the chalice of detachment. Verily, He is with thee under all conditions. There is none other God but Him, the Forgiving, the Bountiful.

BH03038: In His Name, the Most Holy, above all names!…

In His Name, the Most Holy, above all names! O My Name! In thy letter mention was made of Rida and of Nabil-i-Husayn. Therefore We send down for them that which illumineth the darkness in this radiant dawn. Say: The Most Great Ocean hath sprinkled upon you both the sprinkling of glorification from this far-off station. Though the station be remote, yet He is the Near One, and was ever watchful over you. Rejoice ye in God’s remembrance of you, then remain steadfast in such wise that the hearts of the righteous may find peace and the hearts of the ungodly be disturbed. Your mention hath come before the Throne and this wondrous Tablet hath been revealed for you both.

O Husayn! The Beloved shall show thee concerning that whereon thou art. Blessed art thou for having recognized and attained and remained steadfast and been among those who remember. Give thanks unto thy Lord for having enabled thee to that whereon thou art and aided thee in His love after all the oppressive ones turned away from Him. Be thou a servant of My Cause, celebrating My Name and praising thy Lord for what hath been revealed from His mighty and impregnable Pen.

O Rida! Rejoice in the remembrance of the Lord of Names, then speak forth His praise amongst His heedless servants. We beseech God to enable thee to do what He loveth and is pleased with, and to strengthen thee in what hath been sent down in a preserved Tablet. Verily the glory be upon you both and upon those who have acknowledged the Seat of the Cause and the Dawning-Place of thy Lord’s revelation, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

O My Name! Give thanks unto God for having chosen thee for the service of His Self and preferred thee above most of creation. He is verily the Forgiving, the Bountiful. Be thou assured of thy Lord’s grace. He remembereth thee most often even when He was in the hands of the ungodly. The air of the city was filled with dust, its earth was shaken, its people were terrified, and its fire appeared, but God calmed it in truth. He is verily the Powerful, the Mighty.

By My life! In times of tribulations and appearance of hardships, I find Myself in such joy and attraction that those in the world are powerless to mention them. Though sorrows may at times seize the body, yet they cannot prevent it from what it was engaged in, and the spirit remaineth in evident sovereignty.

Convey My glorification to My Afnan and then to My loved ones who have held fast to My strong cord. Say: Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH02997: God—there is no God but Him! He has wished…

God—there is no God but Him! He has wished to mention you, O Desire of the worlds, that He may behold you wholly turned toward God, the Mighty, the Wise. He loves that you should have a single, radiant and illumined countenance in this Cause whereby the Cry has been raised up and the people of all religions were terrified, save those whom your Lord, the All-Merciful, wished. He is verily the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Would that you had known the waves of this Most Great Ocean and what lies concealed therein of the pearls of the knowledge of your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Rend asunder all the veils of the world, then turn with your heart toward the Lord of Names, detached from the idolaters. Say: He knows the hidden thoughts of souls and the treachery of eyes. With Him is the knowledge of what was and what will be, in a Tablet sealed by the finger of the will of your Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful.

Say: O people, remember when Muhammad, the Messenger of God, came, the learned ones and every possessor of knowledge turned away from Him, while those who tended sheep believed in Him. Thus do We detail the verses unto you that you may call out with this Name, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

It behooves you today to adorn your head with the crown of this wise Remembrance and to be one who calls out My Name amongst the servants. By this will God exalt your station and establish your mention throughout the duration of the kingdom and the heavenly kingdom. Verily your Lord is the Ruler over what He wills.

Say: Look and remember the one named Abu Dharr. He was tending the sheep of the people when he believed. The learned ones denied him, yet today every possessor of manifest knowledge takes pride in his name. Those who act unjustly today—God will soon erase their traces and exalt those who have believed to such a degree that their names will be spoken throughout the earth. Thus do We inform you, and none can inform you like One who is All-Knowing.

Arise to the Cause in such wise that God’s help may be manifest from you in all else, and the servants may behold in your face the radiance of divine bliss. This is a Day wherein if anyone misses aught, all the means of earth combined cannot make up for it, and your Lord is witness to what I say.

Rise from the horizon of silence, speaking in remembrance of your Lord, the Mighty, the Beautiful. Say: It behooves every soul, when hearing the Call from the direction of his Most Glorious Lord, to say “Here am I, O Dawning-Place of the Command of my Lord, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful.” Convey My greetings to those servants who have believed in God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.

BH02979: In the Name of the Peerless God. Praise be…

In the Name of the Peerless God. Praise be to the pure Lord who was ever-living and self-subsisting by His own Self. Every non-existence has come into being through His existence, and every nothingness has become manifest through His being.

O Rustam! God willing, through the grace of the All-Merciful, be a man of the arena so that through this divine melody you may ignite the dispirited ones, bring the dead to life, and make the withered ones fresh. If you discover this fire which is light, you will come to utterance and see yourself endowed with deeds.

O Rustam! This day the signs of bounty are made manifest: He turneth the mote into a sun, and, through the radiance of the effulgent splendours of the Most Great Name, He maketh the drop to become an ocean. Say: O ye [Zoroastrian] high priests, in My Name ye are accounted noble; yet in fleeing from Me ye have shown yourselves to be high priests of demons. Had ye been high priests of the Merciful One, ye would have been with Him, and would have known Him.

O Rustam! the sea of divine generosity is revealed, and the sun of the All-Merciful’s bestowals is shining forth. Blessed the possessor of eyes that hath seen, and blessed the possessor of ears that hath heard.

Say: O blind ones, the Shelter of the World has come—it is the Day of sight. The All-Seeing, the All-Knowing One has come—it is the time of sacrificing one’s life. On this Day of bounty, strive that you may be recorded in the book of the righteous.

None but the All-Merciful Lord has ever been, or is, capable of forgiving the wayward and the sinful. How can one who has not received existence bestow existence, and how can one who is himself guilty of error forgive error?

Say: O high priests! The Beloved of the worlds calls you to God from His prison. Accept from Him, and flee not from Him Who has accepted endless tribulations for your deliverance. Pass beyond the seeming friend who is an enemy, and attach your hearts to the one true Friend.

Say: O people, be content with that which the Friend has willed, for what He has chosen is indeed praiseworthy.

Say: O high priests! No man’s acts shall be acceptable in this Day unless he forsaketh mankind and all that men possess, and setteth his face towards the Omnipotent One. Today is the day of the truthful ones who have passed beyond creation and joined with Truth, who have fled from the darkness of remoteness and drawn near to the light.

O Rustam! Hear the words of the Lord and convey them to the people.

BH03122: In the Name of God, the Most Holy…

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious! Affairs have so transformed that thou seest vultures dwelling in palaces while the Sovereign of the Kingdom resideth in the most ruined of houses. Thus hath the matter been decreed by thy Lord, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. God hath made their palaces their tombs. Well is it with them that possess insight!

They whose eyes have been illumined with guidance in the days of their Most Glorious Lord—these see not things but they first perceive their eventual passing. By My life! Through them doth the earth yield its fruits and the clouds pour down their rain.

The world, at every moment, calleth out to man, saying:

“Dost thou expect fidelity from me? Evil is that which thou hast imagined! Soon shalt thou find thyself in abasement and loss.”

Well is it with him who casteth it behind him, turning unto the Dawning-Place of lights. Say: The world is that which preventeth you from God, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

Among men is he who maketh his religion his world and it preventeth him from the straight path, and among them is he who maketh his asceticism his world while he remaineth in heedlessness and error, and among them is he who maketh his poverty the world itself while remaining unaware of his condition. Thus have We detailed the matter in the Scriptures and Tablets. Rend ye the veils! This is the Lord of lords Who hath come with the Kingdom of verses.

Among men is he who hath clung to the Evil One, turning away from the Kingdom. Say: Woe unto thee, O thou who associateth partners with God and doubteth! We have manifested the Cause in such wise that necks have been humbled before it. Whoso drinketh from this cup, neither the cawing of the deniers nor the clouds of allusions shall shut him out.

How many a wise one hath been veiled from the Sun by clouds of fancy, and how many a child hath rent asunder the veils! How many a person of understanding hath been confounded within himself, and how many a heedless one hath advanced until he entered the Kingdom of his Lord, the Exalted, the Most High! Say: Grace is in the hand of God—He bestoweth it upon whomsoever He willeth of His creation. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Forgiving. Blessed is he who hath turned unto Him! Woe unto every proud oppressor!

Thus have We cast upon thee and sent down unto thee verses that nothing in earth or heaven can equal, that the breezes of revelation might seize thee in these days wherein the Dove hath warbled and the Raven hath cawed. And the glory be upon thee and upon every patient believer.

BH03124: Your letter has reached Our presence and We found…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Holy

Your letter has reached Our presence and We found it adorned with the remembrance of God, your Lord and the Lord of all worlds. We have read it as a token of Our grace—verily your Lord is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

The world has been set ablaze by the heat of your Lord the All-Merciful’s utterance, yet most people remain heedless. We have made heat the cause of motion, and We have sanctified it above the types of motion mentioned in the books of men, for it has appeared from thy Lord’s word without how or gesture. Reflect and be of the thankful. The world moves by this motion and the celestial spheres rotate by the name of your Ancient Lord.

Can you remain still while the Spirit soars between the heavens and earth? Can you be patient while the Most Great Temple cries out with His wondrous name? It has seized those who were prevented by the moisture of vain imaginings and moved those who turned to the heat of My Name, the Beloved, Who is the Best-Beloved. Thus does the ocean of utterance flow forth from One Who is All-Knowing, All-Aware.

O Muhammad! Give thanks to God for having accepted your turning to Him and for having mentioned your name before the Throne and for the Tongue of Grandeur having spoken your name while in the prison of the heedless. Do not grieve over what has befallen Us, for My soul longs for tribulation to establish the Cause of your Lord, the King of Names. This is more glorious to Me than all else and sweeter than all sweetness, were you to know.

Remember My tribulations, My oppression, My imprisonment and My affliction, that perchance those who sleep on the couch of heedlessness and passion may awaken and remember their Lord, the All-Bountiful.

O Muhammad! It behooves you to remember My tribulations, and it behooves Me to manifest the ocean of My patience. Thus have We divided the work between Me and you. Rejoice in these words that have perfumed the worlds.

What We mention of patience and forbearance is for Our servants. By My life! When tribulation appears We give thanks to God, Creator of the heavens, and leave patience to the patient ones. When tribulation appears it behooves His servants to thank Him. But when We see them in weakness We command them to be patient. Thus do We explain for you that you may be of those who know.

May glory be upon you and upon those who have arisen to serve God when He came with manifest sovereignty.

BH03145: 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 has turned to the Face on a Day whereon the foundations were shaken, that he may detach himself from all that is with the people and hold fast unto this Cord whereby all possibility has been moved.

Hearken unto the Call of God from this most holy and most glorious Quarter, upon the luminous Spot from the verdant Tree: Verily, there is no God but Me, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Bestower. Arise to make mention of God amidst His creation and remind the people of this News whereby the Evil One has lamented and tremors have seized all in the lands.

Say: O people! The Self-Subsisting has come, and there is no escape for anyone except by turning to the Dawning-Place of verses Who speaks the truth—verily, there is no God but He, the Mighty, the Chosen One.

Say: O people! The Unseen speaks with this Tongue among you—know this and follow not every doubtful misbeliever. From the Unseen has appeared the Temple of the Witnessed One, and through the beauty of the Witnessed One has been established the decree of the Unseen. All that appears from Him appears from His presence. Thus has shone forth the Sun of Unity from the horizon of detachment—blessed are they who possess insight.

Say: O people! He was from everlasting and will forever remain as He has been. Whoso denies Him has denied Him Who speaks the truth at the axis of all existence, that there is no God but He, the Mighty, the Gracious. Set aside those who have disbelieved and what they possess. By My life! They speak only according to their desires and wish only to cast doubt into the hearts of those who have shattered the idols.

He who has drunk the choice wine of inner meanings from this white chalice—the allusions will not prevent him from drawing near unto God, the Revealer of verses. Their only purpose is to find grounds to object to God, the Lord of the Day of Return. Say: All that is revealed—verily the Revealer is God. To this testify all atoms. Whoso denies Me has denied the Unseen, and all things curse him, and behind them the Tongue of Grandeur and Power.

When you attain unto the Tablet of God [say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having mentioned me] after [being] in the hands of the wicked ones.

BH03074: O Muhammad! We have found from thee the fragrance…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Glorious

O Muhammad! We have found from thee the fragrance of My love and the sweet-scenting savor of My affection. Therefore hath My Most Exalted Pen, which We have commanded to cry out between earth and heaven, been moved to mention thy name. Thy Lord is, verily, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

May the rapture of thy Lord’s Most Glorious utterance seize thee once again and cause thee to voice His praise amidst all peoples. Blessed art thou and thy children and those around thee—upon them be the remembrance and praise of God—inasmuch as they have cast away what the people possess and taken hold of the Book of God, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

Rejoice ye in the days of God, celebrate and glorify this Name which God hath made to exercise dominion over all who are in the heavens and on earth. Take ye the chalices of prosperity in the name of the Cleaver of Dawn, then drink therefrom through this wise Remembrance. Blessed is he who hath drunk of the choice wine whose seal We have broken with the finger of My Will that embraceth all things. Thy Lord is, verily, the Most High, the Most Great.

Say: This is the Day whereon God, the King, hath called unto His Own Self, the All-Encompassing over all things. Thus hath the matter been decreed from the presence of a Mighty, Ancient One. Say: The world hath been set ablaze by the heat of God’s Word, yet the people are in strange drunkenness and rejoice though they know not. Soon shall they know what hath escaped them in these days wherein the All-Merciful hath come with a manifest light.

Gather the servants at the Most Great Ocean and remind them of what hath been sent down in the Tablet. Thy Lord is the Best of Rememberers. In the prison He remembereth those who have turned unto Him. He is the Protector of those who turn unto Him.

Say: O loved ones of God! Grieve not at anything. Put your trust in Him. He will assuredly aid you through the truth. He is the Protector of the sincere ones. God shall soon exalt your names in the earth and make manifest your traces. Rejoice ye in what hath been ordained for you in the Tablet.

Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Beloved of them that know! Glorify on My behalf the faces of those who have believed. Say: Blessed are ye for having turned unto the Countenance on a day when every misbeliever turned away in doubt. Upon thee and upon those with thee be the Glory from the presence of a Mighty, Beauteous One.

BH03101: A remembrance from Us unto him who hath turned…

He is the Most Ancient, the Most Great, the Most Bountiful

A remembrance from Us unto him who hath turned unto God after hearing His call from the luminous Lote-Tree raised up upon the crimson spot. Verily, there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Bestower. Blessed art thou for having drawn nigh unto the Desired One and for having migrated from thy homeland out of longing to attain the presence of God, the Mighty, the Chosen One. Know thou the worth of this station—naught that hath been created in the realm of existence can compare with it.

O Mihdi! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One Who, from the dark pit, calleth out to them that dwell in the kingdom of creation and summoneth them unto God, the Lord of all mankind. Wert thou to become aware of the tribulations of thy Lord, thou wouldst weep as weepeth one who is bereaved. Though We have made mention of it in the Tablets, it representeth but a drop from the ocean. Thy Lord is, verily, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Grieve not at anything. Be content with what God hath ordained for thee. He hath destined for those who desire Him that which is better for them than all else created in the contingent world. Didst thou but know what hath been inscribed for thee by the Most Exalted Pen, thou wouldst soar with rapture. Thy Lord is, verily, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.

Be thou steadfast in the Cause, then stand firm in the love of thy Lord, for this Cause is mighty, mighty indeed—none comprehendeth it save those endued with understanding. We have heard thy call and have answered thee with this Tablet whereby the preamble of the Book of Creation hath been adorned. Sorrow not over anything. Place thy trust in God. He is with thee and will help thee in truth. There is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Compelling.

Preserve the verses of thy Lord, then recite them with the melody of the heart. God willing, mayest thou ever rest beneath the shade of the favors of the eternal King and be adorned with the ornament of His bounties. Strive that perchance in these fleeting days thou mayest arise to serve the Countenance of the All-Glorious, be mentioned by His Name and be known by His love. The hardships thou hast borne in His path shall not be lost. No righteous deed appeareth from any doer except that its reward hath been recorded by the Pen of the King of Oneness. Be thou thankful unto thy Lord for this manifest grace.

We beseech God to assist thee in His service, to aid thee in His remembrance, and to make thee one of those who have stood firm in His love and good-pleasure. He is, verily, the Ruler, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Compelling.

BH03141: This is a remembrance from Us to one who…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted

This is a remembrance from Us to one who hath attained the lights of the Countenance and been adorned with the ornament of his Lord’s loving-kindness, the Mighty, the All-Wise, and who hath consorted with the Beloved for a number of years. By My life! This is indeed a great bounty. Blessed art thou for having carried the trust of thy Lord and fulfilled God’s Covenant in days when hearts were agitated and every mouldering bone was stirred.

How many were the servants who heard the Call from the Dayspring of creation, turned towards it and said: “Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of Names!” And how many were the servants who heard and turned away—these are assuredly the companions of the fire. They whom the breezes of Thy Lord’s mercy stirred—these are the people of Baha inscribed in a glorious Tablet.

Say: This is not a day to tarry. All things have been set in motion by the breaths of revelation, yet the heedless are in evident drunkenness. O glad tidings unto thee for God hath aided thee to love Him and to win His good-pleasure, and hath caused thee to recognize Him Who speaketh the truth between the heavens and the earth!

If thou desirest to learn what hath befallen the Wronged One, read what We have revealed unto Our servant Husayn. But grieve not, for thy Lord is the Powerful, the Possessor of great might. My case is like unto him who walked in the depths of the sea while the waves encompassed him—thus doth the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, inform thee. In such condition We summon the peoples unto the Lord of eternity in such wise that neither the oppression of tyrants nor the ascendancy of Pharaohs can hinder Us. Verily thy Lord is the Omnipotent, the Almighty.

Gather ye together in the name of your Lord, the All-Merciful, then drink the water of life through His mention, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. Be ye assured of God’s grace and mercy. He is with you in all conditions. He is the Protector of the sincere ones.

Say: O my God! I beseech Thee by the wrong suffered by the Manifestation of Thy Self and by His power that hath encompassed all in Thy kingdom, to draw me near unto Thee in all conditions, that I may be mindful of Thy remembrance, speaking forth Thy Name and circling round Thy will. Thou art verily the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Wise.

Glory be upon thee and upon thy kindred and upon those whose images were present before thy Lord’s throne, the Most High, the Most Great. Thus hath God ordained for them the reward of those who attained the presence of the Countenance. This is indeed a manifest bounty.

BH03127: Baha calleth out: “Where are the people of fidelity…

He is the Most Great, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted

Baha calleth out: “Where are the people of fidelity whose faces reflect the radiance of God, the Lord of Names? These are servants by whom the horizon of certitude hath shone forth. The All-Merciful sendeth blessings upon them at all times. They are among the bearers of the Throne amidst all worlds. God hath singled them out for this greatest bounty and preferred them above all who dwell upon the earth. He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Verily, they who are heedless this day—their names shall not be mentioned before the Throne, except that they are among the lost. Soon shall they behold the recompense of what they have wrought in the days of God. He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Encompassing. He recompenseth every soul for what it hath earned. With Him is the knowledge of all things in a clear Book. He desireth naught for His servants save their drawing nigh unto Him, yet today they are among the drowned, except for him whom the hand of grace hath saved and drawn nigh to the holy court and made to be among the triumphant. Verily, the Cause is in the grasp of His power. He doeth what He willeth through His sovereignty. He, verily, is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

And remember when the Bearer of Glad-Tidings came unto them and informed them of this Great Announcement. But when He came with the truth, the people differed concerning Him. Among them were those who denied and rejected the proof of the All-Merciful when He appeared with manifest sovereignty. And among them were those who said: He hath appeared contrary to our imaginings.’ Thus did their souls beguile them on this wondrous Day. And among them were those who said: He must follow what we possess.’ Say: Rather is He more worthy to be followed, did ye but understand. Say: He is the One Whom the world must obey. He hath created all things for His following. This is what hath been decreed in the Tablet, were ye of those who know. He, verily, is the Ruler over whatsoever He willeth, and He, verily, is the Chooser of whatsoever He desireth. None hath the right to hesitate in what hath been sent down from His presence, and whoso hesitateth is assuredly among the companions of the Fire.

O people! Look not unto what ye possess, but unto what hath been sent down from your Lord, the All-Knowing. Be thou thankful unto God for having attained unto the Most Great Sea and been numbered among those who have turned unto Him. I counsel thee to steadfastness most great, for it hath a station that no other deeds can surpass. Hold thou fast unto it and be among the firmly rooted.”

BH03104: Ra. Sin. May you rest, God willing, at all…

In the name of the One Friend

Ra. Sin. May you rest, God willing, at all times and under all conditions beneath the shade of the mercy of the All-Merciful, detached from the world and all who dwell therein.

You have ever been and continue to be before Our gaze. Your burning in separation has been recorded and mentioned in divine Tablets and Writings. By My life! God has written down the reward of one who has attained His presence, heard His call, and circled round His Self. Seize this opportunity and be of the thankful ones.

Praise the Beloved of the world that you are known among the people of Baha in the Supreme Concourse. Although this station is now hidden from sight, soon this bounty will become manifest in all the worlds. Occupy yourself with service to the Cause and with wisdom summon the people to the eternal Law.

In these days the door of the House is closed—none may enter from without nor leave from within. From the beginning of creation until now, no one has endured such afflictions, nor have any of the Manifestations of Divine Unity and Daysprings of God’s Revelation been imprisoned in one place with seventy souls. These tribulations are unique to this Revelation. Consider then what has befallen and continues to befall Us in the land of Ta.

Although the imprisonment of the Primal Point was brief, yet those who were with Him in prison, concerned with preserving their own lives, turned away and objected—except for one soul who, clinging to the cord of faithfulness, detached from all the worlds, drank the cup of martyrdom with the Beloved of all who are in the heavens and on earth, and attained the Supreme Companion.

But be not grieved—despite all internal and external tribulations, the Cause of God is manifest with utmost glory and the light of God is radiant. Exalted be this bounty that has encompassed the horizons and this power that has encompassed the worlds.

Convey greetings from the All-Merciful to all the friends and command all to steadfastness, for this station is most great. Blessed is he who has attained unto it—he is, before God, the Most High, the Most Great, of the people of Baha.