Volume 064: Akka 1298 A.H. (1880–1881), Part III (3 of 6)

BH01127: The essence of praise befitteth Him Who…

He is God, exalted be His glory, majesty and grandeur!

The essence of praise befitteth Him Who is the Lord of Names, Who hath illumined the Most Great Horizon with one of His names and guided His servant Ali-Qabli-Akbar unto it. He is the One Who at one time made Baghdad the Most Glorious Horizon and at another time made Adrianople the Dawning-place of His verses. At times He made Akka the Source of Names and at other times adorned Mazra’ih with the lights of His most exalted attributes. Blessed is the eye that hath turned unto Him, the face that hath been set towards His seat, the ear that hath heard His call, and the tongue that hath uttered that which was commanded in His Book. The servant beseecheth His Lord to aid His loved ones to do that which He loveth and is pleased with, and to write down for them from the Supreme Pen that which shall profit them in this world and in the world to come. He, verily, is the Hearer, the Answerer.

I offer my prayers, my salutations and my glorification unto the Manifestations of His oneness, the Dawning-places of His singleness, the Sources of His laws, the Recipients of His revelation, and the Repositories of His grace and bounty—they who broke not His Covenant on His Day and acted according to what was commanded in His Book. These are the monarchs of the seen and unseen realms of existence. These are the servants in whose praise His Supreme Pen moved in the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms and the Qur’an. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Powerful, the Bountiful.

Glory be unto Thee, O Thou by Whose light the horizon of the world was illumined and by Whose Word the Most Great Ocean was stirred! I beseech Thee to protect Thy loved ones from the arrows of the ungodly and the deniers who have disbelieved in Thy signs, disputed Thy proof, warred against Thy Self, turned away from Thy manifestation, Thy appearance and Thy sovereignty. O my Lord! Write down for Thy chosen ones that which befitteth Thy generosity, then send down upon them from the heaven of Thy mercy that which beseemeth Thy days. Thou art He to Whose loftiness, sovereignty and power the tongues of all created things have testified. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Powerful, the Great.

And now, O my beloved! The lights of thy mention of my Beloved and thy Beloved and the Beloved of all who are in the heavens and the earth have illumined me. When the breezes of utterance awakened me to the remembrance of our Lord, the Most Merciful, I arose and turned towards a station that cannot be indicated by my indication nor by the mention of any on earth. When I entered and attained His presence, after permission was granted, I presented what was contained therein. Then the face of the Beloved turned toward me and He spoke that which I am unable to mention except according to my weakness and poverty. By Him Who hath caused all things to speak forth His praise!

Every possessor of utterance, every person of understanding, and every seeker hath fallen short of that which the Tongue of Grandeur spoke forth in that hour wherein the sun of utterance shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of the favors of our Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. And when hour upon hour had passed, He spoke—and His word is most sweet: “O ʿAli-Qabli-Akbar! The Wronged One, from the direction of His Most Great Horizon, maketh mention of thee, as a favor from His presence, and He is the Compassionate, the All-Knowing. Blessed art thou, inasmuch as We have found from thee the fragrance of steadfastness in this Most Great News at whose appearance the hearts of the mystics were sorely troubled. Let nothing grieve thee. Rejoice in the remembrance of thy Lord and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Creator of the heavens and Lord of Names, for having caused me to turn unto Thee and for having revealed unto me that which was inscribed by the Supreme Pen in the Crimson Scroll and was mentioned in the Books which Thou didst send down unto the Prophets and Messengers. I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy Self and by Thy Manifestation and by the sweetness of Thy utterance, to aid me in the service of Thy Cause and to grant me Thy presence even as Thou didst grant it unto me the first time. Verily, Thou art the Kind, the Forgiving, the Merciful. There is none other God but Thee, the King, the Just, the Manifest Truth.”

Thus endeth the matter. Praise be to God that thou hast been blessed with the most excellent remembrances from the presence of the Beloved of the worlds. In the former Holy Books, those near to God, the believers, the Prophets, and the Messengers beseeched God, exalted be His glory, for the encounter with His Day, which is referred to as the Day of God. How many souls have appeared and come into the world, yet remained heedless and veiled from that for which they were created! Their likeness is as bubbles upon the water, appearing and moving without consciousness, and enduring even less than that—they appear, they move, and they perish. Verily, God is the Everlasting, the Eternal, the Strengthener, the Manifest, the Mighty, the All-Wise.

This evanescent servant is exceedingly joyful and filled with delight and gladness through the favors of the Beloved concerning your honor. Blessed art thou, and I, and whosoever hath attained unto this cup which is circulated by the fingers of the grace of His Most Generous Name.

Regarding what thou didst write about the dream, it was submitted, and He said: “We have confirmed him in his turning unto God and have mentioned him as befitteth. We beseech God, exalted be He, to ordain for him that which he loveth and with which he is well-pleased. It behooveth him to say: ʿO my Lord! Ordain for me that which shall profit me in Thy worlds. I know not what is within Thyself. Thou knowest what is with me, and Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.”’

I beseech thee to convey greetings on behalf of this evanescent one to those who drink from the cup of inner meanings. I implore God to strengthen them all and cause them to attain unto that which hath been ordained for them. Verily, He is the Answerer, the All-Bountiful. God willing, that which appeareth from them in God is preserved in the Divine Treasury until God shall make it manifest, as a grace from His presence, and He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. The Glory be upon thee and upon them and upon whosoever acteth in accordance with that which hath been commanded in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds. Praise be to God, the Desired One of all worlds.

The servant 15 Ramadan 1298

BH01565: Praise be to God Who hath sent down His…

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

Praise be to God Who hath sent down His bounty and manifested what He desired. He, verily, is the One Who is desired in the former and latter days. There is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. I bear witness that there is none other God but Him, in acknowledgment of His grandeur, in recognition of His sovereignty, and in submission to all that appeareth from His presence. He, verily, is the Single One, the One, the Mighty, the Powerful. Praise be to God Who hath assisted the sincere ones to turn towards the Supreme Horizon and to achieve the most great steadfastness, and hath enabled them to remember and praise Him and to serve His Cause in days wherein clamor hath been raised between earth and heaven and the hearts of the people of wisdom have been perturbed. Exalted be the Lord of the Throne and the dust, and the Master of the former and latter days. There is none other God but Him, the One Who overshadoweth all who are in the heavens and the earth.

Glorified art Thou, O Thou through Whose Name the rivers have flowed from the impenetrable rock and the Dove of the Cause hath warbled upon the branch of eternity! I beseech Thee by the sovereignty of the Names whereby the idol and its hosts have lamented, to assist Thy loved ones to remember and praise Thee and to do that which beseemeth Thy days. O my Lord! Thou seest them turning towards Thee and awaiting the wondrous tokens of Thy mercy. I beseech Thee to send down upon them from the heaven of Thy grace a blessing from Thee and a mercy from Thy presence. Then ordain for them through Thy Most Exalted Pen that which Thou didst ordain for Thy chosen ones who hastened to Thy horizon and quaffed the wine of Thy love. Thou art, verily, the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

Thereafter, the letter of your honor brought joy to the heart. God willing, you will at all times be occupied with the remembrance of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. All that is in the world hath been and will be evanescent, and all upon earth acknowledge and confess this fact. That which endureth and lasteth is the service that is rendered for the sake of God, and greatest of all is a word that is recorded by God for any soul. Praise be to God that your honor hath been favored with His grace—this is the essence, and all else is counted as derivative. As for your expression of embarrassment at the delay—never be saddened or troubled by such matters and their like. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Self-Sufficient, the Mighty, the Powerful. It is most clear that your honor and all that pertaineth unto you belong to God, glorified be His majesty. In this case, whatever occureth causeth no harm. He knoweth and seeth, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Due to certain necessary matters, mention was made to Haji Mirza Abu’l-Hasan, upon him be the glory of God. Whatever was mentioned, he hath surely related the details. There is no need to mention it again. This evanescent servant beseecheth and imploreth God to enable your honor to attain unto that which hath been and is the purpose. Regarding the dispatch of the packet about which you wrote—excellent is what thou hast done for God, the Lord of the worlds. And since that packet was bearing Tablets, the recompense of the bearers is and shall be with God. And concerning your supplication to God, glorified be His majesty, for the facilitation of affairs—God willing, it hath been and shall be manifested. Previously a word was heard from the blessed tongue which indicated what hath been mentioned, and this servant beseecheth God to assist you in that which is the cause of the perpetuity of existence in the divine worlds. Verily, He guideth whom He willeth and giveth to whom He willeth and withholdeth from whom He willeth. In His grasp is the key to all things. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Powerful.

As for your mention of Aqa Muhammad-ʿAli, upon him be the glory of God—surely by now he hath arrived safely and in good health. Convey greetings to him, and likewise to the friends if you meet them. Glory be upon your honor and upon those who have attained unto steadfastness in this wondrous Cause. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.

The servant 16 Ramadan 1298

BH00093: O beloved of my heart and the one remembered…

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

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

O beloved of my heart and the one remembered in my heart! The breezes of love wafting from the gardens of your recognition have gladdened me, and the manifestations of affection flowing from the pen of your will in remembrance and praise of God and in love of God and His Cause have stirred me. It is as though your honor has sent with the morning breeze the fragrance of all the gardens. God knows that through it my body was revived, my breast was dilated, and my spirit was gladdened. Therefore, I praised God, the Beloved of the world and the Goal of the nations, for having aided you to serve His Cause, manifest His bounty, and exalt His Word. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to ordain for you that which befits His generosity, munificence and grace. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Almighty.

Glorified art Thou, O Thou through Whom the horizon of the world was illumined and that which was hidden in the hearts of the nations was revealed! I beseech Thee by the Name through which every face was turned, every tongue spoke, every heedless one attained, every hidden thing was revealed, and every treasured thing emerged, to assist Thy servants and creation to turn unto Thee. O Lord! Thou seest Thy chosen ones and loved ones have arisen to aid Thy Cause, have entered every land in Thy name, have associated with Thy loved ones in spirit and fragrance, and have shown them the path of Thy good-pleasure and what Thou hast commanded them in Thy Book. O Lord! Illumine the eyes of Thy servants’ hearts with the lights of their faces, then grant them the sweetness of Thy verses in Thy days.

O Lord! This is the Day wherewith Thou didst give glad tidings to all in Thy Tablets, which Thou didst associate with Thyself and make the King of Days through Thy command and power. Yet when it appeared, the servants who disputed Thy verses, denied Thy proof, disbelieved in Thy Self, and cast behind them Thy Book—which, when sent down from the heaven of Thy Will and the atmosphere of Thy Purpose, all books, scrolls and scriptures submitted to it—turned away from it.

O Lord! I beseech Thee by the power that hath encompassed all possibilities and the might that hath overcome all created things, to send down from the heaven of Thy bounty upon the people of Thy realm that which will draw them nigh unto Thee, give them to drink of the Kawthar of Thy bestowal, and acquaint them with what hath been sent down in Thy Book and inscribed by the Pen of Thy decree. O Lord! They are the poor and Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Generous; they are the weak and Thou art the Strong, the Powerful. I beseech Thee, O Thou through Whose Name the Supreme Pen was set in motion and the tongue of knowledge spoke in the kingdom of creation, to ordain for him who hath arisen to mention Thee and serve Thee every good thing Thou hast decreed in Thy Book. Thou seest him, O my God, speaking Thy Name, crying out in Thy Cause, turning unto Thy face, and directing himself toward Thy horizon. Aid him through Thy bounty and favor in that which will attract the hearts of Thy creation. Verily, Thou art powerful over what Thou willest, and in Thy grasp is the kingdom of creation. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

I send blessings and salutations and glorification upon the stars in the heaven of Thy knowledge and the Hands of Thy Cause who circled round Thy will, who spoke not except by Thy leave and who clung to none save Thy robe. These are servants whose service, aid, steadfastness, mention and praise have been attested by Thy Books, Thy Scriptures, Thy Scrolls and Thy Tablets. Through them were hoisted the banners of Thy unity in Thy cities and domains, and the standards of Thy sanctity in Thy realm. These are they who preceded Thee not in speech regarding any matter. Their ears were attentive to hearken unto Thy commandments and their eyes were expectant for the lights of Thy countenance. These are honored servants. These are successful servants. These are steadfast servants. Upon them pray the denizens of the Kingdom and the Realm, the people of Paradise and of Supreme Dominion, and beyond them the Tongue of Thy Grandeur. Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having aided me to make mention of them and to praise them, and for that which they have achieved in Thy Cause and in Thy days. There is no God but Thee, the All-Numbering, the All-Encompassing, the All-Knowing.

And furthermore, this evanescent one submits that after becoming informed of what was recorded in the august letter, he turned toward the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court and presented all of it in the divine presence. This is what the Tongue of the Beloved uttered as He was walking in His Most Glorious, Most Holy and Most Luminous vista. His word, exalted be His grandeur:

“We verily glorify from this station thee who hast been gazing toward My horizon, who hast been standing in service to My Cause, and who hast been speaking in praise of Me. We make mention of thine arrival and of that which thou didst attain from the ocean of attainment, and of thy departure after permission, and of thy turning toward various regions for the Cause of God, the Revealer of verses and the Manifestor of clear proofs. Blessed is the deed that hath won the ornament of acceptance, and the tongue that hath won the praise of God, and the man who hath hastened to the cities and regions to serve His Cause, the Mighty, the Wondrous.”

This is a Day that cannot be equaled by even an hour of former centuries. This Most Holy, Most Exalted Day hath ever been and shall ever be special, and in the divine Books is attributed unto Him. Every deed that appeareth purely for the sake of God therein is recorded as the lord of deeds before God. Blessed is the soul that ariseth for God’s sake and speaketh for His Face.

O thou who dwellest in the Crimson Ark! Thou shouldst, with the aid of God, glorified be His majesty, be occupied at all times with the service of the Cause of the All-Merciful, that perchance thou mayest enable souls that are far removed to attain the Kawthar of nearness, and quicken lifeless bodies through the outpourings of the ocean of utterance. People have ever been, and continue to be, in need of educators and reminders. Though the people of the Bayan have witnessed with their outward eyes and heard with their outward ears the veils behind which the deluded ones were concealed and to which they clung, yet now these same souls are observed to be even more veiled and further astray.

The Water of Life must be offered with the utmost wisdom and utterance, that haply they may become aware and bear witness to the greatness of this Cause. That Essence of being for Whose manifestation they waited throughout ages, cycles and epochs, and Whose presence they beseeched God, exalted be His glory, by night and day—when the Dawn of the divine Day appeared, all were found to be veiled and turned away, save whom thy Lord willed. Would that they had been content with that! Their rancor and hatred reached such a point that they pronounced the death sentence against Him. By the Sun of the horizon of the Cause! The veiled ones among the people of the Bayan are seen to be more wretched, more rebellious and more astray than those souls.

Therefore must thou and the assured, convinced and contented souls arise for the sake of God to preserve the weak ones, that perchance they may be protected from the fire of self and passion and turn towards the pavilion of glory and the canopy of grace.

O thou who hast turned thy face towards My countenance and set thy course towards Mine horizon! Hearken unto My call. It maketh mention of thee in such wise as cannot be equaled by the treasures of the world or the riches of the nations, that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. We have made mention of thee time and again from this most exalted Station, when the Servant was standing before the face of his Lord, the Most Glorious. Verily thy Lord hath power over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Him, the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.

The Tongue hath spoken in the Kingdom of Utterance in such wise that the Mother Book hath circled round it, yet most of the people understand not. The lights of Beauty have shone forth from the horizon of grandeur, yet they see not. The Most Great Book moveth before their faces, yet they perceive not. They have followed their own desires and cast behind their backs that which they were commanded by God, the Lord of all being. They have denied the favor and turned away from Him Who came unto them with that which was recorded in the Books of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. Blessed is he who hath heard My sweetest call and blessed is the one who hath beheld My praiseworthy station. Joy unto him who, though far, hath sought the ocean of My nearness through My leave, and unto the seeker who hath held fast to the cord of My good-pleasure, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. Convey, on behalf of the Wronged One, My greetings unto My servants who have quaffed My sealed wine, and give them the glad-tidings of My remembrance, My loving-kindness and My favor which have encompassed both the seen and the unseen.

Say: By God! This is the Day of Resurrection. Blessed is he who hath arisen to assist the Cause of his Lord with wisdom and utterance amongst all created things. He is assuredly of the people of Baha in the Preserved Tablet. This is a Day wherein the Spirit calleth out from one direction and Moses from another, while the Beloved standeth before the face of the Beloved One. Say: O peoples of the earth! Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of this most exalted station. Fear God and follow not every heedless and veiled one. Say: Behold the Most Sublime Horizon which hath been illumined by the lights of the countenance of your Lord, the Lord of Names. Beware lest the doubts of the wayward hold you back or the intimations of the heedless frighten you. Leave the world behind you, placing your trust in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Thus hath the Supreme Pen moved and the Kingdom of Names been stirred by the breezes of Revelation as they wafted forth by the command of God, the Almighty, the Most Beloved.

O beloved of my heart! In truth, if one were to reflect even briefly, in every word of God’s utterances one would behold an ocean of bounty. The veiled, heedless, and corrupt natures perceive not the song of the nightingale and turn not to the rose-garden of divine knowledge. He who has given his heart to croaking knows not the value of the choice wine, and he who has drunk from and grown accustomed to the brackish, bitter pool will not turn to the water of life—he has been and will forever be deprived thereof, unless the hand of grace should seize him and through the blessing of the breath of pure and assured souls he find his way to God’s straight path. This evanescent servant beseeches and implores the True One, exalted be His glory and abundant be His favors, to burn away and obliterate the veils of idle fancies and vain imaginings of the heedless ones through the heat of the sun of certitude, that all may attain to the ocean of oneness and gather beneath the shade of the all-embracing Word. A hundred thousand regrets, a hundred thousand regrets that these days are passing and none has recognized their worth and station save whom God, the All-Knowing, the All-Numbering, has willed.

God willing, through your efforts and those of perfect souls, the heedless may drink from the ocean of awareness and the ones who have turned away may become illumined by the lights of the sun of acceptance. Every difficult matter that servants find most challenging has been and will be easy and simple before Him. The servant asks his Lord to open, by the hand of power, a door before the faces of the servants that they may enter therein through His leave, His name, His remembrance and His grace. Glory be upon you and upon those with you who follow the Cause of your Lord Who has appeared in truth with a sovereignty that has conquered all who are in the heavens and the earth. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

As for the question concerning the harmony and fellowship of Aqa Mirza Asadu’llah, upon him be the glory and might of God, it was presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court. This is what the tongue of our Lord, the All-Merciful, uttered in response: This matter is acceptable and beloved. The station of love, fellowship, agreement and unity, after recognition of God and steadfastness in His Cause, takes precedence over most good deeds. This is what God has testified to in the Books and Tablets. This is what the Desired One has acknowledged morning and evening. God willing, may they act in accordance with what has been revealed in the Most Holy Book—that is, with the consent of both parties and your consent.

For you are now considered in the place of a father. Would that this servant were present in that gathering and could mention that which gladdens hearts from the words of the Beloved, and could share in the joy and delight with those assembled. O beloved of my heart! Your letter was presented twice at the Most Holy Court. Indeed, supreme contentment was observed from the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court regarding the degrees of your sincerity and devotion, and your arising to serve the Cause of God and spread His signs. Blessed art thou for having attained unto His grace and good-pleasure. And His utterances concluded with these mighty and blessed words, exalted be His utterance: God willing, may all that he possesses of limbs and members, certitude and assurance, acceptance and spirit, existence and breaths be spent in the path of divine service. We are with him and his helper.

Section 2: “Regarding what you mentioned about the Land…”

Regarding what you mentioned about the Land of Kha and those regions, and their acceptance, steadfastness, assurance and devotion—these matters were presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Threshold. His Word, exalted be His grandeur:

“This is of God’s grace unto them. O thou who speakest My praise! All must be thankful to the Truth, the Most High, for having enabled them to attain this most exalted station. By the life of God! This is such an exaltation that all exaltation boweth down before it. We acknowledge their acceptance, their devotion, their mention, their utterance, their love, their affection and their steadfastness. We desire to behold them rise to heights beyond their present station. God willing, may they manifest such steadfastness that should all the peoples of the world—that is, the learned, the wise and the mystics, together with the books of the first and the last—attempt to prevent them from partaking of the Salsabil of the All-Merciful and the choice-sealed wine, they would find themselves powerless and would regard them all as a mere handful of dust.”

Praise be to God! You and Asad—upon him be My glory and My mercy—have exerted your utmost in service and teaching. The fruits thereof will assuredly become manifest. The seed of knowledge, when sown in pure soil, will certainly sprout and flourish verdantly in the world. Henceforth also, they must in all conditions occupy themselves with this Most Great, Most Great Cause and this Most Great, Most Great Station. From this station We send Our greetings to the faces of the people of Kha who have forsaken the world and turned to the Most Great Name, whereby the horizons of the hearts of those near unto God and the sincere ones were illumined. We give them glad tidings and make mention of them on this Day, one hour of which cannot be equated with ages and centuries. The Supreme Pen hath previously testified on their behalf in such wise that the fragrance of their Lord’s loving-kindness, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, hath been diffused. Ask God at all times to grant them success and to confirm them in teaching this irrevocable Cause. That which would gladden hearts and souls hath been revealed for them aforetime and in these days.

God willing, may they be illumined at all times by the lights of the morn of God’s Day, arise to serve His Cause, speak in His Name, drink in His love, and be engaged in His remembrance. Praise be to God! They have attained unto that which most of the divines, mystics and rulers are today deprived of. Thus hath the Tongue of Utterance spoken in the Kingdom of Knowledge. Blessed is he who hath heard and woe unto the heedless. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

And concerning what you wrote about your intention to consult about proceeding, if agreeable, with the beloved Mr. Mirza, upon him be the Glory of God and His Light, to the land of Kha—this matter was presented before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence. His word, exalted be His grandeur, states:

“Previously it was revealed from the Supreme Pen that they should proceed to the regions of the land of Ta. However, at present whatever becomes manifest from the consultation you have intended is acceptable. In all conditions, you must hold fast to that which causes the promotion of God’s Cause and the exaltation of His Word. Those souls who are today occupied with ornaments and are proud of outward glory, even if they should turn, their acceptance would be limited. But after holding fast to teaching and the manifestation of the Cause and the exaltation of the Word, thou shalt see them turning, accepting, submissive and humble before the remembrance of God and His Cause. Thus hath it been in all ages. This is why it was previously mentioned that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. Glory and wealth are two great obstacles for heedless souls. But ere long they shall be seen as more perishing than Abu-Lahab. The dead are not worthy of being heard, nor will they ever be, although at present some from various regions among these souls claim to have turned and accepted, yet verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. The acceptance of such souls is in all cases limited. Ask ye God to assist all to that which He loves and is pleased with.”

End.

In truth, the matter of teaching is a great matter. That beloved one and other gentlemen must be mindful of it and in all directions occupied souls who are at rest should, with perfect joy and fragrance and revealed wisdom, engage in teaching God’s Cause.

And further, mention was made of the beloved of the soul, Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Haydar-ʿAli, upon him be the Glory of God. Praise be to God, he is favored by God’s grace. Some time ago his letter arrived requesting Tablets, which were revealed and sent in those same days. Later another letter arrived from the direction of Hadba specifically for the land of K and its surroundings, requesting wondrous and exalted Tablets. However, nearly a year had passed from its date, therefore there was delay in sending those Tablets. In these days it was again presented before the Most Holy Presence. Several Tablets were revealed specifically for Q.M.S. It is hoped that the rest will also be revealed. The purpose is that the delay in the Tablets was due to the delay in the arrival of his letter. On behalf of this evanescent one, convey exalted greetings to him. Mention of him has been made in the Most Holy Presence and, God willing, will always continue to be made.

And concerning what you wrote about sending names on a separate sheet—it was not in your envelope.

Know ye concerning the direction of prayer towards the Most Holy and Exalted Spot, what ye wrote hath been submitted. This word was heard from the Sacred Tongue, speaking the truth. His Holiness Asad, upon him be Baha, also hath permission. These two are confirmed and adorned with acceptance. Yet praise be to God that they turned towards the Sacred Court, traversed land and sea, and endured hardships in the path of God. Praise be to God, they ultimately reached their supreme goal and attained the station of meeting and reunion that is mentioned in all divine books. Happy are they, blessed are they! Now, since the teaching of the Cause is the most important of all matters, We have therefore commanded this. By the life of God, the greatness of this Cause is such that every great thing testifies to its greatness. God willing, may they be successful therein and illuminate all horizons with the light of His countenance and kindle them with the fire of divine love. We have not forbidden it now, but since this matter had occurred, We commanded another matter which is most important today. Upon them be My glory, My grace, My mercy and My loving-kindness.

Concerning what you wrote about his honor M.S., this servant is aware of several instances where the True One, exalted be His glory, protected him and delivered him from great dangers. However, his many occupations have at times preoccupied him. God willing, relief shall come. Once this evanescent servant heard these words from the Sacred Tongue:

“O servant in attendance! Divine grace hath several times delivered his honor M.S. from great dangers. However, due to excessive attention to worldly matters, when a divine tablet was sent to him, he did not succeed in reciting what was revealed therein and reflecting upon it, that he might discover its purpose and hold fast to that which is everlasting and enduring.”

After hearing this, this servant prayed for him that he might be assisted in that which is pleasing to God, and God willing, I hope that what was submitted may be answered. In this last instance when they summoned him to the land of T., as commanded this servant wrote and sent the well-known blessed circle for his protection. This evanescent servant beseeches the Truth in all conditions to protect him and assist him in that which is befitting.

And this is what was revealed for him who was named Muhammad-Husayn and who ascended unto God, exalted be His grandeur:

He is the Forgiving, the Generous

We make mention of him who made mention of Him Who turned to My Self, circled round Me, soared in My atmosphere, spread My traces, and spoke My praise when he desired to help Me, and I am the All-Knowing Witness. O Muhammad-Husayn! Thou art in the Supreme Companion, and the Lord of Names maketh mention of thee in this Great Prison. God forgave thee at the first moment when the Countenance of the Ancient One turned toward thee, and there was revealed from the Pen that which caused the ocean of forgiveness to surge and the fragrance of the Merciful’s loving-kindness to waft, and I am the Forgiving, the Merciful. By the life of God! Thou hast attained unto that whose fragrance shall never be cut off from the world. Thus doth the Lord of Eternity bear witness, and I am the Informed, the All-Knowing. Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto that which thou hast attained on this Day whereon the Point of the Bayan crieth out before the face of the Merciful: The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

And this is what God revealed for him who was named Haji Muhammad, exalted be His utterance and His grandeur

He is the All-Witnessing, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing!

O Muhammad! Hearken unto that which the Wronged One calleth out to thee on this Day which was inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the ancient Scriptures and mentioned in the hearts of the Messengers. Be thou of such steadfastness that neither the veils of the enemies nor the doubts of the perverse shall hinder thee. Verily We have sent down the Bayan wherein We gave glad tidings unto all of this Revelation which hath appeared and made manifest His straight Path. Say: This is the Day of God, were ye of them that know. All the books of the world have testified unto it, were ye of them that hear.

Say: This is the Day wherein the Mother Book hath appeared and hath testified that there is none other God but I, the Ancient Revealer. He needeth not any thing to prove His Cause, neither any mention from among mentions, nor any name from among names, nor any book from among the former books. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken as He walked in this manifest Prison. This is a Day wherein none hath attained save those who have cast the world behind their backs and taken that which they were commanded by God, the Lord of all worlds. Rejoice thou in this Tablet through which the fragrance of My garment hath been wafted, and the breaths of My utterance have been diffused, and every tongue hath proclaimed that there is none other God but He, the Mighty, the Beauteous. Take thou the Book with strength from Us, then read it among myriads of them that are nigh. We counsel thee and Our loved ones to be steadfast in this Cause whereby every foot hath slipped save such as God, the Possessor of this wondrous Day, hath willed. The glory be upon thee and upon those who have attained unto the grace and mercy of God and have acknowledged that which God hath acknowledged in this glorious Tablet.

In these days a letter arrived from Aqa Mirza Kazim and Aqa Khudadad, upon them be the glory of God, and likewise from Aqa Mulla Ali, upon him be the glory of God, wherein mention was made of Aqa Azizu’llah and other friends, upon them be the glory of God. Praise be to God, all were mentioned before the Divine Throne and attained unto infinite grace. That beloved one had also made mention of Aqa Ishaq and Aqa Rajab, upon them be the glory of God. Concerning all of them this blessed word hath issued forth from the Source of the Cause—exalted be His grandeur:

Section 3: “Verily We have heard their call and have…”

Verily We have heard their call and have answered them with truth, and We have beheld their turning and have turned unto them from this most exalted Station that they might rejoice in the grace of their Lord, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. We send Our greetings upon their faces from this forbidden Station, and We give them glad tidings of God’s grace and mercy, and We remind them of the supreme steadfastness, and We bid them to that whereby the Cause of God, the Mighty, the Loving, may be exalted. If all the friends of God were to attain unto a single word from Him, verily it would suffice them all, for nothing that appeareth or is hidden in the earth can equal it. He Who possesseth knowledge of all things in a Book that was sealed with the seal of God and hidden from the eyes of all who are in the heavens and the earth beareth witness unto this. Thou shalt give them glad tidings from the Wronged One, then impart unto them that which God hath imparted unto thee in this sealed and preserved Tablet.

This servant had not the opportunity this time to present their answers. God willing, they shall be sent later. Ye had made mention of Muhammad Rida Khan and Sulayman Khan, upon them be the glory of God. It was presented at the Most Holy Court. This is what was revealed for them from the heaven of the will of our Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful:

He is the Most Holy, the Most Great

O Muhammad-Qabli-Rida! Today, whosoever hath been mentioned with the word ʿcontentment’ from the Dawning-Place of Revelation, the Lord of Names, hath attained unto the boundless effusions of God. Blessed is he who hath drunk from the ocean of contentment and hath arisen with perfect steadfastness to promote the Cause of the Lord of all beings. This is the Day of goodly deeds, goodly words, and praiseworthy conduct. Blessed is the soul through which the Cause of its Lord, the Protector of all who are in the heavens and on earth, hath been aided. Every good deed performed today is and shall be the cause of everlasting remembrance. Exalted is this glorious station! God willing, may you at all times fix your gaze upon the Most Sublime Horizon and be set ablaze with the fire of God’s love.

All things lie within the grasp of extinction save that which hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen—this shall endure and remain forever. Rejoice thou in the remembrance of thy Lord and render thanks unto God, the Lord of the worlds. He hath remembered thee as a token of His grace. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. The glory rest upon thee, upon thy son, and upon those who have attained unto this Cause which hath caused the limbs of every heedless one to quake.

This is what hath been sent down from the heaven of the bounty of our Lord, the Creator of the heavens, unto him who was named Ghulam-Qabli-Rida:

He is the All-Speaking, the All-Seeing

O Ghulam-Qabli-Rida! Rejoice that the Wronged One remembereth thee from the direction of the Most Great Scene, the Spot which God hath made the circling-point of them that are nigh unto Him. Be thou ablaze with the fire of My love, soaring in My atmosphere, and speaking with wisdom and utterance in praise of My beautiful Name. Take thou the choice wine of utterance in the name of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, then drink thereof with His wondrous remembrance. Erelong shall clamor be raised in most lands. This is what He Who broke the Seal hath informed you of through His luminous and choice wine. By God’s life! Wert thou to taste the sweetness of utterance, such joy would seize thee that neither the doubts of the divines nor the allusions of the heedless would grieve thee.

Thus hath crowed the Cock of the Throne, while the Wronged One was in this noble station. The Most Exalted Pen counseleth all to show forth the utmost steadfastness, that they may be observed to be so firm and steadfast in the Cause that the cawing of them that are on earth shall not deprive them of the divine Kingdom. The deniers among the people of the Bayan are seen to be more veiled than the peoples of former times. They have perceived naught of the Day of God save its name, and are heedless and unaware of that which God hath purposed. Convey thou My greetings to the friends in that land on behalf of the True One and make them aware.

We, verily, send Our greetings unto them from this Spot and give them the glad-tidings of God’s grace and mercy, and We bid them observe the wisdom which We have sent down in the Sacred Scriptures and Tablets. The glory rest upon thee and upon them from God, the Revealer of verses.

And likewise thou didst make mention of the servants, that is, the Siyyids of the lands of S and Sh, and the friends of those regions—upon them be the glory of God. This was presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken:

In the Name of the All-Knowing Speaker

The Wronged One’s Pen and Tongue have not paused for a moment in promulgating the Divine Cause except as ordained. I swear by the Sun of Revelation that hath risen above the horizon of the prison that, at a time when sorrows had encompassed Us from all directions and trials and tribulations were pouring down like torrential rain, We summoned the peoples of the earth to the Most Exalted Horizon with all Our power and might. God willing, may the noble ones of that land arise to aid the Cause with such arising that neither weariness shall overtake it nor shall sitting still comprehend it. Today, every goodly deed that is manifested for God’s sake—its influence and remembrance shall endure as long as God’s names endure. They must occupy themselves with the utmost determination in teaching God’s Cause, exalted be His glory. Today is the day of this blessed verse which sayeth:

“Lead forth the people from darkness into light and give them glad tidings of the days of God.”

We beseech God to assist them in protecting the weak souls, that each may be observed more steadfast than that which is steadfast and more firmly rooted than mountains. The Cause is exceedingly mighty and the people are weak. They must, through the power of faith, assist the people of that land to recognize the Cause of the All-Merciful through wisdom and utterance. Verily their Lord, the Self-Subsisting, is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth. There is no God but Him, the Protector, the Mighty, the Bountiful.

The clamourers are present in every land, and this matter hath been revealed aforetime in the divine scriptures and tablets. Assuredly, whatsoever hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen shall come to pass. One must educate souls through the Most Great Word in such wise that diverse winds shall not remove them from the shore of the sea of oneness, and they shall be observed so steadfast that the power and might of the world shall appear as non-existent and null. Convey greetings from the Wronged One to all the friends of that land and give them glad tidings of God’s grace, loving-kindness and mercy, exalted be His glory. Praise be to God, all are mentioned in the Most Great Prison and are present before His face. The Glory be upon them and upon those who have cast aside the world on this Most Great Day and have taken up that which they were commanded by the Powerful, the Ancient.

Regarding what you wrote about one of the handmaidens of God who used opium for pain and who, after the prohibition was declared, abandoned it and nearly perished—the divine decree is that the patient must follow the physician’s directions, but the physician must be skilled. In such case, whatever is prescribed must be followed, for the preservation of human life is, in God’s sight, greater than any other matter. God, exalted be His glory, hath given precedence to the science of medicine, for in the existence and health of the body lies the obligation to carry out His laws. Thus health was and shall remain of primary importance.

Concerning what you wrote about the honored wife, upon her be the Glory of God, it was presented at the Most Holy Court. He said:

“God willing, may she attain to that which God loveth and is pleased with, and may she be gladdened through the favor of the Beloved. We, from this spot, send Our greetings to her and make mention of her as a bounty from Us. Verily thy Lord is the Hearer, the Answerer.”

God willing, hereafter the Most Holy, Most Great Tablet specifically for that honored lady shall be sent.

Concerning your mention at the close of your letter of the name of Ismu’llah al-Asdaq—upon him be all the most glorious glory and the most exalted exaltation—it was presented before the Throne. His word, exalted be His might and His grandeur: “We verily seal the end of the letter of Our servant in attendance with the mention of him who was named ʿThe Most Truthful’ in the Kingdom of God, the Lord of the worlds.

O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who turned to the Lord of Names in such wise that a company of the Concourse on High turned with him. His Lord, the All-Merciful, is verily the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Through his turning, faces were turned, and through his arising, the servants arose before the countenance of their Lord, the All-Subduing, the Mighty, the All-Wise. The wine of recognition so intoxicated him that he soared unto the All-Merciful until he stood before the face of his Lord, the Almighty, the Omnipotent. We testify that he attained unto that which was inscribed in the Books of God and bore witness to that which God did testify: that there is none other God but Me, the Single, the Ancient.

The lights of the Throne so seized him that his sighs of longing ascended and his tears fell like spring rain. We have mentioned him time and again in the Tablet of him who was named Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin in the Book of God, the Exalted, the Great. Likewise have We mentioned him in diverse Tablets in such wise that all the treasures of earth and heaven cannot equal it. To this testifies He Who speaks in all things: ʿThere is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.’ Blessed is the soul that drew nigh unto him and visited him, as spoken by the Tongue of Grandeur concerning his noble station. The glory from Us be upon him and upon those related to him, whether female or male, whether young or old.”

“O thou who speakest My praise and standeth in My service! Give glad tidings from Me to his family. Say: By God’s life! You stand before the face of your Lord, the Possessor of this wondrous Day. Beware lest the affairs of creation sadden you. Leave the world to its people and cling to the hem of your Lord’s mercy, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.” End.

Furthermore, convey to all the friends in that land the expression of this servant’s sincerity, devotion and nothingness, which depends on the favors of that Beloved One. God willing, may all attain to the water of steadfastness in such wise that its effects become manifest. To the true beloved one, he who was named at the Most Great Scene as Ali-Qabli-Akbar—upon him be God’s care, might and favors—I express my evanescence and nothingness. Likewise to the other gentlemen who are all in my thoughts: Haji Muhajir, Aqa Abdu’r-Rahim and his brother—upon them both be the glory of the All-Merciful. God willing, they have arrived by now; to them also I express my greetings. Glory be upon you and upon those who have sacrificed their spirits, their bodies and all they possess in service to the Cause of God—our Beloved, their Beloved, our Goal, their Goal, and the Goal of all in the heavens and the earth. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

The servant, 29 Ramadan 1298

One more submission: In these days, if someone were to turn towards the lands of Sad, namely Najaf and Ard and other territories, it would be most beloved. However, it must be an enlightened person whose heart is connected to God’s grace. In such case, whatever he mentions will prove effective. The same applies to other lands, whether cities or villages.

BH00332: In the name of our Lord, the Most Holy…

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

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

O beloved of my heart! Praise be to God that through His infinite bounties you have attained, and have been blessed with His remembrance, and confirmed in teaching His Cause. For His sake you undertook migration, aspiring to the most exalted station, the highest rank, the ultimate goal, and the most glorious vista. Through the special confirmations of the Lord of Oneness, you traversed land and sea through divine love and reached your goal. You drank from the ocean of reunion, and after returning, girded up your loins with determination and turned towards all regions to proclaim and raise aloft the Word.

These stations require a hundred thousand nightingales and a hundred thousand doves, and like these two divine birds, one must needs raise such melodies as befit these stations in the divine days, reaching the ears of the sincere ones, the near ones, and the believers in unity. What else can this small bird accomplish, and how can it raise its song in this garden of inner meanings where every branch of its sacred trees speaks with a different melody or sings in remembrance of the Friend?

I seek God’s forgiveness! I swear by the Sun of Truth that this servant sees himself as lower than even a small bird, for that which today befits divine grace, this Day of God, and celestial bounty and mercy has not been manifested from him. For every good deed manifested by one of the loved ones, this servant utters “Would that I…”, and for every praiseworthy characteristic shown by one of the chosen ones, this ephemeral one remembers “Would that I were with him.”

What more can be said and expressed? Were it not that divine praise and remembrance and the teaching of His Cause are beloved to the soul and the qiblih of the spirit, surely this ephemeral one would not have relinquished holding fast to silence and quietude. However, this is the Day in which He says: “This is the Day of calling out, yet you remain silent” to the end of His exalted Word—exalted be His station, elevated be His grandeur, and glorious be His manifestations.

It would be better to take hold of the reins of the pen from this station and turn to necessary supplications. At the beginning of this letter, the intention was to make a brief submission, but the flame of love for your honor took away the reins of choice and will. This ephemeral servant begs and hopes from God, exalted be His Glory, that He may assist your honor and this ephemeral one in that which pleases Him and benefits His Cause. Your honor, who praise be to God is confirmed, I request that you also supplicate God, exalted be His Glory and Greatness, for this ephemeral one, that He may assist him and other friends. Verily He answers every caller, confirms every seeker, and assists every sincere aspirant. He is indeed the Powerful, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Wise.

I submit that your letter dated the tenth of Jumada II brought glad tidings and increased joy. It taught the bird of separation the path of reunion and bestowed the Kawthar of meeting, for it was adorned with the mention of the Beloved of the worlds. After becoming informed of its contents, it was presented before the Throne, and after the submission of these exalted words, these appeared from the Dayspring of utterances of the Lord of Names and Attributes—praise and gratitude be to God. All things have testified to His grace, mercy and bounty. Blessed is he who has found and recognized. Woe unto the heedless and the deniers. His Word, exalted be His grandeur […]

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

Thou hast been mentioned before the Throne, and there hath been revealed for thee that which hath diffused the fragrance of the All-Merciful throughout all lands, and the Dove of the Cause hath warbled upon the branches, saying: “There is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.” Blessed art thou for having attained unto the verses of God and His mercy, and for having traveled through the lands to exalt His Cause. Verily thy Lord is the Witness, the Hearer, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

This is the Day whereon the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken, calling all to this noble scene, round which circle the denizens of the highest Paradise and those who have acknowledged that which the Tongue of Ancient Days acknowledged before the creation of the heavens and earth. We have revealed in thy name various tablets. Thy Lord is, verily, the Omnipotent, the Almighty. We have caused diverse rivers to flow, as a mercy from Us unto thee, that thou mayest be of the thankful. Blessed art thou for having cast away that which is possessed by men, taking hold of that which thou wast bidden by One mighty and powerful.

Remind the people of that which We have revealed unto thee, that perchance the remembrance may draw them nigh unto the kingdom of the loving providence of their Lord, the Forgiving, the Merciful. The Day is come, yet they have turned away from it. They hear the call of God, yet they are heedless thereof. They have cast the command of God behind their backs, having followed their own desires. They understand not. They drink from the seas of fancy and vain imaginings, and deny that which hath appeared from God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. Arise to aid My Cause through wisdom and utterance. Thus was it revealed aforetime and in this praiseworthy station.

Praise be to God, time and again hast thou been blessed with God’s special favors. He was with thee as thou didst journey through the lands. He heard thy voice when thou didst speak in remembrance of Him, the All-Wise. All the friends and loved ones of God must, as decreed by God, observe wisdom and hold fast unto it. This binding divine command hath been revealed in most of the Tablets, yet some have not heeded it and have not comprehended its purpose. Today, by command, every matter must be carried out through consultation with souls who are devoted and assured, and be made manifest.

Say: O servants! Whatever floweth from the Most Exalted Pen hath as its purpose a benefit that returneth, both outwardly and inwardly, to those souls themselves. They must act with complete submission and contentment in accordance with whatsoever appeareth from the Dayspring of the Cause. This is God’s counsel that hath been recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in diverse places. Well is it with them that act, and well is it with them that have attained!

From this station We send Our greetings to the loved ones of God and His chosen ones who have acted in accordance with that which they were bidden in His mighty Book. We counsel them with that which beseemeth this blessed, mighty and wondrous Day. He who acteth, acteth for himself, and he who turneth away—verily He is independent of all that hath been created in the heavens and on earth. To this testifieth every possessor of utterance, understanding and enlightened vision.

The praise of God—the favors of the Truth, exalted be His glory, are manifest and evident from the ocean of utterance. Verily, He needeth not the mention of any mentioner, nor the description of any describer, nor the exposition of any expounder, nor the praise of any praiser, nor the testimony of any just and knowing one.

Concerning what you wrote about Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Abu-Talib, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory—some time ago funds were written about which had become available in a certain place to be sent to the Most Holy Court. By specific command it was written to send these to your honor—thirty tumans of it to be given to Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Abu-Talib. Some was also assigned to Jinab-i-Ibn-i-Abhar, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory. Previously too some funds became available elsewhere which were assigned to the Land of Ta, but that did not arrive. People are waiting to serve the Cause, and moreover they do not pay the Huququ’llah as they should, although this matter is the cause of protection, blessing and bounty. Blessed is the patient poor one who was among the patient ones.

Section 2: “At one time this firm and established word…”

At one time this firm and established word shone forth from the Dawning-Place of divine utterance—exalted be His grandeur:

“If those who have turned to God had acted according to what God desired, the earth would now be seen as other than it is.”

Words to this effect were repeatedly heard from the Tongue of Grandeur. God willing, your honor and this servant beseech the True Outpouring Grace that He may assist all and deprive no one from what His will desires.

Another matter—Jinab-i-Mulla Sadiq, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory, from the people of Baku wrote a detailed letter to this servant and its reply was sent. Among other things he had mentioned that the chief of police, in their words, had asked for assurance regarding absence of corruption. Although it is now clear to all that the purpose was not and is not corruption and upheaval—that beloved one himself mentioned this matter—but due to previous errors that appeared from some at the beginning of the Cause, it is very difficult for the hearts of government authorities to become free and pure from suspicions and imaginings. However, if they became aware of the verses that have been sent down from the heaven of God’s will regarding kindness, compassion, and absence of corruption, conflict and dispute, they would attain certain faith and would testify to what God, exalted be His glory, has willed.

When this servant presented Jinab-i-Mulla Sadiq’s letter at the Most Holy Court, this blessed word emerged from the Source of Command—exalted be His grandeur: “If they had known the Truth to be truthful, surely a Tablet would have been bestowed and in that Tablet would have been revealed from the Supreme Pen that none from this party should commit any act contrary to the interests of the government.” In the Tablet to the Sultan it was also revealed that God, exalted be His glory, has relinquished the earth, both land and sea, to the kings—what He has desired for Himself has been and will be the hearts of His servants. Would that the people of the earth were fair and would attain to hearing what has been sent down from the heaven of divine will. At that time they would speak these words: “Would that we had attained in the beginning of the Cause to what we have attained today, and would that we had known in the beginning of the Manifestation what we know today.”

Some deeds have become the cause of preventing the turning and attention of the servants. This evanescent servant beseeches from the Exalted Truth that He bestow a drop from the ocean of insight upon these people, that all may see and know and hear and become aware. He is the All-Merciful, the Kind. There is no God but Him, the Forgiving, the Generous.

With regard to what you wrote about your brother, upon him be the Glory of God, and also about Ali Akbar Bey, upon him be the Glory of God, it was presented before the Most Holy Court. He says, exalted be His grandeur:

“Let them not be saddened by outward upheavals. Today the Kingdom of wealth has been and will continue to circle round the people of God. In accordance with the time it shall be made manifest. The steadfast and assured souls have attained unto the Most Great Grace, the Supreme Bounty, and true wealth. And if for a few days in the outer world the manifestation of certain matters is delayed, this is due to divine wisdom and His expediency. Ask God, thy Lord and the Lord of all who are in earth and heaven, to ordain for them that which shall profit them in the Hereafter and in this world. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Giving, the Generous.”

Regarding what you wrote about Dervish Abdul-Samad, upon him be the Glory of God, the prayer which that loved one submitted in his name was presented before the Most Holy Court. This is what the Tongue of the All-Merciful spoke in reply, exalted be His grandeur:

“We have heard thy call and what thou hast praised the Wronged One with a tongue that hath testified to what God hath testified and acknowledged what the Desired One hath acknowledged in the Holy Books and Tablets. Blessed art thou for having attained, and seen, and heard what the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken. Verily, there is no God but Him, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. There hath befallen thee what hath befallen Us time and again. Be thou thankful and say: ʿPraise be unto Thee, O God of the Kingdom and the Realm.’ Grieve not for what hath befallen thee in My path. Rejoice in that thou hast been mentioned in the prison by the Pen of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.”

With a hundred thousand tongues give thanks to the Desired One of the world that He hath preserved you from the manifestations of idle fancies and vain imaginings and guided you to the Dawning-Place of certitude. By the life of God! The objectors to the Bayan are seen to be more veiled than the parties of old. They have newly purposed to establish chiefs and nobles and pillars and the fourth pillar and the successor and the like thereof, in the same manner as existed before. By My life! They are in evident delusion. These mentions are as thorns and thistles in the City of inner meanings. Beseech God that He may purify and sanctify that City from thorns and thistles. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

O Asad! O thou who gazest upon the One, the Single! Strive to sanctify the people from these vain imaginings. In all conditions, be occupied with the triumph of the Cause through wisdom and utterance. God willing, thou shalt take possession of the cities of hearts through the mention of the Beloved. Verily, He aids whomsoever He willeth through a command from His presence, and He is the Manifest, the Speaker, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Another submission is that some time ago a detailed letter was sent to the beloved of heart and soul, his honor Aqa Mulla ʿAli-Akbar, may the glory and favors of God rest upon him, together with sacred and exalted Tablets. God willing, they will arrive and he will attain unto them. It would be most pleasing if copies of some of the divine sacred Tablets and this evanescent one’s letters were sent to various regions, for although most people have, through divine assistance, broken the chains of vain imaginings, they nevertheless require a reminder. The divine rose garden must be kept fresh and verdant through the rain of the All-Merciful’s grace. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the All-Knowing Educator. The submission of nothingness and evanescence to all the friends in that land is contingent upon the grace of that Beloved One. Glory be upon you and those with you and upon all who stand firm, whom the doubts of those who have denied God, the Lord of all worlds, have not caused to slip.

It is further submitted that regarding the honored mother of the household, may the glory of God rest upon her, you had written about the sum of one hundred tumans—fifty tumans for her and fifty tumans specifically for the orphans of the late Haji ʿAli of Qarabagh. As commanded, it was written that they should deliver it. Surely it has arrived by now.

Another submission to the honored friend, his honor Aqa Mirza ʿAli-Naqi, may the glory of God rest upon him—I offer greetings. Some time ago, this servant submitted a detailed letter in response to the letter written on behalf of his honor Aqa Shahvirdi, may the glory of God rest upon him. That letter also bore divine verses specifically for them and his honor Aqa Shahvirdi and other souls, may the glory of God rest upon them, who were mentioned in that letter. God willing, it has arrived by now and they have attained unto it.

The servant 29 Ramadan 1298

BH06131: All praise that is sanctified from the limits…

All praise that is sanctified from the limits of time eternal past and future befitteth Him Who is the Beloved that perisheth not, Who hath illumined the world of utterance through the dawning rays of the Sun of inner meanings…

The horizons have been seized by the dark dust of ignorance. Hence the world is in upheaval, hearts are troubled, and souls are perplexed. At one time these words were heard from the Revealer of Verses, exalted be His glory:

“O servant! The world is in upheaval, and its upheaval shall not be stilled save through the will of thy Lord, the Almighty.”

Strange it is that despite the spreading of divine verses and the appearance of clear proofs, they still know not the cause of upheaval and discord. The Supreme Pen hath previously erased the glory of two peoples from the Book, as thou dost observe. Consider how Alexander of Russia, who was the greatest monarch in the world, perished in such abasement.

O servant! If external upheavals be stilled, internal commotions shall appear. If the rule of the sword and fire be removed, the gates of calamities and tribulations shall be opened upon the face of the world. Would that they might reflect even slightly and recognize the cause and reason for the events of the time. By My life! They have no refuge nor escape. They shall cry out for help when there shall be no time for it….

BH00359: The Most Exalted Pen hath made mention…

Section 1: “The Most Exalted Pen hath made mention…”

In the Name of the One True God!

The Most Exalted Pen hath made mention of the friends of God in the most eloquent tongue, and now uttereth in the sweetest Persian that this is a Day of surpassing greatness and magnitude, a Day attributed in all the Divine Books to God Himself and known as the Day of God. It behooveth all to ponder the greatness of this Day and to refrain from comparing that which hath come to pass therein with aught that hath preceded or shall follow it. Let them reflect upon the diverse parties in the world, how each hath clung to a name among names, fixing their gaze upon God, the Most Glorious, and beseeching Him night and day, hoping that in the days of the appearance of the Dayspring of His Cause, the Dawning-Place of His Revelation, and the Source of His inspiration, they might not be debarred from the ocean of His grace nor be deprived of His abundant favors.

Yet when the Sun of Truth shed its radiance from the heaven of God’s Will, all returned to their own kind, which is the embodiment of darkness, save whom God did will. Blessed are they who, in this spiritual morn, have quaffed the wine of inner meanings and who have arisen, with supreme steadfastness, to serve the Cause of the Lord of creation.

O friends of God! Every word of the most excellent Words is an ocean most great, from which flow countless streams. Blessed is the one who, in the name of God, hath drunk therefrom. By God’s life! Such a soul is mentioned in the sight of God as among the most powerful of all creation. In all the Books, Tablets and Scriptures of God, mention hath been made of souls who are well-pleased, pleasing unto Him, assured and tranquil. These are they who stand firm in service to the Cause, whom neither the opposition of the world, nor the ranks of the nations, nor the conditions of the deniers, nor the insinuations of the heedless, nor the clamor of the rejectors could deter from turning to God, the Manifest Truth, or prevent from directing their gaze to the supreme horizon.

By the Sun of Truth which shineth from the horizon of this Prison! The corruption of the world hath ever been, and shall ever be, from the ignorant one who appeareth in the guise of knowledge, and from the transgressor who is known and seen in the garb of piety. Reflect upon the early days of Islam: a few ignorant and false ones adorned themselves with the ornament of knowledge and truthfulness among the servants, and this became the cause of countless perils surrounding the world of the Qur’an. Some time ago this Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed from the Most Exalted Pen. Blessed are they who read it and ponder its ocean of meanings. By God’s life! Should one attain unto its sweetness, such a soul would be mentioned in the sight of God as among the most exalted of all creation.

In the Name of the One True God!

Say: O friends! The falsehood of the past hanged the Beloved of the future and martyred Him with the bullet of tyranny. Reflect upon those deceitful, treacherous souls who appeared among the people in the name of truthfulness, trustworthiness, detachment and piety, that ye may be preserved from the terror of this Most Great Day. One made mention of Jabulqa, another pointed to Jabulsa, and yet another devised an imaginary form and established for it a seat upon the throne of idle fancies. One unjust one made mention of the Holy Land, and another unjust one attributed words unto Him. These abominable, false matters became the cause and reason for martyring with utmost tyranny the Sovereign of the City of Oneness. Were the Hand of Divine Power to rend asunder all veils, ye would witness new matters and hear novel utterances.

Now He uttereth but one word that perchance it may serve as a barrier between truth and falsehood, and that word is this: Purify your ears from that which is spoken by those who claim to be of the Bayan yet deny its Revealer, its Sovereign and its Sender. For these veiled souls walk exactly in the footsteps of those souls. Blessed is the eye that seeth and perceiveth—such a one is regarded before God as the most powerful and capable among men. Hearken unto what My Herald spoke aforetime. He said, and His Word is the Truth: A one-year-old seed on the Day of His Manifestation is mightier than all the Bayan. Out of loving kindness and compassion have these utterances been revealed from the Pen of the All-Powerful. Preserve them and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds!

The Shi’ih sect, who considered themselves the saved and favored denomination and regarded themselves as the most excellent of all people, repeatedly related traditions stating that whoever claimed the Promised One would be born was an infidel and outside the religion. These traditions caused many to be martyred without fault or crime, until the Primal Point—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him—was born in Fars from the loins of a known person and made the claim of being the Qa’im. Thereupon, those who followed vain imaginings and idle fancies were in manifest loss, and the Cause appeared to all the world like the rays of the sun. Nevertheless, that heedless and rejected sect turned away and arose to slay that Essence of being. O people of Baha! The Lord of Names biddeth you to reflect upon these matters, that ye may truly shatter the idols of fancy and vain imaginings and not be afflicted with the new idle fancies to which the deniers of the Bayan cling. Arise to champion the Cause with divine strength and power, and protect the servants from the tyranny of the idolatrous souls and the fancies of the heedless and false ones.

Reflect upon the hidden mysteries: Until the time of the Manifestation, the people of the Furqan, namely the Shi’ih sect, were unaware of the Day of God and the manner of His appearance. They seemed entirely bereft from the ocean of knowledge and deprived of the dawning rays of the sun of inner meanings. The divine Cause appeared and was manifested contrary to all that they had understood through their fancies and vain imaginings and to which they had held fast. And those imaginative souls who considered themselves the most God-fearing and detached in all the world arose with such tyranny that the Concourse on High, the dwellers of the Cities of Names, and the Kingdom of Creation were all bewildered. Thus hath the Most Exalted Pen spoken, as a grace from His presence, that ye may become aware.

Those things that were concealed from you shall be revealed, and you shall witness what lay behind the veil through that which was wrought by the hands of those who wandered in the wilderness of fancy and idle imaginings, and passed judgment against Him Who came with the truth from God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. O ye who drink the choice sealed wine! The Name ʿthe Self-Subsisting’ declareth: Consider the people who counted themselves among the saved and blessed ones—how at the time of trial they were reckoned among the rebellious, transgressing, denying and rejected faction, and were recorded by the Supreme Pen in God’s Book as manifestations of negation.

The people of Baha, who are mentioned in the Qayyumu’l-Asma as the companions of the Crimson Ark, must, God willing, demonstrate such steadfastness as befitteth this Most Great Cause and this blessed Day. This is the day of service and steadfastness. If a child remaineth firm in this Cause, he is mightier than all the Bayan—by the testimony of God and the testimony of Him Who appeared before and gave the glad tidings of this Great Announcement.

In the Tablets revealed in Iraq, the Land of Mystery, and the Most Great Prison, We informed the friends of God and gave them tidings of the appearance of the calf, the barking ones, the birds of night, the book of perdition, and the tablets of fire, that all might become so steadfast that neither the peoples of the world nor all that they possess would have the power to cause these firm and upright souls to deviate. They must be seen as mountains, not as leaves that are stirred by every wind and overturned by the slightest breeze. Thus doth the All-Knowing teach you, the All-Informed acquaint you, and guide you to His straight path.

Strive ye, and with utmost lowliness and supplication beseech the Mighty, the Ancient One to aid you in that which is adorned with the ornament of His good-pleasure, and to assist you in such deeds as shall endure forever in His divine Book throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. Let not this opportunity slip from your grasp, nor waste this time. I swear by the ocean of divine knowledge that a single moment of these days excelleth centuries and ages. Your Lord, the Chosen One, beareth witness to this from this glorious station.

God willing, may ye consume the veils that hinder with the fire of the love of the All-Merciful and illumine your hearts with the light of His countenance. This is the day of this blessed and decisive Word, which the tongue of the Divine Unity spoke aforetime: “Everything shall perish save His Face.” This is the Day of God, and God alone speaketh therein—naught is mentioned save Him. Where are the pure and penetrating eyes, and where are the illumined and detached hearts? This is the day of eyes, ears and hearts. Beseech ye God to grant you possession of these three and to sanctify them from veils. For verily, a thin veil—nay, the thinnest of veils—preventeth the eye from seeing, the ear from hearing, and the heart from understanding.

Section 2: “Consider this exalted word which was revealed aforetime…”

Consider this exalted word which was revealed aforetime by the Supreme Pen: O Sons of Knowledge! The merest speck of dust upon the eye shutteth out the vast world from its vision—consider then what would be wrought if the veil of covetousness descendeth upon the heart!

O friends! Today the gate of heaven is opened by the key of God’s Name, the ocean of bounty surgeth before all faces, and the sun of grace is shining. Do not deprive yourselves of the manifest Light, nor waste your precious life heeding the words of this one and that. Gird up the loins of endeavor and turn your attention to the education of the peoples of the world. Consider not the divine religion as a cause of opposition, malice and hatred. The Tongue of Grandeur proclaims: That which has descended from the heaven of the Will in this Most Holy, Most Exalted Revelation has been for the unity of the world and the love and fellowship of its peoples. The people of Baha who have drunk of the choice wine of inner meaning must associate with all the peoples of the world with the utmost joy and radiance, and remind them of that which profits all. Such is the counsel of this Wronged One to His loved ones and chosen ones. The world was created through love, and all are commanded to live in fellowship and unity. Fix your gaze upon and make mention of this blessed word which hath shone forth from the horizon of the mouth of the King of Oneness:

“I was in My Ancient Being and My Eternal Essence; I knew My love in thee, therefore I created thee, cast upon thee My image and revealed to thee My beauty.”

O people of Baha! While you are in your homelands, this Wronged One is in the Most Great Prison. Even while submerged in an ocean of tribulations, He makes mention of each of you with such words and utterances that were but a single letter thereof to be reflected upon the mirrors of all created things, the words “Thou art the Beloved” would appear from them all, in such wise that all would see and read them. Let not this boundless grace slip from your grasp, and be not heedless of what hath befallen this Wronged One and you in the path of God. Know your worth and preserve your stations in the name of the Truth, for the ungodly, deniers and traitors have appeared in the guise of unity, acceptance and trustworthiness, and strive with the utmost effort to lead souls astray. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, speaks the truth and informs you of His grace and guides you to His straight path.

Abandon the ways of the people and count as naught the paths of the heedless, and say:

“He walks not in your ways, nor does He act according to what is with you. He has appeared and made manifest His straight path, and made known to all His mighty course.”

Blessed is the soul that has hastened to the ocean of its Lord’s mercy, and the ear that has heard the shrill voice of His Most Exalted Pen, and the eye that has beheld His mighty signs, and the tongue that has uttered His beautiful praise. Say: Have mercy upon yourselves and follow not those who have denied God and His signs, rejected His proof and His evidence, and have arisen to turn away with manifest injustice.

Verily, He has, from the Most Great Prison, called both kings and subjects unto the Most Great Name, which was hidden in God’s knowledge and mentioned in the Scriptures of the Messengers. O friends! The mention of all has been and will continue to be in the divine Books, and should some of the loved ones of God not receive a separate Tablet, let them know with absolute certainty that their names, their turning to God, and their acceptance, according to their stations, have been recorded and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Book. Ask God for His confirmation, that you may succeed in that which will be the cause of everlasting remembrance. Verily, He sees and hears, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

The world has never had, nor does it now possess any significance. Soon shall all who dwell on earth return to the graves. By Him Who has caused all things to speak forth in praise of His Self, this world and whatsoever is visible to mortal eyes cannot, in the sight of one endowed with insight, compare with even a single word of God’s utterance, for the former is transient and perishable and ever shall be so, while the latter endures eternally through the permanence of His names and attributes. No person of understanding would forfeit God’s everlasting bounty for the sake of fleeting days. Verily I say, the soul has ever yearned and will forever yearn for the rose-garden of divine revelation and attainment unto His presence, yet vain imaginings and futile desires have held it back from the realm of nearness. You must burn away the veils with the fire of certitude and the light of faith, and illumine your hearts and minds. Strive to drink from the Kawthar of certitude which flows from the right hand of God’s celestial throne. Whosoever attains unto it is recorded among the people of eternity in the Crimson Book.

Praise be to God that His grace and favors have guided the faithful to the straight path and enabled them to attain the supreme gift and greatest bounty. Know the station you occupy and remain vigilant at all times, for the misguided have ever lain in ambush for the guides and ever shall. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Has there ever been seen on earth a sincere seeker who was deprived of the outpourings of the All-Bountiful? Or has there ever been witnessed one who, with complete truthfulness, desired the ultimate goal and was held back from it? Nay, by His very Self, the True One! And if certain of the believers, near ones, and sincere ones outwardly sought something but did not attain it, this was due to God’s all-encompassing wisdom. They must not be saddened, for every matter has its appointed time. When its hour comes, it shall be manifested in truth from God, the Lord of all worlds.

Rejoice, O friends of God and His chosen ones, in that My Most Exalted Pen makes mention of you on this night wherein the Tongue of Grandeur proclaims: There is none other God but He, the Supporter, the Counselor, the Single, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Blessed is he who attains unto the Most Great Steadfastness; he is assuredly among the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise in the Book of God, the Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven, Who has appeared in truth with manifest sovereignty. Beware lest the veils of names hold you back from their Sovereign, their Source and their Creator. Hold fast to the cord of your Lord’s loving-kindness and cling to His luminous hem. Whoso acts in accordance with what has been commanded, upon him shall bestow their prayers the Concourse on High, the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise, and they who abide within the Pavilions of Grandeur—a command from God, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

Thus does the Wronged One make mention of you while confined in the prison of the heedless, teaching you that which shall, under all conditions, draw you nearer unto God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the Unique. We counsel all to wisdom and utterance in the Cause of their Lord, the All-Merciful, even as We counseled them before. He is in truth the Counselor, the Faithful. This is a word We have revealed in various Tablets. It behooves everyone who has believed in God in this Revelation to hold fast unto it and to be of those who are firmly established. We have forbidden all from whatsoever God loves not, and have commanded that which gladdens the hearts of the peoples. He is verily the All-Kind, the Gracious. Associate, O My loved ones, with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship. Beware lest ye make God’s Word an occasion for your disputation or a cause for manifesting hatred among you. Say: Fear God, O people of the earth, and be not of the negligent. He commands you to that from which you will perceive the fragrance of the Spirit, were you of those who are endowed with understanding.

The glory be upon you and upon those who are with you and who love you and serve you and hearken unto that which has been inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in this irrevocable, manifest, and perspicuous Cause.

BH00844: Glory be to God Who hath gladdened the servant…

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

Glory be to God Who hath gladdened the servant through the fragrances of His loved ones’ utterances—they who have cast away the world and have arisen to serve the nations by His command, for He is the All-Ruling, the All-Compelling.

O beloved of my heart! Blessed be thy essence, blessed be thy remembrance, blessed be thy steadfastness, and blessed be thy devotion. The servant hath been honored by your mention, your praise, your utterance, your service, and that which hath flowed from your pen in the Cause of God—our purpose and your purpose. By the life of the Beloved! Such rapture and longing hath seized me that every tongue is powerless to describe it. To this beareth witness the tongue of my heart and my inmost being, and beyond these He Who hath ever been the All-Witnessing, the All-Seeing, the All-Protecting, and the All-Encompassing over all who dwell in the heavens and the earth.

When I read what the Pen had uttered, I approached the Station whereon was established the Most Great Throne. When I attained His presence and presented it, the Ancient King turned toward me, and the Tongue of Grandeur spoke that which set the heart of the world ablaze. He spoke, and His Word is the Truth: We were seated upon the Throne when the servant who was present entered with thy letter and laid it before Our face. We have answered thee and sent unto thee the pearls of divine knowledge from the depths of thy Lord’s omniscient wisdom, that thou mayest rejoice and render thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Informed Speaker. Blessed art thou for having spoken the truth and forbidden that which is unseemly, in conformity with the command of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

How excellent are they who have cast away their desires and embraced that which God, the Lord of all worlds, hath willed! Say: By the power of My Most Great Name, O peoples of the earth! By God, the Ancient King hath come for the reformation of the world. Beware lest the doubts of your divines debar you from the ocean of your Lord’s knowledge, the Mighty, the Powerful. He speaketh naught save that which shall profit you in this world and in the next. To this beareth witness the Lord of creation Who speaketh in the Most Great Prison: There is none other God but Me, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

We make mention of him who was named Asad, who hath arisen to serve the Cause of his Lord and who uttereth His beauteous praise. We have previously revealed unto him, and in these days also, that which gladdeneth the hearts of the sincere ones. We make mention of him who informed you both of what a certain servant of Ours, named the Noble One, desired, as recorded in a clear Tablet. At this moment We turn Our gaze from this station toward him who desired to assist his wronged Lord, the Peerless One, through Whom the edifice of tranquility was well-nigh shaken and the hearts of them that have recognized Him were sorely agitated.

O thou who gazest upon My countenance and drinkest the wine of My loving-kindness! That which thou didst mention hath been mentioned before the Wronged One. God willing, may ye ever remain steadfast in serving the Cause of the All-Glorious and act in accordance with that which He loveth and is pleased with. That which ye have done is most acceptable in the sight of the Wronged One. From this matter a great mischief would have appeared, for although the True One, exalted be His glory, hath desired the reformation of the world, this was contrary and opposed to the Command of God from all aspects.

And since ye have beseeched from the heaven of bounty that grace be shown unto him, God willing, may they abide beneath the shadow of His grace and act in accordance with that which God hath willed. In truth their intention was to serve the Truth, for they were not aware of the divine prohibition and what had been revealed in the Tablets as befitteth. We, from this station, send Our greetings unto him and give him the glad-tidings of My mercy, My grace, My favor, My forgiveness and My tender loving-kindness, that he may render thanks unto his Lord, the Generous One. The glory be upon him and upon his father and his brother and upon those who have held fast unto My firm cord.

All souls should gaze toward the horizon of God’s good-pleasure and hold fast unto that which is beloved before His Presence. All matters in the Divine Book have been made contingent upon wisdom, to this beareth witness My Scriptures, My Books, My Psalms, My Tablets, My Self, and My swift-moving Pen. From the utterances of the Revealer of Verses it is clear and evident what is today beloved before the Divine Throne. Even as the Supreme Pen hath, in numerous passages—nay, in most of the Tablets—enjoined wisdom upon all the peoples of the world.

The matter of teaching, which is the greatest of all things, is itself contingent upon wisdom, such that if wisdom doth not permit it in a certain place, teaching is not permissible. Blessed are they who have attained unto that which God hath willed.

To Jinab-i-Aqa Qasim, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory.

This evanescent servant conveys greetings sanctified beyond all mention, thought, knowledge and understanding, and gives him the glad tidings of the favor of God, exalted be His glory. May he be assisted, God willing, in that which causes the exaltation of God’s Cause.

In these days, praise be to God, they have accepted the counsels of that Beloved One, and as soon as they understood that deed to be contrary to God’s will, they forsook it and held fast to that which God had willed. Blessed is he, again blessed is he! Joy be unto him, again joy be unto him! That which you wrote concerning them has been accepted before the Divine Throne.

Although the stability of this land is uncertain, as was revealed in the divine Tablets in previous years, yet with the utmost joy and fragrance they should turn to the direction of God. And this is what has shone forth from the horizon of the mouth of our Lord, the Most High, the Most Great. His word, exalted be His grandeur:

O Qasim! Turn to the Qiblih unto which every qiblih ordained by God for His servants turned on the first day when He uttered the first word, which is “Verily, I am God, the One, the Single, the All-Knowing.” Turn with such detachment as will erase from thy heart the trace of all thou hast known before. Then turn with a face that befitteth one who turneth unto the face of God, the Lord of all worlds.

By the Lord of the heavens and earth, the entire world cannot equal these two verses. Blessed is he who hath read, heard, written and understood. Woe unto the deniers and the heedless.

Some time ago, this servant sent detailed letters to that beloved one and my beloved Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Asadu’llah, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory, and likewise to Jinab-i-Mirza H and S, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory, and especially to Jinab-i-Mulla Sadiq, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory, each bearing the holy, manifest and luminous revealed lights. God willing, they have arrived.

And some time before that, a detailed letter was sent to the beloved of the heart, he who was named by the tongue of the Lord of Creation as ʿAli-Qabl-i-Akbar, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory, the Lord of Power. That too contained divine Tablets and verses. God willing, it has arrived by now and will continue to arrive.

To all the friends, expressions of greeting, evanescence, nothingness and non-existence of this transient being are entrusted to the grace of that Beloved One.

To the spiritual beloved, Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Haydar-ʿAli, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory, I offer greetings. It is hoped that God will assist that in these two days a detailed response to his letter will be sent.

The letter from that beloved one dated the twenty-ninth of Sha’ban arrived on the seventh of Shawwal, and at that very moment this letter, which is adorned with verses of grandeur, was written and sent. May all partake of its choice wine and attain His grace.

Glory be upon you and upon those with you and upon those who act according to what they were commanded by the Wise Ordainer.

The servant, Shawwal 1298

BH02370: Praise be to God that thou hast been blessed…

He is the All-Knowing, the Witness, the All-Hearing.

Praise be to God that thou hast been blessed with the infinite bounties and gifts of the True One, for thou didst seek the True Intended One and attained to circumambulation of the House of God. This blessing is superior to all existing and visible blessings. The Wronged One testifieth that thou didst turn and present thyself after thou didst hasten, and didst respond after thou didst hear, and didst attain to that which was hidden in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds.

This Wronged One, despite countless afflictions, summoned the people of the earth to the most exalted horizon during the days and nights, that perchance hearts might be cleansed and sanctified from the doubts and signs of imitation and restriction and from vain imaginings and idle fancies, that they might find themselves free and unfettered. However, the heedless servants did not hearken to the Word of Truth and arose in rejection and opposition, as ye have all seen and heard.

In days when the opposition of the divines, the objections of the mystics, and the power of princes had encompassed all, this Wronged One arose alone to promote the Cause—an arising that the hosts of earth were powerless to prevent. And when the effulgences of the Sun of Truth became somewhat manifest, certain ones emerged from behind the veil and arose to waste the Cause of God, to such an extent that pen and tongue are powerless to describe. They have desired to make the weak ones among the servants more veiled than the parties of the past. Beseech ye God to assist His loved ones in protecting souls. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty. There is no God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Thy letter was received and the fragrance of love was inhaled therefrom. And regarding thy desire to arise to serve, We beseech God to assist thee in this and to grant thee success in that which He loveth. Verily He is the Lord of all creation in the hereafter and in this world. God willing, may thou speak for God’s sake, act for God’s sake, and return unto God. I swear by the lights of His countenance that after the passing of all things, if a soul appeareth, clinging unto God and detached from all else, surely that soul will influence the world and will draw creation to the ultimate goal and the most exalted horizon and the highest summit and the primal valley. God willing, may thou speak in His Name and act according to that which hath been revealed in the Book.

Say: O my God! I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name to assist me to be steadfast in Thy Cause, then write down for me from the Pen of Thy grace that which Thou hast written for Thy loved ones who have cast the world aside in Thy love and Thy path. O Lord! Thou art the Powerful and I am the weak one, so have mercy upon me through Thy generosity and favors. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Wise. Praise be to Thee, O God of the worlds and Goal of all who are in the heavens and on earth.

BH05582: O thou who drinkest from the cup of My…

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

O thou who drinkest from the cup of My loving-kindness and circlest round My will and turnest toward the Kaaba of My beauty and speaketh My praise and soarest on the wings of remembrance in My atmosphere and claspeth the hem of My loving-kindness and holdeth fast to the cord of My grace and standeth in service to My Cause amidst My creation!

Thy letter hath come before My presence and the servant in attendance before My throne hath read it, and We have answered thee with My letter. Doth anyone recognize its station in the world, or have the peoples perceived its fragrance? By God’s life! Had they perceived it, they would have cast away what they possess and hastened with their eyes toward a station at whose manifestation all revelations bow down in humility, and at the descent of but one of its verses all the books in the world stand in reverence.

By God’s life! They have remained heedless of that which profiteth them and have turned away from that which draweth them nigh. Blessed art thou, for the face of the Ancient One hath turned toward thee and this Tablet hath been revealed in thy name as a token of His grace upon thee.

Be thou thankful and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the world, and glory be unto Thee, O Thou the Beloved of the nations! I testify that through Thee the breezes of the All-Merciful have wafted through all contingent beings, and the Most Exalted Pen hath stirred amongst all religions, and the ocean of knowledge hath surged, and upon it hath sailed the Ark of the All-Merciful, through this Name at whose appearance the Concourse on High rejoiced and the idol that disbelieved in God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, lamented.”

BH05689: O people of the earth! The foul odor hath…

He is the Speaker, the Articulate, the All-Knowing

O people of the earth! The foul odor hath prevented the sweet fragrances of inner meanings from reaching you, and the clamor of the ignorant hath veiled the divine call. However, those possessed of illumined vision have not been prevented from beholding, and those endowed with hearing ears have not been deprived of hearkening to the call of the Lord of Oneness. Every sincere seeker hath surely attained and will attain unto the Desired One.

Great indeed is this Day, and its station with God is exceedingly glorious, for in all the divine Scriptures and Books it is truly attributed to God and known as the Day of God. Blessed are they who in this blessed Day have drunk from the hands of bounty the living waters of immortality and have joined with the Beloved of all worlds.

O concourse of earth! Strive that ye may not remain deprived and be not withheld from that for which and for Whose sake ye were created. Thus doth the Mighty, the Powerful instruct you as He speaketh amidst mankind and calleth them unto God, the Lord of the Throne and of the dust, and the Sovereign of the hereafter and of this world.

Blessed is he who hath heard and hath said:

“Yea, yea, O Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens! I testify that Thou hast appeared and hast manifested through Thy grace and sovereignty that which Thou didst desire. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.”

BH06128: Praise be to my Beloved, Who hath caused…

He is the One manifest above all things through His Most Glorious Name

Praise be to my Beloved, Who hath caused the lights of His Most Great Name to shine forth from the horizon of the world. Blessed is the state of those souls who have recognized Him through His manifestations and attributes and evidences, and who have arisen with utmost steadfastness to promote His Cause.

This is a Day wherein the feet of the divines and mystics and princes have slipped from the straight path and mighty highway, save him whom the hand of thy Lord’s loving-kindness hath rescued, the Protector, the Generous. Hearken unto the call of the true Object of all, and act in accordance with that which beseemeth this wondrous Day.

All peoples, despite their supplications and expectations and prayers and entreaties, remained veiled from the appearance of Him Who was promised, and clung fast to the manifestations of idle fancies and the dawning-places of vain imaginings. Ask thou God, thy Lord, to protect thee from those who have denied His proof and turned away from His straight path.

Say: Praise be to Thee, O Thou Who art the Object of the world’s adoration and the Beloved of all nations, for having made known to me the Dawning-Place of Thy verses and the Manifestation of Thy clear tokens. Thou art He Who hath ever been in the heights of might and power and majesty, and the summit of loftiness and greatness and glory. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

BH06587: He ruleth over the cities of names

He ruleth over the cities of names

Glorified art Thou, O Thou through Whose Name the Most Exalted Pen hath raised its shrill voice throughout the kingdom of creation, and the Cry hath appeared between earth and heaven, and through which the Trumpet was blown and the mountains passed away and those in the graves arose, and the Dove sang upon the branches, saying:

“Assist Thou those who wander bewildered in the wilderness of perplexity to turn unto Thee, O Thou through Whose Name the gate of the City of Oneness was opened!”

O my Lord! Thou beholdest me turning unto Thee, speaking Thy praise, yearning for the wine of Thy knowledge, and hoping for the wonders of Thy grace. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of that which Thou hast ordained for Thy loved ones whose hearts Thou hast illumined with the lights of Thy knowledge and whom Thou hast aided to serve Thy Cause amidst Thy creatures.

Aid me to serve Thee in such wise that the clamor of those who have turned away from Thee and have been heedless of Thy sovereignty and have disputed Thy signs shall not deter me. Verily Thou art the Almighty Whom the doings of the froward have not frustrated, nor have the hosts of the doubters hindered. Thou hast ever been powerful through Thy Will and dominant through Thy Purpose.

There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the Powerful.

BH06601: God beareth witness that there is none other God…

He is the One manifest in all horizons!

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who hath appeared is verily the Sun risen from the horizon of this heaven which hath been upraised in truth through His name, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. They who have turned unto Him have in truth turned unto the Most Exalted Horizon in former ages, and they who have turned away are in manifest loss.

O Ramadan! The month of Ramadan hath come, whose mention the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an, wherein fasting was ordained for them that have believed in God, the Lord of the Great Throne. Its appointed time hath passed away by Our decree, and the Day which was promised in all the Books of God, and in the Qur’an—the Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds—hath come.

Read thou the Book of God with joy and fragrance, then remind those who were in doubt concerning this momentous announcement. Ask thou God to aid them to turn towards Him and to enable them to remember this All-Wise Remembrance.

We send from this spot Our greetings unto those who have believed in God and unto My handmaidens who have believed in the One, the All-Informed.

BH06738: He is the One Who stands supreme over…

He is the One Who stands supreme over the Cause through His Name, the All-Compelling over all names! This is a Book that calls out amidst the world and summons the peoples through the Most Great Name, at Whose appearance the Tongue of Grandeur proclaimed:

“He Who was hidden hath come, and He Who was treasured hath been revealed!”

Blessed is he who hath turned towards Him, and woe unto the heedless!

O peoples of the earth, hearken unto the call of the Lord of Names! Verily He hath appeared with the truth and hath sent down that which is the spirit of life for the people of creation, and the Kawthar of eternity for the Concourse on High, and the Choice Sealed Wine for those who have entered beneath the shadow of this Name through which the Self-Subsisting arose before the Gate and said:

“Praise be unto Thee for having shown me Thy Beauty and caused me to hear Thy Call and for having acquainted me with that which was concealed from Thy servants and Thy creation and inscribed in Thy Manifest Book.”

Thus hath the Tongue spoken in the Kingdom of Utterance, yet most of the people are heedless.

Verily thou, O thou who art mentioned before the Wronged One, give praise for the Ancient Beauty having turned toward thee from the direction of His Most Great Prison and mentioned thee in such wise as cannot be equaled by the treasures of the heavens and earth. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH07710: He is the Most Great, the Most Ancient…

He is the Most Great, the Most Ancient, the Most Glorious! God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who speaketh the truth is indeed the Speaker of Sinai through Whom those that lay buried have risen. Whoso turneth unto Him hath in truth turned unto God throughout all ages, and whoso turneth away from Him hath turned away from the All-Informed, the Single One.

O thou who art mentioned in the presence of the Countenance! Hearken unto the Call from the luminous Spot: Verily, there is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. I created creation for this Day, yet when it appeared and I manifested My Self and revealed My verses, they denied and turned away from My straight path.

Take heed lest the affairs of the earth prevent thee or its happenings sadden thee on this Day of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. This is the Day which was attributed to God in the Books of the Prophets and Messengers. Blessed is the one whose strength was not weakened by the denial of those who disbelieved in God, the Lord of the worlds.

Give thanks unto God for having been mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One, Who hath sent down for thee this Most Holy, Most Mighty, Most Great, Most Wondrous Tablet.

BH07541: In the Name of the Beloved of the Worlds!…

In the Name of the Beloved of the Worlds! The beginning of all things is the recognition of God, exalted be His glory, and the end thereof is steadfastness in His Cause. Blessed is the one who hath perceived the cause and reason for the veiling of the people and hath arisen to serve the divine Cause with clear certitude. Whosoever hath turned with insight and faced toward the most exalted horizon shall not be prevented by earthly events and the clamor of men. Thus hath testified the Supreme Pen as its voice was raised between earth and heaven, and behind it the Tongue of God, the Lord of all worlds.

The greater the Revelation, the greater shall be the trials, hardships, tests and tribulations. One must at all times hold fast to the firm cord, that ye may be preserved from the doubts of the heedless, the hints of the deniers, and the clamoring of the barking ones.

Thus doth He Who hath turned toward thee from the direction of His Most Great Prison teach thee, purely for the sake of God, the King, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

BH07623: He is the All-Seeing, the All-Informed! A remembrance…

He is the All-Seeing, the All-Informed! A remembrance from Us unto him who hath drawn nigh unto the ocean and desired to drink therefrom, through this Most Great Name whereby every tongue hath spoken, every deaf one hath heard, and every seated one hath arisen to the Command of God, the Lord of all worlds.

O people of the earth! Fear God, and follow not those who have violated God’s Covenant and Testament when there came the Day which had been promised in the Books of God and inscribed in the hearts of them who are nigh unto Him. Blessed is he who hath attained unto the remembrance of the Wronged One, through Whose Most Self-Subsisting Name all who are in the heavens and on earth were subdued.

Take hold of the Book with the fingers of certitude and say: Praise be unto Thee, O our Lord, the All-Merciful, for having made me to know Thy Self, given me to drink of the Kawthar of Thy bounty, and adorned me with the ornament of recognition in this wondrous Day. I beseech Thee by Thy Manifestation, Thy rising up, and Thy call, to make me one of them who have stood firm in this Cause, mighty and great. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Bountiful.

BH08028: Today is a day when the gates of heaven…

In the Name of the One God!

Today is a day when the gates of heaven are opened and the rain of mercy descendeth continuously, yet the people are seen to be deprived and veiled. The cause and reason for the veiling of the people hath been and will continue to be the most great veil, which is the ignorance that the ignorant ones of the earth have bound unto themselves in the name of knowledge.

Therefore ask thou God, thy Lord, to protect His servants from those through whose tyranny the dwellers of the cities of names and the denizens of the Most Exalted Paradise have lamented. They have forbidden all servants from the Truth and have summoned them to the dawning-places of vain imaginings and their manifestations. Away with them and with those who have followed them without any clear proof or enlightening Book!

God willing, thou shalt in all conditions hold fast to the hem of the grace of the Self-Subsisting Lord, remain turned toward His horizon, and act according to that which He hath revealed in the Book.