Volume 064: Akka 1298 A.H. (1880–1881), Part III (2 of 6)
BH06022: Praise be to God, thou art accounted before…
In the name of the Beloved of the world.
Praise be to God, thou art accounted before the Divine Throne as one of the leaves of the Divine Tree and art mentioned as a handmaiden of God. Should anyone reflect upon this blessed word, they would witness the Divine bounty and be seized with such joy and gladness that the troubles of the world and sorrows of nations would have no effect upon them. Exalted, exalted is this most great station!
God, glorified be His majesty, in manifestation of His grace and favors, saith unto the Spirit: O My servant and child of My maidservant! Behold now the divine favors, how He hath caused thee to attain this most exalted station and sublime rank. With the utmost joy and fragrance, speak forth the praise and glorification of the Beloved of all creation.
Be not sorrowful. By the Luminary of grace, delight and joy and gladness were created specially for the friends of God. Praise be to God, thou hast attained unto the recognition of the Divine Friend, which is the most glorious and ancient of all things. He hath ordained for thee that which gladdeneth hearts and delighteth eyes.
Be patient, O My handmaiden, and render thanks unto thy Lord, the Helper, the All-Bountiful. The Glory be upon thee and upon thy two daughters. Convey My greetings unto them both and give them the glad-tidings of My gracious remembrance.
BH06361: O Hasan! Thy letter hath come before the Wronged…
In His Name through Whom the ocean of utterance surgeth!
O Hasan! Thy letter hath come before the Wronged One, and whatsoever was mentioned therein hath been honored to reach the ears of the Lord of Names. God willing, thou shalt at all times drink from the living waters and be illumined by the Sun of Knowledge. Thy cry and lamentation in separation from the Beloved of the horizons was heard. Be thou assured of thy Lord’s favor, for He recordeth for whomsoever He willeth the reward of one who, with His leave, hath turned to Him, traversed land and sea in His love, presented himself at the door, and hearkened to the call of the Lord of the Final Return.
Today, souls that are steadfast and assured must engage, with perfect wisdom, in teaching and promoting the Cause. Blessed are they who have attained to this most great bounty and acted in accordance with that which God hath willed. This is the Day whereof all have been given glad tidings, for it is associated with Truth and known as the Day of God. One must strive that in this transient station, everlasting stations may be acquired.
Glory be upon thee, upon those who have mentioned Me before thee, and upon those who have attained unto the Most Pure Wine when the Most Great Horizon appeared through this Name, the One that holdeth sway over all who are in the heavens and on earth.
BH06611: Your cry and lamentation were heard and the flame…
In the name of the Peerless Beloved!
Your cry and lamentation were heard and the flame of your love was observed. Wherever you were, the Friend was with you, and whatsoever befell you was recorded in the Book of the Lord of Names by the Supreme Pen. By My life! You were under the gaze of your Lord. Verily, He heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Seeing Witness.
Reflect upon the heedlessness of the people, who all utter the words “May God hasten His coming,” yet not a single soul hath understood what this allusion signifieth and whence it shall appear, though all were beseeching the Ancient Truth for His manifestation. Praise be to the Goal of the world that thou hast recognized that which the divines and mystics of the earth are veiled from. They have pronounced judgment against Him Whom they invoke night and day. Such is the condition of heedless souls.
Soon shall they find themselves in grief and remorse, while they shall behold thee radiant from the horizon of thy Lord’s tender mercy. This remembrance from this wondrous Pen sufficeth thee, from thy Lord, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.
BH06679: I swear by the Sun of the horizon…
In the name of the All-Knowing Speaker!
I swear by the Sun of the horizon of Revelation that this Day has had and has no equal. This is a Day wherein if any soul manifests a deed or word for the sake of God, its mention shall never be erased from the book of the world, but rather shall endure and remain recorded in the Book of Names throughout the eternity of God’s most glorious attributes.
Strive that you may not be deprived of the springtime of mystic insight and witnessing. Leave behind whatsoever you have heard and listened to in the past, and meditate upon that which is manifest today, that perchance you may drink and give others to drink of the choice wine of steadfastness, which is more precious than all the known and mentioned rivers.
O people of Baha! Through the outpourings of the divine ocean of utterance, quicken the dead and adorn the ignorant with the ornament of knowledge.
Glory be upon those who have remained faithful to God’s Covenant and His Pledge, and who have clung to the Tree when it appeared and was raised up in truth and proclaimed: Verily there is no God but Him, the Forgiving, the Generous.
BH06807: O My handmaiden! The glance of God’s loving-kindness hath…
In the name of the all-seeing Friend
O My handmaiden! The glance of God’s loving-kindness hath been directed toward thee from the prison, and with the tongue of grandeur He calleth and mentioneth thee, saying: Be thou thankful unto thy Lord for this great favor. How excellent is the state of one who hath turned unto God and acted according to that which hath been sent down in His Book!
The sweet fragrances of your love were inhaled and your good deeds are mentioned before the Throne. You must strive to be enabled to act according to that which hath been revealed in the Book. Today, goodly deeds and spiritual virtuous character are beloved in the presence of the Wronged One. God willing, may you attain unto them. He is the Rewarder, He is the Bestower, He is the Forgiver, He is the Compassionate.
How excellent is the state of the soul who hath clung unto Him and held fast to the hem of His mercy. She is mentioned and recorded among the leaves of the Divine Lote-Tree before the Throne. Be thou thankful unto thy Lord for this clear remembrance and this wondrous Tablet.
The glory be upon thee and upon every handmaiden who hath turned and attained, and woe unto the heedless ones.
BH06851: O ʿAli-i-Akbar! Thy petition hath reached the Most Holy…
He is God, exalted be His station, unto Him belong grandeur and majesty!
O ʿAli-i-Akbar! Thy petition hath reached the Most Holy Court, and the servant in attendance laid before Us that which thou didst mention. God willing, thou shalt drink of the sealed wine and receive thy portion from the heavenly Kawthar of divine utterance. We have heard thy call and have remembered thee with these sublime words: In this Day, they who attribute themselves to God must be seen as evanescent in themselves and abiding in God—that is, they must seek no desire save His desire and move according to His Will and Purpose. This is a station with which no other station can compare. This is the station of contentment, mention of which hath been made in the Books, Tablets and Scriptures of God, both of old and more recently. Blessed is he who hath attained thereunto and is of the thankful ones.
Give thanks unto God for having caused thy name to flow from His mighty and wondrous Pen, and for having the Countenance of thy Lord, the Goal of all desire, turned toward thee from this glorious and luminous station. God willing, through the bounty of the Goal of the worlds that which shall bring joy and gladness to those who have drawn nigh and are near will become manifest.
BH06858: In the Name of the peerless Lord! O Fath’u’llah!…
In the Name of the peerless Lord! O Fath’u’llah! Thy letter hath been honored to attain the presence of the Best-Beloved of all mankind, and this servant, present before His countenance, laid before Him whatsoever was recorded therein.
Today, whosoever hath attained unto the recognition of God is recorded in the Divine Book as one of the people of the Crimson Ark. Know thou the station of this most exalted rank. The peoples of the world, with lamentation and weeping, beseeched the Lord, glorified be His majesty, for attainment unto the presence of this blessed Day. Yet when the dawn of the Day of God rose above the horizon of the Will of the Lord of all names, all turned away save whom God willed.
Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having caused me to recognize Thee and bear witness unto Thee and taught me and given me to drink from the Kawthar of Thy knowledge. I beseech Thee by Thy Pen of grace to ordain for me the reward of those who have attained unto Thy presence. O my Lord! Thou art He around Whose name, the Gracious, circle all who are gracious, and around Whose name, the Merciful, circle all who are merciful. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of that which I have desired from the ocean of Thy bounty and the heaven of Thy favor. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH06710: In My name, Supreme over all Names
In My name, Supreme over all Names
This is a Book which the All-Merciful hath sent down for all who dwell in the realm of possibility. Verily it calleth out amidst the world through the Most Great Name and summoneth all unto His straight path.
Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear ye the All-Merciful and follow not those who have denied the proof of God and His evidence after they were revealed in truth from this swift Pen. Say: Repent ye and return unto God—He will absolve you of your misdeeds. He is verily the Forgiving, the Generous.
When thou hast attained unto this Tablet, render thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Merciful, the Compassionate.
I beseech Thee by the Name through which Thou didst subdue the world, to make me in all conditions standing firm in Thy service and speaking forth Thy remembrance and praise. O my Lord! Thou art He at Whose call the sincere ones were drawn […] and the Kawthar of Thy presence. I beseech Thee to ordain for me from the Supreme Pen that which Thou hast ordained for the chosen ones among Thy servants.
O my Lord! I know with the knowledge of certainty the evanescence of all things, therefore have mercy upon me, O my God, through Thy great mercy. Then aid me through Thy bounty. O Lord! Thou art the Generous One. Thou seest me clinging to the hem of Thy generosity and favor, therefore do that which befitteth Thy bounty. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Exalted, the Forgiving, the Generous.
BH06616: Blessed is he who is just in the Cause…
In the Name of Him Who seeth and heareth!
Blessed is he who is just in the Cause of God and uttereth the truth when the Desired One appeareth with sovereignty that hath subdued all who are in the heavens and on earth. And woe unto the heedless!
Look ye upon others as ye look upon yourselves. This is the way of God, were ye among them that know. This is the religion of God, were ye among them that hear.
O people! Cast aside your vain imaginings and take hold of that which ye behold illumined with the lights of certitude. Thus hath the sun of knowledge shone forth from the horizon of the utterance of your Lord, the All-Wise.
Say: O people! Fear God and oppose not Him through Whom God hath come upon the clouds and through Whom the Book hath spoken. Verily, there is no God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Hold fast, O My loved ones, unto God and His sovereignty, and walk not in the ways of the treacherous ones who consider themselves among the most exalted of people and who dispose of others’ properties without permission or any clear warrant. Thus have We made mention of thee that thou mayest remind the people in the days of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Praised.
The glory rest upon thee and upon whomsoever hath turned unto the One, the All-Knowing.
BH06646: We have lit the lamp and sent down…
He is the One speaking between earth and heaven!
We have lit the lamp and sent down the verses and made manifest the Cause and given voice to all things, yet most of the people remain heedless. They heard the call but denied it, disputing the verses when they were sent down from the presence of the Ancient Revealer. They are those who denied God’s proof and evidence throughout all ages, as attested by Him Who possesses knowledge of all things in a clear Book.
Thy letter hath come before Our presence and from it We perceived the fragrance of thy love. We have sent down this Tablet unto thee that thou mayest read it and be of the thankful ones. We counsel thee and those who have believed in that whereby the Cause of God is uplifted. Verily thy Lord is the All-Wise Counselor.
Say: O people of the earth! Leave behind what ye possess. By God, the Lord of the Kingdom hath come with a mighty Book. Beware lest vain imaginings prevent you from Him by Whom the horizon of utterance was illumined and the Nightingale warbled upon the branches. Verily there is none other God but Him, the Ancient Revealer.
Thus have We illumined the horizon of the Tablet with the Sun of utterance. When thou attainest unto it, praise God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH07246: A Book sent down by the Ancient King…
He is the Dawning Place from the horizon of the world
A Book sent down by the Ancient King for him who has turned to the Cause when every heedless doubter turned away from it.
The Wronged One approaches thee from the prison quarter and summons thee to the sovereign of all deeds, which is steadfastness in this Cause—that Cause which, when it appeared, caused the pillars to tremble and the mountains to pass away like clouds.
Rejoice in the Tablet of thy Lord, then give thanks to Him in the watches of the night and the ends of the day. Verily the most excellent of deeds, and the greatest of them, is recognition of Him Who is the Manifestation of the Hidden Mystery, and after this steadfastness, which the All-Merciful hath sent down in the Book.
Say: O God of kings and the Merciful One to the servants and the Ruler of the Kingdom! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the rains were caused to fall and the seas to surge and the trees to speak, that Thou assist me to be steadfast in this Cause which, when it was revealed, caused feet to slip.
Hold fast unto that which thou art commanded. By the life of God! The world shall pass away, but there shall endure for thee that which hath been sent down from God, the Revealer of verses.
BH07140: God testifies that there is no God but Him…
In the Name of the One Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise
God testifies that there is no God but Him, and that He Who has appeared is indeed the Most Great Ocean amidst the world. Blessed is he who hastens unto Him, and woe betide the heedless ones. This is the Day whereon the Tongue of Grandeur speaks amongst the nations, yet they turn away from Him. The Call has been raised from the prison of Akka, summoning all to God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Among the people are those who heard and denied the proof of God and His verses, and among them are those who drank the sealed wine and said: “Praise be to Thee, O Lord of the seen and unseen!” O people of Baha! By the life of God, this is your Day. Know ye your station and follow not every heedless and veiled one. The sun of My Most Glorious Name has dawned from the supreme horizon. Behold and be not of those who denied God when He appeared through His irrevocable Command. Thus has the Tongue spoken in the Kingdom of Utterance. Blessed is he who has heard and arisen to serve the Cause of his Lord, the Possessor of all existence.
BH06923: Today is the Day which all have heard mentioned…
In the name of the one omniscient God!
Today is the Day which all have heard mentioned, for it hath been extolled in all the divine Books and, like unto the true Sun, hath shone forth resplendent from the horizons of the divine Tablets. Nevertheless, all have risen in opposition and engaged in objection.
Strange it is that all wait expectantly, beseeching and imploring God not to deprive or withhold them from recognizing this wondrous and glorious Day. And yet now that the Day hath appeared manifest and the divine Voice proclaimeth at its loudest between earth and heaven, all are found heedless and slumbering. The intoxication of selfish desire hath held men back from the Lord of all being.
Blessed is the state of that soul whom the veils of the world and the coverings of the peoples have not prevented from beholding the splendors of the lights of the Most Great Name. By God’s life! He is assuredly among the triumphant and among the people of Baha inscribed in a perspicuous Tablet.
BH07274: In the Name of the One God! The affliction…
In the Name of the One God! The affliction of the world comes from the ignorant one who adorns himself with the ornament of knowledge and makes a show of it, for he forbids the helpless servants from that which benefits them and commands them to that which harms them. Of knowledge they have neither seen nor heard save a few limited words. They have taken fancy for certainty and the idol for the Eternal. They have erased the Covenant and Testament of God from their hearts. By vain imaginings do they appear, through vain imaginings do they speak, and unto vain imaginings do they return. May the exalted Truth preserve His servants from such souls and their like.
Hearken to the call of the Wronged One Who speaks purely for the sake of God and commands thee to firmness, steadfastness and constancy. Act according to that which thou hast been commanded in the Book and that which hath been revealed in this Clear Tablet.
The Glory be upon thee and upon every servant who hath drunk the wine of constancy in the name of his Lord, the Almighty.
BH07225: The Most Exalted Pen today commands all the chosen…
In the name of the one true God!
The Most Exalted Pen today commands all the chosen ones of God to that which befitteth them in this Day. How excellent is the state of the one who hath become detached and freed from all else save God and hath turned towards the Most Great Ocean. Today is the day of deeds and the day for the manifestation of human stations. All must, God willing, be witnessed as firm and steadfast in the Cause of the Lord of Names with the most great steadfastness, and act according to that which hath been revealed in the Book. One pure deed today is better than the deeds of countless years. Fear God, O people, and be not of those who cast the deeds behind their backs and cling to idle fancies and words. Deal with the servants with utmost love, fellowship, affection and unity, that perchance the sleeping ones may awaken and turn towards the Friend. Verily He hath come with the truth and made manifest the Path as a favor from His presence. Blessed is he who hath turned towards Him and woe betide the deniers. Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds.
BH07100: Glorified be He Who appeared and spoke forth…
In the Name of Him Who illumined the horizon of proof!
Glorified be He Who appeared and spoke forth in an age whose advent honored Paradise itself. Sovereignty belongeth unto God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful. When He was established upon the throne, He shed His radiance upon all things through all names. Blessed be God, the Originator of the heavens and the Creator of names, Who appeared with such authority that all in the kingdom of creation were thunderstruck, save those whom […] delivered, He Who holds dominion over all in the heavens and earth. O peoples of the earth! Hearken unto that which none hath heard before. By God! The One Who called out from the Mount now speaketh, and He Who spoke forth at the ascension recounteth unto you what befell Him at the hands of the wrongdoers. They seized Us until they cast Us into this Prison, which hath been named by all names in the Crimson Book and the Most Great Prison in My mighty Book. When thou receivest My letter and findest the fragrance of Mine utterance, turn thy face toward My direction and say: Unto Thee be praise, O Thou Goal of the worlds!
BH06970: Man is even as a mine rich in gems…
In the Name of the One Friend
Man is even as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Through education alone can these gems of spiritual virtues and praiseworthy deeds be brought forth from the mine and appear in the realm of visibility. Blessed is he who hath attained unto that which God hath willed, and hath adorned himself with such virtues and characteristics as promote the exaltation of the Cause of God.
That which hath been sent down from the heaven of divine Will hath had as its purpose the unity and concord of mankind after the recognition of God, yet the heedless people have made it a cause of discord and dissension. An interpreter is needed, and likewise one who will remind. Remind the people of that which We have mentioned unto thee in this perspicuous Tablet.
Thy letter hath come before the Wronged One, and the servant who was present read it. We have answered thee that thou mayest rejoice and be among the thankful ones. We have heard thy call and answered thee, and We have seen thy humility before God and have turned toward thee from My Most Great Prison. He will assist thee and make thee successful and ordain for thee what He hath willed. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Generous.
Rejoice thou in this Most Great Remembrance and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the worlds!
BH07881: This is the Day whereon human ears have been…
In the name of the Beloved of the worlds!
This is the Day whereon human ears have been privileged to hear what He Who conversed with God heard upon Sinai, what He Who is the Friend of God heard when lifted up towards Him, what He Who is the Spirit of God heard as He ascended unto Him, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
Blessed is the soul that hath apprehended the Days of God and remained steadfast in His Cause. All divine Books and Scriptures have testified to the greatness of this Cause, yet most souls remain heedless and unaware. Attachment to the world hath debarred the servants from the Lord of Names. Ere long they shall arise in lamentation and weeping, but shall find for themselves neither helper nor protector except if they repent and return unto God, the Mighty, the Kind.
Hearken thou unto the call of thy Lord. He maketh mention of thee from His Most Great Prison with that which diffuseth the fragrance of the loving-kindness of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Loving. Know thou the station of this Tablet, then preserve it in the name of thy Lord, the Possessor of existence.
BH07971: O Muhammad! We have heard thy mention and have…
He is the One Who standeth firm in the Cause
O Muhammad! We have heard thy mention and have made mention of thee. Be thou thankful unto thy Lord, the All-Remembering, the Most Generous. We have remembered everyone who hath turned towards God, and have counseled every one who hath turned away from His straight Path. We entered into prison and called all to the supreme horizon. Among the people are those who heard and turned towards it, and among them are those who turned away and were numbered with the idolaters. Fear ye God, O peoples of the earth! Reflect upon the Manifestation of God and His Cause, and follow not every ignorant remote one. He maketh mention of you through His grace and draweth you nigh unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Grieve thou not over anything. Rather, praise thy Lord for having attained unto this manifest Book which hath been sent down in the Most Great Prison by the command of One Who is the Powerful, the Ancient of Days. Glory be upon the people of glory who were not prevented by the doubts of the divines nor by the might of the powerful from this Cause, before which, when it appeared, every discerning prince hath bowed down.
BH07516: We sent forth ʿAli before Nabil [=Muhammad] to give…
He is the One manifest through His Most Great Name, the All-Glorious.
We sent forth ʿAli before Nabil [=Muhammad] to give glad tidings unto all of this Revelation which was promised in the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds. He came with the truth and gave glad tidings unto all as commanded by the One Who is the Powerful, the Ancient.
And he announced to all this Revelation at whose appearance the Hour was troubled and all who dwell on earth and in heaven were thunderstruck, save whom God willed, the Mighty, the All-Wise. He spoke forth this Name and proclaimed this momentous News.
Yet when the Promise was fulfilled and the Promised One appeared, He was denied by the peoples of the earth and behind them the people of the Bayan who violated the Covenant even as the followers of past religions had violated it before them. To this testeth He with Whom is a preserving Tablet. Thus was the matter decreed in the Book by God, the King of this luminous Day.
We counsel thee to show forth the Greater Steadfastness in this Cause, at which the limbs of every ignorant remote one have trembled.
BH07536: May you be confirmed to perform deeds that will…
In the Name of the One God
May you be confirmed to perform deeds that will cause the exaltation of God’s Cause.
For example, if today a soul becomes successful in trustworthiness and manifests praiseworthy qualities and virtues, this will surely become the cause of guidance for people. Even as in the past, a king along with a group of princes and ministers attained to the faith and were adorned with the recognition of God through the deed of one person who remained faithful to his covenant.
How beloved is the state of one who has arisen today to serve the Cause and whose mention has flowed from the Most Exalted Pen—verily he is among those who are nigh in the Perspicuous Book. Beseech God that He may assist all to achieve His good-pleasure. Verily He is the Hearer, the Answerer.
We make mention of My handmaiden Hajar and give her the glad-tidings of My tender mercy and loving-kindness which have preceded all created things. God willing, may she be illumined by the lights of recognition and hold fast to the unifying Word. Blessed is she and blessed are My handmaidens who have believed in the All-Informed, the One.
BH07976: O Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli! The Wronged One hath made mention…
He is the Most Ancient, the Most Great, the Most Glorious!
O Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli! The Wronged One hath made mention of thee before, and mentioneth thee in this Tablet which beareth witness to that whereunto God did witness before the creation of the heavens and earth, that there is none other God but I, the Mighty, the Bestower. Be thou fluent in the remembrance of thy Lord and steadfast in this Cause whereby the idols have lamented. Should a cawing one come unto thee, shun him and put thy trust in God, the Lord of Lords.
Hold fast unto the cord of the Cause in such wise that were all the books of the world to come unto thee and all peoples to oppose thee, thou wouldst arise with supreme steadfastness in the name of the Lord of all beings to uphold this Cause whereby the foundations were shaken. Give thanks unto God for this most great favor, then render such thanksgiving as beseemeth God, the Lord of all religions. We, from this station, send Our glorification upon thee and upon My loved ones in that land, and We give them the glad-tidings of My grace, My loving-kindness and My mercy that have preceded all creation.
BH07591: Ha. Sin. The servant in attendance brought your letter…
He is the One with power over what was and what will be
Ha. Sin. The servant in attendance brought your letter and read it before the Countenance. Verily your Lord is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. We perceived from it the fragrance of your love for the Beloved of the world and your turning to God, the Single One, the All-Informed. Indeed it tells of your sincerity, humility and submissiveness before God, the King, the Mighty, the Beautiful.
Blessed is your tongue for having uttered the remembrance of the Wronged One, from Whom every sinful doubter has turned away. Rejoice that the Most Exalted Pen has moved to make mention of you—this is naught but a mighty favor. He has ordained for you what you desired from the wonders of His bounty. Verily your Lord is the Compassionate, the Generous. Arise to serve the Cause, then speak with wisdom and utterance that perchance the people may find for themselves a path to God, the Lord of the worlds. The Glory be upon you and upon those who have attained unto the verses of their Lord, the Speaker, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH07823: This is a Book sent down in truth. Verily…
He is the One Who calls between earth and heaven!
This is a Book sent down in truth. Verily it beareth witness to that which was sent down aforetime by God unto the Prophets and Messengers. The Books have attained the honor of God’s testimony in this Revelation which was promised by God, the Lord of the worlds.
Thy letter hath arrived and been read by this Servant in the presence of the Countenance. We found from it the fragrance of turning unto God. We have sent down for thee this perspicuous Tablet. Read thou the Book of thy Lord. Verily it will draw thee to a station wherein thou shalt behold naught save the lights of His Face. To this testifieth every truthful and perceiving one.
Speak forth in the remembrance of thy Lord and steadfast in this Cause, which when it appeared caused the feet of those who turned away from the Countenance to slip, while they turned unto every rejected idolator. Thus have We sent down the verses unto thee that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the All-Bountiful.
Glory be upon thee and upon those whom the intimations of the idolators have not held back from this momentous News.
BH07528: God grant that thou mayest become illumined…
In the name of the Lord of Utterance, the All-Wise!
God grant that thou mayest become illumined with the lights of the Daystar of this Revelation, which are shining above the horizon of the will of God, exalted be His glory. Thy name was mentioned in the presence of this Wronged One. Every soul, in this new Day, hath been adorned with the ornament of recognition, is remembered by the Concourse on high before God, and is recorded in the Mother Book. Happy is the man who hath not allowed the doubts and suggestions of those who have gone astray to deter him from the Revealer of Verses, who with perfect steadfastness hath quaffed the choice sealed Wine proffered by the hand of the Self-Subsisting, and who is occupied with the praise and glorification of the Lord of all names.
Give praise to the Beloved of the world, for thou hast attained unto this supreme grace, and thy name hath issued forth and appeared from the Tongue of God. Know thou the value of this most resplendent and exalted station, and through the name of the True One preserve it. Today is the day of steadfastness, for the croaking of the ravens is upraised. Hold fast to the hem of the manifold favors of thy Lord, and rely in Him at all times.
BH07560: O Hushang! Hearken unto the melody of the Friend…
He is the One, the All-Hearing
O Hushang! Hearken unto the melody of the Friend, for until the outward ear is purified and sanctified from the hints and doubts of the people of the earth, it will not discover the sweetness of the divine melody. I swear by the Lord of the worlds Who proclaimeth from the Most Great Prison that were all the people of the age to comprehend the utterance of the peerless Friend, all would now be seen circling round the will of the Dayspring of the light of oneness. Heedlessness and ignorance have held men back from the ocean of divine knowledge and left them wandering in the wilderness of error and misguidance. Strive that thou mayest not be deprived and excluded from the outpourings of the Most Bountiful One. This is the counsel of the Wronged One of the horizons unto thee and all the friends. Your letters from before and after arrived. Blessed be your faces for having turned, and your tongues for having spoken, and your hearts for having been adorned with the ornament of the love of your Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.
BH07464: Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto…
He is the Expositor, the All-Knowing!
Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto that which was recorded and inscribed in His Books and His Scriptures, and that is the recognition of the Hidden Mystery Who hath illumined the world with the lights of His Revelation.
O ʿAli! We have heard thy call and witnessed thy turning unto Us, and from the direction of the Most Great Prison have We turned toward thee. Reflect upon thy Lord’s favor and be of them that prostrate themselves.
All have been created for Him and have been adorned with the ornament of existence for His service. Yet so resplendent hath shone the Sun of His grace that He maketh mention of His loved ones by night and by day, and remindeth them of that which leadeth to their elevation and advancement. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Generous.
Blessed art thou for having been aided to recognize Him and for having been enabled to make mention of Him. Know thou the worth of this most exalted station and say:
Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds!
BH07786: He is the One Who speaks in the Kingdom!…
He is the One Who speaks in the Kingdom! Say: Glory be to Thee, O Thou through Whom every lover hastens to the precincts of the Beloved and every seeker speeds to the seat of the Sought-After!
I beseech Thee by the Name through which the near ones were drawn and advanced toward the arrows of the enemies in Their love for Thee and Their good pleasure, to assist me in that which Thou lovest and approvest.
O my Lord! Thou art the One through Whom the oceans of knowledge surged and the fragrances of Thy Name, the All-Merciful, were wafted. I beseech Thee by the First Word and by Thy Most Exalted Self to grant me the Kawthar of steadfastness from the hands of Thy bounty and to ordain for me, by the Pen of Destiny, the reward of those who have attained unto Thy presence.
O my Lord! Thou art the Generous and I am the suppliant at Thy gate. Ordain for me that which will profit me in all Thy worlds and preserve me from the allusions of those who have denied Thee and Thy signs. Verily Thou art He from Whose knowledge nothing escapes and Whom nothing frustrates. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou desirest. Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the All-Praised.
BH07750: The Tongue of Grandeur hath testified that there…
In the Name of the Most Exalted!
The Tongue of Grandeur hath testified that there is none other God but Him, and He Who is established upon the Throne is indeed the Lord of the beginning and the end. Through Him hath been manifested the sovereignty of God and His power, and the greatness of God and His majesty.
Blessed is he who, athirst, hath hastened to His Most Great Ocean; and the stranger who hath speedily advanced toward His Most Sublime Vision; and the ignorant one who hath drawn nigh unto the Dawning-Place of knowledge in the most exalted station. He is the One Who guideth all who are in creation to the Kawthar of eternity and acquainteth them with the straight path.
Verily, they who have turned away from God and denied His sovereignty are accounted among the most abject of creatures in the Scriptures and Tablets, while they who have quaffed the choice wine of inner meanings are among the most exalted of servants in the Book. Thus have We illumined the horizon of utterance with the light of the recognition of your Lord, the All-Merciful.
O My loved ones! When ye have gained the blessing of hearing My call and have beheld the horizon of the heaven of My utterance, arise and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of Names, and thanksgiving be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp is the reins of all mankind.
BH07711: God beareth witness that He speaketh the truth…
He is the Most Great, the Most Ancient, the Most Generous!
God beareth witness that He speaketh the truth in this station which hath been named with the most beautiful names in the Crimson Book: “There is no God but Me, the Mighty, the Bestower!” The verses have testified to Him Who is the Manifestation of clear proofs, yet the people remain in wondrous intoxication. They hear the call of God and deny it—verily they are among those who wander distracted.
The proof hath been perfected and the evidence hath appeared, and He calleth from the midmost heart of contingent being: “The horizon of Revelation hath been illumined!”—yet most of the people remain heedless.
We make mention of him whom We found steadfast in the Cause and We give him glad tidings of that which hath been ordained for him in the Kingdom of God, the Mighty, the Wise. Let nothing grieve thee on this Day when the Most Great Joy walketh abroad and proclaimeth: “I am the All-Distinguishing, the All-Knowing!”
The very stones have spoken in remembrance of the Chosen One, while the trees are in grievous lamentation. Thus hath the Cock crowed and the Nightingale warbled, when the Speaker of Sinai spoke forth in this noble station.
BH07458: In the Name of the one true God! Praise…
In the Name of the one true God! Praise be to God that thou hast been illumined by the dawning rays of the Sun of Truth through His most great bounty, and hast been aided to recognize God. Preserve this mighty blessing in the Name of Truth, that it may be protected from the sight and grasp of the treacherous ones.
This is the Day which all those who are nigh unto God and sincere have yearned to attain, and thou hast attained it and recognized that which hath been manifested therein. Now thou must beseech God to aid thee to remain steadfast with supreme steadfastness. This is the mighty command that hath been revealed in the divine Books of the past and in what hath been sent down from the Supreme Pen.
Be thankful unto thy Lord for having been mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One, Who hath revealed unto thee this wondrous Tablet. Take hold of it with the power of God, and praise Him at all times. Glory be upon thee and upon those who have spoken the truth in this glorious and exalted Day.
BH07719: Thy petition hath attained unto the hearing…
In the Name of the One God.
Thy petition hath attained unto the hearing of the Lord of Names. How excellent is the tongue that hath spoken in praise of the Peerless Friend, and the eye that hath turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon.
Today all who dwell on earth are beheld on a single plane. He who hath attained to the blessed word “yea” is reckoned among the denizens of the most exalted Paradise, while they who tarry, turn aside, deny, and join partners with God are numbered among the people of the fire.
O friends! Strive ye to attain unto that which will cause the exaltation of God’s Cause. In this perishable dust-heap acquire ye an everlasting station. This is the counsel of the Peerless Friend.
Praise thou the people of Baha for the Beloved of the worlds, in that He aided thee in a matter from which most of the people of the earth are debarred and excluded. Give thanks unto God that thy letter hath come into the presence of the Throne, and this Perspicuous Tablet hath been revealed unto thee.
Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH07880: This is the Day whereon the rivers have flowed…
In the Name of Him Who holdeth dominion over all who are in the heavens and on earth!
This is the Day whereon the rivers have flowed, the trees have swayed, and the fruits have spoken forth that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken:
“There is none other God but Me, the Single One, the All-Speaking, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
Bear thou witness unto that whereunto God hath testified, and be not of the heedless.
This is the Day whereon the Call hath been raised from the luminous Spot, and that which was hidden in the knowledge of God, the Lord of all worlds, hath been made manifest. Blessed is the strong one who hath cast behind him vain imaginings, turning unto the Most Sublime Horizon, this hallowed, glorious and wondrous Station.
Say: This is the Day whereon the rustling of My Most Exalted Pen hath been heard and the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken forth, as He sat upon the throne of eternity: “There is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.”
When thou hast attained unto the Tablet of God and its traces, arise from thy place, turning toward the Prison, and say:
“Thine be the glory, O Wronged One of the world, and Thine be the praise, O Beloved of them that have recognized Thee!”
BH08194: He shineth forth from the horizon of the heaven…
He shineth forth from the horizon of the heaven of utterance!
This is a mention from Us to one who has turned toward the Kingdom when most of the servants turned away from it. Thus does God reward those who turn to Him, as a grace from His presence, and He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
Bear thou witness to that which God did testify before the creation of the heavens and earth, and glorify the praise of thy Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. He hath testified to His Own Self by His Own Self that there is none other God but Him, and He Who proclaimeth is indeed the Hidden Mystery and the Treasured Secret, and He is the One Who was mentioned in the Books of God, the Lord of Lords.
We counsel thee to manifest great steadfastness and that whereby the Cause of God, the Lord of creation, may be exalted. Hold fast to the cord of thy Lord’s loving-kindness and place thy trust in Him under all conditions. Verily He witnesseth and seeth and heareth the call of those who have turned unto Him with humility and contrition.
BH08571: O ʿAli qabl-i-Muhammad! The clamor of the opposers hath…
In the name of the Best-Beloved of the worlds!
O ʿAli qabl-i-Muhammad! The clamor of the opposers hath been raised, and the machinations of the plotters have become manifest, and the fire of the mischief-makers hath become evident and apparent from beneath the ashes.
God willing, thou wilt fix thy gaze upon the truth and remain steadfast in the divine Cause in such wise that the utterances of the wicked and the words of the evil ones will not debar thee from the Most Exalted Word and the Supreme Horizon.
Hearken unto the call of the Perspicuous Book, and beseech God, exalted be His glory, at all times, that He may preserve thee and thy friends from the book of the froward. Verily He is the Almighty, the Powerful.
Praise be to God that thou didst turn toward the prison and didst attain unto that which was recorded and inscribed in the divine Books of the past and of the future. Blessed art thou for having advanced and received the choice wine of reunion from the hand of thy Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted, and for having drunk in remembrance of Him, the All-Wise.
BH08092: May thou drink of the sealed wine which hath…
In the name of the All-Knowing, the One
May thou drink of the sealed wine which hath been unsealed by the Finger of the Self-Subsisting, and receive thy portion. For this wine diverse interpretations have been recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Book: in one place it is interpreted as the Most Great Word, in another as the Most Great Steadfastness, and likewise as the Most Exalted Pen, and as He Who speaketh between earth and heaven, and likewise as that which floweth and streameth forth from the Pen of the Lord of antiquity. In truth, whosoever drinketh thereof and attaineth unto it, the entire world shall be powerless to prevent him: he shall speak forth the truth, turn unto the truth, and arise to serve the Cause for the sake of truth. May thou drink of this wine in such wise that the braying of the wayward souls shall not hold thee back from the Lord of Oneness. Verily thy Lord is the Counselor, the Compassionate, the All-Knowing.
BH08103: People of the Bayan, in their own estimation, broke…
In the Name of Him Who speaketh, the All-Seeing
People of the Bayan, in their own estimation, broke the chains of imitation and turned with perfect freedom to the horizon of divine unity. But when God’s touchstone appeared and the Word of God was made manifest, they were found to be more veiled than all other peoples. They occupied themselves with worthless and unprofitable words in opposition to God, and are seen to be debarred and deprived from the Mother Book. Fie upon them and upon those who led them astray! God willing, thou wilt be numbered among those whom the braying of the heedless, the clamor of the deniers, and the croaking of the ungodly did not prevent from the Manifest Truth nor hold back from the Straight Path.
Say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of the seen and unseen, for having aided me to recognize the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation and the Dayspring of Thy signs! I testify that Thou art the All-Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.
BH08119: O friends! Today is the Day which was promised…
In the name of the Manifest, the Hidden
O friends! Today is the Day which was promised to all the peoples of the earth from different parties, even as this matter hath been recorded and mentioned in the divine Books, Scriptures and Psalms. Yet after its appearance the heedless people are seen to be deprived, as though they had never heard mention of the Day of God. Woe unto them, then woe unto them!
Being hath come into existence from the realm of nothingness for the purpose of recognition. Were it not for this purpose, this mighty edifice would not have been raised up and these things would not have been witnessed. Blessed is the soul whom the oppression of the oppressors hath not prevented from the Temple of Justice. The world shall pass away and its people shall pass away, but God—exalted be His glory—and that which is with Him shall endure. Hold fast to His Name and cling to the hem of steadfastness in this Most Great, Most Mighty Cause.
BH08340: We have heard your call and have answered you…
He is the One manifest and dominant over all names.
We have heard your call and have answered you, for We are the Answerer. We have seen your turning to Us and have turned to you, for We are the All-Seeing.
God willing, may you be blessed by divine grace and act according to what has descended from the heaven of God’s will in His Book. Verily He makes mention of you and of him who spoke on your behalf. Be thankful and be among those who are firm.
Strive that you may act as befits the days of God. He makes mention of you and those who have believed, and makes mention of him who was named Nasru’llah. Verily your Lord is the All-Mentioning, the All-Informed.
God willing, may all attain to what is recorded and inscribed in God’s Book. Be not grieved at anything, but put your trust in God, the Lord of all worlds.
We make mention of your handmaiden whom you mentioned in your letter, and give her the glad tidings of My remembrance, My grace and My mercy which have preceded all worlds.
BH08198: A mention from Us to him whose letter appeared…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great
A mention from Us to him whose letter appeared before the face of his Lord, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. We make mention of him through this Tablet that he may give thanks to his Lord, the All-Forgiving. Rejoice in the Book of God and His mention, for the treasures of the world cannot compare with it. Verily thy Lord is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. Hold fast to the cord of loving-kindness and say: O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy mercy and Thy grace and the tenderness that hath preceded existence to make me in all conditions one who uttereth Thy mention, who gazeth toward Thy horizon, who moveth by Thy will, and who standeth firm in Thy service. Thou art He Who doeth what He pleaseth through His sovereignty and ordaineth what He willeth through His command. Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent. At the end of this Tablet We make mention of Our servant Al-Baqi and give him the glad-tidings of God’s mercy and His grace, and We make mention of him through this wise remembrance. The glory be upon thee and upon him and upon those who have attained to the mention of this praiseworthy station.
BH08579: O Ghulam! The book was present and the servant…
He is the Most Great, the Most Ancient, the Most Holy, the Most Glorious
O Ghulam! The book was present and the servant was present before the Countenance. He made mention of thee. Blessed art thou, for thy book was purified from doubts and sanctified from allusions. We heard thy sighing and lamentation in the love of God, and We have made mention of thee in this Most Impregnable, Most Holy Tablet. Blessed is the eye that hath beheld the Most Great Sign, and the ear that hath heard My Most Sweet Call, and the tongue that hath spoken My praise amidst the concourse of creation. God willing, thou shalt speak forth the mention of the Truth with the greatest steadfastness and with the utmost joy and fragrance, and arise to serve Him in such wise that the chains of the ungodly and the clamor of the deniers shall not deter thee from the Straight Path. Know thou the station of this Most Great Remembrance and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art wronged throughout all lands, and glory be unto Thee, O Beloved of them that have recognized Thee!
BH08548: O Khusru! Give ear to the voice of God…
In the name of God, the One!
O Khusru! Give ear to the voice of God issuing from all directions.
Praise be to God! The dark and gloomy winter hath passed and the springtide of divine mercy hath adorned the world in a new raiment. Strive to obtain a share and portion from the rose garden of inner meanings.
I swear by the Ancient Beauty! There hath never been another day like unto this preeminent Day, notwithstanding that the smoke of the envy of Our foes hath encompassed the Friend. But if a sanctified eye would turn away from the ashes of vain imaginings, it would behold the Daystar of this Revelation shining resplendently above the highest peaks of the mountain of true understanding.
Well is it with him who hath attained unto this sublime and exalted station and become illuminated with the lights of this Revelation. Blessed is he who hath quaffed from the living waters of utterance proffered by the hand of the bounty of his Lord, the All-Merciful, and woe betide those who have turned away.
Praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds.
BH08122: O friends! Hearken unto the Divine Call…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious!
O friends! Hearken unto the Divine Call in the Persian tongue, that perchance ye may become aware of the Will of God and drink from the ocean of knowledge and vision.
The seeing mystic perceiveth from a single blessed and decisive Word that appeareth from the Dayspring of the Divine Will all that is befitting this Day. Gaze with penetrating vision and hearken with attentive ear.
Verily He seeth not through any eye save His own, nor can He be known except through Himself. I swear by the Sun of the ocean of Divine Unity that whosoever is enabled to hearken unto this Word is recorded and inscribed as one of the denizens of the Most Exalted Paradise in the Crimson Book.
Take thou the Most Great Word and leave all else beside it. Thus doth He command thee from Whose presence is the Preserved Book and the Guarding Tablet.
BH08311: My first counsel is this: cast aside…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Glorious!
My first counsel is this: cast aside that which is with men and take what hath come from God, the Lord of all worlds. By God! This is the Day whereon the Mother Book speaketh and the Balance proclaimeth among all possibilities: O peoples of all religions! The Promised One hath come and through Him the horizon of the world is illumined. Turn ye unto Him and be not of the heedless ones.
This is the Day wherein that which lay hidden in God’s knowledge hath been revealed. Rejoice ye, then draw nigh unto Him with radiant faces. He, verily, is the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing. Blessed is the servant who hath turned to the Countenance, and woe betide them who have turned away from God, the Mighty, the Wise. Thus have We sent down the verses and dispatched them unto thee as a grace from Our presence, that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord, the Bestower, the Generous. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, the Lord of Names, rest upon those who have shattered the idols of vain imaginings and turned to the horizon of certitude.
BH08231: Glorified be He Who hath appeared and made manifest…
In His Name, through Whom surged the ocean of divine knowledge!
Glorified be He Who hath appeared and made manifest His straight Path, Who hath spoken and caused all things to speak that there is none other God but Him, the Single One, the All-Informed. O people of the earth! Hearken unto the call of the Lord of Heaven, for verily it will draw you nigh unto the supreme horizon, that station wherein the Divine Lote Tree proclaimeth: The kingdom belongeth unto God, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Blessed is the servant who hath taken the choice sealed Wine through My Self-Subsisting Name and hath drunk through this wise Remembrance. And woe unto them whom veils have withheld from the Lord of Lords—they are assuredly among the perishing ones. Blessed is the heart that hath turned, and the tongue that hath spoken, and the eye that hath beheld this luminous horizon. Even thus have We adorned the horizon of the heaven of the Book with the sun of knowledge and wisdom. Blessed is the servant who hath read and said:
“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Beloved of the worlds, and glory be unto Thee, O Thou the Desire of them that have recognized Thee!”
BH08383: The Supreme Pen, in the name of the Lord…
In the name of the Ruler of the Kingdom
The Supreme Pen, in the name of the Lord of the Kingdom, makes mention of one of the handmaidens, that she may voice the praise of the Ancient Lord with supreme joy and greatest delight. Most of the queens of the world who were engaged in the remembrance of God during the nights and days, and were awaiting the days of the Manifestation—when the dawn of the Day of God broke forth, all were observed to be veiled and deprived, while thou didst attain thereunto.
I swear by the Sun of utterance which shineth from the horizon of the prison, should a soul sacrifice his life a hundred thousand times in the path of the Friend, verily it would be seen as non-existent and as naught compared to this most great bounty. Rejoice thou in this bounty. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Generous.
BH09165: O Mihdi! Praise be to God that thou hast…
He is the Summoner between earth and heaven
O Mihdi! Praise be to God that thou hast drunk from the cup of recognition and received thy portion from the rain-showers of the mercy of the All-Merciful, for thou hast attained unto His recognition, which is the ultimate purpose of creation. This in days when the divines, mystics and all souls are seen to be opponents and deniers, save a small few whom the hand of grace hath delivered and guided to the straight path. If thou wert to render thanks until the kingdom of earth and heaven endure, it would be as utter nothingness compared to this supreme bounty and most great gift.
Thus have We informed thee and acquainted thee with this most brilliant station, that thou mayest be assured of the grace of thy Lord, the Beneficent, the Generous. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
BH08902: The Euphrates of mercy is flowing, the gate…
In the Name of the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing!
The Euphrates of mercy is flowing, the gate of grace is opened, and the pavilion of bounty is raised up. Yet most people are deprived and forbidden from it. How many servants are seen to be bereft of all divine outpourings in the Days of God, and how many handmaidens have turned to the highest horizon and drunk from the waters of everlasting life.
Blessed art thou, O My handmaiden, in that thou hast heard My call, turned to My horizon, and responded to that which My tongue hath uttered from My station. Give thanks unto thy Lord, for He hath ordained for thee that which none knoweth save His all-encompassing, all-pervading knowledge.
From this station We send Our blessings upon thee and upon every handmaiden who hath turned to God and believed in God, the Single One, the All-Informed.
BH08886: The glance of loving-kindness hath been directed towards thee…
He is, verily, He! There is no God but Him!
The glance of loving-kindness hath been directed towards thee from the Most Great Prison, and mentioneth thee, that perchance the attraction of divine verses may so seize thee that neither the happenings of the world nor the clamor of the nations may hold thee back from the Ancient King. Should you praise the Truth with all the tongues of the peoples of the world, it would not equal a single letter of this most mighty, most holy Tablet.
Blessed art thou and thy father! Ye have attained to that which most of mankind hath failed to attain. The splendor shining from the horizon of eternity be upon thee and upon thy father and upon those who are with you, and upon those who have been intoxicated with the wine of My recognition and have been steadfast in this mighty Cause.
BH08791: A mention from Us to him who desires…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Ancient, the Most Great
A mention from Us to him who desires to drink from the Kawthar of utterance from the hands of his Lord’s bounty, the Mighty, the Generous, that the pure wine may attract him to a station wherein the intimations of the people shall not withhold him from the Self-Subsisting Name, nor shall conjectures debar him from that which hath shone forth from the horizon of certitude. O Rida! The Lord of Names calleth thee from His Most Great Prison and commandeth thee that which hath been sent down in the Book, a command from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We have heard thy mention and have mentioned thee, and We have seen thy turning and have turned unto thee, and We have sent down for thee that which hath brought joy to the eyes of them that are nigh. Be thou steadfast in the service of the Cause. By the life of God! It shall profit thee in every world among the worlds of thy Lord, the Speaker, the All-Seeing. And the glory be upon thee and upon those on whose faces thou findest the radiance of Baha when every ignorant one far removed hath turned away from it.
BH08794: A remembrance from Us unto him who hath believed…
In the Name of the Most Glorious, the Most Splendid
A remembrance from Us unto him who hath believed in God, the Single, the All-Informed, that it may at one time draw him unto My heaven of might, at another unto My kingdom, and yet another unto My luminous horizon. Verily, he who hath turned unto the Face is among the most glorious of creatures before the Truth, whereunto every fair-minded and discerning one doth testify. Hearken unto the Call from the precincts of the Crimson Spot, from the right hand of the sacred and radiant Land:
“Verily, there is none other God but I, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing.”
Every hearing ear hath testified to this Light, and every seeing eye to this mighty Cause. Verily, he who hath turned away from God is among the worshippers of desire, as doth the Lord of all creation testify in His perspicuous Book. Whoso hath attained unto the Book of God and His Cause is assuredly among those drawn nigh. It behooveth him to beseech God at all times to make him steadfast in this momentous Cause.
BH08971: The Supreme Pen testifies, in the name…
In the Name of Him Who speaketh, the Ever-Abiding
The Supreme Pen testifies, in the name of the Everlasting Speaker, to thy faith and thy turning and devotion and humility and submissiveness for the sake of God, the Lord of the worlds. Praise be to God that thou didst migrate and didst drink the Kawthar of reunion from the hand of bounty of the Beloved Who knoweth no decline. Say: O friends! Strive that the jewels of human beings may become manifest and evident through the burnishing of divine grace. Man is like unto a tree—its fruits are praiseworthy spiritual qualities and attributes. God willing, through divine grace may the trees of being be adorned with these fruits. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty.
Thy letter was received before Us and We heard thy mention and have remembered thee in this Most Exalted Tablet. Rejoice, then give thanks to thy Lord, the Forgiving, the Bountiful.
BH08660: Today is a day when the clamor…
In the Name of the Peerless Lord
Today is a day when the clamor of the objectors has been raised and inflammatory papers are being circulated. Blessed are those souls whom the doubts of the antagonists have not prevented from the Kingdom of utterance, and who with complete steadfastness stand firm in service and speak His praise. Know thou the value of these days. By the life of God! The sun hath never risen upon their like. Strive thou to attain to that which will cause its mention to endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. Verily We have mentioned thee before and in this Clear Tablet. By the life of God! All the treasures of earth cannot equal one word thereof. Thus hath spoken the Tongue of the Wronged One when He was imprisoned through that which the hands of the oppressors had wrought. Glory be upon thee and upon whosoever hath turned with his heart unto the countenance of God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.
BH08658: Today is a day when the horizon…
He is sanctified above mention and description.
Today is a day when the horizon of the world is illumined and bright with the lights of the Sun of Manifestation. Yet the birds of night remain heedless of it, nay, turn away from it, for they were not and are not worthy to behold it or capable of facing it. They are of the essence of darkness, returning to it and intimately associated with it. There has been and will be no remedy for divine wrath. By their own deeds they have become deserving of discord and opposition and darkness and ignorance. Otherwise, the Truth created all through one Word and called all through one Call. Verily He is the Just, the Wise. God willing, may you be confirmed and remain firm and steadfast in the Cause of the Beloved of the worlds. This has been and will ever be among the greatest of deeds. Blessed are the steadfast ones, and woe unto the wavering ones.
BH08659: This is the Day whose mention hath flowed…
In the Name of the All-Powerful One!
This is the Day whose mention hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen in the Books of old. None save God, exalted be His glory, is aware of the greatness of this wondrous Day.
Whosoever desireth to attain unto the recognition of the Lord of this Day must needs detach himself from all that he hath seen and heard, and must, with an eye sanctified from the film of vain imaginings, observe within the very Essence of Truth, and ponder upon His signs. Then will he find himself upon the straight path.
Blessed is he who, for the sake of God, acteth in accordance with that which hath been mentioned. He is assuredly among those who have attained in the perspicuous Book.
The glory rest upon thee and upon those who have acted according to that which the Lord of all mankind hath taught them in His mighty Prison.
BH09147: O My Pen! I bear witness that thou hast…
He is the Manifest, the Hidden One
O My Pen! I bear witness that thou hast not fallen short in that which was commanded thee from before God, the Lord of all worlds. Thy shrill voice was raised up on a day wherein every learned one turned away, every mystic objected, every oppressor denied, and the tongue of Grandeur proclaimed: The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the All-Praised. We have heard thy call and witnessed thy turning toward Us. We make mention of thee through this Luminous Book whereby the fragrance of divine knowledge hath been wafted throughout all contingent being. Blessed be the All-Merciful, the Manifestor of this mighty favor. This is a station round which circle the Concourse on High and which the near-stationed angels visit. Verily, if thou hearest the scratching of My Pen and findest the fragrance of My robe, turn thy face toward My Prison and say: I testify that through Thee the horizon of the world was illumined, the river of wisdom flowed, and the gate of heaven was opened by the key of Thy Name, the All-Powerful.
BH09225: Rejoice thou in that We have remembered thee…
He is the One Who calls out in the world through His Most Great Name!
Rejoice thou in that We have remembered thee and aided thee to turn towards this Cause, from which most of the servants have turned away. We have borne for God’s sake that which has caused the sighs of them that are endued with insight to ascend. How many nights have the hosts of tyranny encompassed Us, and how many days have the hearts of the righteous been troubled by that which hath befallen Us.
O thou who hast turned towards Us, hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. He calleth thee and summoneth thee unto the Mighty, the Bestower. Beware lest the affairs of men hold thee back from the Truth which hath come unto thee with the standards of verses. Blessed is he who hath sought the Sought One and blessed is he who hath attained to the knowledge of God, the Lord of all men. Woe unto him who hath denied God and turned away from Him when He came with the hosts of inspiration.
BH09572: Your letter arrived and your call was heard. Your…
In the name of God, the One
Your letter arrived and your call was heard. Your petition was accepted at the Divine Throne, for you sought steadfastness from the Exalted Truth. I swear by the Sun of Truth that this station is lofty and this Cause is great. The Exalted Herald (the Bab) says to one of the Letters of the Living that you comprehend Him, but verily the Cause is mighty, mighty. God willing, may you be occupied at all times with the remembrance of the Lord of all beings, and be steadfast on His path, arise in His service, and speak His praise. Verily your Lord is the Hearing, the Responding. The Glory be upon you and upon My servants who have turned to the Most Exalted Horizon, and upon My handmaidens who have heard and answered the call of God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH09661: O Abbas! Your mention hath been made before…
He is the Truth, the Knower of the Unseen
O Abbas! Your mention hath been made before the Wronged One, and this Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet hath been revealed in the Persian tongue that thou mayest drink from the Euphrates of the All-Merciful’s mercy and occupy thyself with the praise and glorification of the Beloved of all creation. This is a day wherein the call of the All-Merciful is raised from one direction, and likewise the cawing of Satan from another. Blessed is the state of the one whom the cawing of the cawers and the doubt of the doubters hath not prevented from the breezes of the Day of Judgment. Through the power of the Most Great Name, take hold of the Book of God, cling fast unto it, and act according to that which hath been sent down therein from the heaven of God’s Will. Thus doth the Wronged One command thee from the precincts of His mighty prison.
BH09294: O Most Exalted Pen! The Lord of Names declares…
He is the Most Ancient, the Most Great!
O Most Exalted Pen! The Lord of Names declares: Thou wert created for the purpose of proclamation. This is the Day whereon thou must give glad tidings of the appearance of the Lord of all creation to all the friends and guide them to the straight path of God. Act in accordance with that which thou art commanded. Verily, He is with thee and will aid thee through His grace. He is the Mighty, the Powerful. Give mention from the True One to Ali-Akbar and give him glad tidings of the Most Great Horizon, that he may engage in thanksgiving to God with both his outer and inner tongue. O Ali-Qabli-Akbar! We have heard thy call and have made mention of thee in this wondrous Tablet. Render praise unto the Beloved of the world and the Ancient Lord. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Bountiful.
BH09656: O Shukru’llah! Thy letter reached the Most Great Prison…
In the name of the Desired One
O Shukru’llah! Thy letter reached the Most Great Prison and was read before the Wronged One. Praise be to God that, through God’s infinite loving-kindness, thou hast quaffed from the cup of mystic knowledge the living waters in the name of the Beloved of all creation. All who dwell on earth were created to attain unto this station, and yet most of them are seen to be heedless, turned away, and veiled.
Blessed art thou, for thou hast heard the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree and hast turned toward the most exalted horizon. Glory in this, then render thanks unto God, the Lord of all worlds. Know thou the value of this station and preserve it as thy very life in the name of the Beloved of all creation.
BH09522: Say: My God, my God! Thou seest Thy handmaiden…
He is the Speaker in the Kingdom of Utterance!
Say: My God, my God! Thou seest Thy handmaiden who hath believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and who hath turned to the ocean of Thy bounty and the horizon of Thy mercy and the heaven of Thy generosity. I beseech Thee by the Primal Word and the Most Exalted Leaf to ordain for this handmaiden of Thine that which beseemeth Thy bounty and Thy favors and Thy care and Thy gifts.
O Lord! The hearts of Thy handmaidens are set ablaze in Thy days. I beseech Thee to honor them with Thy presence or to ordain for them the reward of attaining unto Thee.
Verily Thou art He Whom nothing can frustrate and no command can prevent. Thou doest as Thou pleasest and willest, and Thou art God, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Praised.
BH09393: Glorified art Thou, O God of Names and Creator…
He is the One melodiously warbling upon the branches in His Name, the All-Merciful!
Glorified art Thou, O God of Names and Creator of heaven! I beseech Thee by the Name through which Thou hast subdued all things, and by the pearls of Thy knowledge in the Kingdom of creation, and by the stars of the heaven of Thy Command in the Realm of eternity, to make me in all conditions to turn toward Thy most exalted horizon and to drink from the Kawthar of Thy supreme mercy. O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thy countenance and holding fast to the cord of Thy loving-kindness. Do with me, then, as befitteth Thy bounty and beseemeth Thy days. Thou art He Whom nothing whatsoever can frustrate from that which Thou hast purposed through Thy power. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou pleasest. Within Thy grasp is the dominion of destiny. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
BH09424: God beareth witness in the Kingdom of Utterance…
He is the Manifest, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
God beareth witness in the Kingdom of Utterance that this Cause is mighty, mighty indeed. Blessed is the soul whom the doubts of the people have not caused to slip away from the Self-Subsisting, and whom the intimations of those who have disbelieved in God, the Exalted, the Great, have not held back. Verily, he who hath attained unto this Most Great Name is accounted among the most exalted of peoples in the perspicuous Book. We counsel Our loved ones with that wherewith We counseled Our servants aforetime. He, verily, is the True Counselor, the All-Knowing.
O loved ones of the All-Merciful in all lands! Be ye steadfast, and be ye trustworthy, and do that whereby the Cause of God, the Powerful, the Almighty, may be exalted. The glory of God be upon thee and upon whosoever hath attained unto My Day, hath heard My call, and hath acted according to that which was ordained in My wondrous Book.
BH09218: Today the Call of the Dawning-Place of the Self-Subsisting…
In His Name, the One Who rules over all names!
Today the Call of the Dawning-Place of the Self-Subsisting is raised, and likewise the clamor of the people of idle fancies. You must arise to serve the Cause with utmost endeavor and, with supreme steadfastness, be engaged in mentioning the Lord of Names amidst all people. Strive that the leaves of fire may not prevent you from the Dawning-Place of light.
You are related to the Truth and are known by His name. Know the value of this exalted station and preserve it through the Name of God. The satans have been and are lying in wait in the name of truth. Be thou steadfast in the Cause and put thy trust in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Verily, He will grant His chosen ones the best of rewards from His presence. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Generous.
BH11899: Today every falsifier layeth claim to truth, and every…
In His Name Who hath dawned from the horizon of the Kingdom!
Today every falsifier layeth claim to truth, and every transgressor adorneth himself with the vesture of piety. World-consuming is the fire of the ignorant one who decketh himself with the ornament of knowledge. Beseech thou God that He may graciously assist thee to remain steadfast in this supreme steadfastness, that thou mayest not be moved by the putrid winds of malicious souls and mayest be witnessed firm and steadfast as a mountain in the Cause of God. The Most Exalted Pen hath testified to thy acceptance, humility, submissiveness and service, and this testimony is more beloved before God than all that thou hast seen and heard. Rejoice thou in this great bounty.
BH09902: He Who is the Goal beareth witness that there…
In the name of the Goal of all worlds
He Who is the Goal beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath spoken with truth is indeed the Most Exalted Horizon, the Uttermost Tree, the Dawning-Place of God’s Most Beautiful Names, the Dayspring of Revelation, and the Source of grace unto all who are in the heavens and on earth. Blessed is he who hath attained unto His mention, though it be through a single word, and joy be unto him who hath heard His most sweet call on this wondrous Day. O loved ones of the All-Merciful in all lands! Remember your Lord with spirit and fragrance, and hold fast unto that which ye have been commanded in His perspicuous Book. He hath commanded you that which profiteth you—to this testifieth every discerning knower.
BH09817: God, the Exalted Truth, brought creation into being…
In the Name of the one true God!
God, the Exalted Truth, brought creation into being from nothingness specifically for this Day, and afterwards caused the sun of grace to shine forth equally upon all, that all might attain to the recognition of the true Friend. Likewise He commanded all to be steadfast in His Cause. Nevertheless, some broke the Covenant at the buzzing of a fly and violated the divine Testament. O handmaiden of God! Fix your gaze upon the horizon of steadfastness, that you may not be debarred from the Truth by the words of the heedless, the gestures of the wayward, and the book of evil. This is God’s counsel to His male and female servants.
BH10123: God makes mention of one of His handmaidens who…
He is the All-Witnessing, the All-Hearing!
God makes mention of one of His handmaidens who heard the Call and responded to her Lord, the Lord of Names. Verily do We make mention of every servant who has turned unto Him and every handmaiden who has attained unto the recognition of God, the Lord of the worlds. Thus has the Most Exalted Pen spoken by the command of God, the Mighty, the All-Wise.
When thou hast received My Tablet and heard My Call, render thanks unto thy Lord and glorify Him with His praise at all times. Thus doth the Wronged One command thee as He turneth toward thee from this remote spot. The glory of God rest upon thee and upon My handmaidens who have turned unto Him and hearkened unto the Call of God, the King, the Mighty, the Most Beautiful.
BH10099: O Ghulam-ʿAli! The fragrance of thy love reached…
He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing
O Ghulam-ʿAli! The fragrance of thy love reached the Most Holy Court. We heard thy call and witnessed thy turning to the Most Exalted Horizon, and We make mention of thee in this Most Mighty, Most Sublime Tablet that thou mayest behold the favor of God with both thine outer and inner eyes.
Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto the fruit of existence. Consider man as a tree: its fruit hath been and ever shall be the knowledge of God, and its leaves and branches are goodly deeds and spiritual qualities. Praise the Object of all creation Who hath enabled thee to attain unto this station. Rejoice thou in My remembrance of thee, then render thanks unto thy Lord, the Remembering, the All-Loving, the All-Bountiful.
BH09796: O handmaiden of God! Moses attained to hearing…
In the name of the Beloved of the world
O handmaiden of God! Moses attained to hearing the divine call in the Sinai of recognition, and this is that same call with which the Goal of the world now speaketh. Strive thou that this most great bounty may remain and endure. The evil ones have ever lain in wait for God’s loved ones, and through tales of the past they prevent the servants from the supreme horizon.
Beseech ye God that ye may attain to such a station wherein ye will regard all save God as non-existent and count it as nothing. Verily He calleth with truth and revealeth unto whomsoever desireth His straight path. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Wise.
BH09886: God beareth witness that there is none other God…
He is manifest above all things.
God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him. His is the dominion and the kingdom and the glory and the power. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth, and He is the Mighty, the Powerful. And she who hath believed, verily she is a leaf in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds. Blessed is the handmaiden who hath turned unto God and done what she was bidden by the One Who commandeth, the All-Wise.
O handmaidens of God! Rejoice in that ye have been mentioned in His Most Great Prison when the Tongue of Pre-existence did speak: “There is none other God but I, the Forgiving, the Generous.” Thus hath the matter been decreed from before God, the Most High, the Most Great.
BH11902: O servant of the True One! Today the divine…
He is the One Who has dawned from the Most Exalted Horizon.
O servant of the True One! Today the divine call is raised high. How blessed is the state of the one who has attained unto hearing it and has turned towards the Most Exalted Horizon. Today the Dayspring of Light is in its dawning and manifestation, and likewise the Source of Fire is in motion and emergence.
Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto the days of God and hast drunk of the wine of merciful compassion in this dawn-time. Now strive that thou mayest remain steadfast in His Cause, for the evil ones are, in the name of truth, engaged in leading astray the sincere ones and the believers. Know thou this and be among the firm ones.
BH10487: O Muhammad-Qabli-Rida, thou art remembered and thy name hath…
He is the Dawning One from the horizon of utterance
O Muhammad-Qabli-Rida, thou art remembered and thy name hath attained. God willing, through the loving-kindness of the Best Beloved of the world, thou shalt taste the sweetness of the utterance of the All-Merciful in these days which are more delicate than spirit and more subtle than the spring breeze. How many among those who claimed to love attained this station for themselves, yet when the divine touchstone appeared, they remained deprived by a cry from the choice wine and forbidden by a scratch from the Supreme Pen. Hold fast to the cord of steadfastness and cleave to the hem of the mercy of thy Lord, the All-Bountiful.
BH10298: Glorified art Thou, O Thou in Whose hand…
He is the Witnessing, the Witnessed One!
Glorified art Thou, O Thou in Whose hand is the dominion of all created things and in Whose grasp are the reins of all existence. I beseech Thee by the Revealer of verses and the Manifestor of clear signs, Who soared in the atmosphere through Thy name and walked upon the sea through Thy power and might, to ordain from the Supreme Pen for Thy handmaidens that which will draw them nigh unto the shore of the sea of Thy oneness and grant them what Thou hast destined for Thy trusted ones and chosen ones.
O Lord! Thou art the All-Bountiful, possessed of great bounty. There is no God but Thee, the Ruler over whatsoever Thou willest. Within Thy grasp is the kingdom of the dominion of the heavens and earth, and verily Thou art the Mighty, the All-Wise.
BH10214: O handmaid of God! Today whoever has attained…
In the name of the one Friend!
O handmaid of God! Today whoever has attained to the recognition of the Purpose of creation must arise in all conditions to offer praise and thanksgiving, and must speak forth: Praise be to God, you have borne trials in the path of the Friend and attained to the most great honor which is the recognition of God. Blessed art thou and blessed is she who heard and responded to the call of her Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Knowing.
BH10608: The Wronged One beareth witness in the Most Great…
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great!
The Wronged One beareth witness in the Most Great Prison that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who hath appeared is indeed the One promised in the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds. We testify that He was one in His essence and one in His dominion, He Who hath conquered the world. He is, verily, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. O My handmaiden! Rejoice thou that thy mention hath been honored by God’s hearing, and that this Clear Book hath been revealed unto thee—a Book that speaketh of God’s grandeur and His sovereignty, and guideth mankind unto His straight Path.
BH10684: O my handmaiden! Your call has attained the honor…
In the name of the All-Knowing Beloved!
O my handmaiden! Your call has attained the honor of being heard, and the glance of God from the direction of the Most Great Prison is turned toward you. Were you to find the sweetness of this utterance which has appeared from the Dayspring of the mouth of the All-Merciful’s loving-kindness, you would, throughout your entire life, be moved to exclaim: “Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds!” Know thou the value of this bounty and preserve it as you would your very life.
BH10564: The exalted Truth hath testified to the greatness…
In the Name of the One Incomparable Speaker!
The exalted Truth hath testified to the greatness of this glorious Day and the majesty of the Cause, yet none hath comprehended the purpose of the utterance of the All-Merciful nor discovered the greatness of the Day of God. They hear but understand not, they see but remain heedless. Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto the Divine Word which is this most sublime Tablet. Beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, that He may keep thee steadfast and not deprive thee of the reward of this most exalted, most holy Day.
BH00219: He saith, and sweet is His utterance
Section 1: “He saith, and sweet is His utterance…”
He saith, and sweet is His utterance:
God grant that thou mayest attain unto His loving providence and mayest turn to and speak of that which refineth the character of His servants. O physician! The people are heedless and in need of a Teacher and Educator. They must, through the care and loving-kindness of the divine Physicians and the learned ones of the age, recognize the cause of their illnesses and seek to find their cure. Strive then, that haply the heedless may perceive the fruit of goodly deeds and a praiseworthy character. Should they attain unto this station, each one would find himself capable of reforming, edifying, and uniting the negligent and the wayward. The Pen of this Wronged One hath at all times directed everyone to show forth love, compassion, and concord, and hath explicitly set forth the meaning of “rendering the Cause victorious”, which hath been mentioned in the holy Tablets.
And yet, it is observed that some have considered sedition to be the means of the betterment of the world and of gaining victory. Nay, by the One Who hath created the world through a single word of His mouth! The Cause of God is rendered victorious through wisdom and utterance, which are in turn conditional upon the utmost joy and radiance. We beseech God to confirm all in achieving that which is worthy of this Day.
Say: O people! Ye have stepped out of nothingness into the realm of being that ye may reconstruct the world. Dissension and strife ill beseem the station of a human being. In this day, should a soul become the cause of sorrow to another soul, no matter from which Faith, this would not be pleasing to this Wronged One. Unto this bear witness both Mine inner and outer tongue, and beyond them every wise and discerning, every learned and attentive soul. The fundamental purpose of religion as brought down from the heaven of divine Revelation is harmony and union among all people. O physician! Now consider how this pure and gem-like reality hath been clouded by the dust of vain imaginings and how, through the tyranny of the ignorant, things have come to such a pass that religion hath become the cause of hatred amongst God’s servants.
This is the pure stream of utterance flowing down from the Kingdom of divine knowledge. Blessed is the soul who approacheth it and drinketh therefrom in the name of the one true God. It is hoped that the people of Baha may attain unto that which God hath purposed and become the dawning-places of harmony and fellowship, that perchance, through the grace of God and the outpourings of His bounty, they may become the cause of the rehabilitation of the world and its reconstruction.
Convey to the friends in that land the greetings of this Exile and say: God grant that ye may be occupied in making mention of God with the utmost wisdom, so that your words may stir the hearts. We counsel you to observe compassion, mercifulness, forbearance, trustworthiness, and sincerity, that haply this darksome world may be illumined with the light of a praiseworthy character and goodly deeds. This is the true meaning of “rendering the Cause victorious” which hath been revealed in the Book. In this day, should any soul commit an act that is the cause of affliction or harm to another, that deed would in truth revert unto this Wronged One. Beware, O My loved ones, lest ye commit that which human minds abhor. Thus doth My Pen counsel you and My truth-speaking and trustworthy tongue exhort you.
Ye are before Mine eyes. We make mention of you and commune with you and give you glad tidings of what hath been ordained for the sincere ones in the Kingdom of God, the Lord of the worlds.
As regards what was written concerning the movement and attention of that personage with his family, it was submitted, whereupon He said:
“At present it is not and has not been advisable—with Him is the wisdom of all things in a perspicuous Book. This land too, due to certain matters, is observed to be declining day by day. You are in Our thoughts and whatever is advisable has certainly been and will be mentioned. Convey My greetings to her and give her the glad tidings of My remembrance. God willing, God’s special favors have been and will continue to be with her. The reward of no doer of good has been or will ever be lost. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Generous.”
As regards what you wrote concerning Sa’id, upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah], it was submitted, whereupon He said:
“O Sa’id! Mention was made of thee before the Wronged One. We make mention of thee through this remembrance. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to grant thee a goodly end, to ordain for thee that which will draw thee nigh unto Him, and to decree for thee that which will profit thee in this world and the next. Verily, He is the Lord of creation and the Possessor of Oneness. There is none other God but He, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
He said write to the physician, upon him be My glory:
“O physician! Convey My greetings to My loved ones and deliver unto them My peace, and give them the glad tidings of My will and My favor and My grace, and counsel all by My leave with wisdom, and wisdom, and wisdom, lest there appear from anyone that which would disturb even a gnat, how much less a human being. Exalted is the All-Merciful Who hath taught us what He desired and guided us to the straight path.”
This is what the Kingdom of Utterance hath spoken:
“O Muhammad-i-Amin! Thy letter was presented and the servant in attendance before the Wronged One read it, and We have answered thee with that which will solace the eyes. Say: Glory be to Thee, O Thou through Whose Name the fragrance of utterance was wafted throughout creation and the ocean of knowledge surged! I beseech Thee to aid me in that which Thou hast commanded me in Thy Book and to enable me to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee amongst Thy servants. O my Lord! Thou seest me clinging to the cord of Thy grace and holding fast to the hem of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by the Name through which the breezes of generosity were wafted over the world and the fragrance of the garment of Revelation was diffused among the nations, to make me in all conditions one who makes mention of Thee, who gazes toward the direction of Thy grace, and who acts according to that which Thou hast commanded me from the Dayspring of Thy Revelation. O my Lord! I am the poor one who hath sought Thy bounty and favors, and the needy one who hath hastened toward the ocean of Thy riches. I beseech Thee to ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones who have turned toward Thee and have turned away from all else beside Thee. Verily Thou art the Almighty Whom the conditions of the world cannot frustrate, nor can the signs of every heedless doubter prevent. There is none other God but Thee, the Self-Sufficient, the All-Conquering, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.”
O Muhammad! We have seen what thou didst send unto the Wronged One. We beseech God, exalted be He, to acquaint thee with that which shall profit thee and teach thee that which shall guide thee to His straight path. The Tree of Wisdom, its root, branch and twig is the knowledge of God—exalted be His glory, magnificent His station, and great His grandeur. He cannot be known except through Himself, nor can He be described by what the people possess. Know thou that all mention, all description, and all knowledge returns unto His Messengers and ends with His chosen ones whom He hath sent unto His servants and His creation. Blessed is he who hath recognized this most exalted station and attained unto that which God, the Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens, hath desired.
God willing, thou must strive to attain unto such wisdom whereby thou and all other created things may benefit both outwardly and inwardly. The wisdom of the people of Persia, which some of their eminent divines claim to possess, hath been and is mere words—it began with words and ended with words. Every person of insight beareth witness to that which the Wronged One hath testified in this mighty prison.
God willing, through the bounty of the True One, mayest thou drink from the divine ocean of knowledge and be illumined by the Sun of Truth. Some of the philosophers of Persia have inquired of this Wronged One concerning certain words of previous philosophers, and the inquirer had studied under Hakim-i-Sabzivari. In the early days, this Wronged One would engage in answering such questions. In response to their question about the “simple reality,” that was mentioned which any person possessed of sight and hearing would witness and hear, directing him to the horizon of guidance. Nevertheless, no trace appeared from the inquirer.
Ask thou God, besides Whom there is none other God, to assist all to achieve that which He loveth and is pleased with. Verily, He is the Lord of the Throne and earth, and the Sovereign of the hereafter and this world. All people have passed by the choice wine of fairness and occupied themselves with the bitter water of tyranny. They have deemed the learned ignorant and the ignorant learned, and wander in the wilderness of heedlessness and ignorance, following the dictates of their desires, save whom God, the Lord of creation, willeth. And peace be upon him who followeth guidance.
According to the command given, be not assured of such persons, for their aim is but a word that may be spoken— even as it hath become known, clear, and manifest. When that which hath been mentioned is established, an answer shall be returned. Yet the barren land is not meet for growth; unto this beareth witness every discerning soul. End.
And as to that which ye had written concerning the honored Muḥammad of the people of Kabul: it was submitted before the Throne, and these exalted words were sent down in reply.
O Muhammad! This Wronged One hath summoned all the peoples of the world unto the Lord of Eternity, and guided them to whatsoever conduceth to the tranquility of humankind. Yet the heedless people have clung to vain imaginings and idle fancies, turning away from the Manifest Truth. They have taken conjecture in place of certitude, and have worshipped the idol, mistaking it for the Self-Subsisting. Such is the condition of the people. By the Sun that shineth above the horizon of the heaven of utterance! This Wronged One hath desired naught but pure good, and hath spoken naught save that which enjoineth righteous conduct and befitteth the station of man. Yet they visited upon Him that which none other hath endured. We have heard, in the path of God, the clash of the swords of enemies and the neighing of the steeds of the wicked ones, and We have been patient through His grace and favor. We beseech Him in all conditions to assist His servants in that which He willeth and to grant them success in that which He loveth and pleaseth. Verily He is the Lord of all beings and the Sovereign of the hereafter and the present world.
God willing, may that honored one observe the Cause of God with penetrating vision, an illumined heart and an expanded breast, and ponder upon it, that he may attain unto the pearls of the ocean of inner meanings. We have heard thy mention and have remembered thee with this Remembrance whereby the gate of true knowledge hath been opened to all who dwell within the realm of possibility. Glorified be the All-Merciful Who hath appeared in the manifestation of His conclusive and wise Command. Soon shall the world and whatsoever it containeth of ornaments, souls, sciences and arts pass away, and the Cause shall remain with Him Who hath testified to His Own Self by His Own Self before the creation of all things. Verily there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. It behooveth all to cleave unto wisdom and to associate with the people in a spirit of joy and fragrance, and to acquaint them wisely with that which is hidden from the eyes of the heedless ones. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
Section 2: “They have stated that it is most difficult…”
They have stated that it is most difficult for such souls to ascend unto the Kingdom of certitude, to speak for the sake of God, and to turn unto Him. Many such souls have been mentioned in the letters of the friends of God and numerous Tablets have been revealed specifically for each one, yet afterwards no news whatsoever was heard of those souls. Beseech ye God, exalted and glorified be He, to assist the people in that which is pleasing unto Him. Let them at least understand this much: that discord, conflict and contention have never been and never will be worthy of God and His chosen ones. Man must strive to promote unity. He is as the eye among mankind.
Thus was it mentioned before and at this time. At one time this blessed word shone forth from the horizon of the Divine Will: O servant who art present! Verily this Day walketh before the faces of the world and speaketh, and verily it is the City of God sent down from the heaven of the Command, and verily it is that whereby the sealed choice wine was unsealed and the ocean of life surged in the contingent world and the Dove warbled upon the branches. Verily there is no God but Him, the Supreme Ruler over all names, and He is the Doer of whatsoever He willeth. There is no God but Him, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
This is what the Tongue of the Intended One hath spoken in the Kingdom of Utterance: O physician! Upon thee be My glory! A servant presented thy letter before the Wronged One, and that which was mentioned and written therein was made known. I pray that thou mayest drink from the Kawthar of divine favor and the ocean of merciful bounty, and give others to drink thereof. This Wronged One hath commanded all the peoples of the earth to that which would bring them freedom, liberty and tranquility, that the whole earth might be seen as one country and all might gather beneath the shadow of a single Word. By the life of the Beloved! Had the servants attained unto that which the Wronged One desired, the world would have been seen adorned with the ornament of joy and delight, in such wise that sorrow and its hosts, grief and its cohorts, would have been seen to be non-existent and vanished. Nevertheless, they regarded the Dawning-Place of reformation as the source of corruption and thus deprived themselves of the divine bounties.
O physician! So long as the lights of the sun of justice remain hidden behind the clouds, the people of the earth have not and will not find tranquility and rest. Arise for God’s sake and speak for His sake, that perchance the people may become aware and arise to that which befitteth their stations. Through the revelation of Books and the sending of Messengers, God hath desired the unity and concord of His servants and the education and tranquility of all who dwell in the lands. Yet now it is seen that religions and laws have been made the cause of hatred and rancor. Therefore hath this Wronged One desired, through the grace of the Lord of Names, to remove and efface this hatred and rancor from among the servants. Had the divines, mystics and rulers of the earth pondered but a little on that which hath appeared, assuredly the people of the Furqan would today be seen above all peoples and sovereign over all. The Word had not yet been fully uttered from the mouth of Will when they arose to pronounce the verdict of unbelief and stood up in rejection and protest.
Say: “Glory be to Thee, O Thou at Whose separation the cry of the yearning ones and the lamentation of them that are near unto Thee have been raised! I beseech Thee by the Word through which the spirit of life was breathed into all creation, and by Thy Name whereby the horizon of proof was illumined for the followers of all religions, to draw Thy servants and Thy creatures nigh unto the ocean of Thy knowledge and recognition. Then grant them to drink of the Kawthar of Thy bounty through Thy generosity and favors. O my Lord! Thou seest their poverty and Thy wealth, their weakness and Thy power. I beseech Thee by the Light that shineth from the horizon of Thy Manifestation to assist me and Thy loved ones to remain steadfast in Thy Cause and to enable them to mention Thee and praise Thee amongst Thy servants.
Thou art He Whom the happenings of the world cannot frustrate, nor can the signs of those who have turned away from Thee prevent Thee, O Lord of Names and Creator of heaven! My outer and inner tongue beareth witness that Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee. Thou hast ever been One, Alone, Single, Self-Subsisting, the Eternal, and Thou wilt ever continue to be as Thou hast been. There is none other God but Thee, the Powerful, the Exalted, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.”
Concerning what you wrote about gatherings of meetings held previously, it was submitted and He said:
“The truth is as you have written—meetings and gatherings were being held where it was not known who was guiding and who was misleading, which seeker was investigating and which visitor was unknown, whether they came seeking fame or were themselves spies. In all circumstances, gatherings are not permitted—one must act with perfect wisdom, for people are ignorant and heedless of the root of the Cause. If they were to become aware of a single word from this Book, or a drop from this Ocean, or a gleam from this Light, all would be found circling round. Take wisdom by My command and set aside all else—thus does the All-Knowing command you from this noble station. Despite all that has flowed from the Pen being counsels and exhortations, nevertheless if a leaf or tablet appears or they hear that someone has gone from one place to another, they will surely become agitated. By Him Who has caused all things to speak in praise of His Self—if they were to recognize what God has willed, most would perish from joy and gladness. The purpose of all these utterances is that people must be educated with the utmost joy and fragrance and made aware of that which benefits them. God’s mercy has preceded and His grace has encompassed all. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”
And regarding what you mentioned about him who was named with Alif and Ha in the Kingdom of Names and what he composed—the servant was honored by it and recited it before his Lord’s face, and this is what the Tongue of the Intended One spoke after hearing it:
“We have heard what the tongue of love and affection spoke in mention of this Wronged One Who has called the people to the supreme horizon and the ultimate goal. We have mentioned him in such wise that his remembrance shall endure through the perpetuity of names in the kingdom of creation. We beseech the Lord of the servants to confirm him and assist him in that which He loves and is pleased with, and to give him to drink of the choice sealed wine whose seal was broken by the name of God, the Possessor of Names and Creator of heaven.”
Concerning what was written about seclusion—meaning you do not go to coffeehouses—He said: Blessed indeed is this deed.
And regarding that Tablets are not being sent from this place and there is delay in responding to letters—this has been and will be due to wisdom, for if they were sent repeatedly and consecutively, a friend would disclose to another friend whose heart’s secrets he knows not, and it would spread and cause corruption to appear. The assured and confident ones should be seen as patient, silent, dignified and composed. They should not say what is not permitted, nor follow what is not befitting. They should not confirm every speaker nor consider every claimant truthful, nor be assured by every arrival. They should speak with wisdom and hold fast to kindness and mercy. With the sword of spiritual morals and goodly deeds they should assist the truth and protect people from the arrows of Satan. The fragrances from the gardens of God’s kindness and mercy have encompassed the world, yet its people remain veiled and deprived. Verily He speaks the truth and guides the way. There is no God but He, the Mighty, the Beautiful.”
And concerning what you wrote about Aqa Mirza Muhammad, upon him be 96 [Baha’u’llah], the details were submitted to the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence and He said:
“All the people of Iraq are aware and informed of the details, and beyond them, verily your Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.”
At a certain time these words flowed from the tongue of the Beloved:
“O servant! These are the days of pure servitude, that all may arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of creation with the utmost humility, submissiveness and detachment. Through the manifestation of this station, man’s station in creation has been and will be made evident. Whomsoever submitteth unto God, God will exalt him through His grace. The loved ones should be counseled and reminded in all circumstances, that they may all conduct themselves in such wise that others may inhale from them the sweet fragrance of sanctity, holiness and pure servitude unto God, the True One. The idle fancies and vain imaginings of the people of error have never been and never shall be worthy of the friends of the Self-Sufficient Lord. O friends! Aid ye the Cause of God through the hosts of goodly spiritual qualities, the battalions of holy deeds, and the banners of humility, submissiveness and supplication. By the life of God! No hosts in the world have been or shall be mightier than the hosts of justice and wisdom. Had the kings of the world held fast unto these two, all the peoples of the earth would have attained unto supreme tranquility and the greatest ease. But now the sun of justice is veiled behind the clouds of oppression. We beseech God to deliver this light from the claws of darkness. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Powerful.”
At this moment, a call was raised from the Most Holy Court summoning this servant. After presenting himself, this blessed word shone forth from the Dayspring of divine knowledge:
“O servant! We make mention of My physician and his son Jalalu’d-Din and his mother, and We send Our greetings unto them and give them the glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness and mercy. We beseech Him to protect him beneath the shade of the Tree of His Cause. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Powerful. There is none other God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.”
2 Ramadan 1298
BH01992: In the Name of God alone, and blessings…
In the Name of God alone, and blessings and peace be upon Him after Whom there shall be no Prophet. Praise be to God Who with the arm of power has shattered the idols of evil imaginings of those who cast the Book of God behind their backs and followed the dawning-places of vain fancies. Praise be to God Who sent down the Furqan in the month of Ramadan, wherein He prescribed fasting for all peoples. Blessed is he who holdeth fast unto it and unto whatsoever commandments and ordinances were revealed therein from God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to aid them and confirm them in that which will exalt the Cause of God amidst all peoples. Verily He is powerful over whatsoever He willeth. There is no God but Him, the Protector over what is and what hath been.
And then, O thou who art mentioned in the heart of this servant! The cooing of the dove of thy praise hath awakened me and raised me up to remember those days wherein we dwelt together beneath the pavilions of our Beloved and yours, our Goal and yours. When I received and read and understood, I turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon and presented it before His countenance. Thereupon the Kingdom of Utterance spoke forth that which diffused the fragrance of the All-Merciful. He spoke—and His word is the sweetest—saying:
“We have mentioned him with that which nothing on earth can equal, and We have adorned him with the robe of Our favor. We beseech God, exalted be He, to aid him and prosper him in all matters and conditions. Verily He is the Single, the One, the Hearing, the Answering.”
And We send Our greetings upon him and upon his wife and children who have drunk from the Kawthar of reunion from the hand of this Wronged One Who hath called all unto the Self-Subsisting, the Most High.
My spirit be a sacrifice for your remembrance. This servant doth acknowledge and confess his shortcoming or failing, but your heart beareth witness to my love and sincerity toward you. My occupation hath prevented me from mentioning you. By the life of the Beloved! Had I found opportunity I would have mentioned you night and day. I have sent to the honored physician, upon him be the Glory of God, in response to his letter which was sent from you. And I give you glad tidings of the two Most Great, Most Holy, Most Pure Tablets according to your request. I beseech God, exalted be He, to honor them with a visit from you. Verily He is the Protector of those who remember Him and the Answerer of those who call upon Him.
This servant sends greetings to the loved ones of God in Zawra and to the imprisoned one, upon him be the Glory of God, who was mentioned in this station. This evanescent one beseecheth his Lord to aid him and confirm him and cause him to speak that whereby the servants may be mindful. By Him Who caused all things to speak forth His praise! This servant desireth to mention him and send unto him every month that which would demonstrate my love for him, but two things have prevented me: occupation with writing and what we have been commanded regarding wisdom. I seek forgiveness in all conditions from the friends of God and His chosen ones who speak not until He hath spoken and who act according to what they have been commanded in His Wise Book. Praise be to God, the Most High, the Most Great.
Glory be upon you and upon the apple of all eyes and upon her who hath attained to serving you in this Day wherein the raven of unbelief and Islam hath croaked in manifest weakness. Peace and greetings be upon my beloved heart’s friend, the helper, and upon every beloved one through whom the face of the Cause hath been illumined and who hath followed God’s command in His Ancient Book.
The servant 2 Ramadan the Blessed 1298
BH00200: Praise, sanctified from all allusions, letters, indications and words…
Section 1: “Praise, sanctified from all allusions, letters, indications…”
He is God, Exalted be His Glory, Majesty and Power
Praise, sanctified from all allusions, letters, indications and words, befitteth the Day which hath been mentioned and recorded by the name of the True One in the divine Books. This is the Day wherein all possessors of hearts and vision shall be blessed with the light of the revelations of the Lord of Names. Exalted be this Day, for it is the Day of unveiling and meeting. It is the Day which, in all heavenly Books and among the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the cities of names, is known and attributed as the Day of God, as He, exalted be He, hath said: “Lead forth thy people from darkness into light and remind them of the days of God.” And the Nightingale of Utterance hath warbled upon the branch of the Qur’an in another station: “The Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds, and the Kingdom on that day shall be God’s.”
In truth, this Day hath a station from which the hand of praise falleth short, and the voice of remembrance is powerless to attain unto it. At one time this blessed word shone forth from the horizon of the Divine Will:
“O servant in attendance! Verily the Day walketh before the faces of the world and speaketh, and it is indeed the City of God which hath descended from the heaven of Command. Verily it is that whereby the sealed choice wine hath been unsealed, and the ocean of life hath surged in the contingent world, and the Dove hath cooed upon the branches. Verily there is no God but Him, the Protector over all names, and He doeth what He willeth. There is no God but Him, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
O beloved of My heart and one who is mentioned before the throne of My Best-Beloved! Observe how far the heedless souls are removed from the shore of truth and debarred from the holy station of nearness. Throughout all nights and days they beseeched the Dear All-Knowing One for the attainment of this most exalted and holy Day, yet when the veils were rent asunder and the Hidden One became manifest and the Concealed One spoke forth, all clung to vain imaginings that neither nourish nor satisfy, and remained deprived and veiled from that which God had intended. All friends must supplicate the Self-Sufficing One with utmost lowliness and devotion, that perchance the slumberers may awaken, the heedless become aware, the misguided find the straight path, and those unknown may attain the ornament of divine mention in the sacred scriptures and tablets. This evanescent servant beseecheth the True One to raise up souls who shall arise purely for His sake and detached from all else, and who shall arise to teach His Cause with the utmost humility, submissiveness and servitude unto God, the Truth. By the life of God! Their very beings shall surely influence the world. To this testifieth every knowing name and every wise book.
When Thy glorious missive, dated the eleventh of Jamadi’l-Avval, reached this evanescent servant, it brought tidings of joy and dispelled all gloom. Praise be to God that it conveyed news of Thy wellbeing and health. In truth, this servant hath in these days pondered deeply and found that no service worthy of God’s Day hath proceeded from him. I swear by the Sun of the heaven of utterance that I behold myself abashed and ashamed. Yet I cherish the hope that the All-Powerful, the Lord of Names, may assist His other chosen ones and friends to accomplish deeds worthy of His path, that through divine grace they may, with perfect detachment and freedom, guide souls to God, glorified be His majesty, and lead them to the supreme horizon.
All the Prophets and chosen ones, including the Seal of the Prophets—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake—endured countless afflictions and calamities for the exaltation of God’s Cause, until certain cities and lands were illumined by the effulgent rays of the Sun of Truth. I beseech God, exalted be His glory and abundant His favors, to aid that beloved one through wisdom and utterance, and through that which attracts the hearts of His servants. This servant knoweth not today what he writeth or presenteth, for the wine of heedlessness hath overtaken him in such wise that he ascendeth at one moment and descendeth at another. The matter is in God’s hands, the Lord of the Last and the First. Such mentions will cause grief to sanctified hearts, therefore I seek forgiveness from God, the All-Glorious.
When this evanescent servant learned of Thy noble letter, he turned to the Most Exalted Station and presented all before His presence. Thus spoke the Tongue of the All-Merciful in the Kingdom of Utterance: “O physician! Upon thee be My glory! The servant in attendance submitted thy letter before the Wronged One, and all that was mentioned and written therein was presented. God willing, thou shalt drink and give to drink from the Kawthar of divine favor and the ocean of merciful bounty. This Wronged One hath commanded all the peoples of the earth to that which conduceth to tranquility, freedom and comfort, that the whole earth might be seen as one country and all gather beneath the shade of one Word. By the life of the Beloved! Were the servants to attain unto that which the Wronged One hath desired, the world would be adorned with the ornament of joy and delight, such that its sorrows and their hosts, its grief and their legions would become nonexistent and disappear. Nevertheless, they regarded the Dayspring of reformation as the source of corruption and thus deprived themselves of divine bounties.
O physician! So long as the lights of the sun of justice remain concealed behind clouds, the people of the earth have not and shall not find tranquility and comfort. Arise for God’s sake and speak for His sake; perchance the people may become aware and arise to that which beseemeth their stations. Through the revelation of Books and the sending of Messengers, God hath desired the unity and concord of His servants, and the education and comfort of all in the land. Yet now it is observed that religions and laws have been made the cause of rancor and hatred. Therefore, this Wronged One hath desired, through the grace of the Lord of Names, to remove and efface this rancor and hatred from among the servants. Had the divines and mystics and rulers of the earth pondered even briefly upon that which hath been manifested, they would assuredly have beheld today the party of the Qur’an exalted above all parties and supreme over all. But ere the Word had been uttered in its entirety from the mouth of the Divine Will, they rose up in denunciation and arose in opposition and protest.
Glorified art Thou, O Thou at Whose separation the lamentation of the yearning ones and the cry of them that are nigh have been raised! I beseech Thee by the Word through which the spirit of life was breathed into all creation, and by Thy Name whereby the horizon of proof was illumined for the followers of all religions, to draw Thy servants and Thy creation nigh unto the ocean of Thy knowledge and recognition. Then bestow upon them the Kawthar of Thy bounty through Thy grace and favor. O Lord! Thou seest their poverty and Thy wealth, their weakness and Thy strength. I beseech Thee by the Light that shineth from the horizon of Thy Manifestation to assist me and Thy loved ones to be steadfast in Thy Cause, and enable them to remember and praise Thee amongst Thy servants.
Thou art He Whom the conditions of men cannot frustrate, nor can the intimations of those who have turned away from Thee prevent Thee, O Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens! My outer and inner tongue beareth witness that Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee. Thou hast ever been alone, unique, one, self-subsisting, eternal, and wilt ever remain as Thou hast been. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
Regarding what you wrote about the gatherings of past days, it was mentioned and He said: Indeed it is as you have written—meetings and gatherings were being held and it was not known who was guiding and who was misguiding, who was seeking truth and who was spreading rumors, whether they came seeking honor or were themselves spies. In all circumstances, gatherings are not permitted—one must act with utmost wisdom, for people are ignorant and heedless of the essence of the Cause. If they were to become aware of but one word from this Book, one drop from this Ocean, or one ray from this Light, all would be seen circling round. Take wisdom by My command and set aside all else.
Thus doth the All-Knowing command thee from this noble station. Although all that hath flowed from the Pen hath been counsels and exhortations, yet if a single leaf or tablet should be revealed, or if they should hear that it has gone from one place to another, they would surely become agitated. By Him Who hath caused all things to speak in praise of His Self! Were they to understand what God hath willed, most would perish from joy and gladness. The purpose of all these utterances is that people must be educated with the utmost joy and fragrance, and made aware of that which will profit them. God’s mercy hath preceded all and His grace hath encompassed all. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
And concerning what you mentioned about him who was named with Alif and Ha in the Kingdom of Names: This servant was honored by what he sent and recited before the Face what he had composed, and this is what the Tongue of the Beloved uttered after hearing it: We have heard what was uttered by the tongue of love and affection in remembrance of this Wronged One Who hath called the people to the supreme horizon and the ultimate goal. We have remembered him with that whereby his remembrance shall endure throughout the continuance of the names in the kingdom of creation. We beseech the Lord of all beings to assist him and enable him to do that which He loveth and is pleased with, and to give him to drink of the choice sealed wine, whose seal was broken by the name of God, the Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens.
Regarding what you wrote about seclusion, meaning that you do not frequent coffeehouses, it was mentioned and He said: Blessed indeed is this deed.
As to the fact that Tablets are not being sent from this place and the answers to correspondence are delayed—this hath been and will continue to be due to wisdom. For if they were to be sent continuously and successively, a friend would disclose matters to another friend who hath no knowledge of the secrets of his heart, and these would become widespread and lead to mischief. The assured ones and they that are steadfast must remain patient and silent, and be seen to be composed and dignified. They must not utter that which is not permitted, nor follow that which is unseemly. They must not confirm every speaker nor consider every claimant to be truthful, nor trust in every newcomer. They must speak with wisdom and hold fast to kindliness and mercy. Through the sword of spiritual morals and goodly deeds must they assist the Truth and protect the people from the arrows of Satan. The fragrances from the flowers of the gardens of God’s kindness and mercy have encompassed the world, and yet its people remain veiled and deprived. Verily He speaketh the truth and guideth to the Way. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Beautiful.
Section 2: “And as for what you wrote concerning Aqa…”
And as for what you wrote concerning Aqa Mirza Muhammad, when the details were submitted to the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, He stated that all the people of Iraq are informed and aware of the details, and beyond them verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
The substance of this matter is that this servant was present during all events that occurred in Iraq. The details are that after the passing of the late Jinab-i-Mirza, upon him be the Glory of God, Jinab-i-Mirza Siyyid Radi repeatedly attained the Most Holy Presence and with utmost humility and supplication requested that “We wish to divide these properties, and there is fear that disputes may arise among the heirs and strife and corruption may ensue.” No response was given. God is witness that he persisted to such a degree that no greater insistence could be imagined. Finally he petitioned, expressing in these words that “The purpose is for the Master to be present while some assayers divide the items. His presence would be a source of assurance and prevent disputes and conflict.” Then He said, “The Master is but a child.” Then he submitted that “Whoever else You designate would also be excellent, but the Master must also be present.”
Then for several days […] until one night Jinab-i-Mirza Siyyid Radi attained the Most Holy Presence and produced a key which he placed before Him. He asked, “What is this?” He submitted, “This is the third portion of the properties. After division, seven thousand tumans worth of jewels and four thousand tumans worth of effects constitute the third portion. The choice lies with the Most Holy Presence.” He said, “Aqa Mirza Musa claims that considerable sums of cash are with his sisters and their mother, which they have concealed from me. In this case, it would be best to hand over this third portion to him so that he too may be satisfied.” He submitted, “This servant is not responsible for this matter, as the circumstances of the aforementioned Mirza are evident in the Most Holy Presence.
We submit the third of properties and items to the Most Holy Presence; let them act as they deem advisable. We have no obligation to give it to the aforementioned Mirza.” He further submitted that “Had any of the outward divines become involved, they would have taken the third portion and caused other scandals as well. And in these latter days the late Aqa, upon him be God’s mercy, had trust in no place but here, therefore we acted according to his wishes.” Then by command he sent that same key to the chest containing the third portion to Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Musa himself, upon him be the Glory of God, son of the deceased. Similarly, regarding the third portion of real estate, Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Siyyid Radi came and transferred it.
That too He commanded should remain in the hands of Aqa Mirza Musa, son of the deceased, until its disposition would later be determined. The purpose is that that beloved one should know that a sum of property was here in the hands of Aqa Mirza Musa, and afterwards all those properties reverted to the Most Holy Presence in accordance with and conformity to the resplendent Law, and the deed bearing the seals of many divines and learned ones is in hand.
Then suddenly the matter of exile occurred. After arrival in the garden of Najib Pasha, which was named Ridvan, His Holiness appointed Aqa Mirza Muhammad and the aforementioned Mirza as agents to rent out the properties and spend the proceeds as commanded. This servant knows only that an agency arrangement was made; beyond this, this servant was not properly informed whether this agency was established in both their names or in one name. Whatever happened afterwards, that Beloved One knows. The purpose of these submissions is that now too all those properties belong to the True One, as testified by all the people of Iraq as well as by the deed in hand. [But] his Honor Mirza took possession of everything, even the third which had no connection to him. Moreover, he seized even the house that was the Blessed Place.
All these matters occurred due to the imprisonment of the Beloved. In truth, this servant thinks much about His Honor Mirza’s circumstances, for he endured many hardships and truly served the friends and followers. But at the time of fruition, he let it all slip away for nothing. This ephemeral one does not forget the times when he sat in the Most Holy Presence and tears flowed involuntarily from His eyes. What happened that with one commotion all this love and friendship and devotion vanished? Or perhaps what this servant hears about him has no basis, for until now not a word has been heard from the Beloved’s tongue confirming or indicating the truth of these reports. And this servant’s hope from God, exalted be His glory, is that He may enable them not to efface their services and labors and not to lose their lofty station.
The matter is very great and the Cause very mighty. I swear by the fragrances of His Robe that had he turned to the True One in those days and left the city, he would now be seen prominent and manifest like a banner upon the hills. In any case, God willing, may he not lose this bounty, and may the veils of fear, ornaments, imaginings and suspicions not prevent him from the Truth and conceal him from considering the end. Not every rumor can be spoken, and not every hidden thing should be revealed. The Prophets, God’s blessings be upon them, spoke saying “Would that my people knew!” Would that this servant could meet with him but once, that what was hidden from him today might be revealed.
This ephemeral servant at all times begs the exalted Truth for his protection, that he may be seen aflame with divine love—a flame whose effect would be manifest in the kingdom of creation. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Forgiving, the Generous, and what the servant desires is not difficult for God. And among the great favors shown him is that when some of the loved ones were hurt by certain of his words and deeds and showed distress, even hatred, a command issued from the Source of the Cause that no one should speak any unbecoming word about him. May my spirit be sacrificed for His bounty and His favor! By the life of the Intended One, he will ultimately be seen remorseful, but when remorse bears no fruit. This servant and that Holy One and all the friends must cling to the hem of God’s mercy and compassion and submit our needs, that perhaps God, exalted be His glory, may adorn him with a new ornament and honor him with fresh robes. Verily He has power over all things.
We beseech God to assist all to attain that which is befitting. These are the days for goodly deeds and spiritual qualities. At one time these words flowed from the tongue of the Beloved:
“O servant! These are the days of pure servitude, that all may arise with the utmost lowliness, submissiveness and detachment to serve the Cause of the Lord of creation. Through the manifestation of this station hath been and shall be revealed man’s station in creation. He whom God abaseth, God shall exalt through His grace.”
The friends must at all times be counseled and reminded, that they may all conduct themselves in such wise that others may inhale from them the sweet fragrances of sanctity, holiness and pure servitude unto God, the True One. Idle talk and the ways of the misguided have never been and shall never be worthy of the friends of the Self-Sufficient Lord. O friends! Aid ye the Cause of God through the hosts of goodly spiritual qualities, the ranks of holy deeds, and the banners of humility, submissiveness and supplication. By the life of God! No hosts in the world have been or shall be mightier than justice and wisdom. Had the kings of the earth held fast unto these two, all the peoples of the earth would have attained unto supreme tranquility and greatest ease. But now the sun of justice is veiled behind the clouds of oppression. We beseech God to deliver this light from the claws of darkness. Verily He is the Almighty, the Powerful.
Convey greetings to all the friends on behalf of this evanescent servant. God willing, may all be assisted to that which He loves and is pleased with, and may they conduct themselves with the utmost wisdom, calm and dignity. The world has been and ever shall be transient. Through God’s grace, they must, God willing, acquire in this transient abode an everlasting station. In all conditions they must strive to quench with the waters of wisdom the fire of hearts and the rancor and hatred of all. Whosoever today becomes the cause of clamor and agitation has strayed from God’s good-pleasure. That which all must fix their gaze upon and act according to today is teaching the Cause, that all on earth may acquire tranquil souls and goodly qualities and deeds.
And this teaching, if conducted with spirit and joy—otherwise silence is preferable. The Lord of the Beginning and the End! Had the people of the world been aware of God’s purpose, they would all have arisen with complete yearning, enthusiasm, determination and power to serve. But it is veiled from them because of what their hands have wrought. The glory be upon you and upon them and upon those who have recognized the word of unity in this grievous age. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the Prophets and Messengers.
Another matter: I conveyed the greetings and praise of the honored lady, upon her be the Glory of God, to the people of the pavilion of chastity and greatness. All send greetings to you and to that leaf, and each expressed their loving-kindness. Praise be to God, mention of you and those related to you has been and God willing shall continue to be made in the prison.
To his honor Jalalu’d-Din, upon him be the Glory of God, this evanescent servant sends boundless greetings. May he be assisted, God willing, to serve the Cause and make mention of God and praise God. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to grant the blessing of meeting, that we may speak and listen in the shade of the divine Lote Tree….
BH00932: Praise, sanctified from the mention and description of all…
He is God—exalted be His station, the Glory and the Power
Praise, sanctified from the mention and description of all contingent beings, beseemeth that peerless Beloved Who, through His perfect grace, hath guided them that are endowed with vision to the Most Exalted Horizon and enabled them that are possessed of hearing to hearken unto His sweetest call. Glory be unto God! Should all the tongues of the world and the pens of all nations engage in mentioning but the least of His verses, they would assuredly fail in their task. All good hath proceeded from Him and unto Him doth it return; all loving-kindness and grace have been manifested through Him and unto their Source do they tend.
He it is Who guided them that possess sight—but who bestowed that sight? And He it is Who enabled them that have ears to hear—but whence came those ears and who granted them? Glorified be His majesty, abundant be His favors, exalted be His station, and there is no God but Him. He is the Bestower in the Beginning and the End, in the Manifest and the Hidden, and He is the Beneficent in the First and the Last, in the Seen and the Unseen. He granted sight and enabled its possessors to behold; He bestowed hearing and honored its recipients with the ability to hearken.
Whatsoever proceedeth from Him is pure light, though it might appear as fire when kindled, and is absolute good, though outwardly it might be perceived otherwise. I testify that there is no God but Him. His are the glory and the power, His are the grace and the mercy and the authority. Whatsoever hath been and shall be manifested from Him is the beloved of the souls of His chosen ones and the light of the hearts of His sincere ones. He hath created souls that are assured, content and pleasing, and then He hath spoken the word “Verily, I am the Doer of whatsoever I will.”
Glorified art Thou, O God of all beings and Goal of all creation! I beseech Thee by Him Who revealed the verses and manifested the clear proofs, to assist Thy servants in that which beseemeth Thy days and to make known unto them the mysteries of Thy decree and the fruits of the Tree of Thy ordination. O my Lord! Thou seest Thy loved ones turning unto Thee and holding fast unto the cord of Thy grace. I beseech Thee by Thy bounty which hath encompassed all existence and by Thy mercy which hath preceded both the unseen and the seen, to send down from the heaven of Thy grace that which will acquaint them with the manifestations of Thy wisdom and the revelations of Thy knowledge.
Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having caused me to hear from Thy loved ones that which indicated their contentment with what was ordained for them by Thy binding decree. And thanksgiving be unto Thee, O my Best-Beloved, for having enabled me to inhale the sweet fragrances of their submission to that which hath come upon them from the Pen of Thy ordination.
I testify, O my God and the God of all who are in the heavens and the earth, my Lord and the Lord of all who are in the kingdom of command and creation, that Thou hast ever been the One God, the Single, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Giving, the All-Merciful. Thou didst bring forth creation as a token of Thy grace and ordained for them in the Most Exalted Pen, in Thy Book, that which would benefit them in every world of Thy worlds. Blessed is he who hath quaffed the choice wine of contentment in Thy days, O Lord of all names, and hath attained unto the pure water of submission unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp is the kingdom of creation.
I beseech Thee by the leaves of the Tree of Thy Cause, and the trees of the garden of Thy bounty, and the stars of the heaven of Thy wisdom, and the lights of the countenances of Thy near ones among Thy chosen ones, to assist me and Thy servants in the service of Thy Cause. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
O beloved of my heart! Your letter has reached this servant and your missive brought me joy, adorned as it was with the mention of our Beloved and your Beloved, acknowledging what the Book of our Goal and your Goal has acknowledged. When I read and understood its contents, I approached the Most Holy Presence and presented it before Him. Thereupon the tongue of the Beloved spoke, saying:
O servant in attendance! Although a great calamity befell Muhammad—upon him be My glory—yet since it occurred during the illumined and blessed days of the Promised One, at a time when he was adorned with the ornament of contentment and illumined by the sun of steadfastness and assurance, his is the station of contentment and submission. Blessed art thou, O Muhammad, for We found from thee the fragrance of contentment when there befell thee what was ordained by the Pen of Destiny from thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Marfu’ ʿAli—upon him be My glory—by the testimony of the Supreme Pen, turned unto God, heard the Call, attained its answer, was honored by the meeting, and drank from the Kawthar of reunion—a draught whose effects neither before his ascension nor after it were or ever shall be effaced. I swear by the Sun of Utterance that he ascended with utmost joy and delight and entered the pavilions of grace, bounty and pre-existing mercy. Happy is he and blessed is he.
And you, praise be to God, are turned toward the Truth, speak of Him, remember Him, and are related to Him. This word cannot be equaled by the treasures of the first and the last. Be thou grateful and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds! The Glory be upon thee and upon those who are there. Verily We remember them as We remembered them before. He is, in truth, the All-Remembering, the All-Bountiful.
Whatever this servant might express or mention regarding that which has appeared from the Kingdom of bounty would truly be out of place. However, this much I submit: in hardship and adversity, in comfort and difficulty, in health and otherwise, we have been and are partners. God willing, we are united and gathered like the letters of a word.
I swear by the Beloved of all creation that this evanescent servant at all times begs that there might befall him what befell His Holiness Marfu’—upon him be the Glory of God—for it occurred in the days of Truth and he had truly attained the ornament of contentment. There has not been and is not any greater bounty than this. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to cause all to attain this most exalted and highest station. He is, verily, the All-Powerful, the Almighty.
From your letters which you had sent to the friends of God, the fragrances of contentment were wholly diffused and the lights of submission, like the sun, were rising from their horizon. I presented those same letters before His Countenance. God knows what the tongue of the Beloved uttered. He is, verily, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. He is, verily, the All-Witnessing, the All-Seeing. His is the command in all conditions. There is no God but He, the Ruler over what He willeth. In His grasp is the reins of all servants, and He is the Protector of all who are in the heavens and the earth.
The Glory be upon thee and upon those whom God has adorned with the robe of submission and contentment, and given to drink from the Kawthar of purity from the hands of His bounty. He is, verily, the Munificent, the Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.