Volume 067: Akka 1299 A.H. (1881–1882), Part II (3 of 7)

BH02464: God testifieth that there is none other God but…

He is the Speaker, the Hearer, the All-Knowing, the Answerer

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath come with the truth is the Dawning-Place of My Revelation, the Dayspring of My inspiration, the Manifestation of My Self, and the Source of My mighty and irrevocable Command. Through Him was raised the Standard of Divine Unity and the Banner of Singleness was unfurled, and the Dove of Knowledge warbled upon the branches. Yet the people are in manifest doubt, having cast certainty behind their backs, turning instead to the sources of conjecture—they who have violated God’s Covenant and His Testament, and turned away from Him Who came with clear sovereignty. All things have been stirred by the shrill voice of the Most Exalted Pen. Blessed is the ear that hath heard, and woe unto the heedless ones!

O thou who gazest upon the Countenance! We have detected the fragrance of thy love and have sent down for thee that which cannot be equaled by all thou dost witness and behold. The Lord of all beings in this mighty stronghold doth testify to this. Arise by My leave to serve My Cause, and take My Book with My strength and say: By God! He hath come, through Whose manifestation the Kingdom of God, the Lord of all worlds, hath been adorned. He is indeed the One Whose mention the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an, and before it in the Torah and the Gospel. He hath not entered any school, and speaketh by His innate knowledge, if ye be of them that understand. Take once My Book with My strength, and again the Cup of Immortality in My Name, the Self-Subsisting, then drink therefrom My choice sealed wine, despite those who have disbelieved in God when He appeared in truth. Thus doth the Pen of Knowledge recount unto thee. Blessed are they that hear!

Rejoice thou in My remembrance of thee, then give thanks to thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. We have heard thy call and answered thee, and have seen thy turning toward Us and have turned toward thee out of Our grace. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. Look not upon creation and its conditions—soon all thou seest shall perish, while sovereignty and the Kingdom shall remain with God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Thus hath the ocean of utterance surged and the fragrances of the All-Merciful wafted. Blessed is he who hath found and said: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the mystics!”

I testify, O my God, with my outer and inner tongue, that Thou hast manifested Thy Cause and Thy sovereignty. I bear witness, and every seeing one beareth witness, to Thy proof and Thy bounty and Thy evidence. Blessed is he who hath inhaled the fragrance of Thy manifestation, and he who hath heard Thy call, and he who hath beheld the effulgences of the lights of Thy countenance.

I beseech Thee to assist me in serving Thee and in aiding Thy Cause. O Lord! Thou seest me turning toward the horizon of Thy grace, detached from all else besides Thee. I beseech Thee by the Name through which Thou hast subdued the world, that Thou write down for me from the Pen of Thy bounty the reward of meeting Thee and the reward of those who have soared in Thy atmosphere, and who have spoken Thy praise and conveyed Thy Cause. O Lord! Thou art the Bountiful and I am the poor one. Ordain for me that which befitteth Thy Name, the All-Giving, and Thy Name, the All-Bountiful, O God of the worlds! There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

BH04808: This is a Book which the Wronged One hath…

He is the One dawning from the horizon of the Kingdom

This is a Book which the Wronged One hath sent down in His praiseworthy station, and which summoneth all unto God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Say: O people of the Bayan! By God, the All-Merciful hath come, and He cannot be indicated by the indications in the books of earth, nor by what the Daysprings of existence have uttered. He cannot be known except through Him, nor can He be described by what hath been sent down to the Sources of knowledge. Verily, He is the Book which the Tongue of Grandeur hath described and named the Preserved Tablet, wherein have been inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen the mysteries of what hath been and what shall be. Blessed is every one who hath turned towards Him, whom the veils of creation have not withheld, and every assured believer who hath heard and responded to the Lord of the Invisible and the Visible.

We have sent down the verses and expounded therein all things, yet the people understand not. They have cast the Book behind their backs and have taken the books of fancy from the daysprings of idle imaginings. Say: Be fair, O people of the earth, concerning this Cause at whose appearance bodies and souls were made to tremble. Blessed is the fair-minded one who hath cast away tyranny and spoken the truth when the Speaker of Sinai came. Thus have We illumined the horizon of the heaven of hearts with the light of wisdom and utterance. Blessed is he who hath recognized and said: “Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of Lords!” Glory be upon those who have cast the world behind their backs, turning unto the Most Great Name, Who came with the truth and proclaimed: “Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.”

BH05414: The All-Merciful testifieth that there is none other God…

He is the Dawning Place from the Horizon of Proof!

The All-Merciful testifieth that there is none other God but He. Verily He Who hath come with the truth cannot be known through remembrances nor described through attributes. Every possessor of insight hath testified that He hath been sanctified above all similitudes and hallowed above all else from time immemorial. Through Him was revealed all that was concealed, brought forth all that was treasured, manifested all that was hidden, dawned all that was setting, and spoke all that was mute. There is none other God but He, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Be thou grateful for this most great favor and hold fast unto the cord of God, the Lord of all worlds. Beware lest names veil thee from their Sovereign, their Creator and their Originator. Turn thy face toward the Prison and say:

O God of the worlds! I beseech Thee by the myriads of them that are nigh unto Thee and by the lights of the countenances of the sincere ones who have cast away all else save Thee and have taken Thy Book with hands of submission and contentment, to ordain for Thy loved ones that which will draw them nigh unto Thee in all conditions and will strengthen them to stand firm in this Cause whereby the feet of men have slipped.

O my Lord! I am the one whom the fragrances of Thy garment have stirred and the wondrous tokens of Thy grace and favors have drawn near, such that my heart hastened to the seat of Thy throne and the dawning-place of the light of Thy countenance. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me from the door of Thy bounty and bestowal. There is none other God but Thee, the Witness, the Speaker, the Hearer, the Answerer.

BH05834: The Qayyum hath appeared after the Qa’im and hath…

He is the Silent, the Speaking, the All-Knowing!

The Qayyum hath appeared after the Qa’im and hath arisen to the Cause with a sovereignty before which all who are in the heavens and on earth shall bow down, as attesteth the Book of God, the Mighty, the Wise. O peoples of the earth! The Promised One hath appeared and made manifest that which lay concealed in the Books of God and treasured within His all-encompassing knowledge. Cast away what ye possess and take hold of that which hath been sent down from the heaven of the will of your Lord, the All-Knowing. By God! What ye possess shall profit you not, nor shall all the treasures of the earth avail you. Cast aside idle fancies and vain imaginings, turning unto God, the Lord of all worlds.

This is the Day wherein the ocean of divine knowledge hath surged and the nightingale hath warbled upon the branches. The dominion is God’s, Who hath come with the truth. Blessed is he who hath heard and turned unto Him, and woe betide every heedless one that is far removed. When thou hearest the call of the Wronged One, arise to serve this mighty, this glorious Cause, through which the Resurrection was struck motionless with fear of the Command, and the Hour cried out, and the edifice of those who took the idol as their lord instead of God was shaken to its foundations. Thus hath the Most Exalted Pen spoken forth in this luminous station. Hold fast unto the cord of thy Lord’s loving-kindness and place thy trust in all things. Verily He witnesseth and seeth, and He is the All-Seeing, the All-Informed.

BH06042: Verily the Torah cries out saying: “He Who revealed…

He is the All-Knowing Witness.

Verily the Torah cries out saying: “He Who revealed Me has come with His mighty signs. Turn unto Him, O concourse of Jews!” The Gospel exclaims: “He has come from heaven, He through Whose mention God, the Lord of the seen and unseen, adorned His Book.” And the Qur’an calls humanity unto the Truth Who was promised by the Most Exalted Pen in a preserved tablet.

O peoples! The Lord of Destiny has come to draw you nigh unto a station which God has sanctified from the dawning-places of idle fancies.

O People of the Book! Judge fairly concerning that which has appeared in truth, and follow not the desires of those who denied God’s proof and His evidence, and violated their covenant in the presence of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.

Will your riches profit you? No, by the Lord of the Final End! Will what you possess protect you? No, by My Name, the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the All-Loving! Cast aside what the people possess and take what you are commanded by God, the Lord of existence.

Thus have We caused thee to hear the flowing waters of divine knowledge. When thou hast heard and understood, say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou through Whose Name those in their graves arose!”

BH06233: Your mention hath been made in the presence…

He is the One manifest from the horizon of power

Your mention hath been made in the presence of the Wronged One, and He hath revealed for thee this perspicuous Tablet, every letter of which beareth witness that the Day is come and sovereignty belongeth unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. God hath heard thy call and answered thee through His grace, that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Speaking One, the All-Hearing. Rejoice thou in My remembrance of thee. By God! He will be with thee in every world among the worlds. Thy Lord is verily the All-Witnessing, the All-Informed. How many a servant hath heard and responded to his Lord, and how many a servant hath turned away from God, the Lord of all worlds. Beware lest all that is on earth prevent thee from this firm and mighty Cause.

Hold thou fast in all conditions unto the cord of thy Lord’s remembrance, the All-Merciful, with wisdom and utterance. Thus doth command thee He Who hath summoned all unto the straight path of God. Take thou the Book with a strength from Us, then read it unto those multitudes whom the affairs of the world have not kept back from the Ancient of Days, and whom the hosts of those who were heedless of this mighty Cause have not frightened. Thus hath surged the ocean of utterance when the All-Merciful was established upon the throne of His name, the Most Merciful. The splendor shining from the horizon of My loving-kindness be upon thee and upon those who have held fast to this mighty cord.

BH06733: This is a Book sent down in truth…

He is the Witness, the Rememberer, the Answerer

This is a Book sent down in truth from the Wronged One to him whom the breeze of revelation hath awakened in the days of God, the Lord of the worlds. Verily it draweth him nigh unto the Most Sublime Horizon and guideth him unto My Straight Path. Hearken unto the Call from the precincts of the Prison—there is no God but Me, the Forgiving, the Merciful. This is a station wherein was raised the call of the Prophets and Messengers. We heard and answered them as a token of Our grace, and We are verily the Answerer, the All-Knowing. The servant who was present hath presented thy letter and read it before Our face, and We are verily the Hearer, the All-Informed.

We found it purified from vain imaginings and adorned with the embroidery of certitude. Preserve thou this most exalted station—thus doth counsel thee He Who speaketh in every condition that there is no God but Him, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The ocean of grace surged when thou didst seek forgiveness from thy Lord, the Most Merciful. He is indeed the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. He hath forgiven thee as a token of His grace and hath written down for thee, by His Most Exalted Pen, the reward of attaining His presence, that thou mayest rejoice and be among the thankful ones. Glory be upon thee and upon thy family and upon those who have attained unto this mighty Cause.

BH06706: The Book of God is wide open, and His…

In the name of the Sun of Reality

The Book of God is wide open, and His Word is summoning mankind unto Him. No more than a mere handful, however, hath been found willing to cleave to His Cause, or to become the instruments for its promotion. These few have been endued with the Divine Elixir that can, alone, transmute into purest gold the dross of the world, and have been empowered to administer the infallible remedy for all the ills that afflict the children of men. No man can obtain everlasting life, unless he embraceth the truth of this inestimable, this wondrous, and sublime Revelation.

Incline your ears, O friends of God, to the voice of Him Whom the world hath wronged, and hold fast unto whatsoever will exalt His Cause. He, verily, guideth whomsoever He pleaseth unto His straight Path.

This is a Revelation that infuseth strength into the feeble, and crowneth with wealth the destitute.

With the utmost friendliness and in a spirit of perfect fellowship take ye counsel together, and dedicate the precious days of your lives to the betterment of the world and the promotion of the Cause of Him Who is the Ancient and Sovereign Lord of all. He, verily, enjoineth upon all men what is right, and forbiddeth whatsoever degradeth their station.

I render thanks unto God for that He hath aided thee in His Cause, and hath made known unto thee that from which most of His servants have been veiled. He hath heard thy cry and answered thee, that thou mayest rejoice and be numbered among the grateful. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

BH07149: Blessed is the leaf who heard the call…

He is the All-Manifest, the All-Seeing, the All-Hearing

Blessed is the leaf who heard the call of the Divine Lote-Tree and held fast unto it. This is a Day wherein the divine Lote-Tree calleth out with Its most exalted voice unto Its servants and handmaidens, while likewise the Tree of Zaqqum is occupied with leading the people astray. Blessed are they who were not prevented by the clamor of the world from turning to the Lord of Eternity, who advanced with utmost steadfastness and partook of the most pure wine. Verily, He guideth whom He willeth unto His straight path. Praise be to God that thou didst attain unto the presence of One upon whom the glance of divine favor hath ever been focused. Know thou this bounty, then render thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Bountiful. The entire world cannot equal a single mention from among the mentions of God. Be thou assured of God’s grace and mercy. Verily He remembered thee before and remembereth thee at this time. We send Our greetings from this spot upon thee and upon My handmaidens who have believed in the One, the All-Informed.

BH08148: In the Name of the Beloved of the worlds!…

In the Name of the Beloved of the worlds! He is called by the name of the Beloved, yet the Named One is observed to be in the prison of the heedless—sometimes in the prison of enemies and at times in the hands of the wicked. They have done what they desired, to this every just and discerning one bears witness.

In the midst of tribulations and afflictions We summoned the servants to the most exalted horizon, and when the Light of God’s Cause shed some of its radiance, certain flies began to buzz from behind the veil and prevented the people of unity from the wine of detachment.

However, by God’s grace, neither the conditions nor the doubts nor the allusions of the world can prevent those souls that are strong and possessed of penetrating vision. They are as ensigns in the days of their Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful.

Today is the day of steadfastness. Blessed is the soul that has attained unto it. Verily the Truth speaks and guides the way. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

BH08429: In the name of the one unrivaled God!…

In the name of the one unrivaled God! The tongue of grandeur hath at all times been occupied with the mention of the friends from among both men and women, whereunto every possessor of ears and every possessor of illumined sight beareth witness. Today the ocean of grace is surging and the sun of bounty is shining. Blessed is the one who hath heard the divine call and recognized Him in the garment of His manifestation. This is the day of the rejoicing of the leaves, for the Tree hath appeared, and the Day of Resurrection, for the Self-Subsisting One hath arisen. God willing, may that leaf dwell beneath the shade of the Tree’s loving-kindness and be occupied with His remembrance. Blessed art thou for having chosen to serve thy brother whom We chose for the service of Our Cause, the Mighty, the Great. We, from this station, send Our greetings upon thee and upon thy sisters who have turned unto God, the Lord of the worlds. The glory be upon you all from the presence of One powerful and ancient.

BH09161: O people of creation! He Who was mentioned…

He is the One Who rules over all who are in earth and heaven

O people of creation! He Who was mentioned in the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds, the Sovereign of heaven, hath come. The Day is come, but the people are in manifest darkness. They have cast away My Sealed Wine and turned away from My Self-Subsisting Name, following every doubting learned one who hath denied the meeting with God and His Manifestation and turned away from Him Who hath spoken and speaketh “Verily there is no God but Me, the All-Powerful, the Almighty.” We have witnessed thy being stirred by the breezes of My loving-kindness, and have thus remembered thee in this Clear Book. Leave aside the books of the people—a command from Us—and take hold of this Mighty Tablet. They have authored them according to their desires and attributed them to the religion of God and His path. Nay, they are among the abject ones. Thus have We set forth the verses and sent them unto thee that thou mayest be of those who render thanks.

BH09453: In the Name of the All-Powerful, the Almighty!…

In the Name of the All-Powerful, the Almighty! The Hidden hath appeared and the Concealed hath been revealed. The Speaker of the Mount hath spoken, yet the people hear not. They have followed their own desires and turned away from God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Heedlessness hath so seized them that they see yet recognize not. They have lost who followed every idle clamourer, who hath debarred them from God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen. O loved ones of the All-Merciful in all lands! Leave the world behind you and hold fast to the cord of steadfastness in such wise that the pillars of them who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of the Kingdom and of the realm above, shall shake. This is the Day of certitude, did ye but know it, and this is the Day of arising, did ye but understand. Cast behind you idle fancies, turning unto the Mighty, the Well-Beloved.

BH09477: The atoms have testified to that which My tongue…

He is the Manifest, the Concealed

The atoms have testified to that which My tongue hath testified in My prison—that there is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing Speaker. We have accepted tribulations for the salvation of the world, yet the peoples remain wrapped in a thick veil. They have denied the Most Great Book and have disputed with the sovereignty of the verses when it appeared with a manifest light. They have cast the Beloved behind their backs and followed every remote scholar. Cast aside the divines—by God’s life, they are the worshippers of vain imaginings. To this hath testified the Supreme Pen of God in His wondrous Paradise. Turn ye towards the supreme horizon—by God, from it hath shone forth the Sun of Knowledge with a light that hath illumined all who are in the heavens and on earth. Thus hath sung the tongue of the All-Merciful upon the branches of divine knowledge. Blessed are they that hearken, and woe unto them that turn away.

BH10013: In the Name of the Beloved of the worlds!…

In the Name of the Beloved of the worlds! The Call is raised, yet few are they that hearken unto it. The horizon of the world is illumined with the splendors of the Most Great Name, yet rare indeed are they who possess true vision. I swear by the Ocean of divine knowledge that those who are endowed with insight are seen to be rarer than the philosopher’s stone. God, exalted be His glory, doth Himself bestow the choice wine of utterance, yet none are found to seek it. O friends! Hearken unto the divine Call, and act in accordance with that which He hath commanded and doth command. Verily He witnesseth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Every doer of deeds is this Day beneath the glance of the favor of God, and shall continue to be so. Blessed is he who hath hearkened unto My most sweet Call, and woe betide the heedless. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.