Volume 074: Akka 1301 A.H. (1883–1884), Part II (3 of 5)
BH01136: Let the tongue, heart, limbs and members, the inner…
He is God, exalted is He in might and power
Let the tongue, heart, limbs and members, the inner and outer being, the first and last, the veins and hairs—all bear witness to the oneness of God, exalted be His glory, and to His singleness, His might and power, His all-encompassing sovereignty and dominion—exalted be His station, exalted be His sovereignty, exalted be His command, and exalted be His word and His grandeur. And blessings and peace be upon Him with whom the Seal began and ended, who migrated from Batha towards Yathrib due to what befell Him from those who denied the All-Merciful and disputed the proofs, and upon His family and companions through whose lights the horizons were illumined and the servants and lands were brightened.
Thereafter, your letter arrived, and previously another letter as well, and both are two witnesses and two testimonies to your love and devotion. After they were read and reviewed, they were presented before the Countenance of the Intended One, who said:
“We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to protect them and to send down upon them from the heaven of His loving-kindness a blessing from Him and a table spread from His presence, and to aid them in that which will draw them nigh unto Him in all conditions. Verily, He is the Lord in the beginning and in the end. And I send greetings to My loved ones there who have testified to that which God hath testified, that there is none other God but Him.”
Thus ends His words.
Praise be to God, the glad tidings of your well-being, health and comfort were heard from both letters, causing complete joy. God willing, may this bounty remain perpetual and lasting. This evanescent one’s entreaty is that that honored brother not be saddened by the affairs of the world. Those souls who were above the world, nay through whose being the world was created, have ever been encompassed by tribulations. There befell the Prophets, may God’s blessings be upon them, that which befell no one else. Were one to ponder what descended upon the Seal of the Prophets, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him, one would perish from grief. This Friend called the people to the word of unity, yet they visited upon Him that which caused all the atoms of Batha and all things therein, such as stones and trees, pebbles and date-stones, to lament the tribulations of that Manifestation of God’s command.
No friend remained save a few numbered souls, until the decree of migration was revealed, the details of which that honored one has surely heard. By the Sun of the horizon of utterance, had there been any worth to this world, they would never have accepted these tribulations. Their gaze was fixed upon another station and their heart was turned to another realm. Divine love strengthened all to sacrifice what they possessed. Blessed are those souls who ponder upon what befell in former times. Such reflection causes awakening, and awakening is the cause of the soul’s repose.
This evanescent servant has ever remembered and continues to remember that honored one. Convey greetings from this evanescent one to all the gentlemen of that land. I have besought and continue to beseech bounty, health and blessing for each one. Verily, He is powerful over all things and worthy to answer prayers.
It is submitted that His honor Aqa Muhammad Ibrahim (upon him be 96 [Baha’u’llah]) has in these days fallen onto a bed of discomfort, meaning he has become ill. This servant is in Akka while he is in Bahji. Thus far a doctor has been brought twice. He has written repeatedly to this servant stating that he owes money to someone from Beirut from whom he previously obtained copper and work materials. Now a sum must be paid to him but funds are not available, and his honor Aqa Muhammad Rida (upon him be God’s peace) has delayed in sending funds for some time. He has requested that you send these funds so that perhaps he may be relieved from embarrassment before that person. He has written and mentioned this in such a way that truly saddened this servant’s heart—that is, he has appealed for mercy from you. It is obvious then that something must be done so that credibility is not suddenly lost, as after such upheaval many would be afflicted. I make mention of the light of my eyes and beseech from God, exalted be His glory, his well-being, and likewise I send greetings to the family.
As for their apology regarding the sewing of the cloak not being good—no apology is necessary. As per their instruction we will send another cloak. That which has a replacement merits no complaint. God willing, may they ever remain steadfast upon this pleasing way.
Indeed they have shown much love. The previous cloak was also very good, rather above all good things of the world, for it was sewn with friendship and love. In this case its like and equal are rare. May God, exalted be His glory, grant recompense and bestow its reward.
And as for the dried yogurt that you sent, it was very, very good. Thus far it has been consumed two or three times. Your place was empty. It was truly good—both sender and sent were both successful, you with the wine of mention and it with the wine of acceptance. Peace be upon you and God’s mercy and blessings.
Alfalfa seeds were requested from Damascus and arrived—no longer needed.
The servant 27th of the honored month of Shawwal 1301
BH02086: O my God, my Lord, my Master, my Beloved…
In the name of God, the Most High, His station is majesty and power!
O my God, my Lord, my Master, my Beloved, my Heart’s Desire! Every time I intended to make mention of Thee, such perspiration of shame encompassed me that I found myself bewildered and dumbfounded. How can a tongue of rebellion be capable of mentioning that station where pure sanctification itself is counted among the sinners? And how can a heedless heart be worthy of comprehending that Lord of all who is desired, before whom the very essence of comprehension has testified and continues to testify to its own inadequacy? Neither is the outward eye worthy to behold, nor the outward ear capable of hearing that call whose sweetness has attracted the kingdoms of earth and heaven.
O my Lord and my Master! Despite this confession and this impotence, the ocean of rebellion has turned to Thee and beseeches from Thee Thine ancient favor. Whatever exists has its relation to Thee and is reckoned as Thy creation. By the breeze of Thy grace, quicken the dead and by the fragrance of Thy garment, grant him attainment. O Thou Who art the Object of worship of the world and the Beloved of all nations! Pure darkness seeks light, and absolute heedlessness has turned to the ocean of knowledge, and the utterly thirsty one seeks the living waters of recognition. This one who is completely asleep has intended the city of wakefulness. Is there any sovereign besides Thee from whom he may seek what he desires? Nay, by Thy Self! Thou art the One Who exists, Who encompasses all, Who protects, Who is powerful and mighty. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me in what I desire from the wonders of Thy bounty and grace. Verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous. O Lord! Send down upon Thy loved ones that which befits Thy bounty and favor, and assist them in Thy remembrance and praise and in what Thou hast revealed in Thy mighty Book. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
The letter of that honored friend transformed the darkness of grief and sorrow into the light of joy and gladness. This is from God’s favor upon us and upon you. His mercy has preceded and His grace has encompassed all. After it was presented, He said:
“O Lutfu’llah! Thy mention hath been and is before the Wronged One. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, not to deprive thee of His infinite bounties and to rain upon thee from the clouds of His grace—a rain whose mention shall never be erased from the book of the world. Verily He is the One Who has power over whatsoever He willeth. He giveth and withholdeth, and He is the Hearing, the Answering.”
Peace be upon thee and upon those with thee.
Praise be to God that you are mentioned and have been and are present before His face. The favor of the Lord toward you has been and is more evident than the sun. We beseech God not to withdraw the bounty of His favor and not to withhold whatever exists in the world, for all is transient and all bear witness to this truth. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, for His favor which is everlasting and abiding. Verily He has power over all things. Peace be upon you and upon your family and upon your daughter and upon God’s righteous male and female servants.
BH02773: A mention from the Wronged One to him who…
He is the One dawning from the horizon of utterance.
A mention from the Wronged One to him who hath drunk the choice wine of revelation when its seal was broken by the finger of his Lord’s will, the Mighty, the Powerful, that the verses of his Lord may attract him to a station wherein he heareth from all things that there is none other God but Him, the Single, the All-Informed.
Thy letter hath come before the Face and the servant in attendance before the Throne hath read it. We have answered thee with that whereby bodies have taken flight and the eyes of those near unto God have been solaced. We have found from thy letter the fragrance of thy sincerity to God and thy turning toward His face after the passing of all things. Verily thy Lord is the Hearing, the Seeing. And We found it sanctified from mention of aught else. Thus it behooveth one who hath turned today unto Him Who was promised in the Qur’an on the Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds.
Blessed art thou and blessed is he who guided and directed thee to the straight path of God. How many a learned one heard the call when it was raised between earth and heaven, yet attained not to the word “yea,” and was recorded among the most lost in the perspicuous Book. But thou didst turn and advance and hear and answer thy Ancient Lord. Give thanks unto God for this most great favor. He confirmeth whom He willeth through a command from His presence, and He is the Mighty, the Powerful, the Wise.
Counsel the servants on My behalf to righteousness and piety, to trustworthiness and godliness, and to that whereby the Word of God is exalted amongst men. Verily thy Lord is the Counselor, the Compassionate, the Generous.
Say: O people, abandon what ye possess of idle fancies. The Hidden Name hath appeared and calleth out with the most exalted call from the supreme horizon, summoning those in the kingdom of creation unto God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of the Most Great Ocean. Fear God and be not of the heedless. Open your eyes—verily the Sun is at its zenith. Hold fast unto it and be not of the wrongdoers. Soon shall perish what ye and your divines and princes possess, and the Cause shall remain with God, the Lord of the worlds. Thus have the spheres of utterance revolved by the finger of the All-Merciful, and the river of mercy hath flowed through this Most Great Name. Joyous are they who have attained and seen and drunk, and woe unto them that have turned away.
The Glory shining from the horizon of My Kingdom be upon thee and upon those who have turned with radiant faces and illumined hearts unto the horizon wherefrom hath dawned the Day-Star of My Cause, the Mighty, the Wondrous.
BH05112: My Most Exalted Pen hath testified…
In the name of Him Who is the All-Manifest, the All-Knowing
My Most Exalted Pen hath testified to that which the Tongue of Grandeur testified before the creation of earth and heaven—that there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting. The world hath been adorned with the lights of the Most Great Name, yet the people comprehend not. They have violated the Covenant of God and His testament, yet they perceive not. They have cast the Truth behind their backs, clinging to their vain imaginings and idle fancies.
Blessed is he whom vain imaginings have not deterred and who hath keen sight which no veils of the heedless have obscured. Say: O people of the earth! Come forth and draw nigh that We may show you the lights of His countenance from the Most Exalted Horizon and give you to drink of the choice sealed wine. Thy name hath been mentioned before Him Who is the One Remembered. We make mention of thee through verses at whose revelation all within the kingdom of earth and heaven bow down in submission. Let not the might of the ungodly frighten thee. Arise with supreme steadfastness in thy Lord’s Cause. Soon shall all thou seest today perish, while that which God, the Lord of all being, hath ordained for thee shall endure. Rejoice thou in My remembrance of thee. Beware! No remembrance can equal it, nor anything the people possess. Of this beareth witness He with Whom is the Preserved Tablet. Be thou steadfast in the Cause, then make mention of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Loving. The glory shining from the horizon of eternity be upon those who have not violated God’s Covenant and His testament and who have acted according to that which was enjoined upon them in His perspicuous Tablet.
BH06837: O Ruhullah! Today the Spirit in the sacred valley…
He is the One dawning from the horizon of Glory!
O Ruhullah! Today the Spirit in the sacred valley cries “Here am I, O my God, here am I,” and Moses on the Mount of Knowledge gives glad tidings of the Manifestation. Where is the eye and where is the ear that may see and hear? I swear by the lights of the Sun of Truth that if anyone today fails to seize an opportunity, he shall never again be enabled to make amends.
O friends! You are accounted as the flowers of the garden of inner meanings. Strive that there may be diffused from you that which is worthy and befitting. Whosoever is adorned today with goodly deeds and praiseworthy attributes—from him will be diffused that which strengthens the soul. Adorn yourselves with that which you have been commanded by God, the Compassionate, the Bountiful.
Praise be to the Goal of the world Who guided you to the Most Great Sea and did not deprive you of the Choice Wine. It behooveth thee to thank God for this supreme bounty and to remember Him at morn and eventide.
BH06561: Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses…
He is the Protector of all who dwell in the kingdom of names!
Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses and guided all to the straight path. Among them are those who have attained unto My grace and found the sweetness of My utterance and turned to My horizon, and among them are those who have denied and turned away from God, the Lord of lords. Blessed is he who hath taken the cup of eternity in My Most Great Name and hath arisen to serve the Cause in such wise as to shake the hearts of all created things.
Say: O people! Do ye not hear the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree? Do ye not behold the Supreme Horizon? Be fair in your judgment and follow not every doubtful idolater. The Day is come and the people are wrapped in veils and heedlessness. That which was hidden hath appeared and hath spoken as He desired.
Say: O people of the earth! Fear God and deny not Him Who hath come unto you with that which was recorded in the Books and Tablets. Thus hath the Sun of Utterance shone forth from the horizon of thy Lord’s will, the All-Merciful, that thou mayest render thanks unto Him at eventide and at dawn. The resplendent Light shining from the horizon of Revelation rest upon thee and upon whosoever hath clung to the hem of God, the Almighty, the Most Glorious, the All-Bountiful.
BH02432: Praise be to God Who has made known…
He is God, exalted be His glory, the Most Great, the All-Powerful
Praise be to God Who has made known to us His path and taught us what draws us near to Him in all conditions, and has granted us His presence which was more precious than all that has been or will be created. Because of this, ignorant servants have risen against us who have deprived themselves of the Salsabil of divine knowledge and the Kawthar of life in the days of the All-Merciful. By the life of our Beloved! They shall soon see their loss in the stations ordained for them by God, the Just, the Wise.
Glory be to Thee, O my God and the Desire of my heart! I beseech Thee to assist Thy chosen ones whom Thou hast distinguished among Thy servants and associated with Thyself, to make mention of Thee and praise Thee. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest and Thou art the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. May my spirit be a sacrifice for your steadfastness and service.
For some time the response to the petition of the honored servant, Aqa Mirza ʿAli-Rida, upon him be the Glory of God the Most Glorious, has been revealed from the heaven of the Divine Will, but there was delay in sending it. Now two Most Holy Tablets, one a prayer and the other verses, have been sent. Your honor should deliver them to him. One Most Holy Tablet specifically for the beloved of the heart, His Honor Mirza ?.Y., upon him be the Glory of God the Most Glorious, has been sent. God willing, he will attain to it. Permission to come has also been given to him.
The servant begs his Lord to assist your honor in all conditions and protect you from the evil of those who have denied God and turned away from His path and disputed His verses until they pronounced judgment against Him with manifest injustice.
To the honored gentlemen in that land, upon them be His most glorious splendor, I present my utter effacement and nothingness. Some time ago this servant wrote a letter to his honored master, Jinab-i-Amin, upon him be the Glory of God, which was sent for your honor to deliver to him.
Another matter: if His Honor the Physician, upon him be the Glory of God, should make any representation regarding the House, in accordance with wisdom no response is necessary. In all matters wisdom must be observed, and this matter has been so firmly established that one day this exalted word was heard from the blessed tongue, His word, blessed and exalted is He:
“Acknowledgment and confession are not permitted. If someone confesses to lack of understanding and knowledge, he speaks truth, for no one has been or is truly cognizant of it as it deserves.”
This matter too is a mercy to all the people of the world, even though today they are heedless and veiled.
Peace and glory and light and radiance be upon your honor and upon those with you and upon all who are firm and steadfast.
The servant 9 Dhi’l-Qa’dih 1301
BH08168: The essence of praise is befitting and meet today…
The essence of praise is befitting and meet today for Him Whom the onslaughts and trembling of all created things did not constrain His field of utterance, and the might and power and authority of the deniers did not hold Him back from the Most Exalted Word….
Well done and congratulations to you! You have attained both to the Kawthar of utterance and the wine of loving-kindness, and to the lofty station of submission and contentment. I beseech and implore God, exalted be His glory, to grant that beloved one that which has been and is the cause of perpetual mention and enduring deeds. In truth, this station has been granted—to this testifies everyone endowed with vision, hearing and heart. Your mention has never ceased and will never cease to be in the Most Holy Court. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of utterance that you have been and are among the successful ones. As the poet says:
“If I speak of it, it would confound minds, And if I write of it, many pens would break.”
Peace be upon you, upon our brothers, and upon God’s righteous servants.
BH02787: Say: O God of existence and Master…
He is the Speaker, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise
Say: O God of existence and Master of the unseen and the seen! Thou seest my rising up and my sitting down, performed purely for Thy sake, and Thou hearest my remembrance and praise of Thee in Thy days, and my crying and lamentation at separation from Thee. O my Lord! This is one of Thy days wherein the hand of Thy grace hath raised me up to serve Thy Cause. O my Lord! I was asleep and the fragrances of the garment of Thy Revelation awakened me, and I was heedless when the warbling of the Bird of Faithfulness, singing upon the branches of the Tree of Thy manifestation, made me aware. When I heard and recognized, I hastened with my heart to Thy most exalted horizon through Thy Most Great, Most Mighty, Most Glorious Name, and I responded with my outer and inner tongue to Thy Call which was raised between earth and heaven.
I bear witness, O my God, Beloved of my heart and He Who is remembered in my soul, that Thy proof hath been completed, Thy bounty hath been perfected, Thy evidence hath been fulfilled, and that which was recorded in Thy Books, Thy Scriptures and Thy Tablets hath appeared. O my Lord! This is the Hour which Thou hast established after its signs through Thy power and sovereignty, whereby the greatest terror hath seized all mankind except those who shattered the idols of vain imaginings through Thy power and drank the wine of certitude from the hands of Thy bounty.
O my Lord! I testify to that which Thy Most Exalted Pen testified before the creation of earth and heaven—that Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O my Lord! Thou seest my sighs in Thy love and my tears for what hath befallen Thee from the oppressors among Thy creatures who denied Thy manifestation and Thy power, and who rose up to extinguish Thy light and quench the fire of Thy Tree. I beseech Thee, O God of existence and Master of the unseen and the seen, by Thy black tresses and Thy white hand and Thy shining brow and Thy radiant countenance and Thy Most Great Sign and the manifestations of Thy Cause in the kingdom of creation, to strip from the temples of Thy servants the garments of tyranny, ignorance and transgression, and to adorn them with the raiment of knowledge, justice and fairness.
O my Lord! Thou seest me turning unto Thee, holding fast to Thy cord and clinging to Thy robe. I beseech Thee not to deprive me of what is with Thee, then write down for me the good of this world and the next through Thy grace and favor. Make me then a helper of Thy Cause, standing firm in Thy service and celebrating Thy praise. Verily Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Wise.
BH10689: God is Most Glorious
God is Most Glorious
O thou who art mentioned before My throne and inscribed in My Book! Upon thee be My glory, My mercy and My loving-kindness. Verily, the dawning-places of hatred desired to extinguish the light of God, the Lord of Names, and to quench the fire of the Divine Lote-Tree. By God! The hands of Caesars and Pharaohs fell short—how much more these rabble! The glory shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of My grace be upon thee and upon every patient believer.
BH10572: God is Most Glorious!
God is Most Glorious!
This is a mention from Us to one who has attained the lights of the Countenance when the Light was shining from the Most Exalted Horizon and the Tree was proclaiming: “There is no God but Me, the Mighty, the Powerful.” Blessed art thou for having been the recipient of the gaze of the Ancient Being and for having this Clear Tablet revealed for thee. Know thou its station, then give thanks unto thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous. The Glory be upon thee from Us, and upon those with thee, and upon all who are firm, steadfast and upright.
BH11196: God is Most Glorious
God is Most Glorious
He Who was wronged mentions you from the prison precincts, O Afnan ʿAli who has attained unto God, and remembers the days of your presence before His face and your standing before the door and your hearkening to My sweetest call in the morning and evening hours. And We make mention of your mother who attained the presence and drank the choice wine of reunion from God, the Exalted, the Great. The glory be upon you both.
BH03132: This is a Book sent down by the Wronged…
He is the Witness from His most exalted horizon.
This is a Book sent down by the Wronged One to him who soared on the pinions of certitude in the atmosphere of divine knowledge until he presented himself at the Gate and entered therein by the leave of his Lord, the Ordainer, the All-Wise. He entered and heard the Call of God—for whose yearning many souls have perished.
O Husayn! Hearken once again unto the Call from the direction of the luminous Spot, the place wherefrom the Lord of Names doth speak and summon all to the supreme horizon, as bidden by God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. By My life! All the books of the world cannot equal My remembrance. Say: Fear God, O people, and be not of the heedless ones. He Whom ye have mentioned at all times hath come, as attesteth the Book of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised.
Say: Have vain imaginings prevented you from the Lord of all beings, or the might of tyrants from this momentous Cause? Observe, then remember: When Moses came, Pharaohs opposed Him and pronounced judgment against Him without any clear proof from God, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Then remember when the Spirit came, the Jews rose against Him with such tyranny as caused the dwellers of the Kingdom of your Lord, the Possessor of this wondrous Day, to lament. Then remember when Muhammad, the Apostle of God, appeared with clear signs: the people denied Him and committed that which caused the denizens of the highest Paradise and the companions of the Crimson Ark—who offered up their souls and all they possessed in the path of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment—to weep. No Messenger appeared but the people turned away from Him, and no Prophet came but they denied Him and stoned Him with the stones of their idle fancies. Of this beareth witness He with Whom is the Mother Book.
Give thanks, O Husayn, to thy Lord, for He hath aided thee, prospered thee, and drawn thee nigh until He caused thee to enter a station wherein thou didst hear His mighty and glorious Call. Take hold of the Book of God with the power that proceedeth from Him and say: I beseech Thee, O Creator of the heavens, by the ocean of Thy names and by Thy Name at Whose manifestation the dwellers of the earthly and heavenly kingdoms did prostrate themselves, to preserve me and strengthen me to remain steadfast in Thy Cause, the most mighty, ancient and all-glorious. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all men and the Sovereign of the throne on high and of earth below. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Beautiful.
BH04315: O My handmaiden! Upon thee be My glory! Thy…
He is the Compassionate, the Most Generous
O My handmaiden! Upon thee be My glory! Thy letter was received and read in the presence of the Wronged One. Praise be to God, the fragrance of faith wafted from it. Such a mighty favor deserves mighty thanks, and such an infinite bounty merits infinite praise. How many men of the earth—from among the divines, princes and doctors of law—were deprived of the recognition of God, exalted be His glory, on His Day, while thou hast attained to the lights of the Sun of Truth, which is the knowledge of God, exalted be His glory.
Be thou thankful unto thy Lord for this enduring blessing and this eternal, everlasting table. In every age and dispensation, when the Dawning-Places of Revelation and the Manifestations of divine inspiration rent asunder the veil and appeared from the horizon of the divine Will, the people arose in protest and opposition. Verily, they are accounted among the most lost in the perspicuous Book. Blessed art thou, O My handmaiden, for having heard My mention, turned toward My horizon, and attained unto My recognition, the Mighty, the Wondrous. The glory be upon thee and upon him who guided thee to the straight path of God. Say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having enabled me to recognize the River of Thy mercy, the Ocean of Thy bounty, the Heaven of Thy grace, the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation, and the Dayspring of Thy signs—He Whom the heedless ones have imprisoned without any clear proof from Thee or any Book from Thy presence. I beseech Thee to make me one of those steadfast handmaidens whom the affairs of creation have not prevented from turning unto Thee. Verily, Thou art the All-Hearing, the Answerer of prayers. Verily, Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
BH04612: Praise be to God Who perfected the Word…
He is God, exalted be His glory, the Greatness and the Power
Praise be to God Who perfected the Word and sent down the blessing, which is, in the first rank, the House which He made the point of circumambulation for the world and the refuge of nations. Through it, every seeker attains his goal and every searcher finds his desire. It is the House which the Friend built by command of the Glorious One. Blessed are they who have turned towards it from all regions and quarters, and who have spent their hearts and souls in its path. The servant begs his Lord to assist all to attain His presence and circumambulation, to visit its stones and drink from the water of its well. Verily He is the Hearing, the Answering.
And prayers and peace be upon Him through whom the Cause of the House and its dwellers was raised up, He through whose will the Will of God appeared and through whose volition His pervading Will was manifest, through whose utterance flowed the river of mercy, through whom the cycle of Prophethood and Messengership was ended, the proof was completed and the blessing perfected, and the mysteries of divinity were revealed. And upon His family and companions who held fast to the proof until they attained the noble valley wherein was raised the call of the Prophets and Messengers. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
Your letter arrived and was presented in the Most Holy and Exalted Presence. Two Tablets were sent. God willing, you will attain unto them and drink from their ocean of knowledge. Peace be upon you and upon God’s righteous servants, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH01095: Praise be fitting and worthy of that Intended One…
He is God, exalted be His station, the Grandeur and the Power!
Praise be fitting and worthy of that Intended One through Whose finger of will the spheres of the kingdom of utterance are set in motion, and by Whose blessed Word the world is adorned and distinguished with the ornament of existence. The might of the powerful and the dominion of rulers have not hindered His Will, nor is His Purpose halted by the clamor of the parties of the earth who are outside the blessed Word of unity. Glorified be the Creator, glorified be the Maker! His decree flows, His command pervades, His Will penetrates, and His Purpose prevails. The banner “There is none other God but Him” has been raised, and the standard “He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He desireth” is unfurled—and He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
And blessings and peace be upon the waves of the ocean of His knowledge and wisdom, and the rivers of His recognition amongst His creation, and upon Him through Whom the outpourings of the world and the stations of nations were consummated—He Who was named with Ha following Mim, and with Mim preceding Dal. He is the One through Whom appeared the Most Beautiful Names and the Most Exalted Attributes. Were it not for Him, the decree of the House would not have been raised, nor would that which was preserved in the treasuries of the unseen have been manifested.
And upon His family and companions, through whom the limbs of the world trembled and the hearts of nations were attracted, and through whom God’s path was made manifest in all else, and through whom the proof was completed and the bounty perfected, and the fear of God encompassed all regions, and His signs appeared in all lands. Exalted are their stations and ranks—through their attainment the teeth of Paradise and its maidens smiled, the trees and their branches swayed. Glory be unto Thee, O my God and the God of all who are in the unseen and the visible, and the Sovereign of existence, and the King of the Promised Day! I beseech Thee by the winds of the spring of Thy mercy and the swords of Thy power and might, to protect Thy believing servants from the evil of the ungodly and oppressors. Then inscribe for them, by the Pen of Thy will, that which befits the heaven of Thy bounty and generosity. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
And further: I make mention to that spiritual beloved that, praise be to God, thy letter arrived like a herald bearing glad tidings, for it brought news of health and mention of well-being. Indeed, the station of both these is most exalted, for it hath been previously stated: “Knowledge of bodies and knowledge of religions,” with knowledge of bodies being given precedence, for if health be lacking, memory becomes impaired and the faculty of understanding grows cold. But when health is attained, both the outward and inward senses remain firm in their respective stations and engaged in their service. Glory be to God! Though each manifesteth in its own manner, no discord appeareth. Were one to attempt to fully describe the degrees of a single soul and all that it containeth, one would need to enumerate and compare every particle of creation. In truth, man is the greater world, and the world is but a lesser reflection of him, as hath been said: “Were I to speak of it, it would overwhelm minds; were I to write of it, many pens would break.” I fear these scattered utterances might lead matters to such a state that even after much back and forth the subject would remain incomplete and unfinished.
After being informed and reading it in the presence of His countenance, He uttered words that were such that if cast upon stone, the water of life would flow therefrom, and if cast upon clay, streams of wisdom and explanation would surge forth. That beloved one himself knows what the spirit says and does to the body, and what the spring breezes bestow upon the garden. This station needs no mention. In the Land of Mystery, in one place, He spoke this supreme utterance:
“O Javad! Thou wert with Me and didst witness My patience and the waves of the ocean of My utterance. Reflect on what caused Me to raise the Call between earth and heaven.”
Verily, I beseech and implore God, exalted be His glory, to assist that beloved one and adorn him with the ornament of health, and to soon grant that which is the purpose of his soul and the desire of his heart. The glad tidings of the well-being of the honored Afnan, upon them be all glory, have arrived from every direction. Whatever occurred was for the best. Thus has spoken the Lord. I beseech and implore God, exalted be His glory, that they may ever dwell beneath the shade of His favor and repose under the shadow of His mercy.
And concerning what you wrote about the two exalted brothers, upon them be the peace of God, their situation was presented. He said: Let them not be sorrowful. Praise be to God, they are adorned with the ornament of recognition and acknowledge and confess the Word of Unity. In this case, they must at all times drink from the ocean of joy and partake of the cup of delight. If for a time affairs proceed contrary to their wishes, it matters not, for assuredly God’s grace will make amends. None but God, exalted be His glory, is aware of the consummate wisdom. Say: Be confident in God’s grace and mercy. This is for him who holds fast to God’s mighty cord.
Regarding what they mentioned about the delay in Beirut and the loss incurred in taking the shop, let them not be sorrowful. Now they should consult with the honored beloved, the esteemed Haji Siyyid Javad, upon him be God’s peace, and Aqa Muhammad Mustafa. Whatever emerges from the consultation, let them act upon it. As commanded, you too should be present in that meeting. He said: Convey My greetings to the two brothers and say: He is with you and will assist you, and He is the Single, the One, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH02581: Praise be to God Who sent down the Books…
He is God, exalted be His station in greatness and power.
Praise be to God Who sent down the Books and dispatched the Messengers for the protection of His servants and their attainment to the station wherein they acknowledge with heart and tongue that which God hath acknowledged—there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Bestower. And blessings and peace be upon His Beloved and Chosen One through Whom prophethood and messengership were ended, and upon His family and companions through whom the verses were spread abroad, the signs were raised up, and the standards were planted. And furthermore, this servant submitteth to your honor that the Most Luminous Letter arrived while I was engaged in writing in the presence. After taking and perusing it and becoming informed of its contents, I presented it. He said:
“We beseech God, exalted be He, to assist him and grant him the good of the hereafter and of this world.”
And regarding the mention made of the Afnan, upon them be My greetings, their journey proceeded according to wisdom. We beseech God to open through them a comfortable door. Verily He is powerful over all things. End.
This servant conveyeth greetings to all. From His Honor the Great Master, upon him be from all 9 [Baha] His Most Glorious, I beseech prayers that perchance I may be enabled to perform that which I am commanded. And likewise I convey greetings to my beloved Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Mustafa, upon him be the peace and light of God. Though he is not present now, it is as if he were present, nay rather, he standeth before mine eyes. And likewise greetings are conveyed to the other friends and I beseech from God, exalted be His glory, the good of all. To the star of the heaven of love, Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Mustafa, upon him be God’s most exalted peace, I send greetings.
His mention hath ever been and still is made. And regarding what you wrote about Jinab-i-Haji Muhammad ʿAli Aqa arriving with his servant, this news brought joy. Convey greetings. God willing, may they be confirmed through God’s favor and dwell beneath the shade of the Tree of Hope. And likewise the person who is in their service is very good. I beseech God to grant him that which He loveth and is pleased with. And that which you had written specifically hath been and will be carried out. At all times and moments I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to assist that beloved one and grant him the good of this world and the next. Verily He is powerful over all things. Peace be upon you and upon your first and your last and your outward and your inward, and the mercy of God and His blessings.
BH04592: In My Name, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing!
In My Name, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing!
O Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli! The Wronged One was with thee when there befell thee in His path what befell the loved ones of God in the past, who broke not His Covenant but arose and proclaimed:
“We testify that there is none other God but Him. He hath ever been One, Single, Alone, Self-Subsisting, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining, and will forever remain as He hath been. He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.”
There hath befallen thy Lord what is greater than what befell thee. We have been patient and counsel thee to be patient, for He loveth every grateful, steadfast one. God hath made that which befell His loved ones a treasure for them in His heaven, as attesteth the Mother Book in the most exalted station. The dwellers of the All-Highest Paradise and the companions of the Crimson Ark have lamented what hath befallen My loved ones, yet the people remain in strange slumber. God shall soon replace injustice with justice and shall manifest him who shall arise to serve the Cause at eventide and at dawn.
Thy mention hath been made before the Wronged One, and this Tablet hath been revealed for thee, adorned with the fragrance of revelation and the sweet-scented breezes of inspiration. Take hold of it with the power of God. Thus have We commanded thee as a token of Our grace unto thee. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. We counsel Our loved ones to patience, calmness, trustworthiness and faithfulness. I am the Mighty, the All-Knowing. The Glory be upon thee and upon those who have hearkened to the Call and turned with their hearts to My horizon and have arisen to serve My Cause at morn and at eventide. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
BH05984: O ʿAli-Akbar! Your mention has been and is before…
He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the All-Informed
O ʿAli-Akbar! Your mention has been and is before the Most Great Horizon. You have attained unto a Tablet that has shone forth from its horizon with the light of your Lord’s loving-kindness. Some time ago the Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet specifically for you, along with other revealed Tablets, was sent. We beseech God not to deprive His servants of the ocean of inner meanings hidden within the verses, nor to prevent them from the clear and manifest path.
Convey My greetings to the loved ones and give them the glad-tidings of God’s grace and favors. Say: Be not grieved by the fire of sedition and corruption that has been kindled through the hardness of men’s hearts. I swear by the light of God’s countenance, shining and manifest from the Most Exalted Horizon, these matters have been and are the cause of the exaltation of the Word of God. Soon all shall return to extinction and the near ones shall behold the entire Cause as God’s, the Lord of the worlds. The glory shining from the heaven of My mercy be upon you and upon every patient and grateful soul. In accordance with the revealed wisdom, We have forbidden all to acknowledge and confess this Cause before the faces of men. All must hold fast to what was said before: “Dissimulation is My religion and the religion of My forebears.”
BH06906: The glory shining forth from the horizon of eternity…
He is the One manifest from the horizon of the Kingdom.
The glory shining forth from the horizon of eternity be upon him who hath drunk the choice wine of steadfastness from the hand of the bounty of his Lord, the All-Bountiful.
How many a servant hath heard and turned unto Him, and how many a servant hath heard and turned away—he verily is of them that perish. Blessed are they whom the hosts of earth have not frightened and whom the power of the idolaters hath not weakened. By the life of God! Every power and every might and every party shall pass away—to this doth the Tongue of Grandeur bear witness from this exalted station.
Rejoice, O people of Baha, in My gracious remembrance. Ye have heard the taunts of the enemies, and now ye hear your own praise and glorification from the Pen of God, the Mighty, the Wise. Happy are ye, and joy be unto you, O people of fidelity and unto him who hath drunk the Choice Wine sealed with My Name, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
The glory shining forth from the heaven of My Kingdom be upon those whom the tyranny of every heedless one who hath denied Him in Whom he had formerly believed did not withhold—he verily is of them that are lost.
BH08777: In this spiritual dawn, from the rustling…
In His Name, the Most Glorious of the Most Glorious
In this spiritual dawn, from the rustling of the breezes of the garden of inner meanings, this exalted Word was heard: “The Hidden One hath come with a Cause before which nothing can stand. The might of the mightiest weakeneth Him not, nor doth the power of sovereigns make Him afraid. He hath spoken and continueth to speak before the face of the world: ʿThere is none other God but Me, the Single One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.’ We have sent unto thee a Tablet from which the fragrance of thy Lord’s gracious favor hath been wafted, and another wherein the Most Great Announcement hath bidden thee to make mention of this mighty Cause. Blessed is he who hath hearkened unto thy word concerning this Cause, and woe betide the heedless ones. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
The light shining from the horizon of the heaven of My grace be upon thee and upon every servant who hath arisen to serve the Cause of his Ancient Lord.”
BH08694: In My Name, the Most Great!
In My Name, the Most Great!
We have heard the call of those who turned when they heard the Call from the Supreme Horizon, and I am verily the Compassionate, the Generous. O people of Baha! The croaking has risen from one direction and the braying from another, and I am verily the All-Knowing Reckoner. We informed you of this when the Light was shining from the horizon of Zawra. Blessed is the ear that heard and the eye that beheld this luminous scene. Grieve thou not over anything. In all matters place thy trust in God, the Lord of the worlds. He is with His loved ones—He heareth and seeth, and He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent. Thus have We remembered thee with that which thou wilt find to be the fragrance of My loving-kindness. Be thou grateful and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp is the dominion of all who are in the heavens and on earth.
BH02399: A mention from Us to him who desires…
He is the Dawning-Place from the Kingdom of Utterance.
A mention from Us to him who desires to draw nigh unto the Most Great Sea and drink therefrom in the name of his Lord, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, and to enter into a station whose very atoms testify that there is none other God but Him, the Powerful over what was and what shall be.
O Sadiq! The Wronged One makes mention of thee from the precincts of His Most Great Prison, that the rapture of remembrance may seize thee in such wise as to draw thee to the Most Exalted Horizon, detached from all that is on earth. Verily thy Lord is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth, and in His grasp are the reins of all affairs. We have revealed that which was recorded in the Books of God and summoned all to the Supreme Heights. Among the people are those who heard and hastened, those who denied, and those who disbelieved, until they pronounced judgment against Him Whom the people remember morn and eve.
Remind thou the people of that which hath been sent down unto thee from the heaven of the Will of the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. Should thou find a receptive soul, impart unto him My Most Great Verses, that they may draw him to the Most Exalted Horizon, the station wherein the Tongue of Grandeur proclaimeth: The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Sovereign of sovereigns. Cast away what is with the people through the power of the Most Great Name and say: O people of the world, the Ancient Beauty hath come, and He Who was promised hath appeared and been recorded in the Tablets of God, the Lord of existence. Fear ye God and follow not your desires. Turn ye unto Him Who calleth you to the Most Exalted Station, from God, the Almighty, the All-Loving.
Counsel the servants to trustworthiness and godliness, and to that whereby the Word of God may be exalted amongst His servants. Verily thy Lord is the True Counsellor, there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Well-Beloved. Hold thou fast in all conditions unto the wisdom that hath been sent down in the Book, a command from God, the Sovereign of the Kingdom. Convey unto the people with wisdom and utterance that which hath appeared in the realm of possibility, and give them the glad-tidings of this Remembrance through which earthquakes have seized the tribes of the earth and the limbs of every heedless and veiled one have trembled.
Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God and the God of all names, my Creator and the Creator of the heavens! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst subdue the world and through which the ocean of utterance surged in the contingent world and the sun of proof shone forth, to aid me in Thy remembrance and praise and to strengthen me to stand firm in Thy Cause. O my Lord! Thou seest mine eyes fixed upon the horizon of Thy grace, my hands raised to the heaven of Thy bounty, and my heart turned toward the direction of Thy favors. I beseech Thee by the cries of the hearts of the sincere ones in their separation from Thee and by the supplications of them that are nigh unto Thee at the gate of Thy grandeur, to ordain for me and for them that believe that which shall profit us in the Hereafter and in this world from Thy Most Exalted Pen. Verily Thou art powerful over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH02914: O Abraham, O Babi! Hearken to the call…
He is the All-Witnessing, the All-Hearing
O Abraham, O Babi! Hearken to the call of the Most Exalted Pen which speaketh in the Persian tongue, after having spoken in the most eloquent language. Praise be to the Goal of all the worlds Who hath enabled thee to recognize a Cause from which the divines, the jurists, the mystics, the learned, and the rulers remain veiled and deprived, save whom God willeth. O Abraham! Great is the Cause, and great is the Day, yet the people are heedless and barren. How many souls are occupied day and night with the mention of His appearance, beseeching and hoping to attain His presence. Yet when the Sun of Truth shone forth from the Dayspring of God’s Will, some denied, others turned away, and a group hesitated—until the party that considered itself the most exalted of all parties and saw no peer or likeness for itself among religions issued the death warrant for God’s chosen ones, nay for the Truth Itself, exalted be His glory.
They committed that which transformed the joy of the denizens of the highest Paradise into grief, and the gladness of the most exalted Garden into lamentation and weeping. Fie upon them and upon what their hands have wrought! Strive thou and make a mighty effort that perchance thou mayest guide a soul and enable it to attain the Kawthar of His presence. We counsel thee to observe wisdom. God, glorified be His majesty, acteth with wisdom, as a grace from His presence. He is verily the All-Bountiful, the Generous. Praise be to God, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.
Say: Glory be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all things! I beseech Thee by Him Who conversed with the Tree and by the Sovereign of this Revelation Who proclaimeth before the face of the world “There is no God but Me, the Lord of all nations,” to assist me to mention Thee and praise Thee, and to enable me to act according to what Thou hast commanded me in Thy Book. O my Lord! This is a day wherein the cry of all things and the lamentation of the Concourse on High have been raised by reason of what hath befallen Thy loved ones and chosen ones. I beseech Thee by Thy pervading Will and Thy triumphant Purpose and Thy pre-existing Mercy to ordain for me from the Pen of Thy bounty, in the Tablet of Thy Command, that which Thou hast ordained for Thy loved ones who have not been kept back by the world from turning unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all names! There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH03711: Thy letter was received and attained the presence…
He is God, exalted be His station, the Bounty and Grace
Thy letter was received and attained the presence of the Wronged One. Praise be to God, the fragrance of recognition wafteth from it and the sweet-scented breeze of the love of the All-Merciful emanateth therefrom. Today all must fix their gaze upon the supreme horizon alone, detached from all else, and beseech God, exalted be His glory, to grant victory to the people of divine unity. Today the world of misbelief is united while the realms of unity are divided, and this division hath caused the abasement of the people of truth. Unity and accord have ever been the cause and means of exalting the Word. We beseech God to illumine the horizons of the hearts of His loved ones with the light of unity. He is the Powerful, the Mighty.
As to thy intention to come at this time—it is not permitted, as newly arisen circumstances prevent it. We beseech God to bestow the reward of attaining His presence. Whatever hath befallen that honored one in the path of God hath caused no harm and never shall. By the life of God! Soon shall the abasement of His loved ones be transformed into glory and the poverty of His chosen ones into wealth. Had this world any worth in the sight of God, His loved ones would have been born from their mothers’ wombs in complete glory. Were what He hath ordained for His loved ones to be revealed unto thee, even less than the eye of a needle, wonder would seize thee and thou wouldst exclaim:
“This is naught but the bounty of our Lord, the Generous, the Bestower!”
Blessed art thou and blessed is he who was mentioned in thy letter. We send Our greetings upon thee and upon him from this glorious and exalted station. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.
Mention was made of his honor Siyyid Muhammad-ʿAli, upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah]. We send Our greetings upon his countenance and beseech God to aid him to remember Him and serve His mighty Cause.
BH01635: Praise be to the All-Praised One and the All-Desired…
He is God, exalted be His glory, the Grandeur and the Power.
Praise be to the All-Praised One and the All-Desired One Who created Muhammad, peace be upon Him, through the sovereignty of might and power, and sent Him with the truth, and dispatched Him unto the servants with manifest signs and clear evidences, before which, when they were revealed, the realities of all created things and the most exalted essences of all contingent beings bowed down in submission. He is verily the Straight Path Who gave tidings of the Great News. Through Him did God transform misbelief into unity, until the light of faith encompassed most lands. And manifest blessings from the horizon of the heaven of utterance from the All-Merciful be upon Him and His family and His companions, through whom the darkness of vain imaginings was illumined by the light of certitude, and through whom the heaven rained and the earth brought forth vegetation, and the banners of guidance were raised amidst all creation. These are servants whom God hath described in His Books, both before and after, and through them hath He aided His Cause and empowered His loved ones. He is verily the All-Bountiful, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent.
My spirit and my body be a sacrifice for your love and for your steadfastness. The servant hath attained unto the traces of your pen which calleth out in the world and among the nations that which draweth them nigh unto the horizon of the love of God, our Lord and your Lord, our Goal and your Goal, and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and on earth. When I read and understood, I presented myself before His countenance, first presenting that which your honor had presented, then that which had been bestowed upon me through your favor. When this was completed, the Master—may our spirits be a sacrifice for Him—spoke and said:
“O My Afnan! Upon thee be My glory and My favor. We have heard thy call and found the fragrance of thy love and beheld the horizon of thy sincerity towards God, the Lord of the worlds. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to ordain for you that which befitteth the heaven of His generosity and the ocean of His grace and the sun of His favor, and to inscribe for you from the Supreme Pen that which shall delight the eyes and vision, and to provide you with that which is better than the kingdom of the hereafter and of the former times. And We make mention of My other Afnan who have attained unto that which God hath revealed in the Book, and We remember the leaves of My divine Lote-Tree who have clung to the Tree and believed in God, the One, the Chosen One.”
Ever hath the mention of all been and still is before the Wronged One. Whatsoever hath come to pass hath been in accordance with wisdom, and the reward of every deed is recorded and preserved with God. Verily, He is with you, hearing and seeing, and He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
In truth, hardship hath befallen your honor and those with you, and the utmost favor hath also been made manifest, for in days when the light of justice was veiled and the horizon of equity was concealed behind clouds of oppression, and when outward misbelief was manifestly at its height of rebellion and the domains of the believers were besieged—in such times did your honor and the other companions attain unto the visitation of the House and that which was revealed in the Books of God. Praise be to God, the visitation and devotions and orientation and acceptance were all made manifest, and all attained unto these true spiritual bounties. This evanescent servant beseecheth and imploreth God that He may cause your honor to attain repeatedly and ordain whatsoever He hath willed. He conveyeth greetings to the two Najmis—upon them be the glory of God—and to the honored leaves—upon them be the glory of God—and expresseth his nothingness.
Another entreaty: At present, due to lack of time, the response to the letter of His Holiness Aqa Siyyid ʿAli—upon him be God’s peace and favor—hath been delayed. I seek his pardon, for your honor knoweth that this ephemeral one is occupied day and night. Should any service be neglected, he seeketh forgiveness. I convey greetings to the beloved Haji Siyyid Javad—upon him be the glory of God—and to the beloved of the heart, Aqa Muhammad Mustafa, if he is present, and Aqa Mirza Mustafa—upon them both be the glory of God—and to the other friends, and I beseech confirmation for all. Verily, He is the Answerer, the All-Bountiful, and praise be to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH00304: Praise be to God Who hath sent down…
Section 1: “Praise be to God Who hath sent down…”
In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted Lord
Praise be to God Who hath sent down the Books and dispatched the Messengers, and made them the lamps of His guidance amidst His creation. Through them He distinguished truth from falsehood and separated the rejector from the acceptor. They are God’s straight path and His firm and mighty command. Through them God gave glad tidings to His creation of His hidden Name, His treasured Secret, His mighty News and His ancient Light, until the appointed time was fulfilled and the Promise came to pass, and the horizon of the world was illumined by the Day-Star of Manifestation, and the Voice of the One Who conversed on Sinai was raised—a Voice at which all in the heavens and earth were thunderstruck save those whom the hands of grace had delivered and who found the fragrance of the Garment when it was diffused among all creatures.
These are they who attained to the Day wherein the earth shone with the light of its Lord, and the Dove of Paradise warbled in praise of its Creator, and the rustling of the Lote-Tree was heard, bringing glad tidings to all of the appearance of their Goal and their Beloved, calling all until the days reached these days wherein the minds of the wise were perturbed and the edifices of the mighty were shaken and the limbs of princes trembled and the hearts of the learned and the divines were convulsed, save those whom the hands of Power had created from the essence of steadfastness and whom God’s will, the Lord of creation, had reared in a station none knoweth save His all-encompassing knowledge. These are servants who, when cast into prison, uttered what the Ridvan had uttered when the near ones entered the most exalted Paradise. The rapture of God’s love so seized them that they chose imprisonment over paradise out of love for God, their Lord, the Most Merciful. They took the cup of tribulation in the name of the Lord of Names and drank thereof with such love that patience and forbearance themselves declared:
“God hath created us from a light from the lights of your patience and steadfastness. By the life of our Goal! We are ashamed to manifest our existence before your faces; rather it behooveth us to circle round you throughout the eternity of the kingdom of our Lord, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.”
Glory be unto Thee, O Thou through Whose Name the sea of life surged and the winds of trial blew and the hearts of the sincere were set ablaze and the minds of the believers took flight! I beseech Thee by the penetrating power of Thy verses and the appearance of Thy signs and Thine Own oppression among Thy servants and by those who chose imprisonment for themselves in hope of what lieth with Thee, to send down from the heaven of Thy bounty that which will gladden the eyes of those who have held fast to the cord of Thy providence and clung to the hem of Thy mercy.
O Lord! Thou seest Thy loved ones and chosen ones turning toward Thy most exalted horizon, acknowledging that which the tongue of Thy grandeur hath spoken in the kingdom of creation. Ordain for them, O my God, what beseemeth Thy generosity and favors and what befitteth Thy grace and bounty. Then write down for them, O Thou Goal of the world and Lord of the nations, from the Pen of Will that which will profit them in every world of Thy worlds. O Lord! The heart of this servant hath melted by reason of what hath befallen those whose names Thou didst mention in the Crimson Scroll from Thy Most Exalted Pen, and whom Thou didst remember in such wise as caused the denizens of the Kingdom and the companions of the Realm above to lament.
O Lord! Draw them nigh unto Thee in every world of Thy worlds and ordain for them that which will solace the eyes of Thy servants and gladden the hearts of the sincere ones among Thy creation. Thou art He through Whose Name the ocean of bounty surgeth, O Lord of Names, and at Whose mention the Peacock crieth out before the throne of Thy grandeur, O Creator of heaven! I beseech Thee to send down upon Thy chosen ones that which will manifest their stations in the kingdom of creation. Verily Thou art the Lord of humanity and the Sovereign of the throne on high and of the dust below. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Beloved.
All the servant is a ransom for your imprisonment. The successive letters of that Beloved—whether addressed in the name of this servant, or in the name of the Most Glorious Name of Bounty (upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious)—have all been received; and boundless sorrow and joy have appeared, and the reason is evident and needeth no setting forth. And after the reading and perusal of each, at one time or another it was laid before the Most Holy and Inviolable Presence; and tokens of favor and loving-kindness shone forth from the horizon of the All-Merciful’s grace—so manifest that this servant is, in very truth, unable to recount them in full. Yet that Beloved hath himself beheld the billows of the sea of the All-Merciful’s utterance, and the radiance of the Sun of bounty; therefore there hath not been, nor is there, any need of translator, expounder, or interpreter.
Likewise, in the Tablets that were sent in company with the well-beloved H-K—upon him be the Glory of God—and his favor, in some of those Tablets the mention of that Beloved was also revealed. And the last letter of that honored one, after it was presented before the Throne, was followed by these words revealed from the Kingdom of divine knowledge. He, exalted be His majesty and glorified be His utterance, saith:
In My Name, the Compassionate, the Generous
O Ali! Thou hast ever been beneath the glances of God’s favor, exalted be His glory, and there hath been sent down for thee from the Kingdom of grace that which neither the treasuries of kings and subjects, nay the treasuries of the world, can equal. The people, heedless and deluded in their wealth and comfort, have reached such a state that they make no distinction between truth and falsehood, between tyranny and justice, between equity and oppression. They count affliction as blessing and mirage as water, unmindful that with a single change joy may turn to sorrow and song to lamentation. Glory be to God! All are aware of change and extinction and bear witness to it, yet they remain occupied with deeds the like of which have never been seen. By the life of God! Soon shall they find themselves in manifest loss.
In this Most Great Revelation, God, exalted be His glory, hath not and will not grant respite to the oppressors. Were it not for His prior decree, they would have seen the recompense of their deeds in less than a moment, such that the tempests of wrath would have scattered them like dust. God hath been with you and hath witnessed the actions of the oppressors and transgressors. The Supreme Pen did not attribute what occurred to lack of wisdom but accepted it as a favor from Him. He beareth witness to you, to your uprising, your steadfastness, your mention and praise before all faces, your persecution, and all that befell you in the path of God, your Creator, your Fashioner, your Goal and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and on earth.
Thus did the Pen speak when the Lord of Eternity was seated upon the Most Great Throne on a night wherein the Herald proclaimed:
“The Kingdom belongeth to God, the Lord of the Beginning and the End!”
Blessed are they who served the friends of God and sought their companionship. Today not a single atom of good deeds remaineth hidden, and its recompense becometh manifest. Blessed are they who have attained unto your love and service in the path of God, the Lord of the worlds. Whatever hath befallen you hath been for the sake of God. In His path you heard what was unworthy to be heard and saw what was unworthy to be seen. This testimony of the Supreme Pen is greater than the world and all that is therein. It behooveth thee to thank thy Lord, the Rememberer, the Generous.
Convey My greetings to the friends and gladden them with God’s favors. Say: Verily, He is with you, hearing and seeing, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. The glory shining forth from the horizon of My Kingdom be upon thee and upon those who have acted according to what they were commanded in My perspicuous Book. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
From the flowing pen of the Most High are manifest the degrees and stations of grace and favor. There is no need to mention this weak and feeble one. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of inner meanings that if the ears of the world were sanctified and pure, they would be set ablaze by hearing this call—a fire whose mention is beyond pen and ink. To this testifies the Lord of the worlds and the Goal of all nations. This bounty has no likeness or peer, and this mercy has no equal. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to bestow favor and deliver His servants from the slumber of heedlessness through the Most Great Word, and guide them to the horizon of awareness. How excellent is what was said:
Section 2: “If thou desirest that reason should not suddenly…”
If thou desirest that reason should not suddenly cast thee into bondage, Take it to the school of the All-Merciful and there confine it.
I beseech God to make the heedless aware and not deprive them of the sweetness of His utterance. Verily, He is powerful over all things.
Furthermore, it is most beloved that the sending of correspondence remain concealed, for if the oppressors become aware, they will surely arise to prevent it. Often the unwisdom of friends reveals news. In all cases, as commanded, they must hold fast to wisdom and cling to it.
Again, when thy beloved supplication was presented in its entirety before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, unto Whom there is no likeness, this utterance shone forth from the Dayspring of the favor of the Beloved of all creation. His mighty utterance, exalted be His mention:
Verily, I am the Hearer, the Answerer.
O Ali! The rivers of thy remembrance and utterance have flowed into the Most Great Ocean, and It desired to cast upon thee the pearls of remembrance and utterance. Gather them in His Name, the All-Powerful, the Mighty. We have heard thy praise and witnessed the fruits of the tree of thy sincerity, and We have mentioned thee in this wondrous Tablet. Blessed be thy rising up, thy service, thy composure, thy dignity, thy steadfastness, and thy beautiful patience. We beseech God to make thee a standard in His Cause and to attract thee to a station wherein thou wilt see not what thou hast but rather that whereby the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds, may be exalted.
Know thou of a certainty that nothing whatsoever escapeth His knowledge, and He is the Kind, the Mighty, the Inaccessible. Thus have We adorned thy temple with the raiment of My favor and thy head with the crown of My grace, than which there is none other equal. Rejoice and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the worlds, for having mentioned me, taught me, made me know, caused me to witness, shown me, given me utterance, and made me attain Thy presence and the Kawthar of reunion with Thee, and attracted me in such wise that the power of the powerful weakened me not, nor did the majesty of princes frighten me.’ O my Lord! I beseech Thee by Thyself to protect me and draw me near unto Thee, and to ordain for me that which beseemeth the heaven of Thy generosity and the sun of Thy grace. Verily Thou art the Munificent, the Generous. There is no God but Thee, the Most High, the Great.
Praised be God! The effulgent rays of the Sun of Divine Providence, glorified be His majesty, are manifest and resplendent like His very Being, and despite the clouds and veils that have encompassed all horizons, the light of God’s Cause remains, to those who are near and sincere, more evident than all else. His is the praise in all conditions. This servant beseeches his Lord to assist His servants to be fair, for verily He is the Helper, the All-Wise. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Great.
As to what was written about Ibn-i-Sultan, who is titled Vazir-Nizam, he has uttered many embellished words claiming: “I had association with Him”—meaning the Ancient Beauty, exalted be His glory—“and I am aware.” By the Lord of the Throne and earth, this is false. No meeting occurred with the existing sons of the Sultan. Yes, when We were in the prison of Shimiran, before the manifestation of the Greatest Spectacle, the noble princes, including Murad Mirza titled Husam-us-Saltanih, Farhad Mirza, and Imam-Quli Mirza titled Imad-ud-Dawlih, along with Sayf-ud-Dawlih, son of Zill-us-Sultan, came twice to the prison and attained the blessed presence. As for Fereydun Mirza, titled Farmanfarma, the Ancient Beauty visited his house once since he lived in the vicinity. Beyond this, whatever they have said is false. Some relatives had associations with them, and some were occupied with certain affairs.
Glory be to God! If we were to verify the words of such souls, the manifestation of the Most Great, Most Mighty, Most Exalted and Most Glorious Cause would be witnessed, and the conclusive proof would be complete and perfect for all. They say what was said before. In truth, one who is without insight and fairness is and shall be deemed as non-existent. Princes who are characterized by such attributes are and have been like the tombs of Pharaohs—outwardly perfect but inwardly otherwise. This servant beseeches his Lord to assist them to be fair and adorn them with the ornament of justice and truthfulness. Although the deeds of such souls have blocked all paths except one, every fair-minded and insightful person bears witness to this.
In response to the beloved of the heart, Ibn-i-Abhar, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, concerning these matters, that which has been revealed from the Supreme Pen before is such that any fair-minded person who observes it will perceive the fragrance of the Merciful’s utterance. Mention was made of Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Aqa Buzurg, upon him be the Glory of God. His mention has ever been heard from the blessed tongue. Repeatedly He said: “There has befallen the people of Mim from the descendants of the Prophet that which has not befallen anyone before.” And this time, regarding the conditions you wrote about, after they were presented in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, He said: True, by the Lord of the Verses!
True, by the Lord of the Clear Proofs! There has befallen them greater than what befell Us when the ungodly brought Us to the city named Amul, when clamor was raised at all times, and every day the herald would cry out, “This is the day when the pure blood shall be shed.” Blessed are the people of Mim upon whom has befallen that which caused the dwellers of Paradise and those who circle around God’s mighty throne to lament. And We mentioned the Most High with such mention that caused all things to wail, the rock to melt, the clouds to cry out. And We mention at this time the one who ascended unto God in prison. My Supreme Pen has acknowledged his martyrdom in My path.
Blessed is he and joy be unto him. By the life of God, at the time of his ascension the Concourse on High welcomed him by God’s leave, the Lord of all names and Creator of heaven, and the maidens of Paradise in their celestial chambers sought blessings through him. Blessed are God’s chosen ones and His loved ones, and woe unto those who have wronged without clear proof or evidence. We remember all who have broken the chains of idle fancies and attained the lights of certitude on this Day wherein all atoms proclaim: “The Kingdom belongs to God, the Lord of creation.”
A hundred thousand praises and thanks be to the Goal of all the worlds, that whatever has been endured in His path has been accepted. Soon these governments, authorities and oppressions shall pass away, and every oppressor shall witness his own loss. Glory be to God! Despite the fact that the continuance of these souls in this world is not known—whether it be a day or two days, a moment or two moments, a minute or two minutes—nevertheless they have deprived themselves of the lights of justice and have committed that for which the recompense shall endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. Woe unto them and unto that which their hands have wrought in the days of God, their Creator and Maker.
Convey My greetings to the aforementioned wronged Siyyid—upon him be the Glory of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting—and to the other gentlemen. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to ordain for them that which will preserve their stations, and I likewise ask for their good in this world and the next. He is the Powerful, the Mighty, and He is the Compassionate, the Generous. Glory, praise and magnification be upon you all from God, our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and earths. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
The servant 29 Dhi’l-Hijjih 1302
At this moment, having intended the Most Exalted Goal, after attaining the presence They commanded: Write to ʿAli-Qabli-Akbar—upon him be My glory—that he must strive with the utmost diligence to unite and harmonize hearts. The conflicts of the world cannot harm this station. Its reward is treasured and preserved in the divine repository of knowledge. Verily thy Lord is the Truthful, the Speaker, the All-Seeing. Hold fast unto that which thou hast been commanded. By My life! It shall benefit thee in all the worlds of thy Lord, the All-Informed.
One further submission: A separate Most Holy and Most Exalted Tablet has been revealed from the heaven of will specifically for your honor and has been sent. This is grace upon grace.
BH02688: At this moment, which is four o’clock on Thursday…
In the name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord
At this moment, which is four o’clock on Thursday the twenty-sixth of the month of Dhi’l-Hijjih the Sacred, having intended the ultimate goal and most exalted summit, after attendance in the Most Holy, Most Sanctified Court, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke these words—His glory be glorified: “O servant present, write to Ibn-i-Dhabih, upon him be My glory: Today all eyes must be fixed upon the Supreme Horizon and all ears attentive to hear the Call, and all must arise to serve the Divine Cause, for whatsoever He ordaineth is the welfare and benefit of His friends and chosen ones.
“O youth, thou hast attained unto that which was recorded in the divine Books and Tablets. Convey to all the family of Dhabih, upon them be My glory and loving-kindness, greetings from the Wronged One and gladden them with God’s favor. All are mentioned in His presence and have attained His grace. We send greetings to the leaf who is related to Haji Ali. Previously there flowed from the Most Exalted Pen concerning this matter that whose fragrance is everlasting and enduring. Now they must treat the aforementioned Haji with love and consider his welfare. The purpose is that the fragrance of friendship and unity may be diffused between them. The brothers must all strive and act according to what God hath willed. Their reward is with God Who created them and brought them forth and made them manifest and provided for them and made them grow and caused them to know His Path, from which every stubborn tyrant and every remote misbeliever hath turned aside. We beseech God, exalted be He, to reward them for their deeds in this world and the next and to decree for them the recompense of attaining His presence. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Generous. There is no God but He, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.” Thus ended His utterance.
His honor Haji Ali, upon him be the glory of God and His loving-kindness, is mentioned and recorded among the souls who are firm and steadfast, and his honor Dhabih the exalted, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, is related to the Truth, glorified be His glory. Therefore whatever shines forth from the horizon of the Cause, to act according to it is necessary. At all times hath union and association been well-pleasing in the sight of God, and separation and dissension abhorred. Hold fast unto that which God loveth and is His command unto you. He, verily, is the All-Knowing and the All-Seeing, and He is the All-Wise Ordainer. Salutations, greetings and glory be upon you from God, the Lord of all worlds.
The servant 26 Dhi’l-Hijjih the Sacred 1301
BH00059: Praise, sanctified above the mention of servant…
Section 1: “In the Name of our Lord, the Most…”
In the Name of our Lord, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most High!
Praise, sanctified above the mention of servant and the remembrance of all created things, beseemeth the most holy and most glorious court of the Desired One Who hath caused His loved ones to speak His praise and enabled them to celebrate His remembrance. The doubts of the divines produced no effect, and the might of the powerful and the ascendancy of rulers created neither weakness nor impediment. They willingly bore the chains of tyranny for His love’s sake, and in their eyes the taunts of enemies and the torments of the wicked appeared as praise. Exalted, exalted be their station! Exalted, exalted be their remembrance! Exalted, exalted be their power and their steadfastness and their constancy! In truth, every praise returneth to this station, for God, exalted be His glory, is sanctified above all descriptions and remembrances.
This matter is proven through clear evidence. Despite my knowledge and certitude of the sanctification and transcendence of that holy Being above all praise and glorification and remembrance of the world, I wish with a hundred thousand thousand tongues at every moment to praise Him saying “Unto Him be praise, O God of the worlds” and to make mention of Him, for He hath crowned His Name and His loved ones with the crown of patience and adorned them with the raiment of forbearance. In the place of lamentation, smiles appeared; in the station of complaint, thanksgiving shone forth; and at the time of sorrow, joy was manifest. Glorified be the All-Powerful, and glorified be the Patient One!
Glorified art Thou, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all things and in Whose right hand is the control of both the seen and the unseen! I beseech Thee by Him Who conversed with the Burning Bush, and by the Hands of Thy Cause, and the manifestations of Thy grace, and the dawning-places of Thy most beautiful names and Thy most exalted attributes, to strengthen the Dayspring of steadfastness and the Source of Thy remembrance, O Lord of all creation, even more than Thou hast strengthened him in all conditions. The servant beareth witness before Thy face to Thy Name that hath borne hardships for Thy love and the derision of enemies for Thy name and remembrance, until he entered prison, ignited by the fire of Thy Cause.
There hath appeared from him that which befitteth Thy days. O my Lord! Aid him, then, with the hosts of the unseen and the visible realm. Nay, by Thy Self! Rather aid him with the hosts of Thy remembrance and Thy utterance. By Thy glory! Truly tribulations and trials in Thy path are the ultimate desire of those near unto Thee among Thy loved ones and the sincere ones among Thy chosen ones. However, since the servant desireth his presence for the service of Thy Cause, he beseecheth Thee for his release from the prison of the transgressors and his arising before Thy gate, O Thou Who art the Ultimate Goal of the hopes of those who have hope and the Desire of the hearts of the sincere ones.
May my spirit be a sacrifice for your imprisonment, steadfastness and uprising! Your successive letters arrived. In truth, each was a luminous lamp and a manifest, resplendent light. Praise be to God, mention of your eminence transformed the darkness of sorrows and somewhat dispelled the bitterness of separation and parting. Likewise, the petitions submitted to the presence of the Two Branches—may my spirit, being and essence be sacrificed for the dust of their footsteps—all arrived and were repeatedly read, especially the account of events that arrived the day before. Its details were written in the letter of the honored beloved T.A.—upon him be the glory and favors of God—which will reach your presence, God willing.
As for events in this land, all are reposing in the shadow [of God’s protection] and engaged in divine thanksgiving. This year, outwardly there is abundant bounty. The merchants, heedless of God, are busy purchasing wheat, but profit, like justice, mercy and fairness, is absent in those parts. Although it has reached ten ghurush, nevertheless whatever each has bought remains imprisoned in warehouses. The poor loved ones have made no profit this year either. Some merchants from outlying areas have requested transport to send what has been collected; perhaps God, exalted be His glory, will bestow His favor and bring forth seekers. The command is in His hands. In these years, such abundant and inexpensive bounty has not been seen, although compared to those realms it is still dear and expensive. Nevertheless, no one has profited. Exalted is the Creator and exalted is His command! Consummate wisdom remains hidden from hearts and eyes. As for other things, they remain as expensive as you have observed.
This evanescent one beseeches and hopes that God will open the door of comfort, wealth, knowledge and ease for all. Verily, He is powerful over all things. In any case, after the arrival of your eminent letter and this evanescent servant’s perusal thereof, I proceeded to the Most Exalted Goal and Supreme Summit. Your supplication was presented before the Divine Presence, as were the supplications contained in other letters, each at its appropriate time. Your eminence knows that everything received from that Beloved One is presented, and after the presentation of each, the ocean of divine bounty surges in such wise that this servant is incapable of describing it. You yourself have been present and heard. Were this evanescent one to attempt to provide details, he would be unable and these pages would not suffice. When your last letter was presented before the Divine Presence, these brilliant verses shone forth from the Dayspring of favor. His word, exalted be His glory:
In My Name, Who Calleth from the Supreme Horizon
O My Name! Your imprisonment and what hath befallen thee in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds, hath truly grieved Me. We have made mention of thee in diverse Tablets and in that which hath been revealed for My loved ones in all regions by the Pen of God, thy Lord and the Lord of the mighty Throne. We have forbidden the servant from holding the feast which he arranged each year. Verily thy Lord is the All-Compassionate, the All-Bountiful. Blessed is the soul that hath grieved at thy grief and hath recalled what befell thee at the hands of the heedless ones. Give thanks unto God for having adorned thee with the crown of patience, by whose light the Concourse on High and they that circle round My glorious and wondrous Station have been illumined.
O Mihdi! The Wronged One hath made mention of thee with such mention as cannot be equaled by all the bounties of the world and whatsoever is seen therein. Verily thy Lord is the True One, the Faithful. They that have wronged thee and commanded thy imprisonment—these have no portion in the Book of God, the Possessor of this luminous Day. Thou hast attained unto that which none hath attained except whom God, thy Lord, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate, hath willed. The Most Exalted Pen hath made mention of thee morn and eve, to this beareth witness the Lord of Names in His manifest prison. Thou art he who hath arisen to serve the Cause and hath borne that which caused the dwellers of the highest Paradise to lament, and those who circle round this exalted Station.
The wrongdoers shall soon behold the recompense of their deeds, and the sincere ones what hath been ordained for them by the Pen of God, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. Thus hath soared the Bird of Utterance, and spoken the Pen of the All-Merciful, and cooed the Dove of the Cause upon the branches, by the command of One Who is the Almighty, the Ancient of Days. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My bounty be upon thee and upon those who love thee and make mention of thee at morn and at eventide.
That which hath been revealed from the Kingdom of God’s bounty, exalted be His glory, specifically for that honored one is not and was not limited to these verses. Numerous Tablets have been revealed and by command some are being sent. His bounty is not such as to be confined within limits or to come to an end. It hath been and forever shall be. Exalted be His bounty, exalted be His majesty, great be His grace, and all-embracing be His mercy. This evanescent servant, at all times, beseecheth and imploreth the Goal of all existence to grant once more the blessing of meeting, reunion and gathering. In the realm of dreams, what was sought hath been witnessed several times, and it is most strange that until now it hath been delayed. With utmost humility and supplication, this request hath been and is being made of the Self-Sufficing Lord. Verily He is the Hearer, the Answerer.
And regarding that which was written in the blessed letters appointing this servant as representative for visiting the Goal of the worlds—praise be to God, this evanescent one hath been honored with acceptance each time, and even without representation, at special times that which no deeds of men and jinn can equal hath been accomplished. Exalted is the bounty of our Lord and our Goal and your Goal and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and the earth. Were eloquent and articulate tongues to appear to the number of all created things, they could not render thanks for even a single confirmation and success that hath been granted, unless His grace should aid and bestow that which is befitting and worthy. In Him do we trust and to Him do we commit all affairs. He knoweth and ordaineth, therefore He hath been and is the Beloved.
And regarding what you wrote about Aqa Mirza Aqa, upon him be the Glory of God—his verses arrived and by command Aqa Mirza ʿAli-Rida, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, copied them on very fine paper, and both his writing and the original were presented, and this servant submitted all before His presence. This is what the tongue of our Lord, the All-Bestowing, spoke in reply—His blessed and exalted Word:
O thou rememberer and praiser! We have heard thy remembrance and thy praise hath reached the ears of the Wronged One. Praise be to God that thou hast attained His presence. If the opposing souls permit, thou shalt, God willing, attain again. Some of the heedless ones are engaged in manifest tyranny, and the flame of self and passion hath so seized them that they are deprived of hearkening to the Word of Truth and forbidden from beholding the horizon of justice. They have not distinguished the mischief-maker from the reformer, nor the wise from the ignorant. Justice and tyranny are the same to them, and knowledge and ignorance weigh equally. Well was it said:
“Nay, nay, for heaven and fate know not the worth of merit, Thus spake my father to me in the days of my youth.”
While at ease they remain heedless, and in times of hardship and tribulation they lament and wail, but their lamentation availeth them not, neither their wailing, nor their helplessness, nor their weeping. Consider the Emperor of Paris. Out of pure grace We revealed a special Tablet for him and informed him of certain matters and warned him. That heedless one was so deluded that he made light of the Divine Tablet. Though he received it, no reply was forthcoming from him. At the time of “yea” he was silent, and at the station of “yes” he was mute. Later another Tablet was revealed from the heaven of will, and We informed him of the tribulations that were advancing from behind him. Nevertheless, the veils prevented him from understanding, and love of position deprived him of awareness, until the divine term arrived and the irrevocable decree descended. He found for himself no helper, nor supporter, nor companion.
The people of the world are deluded by the glory of a day or two, and even that is uncertain, for the poor wretch knoweth not whether in the next hour he will descend from palace to grave. Nevertheless, he doeth that which causeth the denizens of the celestial Kingdom to lament and weep. Soon shall they find themselves in manifest loss.
Whatever hath befallen thee is in the path of God. Today the Truth is wronged and dwelleth in prison. His friends must assist Him through the hosts of goodly character and praiseworthy deeds. These hosts are mightier than the hosts of the world. In truth, spiritual qualities and praiseworthy deeds and goodly words, sealed with the decree “We are of the Truth and a bounty from His presence,” have been sent down from heaven to earth in glory. Give praise unto the Goal of the world that He hath mentioned thee in prison with a mention whose fragrance shall never cease. We beseech God to aid thee to preserve this station which He hath graciously bestowed.
This evanescent one also conveyeth greetings to them. Praise be to God that they have been enabled to offer praise and glorification and remembrance of God, exalted be His glory. Their ode was recited in His presence and likewise before the inmates of the pavilion of grandeur and infallibility. This is a bounty from God, our Lord and the Lord of the mighty throne.
Concerning the solace of eyes, upon them be the glory of God, His loving-kindness and His grace, about which you wrote—this is most clear and evident. The utmost loving-kindness is ever flowing toward them. I am constantly inquiring about their condition and am delighted by their presence. Praise be to God, all are safe, settled and at rest beneath the canopy of mercy. In these days the honored beloved, Haji Siyyid Javad, upon him be the glory of God, has proceeded to Beirut in consideration of the commercial interests of the honored Afnan, upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory, who has been appointed there, and he is now residing in Beirut. For this reason they have become somewhat alone. For a time, the mother of Haji Ali, upon them both be the glory of God, who had come by command, was residing with them. Now the family of the Haji has returned and all are dwelling in that same house. A person has been specially appointed for the Leaf [female believer], upon her be the glory of God, to take her to and from school.
As for other events from that land, some movement has also appeared in this land. The Persian chief who is in the Sublime Porte sent letters to some and mentioned certain arranged suspicions therein. Thus far no effect has appeared. As for the travelers, despite the greatest prohibition, they have arrived and continue to arrive. Among those souls who have come with permission are the honored Afnans of the Blessed Tree, upon them be all the Most Glorious Glory. The honored and exalted Afnan-i-Kabir, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory—who is in truth a portion of light—first came with the honored Aqa Mirza Aqa and the exalted ladies, his wife, daughter and granddaughter, upon them be the glory of God and His loving-kindness, who were related to the elevated Afnan, upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory, along with two luminaries. After receiving permission for departure they left. Now again for nearly two months they have come and taken up residence in a special house near the Shrine, engaged in circumambulation and pilgrimage.
Section 2: “The honored Afnan, Aqa Siyyid M., the honored…”
The honored Afnan, Aqa Siyyid M., the honored teacher, and Aqa Mirza Mahmud, upon them be all the Most Glorious Glory, came after the first visit of Afnan-i-Kabir and stayed for a time. Some of them were blessed with attainment twice and then took their leave. The honored Afnan Haji Mirza Muhammad, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory, also came in the service of my Master, the Most Great Branch of God—may my spirit and being be sacrificed for the dust of His footsteps. He too was blessed with attainment and then by command went to Beirut. On his return he was again honored with attainment and set out for the land of Ha. Blessed and congratulations to them!
The honored and exalted Afnan-i-Kabir has taken up residence in Beirut. Praise be to God, he was and is in the utmost joy, delight and gladness. Furthermore, news has arrived and continues to arrive from every quarter. I beseech and implore God, exalted be His glory, to grant insight to the rulers that they may know with clear certainty that this Cause is sanctified above what they have imagined, and that the welfare of all lies in its manifestation and exaltation. May He also grant fairness to the divines and aid them to reflect upon and call to mind the divines of past ages who lived in the days of the Manifestations. Glory be to God! Every person of insight is bewildered and every fair-minded one is astonished at what could be the cause and reason for such oppression, and what could be its justification. In all conditions, we must resign all affairs unto Him and place our trust in Him. Verily He is the Hearer, the Answerer, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing.
Another supplication: This servant was blessed each year to offer hospitality in Your service, but last year, due to Your imprisonment and the martyrdom of His Holiness Ali, may my spirit be sacrificed for him, it was, according to command, prevented. This servant, in truth, had no inclination for it. In these days, as news has arrived and signs of joy have somewhat appeared, You commanded to resume the practice of previous years due to the appearance of gladness which has dawned and shone forth. Whatever You have sent will be spent at the appointed time. Praise be to God in all this. This servant fears lest the hearing of detailed petitions cause weariness and trouble. Since You wrote in Your letter addressed to the beloved ones, Hadrat-i-Ism-i-Jud and His Holiness Javad, upon them be the glory of God, the Lord of creation, commanding that the events of this land be written and sent in detail, therefore this servant has submitted some news. In all cases, forgiveness is hoped for.
Regarding what You wrote about the honored lady, the mother of His Honor A.T., and the honored wife of His Honor Mirza, upon them both be the glory of God—in Your first letter You mentioned the mother of His Honor A.T., and after it was submitted to the Most Holy and Exalted Presence, she was named “Mother of the Saints.” Exalted is this lofty station and this Most Great and wondrous Name. A special message was written to her son: whosoever arises to serve You, their deed is accepted before the Throne. Blessed is he and joy be unto him. In truth, he is counted among the men of God and mentioned among the pillars. His mention has been revealed from the Supreme Pen in the Most Glorious Station. You should give them glad-tidings and make them happy with the bounties of God. Likewise regarding the other leaf, the wife of His Honor Mirza, upon them both be the glory of God, which was mentioned in Your letter this time—it was presented before the Throne. This is what the Lord of the worlds spoke, exalted be His utterance and glorified be His grandeur:
I am the Compassionate, the Bountiful
O My Name! The Pen lamenteth and maketh mention in times of hardship and tribulation, and in times of joy and gladness. Through its motion it moveth and speaketh, and by its movement the world is set in motion. This movement ariseth from the heat of the utterance of the All-Merciful—some of it manifest and some concealed. Were one to observe with the eye of insight the realities of all things, one would witness how all are drawn, in their inmost essence, toward the Call of the Most Exalted Pen and its movement toward the Throne, and its effects have been and shall continue to be made manifest and resplendent day after day. Except for those in whom no trace remaineth as recompense for their deeds—such souls are as ashes, neither were nor are they capable of life.
The servant in attendance made mention of the Leaf, the Mother of ʿAta, upon both of whom be the glory of God. After hearing of thy contentment, We named her the Mother of the Near Ones. Verily this was inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen upon the Tablet by the command of thy Lord, the Forgiving, the Generous. Neither centuries nor ages shall erase this mention, nor shall this edifice be ruined. It shall forever be adorned with the garment of preservation. O My Name! Give her glad tidings from Me and remind her of My verses, then recite unto her what hath been revealed for her from God, the Lord of the worlds. And give glad tidings from Me to My other handmaiden who hath attained the grace of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
The mention of those handmaidens who attained to service in the days of tribulation hath been and shall remain immortalized in the divine Books and Scriptures. In these days, a special Visitation Tablet for the Martyr ʿAli, upon him be the mercy of God, His grace and His favor, hath been revealed, wherein certain women have been mentioned. This is distinct from the first Visitation Tablet that was sent. Verily, He wasteth not the reward of the doers of good. Not an atom’s weight of deeds shall be lost. In previous Books, God, exalted be His glory, hath given tidings saying that all shall receive their recompense and reward on the Day of God. He hath likewise given tidings that whatsoever is hidden and forbidden from sight shall be made manifest. Behold what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an—blessed and exalted be His words:
“And if it be the weight of a grain of mustard seed, and though it be in a rock, or in the heavens, or in the earth, God will bring it forth.”
Gladden the other Leaf with God’s bounty. Praise be to God, they have attained unto service to His Cause in His days and been adorned with the ornament of acceptance. Let them know the value of this station and preserve it through the Name of God, exalted be His glory.
This evanescent servant conveyeth his greetings to each one. In truth, these Leaves are among the leaves of Paradise. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to ever keep them and their like preserved beneath the shadow of His grace. He is the Powerful, the Mighty.
As to the mention made of him who hath turned to God and is imprisoned in His path, Aqa Siyyid Aqa-Buzurg, upon him be the glory and grace of God, it was presented at the Most Holy, Most Exalted Threshold. This is what was revealed for him and those with him from Mim. His blessed and exalted Word:
He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing
O My Name! The morning breezes wafting from the garden of inner meanings brought this word to hearing:
“Blessed is he whose strength is not weakened by the doubts of the learned, and blessed is he who stands firm when the oppression of princes would make him sit.”
Allah-u-Akbar! In these days when at every moment there can be heard the murmuring of the Kawthar of utterance, the whisper of divine breezes, and the rustling of the Sadratu’l-Muntaha—were the ears of the world but pure, a single word would suffice for all and guide them to the highest horizon. Blessed are My loved ones who have attained unto tribulation and adversity in My path and who have, for love of My Beauty, drunk from the chalice of trials.
Verily We have mentioned him who was named Aqa Buzurg time and again, and then the people of Mim who were imprisoned in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds. O My Name! All those souls who have been imprisoned in God’s path and those who have been scattered and disturbed through fear of the oppressors—all have been honored with mention by the Supreme Pen. There have befallen the people of Mim afflictions the like of which have never been heard of in the world. By the life of God! This oppression will cause universal sedition and corruption in the world. Soon that which is now hidden from knowledge and sight shall be revealed. Convey to all greetings and glorification from the Wronged One, and give them glad tidings. Soon will the hand of divine power once again begin to seize the oppressors. Guard this and be of them that conceal it.
Not for a moment hath the Truth been heedless of those souls, and is not now. In the night when every eye sleeps, the eye of God, exalted be His glory, is ever watching over His loved ones who have been afflicted. The wickedness of the servants hath reached such a pass that the Supreme Pen lamenteth, for it hath uttered the words of the friends of old: “Hide thy gold, thy comings and goings, and thy beliefs, and dissimulation is my religion and the religion of my forefathers.” After the martyrdom of Badi’, upon him be My glory and My mercy, the decree of wisdom was firmly established in God’s Book—that is, it was clearly and explicitly mentioned. Likewise, after the martyrdom of His Holiness ʿAli, the decree of concealment was revealed: “None should openly confess this Cause before the faces of men.” All must gaze toward the Supreme Horizon and act according to that which appears from His presence.
The Most Glorious Splendor be upon thee from God, the Lord of all being, and upon those who are with thee in prison, and upon those who have attained unto patience in this mighty Cause.
Verily some are weak and have no endurance, becoming disturbed and shaken by the slightest thing. In all cases consideration for the weak is necessary, therefore the mercy and favor of God, exalted be His glory, encompasses all and this wondrous Cause has been revealed from the Supreme Pen. The servant verily gives thanks to God, his Lord, and praises Him in all conditions. He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.
Mention was made of his honor Aqa Siyyid Khalil, upon him be the glory of God. His mention has attained to the hearing of the Lord of Names, and this is what was revealed for him from the heaven of the will of our Lord, the Possessor of all names, in this station. He says, blessed and exalted be He:
O Khalil! Blessed art thou for having shattered the idols of idle fancy with the arm of certitude and turned to the Supreme Horizon when every remote scholar turned away from it—they who, when the name of the Qa’im was mentioned, would arise and say “May God hasten His relief,” yet when the appointed time was fulfilled and the Promised One appeared, they disbelieved in Him and unjustly pronounced judgment against Him, whereat every discerning mystic did lament. Say: O concourse of divines! Where is your praise and glorification, and where is your postponement and hastening regarding the Manifestation of God and His proof? Fear God and follow not your idle fancies; rather follow Him Who hath come to you with a manifest light.
Say: O heedless ones! Why did the idol-worshipping divines turn away when Muhammad, the Apostle of God, appeared, and by what proof did the Jews deny when the Spirit came, and by what evidence did the tyrants and pharaohs turn away from God, the Lord of the worlds? Behold and then recall what hath appeared from you throughout the ages and centuries; then judge with fairness in this Cause wherewith God gave glad tidings in the Books of the past and future, and before His face the Faithful Spirit giveth you glad tidings. Say: Fear God and make not vain imaginings lords over yourselves. Set aside what ye possess and take what ye are commanded by One mighty, bidding, wise.
We have come to teach you the mysteries of the Book and guide you to My straight path. Say: By God! My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor do I walk in your ways. To this doth the tongue of My favor in the kingdom of My wondrous utterance bear witness.
O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of My loved ones once again, that the fragrances of My words may attract them to a station wherein the intimations of men who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of destiny, shall not grieve them. Say: The profit is yours and from you, while they are in manifest loss. Beware lest the might of the powerful weaken you, or the tyranny of the princes frighten you. Cast aside the manifestations of fancy and idle imaginings, clinging to the hem of God, the Mighty, the Great. Ye have heard the gloating of the enemies, and today ye hear the verses of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. By what hath befallen you, the dwellers of the Kingdom of Names have lamented. To this doth bear witness this Wronged One, this Stranger. The Glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon you and upon every steadfast upholder of the truth.
Praise be to God! The luminous elder was seized by the Most Great Light, and for the spiritual chalice of water, a hundred thousand “well done!” would not suffice for this ocean, and this station is not attainable save through divine confirmation, glorified be His majesty.
As for what you wrote concerning consultation, after presenting your question He said that if disagreement arises among the first group assembled, new souls should be added and then by drawing lots select the number of the Greatest Name, or less or more than that, and consult anew. Whatever emerges therefrom is to be obeyed. And if disagreement still persists, “adorn the two with a third and take the strongest.” Verily, He guideth whom He willeth to the straight path. Thus hath the Lord of all beings decreed in this station.
And mention was made of two souls, with expressions of satisfaction. I beseech God to confirm them in that which will cause the exaltation of His Word among the people. Their mention attained the honor of being heard in the Most Holy Court and was adorned and distinguished by the favor of the Beloved of the worlds.
As for the mention of the angel of mercy and the kindler of the bath of love which they wrote about, after presentation this exalted word appeared from the horizon of the will of the Lord of Names, glorified and exalted be His utterance: We beseech God to confirm this one in recognizing the Dawning-Place of Revelation and the Dayspring of Inspiration, and to make him steadfast therein. Verily He is the Mighty, the Merciful.
Section 3: “In truth, whoever thou mayest be…”
In truth, whoever thou mayest be, as the possessor of pure deeds, mention of thee is essential and acceptable in the gathering of the chosen ones. This evanescent servant implores and beseeches God that He may strengthen the chief of that place, adorn him with justice and fairness, deliver him from the darkness of heedlessness, and illumine him with the light of certainty. Verily, He is powerful over all things.
I have always offered, and continue to offer, praise and glory to all the people of Baha. At the end of these supplications, this exalted Word was revealed from the Source of Names following the incident in that land. His blessed and exalted Word states:
“One must proceed with moderation and be content with the minimum necessity, for if the people of error become aware of the coming and going of correspondence, matters will surely become difficult for the Name of God (66).”
Until now, this servant has received multiple letters from certain ones, yet until this time no reply was sent. In these days, according to capacity and station, a letter was written and sent to the honored beloved, his eminence ʿAli-Qabli-Akbar, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, and one Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was also revealed and sent specifically for him. In any case, great care must be taken, for if they sense that correspondence is being exchanged in the prison, it will lead to a complete prohibition. Otherwise, God is witness that the heart is occupied with thy remembrance, and hath loved and continues to love to reveal, through the assistance of God, exalted be His Glory, by means of pen and ink, whatever lies hidden in the treasury of love. God sufficeth as witness. The purpose is that if there has been delay and suspension in expressing sincerity, it has been for this reason.
Furthermore, all the inhabitants of the pavilion of grandeur and infallibility have repeatedly sent their greetings and praise, which this servant is to convey. Whenever mention is made of thee, all become saddened, but when reading thy letters, sometimes sadness and sometimes joy is experienced, and both are evident and clear. They have repeatedly told this servant that whenever thou writest something, convey our greetings and praise. Likewise, the Branches of the Blessed Tree—may my spirit and being be sacrificed for the dust of their footsteps—the Most Great Branch—may my spirit, being and essence be sacrificed for the dust of His footsteps—has expressed much surprise that His blessed letter has not arrived, and this servant is also perplexed. However, the Most Mighty Branch—may my spirit, being and essence be sacrificed for the dust of His footsteps—has written and sent multiple times. During the revelation of verses, these words were revealed: “Write to the Name that he should read, that is, recite in a beautiful voice, that joy and gladness from the Speaker of Sinai may take hold of him:
We are Thy lovers—face to face with Thee; We haunt Thy lane, and bend the knee.
Snared by one curl of Thy dark hair, We crave Thy meeting, crave Thy care;
We crave Thy pleasure—O Desire! For Thee we perish, heart and fire:
Hey, hey—of God implore! Hey, hey—of Baha, ask more!
We are Thy heralds, town-bound, true; We circle round Thy prison too;
We are the servants of Thy Word— We crave Thy cruelty, unblurred;
We crave Thy trial, we crave Thy pain, For Thee our souls are gladly slain:
Hey, hey—of God implore! Hey, hey—of Baha, ask more!
We are Thy gazelles of desert-wide; We are Thy fish in foaming tide;
We guard Thy Throne with watchful eyes— We crave Thy beauty’s paradise;
We crave Thy glory’s blazing ray; For Thee we’re offered—life and clay:
Hey, hey—of God implore! Hey, hey—of Baha, ask more!
That which was revealed was more extensive, but this much suffices. It is hoped that henceforth complete joy will be attained. He said:
“O servant present! The purpose of this pleasantry is to gladden the Name of God; otherwise, due to the oppression of the enemies, the Pen hath withheld its treasures, and the Water of Life floweth only in fixed measure.”
Praise be to God, the letter was sealed with the musk of God’s pleasantry. In truth, its attraction hath produced a wondrous effect on this night, especially if one hearkeneth to the melody of God. Complete bounty, all-encompassing grace, pre-existent mercy, and all-embracing kindness. We praise Him for what He hath bestowed upon us through His generosity and grace. Verily, He is the Generous, the Munificent. Glory, remembrance, praise, light and radiance be upon you and upon those who are with you, who love you, and who hear your words concerning the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds.
May my spirit be a sacrifice unto you! At this moment, again, as commanded, I turned towards the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence. After attaining the presence and standing, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke and said—exalted be His majesty and sublime be His utterance:
“We wish to mention at this time one who hath turned towards My direction and migrated from his homeland, advancing to the Most Exalted Homeland, the Most Glorious Horizon, the Supreme Height, and the Ultimate Goal, until he arrived at the Most Great Prison and stood before a door which the Hand of Providence had opened unto the face of all who are in earth and heaven, and heard the call of the Wronged One, and attained that which was inscribed in the Books of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.”
O Abul-Qasim! The Wronged One makes mention of thee before all faces. Rejoice thou in this remembrance, which nothing on earth can equal. He Who possesses the Sealed Book beareth witness to this. Behold and call to mind when thou didst arrive with Us at the Castle, and that which was revealed for thee was such that had We cast it upon the mountains, thou wouldst have beheld them prostrate before the face of God, the Mighty, the Loving. Praise be to God, thou hast been and art remembered. The glances of loving-kindness have ever been directed towards thee. In the prison, recall those days of joy and meeting. Blessed art thou! The Wronged One testifieth that thou hast attained that which was promised in the Books of God, both past and future, and didst enter prison for My Name’s sake, whereby the limbs of every remote oppressor trembled.
My Name, upon Him be My Glory, hath made mention of thee, and the servant in attendance before the Wronged One hath renewed it. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who loveth thee for the sake of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. What do the oppressors say, and how do they curse the oppressors of the past? By the life of God! Soon shall they lament and find for themselves neither helper nor protector. Thus have We adorned thy temple with the ornament of Our loving grace, thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous. The Glory be upon thee from Us and upon those who have shown patience, seeking the good pleasure of God, the Mighty, the Praised.
Furthermore, this evanescent one conveys greetings and salutations to them and declares that the days of meeting have not been and will not be forgotten. Their manifestation in the garden during the days of meeting was evident. Their deeds are ever manifest in new splendor and adorned before all eyes. Though the friends have lost all they possessed in the path of the Goal of all worlds, yet the fortresses of love and devotion remain in their possession. There, the highest power of princes is weak and the mightiest armies of the world are as nothing. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to ordain for them that which is lasting and eternal. Verily, He is powerful over all things. Glory and praise be upon your honor and upon those who have adorned their temples with patience and forbearance in the Cause of God, our Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and earths. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
A further submission is that a letter was received after the conclusion of this petition, adorned with mention and supplication to God, exalted be His glory, and the leaf of prayers and devotions, the details of which your honor had inscribed on the back, also arrived and was presented before the countenance of the Lord of all beings on Thursday morning, the 19th of Dhi’l-Hajjih. This is what was revealed for his honor Siyyid A.S., upon him be the Glory of God. His word is mighty in utterance and sublime in proof:
In My Name, which warbleth upon the branches
God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath come with the Kingdom of verses is indeed the One promised in all the Books and Tablets. Every tablet hath been adorned with His mention and every book with His praise, yet the people have denied His proof and disputed His verses whereby the horizons were illumined. The servant who is present hath appeared before the Wronged One and read that which thy heart’s tongue had uttered in remembrance of God, the Lord of Lords. We have heard thy call from the prison and have answered thee with verses that nothing in all creation can equal, to which My Most Exalted Pen in this station doth testify.
Thy mention and thy praise have attained unto My hearing, and We have adorned them with the ornament of Our acceptance. Thy Lord is verily the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful. Blessed is he who hath borne hardships in His love and hath entered prison in My Name, the One Who holdeth dominion over all who are in earth and heaven. The oppressors shall soon behold the recompense of their deeds even as the people before them beheld it. Thus hath the matter been decreed in the Book by God, the Lord of all men. Rejoice thou in My remembrance of thee and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou through Whose appearance the Path was laid and the Balance set up and the mountains were moved. The splendor shining from the horizon of My Kingdom be upon thee and upon every patient soul who placeth his trust in God.
This was revealed for his honor Mim-Qaf-Ra, upon him be the glory of God. He saith, exalted be His majesty and greatness:
In the name of the peerless Lord, the All-Knowing
Consider the party that counted themselves the most exalted of all parties. Throughout ages and centuries they were occupied with the mention of the Truth, and the divines were honored and accepted through His name. Sometimes lamenting and sometimes wailing, at times supplicating God, exalted be His glory, beseeching the meeting with the Promised One. They would stand at His mention and utter “may God hasten His relief.” Yet when the Light of the Cause shown forth from the horizon of the world by God’s will, they did that which pens and tongues are powerless to describe. They walk in the wilderness of error yet perceive it not, and move in the desert of wretchedness yet remain heedless and unaware.
God hath seized them for their sin and made them a lesson to those who have cast the world behind them, turning unto God, the Lord of all worlds. This Day hath no peer or likeness. Well is it with the soul whom doubts and allusions did not withhold from the Dayspring of revelation and the Source of verses. The servant hath attained the presence of the Wronged One and thy mention hath won His hearing. We do truly pray for thee and glorify thee from this station that joy and gladness may seize thee through this mighty grace. Verily He is with thee, hearing and seeing, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. The glory be upon thee and upon whoso hath held fast to the cord of the loving-kindness of his Lord, the Compassionate, the Bountiful. End.
Praise be to God, two honored souls have attained to the sweet savors of God’s verses. This servant also conveyeth to them greetings and salutations. Would that I were with your honor and with them in the prison for the sake of God, our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of all in the heavens and earth. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to honor them with the light of His Cause and grant them shelter beneath the tree of His loving care. Verily He hath power over all things and is worthy to answer prayers.
Another submission: From every quarter mention of your honor hath arrived. Among these, yesterday a letter arrived from his honor the beloved Amin, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, and your honor’s handwriting within it was truly situated in its heart. After it was read and reviewed, it was presented at the Divine Throne. This is what the Tongue of the Beloved spoke in reply:
This time We have made frequent mention of Ismu’llah. Now one must pray that the True One, exalted be His glory, may bestow upon Ismu’llah in prison an opportunity to read that which hath been revealed. The Tablet was repeated, the addresses were repeated.
Likewise, the letter of My beloved, the honored ʿAndalib, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, which your honor sent, was seen. After reading and reviewing it, it was presented. This is what the Tongue of the Desired One hath spoken:
“O My Name! ʿAndalib hath many claims upon Us. He is the creditor and We are the debtor. We beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, to discharge this debt, for it hath been some time since any specific mention hath outwardly been sent to him, although he hath been and is remembered in the Most Holy Court. God willing, in these days the Supreme Pen shall arise to make amends. Verily, give him glad tidings from Me and remind him of My remembrance and My bounty. O My Name! We have found him to be among the patient ones. This utterance from God, the Lord of the worlds, suffice him.”
It is submitted that many of his odes in praise and glorification of the Beloved of the worlds have been received, and in these days he hath sent ghazals in remembrance of the Sovereign of existence and the Lord of the seen and unseen. These were read in the presence of the Throne and those who circle round it, and the original was given to the Afnan that they might make copies thereof. The purpose is that the glances of favor have been and are directed towards him. This evanescent one hath at all times sought for him whatsoever is worthy of grace and bounty. In all conditions I beseech and supplicate the True One for help, that at least once more we may, beneath the shade of the Tree, speak and hear with your honor and the friends that which attracteth hearts and souls. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Beloved.
The servant 29 Dhi’l-Hijjih 1301