Volume 079: Akka 1303 A.H. (1885–1886), Part III (1 of 5)
BH00520: The True One proclaims and verses shine forth…
In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord!
The True One proclaims and verses shine forth, the path is clear and proof is manifest. Yet the people of the earth are occupied with vain imaginings and veiled from the effulgent rays of the Sun of Certitude. Today, sublime praise and beauteous glorification are, in the first rank and highest station, befitting the loved ones of Truth, exalted be His glory, who were not hindered from the straight path of God by the insinuations of the opposers, the doubts of the deniers, the oppression of the aggressors, nor the conjectures and fancies of the heedless. Inwardly they are like surging oceans, while outwardly they remain steady and firm as mountains. These are the souls who are seated upon the cushions of light and recline upon the pillars of certitude, for they gaze toward the horizon of “He doeth whatsoever He willeth” and are steadfast in their adherence to the blessed words “He ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth.”
The veils of the world and the clouds of the nations prevented them not from the Ancient Lord. They discovered the fragrance of the Day of God and attained unto true unity. These are the Hands of the Cause amongst the servants and the Standards of Guidance in all lands. Through the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree and the flowing of the Supreme Pen, they have attained unto a wondrous new life and have drunk from the chalice of detachment. The clamor of the divines is to them as the buzzing of flies, and the tumult of the jurists like the croaking of ravens. They are enkindled with the fire of divine love—a flame that shall never be extinguished. They move by God’s will and are stirred by the movement of the Blessed Tree. Blessed are they, and joy be unto them, and theirs is a goodly destination. There is no God but He, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Bestowing.
Glory be unto Thee, O Thou at Whose call the dwellers of the graves arose and at Whose command the trumpet was blown! I beseech Thee by the One Who conversed on Sinai, through Whom the decree of resurrection was made manifest, to assist Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones through whom Thy verses were spread abroad, Thy banners were raised up, Thy clear proofs appeared and Thy standards were planted. O my Lord! This evanescent one desires to make mention of one of Thy Afnan who attained Thy presence and whom Thou didst relate unto Thyself, though my praise befits not his exalted stations which were revealed from Thy Most Exalted Pen. Nevertheless, I beseech Thee, O Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens, to accept from me that which my tongue hath uttered and that which I failed to mention in their remembrance and praise.
O my Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name, through which the pillars of the world were shaken, to adorn him at every moment with new favors, fresh bounties, renewed blessings, original sustenance and mighty mercy. Thou art He through Whose Name the ocean of generosity surged amongst the nations and by Whose command the light of utterance shone forth from the horizon of the world. There is no God but Thee, the Strong, the Triumphant, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
My spirit be a sacrifice unto your mention and your loving-kindness. The servant has been blessed by the trace of your ink and what flowed from the pen of your knowledge. When I drank the Kawthar of love from the sweetest cups of your utterances, I approached the Most Exalted Station and the highest Summit, was present and offered supplication before the face of the Lord of all beings. Thereupon the Tongue of Grandeur spoke that which shall endure as long as the kingdom and the realm endure. His word, mighty is His utterance and sublime His proof:
In My Name, through which the fragrance of the All-Merciful was wafted throughout all possibilities:
Mention from the Divine Lote-Tree to His Afnan who turned towards the Most Exalted Horizon when Zawra was the seat of his Lord’s throne, the Lord of Names, and who attained the choice wine of revelation while men were in a wondrous sleep. He turned, and heard, and beheld a horizon from which shone forth the Luminary of his Lord’s loving-kindness, the Lord of creation. The Most Great Ocean hath surged, and the fragrance of the Ancient Beauty hath wafted, and the Dove of Utterance hath warbled upon the highest branch of divine knowledge that there is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Bestower.
Blessed is the arm that hath shattered the idols of vain imaginings through the power of the Lord of all beings and hath attained the light of unity when it shone forth from the horizon of might. Say: By God! The gate of heaven hath been opened and the Lord of Names hath come with such sovereignty as neither the hosts of rulers nor the doubts of the learned could withhold. He stood before the faces of all the world and summoned all to God, the Lord of Lords. Say: Beware lest anything among all things prevent you from this bounty the like of which the eye of creation hath never beheld. The world hath been illumined by the light of My Most Great Name.
Say: Be fair, O people, in this Cause at whose appearance the very signs have submitted. Say: O people of the Bayan, fear the All-Merciful. He indeed said: Should anyone come unto you with a verse, reject him not—yet ye have rejected Him Who came with that which no revelation throughout eternity can equal. By God! Every mention hath submitted at My mention, and the Concourse on High hath been attracted by the shrill voice of My Pen—to this testifieth He Who hath proclaimed in all things that there is none other God but Me, the Powerful, the Unconstrained.
This is the Day wherein the Mother Book crieth out from the precincts of the Prison with that wherewith all things have cried out: The Kingdom is God’s, the Lord of all men. O Afnan! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness. I complain unto thee of those who have denied Me after they were created to serve Me. Say: Take ye heed, O people of insight! Say: O people of the Bayan! Where were ye when the Light was shining forth from the Supreme Horizon and the Manifestation was standing before the faces of all peoples? Fear God, O ye manifestations of idle fancies! I was standing at the world’s center, making mention of God, Lord of all nations, whilst the people remained behind the veil.
Say: Cast the rivulet behind you. By God! The Ocean of Life hath surged in My Name, the All-Merciful. Draw nigh and drink therefrom through this Name whereby the pillars have been shaken. Say: O people, weigh what ye possess with the balance of justice and fairness by this Book, at Whose revelation all scriptures and tablets have bowed down in submission. Say: O company of the heedless! Of no profit to you this day is what the people possess, nor will all the books of the world suffice you. Fear God! He hath come with a Cause before which the verses have prostrated themselves.
Glory be to God! Until now they have not comprehended the Day of God. They have devised calumnies born of their vain imaginings and have arisen to lead the servants astray. The heaven beareth witness and the sun is a testimony that this Wronged One hath arisen before the faces of all the world, wholly detached from all else, in such wise that no fair-minded person can deny it. He hath summoned all unto the Supreme Horizon. And when the lights of the Cause shed forth their radiance to some degree, a band of wolves emerged from behind the veil of the letters Kaf and Ra, intent upon the Wronged One, though they were and are ignorant of the root of the matter.
Thus have their souls enticed them to a course of action that hath made them among the most lost in the perspicuous Book. By God! They are bereft of the ocean deposited within the blessed word “He doeth whatsoever He willeth” and are heedless of “He ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth.” Whosoever hath been blessed with this blessed word is preserved from all the doubts and allusions of the people. Thus hath the Supreme Pen spoken in the prison of ʿAkka as a grace and mercy unto thee and a light before thee. Verily He is the Compassionate, the Generous. The Glory shining forth from the heaven of bounty be upon you and upon those who love you and hearken unto your words, by the command of God, the Lord of the worlds.
This evanescent servant hath ever besought and continueth to beseech the True One that He deprive not the peoples of the earth of the outpourings of His days, and that He may aid them all that they might attain unto return. His Holiness too must needs supplicate the True One for the deliverance of His servants throughout the nights and days, for verily this blessed word was repeatedly heard from the tongue of Grandeur—blessed and exalted be His utterance:
“O servant who art present! We have chosen the Afnan and made firm their connection to the Tree. The Tablet beareth witness and the Pen testifieth, and verily whatsoever they ask shall assuredly be granted by God.”
They are, praise be to God, blessed with that which this servant and his like are powerless to mention. In the days when His Holiness the Greater Afnan and His Holiness who triumphed in Baghdad were honored to be in thy presence and in this Prison, thy place was truly empty. Such gatherings were arranged whose mention shall never be effaced from the world. Yet thy mention and the mention of those related to thee hath ever endured—gatherings from which the Concourse on High drew spirituality and the denizens of the highest Paradise cried out “Blessed be God!” At one time this supreme blessed word was heard from the tongue of the Lord of Names—blessed and exalted be His utterance:
“O servant who art present! In these days, due to the world’s lack of capacity, stations and ranks remain concealed. Yet in God’s knowledge there is preserved a Day, and on that Day there shall be the gathering of Tablets and the spreading of verses, and on that Day the concealed stations and hidden conditions shall appear manifest as the sun from the horizon of the heaven of the world.”
Whatsoever hath been revealed by the Supreme Pen is the truth wherein there is no doubt, as hath become evident and manifest to all. Every fair-minded one hath testified and doth testify that verily whatsoever hath appeared or shall appear in the world hath been revealed with utmost clarity in the divine Tablets. The stations of the Afnan must needs be made manifest and evident in the world. Thy letter was repeatedly read; at every moment the effects of the living waters were manifest therefrom. Praise be unto the Goal of all the worlds Who hath concealed within the words of His Afnan the treasure of love, wherein the effects of the celestial stream lie hidden. Glorified be His bounty, magnificent His generosity, and exalted His favors unto His Afnan! This servant beseecheth his Lord to assist and strengthen Your Honor and to open before your faces that whereby the fragrance of His Revelation may be diffused throughout the world. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Omnipotent over whatsoever He willeth, and He is the Hearing, the Answering.
Unto the two luminous lights, upon them be the Most Glorious Glory of God, I convey greetings, praise and glory, and I say that they are truly adorned with the ornament of distinction and are enkindled with the fire of love. His Holiness M.H. [Muhammad], upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, hath returned by firm decree, while his sighs ascended and his tears descended. Truly, mention of the degrees of his love, faithfulness, acceptance, yearning and enkindlement transcend this servant’s power to describe. And whatsoever was sent hath arrived. Two Tablets have been revealed from the heaven of divine Will specifically for the two lights. God willing, they shall attain unto them, inhale the fragrance of the All-Merciful therefrom, and drink from the ocean of His utterance. Glory, praise, mention and exaltation be upon Your Honor, upon those with you, and upon those who love you, mention you, and aid you by the command of an All-Wise Ordainer. Praise be to God, the King of this manifest Day.
The servant 5 Ramadan the Blessed 1303
BH02128: The servant testifieth that there is none other God…
He is God, exalted be His glory, the Greatness and the Power!
The servant testifieth 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 always been. In the beginning that hath no beginning, He is the One Who hath sent down the Books and dispatched the Messengers, that He might draw His servants nigh unto the highest horizon and make them cognizant of His path, His straight way, His Cause and His mighty Message. And may prayers and peace be upon the Point of Existence and the Lord of the kingdom of earth and heaven, Whom God hath made the Manifestation of His names and the Dawning-Place of His attributes and the Repository of His knowledge and the Source of His Command—He but for Whom nothing would have been created—and upon His family and companions who conquered the world through His Name and arose to aid His Cause and bore witness even as the tongue of His grandeur bore witness that there is none other God but Him, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name, and by Thy mighty Message, and by the Dawning-Places of Thy Revelation, and the Manifestations of Thy Self, and the Day-Springs of Thy inspiration, to aid us in Thy remembrance and praise and in acting according to that which Thou hast commanded us in Thy Book. I beseech Thee, O Creator of the world and Quickener of the nations, by the lights of Thy Kingdom and Thy Dominion, and by Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones, and by Him through Whom revelation was cut off and Thy clear and straight path was made manifest, to ordain for us that which will remove us from all else save Thee and draw us nigh unto Thee. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest and within Thy grasp are the reins of all who are in the heavens and on earth.
Thereafter, your letter was received, and at this hour, when six hours have passed from the fifth day of the blessed month of Ramadan, this ailing one, while fasting, is engaged in writing this letter that you might be gladdened thereby. God is witness and testifier that the friends have ever been and continue to be before our eyes. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to accept the unworthy deeds that have appeared and continue to appear in this blessed month, and to aid us in making up for what we have lost. Every deed that is performed for God’s sake is acceptable and hath ever been and will continue to be the cause of success and prosperity. I convey my greetings to the friends in that land and beseech God to grant them the ability to perform good deeds and to acquire praiseworthy character.
Although fasting is outwardly difficult and toilsome, inwardly it is a blessing and comfort. Refinement and training depend upon spiritual exercises—such spiritual exercises as are in accordance with the Book of God and are permitted by religious law, not those wherewith certain deluded ones have afflicted the people. Whatsoever hath been revealed by God is beloved of the soul. We beseech Him to aid us in that which He loveth and is pleased with. The two Pharaoh birds that you sent arrived. May God reward you. Indeed you took much trouble. While they were here also they endured many hardships. The deed was for God’s sake and its reward too is with God. Peace and praise be upon you and upon God’s sincere servants. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH03733: Being came into existence through the Word of God…
Being came into existence through the Word of God, and the Word of God through His manifest Revelation. He is the Perspicuous Book and the Impregnable Stronghold, the Dawning-Place of the Hidden Mystery and the Dayspring of the Treasured Name. Through His mention have the Books of God been adorned, and through His light hath the world been illumined. His deeds are He doeth whatsoever He willeth’, and His will is He ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth’. The foundation of existence is made firm through His Name, and the realm of wisdom and utterance is ordered through the effects of His Pen….
Today the judgement of death applieth to all save those souls whom the obstacle of names hath not withheld from the Creator of all things. They saw and heard, and with manifest certitude made their way to the ocean of inner meanings. These are the Hands of the Cause of God and the dawning-places of steadfastness and power….
The decree of wisdom in the divine Tablets is like unto the sun shining from the horizon of the heaven. All must observe it and follow it. The tender saplings must be protected from poisonous winds, by the command of God, the Lord of the worlds. The requirements of consummate wisdom are that which hath been recorded in the Tablets. All must hold fast to the cord of God’s command and cling to the hem of His laws, for whatsoever hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen hath been and is the cause and source of the order of the world and the preservation of nations. Well is it with them that act. O people of God! Hold precious these days and arise to serve His Cause. Today, goodly deeds and praiseworthy character are reckoned as mighty hosts in the sight of God. With these hosts render ye assistance. Verily He speaketh the truth and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed….
BH01689: Praise befitting and worthy be unto the Creator…
He is God, exalted be His station in wisdom and utterance
Praise befitting and worthy be unto the Creator of contingent beings, Who made utterance the dawning-place of wisdom, will and knowledge. He is that Word within which books lie concealed and psalms lie hidden. From Him have appeared the hosts of divine commands and prohibitions which are the cause of the order of the world, the comfort and tranquility of nations, and the reason for fellowship, unity, love and affection. The protection of cities and lands through justice and fairness has been and continues to be through these blessed hosts. The Dawning-Place of this utterance in the world of creation was the Seal of the Prophets, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him. O God, bless Him and His family and companions through whom were opened the gates of knowledge to all in creation and through whom appeared the path of Thy commands amongst religions.
And then, O beloved of my heart, the distinguished letter whose allusions were delightful and whose worth was precious to the people of knowledge—not every appraiser can know this pearl nor undertake to determine its value. In any case, since it was adorned with the lights of love, humility, submissiveness, attention and acceptance, after reading it the wine of its words intoxicated this lowly one and involuntarily I approached the Presence where it was granted the honor of being heard. O Nabil, upon thee be My peace. Praise be to God that through the grace of the All-Powerful and the compulsion of the Self-Sufficient, the Almighty, thou hast attained unto both. This compulsion is the cause and reason for the stability of existence and the firmness of its pillars. In truth, the insightful ones detect the fragrance of grace from all affairs that occur.
This Wronged One testifies to thy burning with the fire of love and thy attraction and longing for the light of knowledge. Thou hast drunk from the cup of mystical knowledge and quaffed from the ocean of grace. Divine love causes dust to transcend the heavens and brings the heart to light. The servant in attendance with thy letter mentioned what thou didst mention. In truth it removed grief and brought joy, took away sorrow and bestowed delight. According to the inappropriate sayings of the world:
“O time, thou art pleasant that thou hast made our time pleasant.”
Although this verse outwardly has no elements, yet a subtle fragrance emanates from it. We beseech God that thy mention and that of the friends has ever been and continues to be in the court of the Lord.
This evanescent one at all times beseeches God, exalted be His glory, to assist all to do what is befitting. That honored master should convey on behalf of this evanescent one greetings and praise to each one. The servant asks his Lord to make them manifestations of glory among creatures, dawning-places of faith among the people of creation, and rising-points of certitude for the people of mystical knowledge, and to protect them from the evil of His enemies and draw them near to Him in all conditions.
His honor the Name 66, upon him be from all the Most Glorious of God, arrived and attained the presence and dwelt in the shadow, and his honor the Beloved too, upon him be the peace of God, was in his service for a time and then the command to return was issued for some of their own affairs. They arrived with utmost joy, delight and gladness and returned in the same manner. Give my greetings and praise to the comfort of eyes. God willing, may they be at rest in the shadow of grace and provided for from the Tree of bounty.
As for the mention made of his honor Mulla Ali, upon him be the peace of God, praise be to God his name attained the honor of being heard in the Presence and was adorned and illumined with the light of grace. This servant too sends greetings to him and beseeches God for his success. Peace and praise be upon you and upon those with you and upon those who hear your words regarding good deeds and upon every knowing, steadfast mystic.
BH00486: Praise and glory, sanctified above the comprehension of all…
Praise and glory, sanctified above the comprehension of all created things, befit the Lord of all things, Who, despite the opposition of the deniers and polytheists, hath appeared with His manifest and radiant light from the horizon of Revelation, and hath called out with the most exalted call before the countenance of the Manifestations of His names, inviting all to the most exalted horizon. Neither the might of princes hindered Him, nor the turning away of the divines. Despite the heedlessness and contention of all, in every direction was raised the banner of “Verily He is God.” The clamor of the world became as the buzzing of a fly, and the tumult of the nations as though it had never been mentioned. He appeared and manifested whatsoever He desired. Ponder, O ye who are endowed with understanding! From the beginning of the Cause He spoke forth the Most Great Word, and by that Word He rent asunder the veils and dispersed the clouds of glory. Exalted be the fingers of His power and might! In days when the sea of hatred surged and the fire of malice was ablaze, He openly and manifestly summoned all the kings….
In the Persian tongue, hearken unto the sweetest verses of the Lord of Names. Whosoever today attains unto hearing them is accounted among the people of Baha and is recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Tablet. Say: O servants! Deprive not your ears from hearing the call of Him Who is the Speaker on Sinai and the Lord of Revelation, and forbid not your eyes from beholding His signs. Today the horizon of the world is illumined and radiant with the lights of the Most Great Luminary. It would be a pity to abandon the rustling of the Most Exalted Pen and the murmuring of the Uttermost Tree, and seek instead to hear the buzzing of flies. Say: Abandon your vain imaginings. By God, the ocean of certitude is surging and the horizon of faith is illumined. The heaven is witness and the sun bears testimony….
All the divines and ecclesiastics of the earth were created for this Day and to serve this Cause, yet on the Day of His Manifestation, all arose in opposition. They pronounced death upon that Desired One for Whom they had waited a thousand and two hundred years and Whose presence they had longed for, as all have seen and heard. Now the worth and station of those few divines who drank from the wine of revelation and turned to the Supreme Horizon become clear and evident. These things occurred only because of vain imaginings. Suspicions and idle fancies deprived all from the Lord of mankind on the Day of Resurrection….
From the beginning of Islam until now, the divines of the earth and its ecclesiastics have been deprived of the knowledge of true unity, save whom God willeth, just as all were veiled from recognizing the truth of the Promised One’s Cause. Not one of the former divines discovered His presence in the loins. All walked in the wilderness of ignorance. Now too all the divines and ecclesiastics of Iran gaze toward the imaginary Jabulqa and the unknown Jabulsa, awaiting the appearance of an imaginary person, like unto the Jews who still wait. I beseech God to illumine the friends of those regions with the lights of the Sun of true unity. He is powerful over all things. They are awaiting an imaginary person to appear, like unto the Jews who until now await. I beseech God to illumine the friends of those regions with the lights of the Sun of true divine unity. He verily is powerful and mighty over all things….
O Wahhab! The All-Giving counseleth thee to recognize the measure and worth of God’s grace and favor, and to voice His praise throughout the days and nights. The divines of Iran who considered themselves the repositories of knowledge and learning, and counted themselves among the most ascetic, learned and pious in all the world, were deprived of the divine manifestation’s effulgences and barred from recognizing His Day. Yet thou hast attained unto the recognition of God, exalted be His glory, and hast hearkened unto the Most Exalted Pen’s shrill voice. Blessed art thou and those who have attained unto this most mighty, most holy, most exalted and most impregnable station….
O Hasan! Know thou with clear certitude that the fragrance of the Merciful’s utterance is distinct and distinguishable from all else. Blessed is he who, possessing the sense of smell, discovered it and hastened to the Friend’s dwelling-place, and blessed is he who, possessing the power of hearing, recognized it and attained unto hearkening to His call. He is indeed of the people of Baha in My perspicuous Book….
O Husayn! This Wronged One hath counseled and continueth to counsel all to perform goodly deeds and manifest praiseworthy conduct, that all may behold the people of truth adorned with that which beseemeth them. By My life! Goodly deeds have been and will ever be a guide. Likewise We counsel all to fear God, for in the divine kingdom of knowledge, the fear of God is regarded as the finest adornment. Blessed are they that act. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds….
O Muhammad-ʿAli! The Wronged One calleth thee. Reflect upon the deeds of the Shi’ih and what was manifested from them of rancor and hatred on the Day of God. If thou wert to reflect upon the deeds and words of those souls and their recompense on the Day of Resurrection, thou wouldst behold thyself seated upon the throne of steadfastness and see thyself detached and free from all else but God. The fruit of those lamentations and wailings, and the result of those claims, was that on the Day of Resurrection they openly and evidently engaged in cursing and reviling the Object of the worlds’ adoration from the pulpits, and finally pronounced the verdict for the shedding of His most pure blood. Say: The curse of God be upon the wrongdoing people!…
O Abu’l-Qasim! The suspicions and imaginings of the divines of Iran have deprived them of the Dawning-Place of Revelation, the Source of Knowledge, and the Revealer of Verses. Blessed is he who, with the arm of might, hath shattered the idols of the people on this Day which is attributed to Truth, and hath turned toward the horizon of certitude. Today all must guide the people of creation to the horizon of the All-Merciful with hearts sanctified from rancor and hatred, with joy and radiance. Blessed is he who hath attained unto this mighty deed….
O Ali-Akbar! The people of the world, throughout ages and centuries, have lamented their separation from the Almighty Lord, and at the mention of His name they were seen humble and submissive. Yet now when the promise hath been fulfilled and the promised One—that is, the Speaker of Sinai—hath dawned and appeared from the horizon of the heaven of manifestation, all have risen in opposition and uttered that which no sect hath ever uttered. The Pen wept, the Tree lamented, and the Tablet took its place upon the dust. Man is bewildered, nay the world is bewildered. The recompense of their deeds hath deprived these heedless, evil souls of future blessings….
O Rahim! God willing, may you and the friends of God succeed in performing deeds that are acceptable in His sight. Today is the day of pure deeds, and deeds are the witness and testimony to words. Words without deeds were never and are not worthy of mention. We beseech God to aid all to perform deeds whose fragrance shall never be cut off from the world….
O Muhammad-ʿAli! That which hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen is as a lamp before one’s face, and in all divine worlds it accompanieth and befriendeth him. Were this most exalted station to be unveiled even less than the eye of a needle, all the world would turn from what they possess to what God possesseth. Fleeting ornaments, changing things, and imaginary names would not prevent them from the Dawning-Place of the Light of Oneness. Say: O people of God! Hold fast to the divine Book and free yourselves from all else. This Wronged One beseecheth confirmation and assistance for all. He is the Compassionate, He is the Generous. There is no God but He, the Mighty, the Great….
O people of God!… Today the learned one is he who has attained to the recognition of God, and the God-fearing soul is one who has withheld himself from that which God loves not, and the strivers are they who have clung fast to the Perspicuous Book. Whosoever has caused his will and desire to be extinguished in the Will and Desire of God—that is, has attained to God’s good-pleasure—he is recorded and inscribed among the martyrs in the Crimson Book. Blessed are they who know, and blessed are they who understand….
O people of God! Reflect upon the deceivers and plotters among the people of the Qur’an. For one thousand two hundred years and more they trained God’s servants in vain imaginings. In truth, they were worshippers of fancy yet counted themselves among the people of certitude. All clung to mere conjectures and were heedless of God, exalted be His glory. When the dawn of hope broke and the horizon of the world was illumined with the lights of the appearance of Him Who conversed with God on Sinai, the merit of all became evident and clear to those possessed of insight. They committed that which no people had ever committed. O people of God! Fix your gaze solely upon the Most Exalted Horizon and act according to His command. Purify your ears from hearkening to the words of the idolaters, that you may hear with the ear of the soul the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree. Praise ye the Beloved of the worlds Who guided you and led you to the straight path in days when all arose in opposition….
BH01162: Praise be befitting and worthy of the Beloved…
He is God, exalted be His glory, the Greatness and the Power!
Praise be befitting and worthy of the Beloved of the world and the Goal of all peoples, Who hath adorned the realm of existence with the ornament of knowledge. He is the Omnipotent One Who bestowed existence upon utter nothingness and commanded the worship of His peerless Being. He is the Sovereign Who hath ever loved and will ever love His knowledge; therefore He brought creation from non-existence into being. And His knowledge is not realized except through knowledge of the Dayspring of Revelation, the Dawning-Place of His Manifestation, the Source of His Cause, and the Manifestation of His Self, through Whom appeared His power, His might, His grace, His sovereignty, His greatness, His loftiness and His authority. Exalted be His station and His glory!
Through Him He revealed His signs and His evidences, and made Him the Lord of His Messengers and the Seal of His Prophets. Upon Him and upon His family and His companions be His blessings, His peace, His glory, His mercy and His favors. We beseech God through them to assist through them the people of divine unity to return unto Him, to turn in repentance at the gate of His grace, and to hold fast to His cord, that there may be revealed that which was concealed and raised up that which was cast down.
Glory be unto Thee, O God of kings and Master of all who are owned! I beseech Thee to enable the people of the white path to return unto Thee, then open before their faces the gates of Thy glory, Thy mercy and Thy favors. O my Lord! Thou seest them in the hands of the idolaters among Thy servants, where the people of hatred have surrounded them from all sides and have seized their cities and homes through oppression, for which those who acknowledge Thy unity and confess Thy oneness have lamented. O Lord! Do Thou absolve us of our transgressions which have stripped us of the garments of glory and honor. Verily Thou art the Lord of all creation. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Thereafter, thy distinguished letter shone forth like the morning star and brought joy. Praise be to God, each letter thereof was a gate of gladness, for from it wafted the fragrance of the love of the Beloved of the worlds. Blessed art thou and those with thee. After its presentation before Him, the Lord—may our spirits be a sacrifice for Him—said:
“O thou who gazest toward the horizon! Thy letter hath come and he who was present before the Wronged One read it. We heard and have answered thee with that which will gladden thy heart and solace thine eyes. We beseech God, exalted be He, to grant thee every good that hath been sent down in His Book and to ordain for thee from His Most Exalted Pen the good of the hereafter and of this world. Verily, He is powerful over all things.”
Thou hast ever been mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One. Thou art among those souls whom God hath assisted and granted that which is the cause and source of the joy of the hearts of those near unto Him. The fragrance of thy sincerity is diffused throughout the world, and from all regions have come noble and wondrous accounts of thy character and deeds. Every soul who hath visited that land hath mentioned and continueth to mention thy good name. In truth, service to the Cause consisteth in such deeds and character as cause the spread of the traces of the friends of God. Blessed are ye and joy be unto you! Praise be to God that ye have attained unto that which shall endure and persist. We send greetings to all the friends in that land and we beseech for each one that which is the cause and source of exaltation, ascendancy and elevation. Verily He is the Hearer, the Answerer, and He is the Compassionate, the Generous.” End.
Praise be to God! The generosity, compassion and mercy of the True One, glorified be His majesty, has encompassed and continues to encompass all. We were non-existent and He brought us into being; we were silent and He bestowed upon us the power of utterance; and He taught and made us aware of the ultimate purpose through words and meanings. Exalted be His power and His sovereignty! This servant testifies with both outer and inner tongue that had the people of the resplendent Faith acted according to the radiant Law and held fast to the divine Book, none would have prevailed over them and no cities or lands would have been plundered. Until now they are observed to be sleeping, for they have not arisen to redress what has been lost. In any case, we beseech God for His confirmation, that perchance the dispirited may become enkindled and the wayward may find the path. The command is in His hands; He doeth whatsoever He willeth and ordaineth whatsoever He desireth. He is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
As to what was written concerning the House, after submission they stated that whatever belongs to you should revert to the Truth. At present in that land there is no one who can attend to affairs and act as is befitting. Therefore if someone is found who can repair it and dwell therein, this would be acceptable; otherwise, it would be preferable to sell it.
Regarding what you wrote about the intention of Aqa Muhammad-Kazim, upon him be God’s favor, according to His command if it can be accomplished with wisdom—that is, if the non-believers of that land do not become aware of his coming—there is no objection to his proceeding. I convey greetings and praise to each of the friends in that land, and I beseech the True One, glorified be His majesty, that they may ascend to greater heights and loftiness each day, nay each moment. Indeed, the mention of Alexandria has become the cause and source of joy to the friends in all regions. The servant beseeches confirmation and aid for them. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer. Peace and praise be upon you and upon God’s righteous and sincere servants.
The servant 5 Ramadan 1303
BH02356: O My Afnan, upon thee be My glory!…
He is the All-Seeing, He is ever-present.
O My Afnan, upon thee be My glory! The Hidden Book that was concealed from hearts and eyes hath been made manifest and visible in the days of Revelation.
Say: O people of God! The enemies have invented calumnies and made these the means of their own associating partners with God, seeking thereby to ensnare heedless and ignorant souls. The Most Exalted Pen declareth: Such mentions serve only the purposes of malicious souls. But those servants who have quaffed the sealed wine and dwell beneath the banner of “God doeth whatsoever He willeth” see all else as non-existent and void. They have raised high the pavilion of certitude; the winds of idle fancies neither prevent nor move them.
By God’s life! All things have wept tears of blood at the tyranny of the oppressors, yet these shameless people—the followers of the Bayan—display no modesty but cling to the cord of falsehood and grasp the hem of calumny, that perchance they might deprive helpless servants of the rain of divine mercy, even as they did aforetime.
Say: O people of God! Be not weak-spirited, be not moved by every wind, be not deluded by every word. The Tree of Revelation, which in former Books was referred to as the One Who conversed on Sinai, hath from the beginning appeared and stood manifest before the faces of the divines and rulers. Most of the world’s peoples have, without veil or hindrance, seen and heard. Where were those manifestations of doubt and sources of idle fancy in those days? By God’s life! Each one, from fear in those days, was concealed behind a veil and hidden behind a curtain.
Say: By God! Should anyone deny this Most Great Cause and this Great Announcement, he cannot prove any other matter. To this testifieth the Mother Book which is with Him.
Well is it with thee, O My Afnan, for having attained the presence and heard and seen that which was hidden in knowledge and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Sacred Scrolls and Tablets. Thy letter hath been presented repeatedly, and from each letter We have inhaled the fragrance of thy love and sincerity toward God, the Illuminator of the horizons.
Soon shall the world and all that thou beholdest today perish, and there shall endure that which hath been ordained for you by the Pen of Destiny from One Who is the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful. We beseech God—exalted be He—to aid thee and grant thee success in this Cause whereby feet have slipped. Hold fast unto wisdom lest the clamor be raised of those who have denied the Beginning and the End.
That which thou didst send hath been presented before the Wronged One and hath been adorned with the ornament of acceptance. Be thankful and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who hast remembered me while I was in prison through that which the hands of every associating doubter had wrought. The glory shining from the heaven of My dominion be upon thee and upon those who have not cast behind them God’s Covenant and Testament and who have arisen with a power that the winds cannot move.
BH02415: A fire is kindled and a light is shining…
He is the One manifest from the supreme horizon.
A fire is kindled and a light is shining. The Sun of utterance hath dawned from the horizon of the heaven of meaning, yet all are veiled and debarred from it. Today the Most Exalted Pen is manifest and visible from the loftiest heights with the banner “Verily He is God.” A bounty hath appeared the like of which hath never appeared in the contingent world. The disease of passion hath prevented eyes from beholding the Most Exalted Horizon. Where are the attentive ears, where are the penetrating eyes, and where are the illumined hearts?
O thou who gazest upon the Countenance! Reflect upon the people of the Furqan. What station they claimed, and what was manifested from them on the Day of Reckoning! They committed that which caused the denizens of Paradise and the holy precincts to lament, as attested by the Mother Book in the final abode. Throughout ages and centuries they were occupied in cursing one another while speaking of the Qa’im and uttering “may God hasten His advent.” But when the Sun of Manifestation shone forth from the horizon of the world and the One Who conversed on Sinai issued His call, the divines one and all, along with their followers, arose to curse and revile the Point of Existence and the Lord of the seen and unseen. Finally they issued the verdict for the shedding of His most pure blood.
Reflection is needed on the ranks of knowledge of the divines from the beginning of Islam until the Day of Manifestation. They searched for Him in Jabulqa while He appeared in Shiraz; they sought Him in Jabulsa while He was born of a mother. And if anyone spoke differently from what they held, they would pronounce him an infidel. They are indeed among the most lost in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds.
Now after great tribulations, God, exalted be His glory, drew some by the chains of wisdom and utterance from the left hand of error to the right hand of knowledge. But when the Cause became somewhat manifest, the deniers among the people of the Bayan again became occupied with the same vain imaginings. Blessed are those whom veils, clouds and doubts did not prevent from the dwelling-place of verses.
We have mentioned thee time and again, and have now revealed for thee that whose fragrance shall endure as long as the most beautiful names of God and His exalted attributes endure. The people of God must strive and, according to their capacity, protect people from the manifestations of idle fancies and vain imaginings. Be thou grateful for My remembrance of thee and My attention toward thee from My Most Great Prison, and be thou of the thankful ones. That which will gladden thy heart and comfort thine eyes hath been ordained for thee as a bounty from God, the Forgiving, the Generous. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon thee and upon those who have attained unto the Most Great Steadfastness in this Cause, whereby the hearts of the learned ones of the earth and its doctors were perturbed, save those whom God desired, the Powerful, the Mighty.
BH02409: One of the servants of God has presented your…
He is the Hearer, the Answerer.
One of the servants of God has presented your letter and read it before the Wronged One. We have heard and answered you with that from which those near to God inhale the fragrance of God’s loving-kindness, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Verily should He utter a word, it would be the sovereign of all words. To this bears witness the Dawning-Place of Revelation and the Source of proof in His Most Great Prison, which has been named the Praiseworthy Station. We beseech God, exalted be He, to draw you nigh unto Him, to guide you to the Path, and to give you to drink of His sealed wine, whose seal has been broken by the finger of power, through a command from God, the Possessor of the seen and the unseen.
Say: My God, my God! Thou seest me turning toward Thee, placing my trust in Thee, acting according to what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book, and hoping for what Thy Most Exalted Pen hath ordained for Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones. O Lord! Thou seest me standing before the door of Thy grace and turning toward the horizon from which the Sun of Thy Revelation hath shone forth. I beseech Thee, O Revealer of verses and Manifestor of clear proofs, by the Manifestations of Thy Self, the Dawning-Places of Thy Cause, the Day-Springs of Thy signs, and whatsoever was hidden in Thy knowledge and treasured within the repositories of Thy protection, to make me one of those who heard the Call when it was raised between earth and heaven, who hastened to the ocean of Thy bounty and the heaven of Thy generosity, and who acknowledged what was sent down from the heaven of Thy Will and the Source of Thy Purpose.
I beseech Thee, O Creator of the heavens and Lord of the Kingdom of Names, to send down for me that which will render me assured in Thy days, steadfast in Thy Cause, and vocal in Thy praise. Verily Thou art the Almighty, Whom neither the authority of princes nor the opposition of divines could deter. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou pleasest. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised.
We beseech God to assist that honored one to recite what hath been mentioned. Verily He speaketh the truth and guideth to the Way. Although the path is clear and the proof is evident to such a degree that none hath any excuse to hesitate, yet if that honored one would reflect upon what hath been revealed aforetime, he would testify to the appearance and power and might of God, exalted be His glory. We beseech Him not to withhold that honored one from the waves of the ocean of utterance and the lights of the Sun of knowledge, and to bestow upon him a complete portion. He is, verily, powerful over all things.
The attributes and signs of God are evident and distinct from all else, but vain imaginings have prevented the servants from the Dawning-Place of knowledge and the Source of the Cause. To this testifieth every seeing scholar and every informed mystic. In all cases We beseech for that honored one divine confirmation and assistance. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous. The Glory be upon you and upon those who have heard the Call and turned toward God, the One, the All-Informed.
BH02844: The days of attainment unto the presence of God…
In the Name of the one true God!
The days of attainment unto the presence of God are remembered, and the fragrance of faithfulness wafteth from the right hand of the Vale of Permanence. Thou hast ever been and art remembered through the mention of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, and art commemorated in the verses of the Most Exalted Pen. God hath loved and continueth to love true faithfulness. His true loved ones stand manifest and visible before the Divine Throne.
O Asad! Today the Interlocutor of Sinai is seated upon the throne of Revelation and speaketh forth. Blessed is the ear that hath heard and attained, and the eye that hath turned and beheld. Today the people of God must regard all save God as non-existent and count it as nothingness, and must assist His Cause through the hosts of goodly deeds and conduct. A single pure deed can cause the element of dust to transcend the heavens—that is, to attain the most exalted heights and uttermost limit. Blessed are they who are set ablaze with the fire of the love of God and are illumined by the light of His knowledge.
Convey My greetings to the friends. We beseech God to bestow upon them a portion and share of the Kawthar of knowledge which floweth and streameth from the Most Exalted Pen.
The deniers of the Bayan have arisen in opposition. The Most Exalted Pen hath informed all of the braying of these brayerers. Blessed is the soul whom the clamor of the world hath not deprived of the Ancient King. He hath freed himself from names and words and hath sought the ocean of inner meanings. Those souls who were ever heedless of the Cause and concealed behind veils have now emerged. God protect us and you from the evil of such as these. They cling to the vain imaginings of the former people and hold fast to the hem of idle fancies. We beseech God to assist the eyes and ears of the world, that perchance they may behold the Most Exalted Horizon and hearken unto the Divine Call.
Praise be to God that thou didst arrive and witness and hear that which was recorded and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Books and Tablets. O Asad! We counsel the friends to wisdom and to teach the Cause with grace and joy. Thus hath spoken the tongue of the All-Merciful, both before and after. Blessed are they that act.
Glory be upon you and upon those whom the whisperings of Satan have not kept back from God, the Lord of all worlds. These are servants who have attained unto the most great steadfastness and have witnessed to that which God Himself witnessed before the creation of the heavens and earths.
BH03490: This is a remembrance from Us unto him who…
He is the All-Knowing Rememberer.
This is a remembrance from Us unto him who hath turned with his heart unto God, the Lord of all worlds. O Ayat! The Sign of God hath appeared, yet the people have turned away therefrom, and they are among the lowly ones. The horizon of Revelation hath been illumined and the Dawn of utterance hath broken forth, yet most of the people remain heedless. The verses have been sent down and the clear tokens have been revealed, and He Who conversed on Sinai calleth aloud from the Branch of appearance, yet the people are in evident doubt.
Blessed is the strong one whom the might of the divines hath not weakened, and the steadfast one whom the allusions of the idolaters have not caused to sit. Whenever the Light appeared and He Who conversed on Sinai spoke forth, the divines rose up against Him with such tyranny as caused the Faithful Spirit to lament.
Say: This is the Day wherein that which was recorded by the Most Exalted Pen and mentioned in the hearts of the Messengers hath appeared. We have remembered thee, and do remember thee at this time, with the verses of God, the True King, the Manifest. Arise in the Cause in such wise that neither the veils of the world nor the doubts of those who have disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the Praised, shall hold thee back. We counsel thee with that whereby the Word of God shall be exalted throughout all else. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing Counselor. Grieve not over anything, but trust in all matters in God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.
Thou didst stand before all faces in days wherein the pillars of the servants were shaken by the power of those days. When the Cause was made manifest, the manifestations of vain imaginings emerged from behind the veils and perpetrated that which neither Pharaohs nor tyrants had perpetrated. Thus did their souls entice them, and today they are among the companions of the fire. By the life of God! The dwellers of the cities of justice and fairness, and they who circle round the Throne at morn and eventide, have lamented their deeds. Thus hath the Treasury of Knowledge revealed the pearls of wisdom and utterance.
Blessed art thou in that thou hast attained thereunto in the days of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Bountiful. The Glory be upon thee and upon whomsoever remaineth steadfast in this Mighty Announcement. Praise be to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH08026: Today the people of God are souls who have…
He is the Hearing, the Responding One!
Today the people of God are souls who have, with the strength of certitude, shattered the idols of vain imaginings. Neither the might of princes nor the clamor of divines could hold them back from the Lord of Names. The All-Knowing, the All-Informed, says: Today the world is illumined by the lights of Him Who conversed with God on Sinai, and the Divine Call is raised.
Blessed is the eye that hath beheld it and blessed is the ear that hath heard it. Thy mention was made in the presence of the Wronged One, and these exalted words were revealed from the Source of verses: I swear by the Sun of knowledge which hath shone forth from the horizon of the world that all the earth and whatsoever is found therein cannot be compared to a single word from the divine words. Know thou the worth and station of the Word of God and preserve it with thine eye. These days are God’s days. Blessed are they who possess true knowledge, blessed are they who have attained, and praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH00092: How glorious is the victory of God! He hath…
Section 1: “How glorious is the victory of God! He…”
In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord
How glorious is the victory of God! He hath raised His Banner—verily He is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth—to the most exalted station in all the world. Its abasement is the source of all glory, and its defeat the sovereign of all triumphs. They have indeed suffered loss who denied God’s power and sovereignty, who broke His Covenant, who disbelieved in His signs, who strove to extinguish His light, and who rejected that which He brought forth in His days. Exalted is the King, the Single, the True, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting, and exalted is His sovereignty that overshadoweth all that was and will be.
He brought the world into being through His Word, and caused the rivers of meaning and utterance to flow therein. Through His blessed Name He opened the gate of the Kingdom and summoned all on earth unto it. How many souls were veiled from beholding the effulgences of the lights of unity as a consequence of their deeds, and how many turned away from all else save God and attained unto the shelter of His grace. He is the One with power Who with the finger of His will rent asunder the thick veils and tore away the august coverings. The hosts of the world are powerless to prevent Him, and the ranks of nations deserve no mention. He exalteth whomsoever He willeth. He is the Single, the One, the Powerful, Who doeth what He willeth by His sovereignty. Verily He is the One Whom all desire, in both beginning and end.
Glorified art Thou, O Thou through Whose light the horizons of meaning and utterance were illumined, and through Whose Name the heaven of knowledge was adorned with the stars of remembrance and exposition. I beseech Thee by Thy power, Thy might, Thy sovereignty, Thy glory, Thy grandeur, and Thy dominion to ordain for Thy loved ones, from the Pen of Thy bounty, that which will draw them nigh unto Thee and give them to drink from the cup of bestowal through Thy Name and Thy grace. O my Lord! Thou seest them gazing toward Thy horizon and clinging to the cord of Thy generosity. Thou beholdest, O my God, their eyes expectant of the wondrous tokens of Thy mercy, and their hands raised toward the heaven of Thy bounty.
O Lord! Disappoint them not of that which befitteth Thy generosity and favors, and withhold them not from the effulgences of the lights of Thy countenance. O Lord! Thou seest him who hath traversed the lands to exalt Thy Word and Thy remembrance, and who hath borne hardships in Thy days. I beseech Thee to aid him in all conditions through the manifestations of Thy strength and power, and the daysprings of Thy might and authority. Verily Thou hast power over whatsoever Thou willest, and verily Thou art the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.
O Beloved of my heart! The successive letters, like unto rain, have watered and refreshed the gardens of existence. Praise be to God Who enabled you to send them and enabled Me to read the remembrances contained therein. After perusal they were brought to the Most Great Throne and presented before the face of the Lord of all beings. In each instance there descended from the heaven of the grace of the Lord of Oneness that which the peoples of the world are powerless and incapable of mentioning, until in this instance, after their presentation in the Most Holy and Exalted Court, these sublime words shone forth from the Dayspring of Will. His blessed and exalted Word:
In My Name, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing
O thou who gazest upon the Countenance! Numerous letters from you have arrived and all attained the honor of being heard in the presence of the Wronged One. Praise and gratitude be unto Him for having enabled you to turn unto Him, to acknowledge and recognize Him, to direct yourself towards Him, to hearken unto Him, and to stand firm in a Cause at which the lions of the world trembled, save those whom God, thy Lord, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Wise, wished otherwise.
The destroyers of the worlds of meaning and utterance are those souls whom neither the might of princes nor the doubts and suspicions of the divines could debar from the Lord of Names or deprive of the ocean of the Ever-Flowing Grace. God is Most Great! Such souls have no peer or likeness. All divine Books, both of the past and present, bear witness to the loftiness and sublimity of the station of these assured souls. Blessed is the one adorned with the ornament of steadfastness and attained unto the robe of faithfulness.
Convey My greetings to the party of God. Say: Be not content to occupy yourselves with vain and profitless matters like the former people. Throughout ages and centuries they were worshippers of idols and pursuers of vain imaginings, yet deemed themselves the most exalted and excellent of all creatures. Night and day they would beseech God, glorified be His majesty, with utmost supplication and entreaty for the appearance of the Lord of all beings. Yet when the gate of reunion was opened and the hidden mystery dawned forth from the horizon of the unseen, and the ocean of utterance surged, both the learned and the ignorant arose in opposition. Glory be to God! They attained not unto a single drop from the ocean of divine revelation and insight. Take heed, O ye who are endowed with understanding!
Now again the people of the Bayan are engaged in the same vain imaginings. At times they speak of alteration, at times of successor, at times of mirror and beyond. Say: O ye ignorant ones! For one thousand two hundred years and more ye were occupied with these causes—bring forth the fruit thereof that it may become manifest to all the worlds. Yea, its fruit was that ye engaged in reviling the Sovereign of existence and ultimately pronounced death sentence upon His most pure blood. Would that the world had never been created and such a grievous wrong had never appeared! The Jews seek refuge in God from the oppression of that party, and likewise do other peoples. Say: This is the Day of true unity. The Sun of Manifestation is shining from the horizon of the heaven of grace, manifest and evident. The mention of aught else besides God was not and is not permitted. Those who cling to names have newly devised fresh remembrances for the dawning-place of vain imaginings. They have indeed lost who denied the signs and evidences of God, and rejected His proof and testimony. They are assuredly among the transgressors in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds.
Convey My greetings to all the kindred and those of the House of Justice, and give them glad tidings of God’s favors. The Mother of the near ones has ascended and has attained unto that which none among the handmaidens of the earth have attained, save whom God willeth, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. The splendor shining from the horizon of the heaven of My grace be upon thee and upon those with thee and upon those who hearken to thy words concerning this Most Great Cause and this Mighty Announcement.
Ever have you been and continue to be remembered in the presence of the Exalted, the Self-Sufficient. The rain pours down, the waters flow, grace is manifest, light radiates, the ocean surges, fragrance wafts, and the Sun of true unity shines forth—yet the people remain heedless and veiled. The King of being Who from the earliest days until now has arisen before the faces of the world and, with no veil or barrier, summoned all peoples to the highest horizon—from Him have the people of the Bayan turned away, clinging to new delusions a hundredfold more corrupt than the ancient delusions of the Shi’ih sect. In truth, men are bewildered, the possessors of insight are bewildered, nay all things are bewildered. That exalted Truth Whose verses have encompassed the world and Whose manifestations are evident and clear as the sun at high noon have they forsaken, clinging instead to souls who were and are unworthy of mention. Glory be to God! What heedlessness has seized the world! By the life of our Lord, the people are in grievous heedlessness and great intoxication.
Concerning what was written about Mirza Muhammad-Baqir Khan, upon him be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah]: his petition was presented before the countenance of the Lord of the worlds on the sixth day of the blessed month of Ramadan, four and a half hours after sunrise, and was honored to be heard, and this most mighty, most holy Tablet was revealed from the heaven of grace specifically for him. His blessed and exalted Word:
In My Name, the All-Encompassing over all names
This is a Book sent down by the Wronged One to him who hath believed in God, the All-Encompassing, the Self-Subsisting. He calleth with the most exalted call between earth and heaven and giveth glad tidings unto all of the manifestation of God, His sovereignty, His glory, His power, and His verses which have encompassed the kingdom of earth and heaven. Hear thou the call of the Wronged One, then bear witness to that which God hath testified: that there is none other God but I, the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. I created all things for the knowledge of My Self, yet when the appointed time came and the Promised One appeared, they disbelieved in God, the Lord of all being. Say: The Law is that which hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen, and the Way is this straight and extended Path. The Truth is He Who speaketh at the midmost heart of the world before the faces of all nations.
By God! The heavens have been cleft asunder, the earth hath been split, the mountains have been scattered, and all who lie in the graves have been raised up. This is a Revelation at which the limbs of all names have trembled, while tranquil were the hearts of those who recognized that which was uttered from His praiseworthy station. Say: The Law is the Law of God, did ye but know, and the Way is this Path which hath appeared with truth, did ye but recognize it. Say: O concourse of earth! Beware lest the veils of the divines shut you out from the Lord of all names, or the might of those who have disbelieved strike fear into you regarding the Witness and the Witnessed.
This is the Day whereof Muhammad, the Messenger of God, gave glad tidings, and for which the One Who conversed with God [Moses] was chosen aforetime, did ye but perceive it. The servant in attendance hath presented thy letter before the Face. We have answered thee with verses that nothing in existence can equal, neither that which is possessed by kings nor subjects. Blessed art thou for having turned unto the Face and won the verses of God, the Mighty, the Loving. Take it with a strength from Us and a power from Our presence and say:
My God, my God! Should Thy decree prevent me from standing before Thy gate, and Thy predestination hold me back from turning toward Thy horizon, do Thou write down for me, with Thy Most Exalted Pen, the reward of attaining Thy presence. Verily Thou art the Almighty Whom the contingencies of creation cannot frustrate. Thou doest what Thou willest. Thou art, in truth, God, the All-Encompassing, the Self-Subsisting.
The Glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon those who have turned with radiant faces and illumined breasts toward the Most Exalted Horizon. These are, verily, the people of Baha in the Preserved Tablet.
Praise be to God that ye have attained unto that which its fragrance shall endure through the perpetuity of God’s exalted attributes. Well is it with him and fair his pleasure. This servant conveys his greetings and expresses that which conduces to the exaltation of the Word of God. From the True One, exalted be His glory, this servant beseeches and hopes that He may aid you in that which befits His days.
As to your mention of Aqa Muhammad and Aqa Haydar-ʿAli from the people of Ya, upon them be the glory of God, and likewise your request for their remembrance in the Most Holy Court—praise be to God this hope was fulfilled and mention of them was made in the presence of the Lord of the Manifestation. His blessed and exalted Word is:
O people of God! Some time ago, wondrous and glorious Tablets were specifically revealed for the friends of that land and were sent through one of the Afnan, upon him be the Glory of God. God willing, they will attain unto them and drink from the ocean of the utterance of the Most Merciful. O people of God! All that hath been revealed and sent down from the Supreme Pen is manifest and evident. The barking ones have assailed from all sides and, like wolves, have set upon the sheep of God. Would that one among that people would ask what became of the recompense of the previous community, namely the Shi’ihs, for what they said and did, and what was their reward on the Day of Reckoning. By the life of God! They clung to vain imaginings while counting themselves people of certitude; they were worshippers of names while deeming themselves believers. Fie upon them and upon what their hands have wrought! The fruit of the deeds of those spurious, rejected, heedless and false souls was denial of the Truth, as is clear and evident. Say: Verily He knoweth the treachery of eyes and what the breasts conceal.
Section 2: “With perfect unity and harmony, drink ye…”
With perfect unity and harmony, drink ye of the Kawthar of divine knowledge, despite those who denied God’s proof and evidence, and who uttered that for which they were cursed in this world and the next. Verily He is the Truth, there is none other God but Him, and He is the Wise Commander, the Manifest Ordainer. Recently they have clung to the cord of perversion and the like. It is incumbent and obligatory upon all the people of God to protect the weak souls from the barking of the baying ones and the doubts of the transgressors. By the life of God! The people of Baha behold all else but God as a handful of dust. They are seated upon the thrones of steadfastness and recline upon the cushions of light. Blessed are they that know.
My God, my God! Thou seest Thy chosen ones enkindled with the fire of Thy love, turning unto Thy horizon, and clinging to the cord of Thy loving-kindness. Praise be to Thee, O Thou the Desire of the worlds and the Worshipped One of the nations, for having made clear unto them the path, revealed unto them the proof, and manifested unto them that which draweth them nigh unto the ocean of Thy presence and the heaven of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by Thy Most Great Signs, by the manifestations of Thy power in the kingdom of creation, by the seas of meaning that were concealed within Thy verses and words, and by the Ship that moveth at times through the air, at times upon the land, and at other times upon the sea of Thy will and purpose, to aid Thy chosen ones to be steadfast in Thy Cause in such wise that they see naught except Thee save as the darkness upon a dead ant.
O my Lord! Draw them nigh unto the station wherein was raised the pavilion of Thy glory, pitched the tents of Thy Cause, and hoisted the banners of Thy victory. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and within Thy grasp are the reins of all who are in the heavens and on earth.
Before every word of Truth—exalted be His glory, abundant be His favors, and mighty be His utterance—the books of the world bow down in humility. A hundred thousand regrets that deluded and treacherous souls are seen deprived of the Dawning Place of the Hidden Mystery. Say: Today is the springtime of bounty and today the heaven of grace is uplifted. Strive that perchance you may attain unto a mention or be honored with a service. Great is the Day, great is the Cause, and great is the bounty. Blessed are they who know, blessed are they who attain, and woe unto the heedless.
Concerning what you wrote about the barking ones—if anyone attains unto the vision of even less than a needle’s eye, they will see all these as non-existent and lost. The abundance of bounties has caused the heedlessness of the servants. By the life of our Lord! That which has been revealed is sovereign over all names and their kingdoms, attributes and their dominions, the Bayan and its loftiness, and the Furqan and its radiance. Now they sleep. Soon they will awaken at the gathering of divine verses and bear witness to their own evil deeds. O people! Fear God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Subduer. This is that Manifestation at the mention of whose name the Point of the Bayan—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake—uttered “I am the first of them that worship.”
From the ocean of divine generosity and the heaven of His bounty, We beseech and hope that He may aid all to return, that perchance the servants may not be deprived of the fragrances of the days of the Lord of creation. Verily, He is powerful over all things.
Previously in thy beloved letters were petitions from certain handmaidens. The answer to each has been sent down from the heaven of divine grace. God willing, they will attain unto them and drink from the ocean of mercy. Every name that was present before the Face attained unto the verses of God. What has happened that the world remains deprived of the ocean of knowledge, the euphrates of mercy, and the tree of wisdom? To what do they cling? By the life of our Lord! Their path, their proof, their worship and their orientation have sprung from idle fancies and vain imaginings. Evil is the deed of the doubters. The Command is in God’s hand, the Lord of all worlds.
This is what was revealed for the leaf Diya’u’l-Hajiyyih, upon her be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah]. His word—exalted be His utterance and mighty be His proof:
In My Name, the One Who dominates all names
O Leaf! God willing, thou shalt hold fast unto the Tree with such firmness that the diverse winds of the world shall not move thee nor prevent thee from the Tree. Today the shrill voice of the Most Exalted Pen and the rustling of the Lote-Tree are raised. Blessed are the leaves that have attained unto hearing them and are moved by the winds of God’s will, exalted be His glory. Today the emperors enter churches in the name of the Lord of creation, yet remain veiled from the Commander, the Creator, and the Goal. Likewise the queens of the world turn night and day toward the Ancient King and mention the Most Great Name, yet when the horizon of the heaven of manifestation was illumined with the lights of His countenance, all were seen to be heedless and remote, though night and day they were speaking His mention and hoping for His presence.
Now that leaf must, with outer and inner tongue, be engaged in praise and glorification of the Beloved of the world, for He has aided and guided. We beseech God to strengthen thee to preserve what He has bestowed. O Leaf! Know thou the worth and station of the utterance of the All-Merciful. If thou hast attained unto God’s tablet and found its fragrance, say:
My God, my God! Thou art He Who strengthened me, made me know, taught me, and guided me to Thy straight path. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the Kingdom and Sovereign of might, to aid me and Thy handmaidens in Thy remembrance and praise and in arising to serve Thy Cause. Verily Thou art God, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
He is the Hearer, the Answerer!
My God, my God! Thou seest one of Thy leaves who hath turned toward the Tree of Thy Cause and hath set her face toward Thine all-highest horizon—the Spot wherefrom the Luminary of Thy Revelation hath shone forth, O Thou Who art the Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance, the mysteries of Thy Book, the suns of the horizons of Thy heaven, and the waves of the ocean of Thy Will, to aid me as Thou didst aid Thy handmaidens and leaves who turned unto Thee, believed in Thee and Thy signs, and acknowledged that which Thy Tongue did utter ere the creation of Thy earth and heaven—that there is none other God but Me, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.
O my Lord! I perceive the fragrance of Thy Manifestation, yet know not upon which spot Thy throne is established. I beseech Thee by the breezes of Thy Revelation and the showers from the clouds of the heaven of Thy mercy to open before the face of Thy handmaiden the door of Thy bounty and grace with the key of Thy Most Great Name, whereby the limbs of the princes who violated Thy Covenant and Testament and arose to extinguish Thy light and quench the fire of Thy Tree did tremble. Praise be unto Thee, O God of the world and Desire of the nations, for having caused me to hear Thy call, to behold Thy signs, to be guided to Thy path, and to be given to drink of the Kawthar of Thy love.
I beseech Thee to assist me to preserve that which Thou hast bestowed upon me through Thy bounty and generosity, O Most Merciful of the merciful, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all who are in the heavens and on earth.
In My Name Which Dawneth from the Horizon of the Heaven of Utterance!
O My leaf and My handmaiden! Thy mention hath ever been present before the Wronged One. That which is everlasting and enduring hath been sent down for thee. Be not grieved by the happenings of the world. Hold fast unto the cord of patience and cling to the hem of resignation. Praise be to God, thou hast attained unto the lights of the Sun of Divine Unity and hast drunk from the ocean of the All-Merciful’s recognition. Beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, to assist His handmaidens to preserve the pearls of His love, for verily the treacherous ones, the thieves, and the barking dogs lie in wait. By the life of God! They are in manifest error.
From the earliest days until now the Self of God hath been in the hands of His enemies—at times imprisoned, at times in chains, and at times wandering from land to land as a captive. Yet in all conditions the scratching of the Pen was heard and the Call was raised. The heedlessness of the world did not prevent the Ancient Beauty from His purpose. Every fair-minded one beareth witness and every just one testifieth. O My handmaiden! Convey My greetings to the handmaidens of God. Say: We beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, to grant success unto all and supreme steadfastness. Ye must occupy yourselves with the remembrance of God, exalted be His glory, in complete sanctity and detachment, through goodly deeds and praiseworthy and pleasing character.
This is the counsel of the Wronged One unto His handmaidens. The glory which shineth resplendent from the horizon of this Most Great Name be upon thee and upon those handmaidens who have turned unto God and believed in Him, the Lord of all worlds.
In My Name through Which the Spheres of Utterance Have Revolved throughout Creation
O My handmaiden, My leaf! Thy letter was presented before the Wronged One, and the servant in attendance read it, attaining the honor of being heard by the Goal of all the worlds. Thou hast previously been blessed with the holy writings of the Supreme Pen. This station is most glorious—hold it dear. Say: O leaves, deprive not yourselves of the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree. This is the day of grace and bounty. We beseech God to adorn His handmaidens with the ornament of the Most Great Chastity and illumine them with the light of His knowledge. He is the Powerful, the Mighty, and He is the All-Seeing, the All-Perceiving. We convey Our greetings to the handmaidens of that land and counsel them with that which befitteth the Days of God.
Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto hearing and hath acted upon the counsels of the Supreme Pen. All that is witnessed shall perish and become as nothing, save that which is related to God, exalted be His glory. One word from Him is better than the wealth of the world and the inheritance of nations. Well is it with the soul that hath attained unto it. The glory be upon thee and upon every handmaiden who hath turned unto God, believed, hearkened and responded to her Lord, the Forgiving, the Generous.
And this is what was revealed for the Leaf Badi’ih, upon her be the Glory of God. He saith, blessed and exalted be He:
In the Name of the Compassionate, the Merciful
The spiritual sustenance hath been sent down from the heaven of divine favor in such wise as to astound all, and perchance due to its great bounty it remaineth concealed. Would that the people of the world might become ready and worthy to witness that which is hidden. The divine favor hath reached such a degree that every name mentioned before His presence hath been blessed with a Tablet and honored with verses. Today the ocean of grace is manifest before all faces, and the Name ʿthe Concealer’ standeth before all faces, concealing that which is unseemly and mentioning that which causeth awakening and enkindlement. With Him is the knowledge of all things in a Clear Book. We convey greetings to all the handmaidens and give them glad tidings of the splendors of the Sun of Divine Providence. Blessed are the souls that are accepted, steadfast and upright. O handmaidens of God! This is the day of remembrance, praise and deeds of purity. Strive that there may appear from you that which may cause the turning of the heedless and the awakening of the sleeping ones. The Glory from Us be upon My handmaidens who have believed in the All-Informed, the One.
Praise and thanksgiving be unto God that He hath caused the waves of the ocean of utterance to appear and become manifest in the form of the Luminous Proof from the horizon of the crimson ark. Glory be to God! The ocean surgeth, the sun shineth, the light is radiant and resplendent; yet the heedless ones, the infidels, and the babblers remain in evident doubt. All things mock them, but they perceive it not. Man is astonished at what the deniers of the Cause have understood and comprehended. Have they not witnessed the outpourings of divine meanings, or have they not heard the cooings of the eternal Dove? From whom is life, and from whom is death?
Section 3: “In one of the Tablets, this most exalted…”
In one of the Tablets, this most exalted Word hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen—blessed and exalted be His words:
“Verily We have sounded the Trumpet, and it is My Most Exalted Pen, whereby We have quickened all who are in earth and heaven”
unto the end of His utterance. May the spirit of all who dwell in the kingdoms of command and creation be a sacrifice unto Him.
May the True One, exalted be His glory, protect His loved ones. That beloved one should arise with the utmost endeavor to preserve the weak souls, lest they be afflicted with the like of former vain imaginings. At one time He said:
“Say: O people of God! Ye should be so steadfast in the Cause of God that ye should regard all else as non-existent and lost. Should clamor be raised from all directions, consider it as the buzzing of a fly, nay less, did ye but know. The fragrances of verses are diffused throughout the world, and the Hand of Power is manifest with the banner ʿVerily, I am the All-Powerful.’ Say: O babblers! Roll up the carpet of idle fancies—the carpet of God is spread, and the Lord of Eternity is seated thereon. Fear God and be not of the wrongdoers.”
By the life of our Purpose and your Purpose! The flame of divine verses and the lights of heavenly utterance have encompassed the world, yet those who are veiled remain in evident veils.
Concerning the mention that was made of the martyrs—upon them be the Most Glorious Glory of God—and the detailed accounts of events in that land, these passages were requested by the Most Great Branch—may my spirit, my being, and my essence be sacrificed for the dust of His footsteps. Should the authentic account, free from falsehood and conjecture, become available, let it be sent. It is most beloved, for the purpose of the Most Great Branch—may my spirit be a sacrifice unto Him—is that all that hath outwardly transpired in this Cause be recorded, that it may become the means of knowledge and awareness for the peoples of the world.
And concerning the mention thou didst make of Darreh-Gaz and their turning to the Most Exalted Horizon and their sanctification from all else save God, these passages were honored to be heard in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court. His blessed and exalted words are:
O Son of My Name! O thou who traversest the lands for My remembrance! Treacherous ones, thieves, clamorous ones and atheists have appeared throughout all regions. This is the news which flowed from the Most Exalted Pen in the earliest days. Verily He informed all of what hath appeared and what shall appear. To this beareth witness He Who speaketh at this moment that I, verily, am God, the Lord of all the worlds.
We make mention of Our loved ones in Darajiz, those whom We have remembered, and We give them glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness and mercy. We remind them of what hath been revealed by My Pen in My Scriptures and Tablets, and We inform them of what hath been ordained for them as a command from Me, and I am the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days. O people of God! Ponder upon the matter of this Wronged One. From the earliest days until now He hath been afflicted in the hands of enemies. Not for a moment did He seek comfort or protection for Himself. Before the faces of princes, divines and doctors of law did He raise the Call, and summoned all to the most sublime horizon. When the light shone forth and the Cause became somewhat manifest, the opposers emerged from behind the veil with the swords of hatred, seeking to destroy the Desired One of all worlds. By the life of God! They are deprived of the ocean of divine knowledge, forbidden from the effulgences of the Sun of inner meanings, heedless of the root of the Cause and unaware. They play with their idle fancies and perceive not, and they say what the ancients never said, and they purpose what those of later times never purposed.
Some of the ignorant ones have arranged objections and made them snares for the people of God. What have they understood of “He doeth what He willeth” and what have they comprehended of “He ordaineth what He pleaseth”? Every possessor of insight and fairness beareth witness to the greatness of the Cause and its exaltation, and likewise to its sanctity and detachment. We were not behind any veil. Before all faces were We manifest and evident; the Word was manifest and the deed apparent. We beseech God that He deprive not His servants of the light of the Day-Star of justice and fairness, and that He aid them to return. He is the Powerful, the Mighty. There is no God but Him, the Exalted, the Most Glorious.
Blessed are they who have drunk from the cup of steadfastness. This evanescent servant beseecheth the Eternal Truth for confirmation and success on behalf of the friends, and conveyeth to each one mention, greeting and glory. In all conditions, God willing, the victory hath been and shall be with that spiritual Beloved.
Regarding what you wrote about the barking ones, the transgressors, the slanderers and the oppressors—that party is not and never has been worthy of mention. Praise be to God, most of the friends attained the Desired Land and dwelt in its vicinity for extended periods, finding repose beneath the pavilions of grandeur. They saw, heard and became aware. He said:
“O Son of My Name! This Cause is the Most Great Announcement. Surely it must be seen as greater and mightier than the sayings and calumnies of the ungodly of the past.”
Each day one or two souls or a group would arrive in the Most Holy Land—all saw, heard and became aware. However, during this period one person was with those people on the island. Surely the details of this have reached or will reach the ears of that beloved one. Despite being in the land of England, they did not allow a single person to reside there or engage in any occupation lest they discover what they possess. In any case, the mention and deeds of this land are evident—more manifest than the sun and more elevated than the heaven. Blessed are they that behold, blessed are they that hear, and blessed are the fair-minded. The divine utterance hath been revealed to such a degree that the Mother Book and the Mother of Utterance are astounded. We beseech God to grant fairness and not deprive His servants of the light of justice. The duty is to protect the servants. And regarding the hardships you wrote about—they are true, without doubt. This evanescent servant beseeches and hopes that God will transform them into ease and comfort. Verily He is the Lord of humanity and the Omnipotent over what He willeth.
Regarding what you wrote about it being more than two years since you wrote and this evanescent one has not been enabled to reply—indeed it is exactly as you have written. However, the heart of that beloved one bears witness that this negligence had two causes: First, the assurance that, praise be to God, that beloved heart has attained and witnessed the waves of the Most Great Sea and heard the Call of God, and the verses have reached every city in a manner that transcends the description and comprehension of the people of the world. The second cause was the multitude of occupations. He has ever said and continues to say that attention must be given to the new, fresh and wondrous saplings, and they must be watered lest they be afflicted with the disease of withering from the poisonous winds of the calumnies of the opposers. That beloved one, praise be to God, is occupied with service and stands firm in rendering assistance. The servant asks his Lord to open before your face the gates of His grace and mercy. Verily He is the Compassionate, the Generous, the Hearing, the Responding One.
And regarding what you wrote about Jinab-i-Aqa Sadiq from among the sons of Khalil, mentioning that they intended to pay the Huquq but were subsequently not enabled to do so—these matters were raised before His presence and attained the honor of being heard. His blessed and exalted Word:
O Son of My Name! Upon thee be My glory! The payment of the Huququ’llah is obligatory upon all and its ordinance hath been revealed and established by the Most Exalted Pen in the Book. However, demanding and insisting upon it is never permitted. If anyone is enabled to pay it and delivers it with joy and radiance, it is accepted; otherwise, no. By way of reminder, it should be mentioned once generally in gatherings, and that is sufficient. The assured, steadfast and insightful souls will themselves take action and act upon what hath been commanded unto them by God. The benefit of this matter returns to those souls themselves. Verily God is independent of all worlds. Let not the people of God be saddened. By the life of God! There hath been ordained for them that which the reckoners are powerless to reckon.
As to what that beloved one wrote concerning non-acceptance, after it was presented They uttered words of truth, for the Cause of God has been and continues to be exalted through wealth and independence. “It behooveth My loved ones to hold fast unto that whereby the Cause of God and His sovereignty may be exalted.”
In truth, it is exactly as that beloved one has written. This evanescent servant beseecheth the everlasting Truth to assist the loved ones—namely those who are the Hands of the Cause, who are adorned with the ornament of teaching, and who are engaged in service to the Cause—to achieve that which will exalt His Word. In these days mention was made of this matter. It is hoped that the door of grace will be opened and the hand of bounty will bestow that which will cause the elevation and ascendancy of His loved ones.
His honor Aqa Muhammad Ardikani, upon him be 9 6 6 [Baha’u’llah], sent a letter to this servant specifically requesting that this servant make pilgrimage on his behalf. At three hours past nightfall on Monday the fifth of the blessed month of Ramadan, intending to visit the Most Exalted Shrine and Supreme Heights, that which was intended was accomplished. After completion, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke these blessed words, exalted be His glory and mighty His utterance:
“O servant in attendance! Praise be to God, thou hast attained and thy deed hath been adorned with the ornament of acceptance. Give glad tidings unto him who desired to attain the presence of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. He may say:
ʿMy God, my God! I have perceived the fragrance of Thy Revelation and have turned to the Mount of Thy knowledge. I beseech Thee by the pearls of the ocean of Thy wisdom and knowledge, by the verses of Thy Book and their mysteries, and by the hearts of Thy loved ones, their radiance and their light, to ordain for me from Thy Most Exalted Pen that which will benefit me in all the worlds of Thy worlds and draw me nigh unto Thee. Thou knowest, O my God and my Lord, that I know not what profiteth or harmeth me. Verily Thou seest and knowest and hearest, and Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”’
Praise be to God, they have attained that which is the goal of those near unto God and the desire of the sincere ones. This evanescent one beseecheth the Truth to assist them and confirm them in such wise that they may hold fast unto the Truth alone and be detached from all else. This is the station of true unity that hath been manifested in this Revelation. A hundred thousand blessings upon those who yearn and act.
In previous letters from that beloved of the heart, certain names were mentioned. Each hath been blessed with divine verses and illumined by the lights of the utterance of the All-Merciful. By the life of our Purpose and your Purpose! After mention of the names, the ocean of divine utterance surged in such wise that tongues and pens are powerless to describe it. As commanded, convey greetings to all and give them glad tidings of that which hath been revealed for them from the Most Exalted Pen. It is hoped that the horizons of those regions will be illumined with the light of unity and concord, and all will act as befitteth. Repeatedly hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken this exalted word:
“O people of God! Let not the time slip away from you. Know ye its value. By the life of God! All the centuries and ages cannot equal a single moment of these days. This is that which God hath testified when He was established upon His Most Great Throne with His mighty sovereignty.”
It is hoped that all will attain unto the word of contentment and will speak in praise and glorification of God, exalted be His glory. Peace and praise and glory and splendor be upon you and upon those with you and upon those whom neither the assault of the oppressors nor of the pharaohs who have adorned their heads with white and green turbans and have turned people away from the path of God, the Lord of the worlds, could deter.
BH10068: A mention from Us to those servants whose names…
He is the Ever-Mindful, the All-Knowing
A mention from Us to those servants whose names were mentioned before the Wronged One, Who is imprisoned in this mighty fortress. O people of God in Faran! We have mentioned you aforetime in such wise as nothing whatsoever can equal. The Lord of creation beareth witness unto this from this exalted station. Beware lest the clamor of the people of the Bayan debar you from your Lord, the All-Merciful, or the veils of every remote learned one withhold you. We have heard your call and answered you through this perspicuous Book. Verily, He seeth what ye do and heareth what ye say, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. A letter hath come to the prison wherein were inscribed the names of those who have turned toward My luminous horizon.
O Muhammad! Hearken unto the call raised from this most exalted station, from the Divine Lote-Tree: Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Single One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Be thou vocal in My praise, hold fast unto My cord, turn thy face toward My countenance, and cleave unto this mighty News whereof Moses gave tidings on the Mount of Knowledge, and the Spirit in the wilderness of longing, and the Beloved One between Yathrib and Batha. Thus hath the matter been decreed by an ancient Commander.
O ʿAli! Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto the mention of My Most Exalted Pen in My days and hath discovered the fragrance of My garment as it was wafted throughout the world. He is assuredly among the companions of the Crimson Ark in My perspicuous Book. We counsel thee and those who have believed to perform pure deeds and that which befitteth your relationship to God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
O Khalil! The Glorious One hath come with such sovereignty as the hosts of the heavens and earth cannot withstand. He giveth thee and those who have believed glad tidings of that which He hath ordained for you as a command from His presence, and He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
O Rida! The Lord of Names hath mentioned thee from this most exalted station. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this manifest bounty. He hath mentioned thee in such wise as nothing whatsoever can equal. The Tongue of God, the Mighty, the Powerful, beareth witness unto this. Say: My God, my God! Leave me not to myself, and deprive me not from the breezes of Thy Revelation, and forbid me not from the gate that hath been opened unto all who are in earth and heaven, and disappoint me not of that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones who have fulfilled Thy Covenant and Thy Testament and have acted according to that which Thou hast commanded them in Thy mighty Book.
We beseech God to draw thee nigh unto Him and to aid thee to be content in this glorious and wondrous Revelation.
O Fath-ʿAli! This is the Day wherein the river hath flowed, and the sea hath surged, and the Cause hath come with manifest sovereignty. Cast aside what the people possess and say: By God, what He hath is better than what we have—to this testifieth every discerning knower. This is the Day wherein the horizon of utterance hath been illumined by the sun of knowledge, and the Dove hath warbled upon the branches:
“Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Omnipotent, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
Take hold of the Book of God with the strength granted by Us, and be not of the heedless. We counsel thee and those who have believed to be trustworthy, religious, chaste and pure. Verily thy Lord is the Counsellor, the All-Informed.
O Darvish-Khuda! We sent thee aforetime, and in this year, a Tablet from whose horizon shone the sun of thy Lord’s gracious favor. Give thanks unto God for having aided thee to turn unto Him and guided thee to His straight path, and for having sent down for thee that which maketh thee independent of every book and remindeth thee of that which beseemeth His days. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this manifest bounty.
O people of God! Ye have hearkened to the call of the Arabian Bird and to His melodies. Now hearken unto it in the Persian tongue. Verily it will draw you nigh unto Him and guide you to the Path and deliver you from grievous torment. We have mentioned you in numerous Tablets and aided you to turn toward this luminous horizon. Beware lest anything whatsoever prevent you from God, the Lord of all names, or the might of the oppressors frighten you. From the first day until now the Supreme Pen hath neither paused nor found rest, and hath, through its movement and mention, aided the Cause of God, exalted be His glory. And when the banners of divine victory were raised in certain lands, the people of the Bayan rose up from behind the veil to wage war.
By God! They uttered that which made the eye of God weep and the tongue of God lament. O people of God! The idolatrous souls have never been with Us and have no knowledge of this Cause. Nevertheless, they have contrived calumnies and have aimed at the Purpose of the worlds, and with the utmost effort and endeavor are striving to mislead souls. We beseech God to make them aware of their stations and to cause them to return unto Him. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer.
As to your intention to visit the House—this is acceptable and beloved in the sight of this Wronged One, provided it be undertaken in a spirit of joy and radiance and be not contrary to wisdom. Say: O people! The beginning of the matter is the recognition of God, exalted be His glory, and its end is steadfastness, and thereafter the purification of one’s wealth and whatsoever the people possess according to God’s commandment. Therefore, the divine rights must first be paid, and then attention be turned to the House. Out of pure bounty hath this word been mentioned. We beseech God to confirm all to serve His Cause in such wise that these fleeting two days and their transient ornaments may not become a barrier and prevent them from turning unto Him in devotion.
O friends of God in those regions! The call is raised at all times, the Pen is in motion, and the tongue is speaking, that perchance the servants who have grown cold might be set ablaze by the fire of the Supreme Word and turn toward the most exalted horizon. Whosoever hath attained hath attained unto everlasting good and is adorned with eternal life. Blessed is he and his is a goodly destiny. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My kingdom be upon you and upon him who heareth the call of God, the Lord of Lords.
BH04602: In My Name which shineth forth from the horizon…
In My Name which shineth forth from the horizon of the heaven of utterance!
O My leaf and My handmaiden! Thou hast ever been remembered in the presence of the Wronged One, and there hath been revealed for thee that which is enduring and everlasting. Be not grieved at the happenings of the world. Hold fast unto the cord of patience and cling to the hem of resignation. Praise be to God, thou hast attained unto the lights of the Sun of divine unity and hast drunk from the ocean of the All-Merciful’s recognition. Beseech God—glorified be His majesty—to assist His handmaidens in preserving the pearls of His love, for the treacherous ones, the thieves, and the barking ones lie in wait. By the life of God! They are in manifest error. From the earliest days until now the Self of God hath been in the hands of the enemies—at times imprisoned, at times in chains, and at times led captive from land to land. Yet in all conditions the shrill voice of the Pen was heard and the Call was raised. The heedlessness of the world did not prevent the Ancient Beauty from His purpose. Every fair-minded one beareth witness and every just one testifieth.
O My handmaiden! Convey My greetings to the handmaidens of God. Say: We beseech God—glorified be His majesty—to grant success unto all and supreme steadfastness. They must occupy themselves with the remembrance of God—glorified be His majesty—in utmost sanctity and detachment, through goodly deeds and praiseworthy and pleasing character. This is the counsel of the Wronged One unto His handmaidens. The glory which is manifest and resplendent from the horizon of this Most Great Name be upon thee and upon those handmaidens who have turned unto God and believed in God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH04604: In My Name, the Protector over all names!
In My Name, the Protector over all names!
O Leaf! God willing, thou wilt hold fast to the Divine Lote-Tree with such firmness that the diverse winds of the world shall not cause thee to waver, nor keep thee from the Tree. Today the shrill voice of the Most Exalted Pen and the rustling of the Lote-Tree of the utmost boundary are raised up. Blessed are the leaves who have attained to hearing them and who are stirred by the winds of the will of God, exalted be His glory.
Today the Caesars enter churches in the name of the Lord of creation, yet remain veiled from the Commander, the Founder, and the Intended One. Likewise the queens of the world turn at all times toward the Ancient King, uttering the mention of the Most Great Name, yet when the horizon of the heaven of manifestation was illumined with the lights of His countenance, all were found heedless and remote—even though at all times they had spoken His mention and yearned for His presence. Now must that leaf occupy herself with the praise and glorification of the Beloved of the world, both outwardly and inwardly, for He has confirmed and guided. We beseech God to confirm thee in preserving what He has bestowed.
O Leaf! Know thou the worth and station of the utterance of the All-Merciful. If thou attainest unto a Tablet of God and findest its fragrance, say:
“My God, my God! Thou art He Who strengthened me, made me know, taught me, and guided me to Thy straight path. I beseech Thee, O Master of the Kingdom and Sovereign of the Realm of Might, to confirm me and Thy handmaidens in Thy remembrance and praise and in arising to serve Thy Cause. Verily Thou art God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
BH04952: O God my God! Thou seest one of Thy…
He is the Hearer, the Answerer
O God my God! Thou seest one of Thy leaves who hath turned toward the Tree of Thy Cause and hath drawn nigh unto Thy most exalted horizon—the Station from which the Luminary of Thy Manifestation hath shed its radiance, O Thou Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance, the mysteries of Thy Book, the suns in the horizons of Thy heaven, and the waves of the ocean of Thy Will, to assist me in that wherewith Thou didst assist Thy handmaidens and Thy leaves who turned unto Thee, believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and acknowledged that which Thy Tongue did utter before the creation of Thy earth and heaven:
“Verily there is no God but Me, the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.”
O my Lord! I perceive the fragrance of Thy Manifestation yet know not upon what station Thy Throne is established. I beseech Thee by the breezes of Thy Revelation and the rain-showers from the clouds of the heaven of Thy mercy to open before the face of Thy handmaiden the door of Thy bounty and grace through the key of Thy Most Glorious Name, whereby the limbs of the princes who violated Thy Covenant and Testament, who arose to extinguish Thy light and quench the fire of Thy Tree, were made to quake.
Praise be unto Thee, O God of the world and Desire of the nations, for having caused me to hear Thy call, to behold Thy signs, to be guided unto Thy path, and to be given to drink of the Kawthar of Thy love. I beseech Thee to assist me to preserve that which Thou hast bestowed upon me through Thy bounty and generosity, O Thou Most Merciful of the merciful ones and O Thou in Whose grasp lieth the reins of all who are in the heavens and on earth.
BH06752: The heavenly food hath been sent down…
In the name of the Compassionate, the Merciful!
The heavenly food hath been sent down from the heaven of divine favor in such wise as to astound all beings, and perchance by reason of its abundant grace it remaineth concealed. Would that the people of the world were capable and worthy to behold that which is hidden! The divine bounty hath reached such heights that every name that was mentioned before the Countenance hath been adorned with a Tablet and honored with verses.
Today the ocean of grace is visible before all faces, and the Name “the Concealer” standeth before the Face, concealing that which is unseemly and making mention of that which causeth awakening and enkindlement. With Him is the knowledge of all things in a Perspicuous Book.
We convey greetings to all the handmaidens and give them the glad-tidings of the splendors of the Sun of divine favor. Blessed are the souls that are accepted, steadfast and upright. O handmaidens of God! This is the day of mention and praise, and the day of pure deeds. Strive that there may appear from you that which may cause the turning of the heedless and the awakening of them that slumber. The glory from Us be upon My handmaidens who have believed in the One, the All-Informed.
BH08174: Praise be unto Him Who is sanctified above all…
In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted and Most Glorious Lord!
Praise be unto Him Who is sanctified above all mention and utterance, the Goal of all creation, Who hath ordained for His near ones the taste of milk and honey in the sword, and in tribulations suffered in His path the sweetness of heavenly food and nectar. Verily, every soul that hath drunk of the sealed wine was not prevented by the onslaught of the oppressors from the fragrance of the garment of His Most Self-Subsisting Name. With utmost longing did they hasten to the place of sacrifice, casting the crown of life before His feet. They discerned the mysteries of martyrdom and, detached from all else, set their faces toward their Ultimate Goal and Most Exalted Summit. These are they whom neither the might of the world, nor the wealth of nations, nor the pride of princes and divines could debar from the Dayspring of Revelation of the Lord of Names….
BH01087: In the Name of the One Who answereth…
In the Name of the One Who answereth from the horizon of the Fire kindled in the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing!
O My Name! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness. The letter of Farajullah—upon him be My glory—which he wrote to thee hath attained the honor of being heard in Our presence. The fragrance of the love of the Best-Beloved of the worlds was wafted from it. Likewise, he sent to this Servant that which testified to his acceptance, humility and lowliness before God, the Lord of the worlds. Due to events occurring in this land, there was delay in responding and showing favor until this time when the Most Great Branch appeared before the Countenance and made mention of you. We have mentioned thee in such wise as nothing can equal. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
At this time when the Tongue of Eternity speaketh and the Pen moveth, the Ancient Countenance hath turned toward the land of K and maketh mention of Faraj—upon him be My glory—that he may rejoice in his Lord’s favor and be among those who are steadfast. O Faraj! There hath befallen the Wronged One that which hath caused the dwellers of Paradise and those who circle round My mighty Throne to weep. Servants who have denied God and His sovereignty and turned away from His gracious Cause have risen against Us. Yet the Wronged One, in the midst of tribulation, continued to voice His beauteous praise and remember His loved ones in all directions. He, verily, is the Almighty, the Powerful. Neither the power of the world nor the might of nations hath deterred Us. We have arisen, without veil or covering, and spoken that which hath caused the limbs of the ungodly to quake. Blessed art thou and those who have held fast to the Most Great Cord and have arisen to serve My manifest Cause.
We have heard thy call time and again, and We answer thee at this hour. We make mention of the youth who mentioned thee before the Countenance and heard the call of God, the Lord of the worlds. He hath attained and won to his goal, as the Mother Book beareth witness in its exalted station. O youth! Hear the call and be not of the heedless. We make mention of H and S. He arose in the earliest days to serve the Cause, as beareth witness He Who speaketh in all things that there is no God but Me, the Single, the All-Informed. We have commanded the servants not to speak regarding him. We have forgiven him as a bounty from Our presence, and We are verily the Forgiving, the Merciful.
O Faraj, upon thee be My Glory! Thy mention hath been made before the Wronged One. I swear by the tribulations of this Wronged One that whosoever today attaineth unto any of My remembrances hath attained unto all good. We beseech God to aid thee in such wise that thy name may never set from the horizon of names, nor thy remembrance from the heaven of mention, nor be touched by decline. Convey My greetings to the loved ones of that land and give them the glad-tidings of God’s favors. His honor Amin, upon him be My Glory, during the days he was present before the Face, made mention of that land, and repeatedly mentioned each one in the Most Holy Court, and likewise the party of God at the gate of Isfahan. We beseech God to aid them and grant them success in that which He loveth and is pleased with.
Say: O people of God! Today ye must be set ablaze by the traces of the Most Exalted Pen and the rustling of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing—an enkindlement that would consume all dampness and coldness which are the cause and reason for lassitude and hesitation, that all may speak forth in praise and thanksgiving and arise to serve. Say: O people of God! Know ye the value of these days and seek from God that which endureth and lasteth. The days are transient, things are transient, colors are transient, wealth and riches and might and glory are all transient. What a pity that man should be deprived of the eternal Kingdom for the sake of that which perisheth. From the beginning of the Cause until now, the Pen of God hath, for the sake of God, uttered that which is the cause of salvation for all and eternal everlasting life. Well is it with them that hear, and well is it with them that act!
His honor Ha and Sin hath, from the beginning of the Cause, turned to the Most Exalted Horizon and hath borne in the path of God that which none save God is aware of. The gaze of favor hath turned toward him from the horizon of the Prison, that he may be of the thankful ones. Verily We have forgiven him and purified him. Thy Lord loveth faithfulness and commandeth all to observe it. Blessed is he who hath held fast unto that which God hath willed and hath detached himself from his own desires in this Great Announcement. Those who have attained unto His presence, nothing whatsoever shall harm them. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist him and aid him in His remembrance and praise and in serving His manifest Cause, and to make him a standard of His name. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty.
We send greetings to the leaves of that land and make mention of them with such mention that the whole world and whatsoever is therein cannot equal a single letter thereof. Soon that which hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen shall appear and become manifest to all the world. Consider what was in the beginning and what hath now come to pass. The will of God cannot be hindered by the will of creation, nor can the penetrating influence of the Most Exalted Pen be prevented by the clamor of ignorant divines. Thus hath He revealed the utterance, pearls of knowledge. When thou hast attained unto them say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds, and glory be unto Thee, O Desire of the worlds! My spirit be a sacrifice unto Thy grace and unto Thy favor. Despite what hath befallen Thee, Thou hast remembered Thy devoted friends.
If thou shouldst meet his honor Amin, convey My greetings. Say: Verily We have mentioned every name thou didst mention before the Face, and We mention it as a grace from Us, and I am verily the Compassionate, the Bountiful. O Amin! Thou didst enter by My leave and depart by My leave. Thou didst stand before My face and didst speak in remembrance of My party and My loved ones who have held fast to My cord and clung to the hem of the robe of My mercy, and who have soared in My atmosphere and spoken My praise and hastened unto My straight path. The Glory be upon thee and upon him and upon those whose names thou hast mentioned on this dark night from the Pen of God, the Powerful, the Strong, the Triumphant, the Mighty.
BH01619: A letter from the Wronged One to him who…
He is the One speaking from His most exalted horizon.
A letter from the Wronged One to him who has turned to God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, that the call may draw him to the most exalted horizon and bring him near to Him Who hath come from the heaven of grace with a proof that nothing possessed by the nations can equal. He Who possesseth the known Book beareth witness to this. The horizon of knowledge hath been illumined by the light of the name of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Blessed is he who hath seen with his own eyes and blessed is he who hath heard with his own ears the call of God, the Mighty, the Loving.
O ʿAli! We have heard thy mention and have remembered thee with that which nothing in the world can equal. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this bounty and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O God of the seen and unseen!” Beware lest the people of the Bayan prevent thee from thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Be thou steadfast in service to the Cause, turn thy face toward its horizon, speak forth its praise, and hold fast unto its strong cord. When thou perceivest the fragrance of revelation in the verses of thy Lord, say with wisdom and utterance: “O people of the world! The All-Merciful hath come with manifest sovereignty.” Beware lest the veils of the divines withhold you, or the might of those who have denied God’s right, the Lord of existence, frighten you.
Say: “O concourse of divines! By God, the dwellers of the highest Paradise lament because of your tyranny. Fear God and be not of those who have denied God’s favor after it was sent down.” Thus doth My Most Exalted Pen counsel you from its praiseworthy station. Through you was shed the blood of the Primal Point, and the limbs of the Concourse on High did tremble. Thus did their souls entice them, and you today do not understand. Cast away your idle fancies and take what ye have been given from the presence of the Truth, the Knower of the unseen, Who hath come with the banners of verses, with the Primal Point at His right hand and a company of angels at His left, if ye but knew.
O ʿAli! Behold and then recall what the people of Iran perpetrated when the Herald of thy Lord’s Cause, the All-Merciful, appeared. They pronounced judgment against Him with such injustice that the Holy Spirit lamented, as did the dwellers of the divine pavilions and the inhabitants of the Kingdom.
Hearken in the Persian tongue to the call of the Wronged One and ponder the deeds of the Shi’ih sect. Throughout ages and centuries they awaited the appearance of Him Who conversed on Sinai, and at all times they lamented and supplicated God, glorified be His majesty, yearning for His presence. But when the blessed Morn dawned and the holy Tree sprouted forth, all surrounded Him with swords of hatred and pronounced judgment to shed His most pure blood. “It was not the rulers who slew Him, but rather the divines, would ye but understand.” For in the early years, all the divines pronounced judgment to slay the Lord of the saints, and by the verdict of those heedless souls there occurred what occurred.
Reflect a little, that perchance thou mayest drink from the ocean of awareness and bear witness to the wronged state of the Truth. The Shi’ih sect counted themselves the most learned, most excellent and most God-fearing among the world’s peoples, yet with one clear test it became evident they were the basest of all the earth’s peoples. They committed that which no other people in the world had committed. Even now their deeds are manifest and evident. The cry did not bring them to their senses, nor did the call awaken them. They stand in pulpits cursing the Intended One and perceive it not.
Now the people of the Bayan too have intended to organize a party from among the Shi’ih. In any case, hearken to the call of the Wronged One. Stand for God’s sake and speak for God’s sake, that perchance former delusions may not be renewed and the helpless people may become free and attain true unity. Service to the Cause is binding and obligatory upon all. Convey My greetings to the friends in that land. Say: While time remains, turn ye to the eternal Kingdom and arise to redress what hath escaped you. The world is transient, its days are transient, and all that is seen is transient. Strive that ye may achieve such deeds whose fragrance shall never fade from the world and may be recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Book. Verily He is the Protector of those who remember Him and those who act. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH04021: This is a mention from Us unto him who…
He is the Hearer, the Answerer
This is a mention from Us unto him who hath believed in God, the Single, the All-Informed. The eyes have been prevented from beholding My horizon, the tongues from making mention of Me, and the ears from hearkening to My sweetest call. Thus have their souls enticed them to follow every remote oppressor. They who claim knowledge without clear proof from Our presence—these are the companions of hellfire. Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear the All-Merciful and be not of those who disbelieved in Muhammad, the Messenger of God, when He came with the truth, and turned away from the Spirit when He appeared from the presence of a Mighty, Ancient One. Judge fairly by God, then behold this horizon from which hath dawned the Day-Star of thy Lord’s beauty, the Speaking, the All-Knowing. The books of the people profit you not today except through this Book which hath been sent down from God, the Lord of the worlds. Thus hath the Pen revealed the Kawthar of life—blessed are the people of Baha who have drunk therefrom in My Name, the Mighty, the Wondrous.
These are they whom names prevent not from the Creator of heaven, nor the clamor of the people from God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Praise be to God, Lord of what was and what will be. Convey the Cause of thy Lord with wisdom and utterance, then protect the servants from the arrows of those who have disbelieved in God, the Sovereign of existence. Be a servant of thy Lord’s Cause and a guardian of the City of the Bayan, lest there enter it any immoral one who hath turned away from God, the Mighty, the Loving. When thou attainest unto My Book and findest the fragrance of My utterance, arise and say: Praise be to Thee, O Master of the seen and unseen! I testify that Thou hast come from the dayspring of the Cause with the banners of verses and the standards of wisdom and utterance. Blessed is he who seeth with insight, and woe unto every heedless doubter.
BH04183: O people of the earth! Have ye not heard…
He is the Preserver, He is the Guide!
O people of the earth! Have ye not heard the shrill voice of the Most Exalted Pen, and attained not unto the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree? Say: Today the ocean of utterance is surging and the Sun of Truth is shining resplendent. Deprive not yourselves! Set your faces toward the ultimate goal and supreme summit. This is the Day which all books and messengers have heralded and made known.
O Hadi! Aforetime didst thou attain unto the traces of the Most Exalted Pen and wert honored by the lights of the Sun of Truth. We sent thee aforetime a Tablet from whose horizon shone the sun of thy Lord’s loving kindness, the Compassionate, the Bountiful. By the life of God! The world cannot be compared to a single word from the divine utterances. Know thou the value of the utterance of the All-Merciful and preserve it as thou wouldst thy life.
Would that the peoples of the earth were adorned with the ornament of fairness and would recite but one Tablet from the Tablets of God, exalted be His glory, and judge with fairness. Great indeed is this Day, for in it the Mighty News hath appeared and the Mother Book hath spoken forth from the most exalted horizon of the world. Blessed is the one whom the doubts of the divines and the allusions of the jurisprudents have not kept back from the Lord of Names.
Convey on behalf of this Wronged One greetings to all who are related—that is, those souls who have held fast to the Divine Book and are gazing toward the Supreme Horizon—and give them the glad-tidings of God’s favors, exalted be His glory. We beseech Him, exalted is He, to ordain for those who have turned to Him and attained that which He hath prescribed for His chosen ones and His loved ones. Verily, there is none other God but Him, the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
BH04910: O Andalib, We have heard your melodies, your warbling…
He is the One Who stands and speaks before the faces of the world!
O Andalib, We have heard your melodies, your warbling, and your songs in the garden of loving-kindness and favor. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to strengthen you and protect you from that which is unworthy of His days—days which were heralded by the Spirit and announced by Him Who conversed with God. Your verses have been presented before Us. We found from them the fragrance of orientation and devotion. We have turned unto you and mentioned you in this wondrous Tablet. This is the Day wherein the Mother Book speaks and the Preserved Tablet utters, and that which was hidden in God’s knowledge, the Lord of the worlds, is made manifest.
Say: My God, my God! I perceive the fragrance of Thy bounty from Thy utterance and behold the lights of Thy daybreak from Thy horizon. I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst manifest the Resurrection and its conditions, and the Hour and its signs, and through which Thou didst subdue the servants and send down upon the lands that which was inscribed by Thy Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Tablet, to enable me to remember Thee and praise Thee throughout the nights and days. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all beings. Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having made known to me Thy path and caused me to speak Thy praise on this Day wherein the idolaters have risen against Thee with the swords of malice and hatred, and the heedless with the spears of fancy and idle imagination. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Signs and the manifestations of Thy power in the kingdom of creation to ordain for me that which will preserve me from all else save Thee and draw me nigh unto Thee. Verily, Thou art the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted. There is none other God but Thee, the Ruler in the beginning and in the end.
BH05028: Throughout past ages and centuries, the people of Iran…
In the name of the All-Knowing Lord!
Throughout past ages and centuries, the people of Iran, both clergy and others, according to their own claims, held fast to truth, spoke of truth, and walked in the path of truth. Yet when the light of the Most Great Luminary shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of the Ancient Lord’s will, they committed such acts as no oppressor had ever committed since the beginning of creation. They issued death sentences against One Whom they had remembered day and night. I swear by the Sun of Truth which shineth from the horizon of the prison’s heaven that all religious groups have sought and continue to seek refuge in God from the deeds of those heedless souls.
Now again the deniers of the Bayan are engaged in the same pursuits. Beseech God to protect all, that they may perhaps engage in the remembrance of the Beloved of the worlds with joy and fragrance, and attain to the light of true unity. Thus hath My Most Exalted Pen spoken, and the Tongue of Grandeur uttered in this glorious and wondrous station.
The world hath been laid waste by vain imaginings. Glory be to God! Despite all they have seen and heard, they again associate with the barking ones. What do they intend to perceive and what do they wish to understand? We beseech God to assist His loved ones with the means of the heavens and earth, and protect them from the evil of every remote oppressor and every stubborn barking one.
BH05501: A missive from the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, unto him…
In the Name of Him through Whom the fragrances of the All-Merciful were wafted throughout creation.
A missive from the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, unto him who hath drunk of My sealed wine, that he may rejoice and be of them who have turned to the Most Exalted Horizon on a Day whereon the Herald proclaimed: The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Possessor of the Invisible and the Visible. My Name Jamal, upon him be My glory, hath made mention of thee. We make mention of thee in a Tablet whereunto nothing in all creation can compare, and I am, verily, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Hearken unto the Call that hath been raised from the precincts of the Prison—verily there is no God but Me, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved. Be thou vocal in My praise, and turn unto My horizon, and make mention of My Forbidden Name through which the foundation of every learned one was shaken and the hearts of all who are endued with understanding were perturbed, save whom God, the Lord of the Kingdom, did will. Thus hath the Tongue of Revelation spoken, as the Wronged One was established upon the throne of dominion. Let not the affairs of men grieve thee. Hold thou fast unto the cord of the tender mercy of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Loving.
Convey My remembrance unto My loved ones who have believed in God, the Lord of the Invisible and the Visible. We counsel them with that which We counseled Our servants aforetime and with that which hath been sent down in a Preserved Tablet. The Glory shining resplendent from the horizon of the heaven of My utterance be upon thee and upon My servants who have not broken My Covenant and My Testament, and who have acted in accordance with that which they were bidden in My perspicuous Book.
BH05613: O Mahmud! The Day is God’s Day…
He is the All-Witnessing from the most exalted horizon
O Mahmud! The Day is God’s Day, and the Cause is His Cause, and the Book is His Book, and the Manifestation is His Manifestation. That which was hidden from the beginning of creation until now has been made manifest. Yet all the divines of this age are engaged in cursing and denunciation. Glory be to God! The former faction, who counted themselves the most learned, most God-fearing and most ascetic in the world, committed that which no previous factions had done. In the early years, both learned and ignorant would curse the Lord of the world and issue decrees for His death. What has been the fruit of the words, deeds and actions of those souls over twelve hundred years, and what has become of them?
Man is bewildered, nay the world is bewildered. Blessed is the soul that became aware of that faction’s loss and preserved itself from the whisperings of the turbaned ones through the name of Truth. Give thanks to the Aim of the world that He remembered thee in the Most Great Prison, and arise with complete steadfastness in the Cause of the Lord of all names. Verily He heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon those whom the clamor did not prevent from the Lord of Names—they turned and said “We believe in God, the Lord of the worlds.”
BH05895: The Preserved Tablet speaketh: The verses have been sent…
He is the One Who gazeth from His most exalted horizon
The Preserved Tablet speaketh: The verses have been sent down, the clear proofs have appeared, and the Light of the Cause hath dawned from the horizon of power, and the Call hath been raised, yet all remain heedless and veiled, save those souls who, drawn by the Call, have turned, detached from all things, toward the most exalted horizon. These are the hands of God’s Cause amongst His creation. Blessed is the one whom vain imaginings have not deprived of the Dayspring of certitude, and who hath clung to the blessed word “He doeth whatsoever He willeth.” Whosoever attaineth unto this blessed word shall attain unto manifest certitude and shall accept whatsoever appeareth from the most exalted horizon with perfect submission and contentment. Blessed is he who hath heard My call and turned to My horizon and gained victory through My Cause, the Mighty, the Wondrous.
Thy mention hath been made in the presence of the Wronged One, and thy verses have attained the honor of being heard. Praise be to God that thou hast been assisted to turn unto Him and hast been honored by this blessed Tablet, adorned by the Most Exalted Pen. Give praise to the Goal of all worlds, Who, in the Most Great Prison, hath bestowed His grace upon thee and made mention of thee. Unto Him be praise in all conditions. He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted. The splendor from the presence of Baha be upon the people of Baha, whom nothing whatsoever among all things hath prevented from God, the Cleaver of the heavens.
BH07736: The sweet water of life hath flowed…
He is the One speaking from His most exalted horizon.
The sweet water of life hath flowed from the Pen of the All-Merciful. Blessed is he who hath drunk thereof, and woe unto every heedless and remote one. The Preserved Tablet hath appeared through My firm and impregnable Command. By My Life, He Who speaketh at this hour declareth: The kingdom is Mine—beware lest ye be of the heedless ones. The verses have submitted to My verse, and the evidences to My wondrous Manifestation. We have revealed in the Tablets that which hath appeared and shall appear, yet the people remain behind a thick veil.
Thou hast been mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One. He is verily the All-Compassionate, the All-Bountiful. When thou findest My choice-sealed wine from the chalice of My destined utterance, take it with the hand of submission, then drink thereof in My Name, the Self-Subsisting, Who hath arisen before all faces proclaiming: The Truth hath come with manifest sovereignty.
Thus have the breezes of revelation been wafted as a token from God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Glory be upon the people of Baha who have cast the world behind them, turning unto My luminous horizon.
BH07816: This is a Book which the Lord of all…
He is the Most Exalted Pen.
This is a Book which the Lord of all beings hath sent down unto him who hath turned unto the lights of the Countenance and drunk the choice wine in the name of his Lord, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. We have manifested that which was hidden in knowledge and have sent down from the heaven of Will that which the reckoners have failed to reckon. Blessed is the servant who hath held fast to the cord of God, and woe betide every rejected denier. When thou hast attained unto My Book and drunk the choice wine of revelation from My verses, arise and say:
Unto Thee be praise, O Lord of Names, and unto Thee be glory, O Desire of the invisible and visible realms. I beseech Thee to assist me to serve Thy Cause, to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee. Verily Thou art powerful to do what Thou willest through Thy word “Be” and it is. Thus doth the Pen move when the Ancient King was seated upon the Most Great Throne, speaking forth verses that all the treasures cannot equal. Glory be from Us upon those who have cast away idle fancies and vain imaginings, holding fast to the cord of God, the Lord of the Kingdom.
BH08213: Praise and glory befit the friends of the Lord…
Praise and glory befit the friends of the Lord of Names, whom neither the veils of the divines, nor the clouds of the jurists, nor the opposition of the philosophers could debar from the Most Exalted Horizon or deprive of the ocean of divine mercy. Their hearts are illumined with the light of recognition and their faces are turned toward the Most Glorious Horizon. They are those servants concerning whom He hath said: “Neither trade nor commerce distracteth them from the remembrance of God.” They are sanctified from rancor and hatred, and are free from guile and deceit. Should they find pure and blessed soil, they impart the Word unto all peoples with spirit and joy; if not, they desist. Contention, strife, warfare and the shedding of blood have never been and are not the way of the people of truth. This Most Great Revelation hath come to purify souls from all that reason abhorreth. Blessed are they who have held fast unto justice and equity and are adorned with the ornament of truthfulness and fidelity….