Volume 058: Akka 1296 A.H. (1879), Part I (3 of 3)

BH00392: Praise be fitting and worthy unto the Sovereign…

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

Praise be fitting and worthy unto the Sovereign of existence and the King of the seen and unseen, Who with the hands of grace has planted the trees of wisdom in blessed and goodly soil, and through the rain of mercy and loving-kindness has bestowed the water of grace, until they reached maturity and through the bounty of the All-Merciful produced the fruits of remembrance and utterance. We beseech Him—exalted be His sovereignty and magnificent His signs—to preserve these trees from the poisonous winds of the souls of the idolaters. In this connection, from the Supreme Pen was revealed a word in response to the petition of Maneckji Sahib, who is one of the British subjects. He speaks, and His word is the truth: “We found pure earth and sowed the seed of knowledge. Now let us see what the rays of the sun will do—whether they will burn it up or cause it to grow.” And likewise He says: “Today, through the victory of the Peerless Wise One, the sun of knowledge has risen from behind the veil of the soul, and all the birds of the wilderness are intoxicated with the wine of knowledge and content in the remembrance of the Friend. How excellent is he who finds and comes.” End quote.

With a hundred thousand tongues this evanescent servant beseeches the True One—exalted be His station—not to deprive the trees of human existence, in this spiritual springtime when the lights of the Sun of Manifestation are shining and the cloud of mercy has spread its shade, from His outpourings, and to grant them successive draughts from the ocean of insight and knowledge at all times. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Ruler, the Bestower, the Generous.

The Sun of grace is shining, the Ocean of bounty is manifest, the Heaven of generosity is raised up. Man is bewildered at what has prevented the heedless people. The straight and upright path is manifest and evident like the light of the sun, yet despite this, the people are seen to be afflicted and lost in the rocky wilderness of self and desire. God willing, it is hoped that the veils that have prevented the people and the glories that have been the cause of remoteness and distance will be lifted, and the Beauty of the Beloved of the worlds will be witnessed by eyes that are sanctified from the ophthalmia of idle fancies. Verily, He is the Sovereign Who takes and gives, and rules as He pleases. There is no God but Him, the Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

I submit that your letter, which you had previously written in the name of this evanescent servant, was received. God knows it brought boundless joy. It was as if it were a heavenly spring for the thirst of the heart and a pure wine for the attraction of the soul. It brought happiness and removed grief and increased gladness. Well done to your hand and your arm! However, O my beloved, O my beloved, after this joy there occurred that which caused the hearts of the sincere ones to lament and the eyes of those near to God to weep.

In the Persian tongue I say that after some time news arrived of events in the Land of Sad [Isfahan]. Truly it was the cause of hearts being consumed with grief. This blessed word was revealed from the Supreme Pen addressing the martyrs of the Land of Sad, saying:

“Ye are in the highest companionship with joy and fragrance, while your loved ones are in such grief that the clouds weep for them.”

Until now nearly a hundred tablets, nay more, have been revealed from the heaven of grace and bounty mentioning those holy souls and have been dispatched to various regions.

A hundred thousand regrets that this evanescent servant did not attain to that which they attained. Indeed, the appearance of such matters has been and will continue to be among the bestowals of the Ocean of Generosity. For nearly twenty-five years God, exalted be His glory, had exalted them among His servants, and the rains of blessing, glory, loftiness and steadfastness poured down upon them, to such extent that mention of them spread throughout all the cities of Iran, such that in this calamity from every direction elegies were composed and sent to the Most Holy Court. In any case, after the manifestations of divine favor concerning them, in their final days they attained to the greatest martyrdom and supreme gift which they had been seeking and hoping for from God. Three holy souls in the Land of Sad reached this most exalted and highest station.

A hundred thousand times: “Would that I had been with them!” For they attained two great bounties: first the supreme martyrdom, and second that which flowed from the Supreme Pen concerning them, which shall endure as long as the kingdom of earth and heaven endure. A Persian verse was previously revealed from the Supreme Pen, saying:

O thou who art sacrificed in God, from love’s altar turn not away But give up thy life in the pathway of love this day

The reason and cause of this matter, whose effects will surely become manifest in the earth, was that the Imam-Jum’ih of that land—may he receive his due—owed nearly twenty thousand tumans to those two celestial luminaries of faithfulness, those two martyred and wronged brothers. For a long time he sought to stir up sedition and remove these two innocent ones, until in one of the villages of Isfahan a commotion arose through his instigation and that of others like him. Two of the loved ones of God—one whose blessed name was Kazim and the other Siyyid Aqa Jan—were confronted with hostility. By order of the Imam of the ungodly and Baqir, one of that city’s ignorant ones who is known for his learning, those two noble souls were brought to the city in utter humiliation.

They went before the governor and resorted to a hundred thousand lies and calumnies. The governor remained silent. They martyred one of those two noble souls—Kazim—while the governor sent the other out of the city, not handing him over to the ungodly, saying “This man is a Siyyid, I dare not.” Then those two heedless, ignorant ones pursued those two noble souls and arose with all manner of guile and deceit, to the point where they aroused the entire city. The clamor of the ungodly was raised, and those two nightingales took flight to the branches of the eternal Lote-Tree. The details of the martyrdom of these noble ones are many, but this servant has mentioned it briefly. Blessed are they and joy be unto them! They bore what no other among the servants has borne.

Forty days after the martyrdom of those two noble ones—on their fortieth day—the manifest Ruler seized the Imam of the ungodly through His power with an abasement beyond which none can be conceived. The Causer of causes thereafter brought about circumstances that led to complete discord between him and the governor, who is the son of the sovereign. Finally it led to a complaint being made to the seat of sovereignty. From there the order was issued to arrest him and send him to Tihran. Subsequently another person was sent from Tihran, invested with the robe of honor as Imam-Jum’ih and dispatched to the aforementioned city. After the arrival of that tyrannical Imam to the land of Ta, they exiled him to the Holy Mashhad.

Glory be to God! How can man, who witnesses such matters every day, remain heedless and make himself captive to the will of self? A hundred thousand regrets and remorse for those souls who do not gaze with the eye of insight and who remain joyful and occupied with the diverse colors of the world. No other news has occurred in Iran that would be worthy of mention. Since that honored one had requested details of the affairs of those regions, therefore these few words were submitted as an intrusion. During these few days, petitions and letters have arrived from most cities of Iran. Praise be to God, the friends are tranquil and safe. As for the news of these realms which you had requested—inwardly they are in disarray while outwardly there is peace and security. However, due to lack of rain, all things are at the height of inflation. Verily He is the Extender, the Withholder, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Concerning the seekers of lands of whom you wrote that they have turned to the Most Exalted Horizon and are gazing toward the Dayspring of the Cause, blessed are they, then blessed are they! God willing, they shall at all times drink from the Kawthar of the recognition of the Beloved of the worlds and be occupied with His remembrance. Today there is no deed more excellent than for a soul to attain unto the recognition of the Dawning Place of God’s verses. I beseech the True One to assist them in that which will cause their mention and name to endure in the divine Kingdom. He, verily, is the Powerful, the Mighty.

As to what you wrote concerning His Excellency Nawwab Safdar Ali Khan, mention was made of him in the Most Holy Court, and his letter which he had addressed to this servant was presented in its entirety before the Most Holy Court. A prayer was specifically revealed for him from the heaven of bounty and the Greater Branch—may my spirit and being be offered up for the dust of His footsteps—was commanded to write it. However, He wrote it in various scripts and it was sent. God willing, he will attain unto it and be enabled to read it. Likewise, a Tablet was specifically revealed and sent for His Excellency Nawwab Mahmud Ali Khan.

Concerning what you wrote about having a grand design in mind and seeking assistance—this was presented in the Most Holy Court. He said: “At the beginning of every matter, consider its end and reflect upon its fruit. In all circumstances, do not depart from wisdom. The assistance of God, exalted be His glory, has been and will, God willing, continue to be with you.” He said that if you reflect yourself, you will declare “there is no power nor strength except through God,” for you will witness the assistance of the King of existence and the Ordainer of the seen and unseen. We beseech the True One to assist your honor in the remembrance and service of His Cause. He is verily the Protector of those who remember Him.

Concerning what you wrote about Siyyid Mustafa who is in your service—this evanescent one conveys his greetings to him and beseeches the True One to make him successful and assist him in recognizing the Dawning Place of His verses. Surely he will be educated in your service. God willing, may he drink from the breast of the world the milk of recognition and from the hidden spring the water of life. Success and grace are in God’s hands; He bestows them upon whomsoever He willeth. He is verily the Bestower, the Generous.

As to what you wrote about your intention to go to China, and the conflict between its sovereignty and the English—this was presented before Him. He said: “Be thou assured that thou art of those who are secure.” He said that your honor should strive, with the aid of the Lord of Final Return, that the seeds of recognition of the Beloved might find place and establish themselves in the soil of hearts. This is a deed whose mention will endure throughout the perpetuity of the earthly and heavenly kingdoms. Praise be to God that thou hast been successful in recognizing the Dawning Place of Revelation and His manifestation and in serving Him. Hold fast to this mighty station and say: Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

Concerning what you mentioned about the departed Aqa Mirza Husayn—upon him be the Glory of God—although it caused grief, yet since he was in your service and engaged in the remembrance of God, he is in truth adorned with the ornament of forgiveness and honored with the favors of the Beloved of all creation. Blessed is he in that he believed in God and migrated for love of Him and soared in exile in His path.

Another submission is that all your letters have arrived, as well as certain items that were sent with the emigrants—upon them be all the Most Glorious Glory. From the Holy Land a chest has also been sent in your name, though it has not yet arrived. News of its arrival in Alexandria has come, and this is submitted for your information. We beseech God to assist your honor and this servant in that which will cause His Cause to be exalted in His lands. Verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

Another submission is that, as commanded, I had previously written something regarding your honored mother—upon her be the Glory of God—but you had not written a response. The command is that you should write a special letter to her and send something in her name, so that it may serve two purposes: both the Cause of God and the contentment of her heart. From the Most Holy Court an exalted and most mighty Tablet has been revealed and sent specially for her, and her letter will also arrive. She always inquires about your honor, and in truth, her satisfaction has been and is the cause of good in this world and the next, and of protection both outward and inward.

This evanescent one’s submission is that to each of the holy souls who have drunk from the living waters of the Word and turned toward the realm of oneness, convey this servant’s expression of sincere devotion. God willing, may all attain the fruits of the Divine Day and be illumined by the Sun of Truth. Glory be upon your honor and upon those who have turned to and believed in God, our Goal and your Goal and the Goal of all worlds. And praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds.

BH00391: Pure praise and glory befit the King of Eternity…

In the Name of the One God, the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing!

Pure praise and glory befit the King of Eternity and Lord of all the worlds, Who by a single effulgence from the lights of His Beauty caused the Friend to sit in the fire and sent the Sacrifice to the place of offering. The mind is bewildered at what manner of dawning this is—if it falls upon sovereignty, it transcends sovereignty; if it shines upon absolute poverty, it spurns the realm of wealth; and if it turns to complete riches, it forsakes its station and stands in service among the servants. I swear by the Ocean of Divine Knowledge that were He to reveal that which He has concealed, ye would behold all the world as the Friend and see the Sacrifice of this age. Yet these companions of the Friend would not consent to the transformation of the fire, and these companions of the Sacrifice would not turn back from the place of offering. This evanescent servant is bewildered as to what to say and what to submit—he is both bewildered and constrained. In such case he clings to the cord of “Lord, increase my bewilderment in Thee!”

Glory be to God! A single call both induces intoxication and bestows consciousness, brings both forgetfulness and confers knowledge of all things. Would that I were permitted to mention what I have seen and known. The Cause is in His hands alone. No one has any station, scope, power or strength except by His leave and grace.

My spirit be a sacrifice for your remembrance and for your steadfastness! In the days when the Mansion was the Greatest Outlook, one day at sunset His Honor the Name of God M.H. (upon him be all the glory of God, the Most Glorious) arrived and attained the Most Holy Court. Afterward he gave this servant a packet containing His Holiness’s handwriting and a letter from His Honor Aqa Mirza Isma’il. That very night it so happened that this servant found the opportunity to present all of them before His countenance. When it reached its end, the Ancient Beauty arose from His seat, walked about and said:

“O Afnan! Blessed are ye for having won the grace and knowledge of your Lord and for having turned unto Him, and blessed are they who love you for the sake of God, the Lord of the worlds. We have exalted your stations—soon shall ye behold them. To this beareth witness he who hath turned his face towards My countenance, recognized My Most Great Cause, and set his face towards My Straight Path. O Afnan! The mention of the greatness of the Cause hath been revealed in most of the Tablets. By the life of God! It is greater than every great thing. Were someone to reflect upon and discover the stations of the soul that today is assured of the Cause of God, he would become somewhat aware of the greatness of the Cause. Verily thy Lord openeth the gate of knowledge before whomsoever He willeth. He, verily, is the Ordainer, the All-Wise.”

O Afnan! The grace of God hath ever been and shall continue to be vouchsafed unto you. Fix your gaze upon this utterance which hath shone forth from the Dayspring of Divine Revelation unto one of them that have turned towards Him. O Husayn! Hold fast unto this blessed word, which is even as a ship upon the ocean of the recognition of the Sovereign of all creation. Though this word be ancient, having been uttered by the Manifestations of the Cause aforetime, yet today it hath appeared adorned with a new and wondrous embellishment, for the true Trump of God hath breathed a fresh spiritual life into the temple of its letters. And it is this: “Whoso is God’s, God is his.”

If thou sailest upon this ocean, thou shalt witness thyself endued with a fresh spirit and boundless certitude, and shalt soar on the wings of longing and yearning in the atmosphere of the love of the Day-Star of the horizons. With utmost joy and expansion, delight and gladness, thou shalt walk upon this straight path of justice. O Afnan! Ye have turned unto the Truth, that is, through His grace ye have attained unto this station, and the Truth, with perfect bounty, hath turned unto you. Think not that the fruits of this bounty shall remain hidden. Nay, by My life! God shall soon make them manifest in the earth. He, verily, is your Guardian and Helper. He is, in truth, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

These are the days of manifestation and boundless grace. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Bestower, the Generous One. Under all conditions, keep your gaze fixed upon wisdom and place your trust in God. In His hand lieth the preservation of all things. He, verily, is the Almighty, the All-Powerful. The glory be upon you, and upon them that love you, and upon them that have turned unto you, and have heard your call and made mention of you. They are among those who have attained unto the grace of their Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

And concerning what you wrote about Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Isma’il, his letter was presented in full. They stated that in some of what he mentioned he speaks truth and that kindness and consideration should be shown to him. A Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was also specifically revealed for him from the heaven of grace and has been sent—consider it and forward it. Verily our Lord, the Commander, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. However, the aforementioned Mirza has become very distressed. Although he is in the right—for it was a great matter since its relation was unto God—yet were he to immerse himself somewhat in the ocean of awareness, he would witness that it was and will be the most excellent, most mighty, most straight, most perfect and most exalted of all affairs in the world.

When this evanescent servant was in Iraq, the two radiant and martyred Luminaries set out toward Zawra with the intention of visiting the Divine Ka’bah. On their return from the Land of Taff, they attained the Most Holy Court and after hearkening to the Divine Call they truly underwent transformation. The manifestation of favor shown to them, though they were not known among the people, was witnessed to such a degree that some were struck with wonderment and amazement. Then by Divine command they returned to their land, and the Hand of Power exalted them and adorned them with the ornament of glory, and from the clouds of generosity rained bounty upon them until throughout the regions of the world they became known and mentioned by the name of the Lord of Eternity, and in truth they established their station in hearts, as you have witnessed and continue to witness.

After arriving in the Land of Sad, two petitions from them reached the Most Holy Court, and likewise in other petitions they beseeched and implored with utmost humility and supplication. What bounty could be greater than this station they attained to—that praise be to God, in this earthly realm they were manifest in the name of Truth, and even the ungodly were seen to be humble in their presence, and in their final days they attained to a station that cannot be confined by this servant’s pen nor encompassed by this evanescent one’s utterance. From the Tablets that have been revealed from the heaven of the Will of the Lord of all beings regarding this supreme calamity, it becomes known and evident—O beloved of my heart—a hundred thousand blessings upon them and a hundred thousand regrets for this servant! It is as though at every moment the tongues of the world cry out “Would that I had been with them!”

Consider this matter: the Lord of the world was martyred in the manner that has reached the blessed ears, and they were counted among His servants, yet their martyrdom is seen to have a greater effect, more complete influence, and more intense burning. Exalted is He Who raised them up, exalted is He Who honored them, and exalted is He Who caused them to attain to this station for which the holy ones have sacrificed their souls to reach it. I swear by the Beloved of the world that the regret for this matter will never leave this servant’s heart. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to aid me to do what He loves and is pleased with. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty.

Concerning that which you referred matters to God and entrusted them to Him, regarding this He said:

“Excellent is what they have done. Verily their Lord, the All-Merciful, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. He reveals whatsoever He willeth through His sovereignty. He, verily, is the One Whom nothing can frustrate, Whom no hosts can prevent, Whom no might of the mighty can weaken, nor the ascendancy of any powerful one overcome. He, verily, is the Ruler over whatsoever He pleaseth and the Doer of whatsoever He willeth.”

In this Most Great Revelation that which hath been witnessed leaveth no room for doubt or uncertainty for any soul, save those who arise in tyranny and speak with sheer and absolute oppression. Whatsoever was revealed in the divine Tablets concerning future events was explicitly stated, without any allusion. Should one examine the Tablet of Fu’ad, the Tablet to Ra’is, the Tablet of Paris, and other Tablets revealed during the tribulations of imprisonment and the opening of its gates, one would be astounded and bewildered. Every letter thereof hath been fulfilled. After the revelation of each of these Tablets, certain assured hearts wondered how these events would come to pass. This servant would submit: “You shall soon see.”

One day this servant asked whether, if Ra’is should repent, he might be invested with the robe of forgiveness. Thereupon the Ancient Beauty turned to me and said: “By God, besides Whom there is none other God! All that the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Tablet shall come to pass.” Then in Persian He said: “Were all who are in heaven and earth to gather together, desiring to change but one word of the Tablet of Ra’is, they would be powerless and would never succeed.” Should anyone have seen that blessed Tablet and become aware of what befell Ra’is, his followers, and his domains, he would cry out between earth and heaven in the name of God, our Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious. In truth the people are asleep, and in this state shall they remain until they observe themselves in the depths, that is to say, in their true stations.

He likewise said:

“Write to the Afnan: O My Afnan! Be not saddened by the events of the world. He bestoweth from the clouds of bounty and heaven of generosity whatsoever is meet. If some have suffered harm or injury in this supreme calamity, it mattereth not. He, verily, is the Bestower, the Generous One. He giveth as He hath given, and if there hath been delay in some cases, it hath been due to consummate wisdom. Verily, He knoweth what appeareth, and in His grasp are the reins of all affairs. He, verily, is the Bestower, the All-Forgiving.”

Concerning what you had written to the honored Afnan, Aqa Siyyid Ahmad, upon him be all the most glorious and resplendent glory, that they should give what is due to the survivors of the martyred and wronged one, upon him be God’s light and mercy—this matter surpasseth all deeds and standeth foremost in the sight of God, exalted be His glory. However, this matter must be carried out after becoming informed of their affairs and gaining full knowledge thereof. For if something should be done in secret and Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Isma’il should become aware of it, it would surely cause his despair and perhaps create ill-feeling between him and the survivors. Your concern for them is most beloved in the sight of God. The Tongue of Grandeur hath uttered this blessed word:

“Blessed is he who seeketh after their affairs and rectifieth that which is lacking.”

Indeed, today this matter is of great magnitude. God willing, your honor and the Afnan have been and will continue to be watchful.

Concerning what you wrote about the claims, calculations and debts of the wronged martyr, it was presented before His presence. He commanded: Trusting in God, proceed according to commercial law. After paying the rights of the Afnan of the Divine Lote-Tree and the general public, the preservation and protection of the heirs’ property is necessary, to the extent that it does not transgress wisdom and does not become a cause of sorrow and vexation. The owner of the property has departed from this world and all within it, and has returned to a station where all the world is incapable of mentioning even the least description of it. The affairs of those left behind are with God, exalted be His station. Verily He is the best Protector and the best Guardian. However, outwardly, holding fast to the means is from God and all are commanded to it. May you be assisted and confirmed in serving the Cause of God in all conditions.

In truth, that honorable one bore great hardships in the path of God, and likewise did the honored Afnan, Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Ahmad, upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory. Praise be to God that you have attained to this matchless and peerless station. This is the station of praise and thankfulness in all conditions. This evanescent servant begs his Lord to send down upon you from the heaven of His bounty mercy from His presence and grace from His own Self. Verily He is the Generous Giver, and praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds.

The servant. 9th of Shawwal 1296.

Another submission: Word has been received that the goods sent have arrived in Alexandria, and the funds that Jinab-i-Mulla Raj and Jinab [S R] and likewise your honor had sent have reached this evanescent servant through Jinab-i-Ism, upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory. And if separate receipts are needed for each one’s name, they will be sent.

BH01226: In the name of Him Who is the Most…

In the name of Him Who is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most High, the Most Glorious

Praise be to God, through Whose Name the thread of Destiny moved, whereupon the lovers hastened to the place of sacrifice, and the sincere to the court of extinction, and the seekers of unity declared:

“We must hasten toward these with our children and with all we possess.”

Exalted is He Who attracted them through His verses, acquainted them with His realms, and gave them to drink that which caused decayed bones to stir. Verily, there is no God but He, the Almighty, the Ancient of Days.

My life be a sacrifice for the remembrance of you, O Beloved of my heart! The servant hath been honoured by that which he hath tasted of the effusions of thy ink—ink which flowed from thy pen, whose shrill voice sound was lifted up in commemoration of God, our Beloved and your Beloved and the Beloved of all that are in the worlds. And though, in those selfsame days wherein the Temple of Justice was afflicted—by reason of what the hands of them that have disbelieved in God have wrought—beneath the talons of oppression, sorrows overtook me and held me back from utterance and declaration, yet, through the settling of the All-Merciful upon the Throne and His shining forth from the horizon of the Countenance, the sea of joy is made to surge, the cock of gladness to crow, and the dove of exultation to coo betwixt earth and heaven. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to adorn His chosen ones with the ornament of patience and steadfast endurance, and to make known unto them that which is hidden behind the veils. Verily He is the Mighty, the Unconstrained.

After I had perused that which was in His blessed handwriting, I set my face towards the Most Exalted Goal, and it was submitted in the Most Holy and Most Glorious Presence. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur hath uttered in reply:

“O Afnan! That which hath befallen the True One hath befallen His own Self. Observe how despite such tyranny that hath encompassed the world, they count themselves among the people of truth. I swear by the ocean of God’s mercy that were anyone to observe with true vision the deeds of the idolaters and truly comprehend them, he would become aware of the transience of the world and its worthlessness, reaching a station wherein he would see himself sanctified and purified from the world’s defilements and its veils. God is Most Great! They do not reflect what caused the martyrdom of the Prophets and saints of old. Though the Messenger raised with his soul the melody ʿThe righteous are God’s, and the wicked are mine,’ they martyred His sons without any guilt.

It is not known whether the properties were infidel or their owner. If by the assumption of those idolatrous souls the owner was an infidel, for what reason did they plunder the properties? All things bear witness to their falsehood, their hypocrisy, their infidelity, and their idolatry. Fie upon them and upon their leader whom they have taken as a protector for themselves instead of God. Strange it is that the root of oppression and the tree of tyranny, which was the cause and reason for this great injustice, did not become aware even after being seized. These souls will not become conscious until they find themselves in the lowest fires. Soon shall they find themselves in grievous torment.

“With utmost joy and fragrance, be occupied with the mention of the Beloved of the worlds. The Afnan will not forget his own. He hath bestowed His mercy and grace upon all. If its manifestation hath not appeared in some, God will soon manifest it through His grace. Be thou assured and be of those who are steadfast. Occupy thyself with some occupation, placing thy trust in God, the All-Wise, for all are commanded to engage in some occupation. Verily, He is the Ordainer, the All-Knowing.”

Another matter is that the petition of the Most Exalted Leaf, Her Holiness the Sacred Spouse—may all the glory and praise of God rest upon her—reached the Most Holy Court and a reply was sent; deliver it to her.

Glory be to God! The heedlessness of the people of the world has reached such a degree that they have not been awakened by the great cry and supreme calamities beyond which none can be conceived. Consider the chief and what befell him. Nearly five hundred thousand souls have perished, and from beneath every tree in the vicinity of the Land of Mystery arose the wailing and lamentation of widows and others. Blood was shed to such an extent that most lands were observed to be stained crimson. That which was revealed by the Supreme Pen in the Tablet to the Chief has come to pass. Nevertheless, no one became aware of whence this occurred or why it occurred, although after the revelation of the blessed Tablet some people in those kingdoms heard these verses. Yet they are still observed to be in heedlessness and pride. All things are bewildered by their intoxication, heedlessness and slumber. By God! They are in a remarkable sleep.

This evanescent servant beseeches and hopes that God will aid that dignified one to render such service that its mention may shine and gleam like a brilliant star from the horizon of the divine Tablet in such wise that no setting shall overtake it. Glory be upon you and upon those who love you and turn towards you and drink the choice wine of meeting you, and praise be to God, our Beloved and your Beloved and the Beloved of all the worlds.

The servant, on the 9th of Shawwal 1296

BH02507: Praise be to God Who has manifested Himself through…

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

Praise be to God Who has manifested Himself through a light from the lights of the Sun of Inner Meanings, which has dawned and shone forth from the horizon of utterance upon the people of creation. Thereupon the sincere ones hastened, the near ones were attracted, and the believers took flight. Exalted is He Who has revealed that which cannot be described by utterance nor mentioned by the pen of contingent existence. And praise be to God Who has passed round the cup of utterance with the fingers of His Name, the Most Merciful, and called all who dwell in the realms of being—among them were those who turned away, those who denied, and those who hastened forward, took and drank, saying “Praise be to Thee, O Thou Goal of the mystic knowers!”

The servant received your letters time and again. By the life of God, the fire of your love has attracted me and the wine of your affection has intoxicated me through what I have drunk from the cups of your words, which spoke of naught but your turning to the sought-for Goal and your orientation toward the Object of Worship. Blessed are you, in that remembrance and praise have been raised from you in the days of your Lord, the King of Names, at Whose coming all on earth and in heaven were thunderstruck, save whom God willed, the Sovereign of all things. Then, joy be unto you, in that I have detected the fragrance of the garment and attained the choice wine of holiness, whose seal was broken by the finger of our Lord, the Almighty, the Powerful.

When I understood what was in your letter, I sought the Desired One and presented what was therein before the One, the Single. He spoke—and His utterance is most sweet—saying that you should wait until God comes to you with His utterance. After some months had passed, there was sent down from the Kingdom of Command that which attracted the dwellers of Paradise and by which the fragrance of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy was diffused. The servant has sent it to you that you might thank our Lord, the Bestowing, the Generous.

On the back of the petition that was presented to the Most Holy Court, mention was made of his honor Aqa Siyyid ʿAbdu’l-Hadi, upon him be the Glory of God. A few days ago a Tablet was specifically revealed for him from the heaven of grace and was sent. God willing, he will attain to it. Similarly, mention was made of his honor Aqa Mirza Muhammad. A Tablet was specifically revealed for him from the Dayspring of Revelation and was sent along with your Tablet. God willing, you will attain to it.

Convey greetings from this evanescent servant to all the friends of God. I beseech God to grant them that which will solace their eyes, bring peace to their hearts, and make firm their feet in such wise that the clamor of every oppressor and the croaking of every lying pretender will not cause them to slip. The Glory be upon you and upon all who have believed in God, our Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

28 Ramadan 1296

BH00145: Praise be to God Who is single in majesty…

Section 1: “Praise be to God Who is single…”

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

Praise be to God Who is single in majesty and unique in grandeur. He hath uttered the Word whereby the heavens of hearts and minds were raised up. Then He spoke another word, whereupon a light shone forth, and when the winds of will caught hold of it, it scattered and formed a dome across the face of heaven, and by each fragment thereof was illumined the heart of every one who turned towards Him and the breast of every one who set his face towards Him. Verily, He it is Who doeth what He willeth through His sovereignty and ordaineth what He pleaseth through His power. The conditions of the world cannot frustrate Him, nor can the intimations of the nations, nor can the might of those who have turned away from God, the Lord of the worlds, strike fear into Him.

Praise be to God Who hath raised up the heaven of the Tablet and adorned it with the suns of words and the stars of letters, in each one of which surgeth an ocean of wisdom and inner meanings. Exalted be the Eternal Sovereign Who hath established Himself upon the Throne with a power that the might of the world hath failed to weaken and the doings of those who have risen up in opposition and manifested such hypocrisy as hath never appeared on the horizons cannot frustrate. To this testifieth the Tongue that speaketh on this Day of the Covenant. Verily, He is the Single, the One, the Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Praise be to God Who hath manifested from the horizon of heaven that which drew unto Him all who dwell in the kingdom of creation. Thereupon all things were stirred, every face was turned, every eye was fixed, every heart was drawn, and every foot hastened. Then He desired to test them, and thereby there rose from the horizon of destiny the sun of tribulation, whereat souls were troubled and pillars were shaken. Among the people were those who turned away after having advanced, those who feared after having been assured, those who retreated after having drawn nigh, those who became distant after having been near, those who paused after having proceeded, and those who weakened after having been strong, that thereby might be distinguished those who sought Him, detached from all directions.

These are they whom neither the circumstances of destiny nor the manifestations of tribulation could hold back. They spoke with both outer and inner tongue, saying:

“In Thy name, O Beloved of the world and Desire of the nations!”

They hastened unto Him, nay rather, they soared on wings of certitude to the horizon of His grace and drank the choice wine of utterance from the hand of His bounty. These are servants who discovered the sweetness of remembrance and were seized by the intoxication of the Kawthar of knowledge which the fingers of their Lord, the All-Merciful, proffered unto them. Blessed are they, then blessed are they! Exalted is He Who hath appeared with this mighty grace and profound generosity.

I bear witness that there is no God but Him. He hath ever been in His loftiness and exaltation, sanctified above the description of His creatures and the mention of His servants. Hearts and minds cannot comprehend Him, and with Him is the knowledge of all things in a perspicuous Book.

And further: O thou who hast drunk from the cup of utterance! The servant hath received what thou didst send by the hand of one of the loved ones. I read it and found therein the fragrance of your love for God, our Lord and your Lord, and your turning unto God, our Quest and your Quest. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to ordain for you the good of this world and the next and to vouchsafe unto you that whereby your mention shall be exalted in His days. Verily, He is the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent.

In Persian this is submitted so that the points may be made known and clear to each of the friends without veil or barrier, that perhaps through his honor’s efforts those servants who are seen to be wavering and disturbed by the might of oppression and tyranny may be adorned with the light of certitude and the ornament of assurance. This servant is deeply thoughtful, for he observes that at every moment the world testifies in its own tongue to its transience, yet for the sake of these fleeting two days all are deprived of the eternal Kingdom, save those souls who have drunk the wine of certitude from the hand of bounty. These are the nigh-brought servants, and these are they on whom shall come no fear, neither shall they grieve. We beseech God to grant all attentive ears that they may attain to the hearing of divine words. He is the true Bestower and the real Munificent One. Thus in certain Tablets this word hath been sent down from the heaven of divine Will—exalted be His utterance:

“Should anyone attain unto hearing the call of his Lord, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, in the Kingdom of Creation, verily he would not remain in his place but would arise with wisdom and utterance to make mention of his Lord, the Mighty, the Praised.”

And likewise in other Tablets He saith, the meaning of which in Persian is this: Were the people of earth to attain to hearing the divine call, all would turn to the supreme horizon and drink of the most glorious wine. I swear by the ocean of divine knowledge that if they were to perceive with the true ear even one note from the melodies of the birds of the Throne, they would sacrifice their lives in the path of the Friend and would not return alive from the place of sacrifice, even as those who drank of the Kawthar of inner meanings did not return, and whatsoever they possessed of wealth and life and kindred they gave in the path of that Sun of Truth—how excellent is the reward of the doers!

Should a soul drink but a drop from the ocean of love, or attain unto a dewdrop from the sea of detachment, he would behold all the world as like unto a handful of dust, and whatsoever is in the heavens and earth would not hold him back from the path of the Friend.

Some time ago a Tablet was revealed from the heaven of divine Will, and in that most holy, most exalted Tablet this passage was recorded by the Supreme Pen:

One effulgence from the Sun of detachment fell upon the kings; they passed beyond self and other and laid their heads in the wilderness. Among them was Nu’man, upon whom shone [one night] the Sun of the Word rising from the dayspring of detachment. He became thoughtful and bewildered, and when he emerged from the stupor of wonderment, he addressed himself to himself, saying: ʿWhat use are all these treasures and ornaments thou hast gathered, which tomorrow another shall possess, and another shall sit upon thy throne?’ In an instant the wine of detachment so attracted him that it brought him to a station where he passed beyond treasuries and riches, crown and throne, and all the means of pomp and sovereignty, and that very night he left his house and turned toward the wilderness. When morning came and the nobles were present, they found the throne of kingship without its king. However much they searched, they found no trace of him.

And if today this station were to be manifested to all who dwell on earth, from the highest to the lowest, thou wouldst behold them all detached from all save God, for verily they would become witness to the transience and nothingness of the world, and would observe with the eye of insight that all people testify to the ephemeral nature of the world. However, this testimony hath no reality and hath not attained the station of being a true attribute, for if they were to truly comprehend and observe with the true eye, they would never deprive themselves of God’s infinite bounties on account of it. Most instances of seeing, speaking, hearing, and knowing are incidental, not real. Every person of insight beareth witness to these words, and every person of knowledge hath testified and continueth to testify to their truth. We beseech God to aid all people to hearken unto His blessed Word, that all may be purified from the turbidity of the world and its heedlessness, and may turn with heart and soul to the Dawning-Place of the Light of Oneness. Verily, He is the Bestower, the Answerer, the All-Bountiful.

O brother! The fire of God is ablaze and the light of God is dawning from the horizon of bounty. The ocean of grace is surging and the Sovereign of the unseen and seen is established upon the throne of manifestation. Yet all are heedless, bereft, extinguished and far removed. Nothing has prevented these souls except the evil deeds they have committed and perpetrated in the past. If one were to gaze upon the verses, they have filled the East and West of the earth—none has any excuse to turn away or object. And if one were to look upon the clear proofs and miracles, all things testify that there hath appeared through Him that which hath never appeared in creation.

Beyond this, whatsoever hath appeared and will appear had been sent down and revealed from the Supreme Pen years before. This servant knoweth not whether your honor hath been blessed to witness the verses revealed in the Land of Mystery, Iraq, and the Most Great Prison or not. The blessed Surih of Ra’is was revealed at the time of departure from Adrianople—most of the companions witnessed and can testify to this, and that blessed Tablet is in the possession of many. Take it and observe how all that transpired in the Ottoman realm was explicitly recorded therein, detail by detail. Likewise in the Tablet of Paris, wherein mention of the sovereign of that land and what would befall him was revealed in detail from the Supreme Pen.

Beyond these, whatsoever man may contemplate or imagine, even greater and more perfect examples thereof have appeared on earth. Nevertheless, the people, like unto spiders, weave webs of vain imaginings. They have turned away from the Truth and clung to falsehood without any clear proof or evidence. They have denied the Divine Testimony, before which all atoms bow down in humility, and have turned away from His proof, clinging instead to the sources of conjecture and fancy who are but the ignorant divines of the age. Fie upon them and upon those who follow them without any clear proof from God, the Exalted, the Great. In the Furqan, God—glorified and exalted be He—sayeth: “On the day when thy Lord cometh, or some of the signs of thy Lord,” and likewise: “The Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the Worlds.” Many such verses exist in the Furqan, which distinguisheth truth from falsehood, and in previous Books as well.

This evanescent servant hath repeatedly written and sent these verses in submissions to friends both past and present, therefore this letter shall suffice with brevity. We beseech God to sanctify the eyes of hearts and minds from the ophthalmia of vain imaginings, that they may be blessed to witness the effulgences of His Countenance after the passing away of all things.

One word sufficeth the seeker—the fragrance of truth can be distinguished from it. The scent of the rose and aught else is clear and evident—any discerning one can tell them apart, provided the sense of smell hath not been altered by incidental conditions. But if, God forbid, the sense of smell be impaired, no distinction can be made. These are days when the sprinkling drops of the ocean of utterance have refreshed and quickened all created things, yet most of mankind, who regard themselves as the noblest of creatures, remain remote therefrom and are unaware. This is why it hath been said that if man manifests true humanity, he is superior to the angels; but if he falls short thereof, he becomes lower than the beasts. It is hoped that thou wilt shine forth like unto a brilliant lamp and become the cause of awakening heedless souls.

Regarding what thou didst write about a Tablet revealed to one of the servants wherein this blessed verse from the Furqan was mentioned—His exalted Word: “And they thought as ye think, that God would not raise up any one thereafter” [cf. Q72:7]—and that in the verse the word “thereafter” (min ba’d) doth not appear, and that a learned person out of necessity asked several people that if the word “thereafter” had been in the Qur’an the proof for this Most Great Manifestation would have been complete, but since the word “thereafter” is not there, how can it be proven?

O brother, I shall make one statement: if there be the slightest attention paid, it will suffice—the horizon of doubt will be transformed to certainty and the Sun of the Cause will shine forth in such wise that no trace of darkness will remain in existence. That statement is this: every seeker, every aspirant, every worker must first purify his heart from the suppositions and imaginings of people and, relying upon Him, arise to know the Truth, exalted be His glory, so that according to his capacity he may recognize and comprehend the Truth through Its attributes, signs, tokens, proofs and evidences. For that Ancient Ocean, that Sun of Truth, that Heaven of Bounty cannot be known in Its essence and reality—the Prophets have confessed their powerlessness, the sincere ones their perplexity, and those near unto God their remoteness. This station needeth no mention or explanation, for it is accepted by all and all people acknowledge and confess it.

And since the birds of understanding and knowledge are incapable of soaring to that most exalted and supreme station, it hath been commanded to look unto the signs, that perchance each one according to his station and capacity may comprehend the true Creator. And whosoever attaineth unto this station and drinketh a drop from the ocean of knowledge—that is, attaineth unto the recognition of God and knoweth Him—in this case whatsoever He commandeth is acceptable, His decree is binding, and His bidding is effective.

Section 2: “Consider this blessed word which declareth “He doeth…”

Consider this blessed word which declareth “He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth.” Those who acknowledge this blessed word are reckoned among the people of truth, and they are souls who have drunk of the wine of inner meanings and attained unto the luminous wine at the divine dawn. They are those who have not and will never say “how” and “why” regarding the Cause of God.

But concerning the aforementioned verse: firstly, no one knoweth what was in the Book of God aforetime; and secondly, if the first Speaker addeth to or diminisheth from His own words or verses, He hath been and is free to do so, for He is the One Who speaketh in the [Sinaitic] Tree, He is the One Who speaketh in the Furqan, He is the One Who speaketh in the Bayan, and He is the One Who speaketh in all Books, Scriptures and Psalms from the beginning that hath no beginning. Should anyone look into and ponder upon the Book of Certitude, which was revealed at the time of the appearance of the Luminary of the horizons from the horizon of Iraq, he will find himself independent of all. By the Sun of Truth, in that blessed Book are treasured the pearls of divine knowledge and concealed the oceans of recognition. Blessed is the state of him who with complete detachment turned unto it and attained thereunto.

And the purpose of mentioning this blessed verse was that the people of this age might know and become aware that in past ages and bygone centuries, the people of those centuries also spoke according to the meaning of this verse, saying that no other Prophet would come and none would be raised up with a Message. And this meaning is conveyed whether or not the word “thereafter” appears in the outward text, for the meaning of the blessed verse becomes this: they supposed, just as you have supposed, that God would raise up no one. And the word “thereafter” was implicit in the verse, just as in another place He explicitly states—exalted be His utterance: “Joseph came to you aforetime with clear signs, yet ye ceased not to doubt of the message with which He came to you, until, when He died, ye said ʿGod will by no means raise up a Messenger after Him.’ Thus doth God mislead him who is a transgressor, a doubter.”

Observe that the meaning of that verse is exactly present in this verse—“thereafter” being implicit there and explicit here. And the purpose of mentioning “thereafter” in this verse was that those who turn away and object to the Cause of God might understand that in former times too, in every age when the Sun of Truth dawned from the Dayspring of manifestation, the servants of that age turned away and said that after their Prophet and their Book, none would be raised up.

In brief, the mention of the word “thereafter” was for clarity of meaning, and in some blessed verses of the Furqan and previous Books, mention of what is implicit becomes necessary so that hearers might grasp the intent of the Speaker and comprehend the meaning of divine verses.

For example, He says—exalted be His utterance: “We created you, then fashioned you, then said unto the angels: Prostrate yourselves.”’ And it is established that the command to the angels to prostrate themselves came before creation. Therefore, when the divines wished to find a way to explain the meaning of the verse for the understanding and comprehension of the people, they said that the word “father” is implicit, so that the blessed verse becomes thus: “We created your father, then fashioned your father, then said unto the angels: Prostrate yourselves”’—meaning that We created and fashioned your father Adam, then commanded the angels to prostrate themselves before him.

Were this servant to wish to mention examples of this from the glorious Word, he would have to compose a treatise and trouble your honor with reading it. Now your honor should mention to that learned person—that is, the one who said that if the word “thereafter” had been in the blessed verse, the proof would have applied to this most great Manifestation—to observe the second verse wherein the word “thereafter” is visible, manifest and evident.

O brother, what was submitted was out of love for your honor; otherwise, those souls who are confirmed today, or who are in truth seeking the straight path, must know the Truth through the Truth and hold fast to His firm cord, for if they hold to aught else, they shall never attain to the ocean of knowledge nor be illumined by the rays of the Sun of Truth that shineth from the horizon of the prison.

Ask all people what they say concerning the blessed verse which states “He doeth whatsoever He willeth and ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth.” Whatsoever God ordaineth is the Book, and all must turn unto Him. His is the tongue, His is the utterance, His is the Book. Whatsoever He ordaineth is truth, whatsoever He mentioneth is truth, whatsoever proceedeth from Him is truth. Should anyone hesitate or raise objections, he hath indeed strayed from the straight path of God. God willing, that learned one whom ye mentioned should observe with the eye of fairness that which hath been submitted, that perchance he may inhale the fragrance from the gardens of true knowledge and return to the holy city of “We belong unto God.”

In one of the blessed Tablets this exalted word was revealed: “This is not the day for questions. It behoveth every soul, when he heareth the Call, to say: ʿHere am I, here am I, O Creator of the heavens and God of Names! I testify that Thou hast manifested the Dayspring of Thy Revelation and the Dawning-Place of Thy signs, and that which none knoweth save Thee. I beseech Thee not to abandon me to myself and my desires. O my Lord! All things testify to Thy wealth and to my poverty, and verily Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful.”’

This evanescent servant beseecheth God that He may aid all His servants in that which pleaseth Him. Verily He is the Bestower, the Answerer, the All-Bountiful. The honored Aqa Siyyid 333 [Ali-Akbar], upon him be the Glory of God, hath oft mentioned you to this servant. I hope that, God willing, you will be assisted to serve the Cause, that there may appear through you that which shall endure in the divine Kingdom. This servant was greatly pleased by the mention of the honored Siyyid, and I beseech God to increase his success at all times. Verily He is the Protector of those who do good.

Regarding what you wrote about Mulla Ja’far Naraqi, who prior to the Manifestation considered himself among the Letters of the Living of the Bayan, and who declared that everyone who followed the Bayan must meticulously calculate all their possessions and pay its Huquq, even on their clothing and attire, and some people at that time who accepted his word paid whatever amounts they could—whether the Ancient Beauty would accept what was given as Huququ’llah, or whether it must be recalculated and paid according to this Dispensation: When this matter was presented before the Most Holy Court, He stated that Mulla Ja’far had no permission from anyone and spoke and ruled according to his own desires. However, since those souls who paid did so for the sake of God and His Cause, they are therefore pardoned and it is not permissible to request payment from them again.

And this Huquq that has been mentioned, whose ordinance has shone forth from the horizon of the divine Tablet—its benefit returns to the servants themselves. By the life of God! If they were to become aware of what is hidden and cognizant of the ocean of grace concealed within this ordinance, all people would spend whatever they possess in His path. Blessed is he who attains unto what God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, hath commanded.

O brother! From that very ruling of Mulla Ja’far it becomes evident that he had not inhaled a breath from the gardens of detachment. His example is like those who busy themselves with washing the dead while intent on plundering their clothes. The Command of God hath been revealed with joy and fragrance. Blessed is he who hath attained unto it, and woe unto the heedless! The Kitab-i-Aqdas, which was sent down from the holy heaven in previous years, remained concealed for a time and He did not command that it be sent to other lands. He stated that the ordinance of Huququ’llah was revealed in that Book, and this was due to God’s mercy and kindness, for after the servants became aware of what the All-Merciful had revealed therein, compliance with it would become obligatory upon all.

Perhaps they might be reluctant to fulfill it, or something might occur to their hearts unbefitting these divine days. Later, petitions arrived at the Most Holy Court from most regions requesting the laws, and this servant sent them according to His command. However, He commanded that no one should request the Huquq. It is prescribed in the Book of God for each soul to pay it of their own accord with the utmost joy and delight. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist all to do what He loves and is pleased with.

Regarding what you wrote about the poor, whether the Huququ’llah can be given to them or not: this matter depends on permission. Wherever Huququ’llah is collected, the details of it and of the poor must be presented. Verily, He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. For if general permission were given, it would not be free of differences and would cause difficulties.

Regarding what you wrote about Haji Mirza Ahmad: until now no petition of intercession has arrived at the Most Holy Court from Jinab-i-Dhabih, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God. Yes, many of his petitions have arrived, but mention of intercession was not made in them, and this servant has no knowledge beyond this.

That which was sent as the Huququ’llah to the land of Sad has been received. Regarding your desire to journey to the Most Holy Court, this was presented and He said that in all matters one must observe wisdom, for this firm commandment has been sent down from the heaven of divine ordinances. In this year wisdom does not permit it, and thereafter the matter is in His hands. This servant is grateful to the true Object of Worship for having aided you to recognize Him and serve His Cause. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Giver, the Generous. The glory from God, the Lord of the worlds, be upon you and your family.

It is requested that you convey greetings on behalf of this ephemeral one to the friends in that land and remind them not to be saddened by the oppression of the tyrants of the earth. Praise be to God, you have attained to that which cannot be equaled by anything visible or hidden on earth. Know the value of your station and do not let it slip from your grasp. Soon will the oppressive souls return to dust with a hundred thousand regrets and remorse, and from there descend to their destined place. Hold fast to wisdom and occupy yourselves with the remembrance of God. Death is ordained and inscribed for every soul, and when its time comes there shall be no delay. This occurs but once, and surely if it comes in the name of the Friend, in remembrance of the Friend, and in the path of the Friend, it will be most excellent, most perfect, most wondrous, most glorious, and most sweet. One who has drunk of this cup will fully comprehend the submission of this servant and will find its taste sweet to his soul.

The purpose of these passages is that they should act with wisdom, but not to such an extent that the Cause of God becomes entirely hidden among them and the fire of God is completely extinguished. They should be like the radiant morn and like the bright day, striving to manifest themselves among people through goodly deeds and spiritual qualities, for virtuous deeds have been and will continue to be the cause of the exaltation of God’s Cause, and likewise the cause of awakening the servants. Glory and praise be upon the loved ones of God who have attained the wine of steadfastness among the people, who have believed and turned to God, the Peerless, the All-Informed.

Glorified art Thou, O God of Names and Creator of heaven, O Thou Who dost attract all creation through Thy sweetest call! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the Concourse on High was attracted and the hearts of the inhabitants of the cities of eternity took flight, to send down from the heaven of Thy loving-kindness that which will gladden the hearts of Thy loved ones who answered when they heard Thy call, who turned to Thee when Thou made known to them Thy path, and who advanced when Thou guided them to Thy way and the horizon of Thy manifestation. O Lord! They are servants who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and have borne hardships in Thy path.

Thou seest them, O Beloved of all creation, beneath the claws of the rebellious ones who have cast away Thy signs, disbelieved in Thy clear tokens, and turned away from Thy proof and Thy testimony. O Lord! The oppression of the tyrants has seized them in such wise that they are disturbed in Thy days, and tribulations have encompassed them from all directions after their having held fast to the cord of Thy loving-kindness. O Lord! Give them to drink from the Kawthar of Thy bounty, of which whoso partaketh shall neither be disturbed nor frightened by those in the land. Verily Thou art the Master of the servants and the Judge on the Day of Return. There is no God but Thee, the Triumphant, the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent.

The servant, 2 Shawwal 1296

BH00901: By God! Whenever this evanescent servant desires to praise…

In the name of God, transcendent is His glory, His grandeur and power!

By God! Whenever this evanescent servant desires to praise his Lord, he perceives and witnesses that the very essence of praise testifies to its remoteness from the court of His nearness, and the reality of glorification confesses its inability to reach the ocean of His remembrance. Therefore, I find myself immersed in the sea of wonderment, and my being encompassed by the atmosphere of perplexity—as though in a bewilderment that ends only in bewilderment and manifests from the beginning only as bewilderment. Despite my acknowledgment of what I have mentioned and my confession of what I have written, how can I venture forth in the arena of praise and glorification wherein the steed of utterance is powerless to gallop? Exalted is our Lord, the Most Merciful, Who has made us aware of our impotence, poverty, and lowliness. He, verily, is the Expositor Who has expounded His Cause to His servants, shown them His path, and made known to them His straight way.

The glory of God, the Lord of Names, Who speaks between earth and heaven, be upon those who remember Him morning and evening, who hold fast to the cord of His grace and cling to the hem of His justice. These are servants who move not except by His command, incline not save by His will, and choose naught but what God has chosen for them through His bounty. Verily, He is the Munificent, the Generous.

I praise Him with the tongue of His chosen ones, His loved ones, and the elite of His creation, and I beseech Him to forgive my countless transgressions, which can be enumerated neither by my pen nor by the pens of any other servants. To this my limbs and members bear witness. Verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Witnessing, the All-Knowing.

The heart has perceived the fragrance that has wafted from the garment of your mention, O our Beloved and your Beloved, our Goal and your Goal, and the Goal of all the worlds. It is as though all my faculties were but a single hand to grasp your letter, and all my hairs but a single eye to behold what was inscribed therein by the pen of your love. This evanescent servant thanks his Eternal, Everlasting Lord that He has bestowed upon him at every moment that which rains down from the heaven of your heart in love for the Beloved of the worlds. My spirit be a sacrifice for your mention!

After the servant perused what was in your noble letter, I approached the Sacred Presence until I attained before His countenance and presented its contents. Then the Tongue of Grace spoke that which I am powerless to recount. The Sun of Utterance shone forth from the horizon of the Mouth of Will in such wise that eyes were prevented from gazing thereon. At the conclusion, He spoke this most exalted Word:

“We rejoice in his mention, his sincerity, his steadfastness, and his arising to serve the Cause of his Lord, the All-Wise.”

End quote.

As for what you wrote concerning Musa, the Beloved said:

“He acts according to whatever anyone commands him; he has no independent judgment. He is in a precarious position before one who would judge him. Perchance he will repent and return. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving.”

End quote.

And I presented the mention of Badi’—upon him be 9 66 [the glory of God]—and what he desired in the path of the Beloved. This is what was spoken in reply: O Badi’! We have heard thy call and seen thee advancing toward the Supreme Horizon, and We have remembered thee with this remembrance which God has made as the Water of Life for every discerning seeker. Blessed art thou for having recognized the Path and turned toward it with evident certitude. Preserve this station through the name of thy Lord and say: O God of the worlds! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name to make me one of those who soar in the atmosphere of Thy love and are content with whatsoever Thou hast ordained for them through Thy fixed decree, lest my desires and my will hold me back from Thy will. O my Lord! I am that poor one who hastened to the gate of Thy bounty. Write down for me that which shall profit me in all the worlds of Thy worlds. Verily Thou knowest what is within me and what profiteth me, while I know not what is in Thy knowledge. Thou art indeed the All-Seeing, the All-Informed.

Grieve not over separation, for God recordeth for whomsoever He willeth the reward of those who have drawn nigh unto Him and have attained His presence. Arise to serve thy Lord through the propagation of His Cause with the wisdom which God hath sent down in the Book. Beware lest ye exceed the bounds of wisdom. Hold fast unto it, placing your trust in the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. When ye find good soil and become acquainted with it and what lies therein, deposit therein the treasure of the knowledge of God, the Most High, the Most Great. Believe not everyone who cometh unto you claiming to love you and your Lord, neither trust ye everyone who professeth faithfulness and sincerity. Thus doth this Wronged One, this Exile, command you. Exercise caution in all circumstances; this shall profit you and those who hold fast unto it with firm resolve.

As for what ye wrote concerning Ibn-i-Asdaq, upon him be the Glory of God, and the assistance rendered to him and those with him by the friends—all this was presented before His Presence. He said—and His sweetest utterance is this:

“Blessed are they who turn towards My loved ones and serve them out of love for My Beauty and longing for My grace and favor. He shall surely reward them with the most excellent of rewards from His presence. He is the Protector of every worker who labors sincerely for the sake of his Lord, the Generous.”

As for what they have mentioned concerning the croaker, that the servant hath heard with his own ears time and again—once in Iraq I heard that the Beloved declared: “The birds of night shall appear and the croaking of every croaker shall be raised in the cities and lands”; and once I heard the like of what I have mentioned in the Land of Mystery and in the Most Great Prison. And what they have mentioned—that the friends and those beneath them follow him—this can be mentioned by way of conjecture. Knowledge is with God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

As for what ye have mentioned regarding the intention of His Honor Nasir and His Honor Ibrahim—upon them be the glory of God—when it was presented before the Countenance, the Beloved said: “Nay, nay, nay” nineteen times, and paused for a quarter of an hour. Then He said: “We have commanded you to wisdom in all circumstances. What ye have intended, were it to appear from you or from others, would raise tumult in all lands and cause the banners of corruption to be unfurled in every country. By My life! In every land Mine enemies rise up against My loved ones.” Thus doth He Who speaketh the truth inform you. Hold ye fast unto Him and be ye of the patient. Verily, God hath taken hold of the root of the oppression which hath committed what it hath committed, and will take hold of those who have allied themselves therewith. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Powerful.

It behooveth you to supplicate God that He may manifest that whereby His Cause shall be exalted among His servants. This behooveth you and all who have turned unto the One, the All-Informed. Blessed is every patient soul that hath shown patience in God, and every tranquil one that hath found tranquillity through His wondrous command. We have forbidden disputation and corruption. Every Tablet and every Book and every Scripture beareth witness thereto, as doth this luminous Remembrance.

Glory be upon thee and upon them both, and upon those who have turned toward that place, and upon those who have believed in all lands in God, your Lord, the Most High, the Forgiving, the Merciful. And praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds. End.

Then remembrance and magnification, and glory be upon thy presence from this evanescent, lowly servant.

The servant, 2 Shavval 1296

BH03335: All the peoples of the world have been created…

In the Name of the Creator of the World!

All the peoples of the world have been created to know God, exalted be His glory and sovereignty, and all have been promised the Day of His Manifestation. Yet when the Sun of Knowledge rose from the horizon of revelation and the Sea of Utterance surged with its waves, all were found heedless and veiled from Him, save those souls who broke the chains of vain imaginings through the Name of God. These are they who drank from the pure fountain of certitude and, passing beyond the realm of words and suppositions, attained unto the ocean of inner meanings. Reflect upon former ages: whenever the Dawning-Places of divine inspiration appeared on earth, the heedless souls arose in opposition and protest, and most were martyred by the swords of hatred and animosity. The curse of God be upon the wrongdoers! Those who denied, associated partners with God, remained heedless and acted unjustly have indeed lost, while those who were martyred in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds, have truly prospered.

We beseech God to assist that soul, that in this Day which is illumined by the lights of the Kingdom of knowledge, they may attain to that which the transcendent Truth has willed, and not be deprived of the dawning rays of divine grace. The evanescence of the world is evident to all and needs no mention. Therefore one must seek a station that is sanctified from suppositions and vain imaginings and exalted above all conditions and colors.

Say: O God of the worlds and Sovereign of the nations! I beseech Thee, by the eternity of Thy Being and the everlastingness of Thine Essence, to assist me to turn toward Thy most exalted horizon and Thy most resplendent station. O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee and speaking Thy praise. I beseech Thee to make me steadfast in Thy service and detached from all else but Thee. Then ordain for me, O my God, that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones who have attained unto the recognition of the Dawning-Place of Thy signs and the Manifestation of Thy clear tokens. Thou art, verily, the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Thee, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

BH03912: Thy letter arrived and was perused in its entirety…

In the Name of Him Who is Almighty and Most Powerful

Thy letter arrived and was perused in its entirety. The people have perpetrated an injustice such as to cast the kingdoms of earth and heaven into despondency, while the Twin Lights have manifested a degree of meekness under tribulation such that the dwellers of the heavenly realm have bewailed and lamented them.

Consider thou the son of Zakariyya, who lost his head to please the courtesan of the era; and again the scion of the Prophet, who was slaughtered at the behest of the wastrel of the age: was it they who were martyred that lost, or was it those who wronged them?—in reply to which all things have cried out, exclaiming: “Yea, the latter are in perspicuous loss!”

Although this calamity is most grievous, and the greatest abasement hath been witnessed on its account, yet, by the righteousness of God, is it in reality the mightiest honour, which hath but outwardly assumed the form of an abasement. Do thou preserve this lofty and most exalted station, nor have regard for that which is today apparent.

God, verily, hath laid hold on wrongdoers in the past, and shall do so in the future; and He shall purge the earth of their like, and so raise up your station that all faces shall turn towards you, and all the tongues of the world shall recite your praise.

Hearken thou unto the Call of this Wronged One, and lay fast hold on all that He hath mentioned. He, verily, is the Faithful Counsellor. See that thou spare no effort in doing all thou canst to protect the people’s claims upon the King of Martyrs, forasmuch as this matter is acceptable and pleasing in the sight of God, and a cause of exaltation and advancement.

Do thou on behalf of this Wronged One make mention of all the relatives, and speak unto them words of consolation. He, verily, is the Comforter, the All-Knowing. God willing, thou wilt remain, as heretofore, beneath the glances of God’s loving providence. Rest assured, and be thou of the thankful.

That which is incumbent upon thee is to ensure the contentment of the family of the Twin Martyrs—may the Glory of God rest upon them. Wert thou to ponder a while, thou wouldst know of a certainty that what hath befallen is, and ever shall be, an inestimable honour. Unto this testifieth He Who hath knowledge of the Book.

Praise be to God, the Lord of Lords.

BH04356: O My leaf and the leaf of My lote…

In the Name of the One, All-Seeing God

O My leaf and the leaf of My lote tree! The winds of malice have arisen, and from the Lote Tree of the Cause have fallen leaves for whom the Beloved (Muhammad) hath lamented, the Friend (Abraham) hath cried out, and Gabriel hath announced:

“The torment hath been made ready for you, O ye people of malice!”

Please God, thou wilt attain unto His special favour, and find solace in the remembrance of Him.

Notwithstanding that this supreme calamity transcendeth all calamities, yet did the best of mortals lose his head and lay down his life in the way of the Ancient King. Although outwardly this matter seareth the heart, yet is it, and shall it ever be, the means and cause of the growth of the Divine Lote Tree. I swear by the Daystar of Truth, which today shineth above the horizon of the Revelation, that were the full glory of this station to be disclosed, all the friends would direct themselves towards the place of sacrifice, nor accept a ransom.

Thy letter arrived and was perused. Thou hast ever been, and shalt ever be, beneath the glances of the gracious providence of the True One; and whatsoever wisdom dictateth, the same shall flow forth from the heaven of God’s Command. Rejoice thou in My Revelation; in My stablishment upon the throne; in My Call; in My remembrance; and in My praise. Thy Lord, truly, is the Ever-Observant, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

His honour the Afnan—upon him be of all glories the Most Glorious—is present before My Face, and God sendeth down from the heaven of His bounty that which hath been destined for him. He, verily, is the Most Gracious, the All-Bountiful.

Be thou in no wise sorrowed, and hold fast, as bidden, unto the cord of patience. He, verily, will make manifest that which shall rejoice the hearts of those who have been afflicted with sorrows by reason of that which the hands of rebellion have wrought. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Most Powerful.

The Glory of God rest upon you all, and upon those maidservants who have believed in Him Who is the Incomparable, the All-Knowing.

BH04720: A remembrance from Us unto him that hath hearkened…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Glorious

A remembrance from Us unto him that hath hearkened unto My Call, and whose response to the Lord of all mankind We have heard, that he may be overtaken by the joy born of Mine utterance, notwithstanding that sorrows have encompassed the entire creation.

O thou proclaimer of My Cause, and beholder of My Countenance! Grieve not at that which hath befallen the Cause: thy Lord, truly, lieth in wait. He shall lay hold on the wrongdoers, even as He laid hold on him that was their chief; He, truly, is severe in punishing!

They have kindled with their own hands the fire of affliction; yet are the people in a wondrous stupor! So besotted have they become in the drunkenness of their evil passions that they have perpetrated that whereat the cloud hath cried out. Say: Was it Hasan who disbelieved in God, or was it that which he possessed? If it was he, why then didst thou pillage his possessions, O thou false dissembler? Think they that they will consume what they have amassed? Nay, by Him Who is the Lord of Lords! They have committed that whereat the inmates of the Kingdom have lamented, and beyond them the Day of Reckoning.

O My companion! Consider thou, and reflect upon, the grace of God, and His loving-kindness. He, verily, raised them up in truth, and adorned them with the best of ornaments. He so ennobled them that men’s tongues spake forth their praise; He honoured them with that Supreme Sacrifice which hath from everlasting been the hope of them that have drawn nigh unto Him; and the Pen of God hath been moved to commemorate them in such wise that all hearts have melted.

The servant in attendance hath come before Our Countenance, and read out that wherewith thou didst call upon this Wronged One; and We have answered thee with this Epistle. Beware lest aught sadden thee; thereto admonish My branches, and those who have sought My Countenance, that it may bring them joy after their sorrows.

The Glory of God rest upon thee, and upon whosoever reflecteth upon that which hath been revealed by God, the Lord of the Return. This is that which was sent down in reply from God, the Almighty, the Most Bountiful.

BH06232: Your letter has come before the Wronged One, telling…

He is the One Who has dominion over all things!

Your letter has come before the Wronged One, telling of your turning to God and your detachment from all else. We beseech God to assist you to remain steadfast in His Cause and to draw you near to the Most Great Ocean, every wave of which proclaims that there is none other God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Blessed art thou for having rent asunder the veils and turned toward the horizon from which naught can be seen save the lights of thy Lord’s countenance, the Mighty, the Generous.

Say: O heedless ones! The gate of divine knowledge has been opened, and the Dayspring of the Merciful’s Cause has appeared in the contingent world, bearing witness to that which God did testify before the creation of the heavens and earth, if ye be of them that hearken.

Blessed is he who has cast away what he possessed and taken what was given him from the presence of One mighty and powerful. Thus has the fragrance of inner meanings wafted over the world that there might be made manifest that which was concealed therein. He, verily, is the Expositor, the All-Informed.

Hearken thou unto My call, then act as the Wronged One commands thee from this distant spot. Hold fast to the cord of thy Lord’s loving-kindness and cling to the hem of His bounty, detached from those who have turned away from His straight Path.

Say: Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

BH08964: Say: O God of Names and Creator of Heaven!…

He is the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting

Say: O God of Names and Creator of Heaven! I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the All-Compelling over all things, through which the gate of Thy bounty was opened to all who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth, and the Water of Life flowed forth amongst Thy creatures, to make me attracted to Thy verses, detached from all else but Thee, and in all conditions turned toward the horizon from which shone forth the Sun of Thy Manifestation. Ordain for me, O my God, from Thy Most Exalted Pen that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones, then cause me to know that which befitteth Thy days […] that Thou mayest enable me to recognize that which hath appeared today by Thy Command. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH01133: Praised be He Who hath arisen by His own…

In the Name of our Lord, the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the All-Bountiful

Praised be He Who hath arisen by His own authority to establish His Cause and hath manifested whatsoever He desired through His sovereignty. Neither the might of the world can frustrate Him, nor the clamors of those who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of ancient days, weaken Him, nor can He be intimidated by that which hath appeared and shall appear. Verily, He occupieth the Most Sublime Vision, and through Him hath been revealed that which was recorded in the Scrolls and Books. There is none other God but He, the Single, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

How delightful were the melodies that reached mine ears from the birds of remembrance and praise, which warbled, trilled, sang, and cooed upon the branches of the Lote-Tree of thy heart. By the life of the Beloved! When I saw and read and heard, the joy of thy words seized me while I was immersed in oceans of sorrow. When my heart was gladdened and my breast was dilated and my being was stirred, I approached the Intended One and attained the presence before the Throne, and presented that which the Beloved had caused thee to speak in His days. When it concluded, I found traces of joy upon the countenance of my Lord and the Lord of all worlds. My spirit and my soul be a sacrifice for your service, your steadfastness, and your mention.

Indeed, thy mention became the cause of the joy of the Intended One. After this evanescent one’s presentation of thy passages, He smiled greatly, and from His abundant grace and favors at that moment, a Tablet was revealed from the heaven of bounty and sent forth. God willing, thou shalt be nourished from the heavenly food concealed in the treasuries of God’s words. Then the Tongue of Grandeur spoke these words:

Write to Khalil that slumber and the intoxication of error have so seized the people that if ninety-nine out of a hundred were to be taken, the remaining one would neither turn to the horizon of the Cause nor raise his head from the sleep of heedlessness. Consider the verses that were previously revealed from the heaven of the Will of the Lord of the Day of Judgment concerning the seizure of certain transgressors. With utmost clarity, passage by passage, was revealed concerning seizure, plunder, earthquakes, lamentation, abasement, and the like. Nearly one crore perished, yet none became aware. Even those souls who had witnessed those verses before the appearance of the signs did not attain unto that which God desired.

The mention of two great kings appeared in the Tablets with utmost clarity concerning what would befall them, to such extent that some of the assured souls, upon hearing that kingdom would be taken from them and their dominion, sovereignty, glory, and power would be lost, were observed in utter amazement. For they had not imagined that a kingdom like that of Paris would be lost from its king’s grasp, and another king would pass in such abasement, and the lamentations of trees and stones would rise from the mountains. Those souls who had not heard these tidings before their occurrence remained in the sleep of heedlessness, and those who were informed beforehand and later witnessed with their outward eyes did not ascend to a station that would benefit their own affairs.

O Khalil! Observe to what degree the people’s veiling hath reached, that the Tongue of Grandeur speaketh these words. Although the purpose was initially to converse with thee, all these heedless acts have occurred due to the love of these fleeting two days and what appeareth therein, even though they witness its change, transformation, and variation at all times. Say: Glory be to my Lord, the All-Knowing, above what they understand! And glorified be my Lord, the All-Informed, above what they mention, and glorified be my Lord, the Lord of Might, above what they describe.

A hundred thousand praises be unto the one beloved and single God, that He enabled that personage to utter words which became the cause of joy and gladness to the blessed heart. Details sent by his honor Aqa Mirza Isma’il, the honored Afnan, upon them be the glory of the All-Merciful, were presented. He said that one must be forbearing with him, but consideration for the family of the martyrs is incumbent and obligatory upon all. This servant also submitted a detailed letter to them, and a Tablet was also revealed from the heaven of divine Will specifically for his honor Aqa Mirza Isma’il and sent that the honored Afnan might forward it. At all times I beseech God, exalted be His glory and might, to assist all the friends and cause to appear from each one that which befitteth Him and His days.

O my beloved one, repeatedly hath the tongue of grandeur uttered these words: O thou who art present, if the souls who have accepted the Faith were to act according to what God hath willed, and there appeared not from them matters from which the fragrance of divine displeasure could be detected, surely would God’s testimony be completed for all. And after the completion of testimony, either acceptance or something else, as appeared in previous ages. God willing, may all be confirmed through divine confirmations and attain His bounties. Verily He is the Generous Giver.

The friends in the Prison Land offer countless expressions of sincerity and most glorious, most mighty, most elevated, most holy, most exalted greetings to your honor. May the glory which hath ever shone with the effulgences of the Sun of His Beauty and will ever shine with the light of the rays of His Countenance be upon your honor and upon those who have drunk and will drink from the cup of your love for God, our Beloved and your Beloved and the Beloved of all the worlds. And praise be to God, the Lord of the mystics.

The servant, 9 Shavval 1296

BH02251: Praise be to God Who moved the Supreme Pen…

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

Praise be to God Who moved the Supreme Pen by His all-compelling will in the kingdom of creation—at times restraining its reins and at times releasing it beyond measure. Then did the lovers hasten and draw nigh, while the hypocrites turned away. Glorified be the Lord of the Covenant Who attracted the believers through His verses, the sincere ones through His fragrances, and those near to Him through His mention and praise. His gaze has ever been fixed upon those who have arisen to serve Him, who have spoken His praise, and who have sought refuge in His presence. He is indeed the Single One, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

My spirit be a sacrifice for your steadfastness. The bird of the heart took flight in ascension, drawn by the melodious warbling of the bird of praise which sang upon the branches of the Tree of your love. Its sweet trilling attracted me to a station which God has made the Most Great View. When I arrived, what was in your letter was presented and I was blessed to hear what I cannot describe. He is indeed the Witnessing, the All-Seeing.

As for what you mentioned about Muhammad-qabil-Ba and his companion, they entered, were present, heard, were blessed, and with permission returned to their place. Likewise Jinab-i-Siyyid M-qabil-ʿAyn, though he awaits another ship, and the matter is in the hands of God, the Lord of all beings. I praise Him, exalted be He, for accepting what you wrote regarding them and what Jinab-i-Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin (upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God) desired. The servant has received what you sent from the physician (upon him be the Glory of God) and mentioned therein the clamor of the people in Baghdad regarding the matter of Sasun (upon him be the Glory of God). We praise God, exalted be He, for preventing their advance and dispersing their gathering. He is indeed the Powerful, the Mighty.

The petitions that were with Jinab-i-Siyyid Muhammad-ʿAli (upon him be the Glory of God) arrived safely. At this point and this moment the Sun has risen from its horizon and our Beloved and your Beloved has turned to the servant, saying—and His words are the sweetest—addressing your honor:

“O thou who gazest upon the Face! Blessed art thou for having attained to the mention and praise of the Beloved, the service of His Cause, and submission to His sovereignty. By My life! The Pen hath mentioned thee and will mention thee as a bounty from Him. Verily thy Lord is the Generous, the Bountiful. He will assist thee in what thou art engaged in and will aid thee in His beauteous remembrance. Convey My greetings to the faces of My loved ones who have attained unto the Most Great Steadfastness in this Cause whereby the peoples of creation were thunderstruck, save whom God, the Lord of the worlds, willed.”

The servant expresses his love, sincerity, mention and praise to the loved ones of God who have caught the fragrance of the Garment and were possessed of clear certitude. Then the Most Glorious Beauty and the Most Excellent Praise be upon your honor and all those in your household. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds and the Beloved of those near unto Him.

The servant in [Hajj] year 1296

BH02825: Praise be to God Who hath illumined the world…

In the Name of our Lord, the All-Powerful, the All-Protecting, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious

Praise be to God Who hath illumined the world through His Most Great Light, Who appeared once in the form of the Lamp and at another time in the temple of forms and breathed into it, whereupon all who are in earth and heaven were thunderstruck. Blessed be the Creator of all things and the Fashioner of names, through Whose manifestation the limbs of the world trembled and the hearts of the nations were troubled, except for those who partook of the choice wine of utterance in the name of their Lord, the Most Merciful, and turned to Him, saying:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Beloved of the worlds, and glory be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Goal of them that know.”

The glory which hath dawned from the horizon of the countenance of the Ancient King be upon those who have cast aside the world for love of Him and have arisen to make mention of Him, to praise Him and to serve His Cause amongst His servants. They are indeed the oceans of utterance amidst the concourse of creation and the Salsabil of life for every discerning soul that turneth unto Him. My soul be a sacrifice for your love.

At one time this evanescent servant attained the presence of the Most Holy Court, and after appearing before His countenance, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke these blessed words:

“O servant! Send what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Kingdom of Utterance unto him who hath turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon and hath attained the choice sealed Wine, that he may recite the verses of his Lord and deliver them unto those who have believed in the All-Informed One.”

Then in the Persian tongue He expressed such favors toward that person in such manner that I confess my inability to mention them. Verily our All-Knowing Lord is the All-Enumerating, the All-Informed.

This blessed Tablet was revealed at the beginning of the episode in the Land of Sad [Isfahan] and no copy of it had yet been sent anywhere. Although outwardly the people appear so lifeless that there seemeth no likelihood of their being adorned with the ornament of life, yet the utterances of the sincere ones, the sanctified ones, and them that are nigh unto God never fail to produce their effect, and soon shall the lights of the Word encompass the world. He is, verily, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise.

Your honor should at all times remind the friends who are gazing toward the Most Exalted Horizon and give them to drink of the Kawthar of divine knowledge, that all may attain unto the Most Great Bounty and remain steadfast in the Cause of God. Glory be upon you and upon those who hearken unto your words in the straight Path of God.

Written in Dhi’l-Hajjih 1296

BH00720: Praise be sanctified above all mention and utterance…

In the Name of our Lord, the Most Holy, the Most Mighty, the Most Glorious!

Praise be sanctified above all mention and utterance and befitteth the court of the nearness of the sacred Lord of eternity, Who was not prevented by the clamor of the peoples of the world from His blessed purpose, nor was the Supreme Pen held back from its movement by the rejection and objection of the nations. It moveth at all times and summoneth all who are in the realm of creation unto God, the One, the Mighty, the Bountiful.

My soul and spirit be a sacrifice for your service and for your mention. This evanescent servant was standing before the Beloved of the world on one of the mountains when the Name of God appeared. After meeting, he gave this servant a packet which included the blessed letter of your eminence. God knoweth that such joy seized me that every tongue of the Pen is incapable of its mention. Afterward, when returning to the Most Holy Court, while walking on that same mountain, the tongue of inner realities spoke these words:

“Blessed is the mountain that hath been made the place whereon Thy feet have trod, and blessed are the hills over which the breezes of Thy days of manifestation have wafted, and blessed is the land that hath been adorned with the robe of Thy bounty and perfumed with the fragrance of Thy raiment, and blessed is the sea upon which the ship of Thy Cause hath sailed.”

Then, in his presence, the tongue of grandeur spoke these blessed words: “Read what thou hast brought.” This servant read in full the first prayer that you had submitted. He walked a while and then spoke these blessed words: “O servant who is present, repeat the mention of My Afnan.” And then the second prayer at the end of your letter was read. He said:

“It behooveth him and these days that he remember his Lord in such wise as he hath remembered. Verily He is the Hearer, verily He is the Ever-Present, verily He is the Perceiver, verily He is the All-Seeing. O My Afnan! Thou wast created for My Day, to hearken unto My call, to behold My horizon, and to arise to serve Me. Verily thy Lord is the Teacher, the All-Informed. Praise be to God, thou hast attained unto the most great favor. Although this is known to thee now, it shall become more evident later and shall shine forth like the rays of the sun in the world, manifest and evident. O Afnan! I have presented, then I beseech Thee, O my God, to make me at all times gazing toward the direction of Thy good-pleasure, content with what Thou hast ordained for me in the heaven of Thy decree, detached from all else save Thee, firm in Thy love and Thy good-pleasure, and accepting of service to Thy loved ones and Thy chosen ones.

“We have heard and found in thy words thy burning devotion, thy sincerity, and thy turning toward God, the Lord of the worlds, and in God, the Master of the Day of Judgment. And this is among the bounties that have had and have no likeness or parallel. Preserve it and be of the thankful ones. God willing, thou hast been and art confirmed. Ask of God that thou mayest in all conditions remain steadfast in this station. Say: O my God, my Beloved, my Purpose, my Helper, my Creator, and my Provider! I beseech Thee by the Name through which faces turned toward the lights of Thy countenance, souls soared in the atmosphere of Thy nearness, and through which all created things were moved and all possibilities hastened toward the direction of Thy grace and Thy gifts, to strengthen me to serve Thy Cause and enable me to remember and praise Thee. O Lord! I am he before whose face Thou didst open the door of Thy knowledge and made known to me the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation after the turning away of Thy creatures, and showed me the passing away of that in which most of Thy creation take pride. I beseech Thee by Thy sovereignty and power to protect me and to ordain for me that which will make me independent through Thy riches. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

Concerning what you wrote about the survivors of the Twin Luminous Lights, it is clear and evident that you are being as considerate as possible. Today it is incumbent upon all to be mindful of this matter, though verily He is the All-Watchful, the Near One. Praise be to God that from the beginning you were enabled to serve the Cause. This servant beseeches God day and night that He may establish you in His service in such wise that your remembrance shall endure as long as the Kingdom and the Realm endure.

As for what you wrote concerning your message to the honored Afnan H.A. (upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory) asking him to be mindful of the survivors’ condition—a few days ago the honored Ismullah M.H. attained the presence of the Throne. The Tongue of Grandeur spoke such words concerning him that from every letter thereof shone forth the sun of loving-kindness. At one point He said:

“O servant! We have verily assisted the Afnans and exalted them and honored them. That which has flowed from My Most Exalted Pen has been and shall be made manifest. Thy Lord is indeed the Mighty, the Powerful.”

I swear by His blessed utterance that this servant repeatedly prostrated himself in gratitude and besought the True One, exalted be His glory, that He withhold not this most great favor for even a moment.

Regarding the matter of the hundred tumans which you wrote should not be deducted from the funds of the land of Kha and should be accepted from you—this matter found acceptance in the Most Holy Court. It behooveth everyone possessed of speech to praise Him, thank Him, and remember Him in His days, and to hold fast to the cord of His Most Generous Name.

Concerning what you wrote about the business ledgers of the Wronged One—on the first day when this incident occurred, He said that although the grief of this calamity is beyond measure, yet they have attained to infinite grace. “We have ordained for him glory and exaltation, and in the end of days We adorned him with that which had been the hope of the sincere ones from time immemorial.” He also said that this supreme martyrdom is the cause and means of the exaltation of the Cause and the manifestation of the trustworthiness and religiosity of God’s loved ones among the people. Now it has become clear that truly that sanctified soul was in all conditions focused on the horizon of trustworthiness. Blessed is he and his brother. This servant testifieth that they have attained to that which none comprehendeth save God. Would that I had been with them and had attained to what they attained.

Another matter—the letter you wrote to Ismullah M.H. was also seen, and he has sent a detailed reply which will, God willing, reach your blessed sight.

Regarding what you wrote about Khalil (upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory) having been somewhat indisposed—surely he has been adorned with the raiment of health by God. This evanescent one’s offering of servitude and nothingness in his service depends on your kindness.

Another matter—after the incident in the Land of Sad, in those very days a Tablet was revealed from the heaven of divine will, and until now a copy has not been sent anywhere. In these days, as commanded, this servant has made a copy and sent it so that after you peruse the blessed Tablet you may send it to Mulla Rajab-ʿAli (upon him be the Glory of God). This servant has also written a brief letter to him which should be sent along with the Tablet.

Another matter—due to the abundance of correspondence, this servant was not able to present a response to the letter from the honored Afnan Aqa (upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory). God willing, it shall be submitted later.

Another submission: the petition of his honour Mirza Ahmad was presented to the Most Holy Court. They accepted his return. It behooveth this Lord to receive the praise of the Concourse on High and the glorification of all who are in the heavens and on earth. A most mighty, most holy Tablet was revealed from the heaven of will, and the same revealed script was sent, inasmuch as His Holiness the Most Great Branch (may my spirit and being be sacrificed for the dust of His footsteps) was not present. Therefore, the same original revelation in this evanescent one’s handwriting was dispatched. That Holy Being and this servant beseech and hope from God, exalted and mighty be He, that He may cause him to remain steadfast upon His straight path and confirm him in the heights of remembrance, praise, abstinence and godliness. Verily, He is the Protector of those who turn unto Him and the Helper of those who remember Him. There is none other God but Him, the King, the Truth, the Mighty, the Great.

19 [Dhu’l] Hajj 1296

BH00096: Praise be to God Who made tribulation as water…

Section 1: “Praise be to God Who made tribulation…”

He is God, Exalted be His Glory, the Greatness and Power

Praise be to God Who made tribulation as water for His Lote Tree on High and His Ultimate Tree, and a light for His chosen servants that He might show them the path of attainment to the Supreme Companion and the Most Glorious Station. Through it the horizon of certitude shone forth amidst all possibility, and the temples of assurance appeared among the concourse of religions. Verily it is the sword whereby God separated between His servants and His creation, and through it the doubters retreated while those possessed of certitude advanced toward the Dawning-Place of their Lord’s loving-kindness, the Generous Bestower. Blessed is the soul whom tribulation failed to deter from turning toward the Supreme Horizon, and whom worldly affairs did not prevent from gazing toward the direction of its Lord, the Mighty, the Most Glorious.

All things testify with every tongue that he is the one certain in God, standing firm in God’s Cause, speaking of God, turning toward God, moving by God’s leave, and breathing through love of God. He is indeed the one whom the Point of the Bayan mentioned in His words:

“I and those in Paradise yearn for a soul who is martyred in His path.”

I testify that those who were adorned with this supreme embroidery and illumined by this most brilliant light are the Name of God, the Ta in the land of Sad, then the name of Ta, then he who was named Kazim. These are servants who turned, attained, heard, and ascended to a station which, by God, pens and the tongues of the peoples of all lands are powerless to describe. Glory be upon them, praise be upon them, and light be upon them from God, the Mighty, the Bestower.

And then, O beloved of my heart and the one remembered in my soul, the singing of the birds that warbled upon the branches of your utterance and the trees of your love attracted me and drew me to the Ultimate Station and the Most Holy, Most Mighty, Most Great, Most Glorious Presence of our Lord. When I appeared, the Lord of the World spoke: “What is that in your right hand?” I presented the book sent by him who arose to serve Your Mighty Cause. Then He commanded me to read, and I presented what was in it before His Face. When it was finished, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke again: “He is among those who have attained a bounty which every soul is powerless to mention. We have rained down upon him from the clouds of grace that which none can reckon save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. And We have sent to him each year that which establishes God’s Cause and His proof among His servants, but the people are in evident veils.” End.

And regarding what was written about ʿAli-Qabli-Akbar who in the previous year, for the love of God, carried Tablets and delivered them to their recipients, this is what was revealed in response:

He is the Most Holy, the Most Glorious

Thou hast previously attained unto My remembrance, and this is yet another time when My Most Exalted Pen remembereth thee from this lofty station. Blessed is the servant who acteth in accordance with what hath been ordained by God, the Lord of all worlds, and whom the attraction of the Call hath so seized that he hath cast away his idle fancies and taken what hath been bestowed from a gracious Bestower. Thou hast drunk the cup of recognition from the hand of the bounty of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and it behooveth thee to drink the cup of contentment from the fingers of the grace of the Lord of Names, Who hath appeared with manifest sovereignty. Thou must, in all conditions, fix thy gaze upon the Truth and, detached from thy desires, act according to His good-pleasure.

Thy remembrance hath been made time and again at the Most Holy Court, and wondrous verses have been sent down repeatedly from the heaven of loving-kindness. This is that remembrance which hath been and shall forever be enduring. Rejoice thou and be of the thankful ones. However, thou must protect this most exalted station through the Name of God and be gladdened by that which hath been commanded. What joy could be greater than this, that the Beloved of the world should remember thee from the Most Great Prison? Thou must, with complete trust and detachment, engage in service to the Cause of God with spirit and fragrance. He, verily, is the Commander, the Forgiving, the Bountiful. He writeth for whomsoever He willeth the reward of attaining His presence. He, verily, is the Bestower, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.

As to what thou didst write concerning the deceased Dervish Baqir and his legacy, it was submitted. This is what the All-Merciful hath revealed in reply:

Blessed is he for having fulfilled his covenant and held fast to the Testament. He attained unto the recognition of God in days wherein the ocean of tribulation surged and the clamor of the people of hypocrisy was raised. He is of them who drank the choice wine of recognition and attained unto the days of God, the Possessor of the Day of Separation. We made mention of him before his ascension and after his passing, as a token of Our grace, and We are the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

As to what was written concerning the funds, they said to act according to his will when deemed appropriate and send it to the Most Holy Court.

As to what thou didst write concerning Haji Ghulam-ʿAli, the details about him were previously written by the honored physician, upon him be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah], and a reply was written to them. Let action be taken accordingly.

As to what thou didst write that the aforementioned one hath borne your troubles, how fortunate that he hath attained unto this blessing. I beseech the Most High to grant him success in similar matters and aid him in that which He loveth and is pleased with. He, verily, is the Ruler, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Convey My greetings to him on behalf of this servant.

As to what thou didst write concerning Aqa Muhammad, that he resideth in Sulaymaniyyih in the room of Aqa Muhammad Hasan and hath attained unto the honor of belief, these matters were submitted to the Most Holy Court. His word, exalted be His grandeur:

He is the Most Mighty, the Most Ancient, the Most Glorious

This is a letter from the Wronged One to him who hath drawn nigh unto the Most Great Sea that he might drink the living waters from the hand of the bounty of his Lord, the All-Merciful, and be of them that know. O Muhammad! We have heard thy call and witnessed thy turning towards Us, and We make mention of thee from this exalted station. This is a station named the Most Great Prison and by all names, yet most of the people are heedless. We counsel thee, O Muhammad, to manifest supreme steadfastness in this Cause wherein the feet of the mystics have slipped, save whom God, the Bestower, the Bountiful, hath willed. Hold fast unto the cord of the Command and say:

O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the hearts of the sincere ones have soared and the minds of them who are nigh unto Thee have been attracted, to make me in all conditions turn towards the horizon of Thy grace and speak Thy praise. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Say: Glorified art Thou, O Creator of heaven and Sovereign over all names! I beseech Thee by the Lamp that was surrounded by the winds of discord throughout all regions, and by the Name through which was revealed that which lay hidden within the treasuries of Thy power and the depositories of Thy might, to aid me to remain steadfast in Thy love. O my Lord! I am he who hath turned toward Thee and sought the ocean of Thy bounty and the sun of Thy grace. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me in Thy days and to ordain for me that which shall profit me in all Thy worlds. Verily Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest, and from Thy knowledge the movement of all things escapeth not. Thou art, in truth, the Lord of all men and the Ruler of the throne on high and of the dust beneath. There is none other God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

In the Name of the One True God

The Supreme Pen ever mentioneth those who are turned towards the Most Glorious Horizon with the most exalted call, and summoneth them to the straight path of God which hath appeared through the Most Great Word. O friends! No book can be read save by one who is versed in its language, and thus its teaching and learning hath never been, nor ever shall be, free from effort. But the Book of the world is written in such clear characters that every unlettered one can read it, and every people among the peoples of the earth can comprehend it, for inscribed thereon in manifest script are the stations of evanescence and nothingness, of change and transformation. Blessed is the soul that turneth thereunto and becometh mindful thereof.

I swear by the Sun of the horizon of certitude, which shineth from the prison horizon, that should anyone ponder and reflect thereon, he would find himself detached and free, in such wise that the cares and sorrows of the world and all else besides would have no effect upon him, and he would account them all as non-existent and void. Beseech ye God that He may grant unto all a portion of the heavenly table and of the everlasting bounty. He is, verily, the Munificent, the All-Bountiful. Let not time slip away; arise to that which behooveth you in the days of the Friend. He is, in truth, the Counselor, the Trustworthy. Glory be upon the letter B and upon those who have attained unto the knowledge of God and have arisen to serve His Cause, the firm, the mighty.

And regarding what was written concerning Jinab-i-Mirza Mahmud, He said:

“I swear by the Most Great Name that God, exalted be His glory, has mentioned and continues to mention all the friends, and has manifested Himself so that all may attain the honor of His presence. However, the hatred of tyrannical nations has become a barrier. Those souls who, in truth, with perfect sincerity and purity, with utter nothingness and complete detachment, desire to attain the presence of the Lord of Names and Attributes, and who, in compliance with the binding command, refrain from coming and are content with His good-pleasure, which is the ultimate purpose—assuredly the reward of attainment unto His presence shall be written for such souls and shall be recorded by the Divine Pen in the eternal scroll. Whatsoever He doeth today has been and shall be based on consummate wisdom. All must be content with it. Praise be to God that Mahmud has attained the grace of the Lord of existence. Now he must occupy himself with matters that cause the exaltation of God’s Cause. This very service to which he has arisen is most beloved in the sight of God. However, counsel ye all to wisdom. The Glory be upon him and upon him who was named Baba from among the people of Kha, from God, the Lord of the worlds.”

And regarding what ye wrote about Darvish Ghulam-Husayn from Malayer and Mulla Asadu’llah from that land, it was presented before the Most Holy and Exalted Presence. He said:

“Darvish Ghulam-Husayn has attained the grace of the Most Great Prison and the presence of the Beloved of the world. He must at all times beseech the Self-Sufficient Lord that this great achievement remain preserved. Today is the day when all are commanded and obligated to serve the Cause, and service to the Cause in the first instance consists of deeds and actions that cause the exaltation of God’s Cause among His servants and manifest the essence of humanity on earth. All the friends must beseech God, exalted be His bounty and great be His favor, that they may attain to this lofty station, this most exalted summit, and this ultimate purpose of human existence. Verily, He is the All-Seeing Witness and the Generous Giver.”

And regarding Jinab-i-Mulla Asadu’llah, this is what God hath revealed in response:

He is the Most Ancient, the Most Great, the Most Glorious

A Book sent down by the All-Merciful for all who are in the realm of possibility, that it might draw them to the supreme horizon and the Most Glorious Station. He, verily, is the One Who has power over whatsoever He willeth. To this all things bear witness, yet most of the people remain heedless. They have cast aside their God and taken their vain imaginings, following those who have turned away from the ocean of knowledge and who wander in the wilderness of ignorance with manifest delusion. The cry hath been raised between earth and heaven, and the gate of attainment hath been opened, yet they remain asleep. Vain fancies have so seized them that they have turned away from Him by Whom the horizon of certitude hath been illumined.

Section 2: “O Asad! There hath come before the Wronged…”

O Asad! There hath come before the Wronged One a letter wherein mention was made of thee. We make mention of thee as a token of Our grace. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Knowing Remembrancer. Be thou enkindled with the fire of the love of God and adorned with the light of His knowledge. He, verily, is with whosoever hath turned toward His supreme horizon and is numbered among those endued with certainty. Beware lest the affairs of the peoples prevent thee from the Ancient King. Leave the world to its people and hold fast unto My strong cord. This is a Remembrance before which all remembrances have prostrated themselves, and a Tablet before which all tablets have bowed down. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Wise Explainer. When thou hast attained unto it, preserve it by Our command, then recite it with joy and fragrance. Thus doth the Dawning-Place of thy Lord’s revelation, the All-Merciful, command thee—He Who hath endured tribulation and adversity in His straight Path.

This is a Day wherein that which was hidden hath appeared and that which was concealed hath come with a sovereignty that the oppressors’ might hath failed to withhold. We speak by night and by day amongst the people: There is none other God but He, the One, the All-Informed. Thus have We illumined the horizon of the heaven of utterance with the sun of certitude. Blessed is he who hath turned toward it and hath said:

“Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds, for having made known unto me the Dawning-Place of Thy verses, the Dayspring of Thy clear tokens, and the Manifestation of Thy mighty and glorious Cause!”

This is the Day of service. Those faces that have turned unto God must, with the utmost joy and fragrance, wisdom and utterance, engage in teaching the Cause of God, that perchance the dead in the valleys of perplexity and ignorance might be quickened by the drops from the ocean of life and be adorned with the new robe of living existence. Hereafter, be thou not grieved outwardly. The Cause is in His hands. He ordaineth for whomsoever He willeth the reward of His presence and meeting. He, verily, is the Munificent Bestower.

And concerning the mention of Mulla Isa that was made, when presented in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, He said: “Well done, O Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin. Today all souls must, with their entire being, turn to hear the Divine Call and act upon that which hath been sent down from the Kingdom of the Cause.” Write to Isa: “Thy mention was made in the Most Great Prison before the Wronged One, and thy call was heard. Reflect upon that which hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen. I swear by the Divine Ocean of Knowledge that there hath been sent down that which the pens of the world are powerless to reckon.”

In a Tablet wherein mention was made of the Wolf, that is, Shaykh Baqir who resideth in the Land of Sad, this blessed verse was revealed:

“Dost thou object to Him Who hath brought thee what thou possessest and what all the peoples of the world possess of the testimonies of God and His signs? Open thy eyes that thou mayest behold the Wronged One risen from the horizon of God’s Will, the Sovereign, the Truth, the Manifest. Then open thy heart’s ear that thou mayest hear that which the Tree uttereth, which hath been raised up in truth by God, the Mighty, the Beautiful. Verily the Tree, despite what it hath suffered from thy tyranny and the oppression of thy like, calleth out in the loudest voice and summoneth all unto the Divine Lote-Tree and the Supreme Horizon. Blessed is the soul that hath beheld the Most Great Sign and the ear that hath heard its sweetest call, and woe unto every denier, every sinner. O thou who hast turned away from God! If thou were to behold the Tree with an eye of fairness, thou wouldst see the marks of thy swords upon its twigs and branches and leaves, after God had created thee to know it and serve it. Reflect that thou mayest become aware of thy tyranny and be of them that repent.”

And in another passage of that Tablet this blessed verse was revealed:

“Dost thou deny the verses of thy Lord, which when sent down from the heaven of the Cause, before them did bow down all the books of the world? Reflect that thou mayest become aware of thy deed, O heedless outcast!”

O Isa! Observe how, despite these clear signs and manifest and resplendent evidences, in what state the people are and with what deeds they are occupied. The verses of God have encompassed the whole world and His evidences shine forth like the sun from the horizon of the heaven of power, yet despite this the people are engaged in their own idle fancies and are deprived of the Sovereign of certitude. O Isa! Strive that perchance in these divine days thou mayest attain unto that which merits mention by the Supreme Pen. The world shall pass away like lightning, nay swifter still. Hold fast unto that which shall endure for thee in the Kingdom of thy Lord, the All-Bountiful. God willing, thou shalt drink of the choice sealed wine and share it with them that are worthy. Whatever may occur to the mind hath been revealed from the heaven of divine knowledge in infinite Tablets, but due to the tyranny and transgression of the people of the world there hath been no opportunity for their publication and dissemination. The time shall come when God will manifest that which He hath willed. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty.

If thou shouldst meet the friends of God who are in those parts, convey to them greetings and gladden them all with the bounty and favor of God. Say:

“Glory be to Thee, O Thou before Whose mention and praise all tongues are powerless! I beseech Thee by the Name through opposition to which the tyrants among Thy creatures have arisen, to make me in all conditions regardful of Thy horizon and content with what Thou hast ordained by the Pen of Thy decree. Then write down for me that which shall profit me in all the worlds of Thy worlds. Verily Thou art more knowing than I, and Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Moreover I beseech Thee, O God of the worlds, by the Most Great Name, to make me one of those who have arisen to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee in such wise that the might of the Pharaohs who violated Thy Covenant and turned away from Thy Beauty did not deter them. O Lord! Give me to drink the wine of steadfastness by Thy hand of bounty. Verily Thou art the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.”

O ʿIsa! Mention was made of two souls in the Most Holy Court—Isaac and Fath’u’llah. We make mention of them from this station as a token of Our grace. Verily thy Lord is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. We counsel them with that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Book. He, verily, is the Commander, the All-Informed. Blessed are they and those who have attained the recognition of God and have arisen to serve His Cause in such wise that neither the opposition of the divines nor the objections of rulers could deter them. Thy Lord, verily, is the Expositor, the All-Knowing.

As commanded, His Holiness should consider whether it is suitable to send. O Zayn! We have commanded consultation, therefore We Ourselves consult. He, verily, is the Unconstrained.

Concerning what was mentioned about Siyyid Khalil, His word, exalted be His grandeur: …all those who have attained unto this mighty and wondrous Cause must engage in some occupation. He sendeth down blessings upon whomsoever He willeth. Thy Lord is verily the Generous, the Bountiful. All praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

We make mention at the end of the Book of him who turned toward My direction by My leave, entered My prison, attained My presence, drank the choice wine of reunion with Me, and stood before the door of My grace and heard My call. He is indeed the one who hath been named al-Asdaq in My mighty Book.

This evanescent servant requests that you convey sincere greetings and glorification to all the friends in that land who have drunk from the ocean of recognition and are gazing toward the horizon of the All-Merciful.

Likewise to Aqa Sulayman who sent a letter to this servant—at the beginning it was a petition and at the end he made mention of this servant. At an appropriate time it was presented before His countenance and his entire supplication was laid before His presence. The answer was revealed from the heaven of will—His Holiness should write and send it. The new glad tidings are that once again his petition was presented and once again they showed favor.

In the Name of our Lord, the Most Great, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious

Praise be to God, before Whose greatness all things have testified and Whose might every knowing one hath acknowledged. He hath ever been and will ever be what He hath been. He revealeth in every time whatsoever He desireth. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Powerful, the One, the Peerless.

After submitting the reply to two holy letters, a third letter dated the 19th of Shavval arrived.

Concerning what you had written that Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Asadu’llah, upon him be the glory of God, had written from the land of Ta about Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Muhammad, upon him be the glory of God—this was presented to the Most Holy Court. They said:

“Blessed is Muhammad who hath aimed at the Ultimate Goal and desired to serve his Lord, the Possessor of all beings. We make mention of him as a token of Our grace. He, verily, is the All-Encompassing, the All-Knowing. And We glorify from this station him and those who have turned to the Qiblih of humanity. O Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin! The whole world hath been created for the service of the Cause. Whosoever hath turned thereunto hath attained to that which is intended. ʿThe intention of the believer is better than his deed’ applieth to this station, inasmuch as he hath intended to turn toward the prison and engage in service to the Cause. This matter was mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One because of Jinab-i-As, and He accepted the merit of his intention with utmost favor. This is the essence of the meaning of the blessed word previously mentioned. His service is accepted and his intention is approved. In these days, due to wisdom, his coming is not permitted, and afterward the matter is in His hand. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Unconstrained.”

And as for your mention of Ibn-i-Ismi-Asdaq, upon both of them be the Glory of God, it was presented before the Most Holy Court. He—exalted be His grandeur—says:

“He turned, by My leave, toward My Prison, and entered the seat of the Throne, and attained the presence of the Countenance, and heard the call of his Lord, the Mighty, the Wise. We beseech God to assist him in serving His Cause and to grant him that which befits the days of his Lord, the Manifest, the Speaking, the All-Informed. We have remembered him and do remember him as a token of Our grace, that he may rejoice in the loving-kindness of his Lord and be of the thankful ones. The Glory be upon his father who would present himself at the Gate every day and hear that which the Tongue of Grandeur would utter from His mighty and exalted station. We love to remember the Most Truthful One, for he has drunk the wine of My loving-kindness and attained My good-pleasure and spoke My praise and arose to serve My mighty Cause.”

And concerning what was written about the Tablet to Jinab-i-Sadr, that the original revelation differs from the copy, meaning the word “this” appears in the copy but not in the original—the original revelation is correct and accurate. The copy this servant wrote should be made to match the original. This servant erroneously wrote “this.” They should make a copy from the original revelation text and provide both the original and the copy, as the person mentioned is not and was not capable of reading the original revelation.

Section 3: “And regarding the elegy composed by the wife…”

And regarding the elegy composed by the wife of Aqa Mirza Abu-Talib, upon both of them be the Glory of God, which you had written about and sent—at one point the entire document was presented before the Most Holy Court. He—exalted be His grandeur—says:

“Blessed is she, then blessed is she again, for having elegized a calamity for which the Tongue of Grandeur elegized and the dwellers of the pavilion of glory lamented.”

O Zayn, convey congratulations to that leaf from the tongue of the Wronged One and give her the glad tidings that what she composed regarding the calamity of the Twin Luminous Lights was accepted before the Throne and attained the hearing of the Ancient Beauty. Her reward is with Him Who aided her and caused her to speak. He is the best rewarder. He is the Forgiving, the Generous.

We send greetings from this Most Exalted Station and Most Sublime Spot to the one whom We mentioned before and aided to recognize My Self and hear My verses—he who was named Abu-Talib in the Book of Names and was among those who remember. We sent him Tablets before, a single one of which cannot be equaled by all that hath been created on earth. Every discerning soul bears witness to this. Give him the glad tidings of My remembrance of him, then send him what We have revealed at this time. Say: Be not grieved at anything. Rejoice in the days of God and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having made known to me Thy Day, which most of Thy servants have failed to recognize. O Lord! Aid me to preserve what Thou hast given me through Thy bounty, then cause me to drink from the Kawthar of steadfastness in Thy Cause. Thou art the Generous. O Lord! Ordain through Thy Most Exalted Pen that which shall profit me in the Hereafter and in this world. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Powerful.”

And as for your fourth letter dated the 18th of Dhi’l-Qa’dah, it brought light to heart and soul. May the Beloved of all creation ever assist you in that which is the cause of joy and gladness to His chosen ones and loved ones.

It is clear from the passage in your letter concerning Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Baqir—a soul among the people of N————that whatsoever he hath done, he hath done for the love of God. In very truth he hath arisen to serve the Cause, and hath shown towards the friends of the True One the utmost affection. He hath fixed his gaze upon God, and for His sake hath accomplished that which he hath accomplished. Yet His Holiness, Jamal (may my life be a sacrifice for His loved ones) hath, in what He hath uttered, intended the maintenance of order in the affairs of Huququ’llah, inasmuch as, in certain places and regions, confusion and disorder have arisen. Moreover, they were not correctly informed regarding the letter which this servant had written, at the command given, unto the son of Jinab-i-Asdaq (upon them be Baha’u’llah’s glory). In any case, the word of the Blessed Beauty is accepted; and the endeavours and labours of Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Baqir are worthy of gratitude. He hath spoken as he hath spoken for the safeguarding of Huququ’llah; and he hath acted as he hath acted with reference to the letter of this servant, written by command. Convey these matters to him without delay. Formerly this servant had dispatched a letter unto him; God willing, it hath reached him.

As to that which thou hast written, that certain travellers (upon them be Baha’u’llah’s glory) have arrived and, from that land, have turned their faces towards their own country, we praise God therefor; and we beseech Him, exalted be He, to confirm them in that which He loveth and is well-pleased with, to grant them the good of this world and of the next, and to protect them from those who have denied the right of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

And as to that which thou hast written, that Jinab-i-Shatir (upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory) hath shown some sadness because mention had not been made of him: that which this servant wrote unto Jinab-i-Varqa and to Aqa Mirza Husayn (upon them be Baha’u’llah’s glory) was in reply to his letter. Jinab-i-Shatir—praise be to God—hath been, and is, remembered. And as to that which thou hast written concerning the matter of funds: what they have done is well-pleasing; God willing, it will arrive, and, according to the list of distribution, will be apportioned.

Concerning the Kitab-i-Aqdas thou hast written that it should be sent exclusively to Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Baqir: as for the Persian, a few passages were revealed previously, but thereafter the Most Exalted Pen turned not again to the remainder; therefore it was not sent. And regarding Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Hasan and Aqa Muhammad ʿAli (upon them be Baha’u’llah’s glory), thou hast written that they have sought leave to travel to the outlying regions for the sake of earning a livelihood: it was submitted, and He said: This year, by reason of the war that hath occurred and the dissensions that have arisen amongst the kings, the outward affairs in all lands have become straitened; yet after this hardship, ease shall assuredly appear. He provideth for whomsoever He willeth without reckoning. To turn towards Aleppo is not desirable; but if they wish to proceed to the environs of Mosul, there is no harm. Ended.

Furthermore: the passages which His Holiness wrote concerning Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Baqir to Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Mustafa (upon him be the Most Glorious Baha) — a copy thereof was sent by the one addressed to the Sacred Threshold. Afterwards, by command, Haji Muhammad Baqir and those with him, and Aqa Siyyid Muhammad ʿAli (upon them be Baha’u’llah’s glory) were summoned, attained the honour of pilgrimage, and then departed for Egypt. He said: The friends in that land imagine that other places are better—meaning, for earning and livelihood they are adorned with a greater advantage—yet this is, and will be, mere fancy. Ended.

This year, in all lands, dearness is manifest—especially in this land, where the prices of goods have become, in some instances, threefold their former rate. The affairs of livelihood have grown hard for all; yet, God willing, through divine bounty it shall be changed into ease.

And as to that which thou hast written, that Haji Ghulam-ʿAli hath, by word of mouth, recounted that the honoured wife of Jinab-i-Ism-i-Ha (may God sanctify her resting-place) did show much contentment and gratitude amid the afflictions that befell her, and that he mentioned the verse wherein the son of Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Abu Talib (upon them be Baha’u’llah’s glory) wrote of her being cast into a well: the account of such a casting did not in fact occur; it hath been confused for him. Let them not write that passage.

It is submitted, however, that even if a thing hath not outwardly occurred, should it be mentioned—having regard to the cruelty of the oppressor who arose to commit such wrong—there is no harm, nor hath there ever been. Even as that which was, in outward appearance, spoken was uttered by the Most Exalted Pen in the form of an inquiry. Consider, aforetime, what hath been observed concerning the martyrdom of the Prince of Martyrs (may the spirits of all else be offered up for His sake): that which hath been mentioned and heard hath been spoken, and is spoken, from the pulpits, though some of it did not outwardly take place. Yet, O My loved one! By God, the oppressors have cast her into a pit of darkness.

What pit is greater than this calamity that descended upon that pure leaf? And what injustice more grievous than that which befell her? The oppressors have turned her home into a well wherein she endured with patience and steadfastness. That pure leaf—upon her be Baha’u’llah’s glory, and upon her be the light of God and His bounty before the Throne, manifest and beheld. Yet, since the station of Ha is, in the presence of the Throne, a mighty station—nay, a station mightier still—even had this matter occurred, there would have been no harm, nor would any diminution have touched the rank of her contentment. Great is her condition in the sight of her Lord, the Mighty, the Generous. O My loved one!

Exceeding great is the station of Ha. Ever and always, by reason of the weakness of some, her rank was veiled. My life be offered up for her! And likewise the station of Ha and the station of Kaf, who attained the Most Great Martyrdom—would that I had been with them, and had won that which they have won.

And Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Aqajan (upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory)—although he yet liveth, he is counted among the martyrs, for grievous calamities have descended upon him. I beg of God, exalted be His glory, to confirm him in safeguarding that which he hath attained. And that which the son of Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Abu Talib hath written is correct; let it not be erased. The Cause is in His hand: He doeth whatsoever He willeth and ordaineth whatsoever He desireth. Verily, He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

Praise be to God that the close of this epistle hath been adorned with the mention of these sanctified souls. By the beauty of the Ancient of Days! the regret that this servant hath not attained that which they attained hath been, and shall ever be, within heart and soul. Today the people are heedless; they know not what they say, nor what they do. Pass thou by the multitude. Some of the friends have been seen, in this Most Great Calamity, to be perturbed and shaken, whereas in such times they ought to become the cause of assurance and steadfastness to souls. By the Sun of Revelation! a bounty hath been bestowed the like of which hath neither been seen nor heard in creation. I entreat that, if it be possible, that well-beloved one convey—with the utmost secrecy and wisdom—this matter which hath been submitted, unto that pure leaf; for they show extreme caution, by reason of the many adversaries and idolaters, concerning the name of S.

Another submission is that his honor Ustad ʿAli-Akbar, upon him be the Glory of God, wrote a letter to this servant. Its details were submitted to the Most Holy Court. The Sun of Providence has dawned. God willing, may they be immersed in the sea of contentment in all conditions and move upon the earth of His will. God’s providence has been with them and, God willing, will continue to be. Convey to them on behalf of this ephemeral one an exalted greeting. Their letter brought a smile to the face of the Desired One of the world. God willing, may they ever be confirmed and speak in remembrance of the Friend, arise in His service, move according to His will, turn toward His purpose, and be gladdened by His grace. He is verily the All-Bountiful, the All-Appreciating.

Regarding the sum of his honor Marfu’ which was submitted to the Most Holy Court, they have again commanded that in consideration of that elevated one’s station, nineteen qirans should be sent to the Most Holy Court and the remainder distributed among the loved ones of that land.

Another submission is that his honor Sadra from the land of Qaf, whose petition was previously forwarded, has been blessed with a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet specially revealed for him from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s mercy, and the original revelation was sent as submitted. Afterwards, this servant noticed that perhaps they might not be able to properly read it, therefore both the original and a copy were sent. God willing, may it reach them.

And another submission is that the reply to his honor Aqa Mirza Asadu’llah, upon him be 96 [Baha’u’llah], and some others will be sent next week, as it was not advisable to send all in one envelope. It is submitted again that the mention of sincerity and greetings on behalf of this ephemeral one to the divine friends is contingent upon your honor’s grace.

The servant, 26th of the month of Hajj 1296