Volume 060: Akka 1297 A.H. (1880), Part I (5 of 8)

BH00237: All praise, sanctified from letters and words, befitteth…

Section 1: “In the Name of our Lord, the Most…”

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

All praise, sanctified from letters and words, befitteth the Most Holy and Most Glorious Court of that Desired One Who hath gathered together the whole world through one Word, and through another Word hath distinguished between truth and falsehood. He is that Word which hath been called by all names, appearing at every moment in a wondrous form, and in a certain station. He it is Who, between heaven and earth, proclaimed the blessed word “The Beloved of the Worlds hath appeared!”, and He was that Cry whose mention was recorded aforetime in the Books. He is that Word which called out with supreme power and dominion, declaring: “I am the Distinguisher of the world and the Separator of the world. I am that Balance whereby the deeds of all the world’s peoples are weighed.” Glory be unto Him, glory be unto Him! How great is His sovereignty! How mighty His glory and His power!

This blessed and most exalted Word, with all its loftiness, sublimity, power and grandeur, hath shone forth and appeared from the horizon of the Mouth of Will. Glorified be its Originator, its Creator, its Quickener and its Sovereign! This is a station wherein, after one hath immersed himself and journeyed therein, the radiance of the Sun of Grandeur so grippeth him that man is left bewildered. And this bewilderment is itself most praiseworthy and shall ever be so, even as the Seal of the Prophets—may the life of all else be a sacrifice unto Him—hath said: “Lord, increase my bewilderment in Thee!” Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto this most exalted station and comprehended that which hath been manifested in the days of its Lord, the Possessor of Names.

The Ocean of Life hath appeared in the contingent world, yet the people remain heedless and veiled therefrom, nay rather, they are seen to turn away. He calleth with the utmost loving-kindness and bounty, guiding and directing the thirsty ones unto Himself, yet none turneth towards Him save whom his Lord willeth. In all divine Books, Tablets and Scriptures the glory of this Day hath been mentioned and recorded, yet they remain heedless thereof and deprived. The eyes of the Concourse on High have been gladdened by the appearance of God, the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below, yet the people are in strange heedlessness and drunkenness.

The divine Call is raised upon the Mount of Knowledge, and He is the same Speaker that spoke from the Blessed Tree, and He is that Promised Countenance by Whose mention all divine Books have been adorned, being known in each Book by a different name. This is the Day which God—exalted be His glory and His sovereignty—hath attributed unto Himself, mentioned in the Books as the Day of God. Despite conclusive proofs, manifest evidences, revealed verses, and clear and resplendent signs, all are occupied with vain imaginings, idle fancies and fleeting things. Heedlessness hath so seized the people that they have not awakened at the Cry, nor raised their heads from the slumber of negligence at God’s Call.

Strange it is that they witness at every moment the changes, transformations, variations and passing away of the world, yet they cling unto it, remaining bereft of any portion from the immortal Kingdom. After a few numbered hours or brief days, they shall pass from their lofty palaces to empty tombs wherein they shall dwell. Then shall they cry:

“Woe unto us for having been heedless of the Sun that shone forth and gleamed from the horizon of the Cause!”

They shall weep and lament, finding neither helper nor succourer.

This lowly servant beseeches his Eternal and Everlasting Lord to rend asunder, with the finger of His Will, the veils of all created things, to show them the light of His Cause from the horizon of His purpose, to make them hear His most sweet call which hath been raised between earth and heaven, to give them to drink of the choice sealed wine through His Self-Subsisting Name, and to aid them in such wise that neither the opposition of the heedless nor the clamor of the deniers shall dismay them. Verily, He is the One Who dominates all who are in the heavens and on earth. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Wise.

To continue: O my beloved, I received your letter which testifies to your sincerity, your acceptance, and your turning unto God, Who is our Beloved and your Beloved, our Goal and the Goal of all worlds. When I perceived the fragrance of your love from the trace of your ink and became aware of its contents, I approached the Praiseworthy Station until I attained the presence of His countenance, and, after receiving permission, presented what was written therein. Thereupon the Tongue of Grandeur spoke that which caused the ocean of utterance to surge throughout all possibility, and all atoms bore witness to the Lord of all religions. He spoke, and His most exalted Word is this:

O servant who standeth before the Throne! Write for him who hath turned unto My countenance that which the Tongue of My grandeur uttereth in My prison, that he may give thanks to the Lord of the world and arise to make mention of Him in such wise that the fragrance of detachment may be wafted therefrom throughout the realms of creation. O Ahmad! We have mentioned thee aforetime with verses before which the Concourse on High and a company of angels bow down at eventide and at dawn. We have indeed sent down verses for every occasion, yet most of the people are wrapped in heedlessness and veils. They have cast aside that which is approved and have clung to that which is forbidden, inasmuch as they have followed the divines of the earth who have cast the truth behind their backs and have held fast to fancy and vain imaginings.

By God! The Wronged One hath called them at all times unto the All-Merciful, yet they have pronounced judgment against Him without any clear proof or Book. That which never appeared in the world hath now been made manifest, as attesteth the Mother Book which is with Him. This is a day wherein the earth and heaven have spoken, and all things have cried out: “The kingdom belongeth to God, the Lord of Lords!” Blessed art thou and thy children who have acknowledged that which God Himself hath acknowledged on the day when all men stood before God, the Lord of the Day of Mutual Calling. There hath been ordained for thee and for them that which none knoweth save God, the Lord of the Final End.

Rejoice thou in the glad-tidings of thy Lord and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art wronged, and glory be unto Thee, O Thou Who art imprisoned, and all glory be unto Thee, O Thou Who hast borne in the path of God that which none of His servants hath borne.”

And further, the names mentioned in your letter were presented before the Throne. The Sun of loving-kindness shone forth upon each one, and with His blessed tongue He spoke words concerning these accepted and mentioned souls, and then from the heaven of His Will, verses of grandeur were revealed for each one. May the spirit of the world be a sacrifice for His bounty! In truth, whatever may be mentioned and whatever praise and glorification one may cling to and hold fast unto, has not been and is not worthy of this grace and loving-kindness.

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great

The verses have been revealed and the signs have appeared and the Hidden Mystery hath been made manifest in truth and proclaimeth amongst all creation that there is none other God but Him, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. He is indeed the One at Whose appearance the Qaim circled round with the Concourse on High. Thus was the matter decreed in the Books of God aforetime, but the people know not. Every letter, every word, and every line in the Books of God hath testified to this Tablet which hath appeared in the temple of man, and verily this is the Tablet which hath been preserved from all eternity within the pavilions of immaculacy, through a command from the presence of the Beloved, the All-Glorious.

O ʿAli-i-Akbar! By the life of God! If thou couldst taste the sweetness of the utterance of the All-Merciful, thou wouldst soar on the wings of yearning in this atmosphere which God hath sanctified from all who know and all that is known. Be thou thankful unto God for this supreme bounty which cannot be equaled by all the treasures of the earth. Thy Lord, verily, is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.

He is the One Who speaketh from the Farthest Lote-Tree

O Isma’il! He Who sent forth the Friend maketh mention of thee. Rejoice thou and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the worlds! Verily He heareth the call of every soul that turneth toward Him and beholdeth the deeds of those who have turned unto Him with radiant faces. He, verily, is the Hearing, the All-Seeing. We have sent down for everyone who hath turned unto God that which hath caused the breezes of revelation to waft over all, whether young or old. Among them are those who were stirred by the call of God and hastened unto the seat of nearness and holiness and glory, and among them are those who were seized by the intoxication of pride in such wise that they awoke not even when the Trump was blown from the presence of a wise Ordainer. Blessed art thou for having turned unto God on a Day whereon every learned one turned away and every mystic objected and every religious leader pronounced his remote judgment. We counsel thee to remain steadfast in the Greatest Steadfastness and to preserve that which thou hast been given from the presence of the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

He is the Dawning-Place from the horizon of utterance

A remembrance from Our presence unto him who hath turned toward the Most Great Sea and desireth to drink therefrom in My Most Generous Name. O ʿAli! We make mention of thee as a token of Our grace that thou mayest thank thy Lord Who created thee and guided thee unto His straight path. Verily those who are heedless this day are in manifest loss. The breezes of chastisement shall soon seize them from every direction. The Revealer of verses beareth witness unto this in this Great Tablet. We counsel thee and those who have believed to observe the greatest steadfastness and that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in His mighty Book. Hold ye fast unto the Book of God, then speak ye that whereby the standards of guidance may be raised amongst all creatures. Thus doth He command you from Whose presence is a Preserving Tablet.

He is the One Who hath appeared with the Most Great Name from the horizon of the world

O Hasan! The Lord of eternity maketh mention of thee and of those who have believed on a Day when the Luminary of the Cause was visible from the horizon of grace. We created all things for this Day, yet when it came the people turned away therefrom and followed every idolater who was far removed from the ocean of nearness. They cast the Book of God behind their backs and took that which they were bidden by every ignorant one who was deprived of the Kawthar of knowledge. Blessed are they who have turned away from vain imaginings and have turned with their hearts toward the horizon which is known by the name of God. Thus have We made mention of thee that thy Lord may remember thee. Verily He remembereth whomsoever He willeth in a Tablet which hath been inscribed by the Pen of Command with glory. The splendor of God be upon thee and upon thy brothers. Verily We give them the glad-tidings of Our mention. He, verily, hath power over all things.

Section 2: “O Abraham! Say: My God, my God! Thou…”

He is the Witness over creation

O Abraham! Say: My God, my God! Thou seest me though I see Thee not, Thou hearest me though I hear Thee not, and Thou knowest what is with me though I know not what is with Thee. I beseech Thee by the Name through which the trees have yielded their fruits, through which the righteous have turned unto Thee, through which the trumpet hath been sounded and all who are in earth and heaven have swooned away, to confirm me in Thy love and Thy good-pleasure, and to ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones. O Lord! This is Thy servant and the son of Thy servant, who hath turned toward Thee and sought the outpourings from the clouds of Thy mercy and the manifestations of Thy grace and favors. O Lord! I am he that is far, yet I seek Thy nearness. I beseech Thee not to deny me that which is with Thee and to ordain for me that which will profit me. Verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous, and verily Thou art the Forgiving, the Merciful.

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great

A remembrance from Our presence unto all who are in the heavens and on earth, that they may hear the call of their Lord, the All-Merciful, and turn with their hearts toward the horizon which hath been illumined by this Most Great Name. O Ahmad! The hosts of tyranny have encompassed the kindred of the Apostle, whereat the Concourse on High have lamented, as have those who have held fast to My Strong Cord. By God! The Ark of the Pure One hath been tossed between the waves of dissension. Thus doth God make mention as a bounty from His presence, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Strange indeed that one who claimed to be of the kindred of the Apostle and offspring of the Pure One should arise to slay the apple of the eye of both the Apostle and the Pure One. Such is the nature of this world and its people. The hand of divine power seized that wicked one, and ere long he shall return to his abode. Beseech ye God that He may protect you in these fleeting days from the promptings of idle fancies and grant you a secure station in the precincts of His mercy. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Generous. Verily He is the Omnipotent over whatsoever He willeth.

O Abdul-Hamid! This Wronged One, alone in His prison, summoneth the entire world to the recognition of the Ancient King. Some among the servants have been blessed by the sweet savors of divine days, while others remain deprived. Ye must, God willing, remain steadfast, firm and immovable in the Cause of God. Many are the clamorous ones, and the evil ones lie in wait. Ask thou God to protect thee and those who have believed from the evil of every deceitful impostor. Verily He is the Mighty, the Incomparable.

He is sanctified above the mention of what hath been and what shall be

O seeker! The Beloved of the world and the Ancient King hath manifested Himself for the salvation of all peoples. Yet they have inflicted upon Him that which hath caused the Messengers of God to lament, the rocks of the earth to cry out, its sands to wail, and all things to raise their voices in grief. The bounty of God shineth even as the sun, and every fair-minded one testifieth that God, exalted and mighty be He, hath come with pure grace, bounty and generosity. Nevertheless, all have risen in dissension and hatred, save those souls who have truly attained the waters of divine knowledge. Blessed are they and good cheer be unto them. God willing, may ye attain such a station in divine love that human conditions shall not hold you back, and may ye remain steadfast and immovable in your love for the Beloved of all creation, in complete joy and fragrance.

O Kazim! After recognition of God, exalted be His glory, steadfastness has been and will ever be the greatest of all things. God willing, may all attain to this most exalted and glorious station. I counsel you and the friends of God to follow that which hath been sent down in the Book from the heaven of God’s Will. He is the Guide, He is the Protector, and He is the Helper. A pure deed is, in itself, a summoner to truth and a guide to mankind. Likewise do We counsel all to observe wisdom—a commandment that hath time and again been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen. All must hold fast unto it and fix their gaze upon it. Hold thou fast unto it and be of the thankful ones.

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

The Ancient King hath seated Himself upon the Most Great Throne in this wilderness wherein hath been raised the call of every Prophet and every trusted Messenger. This is the Day of which Muhammad, the Messenger of God, gave tidings aforetime, and unto which the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds, have borne witness. There is no Book but the All-Merciful hath mentioned it therein, and no Tablet but hath been adorned with His beauteous remembrance. Yet when He appeared, most of the people turned away, save those who came unto God with a pure heart. Ponder the grace and mercy of God—He remembereth thee in such wise as to transport the hearts of them that know. When thou dost inhale the fragrance of Mine utterance and hear My call, say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of all worlds! O Mihdi! We have, of Our grace, guided thee and revealed unto thee My straight path.

In the Name of the Goal of the World

O Hasan! The Beauty of God sacrificed Himself amongst the people for the sake of the Peerless Beloved. He freely removed the crown of life and cast it at the feet of the Beloved of all creation. He attained unto twin martyrdoms—before his outward martyrdom, he had already sacrificed himself over the course of years, for he had no desires, will or purpose of his own; he had caused them all to perish in the will of the Beloved. Though outwardly alive, walking and speaking, in reality he had already sacrificed himself—this is the station of the Most Great Martyrdom. That inner, spiritual martyrdom was adorned with the ornament of outward martyrdom. Blessed are they who attain unto his remembrance. Beseech ye God that He may cause all to attain unto this most exalted and glorious station. Whosoever attaineth unto the first martyrdom hath attained unto all good. Verily, He hath expounded for you what He desireth. He is the Expositor, the All-Knowing. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Wise.

He is the One Who Doeth What He Willeth Through His Word “Be,” and it is!

Glorified be He Who sendeth down verses unto people who comprehend, and manifesteth in the kingdom whatsoever He willeth. No thing can frustrate Him and no matter can hinder Him. Blessed are they who have cast away what they possess and have turned unto Him in His days. They, verily, are of the people of this praiseworthy station. This is the Day whereof We gave tidings aforetime unto the chosen ones, yet most of the people perceive not. We say in truth: Lead forth the people from darkness into light and give them glad tidings of the days of God. This is a word which the All-Merciful hath sent down in the Qur’an, and wherewith the Gospel and the Psalms have been adorned. Yet when the Day appeared and the Promised One came, the people turned away from Him and pronounced against Him a tyranny the like of which the eyes have never witnessed. Blessed are ye, My loved ones in that place, for having fulfilled My covenant and My pledge. We counsel you to preserve that which ye have been given by God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Thus have We adorned the Book with My remembrance and the Tablet with My beloved name.

O Ali-Qabli-Akbar! Give thanks to the Lord of Destiny for having made mention of thee from the Most Great Horizon. Verily He hath heard thy praise and witnessed thy devotion. He hath mentioned thee in these verses which all the books of the world circle round, by the command of the All-Merciful, the Most Kind. He turneth unto him who turneth unto Him, and draweth nigh unto those who have drawn nigh unto God, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved.

He Who is established upon the Throne of Utterance declareth:

O Ali-Qabli-Asghar! Wert thou to know what hath befallen the Wronged One, thou wouldst weep and lament. Yet God hath concealed it, having regard to the wisdom ordained for all glory. He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The letter of him who hath turned towards the Countenance hath been received, wherein mention was made of thee. We make mention of thee as a token of Our grace, for We are, in truth, the Forgiving, the Merciful. By the life of God! My tongue speaketh at all times, and the Supreme Pen moveth in such wise that no rest can overtake it, yet most of the people are heedless. The more God’s loving-kindness increaseth, the more do they increase in their heedlessness. Thus doth inform thee He Who is encompassed by every truthful and well-informed one.

O My loved ones! Adorn your temples with the ornament of trustworthiness and your hearts with the recognition of God, the Mighty, the Powerful. Take on My attributes, then act in accordance with that which I have enjoined upon you in My Perspicuous Book. Beware lest the clamor of the people prevent you from attaining this exalted station. Hold fast to the cord of your Lord’s loving-kindness and cling to His resplendent hem. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken, though surrounded by sorrows from all sides, seeing the people behind a thick veil. We have borne all hardships and accepted adversity and tribulation in the path of God, the Lord of all names. By the life of God! My grief is not for what hath befallen My own Self—to this testifieth every fair-minded and discerning soul. Were We to mention some of what hath been concealed from you, sorrows would overtake you from every direction. Thus do We recount unto you, for He is the All-Remembering, the All-Wise. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Great.

Furthermore, God’s bounty towards your honor is evident and clear. More names than those mentioned in your letter could have been cited—from the heaven of divine favor, out of love and felicity, unique and wondrous Tablets would have been revealed for each one. This evanescent servant beseecheth God to aid your honor in all conditions. Unique and wondrous Tablets have also been revealed and sent for the children. Verily His bounty hath encompassed thee; He is truly the All-Bountiful, the Generous. This evanescent servant requesteth that you convey greetings to each of the children and other friends of God. God willing, may they all remain steadfast in the Cause and fix their gaze upon the horizon of grace. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Praise be to God, the Single One, the All-Informed.

BH00235: Praise be to God Who created the Supreme Pen…

Section 1: “Praise be to God Who created the Supreme…”

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

Praise be to God Who created the Supreme Pen and breathed into it, whereupon all who are in earth and heaven were thunderstruck, save those whom His pervading Will and all-encompassing Purpose did choose—they are honored servants whom neither the swords of creation nor the hosts of invention could frighten. They are they whom God hath described in the Books of the past and of the future. The Qur’an hath borne witness to them, as did before it the Torah, the Gospel and the Psalms, and whatsoever was sent down from God, the Mighty, the Loving.

Praise be to God Who hath raised up from every drop of the blood of His loved ones creations whose number none can reckon save His own Self, and hath made them dawning-places of His love and daysprings of His affection. They are the Hands of His Cause amidst creation, they who have aided God throughout all ages and have arisen to accomplish that which God did desire, in such wise that neither the power of kings nor the clashing of their swords nor the neighing of their steeds did deter them from the Truth. They have raised their call with utmost power between earth and heaven, summoning all unto the Lord of mankind, the Sovereign of the hereafter and of the former world, the Lord of the Throne on high and of the dust below. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to inscribe me among their company and among those who have sought shelter beneath their shade and have quaffed the choice wine of grace from their hands. Verily He is the Omnipotent over whatsoever He willeth. He doeth and judgeth as He pleaseth, and He is the Ruler, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

And further: O beloved of my heart, this servant hath heard what the nightingale of thy praise warbled upon the branches of the tree of faithfulness when thy letter arrived, which testified to thy love for the Desired One of the world and the Ancient Lord Who hath appeared with the Most Great Name. God knoweth that after perusing its contents, such joy and gladness seized me that every tongue and pen is powerless to describe it. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist you and reward you with the most excellent reward from the wonders of His grace. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

When the breezes of your love stirred me and the fragrances of your traces wafted over me, I ascended to the station of nearness, sanctity and beauty, and presented its contents before the countenance of our Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. When it was concluded, the Divine Lote-Tree spoke in such wise as transcended all reckoning. I stood before the Throne, bewildered and contemplative, until He spoke—and His utterance is the sweetest:

“O thou servant who art present! Make mention of him on My behalf and say: Verily We have remembered thee throughout most years and have sent unto thee that which hath brought delight to the eyes of the Concourse on High. Thy Lord is verily the All-Giving, the Most Generous. This is a Day wherein the Kingdom hath proclaimed: ʿThe dominion belongeth unto God, the One, the Single, the All-Informed.’ Arise to make mention of God and His praise, then remember Him with such remembrance as will cause its fragrance to be diffused throughout the world, that every heart that hath turned unto God, the Lord of all worlds, may be drawn thereby. How many a remembrance through which God guideth His wandering servants, and how many a praise whereby God’s mention is raised amongst creation and the standard of His Cause is hoisted upon every lofty hill. Say: O people! Reflect upon the generations that have gone before and the ornamented palaces. No trace remaineth of the former people, nor can any vestige be seen of the latter. Every lofty edifice hath crumbled and every adorned temple hath perished. Where are the Caesars who built palaces for themselves, and where are the Pharaohs who made themselves partners with their Creator? They have forcibly abandoned their palaces and have necessarily taken to their graves, by the command of God, the Mighty, the Powerful.”

O Husayn! Hearken to the call of the Wronged One, Whose Most Exalted Pen speaks at all times and summons all who dwell in the realm of possibility to a station that neither the changes of the world nor earthly conditions in the kingdom of creation can alter. Thus have We made mention of thee, that thou mayest rejoice and remember thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O Husayn! Leave all created things behind thee and all contingent beings beneath thy feet. Take thou the chalice of utterance in My Name, then drink therefrom through My wondrous remembrance. Let not the conditions of creation sadden thee. Rejoice in that which the True One maketh mention of thee from this exalted Station. By the life of God! This is what shall profit thee in all the worlds of God. To this testify the concourse of My celestial Kingdom, the dwellers of My pavilion, and they that circle round My mighty Throne. We make mention in this station of him whom God hath manifested through thee, as a bounty from Him—and He is the All-Bountiful, the Mighty, the Beautiful. The glory be upon thee and upon them and upon those who have heard the call of Him Who conversed on Sinai and have answered the Lord of all worlds.

Convey My greetings to the faces of My loved ones who have voiced My remembrance and praise and have arisen to assist My mighty and well-established Cause. Say: Blessed be your faces for having turned unto the Countenance, and blessed be your eyes for having attained, and blessed be your hearts for having advanced. Thus doth the Pen of the Most Merciful make mention of you and give you glad tidings that ye may rejoice in these days wherein the Tree crieth out amidst all creation: “There is none other God but Me, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.” Say: Beware lest anything withhold you from God. Take ye what ye have been commanded in the Book of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Turn not your attention to the servants and their might, nor to the princes and their power, nor to the divines and their factions, nor to the mystics and their companions. Leave those who call you to vain imaginings and say: “By God! The horizon of creation hath been illumined by the Sun of knowledge from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.” Say: This is the Day of remembrance and utterance, this is the Day wherein God hath informed you of His Revelation. Read ye the former Books that ye may know what hath been revealed therein from One Who is the Numberer, the All-Knowing. Thus have We adorned the heaven of the Tablet with the suns of wisdom and utterance. Blessed is he who hath witnessed and said: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the worlds and the Beloved of them that have recognized Thee!”

As to what you had written, that this servant had made no expression and had not troubled you with empty words that neither nourish nor satisfy—the truth is with you. However, God, exalted and sanctified be He, is witness and testifier that this negligence or delay was due to the press of work, and also in the hope that Mulla Muhammad-ʿAli, who was carrying your esteemed letter, would soon return, and what was concealed in the heart regarding expressions of love would be conveyed. As it happened, his return was delayed, and this delay too was due to certain reasons—God, the Lord of all worlds, knoweth. The press of work for this ephemeral one has reached such a degree that there has not been and is not a moment’s respite, whether from these regions or from those directions.

I beseech God, glorified and exalted be He, that through your prayers this ephemeral one may be assisted in this mighty service. The word that shone forth from the horizon of your pen, saying in Arabic “I am your suppliant,” became the cause of the joy of the Beloved of the world. He smiled greatly and showed great kindness from the dawning-place of grace. In truth, it behooveth every being to sacrifice his spirit for His bounty and gifts and favors. And as to what you had written that “the older a servant becomes, the less his worth,” He said: “We bear witness that you are in the prime of youth. He that hath attained unto My love shall ever remain in the springtime of days and the springtime of life.”

As to what you mentioned concerning that certain person, it was presented before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence. He said: “May they, through divine grace, be successful in drinking at all times from the Kawthar of the Merciful’s grace and in offering it to others, in shattering the idols of men’s vain imaginings through the name of the Friend of these days, in bestowing the choice wine of certitude upon the people of idle fancies, and in offering the Salsabil of knowledge to those possessed of ignorance. May they guide those who are lost in the wilderness of unknowing to the ocean of divine knowledge, and make fresh and verdant those who have withered in these times through the waters of utterance. This is not difficult for God to accomplish.

“In truth, if a soul in this day be enabled to turn toward the Most Exalted Horizon, his word will be effective and will assuredly influence hearts, and its traces will become manifest in the world. Thus doth inform thee He with Whom is the knowledge of all things, and I am the All-Informed. Thus doth teach thee He to Whose knowledge God’s books have testified aforetime, and I am the All-Knowing.

“As to your having kept these matters concealed, this is in accordance with divine wisdom. Some souls abide beneath the canopies of glory, and they drink at every moment from the ocean of joy without any trace appearing upon their lips. None is aware of them save God alone, with Whom is the knowledge of all things in a Mighty Book. The purpose of this concealment has been and will continue to be the promotion of the Cause of God, for if a soul be deprived of this most exalted station, he has indeed been deprived of the fruit of existence itself. Blessed are they who arise to serve this most mighty Cause, and who, even if they themselves be deprived, cause others to attain unto it. He mentioneth that which profiteth His servants. He, verily, is the All-Wise Teacher.

Section 2: “A special Tablet was sent for them without…”

“A special Tablet was sent for them without name; deliver it. God willing, they will comprehend from its letters the hidden meanings and drink from its words the water of life. By God’s life! It is the Breath of God in the lands and the Spirit of the Cause for His servants. Blessed is he who hath attained unto it and unto the pearls concealed in the ocean of its utterance. He is among the most exalted of creation in the sight of the True One, the Inaccessible. Thus did the ocean surge and the fragrance waft. Blessed is he who hath found, and woe unto the heedless.”

Concerning what you wrote about the hidden operation, after separation two of its components are and will be dispensed with, as was alluded to in the blessed Persian Tablets of the Supreme Pen. I swear by the life of that Beloved One that this is among the mysteries of the Cause that has never before been mentioned, and until now everyone who has entered into this matter—that is, who has detailed this special substance—has desired that those separated components become one thing, which has been and is impossible. Beyond this no one’s intellect has comprehended, and the thoughts of the servants have not advanced a step further, even though it has flowed from the Supreme Pen that like and similar substances should be taken. Nevertheless, they have taken pure water with viscous black oil and that earth which tells of the people of hell, desiring to unite them together. Alas, alas! For between water and oil complete opposition is evident—they have never been and never will be capable of mixing and uniting. And the earth too, when its essence is taken and reaches the state of ash, certainly has not been and will not be capable of life.

Some philosophers have mentioned ashes, but what is meant by ashes is the body (jasad) not the form (jism), for when the spirit of the form is taken, its life afterward is impossible. In the body there remains a vestige of spirit, though hidden; after treatment it is observed living and animate.

What is meant by water is volatile water, that is, similar to volatile; you must obtain it, and likewise some oil before its solidification, and nurture that water in it until it solidifies. These two components and two elements possess four natures, for in water there is cold and moisture, and in oil there is dryness and heat. This same water solidifies in the oil and is called the noble stone. This is why the philosophers have said “that which is not seen and that which is not found in what is not seen and is not found.”

Now observe that some people suppose that the stone exists and countless differences appear concerning it—each group considers some thing to be the stone and busies itself with treating it, wasting their lives. This is why they have said “Work comes after knowledge.” In any case, the stone has been and will be hidden, stored, and concealed.

After nurturing it in the eye of the sun which is oil—that is, the heat of the oil draws out its excess moisture—in this case it solidifies and appears like marble. It must be freed from the oil, and after being freed and washed, some of that same water from which this stone was produced must be made to prevail over it, and gradually with a fire like the heat of the sun it must be nurtured until whatever it has taken from the essence of oil is dissolved by this water which is the key, and this operation must be repeated until that which is the essence within this Stone is entirely extracted—and this essence is known as the Red Sulfur, the Philosophers’ Gold, and the Two-Winged Gold.

Often this essence appears white upon the surface of the water, and sometimes it appears as a most beautiful red. That which is white can, with some cultivation, be observed to turn red. Verily, this is the Red Sulfur, of which none is aware save God, the Possessor of Destiny, Who speaks from the Most Great Scene. Verily, there is no God but He, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

As to what you have written regarding similarity, the purpose is the oiliness of water—that is, water must be cultivated until its inner oiliness becomes manifest. In this state, its mixture with other oils becomes easy, but as long as its watery form remains, it is not and will not be capable of mixture. This water is that which has been called the volatile, the water of air, the fire of air, and by other names. It is the Divine Water. In any case, as mentioned, the acquisition of two elements which possess the four elements is necessary. In this state they are called the Mercury of the East and West.

If you wish to dissolve all of that Stone, some of which has been dissolved and united with the Divine Water, it is possible—you must extract that water from it and gradually return a portion to it until all is dissolved. This matter must be completed with very gentle fire or gentle vapor. Then, when all—meaning the Stone and what has appeared from it—manifests in the form of water, gradually through heat its moisture is completely removed. After completion it congeals, and this dissolution and congealment may be completed in one operation, or in three or more times. Often, that very essence which was obtained from the noble Stone produces the work and hope, and is completed—this is Mercury alone. Some have also ground and pulverized the earth of the Stone with that water until they completed the work, then added the tincture, which is that same essence that appeared on the surface of the water, and completed the work. From these explanations, knowledge of the Salt is also obtained.

What has reached this servant from the sprinkling of the ocean of divine knowledge regarding this work is what has been stated. However, repeatedly it was heard from the Most Holy Tongue that due to the questions of some friends, the Supreme Pen became occupied and spoke concerning this science, though He did not wish the friends to become occupied with it, and He has mentioned the reason for this in some Tablets. Furthermore, whatever this servant has submitted should either be erased after viewing or completely concealed. This servant himself has not yet engaged in this work—what has been submitted was derived from the divine revealed verses. Whenever one contemplates and observes what has been revealed from the divine realm of utterance regarding this science, another door is seen to open, leaving one bewildered. Glory be to Him Who has appeared and made manifest what He willed! Glory be to Him Who has spoken and made to speak what He wished! Glory be to Him from Whose knowledge nothing escapes! Glory be to Him Whom nothing frustrates! Verily, He is the Powerful, the Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Regarding your mention of the dream, it was laid before the Most Holy and Exalted Presence, and He said:

“We give them glad tidings in their waking hours of an enduring sovereignty. By the life of God! There has been ordained for him who is steadfast that which cannot be equaled by all the treasures of the earth.”

And there flowed from the Most Exalted Pen concerning them that which minds are incapable of comprehending. We beseech God to assist him to preserve what We have bestowed upon him and what We have sent down to him from My impregnable Kingdom. No good deed has ever been, nor ever shall be, left unrewarded. Verily, He does not suffer the reward of the doers to be lost, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

And concerning what you wrote about Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza ʿA-B, upon him be Baha’u’llah, having appointed this evanescent servant to make the pilgrimage on his behalf to the Beloved of the worlds—praise be to God, the purpose was fulfilled and this servant succeeded in circumambulating the Ka’bih of the Divine Purpose as his deputy. Blessed be he and blessed be I! God willing, may he ever speak in remembrance of the Beloved Who does not pass away, gaze toward His horizon, be assisted in His Cause, and arise in His service. Mention of him was made in the Most Holy Court, and the Sun of loving-kindness shone forth from the horizon of grace, and a most holy and exalted Tablet was revealed and sent specifically for him. God willing, may he attain to its perusal. Likewise, wondrous and glorious Tablets were revealed and sent specifically for Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Asadu’llah and his son and another person.

This evanescent servant offers his utter nothingness and evanescence in service to each one, and beseeches God that He may assist them to do that which is adorned with the ornament of His good-pleasure. I convey greetings and glorification to your honored offspring and those who are with you. The glory be upon you and upon those who are with you and upon those who have laid hold of God’s firm and mighty cord. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

A further submission: Jinab-i-Aqa [ʿAzim], upon him be the Glory of God, has ascended to the Supreme Companion. His legacy amounts to about ten or twelve tumans. According to instructions, Jinab-i-Ism’ullah Mihdi, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, has collected it and is sending it to you to be delivered to the heirs. Concerning him, passages were revealed from the Most Exalted Pen such that, in truth, every steadfast, content and well-pleasing soul would yearn for such a station. He had been completely transformed and manifested such love that most were filled with wonder. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Mighty, the Powerful. Glory be to Him Who created him, assisted him, caused him to recognize Him, and made him attain to this noble station which was recorded by His Most Exalted Pen in a mighty Book.

BH00184: Praise be to God Who created all things through…

Section 1: “In the name of our Most Holy, Most…”

In the name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Ancient, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord

Praise be to God Who created all things through the movement of His Most Exalted Pen, and through that which appeared therefrom distinguished between the parties. Blessed be God, the Lord of lords and the Sovereign of beginning and return, Who through a single effulgence from the Sun of His Cause drew the sincere ones to Him, caused the near ones to soar, and moved the believers to hasten to the seat of detachment—that station wherein no mention is made of self, nor of will, nor of desire, nor of hope. Exalted is this station which none has attained save he who is detached from all that is with him and who has become extinct in the will of his Lord, the Almighty, the Supreme, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious, He in Whose grasp lies the kingdom of the next world and of the first.

Glory be unto Him! Glory be unto Him! Who can describe Him when the Messengers have confessed their powerlessness and the Prophets have acknowledged their failure to attain unto Him? How exalted is this Most Supreme, Most Resplendent Station and this Most Holy, Most Sublime Rank! By the life of the Beloved! This is an atmosphere unto which the birds of hearts and minds cannot soar, a station which God has made to transcend all mention of limitation and bounds.

I pray, I send peace, and I glorify those whom vain imaginings have not prevented from acting in accordance with that which exalts the Cause of God, the Lord of all beings. They are they who have cast aside their desires and have taken hold of that which their Lord has commanded them. They are servants whom God has described in the books of the past and of the future, and of whom both Truth and creation have spoken. Blessed is he who walks in their footsteps and follows that which has proceeded from their deeds in the path of God, their Creator and their Fashioner. The atoms themselves bear witness that they are honored servants who speak not until He has spoken, and who act by His command.

O beloved of my heart! The servant has been blessed with your letter which told of the love of our Beloved and your Beloved, our Goal and the Goal of all worlds. When I opened it, read it and understood it, I proceeded to a station that was sanctified above the mention of loftiness and lowliness, and purified from the indication of all possessed of grandeur and exaltation, until I attained the presence before the Throne and, after permission was granted, presented what was mentioned therein. When it was completed, I found the Beloved walking silently for a time. Then the Ancient Beauty turned His face toward this evanescent one and said, exalted be His grandeur: “We love to mention him as We mentioned him before, and We love to see him as befits the days of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. We caused him to hear Our call and showed him what was hidden from other servants, as a grace from Us, for We are the All-Bountiful, the Generous. It behooveth him to be evanescent from himself and abiding in God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

O seeker! We have sent down for thee that from which the dawn of utterance hath broken forth in the contingent world, that thou mayest arise to serve thy Lord and thank Him at all times. Look not upon the world and its affairs, but look to what God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, commandeth thee. Where are they who prided themselves on their treasures, their stores, their ornaments, and what they possessed of pictures and statues? And where is their dominion and their grandeur, and what prevented them from God, the Lord of the worlds? Among them were those who disputed, those who turned away, and those who disbelieved and pronounced judgment against those through whom the eyes of knowledge were solaced in the contingent world. Thus doth thy Lord, the All-Merciful, recount unto thee that thou mayest be among the steadfast. Had the world any worth before God, this mighty prison would not have been the seat of His Throne.

We have sent down for thee aforetime that whereby thy mention was established in creation. He Who hath spoken at all times beareth witness that there is no God but Me, the All-Wise, the All-Knowing. Hold fast unto the cord of My loving-kindness, be sincere for My sake, and do that whereby the Cause of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful, may be exalted. By Him Who created what was and what will be through a word from Him, if thou couldst hear the shrill voice of My Pen and find the sweetness of the utterance of the All-Merciful, thou wouldst forsake all creation and arise to accomplish what thy Lord, the Bestower, the Generous, hath desired. O seeker! God willing, may thou at all times take thy portion from the ocean of divine bounty and receive thy share from the sun of divine generosity.

O seeker! Fix thy gaze upon God alone and associate with His loved ones with utmost love, especially with those souls who are seen to be detached from self and who circle round the will and purpose of God. Hearken unto the call of the All-Informed Counselor Who, for the sake of God, hath turned toward thee on this night of the blessed month of Ramadan and counseleth thee with words whose fragrance hath perfumed the world: Pass beyond thyself in My path and fix thy gaze upon My will. I swear by the Sun of Revelation, shining from the horizon of the heaven of inner meanings, that if thou holdest fast to what hath been mentioned, thou shalt soon witness its effect and fruit. Verily, whosoever today is effaced in the will and purpose of God, God—exalted be His glory—will assuredly elevate him and cause him to attain high stations. The glance of God’s favor hath been and is upon you. Blessed be thy father, again blessed be thy father, who hath turned away from all else save God and hath turned toward the Friend.”

By My life! He sought the Most Exalted Goal in the City of Mystery, and his heart was aflame with the fire of the love of God. When he entered and attained his goal, he cried out and lamented like those who have lost their beloved. We found him moved by the Will of his Lord, the Hand of Power turning him as it pleased. Thus was the matter decreed when thy Lord was in a glorious station. We make mention of him on this night as a token of Our grace, that thou mayest read and be of the thankful ones.

Blessed art thou, O Moses, for thou hast heard what the Speaker of the Mount uttered on the Mount of Revelation, and hast drunk the choice wine of utterance from the hand of the bounty of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. I testify that thou art he who hearkened to the Call, turned to the Most Exalted Horizon, hastened to the Most Great Ocean, and attained unto it and unto that which none among the servants have attained save those whom thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, wished.

O Moses! Rejoice thou in the Supreme Companion, for We have caused thee to hear Our sweetest call, shown thee My Most Glorious Beauty, and raised thee to such a station that the people of Paradise and the dwellers of the Kingdom of Names make mention of thee. Blessed art thou for having heard, responded, recognized, and attained unto the station of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Impregnable. Thou art he who bore hardships in My path and heard in My love what no ear among the servants hath heard. To this beareth witness the Lord of creation in this Clear Book. Upon thee be My remembrance, My glory, My loving-kindness, My mercy, My grace, My favors and My gifts, which have preceded all created things.

O seeker! Recite these exalted words which have been revealed from the Preserved Tablet and walk in His footsteps. He verily will elevate thy station and ordain for thee that which shall profit thee in every world of His worlds. Hath anyone ever been seen to move for the sake of God and be deprived of the wondrous tokens of His grace? Nay, by His own Self, the True One! Whoso is for God, God is for him. This is the blessed word which hath formerly shone forth from the Dayspring of God’s Will. Hold thou fast unto it and be of them that attain. If thou shouldst drink from the chalice of these utterances which have appeared from the Kingdom of divine knowledge, thou wilt pass beyond thyself and all creation, and wilt move according to the will and purpose of thy peerless Beloved. He desireth for thee naught save that which shall exalt thee and draw thee near unto God, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

Indeed, the utmost bounty hath been shown to thee from the Dawning-Place of the Cause and the Dayspring of verses, in that He hath, with perfect kindness, taught that which shall cause the elevation of thy rank, station and glory, and likewise shall guide the servants to the horizon of His Cause and that which God loveth and desireth. This evanescent servant hath ever been occupied with the mention of that spiritual friend, and thy heart hath testified and doth testify to the degrees of sincerity and love of this ephemeral one. God willing, it is hoped that thou wilt gird up the loins of service and exert mighty efforts for the unity of the loved ones, and that thou wilt reflect upon that which hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen and act upon it without regard to thyself and the world.

Then wilt thou taste the sweetness of servitude and obedience, preferring it above all the pleasures of the world. And after ascending to this most exalted and sublime station, thou wilt witness the bounty of the True One, and at that time thou wilt have attained unto the station whereof He hath said: “Cast away thyself, then come.” And whosoever attaineth unto this station hath drunk from the ocean of reunion and received his portion of the divine presence, which is the first, most excellent and greatest of all deeds. This servant hath repeatedly heard these words from the tongue of the All-Merciful. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to aid us in pure servitude to God alone and in sincere love for His chosen ones and holy ones.

Today is the day of servitude. Would that I had attained unto it! This servitude—its essence is servitude itself. The way is barred and the search rejected. This is complete servitude which hath shone forth from the Dayspring of the mouth of the Will of the King of Oneness. Whosoever attaineth unto this station hath attained unto all good. Beseech ye God that He may cause you, this servant, and all to attain unto this most exalted rank and this primal pearl. He, verily, is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

Were people to come with fairness, they would acknowledge that which God—exalted be His glory, universal be His bounty, and great be His majesty—hath commanded, and would observe that its benefit returneth unto their own selves. Verily, He is the Holy One, the Sanctified, above all works and deeds. Exalted be our Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.

O my master and beloved friend! Many expressions of favor have appeared from the Dawning-Place of grace concerning you, for your communications were beyond moderation, displaying countless instances of discord and disruption. For a time, this servant was deep in thought as to how to present this to the Most Holy Court, for the Primal Point—may our souls be sacrificed for His sake—strongly emphasized that nothing which carries the fragrance of sadness should be presented at the Most Holy Court. When one of the Letters of the Living asked Him Who God Shall Make Manifest—exalted be His glory—about this, the Exalted One responded in such a way as to effectively banish him. How much more so for words that would cause grief to the Beloved of the worlds!

God forbid! With a hundred thousand entreaties and a hundred thousand secret supplications of utter helplessness and humility, this evanescent servant sought to present these matters in such a way as not to cause sadness to the Ancient Beauty. In any case, after presentation it was observed that the ocean of mercy was not disturbed by the blowing of various winds, nor was the mountain of patience moved by the trembling of the earth. You must, with your outer and inner ears, your outer and inner heart, and your outer and inner eyes, be watchful and expectant of the divine command.

The Primal Point—may our souls be sacrificed for His sake—says that if He should pronounce the earth to be heaven or heaven to be earth, it is the truth, and whoever utters the slightest objection is counted among the opposers. He also states that if He so wills, He can declare all who are on earth to be prophets by a single word. Indeed, countless such statements have issued from the Primal Point. If one reflects on this single phrase alone—“He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth”—it suffices. God willing, you should be the cause of guidance and unity for the people, and like the water of life for the servants. Certainly, were it anyone but you, this servant would never have engaged in such submissions.

By Him Who is singled out for tribulation and unique in His decree! Since this servant’s heart has ever been adorned with love for you, he considered it necessary, nay obligatory, to present these matters. By Him Who holds my soul and spirit in the grasp of His power! If the veil were to be lifted and even less than a needle’s eye of what is hidden were revealed, all people would arise to serve and would sacrifice all they possess—body, form, soul, and all else—at the feet of the Friend. As for what you mentioned regarding your affairs, God willing, they shall be set right, for the gaze of favor has been and continues to be directed toward you, and its effects will surely become manifest.

If, God willing, we attain His good-pleasure, all matters will become easy and simple. One must not let opportunity slip away nor waste time, but strive with the utmost effort and endeavor, with divine assistance, to make up for what has passed. We are not in despair of His mercy, grace and generosity. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous.

Section 2: “With regard to what you wrote concerning…”

With regard to what you wrote concerning the people, it was presented at the Most Holy Court. This is what God hath revealed in reply: May you, through divine grace, be successful and receive your portion from the effulgences of the Sun of Truth. O My handmaiden! We have mentioned thee before as a token of Our grace. Verily thy Lord is the All-Forgiving, the Generous. We counsel thee with what We have revealed in the Book. This is the Day that hath been mentioned in all divine Books and unto which all have been promised. Now consider what befitteth this divine Day. The handmaidens of God must engage in the remembrance of the true Beloved in utmost sanctity and detachment. They must make their hearts treasuries of the pearls of His love and fix their gaze upon His horizon. Rejoice thou in having attained unto My remembrance, then give thanks unto thy Lord, the Mighty, the Wise.

O seeker! Make mention of thy brother from Our presence that he may gain certitude through the grace of his Lord and hold fast unto that which hath been enjoined in My perspicuous Book. The servant in attendance before the Throne hath mentioned him. We have turned toward him and remembered him from this exalted, mighty and impregnable station. Say: Beware lest the hints of those who have turned away and denied God, the Lord of all worlds, sadden thee. Hold fast unto the cord of thy Lord’s grace, then make mention of Him among myriads of those near unto God. We have found from thee the fragrance of My love. We have turned toward thee and mentioned thee with that which gladdeneth the hearts of those who have drawn nigh. Thus have We sent down the verses and dispatched them unto thee that thou mayest read them and be of the thankful. The glory be upon him and upon his wife who hath turned unto and believed in God, the One, the All-Informed. We send Our blessings from this station upon him and upon her, a mercy from Our presence. Verily He is the All-Merciful, the Compassionate.

Make mention of thy sisters from My presence and give them the glad-tidings of My grace that hath encompassed all things. We make mention of them with a mention whose fragrance shall endure in the realm throughout the duration of the Kingdom. They must act in accordance with what they have been commanded in the Book of God, the Lord of the seen and unseen. His is the power to forgive them as a bounty from His presence, and He is the All-Forgiving, the Kind.

The handmaidens of God must engage in the remembrance of the Beloved of all creation with the utmost joy and fragrance. Intoxicated with the wine of the love of God, exalted be His glory, they must not regard creation and all that it contains. We counsel all to that which befitteth this Day. The entire world cannot equal the descent of the word “O My handmaiden” from the Ancient Tongue. Now reflect upon this supreme bounty and greatest favor and be grateful unto God. Fix your gaze upon God alone and be detached and free from all else. All must drink from the cup of certitude and assurance and act according to God’s commandments. The Day is glorious, pure, bright and resplendent. Your deeds must accord with this Day. From this station We send Our blessings upon their faces and upon the faces of those women who have believed in God, the Mighty, the Loving.

As for your mention of the wife of Aqa Mirza Ashraf and mention of Aqa Fadlu’llah and Shukru’llah, it was presented before the Throne. He showed favor to each one—may our spirits and the spirits of all the world be a sacrifice for His grace. The Sun of grace rises and shines upon each of the friends who have drunk from the Kawthar of life and the Salsabil of certitude. This servant beseecheth and imploreth God to assist all to that which pleaseth Him. Blessed is he who hath attained unto this station and drunk the wine of recognition from the hand of the grace of the Beloved of all creation.

And as to your mention of Karbala’i Nasru’llah and his two brothers, it was submitted in the Most Holy Presence. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur uttered—His word, exalted be His majesty:

O Nasru’llah! Thy mention hath come before the Wronged One, and He hath revealed for thee that which cooleth the eyes through the tablets. Through My Name the ocean of grace hath surged and the fragrance of bounty hath wafted, yet the people remain heedless and veiled. Beware lest the people prevent thee from the path of God or the allusions withhold thee from that which thy Lord, the Revealer of verses, hath intended. By God! The Salsabil hath flowed and the water of life hath streamed forth and the sealed wine hath been unsealed by the finger of the will of the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Hold fast unto My Book, then do that which the All-Bountiful hath revealed therein. Thus doth command thee He with Whom is the knowledge of all things in a speaking Book. He speaketh: there is none other God but I, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting. Cast away what thou hast and take what thou art bidden by God, the Lord of Lords. Be humble before God’s command and silent when His verses are recited. Thus doth thy Lord command thee from this station. The glory be upon thee and upon thy two brothers and upon those who have remained faithful to God’s Covenant in the beginning and the end.

O Muhammad! Hearken unto My call from the direction of My throne which hath been established in the prison land through that which the hands of the heedless have wrought. Reflect upon the power of thy Lord and His sovereignty. Verily He, after His arrival in the Most Great Prison, summoned all in the world unto God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. There remained no king whom We did not mention as a bounty from Us, and no servant whom We did not guide to My straight path. Among the people are those who turned away and those who cast aside the world and turned to God with illumined hearts. Thus doth the Beloved mention thee that thou mayest be among the thankful. Purify thy heart from allusions, turn thy face toward God and say: I repent unto Thee, O God of the worlds.

Blessed is My servant who hath turned unto My face, soared in My atmosphere, been imprisoned in My path, and been expelled for My Name—he who hath been named in the kingdom of My names “Haydar-ʿAli”. Verily he hath attained unto My days, drunk the choice wine of My love, responded to My call, submitted to My sovereignty, been humble before My manifestation, been moved by My will, turned by My command, departed by My leave, and journeyed through the lands in his eagerness to propagate My Cause. By My life! Nothing in existence can equal that which hath been revealed for him in this moment from My Most Exalted Pen, which speaketh betwixt earth and heaven that there is none other God but I, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

We were with him when he migrated for the sake of God and traveled through the lands and acted according to that which was commanded by God, the Sovereign of Kings. O Haydar-Ali! Drink from the Kawthar of life time and again, and this time which God hath sanctified beyond the mention of limitations and allusions, He Himself giveth thee to drink from this cup which hath appeared in human form. Blessed be the All-Merciful, the Intended One of what was and what shall be. O Haydar-Ali! Believe not every speaker, hearken not unto every crier, and trust not those who claim faith in the days of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Thus doth counsel thee He with Whom is the Preserved Tablet. Thou art he who hath remained faithful to God’s Covenant and His testament, and there hath been revealed for thee that which shall not be overtaken by annihilation throughout the duration of the kingdom and the realm. Preserve this most exalted station and associate with those who love God and follow that which they have been commanded by the Lord of existence. Be thou assured of thy Lord’s grace, then act as thou art bidden and trust in Him in all circumstances. Verily, He is with whosoever hath intended His Cause and risen to serve this Wronged One.

As regards what you wrote concerning the wife of Mishkin-Qalam, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory, repeatedly from the Most Exalted Tongue was heard this blessed word: her care is beloved in all circumstances; she is mentioned before the Divine Throne and is the recipient of divine favors. Blessed is he who honors her resting place purely for the sake of God, the Lord of the worlds. If she should proceed to Cyprus—that is, if arrangements can be made for her to travel with joy and fragrance—there is and would be no objection. If she is able to remain in that place, that too is beloved.

For each of the names that were in your letter, through pure bounty and special favor, magnificent and exalted verses were revealed. God willing, they will attain to hearing them and will discover their sweetness. O beloved of my heart! Often it happens that some hear the divine verses but are deprived of their meaning and sweetness. This evanescent servant at all times beseeches and hopes from God, exalted be His glory, that He may grant His friends a station beneath the tree of His care, that perchance they may remain protected from the heat of rebellious souls and attain to that which He loves and with which He is well-pleased.

Convey greetings to all the friends who are in truth gazing toward the Most Exalted Horizon and are detached from all else but God, and make mention of them. In this dawn of hope, when the world has been illumined by the lights of the Sun of Manifestation, arise to promote the Cause with utmost love and unity, and may you all be seen as a single circle. Soon, all that brings joy or sorrow to man will return to nothingness, and that which is everlasting and enduring has been and will be the mention of God, exalted be His remembrance and exalted be His utterance.

The Kawthar is present, the Cup-Bearer is manifest, the spiritual springtime is apparent. Negligence is not permitted. With utmost humility and supplication, beseech and implore the Self-Sufficient One that He may not deprive this servant and all the friends. The glory be upon you and upon those whose names you mentioned in your letter and for whom God, the Lord of the worlds, revealed what He desired.

The servant 7 Ramadan 1297

It is submitted that some time ago Mulla Muhammad-Sadiq from K., who resides in Qum, wrote and sent a letter to this servant, and there was some delay in sending the reply. Now it has been sent to you to deliver to the mentioned person. Likewise, three Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablets specially for him and his two sons have been sent with Mulla Muhammad-ʿAli Dahji. Give them this glad tiding.

Another submission: one Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet has been revealed from the heaven of the Divine Will specially for your sister and has been sent; deliver it to her.

BH00534: Praise be to God Who is single in His…

In the name of our Lord, the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Most High, the Most Glorious

Praise be to God Who is single in His command and unique in His judgment, Who hath sent down from the heaven of oneness the decree of wisdom and made it the foundation of this edifice which the hands of the power of the All-Merciful have built in the contingent world. Exalted is God, the Revealer of religions, through Whose word all that is and all that hath been were created. Blessed is he who hath recognized this glorious edifice which hath been mentioned in the Qur’an as the Great Announcement and in the Book of Names as the Straight Path. There is no Book but that this Most Exalted Remembrance and this Most Great Gift have been mentioned therein, having been designated by all names by the tongue of God, the Lord of the throne and of the dust, the Sovereign of the hereafter and of the former times.

I beseech Thee, O Sovereign of all beings and Educator of all existing things, by the Revealer of verses through Whom all doubts and allusions were erased, to assist Thy chosen ones, Thy loved ones, and Thy friends to triumph in Thy Cause and to arise to serve Thee. O Lord! Withhold not the letters of Thy Book from the ocean of Thy knowledge, nor the leaves of Thy trees from the blowing of the breezes of Thy bounty. O Lord! Draw them through Thy Most Exalted Word to Thy most sublime horizon and enable them in such wise that the opposition of every opposer will not deter them, nor will the tyranny of any oppressor frighten them. O Lord! Sanctify their hearts from the mention of aught else but Thee, their souls from turning to anyone other than Thee, and their tongues from praising aught besides Thee. Purify them, O my God, through Thy generosity and bounty, and cleanse them from all that is not pleasing unto Thee. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest, and within Thy grasp is the kingdom of creation. Thou doest what Thou pleasest and ordainest what Thou desirest. Verily, Thou art the All-Wise Judge.

O Lord! Thou knowest that I desire to make mention of one of Thy loved ones who hath drunk the choice wine of Thy utterance, turned toward Thy horizon, responded to Thy call, and directed his face toward Thy countenance, though one such as I is not worthy to make mention of him who hath clung to the hem of Thy generosity and drunk from the ocean of Thy knowledge. But Thou knowest, O Beloved of the world and Desire of the nations, that by my mention of him I intend only to bring him the glad-tidings of Thy loving-kindness and bounty. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

And further it is submitted: the letter which you had written unto Aqa Mirza Muhammad-ʿAli Qa’ini—upon him be [the glory of] Baha’u’llah—was given to this servant, that, after perusing it, he might lay it before the Most Holy Presence. Whereupon, when I had read it and learned what it contained, I set my face toward the Desired One, until I attained the Presence before the Throne, and presented its contents. Then did the Tongue of Grandeur utter words which I am powerless to relate unto thee; and at the end of His utterance He—exalted be His expression, glorified be His praise, and magnified be His majesty—spoke:

Write to Ali: O Ali! Your letter which you sent to him who has turned to My Kingdom, circled My Throne, and attained My presence, has been received by the Wronged One and presented by the servant who stands before the Throne. Verily thy Lord heareth and seeth, and I am the All-Hearing One. We have inhaled the fragrance of thy turning and devotion, and have made mention of thee as a bounty from Our presence. His mercy hath preceded the world; verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

God willing, thou shouldst speak with utmost joy and fragrance in remembrance of the Best Beloved of all creation, with perfect wisdom, and in all matters keep thy gaze fixed upon the horizon of His good-pleasure. The essence of unity is that assured souls should, in all conditions, turn to the One True God alone and act according to His good-pleasure. If today a soul should perform all good deeds and righteous acts, yet fail to attain God’s good-pleasure, it will assuredly yield no fruit. This is why He saith: Strive to attain the word of His good-pleasure. Strive that all may attain this most exalted station, that they may act for God’s sake, hold fast to God’s leave, and cling to God’s good-pleasure.

O Ali! Reflect upon the Light that shone forth from the horizon of Sad. Most of the servants have not, to this day, gained awareness of even a drop from the ocean of his knowledge. He had attained true martyrdom. By My life! Limited years passed over him while he was self-effacing in the will of his Lord and the desire of his Master. He had no thoughts, will or desire of his own, and at all times awaited God’s command. He would take no action without God’s leave and permission. For years he had sacrificed himself in the path of the Friend, though outwardly he spoke, listened and walked about. This is the supreme martyrdom, the most exalted station, the highest rank, and this lofty and most glorious station was adorned with outward martyrdom. He took the pearls of the sea of life and scattered them at the feet of his Friend. Thus did he attain the Most Great Remembrance, and the Supreme Pen was for a time engaged in his mention, to manifest his deeds, station, rank and sincerity.

O Ali! He attained two martyrdoms, and were the details of the first station to be mentioned, most people would surely be astounded. God willing, may all the friends attain to that which is beloved in this day. We make mention of them in this Tablet and give them the glad-tidings of God’s bounty and mercy, which have preceded existence. Say: It behooveth you to show forth the supreme steadfastness in this most mighty and exalted Cause, through which the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken:

“The Kingdom belongeth to the Possessor of the invisible and the visible.”

All must at all times drink from the chalice of joy, for they are mentioned in God’s presence and recorded by the Supreme Pen. The stations of souls that are assured, content and well-pleasing shall not remain veiled. Though they may be concealed for a few days in accordance with God’s consummate wisdom, the hand of divine power shall surely rend asunder the veil and make them manifest.

Likewise, gladden the hearts of the Children of Israel with the mention of the Wronged One. Blessed are they and joy be unto them, inasmuch as they have turned their faces toward the Countenance and drawn nigh unto the Ocean of Knowledge on a Day whereon all things trembled for fear of God, the Omnipotent, the Almighty. God willing, may all remain steadfast on the Path of God, fix their gaze upon His horizon, and act in accordance with that which He commandeth them. At this moment, from this exalted and glorious Spot, We send Our greetings upon thee and upon My male and female servants.

In thy letter mention was made of His Holiness Haji Sabzivari, upon him be the Glory of God. The Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet hath been sent down from the heaven of the Divine Will, adorned with the seal of glory. Deliver it unto him, that his eyes may be cheered, his heart gladdened, his breast dilated, and that he may arise to do that which beseemeth these days of his Lord, the Manifest, the Mighty, the Generous. In truth, perfect bounty hath been vouchsafed unto him. Blessed is he, again blessed is he. Likewise, a Tablet was specifically revealed and sent for another soul in that same land—that is, the Green Land—upon him be the Glory of God. Deliver it unto him, that he may drink therefrom the Kawthar of bounty and recognition.

Moreover, on behalf of this evanescent servant, convey wondrous and glorious greetings to all the friends and masters who have drunk from the ocean of recognition. This evanescent servant beseecheth and imploreth God—exalted and glorified be He—to preserve them all beneath the shadow of His bounty and not to deprive them of the effulgent rays of the Sun of Revelation. Through His generosity and grace, may He open before their faces the gates of whatsoever is now concealed, that all may soar with utmost joy and eagerness in the atmosphere of His love, in such wise that the Concourse on High may hearken to the sound of their wings. However, all matters must be carried out with wisdom. Any matter that causeth tumult among the people is assuredly contrary to wisdom. Avoid it, O loved ones and chosen ones of God! We beseech God that we may be assisted to do that which He hath commanded, not that which we deem expedient or consider good. Verily, He knoweth us better than we know ourselves, and He is the All-Knowing.

Some time ago, this servant wrote and dispatched a letter in reply to his honor Ibn-i-Shahid, upon him be the Glory of God. God willing, it has arrived. Blessed is he, and his father, and his household wherein the mention of God has been raised up. Verily the servant gave him glad tidings that he has been accepted before the Throne and God has made him a place for His Great Remembrance. In any case, whatsoever matter in the Divine Book that is adorned with an explicit ordinance yet becomes the cause of kindling the fire of hatred, to act upon it is not permitted. Thus has our Beloved Lord decreed, as a grace from Him upon us and upon His accepted servants. Convey to the family of Shahid, upon them be the Glory of God, from this evanescent one such remembrance as is befitting and such glorification as is worthy. Would that I were with him and attained martyrdom in the path of God, the Lord of Oneness.

This evanescent servant mentions the friends night and day with utmost sincerity, and with a hundred thousand hands of supplication clings to the hem of grace, beseeching from the ocean of bounty and generosity the rending of the veils of the heedless and veiled people, that perchance they may not remain deprived on this blessed day whose mention has adorned the divine books. O beloved of my heart! By the life of the Beloved, if the people of hatred were to become aware to less than a particle’s weight, they would perish from grief over their deeds. One is astonished how they consider themselves believers today and count themselves among the people of truth. Shame upon them and their leaders who have made them idols unto themselves and foundations for their religions. God protect us and you and the community of the believers from their deeds and their words and their schemes and their whisperings and their plots. Verily He is the Protector, the Helper, the Wise. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

The captive in the path of God, meaning the honored leaf, upon her be the Glory of God, is, God willing, joyful through the favors of the All-Merciful. Blessed is she and joy be unto her. The servant testifies that she has attained to the recognition of her Lord and has borne hardships in the path of God, her Creator. And on this blessed night, which is the 17th of Ramadan, this servant attained the presence of the Most Holy, Most Exalted, Most High Court, and the Tongue of Grandeur made mention of that honored lady. He said she has attained to the highest, most exalted station and God willing, she will be assisted to preserve it. In all conditions they should fix their gaze upon the Truth alone and drink the sealed wine from His hand of bounty at every moment. End.

Whatever was before this servant from the divine utterances has been conveyed. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist His servants, men and women alike, unto that which He loves and is pleased with. By His life, this is the master of all deeds in the latter and the former times. There is no God but He, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious.

The servant 19th of Ramadan 1297

BH03868: The Ancient Countenance hath turned toward thee from this…

In the Name of the One Who is the Manifest, the Speaker, the All-Knowing!

The Ancient Countenance hath turned toward thee from this glorious horizon. The servant in attendance before the Throne desired to write unto thee. We said: Take up thy pen, for verily We have ever been One Who revealeth, sendeth down, and transmitteth, and I am the Sender, the Revealer, the Transmitter, the Almighty, the Powerful.

We bade him appear before Our presence with pen and ink, and when he appeared, We sent down unto thee this wondrous Book and dispatched unto thee what thou didst desire of thy Lord’s gracious favor. Be thou steadfast in the service of My Cause, speaking forth My praise, and acting in accordance with that which thou wert commanded when thou wert present before My mighty throne.

Thou art he who turned and drew near until thou didst enter and attain unto this Spot which God hath made the point of circumambulation for the sincere ones. Verily We commanded one among the Names to be seated with dignity when he desired to speak forth this Cause before which every great matter hath bowed down. Thou didst act in accordance with that which We commanded thee aforetime. Verily thy Lord is the Rememberer, the All-Knowing.

Hold thou fast in all circumstances to wisdom and utterance, lest the cawing of those who have denied God, the Lord of all worlds, be raised. Convey My greetings unto My loved ones who have cast aside all else but Me and have quaffed the choice wine of My love, the Mighty.

God shall soon make manifest the deeds of those who have arisen to serve His Cause. He shall surely render complete the rewards of those who act. The glory be upon thee and upon God’s chosen ones, the Lord of all worlds.

O my Well-Beloved! This servant purposed to submit something in thy presence; but God [willed otherwise]. And, in accordance with the command, this Tablet was revealed from the heaven of His Will; it was transcribed from the original Revelation and sent forth. Likewise were dispatched the numbered lists, in the Name of the Most Great Name, of the Tablets which thou hadst previously requested.

Some, however, are in the handwriting of this lowly one, inasmuch as His Holiness the Branch of God was not present.

BH04691: The whole world awaited the Day of God…

He is the All-Knowing Expositor!

The whole world awaited the Day of God and, with perfect humility and submissiveness, beseeched God, glorified be His majesty, night and day for the appearance of the Promised One. But when the Sun of Truth dawned from the horizon of manifestation and the Preserved Tablet was sent down from the heaven of loving-kindness, all clung to their own idle fancies and turned away from the Sovereign of certitude, save those who came unto God with an illumined, believing, and steadfast heart.

O friends! Strive ye, and through the blessing of the Most Great Name, attain in this divine Day such a station that ye may shine forth like unto the sun from the horizon of eternity. Act ye in accordance with that which befitteth this blessed Day. Turn your gaze away from that which is fleeting and transitory, whether little or much, and fix your eyes upon the ocean that hath neither beginning nor end. Say: O friends! Be not, like children, occupied with diverse colors nor take delight therein. Rather, with firm resolve, steadfast hearts, penetrating vision and the light of certitude, appear amongst men with the utmost trustworthiness and goodly character.

We have found thee turning unto the Kaaba of existence and have therefore sent unto thee this Book, which nothing that lieth concealed in the sea, or is stored up in the earth, or is treasured in the mountains can equal. Verily thy Lord speaketh the truth, and He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.

BH04991: God willing you may drink from the ocean…

In the name of God, the All-Knowing!

God willing you may drink from the ocean of divine favor and find its sweetness.

In all the heavenly Books We gave the glad tidings to the people concerning this blessed Day and what would appear therein. But when the Sun of Manifestation dawned from the horizon of Sinai and the divine Tree spoke forth “Verily, I am God,” all turned away and deprived themselves of this supreme bounty, save whom thy Lord willed.

This is that Comforter of whom the Spirit gave tidings, and this is that Hour concerning which the Son confessed that neither He nor the angels of heaven had any knowledge thereof. Were anyone to reflect even briefly upon the four Gospels and the holy Books, he would acknowledge that this Day hath no peer or likeness, for that which was hidden and concealed is now seated upon the throne and made manifest.

Blessed are they whom the vanities, allusions, words and utterances of the people of the world did not prevent from this most exalted station. They turned with their whole being and drank from the cup of certitude. We bear witness that they are among the denizens of the most exalted Paradise and the companions of the Crimson Ark.

Blessed is every hearer who hath heard, and every seer who hath beheld that which hath shone forth and dawned from the horizon of God’s Will, the Mighty, the Great.

BH05478: This is a Book which the All-Merciful hath sent…

In the Name of the Dawning-Place that shineth from the horizon of the heaven of knowledge.

This is a Book which the All-Merciful hath sent down for such as desire to quaff the Kawthar of meanings from the hands of the bounties of their Lord, the All-Bountiful.

Beware lest idle fancies debar thee from this Cause, which, when it is made manifest, causeth the very pebbles to cry aloud and the atoms to exclaim: “The Desired One hath come in evident sovereignty!”

The gate of heaven hath been flung open in the Name of God, the Lord of Names, yet the people are wrapped in a dense veil.

We, aforetime, announced unto them the glad-tidings with the tongue of the Governors of the Cause, and, after them, through the prophets and messengers. But when that which had been hidden within the pavilion of preservation was revealed, the servants turned aside, save those whom God, the Mighty, the All-Generous, did will.

Thus have We expounded these things unto thee, that thou mayest be made aware of what hath befallen Us at the hands of those who have been heedless of God, their Fashioner, and who have turned away from His straight Path.

Hold thou fast unto the cord of the loving-kindness of thy Lord, and cling unto the hem of wisdom which, from the presence of One all-powerful, almighty, We have enjoined upon all.

Glory be upon thee and upon such as have attained unto the Days of God and acknowledged that which the Most Exalted Pen hath acknowledged in this noble station. And praise be to God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

BH05309: He is the Speaker in the Kingdom of Utterance!…

He is the Speaker in the Kingdom of Utterance! We had made mention of remembrance and its degrees, and We shall praise it again.

Then there emerged from the luminous chamber a countenance in the form of a heavenly maiden, and she asked about remembrance and its station.

Then another countenance emerged and said: “Verily it is the fire of the love of God, and when it appeared on the Mount of Beauty, the Most Exalted Word was revealed in the form ʿThere is no God but Me, the Powerful, the Imprisoned.”’

Then from behind them another countenance called out and said: “Can imprisonment be imposed upon the Almighty?”

Say: “Yea, by my Lord, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling! At this very moment He crieth out with the most exalted call from the prison of Akka, saying: O God of existence! Praise be unto Thee for having honored Thy domains with Thy footsteps and adorned them with the breezes of the dawn of Thy Manifestation. I beseech Thee to ordain for him who hath turned unto Thee, and drunk the choice wine of Thy revelation, and heard Thy call, that which beseemeth the heaven of Thy bounty and the sun of Thy generosity. O Lord! Thou hast planted the tree of hope in the hearts of Thy loved ones. Withhold not from it the stream of Thy mercy, and protect it from the swords of Thine enemies. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.’

Blessed is the seeing one who hath beheld Thy horizon, and the hearing one who hath attained unto Thy call, and the speaker who hath voiced Thy remembrance, the Mighty, the Beloved. Praise be unto Thee, O God of the seen and the unseen, and Lord of existence!”

BH06175: Glorified is He Who hath revealed whatsoever He desired…

In the name of Him at Whose command the Trump was sounded!

Glorified is He Who hath revealed whatsoever He desired through His sovereign power, and hath spoken as He wished with the most exalted call between earth and heaven, and hath summoned the people to the Kawthar of His utterance and the choice wine of His knowledge and the pure flowing waters of His Revelation. He is, verily, the All-Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Most High, the Most Great.

He hath arisen to promote the Cause in such wise as to astound every perceiving sage. His Most Exalted Pen hath never ceased its motion; it moveth every morn and eve, counseling the servants concerning that which will profit them in the hereafter and in this world, yet most of the people are among the heedless.

Verily, he who hath found the sweetness of God’s utterance hath turned unto Him and said:

“I testify that Thou hast manifested Thyself for the salvation of the world and hast spoken that which was recorded in the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds. Blessed is he who hath recognized Thee and acknowledged that which the Tongue of Thy grandeur hath spoken, and woe unto every denier who hath denied Thy right and disputed Thy signs and objected to all that hath appeared from Thee. I testify that he is in manifest error.”

We, verily, praise God in all conditions and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of them that know Thee and the Beloved of the sincere ones.”

BH06338: Your mention hath been made in the Most Great…

In the name of the Ever-Abiding Friend and Speaker!

Your mention hath been made in the Most Great Presence, and the glance of favor hath been directed towards thee. God willing, thou shalt not remain deprived of the Sun of Divine Providence which hath dawned from the horizon of the heaven of bounty. The atoms of creation are transported with joy and delight at the sweetness of the voice of the Revealer of verses, yet those servants who regard themselves as most learned and exalted remain heedless, nay, turn away from it. Woe unto them and unto those who have prevented them from the straight, manifest, evident and firmly-established path of God!

By My life! The Spirit runneth through the wilderness of the love of God, and proclaimeth that which It hath been commanded by the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. This is that same station wherein the Voice of the Spirit was raised up, and likewise the Prophets and Messengers. Verily, He Who was raised to heaven hath come with the truth and giveth glad tidings unto the people of this Revelation whereby the eyes of the Concourse on High and those who circle round the Throne have been solaced through this Most Great Name.

Rejoice thou in My remembrance, for through it hath been ordained for thee that which the tongues of all created things are powerless to describe. Thy Lord, the All-Speaking, the All-Seeing, beareth witness unto this. Praise be unto God, the Single One, the All-Informed.

BH06210: The Wronged One beareth witness unto that whereunto God…

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

The Wronged One beareth witness unto that whereunto God did bear witness before the creation of earth and heaven—that there is none other God but Him. And He Who speaketh and calleth aloud and declareth: He, verily, is the Most Great Name, Who hath come to give life unto the world and to unite all nations. He, verily, is the One through Whom the clear proofs have appeared and the signs have emerged and that which was promised in the Books of God, the Self-Subsisting, the Ever-Abiding, hath been fulfilled.

O Rahim! The ocean of thy Lord’s mercy hath turned towards thee from this Prison which God hath raised up, as a bounty from His presence, and made it the circling-point of His loved ones. Thy Lord, verily, is the One Who hath power over what was and what shall be. We counsel thee to remain steadfast in the Cause and to fear God, thy Lord, the Possessor of existence. Blessed art thou for having cast aside idle fancies and taken hold of that which hath been revealed from God, the Lord of the seen and unseen.

By God’s life! The ocean of certitude hath surged before the faces of men, yet they hasten toward idle fancies. Hold fast unto the cord of thy Lord’s loving-kindness and place thy trust in Him in all matters. Verily He heareth and seeth, and He is the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.

BH06222: The Day hath come, and that which was hidden…

He is the One Who proclaimeth with the Most Exalted Call.

The Day hath come, and that which was hidden behind the pavilion of grandeur and inscribed in the Books of God, the Lord of all the worlds, hath now been made manifest. The fragrance of reunion hath been stirred, yet the people are among the heedless.

They have disbelieved in the bounty of God and denied His proof, before Whom the Manifestations of the All-Merciful, in former times and in latter days, have bowed in utter submission.

Blessed is he who hath heard the shrill voice of My Most Exalted Pen, and inhaled the sweet fragrance of the wine whose seal the Finger of God, the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful, hath broken.

Thus have We illumined the horizon of the heaven of utterance with the stars of wisdom and exposition. Blessed is he who hath recognized this and is numbered with the well-grounded in faith.

Glory be upon the people of Bahá, who have cast away the world and turned with all their hearts unto the Lord of Eternity, He Who speaketh amidst the nations, saying: “Verily, there is no God but He, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

Blessed is he who standeth firm, whom the ascendancy and tyranny of the people have not dismayed; and blessed the ear that hath hearkened unto the call of the Most Exalted, the Self-Subsisting; and blessed the face that hath turned its whole being toward the Face of its Lord, the Mighty, the Peerless.

Praise be to God, the Almighty, the Inaccessible.

BH08394: This is a Book which the All-Merciful hath sent…

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great

This is a Book which the All-Merciful hath sent down to all who are in the realm of possibility, that the fragrances of utterance might be diffused between the heavens and the earth. He, verily, hath power over whatsoever He willeth, through His Name, the Almighty. How many a speaker to whom the decree of silence applieth, how many a learned one who is judged ignorant, and how many an ignorant one who hath drunk from the ocean of knowledge in the name of his Lord, the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous. Hold fast to the cord of thy Lord’s generosity and cling to His luminous hem. We counsel thee and those who have believed in that whereby the Cause of God shall be uplifted amongst His heedless servants. Blessed is he who holdeth fast to righteousness and restraineth his soul from desire. The Lord of all beings and the Creator of the throne on high and of earth below doth testify that he is of the people of Baha in a preserved Tablet. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken, that thou mayest read and be of them that are firmly rooted.

BH00625: Praise be to God Who created all things through…

In the name of our Lord, the Most Invincible, the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious!

Praise be to God Who created all things through a single word and gathered them in one plane. Then the Call was raised from the Treasury of Grandeur: “Am I not your Lord?” Among them were those who turned away at the mere hearing, and among them were those who turned towards it and exclaimed: “Yea, verily, yea, O Lord of Names! Yea, verily, yea, O Creator of the heavens!” Those who turned towards it at the moment of hearing are the people of Baha. The tongues of all pens fall short of their mention.

These are the servants whom God hath described in His Books, His Psalms, His Scrolls, and through the tongues of His Prophets, His Chosen Ones, and His Messengers. These are servants who speak not of their own accord, nor move according to their own desires; rather, the winds of God’s Will move them as they please, and God’s Purpose causes them to speak as He desires. By God’s life! They speak that which hath been revealed in the Book and pursue that which they have been commanded in the Tablets. They transgress not their bounds and stations, and confine their affairs to the remembrance of God and the service of His Cause. Blessed are they and joy be unto them!

Through them the horizons were illumined and the Covenant was made manifest, and through them was raised the standard of Justice on the Day of Separation. I beseech God, exalted be He, to confirm all His loved ones as He confirmed them, and to assist His servants as He assisted them. Woe unto those whom the world hath prevented from turning to God, the Possessor of all things! Such as these have clung to their desires and turned away from their Creator. Through their tyranny the dwellers of the cities of Names have lamented and the Concourse on High have cried out. They have been heedless of that for which they were created and have clung to that which they were forbidden.

The servant beseeches his Omnipotent Lord to protect all from these who have gone astray and led others astray, who have followed the opinions of every divine who hath pronounced judgment against God and every mystic who hath turned away from Him when He came with a sovereignty that encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. Praise be to God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment!

To continue: the morn of reunion hath breathed when thy letter arrived, and the night of separation hath darkened upon beholding thy traces. When I opened it, saw it, read it and understood it, such joy and gladness took hold of me that I found myself unable to describe them, for it was adorned with the mention of God, embellished with His praise, and from it wafted the fragrance of His love. When I recognized this, I soared on wings of longing to a station illumined by the lights of dawning. When I entered and attained His presence, the face of the Beloved turned toward this servant and asked about the letter. Thereupon I presented before the Throne what was inscribed therein. When this was completed, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke that which was a spirit to the body of the world and insight to the nations. Glorified be His grandeur! He said:

O Mahmud! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious. Verily, He calleth thee and maketh mention of thee from His praiseworthy station. He it is Who hath mentioned thee, caused thee to hear, given thee knowledge, and made thee speak His praise when every veiled scholar turned away from Him. We have made mention of thee and do make mention of thee at this time wherein the Wronged One is established upon the throne of His Name, the Self-Subsisting. Be thankful unto God for having opened unto thee the gate of heaven and for having enabled thee to recognize thy Lord when He came with manifest sovereignty. Take the chalice of joy in the name of the Lord of the Manifestation, then drink thereof that He may render thee detached from all that hath come upon thee from the parties. Verily thy Lord, the All-Merciful, is the All-Loving, the All-Forgiving. Do the affairs of earth grieve thee while thou hearest the call of the Lord of Heaven from the direction of His renowned prison? Verily, We behold thee and commune with thee, and We have heard that which thy tongue hath uttered. Verily thy Lord is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen!

O Mahmud! God willing, thou shalt drink from the Euphrates of divine mercy and receive thy portion from the Kawthar of inner meanings. Tribulations and afflictions have ever been the lot of God’s chosen ones. Consider what hath befallen this Wronged One. By the pearls of the divine ocean of knowledge, in those days when the Ancient Beauty was in the hands of the heedless ones, each day fresh trials descended upon Him, the mere mention of which melteth the hearts of His loved ones. Throughout the nights they would conspire to shed the blood of the Wronged One, and during the day they would utter that which was unworthy. They were heedless of the fact that the hand of divine power protecteth the hidden treasure and delivereth not the concealed mystery into the hands of the treacherous before its time of revelation.

O Mahmud! God is aware of what hath befallen thee. In truth, there hath befallen thee what befell the Best-Beloved of the world. However, these tribulations have come to pass for a mighty, a most mighty purpose. Thou shouldst render thanks with a thousand tongues, and with the tongue of thine inner being utter these exalted words which have shone forth from the Dayspring of divine knowledge:

“My God, my God! I have heard Thy call and hastened unto Thee. I have inhaled the fragrance of Thy garment and have departed from my homeland until I attained unto Thy presence. Thou hast enabled me, O my God, to partake of the Kawthar of Thy reunion before the manifestation of Thy Cause and Thy Revelation. I beseech Thee, O Creator of the heavens and God of all names, by Thy Name through which Thou hast revealed Thyself unto all who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth, and hast guided Thy servants to the ocean of Thy bounty, to ordain for me that which shall profit me in all Thy worlds. Thou seest, O my God, how tribulation hath touched me and affliction hath overtaken me, while I hold fast to the cord of Thy grace and declare that Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Bountiful, the Ever-Forgiving, the Gracious. Write down for me, then, with Thy Most Exalted Pen that which shall gladden me in the precincts of Thy mercy and shall cause me to attain unto Thy good-pleasure. Thou knowest me better than I know myself, and Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

And concerning what was written about Karbila’i Mustafa, it was presented, and these hidden pearls appeared from the treasury of divine utterance. He—exalted be His glory—saith:

O Mustafa! The Lord of Names remembers you in the prison of Akka that you may rejoice and be among the thankful ones. The letter from him who sought Me has arrived, and therein was mention of you. We remembered you when the sea of thy Lord’s mercy surged. Beware lest the affairs of men withhold thee from the Truth. Forsake all else through My Name, the All-Powerful, the Mighty. Behold, then remember what the All-Merciful revealed in the Qur’an through His words:

“The Day when mankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds.”

This is the Day wherewith We have given glad tidings to Our servants through the tongues of the Prophets and Messengers. We said: Lead forth the people from darkness unto light and give them glad tidings of the Days of God. Thus doth My Most Exalted Pen make mention unto thee that thou mayest be among the steadfast. Hold fast unto My Book which hath been sent down from the heaven of My Will, then act in accordance with what thou hast been commanded by One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise. Remember Mustafa who was martyred in the land of Ta for the Cause of God, the Manifestation of this wondrous Cause.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Turn thy face toward him who was named Mahmud and say: O Mahmud! Behold and remember My servant in the land of Ta when the oppressors gathered round about him and commanded him to deny God and repent of the Cause before which all in the heavens and earth have bowed down. He stood firm in the Cause and demonstrated the greatest steadfastness by Our command and through Our power in such wise as amazed the Concourse on High and those who dwell behind the ocean of grandeur. Verily thy Lord is the All-Remembering, the All-Wise. He makes mention of him who spoke My name and was afflicted with tribulations for My sake. My mercy hath preceded all created things, yet most people are heedless. We revealed Ourselves unto him at the time of his ascension unto Us, as attesteth he who possesseth a preserved tablet. By My life! The might of every oppressor did not frighten him. He spoke My name and hastened to the place of sacrifice through My love, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. The glory shining from the horizon of eternity be upon him and upon those who attained his exalted station and took refuge in the stronghold of their Lord’s loving-kindness, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Regarding what you wrote about Jinab-i-Rida, upon him be the Glory of God, he has been shown favor time and again. There hath befallen him what befell those near unto God, the sincere ones, and the pure in heart—nay, what befell God Himself, our Purpose and his Purpose, our Beloved and his Beloved. I have heard with mine own ears concerning him that which no treasures can equal. This evanescent servant beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, that whatsoever is truly beneficial for him may appear from the horizon of the unseen. Verily He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty. In all circumstances, he should keep his gaze fixed upon wisdom and hold fast unto it, for in most Tablets the decree of wisdom hath been revealed.

Assuredly if that which hath been sent down from the heaven of divine knowledge were to be acted upon, the doors of ease and joy would be opened before the faces of all servants. He should not be disheartened, and surely he will be seen in complete joy. The True One is imprisoned, and his prisoner is imprisoned. Soon will the prison doors be opened, even as they were opened through might and power. Verily He is the Strong, the Triumphant, the Mighty, the Wise. Convey greetings on my behalf to all his relatives who are turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon.

Concerning what you wrote about his honor my brother, upon him be the Glory of God, his letters have been arriving continuously. I beseech God, exalted be He, to grant him the best reward and to confirm him in that which He loves and is pleased with. Recently another letter arrived from him which was the cause of boundless joy. God willing, may he ever be confirmed in this blessed deed. The Glory be upon you from God, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful, and praise be to God, the Mighty, the Wise.

BH00639: Praise be to God, the Creator, the Fashioner…

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

Praise be to God, the Creator, the Fashioner, the Maker, the One Who giveth life and death, Who hath taken unto Himself no peer, no partner and no equal. He is the One, the Single, the Self-Subsisting. He begetteth not, nor is He begotten, and there is none like unto Him in all creation, nor any equal in invention. He hath manifested Himself in the Return and hath spoken as He willeth. There is no God but Him, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.

Thereafter, it is submitted that your letter dated the 7th of Sha’ban was received on the 19th of the blessed month of Ramadan. It brought both comfort and joy, dispelled grief and increased gladness. God willing, may all the friends in this most mighty, most holy Day attain unto the infinite divine bounties and be engaged in His remembrance.

Concerning what you wrote about Aqa Muhammad Husayn Navvaz of K—, mentioning his arising to serve the Cause, this was submitted before the most holy, most glorious, most exalted Presence. He said:

“It behooveth him to be occupied day and night in thanksgiving and praise to the Best-Beloved of all ages, for He hath aided him to recognition, remembrance and service. Verily, He is the Helper, the Mighty, the Generous.”

Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid ʿAli-Akbar, upon him be My glory, who hath ascended to the Supreme Companion, made mention of him before the Face of the Wronged One and testified to his being enkindled with the fire of divine love. Beyond all mention and utterance, God is the Witness and the All-Seeing. He heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. His mention hath been recorded in the Tablets by the Supreme Pen. God willing, may he be aided to preserve this most exalted station. We, from this Station, glorify him and counsel him with that whereby the Cause of God may be exalted amongst His servants, and We make mention of him on this Day that hath no equal among days, centuries and ages. God willing, may they attain unto such a station wherein the conditions of the people of the earth shall not prevent them from the Truth, and may they speak forth the praise of the Beloved of all creation with the utmost joy and yearning, with spirit and fragrance.

This evanescent servant also submitted and sent a letter to them last year, and that same letter bore and beareth witness to God’s grace and favor concerning them, for in those days whatsoever this servant heard from the blessed tongue regarding them, he made mention thereof. In any case, the work of no doer of good hath ever been or ever shall be lost. I beseech God to aid them at all times to that which is pleasing unto Him.

Concerning what you wrote about his honour N.S.Kh.A.—upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah]—praise be to God, he was and continues to be the recipient of divine favors. He turned to the horizon of the Manifestation and partook of the sealed wine. Once these words were heard from the blessed tongue saying:

“Verily he drank from the ocean of attainment and achieved the presence when the Cause was still concealed behind the veils of might, power, protection, grandeur and majesty.”

Last year he had requested multiple Tablets for the friends of those regions, and all were revealed from the heaven of God’s will and are now in this servant’s possession. However, due to wisdom they have not yet been sent. God willing, they shall be sent. If you meet him, convey to him the glad tidings of divine favors, and likewise mention on behalf of this evanescent servant whatever is befitting. I beseech God to adorn him in the assemblage of the world with the ornament of love for the Ancient King, in such wise that he may be remembered by His name and known by His love. Although he is now known and described thus among the chosen ones, later the names of the sincere ones and those who have turned to God will be exalted in all regions. Verily our Lord, the All-Informed, is the Mighty, the Powerful.

Concerning what you wrote about his honour Aqa ʿAbdu’s-Samad, that he has rent asunder the veils and turned to the Lord of all return—blessed be he and joy be unto him. O My loved one! If all the peoples of the earth were to ponder the Cause of God with fairness, assuredly all would turn to the Dayspring of divine manifestation. The people are unaware and have not witnessed the waves of the ocean of utterance and have not attained to the effulgences of the Sun of Truth, and the reins of souls are in the grasp of those possessed of fancy and vain imaginings. These obstacles that have become the cause and reason of prevention have appeared from the deeds of souls themselves, while God, exalted be His glory, created all through one word and called all through one word. Blessed is he who is attracted by His call and turns to His horizon, and woe to those who turn away, and woe to the heedless. In any case, this evanescent servant beseeches God to aid his honour Samad to serve the Cause and make him among those on whom shall come no fear, neither shall they grieve.

Furthermore, the petition of his honour Mulla Husayn arrived, and it so happened that an hour after its arrival it was presented at the Most Holy Court, and these sublime words issued forth from the Dayspring of the mouth of the Revealer of verses—exalted be His grandeur: “O Husayn! Thy call has attained to the honor of being heard, thy state is witnessed and thy condition known. Be thou prepared to hearken unto that wherewith My Most Exalted Pen makes mention of thee from this Most Holy, Most Mighty, Most Glorious Station. By My life! Wert thou to find the sweetness of the utterance of the All-Merciful, joy and gladness would seize thee from all directions. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. Cast aside what thou hast and take what God, the Lord of all men, commands thee. Commit all thine affairs unto God and trust in Him and say:

“O Thou by Whose finger’s motion the earth was cleft and the heaven was split, and by Whose will the trumpet was blown and the mountains passed away! I beseech Thee to ordain for me from the wonders of Thy bounty and grace that which will profit me in every world of Thy worlds. O my Lord! Thou knowest what is with me and I know not what is with Thee, and Thou art more knowing of me than I am. Aid me in Thy Cause in such wise that I may choose what Thou hast chosen for me. Verily Thou art the Generous, the Bountiful.”

O Husayn! Thy call hath been heard, and the Wronged One hath turned toward thee from the Most Great Prison, and thy response hath been sent down from the heaven of the loving-kindness of the Desired One of all worlds. The will and desire of the friends must, God willing, be annihilated in the will and desire of the All-Merciful—that is, they must be content with whatsoever He hath willed. Blessed is he who hath attained unto this most exalted station! He is mentioned in God’s Book as being among those who are content and nigh unto Him. O Husayn! Be thou aware, and ponder the fathomless ocean of the grace of the Beloved of all creation. The Tongue of Revelation maketh mention of thee, and this is that same Speaker Who called out from the Mount. Were thou to sacrifice a hundred thousand lives at His coming, they would not equal one word of those that have streamed forth from His tongue. Reflect upon thy Lord’s grace, and thy Lord’s loving-kindness, and thy Lord’s tender mercy, and thy Lord’s compassion, and be thou of the thankful ones. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

At this moment, when the perspicuous utterance of the Lord of the Day of Judgment reached this point, He desired to make mention of one of His friends, that the fragrances of His wondrous remembrance might be made manifest as befitteth Him. O Abu’l-Hasan! Since thou didst make mention of Muhammad-Qabli-Husayn-i-Naw, and the Supreme Pen hath shown loving-kindness, He now desireth to make mention of him who beareth his name, for in the prime of youth and the springtime of his life he turned toward the Lord of all return, and from ʿIraq and the Land of Mystery and the Most Great Prison loving-kindness was shown unto him. Blessed is he in that he hath attained and heard the call of his Lord and responded.

We make mention of him even as We mentioned him before, and We give him the glad-tidings of that which hath been ordained for him from the presence of One mighty and strong. God willing, may they not become heedless of this great station and preserve it. It behooveth him at all times to remember his Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. He hath been recorded among those who preceded others in the Perspicuous Book. The friends of God were and are in that land, and owing to the blazing of the fire of tyranny some are concealed behind the clouds of wisdom. God will soon manifest through His sovereignty that which He desireth and will reveal the station of those who have turned unto Him and have hearkened unto His verses and have acknowledged that which the Tongue of Grandeur testified before the creation of the heavens and earth.

The request of this evanescent one is that ye convey greetings and praise on my behalf to all the friends of God who dwell in that land and who gaze toward the horizon of God’s Will. We beseech God to assist them all and keep them steadfast upon the straight path of His Cause.

BH01156: In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great…

In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord, He is God, exalted is He

Praise be to God Who is unique in His might, singular in His grandeur, and sanctified above the intimations of creation and the conditions of humanity—He through Whom one hears from the waves of the ocean of utterance that the All-Merciful hath come with power and sovereignty, and from the rushing of the winds of explanation that the Proof hath appeared and the Intended One hath come with a Cause that hath conquered all in the realm of possibilities. Exalted be His greatness and exalted be His dominion! The very essence of power hath confessed its powerlessness before the manifestations of His power, and the very essence of strength hath acknowledged its weakness before the evidences of His strength. He is the One of Whom all the books of the world have spoken, declaring that none can be described save through Him, and all the Messengers whom God hath sent unto the peoples have testified that none can be mentioned except by Him.

He is the Single One Who cannot be known through singleness, and the Unique One Who cannot be described through uniqueness. He is a surging, wave-filled ocean wherein neither the ships of mystic knowledge, nor the vessels of utterance, nor the boats of remembrance can sail. Its waves arise not from winds but from a motion which none hath understood save Him. Verily He is the All-Knowing, verily He is the All-Informed.

This is the motion that appeared from the stirring of the Primal Word—glorified be its Originator, its Speaker and its Manifestor. The servant testifieth in this station that the very essence of knowledge was ignorant of this atmosphere wherein no sound of the wings of the birds of utterance hath ever been heard. Verily He is the Almighty, the Powerful, the Bestower.

Glorified art Thou, O my God, my Well-Beloved, my Desire, my Possessor, my Sovereign! Thou hearest the plaintive cry of Thine evanescent servant, whom Thou hast honoured to stand before Thy abiding Throne, and unto whom, out of Thy boundless grace, Thou hast entrusted the service of the river of Thy Utterance, the ocean of Thy verses, and the heaven of Thy wisdom. Though all things bear witness to his frailty and impotence, Thou hast caused to proceed from him that whereby the hearts of Thine friends and the souls of Thy chosen ones are rejoiced, and through him is spread abroad that which Thy servants and Thy creatures are powerless to recount. All this hath appeared through the wonders of Thy bounty and Thy favours, without his deserving thereof.

I beseech Thee, O Owner of Names and Fashioner of the heavens, by those whose hearts have soared in the air of Thy love and whose souls have ascended into the heaven of Thy affection, and by Thy bough which hath set itself toward the Most Remote Goal and the Supreme End, and hath traversed the lands until it attained the Presence before the Throne, at the unveiling of the lights of Thy Countenance, and heard Thy call, and drank, by Thy command and permission, from the sea of reunion, to aid and strengthen him, and this servant, and Thy servants, in that which Thou lovest and dost approve. Verily Thou art the Lord of the Throne and of the dust. O Lord! Thou knowest that I have found in him that which befitteth Thy days—whereunto beareth witness what the tongue of his heart hath uttered and sent forth toward the Throne of Thy grandeur. Preserve him, then, through Thy generosity and Thy sovereignty, and ordain for him that which shall gladden the hearts of Thy loved ones. Verily Thou art the All-Powerful, the Omnipotent.

My life and my substance are a ransom for your presence, and a ransom for your turning unto God. I was asleep; your call awakened me. I was silent; your remembrance gave me utterance to celebrate, in praise, our Creator and your Creator, our Beloved and your Beloved. When I attained unto it and to that which it contained, I turned toward the Praised Station. And when I entered, I opened the book and laid before the Throne of the mercy of our mighty and loving Lord what was written therein. Thereupon did the Tongue of Grandeur speak words whereunto nothing in all creation—whether of what hath been or what shall be—can be compared. This servant is unable to recount all that he heard. He, verily, is the All-Encompassing, the All-Knowing.

Thereafter He said:

“God willing, may they, even as a star at dawn, arise and shine forth and illumine from the horizon of the heaven of the love of God. We have remembered him with such words as nothing can equal, and whereby his remembrance shall endure through the everlasting sovereignty of the Mighty, the Inaccessible. O servant! with the fairest utterance have they made mention of the True One. God willing, they shall ever be and shall continue to be favoured with the special bounties of God.”

End of quotation.

This evanescent servant rendereth praise unto the Desire of the worlds for that which the tongue of His innate nature hath uttered; it was accepted before the Throne—praise be unto Him, and again praise be unto Him. All who circle round the Throne convey their greetings to his honor.

Concerning what thou didst write regarding the nisab—whether permission is given to give unto the poor or not—it was submitted. He said:

“We grant you permission; yet, as a general rule, it is not allowable. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.”

End of quotation.

Furthermore, I presented mention of your honor to the most pure and luminous presence of the Divine Branches—may my spirit and being be sacrificed for the dust of their footsteps—and all of them, with utmost grace and kindness, conveyed their most glorious and resplendent greetings. Praise be to God, mention of your honor has been and continues to be made in the Most Holy Court and among others who circle round in this land. This evanescent servant requests that you convey expressions of his utter nothingness and evanescence to the Afnan who are present in that land, especially to those gentlemen who have returned from the Desired Land. In truth, whatever may be submitted, even if it were to fill numerous volumes, would be insufficient in view of this servant’s burning love. However, your honor knows that there is much work, especially in these days. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, that He may assist this evanescent one, despite his inability, weakness and nothingness, to accomplish this momentous task. Without God’s grace and His mercy and compassion, this servant has been and is as one non-existent, and has been and is as nothing.

BH00709: This is a Book sent down by the All-Bountiful…

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

This is a Book sent down by the All-Bountiful on a day whereon the tribes lamented, the earth was cleft asunder, and the mountains were swept away—unto those who have drunk of the Kawthar of divine knowledge in the days of the All-Merciful in such wise that they turned their faces toward Him, directed their steps unto Him, and spoke His praise with their tongues, that they might rejoice in this Remembrance through which the graves have risen up and the Herald hath called out: “O beloved of the All-Merciful in the Nun and the Ya! Hearken unto the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree which speaketh from the loftiest station: ʿVerily, there is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.”’

We hear the remembrances of those who have turned toward the Supreme Horizon, and We behold the deeds of every believer who hath attained the light of certitude. Beware lest the veils of earth withhold you or the protests of those who have pronounced judgment against God, the Lord of Lords, prevent you. How many a learned one hath prided himself on My Name amongst My servants, yet when I manifested Myself, turned away and disbelieved in God, the Lord of the Final End. They make mention of God in their mosques and temples, yet when He appeared with grace, they turned from Him and rose up against Him with such tyranny as caused every angel to cry out and the denizens of Paradise to lament in their most exalted gardens.

Be ye the helpers of God on earth and His trusted ones in every land. Thus doth the Wronged One command you from the presence of God, the Lord of Creation. Adorn yourselves with the ornament of wisdom among all people and speak with pure truthfulness. He commandeth you that which shall profit you in the Hereafter and in this world. He, verily, is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

O letters of the Book of God’s love! Behold, then remember what befell the chosen ones in the land of Sad, when the wolf howled throughout the land. Verily, the Baqir pronounced judgment against the children of the Messenger with such tyranny as caused the leaves to fall and the trees to lament. Blessed is My name, the Ha’, who hastened to the place of sacrifice with spirit and joy. We make mention of him and his brother and those who drank the choice wine of martyrdom in that place, as a grace from Us, and I am the Mighty, the All-Forgiving. By God’s life! They attained unto that which none in creation hath attained, as testified by that which the All-Merciful hath sent down in the Book. Blessed is he whom God hath made steadfast in this Cause in such wise that neither armies terrified him nor factions hindered him.

Ye are the letters of the Book of God’s love. At all times ye must, with the utmost spirit and joy, summon the heedless through wisdom and utterance, that perchance they may not be deprived of the Living Waters and may attain unto that which God hath willed.

The petitions from the friends of that land, equal in number to ʿLove’, have been presented at the Most Holy Court, and likewise the names of a number have been mentioned and witnessed, and all have been blessed with divine favors, and all those souls have been adorned with the mention of their names in the Book of Names by the Most Exalted Pen. Know ye the value of this bounty and supplicate the Lord at all times that He may assist you to preserve your exalted station. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

How often it happens that a soul is kept back by the croaking of a crow, and every falsehood that caused the misguidance of the servants on earth appeared in the garment of truth. He verily expoundeth unto you that which shall guard you from idle fancies and vain imaginings and draw you nigh unto God in all conditions.

Two petitions from the Name of Glory have been presented before the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. God willing, may he not be deprived of the ocean of divine favor in this luminous day and receive his portion from the outpourings of the clouds of abundant grace. Blessed is he who hath been granted leave, who hath drawn nigh, who hath attained, and who hath heard the Call of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

Hold ye fast, with perfect certitude and assurance, to the cord of His favor and cleave ye to the hem of His bounty. Adorn yourselves with goodly character and, God willing, succeed in performing praiseworthy deeds. Whatsoever hath been sent down from the heaven of divine Will hath been for the education, unity and love of the servants with one another.

However, the deluded ones have made the religion of God, the Faith of God, and the Law of God the cause of conflict and contention. This is why in most Tablets this firm decree hath been sent down from the heaven of Will:

“Glory is not for him who loveth his country, but for him who loveth the world.”

Hold fast, O My loved ones, unto this utterance through which the kingdom of divine knowledge hath been adorned.

Associate with all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship, and should wisdom dictate, convey the word of truth. Whoso accepteth it doth so for his own sake, and whoso turneth away—verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Self-Sufficient, the All-Praised. In no wise is conflict and contention permissible. All have been created from one Word and unto that same Word do they return. For the Word there are stations and ranks that cannot be contained in pages and books.

Hold fast unto the Book of God, then act according to what hath been revealed therein. It will protect you and draw you nigh unto Him. Beware lest anything prevent you from that which ye have been commanded by One Who is All-Knowing, All-Informed. Conduct yourselves with the utmost wisdom, and whenever divine praise is raised, occupy yourselves with the mention of the martyrs who have laid down their lives in this straight Path out of love for the Beloved of the worlds, and likewise those souls who have ascended with perfect certitude—they are those through whom the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise seek blessing. To this beareth witness the Lord of all beings in this Luminous Tablet.

Were ye to occupy yourselves with the praise and gratitude of God throughout all days, it would not equal a single letter of this Tablet, for therein the ocean of grace is surging, the sun of mercy is shining from its horizon, and the heaven of favor is seen to be upraised. Blessed is he who hath seen with his eyes, who hath heard with his ears, and who hath recognized with understanding the appearance of God, His sovereignty, His power and His might.

O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of those handmaidens who have turned to Thee, and hearkened, and responded when Thy shrill voice was raised betwixt earth and heaven. Then gladden them with the tidings of God’s loving-kindness and His mercy that hath preceded all created things. How many men and women who, night and day, were occupied with the remembrance of God and awaited the days of His appearance, yet when the Sun of Truth shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of grandeur, all turned aside save whom God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, willed. O handmaidens of God! Render thanks and be engaged in His praise and glorification, inasmuch as He hath assisted you to attain a station whereof the men of earth, be they divines or others, remain deprived and debarred.

God willing, may ye all, with utmost sanctity and detachment, occupy yourselves with the remembrance of God. This Day is truly mighty; one must arise to that which befitteth this Day. Should anyone ponder upon this Tablet, which is in truth the source of all heavenly Books, he would know of a certainty that whatsoever hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen was and is intended for the protection of His servants and the education of mankind. And God speaketh the truth and guideth to the Way. The Command is God’s, the One, the Mighty, the Beauteous.

Glory be to Thee, O Thou through Whose name the seas surged and the winds blew and the lamp was illumined! I beseech Thee by the pebbles of Thy lands and the stones of Thy city and the sands which have been blessed by Thy power and over which the breezes of Thy Cause have wafted, to ordain for Thy chosen ones, who have cast away all else save Thee and have taken hold of that which Thou didst command them in Thy Book, that which beseemeth the ocean of Thy bounty and the sun of Thy grace. O Lord! Thou beholdest the tyranny of Thine enemies and the tribulations of Thy loved ones. Thy Most Exalted Pen hath testified that they have borne for love of Thee what none before them hath borne, and there hath befallen them in Thy path that which hath caused all things to lament and raised the cry of weeping from the Concourse on High.

I beseech Thee, O Fashioner of the heavens and Lord of Names, by Thy Name through which the world was manifested, to aid everyone who hath clung to the Most Great Name to that which beseemeth Thee and Thy days. Then make him steadfast in Thy Cause in such wise that neither the ascendancy of the factions nor the hosts of those who have turned away from Thee, O Lord of the beginning and the end, shall keep him back. Verily Thou art He in Whose grasp is the kingdom of creation. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou pleasest. Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful.

BH00794: O fruits of the Divine Tree! Hearken unto…

In the Name of the One Friend, the One Goal, and the One Beloved!

O fruits of the Divine Tree! Hearken unto the call of the Lord of Creation from this wilderness. This is that same desert wherein the Voice of the Spirit was raised aloft and the sweet fragrances of the Beloved were diffused. In this wilderness most of the Prophets and Messengers responded with “Here am I, O Lord, here am I,” for they had heard and hearkened unto the Call that is raised today, and all beseeched from God the favor of attaining unto this most holy, most exalted Day. This is that land by whose rocks and clay they swore, inasmuch as it hath been honored by the footsteps of God and blessed by the fragrance of His garment. This is that place wherefrom the Interlocutor of Sinai did formerly proclaim “Verily, I am God,” and now too uttereth the same word, despite those who denied His signs and turned away from Him at Whose finger’s motion the earth was cleft asunder and the heavens were rent, and at Whose will the Trumpet was sounded and all who are on earth swooned away, save those whom God, your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, did please to spare.

How greatly did the Son of ʿImran supplicate and implore in this wilderness, wherein is situated the Sinai of divine knowledge, that he might attain the presence of the All-Merciful, until at last he heard that which is recorded in detail in the Holy Books. Blessed is the land that hath today attained this supreme honor and been adorned with the lights of His Manifestation. Blessed is the spot that hath become the seat of His Throne and the place of His footstool. This is a station wherein every person of true spiritual sense can detect the fragrance of the All-Merciful, and every possessor of insight can behold His most exalted horizon.

Blessed are ye, O fruits of the Tree of Existence, inasmuch as ye have attained unto My days, heard My call, and been honored by My verses, wherewith ye were promised in the Books of old by God, the Lord of the worlds. We counsel you to perform goodly deeds. By God! Through them is the Cause of God exalted amongst His servants and the banner of justice raised throughout His lands. Hold fast unto that which God hath taught you in His Book, and cleave unto that which shall profit you in all the worlds of His creation. He is the One through Whom the sun of grace hath shone forth from the horizon of creation and the ocean of bounty hath appeared in the kingdom of existence. Thus hath the Pen spoken from this most exalted station, from God, the Lord of the Throne on high and of the earth below. Blessed is he who hath heard and recognized, and woe unto the heedless!

God willing, ye should occupy yourselves with the mention of the Lord of Creation in perfect fellowship and unity. We beseech God to gather all beneath the pavilion of oneness. Every matter dependeth upon means—thus hath it been ordained by Him Who is the Powerful, the Almighty. Observe in man that he hath been created with two hands, two feet, two eyes, and two ears, and through these means the Causer of Causes hath manifested that which is evident to every person of insight. Should any division occur in this assemblage of elements, man would remain without effect or fruit. Those souls who have drunk from the living waters and are gazing toward the horizon of the All-Merciful must arise with perfect unity and wisdom.

The sun of power shineth forth from the horizon of accord, and the moon of might appeareth from the heaven of unity. Strive that ye may find and act upon that which hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen. Beware lest the affairs of men and their intimations sadden you. Their clamor and deeds shall in no wise be equal to even a single letter of the Book, whether manifest or hidden. Every soul who today attaineth unto the remembrance of God is accounted among the people of Baha. Thus have We made mention of you that your stations and conditions may be exalted. Be grateful unto God for this supreme bounty.

Purify your ears that ye may hearken unto My most sweet call. By My life! Whoso succeedeth in hearing it, neither shall the conditions of the world prevent him, nor shall the oppression of the nations sadden him. He shall arise to promote the Cause and shall speak with wisdom and utterance amidst the concourse of existence. Thus doth your Lord, the All-Merciful, command you—He Who hath taken unto Himself neither partner nor peer. Read ye My verses, traverse the realms of My knowledge, and hold fast unto the cord of My loving-kindness. Then act ye in accordance with that which We have enjoined upon you in the Book sent down from the heaven of Command.

Beware lest ye differ in the Cause of God. Fear God and follow not every false one who hath been deprived of the ocean of truth. How many a learned one hath been veiled by his learning, how many a wealthy one hath been hindered by his riches, and how many an illiterate one hath turned unto the Countenance and believed in Him Who came from the heaven of Command with an authority that encompassed all worlds. By God! This is not the day to tarry. The Most Great Vision hath appeared, wherein speaketh the Lord of Destiny. Blessed is he who hath heard and attained unto the Call, and woe betide every heedless one who remaineth far from the ocean of nearness. Hold fast unto that which shall exalt your stations among the servants and this Command which hath been recorded by the Pen of Revelation in the Mother Book.

God willing, ye should all arise to serve the Cause of God with the utmost wisdom and endeavor, in such wise that the opposition of them who dwell on earth shall not deter you. Most mighty is the Cause and most great is the Day. This is that Day which in most of the Books hath been designated as the Day of God, and this is that Day wherein, as He hath declared, Truth shall be made manifest and the ranks of angels shall stand ready to serve. No one hath been or shall ever be capable of befittingly describing this blessed Day. Strive ye that in these days of God pure and holy deeds may be made manifest from you. The promoter of the Cause today is goodly deeds. Hearken unto the voice of the Wronged One and act in accordance with that which He uttereth and commandeth for the sake of God.

Reflect upon the world’s differences, and the graves therein, and the souls that repose therein. Where are their riches, their sciences, their arts, their strongholds, their treasuries, their hosts, their ranks, their pride, their palaces, their might and their power? They have returned to dust with great loss, save he who ascended unto the Most Exalted Companion through the love of God, the Lord of Names. By the life of God! He verily is in a noble station.

And at the end of the Tablet We make mention of My handmaidens who have believed in the One, the All-Informed. How many a servant hath been kept back through pride from the Lord of Revelation, and how many a handmaiden hath turned unto the Much-frequented Fane and believed in God, the Lord of all worlds. He giveth whom He willeth whatsoever He desireth. He, verily, is the Single One, the One Alone, the Mighty, the Powerful. Blessed is the handmaiden who hath attained unto My days, and turned unto My horizon, and clung to My luminous hem. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of utterance that none hath ever been able, nor shall ever be able, to reckon what God hath ordained for one believing man and one believing woman.

Today, various darksome and corrupt veils have withheld the people from the Lord of all beings, and were the veil to be lifted even less than the eye of a needle, all would cry out “O our grief for what we neglected towards God and His days!” The day shall come when that which is now hidden shall be made manifest. Ere long shall the sincere ones, and the devoted ones, and the remembering women, and the devout women behold what hath been ordained for them in the Book that hath spoken with truth between the heavens and the earth, and summoned all unto the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Praise be to God, the Lord of this mighty Day.