Volume 070: Akka 1300 A.H. (1882–1883), Part I (4 of 5)
BH00275: Ziyarat-Namiy-i-Khadijih Bagum
Section 1: “In the Name of our Lord, the Most…”
In the Name of our Lord, the Most Ancient, the Comforter, the Consoler, the Compassionate, the Most High, the Most Exalted!
Verily the Pen lamenteth and the Tablet weepeth by reason of the sighs of the faithful that have ascended and the tears of the Most Exalted Paradise that have descended. It is as though joy hath barred its door, and gladness hath been shaken to its foundations, and the heaven hath withheld its rain, and the sun of delight its radiance, and the stars their light, and the breezes have grown still, and Paradise hath been cut off from its gentle winds, and the houses of love have had their lamps extinguished, and the blessed earth hath ceased in its growth, and the seas have become motionless in their movements and waves, and the birds in their cooing and warbling, and the rivers in their murmuring and flowing, and the heaven of exposition from its manifestation and utterance.
While I was in this mighty state, recording mention of the calamity that had appeared in the Kingdom of Creation, it was as though I heard a call from all directions: O servant in attendance! What hath grieved thee and taken the reins of choice from thy hands? Hath the world been swallowed with its people? Have the trees been uprooted? Have the foundations been shaken and the buildings quaked? Have the mountains been scattered and the banners lowered? Have the standards been broken and the leaves fallen? Have the branches grieved and the armies been defeated? Have the ships been sunk and hath the mirror of knowledge been prevented from reflecting? Hath the Hand of Grace forsaken those in creation?
Hath the Pen been prevented from flowing and the tongue been stripped of the ornament of utterance? Hath the outpouring been cut off? Hath the Builder regretted? Hath the Table retreated? Why do I see thee in the ocean of sorrows? At times thy sighs ascend and at others thy tears descend. Where is the pavilion of glory and the canopy of joy? Where is the tabernacle of gladness and the tents of delight? Where is thy smiling countenance and the ornament of thy name ʿthe servant’? Where is thy resolve and determination and thy strength in setting down that which the All-Merciful hath revealed to all who are in the realm of possibility?
Methinks I behold thy countenance grown pallid, thy frame grown weak, and thy strength and power melted away. I adjure thee by Him Who hath aided thee and made thee known, Who hath adorned thee with the vesture of acceptance and brought thee before His Face, Who hath enabled thee to hear His melodies and songs at all times, and hath manifested through thee that whereupon the breezes of life have passed among mankind—that thou shouldest unveil the countenance of the Cause.
Thou hast said: Hast thou not heard what hath befallen the servant here present through the decree of God, the Lord of lords? I had been adorned with the vesture of joy at the songs of Him Who conversed upon Sinai. Methought I walked upon the carpet of gladness and soared in the atmosphere of rapture. In such a state did I seek the station of God, the Sovereign of Oneness. When I turned and entered and attained unto the Most Exalted Horizon and the Loftiest Summit, I beheld the traces of grief upon the countenance of our Lord, the Most Glorious. Then did the Face of the Creator of heaven turn towards me, and He said, exalted be His glory: Hast thou not heard, O servant of God, what hath appeared through the irreversible decree? The Most Exalted Fruit hath fallen from the Divine Lote-Tree, and she was the remnant of the Beloved of the world in the Kingdom of Creation. By the life of My Purpose and the purpose of whosoever is in the world!
When I beheld the sorrow of the Possessor of Eternity, my spirit wellnigh departed from me, and were it not for His protection and providence, I would have returned to nothingness. Then did the Face of God turn towards me and said: O servant of God! The affliction of the people of Baha hath been renewed by what hath befallen them through the decree established by the Supreme Pen upon the Most Exalted Leaf. By My life! She was indeed a fruit from whom, whenever her name was mentioned before the Face, there was wafted the fragrance of the robe of her Beloved, by Whose name the heavens were raised and adorned with the sun and its splendors and lights and manifestations.
Verily, her name, in its reality and its outward and inward aspects, doth remind the people of the days of her Beloved and the Beloved of all else besides her. She was indeed a leaf who clung fast to the Sadratu’l-Muntaha and attained the presence of the Lord of all humanity, and in this she surpassed all who dwell in the kingdom of creation, save whom God, the Lord of the Throne on high and of the dust beneath, hath willed. When I saw and heard, grief so seized Me that My heart melted, My skin quivered, My limbs trembled, and My sighing and lamenting were raised up. I returned to My station and My dwelling place and found it to be the house of sorrows, and I occupied Myself and My spirit with writing what the All-Merciful had revealed.
When a few minutes had passed, she appeared before the Face by His irrevocable command over all created things. Then did the Qiblih of all who are in existence, both seen and unseen, turn toward Me and spoke, exalted be His majesty and His words:
“Bring forth pen and ink that I may make mention of that remnant of the Point who sacrificed herself with love and devotion, that My loved ones and My handmaidens in the cities and lands may visit her through that which hath been sent down from My Most Exalted Pen.”
His blessed and exalted Word:
He is the Consoler of the Sorrowful
O Pen! Upon thee hath descended a grievous calamity and a mighty affliction, whereat have lamented the denizens of the Most Exalted Paradise and the Supreme Heaven. Through it sorrows have mounted until they reached the hem of the robe of the All-Merciful. Blessed is he who sought to serve her in her lifetime and visited her after her ascension and passing, and blessed the handmaiden who sought her resting-place and drew nigh unto God through her.
The splendor shining from the horizon of My glorious brow and the light manifest and gleaming from the heaven of My Most Glorious Name be upon thee, O fruit of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, O blessed and luminous leaf, O companion of Him through Whose manifestation the Kingdom of immortality and the realm of creation have beamed in joy. We testify that thou wert the first leaf to attain the cup of reunion in captivity and the last fruit to surrender its spirit in separation. Thou art she whose heart melted and burned away and whose very being was set aflame in thy remoteness from His presence in the spot which God made the dawning-place of His verses, the dayspring of His evidences, the manifestation of His names, the source of His laws, and the seat of His throne.
O My leaf and fragrance of My paradise of good-pleasure! Thou art in the Supreme Companion while the Wronged One remembereth thee in the prison of ʿAkka. Thou art she who discovered the fragrance of the shirt of the All-Merciful ere the creation of contingent beings, who wast honored by His presence and didst attain His reunion and drink the choice wine of nearness from the hand of His bounty. We testify that in thee were joined two signs—the sign of union gave thee life at first, and the sign of separation caused thy death at last. How many a night in which thy sighs ascended in thy love for God and thy tears flowed at the mention of His Most Glorious Name. Verily He was with thee and beheld thy burning ardor, thy attraction, thy longing and thy yearning, and heard the moaning of thy heart and the lamenting of thy soul.
O fruit of My Lote-Tree! Through thy calamity the ocean of sorrows surged and the winds of forgiveness blew. I testify that on the night wherein thou didst ascend to the Most Glorious Horizon and the Supreme Companion, and on its day, God forgave every male and female servant who had ascended, as a token of His grace and favor toward thee, save those who denied the right of God and that which was manifested from His presence openly. Thus did God distinguish thee, O My leaf, with this most great bounty and this most ancient and foremost station.
Blessed art thou, and blessed are they who visit thee, who dwell near thee, who circle round thee, and who have sought and seek intercession through thee with God. Thou art she at whose calamity wailed the Maids of Heaven and were saddened the leaves of the Tree of Revelation. Thou art she who, when hearing the call raised from the tongue of the Lord of the Kingdom of Names, didst turn to Him and wert so attracted that authority well-nigh departed from thy hand.
O My leaf! O thou who soarest in the atmosphere of My love, who turnest toward My face, and who speaketh in My praise! We have sent down for thee a remembrance which the vicissitudes of centuries and the events of ages shall not efface. We have immortalized thy mention by My Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Scroll which none but God, the Creator of all things, hath beheld, and We have remembered thee in this Tablet with that which shall cause those near unto God to remember thee and cause the sincere ones to turn toward thy resting-place.
Blessed art thou, and felicity be unto thee and unto him who presenteth himself before thy grave and reciteth that which the All-Bountiful hath revealed concerning the final end. End.
Section 2: “From the heaven of the will…”
From the heaven of the will of the Goal of all the worlds hath been sent down that from which can be inhaled the fragrance of loving-kindness and compassion unto the endless end. Were it not for His grace, how could these wounds be healed? His loving-kindness hath ever been and shall ever be the balm for these afflictions. Without His protection, how could man be capable of bearing tribulations and sorrows that have had and shall have no likeness or parallel? His is the praise in all conditions.
O Afnan! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness! We have heard thy call and thy yearning for God, thy Creator and Protector, and have answered thee with a Tablet wherefrom hath shone forth the luminary of My tender mercy. By My life! I behold thee and hear what thy tongue doth utter. Verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Thou hast turned unto God, heard His call, responded to it, and acknowledged that which His tongue hath spoken. This, verily, is the Purpose in the days of thy Lord, the All-Knowing. Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto such lofty stations. In view of the precedence of mercy and the manifestation of grace and the advent of the Day which hath been especially designated in former Books and attributed unto it, His grace and favors are even as the rains, flowing and descending.
Ere long shall My tender mercies, My loving-kindness and My mercy be made manifest unto My Afnan. Rejoice thou in this manifest grace. Under all conditions thou art beneath the glance of His favor. God willing, the sorrows that have come to pass will be stilled through steadfast patience, and God willing the loved ones will hold fast unto that which hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen concerning this great calamity. O Afnan! By My life! She hath seen and heard what was revealed from My Pen for her, and she now seeth and heareth what is being revealed from My manifest Pen. There hath been revealed for her that which proclaimeth My grace and loving-kindness toward her in every world of the worlds of her Lord.
A Tablet hath also been specifically revealed for thy mother—upon her be My glory, My mercy and My grace. After the waves of the ocean of the mercy of the All-Merciful and the effulgences of the sun of grace, whatever this servant may say would not be befitting or worthy. God is my witness that in hardship and ease, in affliction and sorrow, this servant hath been and is a partner—nay, the greater portion and the most exalted cup is his. Though at one time the Tongue of Grace of the Lord of Verses uttered this most exalted word—glorified be His majesty:
“O thou who art present! When the Supreme Pen expresseth grief in calamities, the purpose is to manifest mercy and loving-kindness. Otherwise, whosoever hath attained unto the love of God and ascended unto Him hath attained unto the most great joy. I swear by the Divine Lote-Tree which in all times speaketh and beareth witness: were the people of the earth to become aware of the joy of one steadfast and exalted soul, they would turn toward God—how much more for those who are related and those concerning whom the Supreme Pen hath revealed mention and testified to His being well-pleased with them.”
Exalted be His generosity and sublime be His grace! This is the day of patience and resignation. These hosts will dispel the hosts of sorrows and raise the banners of contentment and submission upon the hills of existence. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth, and He, verily, hath power over all things.
And as to the request submitted that something be graciously revealed to be inscribed upon the blessed gravestone, this matter has been accepted and, God willing, will be sent later. That exalted fruit and most high leaf are the recipients of complete favor from God. Nevertheless, this is a great calamity and profound sorrow, for outwardly in that land they were a sign from the Exalted Truth and the Sovereign of existence, exalted be His remembrance and mighty His glory. And in her transfer from one place to another is a grief for which blood should flow from my eyes and the eyes of those who have clung to the Blessed, Lofty, Manifest and Speaking Tree. With both outer and inner tongue, this servant beseeches and implores the Exalted Truth to grant patience to that blessed being and other relatives—upon them be all the Most Glorious Glory—and adorn them with the ornament of steadfastness. The Afnan’s place of sorrows—their Consoler and Comforter is God, their Merciful Lord. This blessed word was heard from the tongue of the King of Oneness:
“In truth it is fitting that this word be the seal of remembrances, for it is a mirror that fully reflects the Temple of Grace. My spirit be a sacrifice for His grace, for His favor, for His mercy and His kindness.”
Another bounty regarding the blessed leaf—God, our Lord and the Lord of all in the heavens and earth, has said:
“O servant in attendance! The exalted fruit has truly melted from the fire of separation, therefore she is mentioned among the martyrs in God’s presence. The recompense for this deed is the mention revealed by the Supreme Pen in her visitation prayer. On that night and day, every soul that ascended attained the robes of forgiveness, except those souls who openly denied God’s right and His Manifestation and verses. And this grace is specific to her.”
End quote.
As for the questions that were asked, one matter has been referenced by the Supreme Pen and all are clear and evident in that passage.
Another submission of this servant is that greetings should be conveyed on behalf of this evanescent servant to the honored Jinab-i-Khalil and the teacher—upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory and all supreme grace. His blessed letter was received and this servant was honored by it. God willing, it is hoped that a reply will be submitted later. Likewise, greetings and salutations are offered to the honored Afnan Aqa Aqa Siyyid M.—upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory. This evanescent servant beseeches the Truth, exalted be His glory, to assist him in all hours and moments to serve Him and to enable him to remember and praise Him. Praise be to God that he stands firm in this station, has attained this supreme honor, and is mentioned and recorded in God’s Book. Similarly, I beseech and implore the Goal of the world to grant patience to his honor and those afflicted with this calamity, as well as His friends and handmaidens. Verily, He heareth and answereth, and He is the Ordainer, the All-Wise.
And another submission: His Holiness Afnan, the honored Aqa Aqa Siyyid Muhammad, may the most glorious of all glory rest upon him, wrote a letter to the honored Haji Siyyid Javad, upon him be the glory of God, expressing grief. In truth, this is a time for grief—were it not for God’s grace, His bounty, His Manifestation and His days, this servant and every faithful and trustworthy lover would have perished. May they be blessed through God’s infinite bounties and remain steadfast in patience. I convey my greetings to him, and likewise to the honored Afnans, upon them be the most glorious of all glory, whose presence graces that land. May all abide under the shade of the Tree of Purpose, He Who is in the heavens and earth.
Regarding what was mentioned about the related items, His exalted Word states:
“These ordinances refer to the Most Holy Book, and this matter is entrusted to him. Let him act as he deems appropriate and send such items that bear testimony to it to the Most Holy Court, that it may serve as a remembrance before God, its Creator.”
End quote.
Another submission: When His Holiness the Most Great Branch—may my spirit, my being, and my essence be sacrificed for the dust of His footsteps—was present, they were blessed with His presence and wrote a leaf which was sent. God willing, they will be blessed with it. His Holiness the Most Mighty Branch—may my spirit, my being, and my essence be sacrificed for the dust of His most mighty footsteps—was in the city, which resulted in the absence of His blessed effect. It is hoped that henceforth He will bestow His grace and it will be sent.
Furthermore, the sorrows, griefs and sadness of the people of the pavilion of greatness and infallibility are manifest to such a degree that this servant is incapable and inadequate to mention them. They said we share with the Afnan in this great calamity, and they send greetings to Her Holiness the Greatest Holy Leaf, the Mother of His Holiness, upon her be the most glorious of all glory. Indeed, this grief is like an artery that has moved all bodies, creating movement in every vein. May the Ancient Lord grant patience. Were it not for His grace, bodies would melt, minds would vanish, and the hearts of the knowing ones would be thunderstruck. The command belongs to God, the Lord of the worlds. And the glory shining, manifest, and evident from the horizon of our Lord’s grace be upon you all and upon those with you and upon every steadfast soul who has turned towards Him.
The servant 14th of Safar 1300
Another submission: Three Most Holy and Most Exalted Tablets were sent, two for Nayriz which Your Honor should deliver, and one for Shiraz in response to the petition of the honored Yusuf Khan. His petition reached the Most Holy Court several times and this time was blessed with a response. Blessed is he. The Blessed Tablet should reach the honored Aqa Mirza Husayn, upon him be the glory of God, in the land of Sh[iraz] and they should deliver it.
BH02050: God beareth witness that there is none other God…
He is the All-Seeing, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise
God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and He Who speaketh with truth is indeed the One concealed in His Books, mentioned by His tongue, and recorded by His Most Exalted Pen, through Whose movement the Kingdom of Names was manifested. Blessed is he who hath hearkened and turned unto Him, and woe betide him who hath denied His supreme bounty. They who have turned to God in His days are among those who are nigh unto Him in a perspicuous Book. All things give them glad tidings and the Concourse on High pray for them, and behind them is He Who speaketh the truth from this noble station.
O Abdu’llah! The servant who is present hath presented thy letter and read it before the Wronged One, Who is imprisoned in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds. We have heard that wherewith thou didst commune with God and We answer thee with that which diffuseth the fragrance of eternity through the duration of My most excellent Names. Be thou grateful and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the worlds!” We have found from thy words the fragrance of My love. We have turned toward thee from this station and revealed unto thee this wondrous Tablet. We give thee the glad tidings of God’s favor and His mercy, and counsel thee with that whereby the Cause of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, may be exalted.
Arise with wisdom and utterance and say: “O people of the world! By God, the All-Merciful hath come, and on His right hand is the river of life, and on His left the stream of knowledge and understanding. Fear ye God and be not of the heedless. He hath come through Whose name the standard of guidance hath been raised amidst all creation and through Whose remembrance the banner of There is none other God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed’ hath been hoisted. Do ye deny Him through Whom the eye of faith hath been solaced? Fear ye God and follow not every heedless doubter.”
O ʿAbdu’llah! Counsel those around thee with what God hath sent down and convey to them the Cause of thy Lord, the Kind, the Generous. Say: Beware lest the allusions of the people prevent you from Him Who hath come with manifest sovereignty. O people of the earth! There is no escape today for anyone except for him who hath cast away vain imaginings and turned toward the Countenance with an illumined heart. Grieve thou not over anything. Rather give thanks unto God for having aided thee and enabled thee to recognize the Dawning-Place of Revelation and for having sent down for thee that which bringeth tranquility to the hearts of them that are endued with understanding. Hold fast unto the cord of thy Lord’s loving-kindness and stand firm with supreme steadfastness in service to His wondrous Cause. He will verily exalt thee through the truth and ordain for thee what He hath ordained for His chosen ones. He is in truth the Single, the One, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
We make mention of him whom thou didst mention in thy letter, who is named Abu’l-Qasim, and give him the glad tidings of this mighty remembrance. We beseech God to strengthen him in all conditions to make mention of Him and praise Him. He is the Protector of them that turn unto Him. And We make mention of his brother Muhammad-Quli with a remembrance through which they that are nigh unto God shall perceive the fragrance of their Lord’s loving-kindness, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
And We make mention of those with him who have turned toward the Supreme Horizon and have drunk the choice wine of the Most Glorious through His name, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Thus hath the ocean of My loving-kindness surged and the fragrance of My mercy, which hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth, been wafted. Hold fast in all conditions unto the cord of wisdom, lest the clamor of the ignorant be raised. The glory that hath dawned and shone forth from the horizon of thy Lord’s loving-kindness be upon thee and upon them that have cast away vain imaginings and turned toward the Dayspring of certitude. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH05398: Glorified be He Who hath sent down the names…
He is the One Manifest from the Horizon of Eternity
Glorified be He Who hath sent down the names and ordained for them whatsoever He desired. He, verily, is the Omnipotent over what He willeth, and by His word “Be” and it is, hath He manifested the favor and sent down the table as a grace from His presence. He is the Compassionate, the Mighty, the Loving. We have arrived at the Most Great Prison and summoned kings and subjects alike unto God, the Sovereign Lord, the Self-Subsisting. Among them are those who turned away, those who denied, and those who pronounced judgment against the Wronged One. Thy Lord, verily, is the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. Nothing can frustrate Him, nor can the might of those on earth weaken Him.
To this testifieth He with Whom is the knowledge of all things in a preserved Tablet. Blessed is he who hath cast away vain imaginings and hastened to drink from the ocean of certitude in the days of God, the Lord of the seen and unseen. Give thanks unto God for this most great favor and say: I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name through which the mountains were scattered, the earth discoursed, the dove cooed upon the branches, the breeze of divine knowledge wafted, and the ocean of certitude surged, to strengthen me in steadfastness in Thy Cause and to ordain for me from Thy Most Exalted Pen that which will profit me in Thy worlds. Thou art, verily, the Omnipotent over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Beloved.
BH05994: O Muhammad! The Lord of the Worlds remembers thee…
In the Name of God, the One, the Single
O Muhammad! The Lord of the Worlds remembers thee from the Most Great Prison and counsels thee with that whereby the Cause of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, may be exalted. Cast away what is with the people and take what thou hast been given from God, the Lord of existence. Vain imaginings have seized all the servants except those whom God, the Lord of the seen and unseen, has willed. Blessed is he whose tongue hath spoken that which the Supreme Pen hath spoken and testified to that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath testified in the kingdom of creation, and blessed is he whose eyes have beheld My Most Great Signs, and blessed is he who hath arisen to serve the Cause through My Name, the Help in Peril over what was and what shall be. When thou findest the fragrance of My garment from My verses, give thanks unto God and say:
“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of Names, and glory be unto Thee, O Thou through Whom the Path was made manifest and the Balance was established and every heedless one [rejected] lamented.”
Beware lest what is with the divines veil thee. By the life of God! They have been heedless of that which [We have mentioned] at all times. To this testifieth He with Whom is the Preserved Tablet. Thus have the waters of mercy flowed from the words—drink thou therefrom in My Name through which the Most Exalted Horizon was illumined and every seeker hastened unto the Desired One.
BH06387: He dawneth upon the most exalted horizon
He dawneth upon the most exalted horizon
O Mihdi! Verily We have manifested Our Self when the promise came to pass which was foretold in the Books of God, the All-Protecting, the Self-Subsisting. We called all to the Path—among the people were those who clung to vain imaginings, turning away from God, the Lord of all mankind, and among them were those who broke the chains of blind imitation and hastened unto Him with clear certitude.
Blessed is he who was not weakened by the doubts of men and remained steadfast despite the uncertainties of the heedless ones. This is a Day in which the breezes of Revelation have wafted and the fragrance of God, the Mighty, the Praised, has been diffused. Cast aside that which keeps thee from the Truth and take hold, in His Name, of that which draws thee to the Most Exalted Horizon, this noble station. We counsel the loved ones of God with that which will elevate their station, and I am verily the All-Compassionate, the Forgiving, the Merciful. There remained no king except We summoned him to the straight path of God, and no subject except We acquainted him with what hath been revealed from the presence of the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Thus hath My tongue spoken and My Pen moved that thou mayest rejoice and be of those who are thankful. Strive thou that there may appear from thee that from which the sincere ones may inhale the fragrance of the love of God, the Goal of all who have recognized Him.
BH06874: I am the Witness and the Witnessed One
I am the Witness and the Witnessed One.
O peoples of the earth! By God, God hath come with His glory, and the banners of guidance have been raised upon every lofty and exalted mountain. The pavilion of grandeur hath been erected, and within it the Temple of the Ancient of Days hath been established upon the throne of His Great Name. He hath turned towards the world until He beheld thee and mentioned thee in this perspicuous Tablet. Cast aside what the people possess and take what will profit thee in every world of the worlds of thy Lord. He is, verily, the Counselor, the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful. Soon shall every soul return to its resting-place, and the people of Baha shall be with their Lord, riding upon the Crimson Ark. Thus hath the matter been decreed in the Qayyumu’l-Asma by Him Who hath appeared and given the world the glad-tidings of this Most Great and Most Wondrous Revelation. Verily, those who have turned away from the Cause are in a thick veil. Soon shall ye behold them in the fire. He Who came with the truth beareth witness to this with a manifest sovereignty. The Glory shining from the horizon of eternity be upon those who have laid hold on the Most Great Handle and have testified to that which I have testified:
“There is none other God but Me, the Single One, the All-Informed.”
BH06728: He overshadoweth the horizons!
He overshadoweth the horizons!
This is a Book sent down in truth when the Ancient Beauty was seated in the pavilion of grandeur upon one of the mountain peaks. This is a land where the Call of God has been raised over its land and sea, its mountains and hills. Thus have the breezes of grace wafted, yet the people remain behind a manifest veil. Rejoice in that the Wronged One hath remembered thee, as a bounty from God, the Lord of the worlds.
Be thou steadfast in service to the Cause and speaking forth its mighty and praiseworthy praise. This is a Day wherein the lamps of idle fancies have been extinguished and the Supreme Horizon hath been illumined with the light of certitude. Blessed is he whom the might of the world hath not caused to slip, and blessed is he whom the turning away of the deniers hath not deterred. When thou receivest My letter, place it upon thy head and say:
“Praise be unto Thee, O God of Names, for having remembered me with that which neither the treasures of the earth nor all that the kings and rulers possess can equal. I beseech Thee to assist me in serving Thee, that there may appear from me that which will endure as long as Thy most beautiful names endure. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Powerful.”
BH07026: The entire world had awaited these days, for mention…
He is the Witness, the All-Hearing!
The entire world had awaited these days, for mention thereof was made in the divine Books of both former and latter times. Yet when the Sun of Truth dawned from the horizon of the Promised Day, all arose in opposition save whom God willed. The primary cause preventing the servants in the beginning were and are the divines, although this most exalted Word hath been manifested through the Manifestations of His Most Beautiful Names, and most have heard it yet remain veiled therefrom. He saith: The divines of that time shall be the most wicked divines beneath the shadow of heaven.
Blessed is the soul that hath broken the chains of vain imaginings and imitation through the Most Powerful, the Ancient Name, and hath turned toward the supreme horizon. Rejoice thou in what hath been mentioned before the Wronged One, and in what hath been sent down for thee in this perspicuous Tablet. We counsel thee to observe wisdom and that whereby the Cause of God, the Lord of all worlds, may be exalted. The Glory be upon thee and upon those who have held fast to the Sure Handle.
BH07354: O thou who rememberest! Verily, He Who is remembered…
In the Name of the One Who is the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing
O thou who rememberest! Verily, He Who is remembered remembereth thee and giveth thee glad tidings of the river of thy Lord’s mercy, the Forgiving, the Bountiful. Remember thou the Wronged One and what befell Him in the path of God through that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought. Say: O concourse of divines! By God, the Lord of Names hath come, He Who was mentioned in the Books of the Messengers. Cast away vain imaginings—the horizon of certitude hath appeared through the Luminary of the Name of your Lord, the Almighty, the Powerful. O Ja’far! These are they who would curse those who oppressed the friends and chosen ones of God, yet when He appeared in truth they arose to perpetrate such oppression as caused those who had oppressed in every age and epoch to seek refuge from them. To this testifieth every fair-minded and perceiving one. Leave them and what they possess behind thee, then turn with thy heart to the Supreme Horizon and say:
Praise be to Thee, O Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven, for having enabled me to recognize the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation and for having given me to drink of the cup of Thy mercy. I beseech Thee not to withhold from me that which is with Thee. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Powerful, the All-Conquering, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH07398: O ʿAli-Qabl-i-Akbar! The Wronged One makes mention of thee…
He is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful
O ʿAli-Qabl-i-Akbar! The Wronged One makes mention of thee from the precincts of His Most Pure Horizon, and summons thee unto God, the Lord of Destiny, Who hath manifested through His sovereignty what He hath willed—the sovereignty that prevails over all who are in the heavens and on earth. Take hold of the Book of God with might and leave behind what the people possess. Thus doth command thee He in Whose possession is a perspicuous Book. Say: O people! By God, the appointed time hath passed, the Promise hath been fulfilled, and the Promised One calleth aloud and summoneth you unto the Truth. Respond ye, and be not of them that remain silent. This is He Who was mentioned in former ages and inscribed in the Books of God, the Lord of Names.
Turn ye with radiant faces and be not of them that turn aside. Take ye the Kawthar of divine knowledge from the hand of the bounty of your Lord, the All-Merciful, and follow not every ignorant remote one. They who have held themselves back from this Cause are accounted among the most lost in the Book of God, the Most High, the Most Great. Glorified be the people of Baha who have not broken God’s Covenant and Testament and who have followed that which they were bidden in His Wise Book.
BH08984: This is a Book sent down by the All-Merciful…
In His Name Who shineth forth upon all who are in the heavens and on earth!
This is a Book sent down by the All-Merciful unto him who hath believed in Him on His wondrous and glorious Day. Say: O people! By God, this is the Day of God, were ye of them that know, and this is the Book of God which had been inscribed from all eternity, were ye of them that are assured. And this is the Mystery of God which had been treasured up in His knowledge, the Mighty, the Impregnable. Fear ye God, O people! Answer Him Who speaketh the truth, and follow not every learned one that doubteth, at Whose advent the limbs of all names have quaked, and through whose tyranny the Concourse on High hath lamented. Cast him behind your backs, turning unto the One, the All-Informed. Thus have We adorned the Tablet with perspicuous verses. Blessed is he who taketh hold of it in His name, and woe betide every sinful forsaker thereof.
BH01462: O Haji Husayn, upon him be the Glory…
O Haji Husayn, upon him be the Glory of God, from Him Who is God, exalted be His glory, majesty and power!
The essence of praise and its very heart belong exclusively to the court of the One, the Single, the Unique, Who through the goodly deeds and pleasing conduct of His loved ones has caused the banners of guidance to be raised in His realm. He is the Powerful, the Almighty, Who with a single word can conquer the citadels of the hearts of all the peoples of the world. The unseen hosts, in the first degree and station, have been and are the commanding Word of God, and in the second station, the deeds and character of His chosen ones. Hanzalah was but one of His servants, adorned and illumined by the lights of the Manifestation of Christ. Through one goodly deed that appeared from him, an entire kingdom—from its king and ministers and princes and others—became illumined with the lights of faith. Now consider what power, might and influence a single deed hath wrought and manifested. This is reckoned among the hosts of Truth, not the wielders of swords and spears. Exalted be His power and sublime be His grandeur!
Blessings and peace be upon the King of the Messengers, through Whom the sun of unity shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of knowledge, and the nightingale sang upon the branches of the tree of oneness—verily there is no God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise—and upon His family and companions, through whom God aided His Faith and manifested His Cause, despite every distant misbeliever and every stubborn infidel. O what servants were they, whom neither the circumstances of tyrants nor the might of pharaohs deterred! They arose to serve the Cause and strove with utmost striving until they conquered lands in the name of their Creator, the Lord of creation. Through them God’s commandments were spread among His servants and His laws among His creation, and through them the Faith appeared, though the ungodly were averse.
Furthermore: the second letter of that spiritual friend arrived, bestowing that which spring bestows upon the world, for the pen of love and the ink of certitude were speaking and discoursing in praise of the Beloved of the worlds. That which was mentioned therein was of truthfulness and reality. After presentation, they stated:
“With God are treasures for thee which none save He hath known. O Husayn, upon thee be My peace and My glory! Praise be to God that thou hast attained to that which causeth the exaltation of the Word. Ere long thy mention shall be raised throughout the regions of the world. Verily, He wasteth not the reward of the doers of good.”
God willing, thou shalt be confirmed and assisted in all conditions. Know thou with certainty that the hand of God’s grace hath been and is with thee. He shall confirm thee outwardly and inwardly. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to ordain for thee the reward of what thou hast wrought in His path. Verily, He is the Guardian of His sincere servants.
Praise be to God that thou art adorned with the ornament of grace and art known among the friends for thy goodliness. Thou shouldst render thanks for this station with a hundred thousand tongues, for they singled thee out for this bounty in the first days of imprisonment. Well is it with thee and pleasant it is unto thee! Thy trustworthiness, religiosity, deeds and actions have been and are remembered. Each of these attributes is counted among the highest ornaments. Praise and gratitude be unto God that He granted such success to that spiritual friend that he attained unto the word of contentment. God willing, may he ever dwell and find rest beneath the canopies of divine grace, and be engaged in His remembrance.
If thou shouldst meet any of the friends and honored ones who have quaffed from the wine of love and are gazing toward the horizon of grace, convey greetings and glorification from this lowly poor one. I beseech God to make each one of these honored ones appear as a banner upon the highest heights. This is a garment most great, most mighty, holy and sanctified above the fabrics of the world. A hundred thousand ornaments and garments of silk and brocade cannot equal a single one of the goodly attributes of man, for through one divine attribute and one heavenly characteristic he becometh manifest and renowned throughout all the world. The warp of this garment is trustworthiness and its weft is religiosity. How excellent is this ornament, sanctified, blessed, beloved! This evanescent servant beseecheth the eternal Truth to adorn all His loved ones with this wondrous, exalted, blessed garment. Verily, He hath power over all things and is worthy to answer prayers. Peace be upon you, and the mercy of God, and His blessings.
BH00086: God beareth witness that there is none other God…
Section 1: “God beareth witness that there is none other…”
In the name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord
God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath manifested the Cause amidst all peoples is verily our Lord and the Lord of all worlds, the Ancient Lord Who hath appeared with the Most Great Name—He at Whose appearance every edifice hath been shaken and every person thrown into confusion, save whom God hath willed, our Lord and the Lord of all who are in earth and heaven, and Lord of the throne on high and of the dust beneath. There is none other God but Him, the One, the Single, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
The fragrance wafting from the Supreme Paradise and the Most Exalted Heaven be upon the chosen ones of God and His loved ones, through whom the light of divine unity hath shone forth from the horizon of every city and every land, and through whom the Day-Star of utterance hath dawned among the people of understanding, and that which the All-Merciful revealed in the Qur’an hath been made manifest. They strive in God’s path and fear not the blame of any blamer. The servant testifieth that they are such souls as have been mentioned and praised in God’s Books, and their sovereignty, grandeur, steadfastness and constancy have been acknowledged, and none among the chosen ones hath suffered in God’s path the tribulations they have endured.
Indeed, ʿAli-i-Murtada in the Kingdom of Names hath declared: “Blessed are we and blessed are they, and their blessedness exceedeth our blessedness,” unto the end of his words. Through them the veils have been rent asunder, the signs have appeared, and the standards have been raised aloft—they whom the conditions of creation have not withheld from the Truth and whom the veils of the learned have not kept back from the Lord of Names. When they heard the Call between earth and heaven, they turned to the Supreme Horizon and said: “Here am I, O Creator of the heavens, Who hath appeared through Thy Most Great, Most Wondrous, Most Glorious Name!” Then with radiant faces they turned to the cities and villages and spoke to them of that which had been manifested from God, the Lord of the Throne on high and of the dust beneath. Upon them be the prayers of God, His mercy, His glory, His light, His might, His grace, His generosity and His bounty.
The servant beseecheth his Lord to aid them in all conditions and to protect them from those who have disbelieved and turned away from Him through Whom their stations were exalted and their ranks elevated. By God’s life! The servant’s heart hath melted, or nearly melted, at seeing how the people have turned away from Him Whom they claim to follow every morn and eve, night and day, rushing to His house to perform what they were commanded, their sighs ascending during their devotions and their lamentations rising up in humility and supplication. Yet when the Day-Star of Trial shone forth and the decree was revealed from the All-Merciful, they fled like frightened asses. Would that they had been content with flight and denial! Nay, they arose in opposition and protest and committed that which caused the dwellers of the realms above and the inmates of the pavilions of the Kingdom to lament, and beyond them arose the dust of sorrows until it darkened the garment of the All-Merciful.
The servant doth beseech his Lord in this hour—he who hath clung fast to the cord of His bounty and hath taken firm hold of the hem of His mercy—that He may adorn His servants with the ornament of equity and guide them, through His grace and providence, unto the straight path. The spirit of this servant is a sacrifice for your love, a ransom for your service, and an offering for your exile and tribulations.
I had been pondering the affairs and events of the world, gazing upon all things as one bewildered, distracted, and confounded, when suddenly the shrill voice of your pen reached mine ears. This drew me unto you and inclined me toward your court. When I heard the murmuring of utterance and the cooing of the dove of yearning and longing, I directed my steps toward the Dawning-Place of Illumination and presented that which was contained in your epistle before God, the Sovereign of all horizons.
When this was accomplished and completed, lo! there arose the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree from the Most Exalted Station. Thus speaketh He—exalted be His majesty and magnified His grandeur:
In My name, the All-Mentioning, the All-Knowing
O My Name! Through My power, utterance hath been revealed and made manifest from the Kingdom of knowledge, whereupon the essence of remembrance, utterance, proof, evidence, faith and certitude were struck with bewilderment and amazement, save whom God willeth. O My Name! What hath come to pass that the people remain deprived of the breezes of the springtime of mercy and the fragrances of the divine days? Knowledge, understanding, yearning, longing, attraction and enchantment—all were created for this Day. Nevertheless, the mirrors of existence remain bereft of the effulgences of the Sun of Revelation. If any soul heareth not this call, verily he hath no ears to hear, and if he faileth to behold the lights of Revelation, he possesseth not, nor shall he ever possess, the power of sight. To what do they turn, and from what do they turn away? Glory be unto Him Who hath unveiled unto you what He hath concealed from them, through that which their hands have wrought.
There can be no doubt that the primary cause for the veiling and turning away of heedless souls hath been the leaders in outward affairs—those who count themselves among the learned and consider themselves the heads of religion. All things bear witness and lament the tyranny of those heedless and wayward souls. They say “We believe in God,” then they invent lies about Him and perceive it not. They rise up and pray, yet they understand not. They have been and are honored by the name of Truth, yet for Him they have desired and continue to desire the most great abasement. Were they to become sincere for but a moment, they would surely hearken unto the cooing of the Dove of the Cause and turn from the north to the right hand.
Blessed is the learned one whom vain desire hath not hindered from the Lord of all beings. When he heareth, he turneth unto God and respondeth to His call, and ariseth to serve the Cause in such wise that he seeth the Truth before his eyes and all creation behind him. Thus hath My Most Exalted Pen spoken before the creation of earth and heaven, and in this hour every hearing ear hath heard from it what the ear of Moses heard on the Sinai of utterance and what the Beloved heard when He turned toward God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. By God! The proof of God hath been perfected, and in its completeness it circleth round the Throne, yet the people are in evident doubt. They behold the signs yet deny them, they hear the call yet turn away from it. Verily they are in grievous loss.
Grieve thou not over anything. Under all conditions remain steadfast in My service, speaking My praise, acting according to what hath been sent down from the Kingdom of My Cause, and bidding what We have revealed in My mighty Book. The servant in attendance hath appeared and read thy letter before the Wronged One. We have answered thee with truth and sent unto thee that whereby the eyes of those who have not violated God’s Covenant and His Testament, and who have clung to the hem of their Lord’s pardoning robe, are consoled. Convey My greetings to the faces of My loved ones and give them the glad-tidings of My mercy which hath preceded and My grace which hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. Say: O concourse of chosen ones! It behooveth you to observe wisdom and that whereby this firm, this mighty Cause may be exalted. And We remember My handmaidens who have heard and turned unto God, the Peerless, the All-Informed.
O Mihdi! Distinction hath vanished from between, for it is observed that certain appointed heedless souls have not comprehended the station of the trace, let alone that of Him Who is the Influencer. They recite the divine verses yet remain unaware of their station and deprived of their fragrances. Likewise, they behold His evidences yet remain veiled from their recognition.
Glory be to God! Eyes have been so afflicted with weakness and infection that they cannot distinguish light from darkness. I beseech God to grant them success and aid them, to purify them from self and desire, and to adorn them with that which He loves and is pleased with. Verily He is the Lord of all beings and the Lord of the hereafter and the first.
O thou who art beloved of My essence and being! In every moment there appears from the Kingdom of the All-Merciful’s utterance that from which every receptive soul inhales the fragrance of the most exalted Paradise. And if I say that rock and clay have become the essence of awareness and have inclined their ears to hear the call of God, exalted be His glory—this is truth and there is no doubt in it. For today the entire world is adorned with the novel ornament of existence, and God’s hidden and manifest bounty has descended upon all. Favor is witnessed to this degree and measure, and proof is observed to this extent. Nevertheless, all are heedless and turned away, save whom God, the Lord of lords, wills.
As to what was written concerning the non-receipt of petitions and correspondence: thus far, for every letter from your honor that has arrived, a detailed reply has been written and sent. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, and hope that all that was sent may arrive. All were adorned with manifest verses and sublime words, both those specifically for your honor and those for the mentioned souls. O my God! Cause what Thou hast revealed to reach Thy Name, then grant him the bounty of Thy utterance and the feast of Thy heaven. Verily, Thou art powerful over all things. Thus far this servant has sent four, and despite the multitude of occupations and extensive writing, there has been no negligence or delay in responding to your honor’s letters.
Regarding what you wrote about visiting the land of Ishtihard and the maidservants and servants of God in that place—upon them be the glory of God—it was presented at the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court. This is what was revealed for them from the heaven of our Lord’s will, the Most High, the Most Great. He says, exalted be His utterance, mighty be His sovereignty, and glorious be His grandeur:
In My Name, the Compassionate, the Generous
The Supreme Pen makes mention of the people of Alif and Shin, and counsels them according to what befits their relationship to the Most Great Name. The numbered days and limited, perishable ornaments of this world are not and never were worthy of attention or mention. Hold fast unto truth and cling to the hem of His grace. Know ye your rank and station. Praise be to God that ye have attained unto that which most of the peoples of the earth remain heedless and veiled from, as well as the divines and mystics who regarded themselves as leaders of the flock and guides of the people, except for those learned ones who, in the name of the Self-Subsisting, partook of the sealed wine and shattered the idols of fancy and conjecture with the arm of certitude.
Know ye the value and station of divine favors and occupy yourselves with His mention and praise. His bounties have been and shall ever be beyond reckoning, and His grace all-encompassing. As is evident, in the Most Great Prison, through the agencies of remembrance and the instruments of utterance, He hath built and continueth to build for each one a lofty palace. These palaces shall never perish, nor shall the passage of time bring them to ruin, for they have been raised by the hand of power and erected through His pure bounty. Know ye this and then give thanks unto your Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.
The clamor of the divines, the croaking of the ignorant, and the oppression and might of princes have not endured and shall not endure. All shall soon return to nothingness. That which hath been and shall ever be lasting is the favor of God. Hold fast unto goodly deeds and manifest divine attributes, that all may inhale from you holy and sacred fragrances and turn towards the Friend. Beseech ye the exalted Lord that He may illumine all the peoples of the earth with the light of justice and transform oppression and transgression into equity. He is the Powerful, the Mighty, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing. The Glory be upon you and upon those whom neither self nor passion hath prevented from God, the Lord of all beings and the Lord of the last and the first. This is what hath been sent down for the handmaidens of God, upon them be the Glory of God. In My Name, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
O handmaidens of God in Alif and Shin! Rejoice in that the Wronged One remembers you from the prison with a remembrance that shall endure throughout the dominion of earth and heaven and shall be read by honored servants. Blessed is the handmaiden who heard, responded, and attained the remembrance of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. Woe to the servant who turned away from God when He came with the truth through a sovereignty that encompassed what was and what shall be. How many a learned one was barred from the ocean of knowledge in the days of God, and how many a handmaiden drew near until she attained and drank therefrom in the name of her Lord, the Possessor of existence.
Section 2: “O handmaidens of God! The Wronged One…”
O handmaidens of God! The Wronged One of the world has turned toward you from the Most Great Prison and makes mention of you. Were you to discover the greatness of this station, you would attain unto the most great joy—a joy that the sorrows of the world could not alter, nor the clamor of nations prevent. Blessed have you been and shall ever be, for you have turned to the highest horizon and are occupied with the praise and glorification of God, exalted be His glory. The whole world was created for the knowledge of God; nevertheless, all remain veiled while you, through His wondrous grace, have been blessed therewith. Speak in His Name, drink in His remembrance, and be gladdened by His mention.
You are accounted as leaves of Paradise in the sight of God, speaking His praise and enkindled with His love. You have attained to that which most of the world’s learned ones have remained heedless of, and God, exalted be His glory, has confirmed you in such wise that you hear His utterance and hearken unto His call. One manifestation of the manifestations of His light shone forth upon the Mount, causing it to crumble, while He has manifested Himself continuously in these days unto His loved ones and continues to do so. The recipients of the manifestations of this Revelation have been and are the realities of human beings. Reflect, that you may discover this station and taste the sweetness of the divine utterance. Blessed are they that drink, and joy be to them that know. The glory of God rest upon you from God, the Revealer of clear tokens and the Sender down of verses.
The Sun of divine favor has shone upon all, and the river of merciful bounty flows particularly for each of the near ones and the sincere ones. Take and drink, for He is verily the Generous Giver. In these days God, exalted be His glory, bestowed a leaf upon the holy, blessed Leaf—may my spirit, my being, and my essence be offered up for her sake. Some who were present became troubled, and signs of vexation appeared from most of them. Therefore, a Tablet was sent down from the heaven of will and bounty. This servant mentions its contents so that all on earth may become aware of the establishment of the Temple of Justice upon the throne of utterance and may be enlightened. This is what was sent down from God, the Lord of the worlds. His word, exalted and mighty is He:
He is God, exalted be His station, to Him belong greatness and power
O My Leaf! Bear thou witness that there is none other God but Him, the One, the Single, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. Furthermore, let all know and be illumined in this matter by the lights of the Sun of certitude: male and female have been and always will be equal in the sight of God. The Dawning-Place of the Light of the All-Merciful has, with a single effulgence, shed His radiance upon all. He created the females for the males and the males for the females. The most beloved of people before God are the most steadfast and the foremost in the love of God, exalted be His glory. Rejoice thou and give thanks for what God has given thee, whom We named Sarah in the Kingdom of Names. He is verily the Protector of every handmaiden and the Lord of every steadfast and upright servant. The glory of God be upon you all from the Wronged One, the Exile.
From this blessed Tablet it is evident and manifest that all stand at one and the same level before God. “Verily, the most honored among you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you.” They are distinguished from one another in the degrees of love, piety, obedience, good deeds and their opposites. In this regard, this exalted Word was repeatedly heard from the tongue of the Lord of Names—blessed and exalted be His utterance: “The friends of God must be adorned with the ornament of justice, equity, kindness and love. As they do not allow the infliction of tyranny and oppression upon themselves, they must not allow it upon the handmaidens of God. Verily, He speaketh the truth and commandeth that which profiteth His servants and handmaidens. He is the Protector of all in this world and the next.”
As for your mention of Aqa Asadu’llah from the land of A. and Sh. and his mother, after this was presented, this exalted Word appeared from the Mother Book—blessed and exalted be His utterance:
“O Asad! We have mentioned thee before, and We have mentioned the servants who have believed, so rejoice thou in God, the Lord of the worlds. And We have mentioned thy mother who hath ascended unto her Creator and We have heard her cry. Verily thy Lord is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. God hath forgiven her as a bounty from His presence and hath adorned her with the ornament of His beautiful remembrance. Blessed is she and blessed is every handmaiden who hath turned unto Him and hath testified to that whereunto God Himself hath testified: that there is none other God but Him, the Single, the All-Informed.”
Concerning what was written about the Huquq, whatever that honorable one doeth is acceptable before the Throne. This matter was presented in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court, and this is what the Tongue of Utterance spoke forth in the Kingdom of Knowledge—glorious and exalted be His majesty:
“O My Name! Upon thee be My Glory! Permission hath been granted unto you to receive the Huquq and to dispense to the friends of God whatever you deem advisable. Though for some time, due to the world’s and the nations’ lack of capacity, the friends of God may be observed to be poor and in need, God beareth witness to their loftiness, elevation, wealth and independence, for these matters are counted as mere accidents while the essence remaineth unharmed. God willing, may the wealthy ones of the earth be enabled to fulfill that which hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen in the Book of God. May Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli Khan be confirmed in the mention of God and in His service. Convey My greetings unto him and give him the glad-tidings of My remembrance of him. Verily, all the treasures of the earth cannot equal it.”
You wrote that the funds for Muhammad-Qabel-ʿAli were given to Aqa Muhammad Khan, which is acceptable. Regarding arrival in the Land of Ta, what was written about the association, love and capacity of the friends of God—all these matters were presented before His Countenance. He said:
“O My Name! Strive that the point of divine love may attract all and establish them upon the throne of unity. This matter takes precedence over all matters, and it is the remedy for the chronic ailments of the peoples of the world. We make mention of them and glorify them from this Most Exalted Station, and We give them glad tidings of what God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, has ordained for them. We bid them to act with righteousness and with that which befits My Name, the Most Mighty, the Most Holy, the Most Pure, the Mighty, the Beloved.”
All the world endeavors to grasp at means that cause the appearance and exaltation of mention, and they strive and struggle in pursuit of it to such an extent that it bewilders the rational mind, while their objective is in truth seen to be like a mirage. Praise be to God that the loved ones of this age hold fast to a Cause the like of which has never been seen in the world. Therefore, all must arise to do that which is the cause and means of exalting the Word of God. No helper in this station has been or is more mighty and powerful than goodly deeds and praiseworthy character. God willing, may all render victory to God, exalted be His glory, through these pure, brilliant and mighty hosts. The actions of the predators of the age have not been and are not acceptable. All have come for union, not separation, and have been brought into being for harmony and unity, not discord and division. If they would act according to what God has commanded even for a short while, soon they would find themselves upon the carpet of rest, glory and bounty. A hundred thousand blessings upon those who act.
This evanescent servant beseeches God, exalted be His glory, to make all aware of the traces and fruits of the Tree of Utterance. By the life of the Desired One! Whoever becomes aware will hold fast to the divine commandments with the utmost eagerness and yearning. And regarding what they wrote about ʿA, it was presented before the Throne. This is what the Tongue of the Desired One has spoken.
O My Name! If one of the Afnan could settle in that land and oversee this matter in all respects, that is, safeguard it [the sacred remains of the Bab] in that same house, this would be nearer, more beloved and better than other arrangements. In their association and fellowship with the loved ones, they must not let go of wisdom. Let their entire endeavor be to arise in service to this Cause from the presence of the Truth. Let them acquire a modest house, and its means shall be provided from the True One, exalted be His glory. How excellent is this most exalted, most brilliant station! They should not seek for the house to be grand, for this is not the time for outward means.
We have ordained for it that which the mindful cannot comprehend. Let them acquire just a modest place for now. At present the purpose is preservation, nothing more. Thereafter the matter is in His hands; He will manifest it as He wishes. If He deems it advisable, He will ordain its transfer, and this depends on the requirements of divine wisdom. If this matter cannot be achieved with spirit and fragrance, then a place must be designated urgently, either in that land or outside it, and none should be informed save his honor ʿAli-Qabli-Akbar, upon him be the glory of God, and one other person. This matter is a divine trust with him and that other person. Should they intimate or hint at it to anyone, they would be deprived of this luminous garment and merciful ornament which is the preservation of trust. If the means which the servant has intended become available, transfer would be preferable. This matter too must remain concealed.
To his honor the Afnan, Aqa Siyyid A., upon him be all glory most glorious, it is being written by command that whatever that honored one indicates should be carried out. And regarding matters other than this, by command whatever is necessary for expenses and other things should be obtained from his honor the Afnan A. and H., upon him be all glory most glorious.
Mention was made of the ascension of the illumined leaf, the honored consort, upon her be all glory most glorious. News arrived and there was revealed concerning that exalted leaf and fruit of the Divine Lote-Tree that which nothing can equal. Truly the sorrow of separation from her dissolved one’s being. One passage revealed by the Supreme Pen concerning her is this exalted word—His word, exalted be His majesty: “The sign of union gave thee life in the former time, and the sign of separation caused thy death in the latter time.” And likewise He says—His word, exalted be His grandeur: “The exalted fruit truly melted in separation, therefore she is mentioned before God among the martyrs.” The reward for this deed is a prayer of visitation revealed by the Supreme Pen. On that night and day, whoever ascended was attired in the robe of forgiveness, and this bounty was specific to her, except for those souls who openly denied the rights of God and His verses.
Indeed there was revealed and shone forth from the heaven of merciful grace and the horizon of divine favor that from which the fragrance of eternity is inhaled and the sweet-scented breaths of life are diffused. Glorified be the Speaker, glorified be the Expositor, and glorified be the Giver, exalted be His grandeur and exalted be His dominion, there is no God but Him. Likewise mention was previously made of the ascension of his honor Aqa Siyyid Abu-Talib and his honor Haji Mirza Kamalu’d-Din, upon them be the glory of God and His mercy and His favor, and specifically for each one, time after time, there was revealed from the heaven of grace that which truly had no equal. Blessed are they both! Would that I had been with them and had attained to that which the Tongue of Grandeur spoke concerning them.
Mention hath been made of his honor Aqa Mirza Haydar-ʿAli, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious. News concerning him hath arrived from all directions. From the Land of Kha numerous souls have addressed and dispatched letters directly to the Most Holy Court mentioning him and that which transpired in that land. Likewise, mention of him hath appeared in certain divine Tablets and letters of this servant that were sent to various regions. At one time this exalted Word was revealed from the tongue of the Lord of Names and Creator of heaven: “The Truth, the Strong, the Powerful, gave refuge to Mirza in that which came to pass and became the cause of the exaltation of the Word.” Smiling, He said: “Had it been otherwise, it would have been considered contrary to wisdom and deserving of punishment.”
Section 3: “Although this too was to his advantage…”
Although this too was to his advantage, for since execution must needs be carried out in person, therefore prior to its execution the command of attainment unto His presence was established, and afterwards grace and bounty were also present, that perchance He might grant pardon. Moreover, his honor hath witnessed the waves of the ocean of mercy and the outpourings of the sun of grace. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth, and He is the Almighty, the Exalted, the All-Praised.
As to what ye wrote concerning Ibn-i-Abhar, upon him be the Glory of God, in truth the matter is as ye have written. He is excellent in teaching the Cause, for some time ago a word was heard from the Ancient Tongue indicative of this most exalted station. Excellent is he in all conditions. After your aforementioned words were presented in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke this exalted Word—glorified and exalted be His utterance:
“O My Name! Praise be to God that Ibn-i-Abhar, upon him be My Glory, hath arisen to serve and is adorned with the ornament of teaching. He hath been and shall ever be assisted in all conditions. That which your honor hath deemed advisable regarding his affairs hath been accepted before the Wronged One, for this matter hath verily added and continueth to add to his station. In truth his property, that is his possession, is accounted as being in the path of God. Exalted is this lofty station! Through its sale, freedom was attained, and through freedom that which God desired was made manifest. Blessed is he! O My Name! Blessed be his father who drank the wine of steadfastness from the hand of his Lord’s bounty and was among those endowed with certitude in a perspicuous Book. His station with God is most great. Blessed be they that are endowed with understanding, and blessed be they that visit his shrine. He is among those whose mention We have veiled due to the weakness of the servants. Convey My glad-tidings unto his son and My greetings from the Wronged One, that he may give thanks unto his Lord, the Generous. Divine favors will assuredly be directed towards him and will reach the detached ones. He is, verily, the Almighty, the Powerful. Not an atom of good deeds hath been or ever shall be lost in the sight of God. Whoso pondereth upon former ages will witness that which the Tongue of the Wronged One hath witnessed in this noble station.”
This evanescent one hath also been assisted in these days, through the grace and favor of God, exalted be His glory, to send a reply to his honor, adorned with the mention of God, our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of the mighty Throne. God willing, may they attain unto the divine verses and drink from the oceans of their meanings. Verily His grace hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. That which reached the late and elevated his honor Haji Siyyid ʿAli-Akbar, upon him be the Glory of God and His mercy—at this moment He said that all rights incumbent upon him, both past and present, have been discharged and adorned with the ornament of acceptance. Praise be to God in all conditions. He bestoweth upon whomsoever He willeth whatsoever He pleaseth and giveth as He desireth. He is the Almighty, the Powerful.
Regarding Jinab-i-Mulla Asadu’llah, upon him be the Glory of God, what was written was presented before the Most Holy and Exalted Presence. These sublime words and manifest verses have descended from the heaven of bounty of the Lord of Names and Attributes, and are being sent written in the hand of the Branch of God—may my spirit, my being, and my essence be sacrificed for the dust of His footsteps. His exalted Word states:
He is the All-Seeing, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing
We have desired to make mention of him who has turned to the Supreme Horizon when the learned and mystics turned away, save whom God, the Lord of Lords, willed. This is the Day wherein the rustling of the Lote-Tree of the Utmost Boundary is raised, and the river of inner meanings and utterance flows. Blessed is he who has drunk and attained, and woe unto the misguided ones who have cast the Book of God behind their backs and followed the manifestations of fancy and vain imaginings. Arise in the name of thy Lord Who remembereth thee in the Most Great Prison, then rend asunder the veils of the peoples. Say: By God, this is the Day of Reckoning wherein the Mother Book doth call aloud. Say: O concourse of the earth! Fear God and deny not Him at Whose appearance appeared that which was hidden in God’s knowledge and recorded in the Scriptures and Tablets. Beware lest the books of the world hold you back from the Lord of Eternity, or the affairs of the world veil you from turning to the Supreme Horizon, or the clamor of the learned sadden you.
Arise with joy and radiance in the name of God, the Lord of Religions, and say: We have turned unto Thee, O Thou the Desire of the world, and have set our faces toward Thy countenance, O Thou the Sovereign of verses. Thus have We illumined the horizon of the Tablet with the lights of utterance. Blessed is he who hath taken hold and woe unto him who hath violated God’s covenant on the Day of Separation. Arise to serve the Cause, then speak forth by this Name whereby skins have quivered and pillars have quaked. We have heard thy mention, have made mention of thee, and have sent down for thee that from which the sincere ones shall inhale the fragrance of eternity throughout ages and centuries.
When thou attainest unto My Tablet and findest from it the fragrance of My utterance, arise and say: I testify to that whereunto the Tongue of Thy power hath testified before the creation of Thy heaven and earth, that there is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful. Thou art the Stranger Who hath made known to the servants their Supreme Home and revealed to them that which draweth them nigh unto God in all conditions. And Thou art the Wronged One, the Prisoner, at Whose tribulations the denizens of the highest Paradise and the Kingdom of Names have lamented at eventide and at dawn.
This servant conveyeth greetings and salutations unto him, and beseecheth the exalted True One to strengthen him to serve His Cause and enable him to voice His praise in such wise that the coldness of the world shall not affect him and the heat of divine verses shall ever increase the warmth of his love, that he may be remembered by the name of God and be known and renowned for the love of God. Verily, He strengtheneth whosoever turneth unto Him and uttereth His praise.
And regarding the mention you made of Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Karim, upon him be the Glory of God, and his brothers and relatives, upon them be 96 [Baha’u’llah], and likewise his presence’s visit to that house at their request—these matters were presented before the Ancient Countenance. This is what the Tongue of Power and Might uttered in His Kingdom. His exalted Word:
The honored Karim and his kinsmen have been and are remembered in the Most Holy Court. The grace of God—exalted be His glory—hath encompassed them, for they hearkened unto the Call and were adorned with the lights of certitude. Whatsoever they accomplished in the path of God hath been mentioned before the Divine Countenance and recorded in the Book by the Supreme Pen. Blessed are they who have honored thy resting-place and seized the opportunity of attaining thy presence in the love of God, the Lord of the worlds. Convey My greetings unto the honored Rahim and his brothers. Say: O Rahim! Behold thy ardor and the fragrance of thy acceptance. We have verily strengthened thee and raised thee to a station wherein thou didst witness the Most Great Sign and didst hearken unto the call of thy Most Glorious Lord.
Forget not this lofty station and be not heedless thereof. I swear by the Most Great Luminary! Whoso in this Day remaineth even slightly heedless of the remembrance and service of God shall ere long be seized with remorse and regret. Praise be to the Goal of all creation Who enabled thee to attain that which hath been revealed and recorded by the Supreme Pen in the books of the past and present. God willing, mayest thou ever remain mindful of this station and preserve it through the Name of God, exalted be His glory. The glory of God rest upon them from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Some time ago this servant sent a response to the letter of Muhammad-Qabil-i-Karim which he had written to him who beareth the Name of Jud, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious. That letter contained divine verses wherein the ocean of His grace and bounty was surging. God willing, may they attain unto it and be assisted in that which God desireth.
As to their intention to undertake the journey, if it can be accomplished with joy and fragrance—that is, if the means for it can be easily arranged—there is no objection. Otherwise, nay. In the previous year, two of the friends of God in that land, namely the land of T, were blessed with special favors, though outwardly prevented from turning to the Most Holy Court. Nevertheless, their deed and visitation were accepted at the threshold of the Divine Throne, and repeatedly were words of acceptance concerning them heard from the Tongue of Grandeur, and they attained that which causeth this servant to utter “Would that I had attained unto that which they attained!” Unto God belongeth the command, in the past and in the future, and He is the Commander, the Just, the Wise.
And as to the mention they made of Aqa Mirza Muhammad-ʿAli K D, upon him be the Glory of God, and likewise the mention of Aqa Akbar, upon him be the Glory of God—praise be to God, they have been and are blessed with divine favors, as are their kinsmen. God willing, may they be occupied at all times with the service of the Cause and exert mighty efforts to exalt the Word. Thereby shall their stations, ranks and conditions be made manifest among the people. Verily our Lord, the Most Merciful, is the Bestower, the Forgiving, the Generous.
After presentation in the Most Holy Court, this most mighty Tablet was revealed from the heaven of grace of the Lord of creation specifically for Akbar. His blessed and exalted Word:
In My Name, the All-Encompassing over all names
A Book revealed by the Wronged One, wherein is that which draweth mankind nigh unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Blessed is he who hath beheld the Most Sublime Horizon, and blessed is he who hath heard the Call when it was raised from the Dayspring of Grandeur:
“Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.”
We have remembered those who have turned towards the Countenance and have revealed for them that wherefrom the sincere ones perceive the fragrance of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all worlds. O Akbar! The Wronged One remembereth thee from the precincts of His Most Luminous Spot with verses that cannot be equaled by the treasures of the earth. To this testifieth every discerning knower. This is a Day wherein the Ark of the Bayan hath sailed upon land and sea, and the tongue of the All-Merciful hath spoken in the kingdom of utterance that which hath enraptured the hearts of them that are nigh. Blessed is he who hath forsaken the world out of love for God, the Lord of the ancient days, and hath acted according to that which was commanded in His perspicuous Book.
This is a Day wherein the proof hath been perfected, the bounty completed, and the heavenly table sent down, yet the people remain behind a thick veil. Blessed is he who hath arisen to serve the Cause with spirit and fragrance and hath rent asunder the veils of them that are in the contingent world, in the name of his Lord, the Mighty, the Powerful. Thus have We illumined the hearts of the sincere ones with the lights of utterance, and We are verily the Bestower, the Bountiful, the Generous.
God willing, may they be illumined by the lights of the Sun of Utterance of the All-Merciful and engage in the remembrance of the Beloved of all creation with utmost joy and delight. The servant sendeth greetings upon him and upon those who have believed in God in His Great Day. That which your honor had written regarding the Land of M and likewise concerning the delivery of items and trusts—all is beloved and accepted in the Most Holy Court. Everything from the gracious one is gracious. God willing, the previous correspondences will reach your honor, for they were bearers of wondrous and exalted verses from the presence of Truth. Furthermore, this evanescent one, who is as nothing, conveyeth greetings and salutations to all the gentlemen, friends, chosen ones and pure ones of God, and beseecheth from God, exalted be His glory, that He may enable all to attain unto that which beseemeth His days. And this is not difficult for Him.
May the glory that shineth and beameth forth from the horizon of the heaven of the grace of our Lord, our Goal and your Goal, be upon your honor and upon those who have been just in the Cause of God and have attained unto the recognition of His wondrous Day. Praise be to God, the Almighty, the Exalted, the Mighty, the Inaccessible.
BH00393: May my spirit and my being be sacrificed…
He is God, exalted be His station!
May my spirit and my being be sacrificed for Thee! The letter adorned with the ink of love, which is in truth the cause and reason for, and manifestation of, the unity of the servants in the Cause of the Lord of creation, became the source of joy and gladness and the cause of delight and felicity. Although in these days, due to the abundance of tribulations and the accumulation of afflictions, this servant has not been and is not capable of properly conveying his condition, yet in all circumstances we are thankful for the favors of that Beloved One and are occupied with His mention and praise. We hope that we shall never be deprived of the fragrance of His favor and that we shall ever be blessed by the wafting of the breezes of that Beloved’s grace. Verily, He is the Answerer of the prayers of those who call upon Him.
The conditions in this land remain as previously reported, continuing in the same manner until God decrees what He willeth. In recent times, that accursed Khawwaq has been consorting openly, day and night, with Rida and his sister. After previous incidents, he has written many calumnies and sent them to Beirut where they have been published in one of the newspapers. The curse of God be upon him who hath wronged and fabricated lies. God will soon cause his schemes to rebound upon himself. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Powerful.
And concerning that earlier packet—the one which contained the documents and never arrived—O Beloved One, may I be sacrificed for Thee: the utmost inquiry hath here been made. According to what they relate—and to all outward seeming it must indeed have been thus—whatever befell occurred there, in the Austrian post office. Today Janab-i-Ha wrote me an account of this matter, and afterward he himself went and an interview was held. The purport of what he wrote, and likewise stated orally, was this: “I inquired of the steamer agent at Haifa, asking whether, on such-and-such a date, among the mail dispatched to Haifa which failed to reach the steamer, my letter had remained behind in Haifa. He replied: ʿThere was no separate letter that remained in Haifa. Whatever letters there were arrived enclosed within the sealed post-bag, and in that same condition they were forwarded onward. If any fault occurred, it must have taken place in Alexandria.”’ And this servant likewise, so far as he can perceive, deemeth that it must have been thus, for the reason that Janab-i-Ha would bring the letter at the very time when the mail-bag was being sealed, and would stand there until the bag had been closed.
Moreover, it is in no wise to be supposed that this vapurchi (steamship agent) would have acted improperly. This hath become evident for several reasons. The packet in question was entrusted together with the purse; but afterward, when the steamer came not to this landing-place, he refused to accept the purse, declaring that, since it had to be sent on to Haifa, and the sea was rough, it was not reliable to consign it to the boatman. The substance of the matter is this: on that day the steamer came not to this pier, but went instead to Haifa. The covered company sent the people’s letters, in one sealed bundle according to the established practice, to Haifa, that they might be delivered there to their own steamer. The aforesaid post, however, reached not the steamer. The Austrian company took it up and itself dispatched it by steamer to Alexandria. His blessed Person had not been apprised of this circumstance, nor were these servants aware of it; indeed, the covered company itself knew not that it would fail to reach the steamer.
Be that as it may, the covered steamer arrived, and His blessed Person, in accordance with the former custom, proceeded thither, yet no letter was there. As hath been heard, there had been an advance or delay of some three or four days in the sailing of the two steamers. The strong likelihood is that it remained in the Austrian post office, and that that Beloved One, too, knew not that He should go there. One of the Persians went, and, seeing the packet bearing a Persian seal and hand, took it up. Of this there is no doubt: from here it departed in safety, and, to all appearance, the details there must likewise have transpired in this wise. Beyond this, knowledge resteth with God.
And as to what had been written, that copies of those lost documents should be sent: they were retrieved and were in existence. God willing, if it please Him, they will be forwarded next week. At present the occasion did not permit. There also remain certain documents from Janab-i-14 [Javad] from former days; these too shall be sent.
Regarding the petitions of the honored S, it was submitted. They said return to this land is absolutely not permitted. Let them proceed, relying upon God. He is the protector of whoever befriends Him and the helper of those who have no helper. Indeed He is the master of the sincere ones. He teaches whomever He wishes whatever He wishes. Whoever turns to Him, from his heart flows the Salsabil of utterance according to what has been ordained for him in a clear Book.
Please convey this servant’s expressions of devotion and greetings, and likewise to each of the great gentlemen, the honored Sh and the honored Anis, and each of the friends and servants. I request from that beloved one that in whatever manner is appropriate, you mention on behalf of this servant and convey the greetings of this ephemeral servant.
Regarding the Sacred House, a letter arrived last week from Aqa Muhammad-Rida, and he sent four Ottoman liras through this servant, meaning they were given to his honor to send, and confirmation of receipt was received. As to what was written concerning some being informed or uninformed of certain matters, it is clear and evident to your honor that most matters do not occur without his knowledge, as most write to him with details of affairs. For example, Aqa Muhammad-Rida did not write anything to this servant but had written the details of their affairs to him, and he conveyed it to this servant in whatever way possible, as in these days no one is able to correspond directly. Otherwise, it has been and is known that to the extent possible, your beloved’s instructions are carried out. We beseech God to assist me in all that your noble heart loves and your gracious soul desires, verily He has power over what He wills. At present they are in Beirut and their ill health continues. It is hoped that, God willing, there will be no shortcoming in their affairs. Your honor should be assured about these matters. No one has been or will be approached about this, nor will it even be mentioned.
Furthermore, the Holy Branches and the people of the Sacred Household all remember your honor with wondrous and sublime remembrances, and this servant offers greetings, submission, and utter nothingness on behalf of all the friends. And the Glory be upon you.
Dated the 14th of Dhi’l-Hajjih. The servant.
May I be sacrificed for you. As previously mentioned, four tablets in Persian were revealed specifically for four Zoroastrians, and since sending the original tablets by post would damage them, copies are being sent. They are now being sent for dispatch to the Holy Land. One of the four individuals has submitted a petition to the Most Holy Court. According to what has been heard, two individuals have drunk from the Kawthar of faith and the other two are close. In any case, someone must, through divine confirmation, present these tablets to them in a fitting manner. Therefore, it is necessary that the presenter first recite them repeatedly so as to be able to read them properly. We beseech God to assist all in what He loves and desires.
According to the command, his honor Ismu’llah, upon him be the Glory of God, should proceed as follows: Regarding the matter of sending the leaf and the person who should accompany her, if possible they should consult with her mother, upon her be the Glory of God. Whatever consultation decides, they should act accordingly. In any case, if it is accomplished with the utmost joy and fragrance, it is acceptable before His Countenance. The expenses thereof should be paid by his honor Abu’l-Hasan, upon him be the Glory of God. And if in that land and its surroundings any Huququ’llah is received and is spent for this cause, there has been and is no objection. His honor Ismu’llah, glory be upon him, is authorized to do so. And if his honor Abu’l-Hasan himself accompanies the leaf, it would be most beloved.
Regarding the aforementioned matter, a small place should be acquired, and its cost should be paid by his honor A.H., glory be upon him, either in their name or his own name or in whatever name they deem advisable to record in the deed. Regarding this matter and the first matter, they should consult with his honor Mulla Ali-Akbar and Mirza Asadu’llah, upon them be the Glory of God and His mercy. Whatever emerges from consultation is the command of God, but they must make a mighty effort to keep it [the sacred remains of the Bab?] concealed. At present the purpose is protection, lest there befall him what befell in the land of Ta from the hands of the wicked ones. Later, great means shall appear for the station according to what God has willed. Verily, He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
And regarding the teachers, they should be paid from the funds of the Huququ’llah, exalted be His Glory. Previously, his honor Asad, glory be upon him, was commanded to receive from Huququ’llah and distribute. Now Jinab-i-Amin, glory be upon him, has written that his honor A.H., My glory and mercy be upon him, has agreed to pay the teachers’ expenses. In this case, if it is referred to them, it is most beloved. And in these days the number of teachers should not exceed three or four, as it would cause notoriety, and notoriety is extremely harmful to this Cause.
O My Name! O thou who gazest upon the Sun of My Revelation! We made no mention of the people of Mim and Alif in the Tablet, and therefore We make mention of them at this time, that it may be a treasure and an honor unto them with God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Verily, We have found from that land the fragrance of the All-Merciful. Blessed is he who hath rent asunder the veils and turned unto God, the Lord of all worlds. We have made mention of him who is named ʿAli in that place, and after him certain numbered souls, and after these servants who have turned and said: “We believe in God, the Lord of the worlds.”
If thou turnest and beholdest those who have attained unto the mention of God, give them glad tidings from Me and proclaim unto them greetings from the Wronged One, the Stranger. We have made mention of My loved ones in the Crimson Book by My Most Exalted Pen. These are servants from whom We have found the fragrance of steadfastness in this Cause whereby the heaven hath been cleft asunder, the earth hath been rent, the stars have fallen, and the foundations of every firm edifice have been shaken. Soon shall wondrous and lofty fruits be witnessed from the trees of those lands. This is God’s decree, both before and after. Well is it with them that understand.
O people of the land of Mim! This Wronged One, at this hour—being the sixth hour of the first day of the blessed month of Ramadan—while imprisoned in this Most Great Prison with its gates closed fast, maketh mention of you with the most excellent of remembrances. The whole world cannot be compared to a single word from the words of the Lord of Eternity. Hearken, know, and arise with all earnestness to serve the Cause. Today the hosts of Truth are goodly character and praiseworthy deeds. Blessed is the soul that gaineth victory through these hosts. Those lands are blessed, for this Wronged One journeyed from the direction of Shahrud to that region, arriving at Gaz and observing its surroundings, and from there to Ashraf and before that the district of Hazar-Jarib, village by village and city by city, until We arrived in the land of Nur.
Praise be to God that in those days all those regions were illumined and blessed by the lights of the Sun of Truth, and the effects thereof shall surely become manifest. That which was planted by the divine hand shall soon yield its fruits in the world’s assemblies. The call of the Beloved is raised from those mountains, for those lands have been blessed by the footsteps of the True One. God willing, may all be enabled to do that which beseemeth the Days of God.
O loved ones of the All-Merciful! While time remaineth, strive to make good what hath passed. Verily, He is with you and will aid you in that which befitteth this blessed and wondrous Day. God willing, may all the divine friends drink from the immortal chalice and act according to that which hath been revealed in the Book.
Say: O my God! I beseech Thee by the blood that hath been shed in Thy path, and by the hearts that have melted in their love for Thee, to assist Thy loved ones to be steadfast in Thy Cause and to arise to serve Thee. Thou art, verily, powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and within Thy grasp are the reins of all things. O my Lord! Thou seest them among Thy heedless servants who have cast behind their backs Thy Covenant, violated Thy Testament, and disputed Thy manifest signs. I beseech Thee to send down upon them from the heaven of Thy bounty and the clouds of Thy mercy that which will draw them nigh unto Thee in all conditions. O my Lord! Draw them by Thy most sweet call in such wise that they may behold the world behind them and the deniers beneath their feet. How wonderful is this attraction whereby light hath shone forth and that which the Book proclaimed hath appeared:
“Everything shall perish save the face of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.”
BH11589: To be typed
To be typed.
BH02625: This is a Book which the All-Merciful hath sent…
He is the All-Seeing, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing
This is a Book which the All-Merciful hath sent down in this Prison, which hath been designated by the most excellent names in the Crimson Scroll from My Most Exalted Pen. Blessed is he who hath taken hold of it with the power of God, the Almighty, the All-Conquering, the All-Powerful. God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and He Who speaketh with truth is verily the Hidden Secret and the Treasured Name. All the Books, Scriptures and Tablets have testified to His Revelation, and every trusted Messenger hath given glad tidings of Him. This is the Day wherein the Self-Subsisting walketh before all faces and guideth them to His Straight Path.
Thy letter hath been presented and the servant who standeth before the Wronged One hath laid it before Him, and We answer thee with this Tablet from whose horizon shineth the sun of thy Lord’s tender mercy, the Gracious, the Bountiful. We testify that thy letter hath attained unto the hearing of the Lord of Names, and He hath revealed for thee that which causeth every discerning scholar to soar. When thou attainest unto it and findest the fragrance of My utterance, render thanks unto God for this great bounty.
Beware lest the affairs of the world withhold thee from the Lord of all mankind. Hold fast unto Him and place thy trust in Him, for He is verily the Helper, the Succourer. On the day We entered the Most Great Prison, We summoned the peoples unto God, the Peerless, the All-Informed. Among them were those who turned away, those who disbelieved, and those who pronounced sentence against My life without any proof from God, the Lord of all worlds. We desired their life while they desired to shed My blood. Thus was the matter decreed, but the people are behind a manifest veil. And among them were those who rent asunder the veils and turned with illumined hearts toward the Supreme Horizon. Blessed is he who hath hastened unto the Goal, and blessed is the scholar who hath cast aside vain imaginings and turned toward the Dayspring of certitude. Woe unto every scholar who hath denied God’s right and His Revelation, and hath prevented the people from the river of God’s mercy, the Lord of this wondrous Day.
Thus have We sent down the verses unto thee and caused thee to hear the rustling of this Tree which hath been raised up in truth in this glorious and lofty Station. Blessed art thou for having turned toward Him Whom the ignorant ones of the earth have denied—they who have broken God’s Covenant and His Testament, and followed their own desires. They are indeed among the most lost in the perspicuous Book.
O thou who art mentioned before the Wronged One! Rejoice in what We have revealed, for unto every name that was in thy letter We have sent down a Tablet which beareth witness unto it from every world of the worlds of thy Lord, were one to be firmly established therein. Convey My glorification unto their faces, and give them the glad tidings of My loving-kindness, My mercy and My remembrance, which nothing that hath been created in the heavens and earth can equal. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.
BH04483: We have sent down the verses and revealed…
In His Name, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful!
We have sent down the verses and revealed that which was hidden in the Books of God, the Lord of creation. How many a servant has risen in opposition, disputing the verses of God and His proof, and turning away from Him by Whom the Path was established and the Balance set up. They have forsaken their God and followed their desires. They are accounted among the idolaters in the Scriptures and Tablets.
O ʿAli! Thy name hath been mentioned before the Wronged One, and this Tablet hath been revealed for thee. Give thanks unto God for having enabled thee to turn towards Him on a Day whereon feet have slipped. Beware lest the affairs of men prevent thee from the Lord of the Beginning and the End. Leave them to themselves and hold fast unto the cord of the loving-kindness of thy Lord, the All-Possessing, the Most Exalted. Thus have We sent down the verses and dispatched them unto thee, that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Lord of the final end.
Blessed is the learned one who hath recognized the Known One, and the mystic who hath turned unto the One Renowned, and the seeker who hath sought the Desired One, whilst most of the people have turned away from Him. O ʿAli! Give glad-tidings unto the people of thy land of My mercy, My loving-kindness, My bounty and My grace that have encompassed the horizons. Say: By God! He is with you and seeth what hath befallen you in His path. Nothing whatsoever escapeth His knowledge. To this testifieth every man of certainty and insight. Be not grieved by what hath befallen you. There hath befallen Us that which hath caused the Spirit of Holiness to lament and the clouds to cry out. The wrongdoers shall soon behold the recompense of their deeds. Verily thy Lord lieth in wait. The glory of God be upon thee and upon them and upon those who have arisen and said: “God is our Lord and the Lord of all the worlds.”
BH04593: O Muhammad-Qabli-Kazim! Verily My Most Exalted Pen loves…
He is the One Who remembers with truth from this luminous horizon
O Muhammad-Qabli-Kazim! Verily My Most Exalted Pen loves to remember thee. Blessed art thou for having attained unto My days, drunk the choice wine of My revelation, turned toward My horizon, and heard My call when it was raised in truth, and for having arisen to serve this Great Announcement, which was attested to in God’s Books of old and in that which We revealed unto Muhammad, the Apostle of God, through Whom every wise command was made manifest. We have remembered thee in various Tablets and have mentioned that which thou didst accomplish on this Straight Path. Thou art he to whom God’s Book hath borne witness, both before and after. Wert thou to become aware of that which hath been ordained for thee, thou wouldst cry out: “Praise be unto Thee, O Most Generous of the generous ones!” We have revealed for thee and for those with thee that through which the fragrance of My mercy, which hath preceded the heavens and the earth, hath been diffused. Remind My loved ones on My behalf and give them the joyful tidings of My loving care and glorious remembrance. Glorify thy Lord with praise and say:
O Thou through Whose Name the entire creation hath been subdued! I beseech Thee by Thyself and by Thy mighty signs to assist me and Thy loved ones to be steadfast in Thy Cause in such wise that the tablets of fire shall not prevent them from beholding the lights of Thy countenance. O Lord! Thou art the Generous One, the Lord of great bounty. Thou seest me turning unto Thee, placing my trust in Thee, gazing toward the heaven of Thy mercy, and directing my face toward the sun of Thy loving-kindness and the ocean of Thy grace. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me and Thy loved ones of that which lieth with Thee. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou pleasest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
BH05579: O friends of the All-Merciful in all lands!…
He is the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing
O friends of the All-Merciful in all lands! The Supreme Pen remembers you from the Most Exalted Station and the Highest Summit. Rejoice in this bounty which cannot be equaled by all the treasures of the earth and whatsoever issueth therefrom. To this beareth witness He with Whom is the Preserved Tablet.
O Nasru’llah! Bear thou witness unto that which God did bear witness before the creation of earth and heaven—that there is none other God but Him, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Verily He hath appeared with the truth and hath manifested whatsoever He desired through His command “Be, and it is.” The horizon of Revelation hath been illumined by His Name, and the Ship of Divine Knowledge hath sailed upon the sea of utterance by His blessed and all-compelling command over all witnesses and all that is witnessed. Take thou My Book in My Name—verily it shall profit thee in all the worlds of thy Lord. To this beareth witness He with Whom is the Sealed Book. Rejoice thou in this Most Great Remembrance and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of the seen and unseen!
Thou art He through Whose Name the mountains were moved and the limbs of those who followed vain imaginings without any proof from God, the Lord of existence, did tremble. Blessed is the servant who hath turned toward the Supreme Horizon, and blessed is the maidservant who hath believed in God, the Lord of Names, Who hath come with the truth with a sovereignty before which armies cannot stand. Glory be upon thee and upon thy family and upon those who have turned with illumined hearts unto My praiseworthy station.
BH05765: Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses…
He is the Powerful over whatsoever He willeth
Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses and hath spoken that which was a sword to the wicked and a mercy to the righteous who have acknowledged what the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken—that there is none other God but Him, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. This is the Day wherein the Path proclaimeth: “By God! The Lord of Creation hath come with evident sovereignty.” And the Balance proclaimeth: “The All-Merciful hath come! Fear God, O concourse of the earth! Cast away what ye possess and take what ye have been given from the presence of the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.” The trees have yielded their fruit, the mysteries have been revealed, and that which was hidden in God’s knowledge, the Lord of existence, hath appeared.
By God! This is the Day of remembrance and utterance, did ye but know, and this is the Day of deeds, would ye but perceive. Blessed is he who hath attained unto the hearing of the Call, and woe unto every ignorant one who turneth away. O people of the Bayan! Fear God and follow not those who have denied the Witness and the Witnessed. O youth! Before Rida! Stand firm in the Cause when the clamor ariseth from those who have denied the right of God and His sovereignty. Verily they perceive not. Thus have We commanded thee and those who have believed in God, the Mighty, the Loving. Blessed is every slumberer who hath been awakened by the Call and every one seated who hath arisen through My Name, the Self-Subsisting.
BH06041: Rejoice in that the All-Bountiful remembers thee from His…
In the Name of the All-Knowing, the All-Wise
Rejoice in that the All-Bountiful remembers thee from His Most Great Station and summons thee unto God, the Lord of the worlds. We counsel thee and those who have believed to observe wisdom, lest there be raised the clamor of the idolaters who have pronounced judgment against the Dayspring of Revelation and perpetrated that which hath caused the Messengers to lament. Hold thou fast unto the cord of wisdom in all conditions, and grasp the hem of the loving-kindness of thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. He, verily, hath forgiven him who hath turned towards Him, and hath seized every obstinate oppressor. Soon shall the world pass away, and the tyranny of those who have wronged, and that wherein every remote ignorant one taketh pride.
Say: We have abandoned vain imaginings unto you, and have taken what We were commanded in the Book of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Say: We have abandoned the carrion, inasmuch as the heavenly table hath been sent down from the heaven of the bounty of our Lord, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Fear ye God, O concourse of the ignorant ones! Deal fairly in that which hath appeared with truth, and be not of the lost. Return ye, then repent; He will forgive you and absolve you of your evil deeds as a token of His grace, for He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. Thus have We sent down unto thee that which will solace thine eyes and the eyes of those who have turned towards God in this wondrous Day.
BH06381: O Muhammad! The One, the Single, remembers thee…
In the Name of the One dawning from the horizon of the world
O Muhammad! The One, the Single, remembers thee from this praiseworthy station and reveals unto thee that which shall draw thee nigh unto Him in all conditions. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the Loving. Say: O people of the earth! This is the Day of hearing, for the Call hath been raised from the direction of the Throne, would ye but hear it. And this is the Day of vision, for the lights of the Countenance have shone forth from the horizon of manifestation. Say: Be fair, O concourse of divines! By what proof did ye believe aforetime, and by what evidence do ye now turn away from this hidden Name? Lift up your heads—the Sun of Manifestation hath risen and the Speaker of Sinai proclaimeth.
Fear ye God and be not of them that understand not. Turn with radiant faces toward the dawning-place of the verses of your Lord, the Sovereign, the Self-Subsisting. Beware lest the affairs of creation prevent you from the Truth. Cast aside what is with men, placing your trust in God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. Blessed is the servant who hath turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon, and woe unto every denier and rejecter. Thus have We adorned the ocean of knowledge with the ship of utterance, that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Possessor of existence. Glory be upon thee and upon those who have held fast to this extended cord.
BH06929: Hearken unto the Call from the right hand…
He is the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!
Hearken unto the Call from the right hand of the white spot from the Divine Lote-Tree: Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Single, the All-Informed. I have created the world for My manifestation and sent forth the Messengers and revealed the Books that they might give unto mankind the glad-tidings of this mighty Revelation. But when the appointed time was fulfilled and the signs appeared and the verses were sent down, they turned away and denied, save whom God preserved through a power from Him. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the Generous.
We have heard thy call and answered thee, and have beheld thy turning toward Us and turned toward thee from this glorious station. We counsel thee and My loved ones to trustworthiness and truthfulness and purity, and to that whereby the station of man is made manifest among the peoples. Thy Lord, verily, is the Counselor, the All-Knowing. Blessed is the lowly one who hath shown humility in My days, and the servant who advanceth to serve My loved ones who, through utterance, aid the Cause of their Lord, the Merciful, in the cities and lands. They are My loved ones in My earth and My servants among My creatures. The Concourse on High pray for them at morn and eventide.
BH07758: The waves of divine knowledge have appeared…
He is the One Who calls between earth and heaven!
The waves of divine knowledge have appeared from the ocean of utterance. Blessed is he who hath witnessed and seen, and woe unto the heedless. The Divine Lote-Tree calleth with the most exalted voice and summoneth all to the supreme horizon, yet most of the people are turning away. They have turned away from the Truth, advancing toward the manifestations of vain imaginings. He Who hath the perspicuous Book beareth witness to this. O youth! The All-Knowing remembereth thee from the prison quarter through that whereby the world speaketh. The Ancient King hath come with a manifest Cause. Blessed is the learned one who hath turned toward My horizon—verily he is among the most exalted of creatures before God, the Lord of all worlds. Hold fast to My cord and cling to the hem of My loving-kindness. I am the One with power over whatsoever I desire. Every fair-minded and perceiving one beareth witness to this. The glory be upon thee and upon thy family and upon those who have taken the most exalted cup in the name of the Lord of all beings and have drunk therefrom in His Name, the Mighty, the Wondrous. Say: This indeed is the Most Great Word wherein is the choice wine of My love. Blessed are they that drink thereof.
BH07644: Glorified be He Who hath appeared and manifested whatsoever…
He is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is!
Glorified be He Who hath appeared and manifested whatsoever He desired when the people were in evident delusion. He hath rolled up, through His power, the carpet of idle fancies when there shone forth from the horizon of the world the Sun of His Hidden Name, whereby every remote world was shaken. We sent not any Messenger but the divines of that age turned away from Him. The Tongue of Grandeur beareth witness to this—verily He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Blessed is the divine who hath shown justice in the Cause of God and His Manifestation. Woe unto every sinful transgressor! They have perpetrated in this Revelation that which hath caused the Concourse on High to lament and the denizens of Paradise to cry out from their glorious station. The true divine is he who hath attained unto My recognition, heard My call, and arisen to serve My mighty Cause. Thy name hath been mentioned before the Wronged One, and this wondrous Tablet hath been revealed for thee. Beware lest the doubts of the turbaned heads prevent thee from this great bounty.
BH07751: The Tongue of Grandeur hath testified before all things…
He is the One Who rules over those in the Kingdom of Names
The Tongue of Grandeur hath testified before all things that there is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Bestower. He hath sent down the verses and revealed the evidences, yet the people remain in a strange sleep. He hath appeared with truth and sent down from the heaven of command that which is encompassed by proof and demonstration. Verily, he who hath heard the call is of the people of this station. Thy mention hath been made before the Wronged One, and there hath been sent down for thee that which hath diffused the fragrance of the love of the All-Merciful throughout all creation. Take hold of the Book of God with the power that proceedeth from Him and say:
Glorified art Thou, O Lord of the world! I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name, through whose light the earth and heaven were illumined, to assist me to remain steadfast in this Cause, whereby all beings were shaken except such as were preserved through Thy grace and bounty. I beseech Thee, O my Lord, not to disappoint me of that which is with Thee. Verily, Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Thee, the Compassionate, the Generous.
BH09127: O patient one! Patience is praiseworthy except in My…
He is the Manifest, the Hidden
O patient one! Patience is praiseworthy except in My love, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. And silence is acceptable except regarding this Announcement, concerning which the Faithful Spirit gave glad-tidings. Blessed art thou for having heard the call of the Wronged One and turned to Him on a day when every veiled learned one turned away. Say: O concourse of the earth! By God, ye were created for this Day. Fear God and be not of the wrongdoers. That which was recorded in the Books of God hath appeared and He hath come with verses before which every lofty mountain hath bowed down. Cast aside vain imaginings—they shall profit you not this Day. To this testifieth He through Whom the horizon of certitude hath been illumined. Thus hath the ocean of utterance surged. Blessed is he who hath witnessed and seen. Woe to the heedless! The glory be upon thee and upon whosoever hath turned with a luminous countenance to the horizon of the Manifestation.
BH01107: O my beloved! The fragrance of your words has…
He is God, exalted be His majesty, greatness and power.
O my beloved! The fragrance of your words has caused me to turn toward you, and your remembrance in the love of God, your Creator, has moved me to mention that which will gladden you, from our Beloved and your Beloved. By God’s life! Not a day has passed except that you were before my eyes, and the glances of my Lord and Master’s favor were directed toward you. I read, understood and presented it, whereupon He said—and His sweetest utterance is this:
O Mustafa! Upon you be My peace and My glory! Give thanks to God for having honored your countenance, loosened your tongue, and drawn you near to Him. We beseech Him to expand your cause and grant you every good thing sent down in His perspicuous Book.
We make mention of the physician, upon him be My glory, and give him glad tidings of My remembrance of him. We counsel him to remember God and praise Him, and to do that which will exalt His firm and mighty Cause. We beseech the Most High to assist him in achieving what he desires in love of his Lord. Verily, He is the Almighty, the All-Conquering, the Powerful.
We make mention of the imprisoned one, upon him be My glory, that he may rejoice and be among the thankful. We beseech God to assist him to serve the Cause with spirit and fragrance, and to ordain for him the reward of what he desires. Verily, He is the Munificent Giver.
We make mention of him who was named Khalaf, who was previously mentioned before the Wronged One, that he may rejoice in My remembrance of him and My attention to him from this far-distant spot. By My life, O Khalaf! My remembrance of you is greater than what you and all people possess. If you were to turn to it, you would find from it the fragrance of eternity—to this testifies every knowledgeable and perceptive one. Grieve not over anything, trust in all matters in God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
We make mention of him who was named Ibrahim Khaffaf, whose letter was presented before the Wronged One while He was in this mighty prison. O Ibrahim! Give thanks to God for having assisted you and caused you to recognize Him when the earth was in evident smoke. Beware lest the affairs of the world sadden you. Hold fast to the cord of your Lord’s mercy, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. We ask of God for you the good of the hereafter and of this world. Verily, He is the Lord of all beings and the Sovereign of the throne and earth. Verily, He is the Single, the One, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
We make mention of his sister and beseech God the Most High to forgive her through His grace and grant her what He has ordained in Paradise of His bounties and favors. Verily, He is the Generous, the Bestower, the Hearing, the Responding One.
We make mention of him who was named Yusuf, that he may praise his Lord for having assisted him to believe in what the All-Merciful has revealed in the Furqan:
“Those who believe in the unseen, and establish prayer, and spend of that which We have provided them.”
We make mention of the servants of God in that place and counsel them to perform good deeds and develop spiritual qualities, and to do that which will exalt God’s religion among His heedless servants. The nation and government have been weakened by what the hands of the oppressors have wrought. It behooves you to supplicate God at all times that He may aid His Cause on earth through the hosts of the unseen and the visible. Verily, He has power over all things and is worthy to answer.
That which the imprisoned one sent has arrived in the prison and has been honored with acceptance. One of them was especially distinguished and honored, and He commanded me to send one of them to your presence, which I shall soon dispatch by His might and power. I beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to assist all who are on earth to remember Him, praise Him and obey Him, that the religion may be made manifest in its entirety, though the idolaters be averse. The Command belongs to God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. And I greet Hussein Effendi, upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah], and his brothers. May the coolness of eyes, remembrance and glory be upon you and upon the loved ones of God in Zawra and upon your family and those with you, and the mercy of God and His blessings. Then I greet the most dear brother Haji Abbas, upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah], and Jamshid and Abdul-Karim, upon both of them be 966 [Baha’u’llah]. I beseech God on their behalf for that which befits His all-encompassing generosity. Praise be to God, the Most High, the Most Great.
The servant 26 Rabi’u’l-Avval 1300
O beloved of my heart! Another letter from your presence reached the servant, adorned with the mention of God, blessed and exalted be He. After my recognition and reading of it, I presented it before my Lord and Master. He spoke, and His sweetest utterance is: “We have heard what the Physician, upon him be My glory, and the Prisoner, upon him be My loving-kindness, have mentioned, and We have understood what they desired in the path of God, the Lord of the worlds. Whosoever shall free the House from the Amalekites, verily for him shall be a great reward with God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. God shall soon free it through a command from His presence, even as He freed the Ark aforetime. Verily, He is powerful over all things.
“And We make mention of Abdullah who desired to serve his Lord. Say: Blessed art thou for what thou hast done and intended. Be thou assured that He is with thee in all conditions. Verily, He does not suffer the reward of the doers of good to be lost. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist thee in what is right and to make thee among those who have performed in the path of God that whose fragrance shall never cease to endure through the continuance of His most beautiful names and His most exalted attributes. Verily, He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Verily, he whom God has enabled to achieve this must needs give thanks to Him throughout the dominion of earth and heaven. Blessed is he who has attained unto this mighty cause.
“And We send Our greetings to the loved ones of God in those regions and We counsel them to fear God and to that whereby His decisive and wise Cause may be exalted. O Mustafa! Upon thee be My peace and My glory, and upon thy sons, and upon those with thee who have held fast to the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds.” And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds. The End.