Volume 058: Akka 1296 A.H. (1879), Part I (1 of 3)
BH00978: Praise be to Him Who hath, through a word…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most High!
Praise be to Him Who hath, through a word proceeding from Him, become the Sovereign of the world and hath adorned it with the ornament of His names and attributes, that all may testify that verily He is God, there is none other God but Him. He hath ever been supreme over His creation and powerful over His dominion. He is the Single One, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. Praise be to God Who hath forbidden His servants to dispose of His possessions without His leave. Should He permit anyone to do as he pleaseth for a time, this would be but a token of His wisdom that encompasseth all created things. He is indeed established upon the throne.
He heareth and seeth. He is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. Praise be to God unto Whose greatness and sovereignty all things have testified. He is the One Whose mercy hath preceded His servants. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Beloved. The horizons have been flooded with the light of the Sun of His bounty, and the world hath been illumined by the radiance of His grace which hath encompassed both the seen and the unseen. I offer praise, salutation and glory unto those whom neither fear nor perturbation have deterred from God, the Lord of the Beginning and the End. These are they who are the people of truth amidst mankind. Whoso gazeth upon their countenances perceiveth the freshness of the All-Merciful, and findeth their hearts firmer than mountains in the Cause of God, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.
Thereafter, the horizon of this servant’s heart hath been illumined by the dawning of the Sun of your remembrance, O Thou Who art our Beloved and the Beloved of the world, our Goal and the Goal of the nations. Blessed be your heart through which flow and have flowed the rivers of the All-Merciful’s love throughout all possibility. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to unite us and to grant us from the heaven of His bounty that which befitteth His greatness and sovereignty. He is indeed the Mighty, the Powerful.
As to what ye wrote concerning the daughter of him who hath ascended unto God, it hath been presented before the Countenance. He hath said, and His word is the truth: It is not for her to turn toward the Most Exalted Horizon, but she may choose one from among those who have quaffed the wine of recognition and have attained the lights of the Countenance when all in creation turned away from it. Those who have made arrangements and wished to arrange the means of her journey, their reward is with God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. We glorify their faces from this station and counsel them to fear God and to do that which befitteth His Cause that dominateth all who are in earth and heaven.
As to what ye mentioned regarding the House, He hath said, and His word is the most sweet: No one should speak concerning it. Its owner hath suffered that which is greater than what befell it, as testified by the Mother Book which is with Him. We have spent all that we possessed in the path of God, the Lord of the Beginning and the End. He who hath disposed and disposeth of it without My leave hath indeed been heedless of My remembrance. We beseech God, exalted be He, to grant him success in returning. He is verily the Powerful over whatsoever He willeth through His Name, the Supreme over all possibility. Say: O My loved ones! Blessed are ye for having attained unto the remembrance and praise of God. Rejoice with exceeding joy, then give thanks to Him by night and day. Grieve not over what hath befallen the House. Be patient, for He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Patient. Consider what hath befallen the Wronged One when He was in the hands of His enemies, then remember the afflictions that encompassed Him from all directions. Thus doth the Prisoner speak. He hath in all conditions placed His trust in the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.
As to what ye mentioned concerning Haji Muhammad and his wife, it hath been presented before the Countenance. The Beloved hath said: She should follow her husband in what is right. Thus hath the matter been decreed in the Book.
And as for what they desired regarding permission for the blessed place—this was presented and the sun of permission has dawned from the horizon of utterance. I beseech God the Exalted to aid them and us in that which unifies hearts and through which the remembrance of God is exalted among His servants. And concerning what you mentioned about Jinab-i-Nasir, upon him be 96 [Baha’u’llah]: excellent is what he has done and he has heeded what was commanded of him. I beseech God the Exalted to send down upon him blessings from the heaven of His bounty. Verily He is the Generous Giver.
O my beloved and the beloved of my heart! It behooveth the people of Zawra to conceal what is sent to them, for most people are heedless and contentious. None should object regarding the letter Mim and Vav, and the loved ones should hold fast to what they were previously commanded concerning him. Verily our Lord, the Most Merciful, is indeed the Kind, the Generous. They must maintain silence regarding him and remain calm and quiet about what proceedeth from him. Verily He doth not allow to be lost the reward of one who hath arisen to serve Him and hath spoken His praise—to this every discerning soul doth testify. Your honor should counsel the people of Iraq to patience, calmness and pure wisdom, lest there be raised the clamor of those who have taken good for evil, who have considered justice to be tyranny and oppression, and reformation to be corruption. Would that they had known and understood what their Kind and Trustworthy Lord desired for them. We beseech your honor to convey my greetings to the faces of God’s loved ones in those parts. I ask Him, exalted be He, to ordain for them the good of this world and the next. Verily He is the Powerful, the Most High, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Then there reached the Servant a letter from Jinab-i-Muhammad-Ibrahim, upon him be 96 [Baha’u’llah]. He had previously written a letter to the Servant and desired to attain Our presence, but the command was issued to prevent it. I ask the Beloved to aid him in what He loveth and is pleased with. He is among those who have attained the presence time after time, again and again. He should hold fast in the Cause of his Lord to what he was commanded. In truth, he has attained the presence and drunk the choice wine of reunion, cup after cup, chalice after chalice. Today, after having attained what he has attained, it behooveth him to hold fast to that which will cause the Cause of God to be exalted, through the wisdom which the Most Merciful hath revealed in the Tablets.
The servant conveyeth his greetings to him and to both [of them] and to the faces of those who have believed in God, the Lord of Lords. I hope that your honor will convey my greetings and my sincerity to him, and what I have written in his name, that he may rejoice in God’s grace and mercy and act according to what hath been commanded by the Wise Ordainer. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds. Glory be upon your honor and upon all who are with you.
The servant 22 Muharram 1296
BH03007: This is a Book sent down by the Wronged…
He is exalted above mention and description.
This is a Book sent down by the Wronged One, Who hath at all times been sacrificed in the path of God, the Lord of the worlds.
There hath befallen Us that which hath befallen none of God’s chosen ones before, to such extent that the rock hath cried out, the Divine Lote-Tree hath lamented, and the wailing of all things hath been raised—yet the people remain in evident blindness. Doth anyone reflect on that which befell Muhammad, the Apostle of God, from the people of the Gospel, and that which befell the Spirit from the Jews? Doth any ponder on all that hath appeared at every Revelation? Thus doth My grieving Pen make mention, that perchance the slumbering may awaken and the sleeping may arise. Oppression hath reached such a degree that the heavens have wept and the clouds been thrown into commotion, yet most of the people remain heedless.
This is a mention from Us to all who have believed and turned toward the All-Informed One. Know thou that thy brother, who was named after the First Pillar of this Name—whereby all in the heavens and earth were struck with terror save those whom the hand of grace took hold of and taught what appeared in creation by a command from the All-Knowing, the All-Wise—hath presented himself in the Most Great Prison. He hath drunk the Kawthar of immortality from the hands of bounty and mentioned thy name before the Countenance. Therefore have We sent down unto thee this clear Book. Recognize what the All-Merciful hath revealed, then preserve it in His Name, the Almighty, the Powerful.
O My loved ones in the land of Ta! Hearken unto the call of this Wronged One, Whom God hath made a target for the arrows of destiny and tribulation between earth and heaven, and be not of the heedless ones. By the life of God! Nothing preventeth Us from mentioning you and those who have believed, with a mention that shall endure as long as God, the Sovereign, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised, endureth. We cast upon the world that which We have been commanded by the Lord of Eternity. My Most Great Name beareth witness to this, speaking from the Throne: “There is none other God but I, the Mighty, the Generous.”
Hold fast to the cord of patience and to the wisdom which the All-Merciful hath sent down in His wondrous Book. Thus hath the Tongue spoken in the midst of sorrows, to which every possessor of hearing and insight beareth witness. The glory be upon you, O My loved ones in that place, and upon those who have held fast to the cord of steadfastness in this Straight Path.
BH03161: O Zaynu’d-Din! Verily thy Lord grieveth for His loved…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Glorious
O Zaynu’d-Din! Verily thy Lord grieveth for His loved ones who were martyred in His path with a martyrdom the like of which the eye of creation hath not seen, nor hath its equal been mentioned in the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds.
At times We make mention of them with supreme joy, for they have detached themselves from the world and attained unto the Most Exalted Companion. By the life of God! The Supreme Pen hath inscribed upon all things their remembrance, their praise, their steadfastness, their ascension, their firmness, their sublimity and their sovereignty. By God! The mentions of earth shall be effaced, but their mentions shall not be effaced from the tablets of the world. To this doth the Lord of Eternity bear witness in His mighty prison.
O thou physician! We make mention of them at times with a grief that no records of existence can reckon. Verily thy Lord is the True One, the Faithful. The oppressors have wrought that which hath caused the dwellers of the kingdom of earth and heaven to lament, and there hath been sent down from the heaven of grace that which shall perpetuate the remembrance of those who gave up their spirits and all they possessed in the love of God, the Sovereign, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
At this moment We make mention of him who ascended unto the Most Sublime Horizon in that place—he who was named Safi in My Mighty Book, inasmuch as he believed when he attained the presence of the Countenance and acknowledged that which God had caused to be acknowledged on a day whereon the hearts of the learned and the mystics were troubled. To this doth thy Lord, the All-Informed, bear witness.
This is a Tablet from Us unto him who hath turned unto the Countenance and attained unto this praiseworthy station. O Husayn! Give thanks unto God for having aided thee to recognize Him Who hath caused the Most Great Terror to appear through His mention, and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Sovereign of earth and heaven, for having made me to turn unto Thee, to speak in Thy remembrance, and to acknowledge that which the Tongue of Thy grandeur hath uttered in the kingdom of Thine utterance.
O my Lord! I am he who, by Thy leave, turned unto the Dayspring of Thy Revelation and entered the Ridvan when the Beloved of the world was lamenting for His loved ones and consoling His chosen ones and comforting His servants who circled round Him by night and by day. O my Lord! Ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones, then make me steadfast in Thy Cause. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH04446: A mention from His presence unto him who has…
In His name, the wronged and grief-stricken
A mention from His presence unto him who has turned to the Most Great Prison by God’s leave, the Lord of antiquity, and attained to that Spot round which circle the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the cities of names, and heard the call of the Tree which speaks at all times: “There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Bestower.” Blessed art thou for having turned to Him Who is wronged, by leave of Him Who possesses authority. By God’s life! This bounty cannot be equated with the treasures of princes nor all the riches of the earth. He with Whom is the knowledge of the Book bears witness to this.
Rejoice in that the Beloved makes mention of thee while seated upon the throne as the banners of sorrows were raised before His face. Thus has the decree been fulfilled by God, the Lord of all religions.
When thou arrivest in the land of Hadba (Mosul), convey My greetings to the faces of those who have loved Me and to the faces of those who have believed in the Beginning and the Return.
O Zayn! Behold and then make mention of what We have mentioned in various stations and informed all of the greatness of this Cause whereby souls have been bewildered and feet have slipped. By God! The tale of sacrifice has returned and there has been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen that which has caused hearts to burn and livers to melt.
O My loved ones in that land! Rejoice in My remembrance and loving-kindness. Verily, while in an ocean of grief He makes mention of you that ye may remember Him in spirit and fragrance. We make mention of grief to manifest My grace, My mercy and My loving-kindness. Know this, O ye who are endued with insight!
The glory be upon thee, upon thy wife, and upon God’s captives who have borne in His path that which has caused livers to melt.
BH04662: O servant of God! Praise be to God…
In the name of the Lord, the Counselor
O servant of God! Praise be to God that through the grace of the Lord of Names thou hast drunk from the ocean of faith and turned unto the horizon of divine knowledge.
The whole world was created for this Day and was brought from nothingness into being. Nevertheless, all have risen in opposition and protest, and have committed such deeds that all atoms are engaged in lamentation and weeping, save those souls whom the hand of divine favor hath preserved. We beseech God, glorified and mighty be He, to assuage with the waters of patience the ardor in the hearts of them that are sincere, which hath been kindled by manifest tribulations. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Powerful.
Although thou didst turn without permission, yet God hath pardoned thee, as a token of His grace. He, verily, is the Forgiving, the Bountiful.
When thou reachest the land of Hadba (Mosul) and attainest the presence of God’s captives therein, convey to them My greetings and announce unto them the glad-tidings of the ocean of My mercy and the heaven of My loving-kindness. Thy Lord, verily, is the Rememberer, the Compassionate, the Kind, the Merciful.
Know ye the station of that land, the mention of which hath flowed from the Pen of God time and again, again and again. All this is from His favor unto you, as attesteth every discerning believer. We beseech God to assist you to preserve what He hath bestowed upon you and to enable you to do that which beseemeth this glorious and wondrous Day.
The glory be upon thee and upon them and upon him who hath ascended unto God, and upon the handmaidens who have believed in the One, the All-Informed.
BH05118: The Most Glorious Pen makes mention of those who…
In the Name of God, the Composer of Hearts
The Most Glorious Pen makes mention of those who gaze toward the Most Exalted Horizon, saying: O friends! Today you must, through divine grace, hold fast to such matters as will cause the exaltation of the Cause and the upliftment of the Word of God.
And this most great and most momentous station cannot be attained except through harmony and unity. Every soul must strive to bring about the reconciliation of hearts and the unity of souls.
We have enjoined wisdom upon all, but should wisdom in any instance become the cause of discord and difference, then those souls who are watchful for the sake of God’s Cause must act with calm and dignity, for the harm of discord is greater than the benefit of wisdom. There is no doubt that all are commanded to wisdom in the Tablets of God, and should anyone act contrary to it, none should follow him. However, not a word should be uttered about him that would conflict with love and fellowship, lest two harms result: one, acting contrary to wisdom, and the other, the manifestation of discord.
God willing, you will be occupied at all times with service to the Cause. You are among those souls who have been and are remembered before the Throne. All the conditions of the world are transient, while this station has been and will ever be eternal. Preserve it and be among the thankful.
Convey My greetings to those who are with you, that they may rejoice in the remembrance of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.
BH04989: We make mention of him who hath been named…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Glorious
We make mention of him who hath been named Light of God, that he may rejoice in the remembrance of his Lord and be of them whom the blame of the blamer deterreth not in the path of God. Soar upon the wings of longing, inasmuch as the Wronged One of the horizons maketh mention of thee while encompassed by sorrows through that which the hands of them that have violated the Covenant and disbelieved in God, the Lord of all worlds, have wrought.
And We make mention of him who hath been named Muhammad, that he may praise his Lord throughout the nights and days. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the Bountiful. Thy mention hath been made in the presence of the Wronged One, and there hath been sent down for thee this mighty Tablet from which the near ones perceive the fragrance of the loving-kindness of their Merciful Lord.
O Pen! Make mention of My loved ones in that place and glorify them from this lonely Wronged One.
O My loved ones! When ye have attained unto My verses and My words have attracted you, and ye have been seized with the wine of the remembrance of Me and My utterance, turn your faces toward God, the Help in Peril, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, and say:
“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of Names, and glory be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of the worlds! I beseech Thee to make us among them that have fulfilled Thy Covenant and have arisen to serve Thy Cause. Verily, Thou art powerful over what Thou willest, and Thou art the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.”
The glory be upon you both, and upon them that love Me, and upon My physician, and upon them that have turned with illumined hearts unto the Supreme Horizon, the Station wherein the Tree exclaimeth:
“There is none other God besides Him, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Beautiful.”
BH06546: A mention from Us to him who hath attained…
He is the Most Mighty, the Most Holy, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Glorious
A mention from Us to him who hath attained unto the lights of faith and recognized the All-Merciful when He came with a sovereignty that encompassed all who are in existence.
Say: O people, fear God and follow not your desires. Turn ye unto the horizon of the Cause. By God! The Sun of Revelation hath shone forth and the birds have warbled upon the branches. All things bear witness to that which God hath testified, yet the people are in a strange slumber.
Those who have been awakened by the call of God—they are the people of this station. The Most Exalted Pen maketh mention of them and the Tongue of Grandeur giveth them glad tidings of a station from which the lights shine forth. Thus have We sent down the verses and revealed the clear proofs that thou mayest be assured of thy Lord’s grace, the Mighty, the Bestower.
When thou hast drunk the choice wine of utterance from the hand of My bounty and My word hath drawn thee to the horizon of My manifestation, say: O Lord of the worlds! I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name to make me in all conditions one who gazeth toward Thee, prostrateth himself before Thy countenance, boweth down before Thy name, and speaketh Thy praise and glorifieth Thy Cause. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
BH06709: He is the One warbling upon the highest branches!…
He is the One warbling upon the highest branches! This is a Book which the All-Merciful hath sent down to them that have believed in Him and in His signs, and have turned away from those who have disbelieved in Him and His sovereignty. He is verily the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing.
Blessed is the face that hath turned toward the Countenance of God and the ear that hath heard His most sweet call and the tongue that hath confessed that which His glorious Book hath uttered.
We have adorned the Most Great Prison through the advent of the Sovereign of nations—He is, verily, this One, did ye but know. And when We arrived, We said:
“Praise be to God for that which hath afflicted Us in His straight Path.”
O peoples of the earth! Fear God, and say not that of which ye have no knowledge. With Him is the knowledge of the heavens and earth, but most people are among the ignorant.
This is the Day whereof God’s Books and His Messengers have given glad tidings. Recognize ye its worth and be not of the lost. The Sun of eternity hath dawned and the Ocean of meeting hath surged. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of this mighty grace.
Thus hath My Most Exalted Pen acquainted thee and given thee glad tidings of that which hath rejoiced the hearts of them that are near unto God. The glory be upon thee and upon them that have spoken the truth and were possessed of manifest certitude.
BH07394: The Wronged One makes mention of thee from this…
In the Name of the All-Knowing Speaker
The Wronged One makes mention of thee from this Most Great Prison, that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Say: O my God and the God of the nations, my Goal and the Goal of the world! I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name, whereby Thou hast subdued all who are in the heavens and on earth, to make me in all conditions one who praises Thee with Thy praise, who speaks forth Thy remembrance, and who stands firm in Thy service.
O my Lord! I testify that Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee. Thou hast ever been powerful over Thy dominion and supreme over all who dwell in Thy earth and heaven, and Thou wilt ever be even as Thou hast been from time immemorial. I beseech Thee not to abandon me to my self and my desires.
O my Lord! Have mercy upon this poor one who hath sought Thy most exalted horizon, and upon this lowly one who hath turned toward the ocean of Thy knowledge.
O Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven! Thou art He to Whose might and exaltation and power all things have testified. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH11810: This is the Most Great, Most Holy, Most Exalted…
This is the Most Great, Most Holy, Most Exalted Book which hath been sent down in truth. Verily it is a revelation from God, the Lord of the worlds. Worship none but Him and follow that which hath been revealed in His mighty, wise Book.
These are the days wherein God hath prescribed the Fast unto His creatures. He, verily, is the One Who commandeth, the All-Knowing. They who circle round the Throne, and they who believed in Him when He was established upon His mighty throne, have observed the Fast. Blessed are they who follow the commandments of God—they, verily, are in an exalted station. Those who follow their own desires are numbered with the heedless.
We have adorned the heaven of utterance with the stars of divine wisdom and holy ordinances as a bounty on Our part. Verily, We are the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
O friends of God throughout the regions! Know ye the value of these days and cling unto whatsoever hath been sent down from God, the Most Great, the Most Exalted. Verily, He remembereth you in the Most Great Prison, and instructeth you in that which will cause you to draw nigh unto a station that delighteth the eyes of the pure in heart.
Glory rest upon you and upon those who have attained unto that living fountain which floweth forth from My wondrous Pen.
BH07554: O Sharif! May you attain unto the most great…
In the name of the all-knowing Lord
O Sharif! May you attain unto the most great nobility—that nobility which hath ever been and shall forever remain acceptable in the sight of God: the recognition of the Dawning-Place of His Cause and the Dayspring of His Revelation.
Whosoever attaineth unto the recognition of the Manifestation of His Cause hath attained unto the most great nobility, the most exalted station, the primal gem, and the uttermost Tree. But should anyone, God forbid, be deprived of this lofty station, he shall remain bereft of all stations of nobility, greatness, humanity and all that transcendeth them, even should he be of noble lineage, exalted descent, and possessed of outward knowledge and learning.
Strive thou to drink from the flowing spring of God—that same spring concerning which He saith: “A spring wherefrom drink they who are brought nigh.”
We beseech God to aid thee to remain steadfast in His love and to grant thee that which shall profit thee. Verily He is the Bestower, the Mighty, the Generous.
BH07449: Through God’s infinite bounty, the spring of knowledge hath…
In the Name of the One God!
Through God’s infinite bounty, the spring of knowledge hath appeared. Blessed is the soul that hath been adorned with the raiment of wisdom and hath drunk from the ocean of insight.
O friends! Strive that ye may not remain deprived of the fresh and pure fruits that have appeared from the divine Tree of humanity. This is the Day in which the vibration of the Word of the Lord hath taken hold of the world, for the fragrance of the sealed wine, which hath been unsealed by the Finger of Will, is wafting amongst mankind. Blessed is he who hath drunk and attained, and woe unto them that have turned away.
O ye who seek the Ka’bah of the intended Goal! Hearken with pure ears unto the call of this Wronged One and preserve it like your very soul. Ere long will the carpet of life be rolled up and another carpet spread out in another world. Whosoever attaineth unto that hath attained unto life everlasting.
Beseech ye God that He may enable all to undertake that which today conduceth to the exaltation of His Cause. Verily He is the Counselor, the Trustworthy.
BH07523: We make mention of him who desired to be…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Glorious
We make mention of him who desired to be remembered by his Lord, after he turned and heard His mighty, wondrous call. By God! The Kingdom of utterance hath appeared and the Dove of Knowledge hath spoken, yet the people We behold as among the dead. They have not arisen at the Cry, nor found the breaths of the Days, and are among the perishing ones.
It behooveth thee to thank God for having aided thee to recognize the Dawning-Place of His Cause and given thee to drink of the Kawthar of knowledge from the hand of grace. He, verily, is the Munificent Giver. By God! He dealeth with grace after justice hath appeared through this straight Balance.
O My loved ones! Know ye the value of these days, then act according to that which ye have been commanded by God, the Lord of the worlds. He commandeth you that which profiteth you in the hereafter and the former life. To this testifieth every knowing, perceiving one.
We counsel you to be steadfast—this is a word which God hath revealed in most of the Tablets, yet most of the people are heedless. Hold ye fast unto it in My name, and cling to its hem by My binding, wise command.
BH07705: God beareth witness that there is none other God…
In His Name, the All-Knowing!
God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and He Who is seated upon the Throne, verily He is the Source of My inspiration, and the Dayspring of My signs, and the Manifestation of My Cause, the firm, the impregnable.
I bear witness to that which God hath testified, and to which testify the Concourse on High and those who circle round His mighty Throne. Those who have not borne witness, they have denied God and His signs, and have rejected what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the perspicuous Book. Soon shall the world pass away and they shall find themselves in grievous loss.
Blessed is he who hath heard the Call and responded to his Lord, and woe unto him who hath turned away from the Face unto which the Faithful Spirit hath turned.
O people! Ponder the Revelation of God and His proof, and follow not every oppressor who hath found not the fragrance of justice and was a messenger from the self and passion unto every remote transgressor.
We beseech God to assist thee and those who have believed to stand firm in His Great Steadfastness. He, verily, is the Bestower, the Generous.
BH07900: O handmaidens of God in Hadba! We make mention…
He is the Solitary, the Wronged One
O handmaidens of God in Hadba! We make mention of you from this Most Exalted Station. Blessed are you, inasmuch as you have inhaled the fragrance of the Garment and have turned towards God, the Lord of Lords. Happy is the servant who has turned to My horizon, and the handmaiden who has turned to the Dayspring of Lights. We send greetings from this Station upon the faces of My loved ones and upon you. It behooveth every one who hath turned to give thanks to his Lord for this bounty that hath encompassed all creation.
Where is My she-camel—is she grazing, or have the enemies of God who denied the Beginning and the Return hamstrung her? We have mentioned him and mention him as a bounty from Us, and I am the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. Doth the wrongdoer think he hath profited? Nay, by My Self! Soon shall punishment seize him from every direction.
O My handmaiden! Rejoice thou in My remembrance and say:
“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose hand is the Kingdom of verses!”
Glory be upon thee and upon those handmaidens who have turned to the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.
BH08371: He dawneth from the horizon of the world
He dawneth from the horizon of the world
Say: Glory be to Thee, O God of the nations and the One manifest through the Most Great Name! I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy Will and the heaven of Thy grace and the penetrating power of Thy decree to assist me in that which Thou hast commanded me in Thy Book.
O my Lord! I am he who was sleeping when the hand of Thy loving-kindness awakened me, and was heedless when Thy most sweet call, which was raised between earth and heaven, roused me. I beseech Thee by the grace which hath encompassed me and all who are in the kingdom of earth and heaven to make me in all conditions turned toward Thee, directing myself to the horizon of Thy bounty, speaking Thy praise and beholding the manifestations of Thy handiwork and the evidences of Thy might.
O my Lord! Illumine the eye of my heart with the light of Thy knowledge and my outward eye with the vision of the signs of Thine oneness. Verily Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH08043: In My Name, the Self-Subsisting! The sun has been…
In My Name, the Self-Subsisting! The sun has been prevented from its shining, and verily it calls out and cries from behind the clouds, saying:
“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the worlds, in that Thou hast made my light to proceed from myself, and verily it was set ablaze before it was touched by fire. Blessed are they that understand!”
God hath manifested me through His grace, and caused me to speak that which the hearts of the doers and the accomplished ones are powerless to enumerate. We have testified to that whereunto God testified before the creation of the heavens and earth, and We have commanded all to testify even as He testified thereunto, whereat all upon the earth were thunderstruck save whom God willed, the Most High, the Most Great.
Be thou gladdened by that which the Wronged One maketh mention of thee from this remote spot. We have remembered all who have turned unto God, the Peerless, the All-Informed. Among the people are they who have recognized their Lord, and among them are they who are in manifest doubt.
When thou receivest this Tablet say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Beloved of the sincere ones!”
BH08385: The Book of God, in the form of man…
He is the Ever-Abiding, the Everlasting, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!
The Book of God, in the form of man, proclaimeth throughout all creation: O peoples of the earth! The All-Merciful hath come with sovereignty and power. Fear ye God, and abandon that which ye possess. Take hold of that which ye are commanded by God, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Bestower.
The books of the learned profit you not, nor do your ancient tales. Cast them behind you and hold fast unto this Book. Reflect, then consider the generations of old and what they wrought in their vain life. God seized them for their sins. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Compelling.
Beware lest the affairs of the world withhold you from the Lord of all names. Thus doth the Most Exalted Pen counsel you from God, the Revealer of verses.
We have inhaled the fragrance of thy love and beheld thee turning toward God, and We have remembered thee in this Tablet whereby the horizons have been illumined. Take it with the hand of power, then recite it by night and by day.
BH08142: The heaven of human dignity is illumined…
In His Name, the Ever-Abiding, the All-Wise!
The heaven of human dignity is illumined by the light of truthfulness. O people of Baha! The All-Knowing, the All-Powerful hath ordained the earth as a scroll wherein the deeds and words of the children of Adam are to be recorded. And since this is so, pure must be the words and praiseworthy the deeds that befit it. Strive ye that like unto the morning star ye may shine forth from the horizon of the heaven of wisdom.
A human being without result is like a tree without fruit. At all times doth the Pen of the All-Merciful counsel those who drink of the wine of utterance to that which is the cause of tranquility for all and the means of exaltation of the Cause. God willing, may it be accepted by those who have turned unto Him. We beseech the One True God to gather all beneath the canopy of oneness in perfect unity, and to confirm them in His Cause. He is the Powerful, the All-Knowing, and He is the Subduer, the All-Powerful.
BH08988: In My Name, the Most Great
In My Name, the Most Great
This is a Book which the Wronged One hath sent down from the Most Great Prison that through it whosoever hath believed in the Self-Subsisting One may rejoice—He Who was announced by the Qa’im when He came from the heaven of divine Command with a perspicuous Book. The Day is come and the Self-Subsisting One announceth unto men the Ridvan of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. O people! Turn ye unto the Supreme Horizon. By God! It hath been illumined by My Most Glorious Name, yet the people know not, save whom God willeth. Thus doth He Who possesseth knowledge of all things inform you in this manifest Tablet. We have summoned all purely for the sake of God unto the Most Exalted Paradise, as attested by the Hidden Name Which speaketh in the world:
“There is none other God but Me, the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.”
It behooveth every soul that hath turned unto Me to rejoice in My remembrance and render thanks for My manifestation in this praiseworthy station.
BH09093: O My maidservant! The Face of the Wronged One…
In the Name of the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious!
O My maidservant! The Face of the Wronged One hath turned toward thee from this Spot, and remembereth thee with a remembrance through which the fragrance of the Garment is wafted to all regions. His is the praise and the glory, and His is the remembrance and the splendor, inasmuch as He hath made thee recognize His Cause and hath caused thee to hear His Call and hath aided thee to acknowledge this Revelation before which all necks have bowed down.
Cling thou to the hem of thy Lord’s robe and say: I beseech Thee, O Possessor of existence and Educator of the seen and the unseen, to grant me, in Thy Most Exalted Cause, the most great steadfastness. O my Lord! Thy handmaiden hath stood before the door of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee not to deprive her, through Thy grace and favor, of that which she seeketh, for through Thy loving-kindness I have recognized the greatness and sovereignty of Thy Cause. O my Lord! I am Thy weak handmaiden who hath sought refuge in Thee, and Thou art the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.
BH09090: O My handmaidens in Hadba! Verily My Most Exalted…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious
O My handmaidens in Hadba! Verily My Most Exalted Pen maketh mention of you when sorrows have encompassed it from those by whom were raised the standards of tyranny in the kingdom of creation. It behooveth every soul to remember that which hath befallen My loved ones in the land of Sad. Hath the star of faithfulness disappeared from its horizon, or hath its nightingale taken flight unto God, the Lord of existence?
O My loved ones and My handmaidens! Remember ye this calamity whereby have lamented the dwellers of Paradise who circle round the throne of your Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. Glory be upon those who have believed, and upon those handmaidens who have believed in God, the One, the Chosen.
Verily, O My handmaiden, rejoice in that thou hast been mentioned before the Wronged One when He was making mention of His servant “Ha” who gave up his spirit in the path of God, the Lord of all lords.
BH09875: Glorified art Thou, O Sovereign of the Kingdom…
He is the One manifest with power!
Glorified art Thou, O Sovereign of the Kingdom of earth and heaven, and Ruler over kings and subjects!
I beseech Thee by the Name through which Thy power was revealed, Thy sovereignty exalted, and Thy will enforced, and by Thy most exalted Self, and by the blood that was shed in Thy path, O Lord of all names, and by the hearts that melted in Thy days, O Lord of all beings and Sovereign of the throne on high and of earth below, to preserve through Thy power Thy loved ones who have turned to the Dawning-Place of the lights of Thy countenance and have advanced toward the Dayspring of the manifestations of Thy Cause.
Aid them with Thy confirmations, then ordain for them through Thy Most Exalted Pen the good of this world and the world to come. Verily, Thou art the Protector, the Succorer, the Helper, the Mighty, the Invincible.
BH01634: Praise be to God Who has aided His chosen…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Mighty, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Glorious
Praise be to God Who has aided His chosen servants and His pure handmaidens to recognize the Dawning-Place of His Self and the Dayspring of His Revelation, and has made known to them and to them what draws them nigh unto Him in all conditions. Verily He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. And praise be to God Who has taught His loved ones the paths of guidance and directed them to the Path which hath appeared through His Most Glorious Name between earth and heaven. Verily He is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth. There is no God but Him, the One sanctified from every similitude and utterance. Praise be to God Who hath manifested the River of Life amidst all created things and hath given them to drink from the hand of bounty as He desired, through His Name, the Most Merciful. Verily He is the One exalted above every mention and sanctified from every praise. The Tongue of Grandeur beareth witness to this at this moment, even as it bore witness in the beginning that hath no beginning.
And after praise to God, that honored and respected lady hath been adorned with the ornament of recognition in the days of the Most Merciful and hath testified to that which the Beloved hath testified. By the life of the Beloved, this is indeed an imperishable treasure, and this blessed deed God, exalted be His glory, preserveth in the treasuries of His protection, and its effect hath not vanished and shall never vanish. Verily He is the Generous, the All-Bountiful.
Although due to the abundance of revealed verses there hath not been and is not opportunity to express matters, yet purely for the sake of God I trouble to convey greetings to the loved ones of that land, namely those souls who are detached from all else save God and who in all conditions gaze toward the supreme horizon. I beseech God that He may strengthen those sanctified souls who have quaffed from the Most Glorious Wine, that they may arise with utmost endeavor to serve the Cause—that is, that they may engage in teaching the Cause of the Most Merciful with perfect wisdom and utterance.
O friends! Strive that the fruits of humanity may appear from the tree of existence. By the Ancient Beauty, if accepted souls had acted according to divine counsels, most of humanity would now partake of the ocean of knowledge. God willing, through divine grace there is hope that all the loved ones may drink from the Kawthar of certitude and quaff from the Salsabil of assurance, and strive to draw those of doubt and uncertainty to the holy and most holy station, that the breast of the world may be sanctified from the whisperings of satanic souls and turn toward the realm of oneness. All the atoms of creation have testified and do testify to the transience of the world and its transformation and change.
Blessed is the eye that seeth and readeth the word “transient” from the tablet of all things, that it may entirely pass beyond all else save God and hold fast and cling and adhere to the court of the One Friend. I beseech Him, exalted is He, to aid all to what He loveth and approveth, and to make His loved ones like mountains in this Cause whereby the greatest terror hath appeared and earthquakes have seized all the tribes of the earth. Verily He is the Powerful, the Most High, the Bestower, the Generous. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
And further, the sent handkerchiefs which numbered nine according to their letters ha and dal arrived and were accepted in the Most Holy Court. Several were distributed in His presence and bestowed upon those circling round, and several others were designated specifically for the blessed Person and the holy Branches—may my spirit and being be sacrificed for the dust of their footsteps. Rejoice thou at this and be of the thankful ones. How excellent is the reward of the workers, men and women! In truth the souls of that land have endured much hardship. Each year their handiwork hath been witnessed in the Most Great Prison before the Throne. I beseech Him, exalted is He, to ordain for them, men and women, that which will gladden hearts and bring joy to eyes.
The servant 15 Jamadi’l-Avval 1296
BH00117: Glorified art Thou, O God of Names and Creator…
Section 1: “Glorified art Thou, O God of Names…”
He is God, exalted be His station, the Grandeur and the Glory!
Glorified art Thou, O God of Names and Creator of the heavens! Thou seest how tribulation hath encompassed Thy servants who have cast the world behind their backs, turning unto the horizon of Thy Revelation. O Lord! The banner of oppression hath been raised in such wise that the dwellers of Thy Kingdom and Thy Realm, and the inhabitants of the pavilions of Thy glory and holiness, have lamented. Such oppression hath reached a point where, night and day, the Servant hath heard the lamentation of the Supreme Pen and the sighing of Him in Whose grasp lieth the Kingdom of creation. Would that the world had ceased to exist rather than hear the wailing of the Pen that moveth between the fingers of the Will of the All-Merciful.
I beseech Thee, O God of all who are in the heavens and earth, and Sovereign of all who are in the kingdom of command and creation, to ordain through this supreme calamity and great tribulation that which will cause the standards of Thy guidance to be raised in Thy lands and the banners of Thy triumph in Thy realm. Then pour forth upon Thy sincere loved ones patience from Thee and forbearance from Thy presence. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over what Thou willest, and verily, Thou art the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.
My spirit be a sacrifice for your remembrance! The servant hath attained the choice wine of your utterance and the Kawthar of your love, whereby the thirst of my separation and the burning of my remoteness have been quenched. By Thy life! From each word of your words I have drunk that which hath expanded my heart and dilated my breast and the breasts of those who have turned unto God and clung to His luminous hem. O my Beloved and my Love! Whenever I desired to respond to that which you sent from the direction of your grace, sorrows prevented me, for I heard and saw that the Supreme Pen moved in such wise as to grieve the hearts of the chosen ones and the souls of the near ones.
Some time before Ridvan, the Ancient Beauty wrote with His blessed hand and recited certain verses indicating sorrows and grief, until a letter arrived from the Land of Ha containing news of the persecution of certain knights in the arena of the love of God, and a few days thereafter news arrived by telegram. He verily knoweth what befell Him at the hands of those who denied God, the Lord of the worlds. Nearly a hundred Tablets were revealed in His blessed handwriting, all mentioning those holy souls and pure spirits. I swear by the Ancient Beauty, the ocean of bounty surged in such wise that the essence of life sought the place of sacrifice, that perchance it might attain this supreme bounty and greatest favor.
By God, besides Whom there is none other God! The very rocks were softened by the lamentations of those near ones, yet the people are in manifest error. I know not what hardness of heart moved them to do what they did. The Concourse on High and all who are adorned with the robe of names were bewildered by them. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to aid His loved ones and chosen ones to read what was revealed for the martyred victors, for by their mention hearts find rest and souls attain peace. This servant copied some of those wondrous and sublime Tablets from the Supreme Pen, and through His Holiness the Name of God M.H., upon him be all-glorious Baha, sent them to your presence. From beholding that ocean of divine favors and manifestations of heavenly bounties concerning those souls, it becomes clear and evident that until these days nothing like this hath been revealed concerning any of the chosen ones. Blessed, then blessed are they who were martyred in His path and attained unto His mention.
Let me know what was written regarding the two honored names, Haydar and Husayn, upon them be the Glory of God and His loving-kindness. It was presented. Praise be to God, divine favors have been and continue to be with them. In these days, due to atmospheric disturbances, personal affairs, and the manifestation of dark oppression, nothing was submitted to these two honored and exalted souls. They have not been forgotten and will not be forgotten. God willing, whenever it is deemed advisable, a letter will be sent to them.
Concerning what you wrote about the travelers, upon them be the Glory of God, they attained the Most Holy Presence and achieved their purpose. This year, whoever came did so with permission, except for three souls, including Aqa Muhammad Isma’il who had been in the surrounding areas. For a long time, whatever petition he submitted was not accepted until he returned to Aleppo. From there he submitted a petition to the Most Great Branch, may my spirit and being be a sacrifice for the dust of His most precious footsteps, and beseeched Him, and through His intercession was summoned. In His presence, he was told that his pilgrimage was accepted and he attained the adorning grace of forgiveness, but he must also seek forgiveness from Jinab-i-Zayn, upon him be the Glory of God. However, the elevated son of Jinab-i-Asdaq-i-Muqaddas, upon them both be the Glory of God, and Aqa Muhammad-ʿAli from the people of Ba who was with them, had permission before and after. We beseech God to assist all to that which He loves and is pleased with.
Regarding what you wrote about Aqa Husayn, relative of Aqa Asadu’llah from the people of N and R, it was presented. This is what the Beloved uttered in response:
He is the Mighty, the Beloved
O Husayn! The fire of tyranny and corruption has encompassed the world, and the dark smoke of heedlessness and oppression has prevented most people from turning to the Truth. The Manifestation of the Command of the All-Merciful and the Dawning-Place of the Revelation of the All-Glorious is captive in the hands of the rebellious ones. I swear by the Sun of Revelation that We eagerly seek with Our soul all the tribulations of the earth in the path of the Friend. We beseech God that pure hearts which have been illumined by the lights of the recognition of the All-Merciful Lord be not darkened and sullied by the dust of the deeds of the oppressors. Behold the world as virtually non-existent, for soon all that is observed upon it shall find its abode in the bosom of dust, even as hath been witnessed at all times. Praise the Beloved of the world Who enabled thee to turn unto Him. God willing, thou shalt at all times drink from the choice wine of steadfastness in this mighty Cause.
Say: O my God! Thou seest how darkness hath encompassed Thy earth by reason of what the hands of Thy tyrannical servants have wrought. I beseech Thee to transform it through the light of Thy days and the manifestation of Thy justice. O my Lord! Ordain for him who hath turned unto Thee that which shall make him steadfast upon Thy path, firm in Thy service, speaking Thy praise, and hoping for Thy bountiful grace. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
And that which was sent through Jinab-i-Muhammad-ʿAli, upon him be the Glory of God, was received.
Concerning what you wrote about Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Abu’l-Fadl, upon him be the Glory of God, when it was presented, He said:
“We have hearkened to his call time after time, and occasion after occasion. Although outwardly nothing has been specifically revealed for him from the Supreme Pen in these days, yet he has been and is remembered before the Throne. All that he has endured in the path of God has been and is remembered in the presence of Him from Whose knowledge nothing escapes. The ocean of oppression has surged and the winds of tyranny have blown. The Command is in God’s hands, the Lord of the beginning and the end. O Zayn, reflect upon the deeds of the oppressors—they make mention of the Messenger yet kill his sons; they lament for the progeny of the Pure One yet cut out her liver. Thus have their souls made fair-seeming to them that from which Satan himself has disassociated himself. God willing, there shall flow from the Supreme Pen specifically for him that which shall endure throughout the permanence of the kingdom and the realm.”
Mention was made of Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Abu-Talib, upon him be the Glory of God. After it was presented, He said:
“Both before and after, mention of him has been made in the Most Holy Court, and numerous Tablets have been revealed and sent down from the heaven of divine grace. We beseech God to assist him to serve His Cause. Verily He heareth the call of him who maketh mention of Him and uttereth His praise. He is, verily, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.”
The mention of Jinab-i-ʿAli-Asghar that was in the letter of Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Abu’l-Fadl, upon them both be the Glory of God, wherein he had requested that they be remembered in the Most Holy Court, was presented. He showed the utmost loving-kindness towards them, saying:
“During the days of his presence he attained unto countless bounties. Blessed is he and joy be unto him.”
Furthermore, mention of Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad-Baqir, upon him be the Glory of God (in the land of N and R), was made in the Most Holy Court. A wondrous and sublime Tablet specifically for him was given to the son of Jinab-i-Asdaq, upon them both be the Glory of God, to deliver. Likewise, this servant had previously written a letter in response to his letter which was addressed to this evanescent one. Its sending was delayed but has now been sent. Whenever appropriate, your honor may send it. Although in these days, due to the flames of the fire of oppression and tyranny, the more matters remain concealed the better. The son of Jinab-i-Asdaq, upon him be the Glory of God, must conduct himself with great wisdom, as was told to him in the presence of the Ancient Beauty. For the rest, your honor may act as deemed expedient. Verily He is the One Who has commanded all to wisdom, and His is the Command and the Creation, and for us is submission. There is no God but He, the Commander, the All-Wise.
Concerning what you wrote about Aqa Yusuf from the people of N and R through their honors, upon them both be the Glory of God, when it was presented to the Most Holy Court, this is what the Tongue of the Beloved uttered:
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Generous
O Zayn! We make mention of those who have believed in God and His signs and have turned with radiant hearts toward His countenance, as the Lord of Names beareth witness in this glorious station. The pebble hath heard My remembrance, the earth My utterance, the mountain My call, the heaven My lamentation, and the Concourse on High My sighs. Thus do We expound for thee that thou mayest be of the thankful. Say: O Joseph! By the life of God, We make mention of thee. Verily He seeth whosoever turneth unto Him and heareth the call of him who speaketh of this mighty Cause. O Joseph! Calumny was cast upon the first Wolf, but the Wolf of the land of Sad devoured Joseph the Apostle and the son of the Virgin before the faces of the heedless.
O Joseph! Reflect upon those who read the Qur’an and claim allegiance to Muhammad the Apostle of God, yet slay His sons and plunder their possessions without clear proof or manifest Book. Hold fast to the cord of grace and say: I beseech Thee, O Thou for Whose sake blood was shed and lamentations were raised, by Thy Name through which the trumpet was blown and the dwellers of the graves arose, to make me steadfast in Thy remembrance and firm in Thy praise among Thy servants in such wise that neither the might of any oppressor nor the tyranny of any denier may weaken me. Verily Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest, and Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
And regarding Jinab Aqa Mirza Abu’l-Qasim, the physician, and others, what you wrote was presented before the Most Holy Court. This is what the Desired One hath spoken:
He is the Wronged One, the Stranger
O physician! Hearken unto the call from the direction of the Prison and reflect upon God’s grace and justice, and the oppression of those who claim faith for themselves yet slay the sons of the Apostle without clear proof or Book. The world hath so deluded them that they deny Him Whom they mention night and day. They have slain their men and plundered their women and children. By God’s life! They have committed that which hath caused the Spirit to lament at the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, and the Beloved One in the most exalted station. It behooveth every person of insight to observe their deeds and reflect upon what they have wrought both in former times and in these days.
Oppression hath reached such a state that every tongue is powerless to describe it, yet the oppressors are in joy and delight. God shall soon seize them with justice from His presence and purify the earth from the defilement of these people. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. When thou receivest My letter, give thanks unto God that thou hast been mentioned before the Wronged One, Who hath sent thee that which hath diffused the fragrance of the All-Merciful throughout all regions. From this station We send greetings to thy son, that the attraction of his Lord’s verses may seize him and draw him nigh unto the Dawning-Place of inspiration.
O Husayn! Husayn hath been martyred in these days, and before him his brother Hasan in the path of God, the Lord of creation. Shame upon the people who have rent asunder the vitals of the Apostle while imagining themselves to be the protectors of Islam. Rejoice thou in that thou hast been mentioned by thy Lord, through Whom agitation hath seized all who dwell in the kingdom of creation, save whom God willeth, the Lord of all men.
Then make mention of him who is named Jamal, that he may hear the call of God, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted. Say: We have manifested Ourself for the salvation of the world, yet the peoples have turned away and united to harm Us, as testifieth He with Whom is the Mother Book. Hold fast unto the Most Great Cord, then act according to what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Tablets. Thus doth the Wronged One command thee from this Prison which hath been named with all names in the Book of God, the Cleaver of the Dawn.
O Pen, turn towards him who is named Abdu’r-Rahman, then mention him that his heart may rejoice and he may remain steadfast on the path. Blessed is he who hath believed in God and acted according to what He hath commanded in the Book that speaketh with truth. Verily, there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Bestower. Blessed is the soul that hath been adorned with My attributes; verily, such a one is of the people of Baha, as doth testify He in Whose grasp is the kingdom of earth and heaven.
O Zayn! The Supreme Pen hath mentioned and continueth to mention both great and small among the loved ones. At all times the mention of the All-Merciful is raised, and whatsoever proceedeth therefrom to the world of creation in its primal reality returneth unto those sanctified souls who have quaffed from the sealed wine and who are fixed upon the Name of the Self-Subsisting. Blessed are they for what they have recognized and attained in these days when the wine of vain imaginings hath intoxicated most of mankind. This station hath no peer or likeness. The grace of God hath reached such a degree that He mentioneth all. The rain from the clouds of this grace hath no equal, nor will it ever have; yet sight, hearing, and understanding are lacking.
As thou dost witness, One Who hath manifested all the divine proofs, evidences, and verses that exist in the world among the peoples—yet they do not acknowledge belief in Him, much less in that which is above Him. The Tree is raised with utmost grace, yet observe how on all its twigs and branches are seen the marks of the swords and stones of the ungodly and the hateful ones. Nevertheless, at every moment it calleth the people to the supreme horizon with its most exalted call. We desire to end Our utterance at this time and say: All praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
Section 2: “Likewise doth the Supreme Pen mention Ali…”
Likewise doth the Supreme Pen mention Ali, that he may be gladdened by the choice wine of the utterance of the All-Merciful, remain occupied with His remembrance and steadfast in His Cause. Convey My glory unto his face and give him the glad-tidings of My mention of him, that he may rejoice and be among the thankful ones. And mention was made of a handmaiden of God. We make mention of her as a grace from Our presence. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. Blessed is the handmaiden who hath attained unto the Most Great Steadfastness. She is assuredly among the people of Paradise in a glorious Book. We have made mention of every servant who hath turned and every handmaiden who hath turned unto God, the Lord of the worlds. We beseech God to aid her and strengthen her in His remembrance and praise. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Powerful.
Regarding what thou didst write about the Tablets of Dervish Baqir, by command they should remain with thee. And concerning what thou didst write about the prayer beads: Several years ago, one of the friends found a silver belt, and after it was presented before the Most Holy Court, they commanded in the name of bounty—95 (Baha’u’llah)—that a herald should announce it in the streets and markets for one day so that its owner might be found, and if after the announcement the owner was not found, to wait nineteen days and then take possession of it. Nevertheless, when this was submitted, They said that the friends of this Revelation have been commanded to observe the Most Great Trustworthiness; their eyes and hearts must be sanctified and purified from worthless, transient possessions belonging to others. In this year and the previous year, countless verses have been revealed from the heaven of God’s command. Blessed is the eye that seeth and the soul that knoweth and acteth, and woe unto those who forsake and turn away. And in place of those prayer beads, We have sent one set of prayer beads that her supposition may attain to the station of certitude and she may be gladdened by God’s grace. Blessed is she before God, the Lord of the worlds.
O thou who art adorned with the love of the Beloved of the world! In the Ridvan He appeared with utmost sorrow, and the radiance of that sorrow was reflected upon you. Blessed art thou and blessed am I; joyous art thou and joyous am I. Rejoice and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the worlds! Hadst thou been present before the Throne and heard the lamentation of My Most Exalted Pen at the time of revelation, thou wouldst have wept with the weeping of the bereft and been counted among those who have lost.
Thus far is the answer to the blessed letter written on the 17th of Muharram. And then thy letter dated the first of Safar illumined the star of the heart with the lights of the Sun of bounty, and bestowed upon the drop of knowledge the expression of an ocean. This evanescent servant beseecheth God, exalted be His glory and might, that this supreme blessing be not withheld and this mighty gift be not delayed. The command is in His hand; He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth.
Concerning what thou didst write about Ismu’l-Kamal, upon him be the Glory of God, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, his mention hath been made in the presence of the Countenance, and that which he sent was presented before the Throne. The servant sendeth greetings from this station upon him and upon those with him, and upon his family, both men and women. Blessed are they in that they have attained, acknowledged and confessed that which the Lord of the Invoked One hath uttered.
Regarding what thou didst write about Khwajih ʿAbdu’l-Ahad, it was presented. These wondrous and sublime words were revealed from the heaven of Will specifically for him, but they must be given according to the requirements of the time, for in these days the incident in the Land of Sad hath caused agitation. In any case, the loved ones must act with the utmost wisdom. His word, exalted be His grandeur:
He is the One Who descendeth with His mighty glory.
Say: Glory be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all created things and in Whose right hand is the kingdom of all existence! I beseech Thee to ordain for every one who hath turned unto Thee the Kawthar of Thy presence and the wine of reunion with Thee, and to make him aware of that which beseemeth Thy Revelation, Thy greatness and Thy days. O my Lord! Illumine my sight that I may behold Thee established upon the throne of Thy power and elevated above Thy creation and creatures. O my Lord! I have turned toward the ocean of Thy bounty and the ark of Thy grace. I beseech Thee by Thy generosity and Thy sovereignty not to deprive me of them. Thou art He to Whose exaltation and power all atoms testify, and to Whose transcendence and ascendancy all beings bear witness. O my Lord! Grant me from the wonders of Thy generosity that which will cause me to gaze in all conditions toward Thy horizon, to stand firm in Thy Cause, and to cling to Thy robe. Thou art He from Whose knowledge nothing escapeth. Thou knowest and seest my poverty and Thy wealth, my powerlessness and Thy might. Have mercy upon me through Thy bounty. Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Bountiful.
As for what your honor mentioned regarding Nabil the traveler and his son, upon them be 966 [Baha’u’llah], it was presented. He said that divine favors have been and will be, God willing, bestowed upon him and his relatives. A Tablet was sent specifically for them with the son of Jinab-i-Asdaq, upon them be 966 [Baha’u’llah], and likewise previously, and We mention his son at this time as a favor from Us, and verily We are the All-Bountiful, the Generous.
He is the Mighty, the Beautiful.
The Bird of the Divine Throne hath taken flight because of the croaking of the raven. Verily thy Lord is the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing. O Muhammad-Rida! We make mention of thee in this station that thou mayest rejoice in this remembrance whereby the ocean of faith hath surged and the fragrance of thy Lord’s mercy, the Lord of all religions, hath been wafted abroad. Beware lest anything whatsoever debar thee from God, the Creator of names. By My life! All the treasures of earth cannot equal one word of thy Lord. He Who hath manifested the kingdom of utterance in the realm of creation beareth witness to this. Although sorrows have encompassed all things, yet doth the All-Merciful call out with His most exalted voice: “There is none other God but He, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting.” Nothing whatsoever can withhold Him from that which He desireth. He ordaineth as He pleaseth through His sovereign might. He is, in truth, the One, the All-Seeing.
The oppressors have slain the descendants of the Apostle, yet make mention of Him at morn and eventide. The kingdom of earth and heaven is bewildered at their deeds. Erelong shall the blasts of chastisement seize them from every direction. He shall seize them even as He seized those who preceded them. Behold them who confined Us to the most desolate of lands. Blessed is he who readeth the Tablet of Ra’is and learneth of that which flowed from the Most Exalted Pen when it was captive in the hands of the wicked. The glory rest upon thee, upon thy father, and upon those who have laid hold on the hem of grace and have acknowledged that which God hath acknowledged, both in the beginning and in the end.
O Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One from His Most Great Prison. Verily, there is none other God but Him, the Most High, the Most Great. We have desired to make mention of the Glorious One who hath ascended unto God, the Lord of the worlds. By thy life, O Zayn! He attained Our presence in the land of Kaf, and We cast upon him the Word of God, the All-Compelling, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. The fire of the Word so seized him that he was drawn to the Most Sublime Horizon. The Lord of Names in this glorious station beareth witness unto this. We testify that he believed in Me and acknowledged that which God acknowledged on the day when men turned away from God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. He bore witness as We bore witness when the Trump was blown and all who are in the heavens and earth swooned away, save those whom God willed to exempt, the True Sovereign, the Manifest. Blessed is he who remembereth him as recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in this wondrous Tablet.
The Tongue of Grandeur maketh mention of him in this station and saith:
“Blessed art thou who hast laid hold on the Most Great Handle and clung to the hem of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, the Merciful.”
I testify that thou art a servant who hath believed in God, the Manifestations of His Revelation, the Dawning-Places of His inspiration, and the Recipients of His imperative command, the All-Compelling, the Most Great. Thou art he who hath borne hardships in the path of God, and tribulation and adversity have touched thee in this straight Path.
Then We make mention of his son, Al-Wahhab, who was set ablaze with the fire of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. He is the one who was martyred in the path of God. The Concourse on High and those who circle round His exalted throne bear witness unto this. Blessed is he who maketh mention of them both, who visiteth them, and who through them draweth nigh unto God, the One, the Single, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.
He is the All-Mentioning, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise
O Zayn! We wish to make mention of thy son who ascended unto Us, attained Our presence, drank the choice wine of Our revelation, and immersed himself in the ocean of Our mercy which hath preceded all worlds. Blessed art thou, O son, in that thou wast in a house wherein was raised the remembrance and praise of God. This indeed is a great bounty. Thou art he upon whom We shed the lights of beauty, whereupon thou didst sacrifice thy spirit for God, the One, the All-Informed. We, verily, visit thee, O son, from this station and say: Upon thee be the glory of God, the glory of the Concourse on High, My remembrance and the remembrance of those who circle round the pavilion of grandeur. O thou who didst drink the milk of faith from thy mother’s breast and the Kawthar of exposition from thy father’s hand—he who arose to serve this wronged and lonely One. Thus hath spoken the Tongue of Grandeur, and there hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen that which hath diffused the fragrance of the garment amongst the worlds.
Concerning the inquiry about the blessed verse of the Most Holy Book, His word, exalted be His glory:
“We have appointed the two signs for the coming of age of the world”
to the end of His word, exalted and mighty is He—the inability to bear sovereignty mentioned in one of the Tablets is different from the two matters revealed in the Most Holy Book.
Furthermore, while this servant was engaged in writing this petition to your presence, they commanded: Write to Zayn, upon him be the Glory of God, that the delay in your reply was due to the gathering of travelers, but you should not be saddened, for whenever a reply is revealed, it is and will be nourishing and enriching, as each portion of the reply descends from the heaven of grace and is dispatched. Happy art thou!
Among others, the honored Aqa Siyyid ʿAli-Akbar, upon him be the Glory of God, set forth with numerous replies to petitions, and likewise Aqa Muhammad from the people of Qaf, and the honored Ibn-i-Asdaq and those with him, upon them be the Glory of God. It is known how many Tablets they carried, and likewise those souls who proceeded with permission, including Shaykh Salman. The purpose of mentioning this is that most times delays occur due to this servant’s lack of time. In all cases, forgiveness is hoped for.
Another submission is that the honored Ustad Abdu’l-Ghani, upon him be the Glory of God, was with this servant in the small plot known as the large one, and this servant recalled your statement written previously expressing your wish to be present and attain to service. In view of that statement, this servant specifically mentioned to Ustad Abdu’l-Ghani that today you should engage in service to the small plot on behalf of Zayn, upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory of God, and he truly engaged in service that day with complete joy and delight like a skilled worker. He himself will submit the details.
Regarding what you had written about the honored Ism-i-Nasr, upon him be the Glory of God, it was submitted. They said: Divine favors have been bestowed upon him. God willing, may he be confirmed and assisted in the mention and praise of Truth and be adorned with the ornament of justice. O Zayn! In these days the temple of justice hath fallen into the hands of the manifestations of tyranny, as thou hast heard and continues to hear. Ask God, thy Lord, to deliver it and to transform the seat of oppression into the throne of justice. Verily thy Lord is the Powerful, the Mighty.
The honored Ism-i-Nasr has requested Tablets specifically for certain accepted souls. Should God will, We shall send them as a bounty from His presence. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous.
Another submission is that at the time of the departure of Jinab-i-Ibn-i-Asdaq, upon them both be the Glory of God, nothing was revealed from the heaven of bounty specifically for the known person who is in the land of Kha. However, in response to the request of the aforementioned one, They made a promise, and therefore the Most Holy, Most Mighty Tablet was revealed specifically for them and was sent. If they honor that land with their presence, give it to them to deliver, and this matter must, according to the command, remain confidential and reach the known person in sealed form. And this too, if the time is appropriate, for They have said that at certain times some souls are observed to be fearful of certain events. Therefore, consideration of timing is necessary, and furthermore, the known souls have been and are being watched by the enemies who await an occurrence to arise that they might proclaim it. In this case, the protection of known souls is necessary. Blessed are they who conceal and act accordingly.
Another submission of this evanescent one is that you should convey the Most Glorious, Most Mighty, Most Wondrous greetings from this servant to all the friends of God who reside in that land, whether they be the captives of God or others. The Glory be upon your honor and upon them and upon His trustees and His loved ones and His friends in every direction of all directions.
The servant 6 Rajab 1296
BH01075: Praise be to God Who is unique in His…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Mighty, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious
Praise be to God Who is unique in His grandeur, singular in His call, and exalted through the Name that is the Sovereign of all names. Verily He is the Ruler over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but He, the Omnipotent, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And praise be to God Who hath sent down the Book and adorned it with verses of commandments and laws that the peoples might benefit therefrom, they who have cast away vain imaginings and turned to the horizon whence shone forth the sun of the knowledge of our Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Verily He hath desired naught from all that hath appeared except to manifest His generosity, His grace and His bounty to His servants. He, verily, is the Bestower, the Most Generous.
Thereafter, thy letter reached this servant, and I read what was therein and presented it before the Throne, offering it unto God, the Mighty, the All-Wise. I beseech God to assist thee and to raise up others like thee who shall acknowledge that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath acknowledged amongst the nations. He, verily, is the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful.
This ephemeral one makes mention that thy letter arrived and brought boundless joy, for the sweet savors of the love of the All-Merciful were inhaled therefrom. God willing, thou shalt at all times be assisted through the confirmations of the All-Merciful Lord and be engaged in the remembrance and utterance of the True Sovereign. The supplication thou didst present to the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court was offered, and forthwith a Tablet was revealed from the heaven of God’s Will and sent forth. God willing, thou shalt attain unto its presence and be perfumed with its fragrances.
As to what thou didst mention regarding the Huququ’llah, writing that a certain one possesseth both cash and property, and while the Huququ’llah on the cash is clear, the property is in a place where none will purchase it so that the Huququ’llah might be separated from it, and if he wished to pay from the cash it would not suffice, and the individual himself would lose his livelihood, and the property yields no rent—in such case what is required? The decree of God is that property from which no profit is derived, that is, from which no benefit is obtained, no Huququ’llah is payable thereon. He, verily, is the Ruler, the Most Generous.
As to what thou didst mention regarding the name Ibn, there is no objection, but outwardly he should be named after the manifest name ʿAbbas, the Most Great Branch of God—may my spirit and my very being be offered up for the dust of His footsteps.
As to what thou didst write regarding Aqa ʿAli-Akbar who hath ascended unto God, it was presented, and the word of forgiveness was manifested from the Kingdom of the All-Merciful’s utterance regarding him. Blessed is he in that he attained unto mention during his lifetime and unto God’s forgiveness and mercy after his passing and ascension.
As to what thou didst write regarding Aqa Muhammad-ʿAli, mention of him was made in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court. A brief prayer was revealed from the heaven of divine Will and was sent. Let him recite it. This is what God hath revealed from the heaven of Will and Purpose:
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great
Say: Glory be unto Thee, O God, Lord of all things and Creator of names! I beseech Thee by the Name through which Thou didst shatter the idols and dispel all vain imaginings, to immerse me in the ocean of certitude, O Lord of all religions. My Lord! Aid me in that which Thou hast willed through Thy sovereignty and revealed in Thy perspicuous Book. My Lord! This is a day wherein the pages of contingent being and the Books which Thou didst reveal unto Thy Messengers and chosen ones have been adorned. I beseech Thee not to withhold from me the outpourings of the ocean of Thy grace, nor to shut me out from the door which Thou hast opened unto all who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth. My Lord! I am weak and have clung to Thy Name, the All-Powerful, the Almighty. Ordain for me from Thy bounty that which shall profit me in this world and the next. Verily, Thou art the Giving, the Bountiful, the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the All-Wise.
God willing, may they become blessed and confirmed through the reading of these exalted and blessed words which have appeared from the Dayspring of the Divine Will.
Furthermore, convey greetings on behalf of this poor and lowly one to all those souls in that land and in the land of N and R who have drunk from the Divine Chalice and are gazing toward the Most Exalted Horizon. O friends! O ye who drink the choice wine of the mercy of the All-Merciful! This is a great day. Great is its worth, great is its station, and great indeed is that which transpireth therein. Ye must regard the vain imaginings of the heedless souls and the suppositions of the idolatrous forms as null and void, and drink at all times from the Salsabil of certitude in the name of the Lord of the Day of Judgment. The tongue was created for this day, and the eye came into being from the realm of nothingness for this blessed day.
By the life of God! This is the day of ears and hearts, that they might see and speak and hear and preserve in the treasury. Say: Strive, that ye may not remain deprived of the bounteous grace on such a day as this. Although, praise be to God, in that garden the flowers of inner meanings have bloomed in the name of the Eternal Beloved and the blossoms of utterance have appeared in the name of the Desired One of all things, yet God willing, may their fire be seen as ever more enkindled and their light more manifest at all times through the influence of the Divine Word.
This evanescent servant beseecheth the true Sovereign to preserve those flowers of love from poisonous winds and cold blasts, that they may ever remain smiling with perfect freshness and delicacy. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Bountiful. Glory be upon you and upon those who are with you and upon those who have attained unto the recognition of God and are assured of His presence, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.
The servant 6 Rajab 1296
BH01842: Praise sanctified above mention and glorification befitteth the Court…
In the Name of our Lord, the Most Inaccessible, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious!
Praise sanctified above mention and glorification befitteth the Court of the Lord of Names, Who through His complete power and the attraction of His Primal Word drew all creation to the supreme horizon, and in such wise did He kindle the fire of the divine Word in those who have turned towards Him, and in those who have drawn nigh, and in the sincere ones, that each with utmost eagerness and good-pleasure turned towards the dawning-place of sacrifice. Blessed are they and joy be unto them! We beseech God that He may cause new traces to appear in the earth from these holy souls who have attained unto complete sacrifice, inasmuch as sanctified spirits who ascend with perfect detachment and severance have ever been and shall ever be the cause of wondrous manifestations and exalted revelations.
Were this servant to attempt to mention the influences of those spirits upon the inner and outer world, he would need to spend long periods expounding this station. By the life of God! If an eye were to be opened and perceive this station, that one would surely sacrifice the entire world, were it in his possession—how much more these weak, frail, worthless lives and these transient, impermanent riches. However, today service to the Cause, meaning its propagation, takes precedence over all else, as may be understood from the blessed Tablets.
Thereafter thy letter arrived which, praise be to God, indicated the well-being of all the loved ones. At every moment one must speak forth with a hundred thousand tongues, and from each tongue offer a hundred thousand thanks and praises, for He hath, through His infinite bounty, honored these servants with the robe of His special favor and enabled them to recognize the Manifestation of His Revelation. His is the praise, His the thanks, His the mention, and His the glorification.
And regarding what thou didst mention about the dream, it was submitted and He said: “Behold then what the wrongdoers have done to My shirt and My garments in the Land of Sad. By God! All things have wailed, every eye hath shed tears, and every person of insight and discernment hath cried out. O servant of God! The Supreme Pen hath lamented their oppression. They claim to have faith yet deny Him Who did ordain and send it forth, and they weep for Husayn while they slay his children. Thus have their souls enticed them, and they are in a strange sleep. But those who believed have profited by what they did, while these are in manifest loss.” He further said: “God willing, as a result of what hath come to pass, the temples of existence shall be seen adorned with a luminous vesture, and all shall attain unto the garment of divine bounty. The Command is in God’s hands—He doeth what He willeth, and He, verily, is the Almighty, the Powerful.”
And regarding what thou didst write about how, after receiving this evanescent one’s letter and reading the verses revealed in the name of his honor the physician, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious, the friends were seen both smiling and weeping—this was submitted and He said:
“God willing, all must rejoice through God’s grace and speak forth His praise. Blessed is the soul that hath taken the cup of joy and gladness in the name of the Lord of creation—such a one is truly of the people of this noble station. And assuredly those souls who have attained unto this station and have distinguished the True One from all else are gladdened by His gladness and saddened by His sadness.”
I beseech thee to convey on behalf of this evanescent one greetings sanctified above mention and description. Blessed are they in that they have attained unto a goodly end. And praise be to God, the Lord of the beginning and the end.
6 Rajab 1296
The mention of thy praise and glorification and exaltation was submitted to the holy presence of the Branches of the Blessed Tree—may my spirit and being be sacrificed for the dust of their footsteps—and they remembered and conveyed greetings in more wondrous terms than what thou didst mention and express.
BH08552: O Zayn! We wish to make mention of thy…
He is the All-Mentioning, the All-Knowing.
O Zayn! We wish to make mention of thy son who ascended unto Us and attained unto Our horizon and drank the choice wine of Our Revelation and immersed himself in the ocean of Our mercy which hath preceded all created things. Blessed art thou, O son, for having been in a house wherein was raised the remembrance and praise of God. This, verily, is a great bounty. Thou art he upon whom We shed the lights of Beauty when thou didst sacrifice thy spirit for God, the One, the Peerless, the All-Informed. We, verily, visit thee, O son, from this station and say: Upon thee be the glory of God and the glory of the Concourse on High and My remembrance and the remembrance of them that circle round the pavilion of grandeur. O thou who didst drink the milk of faith from thy mother’s breast and the Kawthar of exposition from thy father’s hand—he who arose by himself to serve this wronged exile. Thus hath spoken the Tongue of Grandeur and there hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen that which hath caused the fragrance of the garment to waft among the worlds.
BH09211: Today it is essential that all the loved ones…
In the name of the one true Friend!
Today it is essential that all the loved ones of God observe incoming matters with new vision, for certain wolves have appeared and continue to appear in shepherds’ clothing, and some, wearing various garments, claim belief for the purpose of seizing people’s property. Avoid these ones and believe not what they say.
You must occupy yourself with the remembrance of God with perfect steadfastness, and remind the loved ones of God of that which is the good-pleasure of Truth and the welfare of creation.
He has commanded all to wisdom, and therein lies the welfare of all, were they to know. Blessed is he who acts according to what is commanded, and woe unto him who casts behind him God’s command and follows his own desires.
BH00698: Lawh-i-Manikchi Sahib
In the name of the one true God
Praise be to the all-perceiving, the ever-abiding Lord Who, from a dewdrop out of the ocean of His grace, hath reared the firmament of existence, adorned it with the stars of knowledge, and admitted man into the lofty court of insight and understanding. This dewdrop, which is the Primal Word of God, is at times called the Water of Life, inasmuch as it quickeneth with the waters of knowledge them that have perished in the wilderness of ignorance. Again it is called the Primal Light, a light born of the Sun of divine knowledge, through whose effulgence the first stirrings of existence were made plain and manifest. Such manifestations are the expressions of the grace of Him Who is the Peerless, the All-Wise. He it is who knoweth and bestoweth all. He it is who transcendeth all that hath been said or heard. His knowledge will remain forever above the grasp of human vision and understanding and beyond the reach of human words and deeds. To the truth of this utterance existence itself and all that hath appeared therefrom bear eloquent testimony.
It is clear and evident, therefore, that the first bestowal of God is the Word, and its discoverer and recipient is the power of understanding. This Word is the foremost instructor in the school of existence and the revealer of Him Who is the Almighty. All that is seen is visible only through the light of its wisdom. All that is manifest is but a token of its knowledge. All names are but its name, and the beginning and end of all matters must needs depend upon it.
Thy letter hath reached this captive of the world in His prison. It brought joy, strengthened the ties of friendship, and renewed the memory of bygone days. Praise be to the Lord of creation Who granted us the favour of meeting in the Arabian land, wherein we visited and held converse. It is Our hope that our encounter may never be forgotten nor effaced from the heart by the passage of time, but rather that, out of the seeds thus sown, the sweet herbs of friendship may spring forth and remain forever fresh and verdant for all to behold.
As to thy question concerning the heavenly Scriptures: The All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He perceiveth the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the remedy. Every age hath its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in its present-day afflictions can never be the same as that which a subsequent age may require. Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and centre your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.
We can well perceive how the whole human race is encompassed with great, with incalculable afflictions. We see it languishing on its bed of sickness, sore-tried and disillusioned. They that are intoxicated by self-conceit have interposed themselves between it and the Divine and infallible Physician. Witness how they have entangled all men, themselves included, in the mesh of their devices. They can neither discover the cause of the disease, nor have they any knowledge of the remedy. They have conceived the straight to be crooked, and have imagined their friend an enemy.
Incline your ears to the sweet melody of this Prisoner. Arise, and lift up your voices, that haply they that are fast asleep may be awakened. Say: O ye who are as dead! The Hand of Divine bounty proffereth unto you the Water of Life. Hasten and drink your fill. Whoso hath been reborn in this Day, shall never die; whoso remaineth dead, shall never live.
Thou hast written concerning languages. Both Arabic and Persian are laudable. That which is desired of a language is that it convey the intent of the speaker, and either language can serve this purpose. And since in this Day the Orb of divine knowledge hath risen in the firmament of Persia, that tongue deserveth every praise.
O friend! When the Primal Word appeared amongst men in these latter days, a number of heavenly souls recognized the voice of the Beloved and bore allegiance unto it, whilst others, finding the deeds of some to be at variance with their words, remained far removed from the spreading rays of the Sun of divine knowledge.
Say: O children of dust! He Who is the Spirit of Purity saith: In this glorious Day whatsoever can purge you from defilement and ensure your peace and tranquillity, that indeed is the Straight Path, the Path that leadeth unto Me. To be purged from defilement is to be cleansed of that which is injurious to man and detracteth from his high station—among which is to take undue pleasure in one’s own words and deeds, notwithstanding their unworthiness. True peace and tranquillity will only be realized when every soul will have become the well-wisher of all mankind. He Who is the All-Knowing beareth Me witness: were the peoples of the world to grasp the true significance of the words of God, they would never be deprived of their portion of the ocean of His bounty. In the firmament of truth there hath never been, nor will there ever be, a brighter star than this.
The first utterance of Him Who is the All-Wise is this: O children of dust! Turn your faces from the darkness of estrangement to the effulgent light of the daystar of unity. This is that which above all else will benefit the peoples of the earth. O friend! Upon the tree of utterance there hath never been, nor shall there ever be, a fairer leaf, and beneath the ocean of knowledge no pearl more wondrous can ever be found.
O children of understanding! If the eyelid, however delicate, can deprive man’s outer eye from beholding the world and all that is therein, consider then what would be wrought if the veil of covetousness were to descend upon his inner eye. Say: O people! The darkness of greed and envy becloudeth the radiance of the soul even as the clouds obstruct the light of the sun. Should anyone hearken unto this utterance with a discerning ear, he will unfurl the wings of detachment and soar effortlessly in the atmosphere of true understanding.
At a time when darkness had encompassed the world, the ocean of divine favour surged and His Light was made manifest, that the doings of men might be laid bare. This, verily, is that Light which hath been foretold in the heavenly scriptures. Should the Almighty so please, the hearts of all men will be purged and purified through His goodly utterance, and the light of unity will shed its radiance upon every soul and revive the whole earth.
O people! Words must be supported by deeds, for deeds are the true test of words. Without the former, the latter can never quench the thirst of the yearning soul, nor unlock the portals of vision before the eyes of the blind. The Lord of celestial wisdom saith: A harsh word is even as a sword thrust; a gentle word as milk. The latter leadeth the children of men unto knowledge and conferreth upon them true distinction.
The Tongue of Wisdom proclaimeth: He that hath Me not is bereft of all things. Turn ye away from all that is on earth and seek none else but Me. I am the Sun of Wisdom and the Ocean of Knowledge. I cheer the faint and revive the dead. I am the guiding Light that illumineth the way. I am the royal Falcon on the arm of the Almighty. I unfold the drooping wings of every broken bird and start it on its flight.
The incomparable Friend saith: The path to freedom hath been outstretched; hasten ye thereunto. The wellspring of wisdom is overflowing; quaff ye therefrom. Say: O well-beloved ones! The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Verily I say, whatsoever leadeth to the decline of ignorance and the increase of knowledge hath been, and will ever remain, approved in the sight of the Lord of creation. Say: O people! Walk ye neath the shadow of justice and truthfulness and seek ye shelter within the tabernacle of unity.
Say: O ye that have eyes to see! The past is the mirror of the future. Gaze ye therein and be apprised thereof; perchance ye may be aided thereby to recognize the Friend and may be not the cause of His displeasure. In this Day the choicest fruit of the tree of knowledge is that which serveth the welfare of humanity and safeguardeth its interests.
Say: The tongue hath been created to bear witness to My truth; defile it not with falsehood. The heart is the treasury of My mystery; surrender it not into the hand of covetous desires. We fain would hope that in this resplendent morn, when the effulgent rays of the Sun of divine knowledge have enveloped the whole earth, we may all attain unto the good pleasure of the Friend and drink our fill from the ocean of His recognition.
O friend! As hearing ears are scarce to find, the pen hath for some time remained silent in its quarters. In truth, matters have come to such a pass that silence hath taken precedence over utterance and hath come to be regarded as preferable. Say: O people! These words are being uttered in due measure, that the newly born may thrive and the tender shoot flourish. Milk should be given in suitable proportion, that the children of the world may attain to the station of maturity and abide in the court of oneness.
O friend! We came upon a pure soil and sowed therein the seeds of true understanding. Let it now be seen what the rays of the sun will do—whether they will cause these seeds to wither or to grow. Say: Through the ascendancy of God, the All-Knowing, the Incomparable, the Luminary of divine understanding hath, in this Day, risen from behind the veil of the spirit, and the birds of every meadow are intoxicated with the wine of knowledge and exhilarated with the remembrance of the Friend. Well is it with them that discover and hasten unto Him!
BH00779: All praise and glory be to God Who, through…
In the name of the All-Powerful Creator!
All praise and glory be to God Who, through the power of His might, hath delivered His creation from the nakedness of nonexistence, and clothed it with the mantle of life. From among all created things He hath singled out for His special favor the pure, the gem-like reality of man, and invested it with a unique capacity of knowing Him and of reflecting the greatness of His glory. This twofold distinction conferred upon him hath cleansed away from his heart the rust of every vain desire, and made him worthy of the vesture with which his Creator hath deigned to clothe him. It hath served to rescue his soul from the wretchedness of ignorance.
This robe with which the body and soul of man hath been adorned is the very foundation of his well-being and development. Oh, how blessed the day when, aided by the grace and might of the one true God, man will have freed himself from the bondage and corruption of the world and all that is therein, and will have attained unto true and abiding rest beneath the shadow of the Tree of Knowledge!
The songs which the bird of thine heart had uttered in its great love for its friends have reached their ears, and moved Me to answer thy questions, and reveal to thee such secrets as I am allowed to unfold. In thine esteemed letter thou hadst inquired which of the Prophets of God should be regarded as superior to others. Know thou assuredly that the essence of all the Prophets of God is one and the same. Their unity is absolute. God, the Creator, saith: There is no distinction whatsoever among the Bearers of My Message. They all have but one purpose; their secret is the same secret. To prefer one in honor to another, to exalt certain ones above the rest, is in no wise to be permitted. Every true Prophet hath regarded His Message as fundamentally the same as the Revelation of every other Prophet gone before Him. If any man, therefore, should fail to comprehend this truth, and should consequently indulge in vain and unseemly language, no one whose sight is keen and whose understanding is enlightened would ever allow such idle talk to cause him to waver in his belief.
The measure of the revelation of the Prophets of God in this world, however, must differ. Each and every one of them hath been the Bearer of a distinct Message, and hath been commissioned to reveal Himself through specific acts. It is for this reason that they appear to vary in their greatness. Their Revelation may be likened unto the light of the moon that sheddeth its radiance upon the earth. Though every time it appeareth, it revealeth a fresh measure of its brightness, yet its inherent splendor can never diminish, nor can its light suffer extinction.
It is clear and evident, therefore, that any apparent variation in the intensity of their light is not inherent in the light itself, but should rather be attributed to the varying receptivity of an ever-changing world. Every Prophet Whom the Almighty and Peerless Creator hath purposed to send to the peoples of the earth hath been entrusted with a Message, and charged to act in a manner, that would best meet the requirements of the age in which He appeared. God’s purpose in sending His Prophets unto men is twofold. The first is to liberate the children of men from the darkness of ignorance, and guide them to the light of true understanding. The second is to ensure the peace and tranquillity of mankind, and provide all the means by which they can be established.
The Prophets of God should be regarded as physicians whose task is to foster the well-being of the world and its peoples, that, through the spirit of oneness, they may heal the sickness of a divided humanity. To none is given the right to question their words or disparage their conduct, for they are the only ones who can claim to have understood the patient and to have correctly diagnosed its ailments. No man, however acute his perception, can ever hope to reach the heights which the wisdom and understanding of the Divine Physician have attained. Little wonder, then, if the treatment prescribed by the physician in this day should not be found to be identical with that which he prescribed before.
How could it be otherwise when the ills affecting the sufferer necessitate at every stage of his sickness a special remedy? In like manner, every time the Prophets of God have illumined the world with the resplendent radiance of the Daystar of Divine knowledge, they have invariably summoned its peoples to embrace the light of God through such means as best befitted the exigencies of the age in which they appeared. They were thus able to scatter the darkness of ignorance, and to shed upon the world the glory of their own knowledge. It is towards the inmost essence of these Prophets, therefore, that the eye of every man of discernment must be directed, inasmuch as their one and only purpose hath always been to guide the erring, and give peace to the afflicted
Again it was set forth that there are some who imagine themselves leaders, and who act only in accordance with that which they have weighed in the balance of their own understanding. Yet although the one incomparable God hath kindled for mankind the lamp of reason and made it the means of their guidance, no soul can attain any station without due nurture and training. Even as the suckling child, if left untended, will assuredly fail to reach that condition which befitteth it, so likewise is it with man. The one true Lord declareth that We reveal not any thing save through the means and instrument appointed therefor.
It followeth, then, that education is indispensable unto man. Its consummation in loftiness and excellence is not at once apparent, nor doth whosoever hasten thereby attain pre-eminence; rather hath every day its own manner and measure suited to the condition thereof. O wise one! Were the measure of men’s knowledge clearly manifest, obedience might indeed be accounted seemly. Wherefore must effort be made to seek out one who is above oneself, and to act according to his command. And when all are weighed in the balance of knowledge, none shall be found to possess this exalted station save the Messengers of God.
For this reason have the learned themselves cleaved unto the utterances of the Prophets, and have recognized in them the source of deliverance and guidance for the servants of God; inasmuch as the extent and limit of their own knowledge were not fully known unto them. Were We to discourse at length upon this theme, the page would be wearied and the pen itself would lose the power to write. If thou wilt ponder the sayings of the wise—most especially Galen, that learned one—the truth of this assertion shall become evident and manifest.
Furthermore, regarding the conduct of the followers of religions with one another, He declares in the new commandment: Associate with the followers of all religions with friendliness and fellowship. The divine commandments have always called people to the path of friendship and kindness, but people have followed some and abandoned others, engaging in their own imaginings, remaining deprived of the Word of the Lord and distant from the hearing of the people. Therefore, if the wise ones of the earth would observe the Word of the Creator with seeing eyes and ponder with intelligence and wisdom, they would inevitably discover its inner meanings and abandon the confused utterances of others.
Moreover, the seventh question the merciful Lord has answered in His commandment, the Persian of which is this: It is not permitted to compel anyone in matters of religion. Truth hath been distinguished from error. Therefore, whosoever believeth in God, turning away from others, hath grasped the divine cord of guidance and been delivered from the depths of darkness. Never hath it been permissible to force people into God’s religion. When the world-illumining Sun of God enlightened the world, after some time people forgot the divine commandments and conducted themselves unseemingly. For if today someone from among the followers of a Prophet’s religion were to drink wine, it is evident that this was not the desire of that pure Essence. Likewise, observe in all things—some have misunderstood God’s commandments and engaged in unseemly deeds.
O friends, the sayings of the ancients and the ways of those gone by are not worthy of this triumphant day.
These are not days of prosperity and triumph. The whole of mankind is in the grip of manifold ills. Strive, therefore, to save its life through the wholesome medicine which the almighty hand of the unerring Physician hath prepared.
And now concerning thy question regarding the nature of religion. Know thou that they who are truly wise have likened the world unto the human temple. As the body of man needeth a garment to clothe it, so the body of mankind must needs be adorned with the mantle of justice and wisdom. Its robe is the Revelation vouchsafed unto it by God. Whenever this robe hath fulfilled its purpose, the Almighty will assuredly renew it. For every age requireth a fresh measure of the light of God. Every Divine Revelation hath been sent down in a manner that befitted the circumstances of the age in which it hath appeared.
As to thy question regarding the sayings of the leaders of past religions. Every wise and praiseworthy man will no doubt eschew such vain and profitless talk. The incomparable Creator hath created all men from one same substance, and hath exalted their reality above the rest of His creatures. Success or failure, gain or loss, must, therefore, depend upon man’s own exertions. The more he striveth, the greater will be his progress. We fain would hope that the vernal showers of the bounty of God may cause the flowers of true understanding to spring from the soil of men’s hearts, and may wash them from all earthly defilements.
As to certain questions contained in the letter, the pen hath not ventured to answer them, for it is not fitting at this time—as the Arab sayeth, not all that is known should be said, nor is every saying timely. God willing, We shall address these matters in writing when it is deemed appropriate.
BH11833: Regarding the response that was requested to the petition…
Regarding the response that was requested to the petition of Manakji Sahib—its sending was delayed, for today whatever occurs in any matter has been and will be the standard. Therefore, its sending is not permitted, even if the petitioner himself consents it is not permitted, unless he himself openly and explicitly requests it. If you yourself reflect on this, you will approve this ephemeral one’s submission. Since the petition was submitted to the Most Holy Court, therefore nothing is permitted except what was submitted. And regarding what you wrote that its good refers to the Cause—we beseech Him to open for you a door whose good is greater than what those who enumerate can count. God willing, you will be assisted and confirmed at all times in the remembrance of Truth and the victory of the Cause of Truth through wisdom and utterance and through what He loves and is pleased with in all matters.
BH09452: Lawh-i-Mizan
In His Name, the Answerer, the All-Knowing!
The Hour hath come, and the Trumpet hath been sounded, and the Balance proclaimeth: “I am the Discerner, the All-Knowing. I make manifest and reveal before the face of the world the deeds of the peoples, and I am the Witness, the All-Informed. Not a single atom remaineth but I have brought it forth, and I am the Just, the Upright. The hand of justice hath made me to stand erect in the days of God, the Lord of the worlds.
This is the day wherein the Bugle resoundeth and the Bell ringeth out and the Trumpet proclaimeth: ʿThe Kingdom is God’s, the Possessor of this wondrous Day.’
O thou who hearkeneth! When thou art blessed to hear the Tablet of thy Lord, turn thy face toward the Wronged One and say: ʿMay my soul be a sacrifice for Thy tribulations, O Thou Who hast spent all that Thou hadst in the path of God, the Exalted, the Great.”’
BH01705: He it Is That Is Manifest, and Speaketh Forth…
He it Is That Is Manifest, and Speaketh Forth, above the Supreme Horizon
This is an Epistle from Us unto such as have cast away the world, and laid hold on whatsoever He Who is the Most Great Name hath revealed in this Day whereon the Crier hath cried out from the right hand of the snow-white Spot, announcing that the tale of sorrows hath been retold, in such wise that the Apostle hath lamented in the All-highest Paradise, and the Virgin hath wept beside the Sadratu’l-Muntaha: thus hath it been decreed by God, the Lord of Names and the Creator of the heavens, in a Scroll whereof none is informed save God, the Lord of the worlds. He it is, in truth, Who speaketh forth from His Most Great Prison, testifying to that whereunto God Himself had testified ere the creation of all things, and ere the creation of earth and heaven.
O ye beloved of the All-Merciful throughout the world! By My life! The morn of utterance hath broken, and the sun of testimony hath shone with such splendour that none save those who have disbelieved in God, the Exalted, the Great, hath denied it. Although beset by sorrows on every hand, yet is the Tongue engaged in utterance; while the Pen of the Most High moveth and courseth in the arena of wisdom and understanding with such impetuosity that neither the hosts of the world, nor the imaginations of the ignorant who, without any clear proof or Book from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, pretend to learning, can arrest it.
Consider ye the people and their actions. They lament and weep at that which befell the Holy Family aforetime, disavowing all connection with those who wronged them; yet perpetrate their selfsame actions, albeit they comprehend it not. The Concourse on high have stood aghast at their actions, and the Most Great Spirit and the inmates of Paradise have lamented, yet the people perceive it not. They have given themselves up to their passions, turning aside from God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Thus hath this Wronged One spoken, and sent down unto you that wherefrom ye may inhale the sweet savour of God, the All-Powerful, the Loving. He, verily, loveth his loved ones, and watcheth over them from this forbidden Spot.
Hearken now in the Persian tongue unto the Call of Him Whom the world hath wronged, during these days when the dark clouds of oppression have prevented the resplendent face of the daystar of justice from shedding forth its light, and when the dove of equity is sore tried in the clutches of tyranny; that perchance ye may know with absolute certainty that the trials of earth and heaven cannot restrain the Pen of the Most High from extolling God and from celebrating His praise. Under all conditions it is occupied with the mention of Him Who is the All-Possessing, the Most High, that perchance even one of the peoples of the earth may inhale the fragrance of the utterance of the All-Merciful, and remain not deprived of the living ocean which hath been manifested in the name of Him Who is the Best-Beloved of all men.
O friends! Although the calamity that hath befallen was, and is, most grievous, yet is He who created them well able to create others like unto them; He, verily, is the Almighty, the Most Powerful. Ye must, by the grace of God, be so steadfast in the Cause that the vicissitudes of temporal existence shall not debar you from the eternal kingdom. The earth is even such as ye have witnessed and do now witness, and no discerning person, who hath fixed his gaze upon the Most Sublime Vision, hath ever been, or ever shall be, deceived as to its true nature, inasmuch as at every moment he beholdeth how one group arriveth and another group departeth. Wherefore ʿtis certain that no right-minded person hath ever been, or ever shall be, kept back thereby from the One True God. Strive that haply ye may become a means of quickening this wilting world with a new spirit. Thus commandeth you this Wronged One from this far-distant Spot.
He that directed himself hither, and attained unto the presence of his Lord, made mention of you before the throne, whence We have made mention of you as a bounty on Our part, and I am the Rememberer, the All-Knowing. All of you are present before the Eye of God: He, verily, witnesseth and seeth, and He, truly, is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Rejoice ye at this Most Great Remembrance; then give praise unto your Lord, the All-Merciful, at every moment. The Glory of God rest upon you, inasmuch as ye hearkened, yet forbore; beheld, yet forewent; and witnessed that which none hath witnessed in the path of God, the All-Possessing, the All-Highest, the Ever Forgiving, the Most Bountiful. The world and all that is therein shall pass away, while that which hath been destined for you shall endure; thereto shall your names and your works be exalted on earth: thus informeth you He Who is the Truthful, the Trustworthy.
BH01958: A mention from Us unto him who hath attained…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great.
A mention from Us unto him who hath attained the presence of the Wronged One time and again, and hath heard the Call, and entered the Spot round which circled the Faithful Spirit.
O Rida! My tongue and My Pen and those around Me and he who writeth the verses before My face have testified for thee that thou hast turned toward the Supreme Horizon and attained the recognition of God, the Fashioner of the heavens. By My life! The treasures of the world cannot equal this testimony, if thou be of them that know. Wert thou to discover what hath proceeded for thee from the Most Exalted Pen, thou wouldst soar with longing. Thus do We expound for thee that thou mayest be of them that rejoice.
Thou didst enter the White Spot by the leave of God, the Lord of all men. This is from the bounty of thy Lord, the Forgiving, the Generous. When thou didst arrive and present thyself and hear and see, return thou in the name of thy Lord, the Protector, the Mighty, the All-Wise.
When thou beholdest My loved ones, proclaim My glorification upon their faces, then recount unto them what hath befallen Us in this remote Spot. Say: By God! The wolf hath devoured a piece of the Virgin and the Messenger Joseph. Thus was the matter decreed in the Book of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Say: The people of the Furqan have cast the commandments of the All-Merciful behind their backs and committed that which hath caused all creation to lament. Every fair-minded and insightful one beareth witness to this. By God! The dwellers of Paradise have been shaken by their deeds, and the Virgin hath wailed in the Most Exalted Paradise at what their hands have wrought, and the Messenger crieth out saying:
“Fie upon you, O company of wrongdoers! Ye make mention of Me night and day, yet ye slay him who was the consolation of Mine eyes and the joy of My heart and the dilation of My breast through his remembrance. What aileth you, O company of the ignorant!”
The leaves of the Divine Lote-Tree have turned yellow through your tyranny, and still the clouds weep while ye remain heedless. Thus hath flowed from My Most Exalted Pen that which hath caused the eyes of them that are nigh to shed tears.
O My loved ones! Hearken unto My call in these days wherein the fire of oppression hath been kindled and the face of justice hath been veiled. There is no God but Me, the Wronged One, the Unique. We have seized him by whom all things have lamented, with an authority from Us and a power from Our presence. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Powerful. And We shall seize those who have acted unjustly without clear proof or illuminating Book.
O ye who drink the wine of divine mercy! Though the dark cloud of oppression hath prevented the Sun of Justice from shedding its radiance, yet the divine power prevaileth over all and standeth above all. Be not grieved by the fire of the souls of the ungodly. Fix your gaze upon the light of the Countenance of the One. Verily, He preserveth whom He willeth and ordaineth for whomsoever He desireth that which profiteth him in every world of His worlds. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Powerful. Soon shall the Hand of Divine Power seize the oppressors and unbelievers and requite them for their deeds. He, verily, is the Requiter, the All-Wise.
It behooveth you to rejoice in the remembrance of your Lord, the All-Merciful, and to be of them that are steadfast in this Cause whereby the feet of the learned and the mystics and the jurists and the men of letters have slipped, save whom God, the Peerless, the All-Informed, hath willed.
And We send greetings to the handmaidens of God in that land. Each one hath been mentioned before God according to what she hath been enabled to achieve in His path, and hath been recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in God’s Book. Blessed is she who hath attained in the days of her Lord, the Mighty, the Unique.
BH02680: Fix thy gaze upon this utterance which, like…
In the Name of the True One
Fix thy gaze upon this utterance which, like the sun of the world, hath dawned from the horizon of the heaven of divine commandments:
“Be thou steadfast in My Cause and remind the people of that which hath been sent down from the Kingdom of Mine utterance.”
O thou who hast fixed thy gaze upon My countenance! I swear by the pearls of the divine ocean of knowledge that this word is greater than whatsoever is in heaven and earth. Through God’s grace thou must remind the servants, by day and by night, through wisdom and utterance, that perchance they may become aware and be adorned with the ornament of certitude after being cleansed of vain imaginings.
All people are in need of education. They who are endowed with insight must turn their attention to this momentous matter. The flowers of the rose-garden of the world drink and are nurtured from two streams: knowledge and vision. Whoso hath not attained unto these two hath never truly existed, nor doth he now exist.
That which today causeth the exaltation of the Word of God is goodly character. Say: O friends! The Pen of the All-Merciful declareth: Strive that ye may be adorned with such virtues as will cause the elevation of your station and glory. Ye have dwelt for a time beneath the Lote-Tree and have hearkened with your own ears to the words of the Wronged One. Say: Today befitting deeds and pleasing words are needed. Every goodly deed is in itself a teacher of the Cause. The proof of this utterance is what hath been recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Tablets.
Were a man in this day to adorn himself with the raiment of trustworthiness it were better for him in the sight of God than that he should journey on foot towards the holy court and be blessed with meeting the Adored One and standing before His Seat of Glory. Trustworthiness is as a stronghold to the city of humanity, and as eyes to the human temple. Whosoever remaineth deprived thereof shall, before His Throne, be reckoned as one bereft of vision, though in the sharpness of sight he be as Zarqa of Yemen.
Render thanks unto God for having made thee aware and granted thee the meeting which was mentioned in the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds. This is a matter which all the Messengers gave glad tidings of. Well is it with him that hath attained thereunto, and woe betide the heedless.
Gird up the loins of service and occupy thyself with the remembrance of thy Lord. The bounties of God are descending like rain from the heaven of His Will. He is, in truth, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Upon thee be glory, and upon those whom the tyranny of the divines, those Pharaohs of the earth, hath not frightened in the Cause of God, the Lord of all worlds.
BH02938: O Husayn! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Glorious!
O Husayn! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One Who hath been imprisoned in this place for having summoned the people unto God, the Lord of all worlds. It behooveth thee today to arise amidst the servants with a strength from Us and a power from Our presence, and to point unto them with thy finger and give them the glad-tidings of the Manifestation of God and His sovereignty, whereby the horizon of the world hath been illumined and the earth hath shone with the light of His resplendent countenance. Beware lest the censure of any censurer or the denial of those who have disbelieved in God, the Exalted, the Great, deter thee in the path of God. Take thou the choice wine of steadfastness in the name of the Dawning-Place of the light of oneness, then drink thereof once in My Most Glorious Name and again in My Most Generous Name.
In the Persian tongue do We speak, that all may comprehend the utterance of the Beloved of all creation and partake of His bounty. Today it is incumbent upon all the friends of God and those who have quaffed the choice wine of merciful bounty to endeavor to the extent possible to teach the Cause, for this is regarded as the most great of all deeds in the sight of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. If one should quicken a single soul with the sprinklings of the water of life, it is as though he had quickened all mankind. Thus hath it been aforetime decreed:
“Whoso quickeneth a soul is as though he had quickened all mankind.”
O Husayn! This is the Day of utterance and the Day of the mention and praise of the All-Merciful Lord. For any land that possesseth even less than a mustard seed of germinating power, these divine words are like the outpouring rain. Thus doth the morn of inner meanings breathe forth, that it may give glad-tidings unto all creation of that wherewith the Revealer of the Bayan hath given glad-tidings. Thy Lord is, verily, the Commander, the All-Wise.
Thou must adorn the people of Mamaqan in this divine springtime with a new raiment. Take hold of the hem of teaching, turning aside from those who have denied the All-Merciful, the Compassionate. Today the manifestations of the whisperer are occupied with the promptings of self, and through a hundred thousand wiles they prevent the hapless people who have no knowledge of the Ocean of divine wisdom and the Sun of insight from attaining unto the truth.
Hold fast unto the cord of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, then guide the people unto God and His straight path. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.
BH03340: This is a mention from Us to him who…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great
This is a mention from Us to him who has turned to the Kingdom and heard the call of the Lord of the Realm of Might in this station which was named with the Most Beautiful Names in the Tablet of Names. He, verily, is the All-Wise Expounder.
The eyes were created to behold My horizon, the ears to hearken unto My verses, and the hearts to love Me, the Mighty. Yet the people remain in evident veils. Remember when thou didst attain the presence of the Wronged One and didst hear what the Son of ʿImran heard on the Mount of Knowledge. Thy Lord, verily, doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth.
Make mention of My loved ones on My behalf, then command them with wisdom lest there occur that which would grieve those who have turned to God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. We make mention of thy father who turned to God in days wherein the people turned away from the Dawning-Place of Revelation, save those who cast away what they possessed and took up that which they were commanded in a wondrous Book.
Trust not every newcomer, nor believe every speaker. Make wisdom a lamp unto thyself and walk thereby in the darkness of the earth—then wilt thou be of those who are secure. Conceal what ye possess and reveal it not, lest there arise the clamor of those who have disbelieved in the Lord of the worlds. Blessed is the one strong enough to make mention of Me and praise Me among My servants with the wisdom that hath been sent down in My Mighty Book. The Glory be upon thee and upon those with thee and those who have turned to the One, the All-Informed.
We make mention at this time of thy brother who attained unto the Day of God, the Lord of the worlds. The Most Exalted Pen beareth witness that he turned to the horizon of his Lord’s manifestation, the Lord of Names, and was honored to attain His presence while the people remained in evident veils. Grieve not for what befell him. He hath ascended unto heaven and reached the ultimate goal. Thy Lord, verily, is the Almighty, the Powerful. Thy Lord hath forgiven him as a bounty from His presence and purified him from the defilement of the world. He is in the highest companionship, speaking and saying: “Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds!”
BH03915: The Herald of the All-Merciful gave glad tidings…
In the name of the Ever-Living, Ever-Abiding One
The Herald of the All-Merciful gave glad tidings to all who dwell in the realm of possibility that the divine promise has been fulfilled and that which was mentioned in the heavenly Books has appeared.
The One Who departed has returned—that is, He Who ascended has descended with great glory and a luminous countenance. As He says in the Gospel: “I go away and come again,” and in another place: “I go away and the Comforter will come to complete what I have said and to say what I have not said.” This blessed word is as a spirit to the temple of God’s Book. Blessed is the soul that has recognized, the eye that has seen, and the ear that has heard this exalted and wondrous Call.
Nevertheless, none have heeded it, and the children of the Spirit are seen to be withered and dejected—nay, dead—except those whom God has willed, the Lord of this mighty Day. Reflect upon the days of the Spirit and what befell Him, that ye may become aware of people’s condition. These people are the same people, and these souls are the same souls. God willing, that honored one should gaze toward the Most Exalted Horizon and strive that in this blessed Day there may appear from them a matter that shall endure throughout the eternity of God’s names.
As for what you mentioned about jafr—the comprehensive jafr in its primal reality is the Temple of the Manifestation. This station is a summary—God willing, after entering the depths of certitude you will become aware of a matter that is more precious in God’s sight than all else. In these days, mention of the Truth and victory for the Truth take precedence over all deeds, and victory has been and shall be through utterance. Verily He is the Ordainer, the All-Knowing.
Glory be unto him who has attained unto that which God has commanded in His Book, the Lord of all worlds.
BH04072: Your letter was received and attained unto the hearing…
In the name of the one incomparable, all-knowing Lord
Your letter was received and attained unto the hearing of the Wronged One. O Husayn! Hearken unto the call of the Divine Lote-Tree which hath been raised in the prison-land by the command of the Lord of Names, and act according to that which proceedeth from the Dayspring of the Cause.
Today thou must purify thy heart with the Kawthar of detachment from all else save God and consume all the veils of idle fancies and vain imaginings through the effulgences of the Sun of certitude, that thou mayest gaze upon the horizon of Revelation with pure vision, sanctified heart and illumined breast. He verily ordaineth for whomsoever He willeth whatsoever He desireth. He is, in truth, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
All that hath appeared and shall appear on earth hath been recorded and inscribed in the divine Books. The Tablet of Ra’is was revealed at the time of departure from the Land of Mystery—read it that thou mayest become aware of divine knowledge. Likewise the Surih of Heykal and others like it, that thou mayest know of a certainty that not a leaf stirreth except that God knoweth its movement, its stability and its conditions. Not a thing escapeth His knowledge. To this all things bear witness, did ye but know.
That which hath been made manifest in this preeminent, this most exalted Revelation stands unparalleled in the annals of the past, nor will future ages witness its like. It hath never been permissible for anyone to test God, nor is it now. He verily testeth whom He willeth. He is, in truth, the Ruler over what He willeth.
God willing, mayest thou be successful through His grace, abide beneath the shade of His mercy, and act in accordance with that which He loveth and is pleased with. The glory be upon thee and upon him who was named Sadiq from the presence of a Generous Giver.
BH04022: A mention from Us to him who hath believed…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great
A mention from Us to him who hath believed in God on a day wherein the greatest terror appeared and the Lord of Destiny came with a sovereignty that encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. Verily thy Lord, the All-Merciful, is the One Who hath power over all contingent beings. There is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
O Hasan! Hearken unto what Husayn proclaimeth unto thee. By the life of God! The tale of the Wronged One Who was martyred in the path of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, hath recurred. The people of the Furqan have perpetrated what they perpetrated aforetime. Thereby hath the affliction of the Apostle and the Pure One been renewed. She crieth out saying:
“Fie upon you, O people of the Furqan! Ye have committed once again that which hath caused hearts to melt and eyes to weep.”
O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who set his face toward the Most Exalted Horizon when he departed from the Land of Ta, turning unto the Divine Lote-Tree. By My life! He departed with such detachment that he passed by nothing except that he perceived therefrom the fragrance of the love of God, and all things pronounced blessings upon him, until he attained unto the praised station. I bear witness that he witnessed what God had witnessed, and acknowledged what God had acknowledged, and wandered far from his homeland purely for the sake of the All-Merciful, until he discovered the fragrance of reunion and ascended unto God, the Lord of existence.
He endured in the path of God that which most of mankind hath not endured. To this beareth witness the Lord of the last and the first in this preserved scroll. He found solace in adversity through his love for God, the Lord of all names. Blessed is he who loveth him and maketh mention of him through that which the All-Merciful hath sent down for him in this forbidden spot. I beseech God to aid his successors to serve His Cause, to make mention of Him and to praise Him. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Beloved.
BH03969: In the Name of the peerless Lord! Praise be…
In the Name of the peerless Lord! Praise be to God that ye have drunk from the ocean of divine knowledge of the All-Merciful and received your portion from the Sun of God’s love. God willing, may this most exalted station be preserved through the grace of the Lord of Names.
Some souls, though they witness at every moment the evanescence of the world, remain heedless. I swear by the Sun of the heaven of inner meanings that if the world and its treasures and riches had any worth before God, His loved ones would never have been afflicted with hardship, much less with such grievous tribulations as the like of which have never appeared in creation. How excellent is the state of one who sees with insight and the condition of one who ponders on past ages. Should a soul attain but a drop from the ocean of wisdom, surely neither the world nor aught within it would deter him from the Straight Path and the Strong Cord.
God willing, you must occupy yourself with complete dedication in remembering the Lord of all beings, and strive to the extent possible to awaken the heedless servants, that perchance a soul might be endowed with a new spirit and fresh vision. Verily your Lord is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.
Blessed art thou for having heard and turned to God, the Lord of all worlds, and recognized that which every learned one who claimed knowledge and every person of grandeur who saw himself in an exalted station failed to comprehend. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist thee to remember and praise Him, and to protect thee from every remote oppressor. Verily the Cause is in His hands—He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth.
The glory be upon thee and upon those with thee and upon them that have believed in the One, the All-Informed.
BH04220: The Most Great Spirit, upon whose breathings depends…
In the name of the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing
The Most Great Spirit, upon whose breathings depends the resurrection of all the dead, has been and ever shall be the Word of God. He is that Spirit through which, from time immemorial and unto eternity, the dead have risen from their graves and turned toward the most exalted horizon.
Therefore must the friends of God who have drunk from the living waters of the All-Merciful’s love and have attained to hearkening unto the call of the Beloved of all creation, awaken the heedless to the blessedness of the divine Word and quicken the dead through the outpourings of the ocean of utterance. In all circumstances, however, they must observe wisdom, and wisdom is in this day accounted before God as the greatest and most excellent of all deeds, and hath been recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the divine Tablet. Blessed is the soul that hath laid fast hold upon it, and woe betide the heedless. God willing, you must through the grace of the divine Word guide those who are lost to the eternal Kawthar and draw those who are remote unto the ocean of nearness.
O thou who hast turned thy face toward the Countenance! Rejoice in that thou hast been mentioned before the Wronged One and this Tablet hath been revealed for thee. Take hold of it with the power bestowed by Us and associate with people with the wisdom We have commanded all to observe in My mighty Book. One must speak with the utmost wisdom lest any commotion be raised that might cause disturbance and trepidation among souls. Whatsoever God commandeth and enjoineth upon His loved ones is for the benefit of those souls themselves. Blessed is he who pondereth, understandeth and acteth in accordance with that which hath been commanded by the All-Wise Ordainer.
Upon thee be glory, and upon those who have outstripped others on this straight path.
BH04313: In His Most Great Name
In His Most Great Name
O my handmaid! Hearken unto My call from the precincts of My throne. Verily, there is no God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
We wish to recount unto thee tidings of him who was named Mihdi in the Crimson Book from My Most Exalted Pen. He traversed land and sea in his longing to attain the presence of God until he entered the shore of the right-hand valley in the blessed crimson spot. We called out to him from behind the pavilions of grandeur, and when he heard it, the sweetness of the call so overwhelmed him that he was transformed. Then We shed upon him the lights of the countenance, and when he beheld the Most Great Sign, he surrendered his spirit at the advent of his Lord, the Lord of all beings.
Days passed, then We proceeded to the sepulcher, and when We arrived We stood before the grave and said:
“O thou who didst race in the arena of the love of God! The fragrance of thy Lord’s robe, the Lord of all names, stirred thee until thou didst seek the Most Exalted Horizon to attain the presence of the Throne and stand before the Gate. Now We see thee sleeping while the Beloved hath come and remembereth thee with a remembrance at which the clouds weep. I testify that thou didst drink the choice wine of mystical knowledge from the hand of the bounty of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and didst hear the call and respond and turn and hasten until thou didst enter the noble station by the leave of God, thy Lord and the Lord of all worlds. Blessed art thou, again blessed art thou, for thou didst remain faithful to God’s Covenant when most of His servants broke it and most of His creation cast it behind them. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who hearkened to thy words concerning the Cause of God, thy Beloved, and found solace in thy company, and heard with submission and contentment what thou didst utter regarding the Cause of God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. Verily we are God’s and unto Him shall we return.”
BH04242: He is the Most Holy, the Most Great. God…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great. God testifieth that there is none other God but Him and that He Who hath appeared with the truth is verily the Hidden Treasure, the Concealed Secret, the Veiled and Glorified Symbol, and the Beloved of what was and what shall be. Blessed be the soul that hath attained unto His days, and heard His call, and won His favors, and arose to serve Him amongst His servants, and proclaimed His praise throughout the lands. By My life! Such a soul is of the people of the highest Paradise and the Supreme Concourse.
Thus hath the matter been decreed in the Crimson Tablet by the Most Glorious Pen, through which the Trumpet was blown and all who are in earth and heaven were thunderstruck, save those whom the hand of My power did rescue and whom I caused to enter the pavilion of My protection and bounty. And I am verily the All-Bountiful, the Generous, the Bestower, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
The Kingdom is within My grasp, and the Realm of Might is in the right hand of My will. The heavens were raised up by My command and the earth was spread out by My leave. The rock wailed at My tribulation and the Divine Lote-Tree cried out at My ordeal. The eyes of the faithful shed tears at My calamities and what befell Me at the hands of those who denied My signs, turned away from My beauty, violated My covenant, broke My testament, cast aside My commandments, objected to My proof, and arose to frustrate My Cause among My creation.
Thus doth My Pen speak in this wondrous and glorious Temple. Verily it announceth unto the world the appearance of God and His sovereignty and His transcendence and His exaltation and His ascendancy. Blessed be the ear that hath turned unto it, and the tongue that hath acknowledged that which the Tongue of the All-Merciful hath spoken, and the eye that hath beheld the countenance of God, the All-Possessing, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.
BH04140: This is a Day wherein all names and all…
In the name of the All-Knowing, the All-Hearing
This is a Day wherein all names and all things cry out with the most exalted call, giving the glad tidings of the appearance of the Dawning-Place of revelation and the Rising-Point of inspiration to all men and women. Yet the intoxication of vain desire hath prevented all from the Lord of earth and heaven, save those souls who, through the power of the Most Great Name, have rent asunder the veils of the peoples and turned toward the horizon of unity. Blessed art thou for having heard and recognized and turned toward the horizon of the Manifestation. And woe unto every handmaid who hath turned away from the Self-Subsisting, the Self-Existing. We beseech God that He may enable all the leaves to attain unto the recognition of the Divine Lote-Tree and deprive them not from the ocean of bounty.
Today neither loftiness nor lowliness, poverty nor wealth, lineage nor descent, weakness nor strength can be observed. Whosoever hath recognized the peerless Beloved—his is true wealth and spiritual station. In this day the Queen of the realms hath not, before God, the weight of a mustard seed, although she speaketh in His Name and in her temple calleth upon the Lord of all mankind throughout all her days, and spendeth vast sums in promoting her own religion. Nevertheless she is deprived of the Sun of Revelation and barred from the Truth in Whose remembrance she is engaged.
Now consider thine own station and the station of those leaves who are holding fast to the Divine Lote-Tree, and say:
“Praise be to Thee, O Beloved of the worlds! And glory be to Thee, O Thou the Goal of them that know! And bounty be to Thee, O Thou the Yearning of loving hearts!”
BH04829: The purpose underlaying the revelation of every heavenly Book…
In His name, the Most Glorious
The purpose underlaying the revelation of every heavenly Book, nay, of every divinely-revealed verse, is to endue all men with righteousness and understanding, so that peace and tranquillity may be firmly established amongst them. Whatsoever instilleth assurance into the hearts of men, whatsoever exalteth their station or promoteth their contentment, is acceptable in the sight of God.
How lofty is the station which man, if he but choose to fulfill his high destiny, can attain! To what depths of degradation he can sink, depths which the meanest of creatures have never reached! Seize, O friends, the chance with this Day offereth you, and deprive not yourselves of the liberal effusions of His grace. I beseech God that He may graciously enable every one of you to adorn himself, in this blessed Day, with the ornament of pure and holy deeds. He, verily, doeth whatsoever He willeth.