Volume 052: Akka 1291 A.H. (1874–1875) (4 of 4)

BH09246: O Qadir, blessed art thou for having cast aside…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great

O Qadir, blessed art thou for having cast aside the pool and turned unto the Most Great Ocean which hath appeared through this Name whereby God hath subdued all who are in the realm of possibility. Be thou steadfast in the Cause in such wise that the allusions of those who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of Lords, shall not prevent thee. Hold thou fast unto the cord of grace and cling to the hem of the mercy of thy Lord, the Master of all names.

He maketh mention of thee as a bounty from Him and commandeth thee to observe justice and righteousness. He, verily, is the Commander, the Counselor, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Unconstrained. Be thou in the Cause of thy Lord in a manner befitting these days wherein the Kingdom and the realm above call out: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of all religions!”

BH09420: God beareth witness that there is none other God…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Great

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath appeared with the truth is indeed the Sovereign of verses and their Dawning-Place. Not one word that hath been sent down before or will be sent down hereafter can equal His Word, and every letter revealed from His presence is verily the water of life for all who dwell in the realm of possibility, and the emblem of eternity for all in the world, and a sign of guidance for all who are in the heavens and on earth. Whoso hath attained unto it hath attained unto all good, and whoso hath turned away from it, verily all the deeds of the worlds shall profit him not. Thus hath the Dove warbled, and the Nightingale of Glory sung upon the Tree of Immortality. Blessed is he who hath heard and said: “Praise be unto Thee, O Beloved of the mystics!”

BH09459: We have sent down the verses and manifested…

In the Name of the Mighty, the All-Praised!

We have sent down the verses and manifested the clear proofs, yet most of the people remain heedless. Verily, he who hath been illumined by the light of the Countenance is of the people of this glorious horizon. Blessed is he who, being far, hath drawn nigh, and the thirsty one who hath turned to the Salsabil of the mercy of his Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

Had the people known, they would not have cast the Command of God behind their backs, nor would they have hesitated in this Cause, unto which have turned the Concourse on High and the dwellers of Paradise and those whom none knoweth save God, the Lord of all worlds.

Say: O people! Deprive not yourselves of this most great bounty, nor follow every ignorant remote one. Thus have We wafted unto thee a fragrance from the fragrances of thy Lord, that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Ancient Master.

BH09941: The tongue of the unseen hath spoken forth…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Holy

The tongue of the unseen hath spoken forth in the heaven of My infallibility: Verily there is none other God but Me, the Protector of all worlds. And He Who hath appeared is verily the Dayspring of the Unseen. No doubt existeth: He hath come with manifest sovereignty. Through Him My Cause was established, My path was raised up, My balance was set, and that which lay hidden in My preserved Tablet was revealed. Through Him were gladdened the eyes of those who uttered My remembrance, who came with My signs and were made manifest through My clear proofs.

Blessed is he who hath turned toward Him; woe unto him who hath denied Him and turned away from that which hath been sent down from His presence. Verily he is among the most wretched of creatures. To this doth My truthful, speaking, trustworthy Tongue bear witness.

BH09783: O Jahan! The Refuge of the world saith…

in the name of the one peerless Friend

O Jahan! The Refuge of the world saith: The itensity of thine ardor and yearning and rapture and attraction were mentioned in the Most Holy Court. Therefore, this wondrous Tablet, which is the dawning-place of attraction and the source of jubilation for the peoples of the world, was revealed and sent forth, that it might increase in you at all times that which is befitting and meet in this day. Therefore, you must speak forth in praise of God with such rapture and attraction that the firm and steadfast mountains will be set in motion. Warble upon the branches amidst the handmaidens of the All-Merciful, that they may be drawn by your melodies and turn unto God, the Beloved of those who know.

BH09939: The Most Holy, Most Impregnable, Most Great!

The Most Holy, Most Impregnable, Most Great!

We have sent down the verses, but most of the people hear not. And We have revealed the clear proofs, but the people perceive not. They who have attained the lights of mystic knowledge—these are accounted among the people of Baha in a hidden Tablet. Blessed is he who hath turned to the Intended One, and whom the affairs of the Jews who denied the signs of God and His proof when He came with manifest sovereignty did not hinder.

O people! Fear God and follow not your own affairs. Follow Him Who speaketh amongst the world: “Verily, there is no God but Me, the Mighty, the Beloved.” My Most Exalted Pen hath moved to make mention of thee, that thou mayest be assured through the grace of thy Lord, the Lord of all beings, and remember Him at eventide and at dawn.

BH09769: We make mention of them that have immersed themselves…

In the Name of the Mighty, the All-Wise!

We make mention of them that have immersed themselves in the ocean of divine knowledge in the days of the All-Merciful and have turned unto His Face when it shone forth from the horizon of utterance. Verily, they who are heedless this day are reckoned among the people of the fire in the Book of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bountiful. He who draweth nigh shall be remembered by the dwellers of Paradise and by them who circle round the Throne at morn and eventide. Give thanks unto God for having aided thee to turn unto Him when every disbelieving deceiver turned away. He, verily, aideth him who aideth Him, and remembereth him who remembereth Him, and ordaineth for him that which shall gladden his eyes. Thus have We made mention of thee that thou mayest rejoice in the remembrance of thy Lord, the Lord of all religions.

BH09828: A remembrance from Us to him who was moved…

He is the Most Great, the Most Holy

A remembrance from Us to him who was moved by the fragrance of the All-Merciful and turned to God, the Lord of the worlds, that the Call may attract him to the Dayspring of grandeur and glory and draw him nigh unto this mighty Ocean. They who have turned unto the Truth and have turned away from creation, these are among the people of Paradise in this perspicuous Tablet. Blessed is the strong one who hath turned toward the Dawning-Place of certitude, and the weak one who hath held fast unto this mighty and unbreakable Cord.

We have indeed inhaled the fragrance of thy turning unto Us, and have revealed for thee this mighty Book. Read it by night and by day, then glorify thy Lord with praise at morn and at eventide.

BH09885: God testifieth that there is none other God but…

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

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting. And He Who speaketh in the realm of creation is indeed He through Whom the eyes of the world have been solaced and through Whom every wondrous Tablet hath been sent down. Verily he who hath turned unto Him hath turned unto My direction and appeared before My throne and heard My call and responded to My utterance and followed My commandments and attained My presence and drunk the choice wine of My favors and the Kawthar of My bounties and tasted the sweetness of My remembrance and My words and reached the ultimate goal in My Kingdom and My dominion. Upon him rest My glory and My mercy which have encompassed the worlds.

BH09831: A remembrance from Us unto him who hath attained…

In His Name, the Most Great, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious

A remembrance from Us unto him who hath attained unto the lights of faith when heedlessness seized the dwellers of earth and heaven save whom God, the Mighty, the Powerful, hath willed. Verily the sincere ones have hastened unto God and those who seek Him have turned toward the luminous horizon. God remembereth him who hath turned toward the Most Great Sea when the peoples turned away from it, and He sendeth His blessings upon him from this wondrous station. Beware lest the allusions of those who have disbelieved in God veil thee, or the veils of those who hesitate prevent thee—they who have been debarred from the Living Waters because they followed every ignorant remote one. Grieve not in any matter; place thy trust in the One, the All-Informed.

BH09955: Say: O God, O Revealer of verses and Manifestor…

In His Name, the One with Power over all names

Say: O God, O Revealer of verses and Manifestor of clear proofs! I beseech Thee by the Dawning-Place of Thy knowledge, the Dayspring of Thy revelation, and the Manifestation of Thy Self, to ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones who have arisen to aid Thy Cause amidst Thy creatures. Then assist me to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee amongst Thy creation. O my Lord! I am he who hath turned toward the horizon of Thy grace and the Source of Thy Command and bounty. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me from that which is with Thee, that I may arise to serve Thee in Thy kingdom and to spread Thy signs throughout Thy earth. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Great.

BH09927: The Divine Lote-Tree calls out in the kingdom…

In His Name, the One with power over all who are on earth and in heaven!

The Divine Lote-Tree calls out in the kingdom of creation: “Verily, there is no God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!” There is nothing that does not glorify its Lord with praise, yet most people are heedless. Say: O people! Fear God and follow not your idle fancies. Follow Him Who calls you to the straight path.

Say: Reflect upon the signs of God and His proof, then judge with fairness and be not of the wrongdoers. By God! This is a Cause that has encompassed creation, were you of those who know. Take hold of the Book of God with the power that comes from Him, then recite it at all times.

BH09773: We make mention of one who has found…

He is the Most Ancient, the Most Great

We make mention of one who has found the sweetness of his Lord the Most Merciful’s utterance with an illumined heart. The world hath been perfumed by the breezes of revelation, yet the idolaters are in manifest loss. The mountains have passed unto the Self-Subsisting, yet most of the people are among the heedless. We make mention of him who hath turned to the Countenance and We send down that whereby his remembrance shall endure in the Book of God, the King, the Mighty, the Praised.

Be thou grateful to thy Lord for this bounty and say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having caused me to turn unto Thee and to set my face toward the court of Thy knowledge when most of creation turned away from Thee. I beseech Thee to assist me in serving Thee and to make me among the steadfast ones.

BH09954: Say: O my God and God of all…

He is God

In His Name that overshadoweth the world

Say: O my God and God of all the worlds, my Beloved and Beloved of all who know Thee! I praise Thee for having caused me to recognize the Dayspring of Thy signs and brought me before the throne of Thy grandeur and made me to hear Thy call when most of Thy creatures had turned away from Thee. I beseech Thee, O Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens, to make me as one of the fish in the ocean of Thy oneness, that I may swim therein by Thy leave and will, and glorify Thee by Thy Name which Thou hast made to be sovereign over all names and the Self-Subsisting over all who dwell on earth and in heaven. There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH09952: Say: O my God! Praise be to Thee…

He is God. He is the Most Holy, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Great

Say: O my God! Praise be to Thee for having made me to speak forth Thy Name and to serve Thy Cause, and for having distinguished me among Thy servants for the recognition of Thy Self and for turning unto Thy Face. I beseech Thee by the Dayspring of Thy Being and the Dawning-Place of Thine Essence to make all my deeds as one deed in Thy love and all my remembrances as one remembrance in Thy praise. Then cause me to drink, at all times, from the Salsabil of Thy knowledge and the Kawthar of Thy utterance, whereby the hearts of Thy servants and the souls of Thy creatures may be drawn.

Verily, Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

BH09951: O God, my God!

O God, my God!

Thou seest Thy loved ones scattered throughout Thy lands, and the Dayspring of Thy Cause oppressed among Thy servants. By Thy glory, O my God! Hearts have melted in separation from Him and eyes have shed tears for His tribulation. I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou hast made it the Dawning-Place of power, to rend asunder the veil that hath come between Thee and Thy loved ones, that they may gather in Thy presence, hearken unto Thy call, and attain unto the Kawthar of reunion in Thy days. Then ordain for me and for them that which beseemeth Thy generosity, Thy favors, Thy grace and Thy gifts. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

BH10207: O Khadijah, hearken to the call of the Dayspring…

In the name of the Desire of the world!

O Khadijah, hearken to the call of the Dayspring of the Light of Oneness, Who calleth thee from the horizon of the Most Great Prison, that thou mayest become intoxicated with the wine of the utterance of the All-Merciful and be occupied with His mention among the handmaidens of God.

God willing, thou wilt, with utmost sanctity and detachment, awaken those who slumber through the breaths of the divine verses, and bring the receptive souls to a state of rapture and yearning through the Kawthar of the mention of the Dayspring of the clear proofs of the All-Merciful, so that all may be gladdened through remembrance of the Friend and remain alive and steadfast in His love. The Glory be upon thee.

BH10312: In the name of Him Who is the Guardian…

In the name of Him Who is the Guardian over all who are in the heavens and on earth.

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and He Who speaketh with truth is verily the Tongue of My grandeur and the Dawning-Place of My glory and the Horizon of My favors and the Sun of My Will and the Heaven of My Purpose and the Pen of My Command and My Preserved Tablet and the Book of My Laws unto all who are in the heavens and on earth. Through Him were opened the gates of My mercy and the rain of My loving-kindness was showered and the ocean of My generosity surged and the fragrance of My garment was wafted abroad.

Blessed is he who hath turned unto Him and found and said:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Beloved of the heavens and of the earth!”

BH10358: Say: O God, O Sovereign of all names…

He is established upon the Throne.

Say: O God, O Sovereign of all names and Creator of heaven! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the heaven of Thy Revelation was raised up, and the ocean of Thy Will surged, and the fragrance of Thy Robe was wafted abroad, to assist me to remember Thee and to diffuse Thy Cause, and to draw me near unto Thee at all times through Thy sovereignty and Thy power. Then make me to triumph over Thine enemies and to prevail over the rebellious among Thy creatures. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest and dominant over whatsoever Thou desirest. There is no God but Thee, the Exalted, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH10357: The Most Holy, Most Great, Most Glorious

The Most Holy, Most Great, Most Glorious.

Say: O God, O Cleaver of the dawn and Commander of the winds! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the Hidden Treasure and the Concealed Name were made manifest, to render me assisted in revealing Thy Cause among Thy creation through the wisdom which Thou hast sent down in Thy Tablets. Then make me to be of those who have circled round Thy will, who have sought the Kaaba of Thy presence, who have stood before Thee, and who have heard Thy most sweet call from Thy Most Exalted Pen. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all beings. Within Thy grasp is the kingdom of all things. Thou doest what Thou willest through Thy sovereignty. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Wise.

BH10309: God testifieth that there is none other God but…

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

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath come with clear proofs is verily the Dawning-Place of My Cause, and the Dayspring of My Revelation, and My Hidden Book, and My Preserved Tablet, and the Heaven of My wisdom, and the Ocean of My knowledge. Whoso hath attained unto Him, he is of the most exalted among all created things, and whoso hath turned away, he is of the idolaters.

Blessed is he who hath on this day spoken in praise of God, turning away from those who disbelieved in God when He came unto them with a perspicuous command. Thus have the verses been sent down in truth, as the Ancient Beauty walketh in His mighty prison.

BH10539: O Mahmud! The All-Desired One calls you from His…

He is the All-Encompassing, the All-Powerful, the Self-Subsisting

O Mahmud! The All-Desired One calls you from His Praiseworthy Station to God, the Mighty, the Loving. Whosoever has turned to Him has turned to God and attained the Kawthar of revelation from the hand of his Lord, the Kind. Reflect upon God’s grace and mercy—verily He remembers you from the horizon of the prison, having found from you the fragrance of His cherished love. Remember Him at all times, turning away from those who have turned away from His extended path.

BH01832: Praise be to God Who has caused the world…

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

Praise be to God Who has caused the world to speak forth in remembrance of His Most Great Name and has made His remembrance [His existence] to be from the Word of God that is obeyed, which neither the outer nor inner senses can comprehend, for it is sanctified above nature and above the limited, created letters. Through it the Resurrection and its signs appeared, and the Hour and what pertains to it, and through it He distinguished between contingent beings and chose whatsoever He willed from among created things. Exalted is He Who brought it forth, Who sent it, and Who manifested it, Who was, and there was naught else beside Him, and Who shall be even as He was. There is none other God but He, the Mighty, the Powerful.

Glory be unto Thee, O God of the worlds and Beloved of those who know Thee! Thou knowest that my tongue is powerless to make mention of those whom Thou hast chosen for Thy love, whom Thou hast preferred above Thy creatures, whom Thou hast made to be branches of Thy Lote-Tree, lights in the horizon of Thy Revelation, streams from the paradise of Thy Cause, and a gulf from the ocean of Thy grandeur. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the nations and Quickener of the world, to cause me to speak at all times of that which befitteth their station and befitteth those who have turned towards Thy face, turning away from all else besides Thee. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest through Thy word “Be” and it is.

My spirit be a sacrifice for your love! This servant has been honored to receive your esteemed letter. Praise be to God, its fragrant breezes perfumed the heart and gave life to the soul. We beseech God not to cut off these spiritual breezes and this diffused musk-scented fragrance. Tongue and utterance are powerless to mention this station. I beg and implore the True One, exalted be His grandeur, to bestow its reward. Verily He is the Giver, the Munificent, the Mighty, the Generous, and unto him who calls upon Him, the Hearing, the Responding One.

Furthermore, your letter arrived at the Most Holy Court at an appointed time, and He in Whose hand is the Kingdom of all things took it, and after it was honored to receive His glance of favor, He bestowed it upon this servant. As commanded, this servant again recited it in His presence. He knoweth what was uttered by his tongue at that time. Verily He is the All-Numbering, the All-Knowing. If this servant were to mention the bounties he hath witnessed, neither pens nor papers would suffice. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to aid you in all conditions and to protect you from those who have denied God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Moreover, whatsoever you had sent previously and subsequently, of tea and preserves, arrived completely and perfectly. But what shall I say about the preserves which truly became heavenly food—groups of people were sustained by it, whether from among the assured believers, the sincere faithful ones, the wavering ones, or the heedless ones of the city who have attained to the love of God according to their measure though they have no knowledge of the Cause. In any case, as commanded it was distributed and all were sustained by it.

And another submission: I present my most sublime greetings to his honor Aqa Mirza ʿAbdu’l-Hamid, upon him be the glory of God, the King, the Mighty, the Peerless. Praise be to God, he is mentioned at the Throne and is under the glance of favor. Blessed is he and those from whom the fragrances of certitude were diffused in the days of the All-Merciful. All those round about present their utter nothingness and most sublime, most mighty, most exalted greetings to your honor. May the Most Glorious Glory and then the praise of God, the Most High, be upon your honor and upon those who love God in those parts.

The servant Ramadan 1291

The noble Divine Branches and twigs of the Tree of Oneness remember your honor with wondrous Abha mentions and offer greetings sanctified above the limitations of the worlds of limitation.

BH03112: Glorified art Thou, O my God! My outward…

In the Name of Him Who speaketh in the Kingdom of Utterance!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! My outward and inward tongue both bear witness to that which Thou didst testify for Thine own Self before the creation of the heavens and earth, that Thou art God, no God is there but Thee. Thou hast ever been mighty in Thy dominion and all-compelling, ever-subsisting and all-preserving over those in Thy earth and Thy heaven. Every possessor of a tongue hath testified to Thy oneness and every possessor of understanding to Thy singleness.

Thy Word which appeared by Thy command hath encompassed all existence, both the unseen and the visible. Through it Thy power was manifested and Thy sovereignty emerged, and by it were the creatures drawn to the Dayspring of Thy Revelation and all created things to the Dawning-Place of Thy grace. Through it did the sincere ones cry out in the wilderness of separation “Where art Thou, O Beloved of those who know Thee?” and the near ones exclaimed in the desert of longing “Where art Thou, O Desire of the worlds?”

Through it was Moses drawn to the Mount of Revelation when He turned toward Sinai and heard Thy sweetest call and attained the vision of Thy most resplendent Beauty which Thou didst reveal unto Him through one of Thy names. Through it did the Beloved One turn to the Ultimate Tree to hear Thy call, O Source of bounty. Through it did every Prophet cry “Here am I, here am I, O Lord of the Kingdom of Names and Creator of earth and heaven!” Through it were the gates of Thy knowledge opened before the faces of Thy creation and the portals of Thy gifts before Thy servants and creatures.

When Thou didst desire to manifest Thy oneness, Thou didst manifest its Source and Origin through the power of Thy might and strength. Through Him was established the oneness of Thy Essence among Thy servants and the singleness of Thy Self among Thy creation. Thou hast ordained no portion for anyone except through his acknowledgment of His singleness and confession of His oneness, for through Him is established Thy manifestation and sovereignty, Thy emergence and power.

O Lord! Aid Thy servants to turn unto Thee and to hold fast to the cord of Thy favors, that they may recognize the Source of Thy verses and the Dayspring of Thy clear signs. Then send down, O my God, upon him who hath turned to the ocean of Thy generosity and the horizon of Thy bestowal that which Thou didst send down upon the sincere ones among Thy chosen ones and the near ones among Thy loved ones, that he may arise wholly to serve Thy Cause and to spread Thy verses and mention Thy clear signs. Verily Thou art the Powerful through Thy sovereignty, there is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH05043: This is a mention from Us unto him who…

In the Name of Him Who prevaileth over the world!

This is a mention from Us unto him who hath been adorned with the robe of existence, that it may draw him unto God, the Mighty, the Beloved.

They who have on this day attained unto the recognition of God and the Dawning-Place of His Cause—these are they who are brought nigh, while they who have been debarred from God and His sovereignty are a people who understand not. How many a prince hath been kept back from the All-Knowing, and how many a rich one hath been deceived by riches until he disbelieved in God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting! How many a seeing one hath been prevented from beholding the Most Sublime Horizon, and how many a blind one hath beheld the Dawning-Place of Revelation and attained unto the lights of the Countenance, when the heedless ones turned away from Him!

Say: O people! Fear ye God and follow not him who hath followed his passions and disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved. Say: By His very Self, the Truth! The Hidden One hath appeared and the Intended One hath come, and that which was mentioned in the preserved Tablet hath been fulfilled. O people! Turn ye unto God and the Dawning-Place of His Cause. This is better for you, did ye but know. Withhold not yourselves from the lights of this Day. Choose ye what God hath chosen for you. He, verily, is the Clement, the All-Forgiving.

Thou, verily, render thanks unto God for that the Countenance of the Ancient of Days hath turned toward thee from this praised station, and calleth thee unto Him, though He was self-sufficient above whatsoever hath appeared in what was and shall be.

BH05804: The leaders have gathered to harm Us, yet they…

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

The leaders have gathered to harm Us, yet they lie beneath Our feet, though they perceive it not. The divines have denied this Horizon from which hath shone forth the Sun of wisdom and utterance. By My life! They understand not. Had they known what they had wrought, they would have cast aside their inaction and run forth into the wilderness, crying out:

“We have failed in our duty toward Thee, O Thou in Whose hand lieth the control of all existence!”

Each faction is content with what it hath, turning away from that which is with God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. We remind the people by Our command, and their standing or sitting, their acceptance or rejection, shall not deter Us, for We are powerful over what We wish. There is no God but Me, the Protector over all that witnesseth and is witnessed.

The ocean of knowledge hath been gathered up when the Standard of God’s knowledge, the Mighty, the Loving, was unfurled. The temple of vain imaginings hath trembled when the All-Knowing came with a sovereignty that encompasseth all that was and shall be.

Draw thou nigh—verily it surgeth before thy face—then drink therefrom in My Name, the Beloved. Thus have We set forth the verses and sent them unto thee with a fragrance whereby thou didst quicken the graves. When thou hast found and attained, arise to serve thy Lord with a remembrance whereby spirits take flight and hearts are drawn.

BH06737: In My Name, the Most Holy, the Most Great

In My Name, the Most Holy, the Most Great

This is a Book We have sent down in truth, and verily it is a lamp of guidance amongst mankind and a sign of My luminous and resplendent countenance. The lamp in one sense referreth to him who speaketh the truth, and in another sense to His exalted Word, and in yet another sense to His Law that floweth throughout the worlds. By God! We desire naught through Our commandments save the preservation of your souls and your offspring. Draw ye nigh unto them and be not of those who remain remote.

Through Our laws the edifice of the Cause hath been made firm and every lofty house hath been raised up. We have established the pillars of divine knowledge upon an impregnable foundation, would that ye be of those who understand. Hold ye fast unto God, then act according to that which ye have been commanded in the Tablets. He will strengthen you upon this straight path.

O My loved ones! Steadfastness behooveth you, steadfastness behooveth you. It shall deliver you from grievous torment. Beware lest the allusions of men cause you to slip or the words of the deniers hold you back. Leave them to themselves and place your trust in the One, the Subduer, the All-Knowing. Ye are the flowers of this Garden—it behooveth you that all should perceive from you the fragrance of the All-Merciful. Act ye in a manner befitting this glorious and exalted station.

BH07752: In My Name, through which the veils have been…

In My Name, through which the veils have been rent asunder

The dawn hath broken and the moon hath appeared, and the Sun crieth out: “To Me, to Me, O peoples of the earth!” By God! There hath appeared what hath never appeared in creation, and there hath been raised up what hath never been raised up from time immemorial. This is what the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, hath testified to in this perspicuous Tablet. Verily, the righteous have drunk the choice wine of revelation, while the wicked have returned to their abode in the nethermost fire. The sincere ones drink of My choice sealed wine, while the opposers drink of noisome water. He Who spoke from the Divine Lote Tree hath appeared and speaketh openly amongst the servants, yet they have turned away, having followed every froward oppressor. Say: O people! Abandon what ye possess and turn towards the Dayspring of bounty. This is better for you, if ye be of them that know. Drink thou the water of life from the utterance of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Well is it with thee, O thou who hast turned towards God, the Mighty, the Wise.

BH08358: The Book hath been sent down and the All-Bountiful…

In the Name of Him Who rules over all who are in the heavens and on earth!

The Book hath been sent down and the All-Bountiful hath come, yet the people remain behind a manifest veil. The Trumpet hath been sounded when the Dawning-Place of Revelation appeared, but the people are in grievous dissension, save those who have quaffed the choice wine of the Bayan in the name of the All-Merciful and have cast the world behind them, turning unto God, the Single, the All-Informed.

The laws have been ordained when the ocean of utterance surged through this Name that ruleth over the worlds, and the Way hath appeared when the Guide came. Blessed is he who hath turned, and woe unto them that have turned aside! They who turned away from God and the Manifestation of His Cause have lost, while he who turned to this resplendent Dawn hath gained.

Blessed is he who hath been awakened by the breeze of God and hath arisen to aid His Cause on this wondrous Day. We make mention of thee in truth, that thou mayest mention thy Lord amongst His slumbering servants.

BH08230: He Who is Sovereign over all Names

He Who is Sovereign over all Names

Praised be He Who hath revealed in the Book whatsoever He desired. He is, verily, the Mighty, the Bestower. He hath set forth therein all things in detail. He is, verily, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. He hath made it the Lamp of Guidance amongst all created things and the Light of Salvation unto all who dwell within the realm of possibility. Blessed is he who hath been illumined in this Day and hath turned toward the Station which God hath made the most exalted of stations. Woe unto him who hath turned away and hesitated when the Tongue of Eternity proclaimed: Hasten with your hearts, O ye who are endowed with understanding! Be thou stirred by the breezes of thy Lord’s will, the All-Merciful, and speak forth that which hath been sent down from the Pen of Revelation, and act according to what hath been set forth in the Tablets. We have perceived the fragrance of thy love and have sent down for thee that which bringeth solace to the eyes. Give thanks unto God, then stand firm in the Cause through the sovereignty of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.

BH05929: What was revealed in the Bayan regarding the people…

…What was revealed in the Bayan regarding the people of cities and villages remains valid and binding. However, in the Most Holy Book mention is made of the first degree, and what is meant by the first degree is nineteen mithqals of silver, which was revealed in the Bayan concerning the village-dwellers. This is most beloved before God if both parties accept, for the purpose is the comfort of all and the union and unity of the people. Therefore, the more accommodating one is in these matters, the better. The people of Baha must, God willing, deal and associate with one another with perfect love and purity…

BH02778: God bears witness that there is none other God…

In the Name of Him Who rules over all names.

God bears witness that there is none other God but Him, and He Who has come with the truth is verily the Sovereign of verses and the Dawning-Place of revelation unto all who are in earth and heaven. He is indeed the Manifest Book and the Impregnable Fortress—whoso turns unto Him has turned unto the Most Great Ocean and attained the lights of the Ancient of Days. He is indeed the Frequented Fane and the Book Inscribed and the Scroll Outspread. By My life! All this is mentioned at the level of names, while He has ever been sanctified above them. Through a word from Him was created all that is seen in creation, whereof bears witness the Concourse on High. Blessed is he who has found His fragrance in His days, and woe betide the heedless.

This is a Book from Us to him who has heard the Call from the Supreme Horizon and has turned unto God, the Creator of heaven, while the people were behind a manifest veil, that the melody of God may draw him to a station wherein he speaks of all else besides Him and reminds the people of that which has been sent down from God, the Most High, the Most Great.

Say: O people! The gate of divine knowledge has been opened and the horizon of certitude has been illumined, inasmuch as the All-Merciful has come with sovereignty from Him, while ye are in gross doubt. Leave what ye possess and turn unto the Dawning-Place of certitude, and follow not those who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of all worlds. Say: There is no protection this day save from God alone. Leave what ye possess and take what ye are commanded by One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

Blessed art thou for having found the fragrance of the divine garment and turned unto the Goal and heard the Call of God, the Almighty, the Most Praiseworthy. Gather the people unto the Word of God and His Cause, then give them to drink of this wine which has been the desire of those near unto God. Say: O My loved ones! Hold fast unto goodly deeds. By God! They shall profit you in this world and the next. Thus doth He teach you from His presence—He Who possesses knowledge of all things in a Perspicuous Book. Be ye dawning-places of justice and equity and daysprings of loving-kindness and bounty unto all who are on earth. He, verily, is the All-Explaining, the All-Knowing.

Convey My greetings unto My loved ones, then recite unto them what has been revealed from My Most Exalted Pen in this Glorious Tablet. Give thanks unto God for having been mentioned before the Throne, and for that which has been revealed unto thee, whereby the fragrance of the Beloved has been diffused throughout the worlds. Glory be upon thee and upon those who are with thee of them who have believed in God, the Peerless, the All-Informed.

BH06647: The world hath been adorned with the appearance…

In His Name, the Eternal, the Everlasting

The world hath been adorned with the appearance of the Ancient King, and the Tree hath spoken forth amidst creation: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Bountiful.” Blessed is the stranger who hath turned toward the Most Exalted Homeland, and the thirsty one who hath advanced toward the Water of Life, and the seeker who hath trod the path of the All-Merciful. Beware lest what thou beholdest among the people prevent thee from this Day. Leave them to themselves and turn with thy heart unto God, the Lord of all men. Shun those who walk the paths of idle fancy and draw nigh unto God, the Lord of all men.

We make mention of thee from the Most Great Prison, purely for the sake of God, that the breaths of remembrance may attract thee in such wise as to cause thee to arise among the people and say:

“O people! The Promise hath come to pass and there hath appeared the Promised One through Whom the Sacred Scriptures and Tablets have been adorned. Arise through the power of the Most Great Name amidst the peoples and acquaint them with that which they have neglected on the Day of Return. Say: Have mercy upon your own selves and tarry not in this Cause whereby faces have been darkened and eyes have become fixed in their sockets.”

Thus have We adorned the horizon of knowledge with the stars of wisdom and utterance, that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Mighty, the Chosen One.

BH07706: God testifieth that there is none other God but…

In the Name of Him Who holdeth dominion over all creation

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who hath appeared with the truth is verily the Dayspring of bounty and the Dawning-Place of justice. Through Him hath appeared the Most Great Word, and every receptive soul hath attained the ultimate goal. Whoso hath turned unto Him hath turned unto God, the Lord of all men, and whoso hath turned away is assuredly among the lost, as recorded in a mighty Tablet.

Blessed art thou, O Ahmad, inasmuch as thou hast enjoined upon the people what is right and forbidden them what is wrong. Make mention unto them of that which thou didst hear from the tongue of grandeur and glory when the Dawning-Place of names was in Baghdad, that they may become aware and turn unto God, the Lord of all worlds.

We have sent down unto thee diverse Tablets that thou mayest render thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful. Grieve thou not over anything, but place thy trust in God, the One, the All-Knowing. Verily, the glory rest upon thee and upon those who have turned toward the most sublime horizon when it was illumined by this manifest Name.

BH07673: O Thou Who rulest over whatsoever Thou willest!

O Thou Who rulest over whatsoever Thou willest!

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou seest a servant from among Thy servants who hath left his home, turning towards Thy countenance and drawing nigh unto the ocean of Thy mercy and the heaven of Thy grace, until he attained Thy presence and stood before Thy face and heard Thy verses. I beseech Thee, O Thou Who hast subdued the world and given life to the nations, to make him steadfast in Thy Cause and focused on the horizon of Thy bounty. Then assist him to be obedient unto Thee and to seek Thy good-pleasure, and to serve Thy Cause amongst Thy creatures.

O Lord! Help Thy servants and creation to rend asunder the veils that have come between them and Thee, that all may turn to the Sun of Thy bestowal and draw near unto the Living Waters in Thy days. O Lord! Withhold them not from the rain of Thy gifts which hath poured down from the heaven of Thy Will and the clouds of Thy generosity.

Verily, Thou art the Almighty over what Thou willest and the Omnipotent over what Thou desirest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

BH07638: Drops of revelation have trickled from the leaves…

In the name of the Lord of all creation

Drops of revelation have trickled from the leaves of the Divine Lote Tree in the form of these words: O handmaiden of God! Your letter was present before Us and was seen, and this word in truth has issued forth from the Supreme Pen: Verily your sins are forgiven. God, exalted and mighty be He, has adorned all His loved ones with the robe of forgiveness. God has pardoned what is past. All must henceforth act, with perfect sanctity and detachment, according to what has been revealed in the divine Tablets from the Pen of His Command.

Give thanks to the Beloved of the worlds, that He has enabled you to recognize His Self and attain to His days. This was from God’s great bounty. Convey My greetings to all steadfast handmaidens, and especially to some for whom supplication was made—wondrous Tablets were revealed and sent. Give them all the glad-tidings of God’s grace, for all are mentioned in His presence and have attained His favors.

BH10426: O My handmaiden! Hearken unto My call from around…

He is the Expounder, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!

O My handmaiden! Hearken unto My call from around My Throne which hath been established in the Land of the Prison through that which the hands of the heedless have wrought. Were thine ear to hear My call, it would surely draw it to a station wherein it would hear from all things: The Lord of Names hath appeared in the Prison of ʿAkka and uttereth: “There is none other God but Me, the Forgiving, the Generous!” Hold thou fast unto the cord of God and cling to this exalted hem. Blessed is the handmaiden who hath attained unto the days of God; verily she is among the dwellers of Paradise in this glorious station.

BH07245: This is a Book which the Lord of Power…

In the name of Him Who is established upon the Throne

This is a Book which the Lord of Power hath sent down from His Most Great Horizon unto him who hath turned toward the Dawning-Place of Revelation, when the Hour came and the Moon was cleft asunder, that he might rejoice in this Remembrance whereby every hidden matter hath been revealed and every remote transgressor hath been shaken.

O servant! Hearken unto the Call from the Dayspring of Glory in this blessed white spot—verily there is no God but Me, the All-Informing, the All-Knowing. Grieve not over anything. Remind the people through this perspicuous Tablet, that perchance they may awaken and arise and turn their faces toward the face of thy Lord, the Wondrous, the Beautiful.

The attraction of the Chosen One hath seized all lands and the righteous in this noble station—they who believed in God when He came into the world with His mighty and impregnable Kingdom. Blessed art thou for having attained unto faith when the All-Merciful appeared with His decisive and steadfast Cause.

Moreover, blessed is thy son, for he hath occupied himself with transcribing the verses of thy Lord, the Forgiving, the Generous. This is a deed that nothing on earth can equal. Be thou grateful and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds!

BH09061: In My Name that overshadoweth the world

In My Name that overshadoweth the world

This is a Book from Us to all who are in the heavens and on earth, that they may turn unto God, the Lord of the Final End.

Those who hesitate today—these shall have no portion in the Book. Soon shall they bewail their own selves and curse those who held them back from the All-Possessing, the Most High.

Be thou not grieved at anything, but hold fast unto God, the Lord of all men. Blessed art thou for having turned to the Countenance when every idolator and doubter waxed proud.

Happy is he who hath attained unto the days of God and hath drunk the choice sealed wine from the hands of the bounty of his Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

They who have drawn nigh and acted according to what they were bidden—these are of the people of Baha in the Scriptures and Tablets.

Ask thou God to strengthen thee to stand firm in His Cause, and to strengthen those who have hesitated on this Day which God, the Lord of Days, hath ordained.

BH02897: He Who is forsaken by the world and imprisoned…

In the Name of the Desire of the Worlds!

He Who is forsaken by the world and imprisoned among the nations addresses thee in the Persian tongue that thou mayest be of the thankful ones.

Thy letter hath attained unto the Most Great Presence, and its opening was adorned with a word which is in truth the greatest proof for this most mighty and glorious Revelation and a conclusive evidence for all peoples—namely these words:

“O God! I beseech Thee by Thy Baha at its most splendid.”

All have heard that it hath been said that the Most Great Name is mentioned and concealed in this prayer, and now it is manifest and speaking and hath dawned upon all who dwell on earth. What proof could be greater than this, and what evidence mightier than this station? Observe how this blessed word adorns the opening of the prayer. If thou wert to use but this passage alone as proof of the truth of this Cause, none would have cause to waver or turn aside, save the objectors who in every age have been deprived of the choice wine of divine bounty and have clung to the cord of idle fancies. Praise be to the Desire of the world Who hath enabled thee to make mention of this exalted word and this most supreme pearl.

Reflect upon this most great Revelation and its effulgences and all that hath been manifested through it. By My life! It will attract thee to a station wherein thou shalt behold it sovereign over all who are in the heavens and on earth. Be thou steadfast in the Cause and say:

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy Will and the heaven of Thy Purpose and the Dayspring of Thy Revelation and the Dawning-Place of Thine inspiration, Who calleth unto Thee from His Most Great Prison, after the hosts of the nations have arisen against Him, to assist me to remember Thee and to praise Thee, and to grant me that which will tranquilize my heart in Thy days, and to illumine mine eyes with the light of Thy knowledge. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Most High, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Reflect upon the clear proofs and manifest evidences of this Revelation. If anyone today should hesitate in this Cause, he would never be able to establish the truth of any other matter, now or ever. Beseech God that thou mayest taste the sweetness of His utterance, for whoever hath found it hath seen himself detached from the world and all that is therein. Verily, He is the True Speaker, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.

BH03504: Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou seest Thy…

In His Name, the Preserver, the Helper!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou seest Thy righteous servants among the wicked ones of Thy creation, and Thy noble friends among the rebellious ones of Thy creatures, who have denied Thy manifest proof and the appearance of Thy clear Name, such that they oppose them however they please and do with them whatever they desire. I beseech Thee, O God of might and power, by Thy dominant sovereignty and Thy overwhelming authority, to seize them through Thy power and might, and prevent them from what they intended against Thy loved ones.

O Lord! I see all things, when the winds of Thy will blow, as a dried leaf cast aside in Thy kingdom. I beseech Thee by this power, which all created things are powerless to mention and all tongues of beings fail to describe, to protect Thy loved ones in the shadow of Thy protection, and then ward off from them the hands of evil through Thy dominion and might.

O Lord! Cut off the hands that were stretched forth against them in tyranny and oppression, and the tongues that were extended against them in hatred and enmity. Then turn back upon them what they intended against those who sought the Dayspring of Thy Revelation and the Dawning-Place of Thy inspiration. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Subduer, the Mighty, the Seizer, the Avenger, the All-Compelling.

Furthermore I beseech Thee, O my God, to give Thy loved ones to drink, from the hand of Thy bounty, the Kawthar of Thy favors, that the attraction of this pure wine may so transport them that the onslaught of Thy enemies—who issue religious decrees among the people in Thy Name while the very atoms testify to their turning away from Thy face and their following their own desires in Thy days—may not frighten them. Thou knowest, O my God, that they have corrupted and caused corruption in Thy kingdom, and prevented the servants from turning to the Dayspring of Thy manifestation and the Dawning-Place of Thy light.

Then I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Most Great Name through which the world was illumined, to ordain for those who have arisen to promote Thy Cause, and those who were imprisoned in Thy path and Thy love and who were patient in hardship and adversity seeking Thy good-pleasure, that which will draw them near unto Thee in every world of Thy worlds. Then raise up their names in Thy kingdom and their remembrance among Thy creation. Verily Thou art the Giver, the Bestower, the Forgiving, the Generous.

BH02898: O Ali! He is God, exalted be His glory…

O Ali! He is God, exalted be His glory and sovereignty! Your letter reached this Wronged One in the Most Great Prison. You had asked about God’s decree concerning spiritual and material matters. Excellent is that which you have asked, for its benefit returns to you and other servants both outwardly and inwardly. Verily your Lord is the All-Knowing, the Answerer.

The supreme cause of creation has been the knowledge of God. Whosoever today has attained the fragrance of the merciful Robe and reached that original homeland—which is the station of recognizing the Dawning Place of divine commands and the Dayspring of heavenly revelation—has attained and will attain unto all good.

After arriving at this most exalted station, two things are necessary and obligatory for every soul: first, steadfastness in the Cause of God such that if all people should try to prevent him from the Source of the Cause they would be powerless to do so; and second, following the divine ordinances which have flowed from the fountain of the Pen of God’s Will, for the knowledge of God is not complete and perfect except through following what He has commanded and what has been revealed in God’s Book. In the previous year the Most Holy Book was sent down from the heaven of bounty of the Lord of Names. God willing, you will be assisted to act according to what has been revealed therein.

As for material matters, you should engage in work while placing your trust in God. He will send down to you from the heaven of His favors that which is ordained for you. He is verily the Powerful, the Mighty.

Praise be to the Goal of the world that your letter reached the Prisoner and an answer was revealed and sent from the Seat of Authority. This is truly a great bounty from God—though not evident today, it will soon become manifest.

Say: Glory be to Thee, O my God! I am he who has turned to Thee and placed his trust in Thee. I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the ocean of Thy utterance surged and the breezes of Thy knowledge were stirred, to make me successful in serving Thy Cause and assisted in Thy remembrance and praise. Then send down upon me from the heaven of Thy gifts that which will preserve me from all else but Thee and benefit me in all Thy worlds. Thou art verily the Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Protector, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH01041: Verily the Unseen, manifest in the Temple of Revelation…

In His Name, Who rules over what is and what has been!

Verily the Unseen, manifest in the Temple of Revelation, gives glad tidings to the world through His Most Great Name, yet most among men understand not. By God! All that was in the Books has been fulfilled, and the Tongue of Pre-existence has proclaimed: “The Kingdom is God’s, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting!” When the Hour came to pass and the Evidence appeared and the All-Merciful came with clear proof, among the people were those who turned towards Him and those who turned away. He who turned away is verily among the people of the coffin in a hidden tablet.

And among them was he who said “I have a sealed book,” and thereby turned away from God, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Beloved. Thus did his soul beguile him, and Satan made his vain imaginings seem fair to him. Say: By God! Though thou shouldst come with all the books of the world and with every seal that hath been engraved in the earth, it would profit thee not at all. Thus hath the matter been decreed in an inscribed tablet. Say: Can the seal suffice thee in place of the Ancient of Days? Nay, by His Most Great Name! Awaken, O heedless outcast!

Say: Even wert thou to possess all the scriptures of those who have gone before and those who shall come after, each adorned with the seal of the Dawning-Places of My Cause and the Manifestations of My Names, it would profit thee not this Day except that thou shouldst follow this Straight Path. Say: O ignorant one! The Cause is mighty, mighty indeed, and this is the News that was the ultimate hope of Him Who appeared in creation by the name of God, the Powerful, the All-Possessing, the Mighty, the Loving.

Say: Were We to command thee to efface what thou hast and thou shouldst hesitate for less than a moment, all in the unseen and visible realms would curse thee. Say: This is the Dawning-Place of what was revealed aforetime and the Rising-Point of revelation throughout all ages, whereby every decreed matter hath been detailed. Beware lest thou look to what thou hast; open thine eyes that thou mayest behold this most hidden, mighty, treasured Mystery.

The Bayan was revealed for My remembrance and recognition, and the Tablets for this praiseworthy station. Say: O ignorant one! Fear God and speak not according to thy vain desires. Be fair in thy judgment regarding the Manifestation of God and His Cause, then regarding His sovereignty that hath encompassed all that is seen and unseen. Can the scriptures profit thee? Nay, by the Revealer of the Books, except that thou shouldst abandon what thou hast and turn to the station that was the source of revelation and inspiration from God, Who rules over what was and what shall be.

This is the horizon from which appeared the hidden Unseen and the treasured Symbol, whereby the proof of the All-Merciful encompassed all contingent beings, if thou be fair and follow not every vanquished idolater. Through it the breeze of God wafted over all else, through it the standards of power were raised in all regions, and the Tongue of Pre-existence proclaimed: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Powerful, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting!”

Say: By God, O thou who slumbereth! Thou hast indeed fabricated against God in what thou hast uttered, for the Bayan in its essence crieth out and lamenteth, and with loudest voice proclaimeth between earth and heaven, saying:

“Not a single word revealed by Me can equal what hath been sent down from Him.”

Reflect on what hath been revealed in truth, and be not of those who fabricated against God and were overtaken by their wretchedness in numbered days until punishment seized them from God, the Lord of existence.

Sanctify thy breast from allusions and thy heart from indications, then look with the eye of fairness upon the Tablets of thy Lord, that perchance the Most Exalted Word might attract thee to the Most Glorious Horizon and inspire thee with what God hath intended from time immemorial. This is My counsel unto thee if thou hearkenest unto thyself, and if thou turnest away, verily He is the Self-Sufficient, independent of all created things, to this do honored servants testify.

Say: By God! Had you been humble when My Name appeared before you, it would have been better for you than all you possess and all you have wrought in your days. But it hath been decreed. Soon shall you find yourself in the nethermost depths, O heedless and veiled one!

O Most Exalted Pen! Move in remembrance of him who buzzeth around the fire and then fleeth from the words of the wicked, that perchance the call of the Chosen One may draw him to a station where he may rend asunder the veils and go forth in the name of his Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower, that he may take the choice wine of life from the hands of the loving-kindness of his Lord, the All-Merciful, drinking it in detachment from all contingent beings.

Beware lest vain imaginings keep thee back from the Dawning-Place of certitude, or idle fancies veil thee from the Dayspring of knowledge. Leave behind what thou hast and what the people possess; take what hath come to thee from the Dayspring of verses. By God! This is indeed the Most Great Spirit for the bodies of nations and the cause of life to all who dwell in the earth and heavens. Be not content with the rivulet when the Most Great Ocean lieth before thy face. Hasten unto it and follow not every doubtful denier.

When the wine of verses from God, the Manifestor of clear proofs, hath intoxicated thee, turn unto Him Who calleth thee to Himself, that thou mayest know Him and recognize those who have taken Him as their Lord instead of God. Thus doth command thee He Who is imprisoned in the most desolate of lands. Then will thy certitude increase and thou wilt know thy beginning, and wilt say with thy inner and outer tongue:

“Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having made known unto me that which was hidden, and thanks be unto Thee, O my Best-Beloved, for having opened mine eyes through the power of Thy sovereignty. I testify that Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Chosen One.”

Beware lest kinship hold thee back from the Lord of all creation, or heritage veil thee from the Sovereign of mankind. Place thy trust in God under all conditions, then turn unto Him. He will verily protect thee in truth and make thee independent of all else but Him. When mention was made of thee before the Countenance, this Tablet was revealed purely for the sake of God, else what have I to do with mentioning the likes of thee? The Intended One beareth witness that there is no God but He, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Most Powerful, the One.

We counsel thee at the end with that wherewith he who announced unto the people the Sun of My Revelation and the Ocean of My bounty counseled, saying: “Behold Him with His own eyes.” If thou wilt ponder on what hath been sent down in truth, thou wilt say: “I believe in Thee, O Thou the Self-Sufficient, the Most High!”

BH01268: O my God! There hath come before Thee…

In His Name, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful

O my God! There hath come before Thee from Thy servant a letter wherein he hath acknowledged Thy unity and confessed Thy oneness, and hath sought pardon from the ocean of Thy bounty and Thy favors for himself and for others among Thy loved ones. O Lord! Sprinkle upon them from the oceans of Thy bounty and Thy gifts that which shall purify them from the mention of aught else but Thee and shall sanctify them from beholding aught except Thyself, and illumine them with the lights of the Sun of Thy countenance which hath shone forth from Thy most exalted horizon and hath illumined the earth and heaven. Then cause them to drink from the Kawthar of immortality through the hands of grace and bestowal in this Dawn whereby the horizon of divine knowledge hath been illumined and the Day-Star of certitude hath appeared, that they may witness the sanctity of Thy Being from all peers and the exemption of Thine Essence from all likeness. O Lord! Clothe them with the robes of Thy forgiveness and adorn them with that which Thou hast willed in Thy days. Verily Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever Thou pleasest. Thou givest and Thou withholdest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

I beseech Thee, O Lord my God, by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued the earth and heaven, and through which Thy sealed wine was unsealed for the people of creation, to aid Thy servant Javad to exalt Thy Word in Thy kingdom, whereby hearts may be drawn to the Dayspring of Thy revelation and the Source of Thy inspiration, and whereby the denizens of the graves may hasten to the Manifestation of the appearance of the light of Thy Being and the Source of the revelation of the fire of the Tree of Thy Divinity. Then rend asunder through him the veils of imitation, that the Sun of divine unity may appear to all who dwell in Thy earth and heaven.

O Lord! Thou knowest that I have desired naught save what Thou hast desired, and have spoken naught save what Thou hast inspired me through Thy bounty and favor. I have arisen by Thy power to promote Thy Cause and have summoned all to the heaven of Thy knowledge and the ocean of Thy grace, in such wise that neither the oppression of kings hath deterred me from Thy remembrance and praise, nor the clamor of the peoples from describing Thee and revealing Thy Cause. I have openly conveyed unto them that which Thou didst command. Praise be unto Thee for having made me the guardian over Thy creation and creatures in such wise that the might of the oppressors and the power of the tyrants hath not weakened me. I have manifested Thy all-compelling Will and Thy all-encompassing Purpose, and have revealed that which lay hidden in Thy recorded scriptures and Thy revealed tablets. Praise be unto Thee—praise whereby the sincere ones may soar to the most exalted heights and the near ones to the Uttermost Tree. And praise be unto Thee—praise whereby Thy traces shall be established and Thy laws shall be manifested. And praise be unto Thee in whatsoever Thou lovest and art pleased with. Verily Thou art the Ruler over whatsoever Thou pleasest.

Moreover, I beseech Thee, O my God, to enable my loved ones to arise to serve Thy Cause and to aid Thy Faith. Verily, Thou art He to Whose power and might all created things have testified, and to Whose grandeur and sovereignty all things possible have borne witness. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou pleasest through Thy command that prevaileth over the worlds. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

In His Name, Who speaketh in the Kingdom of Utterance.

Jim. Vav. Verily We desired to set forth the verses unto thee in yet another setting, for He is indeed the Omnipotent, the Unconstrained, that the fragrances of revelation might draw thee in such wise that thou mayest arise amidst all creation in the name of thy Lord, the Creator of invention, and point with thy right hand toward the East and proclaim: “By God! The Dayspring of divine knowledge hath shed its radiance!” and with thy left hand rend asunder the veils of the peoples of the West through this Name whereby the idols were struck down and religions were shaken.

Thy letter hath come before the Wronged One, and from it We perceived the fragrance of thy love for God. We have sent down unto thee this Tablet whereby the breezes of divine knowledge have wafted and the fragrances of forgiveness have been diffused throughout all possibility. We beseech God to aid thee in His service in such wise that thou mayest rend asunder the veils of men and summon them unto sanctity and detachment and unto deeds that befit the days of their Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.

Verily, when We arrived at the Most Great Prison, We once again summoned the Manifestations of power unto God, the Revealer of verses. The world so deluded them that they cast behind them that which they were bidden by God, the Lord of Names, and took that which would lead them back to the fire. Soon shall they know that which hath escaped them in the Cause of God, and shall lament their lot. Thy Lord is, verily, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Be thou as a bird soaring in the atmosphere of love and knowledge, and rising from the horizon of utterance with such remembrance as shall attract the minds and cause bodies to take wing. Say: O people! The Salsabil hath flowed and the seal of the choice wine hath been broken. Turn ye, then drink in the name of Him Who is the Overlord of all existence. Beware lest the clamor of the idolaters prevent thee or the might of the wicked frighten thee. Remember God with joy and fragrance, and with the wisdom We have sent down from the heaven of revelation and inspiration, that through thy remembrance every slumberer may arise, every heedless one may turn, and every hesitant doubter may hasten. Thus hath the Dove warbled and the Cock of Paradise crowed, that thy heart may rejoice and thou mayest aid thy Lord, the Lord of all mankind.

We had previously sent down unto thee a Tablet in the Persian tongue most sweet, and following the arrival of thy letter, this Tablet in the most eloquent language, that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. Verily, the glory rest upon thee and upon those who have attained unto this Day wherein all things have proclaimed: “The kingdom belongeth unto God, the Cleaver of the daybreak!”

BH01307: May my spirit be a sacrifice unto your presence!…

He is God, exalted be His station, the Greatness and the Glory!

May my spirit be a sacrifice unto your presence! The servant has attained your gracious letter and found therein the fragrance of Tasnim, as it was adorned with the mention of our Lord, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Due to the many occupations of this evanescent servant, there is no opportunity to present that which was intended. I beseech your abundant grace to accept my excuse and apology. Therefore, I briefly submit:

You had previously inquired about two matters which remained unanswered. The first concerns the meaning of His exalted words regarding “the sixth and the sixth of the sixth.” This is what was revealed in response: “By this We intended the proportions of humors in balanced bodies according to the people’s doctrine. Know that phlegm is one-sixth of blood, and bile is one-sixth of phlegm. This is the meaning of what We mentioned, and black bile is three-quarters of yellow bile. We have another explanation, for verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.” Thus ends the passage.

Regarding your question about inheritance, His exalted words state: “When We heard the cries of the children yet unborn, We doubled their portion and decreased from the others.” The inheritances in the Divine Book are made into two thousand five hundred and twenty shares, which encompass the nine divisions. This number is divided into seven portions, each portion going to a class of heirs as mentioned in the Book. Among these, nine sixties, which equals the number of “Muqt,” is designated for the children. The meaning of His exalted words “We doubled their portion” is that one equivalent was added to it, making it two “Ta,” and what was increased was decreased from the others. For example, it was revealed “And for the spouses from the Book of Ha according to the number of Ta and Fa,” meaning eight sixties equaling the number of Ta and Fa was designated for the spouses. Now sixty and half of sixty, which equals ninety, was decreased from the spouses and added to the children, and so forth until the end, where the amount decreased becomes nine sixties, which was added to the first nine sixties.

Regarding your inquiry whether the brother must be from both father and mother or if being from one side is sufficient for inheritance: If the brother is from the father’s side, his right is as mentioned in the Book. If from the mother’s side, one-third of his right reverts to the House of Justice and two-thirds to him. Likewise for the sister. This is the answer to the two previous questions.

Concerning the Tablet of Aqa Abdu’l-Ghani and the letter of Aqay-i-Kalim, may my spirit be a sacrifice for him, which was specifically for Aqa Mirza Musa, you wrote that it had not arrived. Both were sent on the thirteenth of Dhi’l-Qa’dih. The Tablet of Aqa Abdu’l-Ghani was among the tablets of his eminence Haji Mirza ʿAli-Akbar B.R.

Regarding what you wrote about Aqa Ibrahim from the people of N.J., excellent is what you have done in his regard, for the best of deeds is that a person not act without the good-pleasure of the Truth. Blessed is he in that he heard what you mentioned to him from the Truth. It is never permissible for anyone to come without permission, although many souls have turned towards the Most Holy Court this year without permission. We beseech God to assist them in what He loves and is pleased with.

Concerning what you wrote about some Tablets being bound specifically for the Indians, along with the sublime Tablet which they sent through Aqa ʿAbdu’l-Karim—this matter was highly acceptable at the Divine Threshold. They said that your honor has been and continues to be engaged in service to the Cause. Blessed is he and good tidings unto him! I humbly convey sublime and glorious greetings to all the friends of God in that land, one and all, and express my utter nothingness and sincerity. May the Glory rest upon your honor and upon them.

The servant [of God] 19 Rabi’u’th-Thani

May I be a sacrifice for you! A Tablet has been revealed from the heaven of divine wisdom regarding the stages of teaching the Cause and conduct among humanity, specifically for the Name of God M.H., upon him be [Baha’u’llah’s Glory] 966. A copy of it was sent. Your honor should make a copy and send another copy to Muhammad M., upon him be [Baha’u’llah’s Glory] 966, along with the letter which this servant has written to him. I beseech the Most High to assist His loved ones who have arisen to serve His Cause to act according to what has been revealed in His mighty and sublime Tablet.

The exalted Branches of God and the Twigs of the divine Lote-Tree remember and glorify your honor with the most wondrous mention and the essence of glorification.

BH01662: The letter which you wrote to this Servant present…

In the name of the Beloved of the worlds

The letter which you wrote to this Servant present before the Throne was mentioned in the presence of the Countenance, and signs of grief were evident from it, although you should in all conditions manifest the Most Great Joy, inasmuch as through God’s wondrous favor and His infinite mercy you have attained the most great bounty and are gazing toward and turned to the Most Great Horizon.

Think not that your services in the path of the Cause have been effaced from view, or that even an atom thereof has departed from the Divine Mirror of Knowledge. Most often you have been and are mentioned before the Throne, as all who seek the right hand of the All-Merciful and circle the Kaaba of divine knowledge bear witness, and beyond them your Lord, the Speaker, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. In most years, successive and continuous exalted Tablets were revealed and sent especially for you, and if you reflect carefully upon those Tablets you will become aware of the special divine favors. In times when you were speaking in remembrance of the Truth and occupied with teaching His Cause, He was with you. Verily He heard and saw, and hears and sees. He is the Witness, the All-Knowing, the All-Encompassing.

It is incumbent upon the loved ones in that land to show you love and render service. Your assistance is in itself a witness and testimony to this blessed and goodly Word which has dawned from the horizon of the Divine Will. If any soul has shown neglect toward you, be not grieved. Occupy yourself with the remembrance of God, for He has been and ever will be sufficient. If you were to become aware of what has befallen the Wronged One, you would surely forget your own tribulations. Observe how, though imprisoned in the Most Great Prison among the nations, while most of the people of the world, among the wielders of authority and power, have arisen against Him with utmost hatred, He is occupied with the utmost joy and gladness in spreading God’s Cause and exalting the Most Great Word. Since you too are of the Tree and related to Him, you have had and have your portion.

O Mihdi! By the life of God, this Servant has not been saddened by any affliction, nor has any clamor caused Him to hesitate in God’s Cause. The grief that has affected and affects Him are the words that are heard from those who are veiled among the people of the Bayan. In these days one named Siyyid Yusuf from the people of Sad sent a petition to the Most Holy Court—and he is among those who turned away from the Truth and followed Satan in his soul and imagined himself to be of the people of the Bayan. We testify that the Bayan is innocent of him, and God speaks the truth and He is the Truthful, the Trustworthy.

Among other things he asked about the sign of the Manifestation being that they would remove two well-known Shaykhs from their graves and hang them on two withered trees, whereupon those trees would instantly be observed to become green and flourishing. Observe how deluded this person is and at what station he stands. They carry their burdens upon their backs and perceive it not, and the volumes of allusions rest upon their hearts yet they understand not. And among other things he wrote that Azazil, meaning Satan, flows like blood in the veins of man, and other such delusions whose mention has been and will be a cause of grief.

It seems the veiled ones among the people of the Bayan have not attained even a drop from the pure water of divine wisdom and heavenly knowledge. All grief has been and is in hearing such words, even though they have observed that the greatest matter which was established and confirmed among the Shi’ih party for one thousand two hundred years or more proved contrary to fact. Nevertheless, they now cling to similar things and remain deprived of the court of oneness. By God! They have no share of the Book and its meanings, its outer and its inner aspects. We testify that he is among the most lost ones.

BH01848: We have seen thy letter which was presented before…

He is God, exalted be His glory, the Greatness and Power

We have seen thy letter which was presented before the Throne, and We have read it and become acquainted with its contents. Verily, We were well-informed. Thou didst mention therein what befell thee in the path of God. He verily confirmeth thee in what thou hast mentioned and what thou hast not mentioned. We have encompassed what thou hast not encompassed and numbered what thou hast not numbered. Thy Lord is verily the Concealer, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. We beseech God to assist all to do what He loveth and pleaseth, and to bestow upon them the Kawthar of virtuous character in the days of their Lord, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

We have learned that thou didst arrive at the guest house, but We know not whether thou didst drink therein a drop of water with joy and fragrance, or with that which troubleth the heart, as troubled were the servants before thee. Thereupon the Spirit calleth out and saith:

“Verily Thou knowest, O Lord of the worlds! Thou seest and concealest, Thou hearest and art patient. Verily Thou art the All-Patient, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.”

We have desired for no one save what is best for him. To this testifieth all things, and beyond them the Tongue of God, the Sovereign, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We have counseled all concerning the manners and character traits of God, and We beseech Him to assist them through His grace. He is verily the Protector of whosoever loveth Him and the Helper of the sincere ones. It behooveth thee to strive for love and unity among the loved ones, that they may be united in the Cause of God. This is God’s command, both in the past and in the future. Blessed are they that attain!

How excellent for thee that thou hast fulfilled God’s Covenant and His Testament, and hast arisen to serve Him amongst His servants, and hast borne in His path what no one knoweth save God, thy Lord and the Lord of the worlds. The Beloved will suffice thee and will be with thee in all conditions. He is verily the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

A letter arrived aforetime wherein thou wast mentioned. We answered it truthfully and sent it with mention of thee. Read thou and be of the thankful ones.

And as for what thou didst mention concerning him who is named Yusuf, We have indeed mentioned him in the Tablets with verses from which the fragrances of the musk of utterance have been wafted throughout creation and the perfumes of thy Lord’s garment, the All-Merciful, have diffused between the heavens and the earth. Glorify him on My behalf with such glorification as will move him like an artery in the body of the world. Thus must it be for one who hath turned to God, the Lord of the nations, in this exalted Day. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to strengthen him in what he is engaged in. He is verily the Strengthener of those who remember Him.

And as for what thou didst mention concerning him who is named Ja’far, We have named him Badi’ in the Most Great Scene. Give him the glad-tidings from Us of this mighty grace. Counsel My servants with wisdom in all circumstances. Through it the Cause is uplifted. We have been witness to this.

Then make mention of My loved ones in that place, and then those in Iraq. Upon them be the glory of God and My favors at all times. Make mention of those who are with thee.

Say: “O Muhammad! The Beloved calleth thee from this noble Scene and remembereth thee with joy and gladness while He is in the hands of the oppressors.” The presence of thy name in the outward realm hath gladdened Us, and We have glorified thy countenance from this supreme horizon, and We do glorify thee in this moment wherein the verses of God, the Sovereign, the Protecting Friend, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful, are being sent down. Thou hast borne what thou hast borne in love for thy Lord. Nothing escapeth His knowledge. His gaze is fixed upon thee. He is verily the All-Seeing, the All-Hearing, the All-Perceiving. Grieve thou not over anything. Put thy trust in God. He will set aright what thou hast intended. He is verily the Bestower, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

And verily the glory be upon thee and upon those who are with thee and upon those from whom hath appeared the supreme steadfastness amidst the hosts of creation. They are indeed among the firmly rooted ones.

BH02243: O My Samandar in the realm of earth…

He is God, exalted be His glory, the Bestower of favors and bounties!

O My Samandar in the realm of earth and heaven! Your letter has come before Us and was read at the Throne, attaining the honor of being heard while the Ancient Beauty was established upon the throne of grandeur and majesty. We found in it that which indicated your name and saw in each word of it the fire of your love for your chosen Lord. Ask God to make that fire a magnet to attract the hearts of all in the world. He is verily the One with power over whatsoever He willeth. There is no God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing.

As for what you mentioned therein about your sadness—this We have not chosen for you. Rejoice in My favor unto you, for nothing that can be mentioned or described in creation equals it. How can sadness overtake you when you find yourself upon the shore of the ocean of joy and gladness? Be not grieved by anything. Trust in God. He is with you in all conditions. What you asked for—We have answered you through Our servant who is present before Us. Thy Lord is verily the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Trust in Him and commit all affairs into the hand of Power. He sees more than you and desires for you what has not entered the mind. This is what behooves you. Thy Lord is verily the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.

Soon He will exalt your station and make you a sign of guidance. He is verily the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower. Beware, beware lest anything sadden you. Drink the Kawthar of joy from the hand of thy Lord’s favor, Who has appeared and shines before your face. Be moved by the fragrance of joy and attracted by the verses of thy Lord, the Speaker, the Mighty, the All-Wise. Make Him your guardian and the guarantor of your affairs. He is verily the All-Sufficient, the Faithful, the Giver, the Bountiful. This is a word through which the essence of My favor and the pure wine of My providence for you have been made manifest. Be thankful to Him for this with a gratitude that no worldly thanks can equal. Thus does the Mighty, the All-Compelling command you.

O Samandar! Hearken unto that which thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, calls out to you. Arise to aid the Cause of thy Lord in such wise that thereby the standards of the Bayan may be raised upon every lofty mountain. Be a guardian of the House of the Cause, then protect it with the swords of remembrance and utterance lest thieves find any way thereto. Circle round about the House at all times lest it be pierced by a mouse or dug into by a rabbit or entered by a treacherous deceiver.

Behold the people—they see the lights of the Sun shining from the horizon of grandeur and majesty, and the seas of verses and proofs surging between earth and heaven, yet they have denied this bounty and taken for themselves the calf as lord instead of God. Woe unto them and unto those who follow the desires of such as these! Verily they are among those whose names the Pen does not wish to inscribe, and from whom every accursed devil flees. Ask God to aid them to recognize the Dawning-Place from which countless suns have shown forth, and to open their eyes to the knowledge of this Great Name. Glory be upon thee, O thou who hast turned to My face, arisen to serve Me, and spoken forth My wondrous remembrance.

BH02194: In My Name, the Everlasting, the Eternal, the All-Knowing…

In My Name, the Everlasting, the Eternal, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise

O thou Our Most Truthful Name! Thou didst quaff the choice wine of meeting when the Lord of Names was in Zawra, and once again the Water of Life when the King of creation was in this Great Prison. Thou didst turn to God by His leave and didst draw nigh unto Him to Whom the world hath turned, until thou didst enter the pavilion of eternity wherein was raised the call of God, the Lord of the worlds. Thou didst attain the presence of the Throne and didst hear and witness that which is inscribed in the Tablet of God, thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most Great. And thou didst circle round the Throne on behalf of them that turned unto Him and believed in Him when He appeared with manifest sovereignty. All this is from His bounty unto thee. He, verily, is the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

Return unto thy home with the fragrances of God and His verses, and make mention of thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, unto them that love Him. Forget not what We counselled thee when thou wert in Our presence. Act according to that which thou hast been commanded. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

Praise be to God that through His infinite bounty thou didst arrive at the Most Holy Court and didst rest for successive months beneath the shade of the divine Lote-Tree. Convey unto all the divine counsels which thou didst hear from the tongue of Grandeur, that all may be adorned with spiritual qualities and holy deeds. The most excellent of all deeds in this Day is steadfastness in the Cause of God, such that the vain imaginings of the deluded pretenders may not hold back the loved ones of God from the court of oneness.

Two unknown persons have gone to Gilan, laying claim to truth and uttering certain spurious and unsound statements. Some have followed these souls, and this following hath increased their pride and heedlessness, until certain assured souls arrived in that land and, through blessed words, awakened those heedless ones from the slumber of negligence. Had it not been for divine grace assisting them, all would have returned to the fire. We beseech God to purify the earth from such as these. I swear by the Sun shining from the horizon of the Cause that the harm of such souls is greater than the harm of the idolaters and deniers, for these matters have been and will be the cause of discord, perturbation and corruption. We beseech God to cause them to be overcome by one who will show them no mercy. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

In truth, such matters arise because of the friends, for their following of such souls causes these pretenders to become confused about themselves. During Our sojourn in Iraq and the Land of Mystery, and at the beginning of Our arrival in the Most Great Prison, We informed all of the rising clamor of these clamorous ones in most cities and regions. We beseech God to protect His loved ones from the evil of these people and to make them so steadfast that the clamor of every clamorer will not change them nor the doubts of the doubtful cause them to slip. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH02336: The springtime of divine revelation has come…

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

The springtime of divine revelation has come, and the Sovereign of verses has been established upon the throne with a dominion that has encompassed all created things. By God! The musk of utterance has diffused such fragrance that all existence, both seen and unseen, has been perfumed thereby. To this bears witness the Concourse on High and then those who have sought shelter beneath the shade of My Most Glorious Name. Thus has the Command been sent down from God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Say: O people! Cast aside what you possess and take hold of that which God, the Sovereign, the Most High, the Most Great, has commanded you. Verily this is the pure wine of reunion for those who have turned to God, and the dawning-place of hopes for all who are in the heavens and on earth. This indeed is the Most Great Proof among the nations and the Most Straight Path for all who possess clear vision. Blessed are you, O people of Baha! Take the cup in the name of your Most Exalted Lord and drink therefrom at all times. Verily it will make you independent of all else.

Say: When the Hour came and the verses were sent down, faces turned away from their Lord, the Possessor of all attributes. Among them were those held back by vanities, and those prevented by learning, and those who said “I have a sealed book bearing God’s seal, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.” Say: O rejected one! Were We to accept what you claim, We would say: By God! Even if you possessed all the scriptures of those gone before and those yet to come, they would profit you not at all except through this Book from which has been detailed the Preserved Tablet. And were all the Dawning-Places of Revelation to hesitate in this Cause at this moment when the Tongue of Grandeur and Glory speaks, even for less than an instant, their deeds would be rendered vain. Thus has the matter been decreed by the True One, the Knower of things unseen.

Say: You have not recognized this Revelation. By God! It cannot be compared with what has come or will come. To this testify near-stationed servants. Were We to mention to you the station of this Revelation, you would fall senseless at once. Verily the Cause is concealed behind a veil of light. Blessed are the people who know.

Say: O heedless one! You who have not been awakened by God’s call nor stirred by the breezes of revelation. We see you among the denizens of the graves. Thus have We detailed the verses that you might know what every unknown man has spoken. Arise to serve God and aid His Cause, and place your trust in Him. He protects whom He wishes through His sovereignty. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Verily the Glory be upon you and upon those who have drunk the choice sealed wine through this Hidden Name. Blessed art thou for having drunk the wine of reunion and attained to the mention of thy Lord amongst His servants, and recognized that which every renowned scholar was prevented from knowing. We have mentioned thee before and mention thee now through grace. Be thou assured in God, the Lord of existence. We beseech God to give the servants to drink, through thee, the wine of turning to Him, that they might recognize Him Who has come with the truth with manifest sovereignty. Convey My greetings to the faces of those who are with thee, even as We have greeted thy face from this praiseworthy station.

BH02896: Prayer for Naw-Ruz

I am the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Glorious!

I give praise unto Thee, O my God, that Thou hast ordained this day as a festival unto such of Thy servants as enjoy near access to Thee and unto Thy loved ones who are devoted to Thyself. Thou didst choose to designate it by this Name, through whose power Thou hast subdued all created things and caused the sweet savours of this Revelation to be diffused amongst all the dwellers of the earth and the inmates of the heavens. Through its potency whatsoever is recorded in Thy holy Scriptures and sacred Books hath been made manifest and Thy messengers and Thy chosen ones have raised their Call, so that all men may be infused with the capacity to attain Thy presence, to direct their steps toward the ocean of Thy nearness, to present themselves before the seat of Thy throne and to give ear unto Thy wondrous Voice, calling aloud from the Dayspring of Thine invisible Essence and from the Dawning-Place of Thine exalted Being.

I yield praise unto Thee, O Lord my God, inasmuch as Thou hast demonstrated Thy proofs and perfected Thy blessings. He Who is the Exponent of Thy oneness, Who beareth eloquent testimony to Thy unity is now firmly established upon the throne of Thy Revelation, while Thou hast summoned all mankind to seek His divine presence.

Amongst men there are those who have directed themselves towards Him, have had the honour to behold His face and to partake of the choice wine of His inspiration. I beseech Thee by the power of Thy sovereignty which hath prevailed over all created things and by the outpourings of Thy bounty that have suffused the entire creation to graciously empower Thy loved ones to become absolutely detached from all things except Thee and to set their hearts upon the horizon of Thy tender mercy. Assist them then by Thy grace to consecrate themselves to Thy service, that through them whatsoever Thou desirest for Thy realm may be realized, and with their exertions the ensigns of Thy victory be unfurled in Thy lands. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Exalted, the Help in Peril, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

I render thanks unto Thee, O my God, that Thou hast chosen this Prison to be the throne for Thy kingdom, the loftiest height for Thy heavens, the Dawning-Place for Thy Lights, the Dayspring for Thy revelations, the Fountain-head for the liberal effusions of Thy grace and the spirit of life to the bodies of Thy creatures.

I implore Thee to help Thy chosen ones through Thy strengthening grace to conform unto that which shall please Thee and to purge them from whatsoever might soil the hem of their garments in Thy days. Thou seest in certain regions, O my God, things disagreeable to Thy good pleasure, and Thou beholdest those who lay claim to Thy love committing such deeds that Thine enemies have committed. Sanctify them, O Lord, with this life-giving water whereby Thou hast sanctified the well-favoured among Thy people and the loved ones who are wholly devoted to Thee. Purge them, moreover, from whatever might tarnish the fair name of Thy Cause in Thy lands, or might deter the people of Thy countries from recognizing Thee. I entreat Thee, O Lord, by the glory of Thy Name that transcendeth all other names, to shield them from following their selfish desires and corrupt inclinations, that they may, one and all, gather together around that which is prescribed in Thy Holy Book. Exalt them then as to become the hands of Thy Cause, that through them Thy wondrous signs may be spread far and wide throughout Thine earth and the emblems of Thy sanctity be manifested amidst Thy people.

Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

BH02901: This is a Book from Baha to him who…

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

This is a Book from Baha to him who hath believed and been guided aright, and hath turned away from such as have denied God and transgressed. The opposition of those who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of the worlds to come and of the worlds of old, hath not deterred him.

Say: O people! Verily He is the Point of piety, from which have been expounded sciences which none knoweth save God, the Lord of the visible and the invisible. Verily He is the Tree of guidance—blessed is he who hath turned unto it, for he is of them that have turned unto God, the Lord of the Throne on high and of the dust beneath. Verily He dwelleth at the Most Exalted Horizon in the All-Glorious Horizon, beholding and bearing witness.

Say: O people! Fear ye God and follow not them who have forsaken guidance and followed their own desires. Follow ye the Faith of God which hath appeared in the Temple of holiness, through which We have shed Our radiance upon all who are on earth and in the highest heaven, and through this manifestation hath been established that which was set forth in the Bayan, as ye shall soon come to know.

Say: Verily He ordaineth whatsoever He willeth, and through this shall the truth be made manifest, though none comprehendeth this save them who are endued with insight. Say: Verily He appeared once in the name of ʿAli, and this is His subsequent manifestation, whereat all who are in the heavens and on earth were struck with terror, save them whom God preserved through His grace, and unto Him shall all things return both in the latter and former times.

Say: Fear ye God and veil not the Sun with clay. Purify your hearts from vain imaginings, then hasten unto God, for with Him is the ultimate end. Cast away what ye possess and take what We have sent down in truth. Thus have ye been commanded by God, your Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Highest. He who denieth this Revelation is of them who have turned away and shown pride before God Who created him by His command. By God! He is the Pharaoh mentioned in the former Scriptures. Blessed is he who hath believed in his Lord, and whom the opposition of those who have chosen Satan as their lord hath not deterred. Upon them be the curse of God and an unquenchable fire.

Say: O people! Do ye forsake God and call upon Lat and ʿUzza? Fear ye God and deny not Him Who hath come unto you with the greatest signs and Who summoneth you unto Him, seeking no recompense, for His reward is with Him Who sent Him with righteousness. And upon thee be glory, and upon whomsoever followeth guidance, and the Spirit be upon him who turneth unto the Lord.

BH02928: Praise be to God, through the grace…

In the name of the One Beloved

Praise be to God, through the grace of the All-Merciful, the Ship of the Bayan is sailing and coursing upon the ocean of divine knowledge. The movement and journey of that sacred Ship hath not been and is not dependent upon the blowing of winds, but rather hath been and shall ever be through the blessing of the Most Great Name, which hath encompassed the world. Blessed are they who behold! Blessed are they who know! This divine Ship cannot be submerged by the seas nor harmed by stones. It shineth between earth and heaven with a radiance more brilliant than the sun.

In these days, in one of the wondrous Tablets, this blessed word hath dawned from the Dayspring of the Will of the King of Oneness—the water of life hath flowed from the Pen that revealeth the verses, and from its murmuring this word is heard:

“Whoso desireth to know the truth must see it with his own eyes, not through the eyes of others.”

I swear by the Sun of the horizon of inner meanings—should a soul meditate purely for the sake of God upon this blessed word, and likewise upon the verses, proofs and divine power manifested after the establishment of the Most Great Name upon the throne of eternity, his heart would melt and his spirit would swoon, and after recovering consciousness he would turn his face toward the Manifestation and say:

“I have turned away from all else but Thee and have turned unto Thee, O Sovereign of the worlds!”

However, the malicious ones have clouded the pure chalice of divine knowledge with the clay of idle fancies, and with the wings of passion they soar and move in the atmosphere of selfish desires. God shall soon clip their wings—a promise from His presence. Verily He is the Almighty, the Powerful. Their example is like those who cast the Most Great Ocean behind their backs and took the fetid pool as their drinking place. Know ye that they are among the perplexed ones.

God willing, through divine grace and favor thou shalt shine forth like the morning star from the horizon of the heaven of certitude, and arise outwardly and inwardly to promote the Cause of God, that perchance ye may quicken dead souls through the fragrance of the merciful Robe and cause them to return to their divine original homeland. God forgiveth what is past. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Generous.

Would that thou hadst been with Us and known the essence of the Cause and its Source, and that which none hath known save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

BH03001: The Most Holy, Most Impregnable, Most Great

The Most Holy, Most Impregnable, Most Great

The Hidden One has appeared—exalted be He Who has manifested Him with evident sovereignty! The Treasured Mystery has come—exalted be He Who has sent Him forth with the truth through a wondrous Command! The Kingdom of Utterance has spoken at the heart of contingent being—exalted be He Who has caused it to speak of that which was concealed in a preserved Tablet! The Fire has spoken forth throughout all lands in the name of its Lord, the Chosen One—exalted be He Who has kindled it through His grace that has encompassed all worlds! The Most Exalted Pen has hastened across the fields of the Tablets—exalted be He Who has moved it through His Will that holds sway over all who are in the heavens and on earth! The Heaven of Knowledge has been adorned with this Sun that has dawned from the horizon of utterance—exalted be He Who has adorned it with this manifest Light!

O people of the world!

Hearken unto the Call from the Letter Ha resting upon the Letter Vav—verily there is no God but Him, the Almighty, the Powerful. Beware lest your vain imaginings keep you back from the sovereignty and power of God, or your doubts prevent you from this bounty that has encompassed the kingdom of earth and heaven. Fear God and be not of them that hesitate. Hasten with your hearts toward the direction of God, the Mighty, the Beloved. This is what you have been commanded in the Tablets, were you of them that know. Shun him who calls you to his vain imaginings and draw nigh unto the station wherein shine forth the lights of certitude. We summon the servants for the sake of God, yet among them are those who have drawn against Me the sword of hatred, and among them those who have denied Me, and among them those who have decreed imprisonment in this mighty fortress.

O thou who hast turned to God!

Rejoice in that the Dawning-Place of Names makes mention of thee on this darksome night. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Bountiful. Wert thou to taste the sweetness of what We have sent down unto thee, thou wouldst soar on the wings of longing unto God, the King, the Mighty, the Praised. Let not the affairs of the world grieve thee. Speak forth My remembrance and praise amongst My creatures. By My life! This is the most excellent of deeds in the estimation of thy Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Hold fast unto it and be not of them that remain silent. Thus have We imparted unto thee that which the Spirit imparted unto My pure, holy, mighty and impregnable breast, that thou mayest arise to aid the Cause of God and His remembrance through a power from thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Glory be upon thee and upon those who have turned toward the Countenance when it shone forth from the horizon of manifestation with a brilliant, evident light.

BH03554: This is a Book from Baha unto him who…

He is the Most Glorious, the All-Glorious.

This is a Book from Baha unto him who hath believed in God and His signs, and hath taken God as his Beloved.

They who have believed in God in these days have attained unto the highest pinnacle of grace from the presence of One mighty and all-knowing. And they who have disbelieved in God and in the Manifestation of His Self—these are they whom every atom doth curse, and this hath remained hidden from the eyes of the heedless.

Say: O people! Did We not inform you of a Day when God would come upon clouds of light? Then shall no soul’s belief profit it. Even so was this matter inscribed by the Finger of grace upon the Tablets. But when He came with the truth, ye denied and disbelieved in Him, and were negligent concerning His Cause, and were far removed from the shores of justice. By God, the True One! On that Day no soul’s belief shall profit it except by entering beneath this shade which hath been, in truth, extended.

As for thee, remain steadfast in thy Lord’s Cause. Beware lest thou associate aught with Him, for this would be a grievous sin. Recite each day that which hath been sent down from the heaven of Command, that He may preserve thee in truth and establish thee upon the straight path.

Know thou that the verses are like unto the spirit, and through them doth God quicken those who have believed and turned unto Him. Thus hath the matter been decreed. They who have deprived themselves thereof are as the dead, not the living, and their names are not mentioned before the Throne.

Say: The dead are they who have not been quickened today by the breezes of the All-Merciful and have not drunk the choice wine of verses from a wondrous cup. Thus doth God distinguish between the fortunate and the wretched, between light and darkness, through a word which hath been differentiated from the Mother of Verses.

And glory be upon thee, shouldst thou remain steadfast in the Cause which hath been made manifest from the horizon of holiness.

BH03632: Thou knowest, O my God, that the Dawning-Place…

In the Name of the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous!

Thou knowest, O my God, that the Dawning-Place of Revelation went forth from His inhabited house, directing His steps toward the house of His brother who was named Kalim, and there He secluded Himself for eight days and nights, which We completed with another night as a bounty from Our presence. And therein We opened the gates of reunion to the faces of the loved ones, and gave all to drink from the ocean of Thy reunion and the springs of Thy nearness and good-pleasure, such that whoso desired was present each day before the throne of Thy mercy, and each night before Thy countenance, and in every moment there shone upon them the lights of Thy face and the suns of Thy grandeur and power.

O Lord! Make this reunion the fountain of steadfastness for their souls and the pure wine of certitude for their beings. O Lord! Illumine their hearts and sanctify their souls and make firm their feet, for Thy path is exceeding narrow, narrow—nay, finer than all that is fine. I beseech Thee, O Cleaver of the dawn and Subjugator of the winds, by Thy Name through which the luminary of prosperity shone forth upon the people of Thy kingdom, to make them detached from all else save Thee, taking refuge in Thy presence and clinging to the hem of Thy mercy. Then enable them, O my God, to arise to serve Thee. O Lord! Make known to them the excellence of Thy days, lest anything prevent them from that which hath been ordained for them in Thy dominion and Thy realm of might. Then send down upon them a blessing from Thy presence and a grace from the heaven of Thy bestowals. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous.

Thou knowest, O my God, that in these days when his house was illumined by the lights of the Sun of Thy countenance, the Speaker arose to serve Thee and to circle round Thy throne. O Lord! Ordain for him and for those with him that which befitteth Thy grace and Thy favors and Thy generosity and Thy loving-kindness. Verily, Thou art He through Whose Name were raised the banners of bounty above the world and the standards of triumph amidst the nations. Thou doest what Thou willest through Thy sovereignty and ordainest what Thou desirest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

BH03985: O Safi! There hath befallen thee what hath befallen…

He is God, exalted be His glory, to Whom belong greatness and majesty

O Safi! There hath befallen thee what hath befallen Us. Be thou thankful and be of those who remember. Blessed art thou for having shown patience in tribulations and hardships, and followed the command of thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

O Majid! All thy petitions were read in the Most Holy Presence. The tribulations that have befallen you have in truth befallen the Most Great Countenance, inasmuch as you are reckoned as being of Him and are turned toward Him. Yet in the Most Holy Court there have always been such matters—nay, matters that neither the heavens nor the earth nor the mountains could bear. We counsel thee to beautiful patience, then We counsel thee again to beautiful patience, for the events that occur in this world are not permanent and never have been, but pass away like the winds.

Therefore in all conditions you must hold fast to the cord of God’s loving-kindness. If there be a delay in the manifestations of His favor, this is due to the requirements of the time. The divine relief will come, God willing. Be confident, for you have never been forgotten nor will you be. You have been in the presence of the Throne and have witnessed the endless effulgences of the suns of infinite favors. You have seen the [supreme] mercy and kindness. By My life! I rejoice in your joy and am saddened by your sadness.

Let not My guest become sorrowful. Always console him on behalf of God, and likewise the other relatives. Verily the Glory be upon you and upon them, men and women. Do not let the Handmaiden of Baha become distressed. Watch over her carefully until God reveals what He desires. Verily He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH04769: May my spirit and heart be sacrificed for you!…

May my spirit and heart be sacrificed for you! Although for some time this servant has not succeeded in responding to your noble letter, as occupations have rained down upon this servant like torrential rain, in any case I have hoped and will continue to hope for your pardon….

As for the detailed commentary on the noble tradition “I was a Hidden Treasure,” during the time of residence in the land of Sirr, Ali Pasha had requested from His Holiness the Most Great Branch—may my spirit be sacrificed for the dust of His most pure feet—to interpret this tradition. His Holiness the Most Great Branch interpreted it according to the circumstances, and His purpose was that the generality of people should benefit from it…

BH05038: A remembrance from Us unto him who hath turned…

In the Name of Him Who is established upon the Throne

A remembrance from Us unto him who hath turned towards the Most Great Ocean, when the Luminary of the Cause was visible from the horizon of the Prison, that the fragrances of utterance might draw him unto a station which was illumined by the lights of the Countenance.

Hearken unto the Call from the upraised Tree upon the blessed and unique Spot:

“Verily, there is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.”

When the Hour came to pass, mankind was shaken, then differed among themselves—of them were such as clung to vain imaginings, turning away from the Lord of all beings; and of them were such as held fast to idle fancies, turning away from the Self-Subsisting; and of them were such as said “He hath fabricated a lie against God”—He Who caused all things to speak forth His praise. Thus was the matter decreed aforetime on this wondrous Day.

Remember when the letter “H” of the abyss said: “I have a sealed book”—if thou believest not in Him Who came with the clear signs of God, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Say: O thou who associateth partners with God and turneth away from His beauty, even if thou hadst a book sealed with the seal of every prophet and holy one, it would profit thee not this Day except through this Seal, from which every wondrous beginning had its beginning. Verily this is the Path of God for all who are in the heavens and on earth, and the Balance of Guidance for all mankind, and the Scene of the Unseen for all in the worlds.

Blessed art thou for having turned towards the Wronged One when He was imprisoned for what the hands of the oppressors had wrought. Be thou steadfast in the Cause and put thy trust in God, the Single, the One, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

BH05640: Praise be to God that, through His infinite bounty…

In the Name of the Beloved of the Worlds!

Praise be to God that, through His infinite bounty, the Sun of the Primal Word hath risen and shineth forth from the horizon of the heaven of Will. Whosoever hath turned unto Him is accounted as being of Him.

Consider how many were the souls who regarded themselves as possessed of knowledge and justice, learning and grace, and who in the watches of night and day awaited expectantly the appearance of the Source of divine Command. Yet when the Sun of reunion dawned and the Ocean of attainment was made manifest, all remained veiled and deprived, save whom thy Lord did choose.

Therefore, whosoever hath today attained unto the most pure wine that floweth and circulateth from the direction of the Most Great Scene must at all times be occupied with thanksgiving to the Lord of all creation, that He hath enabled him and guided him to the shore of the sea of oneness.

Give praise unto the Desired One of the world that thou hast inhaled the fragrance of His days, hastened with thy soul to the precincts of His recognition, and attained unto the mention of the Desired One of all worlds. This is what shall endure for thee in the kingdom of earth and heaven, and all else shall perish. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

God willing, thou shalt remain firm in His love at all times and steadfast in His Cause.

BH05812: We have intoxicated those endowed with knowledge…

In the Name of Him Who is the All-Compelling above all names

We have intoxicated those endowed with knowledge with the choice wine of utterance. Exalted is this wine whose seal has been broken by the finger of grace and favor. Blessed is he who has drawn nigh and attained, and woe unto them that hesitate. By God! The back of might has trembled with the fear of God, yet the people are in grievous doubt. They imprison him who has broken the chains of blind imitation by the hand of divine decree, and they object to him who calls them to the pure wine of divine unity from the cup of the bounty of their Lord, the All-Knowing, the Most Generous.

We have found you stirred by the breezes of God. We have sent down this Tablet unto you at this wondrous dawn. When you attain unto it, give thanks to your Lord for having mentioned you while He was in manifest sorrow—not sorrow for Himself but for that which the people have followed their own idle fancies after the All-Merciful has appeared with a sovereignty that has encompassed the kingdom of earth and heaven. This indeed is a grievous wrong.

Say: O people! Fear God, and do not commit that which causes the eyes of the dwellers of Paradise to shed tears, and follow not every remote clamourer. Hearken unto My most sweet call which has been raised from the precincts of Akka, the spot wherein He Who has come with manifest sovereignty has been imprisoned. Thus does the Dove sing forth when the Dawning-Place of Names has been established upon the throne of His Name, the All-Compelling over all worlds.

BH06045: The Most Holy, The Most Exalted, The Most Great

The Most Holy, The Most Exalted, The Most Great

Verily the Tree of the Bayan calleth aloud unto all who are in the realm of existence with the most exalted call: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting!” Among the people are those who are drawn to the call and those who remain heedless. He who hath turned unto it is truly among the choicest of all created things in the sight of God, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved.

The Chosen One hath appeared and the rain-clouds have poured down, yet the people remain in a limited station. The Hour hath come and the Trump hath been sounded, yet they perceive it not. He who hath awakened at the call of his Lord and arisen to serve Him—upon him shall the denizens of the Supreme Paradise bestow their blessings, and this is a praiseworthy station.

Give thanks for having turned towards the Qiblih of the world and attained unto this Remembrance whereby the Cause of God hath been exalted above all that witness and are witnessed. Be thou steadfast in the Cause with such steadfastness as befitteth the days of thy Lord. Thus have We been commanded by God, the Lord of existence.

Thus have We sent down the verses and dispatched them unto thee that thou mayest rejoice in thy heart and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Fashioner of the heavens and Creator of all names! I testify that Thou hast ever been Self-Subsisting over all who are in the heavens and the earth, and Supreme over all things visible and invisible.”

BH06557: Glorified is He Who has manifested Himself to all…

He is the One with power over all who are on earth and in heaven

Glorified is He Who has manifested Himself to all in the world and caused Him to speak that which is inscribed in a preserved tablet. Verily this is the Most Great Book among the nations and His path for all who are in the heavens and earths. Verily it is the Preserved Tablet and the Sealed Book, yet most people are heedless. Through it has appeared what was hidden and come forth what was intended in God’s knowledge, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Through it has crowed the Cock of the Throne and warbled the Dove: “There is no God but Me, the Forgiving, the Generous.”

Your name was mentioned before the One Who is Mentioned and this Clear Tablet was revealed for you, that you may arise to help the Cause of God in such manner that the power of the oppressors will not weaken you. Know that the world will perish and all that pertains to it will change. Leave it behind you, holding fast to that which you were commanded by your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Thus have We remembered you in the Most Great Prison when the Ancient Beauty was in the hands of the heedless ones. This is from His favor upon you—therefore render praise and say: Praise be to Thee, O Lord of the worlds!

BH07151: In the Name of God, the Most Holy…

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Great! Well is it with thee, O Muhammad, in that thou hast rent asunder the veils and won unto the lights of thy Lord’s countenance, the Mighty, the Bestower. Verily, from the heaven of the Unseen He calleth thee and giveth thee glad tidings of this Remembrance which God hath made the Dawning-Place of all remembrances.

Thy letter hath come before Our presence, and We have learned what was therein. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Knowing. We have sent down unto thee this Tablet which God hath made the Dawning-Place of guidance amidst all beings and the Path of God for all who are in the earth and the heavens.

Say: Where are they who seek? By God, He Who is sought after hath appeared with a sovereignty that hath encompassed all possibility. And where are they who yearn? The Object of yearning hath come with greatness and power.

We counsel thee with that wherewith We counseled the sincere ones in the Scriptures and Tablets, and We have adorned thee with the ornament of utterance that thy mention might endure throughout the eternity of God, the Lord of all religions.

When thou winnest unto the Tablet of God and the trace of His Most Exalted Pen, prostrate thyself before thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Master of all necks.”

We had sent down unto thee aforetime a Tablet that thou mightest find from it the fragrance of the All-Merciful among the servants.

BH07831: The letter was seen and attained to the lights…

In the name of the Peerless Friend.

The letter was seen and attained to the lights of the Countenance. Thou didst seek forgiveness from the ocean of divine generosity—He hath indeed forgiven thee as a bounty from His presence. Verily He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

And God willing, from now on thou shalt remain firm, steadfast and upright in the Cause of God in such wise that the vain imaginings of malicious souls shall not prevent thee from the court of divine unity, for such souls have existed and will continue to exist in every place—at times concealed and at times manifest. Let thy Lord suffice thee, for verily He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

The call of Rida and his father was heard. God willing, may they attain to the outpourings of the true Bestower of Grace and not remain deprived of the fragrances of His days. May they be so firm in the Cause that the schemes of schemers shall not hold them back from the straight path.

We beseech God to grant you success and ordain for you what you have desired from Him. Verily He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH08099: God willing, may you ever abide joyous and at…

He is the Ever-Abiding, the Everlasting

God willing, may you ever abide joyous and at rest beneath the shade of the divine Lote-Tree of the Lord of all names. Ism-i-Mihdi hath made mention of you in his letters. Blessed art thou for having turned thy face unto the Countenance and directed thyself towards God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Be thou occupied at all times with the remembrance of God and detached from all else besides Him. Be not saddened by the differences in newly-arisen matters in the world. For every matter there is a time. When it cometh to pass it shall appear as God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, hath willed. Thy sister hath attained the presence of the Countenance and desired to meet with thee. We have therefore granted thee permission to proceed to this exalted quarter. In any case, shouldst thou desire to journey to this quarter, thou art permitted. Thus hath God, thy Lord, the Lord of all worlds, decreed. The glory be upon thee and upon whomsoever hath attained unto the Cause of God, the Mighty, the Beauteous.

BH08288: God hath, of His own Self, borne witness unto…

In the Name of Him Who giveth life to all creation!

God hath, of His own Self, borne witness unto His own Self, ere the creation of His heaven and His earth, that there is none other God but Him. He Who hath appeared is verily the Manifestation of the Hour, and through Him the Cry hath been raised, creation hath been shaken, the Resurrection hath come to pass. He is, in truth, the Dawning-Place of divine revelation, the Dayspring of inspiration, the Quickener of bones, and with Him lieth the final word.

Blessed is he who hath turned unto the heaven of His grace, the ocean of His knowledge, the sun of His beauty, and the moon of His grandeur. He maketh mention of the people of Baha in the Concourse on High, and of the companions of guidance in the Kingdom of Names. The tongue of My grandeur hath testified to that which hath been sent down in this wondrous Tablet.

As for him who hath turned away, he hath not answered My call in the days of My manifestation, nor hath he turned his face toward My countenance in any age, and he shall be mentioned as the rebellious one in the presence of God, the All-Compelling, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH09496: In My Name that dawneth above the horizon…

In My Name that dawneth above the horizon of the world

The verses have rained down from the heaven of God’s will and the evidences have appeared in such wise that none deny them save every remote misbeliever. The Hidden Mystery hath appeared and the Preserved Tablet been detailed, and they that draw nigh read while the deniers look to the right and to the left, and they are bewildered. We have bestowed the choice wine of life upon all who dwell in the realm of possibility: some have drunk thereof in Our Name, the Self-Subsisting, while others turned away, following their vain imaginings.

O My handmaid! Give thanks for God having chosen thee above most men and women who have denied God, the Sovereign, the Self-Subsisting. Hold fast to the cord of God and the handle of His favors. Verily He is with her who hath turned toward the Dayspring of His Cause, the Unalterable, the All-Wise.

BH09681: O Ali! You have appeared before the Divine Throne…

In the Name of the Friend

O Ali! You have appeared before the Divine Throne by your Lord’s leave and returned by your own choice. In this case, no word remains for you. We made your coming by My leave and your departure by your leave, and you chose what you chose. Verily your Lord is the All-Wise Ordainer. Your demon-letter’ which was in truth a ʿmaiden-letter’ was heard before, and likewise what you sent afterwards. His honor Jud, upon him be the Glory of God, has compensated for you—whatever you left remaining, he brought to completion. And your cry was heard in Haifa, and the burning of your heart became evident. Verily He is with you in all conditions. Be thankful and among those who are assured.

BH09492: The Tongue of Ancient Days hath spoken…

He is the Most Great, the Most Holy

The Tongue of Ancient Days hath spoken from the heart of the world: He is God, there is none other God but Him! And He who hath dawned from the horizon of grandeur, He verily is the Sovereign of Destiny! Through Him hath the Cry been raised and the decree of divine unity established amongst all creation. Were it not for Him, the command of God would not have been revealed among His servants, nor would the Cock of the Throne have crowed. He is God, there is none other God but Him, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting!

Blessed is he who hath arisen to serve His Cause, who hath attained unto the cup of His love, who hath spoken in His remembrance and praise, who hath turned toward Him with his heart, who hath stood in His court, and who hath circled round His throne. He is assuredly among the people of Baha in the kingdom of creation. To this beareth witness the Lord of Names and the Creator of heaven. He is, verily, the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

BH10003: The primary purpose of creation hath been the recognition…

In the Name of the One Peerless God.

The primary purpose of creation hath been the recognition of God, and all people, both young and old, were awaiting the days of His Manifestation. Yet when the Sun of Revelation appeared manifest and evident from the horizon of light, all remained veiled save those souls who perceived the sweetness of the divine Word. These are regarded as the most excellent of all creation in the sight of God, exalted be His glory.

O handmaiden of God! Render praise unto the Ancient Lord, Who hath honored thee with mention of His Most Great Name. Know thou the value of this station and fix thy gaze upon it and hold fast unto it.

BH09890: God testifieth that there is none other God but…

In the Name of Him Who is the Sovereign over what was and what will be!

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and He Who speaketh the truth is verily the Sovereign of existence for all who dwell in the unseen and the visible realms. Through Him have been sent down the scriptures and tablets, and that which was hidden in the treasuries of creation hath been made manifest. Whoso hath recognized Him hath recognized God and His sovereignty, and whoso hath turned away is assuredly among the perishing ones. Blessed is he who hath heard the call of his Lord and answered it, and woe betide every heedless and remote one.

We have heard thy call and have answered thee through this perspicuous Book, that thou mayest read it among the servants and arise to celebrate the remembrance of thy Lord in such wise that the intimations of the infidels shall not deter thee.

BH09948: Say: O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy…

He is God, exalted be His station, the Most Great, the Most Glorious

Say: O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the All-Compelling over all names, and by Thy signs which have filled earth and heaven, to assist me in serving Thee and in obeying Thee, that I may follow Thy chosen ones whom Thou hast made the Dawning-Places of Thy Cause, the Recipients of Thy Revelation, and the Daysprings of Thy Laws. O Lord! I am he who hath turned toward the horizon of Thy grace and the ocean of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee not to deny me that which is with Thee, and to ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for the sincere ones who have laid down their lives in Thy path and have arisen to aid Thy Cause. Verily, Thou art powerful to do what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

BH09756: O My handmaiden! Thy Lord remembereth thee in His…

In the Name of Him Who has power over all names

O My handmaiden! Thy Lord remembereth thee in His mighty prison. By the life of the All-Merciful! He remembereth thee at a time when sorrows have encompassed Him from all who dwell in the realm of being, in such wise that the pens of the world are powerless to recount them.

Ponder upon the Revelation of God and His sovereignty. Despite His imprisonment and tribulation, He summoneth the world through His Most Great Name with a power that the might of the oppressors hath failed to withhold. Unto this Prisoner belongeth praise, both past and future, and unto this Wronged One is due the mention of all who are in the heavens and on earth. Be thou thankful unto thy Lord for this most great favor, with which nothing in all creation can compare. Thy Lord, the All-Informed, the All-Knowing, beareth witness unto this.

BH10222: The Sun of grace is shining forth…

In the name of the Desire of the world

The Sun of grace is shining forth and the Sea of bounty of the Lord of existence is manifest and surging. How excellent is the state of the soul that hath been illumined by its rays and hath attained unto its outpourings. Be not grieved at what hath befallen thee. God Himself hath been and will ever be thy Helper and Succourer. The world hath no permanence, and that which endureth and lasteth forever is the love of God. Praise be to God, thou hast attained thereunto. With utmost joy engage in His mention and praise, and be gladdened by His remembrance.

The glory be upon thee and upon those who are with thee.

BH10196: God willing, mayest thou ever be and continue…

In the name of the One Beloved Friend!

God willing, mayest thou ever be and continue to be the recipient of God’s favors and holding fast to the hem of His bounties. Take, in His Name, and drink, in His love, the spiritual wine that hath flowed from the finger of God’s Will, the All-Merciful. How many among the great ones and the mighty ones and the learned ones remained deprived of this luminous wine and became remote from the ultimate purpose. This true wine is the portion of the free in spirit, not the share of those lost in idle fancies. Praise be to the Beloved of the world that thou art successful in His love and art known by His Name.

The Glory be upon thee.

BH10428: O My handmaiden! Bear thou witness unto that whereunto…

In the Name of the Ever-Abiding, the Eternal

O My handmaiden! Bear thou witness unto that whereunto God Himself hath testified ere the creation of all things: that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who hath appeared is indeed the Hidden Treasure and the Concealed Mystery, and that He is the One through Whom the hearts and minds were set ablaze, through Whom the Divine Lote-Tree spoke forth, through Whom the Rock cried out, through Whom the Dove sang, and through Whom the Nightingale of Heaven proclaimed: There is none other God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thy letter hath attained unto the presence of the Throne, and this manifest Book hath been sent down unto thee.

BH10211: O aunt! The Tongue of the All-Merciful speaks…

In the Name of the Beloved of the Worlds!

O aunt! The Tongue of the All-Merciful speaks: The fragrances of thy love were inhaled and the tokens of thy sincerity were mentioned before the Throne. God willing, mayest thou be ever occupied with the remembrance of the Friend and be gladdened by His memory. Any soul who today has discovered the fragrance of the luminous Robe, the clouds of contingent limitations shall not sadden him, nor shall human restrictions veil him. Praise the Beloved of the world that thou hast drunk from the cup of Beauty, which is the countenance of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, the Water of Life, and hast attained unto the knowledge of God, which is the source of all good. The glory be upon thee.

BH10303: God testifieth that there is none other God besides…

In His name, the Everlasting, the Ever-Abiding

God testifieth that there is none other God besides Him, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. He Who hath appeared with the truth and speaketh amongst the people hath borne all tribulations for the salvation of the worlds. From His Most Great Prison He calleth the peoples unto the One, the All-Informed. Blessed is he who hath heard His call and turned unto Him, and woe betide him who hath turned away and followed every doubting learned one. We have heard thy call and have answered thee through this blessed, mighty and wondrous Tablet. Place thy trust in God in all matters. Verily He preserveth whomsoever He willeth through His sovereignty which prevaileth over the worlds.

BH10315: The Most Holy, Most Exalted, Most Glorious

The Most Holy, Most Exalted, Most Glorious

God testifieth of His own Self unto His own Self, before the creation of all things, that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who speaketh with truth is indeed the Supreme Scripture for all who are in the realms of creation, and the Most Great Book for all who are in the world, and the Hidden Tablet for all who are in the unseen and the visible. Through Him hath the Resurrection come to pass, and the pillars of all beings have quaked, save whom God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, hath willed. Through Him have the Kingdom and the Dominion smiled, and every rejected idolater hath wailed. Through Him is every deed accepted and the call of every caller heard and every beloved command upraised.

BH10602: God testifies that there is none other God but…

In His Name, Who speaks in the Kingdom of Utterance!

God testifies that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath appeared in truth is verily the Most Straight Path amidst all nations, and the Balance of Guidance unto all creatures, and the Sign of Grandeur unto all who are in the heavens and earths. Through Him the divine fragrances wafted and the breeze passed by and the sovereignty of God was made manifest in all else than Him. Whoso turneth unto Him hath turned unto the Purpose and recognized the Promised One, and whoso turneth away is indeed of the most abject in My wondrous Tablet.

BH10880: Blessed is the condition of the leaf that hath…

In the Name of the Beloved of the World!

Blessed is the condition of the leaf that hath clung fast to the Divine Lote-Tree in such wise that the blasts of trials and tests severed her not therefrom. His honor Ismu’llah Mihdi hath mentioned before Our Most Holy and Exalted Presence thy sincerity, steadfastness and love. God willing, mayest thou at all times be the recipient of His special Merciful favors and abide in tranquility beneath His shade. The Glory be upon thee.

BH11288: Say: O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great!

Say: O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name not to abandon me unto myself. Guard me, by the sovereignty of Thy Names, from self and passion. Then cause me to enter the shore of the ocean of Thy good-pleasure, and number me with those who have circled round Thy Will and Thy Purpose. Thou art, verily, the Powerful, the Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.