Volume 064: Akka 1298 A.H. (1880–1881), Part III (1 of 6)
BH00355: Say: O friends! The falsehood of the past crucified…
Section 1: “O friends! The falsehood of the past crucified…”
In the Name of the One True God
Say: O friends! The falsehood of the past crucified the Beloved of the future and martyred Him with the bullets of tyranny. Reflect upon those deceitful and treacherous souls who appeared among the people in the guise of truthfulness, trustworthiness, detachment and piety, that ye may be preserved from the terror of this Most Great Day. One made mention of Jabulqa, another alluded to Jabulsa, yet another false one devised an imaginary form and established for it a station upon the throne of vain imaginings. One unjust one made mention of the Holy Land, and another attributed words unto Him falsely. These repugnant and false matters became the cause and reason for the martyrdom of the King of the City of Oneness with utmost tyranny. Should the Hand of Divine Power rend asunder all veils, ye would witness new matters and hearken unto novel utterances. Now He speaketh but one word, that perchance it may serve as a barrier between truth and falsehood, and that word is this:
“Purify your ears from that which is uttered by those who attribute themselves to the Bayan, yet deny its Revealer, its Sovereign and its Sender.”
For these veiled souls follow exactly in the footsteps of those others. Blessed is the eye that seeth and comprehendeth—such a one is accounted before God as among the most powerful and capable of all people.
Hearken unto that which My Herald spoke before Me. He said, and His Word is the truth:
“A one-year-old seed on the Day of His Revelation is mightier than all the Bayan.”
These mentions flow from the Pen of the Unconstrained out of pure loving-kindness and compassion. Preserve them and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of all the worlds!
The Shi’ih sect, who counted themselves as the saved and blessed community and knew themselves as the most excellent of all people, related successive traditions stating that whosoever claimed the Promised One would be born was an infidel and outside the religion. These traditions caused many to be martyred without guilt or crime, until the Primal Point—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him—was born in Fars from the loins of a known person and made the claim of being the Qa’im. Thereupon, those who followed vain imaginings and idle fancies were in manifest loss, and the Cause appeared to all the world like the rays of the sun. Nevertheless, that heedless and rejected sect turned away and arose to slay that Essence of being.
O people of Baha! The Lord of Names commandeth you to reflect upon these matters, that ye may truly shatter the idols of fancy and vain imaginings, and not be afflicted with the new idle fancies to which the deniers of the Bayan cling. Arise to uphold the Cause with divine strength and power, and protect the servants from the tyranny of the idolatrous souls and the imaginings of the false and heedless ones. Reflect upon the hidden mysteries—how at the time of the Revelation, the people of the Furqan, namely the Shi’ih sect, were unaware of the Day of God and the manner of its manifestation. They were as though entirely bereft of the ocean of knowledge and deprived of the effulgences of the Sun of inner meanings.
The divine Cause appeared and was manifested contrary to all that they had understood through their vain imaginings and to which they had held fast. And those deluded souls who counted themselves the most God-fearing of creation and the most detached in all the world arose in such tyranny that the Concourse on High, the denizens of the Cities of Names, and the Kingdom of Creation all were bewildered. Thus hath the Most Exalted Pen spoken, as a grace from Him, that ye may become aware of that which was concealed from you and witness what lay behind the veil through what the hands of those who wandered in the wilderness of fancy and vain imaginings had wrought, and who pronounced judgment against Him Who came with the truth from God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling.
O ye who drink the choice sealed wine of the Name “Qayyum”! Consider those who regarded themselves as saved and blessed: when tested, they were accounted among the rebellious, transgressing, repudiating, rejected faction, and in God’s Book they are inscribed by the Supreme Pen among the manifestations of negation. The people of Baha, who are mentioned in the Qayyum-i-Asma as companions of the Crimson Ark, must show forth such steadfastness as befits this Most Great Cause and this blessed Day.
This is the day of service and steadfastness. If a child remains firm in this Cause, he is mightier than all the Bayan—by the testimony of God and the testimony of Him Who appeared before and gave glad tidings to the people of this Great Announcement. In the Tablets revealed in Iraq, the Land of Mystery, and the Most Great Prison, We warned God’s loved ones and informed them of the appearance of the calf, the barking ones, the birds of night, the book of perdition, and the tablets of fire, that all might become so steadfast that neither the people of the world nor all they possess could corrupt these firm and upright souls. They must be seen as mountains, not as leaves that are moved by every wind and overturned by the slightest breeze.
Thus doth the All-Knowing teach you, the All-Aware make you understand, and guide you to His straight path. Strive ye, and with the utmost lowliness and supplication beseech the Mighty, the Powerful to assist you in that which is adorned with the ornament of His good-pleasure, and likewise to enable you to perform such deeds as shall endure forever in God’s Book throughout the dominion of earth and heaven. Let not this opportunity slip from your grasp, nor waste your time. I swear by the ocean of divine knowledge that a single moment of these days excelleth centuries and ages—to this doth your Lord, the Chosen One, bear witness in this glorious station. God willing, burn away the veils that hinder you with the fire of the love of the All-Merciful, and illumine hearts with the light of His countenance.
This is the day of this blessed and decisive Word, which the Tongue of Unity previously uttered: “All things are perishable save His Face.” This is the Day of God, wherein naught is mentioned save He alone. Where are the pure and penetrating eyes, and where are the illumined and detached hearts? This is the day of eyes and ears and hearts—beseech ye God to possess these three and keep them free from veils. For verily, a thin veil, nay the thinnest of veils, preventeth the eye from seeing, the ear from hearing, and the heart from understanding. Consider this exalted word which was previously revealed from the Supreme Pen: O sons of knowledge! If the eyelid, however delicate, can shut out the entire world from sight, consider what would result if the veil of covetousness were to descend upon the heart!
O friends! Today the gate of heaven hath been opened with the key of God’s Name, the ocean of bounty surgeth and billoweth before all faces, and the sun of grace shineth forth resplendent. Deprive not yourselves, and waste not your precious lives in heeding the words of this one or that. Gird up the loins of endeavor and turn your attention to the education of the peoples of the world. Consider not the religion of God as a cause of opposition, rancor and hatred. The Tongue of Grandeur proclaims: That which hath been sent down from the heaven of the Will of God in this most holy and exalted Revelation hath been for the unity of the world and the love and fellowship of its peoples.
Section 2: “The people of Baha, who have drunk…”
The people of Baha, who have drunk of the choice wine of significance, must associate with all the peoples of the world with the utmost spirituality and fragrance, and remind them of that which profiteth all. This is the counsel of the Wronged One to His loved ones and chosen ones. The world was created through love, and all are commanded to fellowship and unity. Fix your gaze upon this blessed word which hath dawned from the horizon of the mouth of the King of Oneness, and make mention of it:
“I was in My Ancient Entity and My Eternal Being. I knew My love in thee, therefore I created thee, cast upon thee My image and revealed to thee My beauty.”
O people of Baha! While ye are in your homes and this Wronged One is in the Most Great Prison, submerged in an ocean of tribulations, He mentioneth each one of you with such words and utterances that were but one letter thereof to be shed upon the mirrors of all created things, the words “Thou art the Beloved” would appear visible in all things, in such wise that all would read and recite them. Let not this boundless grace slip from your grasp, and be not heedless of what hath befallen this Wronged One and you in the path of God. Know ye your worth and preserve your stations in the name of the Truth, for the ungodly, the deniers, and the treacherous have appeared in the guise of unity, acceptance and trustworthiness, and strive with the utmost effort to lead souls astray. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, speaketh the truth and informeth you of His grace and guideth you to His straight path.
Abandon the ways of men and count as non-existent the paths of the heedless, and say: He walketh not in your ways, nor doeth what ye do. He hath appeared and made manifest His straight path, and made known to all His mighty course. Blessed is the soul that hath hastened to the ocean of its Lord’s mercy, and the ear that hath heard the Most Exalted Pen’s shrill voice, and the eye that hath beheld His mighty signs, and the tongue that hath spoken His beautiful praise. Say: Have mercy upon yourselves and follow not those who have denied God and His signs, rejected His proof and His evidence, and have risen up in opposition with manifest injustice. Verily He, from the Most Great Prison, summoneth both kings and subjects unto the Most Great Name, which was hidden in God’s knowledge and mentioned in the Scriptures of the Messengers.
O friends! The mention of all hath been and shall continue to be recorded in the divine Books, and should some of God’s chosen ones not be honored with a separate Tablet, let them know with absolute certitude that their names, their devotion and their acceptance, according to their ranks, have been inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Book. Beseech ye God for His confirmation, that ye may achieve that which shall cause your eternal remembrance. Verily He seeth and heareth, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
The world hath never had, nor doth it now possess any significance. Ere long shall all who dwell on earth return to their graves. By Him Who hath caused all things to speak forth His praise! This world and all that is therein appeareth, in the eyes of the discerning, as worthless as a single word from the divine utterances, for the former is transient and perishable, while the latter shall endure as long as God’s names and attributes endure. No person of understanding would forfeit the everlasting divine bounty for the sake of a day or two of earthly life.
In truth I say, the soul hath ever yearned and will continue to yearn for the garden of revelation and divine presence, yet vain imaginings and desires have prevented it from the kingdom of nearness. Ye must consume the veils with the fire of certitude and the light of faith, and illuminate your hearts and minds. Strive ye to drink from the Kawthar of certitude which floweth from the right hand of God’s throne. Whosoever attaineth unto it is numbered among the people of eternity in the Crimson Book.
Praise be to God! His grace and favors have guided those who have turned unto Him to the straight path and blessed them with the supreme gift and the greatest bounty. Know ye the value of your station and be vigilant at all times, for those who would lead astray have ever lain and shall continue to lie in wait for the guides. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Hath there ever been seen on earth a sincere seeker who was deprived of the outpouring grace, or a true pursuer who, having intended with complete sincerity to reach his ultimate goal, was prevented therefrom? Nay, by His very Self, the Truth! And if some of the believers, near ones, and sincere ones sought something outwardly but did not attain it, this was due to God’s all-encompassing wisdom. They must not be saddened, for unto everything there is an appointed time. When its hour cometh, it shall be manifested in truth from God, the Lord of the worlds.
Rejoice, O friends of God and His chosen ones, in that My Most Exalted Pen remembereth you on this night wherein the Tongue of Grandeur proclaimeth that there is none other God but He, the Helper, the Counselor, the Single, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Blessed is he who hath attained unto the most great steadfastness; he is indeed among the people of the highest Paradise in the Book of God, the Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens, Who hath appeared in truth with manifest sovereignty.
Beware lest the veils of names prevent you from their Sovereign, their Source and their Creator. Hold fast unto the cord of your Lord’s loving-kindness and cling to His resplendent hem. Whoso acteth according to what hath been commanded, the Concourse on High shall pray for him, as shall the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise and they who abide within the tabernacles of grandeur, as ordained by God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Thus doth the Wronged One remember you while in the prison of the heedless, and teach you that which shall, under all conditions, draw you nigh unto God, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Peerless.
We counsel all to observe wisdom and utterance in the Cause of their Lord, the All-Merciful, even as We counselled them aforetime. He, verily, is the True Counsellor. These are words We have sent down in diverse Tablets. It behooveth everyone who hath believed in God in this Revelation to hold fast unto them and be of those who are steadfast. We have forbidden all from whatsoever God loveth not and have commanded that which gladdeneth the hearts of the peoples. He, verily, is the Most Gracious, the All-Bountiful.
Associate with the followers of all religions, O My loved ones, in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship. Beware lest ye make the Word of God the cause of your differences or a pretext for manifesting hatred among you. Say: Fear ye God, O people of the earth, and be not of the negligent. He commandeth you to that from which ye can inhale the fragrance of the spirit, were ye of them that comprehend. The glory be upon you and upon those who are with you and who love you and serve you and hearken unto that which hath been inscribed by the Supreme Pen in this irrevocable, this manifest and perspicuous Cause.
BH00365: The Divine Lote Tree beareth witness unto Him Who…
Section 1: “The Divine Lote Tree beareth witness unto Him…”
He is the Manifest, the Speaking, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!
The Divine Lote Tree beareth witness unto Him Who hath appeared in the kingdom of creation, that there is none other God but Him. He hath ever been sanctified above mention and praise, and exalted beyond the comprehension of all who dwell on earth and in heaven. He is the Hidden Mystery and the Treasured Symbol, He through Whose remembrance the books of the world have been adorned, and of Whom the All-Merciful hath spoken in the Qur’an: the Day when all people shall stand before the Lord of the worlds.
O Mihdi! Thy letter hath reached the Wronged One, and the servant standing before the Throne hath read it. Thou art he who hath acknowledged what God hath acknowledged, and hath spoken what the Most Exalted Pen hath spoken between earth and heaven. Blessed be thine eyes for having beheld the Most Great Sign, and thine ears for having heard My sweetest call, and thy heart for having turned toward My luminous horizon. We have nurtured thee, guided thee, caused thee to hear, and made known unto thee this Revelation, at whose appearance every edifice hath been shaken, the heart of every learned one disturbed, the foot of every man of wisdom hath slipped, and every lofty mountain been leveled.
We have found from thee the fragrance of sincerity. We made mention of thee before, and at this moment when the Speaker on Sinai calleth out upon the Branch of Revelation: “There is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.” Rejoice in this Tablet from which the fragrance of the loving-kindness of the All-Merciful hath been wafted throughout all possibility. He Who possesseth the perspicuous Book beareth witness to this, and give thanks for being mentioned by the Mother Book from this station which hath been named with the Most Beautiful Names in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds. Thou hast attained unto that whose fragrance shall never cease to exist, as long as God, thy Goal and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and on earth, endureth.
Thou wert silent—His sweetest call made thee speak. Thou wert asleep—the Cry which was raised in truth awakened thee. Thou wert seated—the hand of thy Lord’s power, the Mighty, the Powerful, caused thee to arise. Canst thou render thanks befitting this most great favor? Say: There is no strength nor power except through Thee, O Beloved of the world, and no might nor ability save through Thy mighty sovereignty. Thus have the pearls of knowledge appeared from the ocean of thy Lord’s mercy, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
God hath ordained for thee that which shall gladden the hearts of them that are nigh unto Him. My Most Exalted Pen beareth witness that thou didst hear the Call and didst turn toward the horizon of the Cause when every learned one remote from God turned away therefrom. The glory be upon thee and upon thy wife, toward whom the glances of thy Lord’s loving-kindness have been directed. Give her the glad-tidings of her Lord’s bounty, that she may rejoice in this remembrance from which the sincere ones perceive the fragrance of the garment of their Lord’s grace, the Bestower, the Mighty, the Wise.
We make mention of Hashim, who was mentioned in thy letter, that he may rejoice in God’s remembrance, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. O Hashim! Hear the call of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, from the Supreme Horizon in the luminous spot:
“Verily, there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Loving.”
The world was created for this Most Great Revelation, yet when it appeared in truth, every heedless one turned away and every ignorant one rejected it. Say: O people of the earth! This is the Day of remembrance and praise, and this is the Day of the Call—how is it that ye hear not? This is the Day wherein the Supreme Horizon hath been illumined with the lights of the Revelation of Him Who is the Lord of Names—how is it that ye see not? By My life! This is the Day of utterance, yet ye remain silent, and this is the Day whose mention God hath sent down in the books of old, yet most of the people are unaware. Hold fast unto the cord of thy Lord’s grace, and cleave unto the hem of the True One’s loving-kindness, the Knower of all secrets. Thus hath My tongue spoken, as a favor from Me unto thee, that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Possessor of all existence.
We make mention of him who hath been named Ali in the Kingdom of Names, who desired to drink of My choice-sealed wine. O Ali! Hear My call from the precincts of My prison. Verily, He remembereth thee with that which gladdeneth the hearts and souls. Open thy vision that thou mayest behold My greatest signs and My most exalted horizon, then incline thine ear that thou mayest hear the call of God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. Say: O concourse of the earth! This is a Day wherein all things speak forth: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of all mankind!” Verily, He hath appeared with the truth, with a sovereignty before which the hosts of the world cannot stand, nor can the cannons of the nations frighten Him. He proclaimeth between earth and heaven with the most exalted call: “By God! The Desired One hath come with manifest sovereignty!” Arise with supreme steadfastness in the Cause of the Lord of all creation, then rend asunder the veils in the name of thy Lord, the Sovereign of the seen and the unseen.
Beware lest the veils of the peoples prevent thee from the Most Great Name. Behold, then remember when Muhammad, the Apostle of God, came, the divines of that age denied Him, and when the Spirit came, the Jewish scholars turned away from Him. Were anyone to judge with fairness, even to the extent of a needle’s eye, he would arise and cry out among the servants by virtue of this Name, through which the sincere ones have hastened to the shade of the mercy of their Lord, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving. Should anyone deny this Cause, by what proof can he establish that which he possesseth, and by what evidence can his heart find assurance?
Thus have We expounded the verses and sent them down unto thee that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Possessor of the Kingdom. Leave the world behind thee, turning unto God and detaching thyself from all existence. This is a Day wherein the proof calleth aloud and the evidence crieth out, yet the people do not understand. When thou findest the fragrance of the garment and hearest the call of the Wronged One, turn thy face toward God and say:
“I testify that Thou hast appeared and hast manifested Thy Cause, the Mighty, the Hidden.”
O Mahmud! The Best-Beloved turneth toward thee and calleth thee from the precincts of His hallowed House, and remindeth thee of that which God hath revealed in the Book. We make mention of them who have believed in God and We leave every sinful doubter. Blessed is he who hath attained unto the Most Exalted Word, which the Tongue of Grandeur hath uttered in this Prison, round which circle the Concourse on High at eventide and at dawn. We have found thy acceptance, wherefore We have turned toward thee and mentioned thee with that which shall cause thy remembrance to endure throughout the eternity of the names of thy Lord, the Revealer of verses. Preserve this station through the Most Great Name, Which speaketh from the most exalted station. We counsel thee and those who have believed in that which exalteth the Cause of God, the Lord of Lords. Blessed is he who hath arisen to serve the Cause and hath done that which he was bidden in the Book.
O Muhammad-Rida! The Lord of Names maketh mention of thee that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful. We counsel thee and those who have believed to perform pure deeds in this Day which was mentioned in the Books of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Take hold of God’s Tablet with the power that proceedeth from Him, then act in accordance with that which thou hast been commanded by an All-Wise Ordainer. Beware lest the veils of creation prevent thee from this Truth, at Whose appearance the atoms cried out: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of the worlds!” This is the Day of deeds, yet most of the people are heedless. This is the Day of knowledge, yet most of the people are turning away. And this is the Day of God, were ye of them that know. Say: Cast behind you what ye possess of idle fancies and vain imaginings, and hold fast unto that which ye have been commanded in a glorious Book. Every rock hath stood up, every stone hath stirred, and every clod hath spoken through the fragrances of the verses, yet the people are in evident blindness. Blessed is the strong one who hath shattered the idols of vain imaginings through My Name, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Compelling.
O Muhammad-Sadiq! The face of Him Who was wronged hath turned towards thee, inasmuch as thou hast turned unto God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting. Render thanks unto God for having caused thy name to flow from His Most Exalted Pen, and for having honored thee with this Tablet which hath been ordained, from which all who are endowed with perception can inhale the fragrance of God, the Lord of the Kingdom. We counsel thee and those who have believed to observe trustworthiness and truthfulness, and all that whereby the Cause of God, the Lord of all that hath been and shall be, may be promoted. Strive that there may appear from thee that which shall immortalize thy name in God’s preserved Tablet. Be thou a speaker before the face of thy Lord and a doer of that whereunto thou art bidden by God, the Mighty, the Beloved. It behoveth every one who hath believed in God to act according to that which hath been ordained in the Most Holy Book, which hath been sent down from the presence of the True One, the All-Knowing.
O Ali-Muhammad! Bear thou witness unto that whereunto God hath Himself borne witness—that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who speaketh is the Hidden Mystery, the Treasured Secret, He Whom the Messengers of God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting, have heralded. By God’s life! The Day is come, yet the people have turned away therefrom. The time of escape hath arrived, yet most men understand not. Hold fast unto the Book of God; verily it shall suffice thee. He Who hath turned towards thee from His Glorious Habitation beareth witness unto this. Say: This is the Day whereon the Trumpet calleth out, saying: “The Lord of Revelation is come!” and the Speaker of the Mount proclaimeth: “There is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Well-Beloved!”
All things have testified to the Lord of Names, and the Balance crieth out from the heart of creation: “By God! The All-Merciful is come, yet the people are turning away!” Blessed is the heart that hath turned towards Him, and the face that hath set itself towards Him, and the eye that hath beheld the glorious station. Arise, O My loved ones, to remember and praise God, then act in such wise as to exalt your stations and elevate your names in the worlds of the seen and the unseen. Thus doth the Mighty in Power instruct thee—He Who hath come with the Greatest Sign unto all who dwell in the kingdom of creation. Thy Lord is, verily, powerful over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Him, the Protector of all that hath been and shall be.
Section 2: “O My Pen! Make mention of him who…”
O My Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named with My name, and give him the glad tidings of God’s signs, the Lord of all worlds. O Ha preceding Sin, and Ayn preceding Lam! Rejoice that the King of Names remembereth thee from His resplendent seat. Say: By God! The Greatest Vision hath appeared and the Lord of Destiny proclaimeth therein, saying: “O people! Cast away what ye possess and take that which I have commanded you from God, the Mighty, the Beauteous.” How many learned ones have been kept back by their knowledge from My Self-Subsisting Name, and how many unlettered ones have heard and hastened to the ocean of My Great Name! Say: O peoples of the earth! Fear ye God, then judge fairly of this Cause, at whose revelation all who are in the heavens and on earth were thunderstruck, save such as God willed, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Thus hath the sun of thy Lord’s utterance shone forth from the horizon of the Tablet. Be thou thankful and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Goal of them that are near unto Thee!”
O Hasan! Show kindness even as God hath shown kindness unto thee. Then praise thy Lord for having turned unto thee from this exalted station. Verily He hath borne for the sake of God that which none before Him hath borne, whereunto testifieth every fair-minded and discerning soul. Say: He was imprisoned once in the land of Ta, and again in Mim, then once more in Ta, and yet again in this mighty prison. By God’s life! Were it not for tribulation, nothing in this world would have profited Me, as testifieth the Lord of all things. He, verily, is the All-Informed, the Trustworthy. Blessed is the tongue that hath acknowledged that which God hath acknowledged, and the hand that hath taken what it was given from the presence of One mighty and powerful. We make mention of God at all times and guide mankind to His straight path. Among them are those who turned away, those who objected, those who denied, and those who pronounced judgment against the All-Informed One. Thus did they violate God’s Covenant and His Testament—they are assuredly among the lost. Say: O people! Fear God and abandon not that which ye invoke by night and by day. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the All-Knowing Counselor.
O Muhammad-Qabl-i-Hasan! Dost thou hear the Call of God, or art thou among the slumberers? Dost thou behold the Supreme Horizon, or art thou among the heedless? Hast thou found the sweetness of My most sweet utterance as it was raised betwixt earth and heaven, or wert thou far removed? Say: Glory be to Thee, O Thou by Whose name the horizon of knowledge was illumined and by Whose face-light all creation was made to shine! Thou seest and bearest witness that this servant hath cast aside all else save Thee and hath turned to the horizon of Thy grace, the ocean of Thy mercy, and the heaven of Thy bounty. My Lord! I testify that Thou didst cause me to hear Thy call, showed me Thy signs, and guided me to Thy mighty and perspicuous path.
I bear witness to that which the Tongue of Thy Grandeur testified before the creation of Thy heaven and earth: There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Bountiful. I beseech Thee, O God of Names, by the Most Great Word and Thy Most Exalted Self, to ordain for me from Thy Most Exalted Pen that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones and destined for Thy loved ones. Thou art, verily, the Almighty over what Thou willest, and within Thy grasp lies the kingdom of creation. Thou doest and judgest, Thou givest and takest away. There is none other God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Almighty.
O Abu’l-Qasim! The Day hath come, and the Self-Subsisting calleth aloud from the Supreme Horizon, yet most of the people hear not. The greatest veil hath prevented them from the Lord of Destiny, as attesteth He with Whom is the hidden Book. All things have been illumined by the lights of the countenance of the Lord of Names, yet the people have turned away. Heedlessness hath so seized them that they have denied God and rejected His proof and testimony that encompasseth all beings. They would enter mosques and temples to remember God, yet when the Dayspring of Revelation appeared, they turned away from Him, following instead vain imaginings and idle fancies. Blessed is the strong one who hath broken the idols, and the steadfast one who hath arisen for this forbidden Cause. We made knowledge for the recognition of the Known One, yet when He appeared in truth, the learned and the mystics turned away, save whom God willed, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken. Blessed is he who hath heard and woe unto every heedless and veiled one.
O Mir-Muhammad! We make mention of thee and those who have believed in God, the Lord of all worlds. Say: O people of the earth! Set aside mere words and hold fast unto deeds. Thus doth command you the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, would that ye might perceive. This is the Day of remembrance and praise, and this is the Day of revelation and meeting, yet the people turn away therefrom. This is the Day wherein the ocean of divine knowledge hath surged and the fragrance of the All-Merciful hath wafted, yet most of the people know it not. They have cast aside their God and taken their vain desires, yet they perceive it not. They hear the verses of God and deny them, yet they understand not.
We counsel thee and those who have believed to observe My virtues and that which hath been sent down in My Book. By My life! Through these shall the Cause of God be made manifest amongst the servants. Of this beareth witness the Preserved Tablet that is with Him. Thus have We illumined the horizon of the Tablet with the sun of the remembrance of My Name, the Mighty, the Loving.
O Mihdi! Thou hast heard the divine verses in eloquent Arabic; now hear them in the sweeter Persian tongue and arise to praise and glorify the Best-Beloved of the worlds. Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto the hearing of the Call and been enabled to respond, for verily, in this day whosoever hath attained unto “Yea” is recorded among the near ones in the Manifest Book. All people have been created for the divine Day, for His recognition and service, yet when the banner “Verily I am the Lord of Revelation” was raised upon the highest summit of Sinai, all were found to be deniers and turned away. Fie upon them and upon those who followed them without clear proof or Book!
Praise be to God that thou art triumphant through divine grace and occupied with the mention and promotion of His Cause. This station is most great in the presence of the Throne. Know thou its value and preserve it in the Name of Truth, for the barking ones and the satans lie in wait, occupied with utmost deceit and craft. Ask thou God to protect those who have believed from the evil of these ones. Verily, He is the Hearing, the Answering.
God willing, thou shalt offer the Kawthar of divine knowledge to the people of the world with joy and fragrance, and like a banner upon the hills thou shalt be known by the divine Name. Today, conflict, corruption and contention have all been strictly forbidden in God’s Book, and victory hath been made dependent upon wisdom and utterance. Blessed is the soul that hath held fast unto these through the teaching of One Who is All-Informed.
Remind all through wisdom. The promotion of God’s Cause hath been and shall ever be among the greatest of deeds. Assured, content and well-pleasing souls must engage in this most great matter with perfect wisdom. Divine confirmation hath assisted and will continue to assist. Verily, He is the Bountiful, the Generous.
Convey greetings from the Wronged One to all the friends. God willing, may all act as befitteth the days of God. Say: O friends! The Tongue of the All-Merciful declareth: Until ye become aware of the false utterances of the past, ye shall not properly comprehend the truth and sincerity of this wondrous Day. Say: Hold fast unto that which the Wronged One hath taught you, purely for the sake of your Lord, the Mighty, the Wise.
Today the people of Bayan are seen to be the most veiled of all people, for they cling to vain imaginings and hold fast to idle fancies. To this beareth witness the Book of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. The cause of the world’s ruin hath been and is those souls who, in utter ignorance, have appeared in the guise of knowledge, and falsehood that hath appeared in the garment of truth. O people of Baha! Avoid these and remain at a clear distance. The glory of God rest upon thee and upon them from God, the Mighty, the Great. Praise be to God, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the Wise.
BH00385: Blessed are they who speak the truth and hold…
In the Name of our Lord, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious
Blessed are they who speak the truth and hold fast to wisdom and utterance at all times. These are servants whom the might of creation hath not deterred from that which was enjoined upon them in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds. Blessed are the deeds of those whom veils have not withheld, nor the opposition of the divines and mystics who cast the Command of God behind their backs and followed vain imaginings and idle fancies without any clear proof or enlightening Book.
Praise be to God Who hath manifested the proof and revealed the utterance and given glad tidings unto all on this Day which the All-Merciful mentioned in the Qur’an through His words “The Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds.” Praise be to God Who hath spoken and caused all things to speak as befitteth His Day, which was recorded in the ancient Scrolls and inscribed in the hearts of the chosen ones, the pure ones, the Prophets and the Messengers.
And further: the dove of thy remembrance caused Me to hear, and thy love moved Me, O thou who lovest Him Who is our Beloved and your Beloved, our Purpose and the Purpose of all who are in the heavens and the earth, our Object of worship and the Object of worship of all who are in the kingdoms of Command and Creation. When I broke its seal and read it and became aware of its contents, I repaired to the Most Great Scene, the Station wherein the Lord of Destiny speaketh forth every hidden secret—He by Whose finger the heaven was cleft asunder and the moon was split and that which was in God’s knowledge appeared quicker than the twinkling of an eye. When I turned towards it and drew nigh and entered the seat of the Throne, I arose and, having obtained permission, read what was in your letter. Then the glance of my Lord’s loving-kindness turned toward Me, and He revealed that which caused the breezes of the All-Merciful to waft over all possibility, and He said, exalted be His grandeur:
He is the Witness, the Hearer, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed
O Sadiq! We have mentioned thee before in verses that caused the ocean of forgiveness to surge in all creation and the fragrance of thy Lord’s mercy, which hath preceded all in the heavens and earth, to waft. And We have revealed unto thee what lay hidden in the treasuries of all the Books. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. He confirmeth whomsoever He willeth among His servants and draweth him nigh unto this Ocean, from whose waves can be heard that which the Interlocutor of Sinai uttered in the Land of Manifestation and the Bird of the Throne when the Ancient Beauty was established upon the seat of His Most Great Name.
Say: O concourse of divines! By God, He Who was promised in God’s Books hath come, and He Who was hidden in the knowledge of your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, hath been made manifest. Cast aside what ye possess and take hold of that which ye have been bidden by God, the Lord of all worlds. Do ye deny Him to Whom the Tongue of Grandeur bore witness in former ages? Fear God and follow not your idle fancies. Follow ye Him Who hath come to you with a perspicuous Book.
O Sadiq! The servant in attendance hath laid thy letter before the Wronged One, and as the fragrance of acceptance and sincerity wafted from it, these resplendent verses shone forth from the Dayspring of the Divine Pen. Blessed are they who in this Day have attained unto that which God hath willed. Whosoever hath attained unto a single word from the Tongue of Grandeur is recorded before God as one of the denizens of the Most Exalted Paradise and is inscribed in the Book. Strive to preserve this most exalted station and reflect upon the Day of God and its requirements. I swear by the seat of the Most Great Throne! Should anyone recognize the station of this glorious and wondrous Day, which is mentioned in all divine Books as the Day of God, he would attain unto the most great steadfastness, and neither the cawing of the deniers, nor the croaking of the croakers, nor the doubts of the divines, nor the allusions of the composers would debar him from the Dayspring of verses and the Source of revelation.
Thus hath the Pen spoken by command of the Ancient King, as a favor from His presence upon thee and upon those who have testified to that whereunto God testified before the creation of the heavens and earth: that there is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
The bounties of the Lord of Names and Attributes are evident and manifest through the appearance of resplendent verses. They have no need of mention or presentation by this servant. My mention is according to my capacity and powerlessness, while His mention transcendeth my understanding and the understanding of the peoples of earth and heaven, and my intellect and the intellects of all created things. May God, exalted be His glory and universal be His bounty, confirm this servant and thyself in preserving that which hath been bestowed. The servant beseeches his Lord at all times to protect His loved ones, His chosen ones, and His pure ones from the evil of every misleading croaker and every lying detractor, and from every ignorant scholar and every deceitful atheist.
O My loved one! The world hath been laid waste by vain imaginings. The world hath but one Builder, one Destroyer. The Command is in God’s hands, the Lord of lords. The people are seen to be so heedless that one is astonished. If one veil is rent asunder, they are found to be afflicted with another veil greater than the first. For twelve hundred years and more, the well-known sect was occupied with calumny, slander and the like. At the time of the test, it became clear and evident to every person of insight that that rebellious and transgressing sect was the party of Satan, not the hosts of the All-Merciful. Now those who are veiled in the Bayan follow the same paths.
These ignorant ones have not reflected even slightly upon what was the outcome and result of those souls’ deeds and actions. Yea, I have knowledge of their deeds. The fruits thereof were that they pronounced sentence against the Beloved of all worlds, and with manifest tyranny martyred the Beloved One Whose mention they had uttered night and day with the words “may God hasten His relief.” Moreover, they martyred souls who had no peer under heaven. Woe unto them for what their hands have wrought on the Day which was mentioned as the Day of God in the Books of the Prophets and Messengers.
Let us say and supplicate with utmost lowliness, entreaty, imploring, lamentation and contrition, from the depths of our hearts:
O Thou Beloved of existence and remembered in hearts! I beseech Thee by the Most Great Word whereby the gate of heaven and the kingdom of names was opened, to aid all eyes to behold the horizon of Thy Manifestation and all ears to hearken unto what hath been raised from the shrill voice of Thy Pen. O Lord! Thou seest Thy servants and creation turning away from Thy face and heedless of what Thou hast revealed through Thy power and might, save for the few letters of Thy face whom Thou hast mentioned in Thy Book and described in Thy verses. O Lord! I beseech Thee by them and by their acceptance and their steadfastness and their remembrances and their attributes and their being wronged and what befell them in Thy days and in Thy path, to send down from the heaven of Thy bounty that which will draw the people of earth nigh unto Thee. Verily Thou art the Source of bounty and its Sovereign, and the Manifestation of grace and its signs. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
God willing, may all these servants be enabled to remain steadfast in God’s Cause and be aided to protect the helpless people from the veils and doubts and uncertainties and intimations of the chiefs of fancy and vain imaginings.
Concerning what you wrote about the family of His Holiness the Name 66 (Allah-jim-mim), upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, that they were imprisoned and that you wished to substitute yourself for that imprisonment—this matter is evidence, indication, witness and testimony to your faithfulness and your steadfastness. Blessed are ye and joy be unto you.
That you mentioned he sought a guarantor from you against corruption after speaking with the aforementioned person—Glory be to God! Glory be to God! At these words one finds oneself plunged into an ocean of wonderment, for it has become manifest and evident to all the world, like the sun at its meridian, that the Dawning-Place of Divine Revelation, the Manifestation of His Self, and the Day-spring of His verses, has appeared solely for the reformation of the world. In this regard, you should recite those verses which have been sent down in the divine Books, Tablets and Scriptures concerning this Most Great Revelation—all of which proclaim unity and concord, reformation and kindliness, love and compassion, while forbidding corruption, conflict, contention and the like—that all may become aware of that which God, exalted be His glory, has willed and commanded His servants.
Although this servant believes that all are and have been aware of this matter, for in most Tablets the friends of God have been strictly forbidden in the Book from unseemly deeds, unpleasing conduct, and base utterances. Pure souls should gather divine verses pertaining to every situation and, with wisdom and appropriateness, convey them in a spirit of joy and fragrance—for instance, verses concerning character, as well as those revealed regarding deeds and words and the prohibition of corruption, contention and conflict, and likewise keep in mind verses for other occasions, reciting them when necessary, that perchance the heedless may become aware and comprehend their purpose. The loved ones of God must reflect upon those matters that conduce to the exaltation and glory of the Cause and that accord with the wisdom revealed in the Tablets, and act accordingly.
Were someone to compile the verses sent down from the Kingdom of the divine Command concerning the absence of corruption, conflict and contention, it would surely constitute a mighty book. At times this evanescent servant heard blessed words from His tongue to this effect—His glory be exalted: “Blessed is the state of one who killed not but was killed in God’s path, who harmed no one and became the target of the heedless people’s harm.” And likewise He says, exalted be His grandeur: “I have come for unity and concord, not for hatred and obstinacy.” He further states: “The Truth has come for the reformation of the world, not for corruption.” And likewise He says—exalted be His glory: “God has entrusted the world, both land and sea, to the kings, and that which God regards is and has ever been the hearts of His servants.”
The friends of God must, through wisdom, utterance, kindliness and compassion, take possession of hearts and direct them to the supreme horizon. And likewise He says: “God and His loved ones are quit of those who shed blood, who consume people’s wealth unjustly, and who enter houses without the permission of their owners, after all this has been strictly forbidden in the Book. Corruption and conflict befit the beasts of the field, not man. The attribute of man has ever been and will ever continue to be kindliness and compassion.”
One of the passages from the Crimson Tablet is mentioned here, so that all may truly attain to what God has willed. His glory be exalted! The heaven of divine wisdom is illumined with two luminaries: consultation and compassion. In all matters hold fast unto consultation, for it is the lamp of guidance that leadeth the way and bestoweth understanding. Thus doth the All-Informed, the All-Wise, inform you. Likewise, in that same Tablet He saith: The heaven of wisdom is illumined by two suns: forbearance and righteousness. O people of the earth! Hearken unto the counsels of the One Friend and preserve them as the apple of your eye. And again, in another passage, His glory be exalted, He saith:
“Glory is not his who loveth his homeland, but glory is his who loveth the world.”
Through this word the Kingdom of Utterance is stirred, but the heedless remain in manifest obscurity.
According to His command, your honor should act with the utmost wisdom. It is not permissible to mention the Cause before the government and its officials, for this would be contrary to wisdom. That petitions and correspondence from the friends arrive and their replies are delayed—this has been and will continue to be due to wisdom, for should the authorities become aware, it may result in adverse consequences, as they are not yet cognizant of God’s purpose and believe this holy, pure Cause to be contrary to the welfare and tranquility of government and nation. By God’s life! Had they known, you would have found them among those who arise to serve God’s Cause.
Convey greetings to all the friends on behalf of this evanescent one. God willing, may all associate with all people in love and harmony. If possible, it would be desirable for your honor to proceed to Baku or its surroundings for some time to guide the people, but with the utmost joy and fragrance. The Glory be upon you and upon those who believe in the All-Merciful.
BH01917: A remembrance from Us to him who has turned…
He is the Dawning One from the horizon of utterance
A remembrance from Us to him who has turned to the Supreme Horizon and drunk the Choice Wine sealed from the hand of the bounty of his Lord, the Lord of Names, on a Day wherein the greatest terror seized all mankind except whom God, the Lord of Destiny, willed—He Who summoned all in the Most Great Prison unto God, the Lord of the world, and before that in Baghdad and other lands. Thus was the matter decreed from God, the Lord of the worlds.
O Ashraf, O thou who gazest upon the Most Great Scene! Remind the people and acquaint them with what was sent down before regarding the mention of this Day, which was named the Day of God in the Scriptures of God, the Mighty, the Powerful.
Say: This is the Day wherein mankind has arisen unto the Lord of the worlds, and this is what the All-Merciful revealed in the Qur’an—to this testifies every just and informed one. Say: O people of creation! By God, the All-Merciful has come, Whose advent every Prophet and every trustworthy Messenger heralded. Say: Open your eyes and follow not those who followed vain imaginings until they turned away from the All-Informed One. Say: Die in your wrath! Your Lord has come with the angels rank upon rank, and this is the Day whereof God, the King, informed that “the Kingdom on that Day shall be God’s”—be fair, O people of the earth, and be not of the wrongdoers.
This is the Day wherein none is mentioned save God alone. Read ye the former Books that ye may discover this Treasure, through Whose appearance the tribes of the earth have lamented, the daysprings of vain imaginings were terrified, and the hearts of the idolaters were troubled. O people of the earth! Dispute not the signs of God after their revelation, and follow not every remote ignorant one.
Blessed art thou for having turned, heard, and answered thy Ancient Lord. The Supreme Pen testifies that thou art the star rising from the horizon of steadfastness in this heaven which was raised up through this Most Great Name. Soar in this atmosphere and speak forth His Name, through Whose manifestation all on earth and in heaven were thunderstruck, save whom God, the Mighty, the Powerful, willed. It behooveth thee to convey the Cause of thy Lord with spirit and fragrance—this is among the most excellent deeds with God, the Goal of the worlds. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist thee in helping the Cause of thy Lord and to enable thee to do what befitteth this glorious and wondrous Day.
Convey My greetings to the faces of My loved ones and give them glad tidings of this Remembrance, through Whose appearance all things proclaimed: “The Kingdom belongeth to Him Who hath come with manifest sovereignty.” Say: This is the Day of steadfastness, did ye but know. Say: Beware lest the doubts of those who have disbelieved in God and His signs, and denied this grace to which all the Books of the world have testified, hold you back—verily they are among the abased ones. They have cast the ordinances of God behind their backs and taken what they were commanded by every dubious ignorant one. Arise to promote the Cause and illumine hearts with the lights of thy Lord’s countenance, and acquaint them with this Straight Path.
Say: With Him is not what is with you, nor doth He walk in your ways. He hath appeared and manifested what He desired through His sovereignty over all in the heavens and earth. Grieve not at the people and their clamor. Rather, rejoice in that thou hast been mentioned before the Truth in this Clear Tablet. The glory be upon thee and upon those who are with thee and who hear thy word regarding this Cause whereby the earth was rent asunder, the heaven was cleft, and every lofty and towering mountain was scattered. And praise be to God, the Mighty, the Wondrous.
BH01945: O Muhammad-Rida! God willing, mayest thou be favored…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious
O Muhammad-Rida! God willing, mayest thou be favored with the loving-kindness of the Beloved of the worlds and drink of the choice wine of His utterance. Time and again hath thy call been heard, and whatsoever thou didst privately and openly supplicate from God, exalted be His glory, hath been manifest and evident in the mirror of divine knowledge.
This is a Day wherein all must speak for the sake of God, turn unto Him, and arise for His Cause. Hearken thou unto the call of the One True Speaker and hold fast unto that which will cause the exaltation of the Cause of God. All created things summon the people of creation to the most sublime horizon, and yet earthly temples remain occupied with vain imaginings, turning away from and heedless of the Lord of Lords.
Today the fragrance of the divine raiment is diffused and the call of God is raised. All must regard the time as precious, for a single minute of these days cannot be compared with the centuries of bygone ages. Know thou the value of this supreme gift and occupy thyself with service to the Cause.
Say: O friends of God! The Promised One hath appeared from the horizon of the world, manifest and visible to all, and the Mother Book hath been sent down from the heaven of bounty. Verily, He hath appeared with the truth and walketh not in your ways and paths. He hath appeared and made manifest His straight path. This Day hath no peer or likeness.
Say: Strive ye, that while the Sun of Truth is shining, the heaven of grace is raised high, and the ocean of bounty is surging, ye may attain unto your portion. All that ye behold shall soon return to nothingness, save the Word that hath been sent down from the Supreme Pen—it shall endure as long as endureth the kingdom of earth and heaven.
Say: O friends! Waste not your time. Turn ye unto the horizon of God’s Cause. Today all must fix their gaze upon the Will and Purpose of God, not upon that which they themselves possess and desire.
That which I have asked of God, thy Lord, for thee—verily He ordaineth what He willeth. Thy Lord is indeed the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. He knoweth that which profiteth His servants, and with Him is the knowledge of all things in a perspicuous Book. Grieve not over anything. Put thy trust in God—verily He is with His servants who trust in Him.
Blessed is the one who hath not squandered these moments which are more precious than the rarest crimson ruby, and hath attained unto service to the Cause. And service to the divine Cause, in its primary degree and first station, hath been and shall ever be mention of Him with wisdom and utterance. Hearken thou unto the call of the Wronged One and convey unto the friends that which He hath commanded.
O Muhammad-Qabli-Rida! This is the Day of steadfastness—whoso attaineth unto it hath attained unto all good. If thou hast attained unto the divine tablet and inhaled the fragrance of the divine raiment, turn thy face toward God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
Say: O my God! I beseech Thee by the Name through which Thou hast made it to exercise dominion over all that hath been and shall be, to write down for me by Thy Most Exalted Pen that which shall profit me in every world of Thy worlds. I testify that I know not what profiteth me. The reins of knowledge are in Thy grasp. Thou art verily the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. I moreover beseech Thee to make me steadfast in Thy Cause. I testify unto that whereunto the Tongue of Thy Greatness testified before the creation of the heavens and the earth. Thou didst say—and Thy word is the truth—“Verily My Cause is mighty, mighty—none hath comprehended its might save God, the Single One, the All-Knowing.”
BH02046: Consider the former generations. Witness how every time…
Consider the former generations. Witness how every time the Day Star of Divine bounty hath shed the light of His Revelation upon the world, the people of His Day have arisen against Him, and repudiated His truth. They who were regarded as the leaders of men have invariably striven to hinder their followers from turning unto Him Who is the Ocean of God’s limitless bounty.
Behold how the people, as a result of the verdict pronounced by the divines of His age, have cast Abraham, the Friend of God, into fire; how Moses, He Who held converse with the Almighty, was denounced as liar and slanderer. Reflect how Jesus, the Spirit of God, was, notwithstanding His extreme meekness and perfect tender-heartedness, treated by His enemies. So fierce was the opposition which He, the Essence of Being and Lord of the visible and invisible, had to face, that He had nowhere to lay His head. He wandered continually from place to place, deprived of a permanent abode. Ponder that which befell Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets, may the life of all else be a sacrifice unto Him.
How severe the afflictions which the leaders of the Jewish people and of the idol-worshipers caused to rain upon Him, Who is the sovereign Lord of all, in consequence of His proclamation of the unity of God and of the truth of His Message! By the righteousness of My Cause! My Pen groaneth, and all created things weep with a great weeping, as a result of the woes He suffered at the hands of them that have broken the Covenant of God, violated His Testament, rejected His proofs, and disputed His signs. Thus recount We unto thee the tale of that which happened in days past, haply thou mayest comprehend.
Thou hast known how grievously the Prophets of God, His Messengers and Chosen Ones, have been afflicted. Meditate a while on the motive and reason which have been responsible for such a persecution. At no time, in no Dispensation, have the Prophets of God escaped the blasphemy of their enemies, the cruelty of their oppressors, the denunciation of the learned of their age, who appeared in the guise of uprightness and piety. Day and night they passed through such agonies as none can ever measure, except the knowledge of the one true God, exalted be His glory.
Consider this wronged One. Though the clearest proofs attest the truth of His Cause; though the prophecies He, in an unmistakable language, hath made have been fulfilled; though, in spite of His not being accounted among the learned, His being unschooled and inexperienced in the disputations current among the divines, He hath rained upon men the showers of His manifold and divinely-inspired knowledge; yet, behold how this generation hath rejected His authority, and rebelled against Him! He hath, during the greater part of His life, been sore-tried in the clutches of His enemies. His sufferings have now reached their culmination in this afflictive Prison, into which His oppressors have so unjustly thrown Him. God grant that, with a penetrating vision and radiant heart, thou mayest observe the things that have come to pass and are now happening, and, pondering them in thine heart, mayest recognize that which most men have, in this Day, failed to perceive. Please God, He may enable thee to inhale the sweet fragrance of His Day, to partake of the limitless effusions of His grace, to quaff they fill, through His gracious favor, from the most great Ocean that surgeth in this Day in the name of the Ancient King, and to remain firm and immovable as the mountain in His Cause.
Say: Glory be to Thee Who hast caused all the holy Ones to confess their helplessness before the manifold revelations of Thy might, and every Prophet to acknowledge His nothingness at the effulgence of Thine abiding glory. I beseech Thee, by Thy name that hath unlocked the gates of Heaven and filled with ecstasy the Concourse on high, to enable me to serve Thee, in this Day, and to strengthen me to observe that which Thou didst prescribe in Thy Book. Thou knowest, O my Lord, what is in me; but I know not what is in Thee. Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
BH02072: Praise be to God that through His boundless grace…
In the name of the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing
Praise be to God that through His boundless grace, mercy and loving-kindness, thou hast turned thy face to the Most Exalted Horizon and drunk from the hands of the Beloved of all creation the living waters of immortality, and the tongue of the All-Merciful hath uttered: “Well is it with thee!” Know thou the worth of this most exalted station, this furthermost goal, this primal pearl, and guard this precious jewel from the eyes of the thieves and traitors, by the name of God, exalted be His glory.
O Kazim, My friend, My servant! In the days when all souls were troubled and fearful of the might of the oppressors and the idolaters, and dwelt behind veils and clouds, this Wronged One arose to promote the Cause with utmost determination, power and majesty—an arising that no sitting could overtake—and with loudest call summoned the people of the Kingdom of Utterance to the Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven. And when the world of possibility was illumined with the lights of the utterance of the All-Merciful, and the crimson standard was, through the grace of the Most Exalted Word, hoisted in the highest station, the veiled, concealed and fearful souls emerged from behind their veils and with a hundred thousand tricks and deceptions set about to lead astray the illumined and assured souls, turning to every land and region that perchance through fiery tablets and the book of hell they might bar those on the right hand from the living waters and draw them to the source of idle fancies and the dawning-place of vain imaginings.
God willing, your honor must remain so steadfast that through its influence the people of that region, nay, of all regions and districts, may attain unto the supreme steadfastness. This is not difficult for thy Lord. Strive thou that in life thou mayest sacrifice thy precious soul for thy glorious Lord and in living attain the lofty station of martyrdom. Whosoever today hath caused his will and desire to be lost in the will and desire of God, exalted be His glory—that is, hath abandoned his own desire and held fast to that which God hath willed—hath in life and living attained unto the supreme martyrdom. Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto this most exalted, most glorious and most sublime horizon.
O Kazim! Rejoice thou in this most great gladness, for verily God, exalted be His glory, hath accepted thy mention and thy offering hath been accepted before the Wronged One. Give thanks unto God for this bounty which hath preceded thee and this mercy which hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. God willing, thou shalt be the cupbearer of the wine of mystic knowledge and shall revive and quicken the withered ones of that land and its people through the living waters of divine utterance, that all may not remain deprived of the ocean of knowledge.
Would that they might become aware of the Most Great Luminary that hath shone forth from the horizon of the world! I swear by the Sun of divine knowledge that hath risen from the horizon of the prison, were they to become cognizant of but a trace of His countless favors, thou wouldst surely behold them all circling round. This is the Most Exalted Word that hath appeared from the Dawning-Place of knowledge of the Lord of Names. Blessed are they that hear! Blessed are they that understand! Blessed are they that act! Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds!
BH02097: God testifieth that there is none other God but…
In His Name, the One Who ruleth over what hath been and what shall be!
God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath come with the truth is verily the One through Whom was revealed that which lay hidden in God’s knowledge and was recorded in the Books of the Prophets and Messengers. Through Him hath the Hour appeared, and the Resurrection come to pass, and the Bridge been laid, and the Balance set up, and every firm and steadfast mountain been moved. This is the Day which in all the divine Books, Scriptures and Psalms hath truly been attributed to God and is known as the Day of God.
Nevertheless, doubtful and hesitant souls remain veiled therefrom, clinging to the conjectures and idle fancies of the past. For twelve hundred years they considered themselves the best of all sects, the saved community and favored nation, yet when God’s test appeared they proved more wicked than all other sects and more rebellious than all other peoples, for they hanged the Essence of Being and the Worshipped Beauty and martyred Him with the most grievous torment. The curse of God be upon the wrongdoing people!
And now the people of the Bayan remain veiled and deprived of the Name of the Self-Subsisting and the sealed wine, clinging to the same vain imaginings. Blessed is he who with might hath rent asunder the veils, and he who with power hath shattered the idols of fancy, and he who through steadfastness hath illumined the horizon of certitude.
In these days, in one of the Tablets this blessed word hath dawned from the horizon of the Supreme Pen: Until thou becomest aware of the falsehood of the past, thou shalt not bear witness to the truth of this wondrous Day. The heedless people must be awakened that they may recognize the daysprings of conjecture and fancy of the past and future, and may hold fast to the straight path and the firm and mighty cord. The Cause is most mighty, yet the people remain weak. Until now they have not understood the Day of God and like earthworms remain stuck in the clay of vain imaginings.
In one of the Tablets these firm and perfect words were revealed: Great and wondrous is this Day, for He is manifest in the garment of I and the Hidden One speaketh with the tongue of I am the One Who is seen.
O ʿAta! Say: This Day hath no peer or likeness. Strive that ye may not be deprived of the outpourings of the true Outpourer. Say: O ye who are veiled! To whom do ye turn, and from whom do ye turn away? Say: Cast away what ye possess and take what God remindeth you of. It shall profit you in all His worlds. He is verily the Truthful Informer.
Should anyone ask you by what proof ye have believed in God, say: By this perspicuous Book and this firm and mighty Cause. Say: Thus doth God teach you as a token of His grace, and He is the Forgiving, the Generous.
Blessed is he who hath cast away the world, turning unto the Most Great Name through which the seas have surged and the winds have blown and the Nightingale hath warbled upon the branches. There is none other God but Him, the Manifest, the Speaking, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH02475: This is a Book sent down in truth…
He is the One manifest from the Supreme Horizon through His Most Glorious Name
This is a Book sent down in truth in this Prison which hath been named with the Most Beautiful Names, wherein the Lord of all beings hath spoken—there is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. Thou wert mentioned before the Countenance, and there was revealed for thee aforetime that from which the fragrance of the All-Merciful was diffused. Verily thy Lord is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. Blessed art thou for having spoken the truth and acknowledged that which God acknowledged before what was and what will be. Blessed is he who hath attained to the knowledge of his Lord, and blessed is the speaker who hath spoken in the name of God, the Lord of existence. Arise to the Cause by Our command and remind the people of this Day which was promised in the Books of God, the Lord of the seen and unseen.
Praise be to God that thou hast attained to that which was intended. The mention of this glorious Day and what hath appeared therein hath been recorded in the divine Books, Tablets and Scriptures, as every clear Book and wondrous Tablet doth testify. With perfect wisdom and utterance, occupy thyself with teaching the Cause of the All-Merciful. I swear by the pearls of the divine ocean of knowledge that no station hath been or is more excellent than this station. Drink and give to drink the sealed wine in the name of the Self-Subsisting, that perchance troubled hearts may attain peace and withered souls may be adorned with freshness. Quicken the dead through the name of the Beloved of all creation, and guide those who remain behind to the Kawthar of guidance.
This is the Day for the manifestation of supreme steadfastness. Whosoever attaineth unto it hath attained unto all good. God willing, thou shalt appear and shine like a standard upon the hills of the world through the name of the Lord of Names. This is the station that endureth as long as the kingdom of earth and heaven endureth. Hold fast unto it in the name of thy Lord, the Almighty, and say:
“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Goal of all who are in the heavens and on earth.”
Convey My greetings to all the friends in that land on behalf of this Wronged One and say: This is a Day wherein all must gather around one Word and drink from the chalice of unity and concord. We previously announced that the cawing of the crows would be raised and fiery leaves would be spread abroad. In these days this hath appeared and shall continue to appear. Ye must be so steadfast in the Cause that neither the clamor of the world nor the parties of the nations shall prevent or debar you from the Most Great Name. This is the counsel of the Wronged One to His friends.
The Glory be upon thee and upon them and upon those who have sought the Ultimate Goal and have attained unto supreme steadfastness in this mighty and wondrous Cause.
BH02770: This is a mention from Us to him whose…
He is the Expositor, the All-Knowing!
This is a mention from Us to him whose book was presented before Our face in this Prison, whose particles testify that the Intended One hath come with manifest sovereignty, that the fragrances of remembrance may attract him in such wise as to rend asunder the veils through the name of his Lord, the Commander, the Almighty.
Thou hast expressed grief. This is the Day which in all the Scriptures, Books and Tablets is rightly attributed to God and mentioned as the Day of God. The Most Great Joy standeth manifest and visible before the face of the world. Reflect upon the stories of old, that perplexity may be transformed into certitude and the sun of assurance may shine forth from the horizon of the heaven of thy heart. Whatsoever hath occurred in the world was revealed with utmost clarity from the Supreme Pen. If thou wouldst observe, thou wouldst become somewhat aware of the all-encompassing knowledge of God.
In every age and epoch, when the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree was heard and the fragrance of the Revelation was diffused, the divines of the age arose to deny and denounce. They are learned in the eyes of men but ignorant before thy Lord, the All-Knowing. It is not known in what wilderness these ignorant souls walk or toward what visage they turn. They adduce proof of their own truth from a mere drop while remaining heedless and turning away from the ocean of verses. If they look to knowledge, its sun is manifest and evident from the horizons of divine Tablets in such wise that none hath any way to deny or object. And if they look to verses, these have encompassed East and West.
In the Tablet of Proof these two verses were sent down from the heaven of the will of the All-Merciful. Blessed is he who readeth them and findeth the sweetness of the utterance of his Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous. We said: “Dost thou object to Him Who hath brought thee what thou possessest and what the people of the world possess of God’s proofs and His signs? Open thy vision that thou mayest behold the Wronged One dawning from the horizon of God’s will, the King, the Truth, the Manifest.” And in another place: “Dost thou deny the verses of thy Lord which, when sent down from the heaven of the Command, caused all the Books of the world to bow before them? Thus did the Tongue speak in the kingdom of utterance, yet most of the people are heedless.”
The souls that are firm, steadfast, established and assured must become illumined by the lights of the Sun of divine utterance and give light to the world. It behooveth him who hath attained unto this Tablet to render thanks unto his Lord, the Speaker, the All-Knowing. Thus hath the sun of grace shone forth and illumined the horizon of the loving-kindness of God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH02793: A book from Us to him from whose mention…
He is the One dawning from the horizon of the Tablet with His name the All-Powerful.
A book from Us to him from whose mention wafts the fragrance of the love of his Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, that the utterance of the All-Merciful may draw him to a station wherein he heareth from the rustling of its breezes that there is none other God but Me, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Great.
O thou who hast turned! Rejoice that thy letter hath been honored to attain the presence of the Lord of Names in this station which hath been named with the most beauteous names in the Crimson Tablet and with the heaven of this heaven in My Preserved Tablet. We have found from it the fragrance of thy sincerity, thy turning and thy orientation toward the Supreme Horizon, the Dawning-Place of the rising of the sun of My Most Glorious Name, and We have answered thee with a Tablet wherein thou shalt find the fragrance of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, the All-Bountiful.
Blessed art thou in that thou hast desired to arise to serve thy Lord, the Lord of all mankind. He shall strengthen thee through His grace from His presence, and He is the Ever-Bestowing, the Ancient. Look, then remember what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an:
“The Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds.”
When the lights of the dawn of the Day shown forth and gleamed, the divines and mystics turned away from it, until they pronounced judgment against Him Who came with manifest wrong. They had been waiting through the nights and days for the appearance of the Manifestation of their Lord, the All-Merciful, but when He appeared in truth they turned away from Him and disputed His verses which encompassed the heavens and earth. They committed that which the divines of idolatry did not commit when Muhammad the Messenger of God came, nor the Jewish divines when the Spirit came with a clear command. Thus was the matter decreed, but most of the people are among the ignorant. They cast the Book of God behind their backs in that they followed every ignorant doubter.
Arise to serve the Cause with wisdom and utterance, and remind those in creation of what hath shown forth and dawned from the horizon of God’s will, the Lord of the worlds. Grieve not at separation and its might, for He recordeth for whomever desireth it the reward of attaining His mighty, impregnable presence. He verily seeth and judgeth; with Him is the knowledge of all things in a mighty Book. Blessed is the tongue that speaketh the truth, and the heart that turneth to the Single One, the All-Wise, and the pen that setteth down the traces of its Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
Say: Should one who crieth out come to you with tablets of fire, cast them behind you, turning unto God, the Mighty, the Beautiful. The Glory be upon thee and upon those whom neither the books of the world nor the clamor of the nations have prevented from this Most Great Book which speaketh: “There is none other God but Me, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”
BH02788: The Supreme Pen makes mention of all the emigrants…
He is the Compassionate, He is the All-Merciful!
The Supreme Pen makes mention of all the emigrants in the Land of Sad who have been scattered by the tyranny of the oppressors and have chosen exile, with a mention which, by the life of God, diffuses the fragrance of divine favor to such a degree that the people of the most exalted Paradise have perceived it.
O emigrants in the path of God! Ye have heard the terrible clamor of the ungodly in His path; now hearken to the sweet call of the Goal of all creation. Your names are like stars in the heaven of the command of the All-Merciful, and your mention flows and courses like the Euphrates of mercy through the body of contingent being.
What station, what condition, what rank could be more glorious, more exalted, and more holy than these blessed and decisive words which have been sent down specifically for you from the heaven of the will of the Lord of Names and inscribed in the Tablet? The Most Great Joy circles round these words, and the Supreme Gladness bows down in worship.
However, the transcendent Truth counsels you to preserve these stations. In all conditions ye should fix your gaze upon these exalted stations which have been recorded by the Supreme Pen, and preserve them through the name of the Mighty, the Powerful, lest the fires of heedlessness and passion consume the fruits of the Tree of Grace. Great indeed is this Cause, and mighty is steadfastness therein. God willing, ye shall attain unto it.
O people of Sad! Your mention hath been sent down again and again from the heaven of will. The Books of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, bear witness to this. Rejoice then in God, your Creator, your Fashioner, your Helper, and your Speaker. Verily, He is with you, and He is the All-Watchful, the Near One.
Blessed art thou, O son of Abhar, in that thou hast mentioned My loved ones who were beneath the glances of the providence that hath precedence over the worlds. O Husayn! Previously a Tablet was revealed specifically for thee and sent. God willing, thou shalt perceive from it the fragrance of the divine Robe and attain unto the most great steadfastness.
And this Tablet was revealed in response to the petition, but the divine attention was directed toward the loved ones of the Land of Sad. All have and shall have their portion from this most mighty, most holy Tablet. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous. Verily, He is the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Glory be upon you, O loved ones of God and His friends, and chastisement be upon your enemies who have perpetrated that which hath caused the Supreme Pen and the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing and those who circle round His mighty Throne to lament.
BH03479: He is the Compassionate, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise! Praise…
He is the Compassionate, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise! Praise be to the Beloved of the world Who, through the Most Great Word, has gathered to Himself the gems of all peoples and illumined them with the lights of the Sun of Revelation. Every soul that turned unto Him He drew to the highest horizon, and no seeker did He deprive of the choice sealed wine. Blessed are they who have arisen to serve and have attained the waters of steadfastness.
This is the Day of steadfastness and utterance. Beseech ye God, glorified be His majesty, that He may enable all to attain His special grace and bestow upon them a portion from the spring of assurance. In truth I say, this is the Day wherein whosoever wishes may attain whatsoever he desires.
O thou who drinkest from the cup of My love! Strive that perchance the people of that land may attain such a station wherein the cawing of the ungodly and the hints of the deniers may not prevent them from the truth. The evil ones have been and are lying in wait with utmost cunning, and in the name of truth have prevented and continue to prevent the people from the highest horizon. Thus doth the Pen command thee from the presence of God, the Lord of eternity, and give thee glad tidings of that which He hath ordained for thee in His kingdom, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.
Convey My greetings to My loved ones who have cast aside all else but Me and chosen My straight path. Say: O people of Baha! Give thanks for having been mentioned by the Tongue of Grandeur while He was imprisoned among the heedless. He hath appeared with the truth and revealed what He desired as a grace from His presence. He is, verily, the Almighty, the Powerful.
Rejoice, O servant Before Mercy, that the face of the Beloved hath turned toward thee and mentioneth thee with that which shall endure through the eternity of My most beautiful names. Verily, thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Generous. He hath, as a grace from His presence, forgiven thee and revealed unto thee this noble Book. Glory be upon thee and upon those with thee who have believed in the signs of God, the Lord of all worlds.
BH03576: O ʿAli! Today the very essence of proof proclaims…
In the name of the One Beloved Friend!
O ʿAli! Today the very essence of proof proclaims “Verily, the All-Merciful has come!” and all atoms bear witness to the Divine Form established upon the Most Great Throne. Although the Truth, exalted be His glory, is manifest with utmost revelation and wondrous new rivers flow from the right hand of the Throne, all remain deprived and forbidden. This has been and will continue to be the cause and reason for this most great veil.
O ʿAli! Bestow upon all contingent beings from the pure waters of the Kawthar of divine knowledge, that these earthly, transient conditions may be entirely removed and hearts may become powerful and firm through divine might. One who is sanctified from selfish conditions and shows perfect love and kindness to all people in the world will surely not be seized by fear nor disturbed by the conflicts of the earthly realm.
Convey greetings from the Truth to all and say: if you truly succeed in hearing a single call, or drink but one drop from this ocean, you will surely behold the entire world as a handful of dust. By My life! Then neither sorrows would seize you nor would you experience any disturbance. Thus has your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, testified.
God willing, preserve all your stations through the Name of God. Say: Beware, beware lest you deprive yourselves of that which has been ordained for you in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds. All tribulations and afflictions that have been visited upon the path of God are remembered with Him and recorded in the Book. Know your worth, for you have attained to that which the distinguished and the pillars have been observed to be heedless of. Say: Give thanks unto your Lord, the Generous Bestower.
O ʿAli-Akbar! Upon thee be the Glory of the Lord of Destiny from the prison, and He says: The Glory be upon thee and upon those who have held fast to the Name of God and acted according to what the All-Merciful has revealed in His perspicuous Book.
BH03654: A mention from the Wronged One to those who…
He is the Compassionate, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed
A mention from the Wronged One to those who have answered the Lord of Names when the Call was raised from the Prison of Akka while We were in the hands of the heedless.
When We entered the Most Great Prison, We summoned the kings of the world and all peoples to God, the Single, the All-Informed. Among the people were those who found the sweetness of the utterance of the All-Merciful and turned to Him, and among them were those who turned away, following every dubious learned one who cast the verses of God behind their backs and clung to the suppositions and idle fancies they possessed. By God! What they possess will not profit them—to this testify all things, and beyond them this truthful, speaking, trustworthy Tongue.
Hearken to the call of the Wronged One and trust in God in all matters. He loves those who have turned to Him with radiant faces and clung to the hem of My All-Bountiful Name.
God willing, may you be successful through divine grace and remain steadfast in His Cause. The beginning of the matter is the recognition of God, and its end is steadfastness in His Cause, for the demons have been and are lying in wait. Be on your guard against them. Thus does He Who possesses the Mother Book teach you.
Be not grieved by any matter. The grace of God has been and will be with you. Soon there shall be revealed to you what lies hidden in an inscribed Book. Divine joy and heavenly victory have been and will be made manifest. He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the Triumphant, the All-Knowing.
Though for some days affairs may be observed contrary to what is pleasing, be not saddened. I swear by the Sun of the heaven of inner meanings that ere long whatsoever hath flowed from the Divine Pen shall become manifest and evident. Be assured and be among those who render thanks.
Glory be upon you and upon those who have attained unto the Most Great Steadfastness in this mighty, exalted Cause.
BH03765: O Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli, thou hast been and art ever mentioned…
In the name of the Beloved of the worlds.
O Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli, thou hast been and art ever mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One. Thou art accounted among those souls who, before most others, attained repeatedly unto His presence. Neither did the buzzing of flies hold thee back from the Lord of Lords, nor did the croaking of ravens prevent thee from hearing the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree. This testimony, which hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen by leave of the Lord of Names, sufficeth thee. By the life of God, thou hast attained unto a great bounty! God willing, thou shalt be enabled to preserve this station, for the Cause is mighty great and steadfastness exceedingly glorious.
Convey My greetings to the loved ones in that land and say: God hath been and is the Witness and Observer, and whatsoever befell you He hath witnessed. Ye have borne in God’s path that which none else hath borne. Blessed are ye, then blessed are ye, nay rather, He circleth round about you.
Preserve, in the name of the Creator of heaven and the Lord of all things, this lofty and most exalted station. Let not the events of these fleeting days debar you from the immortal Kingdom. With the utmost joy and fragrance, with perfect calm and contentment, occupy yourselves with the remembrance of God and service to His Cause.
In truth, ye have heard taunts and witnessed abasement, and for the sake of God ye have renounced all that pertaineth to the world. Now preserve these tribulations, that ye may not be deprived of God’s great recompense and may attain unto His most excellent reward.
Rejoice in My remembrance and My loving-kindness, and in that which hath proceeded from My Pen. Verily it speaketh that whereunto nothing can compare nor anything equal. Know ye this and be of the thankful ones.
BH03895: In My Name, the Witness, the Witnessed
In My Name, the Witness, the Witnessed
This is a Book sent down by Him Who is the Goal from His praiseworthy station to him who turned to God, the Lord of the Throne and earth, when mankind turned away from Him by following every heedless doubter, that the Book might draw him to a station where neither the hosts of earth can frighten him nor the might of those who have turned away from God, the Lord of the worlds, can weaken him.
O Ali! Thy letter was read before the Wronged One and We found it adorned with the pearls of the love of God, and We have answered thee with these verses which all the treasuries of earth cannot equal, as thy Lord, the Speaking, the All-Seeing, doth testify.
Rejoice thou in this Most Great Remembrance and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp is the kingdom of names and in Whose right hand are the reins of all things. Thou art He Who hast aided me and taught me and made me know the Dayspring of Thy verses and the Dawning-Place of Thy clear tokens, from Whom most of mankind who followed their desires have turned away and cast behind them that which they were commanded in Thy perspicuous Book.
When thou hast attained unto the Tablet of God and found the fragrance of loving-kindness, say with wisdom and utterance: O people of the world! By God, the horizon of Manifestation hath been illumined and He Who conversed on Sinai hath appeared, through Whom the graves have been raised and the Trumpet hath been sounded. Know ye the Day and turn unto Him with such humility as would cause the princes of the earth and beyond them every discerning scholar to bow down.
Preserve thou God’s Tablet and recite it. By My life! It will draw thee to an exalted station and send down for thee that which hath been ordained in the heaven of thy Lord’s mercy. He, verily, is the Munificent, the Generous.
Hold thou fast unto the cord of steadfastness, lest the intimations of every barking dog cause thee to slip or the doubts of any accursed satan hinder thee. Thus doth the Mighty in Strength teach thee as He speaketh in the prison of Akka. He, verily, is the Expainer, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
BH03951: O Tahir! He that is manifest maketh now mention…
He is the Most Holy, the All-Glorious, the Most Great
O Tahir! He that is manifest maketh now mention of thee—He Who, no sooner did He reveal Himself, than every believer in the unity of God turned back from Him; every doctor of religion condemned Him; every learned sage repudiated Him; and every jurist who had turned away from God, the Incomparable, the All-Knowing, unsheathed the sword against Him. Verily, this Wronged One beareth witness that thou didst arrive in the Most Great Prison, didst hearken unto the call of thy Best-Beloved, and didst stand before a portal that hath been thrown open before all who are in heaven and on earth. Thou didst quaff the stream of everlasting life in the days of thy Lord, the Most Compassionate, and didst stand before Our Countenance when the Snow-white Hand passed round the cup of reunion. Unto this bear witness those who circle around Our habitation in the daytime and in the night-season.
Yield thou thanks unto God, inasmuch as He hath assisted thee to believe in Him, and hath enabled thee to hear His call from this luminous horizon. Thou hast come into Our presence, and heard and seen that which every perspicacious seer hath been deprived of recognizing. Thou art he who hath attained the bounty and mercy of God, and art of those who have achieved their object. He, truly, hath absolved thee of thy sins, and pardoned thee thy transgressions. Thy Lord, verily, is powerful to do as He pleaseth; no God is there but Him, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Glorious, the Most Bountiful.
Return thou unto thine abode, by the leave of God and at His behest, and admonish thou My loved ones, they whose hearts have melted in separation from God, the Lord of the worlds. We, verily, hear at all times their plaints andcries, their sighs and lamentations, in love for God and for the Dayspring of His Revelation. He, verily, is the Hearing, the Seeing. We, truly, exhort them to evince the most perfect steadfastness in this Cause, unto whose greatness have testified the Books of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Say: By the righteousness of God! At the time when My straight path was made manifest, the footsteps of every seer stumbled, and the hearts of them that had attained unto Him were sore troubled. Thus have We illumined the horizon of the heaven of this Tablet with the effulgence of this Orb, before which, as soon as it appeared, the inmates of the All-Highest Paradise, and the angels that have drawn nigh unto God, bowed down in adoration. The Glory of God rest upon thee, and upon all those who have quaffed the wine of steadfastness in this Name that overshadoweth all things great and small.
BH04117: In the Name of the Beloved of the Heart!…
In the Name of the Beloved of the Heart! O ʿAli-Qabli-Muhammad! Your letter was presented at the Most Holy Court, and this servant submitted all of it in His presence. You had written:
“Send down tribulation upon Your enemies and seize them with the fullness of Your might and Your power to chastise and punish.”
These words were heard, but the tongue of the All-Merciful speaks thus: O friend! Give praise to the Beloved of the world Who has enabled you to recognize the Hidden Mystery and the Treasured Secret. If this bounty that was bestowed upon you had been bestowed upon all the peoples of the world, all would have turned to the Friend and gathered beneath the shade of the Tree. That which was not given to them was given to you, for their past deeds have deprived and excluded them from God’s infinite bounties.
In the station of communion and supplication with the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, speak these words:
“O my Beloved, my Purpose, and the Ultimate Goal of my desires! You behold this evanescent servant who has turned to You and sought from You the eternal water. Grant that which befits Your greatness and is worthy of Your days. I beseech You by Your Most Great Name to rend asunder the veils of the servants and to show and open unto them the gate of mercy. Awaken those who slumber with the hand of loving-kindness and tenderness, and make the heedless aware through the call of Your sweet banquet, that all may turn to You and advance towards You. O Lord! Deprive them not of the outpourings of the clouds of Your mercy and the breezes of the springtime of bounty in Your days. I testify that Your mercy has preceded all created things and Your loving-kindness has encompassed all who dwell on earth and in the heavens. There is no God but You, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.”
BH04138: Today the Sun of grace is manifest…
He is the Compassionate, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful
Today the Sun of grace is manifest and the ocean of loving-kindness is surging, and whatsoever God’s consummate wisdom requireth will assuredly appear from the heaven of His Will. And if the fulfillment of certain wishes of the friends be delayed, they should not become sorrowful.
Fix thy gaze upon this blessed word which, like unto the sun, hath shone forth from the horizon of the divine Tablet and was sent to one of the servants: The pulse of the world is in the hand of the skilled Physician. He perceiveth the disease and in His wisdom prescribeth the remedy. God willing, drink ye in all conditions from the ocean of contentment.
The loving-kindness of God hath ever been and shall ever be with the steadfast ones who have turned unto Him. Verily, all affairs are in His hands. He seeth and speaketh, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
The fragrance of the love of the All-Merciful was wafted from thy letter. We found it through Our grace. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. He hath desired to make mention of Himself through thy turning unto Him. This is naught but a supreme bounty.
O God of the worlds and Sovereign of the nations! I beseech Thee by the rustling of the Tree of Thy loving-kindness and by the pearls of the ocean of Thy knowledge, that Thou mayest ordain for me through Thy Most Exalted Pen that which will profit me in all Thy worlds. O God of Names and Creator of heaven! O Lord! Thou seest me clinging unto Thee and turning unto Thee, acknowledging that which the Tongue of Thy grandeur hath acknowledged before the creation of Thy earth and heaven. I beseech Thee to assist me in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with, and to withhold from me that which is unworthy of Thee, O Lord of all men and Master of the hereafter and the former times!
Glory be upon Thee and upon Thy handmaiden who hath turned unto God, the One, the All-Informed.
BH04239: God beareth witness that there is none other God…
He is the One Who ariseth in the Cause through His Most Great Name.
God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who hath come upon the clouds is indeed the One promised in the Books and inscribed in the Scriptures of God, Lord of all the worlds. He hath arisen in the name of the Self-Subsisting, and with the finger of certitude hath rent asunder the veils of idle fancies and vain imaginings, and called all to the All-Informed One. Through Him the gate of heaven was opened, and the Nightingale warbled upon the branches of the Divine Lote-Tree that there is none other God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
By the life of God! The wine of revelation hath so seized them that turned unto Him that they have cast the world behind their backs, hastening to the Most Great Ocean which surgeth amongst mankind through this great Name. Thy letter hath arrived and been read by the servant in the presence of this Wronged One. Verily thy Lord is the All-Hearing, the Answering.
We testify that thy letter voiced the praise of the Beloved and acknowledged that which God acknowledged before the creation of the heavens and earths. Blessed be thy tongue for having spoken the truth, and thine eye for what it beheld, and thy heart for having turned toward the lonely Prisoner. We found it adorned with the ornament of certitude and sanctified from the allusions of the heedless ones who cast the Truth behind their backs and followed the people in hope of what they possessed. Verily thy Lord is the All-Explaining, the All-Knowing.
Blessed art thou for We found thee standing firm in the service of thy Lord’s Cause and speaking His beauteous praise. He will, in truth, exalt thee and give thee to drink of the Kawthar of life, once through His name the Self-Subsisting and again through His name the All-Bountiful. He will assist thee under all conditions. Verily thy Lord is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
The Glory be upon thee and upon those who have shattered the idols through the name of their Lord, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
BH04160: We had sent down a Tablet for you…
He is the One through Whom the Promised One arose and the Self-Subsisting appeared
We had sent down a Tablet for you, and this is another Tablet sent down in truth from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The servant in attendance has brought your letter and read it before the Wronged One. He has attained the honor of your Lord’s hearing in this station, around which circle the Concourse on High and every lofty dwelling.
Arise with wisdom and utterance and say: O peoples of the religions! By God, the Day has appeared which was adorned by its mention in the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds. Say: Cast aside the dawning-places of idle fancies and take what you have been commanded by the Strong, the Ancient.
Say: O people of the Bayan! By the life of the All-Merciful, you are worshippers of idols. Fear God and follow not every heedless remote one. Be in all conditions one who speaks My Name, soars in My atmosphere, turns to My horizon, and gives glad tidings of this Great Announcement.
Say: He has come with what exists in the world of God’s Books and His proofs, if you be fair and not among the oppressors. He has appeared in truth in such wise that none denies it save every aggressive sinner. Thus has the sun of utterance shone forth from the heaven of the Tablet of thy Lord, the Speaking, the All-Knowing.
Thou art mentioned before the Imprisoned One—rejoice thou in this great bounty. Be the shepherd of My sheep in My lands and the herald of My Cause in My realms. Thus commands thee He at Whose appearance the Books cried out: “By God, the Ancient Sender of Revelation has come!”
The glory from the Lord of Names be upon thee and upon those who have inhaled the fragrance of My garment and have arisen to serve My wondrous Cause.
BH04893: O Husayn, upon him be the Glory of God!…
O Husayn, upon him be the Glory of God! He is the Most Great, the Most Ancient, the Most Glorious!
O Husayn! Thy letter hath come before the Wronged One, and the servant in attendance hath read it. We have heard and respond to thee through this Tablet which beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Great.
Let not sorrows overtake thee in the days of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Leave creation behind thee, placing thy trust in God, the Lord of all worlds. Look not upon the people and what they possess. Reflect upon the Revelation of God and His sovereignty, and that which hath appeared from Him on this Day whereat the Concourse on High rejoiced and those who hastened to the Most Great Ocean and drank therefrom in My Name, the Generous.
Let not the conditions of men sadden thee. Hearken unto that which the Lord of Destiny uttereth from the direction of His Most Great Prospect, that joy may so possess thee that the veils of the world will not withhold thee from this Cause at whose appearance the hearts of the heedless were sorely troubled.
Take hold of the hem of thy Lord’s mercy and say: O Thou Lord of all beings and Sovereign of the hereafter and of the former world! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name, the Most Glorious, whereby the Ship of Thy Cause did sail upon the ocean of Thy mercy, to make me steadfast in this Cause which hath caused the feet of the learned to slip and the hearts of the mystics to be perturbed—they who cast the Command of God behind their backs and followed their own imaginings without clear proof or illuminating Book.
Thus have We lit the lamp of knowledge within the niche of utterance and sent it unto thee that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
BH04921: O Muhammad Qabl-i-ʿAli! Thou hast attained unto the remembrance…
He is the One Who observeth from His Most Exalted Horizon
O Muhammad Qabl-i-ʿAli! Thou hast attained unto the remembrance of the Lord of Names and hast heard the rustling of the Most Exalted Pen. God willing, thou shalt in all conditions be occupied with the remembrance of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, and shalt drink and give others to drink from the cup of His love.
Convey My greetings to the friends in that land on behalf of the Wronged One and give them glad-tidings of God’s favors. Blessed are they in that they have attained in the days of their Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Whoso hath today attained unto the divine Word hath attained unto all good. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of grace that all the world cannot equal a single letter that hath proceeded from the Source of the utterance of the All-Merciful.
Say: Know ye the value of the divine Tablets and beseech Him that ye may remain steadfast in this Most Great Cause. Say: How many souls laid claim to love, yet were later deprived of the Lord of the Beginning and the End by a mere croak or buzz. Say: O friends! Ye must be ablaze with such a fire and shine with such a light that no opportunity remains for the perverse and the deniers.
We beseech Him, exalted be He, to aid them to do what He loveth and pleaseth. We make mention of the two Names in this station that they may rejoice in the remembrance of their Lord, the Merciful. Verily We mentioned them before and sent to each one of them a Tablet from which wafted the fragrance of My loving-kindness that hath preceded all worlds.
Glory be upon thy father and upon thy brother and upon thee and upon them and upon every steadfast and firm one.
BH04767: In the name of the All-Knowing Speaker! The divine…
In the name of the All-Knowing Speaker! The divine nightingale winged its flight from the heavenly garden to this mortal world, and for a few days, perched upon the branches of time, warbled its soul-stirring, melodious notes. Then it soared to its ultimate goal. Verily He knoweth its return, its origin and its destination. He, verily, is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Those songs and melodies brought assurance to the faithful and increased the fear of the treacherous. Therefore the sword was drawn and trembling seized all the tribes, and most of those souls who had turned to the most exalted horizon attained martyrdom and quaffed the deadly poison as though it were spirit-giving honey in the path of the Friend.
And when the Luminary of the horizons illumined the horizon of Iraq, no voice was raised from any direction, and no movement was observed from any body. All were found to be dead or withered while living, and were concealed behind veils from the severity of the days and the wrath of men.
When these things were witnessed, We arose to promote the Cause—an arising after which there was no sitting down. And when, through divine power, the banners of the Most Great Remembrance were raised upon the highest station of the world, the buzzing of flies emerged from behind the veil. Verily thy Lord knoweth what befell the Temple of the Cause at the hands of the oppressors.
God willing, they must in all conditions exert their utmost endeavor, that perchance weak souls may drink from the wine of steadfastness and turn to the most exalted horizon.
BH04753: God beareth witness that there is none other God…
He is the One manifest from the horizon of eternity.
God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath appeared is, verily, the One mentioned in the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds. Whoso acknowledgeth Him hath acknowledged the Books of God and His Messengers, and whoso turneth away is of them that have perished.
Say: He hath come with the truth and hath summoned all unto God, the Single, the All-Informed. How many a servant hath heard and responded, and hastened unto the ocean of His Most Great Name, the All-Glorious; and among them are such as have turned away from God and denied His verses and rejected His proof and pronounced judgment against Him with manifest injustice.
We counsel thee and those who have believed even as We have counseled all in My Preserved Tablet: Abandon that which the people possess, then turn ye unto the Most Sublime Vision, the station wherein the Lord of Destiny hath proclaimed:
“There is none other God but I, the Manifest, the Speaking, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.”
Beware lest the doubts of the people of the Bayan prevent you, or the allusions of those who are heedless of this momentous News withhold you. Say: This is the Day of Arising, did ye but know it, and this is the Day of remembrance and praise, were ye to understand.
By God! The mention of a single mention from My Most Exalted Pen equalleth the worship of all who dwell on earth and in heaven. To this beareth witness the Lord of all creation in His preserved Tablet. Thus hath the ocean of knowledge surged forth as a bounty from His presence. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
Give thanks and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of them that know!
BH05094: The Most Great Joy hath come, yet the people…
In the Name of the One God!
The Most Great Joy hath come, yet the people have turned away from it save those whom God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, hath willed.
God willing, may thou cling to the hem of truth and hold fast to His cord in such wise that the clamor of the people of the Bayan shall not keep thee back from the direction of the All-Merciful.
For twelve hundred years the people of the Furqan clung to vain imaginings and idle fancies, depriving the servants of God from all the infinite divine bounties and heavenly sustenance, such that, as was witnessed, those imaginings and fancies caused the martyrdom of the Primal Point, may the spirit of all else but Him be sacrificed for His sake. I swear by the Sun of certitude that those fancies have been and will continue to be the cause and reason for the kindling of the fire of tyranny throughout the world.
And now the people of the Bayan desire, through the same idle fancies of the past, to prevent people from drawing nigh unto the Dayspring of divine revelation and the Source of inspiration.
Say: O friends of God! Stand firm and place your trust in God, and with complete power and strength preserve the treasuries of divine love from the thieves and betrayers, that perchance they may not henceforth occupy themselves with the deeds and words of the past, and deprive people from the straight path.
Verily He speaketh the truth and guideth to the Way. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Beautiful.
BH05179: O Ibrahim! The glance of loving-kindness is turned towards…
In the Name of the Friend, the All-Loving
O Ibrahim! The glance of loving-kindness is turned towards thee and the Supreme Pen moveth like unto the gleaming lightning to make mention of the friends at all times, drawing them near. Be not grieved at what hath come to pass. In all conditions, give precedence to the will, purpose and good-pleasure of the Friend over thine own will, purpose and good-pleasure. Blessed is he who hath attained unto this most exalted station and moveth by naught save the will of his Lord, the Mover, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
O Ibrahim! We have heard thy call and that wherewith thou didst commune with God, thy Lord, and We have answered thee through this perspicuous Book. The Truth hath been and is the witness. This is a Day wherein the Balance speaketh and the earth giveth its tidings. Blessed is he who hath not been deprived of His bounty and hath arisen as beseemeth His days. He is accounted among the people of Baha in the Book of God, the King, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
Convey My greetings unto the friends in that land on behalf of the Wronged One and say: Preserve your stations through the Name of the Revealer of verses, for the ungodly and infidels have appeared with the utmost craftiness and guile. This is a report that hath flowed from the Supreme Pen in books both past and future. God willing, may all be blessed by the fragrances of His days, be gladdened by His mention and find peace through His Name. He is, verily, the All-Bountiful, the Ancient. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Wise.
BH05120: In My Name, Which Warbleth upon the Branches
In My Name, Which Warbleth upon the Branches
A Book sent down by the All-Merciful to her who hath heard and responded and hath attained unto the days of her Lord, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.
O leaf! Hearken with the ear of thy soul to the call of the King of Oneness.
I swear by the life of the Beloved that should anyone partake of this cup—that is, should they attain unto the sweetness of the utterance of the All-Merciful—they would, throughout all their days and nights, remain occupied with the remembrance of the Peerless Friend.
This is the Day whose mention hath been from time immemorial and will endure forever, and all the peoples of the world were promised its coming. Yet when the lights of the divine Dayspring appeared, all turned away and followed that which Satan commanded them, save those souls who were detached and free from all else but God. These are they whose mention hath been recorded in the divine Books, both past and future. Blessed are they and joy be unto them!
God willing, that leaf shall at all times hold fast unto the Divine Lote-Tree in such wise that diverse winds shall not cause her to fall. This is the counsel of the Beloved of the world unto thee and the other handmaidens.
At all times praise thou the Beloved of all creation, for He hath enabled thee to attain unto that whereof the divines of the earth remain veiled. Verily thy Lord is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
The glory be upon thee and upon My handmaidens in that place, from One loving and bountiful.
BH05216: In the Name of the One God! O Sadiq!…
In the Name of the One God! O Sadiq! Thy petition hath arrived, and from it wafteth the fragrance of the love of the Best-Beloved of the worlds. Praise be to the Purpose of the world Who hath enabled thee to recognize the Dawning-Place of Revelation, the Dayspring of Inspiration, and the Manifestation of His Self. Whoso hath attained unto recognition in this Day hath attained unto all good.
The whole world was created for this blessed Day which in the divine Books hath been designated as the Day of God. Nevertheless, when the Day appeared and its Lord was seated upon the throne, all turned away save whom God, the Lord of the worlds, did please. The cause and reason for this are the divines of the age. We testify that they are numbered among the ignorant in the Perspicuous Book. They are honored by the name of Truth yet turn away from Him; they are known by His name yet remain heedless and veiled from Him.
Whosoever hath in this Day attained unto the Most Exalted Horizon must, throughout his life, voice the praise and glorification of the Truth and through His name preserve this most exalted station, for verily the evil ones lie in wait and stand ready in ambush. Thy Lord is, in truth, the All-Informed, the All-Knowing.
Convey on behalf of the Truth greetings to all the friends in that land and give them glad-tidings of that which hath been ordained for them. Ere long their station shall become manifest and evident unto all the world. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Bountiful.
BH05218: O ʿAbdu’l-Husayn! Thy petition was presented in the Snow-White…
In the Name of the Best-Beloved of the world
O ʿAbdu’l-Husayn! Thy petition was presented in the Snow-White Spot before Him Who is the Possessor of all Names, and the glances of His loving-kindness were directed towards thee. It was adorned with these words:
“Establish me firmly in the confession that Thou art the pure Truth and the sheer Light.”
Blessed art thou for having uttered these words!
In truth, all created things must needs, in this day, implore this station from God, inasmuch as the Cause is mighty great. How numerous were the souls who made claim to firmness, steadfastness and constancy, yet afterwards, at the slightest breeze that blew from the Beloved of hearts, turned away and joined the worshippers of idols. God willing, thou shalt remain so firmly established and steadfast in the Cause of God that all the peoples of the world shall be powerless to hinder thee.
Be thou aflame with the fire of My love, soaring in My atmosphere, holding fast to My cord, clinging to My robe, stirred by My will, turning thy face toward My face, speaking in My praise, and acting according to that which hath been sent down in My perspicuous, mighty and wise Book.
Glory be to God! Should a soul turn away from this horizon, to what horizon would he turn, and to what proof and testimony would he cling? By the life of God! The proof doth circle round, and the testimony doth prostrate itself before My countenance, yet most of the people are in evident obscurity.
The glory be upon thee and upon every servant who is steadfast in this mighty Cause.
BH04964: The Book proclaims: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Lord…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Glorious
The Book proclaims: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Lord of all worlds!” and all things cry out: “The Truth has appeared and the Cause is in the hands of God, the Possessor of this mighty Day!”
And the Revealer of the Bayan declares:
“O people! By the life of the Beloved, I am ashamed to mention what ye have wrought against Him Who came with the truth and Who proclaimed: ʿThere is no God but Me, the Forgiving, the Generous.’ I left no counsel save through wisdom, and no wisdom but I commanded it unto you. To this testifies He Who appeared and spoke that which all the books of the world cannot equal. He, verily, is the Truthful, the Trustworthy.”
O people of the Bayan! Ye have cast the All-Merciful behind your backs and have clung to every ignorant remote one. That which is on earth shall profit you not this day. Fear God and deny not Him through Whom the standard of God hath been raised upon every lofty and noble mountain. Abandon what ye possess. He Who was hidden behind the veils of the unseen and inscribed in the books of God, the Mighty, the Wise, hath come. Arise to serve thy Lord in such wise that the hosts of the oppressors shall not deter thee.
Say: I beseech Thee, O my God, my Beloved, and my Heart’s Desire, by the Most Great Ocean which hath surged in Thy name throughout the world, to aid me in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over what Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all things. There is no God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Mighty.
BH04958: Today the heaven of generosity is raised high…
In the name of God, the Almighty!
Today the heaven of generosity is raised high, the ocean of bounty is surging, and the rays of the Sun of loving-kindness have encompassed all things. Blessed are they who have not deprived themselves and who have not been prevented by the veils of the heedless ones. With utmost joy and gladness, occupy thyself with the remembrance of the Goal of all the worlds.
The glance of favor hath been directed to thee from the Prison, and its effect shall endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. Hold fast to the cord of grace and cling to the hem of bounty. Verily He ordaineth for whomsoever He willeth that which shall profit him in the world to come and in this world. Verily He is the Lord of all mankind and within His grasp is the dominion of creation. There is none other God but Him, the Forgiving, the Bountiful.
I swear by the Sun of Truth that nothing in the world hath equalled or shall equal a single word from the words of God. Give thanks unto the Peerless Beloved, for verily He hath mentioned thee in such wise that the fragrances of revelation shall endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Loving.
The letter of that honored one was presented before the Wronged One and was seen. Praise be to God that thou hast been successful in attaining the bounty of recognition and hast been made to achieve that which most of the learned and mystics of the earth have been deprived of. Be grateful then to thy Lord for this great favor. God willing, thou shalt attain unto all that God hath desired. Verily thy Lord is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
BH05352: All earthly ties are severed this day, for it…
In the name of the Beloved of the worlds
All earthly ties are severed this day, for it is the Day of revelation and meeting, and all relationships return to the Truth Himself. Relationship to Him, exalted be His glory, is as the sun among the stars. Blessed is the one who hath recognized the Day of God and attained its effusions.
Today all are beheld on a single plane. How excellent is the state of the one who hath turned with celestial power and might toward the King of Oneness. Whosoever hath attained this most exalted station regardeth all else but God as non-existent, save those souls who have quaffed from the Kawthar of the All-Glorious and clung fast to the Crimson Ark.
Grieve not over what befell thy son. By the life of God, he turned towards and entered the prison, and ascended unto the Mighty, the All-Forgiving. Thou must praise and glorify the Lord of the Revelation with utmost joy and delight, for He accepted thy sacrifice and hath mentioned thee in this Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet.
Say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of Names and Creator of the heavens, for having strengthened me, made me know Thee, and accepted what befell my son in Thy path. I beseech Thee to make me steadfast in Thy love under all conditions. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH05616: In the Name of the one God! O Mihdi!…
In the Name of the one God! O Mihdi! May you be, through God’s grace, successful! Your mention was made in the Most Great Prison—this is from the bounty of your Lord unto you. Be thou thankful and among those who praise.
In truth, God’s bounty and mercy and grace have encompassed His loved ones at all times, for in this most mighty, most impregnable, most holy Day they have attained unto the recognition of God, and the opposition of the divines and mystics and princes did not prevent them from the Most Exalted Horizon. Blessed are they and blessed are those who have attained what they have attained. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Generous.
Beseech God—exalted be His glory—that you may attain unto the most great steadfastness, for the cawing of the crows and the fire of the souls of the ungodly in that land are ablaze and rising up. At all times they have been and are engaged in craftiness and deception, that perchance they might prevent those who have turned towards God from the Greatest Scene. Blessed are those who have cast them and what they possess behind their backs, turning unto God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.
The glory be upon you and upon your father, whom the Supreme Pen hath mentioned in various Tablets, and upon those who are with you on this Straight Path. We have sent unto you that which telleth of your Lord’s favor, that thou mayest wear it and be of the thankful ones. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH05607: O Muhammad-Baqir! Your cries, lamentations and wailing in separation…
In the name of the All-Knowing Speaker
O Muhammad-Baqir! Your cries, lamentations and wailing in separation from the Beloved of all worlds have been heard.
God, exalted be His glory, brought these creatures from nothingness into being for the recognition of this blessed Day and the knowledge of Him Who hath appeared therein with His Name, the One Who holdeth sway over the worlds. There is and hath been no doubt that all were created for attainment unto His presence, and the One True Beloved hath ever loved and loveth the nearness of His friends. The divine Tablets and heavenly Books bear witness unto that which hath been mentioned.
However, the rebellious, heedless and transgressing souls have become the cause and reason of prevention. Be not grieved by this prevention, for His Will is supreme and His Purpose prevailing. The Supreme Pen recordeth the reward of attainment unto His presence for whomsoever He willeth. Verily thy Lord is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.
Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou seest me turning toward Thy Kingdom and beseeching from the ocean of Thy bounty that which beseemeth the heaven of Thy generosity and grace. O Lord! Deny me not that which lieth with Thee. Ordain for me the reward of one who hath attained unto the vision of Thy countenance and circumambulated around Thy throne. Verily Thou art the Almighty Whom the circumstances of creation cannot frustrate, nor can the hosts of the oppressors prevent. Praise be unto God, the Lord of all worlds.
BH05605: O Fadl! The exalted True One hath heard thy…
He is the Manifest, the Speaking One, the All-Knowing
O Fadl! The exalted True One hath heard thy call and hearkened unto thy mention. Praise be to God that thy pen and tongue have been blessed to offer praise to the Lord of Names, and thy face hath turned toward the horizon of the Countenance. At all times preserve this great bounty through the Name of Truth, glorified be His grandeur.
Blessed art thou for having attained to the remembrance of thy Lord and turned toward Him when they who dwell in all lands and cities turned away, save whom God, the Lord of the worlds, did will. Rejoice in that which was read before the Throne—that which thou didst commune with God—and which was adorned with the ornament of acceptance from the presence of the Hearer, the Witness, the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing.
We make mention of My handmaiden referred to at the end of thy letter—give her glad tidings of My remembrance of her. She may commune with her Lord through that which the Supreme Pen hath uttered in this exalted station:
“I beseech Thee, O Sovereign of eternity and Lord of Names, by the waves of the ocean of Thy knowledge and the lights of the Sun of Thy utterance, to ordain for me through the Pen of Thy decree that which will profit me in Thy worlds. I testify that I know not what lieth within the treasuries of Thy knowledge, and Thou knowest what is with me. Thou art in truth the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
O my Lord! I beseech Thee by the wonders of Thy bounty and the manifestations of Thy favors to grant me one who will inherit from me. Thou art, verily, the Best of inheritors. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Generous.”
BH05482: He is the One speaking in His Most Glorious…
He is the One speaking in His Most Glorious Name in the Kingdom of Utterance. This is a Book sent down by the All-Merciful to him who hath believed and acted according to what was commanded in the Scriptures and Tablets.
O peoples of the earth! Adorn your temples with the ornament of tranquility and dignity. Thus have We commanded you aforetime and in this Book. Blessed is he who hath cast away what the people possess and taken what was given him from God, the Lord of all men.
We counsel thee and those who have believed to manifest spiritual qualities and goodly, virtuous deeds, that there may appear from you what beseemeth you and this Day which every Book and every Messenger who came with the truth from God, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Bestower, hath extolled.
Behold, O people, what hath appeared and shone forth from the horizon of Revelation, then judge it with fairness and follow not every doubtful idolater. The Promise hath come, and this is the Promised One Who calleth out with the most exalted call amidst the peoples. He hath desired naught for Himself, as testifieth He Who speaketh the truth, and behind Him is the Mother Book.
Thus have We sent down the verses and dispatched them unto thee that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Master of all mankind. Glory be upon those who have attained to hearkening unto the Call when it was raised between earth and heaven from God, the Lord of the Day of Mutual Divorce.
BH05337: In the Name of the Goal of all horizons!…
In the Name of the Goal of all horizons! That which is beloved before God is the knowledge of Him and steadfastness in His Cause. Whosoever attains unto this has attained unto all good. Blessed is he who has attained unto that which God, the Lord of the worlds, has desired. Be not grieved by the conflicts of the world and its changes. In all conditions, turn thy face to the countenance of God and fix thy gaze upon the Most Exalted Horizon.
Today the intoxication of heedlessness has seized the people of the world, and it has seized the people of the Bayan in such wise that they are seen to be more veiled than all the peoples of the earth. For twelve hundred years and more they have been the dawning-place of vain imaginings, and for several more centuries they desire to continue in the same manner. By the lights of the Sun of Revelation! They are deprived of the fragrances of the flowers of the garden of inner meanings and are forbidden from the meanings of the divine words. They have shunned the choice sealed wine that was unsealed by the finger of the Self-Subsisting and have turned to the bitter tree. Such is the condition of the souls who have turned away.
God willing, may the people of Baha drink with perfect certitude and assurance from the Kawthar of the mercy of the All-Merciful and become free and detached from all mention of the world through His remembrance. The Glory be upon thee and upon those with thee and upon the handmaidens who have believed in God, the One, the All-Informed.
BH05795: The fragrance of divine love was wafting from thy…
In the Name of the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing!
The fragrance of divine love was wafting from thy letter. Praise be to God that thou hast attained to a bounty which most of the world’s learned men have failed to attain. Through the assistance of God thou hast turned to a horizon that is hidden from most of mankind. Through divine grace thou hast heard a call from which most ears are debarred. Know thou the worth of this most great station and voice thy gratitude to the Lord of ancient days.
Strive thou to attain unto that which befitteth this divine Day. This is the day for the manifestation of praiseworthy characteristics, goodly words, and holy deeds. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of the Cause that the triumph achieved through goodly deeds and praiseworthy characteristics is mightier than that won by artillery and armies. Beseech ye God that all may be assisted to achieve that which is worthy of the Day of God and befitting to the station of man. God willing, may all gaze upon the horizon of the All-Merciful with the utmost joy and radiance, and act in accordance with that which the Supreme Pen hath ordained.
Rejoice thou in what hath been sent down unto thee in this wondrous Tablet. He, verily, heard thy call and answered thee through His grace. He is, in truth, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. We send Our greetings upon thee and upon Our loved ones in that place who have turned towards God, the Lord of all worlds. The glory be upon thee and upon them from the presence of One Who is Forgiving, Merciful.
BH05724: The entire world awaited the Days of God…
He is the Helper, the All-Wise!
The entire world awaited the Days of God, for the True One, exalted be His glory, had promised them in His Books, Psalms and Scriptures. Thus in the Furqan, which is the supreme proof of God, He saith:
“Lead forth the people from darkness into light and announce to them the Days of God.”
This blessed verse was revealed aforetime, and the True One, exalted be His glory, informed His Beloved of it.
All souls, in their nights and days, yearned and longed for the encounter with this blessed Day, yet when this Day dawned from the horizon of God’s Will, all were found to be heedless and turned away.
O friends! Praise with the utmost humility, submissiveness and devotion the Beloved of all creation, for He confirmed you in a Cause from which most of the world, despite their seeking, remained deprived. All the tongues of created things have failed and will forever fail to offer sufficient thanks for this supreme blessing.
Hearken unto the testament of the Wronged One of the horizons and strive that ye may attain to the good-pleasure of the Friend. No station greater than this station can be seen. Verily He is the One Who speaketh the truth, and He is the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
BH05948: In My Most Great Name. O My handmaiden! Say…
In My Most Great Name. O My handmaiden! Say: Glorified art Thou, O my God and my Lord! Thou knowest that when I imagine I can describe and mention Thee with names by which I name Thee before the court of Thy knowledge, after gaining this knowledge I seek Thy forgiveness, by the everlastingness of Thy earthly and heavenly dominion and Thy glory, O King of Kings!
For whenever I call upon Thee and say “O my God,” I witness that it is but a name whose letters have issued from my mouth. And that which has issued from my mouth and appeared through my will—how could it be worthy to ascend to the heaven of Thy glory or capable of rising to the ultimate goal in the presence of the effulgences of the lights of Thy Beauty? Nay, by Thy glory, O Beloved of the world! Nay, by Thy sovereignty, O Desire of the nations!
Rather, I become certain, O my God, that whatever my mouth utters and my tongue reveals stains the hem of the robe of Thy sanctity. Therefore, O my God and my Beloved, after my knowledge of this and my certitude of what I have spoken before Thee, by what thing shall I hold fast in Thy days, and to what matter shall I cling beneath the shadow of Thy mercy? By Thy glory, in this moment the breeze of despair has wafted, O Hope of the worlds! Thou seest how anxiety and agitation have seized me, O my Lord, the All-Bestowing!
I beseech Thee to open, with the finger of Thy power, a door for Thy handmaiden that will guide her to what befits Thy greatness and Thy sovereignty. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.
BH05650: Praise be to God that thou hast been successful…
In the name of the One peerless God, the All-Knowing!
Praise be to God that thou hast been successful in turning towards Him in days when the mystics, divines, men of letters and princes of the earth have turned away from the Truth, save those whom God hath willed. This station is so great that, by the truth, none upon earth can be compared with it. Through God’s grace, remain firm and joyous, and free and detached from all else.
The Supreme Pen hath informed all of the cawing of the crow and the croaking of the raven. God, the Exalted, will, God willing, protect all and give them to drink from the Kawthar of steadfastness.
This day belongeth unto God, for in previous Books it was mentioned and recorded as the Day of God. Exalted is the station of one who hath attained unto supreme steadfastness and remained firm and steadfast in the Cause of God.
Thy services and efforts are known and remembered before God. May God willing, thou shalt attain unto His endless bounties. The reward of no one hath been, nor ever shall be, lost before God. Blessed is the one who hath recognized Him and emptied the heart from all else.
The Glory be upon thee and upon those women who have heard and answered the call of God, the One, the All-Informed.
BH05985: In My Name, the Mighty, the Great
In My Name, the Mighty, the Great
O Ghulam-Husayn! Thy name is most beloved. God willing, thou shalt act in accordance with what befitteth this blessed name, never departing from servitude and arising to serve the Lord Who is manifest and visible.
How many were the souls who claimed to love and who gazed toward and were oriented to the Most Exalted Horizon, yet afterwards, at the slightest breeze from the winds, remained deprived of the garden of inner meanings. I swear by the Sovereign of the kingdom of earth and heaven that they became occupied with a fetid odor and were prevented from the sweet fragrances of the luminous garment.
God willing, thou shalt manifest the most great steadfastness, in such wise that the hosts of the idolaters shall not hold thee back from the Lord of the Day of Judgment.
Thy letter was presented before the Throne, and the glance of favor hath been directed toward thee from the direction of the Prison. This most great bounty hath had and hath no measure or limit. Be thou thankful unto thy Lord for this mighty favor.
We convey greetings to all the friends and command them to the most great steadfastness, that they may not be deprived of the Lord of mankind by the utterances of the embodiments of idle fancies and vain imaginings. Verily, He teacheth His loved ones that which shall profit them in all the worlds of His worlds. He, verily, is the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Generous.
BH05681: God willing, may you be blessed with the grace…
He is the One who speaks in the Kingdom of Utterance!
God willing, may you be blessed with the grace of the All-Merciful and speak His praise in such wise that the fragrances of remembrance may awaken and attract the heedless ones. Verily, every deed that appears for the sake of God will surely manifest its effects upon the earth. Thy Lord is, in truth, the All-Informed, the All-Aware.
Walk thou among the servants of God with perfect assurance and with spirit and fragrance. Thy letter was received and this servant read it in the presence of His Countenance. Praise be to God that from it wafted the sweet savors of divine love. We have heard thy call and have answered thee through this perspicuous Book.
A most mighty and holy Tablet hath been sent down from the heaven of favor specifically for the person mentioned and hath been dispatched. God willing, may he attain unto it and be assured and gladdened by what is recorded and inscribed therein.
Although the worth of these utterances is not now known, I swear by the Object of all the world’s adoration that were the veil to be lifted, all that is visible and hidden would be seen to fall short of equaling even a single letter of God’s Book. He, verily, speaketh the truth and manifesteth the proof. The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Mighty, the Beautiful.
Glory be upon thee and upon My loved ones in that land. We send them Our greetings from this Spot and give them the glad-tidings of My wondrous remembrance.
BH06330: In the Name of the one incomparable, all-knowing God!…
In the Name of the one incomparable, all-knowing God! O loved ones of the All-Merciful! A letter was received in the Most Holy Court mentioning nine souls, for each of whom a wondrous book hath been sent down from the heaven of bounty, that all may become so enkindled with the fire of divine love that neither the vicissitudes of time, nor the oppression of tyrants, nor the depression pervading the contingent world may prevent them from feeling its warmth or deprive them of the sweetness of God’s remembrance.
O Muhammad! The Wronged One calleth thee and saith: Thou hast attained the supreme divine bounty, which is recognition of the Dawning-Place of Revelation and the Source of His Command. Know thou the value of this station and act according to that which hath been recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Book. Verily, whosoever in this Day holdeth fast unto His commandments and prohibitions shall assuredly be seized by His infinite outpourings.
Pure and sincere deeds have been and shall ever be the cause of the appearance of blessing and bounty. God willing, thou shalt attain unto that which shall cause the preservation of thy remembrance and be the means of its protection. Thy Lord is verily the All-Forgiving, the Bountiful.
Be thou steadfast in the Cause and put thy trust in the One, the All-Informed. Glory be upon thee and upon those who have turned unto God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH06049: O My handmaiden! Bear thou witness unto that whereunto…
In the Name of the One, the Helper, the All-Knowing
O My handmaiden! Bear thou witness unto that whereunto God Himself hath testified—that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who hath come is indeed the Hidden Treasure, made manifest from the presence of the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling.
Say: Glory be to Thee, O Thou at Whose separation the sighs of the sincere have ascended and the tears of the believers have fallen, through Whose absence the hearts of them that are nigh unto God have melted and the breasts of the longing ones have been torn asunder. I beseech Thee by that Name through Whose manifestation the mightiest idol was struck down and the hearts of the nations were shaken, and whereby the trees of Thy loving-kindness have borne fruit amongst Thy creation, to ordain for this handmaiden of Thine one who shall inherit from her, through Thy bounty and grace.
O my Lord! This is a tree from among the trees of Thy love—adorn it, then, with fruits, for Thou art the Chosen One, and through Thy Name the banner of ʿHe doeth whatsoever He willeth’ hath been raised throughout all regions.
O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward the horizon of Thy grace, hoping for the wonders of Thy bounty and favor. I beseech Thee to ordain for me in all conditions that which shall profit me in the world to come and in this world. Verily Thou knowest better than I what is to my benefit. I testify that I know not what is with Thee, and Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH06083: O maidservant of God! Again and again hast thou…
He is the One dawning from the horizon of utterance!
O maidservant of God! Again and again hast thou been mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One of the world. Know thou the value of such mentions, for by the waves of the ocean of the utterance of the All-Merciful, one letter thereof is, in the sight of God, more precious than the world and whatsoever hath appeared or shall appear therein. Know thou the station of this precious gem and this matchless pearl, and occupy thyself with the praise and glorification of God—exalted be His glory.
The glance of God’s loving-kindness hath ever been and shall ever be directed towards His steadfast male and female servants. One goodly word and one righteous deed are, in this Day, more precious in the sight of God than all the books of the earth—namely, those books which the heedless divines have written according to their vain imaginings. Rejoice thou in this most great bounty, and render thanks unto thy Lord, the Bestower, the All-Bountiful.
In all circumstances, beseech thou God to make the handmaidens of that land steadfast in His Cause and to vouchsafe unto them the water of certitude. He is, verily, powerful and mighty. There is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
The glory rest upon thee and upon those who have quaffed the choice wine through this glorious and mighty Name.