Volume 059: Akka 1296 A.H. (1879), Part II (1 of 7)

BH00336: Lawh-i-Burhan (= Lawh-i-Raqsha?)

Section 1: “The winds of hatred have encompassed the Ark…”

He is the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise

The winds of hatred have encompassed the Ark of Batha, by reason of that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought. O Baqir! Thou hast pronounced sentence against them for whom the books of the world have wept, and in whose favour the scriptures of all religions have testified. Thou, who art gone far astray, art indeed wrapt in a thick veil. By God Himself! Thou hast pronounced judgement against them through whom the horizon of faith hath been illumined. Unto this bear witness They Who are the Dawning-Places of Revelation and the Manifestations of the Cause of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, Who have sacrificed Their souls and all that They possessed in His straight Path. The Faith of God hath cried everywhere, by reason of thy tyranny, and yet thou disportest thyself and art of them that exult. There is no hatred in Mine heart for thee nor for anyone. Every man of learning beholdeth thee, and such as are like thee, engulfed in evident folly. Hadst thou realized that which thou hast done, thou wouldst have cast thyself into the fire, or abandoned thine home and fled into the mountains, or wouldst have groaned until thou hadst returned unto the place destined for thee by Him Who is the Lord of strength and of might.

O thou who art even as nothing! Rend thou asunder the veils of idle fancies and vain imaginings, that thou mayest behold the Day-Star of knowledge shining from this resplendent Horizon. Thou hast torn in pieces a remnant of the Prophet Himself, and imagined that thou hadst helped the Faith of God. Thus hath thy soul prompted thee, and thou art truly one of the heedless. Thine act hath consumed the hearts of the Concourse on high, and those of such as have circled round the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds. The soul of the Chaste One melted, by reason of thy cruelty, and the inmates of Paradise wept sore in that blessed Spot.

Judge thou fairly, I adjure thee by God. What proof did the Jewish doctors adduce wherewith to condemn Him Who was the Spirit of God, when He came unto them with truth? What could have been the evidence produced by the Pharisees and the idolatrous priests to justify their denial of Muhammad, the Apostle of God when He came unto them with a Book that judged between truth and falsehood with a justice which turned into light the darkness of the earth, and enraptured the hearts of such as had known Him? Indeed thou hast produced, in this day, the same proofs which the foolish divines advanced in that age. Unto this testifieth He Who is the King of the realm of grace in this great Prison.

Thou hast, truly, walked in their ways, nay, hast surpassed them in their cruelty, and hast deemed thyself to be helping the Faith and defending the Law of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. By Him Who is the Truth! Thine iniquity hath made Gabriel to groan, and hath drawn tears from the Law of God, through which the breezes of justice have been wafted over all who are in heaven and on earth. Hast thou fondly imagined that the judgement thou didst pronounce hath profited thee? Nay, by Him Who is the King of all Names! Unto thy loss testifieth He with Whom is the knowledge of all things as recorded in the preserved Tablet. When thou didst pen thy judgement, thou wast accused by thy very pen. Unto this doth bear witness the Pen of God, the Most High, in His inaccessible station.

O thou who hast gone astray! Thou hast neither seen Me, nor associated with Me, nor been My companion for the fraction of a moment. How is it, then, that thou hast bidden men to curse Me? Didst thou, in this, follow the promptings of thine own desires, or didst thou obey thy Lord? Produce thou a sign, if thou art one of the truthful. We testify that thou hast cast behind thy back the Law of God, and laid hold on the dictates of thy passions. Nothing, in truth, escapeth His knowledge; He, verily, is the Incomparable, the All-Informed. O heedless one! Hearken unto that which the Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an: ʿSay not to every one who meeteth you with a greeting, “Thou art not a believer.”’ Thus hath He decreed in Whose grasp are the kingdoms of Revelation and of creation, if thou be of them that hearken. Thou hast set aside the commandment of God, and clung unto the promptings of thine own desire. Woe, then, unto thee, O careless one that doubtest! If thou deniest Me, by what proof canst thou vindicate the truth of that which thou dost possess? Produce it, then, O thou who hast joined partners with God, and turned aside from His sovereignty that hath encompassed the worlds!

O foolish one! Know thou that he is truly learned who hath acknowledged My Revelation, and drunk from the Ocean of My knowledge, and soared in the atmosphere of My love, and cast away all else besides Me, and taken firm hold on that which hath been sent down from the Kingdom of My wondrous utterance. He, verily, is even as an eye unto mankind, and as the spirit of life unto the body of all creation. Glorified be the All-Merciful Who hath enlightened him, and caused him to arise and serve His great and mighty Cause. Verily, such a man is blessed by the Concourse on high, and by them who dwell within the Tabernacle of Grandeur, who have quaffed My sealed Wine in My Name, the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful.

O Baqir! If thou be of them that occupy such a sublime station, produce then a sign from God, the Creator of the heavens. And shouldst thou recognize thy powerlessness, do thou rein in thy passions, and return unto thy Lord, that perchance He may forgive thee thy sins which have caused the leaves of the Divine Lote-Tree to be burnt up, and the Rock to cry out, and the eyes of men of understanding to weep. Because of thee the Veil of Divinity was rent asunder, and the Ark foundered, and the She-Camel was hamstrung, and the Spirit groaned in His sublime retreat.

Disputest thou with Him Who hath come unto thee with the testimonies of God and His signs which thou possessest and which are in the possession of them that dwell on earth? Open thine eyes that thou mayest behold this Wronged One shining forth above the horizon of the will of God, the Sovereign, the Truth, the Resplendent. Unstop, then, the ear of thine heart that thou mayest hearken unto the speech of the Divine Lote-Tree that hath been raised up in truth by God, the Almighty, the Beneficent. Verily, this Tree, notwithstanding the things that befell it by reason of thy cruelty and of the transgressions of such as are like thee, calleth aloud and summoneth all men unto the Sadratu’l-Muntaha and the Supreme Horizon. Blessed is the soul that hath gazed on the Most Mighty Sign, and the ear that hath heard His most sweet Voice, and woe to whosoever hath turned aside and done wickedly.

O thou who hast turned away from God! Wert thou to look with the eye of fairness upon the Divine Lote-Tree, thou wouldst perceive the marks of thy sword on its boughs, and its branches, and its leaves, notwithstanding that God created thee for the purpose of recognizing and of serving it. Reflect, that haply thou mayest recognize thine iniquity and be numbered with such as have repented. Thinkest thou that We fear thy cruelty? Know thou and be well assured that from the first day whereon the voice of the Most Sublime Pen was raised betwixt earth and heaven We offered up Our souls, and Our bodies, and Our sons, and Our possessions in the path of God, the Exalted, the Great, and We glory therein amongst all created things and the Concourse on high. Unto this testify the things which have befallen Us in this straight Path.

By God! Our hearts were consumed, and Our bodies were crucified, and Our blood was spilt, while Our eyes were fixed on the horizon of the loving-kindness of their Lord, the Witness, the All-Seeing. The more grievous their woes, the greater waxed the love of the people of Baha. Unto their sincerity hath borne witness what the All-Merciful hath sent down in the Qur’an. He saith: ʿWish ye, then, for death, if ye are sincere.’ Who is to be preferred, he that hath sheltered himself behind curtains, or he that hath offered himself in the path of God? Judge thou fairly, and be not of them that rove distraught in the wilderness of falsehood. So carried away have they been by the living waters of the love of the Most Merciful, that neither the arms of the world nor the swords of the nations have deterred them from setting their faces towards the ocean of the bounty of their Lord, the Giver, the Generous.

By God! Troubles have failed to unnerve Me, and the repudiation of the divines hath been powerless to weaken Me. I have spoken, and still speak forth before the face of men: ʿThe door of grace hath been unlocked and He Who is the Dayspring of Justice is come with perspicuous signs and evident testimonies, from God, the Lord of strength and of might!’ Present thyself before Me that thou mayest hear the mysteries which were heard by the Son of Imran upon the Sinai of Wisdom. Thus commandeth thee He Who is the Dawning-Place of the Revelation of thy Lord, the God of Mercy, from His great Prison.

Hath leadership made thee proud? Peruse thou what God hath revealed to the Sovereign ruler, the Sultan of Turkey, who hath incarcerated Me in this fortified stronghold, so that thou mayest be informed of the condition of this Wronged One, as decreed by God, the One, the Single, the All-Informed. Art thou happy to see the abject and worthless as thy followers? They support thee as did a people before them, they that followed Annas, who, without clear proof and testimony, pronounced judgement against the Spirit.

Peruse thou the Kitab-i-Iqan and that which the All-Merciful hath sent down unto the King of Paris and to such as are like him, that thou mayest be made aware of the things that have happened in the past, and be persuaded that We have not sought to spread disorder in the land after it had been well-ordered. We exhort, wholly for the sake of God, His servants. Let him who wisheth turn unto Him, and him who wisheth turn aside. Our Lord, the Merciful, is verily the All-Sufficing, the All-Praised. O concourse of divines! This is the day whereon nothing amongst all things, nor any name amongst all names, can profit you save through this Name which God hath made the Manifestation of His Cause and the Dayspring of His Most Excellent Titles unto all who are in the kingdom of creation.

Blessed is that man that hath recognized the fragrance of the All-Merciful and been numbered with the steadfast. Your sciences shall not profit you in this day, nor your arts, nor your treasures, nor your glory. Cast them all behind your backs, and set your faces towards the Most Sublime Word through which the Scriptures and the Books and this lucid Tablet have been distinctly set forth. Cast away, O concourse of divines, the things ye have composed with the pens of your idle fancies and vain imaginings. By God! The Day-Star of Knowledge hath shone forth above the horizon of certitude.

Section 2: “O Baqir! Read and call thou to mind…”

O Baqir! Read and call thou to mind that which was said of old by a believer of thy stock: ʿWill ye slay a man because he saith my Lord is God, when He hath already come to you with signs from your Lord? If he be a liar, on him will be his lie, but if he be a man of truth, part of what he threateneth will fall upon you. In truth God guideth not him who is a transgressor, a liar.’

O thou who art gone astray! If thou hast any doubt concerning Our conduct, know thou that We bear witness unto that whereunto God hath Himself borne witness ere the creation of the heavens and of the earth, that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the All-Bounteous. We testify that He is One in His Essence, One in His attributes. He hath none to equal Him in the whole universe, nor any partner in all creation. He hath sent forth His Messengers, and sent down His Books, that they may announce unto His creatures the Straight Path.

Hath the Shah been informed, and chosen to close his eyes to thine acts? Or hath he been seized with fear at the howling of a pack of wolves who have cast the Path of God behind their backs and followed in thy way without any clear proof or Book? We have heard that the provinces of Persia have been adorned with the adornment of justice. When We observed closely, however, We found them to be the dawning-places of tyranny and the daysprings of injustice. We behold justice in the clutches of tyranny. We beseech God to set it free through the power of His might and His sovereignty. He, verily, overshadoweth all that is in the heavens and on earth. To none is given the right to protest against anyone concerning that which hath befallen the Cause of God. It behoveth whosoever hath set his face towards the Most Sublime Horizon to cleave tenaciously unto the cord of patience, and to put his reliance in God, the Help in Peril, the Unconstrained. O ye loved ones of God! Drink your fill from the well-spring of wisdom, and walk ye in the garden of wisdom, and soar ye in the atmosphere of wisdom, and speak forth with wisdom and eloquence. Thus biddeth you your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing.

O Baqir! Rely not on thy glory, and thy power. Thou art even as the last trace of sunlight upon the mountain-top. Soon will it fade away, as decreed by God, the All-Possessing, the Most High. Thy glory and the glory of such as are like thee have been taken away, and this verily is what hath been ordained by the One with Whom is the Mother Tablet. Where is he to be found who contended with God, and whither is gone he that gainsaid His signs, and turned aside from His sovereignty? Where are they who have slain His chosen ones and spilt the blood of His holy ones? Reflect, that haply thou mayest perceive the breaths of thine acts, O foolish doubter! Because of you the Apostle lamented, and the Chaste One cried out, and the countries were laid waste, and darkness fell upon all regions. O concourse of divines! Because of you the people were abased, and the banner of Islam was hauled down, and its mighty throne subverted. Every time a man of discernment hath sought to hold fast unto that which would exalt Islam, ye raised a clamour, and thereby was he deterred from achieving his purpose, while the land remained fallen in clear ruin.

Consider the Sultan of Turkey! He did not want war, but those like you desired it. When its fires were enkindled and its flames rose high, the government and the people were thereby weakened. Unto this beareth witness every man of equity and perception. Its calamities waxed so great that the smoke thereof surrounded the Land of Mystery and its environs, and what had been revealed in the Tablet of the Sultan was made manifest. Thus hath it been decreed in the Book, at the behest of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

O My Supreme Pen! Leave Thou the mention of the Wolf, and call Thou to remembrance the She-Serpent whose cruelty hath caused all created things to groan, and the limbs of the holy ones to quake. Thus biddeth Thee the Lord of all names, in this glorious station. The Chaste One hath cried out by reason of thine iniquity, and yet thou dost imagine thyself to be of the family of the Apostle of God! Thus hath thy soul prompted thee, O thou who hast withdrawn thyself from God, the Lord of all that hath been and shall be. Judge thou equitably, O She-Serpent! For what crime didst thou sting the children of the Apostle of God, and pillage their possessions? Hast thou denied Him Who created thee by His command ʿbe, and it was’? Thou hast dealt with the children of the Apostle of God as neither Ad hath dealt with Hud, nor Thamud with Salih, nor the Jews with the Spirit of God, the Lord of all being.

Gainsayest thou the signs of thy Lord which no sooner were sent down from the heaven of His Cause than all the books of the world bowed down before them? Meditate, that thou mayest be made aware of thine act, O heedless outcast! Ere long will the breaths of chastisement seize thee, as they seized others before thee. Wait, O thou who hast joined partners with God, the Lord of the visible and the invisible. This is the day which God hath announced through the tongue of His Apostle. Reflect, that thou mayest apprehend what the All-Merciful hath sent down in the Qur’an and in this inscribed Tablet. This is the day whereon He Who is the Dayspring of Revelation hath come with clear tokens which none can number. This is the day whereon every man endued with perception hath discovered the fragrance of the breeze of the All-Merciful in the world of creation, and every man of insight hath hastened unto the living waters of the mercy of His Lord, the King of Kings.

O heedless one! The tale of the Sacrifice hath been retold, and he who was to be offered up hath directed his steps towards the place of sacrifice, and returned not, by reason of that which thy hand hath wrought, O perverse hater! Didst thou imagine that martyrdom could abase this Cause? Nay, by Him Whom God hath made to be the Repository of His Revelation, if thou be of them that comprehend. Woe betide thee, O thou who hast joined partners with God, and woe betide them that have taken thee as their leader, without a clear token or a perspicuous Book. How numerous the oppressors before thee who have arisen to quench the light of God, and how many the impious who murdered and pillaged until the hearts and souls of men groaned by reason of their cruelty! The sun of justice hath been obscured, inasmuch as the embodiment of tyranny hath been stablished upon the throne of hatred, and yet the people understand not.

The children of the Apostle have been slain and their possessions pillaged. Say: Was it, in thine estimation, their possessions or themselves that denied God? Judge fairly, O ignorant one that hath been shut out as by a veil from God. Thou hast clung to tyranny and cast away justice; whereupon all created things have lamented, and still thou art among the wayward. Thou hast put to death the aged, and plundered the young. Thinkest thou that thou wilt consume that which thine iniquity hath amassed? Nay, by Myself! Thus informeth thee He Who is cognizant of all. By God! The things thou possessest shall profit thee not, nor what thou hast laid up through thy cruelty. Unto this beareth witness Thy Lord, the All-Knowing.

Thou hast arisen to put out the light of this Cause; ere long will thine own fire be quenched, at His behest. He, verily, is the Lord of strength and of might. The changes and chances of the world, and the powers of the nations, cannot frustrate Him. He doeth what He pleaseth, and ordaineth what He willeth through the power of His sovereignty. Consider the she-camel. Though but a beast, yet hath the All-Merciful exalted her to so high a station that the tongues of the earth made mention of her and celebrated her praise. He, verily, overshadoweth all that is in the heavens and on earth. No God is there but Him, the Almighty, the Great.

Thus have We adorned the heaven of Our Tablet with the suns of Our words. Blessed the man that hath attained thereunto and been illumined with their light, and woe betide such as have turned aside, and denied Him, and strayed far from Him. Praised be God, the Lord of the worlds!

BH00231: Praise be to God Who awakened all created things…

Section 1: “Praise be to God Who awakened all created…”

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

Praise be to God Who awakened all created things through His sweetest call and made known to them His most exalted horizon from which shone forth the Sun of Revelation through His Name whereby the sun was darkened, the moon eclipsed, the earth was cleft asunder and the heaven was split apart. Exalted is our Lord, the Most Glorious, Who when He speaks all things are attracted, and when His Most Exalted Pen moves, the Kingdom of Names is set in motion. He is the One by Whose finger were rent asunder the veils of humanity and the veils of those who were debarred from the ultimate Purpose and the loftiest Summit. Blessed is he who, out of longing for His Revelation, soared above the world and arose to serve Him amidst His creation.

He is the One Whom the Book praised, the pebbles celebrated, the seas proclaimed His sovereignty, the mountains His power, the winds His might, and the signs His glory and splendor. He is the One Who planted with the hands of grace the Lote-Tree of faithfulness in the white spot and watered it with the blood of the chosen ones and the near ones. Exalted, exalted be the Lord of eternity and the Sovereign of nations, in Whose recognition souls are bewildered and before Whose remembrance the sincere ones and those near to God confess their inability to soar. All things testify that He cannot be described, nor mentioned, nor comprehended, nor known. He is the Single One, the One, the Sanctified, the Mighty, the Wise.

The glory shining from the horizon of Will be upon those who speak His praise, who stand firm in His Cause, who arise to serve Him, who convey His commandments, and who drink the choice wine of steadfastness among His creatures in such wise that the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the Kingdom of Names turn toward them. These are servants whom neither the affairs of the world sadden nor the veils of nations hinder nor the might of those who disbelieve and act wrongfully frighten. Blessed are they, then blessed are they. These are the people of God; through them all things seek blessing morning and evening.

Your letter illumined the heart and strengthened all members and limbs, for it was adorned with the mention of the Beloved of the worlds. Exalted be His remembrance, exalted His praise, exalted His station, exalted His recognition, exalted His description. The mention of the true Sovereign and spiritual King is, in truth, like the sun in the heaven of knowledge and like a lamp in the darkness of the world. When it shines forth it illumines the horizons, and when it appears it brightens those in all lands. Praise be to the Beloved of souls and the Purpose of all possible existence Who honored these servants in the days of His Manifestation with this most exalted station and ultimate rank, which is the recognition of God, exalted be His glory, and did not deprive them from the ocean of inner meanings. He is, verily, the Generous Giver.

Regarding what you wrote about having sent multiple letters addressed to this evanescent one, before this letter only one of them arrived which was a source of joy and delight. This servant is occupied day and night with the writing of divine verses, and since numerous Tablets have repeatedly and successively dawned and shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of favor specifically for you, this servant did not make his presence known. Among these were those sent with Haji Siyyid ʿAli-Akbar, upon him be the glory of God, and likewise with Ismullah-i-Asdaq, upon them both be the glory of God, and also with Shaykh Salman. Praise be to God, the gaze of favor of the Purpose of the world, exalted be His grandeur, has been and will continue to be upon you, and its fruit will surely become manifest and evident in the visible world. He is, verily, the Forgiving, the Generous.

In their letter dated the 25th of Rajab, they had written that the honored physician, upon him be the Glory of God, had written that from the blessed Tongue had come the announcement of tribulation. Although the exact text of the blessed utterance is not before this servant, yet in the Tablets this matter has been revealed, both in these days and previously in the Most Holy Book, and assuredly whatsoever hath been revealed and sent down from the Divine Pen and the heaven of the eternal Will shall come to pass, even as whatsoever was revealed in the Tablet to the King of Persia and to Ra’is hath been fulfilled, word for word and phrase by phrase. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to protect His loved ones and preserve them from that which beseemeth them not. Verily He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

The people are asleep, nay dead. In one of the Tablets this blessed word hath been revealed:

“No one save its people can read any book, for the scripts are diverse. For example, none but its people can read the Hebrew script, and likewise the Syriac and other scripts. But the Book of the world can be read by every soul, for upon every tablet of the world is inscribed and recorded the word of change and evanescence, and all behold this and are aware of it. Even as after a luminous day they witness with their outward eye the dark night, and in every moment they see the changes and transformations and variations, and all these matters are written in clear script in the Book of the world. And yet all are heedless and stupefied. Glory be to God! What intoxication is this that hath prevented the world from awakening, and what slumber is this that hath encompassed all! I swear by the dawning rays of the Sun of inner meanings that riseth from the horizon of the prison, that were a soul to become aware to the extent of a single hair, he would not occupy himself with these fleeting days, nor would he deprive himself of the praiseworthy station. Observe the baseness of souls—all acknowledge and confess the evanescence and nothingness of that with which they are occupied, yet each is seen to be captive to something and afflicted by something. I beseech God, exalted be He, to aid us to arise to serve Him and to stand firm in that which He hath willed. Verily He is the One desired in the first and the last. There is no God but He, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

Some time ago this evanescent servant sent a petition to His Honor the Name of God, his eminence Jim, upon him be all the most glorious Glory. That petition was adorned with divine verses. God willing, it will reach the attention of that honored one and he will be enriched by its ocean of meanings.

Concerning what you mentioned about the dream of Aqa Mirza Zaynu’l-ʿAbidin, upon him be the Glory of God, and the martyrdom of the martyrs, upon them be all His Most Glorious Glory, by the life of the Beloved, there hath appeared in creation that which causeth all things to curse every oppressor who hath arisen in opposition and committed that which hath caused the dwellers of Paradise and the denizens of the highest heaven to weep at eventide and at dawn. How excellent are these words:

“Oppress not if thou hast the power, for oppression will in the end bring thee remorse. Thine eyes may sleep while the wronged one keepeth vigil, calling down curses on thee, and the eye of God never sleepeth.”

Such is the nature of men that they take such heedless souls as their leaders. They have passed by the ocean and clung to a mirage. They are deprived of the rays of the Sun and have grown accustomed to darkness. Fie upon them and upon those who have denied God throughout all ages! Before the people, they have committed deeds for worldly ornaments, the traces of which shall never be erased from the world. Soon shall they behold what they have wrought. Verily thy Lord is the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

After the arrival of this news, a Tablet was revealed from the heaven of divine will specifically concerning Shaykh Baqir and the Imam-Jum’ih, who have been designated as the Wolf and the She-Serpent in the Book of the Lord of Names.[BH00336] They specifically commanded that a copy be sent to Asad, therefore this servant sent the written copy to him. Verily it is a noble Book sent down from the presence of One mighty and wise. And as commanded, after perusing it, you should deliver it to His Holiness Ismu’llah J, upon him be all His Most Glorious Glory. What benefit is there when attentive ears are lacking and penetrating vision is absent? Otherwise, all the peoples of the earth would become intoxicated by the wine of the utterance of the Countenance of the Most Merciful and would occupy themselves with His mention, praise and service in the assemblage of the world. In any case, each faction rejoiceth in that which it possesseth. Verily we are God’s, and to Him shall we return.

Concerning what you wrote that His Holiness Ismu’llah H, upon him be all His Most Glorious Glory, labored for years in the belief that the brethren had many who circled round the Absolute Beloved and the True Sovereign and would protect them, yet in the time of tribulation and affliction not a single soul arose for their sake purely for God’s sake to offer protection and seek justice—to the end of your words—this matter was presented at the Most Holy Court, and this is what the Tongue of Grandeur uttered:

O Asad! Hearken unto the call raised from the direction of ʿAkka, which hath been lifted up from the Tongue of Grandeur and Glory: Verily there is no God but Me, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. We took a handful of dust and breathed into it a spirit from Our presence, and clothed it with the robe of recognition, and adorned it with the ornament of certitude, and raised it to a station whereat the tongues of the Concourse on High uttered its mention and praise. Thus doth the Intended One inform thee that thou mayest become aware of the bounty of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Protector, the Glorious, the Loving.

Jinab-i-Ha and Ha—that is, two honored brothers—upon them be the Glory of God—in the days when the Sun of the Horizons was shining and radiant from the horizon of Iraq, turned towards and attained the Most Holy Court. Through the fragrances of divine verses they forgot themselves and others, and arose to praise, commemorate and serve the Friend. After returning, they achieved what they had intended and sought from the Truth.

Section 2: “The hand of divine power exalted them…”

The hand of divine power exalted them to such a degree that they became the focus of all the loved ones and the refuge for most of the servants who dwelt in that land. In their final days, they attained the robe of martyrdom, which is the finest ornament in the world. Verily thy Lord is their Helper, their Succourer, their Strengthener, their Exalter, their Rememberer and their Praiser. This station is one of thanksgiving and praise, a place of glorification and prayer.

By My life, if someone were to contemplate the favors of the Truth, they would speak with the tongues of all things throughout their life, saying “Praise be to Thee, O Glory of the Worlds.” God willing, that honored one should look to the fruit of the tree of martyrdom, taste its sweetness, and make the loved ones aware of it. Such matters have ever occurred and will continue to occur, and were the Supreme Pen to mention their fruits, assuredly the tablets would not suffice. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Blessed art thou for having turned, approached, entered, heard, attained and spoken in remembrance of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. The Glory be upon thee and upon those who have immersed themselves in the ocean of My good-pleasure and who have uttered in all conditions My word: “Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds.”

This servant at this point submits that the Twin Luminous Lights attained the presence of the Beloved of all horizons in Iraq and were outwardly favored with such bounties as had never been witnessed for any others. Since in those days the Twin Luminous Lights were not widely known, some were astonished at the divine favors bestowed upon them, and certain ones even made some remarks. After they returned, several petitions from them reached the Most Holy Court wherein they implored for the supreme martyrdom. I swear by the countenance of the Desired One, they sought this station with such utter helplessness that nothing greater can be imagined. Whenever their petitions were presented, the Tongue of Grandeur would speak words indicating that the time and season for it had not yet arrived—that they should be patient until God brings about His decree.

In truth, the divine verses took such possession of them that this ephemeral pen is incapable and powerless to describe it. God, exalted be His glory, rained down the showers of His grace upon them and elevated their station to such a degree that they became beloved of the chosen ones and renowned in all lands. They were blessed with both outward and inward bounties and sustained by the divine table. Finally they attained this most exalted and sublime station. While they were alive their station remained veiled, but after their ascension there shone forth from the Supreme Pen what did shine forth.

O my beloved one who stands before my eyes! A hundred thousand regrets that this servant attained to what they attained. I swear by that Most Firm Handle by which earth and heaven were set in motion that in all conditions this servant remembers and utters “Would that I had been with them!” Would that a portion of this ocean had been bestowed and a share granted! This servant is forbidden from mentioning certain matters, otherwise he would mention that whereby people would understand what is hidden from them. At all times this evanescent one beseeches God, exalted be His glory, with utmost humility and supplication that he may be granted a drop from this cup. Verily He is the Generous, He is the Merciful, He is the Giver, He is the Bestower, He is the Compassionate, the Kind, the Forgiving, the Mighty, the Wise.

Up to this point, the answer to your esteemed letter dated the 25th of Rajab has been submitted. And the second letter of the 28th of Sha’ban arrived like a spiritual bird and brought joy to this ephemeral heart. We praise God, exalted be He, for your health, your remembrance, your acceptance and your turning to God, the Lord of the worlds. Praise be to God that you have been favored with God’s grace, have arisen to serve His Cause, are speaking His praise, are turned toward His face and are gazing at His horizon.

Concerning the four souls you mentioned, we beseech God to assist all to act with wisdom. During the time of the Primal Point, may our souls be a sacrifice for His sake, and after His supreme martyrdom, each year in various lands bloodshed, plunder and pillage occurred, as in previous ages. These events have been and will continue to be the cause of the exaltation of God’s Cause, though in past years such occurrences were rare. After the incident in the Land of Sad, one day when present before this evanescent servant, He said:

“O servant in attendance! Although this event caused sorrow and grief to the loved ones of God, it became the cause of the further exaltation of the Cause. The Supreme Pen beareth witness that they attained unto that which none before them had attained. Through their love the fire of love was kindled, and through their martyrdom the mention of God was spread amongst all creation. Blessed are they and blessed is he who draweth nigh unto them purely for the sake of God, the Almighty, the Powerful. Blessed are they who have borne hardships for His love, who have entered prison for His Name, and who have been abased in His path. By God! They are indeed the triumphant ones. God will soon reveal the fruits of their deeds on earth. He is the Protector of the sincere ones. Blessed are the faces that were changed by the slaps of the oppressors in His days, and the necks that were adorned with chains in the manifestation of His Cause. By My beauty! He who hath been abased in My path shall soon behold glory bowing down before his face. Verily, He is the Ruler over whatsoever He willeth, and He is the All-Informed, the All-Knowing.”

As for your mention that the friends have no affliction save the destitution and poverty that encompass them all, this evanescent servant submitteth that at one time the Seal of the Prophets, may the spirit of all in the Kingdom be a sacrifice for His sake—that Holy Being Himself together with His companions were in utmost poverty, to such degree that some had no sustenance for the night. Later came a time when one of His companions had more than two hundred horses in his stable, and upon some of them bounties rained down from all directions like rain, and they spent all in the path of the Friend, paying no heed to its accumulation. Today the friends of God must, relying upon Him, stand with perfect steadfastness in the Cause of God, and like the morning star shine bright and luminous among the people, and with wisdom and utterance call all who have gone astray to the horizon of the All-Merciful.

By His very Self, the Truth! The days of glory, sovereignty, wealth and power shall all be made manifest, and divine favors shall encompass them from all directions. All souls shall turn toward them and bow down before them. Let them know the value of these days and beseech God not to be deprived of any matter which they would be powerless to rectify.

Convey on behalf of this evanescent one a wondrous and sublime greeting to all, and make mention that this is a Day the like of which hath never been. Strive ye to drink at all times from the living waters and partake of the choice wine of inner meaning, that ye may be adorned with an everlasting ornament. By the Beloved of the world, in this way all that pertaineth unto you shall endure and remain. Every small deed performed for the sake of God in this day shall be spread throughout all regions. He verily knoweth what He hath ordained for His servants who are not deterred in His path by the censure of the critic nor the oppression of any relentless tyrant. God willing, that honoured one should gladden through the mention of God those friends who have been saddened by recent events. All wealth, glory, exaltation and greatness are destined for man, but since God, exalted and sanctified be He, hath made all matters dependent upon means, they shall appear in their appointed time. This evanescent servant beseecheth his Lord to adorn them with the ornament of patience and ordain for them that which shall profit them in this world and the next. He verily is the All-Patient, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

Concerning what thou didst write about Ali-Akbar Bey, it was presented before the Most Holy Court, and the Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed from the heaven of merciful grace and sent forth. Deliver it unto him, that his heart may rejoice thereby, his eyes be consoled, his breast be dilated, his soul be attracted, and his face be illumined through hearkening unto the verses of his Ancient Lord.

Likewise, thou didst make mention of my brother, upon him be the Glory of God. This was presented before the Most Great Horizon, and a Tablet was specifically revealed for him from the heaven of the Divine Will and sent forth. God willing, may he attain unto it. Mention was made of two Akbars in thy letter, and this was presented before His countenance, and the Sun of loving-kindness rose and shone forth from the horizon of grace. In this connection was seen the phrase “and strengthen them with a third,” therefore it is mentioned that no word hath been received for some time from Mulla Ali-Akbar, upon him be the Glory of God. Convey the greetings of this evanescent one to him and to all other friends.

Moreover, the captives of God—those souls who have become wanderers in God’s path, namely the people of Sad, upon them be the Glory of God and His mercy—are ever before these evanescent eyes and are mentioned before the Throne. Glory be upon them, and greetings be upon them, and blessed are they and those who have attained in the path of the Beloved that which hearts abhor.

BH00406: Praise be to God, Who hath appeared and made…

Praise be to God, Who hath appeared and made manifest His Cause in whatsoever manner He willed. Verily, He is the Sovereign Whose Revelation hath not been circumscribed by any mention nor delimited by any sign, inasmuch as He it is Whom the allusions of men cannot encompass, nor the evidences of them that dwell in the earth contain. The minds of the wise perceive Him not, nor do the hearts of the learned attain unto Him.

The very atoms have borne witness that He is the Living One, besides Whom there is none other God. None hath known Him save Himself, nor hath any soul encompassed His knowledge except His own Self. He revealeth Himself unto whomsoever He willeth. Unto this hath testified the Tongue of the Divine Beauty, He through Whose Most Great Manifestation the world hath been gladdened, and Who proclaimeth with the most exalted call amidst the nations: There is none other God but Him Who speaketh, and heareth, and knoweth, and seeth all things.

Blessed is the strong one whom the allusions of the people of contention have not cast into consternation, and blessed is the steadfast one whom the vain imaginings of the people of veils have not caused to stumble, those who have cast the Lord of creation and the Fashioner of heaven behind their backs, and have followed every senseless clamorer that hath raised his cry in the land.

And further: Thy letter reached this evanescent servant, and whatsoever was written therein became known. I beseech God, exalted and glorified be He, that He may preserve and protect that soul, confirm him in that which beseemeth his station, and grant him success in steadfastness in His Cause. O brother! Steadfastness in the Cause, after the recognition of the Desire of all worlds, is a matter greater than all else, for therein is the ascent unto the Kingdom. Blessed is the soul that, through the power of God, remaineth firm in His Cause, and whom the tumult and outcry of the rabble have not deprived of the grace of the Lord of the throne above and earth beneath.

And as to thy question concerning the difference betwixt Manifestation and Return: all this hath been set forth in the Book of Íqan, which was revealed by the Pen of the All-Merciful and is known by the name of the Ḵẖal. God willing, thou shalt attain unto the reading thereof. By the Sun of Truth that shineth in this day from the horizon of the Prison, whosoever readeth that blessed Book shall discover in it, touching this Cause, such matters as in none of the Books of former times hath a door unto them been opened. Blessed is he that holdeth fast thereto and perceiveth what is therein, for he is indeed of them that see in the presence of their Lord, the Mighty, the Gracious.

As to that which thou didst mention, that certain among the ignorant have become veiled by the utterance of the term “Seal”: Glory be to God! In very truth this is a matter for wonder. In such wise hath a luminary appeared and shone forth in the midst of decline that all the world hath been illumined by its condition and radiance, and yet, notwithstanding this, men have busied themselves with the mention of “seal” and the like, and by reason thereof have remained shut out from the impregnable and inaccessible Truth.

The purport of the matter is this: that none should confine the Most Great Manifestation by the name of the Primal Point or by aught else. His, exalted be His remembrance, is the saying:

“All the names were created for this end, that in the Day of His Revelation thou shouldst not remain veiled from God by reason of the names; rather shouldst thou behold in every thing that whereby the names subsist in every thing, even though it be the mention of the Prophet. That name itself is created by that which God revealeth.”

Thus hath it been set down. Let them reflect thereon.

Likewise He saith in another Tablet that this Most Great Light dissolveth the limitations of all names, even as the mention of “seal” itself is but a word created through a single soul. In the Day of Revelation no name among names can avail a man, nor any station among stations, nor any rank among ranks. By the text of the Point of the Bayan Himself, the Manifestation and Point are for His sake alone. Alas, that the people have not dealt with equity, and that, despite the perfection of the argument, they have remained bewildered and speaking vain imaginings, treading the path of heedlessness and uttering the croakings of ruin.

Exalted be God in His sovereignty, exalted in His protection, exalted in His Revelation, exalted in His Day, in which the Sun hath shone forth from the horizon of heaven. Let the discerning observe how, notwithstanding that men have gone round about for the manifestation of the Night of Decree and have sought signs and tokens for the appearance of Him Who is to come, yet all created things are themselves constrained by proof and evidence, whereas His Revelation is in such a station that it is sanctified above the reach of all names, and no proof can attain unto Him. Wherefore the Primal Point, may the souls of all beside Him be His sacrifice, hath declared:

“By Him Who standeth alone in glory and majesty, and calleth things into being without exemplar, certainty itself is ashamed to be certain concerning Him or to bow down before Him, and proof itself is ashamed to point unto Him.”

Reflect ye upon these resplendent words, wherein He hath with utter plainness declared that certainty and proof are ashamed to indicate Him or to become the evidence of His Revelation. All are commanded to attain unto the recognition of Him through His own Self, not through aught beside Him. Even as He saith, exalted be His glory:

“Wouldst thou have me make thee known through one besides Me? Wouldst thou bear witness unto Me through another? Wouldst thou seek to prove Me by means of him?”

Ponder these words, and heed not the sayings which men utter unto men. The truth is this: were men to seek aid from all the vain imaginings of the world, still would the One intended remain manifest through Himself and known in His essence, shining forth from the horizon of Revelation. In this station, the mention of aught besides Him is not permitted, nor shall it ever be. Be ye not of them that are veiled from the Truth by these utterances and words wherewith men discourse. From whom have ye received these sayings and these declarations?

By the Lord of the horizon of the Bayan! Never hath any soul perceived the source of this Cause, nor attained thereunto. Rather, all have remained veiled therefrom. Yet perchance, through the assistance of the station of wisdom, someone may at length draw nigh unto the seat of the Cause and the Dayspring thereof, and come to know it and be made aware.

They speak according to their own desires, and imagine themselves rightly guided. Say: Nay, by all things is it testified that they have turned away from the Truth and disbelieved in God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. In that passage wherein the Point of the Bayan, may the souls of all beside Him be sacrificed for Him, hath declared, exalted be His mention:

“Beware, beware, lest in the day of His Revelation thou be veiled by the Vahid of the Bayan, for that Vahid was created before Him,”

He warneth men lest, in the day of His appearance, they should through the Vahid of the Bayan be shut out from God Himself, or be deprived of Him by reason of that which was revealed in the Bayan. Let them now consider how heedless are this people: they occupy themselves with the mention, yet remain far from that which is intended by the mention, and from the very object thereof derive no portion. Every single word is reckoned as part of the Bayan, yet the Point of the Bayan declareth that the whole Bayan may in the day of Revelation become a veil. And God speaketh the truth, and guideth His servants unto the even path.

Observe how they busy themselves with every lowly utterance that descendeth from earth or heaven, yet heed not that lofty station which shineth from the highest horizon. They discourse about what is written in the Book, yet no soul in this day is seen to utter even a word from the Bayan, or a phrase from among its phrases, or from the kingdom of its books incomplete, in such wise as would not debar the peoples of the world from this Most Great Cause and leave the eyes of all creation deprived and forbidden. Therefore, O brother, with ears made hearing through the leave of God, hearken unto the words of this evanescent servant.

Should there be found a sanctified hearer, perhaps he may rend the veils of vain imaginings through the melodies of the Lord of pre-existence, and drink from the Kawthar of the Covenant. The Point of the Bayan, may the soul of all that dwell in the realm of being be His sacrifice, hath referred all mirrors, and beyond them, and all things besides, unto the First Vahid, and hath said that all are mentioned beneath the shadow of that First Vahid. Thereafter He describeth it, saying that if anyone should through that First Vahid be veiled from the Sovereign of Names and the Fashioner of heaven, he is not to be reckoned among the accepted. By God! This is the Day whereon mankind crieth out unto the Lord of all worlds. This is the Day whereof the Furqan hath given tidings, the Day whereon “thy Lord shall come, and some of the signs of thy Lord.” This is the Day wherein the heaven hath been rent asunder, the earth stretched forth, and the mountains made to pass away. This is the Day of which the Messenger spake in His utterance, “And thy Lord shall come, and the angels rank upon rank.” This is the Day wherein He Who communed upon Sinai hath lifted up His voice.

Abandon, O ye loved ones of God, every mention save His mention, every praise save His praise, and every description save His description. Converse with His chosen ones through the sweetest remembrance of His beauty. The First Point of the Bayan, may all besides Him be sacrificed for Him, hath forbidden men lest by any mystery among mysteries, any exposition among expositions, any station among stations, any mention among mentions, any name among names, or any attribute among attributes, they remain deprived of the King of Countenances, the Sovereign of love, and the One adored and beheld of all. In all degrees He hath, with the utmost clarity, set forth this matter and made it evident. Yet that which in the Bayan became the cause of the veiling of these wayward ones was the mention of the word Mustaghath, that it might be known who followeth God and who turneth back upon his heels.

Notwithstanding this, in another place He saith that if this people should appear in His day, all of you must worship Him. And in yet another passage He declareth: “The first one who shall worship Him is I myself.” O brother, this is the station and meaning of the words of the Point of the Bayan, may all besides Him be His sacrifice. In diverse passages He hath, by His bounty, disclosed rays of this station. Blessed are they that know.

Likewise, in the Kitab-i-Hayakil, He mentioneth Mustaghath and bringeth the reckoning thereof to nineteen, and then addressed Sayyah, upon him be the glory of God, face to face, bidding him arise and search every side of the Bayan and seek from God every praise and laud, that perchance the eyes of men may be anointed with the collyrium of knowledge, and that He may bestow attentive ears, radiant breasts, and assured hearts.

All that hath been asked and all that shall be asked hath already been revealed. Concerning the exalted mention, a full and ample exposition hath streamed from the Most Exalted Pen. God willing, let them search and read, and let them likewise observe the Book of Badi’ and the other books that have been revealed, that thereby the people may be guided unto the horizon of certitude and directed unto the Kawthar of assurance. Verily, He is the Bestower, the Mighty, the Generous. Had this evanescent servant desired to recount from the utterances of the Point of the Bayan, may all besides Him be His sacrifice, that which concerneth this theme, the parchment would not suffice. I beseech God, exalted and glorified be He, in utter lowliness and supplication, that He may enable that soul and all others to attain unto that whereunto all are summoned in this day. Verily, He is the All-Bounteous, the Omnipotent, the Great.

Convey, on behalf of this servant, the greeting of grandeur unto the friends in that land, and say:

Blessed are ye, inasmuch as ye have attained unto the knowledge of God and of His Cause, turned unto Him, and quaffed the choice wine of Revelation in His wondrous Name.

Occupy yourselves, in consummate wisdom, with the remembrance of the True One, in such wise that the warmth thereof, even without utterance or speech, may exert its influence upon the people of the world. Verily, our Lord and your Lord, our Desire and your Desire, our Adored One and your Adored One, beareth witness unto Himself that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Helper, the Bestower, the Succorer.

And praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds

BH00416: O Samandar! The Lord of Destiny consoles Himself…

Section 1: “O Samandar! The Lord of Destiny consoles Himself…”

He is the Comforter in this great and mighty station.

O Samandar! The Lord of Destiny consoles Himself for what hath befallen Him at the hands of those who have embraced tyranny and cast justice behind their backs, following every froward devil. The tribes of ʿAd and Thamud did unto Salih and Hud that which caused the Divine Lote-Tree to lament and the Concourse on High to cry out, as doth testify this wronged, grief-stricken and lonely One. By God! They crucified the Spirit, hamstrung the She-Camel, and shattered the Ark. Thy Lord is verily the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. He lamenteth for His chosen ones and consoleth His loved ones in this calamity whereby justice hath wailed and the Faithful Spirit hath cried out. They have slain My chosen ones and plundered their possessions. Thus hath the matter been decreed, yet most of the people remain heedless.

O Samandar! We have witnessed Joseph the Beloved between the fangs of wolves, and Husayn beneath the claws of the oppressors. By God’s life! The people have committed that which neither the Jews did unto the Spirit, nor Abu-Jahl unto Muhammad, My Messenger, whom We adorned with the ornament of the Seal and sent unto all who are in the heavens and on earth. They have perpetrated that which none in the world hath ever perpetrated, as doth bear witness the Lord of Eternity from this glorious horizon. When Hasan and Husayn were martyred and their days were ended, We seized the source of tyranny and oppression with a sovereignty from Our presence. Verily thy Lord is the Almighty, the Powerful. Blessed are they who drew nigh unto them and visited their resting-places. They are the people of God in the Kingdom of creation. Thus hath the Supreme Pen decreed in this wondrous and glorious Book.

Woe unto those who have cast the Tablet of God behind their backs and followed every remote transgressor. Ponder, O Samandar, on My forbearance despite My power, My patience despite My might, and My silence despite the influence of My Word that hath dominated the world. Were We to so desire, We could seize those who have committed injustice through a mere servant or through the angels of the near ones. We act according to the wisdom We have made a lamp unto Our creation and the people of Our dominion. Thy Lord is verily the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Soon shall We seize those who have oppressed even as We seized them aforetime. Thy Lord is verily the Ruler over whatsoever He willeth.

God willing, thou hast been and wilt ever remain the recipient of God’s favors and engaged in His service. He hath testified that thou hast been faithful to His Covenant and hast arisen to serve His Cause. Blessed art thou, and thy brother, and thy father who hath ascended unto God, the Lord of the worlds.

O Samandar! Thou must act with the utmost wisdom. Trust not every speaker, reveal not what thou knowest to every visitor, and disclose not to every seeker. How many a servant claims with his tongue that which hath never entered his heart. Be seated upon the throne of wisdom, walk in the path of wisdom, and hold fast to the hem of wisdom. Thus doth the Lord of creation counsel thee. He is verily the Faithful Counselor.

These are days wherein some, for the purpose of learning about matters or for other motives, make claims of sincerity and faith. Thou must be vigilant in all respects that nothing might occur contrary to wisdom.

For each of the souls mentioned in thy letter, wondrous and sublime verses have been revealed from the heaven of divine Will. Blessed are they for having attained unto My verses in My days and unto My mercy that hath preceded all worlds. Make mention of thine uncle on My behalf. Say: Grieve not for what hath befallen thee. The Beloved remembereth thee and hath turned toward thee out of His grace. He is verily the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.

O Muhammad-Qabli-Rahim! Blessed art thou for having turned unto God, hearkened unto His Call, and directed thyself toward Him with a heart that was turned to the Qiblih of the horizons. Let not the affairs of the world grieve thee. Verily, the ocean of joy remembereth thee in the midst of sorrows. The banner of tyranny hath been raised in the land of Sad, whereat the Lote-Tree of existence hath lamented and the Rock of reality hath cried out. God hath seized the root of oppression through His sovereignty. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Unconstrained.

Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having remembered me in Thy Most Great Prison. I beseech Thee, by Thy Name, the All-Subduing Ruler of the world, to ordain for me through the Pen of Thy decree that which shall profit me in every world of Thy worlds. O Lord! Thou knowest what is within me, and I know not what is with Thee. Thou art, verily, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

We make mention of him who is named Ibrahim, that he may hear the Call of the Glorious One which hath been raised from this exalted Station. Be thou mindful of My remembrance, proclaiming My Name and voicing My beauteous praise. Give thanks unto God for having aided thee to recognition and for having revealed unto thee that which shall profit thee throughout the duration of His kingdom and dominion, shouldst thou remain steadfast in this Cause whereby the feet of the learned have slipped and the hearts of the mystics have been perturbed, save whom God hath willed, thy Lord, the Lord of all worlds. Thus hath the Dayspring of Revelation mentioned thee in His days, that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Gracious Lord.

We make mention in this Book of him who is named Ali, from which the fragrance of utterance hath been wafted to all who dwell in the realm of creation and the perfume of the garment hath been diffused amongst those who are near unto God. O Ali! We counsel thee to be steadfast in this mighty Cause. How many a servant hath claimed steadfastness within himself, yet when We tested him with but a word he faltered and was among the lost. Cast aside vain imaginings in the name of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, and hold fast unto the cord of certitude from God, the Most High, the Most Great. Thus hath the Spirit spoken, and the Cock of the Throne hath crowed, and the Nightingale hath warbled. Blessed is he who hath turned and hearkened, and woe unto the heedless. The glory be upon thee and upon whosoever hath held fast unto the cord of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.

O Most Exalted Pen! We desire to make mention of one of My handmaidens who heard My call, turned unto My horizon, discovered the fragrance of My garment, arose to render My praise and glorification, circled round My Cause, sought refuge in My presence, and found shelter beneath the shade of the Tree of My loving providence, who bore the afflictions of the world for love of Me and My path, and cast aside the idle fancies of the nations through the sovereignty of My commandments and ordinances. She is the one who was in the presence of Our Name, who was named Abdul-Rahim, in this luminous Scene. O Samandar! By My life, We have veiled his station in this vain life and have made mention of him in My hidden, treasured and concealed scroll with such mention as hath enraptured the hearts of the mystics. Blessed is he who attained his presence in his days and visited him after his ascension. We bear witness that he is among the triumphant. Blessed is he who draweth nigh and standeth before his resting place and saith:

Peace be upon thee from God and His chosen ones and His trustees and the Dawning-Places of His revelation and the Day-Springs of His inspiration and the Manifestations of His Cause and the bearers of His throne and His angels, O thou who art radiant with the light that shineth from the horizon of certitude and who speaketh in praise of thy Lord, the Possessor of all possibilities. I testify that thou didst arise when thou didst hear the call and didst answer thy Lord, and hastened with thy heart to His most exalted horizon and His most glorious vision, and didst take the choice wine of knowledge from the hand of the bounty of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. And I testify that thou wert steadfast in the Cause of God in such wise that neither the clamor of the heedless, nor the blame of the ignorant, nor the turning away of the opposer, nor the objection of the spiteful, nor the evil of the wicked, nor the barking of the hateful could deter thee.

Section 2: “Thou art he who was mentioned…”

Thou art he who was mentioned by the Most Exalted Pen and who didst win the verses of God, the Lord of Names, and didst drink the Kawthar of utterance from the cup of the wisdom of God, the Lord of the worlds. And I testify that thou didst acknowledge that which God acknowledged on a day wherein earthquakes seized all who were on earth save whom God willed, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Thou art he who heard in the path of God that which no one had heard and bore in the love of God that which no soul among the servants had borne. Thou art he who cast behind thee vain imaginings and placed doubts beneath thy feet, and turned toward the Qiblih of the horizons with a heart purified from the signs of the deniers and the whisperings of those who disbelieved in God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.

Blessed art thou and blessed is he who draweth nigh unto thee and visiteth thee in thy resting-place and who remembereth thee and what befell thee at the hands of those who denied God and disputed His signs and turned away from His presence and objected to His Self and arose to extinguish His light whereby the heavens and earth were illumined. We testify that they are the companions of the fire in the Book of God, the Sovereign, the Just, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Verily, We make mention of Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli who was mentioned by name in thy book. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the Bestower. Grieve not at separation, for He prescribeth for whomsoever He willeth whatsoever He desireth. Verily thy Lord is the All-Powerful, the Unconstrained. Be not grieved at anything, but rejoice in the days of thy Lord and say:

Praise be unto Thee, O Sovereign of earth and heaven! I testify that the earth hath been ennobled by Thy footsteps, the atmosphere hath been perfumed by Thy breaths, the sun hath been illumined by the light of Thy countenance, the heaven hath been raised up by Thy will and hath smiled at Thy manifestation, and the world hath quivered with longing to meet Thee. O Lord! I beseech Thee by the tribulations that have befallen Thee to inscribe for me, by Thy Most Exalted Pen, that which befitteth the heaven of Thy bounty and the ocean of Thy generosity. O Lord! I testify that Thou didst create me and all things to attain Thy presence, to stand before the throne of Thy grandeur, and to appear at the gate of Thy mercy. Despite my knowledge of all this and my certitude in what Thou hast willed before Thy face, should Thou command me to stand still, I would be content with Thy command, and should Thou forbid me, I would say:

“Praise be unto Thee, and Thine is the command, O Thou in Whose hand lies the kingdom of all things and in Whose grasp is the dominion of names. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

O Lord! I beseech Thee by those who have arisen to aid Thy Cause and by those who were martyred in the Land of Sad for Thy sake—those whose tribulations caused the Concourse on High and the denizens of the Kingdom of Names to weep—to ordain for me, by the Pen of [Thy grace], the reward of attaining Thy presence and the recompense of those who hastened to the Dayspring of Thy Revelation in such wise that neither the waves of the seas deterred them from Thy path, nor the hosts of the wicked from the direction of Thy grace, until they entered Thy Most Great Prison, stood before Thy throne, heard Thy call, were illumined by the lights of Thy countenance, and sought shelter in the hem of Thy bounty.

O Lord! I am the poor one, and Thou art the Rich; I am the impotent one, and Thou art the Powerful. I have raised my hands of supplication to the heaven of Thy gifts. If Thou renderest me deprived, verily Thou art the best of judges, and if Thou sendest down upon me what Thou hast willed of Thy grace, verily Thou art the best of givers. I testify in all circumstances that Thou art praiseworthy in Thy deeds and obeyed in Thy command. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Pen of the Most Merciful! Make mention of him who was named Hasan-i-Qabl-i-Khan, that he may rejoice in My remembrance and arise to that which will profit him in the worlds of My Command and My Kingdom, the Mighty, the Impregnable. Be thou in such wise that neither the happenings of the world nor the clamor of the nations shall deter thee. Thus doth the Ancient King command thee from this luminous spot. Say: The heedless ones have imprisoned Him in this mighty fortress, yet in all conditions He calleth them who are in the kingdom of creation unto God, the Creator of heaven. However, most people are among the heedless. Some have heard, some remained heedless, some heard and turned away, and some heard, hastened, and answered their Ancient Lord. This is a day whereon it behooveth the whole world to become a single ear, that it may hear this most sweet call which hath been raised betwixt earth and heaven. Thus doth the Lord of all mention thee in this great prison. Be thou thankful unto thy Lord for having remembered thee through these verses whereby the eyes of those near unto God have been solaced.

O Husayn! The face of the Wronged One hath turned toward thee from this spot, and He saith: Blessed is the stranger who hath recognized his supreme home, blessed is the hearer who hath heard the call of the Lord of all creation, blessed is the seer who hath beheld My Most Glorious Horizon, and blessed is the speaker who hath uttered My beauteous praise. Verily, the Wronged One calleth thee and counseleth thee with that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in His wondrous Book. Hold fast unto God and His commandments, and be thou in such wise that all who possess the sense of smell may inhale from thee the fragrance of the love of God, the Lord of the worlds. Thus hath My Most Exalted Pen spoken out of grace from His presence, and I am the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

O Samandar! It behooveth thee to offer thanksgiving and praise unto thy Lord for having revealed, for every name recorded in thy book, that which will enable the sincere ones to inhale the fragrance of My Revelation and the sweet-scented savour of My luminous garment. The glory rest upon thee and upon them and upon him who hath attained unto My presence and My service, and verily he is exalted after Nabil. We make mention of him at the end of the Book that he may rejoice in the remembrance of his Lord, the All-Informed, the One Who uttereth. We send Our greetings unto him from this Station, and call to mind the days wherein he was present before the Throne and hearkened unto the voice of his Lord, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

And the glory rest upon thee and upon him and upon both your families and upon those who are with you and those who have believed in God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH00458: In these days when the fire of tyranny…

In the Name of God, the All-Powerful

In these days when the fire of tyranny is ablaze and the light of justice is concealed, the Most Exalted Pen makes mention of thee and declares: Reflect upon the rebellious souls and that which proceedeth from them. With their tongues they make mention of the All-Merciful and occupy themselves with praise of the Best-Beloved of all worlds, and yet they perpetrate that which causeth the Divine Lote-Tree to lament and bewail. Woe unto them and unto those who follow them! For the sake of this base and transient world they have forsaken the eternal realms of God. And strange it is that, despite such deeds and actions, they count themselves among the faithful. By the life of God! The Apostle lamenteth their actions and the Holy Maiden weepeth at that which their hands have wrought. They slay the sons of the Apostle while praying unto Him and weep for those martyred in former times. We testify that they are among the lost.

Observe how greatly hath heedlessness encompassed these souls. They themselves quote that the Apostle—may the spirit of all else but Him be sacrificed for His sake—hath said: “The righteous belong to God and the wicked belong to me.” Yet they have done what they have done and committed what they have committed. By the life of God! The Concourse on High and the denizens of the Kingdom of Names have lamented, but the people remain wrapt in heedlessness and veils. He hath indeed seized the spotted snake through His sovereignty and might—she who was the source, origin and essence of tyranny—and soon will He seize the wolf that followed her. Verily He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

Those people formerly martyred the Prince of Martyrs, and when asked why they had put to such a humiliating death this holy soul whom all acknowledged and confessed to be the son of the Apostle and the Prince of the Youth of Paradise, they replied that he had risen against the Imam of the Age. And now they have martyred this Husayn, who is the Imam of the land of Sad and His very essence. Behold, the curse of God be upon the wrongdoing people! Take heed, O ye who have eyes to see! Take heed, O ye who have insight!

Blessed art thou for having believed in God, the Self-Subsisting, the Supreme, on a day wherein men have turned away and objected, save those whom God, the Lord of the seen and unseen, hath willed. Praise be to God that through divine grace thou hast drunk from the ocean of faith and attained recognition of the Best-Beloved of the worlds. Reflect upon the heedlessness of those who style themselves learned ones of the age. They have failed to ponder even a single word of the words of old or to comprehend its meaning. This is that word of old which was spoken: The chiefs of the earth shall present themselves before the Qa’im, and then that Dawning-Place of the Light of Divine Unity shall speak a word whereupon all shall flee. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of utterance, had the people of the world—namely those who claim adherence to the Qur’an—reflected with fairness and insight upon even this blessed word, they would not have risen in tyranny.

Were any clear-sighted one today to gaze with penetrating vision upon the Divine Lote-Tree, he would behold upon all its leaves, branches and twigs the marks of the swords of the rebellious, the arrows of the deniers, and the stones cast by the doubts of the heedless. Nevertheless, that blessed Tree at all times calleth out with its most exalted voice, summoning the people of the world to the most sublime horizon. Strange it is that the people are deluded by this world, which is but a fleeting shadow, and remain heedless of the Truth. It behooveth everyone who hath believed in God to ponder the words and deeds of those who have disbelieved and to render praise to their Lord, the Giving, the Bountiful, Who enabled them to recognize the Manifestation of His Self, the Dawning-Place of His Revelation, the Dayspring of His signs, and the Source of His knowledge, the Mighty, the Wondrous. Woe unto the people who cast aside their God and followed their vain imaginations. God will soon seize them with His wrath and His authority, for He is verily the All-Compelling, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Thy letter reached the Most Great Prison and attained the presence of the Wronged One of the horizons. The fragrance of love wafted therefrom, and for each soul mentioned therein, blessed verses were sent down from the heaven of oneness. God willing, all shall attain unto the fruits thereof in this world and in all the divine worlds. He is verily the Ordainer, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.

We make mention of Siyyid-ʿAli and beseech God to forgive him and draw him nigh unto Him. He is verily the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. This is a Day wherein the ocean of bounty hath surged, the heaven of generosity hath been upraised, and the sun of grace hath shone forth, inasmuch as the temple of the All-Merciful hath been established upon the throne of His blessed Name, the Mighty, the Well-Beloved. Blessed is the soul that hath heard the call of its Lord and turned with its heart unto God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.

We make mention of him who is named Mahmud, that he may rejoice in the remembrance of the Wronged One Who calleth all to God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen. O Mahmud! This is a Day that hath adorned the Books of God, the Mighty, the Loving. Arise to remember and praise God, and beseech Him to make thee steadfast in this irrevocable Cause. By God! The Sun of Revelation hath shone forth, whereat the feet of the learned have slipped, the hearts of the mystics have been perturbed, and the faces of the peoples have been darkened, save those whom God, the Lord of existence, hath willed. Hold fast unto the firm cord of this Most Great Name and say:

Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of existence, for having caused me to turn unto Thee and unto Thy horizon. I testify that Thou hast appeared with the truth and that which was hidden hath been manifested. Thou art verily the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.

We make mention from this Most Great Prison of him who is named Muhammad-Rida, that he may hear the call of the Lord of Names in all the worlds of his Lord, the All-Knowing Director. The ears were created to hearken unto My call, the eyes to behold the lights of My horizon, the faces to turn unto My Kingdom, the hearts for My love, and the tongue for My beauteous praise. When thou hast attained unto My verses and found the fragrance of My remembrance, render thanks unto God for this. He is verily the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

We make mention of him who is named Muhammad-Sadiq, that the fragrances of My verses may attract him and draw him nigh unto My Kingdom and My Dominion. I am verily the Forgiving, the Bountiful. We have heard the cry of those who have been intoxicated with the wine of My verses, and We have mentioned them as a grace from Us in this perspicuous Book. Hold fast unto the hem of thy Lord’s mercy and place thy trust in Him. He is verily the Bestower, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. How many a monarch hath heard and turned away, and how many a servant hath turned toward the river of his Lord’s mercy. Blessed is the tree that hath inclined toward Him, the fragrance that hath been wafted from His direction, and the breeze that hath passed over His luminous raiment.

We make mention of him who is named Hasan [Bey] in this station which hath been named by all names from the Supreme Pen. He is verily the Powerful, the Unconstrained. O Hasan! Husayn was martyred in the land of Sad for the sake of God, the Lord of mankind. He is the one for whose calamity lamented the dwellers of the sanctuary of grandeur and the inhabitants of the Most Glorious Pavilion. The Lord of creation beareth witness unto this. He is verily the Truthful, the Mighty, the Bestower. God hath seized those who transgressed and rebelled, with an authority from His presence. He is verily the Powerful, the All-Compelling. And He shall soon purify the earth from the defilement of those who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of the Final End.

O Muhammad-Qabli-Hasan! Hearken unto the call of Him Who is the Lord of the seen and the unseen from this most exalted Station, then render thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Bountiful. It behooveth everyone to beseech his Lord to enable him in His days to accomplish that which shall endure as long as His most excellent names endure. He, verily, is the Expositor, the All-Knowing.

Say: O Lord of hearts and Sovereign of all beings! I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the All-Subduing, to assist me in making mention of Thee and in extolling Thy virtues, and to ordain for me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones. Thou, verily, art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the All-Beauteous.

O Abu’l-Qasim! Rejoice that the countenance of the Ancient of Days hath turned toward thee from His Most Great Prison, and calleth thee unto God, Who causeth the winds to blow. Hearken unto the call from the Supreme Horizon. By My life! It will draw thee to a station before which pens fall powerless to describe. Blessed is he who hath sought the Desired One, and the mystic who hath recognized the One Who is known, and the wayfarer who hath hastened with his heart unto God, the Cleaver of the dawn. We have, at all times, summoned all men unto the All-Merciful. Among them are such as have hearkened and turned toward Him, and such as have turned away, following every heedless doubter. The glory of God rest upon the people of Baha who have cast the world behind their backs and are engaged in the service of God, the Lord of all mankind.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named after the Desired One (Husayn-ʿAli), that Thy call may draw him near and Thy fragrances may bring him closer unto God, the Almighty, the All-Praised. Blessed art thou for having been mentioned in the days of thy Lord by this Pen through which the Trump was sounded and all who are in the heavens and on earth were thunderstruck, except such as thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, pleased to spare. We have made mention of every one who hath turned toward the Countenance and every tongue that hath uttered the praise of its Lord, the Mighty, the All-Wise. Blessed is he who, being athirst, hath quaffed from My sealed wine, and he who, being endowed with strength, hath set his face toward My straight path. From this Station do We send Our greetings to the faces of My servants and My handmaidens who have not cast aside My Covenant and have fulfilled My testament which We took from them in the primordial atoms of the Torah and the Gospel. By God! This is a covenant that Muhammad, the Apostle of God, and the Revealer of the Bayan took from all who are in heaven and on earth. To this testifieth every fair-minded, clear-sighted one.

O My servants! Rejoice in My remembrance, then make mention of Me. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Expositor, the All-Wise. He hath made Himself known unto you and hath taught you His remembrance and praise. He, verily, is the Forgiving, the Bountiful. O My handmaidens! Rejoice in My days. By the life of God! All the treasures of earth cannot equal My remembrance. He, verily, is the Reckoner, the All-Knowing. Render thanks unto your Lord by night and by day. He heareth and seeth. There is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.

O Mihdi! Praise the Lord of the world that for each of the souls mentioned in thy book, sublime and glorious verses were revealed. It behooveth thee to thank God throughout the duration of the dominion of earth and heaven. Thou shouldst, with perfect wisdom, summon the people to the ocean of divine knowledge and wisdom. The promotion of the Faith is among the most momentous of all endeavors. The friends of God must, through the assistance of the Primal Word, awaken those who slumber and bestow new life upon the dead. The Word of Truth hath ever been, and will continue to be, the quickener of bones and bodies. Within it lie concealed the seas of life and of knowledge and wisdom. Blessed is he who hath clung thereunto, attained unto its fragrances, and drunk from its oceans.

We beseech God to make that servant fragrant with the sweet savors of His days and to aid all to perform good deeds and to acquire praiseworthy qualities and attributes, and to achieve whatsoever will cause the exaltation of His Cause and the elevation of the station of those souls. The friends of God, both living and dead, have ever been remembered at His threshold, and He hath made mention of them all in His sublime Tablets. He, verily, is the Recompenser. He, verily, is the Giver. He, verily, is the Generous One. He, verily, is the Revealer, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

We make mention, at the end of this Book, of thy wife who hath heard and believed in God, the Single, the All-Informed. O My handmaiden! Hearken unto My call and say: I testify, O my God, that Thou hast created me and created the world, that Thou hast provided for me and for all who are in the world. Thou art He Who brought the contingent things into being through a word from Thee, and quickened those who lay in the graves through the breezes of Thy days. I beseech Thee, O Educator of the world and Sovereign of nations, by Thy Name through which, when uttered, all things proclaimed Thy praise and glory, and through which, when moved, all created things were stirred with longing for Thy presence, to ordain for me that which will profit me in this world and the next, and in every world of Thy worlds. O Lord! Thou knowest what profiteth me. Decree for me, through Thy bounty, that which beseemeth Thy grace. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Loving.

BH00641: O Javad! Hearken unto that which the Nightingale…

He is the One Who calleth between earth and heaven

O Javad! Hearken unto that which the Nightingale of Sorrow warbleth upon the branch of grief by reason of what the hands of the oppressors have wrought. Verily, the viper hath bitten the Best of God’s creation, and the wolf hath devoured the chaste Joseph, and the Messenger lamenteth in His glorious and inaccessible station. By God! The denizens of Paradise have cried out, and the Concourse on High have wailed by reason of the throne of tyranny being established upon the seat of oppression without leave from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The people of Sad have risen against those through whom the horizons of all lands were illumined, in that they have taken the viper as their leader instead of God. Thus have their souls enticed them. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Explaining, the All-Knowing. We have seized him who arose in tyranny with a vengeance from Us. Verily, thy Lord is the Avenger, the Almighty. And We shall seize those who conspired with him in his designs. He, verily, is the Ordainer of whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

We make mention of Our servant Razzaq and those who are with him in Najm, who have turned towards the Most Sublime Horizon when every learned one who relied upon his own knowledge turned away therefrom, without any clear proof from God, the Lord of all worlds.

O people of the village! Rejoice in that the Dawning-Place of the Light of Oneness maketh mention of you—He Who calleth out in the wilderness of utterance unto all created things and summoneth them unto God, the Mighty, the All-Informed. Blessed are ye for having turned unto Him and believed in God. He giveth you glad tidings through this Book, before which, when it was sent down, all the books of the world bowed down, though most of the peoples are heedless.

O Razzaq! Arise to serve the Cause of thy Lord and remind His loved ones with joy and fragrance. Then recite unto them what the All-Merciful hath sent down from the Kingdom of Utterance, that their eyes may be solaced thereby and their hearts be dilated in these days of God, the King, the Mighty, the Beautiful. We counsel you regarding the Most Great Trust and that whereby the Cause of God is exalted amongst His servants. He, verily, is the Faithful Counsellor. Adorn yourselves with My characteristics, then act in accordance with that which We have commanded you in My perspicuous Book. Hold fast under all conditions to the cord of steadfastness and cling to the hem of My Name, the All-Bountiful.

O My Pen! Make mention of the loved ones of God who dwell in Muhammadabad and give them glad tidings of the grace of the Spirit, through Whose manifestation the breeze of God hath wafted and the fragrance of inner meanings hath been diffused between the heavens and the earth. To this testifieth everyone endowed with a refined sense of smell.

O My loved ones in that place! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One, Who at every moment calleth unto all who are in the realm of existence, that He may draw them nigh unto the One, the All-Informed. Rejoice in My remembrance of you, then drink the water of immortality of My love from the chalice of My bounty in My Name, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. You are in your homes while the Lord of the Kingdom remembereth you from His mighty prison in the land of exile. Can any bounty equal this which ye witness today? Nay, by My Name, the All-Encompassing over all who are in the heavens and the earth! Abandon what ye possess and turn with illumined hearts towards the ocean of your Lord’s bounty, Who is encompassed by sorrows from every direction from those who have denied Him and His signs when He came with a manifest proof. Hold fast unto the Book of God. Verily, it will acquaint you with that which was hidden from you and guide you unto My straight path.

O Najaf! Mention hath been made of thee before the Throne, and there hath been sent down for thee and My loved ones in that place this Book, which, wert thou to place it upon a mountain, thou wouldst behold it stirred by its longing for the verses of God, the Lord of this wondrous Day. Be thou thankful unto God for this remembrance which is more precious than the world and all that hath been created therein. To this beareth witness every fair-minded and perceiving one.

We make mention of him who has been named Arab-Ali, that he may rejoice and be of the thankful ones. O servant! When thou hearest My call and attainest unto My verses, turn thy face toward God and say:

“I beseech Thee, O Lord of Names and Creator of earth and heaven, to send down from the heaven of Thy bounty that which will purify the hearts of Thy servants. O Lord! Assist Thy loved ones to be steadfast in Thy Cause and in that which Thou hast commanded them in Thy Book. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest.”

Everything beareth witness that Thou art the Omnipotent, the Almighty.

We make mention in this place of My loved ones in another village, ʿAli-Rida-Abad, and give them the glad-tidings of the favors of their Lord, the Lord of creation. O loved ones of the All-Merciful in that place! Hearken unto My call and arise to serve My Cause, and hold fast unto My laws and cleave unto My commandments, whereby the horizons have been illumined. Cast aside the customs of the people and what they possess, and take hold of the customs of God through the power of the Lord of the beginning and of the return. O My loved ones! Drink from the chalice of love and unity, then remember your Lord at eventide and at dawn. We have heard your call and witnessed your turning unto Him. Verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Beware lest the world and what is therein prevent you from this Cause whereby hearts have been perturbed and livers have melted. This is He Whom God hath made a sword unto His enemies and a spirit unto His loved ones. Verily, He is powerful over all who are in earth and heaven.

O Pen! Turn toward another village, Kakan, then make mention of its people from God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, that the rapture of verses may seize them and draw them nigh unto God, the Lord of the Kingdom. O My loved ones! Remember My exile and My imprisonment and My tribulation, and that which hath befallen Me in this year at the hands of those who have denied the Witness and the Witnessed. They have slain God’s chosen ones and plundered their possessions and entered their homes with an injustice whereby all things have lamented and the eyes of the Concourse on High have wept. But the people do not understand. By My life! Were anyone to look and observe My limbs, he would find in every part of My frame the mark of the sword of every misbeliever who hath turned away from God, the Lord of the unseen and the seen.

We have spent all that We possessed in the path of God, the Mighty, the Loving. God hath cut down the tree of tyranny with the sword of justice. Verily, He is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is. Blessed are ye for having turned unto the Countenance and turned away from every veiled learned one. The glory be upon you, O My loved ones in My lands, and praise be upon you for having attained unto the days of God and found the fragrance of His beloved garment.

O Name of Generosity! Unto each of the people of the villages were sent down from the heaven of divine will wondrous and exalted verses. God willing, may they attain unto them and be engaged in the remembrance and praise of God. Command all to manifest praiseworthy character and attributes and befitting deeds from the presence of the Wronged One, that all may be adorned with a wondrous and exalted ornament. Send a copy of this Tablet to Abdu’r-Razzaq, upon him be the glory of God, that he may know with certainty that he is mentioned at the threshold of the Divine Throne. God willing, they must act and speak in a manner befitting the Days of God, that perchance the veiled ones may succeed in rending their veils and the sleeping ones may arise from the couch of heedlessness. We enjoin upon all to show patience and forbearance in this great calamity. Praise be to God, the hand of divine power hath removed from their midst that wicked soul who was the source and origin of oppression.

O Javad! Observe the base rabble of the earth—one who was and is not worthy to serve even donkeys, him they took as their leader and by his decree martyred the chosen ones of God and His loved ones. Blessed are they who drank the choice wine of martyrdom in My path, and woe unto him for the oppression he manifested, from which all in the heavens and earth declare themselves innocent, as thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, doth testify. He chose everlasting torment for himself. Fie upon him and upon those who made him their leader! the ungodly of the Plain of Taff were asked:

“For what crime did you martyr the son of the Messenger of God?”

They replied saying that he had risen against the Imam of the Age. Now they say that Hasan and Husayn had risen against the Friday prayer leader.

O Javad! All the corruption in the world hath been and shall be from these ignorant ones who appear in the garb of knowledge. All are seated upon the thrones of self and passion, and speak that which God hath not permitted. They judge according to their desires as they please. They slay the descendants of the Messenger while mentioning him in temples and mosques. Perdition upon them and upon those who followed them without leave from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. By what name did they plunder possessions? If they say those holy souls had, by reason of their faith in God, departed from the hosts of ignorance and for this offense deserved such punishment—what was the offense of the property, that they plundered the wealth of young and old? Their deeds curse them and their actions belie them, yet they comprehend not. The riches have returned to their source. By God’s life, they belong to Him and His like. Thus hath the matter been decreed and thus hath spoken the tongue of the Wronged One in this noble station.

Convey My greetings to all the friends in that land and gladden them with the grace and mercy of God. The Glory be upon thee and upon thy family and upon My loved ones among the men and women servants who have attained unto the recognition of God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH00789: The essence of praise, its purest form, both outward…

He is God—exalted be His glory and majesty!

The essence of praise, its purest form, both outward and inward, befitteth the sacred court of that intended One Who from a single element brought forth diverse foundations, and then through the operation of His ordained powers made those diverse foundations the manifestation of a single element, naming it “essence” and making it a sign of the dominion of His Own oneness. This is that unity in which the multiplicities of the world of existence are submerged in the ocean of its seeking, and this is that essence from whose recognition all accidents wander bewildered in the wilderness. This is that essence which hath been called by all names, from which diverse attributes have become manifest, the hidden mystery in the kingdom of creation and the treasured secret in the repository of names, whose manifestation is the sign of the world’s maturity. Thus hath the Tongue of Eternity spoken.

I beseech the True One, glorified and mighty is He, that through His grace, mercy and favor He may transform the hearts of the peoples of the world through this most great elixir, and cure the chronic diseases of ignorance, heedlessness, weakness and doubt through this supreme remedy, that all may turn to the horizon of certitude and partake of the choice sealed wine. This essence of essences hath appeared from the mine of divine wisdom and is and ever shall be the Primal Word. Exalted, exalted be its sovereignty! Exalted, exalted be its power! Exalted, exalted be its dominion! Exalted, exalted be its influence! It is the elixir of triumph, the sign of oneness, and the cause of the world’s healing from its diverse ailments. Exalted, exalted be its might! Exalted, exalted be its mention! Exalted, exalted be its manifestation! Exalted, exalted be its concealment!

Whatever any perfect one might say in this station is imperfect. How can the poor and weak one speak of the Ocean of Wealth? How can the helpless and indigent describe the Sea of Power? We beseech God to illumine all through the lights of the Sun of Knowledge and to cause them to attain unto the sprinkling of the Ocean of Generosity. He is the Bestower, He is the Ordainer. I testify, and all things testify, to His sovereignty, His bounty, His grace and His generosity. Verily He is the Most Exalted, the Bestower, the Mighty, the Generous.

Thereafter, your letter reached this servant and I found therein the fragrance of your love for the Beloved of the world and the Goal of the nations. When I read and understood it, I turned to the Most Exalted Horizon and presented its contents in the Most High and Resplendent Station. Thereupon the Tongue of the Beloved spoke: “Verily We have mentioned him and do mention him, and We beseech God to strengthen him in that which will exalt His Cause and purify him from all that He abhorreth and sanctify him from whatsoever is unworthy of His days which were foretold in the Scriptures of God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. Give thanks unto God for having created thee, sustained thee, and guided thee to His straight path. Hold fast in all conditions to the hem of the robe of thy Lord’s mercy and cleave unto the cord of His Most Great Name. Say:

O Lord of eternity and Sovereign of nations and Beloved of the world! I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name through which the ocean of Thy meeting surged and the fragrance of Thy raiment was diffused, to make me successful in Thy remembrance and praise, and to strengthen me in Thy service and obedience. O Lord! Deprive me not of the oceans of Thy bounty and the suns of Thy favors. I beseech Thee to ordain for me, through Thy Most Exalted Pen and Thy Will that dominates all things, that which will profit me in this world and the next. Verily, Thou art the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. Thou art He from Whose knowledge nothing escapes that can be witnessed or seen, and verily Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. O my God and my Sovereign! Make me not to be debarred from the Euphrates of Thy wisdom nor deprived of the manifestations of Thy Kingdom. Thou hast ever been the Dominator over Thy servants and the Sovereign over those in Thy heaven and earth. Verily, Thou art the Most Exalted, the Bestower, the Mighty, the Loving.

Blessed art thou, and again blessed art thou, for having attained to the remembrance of the Beloved once more. Verily, He remembers him who remembers Him and hearkens unto the call of them that remember Him.

As to what you wrote concerning the Stone, this station has been mentioned in every tongue, whether Persian or Arabic. However, in one Tablet concerning Mariyah the Copt, this station is mentioned in detail. This evanescent servant, from the first day he attained this Cause and was occupied with transcription, had never heard the Beloved mention anything in this regard. However, some petitions from before and after arrived from various directions inquiring about this matter. Therefore, in response to each one, as was befitting, drops from the ocean of knowledge were manifested, and whenever anyone wished to engage in this pursuit, they were forbidden and told that the time had not yet come—wait until God brings it forth in His Own time.

For today all must be focused on another matter, which is teaching the souls with wisdom and utterance, so that the copper of the existence of the servants might be transformed into pure gold through the elixir of the divine Word and that they turn toward the supreme horizon. Today man is able to acquire eternal stations, and whatever is lost today can never be regained. God willing, you will be engaged in the remembrance of Truth with the utmost joy and delight. He is the Illuminator of hearts, the Companion of hearts, and the Master of hearts. Blessed is he who has drunk the Kawthar of recognition and was among the assured ones.

In truth, nothing can be clearer than what was mentioned in the Persian treatise; everything was explained in detail in that treatise.

As to what you wrote about returning water to the body, if there is a reduction in the repetition of water, and what should be done—the question was submitted, and He said: First, you must know that the water which is intended is the divine water, and that water is characterized by oiliness, for oiliness is concealed within it. For if the water were pure water, meaning plain water, it would never be capable of extracting the hidden oil in the earth which is called the gold of the sages and the essence of essences. Moreover, mixture would be impossible, for the hidden oil in the earth has been called fire and red sulfur in one station, and there can be no mixture between oil, which is the essence of fire, and water. This matter is clear and evident to every discerning one. Anyone who becomes cognizant of the water, if there is reduction in the process and it diminishes, can take its equivalent. Thus does the Wronged One explain in His manifest prison.

O Ali! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. He testifieth that there is none other God but Him. He hath ever been established upon the throne of power and strength and majesty, and will continue to be even as He hath been. There is none other God but Him, the All-Explaining, the All-Knowing. It behooveth thee on this day to hold fast unto that which will cause thy mention to endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. Turn not thy gaze toward the world and its concerns. By My life! It shall perish, and grace will abide with him who hath forsaken it out of love for God, the Mighty, the All-Loving.

When thou attainest unto this Tablet, render thanks unto God, then make mention of the Wronged One in accordance with what He hath taught thee of the straight Path of God. Know thou that God hath appointed a time for every matter, and verily it hath not come to pass, but when it doth come to pass it shall appear through the power of truth. He, verily, is the True Informer, the Trustworthy. We have not given leave to anyone to occupy himself with this matter. To this testifieth My tongue and My pen and beyond them thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Thus have We made mention of thee and caused thee to hear, that thou mayest rejoice within thyself and be numbered with the patient ones. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH00829: O Varqa! The servant who was present came…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great

O Varqa! The servant who was present came and presented what was in your letter. We found it a mirror reflecting your love for the Beloved of the world and your orientation towards Him. Blessed art thou for having drawn nigh, having drunk, and having attained. Verily thy Lord is the Expositor, the Manifest One. We have witnessed the fire that hath encompassed thee in thy love for thy Lord, and We have seen its flames and heard its roaring. Exalted is He Who kindled it, ignited it, and manifested it. He is the One with power at Whose manifestation of might the very essence of power confesseth its powerlessness. Thy Lord is He Who heareth and seeth; He is the All-Informed. Rejoice in that the Wronged One maketh mention of thee even as He mentioned thee before, and in this hour He walketh and saith:

“I have found the fragrance of thy love and witnessed thy sincerity and humility, as thy heart was engaged in My remembrance and thy tongue was occupied in uttering My beauteous praise.”

Thus hath the Water of Life flowed forth that thou mayest rejoice in the days of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

O Varqa! Your call was heard and your letter was presented before the Throne. Praise be to God that the flames of divine love were witnessed therein. God willing, thou wilt ever be delighting in the remembrance of the Friend, drinking in His Name, finding rest in His memory, and occupied with His thought, that perchance distant souls may draw nigh unto the ocean of nearness, and weary spirits may hasten, through the warmth of the Word, toward that direction which is sanctified from all directions.

Some of the faithful are observed to be sorrowful, nay rather fearful, on account of the event that hath come to pass in the land of Sad, whereas the Hand of God’s power hath, through His special favor, raised them up and showered upon them from the heaven of mercy and the clouds of bounty the rain of grace and blessing. His complete power hath adorned them with the raiment of glory amongst mankind, such that the tongues of the sincere ones and those brought nigh have spoken their praise.

They attained such a station that even their enemies bore witness to the loftiness of their rank, and in their final days they achieved the most exalted and supreme station, which is that of the Most Great Martyrdom—a station which, from time immemorial unto eternity, hath been and will ever be sought after by the chosen ones and friends of God. Nevertheless, some are seen to be troubled and grieved.

God willing, this sorrow hath appeared because of love for them. By the ocean of inner meanings! Were the station of but one of their servants who are now engaged in service to be revealed, all the peoples of the earth would be thunderstruck. Blessed is he who reflecteth upon what hath come to pass, that he may become aware of the greatness of the Cause and its sovereignty. This station which they attained was what they themselves had beseeched from God, glorified and exalted be He, and what they had sought with the utmost yearning and desire.

Say: O friends! Ye have endured much in the path of love for the Beloved of the worlds. Ye have witnessed what was not worthy to be seen, and heard what was not worthy to be heard, and in the path of the Friend ye have borne matters which were in truth heavier than mountains. Blessed be your appearance, your eyes, and your ears, for what they have borne, seen, and heard. Now, know ye the value of this most exalted and sublime station, and waste it not.

In every case, this world is transient and all who dwell therein shall fall prey to death, and all that is therein shall be afflicted by the claws of change. Ask ye God, glorified and exalted be He, at all times, to preserve you and keep you steadfast on the path of His Cause. Know ye this much: that whatsoever ye have borne in His path, or seen, or heard—this hath been through His grace and favor, wherewith ye have been specially endowed, and this mention of you in the Tablets hath been and will continue to be another of His bounties.

Ye have tasted the cup of tribulation in His path; now drink ye the choice sealed wine from the cups of His remembrance and favors. God willing, may ye be assisted to serve the Cause. We counsel all to manifest praiseworthy characteristics, goodly deeds, and befitting actions. Today it behooveth everyone to hold fast unto that which will exalt the Cause of God and to cleave thereunto.

Say: We say only this much, and leave the rest to your own sense of justice as to what beseemeth such a Day. Be not grieved by outward weakness, abasement, and distress. By the Sun of the heaven of independence, wealth and riches circle round about you, make mention of you, and are inclined toward you. If one considers the divine wisdom, their appearance remained veiled for some days. Days will come when each one will appear manifest and radiant like the sun.

We beseech God that people may attain unto the sweetness of divine utterances and truly find them. The Glory be upon you from Us, and upon your brother, and upon My Name who gave up his spirit in My path and dwelleth in the precincts of My mercy. We make mention at the end of the Book of your brother who turned his face toward My countenance, stood before the gate of My grandeur, and heard My wondrous and mighty call.

God willing, may that which hath been mentioned not pass from their sight. May they be assured of divine grace, drink at all times from the choice wine of remembrance, gaze toward His direction, and God willing, may the mention of love and unity not pass from sight.

At this point We make mention of him who was named Kazim, that he may rejoice in the remembrance of God, the Most High, the Most Great. Blessed art thou and thy brother who was martyred in the path of God, the Lord of the worlds. Behold, then make mention of Our servant Kazim who was martyred in the land of Sad—a martyrdom at whose tragedy the atoms of all created things wept, and beyond them the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the cities of names. Thy Lord, the All-Seeing, the All-Informed, beareth witness to this.

O Kazim! Reflect upon God’s grace and observe His mercy that hath preceded all the worlds. Ponder the blessed word that was revealed in the Book of Ha and Sin where He saith, and His word is the truth: “Whoso is God’s, God is his.” And since those holy souls gave up the world and all therein in the path of the Lord of Oneness and attained unto the chalice of martyrdom which is in truth the most exalted cup, the Supreme Pen is seen to be engaged and moving in their remembrance morn and eve.

By the Sun of the Kingdom of utterance! If the shrill voice of the Supreme Pen were truly heard by an attentive ear, all people would leave their homes and cry out “Here am I, O God, here am I!” Blessed is the ear that heareth and the heart that perceiveth what hath transpired, and the taste that hath tasted what hath appeared from the ocean of thy Lord’s grace, the Forgiving, the Generous.

O Kazim! Act according to that which thou hast been commanded and thou shalt witness thy Lord’s grace encompassing the worlds. The Glory be upon thee and upon those who have attained unto the most great steadfastness in this Cause whereby the mountains were scattered, the heaven was cleft asunder, the earth was split, and the people were shaken, save those whom God wished, the Powerful, the Protector, the Mighty.

And whatsoever was mentioned in your letter was presented before the Most Holy Court. He said: Act according to what We have commanded thee in the path of God, the Lord of the worlds. God willing, may you speak of the remembrance of the Ancient Beauty and the Lord of all nations, detached from the world. The Glory be upon thee and upon every insightful soul who hath turned unto Him.

BH00872: A Tablet from Our presence and a Book…

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

A Tablet from Our presence and a Book from before Us to him who turned his face to the Qiblih of existence and traversed land and sea until he entered the Most Exalted Paradise—the station wherein the Sadratu’l-Muntaha proclaimed that there is none other God but He, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

We bear witness that thou didst enter the prison, and present thyself, and stand before the gate, and with thine own ears didst hear the call of the Wronged One—a call through which every lamp was lit, every sun rose, every moon appeared, and every luminous horizon shone forth. Blessed be thy father who detached himself from the world and all that is therein, and turned wholly unto God, the Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens, until he attained the presence of the Throne and God shone upon him with the lights of His countenance. Thy Lord is, verily, the All-Informed, the All-Knowing.

We sheltered him beneath the shade of the Tree of Our mercy for numbered months until his time was fulfilled. We commanded him to return, and he returned by the command of his Lord, until he reached the place wherein he ascended unto God, the Lord of all worlds. Thus did We inform him aforetime through My Most Exalted Pen. Verily, the knowledge of thy Lord encompasseth the heavens and the earth, yet most of the people are heedless. We revealed for him, before and after his ascension, that whereby his remembrance shall endure throughout the duration of My mighty Kingdom. Be thou grateful to God for this, and We, at this hour, give thanks through his tongue. Verily, thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Bountiful.

Thou wert indeed in the vicinity of thy Lord’s mercy and attained the presence of the Throne time and again. Thy Lord is, in truth, the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. When the appointed time came, We commanded thee to return that thou mightest remind the people of God’s Message and gladden them with this Remembrance—at Whose proclamation the sea cried out: “There is none other God but Him,” and the land declared: “He is the Truth, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Praiseworthy.” At His call all things cried out, and every seeing one turned to the Most Sublime Horizon, every hearing one to His sweetest utterance, and every assured one to His straight Path. Thus hath the Most Great Ocean overflowed, that thou mayest rejoice in thy Lord’s bounty and be of them that have attained.

Praise be to God that through divine bounty thou hast been assisted and hast turned toward His direction, until thou didst enter the Most Great Prison and didst hearken with thine outer and inner ears to the call of the Wronged One of the horizons. Thou didst drink from the hands of bounty the Kawthar of meeting, which had been the hope of those near and sincere ones. It behooveth thee to praise and thank God throughout the duration of the kingdom and the heavenly realm. God willing, thou shouldst occupy thyself with service to the Cause, which is teaching—meaning that thou shouldst guide those who wander in the wilderness of heedlessness to the ocean of divine knowledge and wisdom, through the blessing of the Most Great Name.

Say: O friends! Today ye must all be so enkindled with the heat of the love of God that its warmth may be evident from all your veins, limbs and members, that all the peoples of the world may be ignited by this heat and turn toward the horizon of their goal. We counsel all to act according to what We have revealed in the Book. All must adorn themselves with divine virtues and act upon that which will cause the exaltation of God’s Cause and the glorification of souls. Blessed is the land over which the breeze of God hath wafted and which hath perceived the fragrance of God.

O people of Baha! Know ye the value of these days and arise to perform deeds worthy and befitting this Day. Each one of you must appear in such wise that people may inhale from him the sweet savors of the Merciful and discover the attributes of God. If what hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen had truly been heeded, no withered and dead one would now be seen in the land. The greatness of this day is such that the Spirit speaketh, saying: “Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having enabled me to attain unto Thy presence,” and He Who conversed with God uttereth: “Thanks be to Thee, O my God, for having shown me Thy Beauty and for having shed upon me the light of Thy countenance.”

By God’s life! The Beloved crieth out, saying: “Praise be to Thee for having given me to drink the cup of Thy reunion and for having shown me the horizon of Thy manifestation and granted me true knowledge of Thee.” And the Desired One speaketh, saying: “Praise be to Thee, O Goal of the Bayan, for having revealed Thy countenance and made Thyself known to Thy servants, and glory be to Thee for having rent asunder the veils in the ninth year and manifested Thyself in the eightieth, though the followers of the Bayan protested.”

O people of Baha! I swear by the ocean of meanings that from every word floweth the stream of life—do ye drink and remain unmoved, or are ye unaware? Today all atoms proclaim “The Sovereign hath come!” and all the Concourse on High give glad tidings to the people of creation that “Thy Lord hath come, and on that day sovereignty belongeth unto God.” Are ears deprived of hearing these spiritual melodies, or are they prevented by outward means? Hear ye the call of the Wronged One and let not time slip away. Make your utmost effort lest ye be deprived of the outpourings of the Day of God. And summon all to the Most Great Steadfastness, that perchance they may not lose this mighty gift and may preserve it through the Name of Truth. Thou hast observed that although in most Tablets We counseled the friends to this lofty and most exalted station, which is the station of steadfastness, yet someone was deprived of the ocean of grace and barred from the heaven of bounty by mere trifles. Woe upon him and upon those who followed him.

Today, those who have drunk from this ocean must behold themselves in such a station that all who are on earth would be powerless to speak in refutation of them, let alone cause them to go astray. Share in gatherings those utterances which thou didst hear from the Primal Point in His presence, that perchance they may recognize the station which most of the servants have failed to perceive. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing Teacher. The Glory be upon thee and upon thy father and thy mother and thy brother and those who have believed in the Peerless, the All-Knowing.

Say: Glory be unto Thee, O God of Might and King of the Kingdom and He Who rules over all who are in the heavens and on earth! I testify that Thou didst aid me and enable me to attain unto the presence before the gate of Thy bounty and to hear Thy sweetest call and to witness the effulgences of the lights of Thy most exalted Throne, whereby the earth and heaven were illumined. By Thy might, O King of Kings! Were I to praise Thee throughout the duration of Thy names and attributes, it would not befit Thy presence nor would it equal what Thou hast bestowed upon me through Thy generosity and favor. I beseech Thee, O Cleaver of the Dawn and Subduer of the Winds, to assist me to serve Thy Cause in such wise that I may mention Thee among Thy servants through what Thou hast taught me in Thy Sacred Books and Tablets.

O my Lord! Withhold me not from the ocean of Thy bounty and the sun of Thy generosity and the heaven of Thy grace. Remember me through Thy favor in the Concourse on High, even as Thou didst remember Thy servants who cast away all else save Thee and turned toward Thy luminous countenance. O my God! I beseech Thee to assist me in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with. Verily Thou art the Doer of what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Wise.

BH00904: This is what hath been sent down in reply…

This is what hath been sent down in reply from God, the Mighty, the Bestower.

The letter which His Honour ʿAli-Qabli-Akbar, upon him be the Glory of God, had written to you was presented in its entirety by this servant before the Divine Presence and was honoured to be heard. The beginning of the letter was adorned with mention, praise, glorification and thanksgiving to the Beloved of the worlds. Blessed is the tongue that hath spoken His praise this day, and the heart that hath attained unto His love, and the eye that hath been honoured to behold the Most Great Vision, and the face that hath turned toward the countenance of God, the Lord of destiny, and the pen that hath moved to describe His attributes and praise. Thus hath My Most Exalted Pen spoken in this noble station.

However, toward its end, words were observed which bespoke sorrow and were unworthy of these days. Among these expressions specifically mentioned for these days was that “it is God’s will that these servants be the object of calamities that descend and tribulations that occur,” and similarly other expressions greater than or like unto this word were repeatedly mentioned. Yes, they have been imprisoned in God’s path, and have heard taunts, and have been afflicted with tribulations, but all these matters cannot equal a single letter of the verses which, aforetime, were revealed from the Dayspring of Divine favour specifically for them and for those who have been afflicted with tribulations in My path. We commanded this servant present to write and send these verses.

It is strange that after hearing those verses, from whose fragrance the Concourse on High became intoxicated and overjoyed, they should occupy themselves with such expressions and dispatch them to the Holy Land. By the life of God! A single letter thereof cannot be equalled by all that hath been created on earth. Had that Tablet been recited in the presence of them that are nigh and sincere, they would assuredly have passed beyond this world and all therein from the intoxication of the wine of the utterance of the All-Merciful, and had they possessed life everlasting, they would have continued forever to say: “Unto Thee be praise, unto Thee be thanksgiving, unto Thee be glory, unto Thee be bounty.”

The event in the Land of Sad, though it caused the hearts of those near and sanctified to burn, yet it was thought that after the rising of the suns of favor from the horizon of the Divine Pen of bounty, all would become supplicants and seekers to attain a drop from this ocean. In such days, one like his honor who has always been under the gaze of divine favor and has attained the station of nearness should speak words that would cause the extinction of dormant souls and bring peace to troubled hearts. In days past, many such events occurred—nay, even greater and more severe—as they have seen and heard, and now for some time such occurrences have been few. Nevertheless, most are seen to be troubled, fearful, distressed and sorrowful.

These two Lights, which are H and H, turned towards Iraq and attained the ocean of meeting and drank from the Kawthar of reunion. In those days they were not known except to a few souls, and later through divine favor they attained such a station that they became renowned among the concourse of those near and sincere, and even among the Concourse on High. And in their final days they attained the greatest martyrdom which they had sought and desired from God, exalted be His glory, in their supplications. From the Supreme Pen appeared such words concerning their tragedy that will endure as long as the kingdom of earth and heaven shall last. By thy life, O Ali, this is a station of gratitude—but such gratitude from which the ocean of contentment appears. The lamentation of the Supreme Pen has been and will be a manifestation of His favor, grace and faithfulness. Otherwise, the Divine Lote Tree has been raised through the blood of the chosen ones.

In any case, abasement in My path is the sovereign of all glory, poverty in My love has been and will be the master of wealth, and death in My good-pleasure is the dawning-place of life. Take heed, O people of insight! Know, O ye who are endowed with vision! Today is the day when all should be seen aflame, and the effect of the fire of the Divine Lote Tree should be manifest and evident from the hearts of the sincere and near ones, that perchance dormant souls might be enkindled thereby and turn to the supreme horizon.

O Ali, one should ask that heedless one who questioned why God the Almighty did not save Hussein ibn Ali and protect him from the oppression of the oppressors. From that very word of that heedless one the truth of God’s Cause becomes manifest and evident, though he was not and is not aware. In this Revelation, God, exalted be His glory, has not given respite to the oppressors and has seized most with utmost severity and speed. By My life, He is indeed the Powerful, the Mighty! At the time when the Ancient Beauty and His household were taken captive, the Surih of Ra’is was revealed from the heaven of divine will, and the chief and his followers, nearly a million, returned to their abode in utter abasement. Nevertheless, no one became aware, though they recited the Surih and heard with their own ears what had come to pass. Reflect, O Ali, on the power and sovereignty of God, and be of those who know.

The souls who today have drunk the wine of inner meanings should manifest such joy and gladness as has not appeared in creation, for they have become aware of that which others have not discovered, and have attained a station for which the chosen ones have laid down their lives. Now the Supreme Pen proclaims: Would that my people knew! Verily, we are God’s and to Him shall we return.

O Ali! The verses which We previously commanded the servant in attendance to send have been dispatched. Now We have again commanded that they be written and sent, that you may read them anew and become aware and informed of the divine favors concealed therein. Perchance through their sweet fragrance the traces of sorrow may vanish and the countenance of joy may appear. The command is in His hand—He doeth whatsoever He willeth and ordaineth whatsoever He desireth.

O Ali! Share with the companions what hath been mentioned, that they may discover their stations and recognize its value, and become aware of God’s favor which hath been with them and, God willing, shall endure throughout the eternity of His names. Thus doth the All-Knowing teach thee from this noble station. The glory be upon thee and upon those who hold fast to this Cause and hearken unto thy counsel regarding the Cause of God, the Lord of the unseen and the seen.

BH01137: When your letter arrived, all that was mentioned therein…

In the Name of God, the One

When your letter arrived, all that was mentioned therein was clear and evident to those endowed with vision. Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One of the horizons. Beseech God to enable you to efface illusion and attain unto clear knowledge.

You wrote that for years you have studied religion and are certain of it. Should someone ask you by what proof and by what evidence [you believe], what would you say? Place yourself in the presence of the All-Merciful, then speak with fairness. I am indeed a faithful counselor unto you. The matters you mentioned and established as signs of the truth of truth have ever been and shall forever be rejected in the sight of God. It would be better if you were to recite, purely for the sake of the All-Merciful, some verses of the Qur’an and ponder their meanings. Perchance on this Day, which is the King of Days, you may not remain deprived of the choice wine of recognition and bereft of the Kawthar of revelation and inspiration.

Among other things, reflect upon these blessed verses which were formerly revealed to the Beloved of the world and the Lord of nations. He saith: “And they say: We shall not believe in thee till thou cause a spring to gush forth for us from the earth; or thou have a garden of date palms and grapes, and cause rivers to gush forth abundantly in their midst; or thou cause the heaven to fall down upon us, as thou hast claimed, in pieces; or thou bring God and the angels face to face with us; or thou have a house of gold; or thou ascend to heaven—yet we shall not believe in thine ascension until thou bring down for us a book that we can read.’ Say: Glory be to my Lord! Am I aught but a mortal, a messenger?”’

These are verses which the idolaters spoke to the Seal of the Prophets—may the spirit of all else but Him be sacrificed for His sake. That is to say, they made these verses the conditions of their belief, stating that if His Holiness would manifest these things, they would be convinced of the truth. Now consider those heedless souls who demanded that He cause a spring to gush forth in the land of Batha, or manifest for them a house of gold, or ascend to heaven before their eyes and bring a book they could read, or produce a garden with date palms and grapes, or come with God, exalted be His glory, and a company of angels. These were the things that the idolaters of the Hijaz demanded of the Lord of the world to manifest, that they might believe in what He had declared. A brief explanation of their meaning has been given.

Now observe with penetrating vision, with a pure heart, and with complete fairness, and reflect, that the truth may become clear to you and the path of God which hath appeared in truth may become manifest, and that you may find yourself possessed of clear certainty. And after these questions, observe what God, exalted be His glory, hath answered. He saith: Say: “Am I aught but a mortal, a messenger?” And if these requests had been accepted and God, exalted be His sovereignty, had manifested what they had asked for, then according to their assumption, no one on earth would have remained a denier or turned away, at least outwardly. And yet in another passage He saith that even if they were to witness all the signs, they would not believe and would not turn to the supreme horizon. Now that honored one should reflect upon what they have asked. I swear by the Revealer of the Books that if with fairness and free from selfish desires, ye ponder on what hath been mentioned, verily ye will return unto the truth, and, detached from all save God, leave your homes uttering “Here am I, O my God, here am I!”

The Truth hath not desired, nor doth He desire, that every soul should manifest whatsoever it willeth. He hath raised the banner of “He doeth what He willeth” and hath spoken the blessed words “I ordain what I desire.” It is abundantly clear that the Truth, exalted be His grandeur, is the Sovereign Doer—whatsoever He uttereth and ordaineth hath been and shall ever be for the good of His servants. That which ye desired hath been manifested in even greater measure in the divine Books. Examine them, that ye may become acquainted with the knowledge, wisdom, sovereignty, might, power and all-encompassing authority of God—exalted be His power, His grandeur and His dominion. Please God, ye must become sanctified and detached from such arguments and utterances as were voiced by the objectors of former ages, and fix your gaze upon God’s enduring testimony and that which hath appeared from His presence. That which had never appeared before hath now been made manifest—to this every stone and clod of earth beareth witness, yet most of the people remain heedless.

Say: Glory be unto Thee, O God of existence and Knower of the seen and unseen! I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the Hidden and Promised One, through which the ocean of Thy knowledge surged, the fragrance of Thy raiment wafted, and the gate of Thy presence was opened to all who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth, to assist me to recognize the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation and the Dayspring of Thy signs. O my Lord! I am he whom vain imaginings have withheld from the horizon of Thy certitude and the doubts of men have barred from the ocean of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by Thy Self to enable me to turn unto Thee and to turn away from all else besides Thee. O my Lord! Thou art the Generous, the One endowed with great bounty. Drive not this poor one from the door of Thy bestowal, nor this deprived one from the depths of the ocean of Thy oneness. Forgive him through Thy grace and bounty. Verily Thou art the Munificent, the Generous, and verily Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful.

BH01402: We make mention of him who hath turned towards…

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

We make mention of him who hath turned towards the Ocean and attained that which was intended in the Books of God, the Mighty, the Wise. He hath turned once before and again in these days wherein the gates of the Prison were opened and the Wronged One went forth by a command before which neither the heavens nor the earth can stand. He, verily, is the Omnipotent, the Powerful. Blessed art thou for having attained His presence, and heard, and gained that which was intended. We bid thee return to the lands and regions of God, and give glad tidings to those who have believed in My Remembrance, through which the ocean of bounty hath surged, and the Lord of Eternity hath testified that there is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Beware lest the affairs of the world sadden thee. Take what thou hast been commanded by God and remind the people of My beauteous remembrance. Say: O people of Baha! By God, the gate of heaven hath been opened and the Lord of Names hath come with mighty sovereignty. Beware lest the mention of the servants prevent you from the Most Great Remembrance, or the hosts of the earth frighten you from the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds. Cast aside what the people possess. By God, the Self-Subsisting hath come and commandeth you through His Most Exalted Pen with that which attracteth the earth and heaven. Draw nigh with your hearts and be not of the heedless.

Say: If ye desire the Book, by God, it hath been inscribed by My Most Glorious Pen upon the face of all things. The Lord of Names hath come, and I am the Manifest Book. Bear ye witness to His appearance, His manifestation and His sovereignty, even if ye be among the heedless ones. Thus hath the tongue of the Wronged One spoken that which hath caused the Concourse on High to burn, for He seeth Himself in evident sorrow. Say: Rejoice in My remembrance, soar in My atmosphere, and hold fast unto God, the Lord of the worlds. Beware lest ye follow the people of the Bayan who have disbelieved in the All-Merciful and deviated from My straight path.

O ʿAli! God willing, mayest thou be assisted through divine grace and remain firm and steadfast in service to the Cause. The glance of loving-kindness hath been and will continue to be upon thee. Convey My greetings to those who drink from the cup of inner meanings and gladden them with divine favors. All creation hath been brought from non-existence into being that their mention might be made in the presence of God. Praise be to God that they have attained this most great bounty and most exalted station. They must at all times fix their gaze upon the horizon of steadfastness, lest the foul winds prevent pure souls from inhaling the fragrance of inner meanings. Say: Today the fragrance of the garment is diffused and the world is illumined by the lights of the Sun of Truth. The mention of aught else but God is not permissible, for this Day hath been mentioned and recorded in the divine Books as the Day of God. Naught is befitting therein save the remembrance of God and His sovereignty which encompasses the worlds.

The deeds of those who have arisen in God’s path are recorded before the Throne and have been adorned with the ornament of acceptance. God will soon reward them with the best of rewards. He, verily, is the Bestower, the Generous. Although no command was issued from the Source of Command, each soul hath rendered service according to his capacity. God hath ever been and will continue to be independent and self-sufficient. Were a single drop from the ocean of His riches to be sprinkled upon the world of poverty, it would adorn all with the ornament of wealth. Every soul beareth witness to His wealth, His sovereignty, His grandeur and His power.

Last year there flowed from the Most Exalted Pen concerning the payment of the Huququ’llah that which is recorded in the Tablets. These are the Rights which have been prescribed for everyone by God and were formerly ordained. He, verily, is the Expositor, the All-Knowing, the Wise. Blessed is he who hath held fast unto the Book and acted according to that which was commanded by the All-Wise Ruler.

O ʿAli-Akbar! Thou must be so enkindled with the fire of God’s love that all lands may be ignited by its heat. However, in all matters be mindful of wisdom, lest something occur that might cause the weak ones to be disturbed. The divine Tablets have been revealed specifically for accepted souls and will gradually reach them. Let all rejoice, for their mention hath been made in the presence of God. If some have not received Tablets in this instance, let them not be saddened, for they shall receive them later. For every matter there is an appointed time. When it cometh, it shall come. He, verily, is the True Herald, the Truthful Informer, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

The glory be upon thee and upon My loved ones whom God hath aided to achieve the Greater Steadfastness. By My life, they are the firm ones, they are the sincere ones. Praise be to God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.

BH01425: Praise be to God, Who hath borne witness unto…

Praise be to God, Who hath borne witness unto His own Self through His own Self before He created His heaven and His earth, that there is none other God but Him. From everlasting He hath dwelt in the sublimity of His sovereignty, the exaltation of His majesty, and the greatness of His glory. None can wing his flight unto the heaven of His knowledge save in accordance with that which He hath sent down in His Book. Verily, He is powerful to do whatsoever He willeth, and ordaineth whatsoever He desireth. None can hinder His dominion, nor repel His decree. All things have testified to His oneness. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

Your letter was presented before the Book of Love time after time. ʿAbdu’l-Qadir (may God confirm him) and Rashid and Hamd have borne witness to the stations of love and the grades of joy, and their words brought exceeding gladness and expansion of heart. God willing, may ye ever be enabled to speak the truth and be occupied in the service of His friends.

The True One—glorified be His majesty—is witness that this lowly servant hath not ceased to remember you, and will not cease. In all conditions I beseech God—glorified and exalted be He—to confirm you and the friends in that which He loveth and approveth. In truth, your station is a station mentioned and recorded in all the divine Tablets.

As to what was heard concerning Haji Ali of Qazvin (may God exalt his degrees): it was laid before the Sacred Presence, and the Company of the Merciful were gathered. A petition was also offered. Thereupon, out of mercy, He vouchsafed an answer and commanded that for the departed one they should send a message of consolation and greeting to Yahya. In truth, you and the beloved of God—among them Haji […] and La’ih Abdu’l-Husayn—have kindled in the Abha court a lamp of mercy. Its recompense is with God—glorified and exalted be He—and shall surely be bestowed.

We beseech God to enable you to accomplish that which shall profit you in this world and in the world to come. There is none other God but Him, the Omnipotent, the Exalted, the Most High, the Great.

Convey, on behalf of this lowly servant, a most wondrous remembrance unto La’ih ʿAbdu’l-Husayn and unto the friends in that land; and in particular convey it unto Murtada—upon him be the glory of God. We ask the True One that he may, in all conditions, be occupied with remembrance and with praise, for He is the Hearer, the Answerer.

And concerning Nasru’llah—may his station be exalted—and Sayyid […]: convey unto them, in that land, greetings beyond number. As to the circumstances of our own journey, we found it not expedient to set them down at this time. Let the steadfast and upright turn themselves wholly to the service of the Cause. By My life! With consummate wisdom the Hand of God speaketh; that which is sweet and most dear may be known, though the particulars of the matter be not yet disclosed. The Lord, the All-Merciful, is indeed the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.