Volume 068: Akka 1299 A.H. (1881–1882), Part III (1 of 4)

BH00389: Praise, eternal and sanctified above all likeness and comparison…

In the name of our Most Great, Most Luminous, Most Manifest, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord!

Praise, eternal and sanctified above all likeness and comparison, befitteth the Lord of existence Who hath caused all things in the world to appear like the letters of a book in their standing, sitting, prostration, bowing, submission and humility. All things have appeared from a single word, yet how vastly different are their effects, fruits, colors, tastes, motions and stillness. The Creator Who, from a single word sanctified above all colors and differences, brought forth these diverse things from nothingness into being. Most things stand in service, yet the hand of men’s understanding falls short.

The cypress declares: “Praise be unto Thee for having made me upright, reflecting every alif revealed in Thy Book.” The meadow grass proclaims: “Thou seest me, O my God, fallen prostrate upon the earth in adoration of Thy Manifestation and sovereignty.” The willow tree uttereth: “O Lord! Thou beholdest my submission, my humility, my rising and falling, my bashfulness and emotion, and my swaying in the winds of Thy will.” The pomegranate speaketh, saying: “O my God, my Lord, my Manifestation and my Creator! Thou seest me bearing witness to Thy manifestation, Thy power and Thy grace. By Thy glory, O my God! The color of my face betokeneth my bashfulness in Thy days, and Thy decree hath prevented me from turning toward the court of Thy glory and arising to serve Thee.”

Every person of insight beholdeth that which most of the world’s peoples are deprived of. Brief mention of this station is more fitting and beloved, lest the readers grow weary and may read with the utmost joy and fragrance. Brevity is among the fruits of the tree of wisdom, and acknowledgment of powerlessness is reckoned among the fruits of the tree of knowledge.

Glorified art Thou, O my God and the God of all that is in the world! I seek Thy forgiveness and turn unto Thee for having mentioned aught in Thy presence, for what my tongue hath uttered and my limbs have wrought, and for my misdeeds which exceed the reckoning of the Pen and the accounting of all in the world. I beseech Thee by the Orator Who speaketh from the loftiest pulpits of existence in Thy Name and sovereignty, and by the Speaker Whom the conditions of Thy servants and creation have not hindered, to open unto Thy loved ones, with the finger of Thy power, the door of Thy relief. O Lord! Thou art the Generous, possessed of great bounty.

Take the hands of Thy loved ones with the hands of Thy power, then assist them with the hosts of the unseen through Thy might and sovereignty. O Lord! Thou seest them among the wretched ones of Thy creation and under the rule of those who have adorned their heads with turbans. I testify that they are as cattle in Thy land, nay more astray in their way. I beseech Thee, O Cleaver of the dawn, Illuminator of the horizons, and Judge on the Day of Separation, in this moment wherein I have held fast to the cord of Thy grace and clung to the hem of the robe of Thy generosity, to forgive those who have turned to Thee, heard Thy call, responded to Thy word, and spent their wealth in Thy path and their spirits in Thy love and good-pleasure.

O Lord! Aid them to serve Thee and draw them nigh unto the station Thou hast ordained for them from Thy Most Exalted Pen, by Whose movement all beings were set in motion. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiver, the Hearer, the Generous, the Merciful, the Mighty, the Answerer.

After receiving several letters from you, each indicating your devotion, certitude, love and steadfastness—may you ever be confirmed and drink from the Kawthar of steadfastness. Today the station of steadfastness is most mighty and great, for the manifestations of Satan lie in wait with utmost craftiness and deception, hoping to prevent the faithful and deter the wayfarers from the straight path. In all conditions one must take refuge in God, exalted be His glory, from the evil of deceitful and lying souls. God protect us and you from their evil and their calumnies. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Mighty, the Powerful.

After learning of your letters, I approached the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, and after receiving permission, presented them before Him. He said:

“O Muhammad-Qabli-Sadiq! Praise be to God that by His leave thou hast sought the Greatest Vision and drunk from the Kawthar of meeting the Lord of Destiny. Thou hast witnessed the effulgences of the light of His countenance and heard His utterances with thine outward ear. This bounty hath no likeness or parallel. Be thou thankful and among those who render praise.”

Beseech God, exalted be His glory, to aid thee in preserving that which hath been bestowed upon thee. Say:

“Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by the Kawthar of Thy presence and the ocean of Thy reunion, and by the Book wherein Thou hast ordained the rewards of Thy servants and which Thou hast adorned with the traces of Thy Most Exalted Pen in Thy days, to make me steadfast in Thy love and Thy good-pleasure and to protect me from the evil of those who have violated Thy Covenant and Thy Testament. Verily Thou art the Mighty, the Strong, the All-Conquering, the All-Powerful.”

The Sun of divine favor dawns and shines forth from the horizon of every word of the Supreme Utterances. Should a soul arise to offer praise throughout the duration of the kingdom and the heavenly realm, he would fail to adequately thank for even a single letter that His Pen hath revealed concerning him. Praise be unto Him! Again praise be unto Him! Thanks be unto Him! Again thanks be unto Him! Grace be unto Him! Again grace be unto Him! Favor be unto Him! Again favor be unto Him! Unto infinity favor be unto Him! God willing, this letter shall be a cause of joy and delight for you, as it bears divine utterances.

Regarding what you wrote about traveling to other lands specifically for trade—God willing, wherever you may be, may you dwell peacefully under the canopy of the grace of God, exalted be His glory. Verily He is with His accepted servants and His sincere chosen ones. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds. This evanescent servant conveys greetings to all the friends in that land and beseeches God to confirm them all in unity, concord, firmness, steadfastness and service. This day has no likeness or parallel. You must regard the time as precious. I swear by the Sun of Truth that every moment of these days has been and is more precious than mountains of gold. O friends! Consider the time precious and act as befits it. Praise be to God—the Goal is present, the Path is manifest, the Kawthar is flowing, Paradise is visible and the Garden is radiant. Blessed is the soul that has recognized the station of these days and has arisen to do what is befitting. Glory be upon you and upon the loved ones of God in those parts and upon those who have testified to that which God hath testified: that there is none other God but Him, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Glorious, the Beloved.

Today, being the eighth day of the revered month of Sha’ban, another letter from you arrived which was sent from Tabriz on the 19th of Jumada al-Thani. As the divine fragrances of love wafted from it, it refreshed and gladdened the gardens of the heart with the waters of joy and delight. God willing, may you ever drink from the ocean of divine favor and find repose beneath the shade of the Divine Lote Tree.

After perusing it, with wings of joy and elation it was presented in its entirety before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence. These exalted words descended from the Kingdom of Utterance of the Lord of Names, exalted be His glory:

“O Muhammad-i-Qabl-i-Sadiq! Previously your letter was mentioned before the Wronged One through the servant in attendance, and an answer was sent down from the heaven of grace. God willing, may you all be illumined by the light of the commanding Word and be set ablaze by the fire of the Sacred Tree. We, from this station, send Our greetings upon you, your father, your brothers, and upon those who have testified to that which God hath testified: that there is none other God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

End quote. Praise be to God, the lights of the Sun of Divine Grace are shining and evident. Each time your letter arrived, it was honored to be heard by the Truth, exalted be His glory, and was honored with a reply. Blessed are they who have drunk the living waters from the chalices of their Lord’s words, the All-Merciful. Regarding what you wrote about attention to various directions, this has been noted. God willing, the end of all affairs will be for the good, as the reins of every matter have been and will ever be within the grasp of God’s power. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth, and He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

As for the mention you made of certain friends, this was presented before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, and for each one specifically, a wondrous and sublime Tablet was revealed from the heaven of grace and sent forth. God willing, may the friends attain unto them and arise to serve the Cause.

This is what was revealed for Karbila’i Muhammad of Milan:

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

O Muhammad! The Wronged One remembereth thee from the prison’s direction and counseleth thee with that which hath been revealed in the Book from God, the Lord of all worlds. Cast behind thee idle fancies and vain imaginings, and take hold of that which thou hast been commanded by the All-Wise Ordainer. O servants of the All-Merciful in all lands! Hold fast to the cord of goodly deeds and cling to the hem of trustworthiness, truthfulness, and faithfulness, and to that whereby the Cause of God, the One, the Mighty, the Wise, is advanced. Thus hath spoken the Wronged One in the Most Great Prison as He walketh in this exalted place. The peace that shineth from the horizon of the Abode of Peace be upon thee and upon those who have remained faithful to God’s Covenant and Testament when the Manifestation of Revelation appeared with a clear command.

And this is what was revealed for Mulla Husayn, the scribe in Usku:

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

O Husayn! He Who hath summoned all mankind unto God, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting, hath come. The Wronged One hath appeared and revealed that which He was bidden by God, the Mighty, the Loving. Among the people are those who have turned toward the Supreme Horizon, those who have followed their passions and desires, and those who have paused, looking to the right and to the left. Say: None hath any protection this Day save those who have clung to the hem of the robe of their Lord’s loving-kindness, the Knower of the unseen and the seen. Say: This is the Day whereon the breezes of God have wafted, the Cock of the Throne hath crowed, and the Dove of Utterance hath warbled upon the branches.

Verily, there is none other God but Him, the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. Take thou the Tablet with the strength granted by Us, and in all matters place thy trust in God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. When the crier raiseth his call, leave him to himself, turning with your hearts toward the Ultimate Lode-Star which speaketh: “Verily, there is none other God but Him, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting.” Thus hath the ocean surged and the fragrance wafted. Be thou thankful and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the Kingdom and all that is therein.”

And this was revealed for Aqa Rasul:

He is God, the Single, the All-Informed

The Supreme Pen maketh mention of His loved ones and commandeth that which is praiseworthy. Blessed is the soul that hath forsaken its own will and held fast unto the Will of God. Today the dark dust of idle fancies and vain imaginings hath prevented the people of the earth from beholding the Supreme Horizon. Beseech ye God to rend asunder the veils that withhold them, that all may not be deprived and debarred from the wondrous bounties of this blessed Day. O Rasul! The Wronged One of the world maketh mention of thee and His loved ones on this night, that ye may all be adorned with divine virtues and arise to serve His Cause. Verily, one pure deed is mightier than assembled hosts.

By My life! One truthful word hath been the cause of guidance for multitudes. Whosoever becometh informed of that which came to pass in former ages will testify to that which hath flowed from the Supreme Pen. We beseech God to aid all to that which beseemeth human dignity. Verily, We make mention of thee and thy son, that he may rejoice and be of the thankful. The glory be upon thee, upon him, and upon every patient one who hath shown fortitude in adversity and attained unto the supreme steadfastness in this mighty and momentous Cause.

Praise be to God! The bounties of God, exalted be His glory, have encompassed the souls mentioned, and each one hath been remembered, one by one, by the Supreme Pen. This is a bounty wherewith no other bounty can compare. God willing, may all be illumined and enlightened by the suns of the words of the Revealer of verses, be freed and detached from that which perisheth, and be focused on that which endureth. We implore help and assistance from God, exalted be His glory. He is the Powerful, the Mighty, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing. The might of the world cannot withhold Him, nor can the clamor of the nations prevent Him from His all-encompassing purpose. The glory shining resplendent from the horizon of the heaven of grace be upon thy father, upon thy brother whose letter hath reached the Prison, upon thee, upon all men and women who are with you, upon every steadfast servant and steadfast handmaiden, and praise be to God, the Revealer of verses and the Manifester of clear proofs.

BH00826: Praise, sanctified from letters and words, befitteth the King…

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

Praise, sanctified from letters and words, befitteth the King of Reality, Who hath adorned one of His primary manifestations with the ornament “He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden.” His is the praise and His is the glory. There is no God but Him and no goal but Him. And blessing and peace and glory and splendor be upon those who have arisen to serve the Cause and have acted in a manner befitting the days of God, the Mighty, the Wise.

And now, the letters of that beloved one which arrived previously were each answered, and for each of the mentioned names a wondrous and exalted Tablet was revealed. However, wisdom dictated a delay in sending them, as the heedless ignorant ones in this land have spoken somewhat as befitteth them. God willing, they shall be sent. Today, which is the 22nd of the honored month of Sha’ban, that beloved one’s handwritten letter dated the 12th of Rajab caused joy and delight. Praise be to God, the bird of love is in flight, the pen of affection is in motion, and the ink of unity is flowing. Praise be to Him, again praise be to Him, and thanks be to your honor. And all that was written therein was presented at the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court. The tongue of the favor of the Goal of all the worlds spoke these words, exalted be His glory:

“O Asad! My Pen exalteth thee and My Tongue blesseth thee. God willing, thou shalt be assisted in all matters. Whoso is for God, God is for him. This is a commanding and penetrating word, and hath ever been so. Assuredly, whatsoever the Hand of Divine favor hath deposited in good soil shall grow green and flourish with new effect and mighty fruit. Blessed art thou, and blessed is he who is with thee, and blessed are they whose very beings are stirred with longing for the meeting with God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. We, verily, glorify thee from this station, and We glorify My loved ones and give them glad tidings of the signs of God, the Lord of the worlds.” End quote.

The answer to this letter is brief, as by command it must be sent at this time so that the trust that was with it may quickly reach that beloved one. God willing, affairs have been and are proceeding well. In truth, that beloved one has arisen to serve the Cause with the utmost effort and endeavor. This servant beseecheth his Lord in humility and supplication to make your honor a standard in His Cause and a banner of His name in His lands.

He is the Powerful, the Mighty.

The envelope sent attained the honor of presence and attention. He said that at present it is not advisable to send any utterance, mention, or tablet specifically from this place. If your honor deems it appropriate and sends something, there is and shall be no harm in it. End quote.

Furthermore, you must consider all aspects, for if this matter becomes known and some become aware of what has occurred, they will take action, and that person will surely hesitate in showing love, as he has not attained maturity and has other stations in view. For this reason, they express what they have expressed. A hundred thousand thanks to the Beloved of the worlds Who has enabled that beloved one to achieve these mighty matters. How pleasant and delightful for your honor!

Regarding the gift you wrote about, this matter was presented. They said it is not permissible at present, as some do not and have not understood the reality and will interpret it in inappropriate ways. End quote.

If capacity becomes evident and the time arrives, that he should become the recipient of a Divine Tablet would be most excellent, and this would be a befitting gift for Mihdi and the messenger, exalted be His grandeur; or if passages, that is, writings of the Most Great Branch (may my spirit and being be sacrificed for the dust of His footsteps) were to be sent, that too would be beloved for him. Today the Covenant of God is more fitting than all things—meaning that if they harbor no ill intent and continue to show the same degree of protection they have thus far demonstrated, there can be revealed from the Supreme Pen concerning him that which would give assurance that henceforth the people of truth would never fall short in supporting and being loyal to his government, and likewise that God, exalted be His glory, would assist him in executing justice, which is the greatest means for the tranquility of the world and the firm foundation for the edifice of government. Otherwise, they should act according to whatever becomes manifest from them.

Mention had been made of Jinab-i-Sayyah, upon him be the Glory of God. Praise be to God that he was assisted in that which would cause his remembrance to endure in the divine Kingdom. He has ever been and continues to be before this ephemeral one’s sight. He has always sought to render some service to this Cause. No doubt he has recounted the details of his circumstances. May he be confirmed and assisted in that which is the cause of the manifestation of grace and the source of tranquility and repose for the world.

Some time ago Jinab-i-Mirza Maqsud arrived in this land and attained the presence. Previously, when he was in Iraq, a petition from him reached the Most Holy Court, an answer was revealed and sent. Afterwards, according to what was mentioned, he tarried and proceeded along his former path, for according to his own account, he had specifically entered various religions to investigate them.

This year, when he turned towards this land and attained the honor of presence, the utmost kindness and favor was shown to him. However, no word was spoken that was contrary to wisdom, as they have observed in the letter this servant wrote to him. Whatever divine utterances this servant saw regarding world order, the progress of nations, the manifestation of humanity, and the appearance of justice were mentioned. And he himself claimed certitude and knowledge, but this servant dealt with him only to the extent mentioned. In any case, the utmost love was shown regarding him. It is hoped that henceforth he will hold fast to wisdom and drink from the fountain of steadfastness.

However, some of the emigrants who had seen him on his path mentioned a word that was contrary to wisdom. This ephemeral one was greatly surprised, and that word was attributed to the Source. That word was a glad-tiding regarding His Holiness Z. Although this word is good, since the purpose is to manifest truth and sincerity, it is submitted that the True One, exalted be His glory, did not utter such a word.

In any case, that honored one and this servant beseech the True One not to deprive him—that is, the aforementioned Mirza—from the effulgences of the Sun of favor. Although now the favors of the True One, exalted be His glory, are observed regarding His Holiness Z, surely universal fruits will result from this favor if they are assisted to be steadfast in what they have declared. Verily, He ordains what He willeth for whomsoever He willeth. He giveth and withholdeth, and He is the Mighty, the Powerful.

Glory be upon the people of Glory who heard the Call and answered their Lord, the King of Names and Creator of Heaven.

BH00929: Praise be to God Who hath sent down…

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

Praise be to God Who hath sent down the verses and revealed the clear tokens on a Day that was promised in His Books, His Scriptures and His Tablets, and Who took from His servants and His creation their covenant. Yet when the horizon of the world was illumined by the lights of that Day, every learned one was misled by knowledge, and every mystic was veiled by fancies and idle imaginings. Praise be to God Who hath revealed Himself through His Name, the All-Knowing, whereupon the ocean of divine knowledge surged within creation, and through His Name, the All-Wise, whereupon the Sun of proof shone forth and the Nightingale warbled upon the branches. Verily, there is no God but Him, the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting.

Glory be unto Thee, O Lord of all religions and Revealer of the Word! I beseech Thee by the light of Thy countenance and the fire of Thy Sacred Tree, and by the Name through which Thou didst open the gates of Thy mercy and spread abroad the tablets of Thy loving-kindness, to draw Thy chosen ones nigh unto the horizon of Thy grace and the shore of the ocean of Thy oneness.

O Lord! Thou seest Thy faithful servants among the wicked, and the Daysprings of Thy knowledge among the ignorant. I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name, whereby the hearts of the nations were struck with terror, save those whom Thou didst strengthen through the wonders of Thy grace and the manifestations of Thy bounty, to send down from the heaven of Thy generosity upon Thy loved ones that which befitteth Thy loftiness, Thy sublimity and Thy favors.

O Lord! Ordain for them what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen servants who, upon hearing Thy most sweet call, turned to Thee with illumined hearts and acknowledged that which the Tongue of Thy grandeur hath spoken in the kingdom of creation. O Lord! Hearts have melted in their separation from Thee, and souls have burned in their remoteness from Thee. O Lord! Deny them not the sweet-flowing waters of Thy presence, and disappoint them not of the pure wine of Thy reunion. Verily, Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth, and in Thy grasp is the kingdom of names. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the Powerful.

Furthermore, thy letter was received and from every word thereof wafted the fragrance of love. Praise be to God that thou hast drunk from the ocean of divine knowledge and been illumined by the lights of the Sun of Truth. The entire world had awaited the appearance of the Day of God, and throughout the nights and days they beseeched God, exalted be His glory, to grant them the presence of the Source of His Cause, the Dawning-Place of His Revelation and the Manifestation of His Self. Yet when the expanse of the world was illumined by the lights of the Sun of Revelation and the Promised One was seated upon His mighty throne, all remained heedless and veiled, nay rather, they turned away and denied, save for a few souls.

Consider now how glorious is the station of one who hath attained unto this most great bounty and supreme grace. I swear by the pearls of the divine ocean of wisdom that a single accepted soul is mightier and greater than all the peoples of the world, for all were created to recognize this most holy and sublime Day, and in all the scriptures the appearance of this mighty Cause was promised; yet they are seen to be deprived and debarred therefrom. Blessed is he who hath soared on wings in this atmosphere, and blessed is he whose eyes have beheld the greatest signs of his Lord, and blessed is he whose ears have heard His sweetest call, and blessed is he whose face hath turned toward His most exalted horizon, and blessed is he whose heart hath turned toward the Kingdom of immortality, and blessed is he who hath arisen with supreme steadfastness in this Cause whereby the people of Baha have attained unto the greatest joy and the workers of iniquity and wickedness have been seized with the greatest terror—they who cast the Book of God behind their backs and followed their own desires. The servant beareth witness that they are among the perished ones.

In My Most Holy, Most Great, Most Glorious Name

O Muhammad-Quli! Your letter was presented before the Wronged One and was read in His presence. Blessed art thou and blessed is thy father who hath attained that which the near ones have attained. O Ahmad! Praise the Beloved of the world Who hath enabled thee to recognize His Cause—a Cause from which those who claim knowledge and wisdom are debarred and veiled. In the early days thou didst drink from the choice wine of recognition and didst turn unto the horizon of His Cause. Thy mention hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen and thy name hath been recorded in the Crimson Book. The whole world hath not equaled and will never equal this most exalted station. Were We to lift the veil, all the peoples of the world would exclaim: “Blessed be the All-Bountiful, the Manifestation of this mighty station!” Beseech ye God that through His grace and bounty He may render the eyes of the people of the earth worthy to behold and comprehend this most exalted station. He is the One with power before Whose might every mighty one hath testified, and to Whose grandeur and strength every possessor of authority hath borne witness.

We send Our greetings to the friends in that land who have drunk from the Most Pure Wine and who have fixed their gaze upon the Most Great Scene. We counsel them to perform such deeds as would promote the Cause of God. Blessed are they who have hearkened unto the call of God and acted according to that which they were commanded. Woe betide him who hath denied God’s Revelation and His sovereignty. The glory shining forth from the horizon of My will be upon you and upon My friends and loved ones whom the darkness of tyranny hath not kept back from the light of justice, and whom the doubts of every remote scholar have not withheld.

This lowly one conveyeth greetings to thy honorable father—may the glory of God rest upon him. Praise be to God, through divine grace he hath attained, gazeth upon His horizon, and standeth firm in His service. Blessed is he and happy his lot. God willing, may he ever drink from this cup and partake of this chalice.

Regarding the mention in thy letter of Aqa Mir ʿAli-Akbar—upon him be the glory of God—this evanescent servant beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, that He may enable him to celebrate His praise and serve His Cause.

Likewise mention was made of Aqa Yusuf—upon him be the glory of God. This servant conveyeth greetings to him and beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, for mercy, bounty and steadfastness for him and all other friends. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the All-Giving, the Generous One. God willing, may none be deprived of the sweet fragrances of His days. May they at all times drink and give to drink the water of divine knowledge from the hand of His bounty. Glory be upon thee and upon thy father and thy brethren and those with thee, and upon those who have attained to the recognition of the days of God, the Lord of the worlds. Praise be to God, the Exalted King, the Great One.

The servant 22nd of the month of Sha’ban 1299

BH00050: This is a Book from which the trees perceive…

Section 1: “This is a Book from which the trees…”

In the Name of the Wronged One, Who is manifest in the Most Great Prison

This is a Book from which the trees perceive the fragrance of spring, and children catch the loving scent of their gracious Father, and the thirsty hear the murmur of the Water of Life, and those near unto God inhale the breath of the All-Merciful, and the sincere behold the lights of Beauty, and lovers discern the signs of nearness and reunion. Thus hath the Pen spoken when the Ancient Beauty walked in the mansion which God made the seat of His mighty throne.

O My Name! Bear thou witness as God hath borne witness that there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Go forth with the Book of God and His tokens to His lands, and remind therein My loved ones of this Day which was remembered in the hearts of the Prophets and inscribed in the Books of the Prophets and Messengers. Say: Beware lest the veils of the people of the Bayan keep you from God, the Lord of all worlds. We counseled them concerning the Most Great Manifestation, and commanded them to do what is right, and gave them glad tidings of this glorious and wondrous Day. Yet when the Hidden was revealed and the Sealed Wine was unsealed, they denied and turned away from Him Who came with manifest sovereignty.

O My Name, O thou who hast drunk the wine of My utterance! Say: O people of the Bayan, remember, then observe what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an:

“The Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds.”

Say: O company of the heedless, fear God and oppose not Him through Whom the banner of divine knowledge hath been raised to the highest station of possibility, and through Whom the ocean of utterance hath surged and the sweet savors of the All-Merciful have wafted. Be fair and be not of the wrongdoers.

O Mihdi! Say: Verily, he whom ye have taken as lord besides God was fleeing from place to place. To this beareth witness the Lord of all beings and every fair-minded and discerning soul.

O My Name! Say: O people of the Bayan! The books of the world profit you not today except through this Book that walketh in the Most Great Prison and proclaimeth before all nations: “There is none other God but I, the Expliciter, the All-Knowing.” Say: The Most Glorious Horizon hath appeared and the Supreme Pen hath moved in this Revelation whereby the pavilion of glory hath been raised upon the Luminous Spot, and that which was recorded in the Books of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, hath been manifested.

O My Name! Say: O company of the heedless! Hearken unto that which the Dove of Utterance warbleth upon the branches, then observe the essence which the Primal Point took from the heavenly Books in His words:

“I have written an essence regarding His remembrance, and it is that He cannot be indicated by My indication nor by what is mentioned in the Bayan.”

Fear ye the All-Merciful and deny not Him Who hath come to you from the Dawning-Place of knowledge with a clear proof.

Say: That which is with the people will not suffice you today. Cast away vain imaginings and turn unto the Manifestation of God’s Self, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. This is the Day whose covenant We took from every Prophet and every holy one, were ye of those who know. Beware lest the greatest veil prevent you from the Lord of Destiny. Purify your hearts with the Kawthar of your Lord’s utterance, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Sanctify the mirrors of your hearts that there may be reflected therein “The Kingdom is God’s, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.”

Say: Come, let us set aside what the people possess and judge fairly concerning that which hath shone forth from the horizon of God’s knowledge, the One, the Single, the All-Informed. Say: If ye desire verses, they have indeed encompassed the horizons, and if ye seek clear proofs, they have appeared in such wise that none deny them save every transgressor, sinful one. Say: By God! I have arisen with the Cause on a Day wherein eyes were dazed and feet did slip through fear of those who were on a mighty side of wrongdoing. Fear ye God and be not of the transgressors.

O My Name and he who walks by My leave! Mention unto My chosen ones and My loved ones that which hath been manifested in the Land of Mystery through God’s power and sovereignty, when He rose above the horizon of the House, speaking forth the verses of God, the King, the Mighty, the Beauteous. By God! The Bayan was sent down for My remembrance, and it is but a leaf from among the leaves of the Tree of My utterance. To this testifieth My Herald, who laid down His life in My straight and manifest path. Say: O heedless ones! Take heed lest the Bayan withhold you from your Lord, the All-Merciful. By God’s life! It was sent down to bear witness unto Me.

Read ye what is therein and be of the fair-minded. Say: By God! He Who conversed with the Burning Bush speaketh, yet ye perceive not. He is the One promised by the tongue of the Prophets. Fear ye God and dispute not the signs of God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting. Say: This is the Day wherein the Ocean proclaimeth: “Blessed art thou, O Land, for the breezes of God, the Mighty, the Great, have wafted over thee.” Thou hast discovered the fragrances of the days and the sweet-scented perfume of thy Lord’s garment when He appeared with His blessed Name, the Mighty, the Wondrous. And the Land proclaimeth, saying: “Blessed art thou, O Ocean, for God’s Ark, the Lord of all worlds, hath sailed upon thee.”

O My loved ones in all lands! Rejoice in that God hath singled you out for the recognition of the Dayspring of His Cause and hath preserved you from the Great Terror that hath seized all people, save whom God willeth, the Strong, the Almighty, the Powerful. Ye have attained unto that which none else hath attained. To this bear witness the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise and they who possess the Manifest Book.

O My Name! Remind My servants and give them the glad tidings of My mercy and My favor. Then recite unto them what hath been sent down from the kingdom of Mine wondrous utterance. Say: The use of opium hath been forbidden unto you in God’s Book, the All-Commanding, the All-Wise. It harmeth you and benefiteth you not. This is what ye have been commanded, both before and after, through clear verses and manifest proofs. Blessed is he who acteth in accordance with that which he hath been commanded by God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

Pass through the lands with the fragrances of thy Lord’s garment of utterance and give His loved ones therein the glad tidings of this Remembrance through which that which was hidden in a preserved Tablet hath been revealed. Take the rights of God by Our leave, then act in accordance with what We have commanded thee. Verily thy Lord is He Who commandeth whatsoever He willeth. The might of the mighty weakeneth Him not, nor do the doings of the heedless frustrate Him.

Should thou arrive in the land of Alif and Ra, convey My greetings unto My loved ones and illumine them with the lights of the Sun of My tender mercy, and remind them of this News through which this lofty Structure hath been raised. Say: Give thanks, for My Most Exalted Pen hath spoken in remembrance of you, and My Most Glorious Countenance hath turned toward you, and the tongue of My bounty hath sent down from the kingdom of Mine utterance that which, were it to be placed upon the mountains, would cause them to soar with longing for the meeting of the Lord of Causes, Who hath come with a sovereignty that the veils of idle fancies and the clouds of vain imaginings have not prevented. Say: He hath come with God’s proof and His evidence, and He is the Path of God for all who are in the heavens and on earth, did ye but know.

And We make mention of the Imam therein who emigrated in My path and drew near until he attained unto Our presence, when the Light was shining from the horizon of Zawra, and he drank the wine of reunion from the hands of My bounty and stood before My gate which was opened unto all in the seen and the unseen. We bear witness that he heard the Call and answered his Lord, the Lord of what was and what shall be

O ʿAli-Akbar! Remind mankind of that which hath flowed from My Most Exalted Pen. Say: Fear God, and deny not Him Who enjoineth upon you what is virtuous and forbiddeth you that which ye were forbidden in the Book of God, the Mighty, the All-Loving. It behooveth you to make good what hath escaped you in His days. Cast away what ye possess and take hold of that which He Who speaketh at the mid-most heart of the world commandeth you. There is none other God but Me, the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. Say: If God were to chastise anyone for having believed in this Revelation, by what proof would He not chastise those who believed in the Point of the Bayan, and before Him in Muhammad the Apostle of God, and before Him in the Son of Mary, and before Him in Moses the Interlocutor, until the matter returneth to the Primal Beginning.

Fear ye God, and follow not the idols who have disbelieved in the Witness and the Witnessed. Whoso halteth in this Cause hath halted in every Cause that hath been manifested by God’s will and purpose, would ye but know. Say: Naught is seen in the Word but its Speaker, nor in the Manifestation but the Beauty of Him Who is manifested, nor in the Revelation save the Revealer, Who prevaileth over all created things through His word “Be” and it is.

O Pen! Make mention of the people of Mim and Ra from the presence of the Lord of Names, and give them glad tidings of God’s bounty, the Lord of all worlds. Say: We make mention of you in the Most Great Prison with that which will draw you nigh unto God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. O My loved ones in all lands and regions! Rejoice that the countenance of God hath turned towards you and giveth you glad tidings of that which hath been ordained for you by the Most Exalted Pen in a Tablet wherein He hath spoken: There is none other God but He, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Blessed are they who have ascended unto God, and those upon whom there hath descended from the daysprings of tyranny that which hath caused the most exalted Paradise and the dawning-places of My most beauteous names to lament.

Upon them rest My glory, My mercy, My bounty and My grace which have encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. Say: We have sent down for you that which hath brought joy to the eyes of the Concourse on high. Rejoice, then give thanks for this manifest bounty. Beware lest the world and what appeareth therein grieve you. By the True One! The ocean of joy hath surged before the face of Him Who conversed upon Sinai. Draw nigh with radiant hearts unto the most exalted horizon. This is better for you, did ye but know. Verily, those who have martyred themselves in My path are the denizens of the pavilion of My glory and the tabernacles of My grandeur. The people of My Kingdom and My Dominion, and the Manifestations of My names, and the Daysprings of My attributes, and the Repositories of My knowledge, the All-Glorious, the All-Encompassing, offer prayers for them.

O My Name! Associate with the loved ones of the All-Merciful with spirit and joy, and remind them of that which will attract their hearts in this Day which God hath made the sovereign of days in a preserved Tablet. We have remembered thee, exalted thee, caused thee to hear and shown thee. Give thanks unto thy Lord and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the worlds, and glory be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Goal of the mystics and the Object of worship of the sincere ones.”

We have permitted thee to grant permission unto whosoever desireth to attain the presence of thy Lord. This is yet another bounty bestowed upon thee from Our presence. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Generous. Thus hath the sun of grace shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness, and I am verily the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

He who seeketh to attain the ultimate goal and to enter the presence of the Lord of all beings must follow that which the Supreme Pen hath ordained from the presence of the Mighty, the All-Knowing. He forbiddeth you to bow down and prostrate yourselves at My feet and the feet of others. This is what hath been revealed in the Book from the presence of One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise. Say: O loved ones of the All-Merciful! If ye desire to attain His presence, then present yourselves with spirit and joy, with the manners that befit human nature. Fear God and be not of the heedless. He ordaineth as He pleaseth and commandeth that which guideth the servants unto this Most Great Light, before which, when it appeared, the Faithful Spirit prostrated itself. Kiss not the hands and bow not down at the time of arrival. He commandeth you to observe what is right, and He is the Commander, the All-Responding. None should abase himself before another soul. This is the decree of God as He established Himself upon the throne with manifest sovereignty.

Forbidden unto you is that which We have mentioned. Take ye the laws and commandments of God and follow not the ways of the ignorant. Whoso attaineth the presence of the Countenance is accounted among the visitors in the sight of God, the Lord of this noble station. Whoso attaineth hath visited, and he is of them that have attained to what was inscribed in the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds. Forbidden unto you is kissing of hands, prostration, casting oneself down and bowing. Thus have We expounded the verses and sent them down as a grace from Our presence, and I am verily the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days.

Section 2: “Prostration beseemeth him who knoweth not and seeth…”

Prostration beseemeth him who knoweth not and seeth not. But he who seeth is among those unto whom the Clear Book hath testified. None should prostrate before him, and whoso hath prostrated before him should return and repent unto God. Verily He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Merciful. It hath been proven through clear evidence that prostration is due only to the Unseen Presence. Know this, O people of the earth, and be not of them that turn aside. Say: O people, cast away your principles and adopt the principles of God through His might, and follow not every dubious learned one. Beware lest ye object to Him Who hath come unto you with clear signs, and beware lest ye deny this Great Announcement, before which, when it appeared, every great announcement bowed down in submission.

The Wronged One desireth to make mention of the land of Ba and Nun which was honored by the arrival of His loved ones who fulfilled His firm and mighty Covenant. Blessed are they who were martyred therein through the deeds wrought by the hands of every tyrannical oppressor. Happy is he who attained martyrdom in My days and spent what he possessed in My love and bore witness to that which the tongue of My grandeur testified in the most exalted station. Glad tidings unto him who hath arisen to serve My Cause of the loving-kindness of God and His grace which hath encompassed the horizons.

We make mention of the Trustworthy One [Amin] who took the cup of tribulation and adversity in the path of God, the Lord of all names, until he drank therefrom through this Name before which all necks have bowed down in submission. O Amin! We testify that thou didst stand firm in My service, wert vocal in My remembrance, and remained patient in all that befell thee on this Path. Thou art he who clung to the Will and Purpose of God, forsaking the desires of every covenant-breaking infidel. Rejoice in that We have made mention of thee in numerous Tablets and in a Scripture which none save God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, hath seen. We have made thee a star shining from the horizon of this heaven and a letter from the Book of God, the Lord of Lords.

O My Name! Gladden the people of Baha in other lands on behalf of God, the Lord of all men. Then bid them to that whereby the Cause of God, the Lord of creation, may be exalted. Say: Aid your Lord, the All-Merciful, through the hosts of goodly deeds and praiseworthy character. By the life of God! These are mightier than all the hosts of earth combined, as attesteth He Who beareth witness that there is none other God but Me, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Self-Subsisting. Hold fast unto the cord of unity in all conditions, that there may be manifested from you that which God, the Lord of the worlds, hath purposed. We have servants in those regions whose names We have withheld lest they become known to every oppressor who hath denied the right of God, the Mighty, the All-Wise.

We make mention of My loved ones in the land of Ta and give them glad-tidings of God’s bounty, His favor and His mercy which have preceded both the unseen and the visible. Say: Blessed are ye for having inhaled the fragrance of the verses and for having attained unto the sweet savors of the days of God, the Mighty, the Loving. We counsel you to fear God and to that whereby His Cause may be exalted. Verily, He heareth and seeth; He is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. Say: Beware lest love of the world hold you back from the Lord of all men. Abandon that which is on earth, then hearken unto that which calleth you from the Divine Lote-Tree on the gleaming spot of the sacred and luminous earth. Verily, there is none other God but He, the Manifest, the Speaking One, Who doeth whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is.

We have turned toward you at this time and make mention of you with that which shall never lose its fragrance throughout the duration of the kingdom and the heavenly dominion. Abandon that which extinguisheth the fire of the Cause among men and kindleth the fire of self and desire. Fear God and be not of them who understand not. We beseech God to aid you in that which may exalt His Cause and enable the Divine Lote-Tree to speak forth amidst all creation. Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Loving.

O loved ones of the All-Merciful! Ye are they who have borne for God’s sake the censure of every critic and the malice of those who have disbelieved in God’s favor and turned away from Him through Whom those in the graves have been raised up. Blessed is the land illumined by the lights of His countenance and the garden over which hath wafted the breezes of revelation from this glorious station. Hold fast unto that which is good and cleave unto that which profiteth all mankind. Thus have ye been commanded by God, the Lord of the Ancient Days, Who hath guided you to His straight path.

Verily, the Divine Lote-Tree desireth to make mention of the people of Milan who have believed in the All-Merciful on a day wherein the people turned away from God, the Self-Subsisting, the Self-Sufficient. O people of Milan! Hearken unto the call of the Dawning-Place of Light from the Divine Lote-Tree. Verily, He informeth you of that which hath been ordained for you by God, the Lord of existence. We counsel you to that which is praiseworthy and that whereby your stations may be exalted in both the earthly kingdom and the kingdom of heaven. Blessed is the heart that hath turned to My horizon, the tongue that hath uttered this Most Great Remembrance, and the face that hath turned toward the face of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. O people of Milan! Rejoice in your Lord, the All-Merciful. Ye have turned unto Him. Verily, He hath sent down for you that which cannot be equaled by all the treasures and riches.

We make mention of Our loved ones in Saysan who have inhaled the fragrance of My utterance and hearkened to My call and have soared in this atmosphere from which can be heard the warbling of the Bird of inner meanings that beareth glad-tidings unto the people of God, the Mighty, the Beauteous. We counsel you to be trustworthy and just and faithful, and to that whereby the Cause of God, the Lord of all worlds, may be made manifest. They that have oppressed and denied, these are among the wayward in the Book of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Blessed are ye, O people of Paradise, by virtue of what the All-Merciful hath testified for you in this exalted station. Verily he who hath turned unto God, the Lord of all creation, is assuredly among the people of the most exalted Paradise in His mighty Book. O My loved ones! Preserve your stations through My Name, whereby hath been manifested that which was recorded in the Scriptures of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

O My Name! Hear what God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen and the Lord of the mighty Throne, counseleth thee. Make mention of the people of Za from Me. By the life of God! They are beneath the glances of their Lord’s loving-kindness, the Forgiving, the Bountiful. Say: Blessed art thou, O Land of Za, for in thee were martyred the friends of God and His chosen ones, through whom was manifested the decree of faithfulness in the world of creation and through whom wafted the fragrance of steadfastness in the kingdom of names. Thus hath My Most Exalted Pen spoken in this station which hath been named by every name by God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Blessed is he who remembereth them and who seeketh out and visiteth their resting-places, by virtue of what hath been sent down from the heaven of the will of their Lord, the Revealer of verses.

O My Name! Glorify on My behalf My loved ones there, upon whose faces thou perceivest the radiance of the All-Merciful and from whose deeds is raised the Cause of God, the Lord of all men. O My Most Exalted Pen! Turn thy face toward My loved ones in Ra and Shin and give them the glad-tidings of My remembrance and My grace and My loving-kindness, and say: Blessed are ye for having fulfilled My Covenant and My Testament, and for having drunk the choice wine of My utterance, and for having heard in My path the blame of every sinful doubter. We were with you in days wherein was heard the croaking of one who spoke that which caused the dwellers of the most exalted Paradise to lament. Blessed is he who showed patience in God, the Judge of the Day of Reckoning.

We make mention of him who heard My call and turned to My horizon and arose to serve My Cause and confined all matters to My remembrance and praise, and testified to that which the Tongue of My Cause testified in the tabernacles of My grandeur—he whom We named the Nightingale in the Book of Names—that he may give thanks unto God throughout the nights and days. By the life of God! We have remembered you in such wise that the fragrance thereof shall never cease to endure so long as My most beautiful names endure. To this beareth witness the Most Great Book of God, round which circle the Scriptures and Tablets.

We make mention of My loved ones in Qaf who were not prevented by the affairs of creation from the Truth and who attained unto the Kawthar of eternity in the earliest days. O My loved ones there! Rejoice in that the Wronged One maketh mention of you in such wise as to attract the hearts of them that are possessed of understanding. Blessed are ye for having rent asunder the veils and for having shattered, with the hands of power and certitude, the idols of vain imaginings and idle fancies. Ye are they that heard and hastened until ye reached the shore of the ocean of utterance—the station wherein the atoms cry out throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven unto Him Who hath appeared with the truth and hath manifested through His sovereignty whatsoever He desired. We have found from you the fragrance of faithfulness. We have sent down for you that which no treasures of the world can equal. To this beareth witness every fair-minded and discerning one.

O thou who hast fixed thy gaze upon My countenance! When thou beholdest the darkness of My city, pause and say: O Land of Ta! I have come to thee from the Prison with tidings from God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting. Say: O Mother of the world and Dayspring of Light amidst the nations! I herald unto thee the tender mercy of thy Lord, and upon thee do I pronounce, from before the All-Knowing, the Knower of secrets, the Most Great Name. I bear witness that within thee was revealed the Hidden Name and the Treasured Secret, and through thee was made manifest the mystery of what hath been and what is yet to be. O Land of Ta! The Lord of Names remembereth thee from His glorious station. Thou wert the Dawning-Place of God’s Cause, the Dayspring of His Revelation and the Manifestation of His Most Great Name, whereby the hearts and souls were sorely shaken. How many of the oppressed have been martyred within thee in the path of God, and how many a wronged woman lieth buried within thee, at whose fate honoured servants have wept.

Verily We make mention of Our loved ones in that place who entered into imprisonment for the sake of God, the Lord of all kings, and We make mention of those who turned to the Most Exalted Horizon in days wherein the fire of hatred blazed in the breasts of those divines who violated God’s Covenant and His Testament, and denied God’s favor, the Lord of what was and what shall be. And We make mention of the emigrants who fled when the fire of sedition was kindled through that which the hands of every ungodly disbeliever had wrought. O people of the earth! Fear God and follow not those who have denied the right of God and His chosen ones, and deny not Him Whom ye invoke by night and by day. This is the Day which ye were promised aforetime, and in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur’an. By the life of God! Ye were created for this Day. Recognize it and deprive not yourselves of this grace to which the Tablets have testified. This is the Day wherein the Choice Wine hath appeared and the Salsabil hath flowed and Kawthar hath proclaimed:

“The Promise is fulfilled and mankind hath risen before the Lord of Lords!”

This is the Day wherewith God gave glad tidings to His Prophets and His Messengers. The Mother Book with Him beareth witness to this.

Say: O company of the heedless! By God, the Bayan was sent down by My command and its letters are from My Word. Fear God and oppose not Him through Whom the dawn hath breathed and the Balance been established. This is the Day wherein the Trumpet and the Mount circle round the Manifestation, and the Path walketh upon the loftiest horizons of the earth with power and sovereignty. If ye deny God’s signs and His proof, by what evidence can ye prove what ye possess? Be fair, O company of oppression! By God the True One, the Bayan lamenteth by reason of your tyranny and declareth:

“Woe unto you for having broken My Covenant and My Testament and for having denied Him about Whom We counseled you at all times.”

God sent Me down to mention Him and made Me a herald of His Name through which the hidden Mystery was revealed and the Fire spoke forth in the Trees.

Section 3: “O My Name amongst the rejectors! Among them…”

O My Name amongst the rejectors! Among them is he who saith that He hath plagiarized the verses and attributed them to Himself. Say: Present thyself before the Divine Countenance that thou mayest behold what no eye of possibility hath seen. And among them is he who saith that He hath forbidden people from what is right. Say: Woe unto thee, O heedless liar! That which is right circleth round Me and hath appeared through My command, and justice standeth before My face at eventide and at dawn. This is the Day wherein the earth hath spoken and hath shone with the light of its Lord, the Possessor of the Day of Return. O people! Be fair for God’s sake!

Were it not for the letter B before H, who would arise to uphold the Cause when the limbs of the earth trembled with fear of these days? Ye were behind the veil when the Wronged One called out between earth and heaven. The Manifestations of the Names and He with Whom is the Kingdom of Utterance bear witness to this. Ye were asleep behind the curtains while My Most Exalted Pen moved in the arena of wisdom and knowledge. We opened the gate of counsel before your faces when We found you to be the most wretched of servants in deeds. Ye have done what ye were forbidden and abandoned what ye were commanded in the Book. We testify that ye have cast God’s laws behind your backs and taken what ye were commanded by your base desires and passions, without any clear proof or evidence.

Verily We saw you in the darkness of your lusts. We held fast to the cord of counsel to such an extent that the shrill voice of My pen ceased not by night and by day, at eventide and at dawn.

O people of the Bayan! Fear the All-Merciful and lean not upon him who cast God’s Covenant behind his back and pronounced judgment against Him Who reared him with the hands of grace in spirit and joy. When God’s Cause was exalted to a certain degree, We found him like unto a spotted snake, creeping and hissing behind Us. Thus was the matter decreed in days wherein the pillars were shaken.

We make mention of Our loved ones in Qaf and Mim, and of him who hath set his face towards the All-Highest Companion and the Ultimate Goal, that it may be a light unto him in every world of the worlds of his Lord, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful. O Sadiq! The Lord of the worlds maketh mention of thee from the Most Great Prison, when sorrows have encompassed Him from all sides through that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought. We counsel those whom God hath related unto thee to be patient and forbearing, and We comfort them with this remembrance whereby the eyes of them that are nigh unto God have been solaced. We make mention of the two brothers who have arisen to serve the Cause, and of those who have turned with radiant faces toward the Supreme Horizon on a day wherein the feet of the mystics have slipped. And We make mention of the people of Kaf, whom the censure of any censurer hath not deterred in the path of God, and whom the hosts of the heedless have not frightened. They arose and declared:

“God is our Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and on earth!”

O My loved ones in that place and its surroundings! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. He counseleth you to preserve that which ye have been given by God, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful. Beware lest ye forfeit your stations and that which hath befallen you in the path of God, the Exalted, the Great. Ye have witnessed for the sake of God that which hath caused the Supreme Pen to lament. Soon shall ye behold that which shall gladden your hearts, O people of Baha. Thus doth God give you glad-tidings as a token of His grace, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. There hath been sent down for you in the Book that before which the treasures of the world and all that the kings and rulers pride themselves upon are as naught. Take ye the chalice of steadfastness from the hand of the bounty of your Lord, the Lord of Names. This is what the Wronged One hath commanded you, both before and after, if ye be of them that comprehend.

O thou who bearest My Name and gazeth upon My countenance! When thou beholdest the whiteness of the city wherein the Sun of fidelity hath set, pause and say: O Land of Sad! Where are the daysprings of thy light and the dawning-places of thy glory? Where is the ornament of thy temple, and where are they through whom the horizons of guidance were illumined amongst all creatures? Where are the words of the Book of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised? O Land of Sad! Where are thy standards and thy signs, thy evidences and thy banners? Have the traces of injustice been erased from thee, and will it be as it was before? Tell me, and be not of the patient ones.

Doth the serpent still hiss within thee, and doth the wolf still howl as it howled before? Verily thy Lord doth ask and answer, and He is the Almighty, the Powerful. We bear witness that within thee were treasured the treasures of fidelity, and the crimson Ark was sunk, and the She-Camel of God, the Lord of the worlds, was hamstrung. The suns of love and fidelity have set from thy horizons through that which the hands of them that disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the Invincible, have wrought. Say: O Land of Sad! We counsel thee regarding My trust and My trusts, and We ask thee concerning the fire of hatred—hath it been extinguished, or can its burning and its flames still be seen? Tell Me truly, for the sake of God, the Lord of the Exalted Throne.

O My Name! O thou who speaketh My remembrance! Know thou that whosoever desireth to be illumined by the light of eternity and to be honored by visiting any of the people of Baha who are established upon the Crimson Ark and are turned toward the Supreme Horizon, it behooveth him to cleanse his heart with the water of detachment and sanctify his face from turning to whatsoever hath been created in existence and brought into being, and to be in such wise that he seeth the Kingdom before his face and all else behind him. Then let him walk with the dignity and tranquility of God, and in every step let him say with the essence of submissiveness and the utmost lowliness:

“O my God! I have intended those who shed their blood in Thy path and sacrificed their souls in Thy love,”

until he reacheth the most holy sepulcher and sacred dust. Let him stand and look to the right like one who awaiteth the mercy of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Then let him turn and say:

“The first ray that dawned from the horizon of grace, and the first fragrance that wafted from the garment of the countenance of His Holiness the Ancient King, and the first word uttered by the tongue of the Divine Will in the world, and the first light whereby the hearts of the nations were attracted—upon you, O Temples of Glory and Daysprings of Names and Dawning-places of the Command in the Kingdom of creation! I testify that through you the All-Merciful was established upon the throne of possibility, and the ocean of forgiveness surged, and the Kawthar of life overflowed, and the Kingdom of utterance appeared, and from its horizon the sun of knowledge shone forth. Ye are they through whose will the Will and its sovereignty appeared, and the Purpose and its power emerged, and Destiny and what was ordained therein by God, the Powerful, the Mighty.

Through you the Word encompassed all things and the breeze wafted, and the world was illumined by the manifestations of the light that rose and shone forth from the Dayspring of the light of Oneness. Indeed, through you the dove of faithfulness cooed in the Supreme Paradise, and the Lote-Tree of the extremity spoke, and the nightingale of glory sang, and all things proclaimed that which God, your Creator and your Sovereign, your Origin and your Maker, your Quickener and your Slayer, your First and your Last, your Manifester and your Inspirer, your Strengthener and your Identifier, hath testified.

“Ye are the letters of the Primal Word and the first adorning in the Kingdom of creation, and the manifestations of justice in the Supreme Heaven. Ye are the Book inscribed, and the Symbol witnessed, and the Scroll outspread, and the House frequented. Through you were raised the banners of justice and planted the standards of triumph, and through you the fragrance of the garment was diffused and the sign of sanctification appeared, and through you the door of bounty was opened before the face of all nations and from the clouds of knowledge rained down the showers of the All-Merciful’s grace. Blessed are ye and blessed is he who draweth nigh unto God through you and who holdeth fast to your hems and cleaveth to your cords and uttereth your remembrance. And woe unto him who denieth your right and turneth away from you and showeth pride toward you and rejecteth God’s favor in you. Every thing beareth witness to your glory and the loftiness of your station and your profit in the hereafter and the first life, and to the loss of those who disbelieved in God when He came with shining signs and clear proofs and brilliant lights.”

Glorified art Thou, O Thou through Whose Name the believers have soared in the atmosphere of Thy nearness and presence, and the sincere ones have hastened to the place of sacrifice in Thy love and good-pleasure! I beseech Thee by those who have been martyred in Thy path and were so attracted by Thy verses that nothing in the world prevented them from drawing nigh unto Thee, to ordain for us through Thy Most Exalted Pen that which will benefit us in this world and the next. O my God, my Lord and my Hope! I implore Thee by this most pure dust and sanctified tomb to forgive me and remit my grievous sins, and to ordain for me through Thy grace that which will bring solace to mine eyes and gladden my breast. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over all things, and within Thy grasp are the keys of mercy and prosperity. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the Omnipotent.

We have now turned toward the Land of Alif and Ra, wherein We make mention of My loved ones who were not deterred by the hints of the divines nor held back by the veils of the mystics. They heard and responded—they are indeed of the assured ones. These are they who shattered the idols of vain fancy in the name of their Lord, the Lord of all beings, and held fast to the cord of God, the Lord of all worlds. And We make mention of the Most Great Victory who attained to that which was recorded in the Books of God and left his home, turning to the All-Informed One, until he entered Zawra and stood before the gate that was opened unto all on earth and in heaven, and heard the call of God, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

O My loved ones in that land! Beware lest the affairs of the world frighten you. Hold fast unto deeds and character, and unto that which will elevate the station of man. Thus have We commanded you before and in this exalted station. Preserve your stations and what hath been ordained for you from the presence of One mighty and powerful. The Glory shining and radiant from the horizon of grace be upon you and upon My handmaidens who heard the call and turned to the Supreme Horizon in days wherein the feet of the mature ones slipped.

And We make mention of another land which God hath made the seat of His loved ones and the dawning-place of him who was named Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin. Hearken unto the call from the right side of the luminous spot, from the Crimson Tree: The dominion of earth and heaven belongeth unto God, the Goal of the sincere ones. We make mention of you as We mentioned you before, that ye may give thanks unto your Lord, the Compassionate, the All-Knowing. Hold fast unto that which is goodly and that which beseemeth you and the Cause of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. Beware lest transient affairs prevent you from the Kingdom of God, the Lord of all that was and shall be. Cast away what the people possess and take what ye are commanded by the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.

Tribulations and adversities have touched you in My path, and I am the All-Seeing, the All-Informed. Ye have witnessed for the sake of God what no eyes have seen—to this testify all things and this perspicuous Book. Ye have heard the taunts of the enemies in the days of God, the Lord of Names. Hear now what floweth from My Most Exalted Pen in praise of your turning unto Him, your submissiveness, your humility, and your orientation toward the countenance of your Lord, the Mighty, the Luminous. By the life of God! What ye see today cannot equal My mention of you. Be thankful and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Goal of all seekers, and glory be unto Thee, O Glory of those in the heavens and the earth!”

Section 4: “O My Most Exalted Pen! Turn thy face…”

O My Most Exalted Pen! Turn thy face toward the land wherein hath been diffused the fragrance of sincerity and submissiveness from those whom God hath related unto Himself and for whom He hath inscribed, from the Most Exalted Pen, that which none hath known save His all-encompassing knowledge. We have raised them to a station wherein the tongues of all created things speak their praise and glorification, and that which hath been sent down unto them from the Ancient Revealer. We bestow Our blessings upon their faces and pray for them, and We counsel them to observe the Most Great Steadfastness and to preserve that which hath been ordained for them by God, the Lord of the Throne and of the dust, and I am the All-Wise Counsellor.

And We make mention of My loved ones there who have aimed for the Ultimate Goal and the Most Exalted Summit, and who have arisen to serve the Cause of their Lord, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. Be ye as mountains in the Cause of your Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. This behooveth you, if ye be of them that comprehend. The world shall pass away and the winds of extinction shall seize it, but that which My Pen hath recorded and My truthful and trustworthy Tongue hath uttered shall endure. Take ye the chalice of immortality in the name of your Lord, the Most Glorious, then drink therefrom in spite of those who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of creation.

We make mention of the Land of Alif and Ra as a token of Our grace, for verily We are the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. We counsel them with that which befitteth the days of God, the Mighty, the Bestower. O My Name! When thou meetest Ra and Jim, convey unto him My Glory and say: Be steadfast, for there hath come to thee a mighty matter whereby the limbs of the earth have quaked, the Trumpet hath been troubled, the Balance hath been stunned, and the Path hath lamented before the Face, by reason of that which hath befallen the Manifestation of the Cause through the doings of the heedless ones. Say: Be patient in God, then preserve what We have given thee.

Soon there shall be made manifest unto thee that which hath been ordained by the One Who is Mighty and Ancient. Preserve thy station through this Most Great Name. Thus doth command thee He Who hath called all unto God, the Single, the All-Informed. Hold fast unto the cord of thy Lord’s loving-kindness and say: O people! By God, the horizon of Revelation hath been illumined and that which was promised in the Scriptures of God, the True, the Mighty, the Wise, hath appeared. Cast aside what ye possess and take hold of that which the Lord of Eternity commandeth you, Who hath come with manifest sovereignty. Say: The Most Great Book hath appeared. Verily it calleth aloud between earth and heaven and summoneth you unto a station before which all regions of the earth have bowed down, were ye of them that know.

Deprive not yourselves of the Most Great Ocean and of that which hath been ordained for you in a glorious Tablet. Be thou in such wise as beseemeth the Cause of thy Lord. He, verily, shall aid thee and decree for thee what thou desirest of His bounty, which overshadoweth all things great and small.

Arise with supreme steadfastness amidst mankind. This is what We commanded thee aforetime. Be thankful and be of them that praise. Hold fast unto the cord of thy Lord’s loving-kindness and cling to His resplendent hem. Should thy son oppose thee in what We have commanded thee, leave him to thy Lord. Thus doth command thee He with Whom is the knowledge of all things in a Book which none hath comprehended save Him Who proclaimeth in every matter that there is no God but Me, the Witness, the All-Hearing. Read thou this Tablet and ponder that which hath been sent down therein from the presence of One Who is Mighty and Powerful. Say: O people! Dispute not concerning the signs of God and deny not Him Who hath come unto you with what the learned possess.

Fear God and be not of the wrongdoers. Leave those who have no knowledge of this Cause to speak according to their desires. Lo! They are among the abased ones. O My loved ones there! Rejoice in that wherewith the Supreme Pen maketh mention of you in the prison of Akka and giveth you glad tidings of God’s grace and mercy which have preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth. Verily thy Lord is the All-Merciful, the Compassionate. Arise to serve the Cause in such wise that the veils of those who have clung to the Dayspring of idle fancies and have spoken that whereby the Holy Spirit hath lamented may not hinder you. From this spot We send Our glorification upon you and upon My handmaidens who have attained unto this wondrous Cause.

We make mention of My loved ones in Manshad. By God! The Concourse on High hath grieved at your grief, and they who circle round the Throne have lamented at what hath befallen you at the hands of the oppressors. The Wronged One hath been with you, hearing and seeing, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Behold then remember what hath befallen the Lord of Names in the prison of Ta and in other lands from those who denied the right of God and His loved ones and who followed vain imaginings and idle fancies. Rejoice in that the Lord of the worlds remembereth you with such remembrance as hath caused every great mention to bow down before it. We counsel you to patience and forbearance and to that whereby the sanctity of the Cause may be manifested in cities and countries. Take hold of that which ye have been commanded by One Who is the Ordainer, the All-Wise. The light that shineth resplendent from the horizon of My loving-kindness be upon you and upon those who have aided you and turned unto you out of love for God, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

We make mention of Our loved ones in the Land of Dal and Ha, even as We mentioned them before, as a token of Our grace, that they may give thanks unto their Lord, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Blessed are ye, inasmuch as the breezes of My loving-kindness have wafted over you, and My Pen hath testified to your acceptance, while its Lord lay imprisoned in a mighty prison. Beware lest the world’s tribulations debar you from the Ancient Beauty. Cast away that which perisheth, and take hold of that which endureth, in the name of your Lord, the Everlasting, the Ever-Abiding, the Mighty, the Impregnable. Blessed is the arm that hath shattered the idols of vain imaginings and hastened to the shelter of the pavilions of the grandeur of his Lord, the Gracious One. We make mention of every servant who hath turned towards the Most Sublime Horizon, and of every maidservant who hath turned unto My Straight Path.

We make mention of Ali-Akbar, who fulfilled My Covenant and My Testament, who turned unto My countenance, soared in My atmosphere, stood before My gate, hearkened unto My call, attained My presence and reunion, and spoke forth My beauteous praise. Rejoice in the Supreme Companion, inasmuch as the Lord of Names, Who spoke from the Burning Bush unto Moses, son of Imran, making mention of thee, declaring:

“Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Manifest, the Speaking One, the All-Powerful, the Mighty.”

O ʿAli-Akbar! We make mention of thee when thou didst leave thy homeland, turning towards the Most Sublime Horizon, enkindled with the fire of love for thy Lord, the Sovereign of the Kingdom of Eternity, and when thou wert among the people and there befell thee in the path of God that which caused the eyes of every just and knowing one to weep. We make mention of when thou didst circle round My throne and act in accordance with what was commanded thee in My perspicuous Book. We make mention of thy son and those who upheld what was right concerning him and arose to set his affairs in order out of love for God, the Lord of this utterance, the Revealer of these verses, the Manifestor of clear proofs, and the Speaker among the nations when seated upon the Most Great Throne. Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Wise.

We desire to make mention of the Most Exalted Paradise and the Blessed City of Light wherein was diffused the fragrance of the Beloved, His verses were spread abroad, His proofs were made manifest, His banners were raised, His tabernacle was pitched, and every wise command was detailed. That is the city wherein wafted the sweet savors of reunion, by which the sincere were drawn to the seat of nearness, sanctity and beauty. Blessed is he who purposed, attained, and drank the choice wine of meeting from the ocean of the bounty of his Lord, the Mighty, the Most Praiseworthy.

O Land of Heart’s Desire! I have come to thee from God and give thee glad tidings of His grace and mercy, and glorify thee from His presence. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Gracious. Blessed is the soul that hath turned unto thee and discovered from thee the fragrance of God, the Lord of the worlds. Light be upon thee and glory be upon thee, inasmuch as God hath made thee a paradise for His servants and the blessed, hallowed earth whose mention He hath sent down in the Books of the Prophets and Messengers.

O Land of Light! Through thee was raised the standard of “There is none other God but Him,” and within thee was planted the banner of “Verily, I am the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.” It behooveth every one who turneth unto thee to glory in thee and in whatsoever is therein of My branches, My leaves, My traces, My chosen ones, and My loved ones who have turned with supreme steadfastness unto My glorious station. We have not mentioned those whom We made the keys of victory, lest they be discovered by every oppressive one who is veiled. We, from this station, glorify thee, O My earth, and them, and those who have laid hold on this mighty, extended cord.

Say: O concourse of earth! Set aside your desires, clinging fast to My desire. By God, this is better for you than all that you behold this day. To this testifies the Book of God, the Mighty, the Loving. Do that which God has willed, not what your own selves have willed. Fear God and be not of those who comprehend not. Verily, he who clings to what he possesses cannot turn his face toward the face of God, the Everlasting, after the passing away of all things. Thus has My Most Exalted Pen spoken in this blessed and beloved Tablet.

O Tongue of Grandeur! Make mention of God’s loved ones in Kha, that they may be drawn to a station wherein naught is seen save the loving-kindness of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. Through you the Word is ended in this station, and this is of My grace and favor unto you. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Powerful over what has been. There is no God but Him, the Manifest, the Hidden, the Mighty, the Witnessed. Through you has dawned the horizon of certitude and clashed the swords of inner meanings in the arena of utterance, and through you has spoken the tongue of revelation: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Possessor of the seen and unseen.”

You have attained unto the days of God and His Cause, and have turned unto Him when the princes of earth, all of them, and every learned one made vain by knowledge, turned away. Blessed be your faces for having turned, and your tongues for having answered, and your hands for having been raised unto God, the Lord of the Kingdom. Thus has risen from the horizon of proof the Sun of utterance. Blessed is he who has recognized and attained, and woe unto every heedless one rejected. The light shining from the heaven of My favor be upon you, O captives of God in His earth and dawning-places of His firm, wise, and impregnable decree.

O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of what has come upon thee at this moment from God’s firm and irrevocable decree. We were making mention of Our loved ones in the cities and lands when suddenly the door opened and one entered saying, “Thy handmaiden has taken flight.” We said: “Unto God, the Mighty, the Loving.” She was a handmaiden who set out for the Most Great House of God and left her station until she arrived and circumambulated and took for herself a station beneath the domes of grandeur. To this testifies the Lord of creation Who speaks what He spoke in the earliest days and before them. Verily, there is no God but I, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

O My handmaiden! Upon thee be My glory, My mercy and My loving-kindness, and upon those who remember thee after thy ascension and who speak thy praise out of love for God, the King of Kings. I bear witness that thou didst turn to God and believe in Him and didst find the fragrances of the Manifestation when He appeared in truth with manifest sovereignty, and thou didst drink the choice wine of utterance from the hands of His bounty and didst witness what His Most Exalted Pen witnessed in His blessed station. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon My trusted servant who was known among the Concourse on High for his service to Me and to My chosen ones who arose to aid My Cause and who spoke in times of hardship and tribulation: “We are God’s, and to Him shall we return.”

BH00680: God testifieth that there is none other God but…

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

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. His is the sovereignty and the kingdom, and His is the might, the grandeur and the dominion. He sendeth down what He willeth and withholdeth from whom He willeth. His Most Exalted Pen hath appeared and through it He hath ordained for whomsoever He desireth whatsoever He desireth. He is the Interpreter, Whom the All-Merciful hath described and made to move among the religions. Exalted is the Desired One Who hath come with the truth and hath spoken that which was the pure wine of divine knowledge for all who dwell within the realm of possibility. There is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

And now, thy letter was received which, praised be God, was adorned with the sweet-scented breeze of the Beloved of the worlds. This evanescent servant hath ever mentioned and continueth to mention the friends of God. They have always been and remain before mine eyes. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to aid them and enable them to achieve that which is the cause and means of drawing near unto Him. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Munificent, the Generous.

After perusing and becoming acquainted with the contents of thy letter, this servant turned towards the most holy, most exalted Court and presented a detailed account. These sublime words were revealed and sent down from the Dawning-Place of divine favors, the Source of verses. His blessed and exalted Word:

“O ʿAli! The whole world hath been created for the knowledge of God, yet most are deprived of recognizing the Ocean of His Revelation. Whosoever hath today attained unto this supreme gift must render thanks unto God, exalted be His glory, throughout the endurance of His earthly and heavenly kingdoms. This dependeth upon divine grace and assistance. We counsel all the friends to that which is the cause of progress and the means of elevation. Jinab-i-Alif and Ha and all other friends are mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One. God willing, may they be assisted through His grace to achieve goodly deeds and praiseworthy character. Man is like unto a sword, and its essence is forbearance and godliness. So long as it remaineth sheathed in the scabbard of self, its true quality remaineth unknown. Supplicate God, exalted be His glory, that He may enable all to attain unto the station of maturity, which is the station of certitude and divine knowledge. From this station We send Our greetings upon thee and upon My loved ones who have turned unto Me and have attained unto that which was recorded in the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds.” The Word hath ended.

Praise be to God that thou hast been favored with divine grace, for thy mention hath repeatedly been made in the Most Holy Court. This is a great bounty; were its station to be made manifest, all would be amazed.

A letter from Haji Ali-Askar, upon him be the Glory of God, reached this servant. After perusing it, it was presented at the Most Holy and Exalted Court. He said: “May he, God willing, be assisted in that which God loves.” That which was indicative of the favor of God, exalted be His glory, was revealed specifically for him. Verily We have mentioned him and will mention him, and We counsel him to show forth the greatest steadfastness in this mighty Cause.

The people of the world have been prevented from recognizing God, exalted be His glory, and turning towards Him by the promptings of self and desire. Blessed is the soul who has today drunk from the Kawthar of the utterance of the All-Merciful and attained that which was intended. Praise be to God in all conditions. The friends must today know their worth and preserve their stations through the Name of God, exalted be His glory. Verily, He is the Preserver, the Observer, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Verily God has forgiven thy father and thy mother. He is indeed the Forgiver, the Mighty, the Generous.

Rejoice thou in thy Lord’s favor, then render thanks unto Him at morn and eventide. The Glory be upon thee and upon those who have attained unto the knowledge of God, the Lord of the worlds.

God willing, may you ever be blessed with the outpourings of the ocean of inner meanings and be confirmed in that which God loves. This evanescent servant at all times beseeches assistance and favor from the Self-Sufficient, the Exalted, on behalf of the friends, especially those friends who are adorned with the ornament of steadfastness. I request that you convey my greetings to the friends of God.

Likewise, mention was made of Aqa Muhammad-Rida at the Most Holy and Exalted Court, and these words were revealed from the heaven of the All-Merciful’s favor concerning him. His exalted Word:

“O Rida! We have heard thy call and beheld thy turning and attraction, and We make mention of thee with these sublime words that thou mayest, with the utmost joy and gladness, engage in the remembrance and praise of God, exalted be His glory, in this Day of Manifestation. Contingent existence is observed to be like unto a mirage, or like the remnant of the sun’s reflection upon the mountains which will soon be overtaken by extinction. Blessed is the soul that in these blessed days has attained unto that from which the fragrance of eternity is wafted. Heedlessness hath encompassed the world. All are seen to be clinging to that which is transient and deprived of that which is everlasting, save whom God willeth. Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued what was and what will be, to ordain for me that which befitteth Thy bounty and Thy generosity, and to decree for me the good of the hereafter and of this world. Verily, Thou art the One with power over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

That which was mentioned by Karbila’i ʿAli—upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory—those very passages were presented before His presence. He said:

“The Wronged One hath turned toward thee from the precincts of the Prison. He is the All-Seeing, He heareth and answereth, and He is the Hearing, the Responding One. As to thy request from God, exalted be His glory, for true vision, praise be to God, this desire was granted even before being expressed. For hadst thou not possessed true vision, thou wouldst have been found heedless of the Truth, even as most of the world’s people—whether divines, rulers, or others—are today deprived and unaware. How many kings today remove their hats at the mention of one of God’s names, yet remain deprived of, barred from, and heedless of God, exalted be His glory, Who is the Creator of names and their Quickener. Whosoever hath today attained unto the recognition of God is and shall be regarded as the most exalted of all creation in the sight of the Truth. Blessed are they who have attained unto this most exalted station. Soon shall the station of those who have turned unto Him become evident and manifest to all others. We beseech God to assist thee in that which causeth steadfastness, the manifestation of grace, and service to His Cause.”

Regarding what thou didst write about journeying to the Holy Land, thou hast permission, but He said: “Be patient, for verily He is with His patient servants.” Praise be to God that thou didst attain unto His presence and drink from the cup of meeting. At present, due to the upheavals in these parts, such a journey is not permitted. He commandeth thee with that which is best for thee. He is verily the All-Bountiful, the Generous. Praise be to God, the Most High, the Most Great.

Concerning the sum thou didst write about, let nine tumans thereof be delivered to Nabil-i-Akbar—upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory—who is in the Land of Ta [Tehran], that he may, on behalf of the Truth, host the friends of God. The remainder should be given to Muhammad-ʿAli from the Land of Sad. This evanescent servant beseecheth God that He may shelter beneath His grace those souls who have turned to Him and remained steadfast, as well as those who act according to what hath been revealed in the Book and pay the Huququ’llah. This lowly and fleeting servant submits:

O my God, my Hope, my Beloved, and my Desire! I beseech Thee to assist the servants of Thy path in benevolent matters. In this matter, bestow Thy special grace upon the giver, the recipient, the partaker, and the one who administers. Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Bountiful. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Praise be to God, all the names mentioned in thy letter have been blessed with special favors, and for each one, clear verses have been revealed from the heaven of grace. His is the praise and the bounty. Ever are those who turn unto Him, the sincere ones, the believers, those who remember Him, those who seek Him, and those who hope in Him—all are mentioned before His presence and are blessed with infinite favors. May God, exalted be His glory, assist all to recognize this Most Great Station. The Glory be upon thee and upon those whose names thou didst mention before His presence, and upon every one who hath turned unto Him and remained steadfast. And praise be to God, the Single, the All-Knowing.

BH00849: O loved ones of God in His Most Glorious…

O loved ones of God in His Most Glorious Name! In My Name, the Generous!

O Mir Muhammad-Taqi! Hearken unto My call, for verily it will draw thee to My Kingdom and bring thee nigh unto a station which the pens are powerless to describe. Bear thou witness to that which God did testify before the creation of earth and heaven, that there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. By My life! This exalted Word sufficeth thee. Be thou grateful and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all mankind!”

O Ali-Akbar! The Wronged One maketh mention of thee with that which shall cause thy remembrance to endure throughout the duration of My most excellent names. Thy Lord is, verily, the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. A single letter of thy Lord’s verses surpasseth all that minds have comprehended and eyes have witnessed. Hold thou fast unto the cord of God; verily it will lead thee to the most exalted summit, from God, the Lord of Lords.

O Abul-Qasim! Spread wide thy robe to receive the pearls of the ocean of thy Lord’s utterance, the Lord of all mankind. Beware lest the affairs of men debar thee from the Truth or the allusions of them who have disbelieved in the Beginning and the End cause thee grief. Take hold of the Book of God with the power that proceedeth from Him. Thus doth the Mother Book command thee.

O Abdul-Hamid! He Who hath come with the Truth and hath guided all to the straight path maketh mention of thee. Say: O concourse of divines! Die in your wrath! He hath come through Whose name your idols of self have been shattered and your fancies and imaginings obliterated. We counsel thee and My loved ones with that which We have counseled all in the Holy Books and Tablets.

O Ali-Akbar! Be thou patient in adversity and steadfast in service to the Cause in such wise that neither the doubts of men nor the veils of them who have turned away from God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting, shall cause thee to slip. We have counseled all with goodly deeds and with that which shall exalt their stations. The Tongue of Grandeur in the most exalted station beareth witness unto this. Thus have We caused thee to hear and made mention of thee. Verily thy Lord is the Compassionate, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

O Muhammad-Qasim! We make mention of thee as a token of Our grace, that thou mayest give thanks unto God, the Lord of the worlds, Who speaketh at all times from the most exalted horizon:

“The Kingdom is God’s, the One, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.”

Blessed is he who hath turned toward My horizon, heard My call, and arisen to serve My Cause, the Firm, the Impregnable.

O Abbas! He Who hath never been overtaken by slumber in the Cause of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, maketh mention of thee. He hath arisen to promote the Cause in such wise that neither the weapons of the world could shake Him nor the doubts of the wayward could cause Him to stumble. He stood amongst the peoples and proclaimed in the most exalted call:

“Come, O people of the earth, unto the Dayspring of the signs of your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Powerful!”

O Muhammad-Sadiq! We have called all unto that which would draw them to the supreme horizon. Among the people are those who have turned toward it, those who have turned away, and those whom We behold in manifest doubt. How many a servant hath heard and denied, turned toward and then away. Thus have the various stages been made manifest. Verily thy Lord is the All-Explaining, the All-Knowing.

O Mahmud! The All-Loving maketh mention of thee from His glorious station and calleth thee to God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. The Light hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of Revelation, and the Mount speaketh, saying:

“Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for the appearance of Him Who conversed with me, Who was promised in the Torah and the Psalms.”

Thus have We made mention of thee and expounded the verses for thee that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord, the Mighty, the Loving.

O Abu-Talib! The Desired One hath come, yet most of the people understand not. They hear the call from the precincts of the Prison, yet they perceive not. When asked by what proof they have believed in God, they say “By the Qur’an,” yet when We reveal unto them that which is greater than it, they disbelieve in the Witness and the Witnessed. Thus have their souls deluded them, and they know it not.

O thou who art wronged! Make mention of the nobleman who presented himself before the Countenance, and give him glad tidings of that which hath been revealed for him from God, the Mighty, the Wise. Rejoice thou in My remembrance of thee and put thy trust in God, the Lord of this wondrous Day. Say: He hath come for the life of the world. Fear ye God, O peoples of the earth, and be not of the wrongdoers. Do that which ye have been commanded in the Book; it is better for you than all that ye possess. To this testifieth every discerning scholar.

O Dhabih! Verily the Sacrifice offered up his soul in the path of God. By My life! He advanced to the station of sacrifice with a light that illumined the faces of them that are nigh unto God. Blessed is he who maketh mention of him, visiteth him, and circumambulateth his tomb. He is among the most exalted of creatures in a glorious Tablet. Give thanks unto God for that the Countenance of the Ancient One hath turned toward thee from His Most Great Prison. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

We make mention of him who was named ʿAbdu’l-Vasi’ that he may rejoice and be of them that are thankful. O My loved ones! It behooveth you to make good what hath passed you by in My days. Thus doth command you He Who heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Beware lest the doubts of the divines hold thee back from Him Who is known, or the utterances of the ungodly sadden thee—they who speak according to their vain imaginings without clear proof from God, the Mighty, the Great.

O Naw-ruz-ʿAli! The Wronged One hath turned toward thee from the Prison and hath moved His Most Exalted Pen to make mention of thee, that thou mayest soar on the wings of longing in this subtle and gentle air, from whose wafting breezes can be heard:

“The Promise is fulfilled and the Promised One hath called all to the straight path of God.”

We have desired to make mention of him who was named Isma’il, that the remembrance may attract him to a station wherein he shall see naught save the manifestations of My Most Beautiful Names and the dawning-places of My most exalted attributes. Verily He is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. He doeth and ordaineth as He pleaseth, and He is the Strong, the Mighty. Take thou the chalice of salvation in the name of thy Lord, then drink thereof with His All-Wise remembrance. Thus hath the shrill voice of My Most Exalted Pen been raised, yet most of the people are asleep.

O Muhammad-Baqir! Give thanks for that God hath aided thee to recognize Him Who was recorded in the books of the Messengers. They have lost indeed who turned away from the Face when Its lights shone forth from the horizon of eternity after the passing of all things. Verily thy Lord is the Elucidator, the All-Knowing. When He was established upon the throne, He addressed His loved ones with a word that nothing in the invisible or visible world can equal, if thou be of them that know.

The Prisoner hath at this moment turned toward him who was named Asadu’llah, that the greatest joy might take hold of him and draw him to a station that was illumined by the lights of the Countenance. Rejoice thou that the Tongue of the All-Merciful maketh mention of thee in the Kingdom of Utterance with verses that were in truth sent down from the heaven of glory. Beware lest the affairs of the world hold thee back from the Lord of all being. Turn away from them, then turn with thy heart to an ocean that was renowned by the name of God.

O Muhammad-Qabli-Taqi! The Wronged One calleth thee from His Most Great Prison in ʿAkka, which hath been designated as the White Dome in the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds. That which the Prophets foretold hath come to pass, yet the people remain veiled in manifest obscurity. Arise to promote the Cause, then remind the people of this Most Great Name, that they may forsake that which they possess and choose for themselves a path leading to God, the Most High, the Most Great, Who speaketh from this most exalted station and calleth the people unto God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

We have made mention of every name thou hast mentioned and have sent down for each one clear verses. Cast them upon the people by My command, the Mighty, the Wondrous. Be thou thankful unto God for this most great favor and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of them that have recognized Thee!”

Thus have the pearls of knowledge been cast forth from the ocean of utterance. Gather them in My name, then preserve them from the eyes of the treacherous.

The glory that hath shone forth from the mouth of thy Lord’s will be upon thee and upon every steadfast believer.

BH01112: The beginning of every remembrance and every utterance has…

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

The beginning of every remembrance and every utterance has been and shall ever be the mention of Him Who is the Goal of all worlds. The beginning originates with Him and the end returns unto Him—verily, we are from God and unto Him shall we return.

Your letter, which was sent through him who is bound for that realm—upon him be the Glory of God—arrived and was presented. These exalted words were revealed from the heaven of grace, the Source of verses. His words, exalted be His majesty:

“O Muhammad-Husayn! Your letter was presented before the Wronged One through the servant who is present. In all conditions fix your gaze upon God, speak of Him, and place your trust in Him. Should man attain unto communion with God, exalted be His glory—that is, should he experience His remembrance, praise, love and sweetness—he will never be distressed by life’s bitterness. This is the Day of Truth, for the Sun of Truth has dawned. This is the Day of Certitude, for the light of His countenance shines forth from the Prison land, radiant and manifest. He who has attained unto the water will derive no benefit from the mention of a mirage. This is the Day of revelation and witnessing, for that which was hidden is now manifest, resplendent, speaking and revealed. In such circumstances and in such days, sanctified souls must free themselves from the chains of idle fancies and vain imaginings through the Name of the Lord of all beings. The people of truth who today have partaken of the Kawthar of the utterance of the All-Merciful and have received their portion from the ocean of life are and shall remain the manifestations of God’s life-giving Name. The name of death has no place in that gathering. The name of death belongs exclusively to God, exalted be His glory. Who would dare transgress the bounds set by God? Whosoever transgresses is recorded as one of the people of hell-fire in the Most Sublime Vision, in the Scriptures and Tablets. We have forbidden the people of God from murder, conflict, strife, corruption and whatsoever grieveth the hearts. How then could it be that the friends of God would plot against you? Hold fast unto the manifest certitude, turning away from idle fancies and vain imaginings.”

Given the divine laws, commandments and prohibitions that have been recorded by the Supreme Pen in the Book, how could it be that the loved ones would plot against one another? Perhaps someone spoke a word to you in jest. Nevertheless, this servant beseeches God, exalted be His glory, to sanctify you and some of the friends from whatsoever is unbecoming, and to adorn you with that which is befitting. If souls who have accepted the Faith would hold fast with joy and fragrance to that which the All-Merciful has revealed, surely the lights of faith and justice would have encompassed the world. Concealment and forgiveness are among the characteristics of mercy, and mercy has encompassed and preceded all things visible and invisible.

Concerning the mention that was made of Mashhadi Ali, it was presented in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence. These are the words that the Tongue of Grandeur spoke:

“O Ali! Strive to adorn thyself with the requirements of this Most Great Cause. Place upon thy head the crown fashioned of the pearls of detachment and trust in God, upon thy feet the new shoes that signify steadfastness, and upon thy frame the robe of piety. God willing, may all be adorned with these luminous, precious and enduring garments. Thy mention was made in the Most Holy Presence, and these brilliant words were revealed and flowed forth from the Dayspring of the Cause. Blessed is he who recognizes, acts, and attains unto that which God hath revealed in the Book.”

With regard to what was written that the physician inquired about sleep—such matters are not worthy of question, and this servant did not submit them, for this matter has been mentioned in several places and its ruling has been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen. Furthermore, today is not the day for questions. Several years ago this blessed verse was revealed from the Kingdom of Utterance—exalted and mighty be His Word: “This is not the day for questions. It behoveth every soul, when he heareth the Call, to say: Here am I, here am I, O Lord of Names!’ and Here am I, here am I, O Desire of the worlds!”’

Some souls, in what they say, intend either sophistication or jest. How many souls in this Most Great Revelation have asked questions about wisdom and other abstruse matters, and answers descended and were revealed from the heaven of the favor of the Lord of all return. Yet no trace remained of those souls. For example, one of the philosophers asked about the Uncompounded Reality, and an answer was revealed from the Kingdom of Utterance according to his capacity, yet it yielded no fruit. Today some are seen to be irreligious, some doubtful, some bewildered, some stupefied, some hesitant, and some turned away. In such circumstances, one must hold fast to the cord of patience and observe the horizons and one’s own self with the eye of insight. In one place He says that the veil of the people has reached such a state that silence has gained precedence over speech.

Concerning your mention of Aqa Muhammad-Sadiq, upon him be the Glory of God, his mention was submitted at the Most Holy Court, and the Sun of Grace rose from the horizon of favor in relation to him. God willing, may he be occupied with the mention of Truth. This evanescent one also conveys greetings and praise to the aforementioned souls, upon them be the Glory of God. Glory be upon you and upon every truthful speaker who stands firm in service to the Cause of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH01714: In My Name, the Witness, the All-Hearing

In My Name, the Witness, the All-Hearing

Praise be to God that in all conditions thou hast been and wilt be, God willing, the recipient of the special favors of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. That which was recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Book hath come to pass in thy path to God. In His love thou didst bear grievous trials and afflictions, and didst hearken to the taunts of the idolaters and the blame of the censurers. God willing, this most great and most exalted station shall remain preserved through the Name of God, exalted be His glory. This is the Day wherein all atoms of creation from every direction are vocal with “Thine is the praise, O God of the worlds,” yet the base rabble of the earth remain heedless and veiled.

O thou who soarest in My atmosphere and gazest upon My countenance! Thou hast been created for the propagation of the Cause of God. With a detached heart, a radiant light, pure reliance, and supreme steadfastness, turn thy face toward the cities and villages, and heal through wisdom and utterance the ailments of heedless souls. Say: O servants! Let not time slip away, for it is exceeding precious. I swear by the pearls of the divine ocean of knowledge that no likeness or peer can be found for it. Arise to serve the Cause with illumined faces and pure hearts, that perchance the dead in the valley of bewilderment and error might be quickened by the wine of guidance and arise as becometh the Days of God. Today is the day of service, obedience, righteousness, and forbearance. Strive ye to drink from the ocean of awareness and attain unto that which shall cause the tranquility of the world and the salvation of the nations.

O Muhammad! Upon thee be My glory, My loving-kindness, and My mercy which hath preceded all created things. We have mentioned thee throughout numbered years that thou mightest thank thy Lord and be of them that arise to serve the Cause of thy Lord, by which the hearts of the learned were perturbed and inflamed with the fire of hatred and rancor. Verily thy Lord recounteth unto thee that which hath appeared in His days. He is, in truth, the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing. Cast aside the world and take that which thou art commanded by the Ancient Lord. Soon shalt thou behold that which hath been ordained for thee by the Most Exalted Pen in a mighty tablet. We have sent down for every name mentioned in thy letter that which hath delighted the eyes of the Concourse on High and attracted the hearts of them that have turned towards God. Whenever We heard thy call, We answered thee. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. We were with thee in times of hardship and tribulation. He is, verily, the Vigilant, the Near One. It behooveth thee to give the world to drink of the choice wine of utterance of the Ancient Lord. Thus have We commanded thee before and after, and at this moment.

We make mention of thy mother who hath believed in her Lord and attained unto My loving-kindness and My favor, the Mighty, the Impregnable. Give her glad tidings from Me and convey unto her face the greetings from thy Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and the earth. God shall soon exalt her remembrance and manifest unto all men and women that which He hath ordained for her. He is, verily, the Almighty, the Powerful.

O Taqi! There hath befallen you in the path of God that which hath caused all things to lament, as attesteth He Who speaketh in this night from this exalted station. Blessed are ye and blessed is he who hath loved you for the sake of God, who hath drawn nigh unto you and hearkeneth unto your words concerning this Great Announcement whereby this mighty edifice hath been raised up.

We make mention of thy first sister and thy other sister, and those whose names thou hast mentioned in thy letter. Verily thy Lord is the All-Merciful, the Compassionate. Remember them on My behalf and give them the glad tidings of that which hath been sent down for them from the heaven of My Will—that which the learned of the earth have failed to comprehend, save whom God hath willed, the Lord of all worlds.

The glory shining forth from the horizon of My Kingdom and My Dominion be upon thee and upon those whom We have mentioned in another tablet, and upon those women who have turned toward the Most Sublime Horizon and have believed in God, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Wise.

BH01856: O Name of the Divine Glory! The call…

In His Name, the All-Wise

O Name of the Divine Glory! The call of the Lord of Names has been raised between earth and heaven. At all times He has summoned the servants to the supreme horizon and guided them to the straight path and the mighty, firm way. Yet while pure and sanctified hearts, after hearkening, turned toward the supreme horizon, heedless and doubtful souls remained bewildered and wandering in the wilderness of idle fancies and vain imaginings. Glory be to God! By what proof and evidence did the people of the earth formerly claim belief? Observe how divine verses have encompassed the world and His evidences have become manifest from all directions. Nevertheless, all remain heedless and veiled, occupied with their selfish desires.

O Hadi! Upon thee be My glory, My mercy and My loving-kindness, and upon My handmaiden who has ascended unto God, the Lord of all worlds. We make mention of her as a token of Our grace. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. O My handmaiden! Upon thee be the glory of God and the glory of those in the kingdom of names and the glory of them that circle round the Throne at eventide and at dawn. Blessed art thou for having migrated in the path of God until thou didst arrive at the Most Great Prison and didst hearken unto the verses of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. He doth not suffer to be lost the reward of anyone. He maketh mention of whomsoever He willeth in such wise as shall endure throughout the eternity of names. He is verily the Almighty, the Exalted, the All-Bountiful.

We make mention of him who was named Siyyid before Rida, whom thou didst mention in thy letter, and We give him the glad-tidings of this remembrance which God, the Lord of all remembrance, hath made. This is a remembrance unto which the Most Great Remembrance hath held fast, and a Tablet before which all tablets have bowed down. Be thou steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord and articulate in His praise throughout the nights and days. Blessed art thou for having turned unto the Wronged One Who hath come with the kingdom of verses on a day wherein the pillars have trembled. Thus hath My Most Exalted Pen spoken that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Lord of the final end.

We make mention of Muhammad who was remembered before the Face, that he may rejoice and be of the thankful ones. O Muhammad! We have heard thy call and have answered thee through this perspicuous Book. When thou dost inhale the fragrance of My verses and art seized by the rapture of My call, turn thy face toward My prison and say: I testify that Thou hast appeared and hast manifested what was hidden in the knowledge of God and concealed from the eyes of all else, and Thou hast borne in His path that which hath caused all things to lament. I beseech Thee, O Creator of the heavens and Lord of the Kingdom of Names, by Thy Most Glorious Name through which flesh hath crept and souls have been perturbed, to make me in all conditions steadfast in Thy Cause and firm in Thy love. Thou art indeed the Almighty, before Whose power all created things have bowed down. There is none other God but Thee, the Strong, the Powerful.

O Hadi! We send greetings from this spot upon thee and upon those whose names have moved My Most Exalted Pen and upon My handmaidens who have believed in the One, the All-Informed. Convey My greetings unto their faces and give them the glad-tidings of My mercy, My loving-kindness and My grace which have encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth.

We make mention of the servant who was mentioned at the end of thy letter and We seal the Tablet with his remembrance as a token of Our grace, for verily We are the Kind, the Generous. Strive thou within thyself that there may appear from thee that which beseemeth the days of God, the Lord of all worlds. Say: Glorified art Thou, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thyself and by all that hath appeared from Thee and shall appear from Thy presence, to ordain for me from Thy Most Exalted Pen the reward of one who hath turned unto Thee, attained Thy presence and quaffed the cup of reunion with Thee. O Lord! Thy generosity is more manifest than the sun in the midst of heaven. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH02548: In My Name, which shineth forth from the horizon…

In My Name, which shineth forth from the horizon of utterance.

This is a Book wherein the Tongue of God, the Lord of all beings, and His Most Exalted Pen beareth witness unto him who hath heard the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree in days wherein every Prophet, every Book and every trusted Messenger gave glad tidings. O Abu’l-Ma’ali! He Who was named in the Torah as the Everlasting God, in the Gospel as the Spirit of Truth, and in the Qur’an as the Great Announcement, maketh mention of thee. Would all the treasures of earth and heaven equal My remembrance of thee? Nay, by the Lord of the worlds! The servant who is present hath presented thy letter which testified to My grandeur, My oneness, My singleness, My power and My mercy that hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth.

It was read before the Wronged One, and from it We perceived the fragrance of the love of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Blessed art thou, inasmuch as We found thy letter purified from idle fancies and vain imaginings, and sanctified from the doubts of them who have disbelieved in God when He came with manifest sovereignty. Thou art he who hath held fast unto the cord of My loving-kindness and clung to the hem of My bounty, and hath spoken that which the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise have spoken. The Tongue of God beareth witness unto this in this glorious station.

O Abu’l-Ma’ali! We speak in the Persian tongue so that all may discover the utterance of the All-Merciful and drink from the ocean of His knowledge. Many petitions have reached the Most Holy Court, but from thy petition wafted a most sweet fragrance, for it bore these wondrous words—thy saying:

“Then I beseech Thee, O my God, to favor me with tribulation in Thy path and deprive me not of the cups of trials which Thou hast given to Thy servants, both men and women.”

How many of those who have turned to God and have recognized Him became distressed at the slightest tribulation, while thou, praise be to God, hast attained to such a station that thou seeketh tribulation in the path of thy Beloved. By My life! This cup is mighty indeed, its matter is tremendous and its station is glorious. In truth, thou hast sought the cup from which the Ancient Beauty hath ever drunk and continueth to drink. Blessed are the patient, but all favor belongeth to the thankful and the seekers. Give thanks unto the Goal of all existence, Who hath aided thee to attain this most exalted station and enabled thee to achieve that of which most of the people of the world remain heedless and veiled. Soar upon the wings of longing in the atmosphere of thy Lord’s love. Verily, He hath ordained for thee, by His Most Exalted Pen, the reward of attaining His presence, of standing before His countenance, of standing at His door, and of circumambulating His mighty throne. Glory be upon thee, upon thy turning unto God, thy devotion, thy beginning and thy return, and upon every sincere soul who is steadfast. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Wise.

BH02658: O Mihdi! Praise be to God for having guided…

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

O Mihdi! Praise be to God for having guided you to His Straight Path and caused you to recognize the Manifestation of His Self and the Dawning-Place of His signs, through Whom the Mount spoke and the Trump was sounded, and all who are in the heavens and earth were thunderstruck, save whom God, thy Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful, willed. This is the Call whereby the Interlocutor attained on the Mount of Knowledge and the Beloved in His ascension, if thou be of them that know. That which was hidden in God’s knowledge, thy Lord, hath been revealed, and He giveth thee glad tidings through this wise Remembrance.

Thy letter hath come before the Wronged One and the servant in attendance before the Throne presented it. We have answered thee with this Tablet which all the treasuries of the nations cannot equal, as every discerning scholar doth testify. Hold fast to the cord of steadfastness and cling to the hem of thy Lord, the All-Bountiful. Let not the affairs of the world grieve thee, nor the doubts of the deniers hinder thee. Be steadfast in thy Lord’s Cause, the Lord of Names, and speak forth His beauteous praise.

We informed all while We were in Iraq of what would occur thereafter. Verily thy Lord is the All-Informed, the All-Knowing. Shun those who have turned away from God and His sovereignty and have turned to every dull idol. We have remembered thee and those whose names thou didst mention. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bounteous, the All-Generous. Give glad tidings to each one of them of God’s grace and mercy which have preceded all worlds. Say: Rejoice that My Most Exalted Pen hath moved upon your names while the Wronged One was in this mighty prison. By God! One verse from thy Lord, the All-Merciful, equaleth not the treasuries of all creation—thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken as a grace from Him. He is verily the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

We counsel you and My loved ones to manifest the supreme steadfastness in this Cause whereby the limbs of names have trembled and the hearts of the mystics have been perturbed. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

O Mihdi! Thou art he who aimed for the Ultimate Goal and the Most Exalted Paradise, and turned back from what thou didst desire in submission to God’s command, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Blessed art thou for having cast aside what thou didst desire and taken what God desired in this mighty, wondrous Day. We have written down for thee the reward of attainment, and for thy father who hath ascended to the Supreme Companion. Verily He doth not allow to be lost the reward of the doers of good.

We have remembered thy father with a remembrance whereby the Concourse on High and they who circle round My mighty Throne do remember him, and We have adorned him with the ornament of forgiveness as a bounty from thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Verily He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. There is no God but Him, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

BH02769: This is a mention from Our presence to him…

In the Name of the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful!

This is a mention from Our presence to him who hath believed in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. The servant in attendance hath presented thy letter and the Wronged One hath heard it and answereth thee with this epistle which beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. We have heard thy cry and thy lamentation and the yearning of thy heart in the days of God. Verily thy Lord is He Who oversees what was and what shall be. Blessed art thou for having been touched by the breezes of thy Lord’s loving-kindness and for having recognized His straight and mighty path.

How many a learned one awaited My days and how many a mystic lamented My separation, yet when I revealed Myself and sent down My verses they denied God, the Lord of existence. They took hold of idle fancies and cast away certitude. Thus did their souls entice them, yet they perceive not. We make mention, throughout the nights and days, of the friends of God and His chosen ones who have drunk from His hands the choice sealed wine.

O Baba Husayn! The Wronged One maketh mention of thee from the prison precincts and counseleth thee with that whereby this destined Cause shall be exalted. Arise amidst the people and say with wisdom and utterance: O concourse of creation! By God, the All-Merciful hath come and that which was recorded in His Books and Scriptures hath appeared, did ye but know it. Cast aside what the people possess, then turn toward the horizon of the Countenance. Verily the Self-Subsisting calleth you and summoneth you to a praiseworthy station. Say: Be fair in God’s name and oppose not Him through Whose name the Dove of Knowledge warbled upon the branches and all things proclaimed: The Kingdom belongeth to the Lord of the Kingdom.

We make mention of him who was named Ali before Askar, who was mentioned in thy letter. Verily thy Lord is the All-Merciful, the Mighty, the Kind. We counsel him and My loved ones to manifest supreme steadfastness in this Cause and We give them glad tidings of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of the seen and unseen. And We make mention of Abu’l-Fadl who attained to recognition of his Lord’s Cause, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. We mentioned him before and after and at this time when the tongue of the Wronged One speaketh that which attracteth hearts and souls. And We make mention of him who was named ʿAbbas that he may rejoice and be of the thankful. Blessed is he who hath attained unto My remembrance and spoken that which My tongue hath testified to and circled round My wondrous Cause. Rejoice, O My loved ones, in what hath been sent down to you from the Most Exalted Pen that whereby the hearts of the mystics are gladdened. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH02886: In My Name, exalted above all the world

In My Name, exalted above all the world

This is the Book of Generosity which hath been revealed by the King of Eternity. Whoso adorneth himself with this virtue hath distinguished himself and will be blessed by the All-Merciful from His exalted Kingdom of Glory. However, despite his high rank and prominent position, were he to pass beyond the limits, he would be regarded as among the prodigal by the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Cling ye unto moderation. This is the commandment that He Who is the All-Possessing, the Most High hath enjoined upon you in His Generous Book. O ye that are the exponents of generosity and the manifestations thereof! Be generous unto them whom ye find in manifest poverty. O ye that are possessed of riches! Take heed lest outward appearance deter you from benevolent deeds in the path of God, the Lord of all mankind.

Say: I swear by God! No one is despised in the sight of the Almighty for being poor. Rather is he exalted, if he is found to be of them who are patient. Blessed are the poor that are steadfast in patience, and woe betide the rich that hold back Huququ’llah and fail to observe that which is enjoined upon them in His Preserved Tablet.

Say: Pride not yourselves on earthly riches ye possess. Reflect upon your end and upon the recompense for your works that hath been ordained in the Book of God, the Exalted, the Mighty. Blessed is the rich man whom earthly possessions have been powerless to hinder from turning unto God, the Lord of all names. Verily he is accounted among the most distinguished of men before God, the Gracious, the All-Knowing.

Say: The appointed Day is come. This is the Springtime of benevolent deeds, were ye of them that comprehend. Strive ye with all your might, O people, that ye may bring forth that which will truly profit you in the worlds of your Lord, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised.

Say: Hold ye fast unto praiseworthy characteristics and goodly deeds and be not of them that tarry. It behoveth everyone to cleave tenaciously unto that which is conducive to the exaltation of the Cause of God, your Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful.

Say: Behold ye not the world, its changes and chances, and its varying colours? Wherefore are ye satisfied with it and with all the things therein? Open your eyes and be of them that are endued with insight. The day is fast approaching when all these things will have vanished as fast as the lightning, nay even faster. Unto this beareth witness the Lord of the Kingdom in this wondrous Tablet.

Wert thou to be enraptured by the uplifting ecstasy of the verses of God, thou wouldst yield thanks unto thy Lord and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Desire of the hearts of them that hasten to meet Thee!”

Rejoice then with exceeding gladness, inasmuch as the Pen of Glory hath turned unto thee and hath revealed in thy honour that which the tongues of creation and the tongues of transcendence are powerless to describe.

BH03370: He is the One manifest through His manifestation. We…

He is the One manifest through His manifestation. We have sent down the Bayan and made it the herald from Our presence—verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. And We informed the people in every leaf, nay in every line, of this Most Great Revelation. Yet when He came and was made manifest, the people denied God, the Lord of creation.

Among the ungodly was one who said He had issued a ruling against souls. Say: What ails thee, O lying misbeliever? By God, He hath issued no ruling against anyone. Rather, he who hath issued rulings against God and His loved ones is thou who hast taken him as thy lord, O doubting misbeliever. By the life of God, I am innocent of all that the wrongdoers say. To this beareth witness the Mother Book that is with Him. When He ordaineth a thing, none may say “Why?” or “How?”

And as for him who said He hath turned away from God, the Lord of lords, say: Consider when Muhammad, the Apostle of God, came, the servants turned away from Him. Then after successive years passed, He ordered the shedding of blood until blood flowed upon the earth. To this beareth witness the world of the hidden and the manifest. He doeth what He willeth through His sovereignty and ordaineth what He pleaseth, and none can escape His decree.

By God, I, despite My power and authority, have not passed judgment nor issued rulings against those who have denied God and His sovereignty. Rather, I have withdrawn and closed the doors. They have perpetrated in this land that which hath violated God’s sanctity among His servants. To this beareth witness every pebble of the city, every stone and clod and wall. The ocean of My patience hath held Me back from confronting them, and the mountain of My forbearance hath prevented Me from arising. I have witnessed from them that which hath caused the dwellers of Paradise to lament, yet I concealed it through My name, the Concealer. When the fire increased within their souls, God cast discord among them and seized them with the grasp of One mighty and omnipotent.

Thus have We informed thee and acquainted thee with some of what hath befallen in the Most Great Prison through what the hands of the wicked have wrought. Read thou the Tablet, that perchance the star of divine knowledge may shine forth from the horizon of possibility. Glory be upon thee and upon him who hath believed in God, the Single, the One, the Chosen One.

BH03564: Lawh-i-Ard-i-Ta

In My Name, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed!

Call thou to remembrance, O Land of Ta (Tihrán), the former days in which thy Lord had made thee the seat of His throne, and had enveloped thee with the effulgence of His glory. How vast the number of those sanctified beings, those symbols of certitude, who, in their great love for thee, have laid down their lives and sacrificed their all for thy sake! Joy be to thee, and blissfulness to them that inhabit thee. I testify that out of thee, as every discerning heart knoweth, proceedeth the living breath of Him Who is the Desire of the world. In thee the Unseen hath been revealed, and out of thee hath gone forth that which lay hid from the eyes of men. Which one of the multitude of thy sincere lovers shall We remember, whose blood hath been shed within thy gates, and whose dust is now concealed beneath thy soil? The sweet savors of God have unceasingly been wafted, and shall everlastingly continue to be wafted upon thee. Our Pen is moved to commemorate thee, and to extol the victims of tyranny, those men and women that sleep beneath thy dust.

Among them is Our own sister, whom We now call to mind as a token of Our fidelity, and as proof of Our loving-kindness, unto her. How piteous was her plight! In what a state of resignation she returned to her God! We, alone, in Our all-encompassing knowledge, have known it.

O Land of Ta! Thou art still, through the grace of God, a center around which His beloved ones have gathered. Happy are they; happy every refugee that seeketh thy shelter, in his sufferings in the path of God, the Lord of this wondrous Day! Blessed are they that remember the one true God, that magnify His Name, and seek diligently to serve His Cause. It is to these men that the sacred Books of old have referred. On them hath the Commander of the Faithful lavished his praise, saying: “The blessedness awaiting them excelleth the blessedness we now enjoy.” He, verily, hath spoken the truth, and to this We now testify. The glory of their station, however, is as yet undisclosed. The Hand of Divine power will, assuredly, lift up the veil, and expose to the sight of men that which shall cheer and lighten the eye of the world.

Render thanks unto God, the Eternal Truth, exalted be His glory, inasmuch as ye have attained so wondrous a favor, and been adorned with the ornament of His praise. Appreciate the value of these days, and cleave to whatsoever beseemeth this Revelation. He, verily, is the Counselor, the Compassionate, the All-Knowing.

The glory be upon you from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

BH03579: O Karim! Hearken unto My call from this exalted…

He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Merciful

O Karim! Hearken unto My call from this exalted station. Verily there is no God but Me, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. We have mentioned thee before and We mention thee now as a token of Our grace, that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord, the Mighty, the Loving.

And We make mention of thy brother who turned towards the Court of God until he attained unto a praiseworthy station. He advanced until he reached the presence of the Throne and heard the call of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. We give him glad-tidings of that which hath been ordained for him by God, the Lord of existence.

And We make mention of him who was named Shukru’llah in the Book of Names, who visited the Wronged One and stood before His presence with humility and submissiveness. Blessed is he who hath turned and attained, and woe unto those who have disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the Beloved.

And We make mention of him who hath ascended unto the Supreme Companion. By the life of God! At the time of his ascension the Concourse on High perceived from him the fragrance of the love of his Lord, the Most Glorious. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur testified. He, verily, is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.

O Fathu’llah! Blessed art thou for having cast away vain imaginings at My bidding and taken hold of that which God, the Lord of the Day of Resurrection, hath willed. And We make mention of thy father who believed in God when the servants turned away from Him. The glory shining forth from the horizon of eternity be upon him and upon those who have ascended unto God in this mighty and forbidden Cause.

O Rahim! Rejoice thou in the remembrance of thy Lord. He hath remembered thee and maketh mention of thy mother who believed when earthquakes seized all the tribes of the earth and every learned one, wrapped in veils, turned away.

And We make mention of the daughter of My namesake who circled round My throne and turned towards the prison at My bidding and leave. We have indeed remembered him with that which shall not cease to yield its fragrance so long as the kingdom of earth and heaven shall endure.

The glory be upon you and upon those who are with you and upon them who have held fast unto the Covenant of God and His testament and have acted in accordance with that which hath been commanded unto them by God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

BH03544: The purpose of God—exalted be His glory…

He is the All-Guiding, the All-Informed.

The purpose of God—exalted be His glory—in creating, at the primal stage, hath been and continueth to be the knowledge of Him. And since the door of knowledge of the Hidden Essence, the Concealed Mystery, is closed, He hath sent forth from the realm of the unseen to the plane of existence holy souls who are the Manifestations of His Cause, the Daysprings of His decree, the Rising-places of His revelation and the Recipients of His knowledge. And He hath made recognition of them, obedience and disobedience to them, turning toward or away from them, and belief and unbelief in them, to be the standard. Whosoever turned toward them was accounted among those who drew nigh, and was recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in God’s Book as one of the believers.

However, at the time of the appearance of these Manifestations of the Cause, most of the people of the world were found to be heedless, veiled, turning away and denying. The cause and reason for these thick veils have been the divines of the age, as every person of insight and understanding hath testified and continues to testify to this fact. We beseech God to rend asunder, with the finger of His power, the veils of the world and not to deprive His servants of the ocean of inner meanings.

Mention of thee was made before this Wronged One in the Most Great Prison, therefore this Tablet hath been sent down purely for the sake of God, that perchance through its fragrance the seekers and wayfarers may find their path to the True City. This is the day of the most great bounty and the most mighty grace. Blessed is the one who hath arisen to serve and hath freed the helpless people from idle fancies and vain imaginings.

God willing, through the efforts of His chosen ones and loved ones, thou shalt loose the fetters of those who are bound and teach them to soar, until time remaineth, undertake a deed whose fragrance of eternity will be diffused. We beseech God, exalted be He, to assist thee and aid thee and give thee to drink of the Kawthar of immortality from the hand of bounty. Verily He is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful.

Praise be to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH03622: In My Name, the All-Knowing, the Manifest!

In My Name, the All-Knowing, the Manifest!

God willing, in this divine springtime mayest thou be made joyous through the rain-showers of the clouds of God’s mercy, speaking His praise, arising to serve Him, standing firm in His Cause, and gazing toward His horizon.

Grieve not for what hath befallen thee. Verily thy Lord is with thee—He Who is just in His judgment, obeyed in His command, and praised in all that hath appeared from Him. Verily, A’ and S’ hath returned to his place—he is among those who have passed away.

O Sadiq! Rejoice in this mark of My Most Exalted Pen, which hath made mention of thee and doth make mention of thee at this hour. Convey My glad-tidings to the people of the household and remind them of My verses. Verily, We are with them at all times. Thou must arise to serve the Cause with perfect steadfastness.

All that is visible shall return to nothingness, while that which endureth and lasteth hath been and shall ever be the remembrance of God, the grace of God, and the bounty of God.

Reflect upon A’ and S’. With utmost audacity he entered into a matter that caused the pillars of the House to tremble, and for the sake of these two fleeting days he committed that whose traces shall not be effaced from the world. We concealed his affair that perchance he might become aware and arise to redress what had escaped him, though redress of his deed was impossible. He hath borne a burden heavier than the mountains of the earth.

God willing, may your honor be assisted in that which is acceptable before God. Verily He will exalt thee in truth. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Powerful.

We send Our greetings upon thee and upon those who have been afflicted by the serpent and the wolf—whereat the Concourse on High and the dwellers of Paradise have lamented at morn and eve. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.