Volume 058: Akka 1296 A.H. (1879), Part I (2 of 3)
BH04944: In the Name of the peerless Lord! Though…
In the Name of the peerless Lord! Though the dark clouds of oppression have prevented the appearance of the countenance and lights of the Sun of Justice, yet this is not the first harm that hath befallen the chosen ones of God. Consider how much oppression and cruelty was inflicted upon the Manifestations of justice and faithfulness in previous ages. The influence of this new Cause will not be effaced from the world. Every person of insight will soon behold its traces throughout the earth. He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
In all conditions that honored one must gaze toward the Most Exalted Horizon and hold fast to the cord of God’s grace. The first word recorded by the Supreme Pen in the Crimson Book was steadfastness in the Cause. That honored one must, God willing, drink and give others to drink from this cup according to his capacity.
I swear by the Sun of the heaven of inner meanings that this is that true Kawthar which floweth and streameth forth from the Finger of Divine favor. Blessed are they that drink thereof, and joy be unto them that drink thereof, and happiness be unto them that drink thereof.
We have heard thy call and have answered thee with this noble Tablet. By the life of God! What hath flowed from My Most Exalted Pen cannot be equaled by the treasures of earth and heaven. To this doth bear witness the Lord of all beings from this mighty stronghold.
Be thou assured through God’s grace and sovereignty. Verily, He is with whosoever hath turned unto Him and remembereth him who hath remembered Him in a perspicuous Book. The glory be upon thee and upon those who are with thee from God, the One, the Peerless, the All-Informed.
BH05271: In this day, whosoever hath turned his face toward…
In the name of the one incomparable, all-knowing God
In this day, whosoever hath turned his face toward the Most Exalted Horizon and beheld the Sun of Truth which shineth forth therefrom, he verily is reckoned among those possessed of vision in this most transcendent Scene. Otherwise, even should he possess a hundred thousand eyes, he would still be accounted blind in the presence of God and so recorded in His Holy Tablet. Render thanks unto the Beloved of the world Who hath enabled thee to recognize that which most of His servants have failed to comprehend. Drink thou the pure milk from My Most Exalted Pen and be of the thankful ones.
Be not grieved by the happenings of the time. The world hath never had, nor doth it now possess, any constancy. Woe unto him who hath clung to it and relied upon it, and light and mercy be upon him who hath remained detached therefrom and placed his trust in God, its Creator.
Ponder thou these words of the Spirit Who, addressing the people, proclaimed: “O generation of vipers!” Today the mystery of those blessed words hath been made manifest, for after the appearance and descent of that Luminous Temple from the heaven of divine Will, all turned away from Him and clung to their own idle fancies, save such souls as were endowed with true hearing and true sight. These are they who are God’s chosen ones on earth, who have attained unto His presence and circumambulated His mighty Throne. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.
BH05902: In the Name of the one incomparable God…
In the Name of the one incomparable God, the All-Knowing. Your letter attained the presence of the Most Great Horizon and was honored with the glance of the Lord of Destiny’s loving-kindness. Verily, He answers whosoever calls upon Him, remembers whosoever remembers Him, and draws nigh unto whosoever draws nigh unto Him. He is indeed the All-Bountiful, the Kind.
Regarding what you wrote about “Do not deprive me of bounty”—no seeker has ever been deprived, and no one turning to Him has ever been forbidden from the lights of His countenance. At all times He has said and continues to say “Look and thou shalt behold Me.”
Praise be to God, through God’s infinite bounty you have attained recognition of the Dawning-Place of His Self and the Manifestation of His verses, and have drunk from the Kawthar of His love. This is the most exalted bounty and the most glorious station. Ask God that this station remain preserved, for there have been and are many satans who mislead people in the name of truth. Guard thou the pearls of recognition in the treasury of thy heart in the name of thy Lord, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.
And regarding some friends who were not outwardly granted permission for attaining the presence—this was due to divine wisdom. Praise be to God, thou art mentioned in the Most Holy Court and hast attained the effects of the Most Exalted Pen. By My life, this is indeed a noble station. Make it the focus of thine eyes and say: Praise be to Thee, O God of the worlds.
BH05807: The Call has been raised from this noble Scene…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Glorious
The Call has been raised from this noble Scene, whereby the call of all things was raised, yet most of the people remain heedless. The horizon of utterance has shone forth and the All-Merciful has come with clear proof, yet the people have arisen in great opposition. They have denied God and His sovereignty and committed that which has caused every rock to cry out and every informed being to lament.
O Muhammad! God willing, may you attain His special favors and drink from the Kawthar of steadfastness at all times, and be so firm in the Cause of the Beloved of the worlds that neither the vicissitudes of time nor the oppression of the rebellious ones shall prevent you from the horizon of the All-Merciful.
That which you sent was presented before the Throne and was honored with acceptance. God, exalted be His glory, has loved to witness pleasing crafts from His loved ones. Blessed art thou for what thou hast crafted has been presented before the face of thy Lord, the Wronged One, the Stranger.
God willing, may each of the loved ones be enabled to manifest a craft from among the crafts and be assisted in that which they have been commanded in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Wise. The glory be upon thee and upon whosoever hath held fast to the cord of steadfastness in this glorious and wondrous Day.
BH05694: O Shaykh, mention of you has come repeatedly before…
In the name of the All-Knowing Lord!
O Shaykh, mention of you has come repeatedly before the Wronged One of the horizons. Praise be to God that you have attained to these blessed days. Ask of the True One that you may attain to the recognition of His Manifestation and that which is manifested through Him. These days have no parallel, nor will they ever have, and mention of them hath been made in all the heavenly Books.
You must, God willing, occupy yourself with absolute certitude in reforming the edifices of God, and His edifices have been and ever shall be His servants. The world hath never had, nor will it ever have, any constancy, as you observe at all times. Blessed is the soul that today acquireth eternal stations and attaineth unto a matter whose mention floweth from the Supreme Pen, and if one attaineth not unto this station, he shall pass from this ephemeral world with utmost regret.
God willing, through divine grace you shall become eloquent in the mention of the True One and arise to serve Him. All make mention of the True One and imagine themselves oriented toward Him, but who shall attain to His acceptance and be adorned with the ornament of His good-pleasure?
We conclude with these words: Verily He is God, there is none other God but Him, the Most High, the Most Great. Praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds.
BH05846: Say: By belief in divine unity is meant…
He is the One Who calleth aloud with the most exalted Call!
Say: By belief in divine unity is meant the recognition of My self that is sanctified above all who are in the world and exalted beyond the conditions of created things. Verily He is the One besides Whom there can be no numbers, and through Whom all existence hath appeared, if ye be of them that know.
Verily He is the First unto Whom there cometh no Last, and He proclaimeth from the Most Sublime Vision:
“The Lord of Destiny hath come! Turn ye unto Him and be not of them that wander distracted.”
Say: He hath existed in the eternity of eternities in the loftiness of His exaltation and the sublimity of His transcendence. None among all contingent beings hath truly known Him, as every discerning knower doth testify. No thing can be mentioned in His presence, and none hath any mention when His sovereign dominion is made manifest—He Who overshadoweth all who are in the heavens and on earth.
Whoso acknowledgeth what hath been revealed in this Tablet, by the life of God, he is of them that profess the divine unity. And whoso speaketh other than what God hath sent down in the Book, he is of the lost. Thus do We teach thee that thou mayest teach the people with wisdom and utterance. Verily thy Lord is the All-Explaining, the All-Informed.
Blessed is he who followeth the Command of God and knoweth what He intended in His wise remembrance. Grieve not at anything, but rejoice in the favors of thy Lord and be thou of them that are thankful.
BH06167: This remembrance is from the Wronged One to him…
In His Name, the All-Knowing
This remembrance is from the Wronged One to him who hath recognized God and His verses which have filled the horizons. Rejoice in that We have turned toward thee from this Spot and revealed unto thee that which hath caused the fragrance of the Spirit to waft throughout all contingent being. We have heard the call of those who have turned toward God and have answered them with that which causeth eyes to be consoled.
Act ye according to that which We have truthfully revealed and lean not toward every doubtful misbeliever. Blessed is he who hath adorned himself with the robe of steadfastness and taken that which was commanded in the Book.
Convey My greetings unto him who hath turned toward God and give glad-tidings to those who have believed in that place, and say:
“Joy be unto you for having found the fragrance of the Beloved and turned toward the most exalted Station!”
By the life of God, ye were created for this Day. Strive ye that there may appear from you that whereby your mention shall endure throughout the eternity of God, the Lord of all existence.
Say: O My loved ones! Be ye dawning-places of faithfulness amidst the concourse of creation and daysprings of trustworthiness among the servants. Those who have cast the ordinances of God behind their backs are assuredly the people of the fire in the Scriptures and Tablets. The glory rest upon thee and upon those who have taken the cup of recognition in the name of God, the Lord of all religions.
BH06384: O Concourse on High! Hearken unto that which hath…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious
O Concourse on High! Hearken unto that which hath been raised from the luminous earth.
By God! The Most Great Remembrance calleth aloud amidst the nations, saying:
“God hath come, and through Him hath appeared the dawning of the days.”
He, verily, calleth by His own Self and summoneth the servants unto His most exalted horizon. To this testifieth he whom God hath made to be among those endowed with insight.
Say: O people of the Bayan! By the life of God! I have not claimed that which ye possess, nor do I desire to establish for Myself that which ye have. We speak and say as We have spoken in the beginning of beginnings. Fear ye God, and follow not your idle fancies, nor commit that which causeth the Concourse on High to lament. Fear ye the All-Merciful, and be not of them who desired the Face at eventide and at dawn, yet when He shone forth from the horizon of manifestation they disbelieved in God, the Lord of lords.
O thou who hast turned to God! Hearken unto that which they say. They claim faith for themselves, yet they disbelieve in Him through Whom the decree of faith was established. Thus have We mentioned thee and acquainted thee, that thou mayest become aware of that which hath befallen God, the Lord of all men.
The glory be upon thee and upon thy brother and upon them that have believed in God, the Cleaver of the dawn.
BH06080: O handmaiden of God! Praise be to God…
In the name of the knowing Lord
O handmaiden of God! Praise be to God that through divine bestowals and heavenly bounties thou hast attained recognition of the Manifestation of Mysteries and hast turned toward the Dawning-place of Revelation and the Rising-point of Inspiration, and hast partaken of the sealed wine, with a single drop of which none in existence can compare. That wine is the wine of the recognition of God, of which most people today are debarred and deprived. The whole world was created for it, yet they are seen to be veiled except for those souls who through His Name have detached themselves from all else and turned toward His horizon. Rejoice thou in His remembrance and give thanks to thy All-Knowing Lord.
His Holiness Mihdi, a Name of God, upon him be the Glory of God, made mention of you, and that mention was honored to reach the ears of the Lord of Names. This is the enduring bounty that hath descended and continueth to descend from the heaven of the bestowal of the Lord of creation. Blessed are they who preserve it, blessed are they who recognize it, blessed are they who partake of it. Know thou the value of this bounty and preserve it with the eye and soul.
Glory be upon thee and upon those women who have believed in God, the Single, the All-Informed.
BH06765: The Light of proof hath verily been witnessed…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious!
The Light of proof hath verily been witnessed from the presence of the All-Merciful. Indeed it hath dawned from the horizon of man—exalted be the All-Merciful Who hath manifested it in truth on a Day renowned among the worlds.
O people of the earth! Hearken unto that whereunto the Lord of the world calleth you, then follow what hath been inscribed in truth by the Pen of God. Blessed is the soul that hath drunk the nectar of life, and the spirit that hath tasted the sweetness of what the All-Merciful hath revealed. Thus doth My Most Exalted Pen make mention when blessed by the Finger of Truth.
O thou who art mentioned before the Countenance! When thou hearest My call and art intoxicated with the wine of Mine utterance, turn with thy heart to the horizon of My loving-kindness, My grace and My bounty. Thus doth He command thee Who is imprisoned in this land through tyranny.
Convey My glorification unto thy brother and say: It behooveth thee to arise to serve the Cause and to gladden the people with this Day which was inscribed in the Tablets by the Pen of Revelation. Thus hath the Wronged One mentioned thee that thou mayest rejoice and give thanks unto thy Lord Who hath power over all things.
BH06480: O leaf, God willing, thou art moving in accordance…
In the Name of the Knower, the Seer
O leaf, God willing, thou art moving in accordance with the breezes of the Will of the Sidrih and art uttering His praise. If the Sun of Divine Assistance shineth upon thee and thou attaineth the station wherein thou beholdest the status of the sanctified leaves and heareth His melodies, thou shalt, most certainly, engage all the years of thy life in uttering the praise of the Desired One, and shalt spend thy transient and eternal existence in glorifying the Object of the adoration of the whole universe.
Numerous were the leaves who spent their nights and days remembering the Sidrih and when the Sidrih appeared, they were all beheld fallen owing to poisonous idle imaginations, except those whom thy Lord willed. Know thou the worth of these days and be thankful in all circumstances, because He hath confirmed thee and conferred upon thee a portion from the Chalice of His recognition.
All that is in the world does not equal this station. He Who speaketh the truth beareth witness to this. Verily there is none other God but Him, the all-Knowing, the All-Informed…
BH06475: O Shaykh! The days of life have not had…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great
O Shaykh! The days of life have not had and will never have the permanence of winds. Strive that thou mayest not be deprived of the divine fragrances in this spiritual springtime.
Observe how many mystics who laid claim to love and fidelity remained not, save a few, after the divine test appeared. This is why He saith: “The believer is like the philosopher’s stone.”
Hearken unto the call of Him Who is the Manifestation of the Cause, the Lord of Destiny, and with heart and soul turn toward the Most Great Scene, that thou mayest behold the Eternal Countenance from the horizon of the everlasting heaven and drink, after the passing away of all things, from the Kawthar of reunion with the Lord of Names.
Nights and days have passed and are passing, and ere long all that hath been spread shall be rolled up. Hearken unto the call of the true Counsellor and hold fast unto the Most Great Sea and the firm Cord, that perchance thou mayest guide some of the wanderers to their true home and give the thirsty to drink of the wine of inner meanings.
Blessed is he who hath heard and responded. Praise be to God, the Lord of Lords!
BH11795: We make mention of him who hath turned towards…
He is the All-Knowing Expositor
We make mention of him who hath turned towards the Countenance and believed in God, the Peerless, the All-Informed. O seeker! The Sought One calleth thee from His mighty prison and maketh mention of thee with a mention through which the horizon of utterance hath been illumined and every temple hath been adorned with the ornament of My Name, the All-Wise. Rejoice thou that the Most Great Ocean hath turned towards thee from this remote station and calleth thee unto God, purely for His sake. To this testify all things, yet most men are heedless.
By the life of God! He who hath turned towards the Most Exalted Horizon hath indeed prospered, while he who hath turned away hath lost all in this wondrous Day. Blessed is he who hath inclined his ear unto the Divine Lote-Tree which calleth betwixt the worlds, and blessed the eye that hath beheld this noble scene.
Say: O God of Names and Creator of the heavens! I beseech Thee to make me one of those who have quaffed the wine of steadfastness from the hands of Thy bounty, and for whom Thou hast ordained, in the tablets of Thy Command, the good of both this world and the next. O my Lord! I am he who hath turned towards Thee and sought the Kaaba of Thy presence and the horizon of Thy reunion. Write down for me, then, that which beseemeth Thy generosity and loving-kindness. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
BH06608: The Wronged One testifieth that there is none other…
He is the One Who speaketh the truth
The Wronged One testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who speaketh is indeed He through Whom the Cause was manifested, the horizon of Revelation dawned, and the Dove warbled upon the branch of the Tree. Dominion belongeth unto God, the Lord of all worlds.
Bear ye witness unto that whereunto God hath testified: that He, verily, is the Truth, there is none other God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The Kingdom of utterance hath come, yet the people are in manifest drunkenness. They have clung to that which they possess and have opposed the All-Informed One. They have cast aside guidance and embraced their desires. By God! They are in grievous error. They have disdained to worship God and worship every mighty idol.
Say: O people! Fear ye God, shed not blood, consume not the substance of others, and follow not every ignorant one who hath turned away from the Truth and turned towards one that is heedless and remote. Hold thou fast unto the cord of remembrance. All things have been created to praise God, the Mighty, the All-Praised.
From this most exalted station We send Our greetings upon thee, upon thy brother, and upon those who have attained unto the lights of this mighty Throne.
BH07188: We have adorned the Books of the past…
He is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth!
We have adorned the Books of the past with mention of this Day and with that which hath been manifested in truth, yet every heedless and remote soul hath turned away from it. We have named this Day the Day of God—to this the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds, bear witness. But when He came in truth, every soul clung to what it possessed and denied the One, the All-Informed.
Say: This is a Day wherein none should be mentioned save God alone—to this My Most Exalted Pen and the Tongue of Grandeur in this luminous horizon bear witness.
Arise in My Name and say: O people of the Bayan! Fear the All-Merciful and follow not every accursed Satan. By God! He hath come through Whose praise and mention the Bayan was honored—to this do those who are fair-minded bear witness.
We have desired naught for Our Self; We have sacrificed it for the Cause of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Thus hath the stream of life flowed from the Pen of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, that thou mayest rejoice and be of those who are thankful.
Glory be upon thee and upon those who have endured tribulations in My straight Path.
BH07005: Can there be found in the realm of knowledge…
In the name of the Beloved of the worlds!
Can there be found in the realm of knowledge one endowed with taste, who may perceive the sweetness of the true nectar? And can there be found in the world of understanding one possessed of hearing, who may attain unto eternal life through the mellifluous voice of the Self-Sufficing One? And has there been born one possessed of sight who may behold the horizon of the world illumined by the Most Great Name?
O friend! The rushing of the Supreme Pen hath encompassed the world, yet all are deprived of it save whom thy Lord willeth. Beseech thou God that He may, through the wine of detachment, endow all with understanding. This wine which is mentioned by the Supreme Pen is the wine of the All-Merciful, not the wine of the world.
God willing, mayest thou be speaking at every morn in praise of the Lord of creation, and be aflame with His love. And what is meant by this morn is the Dayspring of His Revelation. Blessed is he who hath attained thereunto, and hath soared in its atmosphere, and hath clung to its hem, and hath held fast unto its luminous cord.
BH07046: In all the Tablets We have counseled the servants…
In the name of the One All-Knowing God
In all the Tablets We have counseled the servants of God to manifest pleasing conduct and praiseworthy deeds, and the Most Exalted Pen has repeatedly and successively reminded the friends of God. Nevertheless, some remain occupied with their own desires and are deprived of that which is beloved today.
Ask God to unite all through His complete power and consummate wisdom, that all may speak with one tongue and gather and protect the scattered sheep with one crook.
Say: Forsake your own utterances and speak forth that which has dawned from the horizon of the Divine Will, for this is what is firmly established, what attracts, what guides, and what leads. That which flows from the Divine Pen aims at the preservation of the world and the attainment of the Most Great Station. He is verily the All-Knowing Witness.
Blessed art thou for having believed in God and acknowledged that which the Prisoner has acknowledged in this exalted station. He makes mention of thee as a favor from Him, that thou mayest give thanks and say: Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH07355: O Thou Who dealest equitably with all who are…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great
O Thou Who dealest equitably with all who are in heaven and on earth, and rulest over the kingdom of Thy creation and of Thy Revelation! I testify that every man of equity hath recognized his unfairness in the face of the revelation of the splendors of the Day-Star of Thy Justice, and the ablest of pens hath confessed its impotence before the movement of Thy most exalted Pen.
By Thy life, O Thou the Possessor of all names! The minds of the profoundest thinkers are sore perplexed as they contemplate the ocean of Thy knowledge, and the heaven of Thy wisdom, and the Luminary of Thy grace. How can he who is but a creation of Thy will claim to know what is with Thee, or to conceive Thy nature?
Praise, immeasurable praise be to Thee! I swear by Thy glory! My inner and outer tongue, openly and secretly, testify that Thou hast been exalted above the reach and ken of Thy creatures, above the utterance of Thy servants, above the testimonies of Thy dear ones and Thy chosen ones, and the apprehension of Thy Prophets and of Thy Messengers.
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy Name which Thou hast made to be the Day-Spring of Thy Revelation and the Dawning-Place of Thine inspiration, to ordain for this wronged One and for them that are dear to Thee what becometh Thy loftiness. Thou, in very truth, art the All-Bountiful, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH06934: He is the One Sanctified above mention and utterance!…
He is the One Sanctified above mention and utterance! Verily the leaves do speak: “The Daystar of the horizons hath appeared!” And the trees do cry aloud: “The Chosen One hath appeared!” And the heaven doth proclaim: “The Lord of Names hath come!” Yet the people hear not. The veils have covered their sight, and the clouds have enshrouded their eyes. Lo! They understand not. They behold the Lord of Lords established upon the throne of might, yet from Him they turn aside. The world hath so deceived them that they see neither right nor left. Lo! They know not.
Rejoice thou at the call of the Lord of Religions! He calleth betwixt the realm of possibility, saying:
“There is none other God but Me, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting!”
Say: O heedless ones! Arise from the slumber of passion and turn unto the Most Exalted Horizon. By God! That which never appeared in existence hath appeared. Beware lest these numbered days withhold you from the Dayspring of Oneness.
Cast away what ye possess and turn with your hearts unto the Mighty, the Beloved. Thus hath cooed the Dove and thus have sung the nightingales of eternity upon the Lote Tree beyond which there is no passing. Blessed is he who hath heard and turned unto Him. Woe unto every heedless one cast out!
BH07558: O Mihdi! Thy call hath reached the ears…
In the name of the Sovereign of Names!
O Mihdi! Thy call hath reached the ears of the Wronged One of the world. Verily, He heareth and seeth, and He is in truth the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
God willing, through His special divine favors thou wilt remain occupied with His remembrance and act according to what hath been revealed in the Book.
Blessed is thy father! We testify that he turned toward the Dayspring of Revelation and the Dawning-Place of proof and evidence, and ascended on the path unto his Lord, the All-Merciful. By the life of God! The treasures of earth cannot equal this testimony, and it shall be with him in every world of the worlds of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
The reward of no soul hath been lost, nor shall it be lost. If anyone draweth a single breath for the sake of God, its effects shall assuredly appear in creation. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Be thou joyous through divine grace. He verily ordaineth for whomsoever hath desired to attain His presence and to stand before His gate the reward thereof. He is in truth the Bestower, the Munificent.
BH07632: A mention from Our presence unto those who are…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Glorious
A mention from Our presence unto those who are in the world, that it may draw them unto God, the Lord of all worlds.
We have, at all times, made mention of them that are in the realm of creation: some have turned towards Him and attained, while others have turned away from the All-Informed One. Hearken unto My call from around My prison: verily, there is no God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We bear witness even as God did bear witness before the creation of the heavens and earth, yet most among the people are heedless.
They have taken their vain desires and cast behind them He Who calleth them unto the manifest Truth. Hold thou fast unto God and His sovereignty; verily He sufficeth thee and ordaineth for thee what He willeth. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Powerful.
We make mention of thee from within Our Most Great Prison that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord and be among them that are steadfast. Sorrows have encompassed Us by reason of that which hath befallen the Manifestations of the All-Merciful at the hands of them that have disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Blessed art thou for having turned towards Him, and woe betide them that have turned aside!
BH07492: The Wronged One calls out from the prison quarter…
In the name of Him Who prevaileth over all names
The Wronged One calls out from the prison quarter that there is none other God but Him, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. He remembers those who have turned towards the Dawning-Place of the Bayan and gives them glad tidings of that which hath been ordained for them in the Kingdom of God, the Forgiving, the Bountiful.
How many a servant hath been set ablaze with the fire of the love of God, and how many a servant hath heard and turned away—verily, he is of them that perish. Verily, he who is debarred from this Day—God accepteth not his deeds, nor heareth his cry. To this testifieth every knowing, discerning one.
It behooveth every soul on this Day to witness what God hath witnessed and to stand firm in His Cause, the Unalterable, the All-Wise.
O My loved ones! Be horizons of guidance amidst all creation and lights of bounty unto all who are in the heavens and on earth, that people may perceive from you the fragrance of the Intended One and behold in your faces the radiance of paradise.
When thou hast attained unto this Tablet, recite it in thy days, then give thanks unto thy Lord, the Speaker, the True, the Trustworthy.
BH07814: In My name, the Sorrowful, the Stranger
In My name, the Sorrowful, the Stranger
This is a Book sent down by the All-Bestowing to those who have believed in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. And verily it summons all to the highest horizon, yet the wrongdoers, in pride and vainglory, have denied God’s favor and His proof, and have pronounced judgment against those for whom the dwellers of the Kingdom lament. They shed blood and wrongfully consume the wealth of the people while imagining they do good. Nay, by God! Had they known what they have wrought, they would have wept with the weeping of the bereft. But today they perceive not.
We have explained to thee somewhat of what hath befallen God’s chosen ones of old and in these days through what the hands of the infidels have wrought—they who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of what was and what shall be—that thou mayest recognize those who have denied God’s proof and His evidence and who reject His signs. Doth the oppressor imagine he shall endure in sovereignty? Nay, by My Name, the Manifest, the Hidden! Hold thou fast to the cord of God and shun those who deny.
BH07918: In My Name, the Mighty, the Great!
In My Name, the Mighty, the Great!
O peoples of the world! Hearken unto My call from the precincts of My mighty prison. He is none other than God, and He Who speaketh is verily the Path of God unto all who are in the heavens and on earth, and the Most Great Mercy unto all, whether small or great. We have made Ourselves the target of the world’s perils and afflictions in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds, and We have accepted every tribulation for the manifestation of this Cause, whereby the supreme horror hath seized all and every lofty mountain hath been scattered to dust.
O people of Baha! Lament in this calamity whereby the wrongdoer hath rejoiced and the Spirit hath wept in His glorious station. O thou who art mentioned before the Throne! Make mention of those who were martyred in the land of Sad through their longing for My mighty and impregnable Kingdom. The most misguided and basest of men, who denied God, the One, the All-Informed, pronounced judgment against them. Woe unto a people who are ruled by their dogs, and they are among the heedless ones.
BH07636: In My name the All-Bountiful! A remembrance unto him…
In My name the All-Bountiful! A remembrance unto him who hath believed in God when every doubting idolater turned away from Him. Verily We gave glad tidings unto all of the Day of God and His presence, yet when the Day came to pass and that which was hidden was made manifest, most of the people disbelieved in God, the Lord of Lords.
O people! This is the remembrance of God, were ye of them that occupy this station. And this is the Day of God—arise ye from the slumber of idle fancies. And this is the Book of God—recite ye it by night and by day.
We have counseled the servants concerning that which shall profit them in the world to come and in this world. Among them are those who cast it behind them and those who accepted it. For each is their portion in the Book.
We desired naught in the kingdom save that which God desired, as doth testify unto this the Kingdom of verses which is with Him. We sent forth the Messengers aforetime and revealed the Books that there is no God but Me, the Mighty, the Bestower.
Remind those who believed before Me and glorify before their faces through My Name, whereby the horizons were illumined.
BH07627: A remembrance from Us unto him who hath remembered…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Glorious
A remembrance from Us unto him who hath remembered his Lord and turned unto Him on a day whereon the peoples of the East and of the West have turned away, save those whom the hand of grace hath seized. He, verily, is the Ancient Bestower.
Thy letter hath been presented and the servant who standeth before the Countenance hath read it, and We have answered thee. Verily thy Lord is the Answerer. He heareth the call of them that have believed and answereth every one who hath turned towards the Supreme Horizon. He hath verily named Himself the All-Bountiful.
We counsel thee to show forth the utmost steadfastness in the Cause of God, the Lord of the throne on high and of the earth below. How many a servant whom We counseled thus, yet when We tested him with but a single word, his feet did slip from My straight Path.
When thou hast read this Tablet and been illumined by the lights of certitude, say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, the All-Merciful, for having enabled me to recognize the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation and the Dayspring of Thine inspiration. I beseech Thee to make me steadfast in Thy Cause and in Thy love under all conditions. Thou art, verily, the All-Powerful, the Almighty.
BH07701: God testifies that there is none other God but…
In the Name of the One, the All-Informing
God testifies that there is none other God but Him. His is the might and power and majesty, and His is the strength and grandeur and glory. He makes poor and enriches, makes ill and heals. He is indeed the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Bear witness, O people, to that which God hath witnessed. He hath indeed testified to this Revelation and given glad-tidings unto all of this Great Announcement. This is the announcement wherewith were adorned the scrolls of Adam and the Friend, and that which the All-Merciful revealed unto Muhammad, the Apostle of God, and unto him who was named Ali before Nabil. Ye were promised this Most Great Name, as attested by the Torah and the Gospel.
We have sent down unto thee that which rejoiceth thy heart, though the Beloved is in manifest sorrow. They have denied the right of God and slain His chosen ones without clear proof or illuminating Book. Blessed is he who hath drunk the Kawthar of revelation on this Day wherein every wise command hath been made manifest.
BH07606: At dawn did the Countenance of the All-Merciful summon…
In the name of the One Knowing God!
At dawn did the Countenance of the All-Merciful summon the people of creation to the most exalted station and the most glorious horizon, and in these days hath He guided them to the Dawning-Place of Revelation and the Dayspring of Grace. Yet none are found seeking save a few who have drunk from the ocean of bounty and become detached and free from all else but God.
Say: O friends! Break the chains of the utterances of the wicked through the power of the Most Great Name and arise to action. The true Master and spiritual Sovereign hath not forgotten and will never forget His servants, and at all times and under all conditions speaketh that which is for the good of all. What regret and remorse that people should deprive themselves of the outpourings of the Divine Day!
Say: Ponder on that which hath been sent down for you and be not of the heedless. The Glory be upon thee and upon those who have believed in God, the One, the All-Informed.
BH07549: O friends! Trustworthiness is like unto the sun…
In the Name of the All-Bountiful, the All-Powerful!
O friends! Trustworthiness is like unto the sun that illumineth the world, and its heaven is man, and its horizon is the goodly heart. He who doth not veil this most great luminary with the clouds of treachery and baseness, so that its radiance may enlighten the world and its inhabitants—this is the bounty that hath been revealed from the Pen of the Most High. Well is it with them that ponder! Say: Today is the day of deeds and actions, and in truth the helper of the Cause is a goodly deed and a goodly character, not hosts and swords. The triumph of a single pure deed is, in the sight of God, greater than the victory of an army that striveth in the path of God, for the shedding of blood is not beloved, and in this Most Great Revelation, victory hath been ordained through word and utterance. Thus hath the matter been decreed in the perspicuous Book. Blessed art thou for having been adorned with the ornament of recognition when the All-Merciful came and the Nightingale warbled upon the branches. The Kingdom is God’s, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.
BH07617: A remembrance from Us unto him whom the wine…
He is the Glorious, the All-Glorious!
A remembrance from Us unto him whom the wine of utterance hath so inebriated that he hath turned unto his Lord, the All-Merciful, Who hath come with a proof whereat all who are in the heavens and on earth have proved powerless. The Most Great Treasure hath appeared, and the Book hath come down from the heaven of the bounty of God, the Lord of all worlds. Blessed is he who hath laid hold on it through Our power, and woe betide him who hath cast it behind his back, following the imaginings of the doubters.
O people of the world! By God, the ocean of certitude hath surged! Cast doubt behind you, then drink therefrom in My Name, the Munificent. There hath appeared in creation that which hath never appeared before. Blessed is every discerning one who knoweth. We make mention of thee that thou mayest remember thy Lord in these days wherein sorrows have encompassed all who have believed in God, the Single, the All-Informed.
Thou hast testified to that whereunto God hath testified, that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting. This is a testimony that shall abide with thee through the eternity of His most excellent names, from God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen.
BH08314: In My Name, the All-Wise
In My Name, the All-Wise
The Ridvan hath arrived, yet the All-Merciful is in manifest sorrow. We turned toward the garden while the banners of grief passed before My luminous countenance. Were it not for His mercy that preceded all else, He would have seized the world with but a single word from Him. Verily, He is the One who has power over whatsoever He willeth, and He is the Ruler over whatsoever He desireth.
O loved ones of the All-Merciful in all lands! Hold fast to the cord of your Lord’s loving-kindness and be not of the heedless. Beware lest the might and oppression of the people prevent you from God, the Lord of all worlds. Soon will God seize those who have acted unjustly and make them a lesson to all who are on earth. Verily, He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.
Be grateful to thy Lord for what He hath sent down unto thee from His Most Great Prison—that through which the fragrance of utterance hath been wafted throughout all creation. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous. From this station, We send Our greetings upon thee and upon those who have believed in the One, the All-Informed.
BH08117: O son of man! The Pen of the All-Merciful…
He is the One manifest in His great glory
O son of man! The Pen of the All-Merciful maketh mention of thee in the Most Great Prison and saith: We gave the glad-tidings of the coming of the Lord of Power to all the children of men in the former Book, as is recorded therein where He saith “I go away and come again.”
But when He came, the people of the earth denied Him, save those who were endowed with vision from God, the Lord of all worlds. The Most Great Glory, the power and might and sovereignty and inner grandeur, belongeth unto that Lord of the world and Pride of Adam, which was and is and ever shall be with Him.
But the heedless and ignorant souls have interpreted this word according to their own imaginings, and thus remained deprived of the living waters of certitude and forbidden from the manifestation of God.
Blessed art thou and blessed is he who hath acknowledged this Most Great Glory and believed in God, the Knower of the hidden and the manifest.
BH08498: O my God! Thou knowest and seest what hath…
In His name, the Ever-Abiding, the Self-Subsisting
O my God! Thou knowest and seest what hath befallen Thy chosen ones and trusted ones in Thy lands, who have voiced Thy remembrance and have arisen by night and day to teach Thy Cause and exalt Thy Word. O Lord! The winds have assailed the lamp of Thy justice and the waves have beaten against the ark of Thy Cause. I beseech Thee by the blood that hath been shed in these days in Thy path and for love of Thee, and by the body which the idolaters have torn limb from limb because it believed in Thee and turned toward Thy horizon, to ordain for Thy loved ones that which shall protect them from the evil of Thine enemies, and to decree for them that which shall gladden their eyes and bring joy to their hearts. O Lord! Sorrows have seized the manifestations of Thy name, the All-Merciful. I beseech Thee to transform them through Thy Most Great Joy. Verily, Thou art the Ancient King and the Sovereign of nations. There is none other God but Thee, the Giving, the All-Sufficient, the Mighty, the Generous.
BH08361: In My Name which abideth forever!
In My Name which abideth forever!
The Tongue of Morning hath spoken: There is none other God besides Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. All things bear witness that there is none other God besides Me, the Almighty, the Powerful.
When the Light appeared and the Lord of Manifestation came, the people turned away from Him save whom God, the Lord of the worlds, willed. The intoxication of forbidden things seized them in such wise that they forsook the Purpose and clung to one who was in manifest error.
Say: O people! Abandon what ye possess and turn toward the Most Exalted Horizon, if ye be of them that know. This is a Day wherein the Most Exalted Pen proclaimeth: Hearken, and be not of the heedless ones.
Thus have We sent down the verses and dispatched them unto thee that thou mayest be of the thankful ones. When thou hast attained unto My Book and been attracted by My Call, make mention of My servants and My creation that they may turn unto My countenance and recognize that which lay within the treasury of their Lord’s wisdom, the All-Knowing.
BH08316: Sorrows have encompassed Us through what the hands…
He is the Ever-Abiding, the All-Knowing!
Sorrows have encompassed Us through what the hands of those who disbelieved in the All-Merciful have wrought—those who found not the fragrance of justice and perpetrated manifest tyranny. We have forsaken the community of a people who cast God behind their backs, turning instead to every remote oppressor. Did Husayn, My namesake, suffer loss through what befell him in My path, or did those who wronged him without any clear proof or manifest evidence?
Blessed is the soul that hath been martyred in My path. By God! The denizens of the highest Paradise glory in that soul and circle round it, as ordained by One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise. Say: O oppressor! Dost thou imagine that the world will endure for thee while perishing for others? Nay, by My life! Thou art in grievous error. We have adorned Our head with the crown of forbearance and Our temple with the armor of patience in this Straight Path. Be thou thankful unto God for having been mentioned before the Face and for this wondrous Tablet that hath been sent down unto thee.
BH08199: A mention from Us to him who hastened…
In His Name, the Wronged One, the Stranger
A mention from Us to him who hastened with his heart to the Qiblih of the world and testified to that which God had testified before the creation of the heavens and earth and before the letter K was joined with its pillar N, that My call might repeatedly draw him to My Kingdom. He, verily, is the King, the Mighty, the Kind. Hearken unto what the idolaters have said regarding My rights after the river of life flowed from the fountain of My words, and Paradise was stirred by the breezes of My verses, and the Sun of Power shone forth in My name in My days. Say: If ye deny Him Who speaketh the truth and what He hath, have ye any proof to establish your cause? Produce it then, and be not of those who denied God’s grace and His evidence by following every vain imagining. Thus have We sent down unto thee from the verses that which consoleth the eyes after they had shed tears. Thy Lord, verily, is the Revealer, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.
BH09011: This is a Book sent down in truth…
In the Name of the All-Informed!
This is a Book sent down in truth and it beareth witness to that whereunto the All-Merciful hath testified from all eternity: that there is none other God but Him, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.
There hath appeared from among the people of Sad that which hath caused the near ones to lament. The people have gathered against the family of the Messenger even as the Jewish people gathered against the Spirit. They have committed that which none before them hath ever committed. Thereat did the Spirit cry out, and those who circle round the Throne wailed at eventide and at dawn.
They have slain the family of the Messenger, imagining that they were helping the Cause of God, the Mighty, the Loving, even as the Jews supposed when they rose up against the Spirit.
Thus do We recount unto thee, O thou who hast been blessed by the mention of thy Lord, the Possessor of all being. Remember thy Lord and render thanks unto Him for having aided thee to recognize this irrevocable Cause.
BH08665: The truly learned is he who hath recognized…
He is the All-Knowing!
The truly learned is he who hath recognized the Known One when He came with His Name, the Self-Subsisting. And the true mystic is he who hath hastened unto the Recognized One when He appeared with clear sovereignty.
Blessed is he who, trusting in God, hath rent asunder the veils of the people, and blessed is he who hath shattered the idols through this Most Great Name.
They behold the signs yet turn away from them, and they witness the clear proofs yet say: “This is naught but evident sorcery.” They have denied God’s favor after its revelation and turned away from the Face after its appearance from the horizon of their Lord’s will, the Forgiving, the Generous.
Heedlessness hath so seized them that they have cast the laws of God behind their backs and taken that which they were bidden by every heedless doubter.
Blessed is he who hath attained unto the Day of God and recognized that which was promised in a Preserved Tablet.
The glory be upon thee and upon him who hath turned unto the One, the All-Informed.
BH08937: The iron hath softened and the rock hath melted…
He is the Speaker of Truth
The iron hath softened and the rock hath melted from the yearning of hearts, yet the oppressors remain in astonishing delusion. They claim justice while doing that which causeth the dwellers of Paradise to lament in their most exalted station. They rejoice in the ornaments that have accumulated in their possession. Say: Soon will the fire come between you and these things, as testified by Him through Whom the tongue of dawn spoke and by Whom the horizons were illumined. They rejoice in the world and its prosperity, but soon they shall lament with a grief that pens are powerless to describe.
Blessed art thou for having taken the cup of recognition from the hand of the bounty of thy Lord, the Master of the Day of Resurrection. O My loved ones! Hold fast to the cord of steadfastness in this Cause, whereby the idols were shaken. The glory be upon thee and upon those who have acknowledged God, the Lord of lords.
BH08935: The musk of inner meanings has been diffused, yet…
He is the Mighty, the Great!
The musk of inner meanings has been diffused, yet none can detect it save those who have held fast to truth, turning away from all that is vain and remote.
By God! The tale of sacrifice has returned in the land of Taff, yet the people are in great rejoicing. God shall soon transform it into supreme sorrow. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.
They slay Husayn and then weep for him. Shame upon the people whom vain desire has held back from the highest horizon, and whom Satan has so deluded that they have become heedless of God, the Lord of all worlds.
Muhammad, the Apostle of God, bewails their deeds in the highest paradise—to this testifies He Who sent him with manifest sovereignty.
We have mentioned to you a drop from the ocean of deeds of those who warred against God and His chosen ones, that you may be informed and be among those endowed with insight from God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
BH08683: O My Pen! How many a day hast thou…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great!
O My Pen! How many a day hast thou heard My lamentation for My tribulations and thy cry for Mine afflictions! Dost thou desire to record in the Tablet that which would sadden the hearts of My loved ones, or that which would gladden every pure heart? By thy life! I do not wish to behold them in sorrow, as attesteth My Name, the All-Merciful, if thou be of them that understand.
By My life! Were I to recount unto them all that hath befallen My Soul in My Path, My servants would lament and cry out in My dominions until their spirits would depart from their bodies. My Tongue in the Kingdom of My utterance beareth witness to this, if thou be of them that understand.
Thou, O servant soaring in Mine atmosphere, when thou hearest the shrill voice of My Pen, grieve not at its mention, but place thy trust in God, the Mighty, the One, the All-Wise.
BH08884: Every created thing hath testified to the revelation…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Glorious
Every created thing hath testified to the revelation of God and His sovereignty, yet the people understand not. The tongue hath borne witness to its Lord, the All-Merciful, and the heart to the Sovereign of all creation, yet the people perceive not. They deny God, then hasten to their mosques. They slay the children of the Messenger, then declare “We believe in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.” The Most Great Name hath appeared, Who was promised in the Books of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. The Wolf hath denied God in that he pronounced judgment against the Wronged One without proof or manifest Book.
O thou who art mentioned before the Throne! We make mention of thee as a bounty from Us, that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord, the Mighty, the Loving. Hold thou fast to the hem of steadfastness and faithfulness in the Cause of thy Lord, the Possessor of all being.
BH08796: A mention from Us to him who hath turned…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great
A mention from Us to him who hath turned towards the Countenance when those who disbelieved in God, the Exalted, the Great, turned away from Him. Verily We have come from the dayspring of utterance with the announcement of the All-Merciful. Blessed is he who hath heard, and woe unto the heedless.
How many a servant hath drunk from the life-giving waters and believed in the One, the All-Informed, and how many a servant hath followed Satan and turned away from God, the Lord of all worlds. O Joseph! The wolf devoured Joseph the Apostle before the faces of those who turned away. The oppressor ordered his murder to plunder his possessions—thereby did every insightful one lament.
Thy mention hath been made before the Countenance and this mighty, wondrous Book hath been sent down for thee. Give thanks unto God for having caused thee to recognize the Manifestation of His Cause and made thee among the successful ones. Say: Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.
BH09087: O my God and God of earth and heaven…
In the Name of Him Who is Sorrowful and Estranged
O my God and God of earth and heaven, my Sovereign and Sovereign of all who dwell in the kingdom of names! Thou seest what the idolaters have perpetrated in Thy days. There is no land wherein the blood of Thy chosen ones hath not been shed, and no air whereunto the sighs of Thy loved ones have not ascended. I beseech Thee, O God of the world and He Who hath power over the nations, to send down from the heaven of Thy bounty that which shall gladden the hearts of Thy loved ones. O Lord! Look upon them with the glances of Thy mercy and deliver them from the oppressors among Thy creation and the rebellious ones among Thy creatures. O Lord! Thou hearest the cry of hearts and the sighing of the hearts of Thy trusted ones. I beseech Thee to replace the throne of tyranny with the seat of justice. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.
BH09054: This is the Book of the All-Merciful…
He is the Most Great, the Most Glorious!
This is the Book of the All-Merciful from which the proof hath shone forth unto those who are in the Bayan. Blessed is he who hath attained unto it and discovered that which was wafted from it through this perspicuous Name.
The Kingdom and the Dominion have testified to the sovereignty of the Realm of Might, yet most of the people are fast asleep. Say: He hath come for your salvation, as attesteth that which We revealed in the Tablets in the time of the Prophets and Messengers. Verily, those who were not stirred by the breezes of revelation are accounted as dead in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds.
When thou hast drunk from the Kawthar of My utterance and been seized by the rapture of My verses, arise from thy place, then turn thy face toward God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Say: O God of existence and Sovereign of the seen and unseen! I beseech Thee to make me hear, in all conditions, Thy most sweet call and to draw me nigh unto Thee through Thy bountiful grace.
BH08913: We have sent down the Book and revealed…
He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing!
We have sent down the Book and revealed that which was hidden in God’s knowledge, the Lord of all religions. We have mentioned in the Tablets those servants who held fast to their Covenant and clung to the hem of their Lord’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all beings. The stars have set through that which the hands of those who disbelieved in the Origin and the Return have wrought. By God! They have risen from other horizons through the grace of the Lord of all men. O My loved ones! Hearken unto My call from the kingdom of My utterance and hold fast to that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Book. Take heed lest the oppression of the oppressors sadden you. Soon shall they lament over their own souls while ye shall abide in the most exalted station with joy and radiance. Blessed is he who hath arisen to serve the Cause and aid his Lord through the wisdom which the All-Merciful hath sent down in the Tablets. Praise be to God, the Lord of lords!
BH08882: The Beloved beareth witness that there is none other…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great
The Beloved beareth witness that there is none other God but Me, the All-Protecting, the Self-Subsisting. And He beareth witness unto him who hath attained unto steadfastness that he is of the people of God in this wondrous Revelation. How many a servant did We counsel to be steadfast, yet when he heard a word from him who disbelieved, he turned away and drew back on his heels as though he had never known the Countenance nor heard the counsel of God, the Lord of all worlds.
The very stones and clods of earth and My Most Sublime Vision bear witness that he is of the people of the Fire in the Book of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Say: O heedless one! In what cause didst thou believe, and by what token didst thou turn away from Him by Whom all faces were directed towards the Mighty, the Wise? We beheld thy coming forward and heard thy call, wherefore did We answer thee and make mention of thee through My grace, for I am verily the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
BH09456: The rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree and the cooing…
The rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree and the cooing of the Dove of Oneness have been raised amidst creation, yet the people hear not, save those who have been granted a hearing ear by God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.
How many a servant drew nigh, detached from the world, and heard the call of God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling; and how many a servant was debarred from the Water of Life by reason of that which his hands had formerly wrought. Verily He is the One Who requiteth with justice, and verily He is the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.
We turn unto him who hath turned unto God, and We make mention of him in such wise that his remembrance shall endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven.
BH09305: In My Name that is exalted above all names
In My Name that is exalted above all names
What needed to be said We have said, and We have sown the seeds of wisdom in hearts and minds. We beseech God to cause them all to grow through the rain-showers of His mercy, that all may derive benefit therefrom and attain unto the fruit of being.
O friends! Strive ye to receive your portion from the ocean of divine bounty and take your share from the infinite cornfields of grace. This is the day for deeds and the time for action—deprive not yourselves. This is the moment of freedom from the chains of self and passion—liberate yourselves.
Praise be to God, the Sun of Truth hath dawned and is manifest from the Dayspring of loving-kindness. Blessed is he who hath turned towards it and attained. Woe unto the heedless ones.
BH09484: We have taught you in the Tablets…
He is the Confirmer, the Teacher, the All-Wise!
We have taught you in the Tablets that which caused the Concourse on High to rejoice. Blessed is he who follows what he has been commanded by the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Say: O people! Follow not your vain imaginings, nor take the property of others wrongfully, nor dispute with anyone. He, verily, is the Powerful, the Commander, the All-Informed.
Be emblems of guidance among all creatures and manifestations of the favors of your Lord, the Kind, the Merciful. Blessed art thou for having attained unto the days of God and the recognition of His Self.
Verily, He sees whosoever turns to Him and hears the call of those who have directed themselves to the Dayspring of His Cause and are among the firmly established ones.
Give thanks unto God for having been mentioned by the tongue of the Dayspring of His Cause, the Luminous, the Resplendent.
BH09405: Glorified art Thou, O Lord of Names and Sovereign…
He is the All-Wise
Glorified art Thou, O Lord of Names and Sovereign over all things! Thou hearest the sighing of atoms and the groaning of all created things by reason of what hath befallen Thy chosen ones and trusted ones, who cast the world behind their backs in Thy days and were so transported by the sweet stream of divine knowledge that they offered up their very souls in Thy path.
I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by the Word which Thou hast made the sign of Thy power amongst Thy creation, to ordain for Thy chosen ones that which will gladden their hearts and tranquilize their souls.
O my Lord! Darkness hath enveloped all regions and calamity hath encompassed all quarters. Thou seest and hearest, O my God, what Thine enemies do and what they speak concerning Thy chosen ones. Abasement hath overtaken them after they had testified that Thou art the Mighty, the All-Wise.
BH09531: This is a Book which the Tongue hath sent…
He is the One Who warbleth upon the branches
This is a Book which the Tongue hath sent down from the Kingdom of Utterance—the station whereon the All-Merciful is established upon the throne of His Great Name. Verily He speaketh at all times amidst the hosts of creation, yet We have found the people to be as dead. They have cast the ocean of knowledge behind their backs, turning instead to every remote ignorant one. They hear the verses of God, then deny them; they behold the proof of God, yet turn away from it.
The evidence hath appeared and the bounty hath been perfected, yet most of the people know not. They deny that which God hath acknowledged, and acknowledge that which the Self-Subsisting, the Guardian hath denied. Verily the punishment of wrath hath seized them, inasmuch as they perceived not the breaths of revelation. Well is it with every one who hath turned, and woe unto those who have turned away.
BH09329: The sweetness of divine utterance is of such magnitude…
In the Name of the One Friend!
The sweetness of divine utterance is of such magnitude that were all who dwell on earth to attain unto its hearing, they would all turn to the most exalted horizon and would shun the world and whatsoever is therein.
The Wronged One of all lands hath turned toward thee from this mighty prison, and with utmost kindness and compassion declareth: That which is today greater than all else in God’s Book hath been and shall ever be steadfastness in His Cause.
Take thou the chalice in My Name, then drink therefrom through My wondrous remembrance. Thou must strive with utmost endeavor to be ever mindful at all times and to remind the people of this most exalted station.
And the glory be upon thee and upon those who have drunk thereof in My Name, the Steadfast, the Straight.
BH09488: The eye of the world hath been illumined…
He is the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious
The eye of the world hath been illumined by the appearance of the Most Great Name, yet the people have denied, turned away and objected, save those whom God, the Helper, the All-Knowing, hath willed. The solid rock hath melted away at the verses of the Lord of Names, yet the people remain in manifest delusion. The mountains have taken flight in their longing to attain the presence of Him Who is the Possessor of Majesty, yet the people of error persist in grievous unbelief.
Say: O people! Abandon that which ye possess and take what hath been given you from God, the Munificent, the Generous. O thou who gazeth toward My horizon! When thou hearest My call and attaineth unto My Tablet, render thanks and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art wronged! I testify that Thou hast spent what Thou didst possess in the path of God, the Exalted, the Great.
BH09512: Say: Glory be to Thee, O Beloved…
In the name of the Most Mighty, the Most Great!
Say: Glory be to Thee, O Beloved of the world and Desire of the nations! I beseech Thee by the waves of the ocean of Thy knowledge and the manifestations of the Sun of Thy Revelation to make me one of those who have cast away vain imaginings and taken hold of that which hath come down from the heaven of Thy knowledge.
O my Lord! Darkness hath encompassed all regions and the fire of tyranny hath surrounded Thy chosen servants. I beseech Thee, O my God, by the light of Thy justice and the radiance of Thy countenance to ordain for Thy loved ones that which will draw them nigh unto Thee in hardship and in ease.
O my Lord! Thou hearest the cry of the longing ones and the lamentation of them that know Thee. I beseech Thee by them and by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued the kingdom of earth and heaven to decree for us the reward of those who have circled round Thee and have quaffed the wine of Thy presence. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Supreme, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH09406: Glorified art Thou, O Lord of the world…
He is the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing
Glorified art Thou, O Lord of the world and the One manifest through the Most Great Name! How can I make mention of Thee, when I am certain that he who makes mention is but a creation of the influence of Thy Most Exalted Pen? And how can I fail to make mention of Thee after Thy most sweet call hath attracted me and the wine of the Kawthar of Thy love hath intoxicated me? O Lord of all names and Creator of heaven! Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having made known unto me the Manifestation of Thy Cause in Thy days, and for having given me to drink of the Kawthar of divine knowledge through Thy bountiful hand. I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy sovereignty and grandeur, to ordain for Thy loved ones the good of every world of Thy worlds. Then protect them through Thy bounty and power. Verily Thou art He from Whose knowledge nothing whatsoever escapeth. Thou doest what Thou willest through Thy sovereignty and ordainest what Thou pleasest through Thy power. Verily Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH09461: My Most Exalted Pen hath been saddened by those…
He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed Speaker.
My Most Exalted Pen hath been saddened by those who have committed that which was forbidden in the Book. We have forbidden all from approaching this station. Among them are those who have cast aside God’s command and those who have followed what was ordained in the Tablets. Blessed is he who hath held fast to the command, and woe to every heedless doubter.
We love those who have made their hopes the good-pleasure of God, the Lord of the worlds, and who follow His laws with spirit and fragrance. Whoso hath recognized God will not transgress what God hath revealed in the Scrolls and Tablets.
Grieve thou not over anything. Rather, rejoice in the remembrance of thy Lord, then do what thou hast been commanded by God, the Lord of all beings.
BH09552: This is a letter for My handmaiden who hath…
He is the Most Great, Most Holy
This is a letter for My handmaiden who hath believed in Me, and acknowledged My Book, and turned unto My Face, and confessed that which God Himself hath confessed, and borne witness that there is none other God but Him, the All-Powerful, the Almighty.
O My handmaiden! The Ancient Beauty is in grievous affliction. Sorrows have encompassed Him from all sides through that which the hands of the wrongdoers have wrought.
I arose to establish the Cause until its standards were upraised. Then appeared rancor and hatred from the hearts of the heedless. I called all to God whereupon the back of the world trembled and the hearts of those who turned to Him were disturbed. He whom I protected by My sovereignty denied Me. Verily thy Lord, the All-Merciful, is the True One, the All-Informed.
Thus have We recounted unto thee as a favor from Our presence, and I am verily the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
BH09359: A remembrance from Me unto him who hath loved…
He is the Ever-Abiding, the All-Sufficing
A remembrance from Me unto him who hath loved Me and believed when most of the people have disbelieved, that the fragrance of remembrance may attract him and bring him to a station wherein the whispering of the evil one shall have no effect upon him. Say: The rivers have flowed and the seas have surged. Blessed is he who hath been illumined by the light of certitude, and woe unto him whom evil suggestions have hindered. They who have disbelieved in God and His proof have lost, while he who hath turned away from them and faced this Lamp hath gained. Say: O people, grieve not over the world and its afflictions. Well is it with the soul whom riches have not deceived in this world, and with the poor one whom sorrows have not overtaken in destitution. Blessed art thou for having won the lights of the Countenance and drawn nigh unto God, the Lord of mankind.
BH09621: O my God and my Master! Thou seest me…
In His Name, the All-Mighty, the All-Loving
O my God and my Master! Thou seest me among Thy creatures who have rebelled and transgressed against Thee. Every time I invite them unto the ocean of Thy knowledge, their repudiation of Thy Cause increaseth and their rejection of the Dawning-Place of Thy Will waxeth greater.
I beg of Thee, O my God, by those who have fasted for love of Thee and have quaffed the living waters of submission from the hands of Thy bounty, to ordain for Thy loved ones, who under the blaze of the orb of Thy trials have clung to the cord of patience, all the good Thou hast reckoned in Thy Books and Thy Tablets.
Write down, then, for such as have been afflicted with adversities for Thy sake, the reward of those who have suffered martyrdom in the path of Thy good-pleasure. Send down, moreover, upon them, O Lord, that which will rejoice their hearts, solace their eyes, and exhilarate their souls.
Thou art, verily, the Most Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Help in Peril, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH09929: We created the world for the Day of My…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Glorious
We created the world for the Day of My Manifestation, but when He came with the truth, the people denied God, the Lord of the mighty throne. Among the people was one whom We had counseled to be steadfast, but when the cry was raised he turned away and followed the Calf without any clear proof or enlightening Book. Thus do We recount unto thee what hath befallen Us at the hands of the heedless ones. Arise thou and counsel the servants to supreme steadfastness, lest their feet slip from the path of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Blessed art thou for having gathered the fruits of inner meaning from this Tree which hath been raised up in truth in this noble station. The Glory be upon thee and upon whosoever hath drunk of this wondrous Kawthar.
BH10012: We have heard thy call, and thy book was…
In the Name of God, the Almighty!
We have heard thy call, and thy book was presented before the Divine Throne. God willing, thou shalt drink from the ocean of knowledge and attain unto the recognition of the Sun of understanding—that is, through the grace of the Beloved of the world Who speaketh in the Most Great Prison, thou shalt at all times increase in thy awareness through the name of the Friend, until thou art wholly effaced in the path of the Friend and emergest from the pocket of immortality.
He calleth the Most Great Prison the Most Great Horizon, and in His Book nameth it the Supreme Paradise. Blessed is the soul that hath borne tribulations in My path—verily, such a one is of the people of Baha in My sealed Book.
BH09784: O friends of God! This is the Day…
In the Name of the peerless Lord!
O friends of God! This is the Day that hath been adorned with its mention in all the divine Books, and whose presence all the Messengers have yearned to attain. This is the Day that hath belonged exclusively to God, exalted be His station, and hath been distinguished by the Manifestation of God through the Most Exalted Pen.
Therefore, ye must, with the utmost determination and the most complete endeavor, make the heedless people aware of it and summon them unto it. This is the Straight Path that hath ever been and shall ever be known for its steadfastness and recognized as truth.
Blessed is he who hath attained unto it and recognized that which hath been sent down therein from God, the Ancient Bestower.
BH09930: God hath heard the cry of those who have…
In the Name of the Mighty, the Helper!
God hath heard the cry of those who have turned unto His Countenance and believed in God, the One, the All-Forgiving, and hath answered them with that which shall cause their remembrance to endure as long as God, the Revealer of verses, endureth.
He speaketh and uttereth, and revealeth and lamenteth for that which hath befallen Him at the hands of them that are veiled, who have cast behind their backs the ordinances of God and have taken that which they were bidden by the Dayspring of vain imaginings.
Blessed is the poor one who hath turned toward the ocean of wealth, and the stranger who hath drawn nigh unto God, the Lord of all men.
When thou art touched by the breezes of revelation, make mention of God and thank Him for having sent down unto thee that which shall make thee independent of those who have followed every disbelieving impostor.
BH09999: By the life of God! Whoever hears mention…
He is the All-Affectionate!
By the life of God! Whoever hears mention of Me lamenteth at what hath been visited upon Me by those who have denied the Books of God and His Messengers from time immemorial. They profess belief with their words while denying it through their deeds, as attesteth He with Whom is the Mother Book. Their riches have deceived them to such degree that they have turned away from the Face through Whose light the earth and heavens were illumined. We have manifested the Cause and revealed that which God, the Lord of all men, hath willed. Blessed art thou, O servant, in that thou hast quaffed the wine of mystic knowledge and believed in God, thy Lord, the All-Merciful. All that is on earth shall perish, while that which hath been ordained for the loved ones of God shall endure in a Kingdom sanctified above all mention.
BH09829: A remembrance from Our presence unto him who hath…
He is the Helper, the All-Knowing!
A remembrance from Our presence unto him who hath drawn nigh unto the Most Great Sea and drunk therefrom in My Name, the Mighty, the Bestower.
Verily, We shall reward those who have believed and shown patience in God, the Lord of Lords. Whosoever hath attained His presence on this Day, he is of the people of Baha in the Book of God, the Lord of the Final End. And whoso hath turned away, he is accounted among the people of error in the Scriptures and Tablets.
It behooveth everyone in this Day to arise to serve God and to aid His Cause through remembrance and utterance. Thus have We remembered thee in Our Most Great Prison as a bounty from Our presence upon thee and upon those who have taken the chalice of eternity in My Most Glorious Name and have drunk therefrom by night and by day.
BH10262: A mention from Us unto him who hath soared…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Glorious!
A mention from Us unto him who hath soared on the wings of faith unto God, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, that the rapture of the Call may seize him and draw him nigh unto God, the Lord of the worlds.
We make mention of him who hath made mention of his Lord, and cast upon him that which hath caused the hearts of them that have recognized to take flight.
Know thou the measure of this bounty, then render thanks unto thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful. Be thou eloquent in the name of thy Lord and mindful in His beauteous remembrance.
Thus hath My Most Exalted Pen taught thee that which shall profit thee in this world and the world to come.
When thou hast attained unto it say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Beloved of them that have recognized Thee!
BH10547: May you ever abide, now and always, secure…
In the name of the All-Knowing Lord!
May you ever abide, now and always, secure and at rest beneath the sheltering shadow of the peerless King’s loving-kindness.
The Most Exalted Pen is occupied, by day and by night, with the remembrance of His loved ones. We beseech God that He may cause all to be set ablaze with the fire of His knowledge and enable them to serve His Cause.
This is the Day for pure deeds. How blessed is the state of one whose deeds and character become the cause of guidance for heedless souls.
The glory of God rest upon you.
BH10633: Say: Glorified art Thou, O Lord of the world…
He is the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious
Say: Glorified art Thou, O Lord of the world and King of the nations! I beseech Thee by the Name through which Thou didst raise up the heaven and establish the mountains and the nightingale sang upon the branches, to ordain for Thy chosen ones that which befitteth the ocean of Thy bounty and the heaven of Thy generosity. O my Lord! All things have testified to my evanescence and Thy permanence, to my powerlessness and Thy might. Do with me as beseemeth Thee. I testify that Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
BH10636: The Most Exalted Pen gives glad-tidings to those who…
In the Name of the Peerless, the One God!
The Most Exalted Pen gives glad-tidings to those who are turned towards the Most Exalted Horizon, and adorns each one with the ornament of remembrance.
By the Sun of the heaven of sanctification! No ornament has been or ever will be superior to this ornament. All the peoples of the world must strive with their very souls to attain unto this ornament, that perchance they may be blessed with it.
Verily, thou must render thanks unto God for having adorned thee therewith and mentioned thee through His irrevocable Pen in this station, the mighty, the inaccessible.
BH10563: All have been created for attainment unto the divine…
He is the Mighty, the Beloved
All have been created for attainment unto the divine presence, and all have had and have their share of this most exalted station. However, the veils of the people have become an obstacle between the Generous Outpourer and His loved ones. This pertains to the outward realm; in the inward realm, whosoever hath acted according to the divine commandments and held fast to the Most Holy Book which hath been sent down from the holy Kingdom, is reckoned before God as one of the people of the divine presence.
BH11112: Say: All praise be unto Thee, O Sender…
He is the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious
Say: All praise be unto Thee, O Sender of manna and quails, Lord of the throne on high and of the earth below, for having caused me to recognize the Manifestation of Thy Cause and the Ocean of Thy oneness. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name and Thy Most Ancient Light to ordain for me the reward of those who have attained unto Thy presence and drawn nigh unto Thee by Thy leave. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH11113: The Most Exalted Pen in the Most Great Prison…
He is the Giving, the Generous One!
The Most Exalted Pen in the Most Great Prison is engaged and occupied in the remembrance of God. Those souls who have quaffed from the Kawthar of certitude and who are gazing toward the horizon of the All-Merciful must, God willing, be occupied with the remembrance of the True One with the utmost steadfastness, in such wise that the oppression of the oppressors shall not deter them from the path of the Beloved of the worlds. The glory be upon you!
BH11029: O dear one! True glory belongs exclusively to those…
He is the Mighty, the Great
O dear one! True glory belongs exclusively to those souls who are glorified through the glory of God, for the glory of no glorious one and the power of no powerful one shall endure save through the Name of God—exalted be His glory. God willing, you shall attain to this most exalted station and sublime rank. Verily your Lord is the Giving, the Bountiful. The glory be upon you.
BH11192: O Mirza Aqa! Your name was mentioned before…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great
O Mirza Aqa! Your name was mentioned before the Divine Throne, and the Lord of Names makes mention of you with these wondrous and exalted words, each of which is a key to the gate of knowledge. Strive that you may, in this Dawn of Hope, attain the outpourings of the Ocean of Divine Unity. The glory be upon its people.
BH11111: Say: Glorified art Thou, O Sovereign of existence…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Glorious.
Say: Glorified art Thou, O Sovereign of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen! I beseech Thee by the Name through which the heaven was cleft asunder and every barren earth was rent and the mountains of idle fancy were scattered in the kingdom of creation, to open before the faces of Thy loved ones the gates of Thy might and bounty. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the All-Wise.
BH05849: Prayer for Ayyam-i-Ha
In My name, the Almighty
My God, my Fire and my Light! The days which Thou hast named the Ayyam-i-Ha in Thy Book have begun, O Thou Who art the King of names, and the fast which Thy most exalted Pen hath enjoined unto all who are in the kingdom of Thy creation to observe is approaching. I entreat Thee, O my Lord, by these days and by all such as have during that period clung to the cord of Thy commandments, and laid hold on the handle of Thy precepts, to grant that unto every soul may be assigned a place within the precincts of Thy court, and a seat at the revelation of the splendors of the light of Thy countenance.
These, O my Lord, are Thy servants whom no corrupt inclination hath kept back from what Thou didst send down in Thy Book. They have bowed themselves before Thy Cause, and received Thy Book with such resolve as is born of Thee, and observed what Thou hadst prescribed unto them, and chosen to follow that which had been sent down by Thee.
Thou seest, O my Lord, how they have recognized and confessed whatsoever Thou hast revealed in Thy Scriptures. Give them to drink, O my Lord, from the hands of Thy graciousness the waters of Thine eternity. Write down, then, for them the recompense ordained for him that hath immersed himself in the ocean of Thy presence, and attained unto the choice wine of Thy meeting.
I implore Thee, O Thou the King of kings and the Pitier of the downtrodden, to ordain for them the good of this world and of the world to come. Write down for them, moreover, what none of Thy creatures hath discovered, and number them with those who have circled round Thee, and who move about Thy throne in every world of Thy worlds.
Thou, truly, art the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
BH00508: These are days when neither pen nor tongue can…
He is God, exalted be His glory, the Most Great!
These are days when neither pen nor tongue can find rest save in commemorating the martyrs, nor do they desire to be occupied with any remembrance except that of those souls who, in the assemblage of the world, sacrificed with utmost submission and contentment their spirit, body, wealth, possessions and kindred in the path of the Most Great Name. Verily, the heaven weepeth and the clouds lament, the mountains cry out and hearts are in turmoil. Would that I had been with them and had attained to what they attained!
I swear by the Sun of the horizon of utterance that no such calamity hath appeared in creation, nor hath anyone attained to such bounty. God hath blackened the faces of those who disbelieved, turned away, arose and slaughtered those for whose tribulation the Lord of Prophets lamenteth in the Most Exalted Paradise and the Primal Point grieveth at the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing. A hundred thousand regrets that this evanescent one did not attain to this most great bounty! I swear by the Ancient Beauty that this regret remaineth in the heart. From the Supreme Pen concerning those holy souls words have been recorded whose light shall endure as long as the kingdoms of earth and heaven endure. By God! The hearts of the denizens of Paradise are consumed by what hath been sent down from the Pen of God concerning this great calamity.
Our purpose, and your purpose, and the purpose of all who are in the heavens and on earth—a hundred thousand times at every moment doth this servant desire to utter the words “Would that I had been with them!” Exalted is He Who created them, exalted is He Who made them known, and elevated them, and honored them!
Observe and reflect how these two brilliant lights and pure souls, before their arrival in Baghdad, were unknown in any city or land, yet after they were adorned with the ornament of faith and were honored to attain the presence of the All-Merciful, God, exalted be His glory, through His complete power, distinguished them with the mantle of glory and elevation, as ye have heard and seen. He made their dwelling place the shelter of the sincere and themselves the refuge of all who came. Then, when they yearned to attain the supreme martyrdom in the path of the Lord of Names, they attained at the end of their lives to a station which, by God besides Whom there is none other God, all the Messengers, the sincere ones and the near ones have sought and continue to seek.
O brother! All bounty is in the hands of the true Beloved. Whomsoever He willeth, He enableth to attain unto that which is the goal. None hath the right to object or to ask why or wherefore, for He is the Chooser, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
From the Most Exalted Pen there hath been revealed in this greatest of calamities that which surpasseth in worth whatsoever is visible on earth or manifest and hidden in heaven. At times when this servant reflecteth upon the tribulations that befell those sanctified souls, he is moved to burst forth in lamentation and wailing, and at other times, considering the grace that encompassed them, he uttereth “Would that I were with them!” and findeth himself in a state of boundless joy. Blessed are they, and again blessed are they!
Consider how death is ordained and decreed for every soul in every circumstance, yet to yield up one’s life in the path of the All-Merciful among the concourse of creation is a thousand times more excellent than to die upon one’s bed. How regrettable that most people are heedless of this most exalted station! This servant beseecheth his Lord, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, to ordain for every soul that which will draw it nigh unto Him and cause it to recognize the mysteries of His wisdom in all that hath been and shall be manifested. Verily, He is the Peerless, the One, the Evident, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
O kind friend! Two letters from you were received, both first and second sent from the Abode of the Beloved, namely the Land of Qaf. The first letter was adorned with the mention of God, service to His Cause, and news of your well-being and that of Jinab-i-Amin, upon him be the glory of God. Likewise was the second letter.
Praise be to God that you have been enabled to serve the Cause and have manifested complete sincerity, purity, and trustworthiness among the people. Today, whosoever manifesteth praiseworthy characteristics is a promoter of the Cause, for commendable deeds and befitting qualities and attributes are in themselves propagators of the Cause of the Beloved of the world, as hath been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen in various expressions in the Tablets. Blessed are they that act, and joy be to them that have attained!
This evanescent servant offereth thanks at all times on behalf of you and Jinab-i-Amin—upon you both be the glory of God—and truly this is a station deserving of gratitude and praise, for not every soul hath been confirmed in that whereunto you have been confirmed. The servant doth praise God for this and saith in your tongue: “Praise be unto Thee, O Goal of the worlds, and thanks be unto Thee, O Beloved of them that know!” And in this station both my outer and inner tongue declare: “Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds!”
After this servant became aware of what was contained in your letter, he turned toward the Most Holy, Most Luminous, Most Glorious Presence and presented before His countenance all that you had mentioned. He said: “God willing, may they ever dwell beneath the shade of divine mercy and be engaged in His service.” And He said: “O servant! Beseech God to make them steadfast in His service and to adorn them at all times with the ornament of trustworthiness, and not to withhold from them this most glorious and precious robe. Verily, He is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.” End.
As to what you wrote concerning the two souls who have turned to God in the land of Qaf and Mim, it was presented before the Most Holy Court. This is what the All-Merciful hath revealed from the Kingdom of Utterance: “O Abu’l-Hasan! We have heard thy call and what thou didst write concerning the two souls. Blessed art thou and they before God, the Single, the One, the Recompenser, the All-Wise. We have heard their call and witnessed what they have wrought in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds, and We have accepted what they have manifested in His straight Path.
We make mention of Muhammad-Husayn, who attained the recognition of God on a day wherein the hearts of the mystics were sorely troubled. O Husayn! Rejoice in that thou hast been mentioned before the Throne, and in that there hath been sent down unto thee from the Kingdom of thy Lord’s loving-kindness that which shall gladden the eyes of all who behold. The Desired One hath accepted what thou hast done in His path. He, verily, is the Chosen One, the Mighty, the Wondrous.
And We make mention of him who was named Muhammad-Rida and give him glad-tidings through this perspicuous remembrance, whereby the seas have surged and the winds have blown and the fragrance of the garment hath been wafted between the heavens and the earth. Rejoice thou in My remembrance and gladden thyself with this glorious Book. We have accepted what hath proceeded from thee in the days of God. He will surely reward you both with the most excellent of rewards. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Powerful.”
As to what you wrote regarding what was mentioned to those souls that the Huququ’llah cannot be given to just anyone—this statement is true. The Huququ’llah must be collected by trustworthy souls and then sent to the Most Holy Court through God’s trusted ones. What hath reached His Holiness Jamal (upon him be Baha’u’llah) and yourself is acceptable before God, and likewise what reached Umm-i-Haram (upon her be Baha’u’llah). We beseech God to enable all the loved ones to attain unto the ornament of trustworthiness and faithfulness.
In this year, due to certain events that occurred in the Land of the Prison, there were revealed from the heaven of God’s Will verses concerning detachment, trustworthiness and the like, which, were they to be presented to the mountains, would cause them to humble themselves before God’s command. It is strange that some have not recognized the worth and station of trustworthiness and have not observed their own station. They themselves have no station, yet they have altered God’s station among His servants. We hope that henceforth they will arise to make up for what they have lost and compensate for their deeds. They must at all times fix their gaze upon the horizon of the bounty of the Self-Sufficient, the Exalted One, and be occupied with serving His Cause.
Regarding what you wrote about the land of H and M concerning His Holiness Aqa Muhammad-Baqir (upon him be Baha’u’llah), it was presented before the Most Holy Court and was adorned with acceptance. He hath truly arisen to serve the Cause. I beseech the Exalted One to strengthen him in all conditions and to exalt him in truth. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Powerful.
Likewise, concerning His Holiness Aqa Muhammad-Hasan (upon him be Baha’u’llah), mention was made and He said:
“Blessed is he in that he hath attained unto what God hath revealed in the Book.”
Praise be to God that from the pure and assured souls in that land the fragrances of the love of the Beloved of the worlds are diffused. God willing, may all attain unto the highest horizon and become eloquent in the praise and glorification of God.
Say: Glorified art Thou, O God of the seen and unseen and Lord of existence! I beseech Thee by the Promised One Who has ascended the throne of Thy grandeur and stood in the station of Thy Self, to assist Thy servants to turn unto the ocean of Thy knowledge which surgeth through Thy Name and sovereignty. Purify, O my God, their hearts from idle fancies and vain imaginings in this Day wherein the sun of certitude hath shone forth from the horizon of power. O Lord! We are poor at Thy gate and helpless before the manifestations of Thy might. I beseech Thee, O Lord of all possibilities, by Thy name, the All-Merciful, to draw the heedless nigh unto the horizon of Thy Revelation and to lead them, even with chains and fetters, to the precincts of Thy bounties.
O Lord! They have forgotten Thy days in that they have followed the dawning-places of conjecture who have denied Thy signs. By Thy glory! Were the veil to be removed from their faces, they would hasten to Thy dwelling-place and cry out in the wilderness in their separation from Thee. Then send down, O my God, upon Thy loved ones that which will tranquilize their hearts, delight their eyes, and dilate their breasts. Thou art, verily, the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Supreme, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
We beseech God to aid thee and Jinab-i-Amin in that which will exalt God’s Cause and His remembrance. He, verily, is the Powerful, the Mighty. Assuredly send news of thyself and the Trusted One—upon him be the Glory of God. Convey on my behalf greetings to all the loved ones in that land—namely those souls who are detached from all save God, who speak in God, who cling to God, who return unto God, and who walk in the path of God—and say: This is the Day of service, remembrance and praise. Blessed are the people of Baha. The Spirit and Glory be upon thee and upon them and upon whosoever hath attained unto the Most Exalted Station.
The servant, 5 Ramadan 1296
BH01554: This evanescent one submits to Samandar of the divine…
He is God, exalted be His station, the Greatness and the Power
This evanescent one submits to Samandar of the divine fire that praise be to God, in every mail the sweet fragrances from your honor perfume the soul and cause the spirit to quiver and become illumined. In this case, whatever is mentioned is surely insufficient and whatever is written is certainly inadequate. Therefore I appoint that beloved one as representative before that beloved one, that whatever pertains to the conditions of unity and harmony and the exaltation of the station of love and affection and oneness, you should tell yourself on behalf of this servant from your own words.
From the utterances of the Manifestation of Names and Attributes that were sent to your honor and the names mentioned in your honor’s book, it becomes evident that this servant is occupied in writing day and night, therefore if there is sometimes delay in sending replies, God willing you will forgive.
And another submission: whatever has reached your honor regarding the Huququ’llah from any soul and any place has reached this evanescent servant through the King of Martyrs, His Holiness the Name of God Ha, upon him be the most glorious glory. We beseech God to assist those who have acted according to what they were commanded in the Book and to send down upon them from the heaven of His grace a blessing and mercy and benediction from His presence. Verily He is the Mighty, the Bestower. In truth the matter of divine rights is a great matter, incumbent upon all to fulfill, for it is the cause of bounty and blessing and goodness and whatsoever accompanies every soul in every world of the worlds of their Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Generous.
Another submission: some time ago, that is several months ago, his honor the Name of God, his holiness Jamal, upon him be all the most glorious glory, had written a letter to this servant. A reply was written but due to the upheavals in the surrounding areas was not sent. And likewise some time ago again a reply was written and not sent, until this time when their third letter arrived. Before the Throne were revealed sublime and exalted verses specifically for them and the souls mentioned in their book, but this time too, due to the weight of the mail, it was not sent. God willing it will be sent later and that beloved one will attain to its perusal, and God willing the reply to the petitions of Lavi will also be sent.
In any case that beloved one must keep the horizon of wisdom in view. Most of the souls in the world appear with deceit and guile, therefore wisdom must be observed and kept in view in every matter of matters. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist your honor as He has assisted you and preserve you for the service of His Cause among His creatures. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty.
If there were opportunity, surely from the city of sincerity would be sent the sweet basils of love and flowers of unity and melodies of the nightingale of affection and cooings of the dove of fellowship and songs of the birds of knowledge and leaves of the trees of remembrance and wisdom and sweet sounds of the lofty Lote-Trees and spiritual sweet waters, but due to the multitude of occupations and successive writings this evanescent servant found no further opportunity. God willing if life is granted he will make up for what was missed. I beseech the True One to ever gladden this servant with the effect of that beloved soul’s spiritual pen.
What more can I submit? From the flame of the fire of love, at the time when mention of his honor the brother, upon him be the Glory of God, flows from pen or tongue, God knows the fire of longing appeared and the light of sincerity dawned. In this case the pen sees itself powerless, but since the expression of sincerity before true friends is beloved in the sight of the Beloved, therefore this evanescent servant with a hundred thousand yearnings and longings conveys to them a sacred greeting sanctified from incidental conditions. We beseech Him, exalted be He, that eyes may be consoled by meeting him. Verily He is the Answerer.
The Glory be upon your honor and upon him and upon every believer who has attained to the recognition of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.
The servant, 9 Ramadan 1296
BH05516: By the life of God! Such verses have been…
In the Name of the Wronged One, the Stranger
By the life of God! Such verses have been sent down that all the pens in the world and those possessed of the knowledge of calculation cannot reckon them. Every counter hath failed to count them, every knower to know them, and every perceiver to fathom the mysteries of God, the Almighty, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, that lie concealed therein. By God! We have sent down for every matter a Book and for every thing an explanation, yet the people remain heedless and veiled.
O thou who bearest the name of Ha’, give thanks unto God for having brought thee before the Gate and cast upon thee that which the possessors of understanding are powerless to comprehend. We have caused thee to hear My call, which hath been the hope of them that are nigh unto God from time immemorial. When thou art blessed with the traces of My Pen and hearest its rustling, turn thy face toward the Wronged One and say:
“I testify that Thou art He Who hath arisen to fulfill the Cause of God and hath called all to the Horizon from which the lights have shone forth.”
Glory be upon thee and upon her who hath believed and turned toward Me and attained unto My presence and heard and achieved that which is the purpose in the Book. Convey My greetings to the faces of My loved ones who have heard My call and desired My countenance and drunk the choice wine of revelation from this Cup which God hath made the source of the seas.
BH05413: Praise be to the peerless Lord Who hath illumined…
In the Name of the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing!
Praise be to the peerless Lord Who hath illumined the heaven of man’s station with two brilliant stars—sight and knowledge. Whosoever hath attained unto these twin bounties hath attained unto the outpourings of the All-Merciful. He is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing, and the Almighty Ruler. Well is it with him who hath recognized Him, and woe betide the heedless ones.
Thy letter was received and attained unto the presence of this Wronged One. God willing, in this radiant morn thou shalt, at every moment, quaff from the wine of divine knowledge and be engaged in the remembrance of the Wronged One of the horizons. In these days when the fierce winds of tyranny have uprooted the saplings of justice, and when the sorrows of the world of being have surrounded the Countenance of the All-Merciful, the Supreme Pen hath not been prevented from raising its call, and continueth to summon them that possess utterance to the Most Sublime Horizon. How excellent is the state of him who hath hearkened unto the divine call and turned his face toward the horizon of the Cause. Render thanks unto the Beloved of the world that He hath not debarred thee from the outpourings of the ocean of divine knowledge nor deprived thee of the sealed wine. Although the dust of malice hath prevented the light from shining forth, yet the time shall come when it will appear without any veil and illumine the whole world. Of this doth the true world bear witness. Verily, He is the True One, the Trustworthy. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH06881: O Nasir! God hath verily aided thee in truth…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great
O Nasir! God hath verily aided thee in truth, inasmuch as He hath caused thee to recognize the Manifestation of His Self, the Dawning-Place of His Cause, and the Dayspring of His Most Mighty, Most Holy, Most Exalted, Most Wondrous Revelation. Verily, he who hath attained unto recognition of Me hath attained unto all good—thy Lord, the All-Informed, beareth witness unto this.
Thou didst attain the presence in the luminous Spot and didst hearken unto the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree. By My life! This is indeed a supreme bounty.
Thy name was mentioned before the Throne, and We bade the servant who standeth before the Countenance to bring forth ink and pen. When these were brought, We revealed unto thee these verses, which all the treasures of the heavens and earth cannot equal.
Thou art he who hearkened unto the call of thy Lord and turned unto Him on a day when every doubting scholar turned away. Blessed art thou for having turned towards Him, drawn nigh unto Him, hearkened and drunk from the cup of the bounty of thy Lord, the All-Bountiful.
Recognize thou the station of this most exalted rank and this supreme gift, and be of them that render thanks. The glory of God rest upon thee, upon thy children, and upon them whom God hath related unto thee from among those who have believed in the signs of God on this mighty Day.
BH06585: Glorified art Thou, O my God, my Beloved, my…
In His Name, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting!
Glorified art Thou, O my God, my Beloved, my Master and my King! My tongue, my heart and my limbs bear witness to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, to Thy loftiness and Thy transcendence, to Thy might and Thy power.
Thou hast created the tongue, O my God, for Thy remembrance, and the heart for Thy love, and the eye to behold the signs of Thy handiwork and to gaze toward Thy horizon. Blind is the eye that seeth Thee not, and dumb is the tongue that remembereth Thee not. There is nothing that hath not appeared for Thy service and remembrance, after having recognized the Manifestation of Thy oneness and the Dayspring of the light of Thy singleness.
I bear witness, O my God, in this moment and in all moments, to Thy permanence and the transience of all else beside Thee, to Thy power and the powerlessness of all except Thee.
O Lord! Despite this, and despite the confession of all things to this truth, such wrongs have appeared as no pen can describe. O Lord! I beseech Thee by these wrongs which have caused every person of insight and understanding to weep, to aid Thy loved ones whom Thou seest beneath the claws of the oppressors. O Lord! Strengthen them through Thy power and sovereignty. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Strong, the All-Conquering, the All-Powerful.
BH07451: The Most Exalted Pen maketh mention of thee…
In the Name of the One True God!
The Most Exalted Pen maketh mention of thee from the Most Sublime Horizon, inasmuch as Ism-i-Jud hath made mention of thee in the Most Holy Court. Perchance through the breathings of the Divine Pen the troubles of the earthly realm may be dispelled.
O handmaid of God! Although afflictions from all directions have encompassed the spirit, yet the splendors of the lights of the Countenance of the Manifestation have prevented all events from having their full effect. Were one possessed of sight to observe, and one possessed of hearing to hearken, he would witness in all things the freshness of divine joy and would hear the call “The Most Great Joy hath come!”
Hold fast unto the truth and be free and detached from all else. Through this word sorrows shall be annihilated and the rains of joy shall descend from the clouds of divine bounty. Rejoice thou in My remembrance and be in manifest gladness.
Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds!
BH10907: O my God! This is a day wherein Thou…
He is the Glorious, the All-Glorious
O my God! This is a day wherein Thou hast honored the world through the advent of the Dawning-Place of Thy Cause, unto Whom returneth whatsoever returneth unto Thee. I beseech Thee to ordain for everyone who hath turned unto Thee the reward of them that have attained unto Thy presence and have quaffed the choice wine of nearness unto Thee. O my Lord! Illumine the horizon of Thy justice through Thy sovereignty, then preserve it from the clouds of tyranny and the veils of oppression. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
BH00477: In the name of Him Who is the Most…
In the name of Him Who is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Impregnable, the Most Glorious!
Praise be to God Who hath decreed separation for the lovers, and through their yearning hath drawn unto Him all who dwell in the horizons. Exalted is He Who hath appeared with this effulgence, whereby was made manifest the station of him who fulfilled the Covenant on the day of separation. He is the One Whose praise cannot be recorded by pens nor completed through pages.
O My loved one! By the life of God, the fire of thy love hath ignited My limbs and joints, and its flames play in every vein of My being even as the rays of the sun play amidst the trees. Glorified be He Who kindled the fire of His love in thy heart, and exalted be He Who cast upon thee that which took thee from thyself and made thee attracted by His fragrances, trembling from His sweet savours, and intoxicated with the wine of His love.
By thy life! Thy letter hath taken complete possession of My heart, through it My soul was gladdened and My breast was dilated, and the bird of My love took wing, for it was redolent with the fragrance of the love of our Beloved, your Beloved, and the Beloved of all the worlds. The servant beareth witness that He found in thy letter naught but pure love and affection, and dedication to the service of the Cause of God, the Lord of creation. I beseech God, My Lord, to give you to drink, at all times, from the ocean of His wondrous favors and the gems of His grace. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Answerer of prayers.
When the cup of your love, which lay concealed in the depths of your words, seized Me, I set aside what I had written and took what you had sent to the Most Exalted Station and the Ultimate Goal. When I appeared before His presence, I stood before His countenance, whereupon the Tongue of Grandeur spoke: “What is that in thy right hand?” I submitted: “This is a petition from one who hath arisen to serve Thy Cause and hath voiced Thy praise among Thy servants, who hath appeared before the Throne by Thy command and departed with Thy leave.” And I presented before His presence that wherewith thou didst praise God, the Lord of the worlds, and that wherewith thou didst call upon the Beloved of the mystics, and that wherewith thou didst commune with the Desired One of all seekers. When this was completed, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke once again, and from the heaven of grace shone forth the suns of loving-kindness, compassion, mercy and bounty. This is what was uttered by the Lord of Eternity:
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great
O Varqa! The servant hath appeared before Us and presented what was in thy letter. Verily, We found it a mirror reflecting thy love for the Beloved of the world and thy devotion to Him. Blessed art thou for having drawn nigh, for having drunk, and for having attained. Verily thy Lord is the One Who maketh manifest, the Manifest. We have witnessed the fire that hath encompassed thee in thy love for thy Lord, and We have seen its flames and heard its roaring. Exalted is He Who kindled it, Who set it ablaze, and Who caused it to appear. He is the Omnipotent before Whose power the essence of might itself confesseth its powerlessness. Verily thy Lord is He Who heareth and seeth; He is the All-Informed. Rejoice in that the Wronged One remembereth thee as He remembered thee before, and in this moment wherein He walketh and saith:
“I have found the fragrance of thy love and witnessed thy sincerity and humility, for thy heart was mindful of My remembrance and thy tongue was praising Me with beautiful praise.”
Thus hath the ocean of life overflowed that thou mayest rejoice in the days of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Wondrous.
O Varqa! Thy call hath been heard and thy letter was presented before the Throne. Praise be to God that from it were witnessed the burning flames of the love of God. God willing, thou shalt forever and always be delighting in the mention of the Friend, drinking in His name, finding rest in His remembrance, and occupied with thoughts of Him, that perchance distant souls may draw near to the ocean of nearness and weary souls may hasten, through the heat of the Word, toward that direction which is sanctified from [all directions].
Some of the faithful are observed to be sorrowful, nay, fearful, due to the occurrence in the Land of Sad, whereas the hand of God’s power especially raised them up and showered upon them from the heaven of mercy and the clouds of grace the rains of blessing and bounty, and His complete power adorned them with the ornament of glory amidst mankind, such that the tongues of the sincere ones and those drawn nigh spoke in their praise, and they attained to such a station that even enemies bore witness to the loftiness of their rank, and in [their final] days they attained to the most exalted and supreme station, which is the greatest martyrdom—a station which the chosen ones and friends of God have forever yearned for and sought after.
Nevertheless, some are seen to be troubled and grieved. God willing, this sorrow hath appeared due to love for them. By the ocean of inner meanings! If the station of but one servant among their servants who are now engaged in service were to be revealed, all the peoples of the earth would be thunderstruck. Blessed is he who reflecteth upon what hath come to pass, that he may become aware of the greatness of the Cause and its sovereignty. This station which they attained was what they themselves had beseeched from God, exalted be His glory, and what they had sought after with the utmost eagerness and longing.
Say: O friends! Ye have endured much in the path of love for the Beloved of the worlds. Ye have witnessed what was not fit to be seen, and have heard what was not worthy to be heard, and in the path of the Friend ye have borne matters which were in truth heavier than mountains. Blessed be your appearance, your eyes, and your ears for what they have borne, seen, and heard. Now, know ye the worth of this most exalted and sublime station and waste it not. In every case, this world is transient and all who dwell therein shall fall under the claws of death, and all that is therein shall be afflicted by the talons of change. Beseech ye God, exalted be His glory, at all times to preserve you and keep you steadfast on the path of His Cause.
Know ye this much, that whatsoever ye have endured, and have witnessed and heard, hath been through His grace and favor, wherewith ye have been specially endowed. His mention of you in the Tablets hath been and shall continue to be yet another token of His grace. Ye have drunk the cup of tribulation in His path; drink ye now the choice wine from the cups of His remembrance and bounty. God willing, may ye be enabled to serve His Cause. We counsel all to manifest praiseworthy character, goodly deeds, and befitting and commendable actions. In this day it behooveth each one to hold fast unto that which will promote the Cause of God and to cleave thereunto. Say: Thus much do we declare, and leave the rest to your fairness to judge what beseemeth such a Day.
Be not grieved by outward weakness, abasement and distraction. I swear by the Sun in the heaven of independence that glory, wealth and riches circle round about you, making mention of you and inclining toward you. Though by divine wisdom their manifestation may remain concealed for a time, days shall come when each one shall shine forth even as the sun in splendor and brilliance. We beseech God that the people may attain unto the sweetness of divine utterances and truly discover it. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon thy brother and upon My name who gave up his spirit in My path and dwelleth in the precincts of My mercy.
We make mention, at the end of this epistle, of thy brother who turned his face toward My countenance and stood before the gate of My grandeur and heard My wondrous and glorious call. God willing, may that which hath been mentioned not fade from their sight. May they rest assured of divine favors and drink at all times from the choice wine of remembrance and keep their gaze fixed upon His direction. God willing, may the mention of love and unity not depart from sight.
In this place We make mention of him who was named Kazim, that he may rejoice in the remembrance of God, the Most High, the Most Great. Blessed art thou and blessed is thy brother who was martyred in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds. Behold, then call to mind Our servant Kazim who was martyred in the land of Sad—a martyrdom at whose tragedy the atoms of creation wept, and beyond them the Concourse on High and the dwellers in the cities of Names. Thy Lord, the All-Seeing, the All-Informed, beareth witness to this.
O Kazim! Reflect upon God’s loving-kindness and observe His mercy that hath preceded all creation. Ponder the blessed word that was revealed in the Book of Ha and Sin. He saith, and His word is the truth: “Whoso is for God, God is for him.” And since those holy souls forsook the world and all who dwell therein for the sake of the Lord of Oneness, and attained unto the chalice of martyrdom which is in truth the most exalted cup, the Supreme Pen is seen to be engaged in their remembrance morn and eve. I swear by the Sun of the Kingdom of Utterance that were the shrill voice of the Supreme Pen truly heard by hearing ears, all people would rush forth from their homes, crying “Here am I, O my God, here am I!” Blessed is the ear that hath heard, and the heart that hath understood what hath transpired, and the taste that hath savored what hath appeared from the ocean of thy Lord’s grace, the Forgiving, the Generous.
O Kazim! Act according to what thou hast been commanded and thou shalt behold thy Lord’s all-encompassing grace upon the worlds. Glory be upon thee and upon those who have attained unto the most great steadfastness in this Cause whereby the mountains were scattered, the heaven was cleft asunder, the earth was split, and the people were shaken, save those whom God wished, the Powerful, the Preserver, the Mighty.
The degrees of divine favors and grace are manifest and evident from these heavenly utterances. What else can this servant mention or submit? Were the entire world to become utterance, it would be as nothing compared to a single word from His Tablets, and were all creation to become tongues and cry out, it would be seen as non-existent before the call of a single bird of the Divine Throne.
How beloved is the mention of the chosen ones of the True One! Yet, notwithstanding mine acknowledgment of mine own impotence and confession of my shortcoming, I have presumed to trouble you with these unworthy words, and now convey unto His Honour Aqa Mirza Husayn greetings; and likewise do I present greetings unto His Honour Haji Kazim (upon him be Baha’u’llah). Moreover, whatsoever had been set down in thy letter was submitted in the All-Holy Presence. He uttered:
“Do thou perform that which We commanded thee, for the sake of God, the Lord of all worlds.”
God willing, they shall speak, wholly severed from the world, in remembrance of the Sultan of Eternity and the Possessor of the nations. Glory be upon thee, and upon every discerning soul that turneth unto Him.
To the friends of God, whensoever thou shalt meet any of them, make mention of the helplessness and nothingness of this perishing servant. The one God beareth witness that the names of those souls who have quaffed from the Kawthar of meanings have been, and shall ever be, upon the heart and upon the tongue. Glory be upon them; praise be upon them; greetings be upon them.
Another matter: a letter which ye had written unto His Honour Aqa Mirza Mustafa—they presented it, in particular, in the All-Holy Presence. He himself is not now present to offer a reply; that is, he hath departed for Akka. This servant again took the letter, and presented it in full, from beginning unto end, before His countenance; and a perfect measure of loving-kindness appeared from the Dayspring of the merciful favours. Blessed art thou, inasmuch as the Sun of grace hath shone upon thee time after time, again and yet again. By God! a single word that proceedeth from the tongue of Grandeur in remembrance of His loved ones is not to be weighed against all that hath been created in the worlds of the unseen and the seen. Praise, therefore, be unto this cherished purpose; then glory be upon this Beloved One. And the Tablets which thou didst request shall, together with His Honour Aqa Muhammad Ali, be sent.
BH00761: Praise be to God Who hath sent down…
He is God, exalted be His glory, His greatness and His power!
Praise be to God Who hath sent down the verses and revealed the signs and made clear to all what He intended. He is the Lord of creation Who ordaineth that whereby countries are uplifted and commandeth that whereby the hearts of servants are assured. Praise be to God Who hath fulfilled what He promised and spoken and testified to Him Who came and appeared. Verily He is the Hidden Treasure and the Most Glorious Name and the Ultimate Goal. Through Him the ocean of eternity surged and the Most Great Word appeared and the Most Exalted Station was revealed, and through Him the Crimson Scroll was sent down. Verily He is the Beginning and He Who appeared in the Return.
And now, how sweet is the fragrance of love and faithfulness wafting from the paradise of your letter, wherein I found each word to be a leaf from the leaves of the Tree that grew through God’s remembrance and grace. When the wine of your praise of my Beloved and your Beloved and the Beloved of the worlds took hold of me, I approached the station of the Desired One and presented it before the Throne. Then the tongue of the Beloved spoke: Though sorrows have encompassed Me due to what hath befallen the Cause of God, I rejoice in the mention of him who hath turned to My face, uttered My praise, and risen to serve Me. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist him in all conditions and strengthen him as He strengthened him before. Verily He is the Almighty, the Most High.
O My physician! Thou must, God willing, arise to serve the Cause with utmost endeavor, in such wise that whatsoever is uttered by the tongue, occureth to the heart, is witnessed by the eye, or perceived by the faculty of understanding shall not prevent thee from remembering the Lord of Eternity. Most of the servants are inflamed by a word and extinguished by a breath. If hearts are truly kindled by the fire of the love of God, surely the sprinkling of the seas of opposition will not quench them. By the life of God! If one is given life by the Divine Word and becomes alive, lassitude will not overtake him, nor will the happenings of the world hold him back from service. Beseech ye God to keep steadfast in this Most Great Cause those souls who have accepted it, in such wise that neither the oppressor’s might nor the heedless one’s tyranny shall frighten or disturb them. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the Perspicuous. May the Word take up its abode in every heart. He is verily the All-Wise Administrator. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who hath held fast to the cord of My grace, hath attained unto My days, and hath spoken My beauteous praise.
Concerning what thou didst write about Haji Ghulam-Ali, it was presented at the Most Holy Court. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke in this regard: Verily We make mention of him in truth that he may rejoice and be of the thankful ones. O Ghulam-Ali! Blessed art thou for having turned toward a land wherein were planted the trees of My love, which when they grew tall, the oppressors cut down with manifest tyranny. O Land of the City! Blessed art thou for within thee lie the trust of God, the Protector, the Mighty, the Wise. And blessed is he who draweth nigh unto their graves and attaineth the honor of visiting them; he is assuredly among the people of Paradise in a glorious Book. O Physician! Give him the glad tidings of what the All-Merciful hath revealed for him, that he may give thanks unto his Lord, the Generous.
And regarding his request for permission to turn toward the Most Holy Court and return after a nine-day stay, it was presented, and the sun of permission rose from the dayspring of grace. He should act as the honored Physician hath written, that is, return to his residence with joy and fragrance after nine days. We praise and thank Him for this. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
And concerning what you wrote about Haji Ibrahim—upon him be Baha’u’llah—it was presented before the Throne. He said:
“O physician! Verily he attained My presence time and again, turned toward My direction, entered My abode, stood before My gate, heard My call and was blessed with My wondrous Tablet.”
O physician, complete favor hath been shown toward him and he hath drunk the choice wine of eternity in the Most Great Scene. His tribulations and what befell him in the path of God are all witnessed in the Most Holy Court and recorded in the divine Tablet. That he was prevented—this was for his own good. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. God willing, may he be aided to remember God and serve His Cause. In truth this matter is great today. Blessed is he who holdeth fast to what he hath been commanded by the Mighty, the Powerful. He hath been mentioned in the Most Holy Court and the glance of favor hath been directed toward him. Remember him on My behalf and give him the glad-tidings of My remembrance of him, that he may rejoice with this supreme joy. We send Our greetings from this Spot to him and to him who is named Qasim and his brother. Verily thy Lord is the Rememberer, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Regarding what you wrote about Aqa Mirza Asadu’llah—upon him be Baha’u’llah—who wrote from the land of Ta, He said:
“We beseech God to aid him and enable him in all conditions to arise for the service of His Cause, that his mention may thereby be exalted in His mighty and impregnable Kingdom.”
Some time ago, a Most Holy and Sublime Tablet specifically for him was sent with Ibn-i-Asdaq—upon him be Baha’u’llah—and before that another Tablet was sent with Aqa Siyyid ʿAli-Akbar—upon him be Baha’u’llah. And in these days a new Tablet hath been revealed from the heaven of grace which will be sent with the Letter Sin. God willing, may he be blessed at all times with the favors of the Beloved of the worlds.
Concerning what you wrote about Ustad ʿAli-Akbar—upon him be Baha’u’llah—and mentioned his circumstances, his statements indicate his sorrow and the distress of his heart. The cause thereof is not known. The Tablet that was previously revealed was adorned with the utmost favor. Glory be to God! Why have they become sorrowful? And concerning what he mentioned about “I will make copies of the Sublime Tablet and send them to the world”—what is meant by this statement? I swear by the ocean of utterance that the Desired One of creation never had and hath not any desire for the mention of these sciences. What was revealed was in response to questions from certain ones who had inquired, and all of it was revealed by the Supreme Pen and sent forth so that no one would attribute ignorance to the Source of knowledge.
And He would always say that He desired that the loved ones of God not occupy themselves with these matters. But that he said “they have thrown my thirty years of effort to the wind”—from these words infinite sadness can be perceived. It seemeth that he hath become distressed by the word of prohibition that hath shone forth from the Dayspring of the Command. In this case, let him act according to his own desire. Whosoever wisheth, let him act; whosoever wisheth, let him desist. In truth this servant became greatly saddened by his sorrow and doth not wish for him to be sorrowful for a moment. We beseech God to aid him and ordain for him that which will gladden his heart. Verily He is the Mighty, the Powerful.
His honor Ismu’llah Haji Mulla Mihdi [ʿAtri], upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah], turned towards this direction and ascended to the Supreme Companion. That which was revealed in his honor would attract the hearts of the world and cause the spirits of lovers to soar. And wonderfully enough, his grave is situated in such a place that in coming and going to the mansion, they are blessed with the fragrances of the Beloved. This is naught but a great bounty. His survivors expressed much love for your honor which you had shown them in Mosul. This matter was presented at the Most Holy Court, and He said that such deeds are the cause of creating love and affection. We beseech God to assist all to achieve love and affection. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Responsive.
BH01575: Praise, sanctified above comprehension and reason, befitteth the Lord…
He is God, the All-Powerful, the Most Glorious
Praise, sanctified above comprehension and reason, befitteth the Lord of all creation Who, through His all-compelling Will, honored the world by the advent of the Most Great Name—that sacred Being Who is mentioned by all names yet is sanctified from them all, Who is described by all human attributes yet is independent of them all. Glory be to God! In this station neither can the tongue describe nor is it capable of mentioning Him, neither can the heart comprehend nor draw nigh unto Him. This is a station where sight fails to behold and reason becomes powerless to understand. In consideration of His supreme mercy and greatest favor, He hath commanded all to engage in praise and glorification and hath ordained recognition of the Dawning-Place of Revelation and the Manifestation of His Cause, Who is His own Self. In this station, through His grace and favor, He hath reckoned confession of powerlessness and ignorance as knowledge, and acknowledgment of inadequacy as true recognition. Exalted be His bounty! Exalted be His generosity! Exalted be His grace! I bear witness that there is none other God but Him. He it is Who hath established Himself upon the throne and spoken amongst men without veil or concealment.
And now I inform my honored friend that some time ago a letter was received from Mulla Abu’l-Hasan, upon him be the Glory of God, wherein he had mentioned you. His great satisfaction with your letter was evident and manifest. He requested that I submit the details thereof to the Most Holy Court. At a time when this evanescent servant attained the presence of the Divine Throne and presented the details, the Sun of Grace shone forth from the Dayspring of Divine favor, and He said:
“It behooveth every soul to remember his Lord in these days wherein the Temple of Justice hath lamented between the heavens and the earth by reason of that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought. O Muhammad-Baqir! The servant in attendance before the Throne made mention of thee by virtue of what was recorded in the letter of Abu’l-Hasan, who hath believed in God, the Single, the All-Informed. Rejoice thou in that thou hast been mentioned before the Countenance and My Most Exalted Pen hath remembered thee. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Bountiful. The Glory be upon thee and upon My loved ones in that land. Convey My greetings unto their faces and say: Hold fast unto wisdom and put your trust in God, the Lord of all worlds. He is with you, witnessing and seeing, and He is verily the Protector, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.”
Furthermore, the aforementioned person requested that I write to you acknowledging receipt of the sum you had given him, as well as what Aqa Muhammad-Husayn had given. In any case, he had mentioned all the details and a reply was sent to him. Surely he himself will write the details to you as well. We beseech God to aid you in that which will exalt His Cause and to number you among those whom neither human affairs have prevented from recognizing the Lord of Destiny, nor the might of the oppressors from God, the True King, the Manifest. And we beseech God to ordain for you the good of this world and the next. Verily, He is the Protector of those who do good. He hath indeed seized him who oppressed, and soon will He seize those who have denied Him and His verses which have filled the East and West of the earth. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
God willing, may you be enkindled at all times with the fire of divine love and be engaged in His remembrance. May the friends in that land who are gazing toward the horizon of the All-Merciful and have attained the wine of immortality convey this servant’s greetings to them. We beseech God to gladden and quicken them all through the fragrances of the garment of the Beloved of the seen and the unseen, that they may remember Him in the assemblage of the world and be joyful in His remembrance. Praise be to God Who hath adorned that land with the wondrous and glorious ornament of the presence of His loved ones. Glory be upon you and upon those who have attained to the remembrance of God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen.
The servant 24 Ramadan 1296