Volume 077: Akka 1303 A.H. (1885–1886), Part I (2 of 5)

BH04331: O Badi’, son of Muhammad-Quli who emigrated and attained…

In the name of the Desire of the world

O Badi’, son of Muhammad-Quli who emigrated and attained unto the name of the Goal of the world! O Badi’! The adults have not attained unto the traces of the Most Exalted Pen, yet thou hast attained. Bounty and favor are in His mighty grasp; He bestoweth upon whomsoever He willeth. Praise be to God! Thy father entered the Most Great Scene and heard that for which the ears of the world were created, and witnessed that for which eyes were specially brought from nothingness into being. We, on behalf of thee and the sincere friends, render praise and thanksgiving, and beseech from God that He may grant success. He is the Bestower, the Kind. The Glory be upon thee and upon thy mother and thy father and upon him who hath believed in God, the One, the All-Knowing.

BH04528: The Tongue of Grandeur on this dark night makes…

In the name of the Creator of the world

The Tongue of Grandeur on this dark night makes mention of His leaves and handmaidens, that they may attain to the fragrances of divine remembrance. The servants and handmaidens have ever been and are remembered in the Most Holy and Exalted Court—those souls who have turned to the Most Great Ocean and are gazing toward the Supreme Horizon.

O Aminih, give thanks to the Goal of the world that He enabled thee to recognize that which most of the world remaineth deprived of, and adorned you with a brother whom neither the derision of enemies, nor the assault of princes, nor the clamor of divines, nor the oppression of tyrants, nor the transgressions of pharaohs could prevent from the Dawning-Place of the Light of Oneness. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this manifest glory.

O Fiddih, God willing thou shalt remain firm in His Cause. The misguided ones have been and are lying in wait in their ambush. Praise the Goal of the world that He enabled thee to turn to Him in days when the divines of the age were witnessed to be turning away.

O Umm-i-Ayman, in the Most Great Prison God, exalted be His glory, is occupied with thy mention, and this Perspicuous Tablet beareth witness to this utterance, from which every loving soul perceiveth the fragrance of God’s favor and His raiment. Blessed are they that have attained, both women and men.

Glory be upon you from God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH05429: Blessed is the tongue that hath testified this Day…

He is the One Who speaketh in the Kingdom of Utterance.

Blessed is the tongue that hath testified this Day to that which God hath testified, and the eye that hath beheld that which hath shone forth from the Supreme Horizon, and the heart that hath turned unto the Most Great Scene—the station wherein the Lord of Destiny proclaimeth: “There is none other God besides Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

By God’s life! This is a Day wherein naught is mentioned save Him, yet the people are in evident slumber. Among the people of the Bayan are those who have turned away from God and objected to Him—they are indeed in age-old error.

Blessed art thou for having cast away the vain imaginings of those who disbelieved in God and turned to the lights of the Countenance when they shone forth from the horizon of certitude. Take hold of God’s Tablet with a strength from Him and a power from His presence, then remember Him at all times, and be thou of the thankful ones. Thou hast attained, and heard, and beheld what was concealed throughout all eternity. Thy Lord is verily the All-Merciful, the Bountiful.

Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having strengthened me and brought me into Thy presence and shown me and caused me to hear the rustling of the Sadratu’l-Muntaha in this most exalted Station. Bounty is in Thy right hand and the reins of grace are in Thy grasp. Thou art, verily, the Almighty over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God besides Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

BH06156: A mention from Us for one whose name was…

He is the All-Knowing Counselor!

A mention from Us for one whose name was mentioned before the Wronged One, that he may give thanks to God Who aided him and guided him to His straight path. We counsel him and those who have believed to act with wisdom and with that which will exalt the station of man among the religions. And I am the All-Knowing Counselor. Let not the doings of men grieve thee. Hold fast to the cord of thy Lord’s tender mercy, the All-Bountiful. He is with His loved ones under all conditions, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. He heareth what proceedeth from the mouths of His servants and seeth what they do, and He is the Truth, the Sovereign over all who are in the heavens and on earth.

When thou attainest unto the Tablet of God and its traces, and findest the fragrance of the Divine Raiment, arise and say:

“Praise be unto Thee for having remembered me, O Thou Who art wronged throughout all regions! And glory be unto Thee for having confirmed me, O Thou Beloved of the hearts of them that know!”

We make mention of thy brother who soared on the wings of longing until he arrived and attained the presence and heard the call of God as He sat upon His mighty throne. We have remembered him after We forgave him, and We have sent down for him that which shall be a shining lamp before his face in every world of the worlds of his Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

BH07428: In My Name which hath shone forth…

In My Name which hath shone forth from the horizon of utterance!

O Nasru’llah, hearken unto the call from the Tree upraised upon the white land, the shore of the sea of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, the Lord of Names. Verily there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. We counsel thee with that which beseemeth the days of thy Lord and that whereby His firm and mighty Cause may be exalted. And We counsel thee regarding thy father—verily he hath a station with God, the Lord of the worlds. Blessed is the servant who acteth according to that which he hath been commanded in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Beware lest anything prevent thee from this Cause or the doubts of the suspicious ones veil thee, they who have turned away from the Truth and have turned unto every remote idolater.

Say: I beseech Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all created things and the bridles of all beings, by Thy Name through which Thou hast sent down the verses and subdued all regions, to make me steadfast in Thy Cause, speaking forth Thy praise, and acting according to that which Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Conquering, the Omnipotent.

BH07433: In the Name of the one peerless God! O…

In the Name of the one peerless God! O My handmaiden who hath emigrated and attained! Reflect upon the divine Will and Purpose and celestial favor—how many men today are deprived and forbidden from recognition of the Self-Subsisting Lord, while thou, through His grace, hast attained and gazeth toward the Most Exalted Horizon. He is the One with power to cause whatsoever He willeth to flow forth, and whatever He ordaineth is pure truth itself—none hath had or hath the right to question “why” or “wherefore.” We counsel thee and all the handmaidens of that land to turn unto Him, to place thy trust in Him, and to stand firm. Grace lieth within His mighty grasp, and mercy dependeth upon His will. He bestoweth upon whomsoever He willeth. Blessed art thou and thy like who have perceived the fragrance of the Day of God and held fast to the cord of His grace. Preserve this most exalted station through His Most Great Name. Glory be upon thee and upon My handmaidens who have turned, hearkened, and responded to the call of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH08112: O handmaiden of God! You have been mentioned before…

In the name of Him Who is the Most Bountiful, the Most Merciful

O handmaiden of God! You have been mentioned before the Wronged One. Through the grace of God, exalted be His glory, you have attained. Give thanks to the Beloved of the worlds that He enabled you to turn to the Most Exalted Horizon and there appeared from you a soul who emigrated in the path of God and attained the presence of the Beloved of the world, which was the cause of creation. Verily the grace is in His hands—He bestoweth it upon whomsoever He willeth, and He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous. We convey greetings to the handmaidens of God and give them the glad-tidings of God’s grace. This is the day of mention and praise. Blessed is the servant who turned and the handmaiden who faced the horizon of the Cause. The Glory be upon you and upon them and upon every handmaiden whom the clamor of the ignorant ones did not prevent—they who denied the right of God and His verses and turned away from Him when He came with manifest light.

BH09097: O handmaiden of God! The Wronged One remembereth thee…

He is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth.

O handmaiden of God! The Wronged One remembereth thee in prison and guideth thee to the straight path of God. Bear thou witness to that whereunto God did testify before the creation of earth and heaven: that there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. He hath no likeness in creation nor any peer in invention. He hath sent the Messengers and revealed the Books testifying that there is none other God but Him, the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting. Blessed is the handmaiden who hath attained unto the recognition of God and His oneness, and woe unto every heedless servant. Glory and remembrance and praise be upon those who have attained the presence of God, and upon thee, and upon every handmaiden who hath acted according to that which was commanded by the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH10105: In My Name, the Speaker in the Kingdom…

In My Name, the Speaker in the Kingdom of Utterance! O Muhammad-Husayn! We have made mention of thee time and again, and this is yet another time. Be thou thankful unto the Lord of all beings and the Master of the world to come and of the world of old, Who hath preserved thee and aided thee and assisted thee and caused thee to recognize this Great Announcement on a day when the divines of the earth and its doctors and mystics have turned away therefrom, save whom God, the Lord of the worlds, hath willed. It behooveth thee to render thanks unto God for this Most Great Remembrance through which the fragrance of the All-Merciful hath been wafted to all regions and the standard of “Verily, I am God, the Lord of all worlds” hath been raised.

BH09736: He is the Hearer, the Answerer! My God, my…

He is the Hearer, the Answerer! My God, my God! Have mercy upon Thy servants and handmaidens, and withhold them not from the Kawthar of Thy mercy which hath flowed from Thy Most Exalted Pen in the garden of inner meanings by Thy command. O Lord! They are servants who have turned unto Thee, detached from all else but Thee. Send down, then, upon them and upon Thy handmaidens from the clouds of the heaven of Thy bounty that which will preserve them from all else besides Thee. O Lord! Thou seest how the people of the Bayan have broken Thy Covenant and violated Thy Testament and turned away from Thy Beauty. I beseech Thee by the Most Great Ocean which surgeth through Thy Name, and by the fragrance of Thy garment which hath been diffused in Thy days, to preserve Thy servants and handmaidens through Thy power and sovereignty. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

BH10967: O Muhammad Karim, who hath emigrated and attained, He…

He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous

O Muhammad Karim, who hath emigrated and attained, He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful! O Muhammad-i-Karim! I bear witness that thou didst leave thy homeland, turning unto the most exalted homeland, and didst traverse the path until thou didst arrive at the Valley of the Noble One, and didst visit a House which God hath built by the hand of power, and didst hear the call of the Wronged One, and didst drink the choice sealed wine of His love. Blessed art thou, and blessed is he who loveth thee for the sake of God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH01628: O beloved of my heart! Although the beginning…

He is God, exalted be His glory, the Greatness and the Power

O beloved of my heart! Although the beginning of every word, book and volume should be adorned with the mention of God, glorified be His majesty—and this evanescent one too, in most responses to the petitions of friends, has ventured to mention what befits this evanescent one, a mention created by and returning to me, and this is a previous word and good words are good, blessed is he who utters them—yet sometimes when consciousness and fairness are attained through God’s grace, I feel shame and embarrassment to mention a Purpose of which I have no knowledge except to the known degree which He Himself has taught and made known. Glory be to Him, glory be to Him, there is no God but Him! Even if these mentions and praises are befitting for the chosen ones, that would still be good, nay very good—though even that is not certain. Now we must, with complete supplication, humility and submissiveness, beseech the unknowable King and ask that He perfect our imperfections, make spoken our unspoken words, and through His grace adorn our unperformed deeds with acceptance. He is the All-Knowing and He is the All-Powerful.

And then, in response to the telegram of the beloved His Holiness the Physician, upon him be the Glory of God, according to instructions a promise of reply was made. And since some time ago this servant submitted and sent a detailed letter to him, therefore this time he did not venture. According to instructions, that beloved one should write in response to his letter which he wrote to that beloved one:

“O Physician! Upon thee be My peace and My loving-kindness! Thou hast ever been and art remembered in the presence of this Wronged One. We beseech God to aid thee in all conditions in such wise that the world may testify to thy standing firm in service to the Cause. We also beseech Him to make the heedless ones aware through the fire of love and keep them enkindled. As for what thou didst report regarding the house outside the sanctuary, We have held back since this Wronged One had no funds to transfer, and We did not wish to afflict thee with new troubles. The tribulation of the house that has occurred is sufficient for thee. In any case, We beseech God that means may be provided in joy and fragrance that will bring ease and comfort. May God, glorified be His majesty, grant fairness to the heedless souls. They sell our property back to us. By the life of God, they have been and are usurpers though they perceive it not! It seems they have taken God’s law as a plaything. With properties that were outwardly and inwardly associated with and belonged to this place, they have done what is outside justice, fairness, religious and customary law. The people of Iraq would testify to this, were they to speak with truth and justice. Peace and praise be upon thee and upon those with thee.”

End.

Indeed, by what religious law do heedless souls sell property to its owner, while authoritative deeds bearing the seals of that land’s clergy are in hand? In any case, that permission was withheld now due to lack of funds there and other reasons. That beloved one should write the details of what you have done so far and what you intend to do, and how much has reached them so far, how much has been spent on repairs. They said that now, given the lack of apparent means, one must be content with less, as we do not wish to impose upon anyone. We beseech God to manifest that which will cause the exaltation of His Word. Verily, He has power over all things. End.

I convey greetings to all the friends and loved ones of that land, and I seek divine confirmation for each one. Peace, remembrance and glory be upon them and upon those with them, and upon the people of unity who have attained to the recognition that there is no God but Him.

BH05063: May my spirit be a sacrifice unto your honor!…

He is God, exalted be His station, the Glory and the Power

May my spirit be a sacrifice unto your honor! The esteemed letter which diffused the fragrance of meanings was like gentle water for the sapling of being and a wondrous table for the seeker of the Worshipped One. After it was read and reviewed, it was presented before His presence. He said it was intended that whatever would cause their enkindlement be mentioned to Jinab-i-Mirza Muhammad, upon him be God’s peace, and Jinab-i-Mulla ʿAbdu’r-Rahim.

God willing, a Tablet of bounty will be revealed. Regarding what was written about making a copy, if your honor makes the copy yourself, it is not necessary for Hadrat-i-Ism-i-Jud, upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah] and His favors, to make another copy. Otherwise Ism-i-Jud must make a copy of it. And concerning what you wrote about Jinab-i-Mulla Muhammad-Shafi’, upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah], it was presented. He said two or three other Tablets specifically for that land remain—God willing they will be sent. Send them with your own letter. And the Tablet of Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Majid and Aqa Mulla Muhammad-ʿAli, upon them both be the glory of God, is being presented before my Lord and Master. If it is bestowed, it will be sent. Peace and praise be upon your honor.