Volume 079: Akka 1303 A.H. (1885–1886), Part III (3 of 5)
BH00272: The Purpose of the one true God, exalted be…
Section 1: “The Purpose of the one true God, exalted…”
He is the Interpreter, the All-Wise
The Purpose of the one true God, exalted be His glory, in revealing Himself unto men is to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mine of their true and inmost selves. That the divers communions of the earth, and the manifold systems of religious belief, should never be allowed to foster the feelings of animosity among men, is, in this Day, of the essence of the Faith of God and His Religion. These principles and laws, these firmly established and mighty systems, have proceeded from one Source, and are the rays of one Light. That they differ one from another is to be attributed to the varying requirements of the ages in which they were promulgated.
Gird up the loins of your endeavor, O people of Bahá, that haply the tumult of religious dissension and strife that agitateth the peoples of the earth may be stilled, that every trace of it may be completely obliterated. For the love of God, and them that serve Him, arise to aid this most sublime and momentous Revelation. Religious fanaticism and hatred are a world-devouring fire, whose violence none can quench. The Hand of Divine power can, alone, deliver mankind from this desolating affliction.
Consider the war that broke out between the Ottoman Empire and Russia—how both sides sacrificed life and property, how many villages were utterly destroyed. The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. He Who is the Daystar of Truth beareth Me witness! So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. The one true God, He Who knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the truth of these words. Exert yourselves that ye may attain this transcendent and most sublime station, the station that can ensure the protection and security of all mankind.
This goal excelleth every other goal, and this aspiration is the monarch of all aspirations. So long, however, as the thick clouds of oppression, which obscure the daystar of justice, remain undispelled, it would be difficult for the glory of this station to be unveiled to men’s eyes. These dark clouds are the exponents of idle fancies and vain imaginings—namely, the divines of the age. At times We have spoken in the language of the Law-giver, and at times in the language of Truth and the Path, and Our ultimate purpose and highest aim hath been the manifestation of this most sublime and exalted station. God sufficeth as witness.
Consort with all men, O people of Bahá, in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship. If ye be aware of a certain truth, if ye possess a jewel, of which others are deprived, share it with them in a language of utmost kindliness and goodwill. If it be accepted, if it fulfill its purpose, your object is attained. If anyone should refuse it, leave him unto himself, and beseech God to guide him. Beware lest ye deal unkindly with him. A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. It is the bread of the spirit, it clotheth the words with meaning, it is the fountain of the light of wisdom and understanding.
If the people of the Qur’an had acted according to the resplendent Law after the Seal of the Prophets—may the spirit of all else than Him be His sacrifice—and had clung to its hem, the foundation of the fortress of the Cause would not have been shaken, and prosperous cities would not have been laid waste. Rather, towns and villages would have been adorned and blessed with the ornament of security and safety. Due to the dissension of the favored community and the smoke of corrupt souls, the luminous Faith is seen darkened and weakened. Had they acted faithfully, they would not have remained heedless of the rays of the Sun of Justice. Glory be to God! One Nuni in the utmost enmity and hatred, and another Nuni his helper and supporter, both outwardly dwelling with their hosts and armies in the fortress of steel, while the Wronged One dwells in a house whose walls are as paper—severed from all save God. Verily, should He wish, He could make paper harder than steel and steel finer than an eyelash. By God’s life! I call them unto the light while they call Me unto the fire, but the call of the wrongdoers is naught but error. I desired glory for them while they desired for Me the greatest abasement.
From the earliest days We have been captive in the hands of the heedless—at times in Iraq, at times in the Land of Mystery, and thence to ʿAkka, which had been a place of exile for murderers and thieves. Without cause they banished Us, and from this Most Great Prison it is not known where and to what place We shall repair. Knowledge of this rests with God, Lord of the throne and the earth, and Lord of the exalted Seat.
To whatever place We may be banished, however great the tribulation We may suffer, they who are the people of God must, with fixed resolve and perfect confidence, keep their eyes directed towards the Dayspring of Glory, and be busied in whatever may be conducive to the betterment of the world and the education of its peoples. All that hath befallen Us in the past hath advanced the interests of Our Revelation and blazoned its fame; and all that may befall Us in the future will have a like result. Cling ye, with your inmost hearts, to the Cause of God, a Cause that hath been sent down by Him Who is the Ordainer, the All-Wise. We have, with the utmost kindliness and mercy, summoned and directed all peoples and nations to that which shall truly profit them.
The Daystar of Truth that shineth in its meridian splendor beareth Us witness! They who are the people of God have no ambition except to revive the world, to ennoble its life, and regenerate its peoples. Truthfulness and goodwill have, at all times, marked their relations with all men. Their outward conduct is but a reflection of their inward life, and their inward life a mirror of their outward conduct. No veil hideth or obscureth the verities on which their Faith is established. Before the eyes of all men these verities have been laid bare, and can be unmistakably recognized. Their very acts attest the truth of these words.
Every discerning eye can, in this Day, perceive the dawning light of God’s Revelation, and every attentive ear can recognize the Voice that was heard from the Burning Bush. Such is the rushing of the waters of Divine mercy, that He Who is the Dayspring of the signs of God and the Revealer of the evidences of His glory is without veil or concealment associating and conversing with the peoples of the earth and its kindreds. How numerous are those who, with hearts intent upon malice, have sought Our Presence, and departed from it loyal and loving friends! The portals of grace are wide open before the face of all men. In Our outward dealings with them We have treated alike the righteous and the sinner, that perchance the evildoer may attain the limitless ocean of Divine forgiveness. Our name “the Concealer” hath shed such a light upon men that the froward hath imagined himself to be numbered with the pious. No man that seeketh Us will We ever disappoint, neither shall he that hath set his face towards Us be denied access unto Our court.
The opposition and avoidance of the people have been caused by the Shi’ih divines and their unseemly deeds. Glory be to God! In Our childhood We heard that a certain divine was discoursing about the word of the Qa’im, saying that according to traditions and reports that have reached us, on the Day of His manifestation that Holy Being would utter a word from which the Deputies would all turn away and take flight. What word could this be, that even the most exalted among the people would turn away from the Truth?
O assemblage of the ignorant! That word is this, and at this moment He declareth: “He” hath appeared in the garment of “I” and the Hidden One speaketh forth with “I am the Manifest One.” Ye fled without hearing. Say: This is that word at whose sovereign might all are made to tremble, save him whom God willeth.
By the divines in these passages are meant those souls who have prevented people from reaching the shore of the Most Holy Ocean. Otherwise, the learned who put their knowledge into practice and the just sage are as spirit unto the body of the world. Blessed is the learned one whose head is adorned with the crown of justice and whose temple is adorned with the ornament of equity.
The Supreme Pen counseleth the people of God and commandeth them to show forth love, kindness, wisdom and forbearance. Today the Wronged One is imprisoned; His hosts have been and are goodly character and upright conduct, not ranks, armies, rifles and cannons. One pure and goodly deed maketh the earthly world the Most Exalted Paradise. O friends! Help ye the one true God, exalted be His glory, by your goodly deeds, by such conduct and character as shall be acceptable in His sight. He that seeketh to be a helper of God in this Day, let him close his eyes to whatever he may possess, and open them to the things of God. Let him cease to occupy himself with that which profiteth him, and concern himself with that which shall exalt the all-compelling name of the Almighty.
He should cleanse his heart from all evil passions and corrupt desires, for the fear of God is the weapon that can render him victorious, the primary instrument whereby he can achieve his purpose. The fear of God is the shield that defendeth His Cause, the buckler that enableth His people to attain to victory. It is a standard that no man can abase, a force that no power can rival. By its aid, and by the leave of Him Who is the Lord of Hosts, they that have drawn nigh unto God have been able to subdue and conquer the citadels of the hearts of men.
The world hath been encompassed by darkness, and the lamp that giveth light hath been and is wisdom. Its requirements must be observed under all conditions. Among the dictates of wisdom is the observance of ranks and speaking in accordance with station and standing. And among the dictates of wisdom is prudence, for man should not accept whatever any soul may say. We have written aforetime: “Trust not every newcomer, and believe not every speaker.” Under all conditions, beseech ye the one true God, exalted be His glory, that He deprive not His servants of the sealed wine and the lights of His Name, the Self-Subsisting.
Section 2: “O people of God! The Most Exalted Pen…”
O people of God! The Most Exalted Pen counseleth the servants concerning the Most Great Trustworthiness. By the life of God! Its light is more manifest than the light of the sun. Every light hath been eclipsed before its light, its radiance and its effulgence. We beseech God that He deprive not His cities and lands of the splendors of the sun of trustworthiness. We have enjoined upon all to observe trustworthiness, chastity, purity and fidelity throughout all nights and days. Blessed are they that act accordingly.
From the first days when the rays of the Sun of the Cause shone forth from the horizon of Iraq until now, the Pen of utterance hath never ceased its movement. With the utmost joy and fragrance it counseled the people of the world to praiseworthy deeds and pleasing conduct. Throughout the nights and days the shrill voice of the Pen was raised and the tongue was speaking, so that in the face of the sword there stood the word, in the face of tyranny there was patience, and at the time of martyrdom there was submission. For thirty years and more, whatsoever befell this wronged community they endured with patience and left it to God. Every possessor of justice and fairness hath testified and doth testify to that which hath been mentioned.
During this period, this Wronged One clung to goodly exhortations and sufficient, healing counsels until it became evident and manifest to all that God hath appeared for the revelation of the treasures deposited within human souls. Conflict and contention have ever been the way of the beasts of the earth. Praiseworthy deeds are the attributes of man. Blessed is the Merciful One Who created man and taught him utterance.
After all these trials, neither the princes of the state were satisfied nor the divines of the nation. Not a single soul was found who would, for the sake of God, utter a word before the throne of His Majesty. “Naught shall befall us save that which God hath decreed for us.” They acted not with kindness, and in manifesting evil they showed no restraint. Fairness became as rare as the phoenix, and truthfulness as scarce as the philosopher’s stone. No one spoke a word of good. It seemed as though justice, like the people of truth, had become abhorred by the servants and banished from the lands.
Glory be to God! During the troubles in the land of Ta, no one spoke according to what God had ordained. With a view to displaying power and rendering service in the presence of the Sultan, they called good evil and the reformer a mischief-maker. Such souls would make a drop appear as an ocean and a speck as the sun. They would call a hut an impregnable fortress while turning a blind eye to the manifest truth. They seized a group of the world’s reformers on charges of corruption. By the life of God! Those souls had and have no purpose save the glory of the state and service to the nation. They spoke and speak for God’s sake and walk in His path.
O friends! Beseech the Purpose of all the worlds to assist His Majesty the King, that through the radiance of the Sun of Justice all the realms of Iran may be adorned with the ornament of security and peace. According to reports, he hath of his own accord freed those who were bound and granted liberty to those who were imprisoned. Certain matters must needs be brought before the people, and their disclosure beseemeth the righteous, that the chosen ones may be informed and made aware. Verily, He inspireth whomsoever He willeth with whatsoever He desireth, and He is the All-Powerful, the Commander, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
A word hath reached the ears of this Wronged One from that land which, in truth, hath caused astonishment. His Excellency Mu’tamidu’d-Dawlih Farhad Mirza hath spoken concerning the prisoner that which is not befitting to mention. This Wronged One had very few meetings with him and his like. What is remembered is that he came twice to Murgh-Mahallih in Shimiran where this Wronged One resided—the first time towards evening one day, and the second time on a Friday morning, departing near sunset. He is learned and aware; he should not speak aught but the truth. If anyone attaineth his presence, let these words be conveyed before his face on behalf of this Wronged One:
He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed
O son of the King! Your Excellency saw me before as but one among men. Were you to turn today, you would behold me with a light none knoweth who hath manifested it, and with a fire none knoweth who hath kindled it. Yet the Wronged One knoweth and is aware, and saith: The hand of God’s will, the Lord of all worlds, hath manifested it, and the hand of power hath ignited it. From its sighing [thou hearest]: By God! The promise hath come to pass, and He Who conversed on Sinai speaketh from the Sadratu’l-Muntaha, yet most of the people are heedless. O Prince! I had concealed my Cause; my Lord revealed me. I was sleeping; the breeze of God awakened me. When I raised my head, I heard from all directions:
“O Thou Who speaketh in the Tree! Blessed is the land honored by Thy footsteps, the soul that hath attained Thy call, and the face that hath turned toward Thee. Arise and say: O people of the earth! My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor do I walk in your ways. Remember that which ye were promised [in what was revealed before] and in My perspicuous Book.”
Then I arose and spoke as I was commanded. This is not from me, but from One mighty and powerful. I ask of Your Excellency justice and fairness concerning this momentous News and this noble Edifice. Your Excellency should inquire about the Cause for which blood was shed, heads were raised on spears, breasts were pierced, livers were melted, and the people were thunderstruck, save whom God, the Lord of all worlds, willed. The Cause is not in my hands, but in His. Verily, He is the Strong, the Triumphant, the Powerful. The tongue hath spoken according to its capacity, and He is the Ordainer, the All-Wise.
Blessed is he whom the doubts of the people of passion have not withheld from the Lord of all beings nor kept back from the Most Exalted Horizon. The greatness of the Cause and the greatness of the days are recorded and inscribed in the divine Books. Blessed is the eye that hath seen and the ear that hath heard that which the Tongue of the Will of the All-Merciful hath uttered upon the branches, and woe unto every heedless and remote one.
O friends! His honor Haydar-ʿAli and Muhammad-Husayn, upon them both be my glory, have made mention of the friends of God. They have recounted tales city by city and house by house—nay rather, have told many tales—and have grieved over the absence of all at the Gate. O party of God in the cities and regions! Your names have been mentioned before the Face, and there hath been revealed for you that which the hands of change and annihilation shall never reach. He counseleth you to preserve that which hath been vouchsafed unto you from God, the Lord of all worlds. Preserve this most exalted station through the Name of the Lord of Names. Beseech ye God that He may assist all to accomplish that which will cause its fragrance and mention to endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven.
And at the end of the letter, We counsel you once again to observe chastity, trustworthiness, godliness, truthfulness and purity. Put away the forbidden and take hold of the good—a command from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. At this hour the Most Exalted Pen lamenteth and uttereth that which was in the divine Books of the past and future. By God’s life! There hath appeared that which no eye in the world hath ever seen. Nevertheless, it is observed that some of the friends hesitate due to the sayings of the people of the Bayan, or are disturbed by the clamor of the hypocrites. This is a matter that is self-evident, and it behooveth all to observe the Cause with its own eyes. It beseemeth man that should the entire world attempt to prevent him from the Most Exalted Horizon or to turn him aside from the straight path, they would find themselves utterly impotent.
We previously informed all about the cawing of the crows and the clamor of the transgressors. The people of God must protect themselves from the corrupt ones among the people of the Bayan through the sword of this blessed word which hath shone forth from the Dayspring of the mouth of the Primal Point—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake—wherein He saith: “I have written an essence regarding His mention: He shall not be known through My allusions nor through what hath been revealed in the Bayan,” and through the shield of another blessed word wherein He saith: “Beware, beware lest thou be veiled by the Vahids of the Bayan, and beware, beware lest thou be veiled by what hath been revealed in the Bayan.”
Reflect upon the Manifestation of the Seal of the Prophets—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake—and the events that followed, and take heed. Consent not that once again there should arise the region of falsehood, the well of delusion, and the mythical Jabulqa and Jabulsa, leading astray the helpless people. Fix your gaze upon the Most Exalted Horizon and be detached, severed and free from all else. From the beginning of the Cause until now, all that hath been said hath been evident before all faces. God, exalted be His glory, is aware, and deeds bear witness. There is no power nor strength except through God. The glory shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon you, upon those who mention you and love you, and upon every steadfast and firm believer. Praise be to God, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.
BH00319: In the Name of Him Who hath made subject…
Section 1: “In the Name of Him Who hath made…”
In the Name of Him Who hath made subject unto His command the Tablet and the Pen, meaning and utterance!
O Ahmad! Hearken unto the Call from the right hand of the Divine Lote-Tree, from the Luminous Spot, in the Supreme Horizon: Verily there is none other God but Me, the One, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. We have, in truth, revealed the verses and manifested the clear tokens and rent asunder the veils in such wise as hath caused the hearts of them that have denied God, the Lord of all worlds, to tremble. Successful indeed is he who hath turned towards it and hearkened, and lost are they who have denied God’s testimony and His proof—these are truly among the transgressors in God’s Mighty, Praiseworthy Book.
That which thou didst send hath reached the Wronged One. We have heard its contents and have answered thee with this Tablet, before which the books of the world bow down, as doth testify He Who proclaimeth that there is none other God but Me, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. The seal of the Choice Wine hath been broken by the hand of might, and the veils have been rent asunder through a command from the presence of the Powerful, the Ancient of Days.
O Ahmad! O Ahmad! Look to the Most Exalted Horizon. By God! We have made clear the path and manifested the proof, and have caused to flow from the fountain of My Most Exalted Pen the Kawthar of eternity. Blessed is he who hath drawn nigh, and partaken, and drunk in My Name, the Lord of all who are in the heavens and the earth. And woe betide them who have turned aside and remained heedless of this supreme bounty and who have denied Him in Whom they had believed—these are truly among the dead in God’s Mighty, Glorious Book.
We have rent the veils asunder in such wise that every hearing ear hath heard the sound of their being rent. Thy Lord, verily, is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth, and He is the Mighty, the All-Compelling, the Powerful. Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thou hast attained unto the traces of My Pen time and again, and this is yet another time, as a token of My favor, for I am verily the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
Ponder upon that which hath been sent down from the heaven of thy Lord’s Will. It will acquaint thee with that which thou didst desire to know and will cause thee to soar unto the heaven of knowledge. Then shalt thou behold the Cause shining forth from its horizon. Thy Lord is, in truth, the Helper, the All-Wise. The Cause is more manifest than the sun in midheaven. Soon shalt thou know and witness that which thou didst ask from the ocean of thy Lord’s knowledge, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon those who are with thee, and upon those who have remained steadfast in this mighty Cause, whereby the limbs of the world have quaked and every ignorant one hath been struck dumb.
Hear in the Persian tongue the Voice of the Wronged One, Who speaketh from the direction of the prison. O Ahmad! The Cause is more manifest than the sun and more exalted than the heavens. Observe the verses sent down and reflect: verily they will grant thee true knowledge and draw thee nigh unto a clear and straight path. Reflect upon the Shi’ih sect. Previously We commanded all through the Most Exalted Pen to ponder upon this heedless people who, throughout ages and centuries, were speaking of God, glorified be His majesty, yearning and hoping for the days of His meeting. Yet when the dawn of His Revelation rose and shone forth, they all rose up in opposition and protest.
Reflect upon the fruits of these souls’ deeds. In the early years, all the divines of the lands of Sh, Sad and Kha and other cities, and their followers, issued the decree for the death of the Lord of the world. The writings of the divines of the lands of Sh and Sad were brought into Our presence and met Our gaze. Verily My Most Exalted Pen doth not wish to mention what they wrote. Thou knowest what they said and what they did. The consequences of all shall become evident on the Day of Reckoning and the fruits of their deeds shall then be made manifest.
From the beginning of Islam, most were immersed in the ocean of idle fancies and vain imaginings. After the Seal of the Prophets—may the life of all else be sacrificed for His sake—and the holy Imams, only two souls attained unto the truth and were adorned with the ornament of true understanding: the late Shaykh and Siyyid—upon them be the Most Glorious Glory of God. These two souls were confirmed in their recognition of the Lord of mankind. Verily We were with them and heard from them that which none hath known save God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Through the nobility of these two souls, receptive souls turned toward the direction of Shin and attained unto the dawning-place of bounty and the day-spring of knowledge. This was through the grace of those two blessed beings, to which every fair-minded and discerning one and every learned and informed one beareth witness.
O Ahmad! In a certain station this most exalted Word hath been revealed from the Most Sublime Pen: What strange intoxication and what strange heedlessness hath seized all! From the beginning of Islam until the first day of the Manifestation, not one of the Shi’ih divines was aware of the nature of the Manifestation and the existence of that Essence of Being in the loins. This was the station of the former divines who possessed not an atom’s weight of knowledge. Were you to reflect briefly on this matter, you would cry out and praise the All-Powerful Lord day and night, for He hath unveiled and rent asunder the veils.
The aforementioned Word was revealed in response to the gathering of Manshad. We have sent its copy in the handwriting of Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin, upon him be the Glory of God, that you may observe and gain complete knowledge of the conjectures, idle fancies, and heedlessness of the people of the Bayan.
That party committed what neither the Jews, nor the Christians, nor any other parties in the world have committed. Yes, a few among the Shi’ih party became aware during the time of occultation, but due to the dominion of the divines, they did not reveal it and hastened to the most exalted horizon. The corruption of this sect is more evident than the sun in the midst of heaven. In the early days, all were occupied with cursing, denouncing and rejection. The heedlessness of these souls reached such a degree that they would mention the Prince of Martyrs from the pulpits and weep, and then curse and denounce the One by Whose word a thousand Husayns sacrificed their lives in the field of martyrdom, and from the pulpit they would hasten towards hell.
And thereafter that honor knoweth how this Wronged One arose before all the world. Neither the clamor of the divines prevented Him, nor the might of princes. We summoned all the peoples of the world to the horizon of the All-Merciful, until some of the people of Iran turned towards the most exalted horizon. These are the gems of creation, and likewise those souls in these lands who from among the community have attained unto the light of certitude, and likewise from among the children of the Friend and the heirs of Him Who conversed with God.
O thou who gazeth upon the Face and drinketh the choice wine of My grace! Had the Herald—may the spirit of all else but Him be sacrificed for His sake—appeared in these lands, thou wouldst now behold most of the people among the people of truth, for the idle fancies of the Shi’ih party concerning Jabulqa and Jabulsa and the region between them were not and are not among these people. O Ahmad! These idle fancies caused the blood of the Master of the world to be shed. These idle fancies—from whom did they proceed and who caused the people of Iran to be deprived? If anyone would utter a word contrary to that, they would issue a decree for his death. Reflect and observe with thine own eyes, that perchance thou mayest, through the handle of inner meanings and exposition, deliver the heedless ones from the well of idle fancies and cause them to attain unto the splendors of the sun of certitude.
O Ahmad! Leave the world behind and soar above it. The Most Exalted Pen is forbidden, yet despite the opposition of the people of the world and the arising of all to turn away, the Finger of Power hath rent asunder some of the veils and made aware the seeing one who possesseth knowledge and the knowing one who is informed. It became the balance of favor—weigh every word by it. Reflect upon the fruits of the deeds of the various parties. In one respect, that same balance is the truth, for it makes souls known. However, it is hoped that the world will attain unto the light of true unity and that misbelief will be utterly removed. Fix thy gaze upon God alone. This is the counsel of the Wronged One to that honor and the friends of God.
BH11082: My God, my God! Hearts have melted in separation…
Section 1: “My God, my God! Hearts have melted…”
He is the One Who speaks in the Kingdom of Utterance!
My God, my God! Hearts have melted in separation from Thee, and the hearts of Thy servants are consumed in remoteness from Thee. My God, my God! The cries of the lovers have risen from all regions, and the lamentations of the chosen ones in their separation have ascended. Thou hast, O my God, manifested the Dayspring of Thy signs and the Dawning-place of Thy revelations, that all who dwell in Thy heaven and earth might be honored by meeting Thee, yet the ungodly and the heedless have interposed themselves between them and the effulgences of the light of Thy countenance. O Lord! Thou seest the faces turned toward the gleaming lights of Thy countenance, the hearts drawn to the horizon of Thy manifestation, the tongues uttering Thy praise and speaking of what hath befallen them from the fire of separation from Thee, and the eyes awaiting the wonders of Thy mercy and the manifestations of Thy nearness and Thy presence.
Wilt Thou deny them, O my God, after the ocean of reunion hath surged through Thy name and Thy command, and the horizon of meeting hath shone forth with the luminary of Thy generosity and grace? O Lord! Thou seest the hands of hope clinging to the hem of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by the breezes of Thy revelation, the pearls of the oceans of Thy knowledge, and the manifestations of Thy sovereignty amongst Thy creatures, to ordain for Thy loved ones reunion with Thee and attainment unto Thy presence. Then cause them to hear Thy sweet call before Thy throne, or inscribe for them, with Thy Most Exalted Pen, the recompense of attaining unto the gate of Thy grandeur, which Thou hast opened before the faces of all in Thy dominion.
My God, my God! Thou knowest and seest that there hath come before the Wronged One, in His Most Great Prison, a leaf whereon were inscribed the names of Thy loved ones who have drunk the choice wine of recognition from the cups of Thy gifts and the Salsabil of certitude from the hands of Thy grace. I beseech Thee, O God of Names and Creator of heaven, by Thy Name through which Thou hast transformed fire into light and removed the veils from hearts and minds, to aid them to remain firm with supreme steadfastness, that their feet may not slip through the doubts of the transgressors and the hints of those who have turned away—they who have broken Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, who have disputed Thy signs, disbelieved in Thy proof, and turned aside from Thy evidence after it had encompassed Thy earth and Thy heaven.
I beseech Thee, O Lord of eternity and Sovereign of nations, to assist them to recognize the Source of Thy laws and the Manifestation of Thy Self. Then remember those whose names have been presented before Thy face, that they may rejoice in Thy remembrance, Thy acceptance, and Thy attention. Verily, Thou art the Most Generous of the generous ones and the Most Merciful of the merciful. Bounty is in Thy grasp and generosity in Thy right hand. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou pleasest. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
O Ghulam-Rida! The Wronged One remembereth thee from the precincts of the Prison and counseleth thee with that whereby the Cause of God, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting, may be exalted. Take hold of the Book with strength from Us in such wise that the doubts of those who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of existence, may not hinder thee. Arise with supreme steadfastness in the Cause of thy Lord, the Lord of all beings, and say: O peoples of the earth! Fear God, the Lord of the Throne and of the dust, and be not of those who have denied God’s favor when it was sent down through grace. Turn with illumined hearts to the Most Sublime Horizon. This is what ye have been commanded, both before and after.
He beareth witness to this Who hath spoken in every condition that there is none other God but Me, the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. Say: By God! The horizon of certitude hath been illumined by the Light of proof. Fear ye God and follow not the sources of idle fancies and vain imaginings. He Who was hidden in the universe and mentioned in the hearts of the Prophets and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Books of God, the Lord of the seen and unseen, hath been made manifest. Thus have We revealed unto thee the proof and sent down that whereby thine eyes and the eyes of those who have attained to revelation and witnessing may be solaced.
O Haydar-ʿAli! The Most Exalted Pen makes mention of thee and counsels thee with that which hath been revealed in the Book. Be thou eloquent in My remembrance, steadfast in My Cause, directed towards Mine horizon, firm in My path, and holding fast to the hem of the robe of thy Lord’s grace, the Lord of creation. A single letter of thy Lord’s verses is worth more than all that is witnessed and seen, as attested by the Mother Book which is with Him. Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto My days, the heart that hath turned unto My countenance, the man that hath arisen to serve My Cause, and the eye that hath beheld the lights.
O ʿAbdu’l-Karim! The Wronged One makes mention of thee and gives thee glad tidings of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all beings, and counsels thee with that which befitteth the days of God, the Lord of Lords. Turn not unto the world and its conditions and what transpireth therein. All that is therein shall perish, and that which hath been revealed from the Pen of thy Lord’s Revelation, the One Who ruleth over all in earth and heaven, shall endure. We have sent down the verses and dispatched them unto those who believed when God came with power and sovereignty. Blessed is he who hath attained unto the knowledge of his Lord, and woe unto every heedless doubter.
O Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named Muhammad and reveal unto him that which will draw him nigh unto the Mighty, the Bestower, Who hath appeared and manifested what He desired. He it is Who hath spoken and caused all things to speak: “There is none other God but I, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.” When thou hast attained unto My verses and found the fragrance of Mine utterance, say: “Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having enabled me to recognize Thee and for having acquainted me with Him Who was hidden within the treasuries of Thy power. I beseech Thee to assist me to be steadfast in Thy Cause. Verily, Thou art the Almighty over whatsoever Thou willest. Within Thy grasp are the reins of all things. There is none other God but Thee, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.”
O Shaykh Muhammad! Hear My call and remember My days and what hath befallen Me at the hands of those among My tyrannical servants who denied My manifestation, My appearance, My dawning, and My verses which have encompassed the horizons. We make mention of thee and counsel thee with that which will manifest man’s station among the religions. Exalted is the All-Merciful Who created thee and caused thee to know this Cause whereby feet have slipped. Let not the doubts of the opposers sadden thee, nor the onslaught of those who have disbelieved in God, the Revealer of verses. Be thou steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord and speak forth My Name amongst the servants. Thus hath the fragrance of revelation been wafted throughout the world, yet most of the people are wrapped in heedlessness and veils.
O Baqir! Hear the call from the right side of the luminous spot at the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing. Verily, there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving. Blessed is the penitent who hath turned unto God, and the humble one who hath submitted to this Cause whereby necks have been laid low. Beware lest the veils of the world withhold thee or the onslaught of those who have denied the Source and the Return cause thee to fear. O Rida! Hear the call that hath been raised between earth and heaven, calling all unto God, the Manifestation of clear evidences. By God! He hath come, before Whom the verses have bowed down and around Whom the Manifestations of the Cause from thy Lord, the Lord of Lords, have circled. Be thou so steadfast in the Cause that the hearts of the wicked ones who have denied God’s proof and evidence and committed that which hath caused the clouds to cry out, shall not disturb thee. Thus hath My Most Exalted Pen spoken upon the branch of eternity. Blessed is he who hath heard, and woe unto every froward denier.
O Mulla Ali! The Lord Who hath come with truth, with power and sovereignty, maketh mention of thee. By God! Neither do the Pharaohs hinder Him, nor do the oppressors frighten Him. He hath appeared and revealed whatsoever He desired. He, verily, is the Herald in the realm of destiny. Behold the effects of My Most Exalted Pen and ponder thereon. Verily it will draw thee nigh unto the Most Glorious Horizon and will open before thy face the gate of joy and ecstasy. Beware lest the clamor of the people of the Bayan debar thee from the Dawning-Place of the revelation of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, or the deeds of those who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of Days, cause thee to grieve. Say: O people! Be fair in the Cause of God and follow not those who have cast the Book of God behind their backs, clinging to idle fancies and vain imaginings. Thus hath the Truth spoken as a token of His grace. He, verily, is the Protector over what is and what shall be.
Section 2: “O Muhammad-Qabli-Husayn! The oppressors of the earth have…”
O Muhammad-Qabli-Husayn! The oppressors of the earth have unsheathed the swords of hatred against the countenance of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. They have committed that which hath caused the dwellers of the all-highest Paradise and this glorious station to lament. Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear ye the All-Merciful and follow not those who have denied that which hath been sent down from the Most Exalted Pen in this perspicuous Tablet. The verses have been revealed and the evidences have appeared, yet the people do not understand. Blessed is he who hath turned with his heart to the Most Exalted Horizon, and whose face hath turned toward the face of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. Thus did the Pen move when the Ancient King was established upon the Most Great Throne and proclaimed: “There is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Loving.”
O Muhammad-Qabli-Hasan! The rustling of the Sadratu’l-Muntaha hath been raised and the water of life hath flowed in the realm of creation. Blessed is he who hath heard and drunk thereof, and woe unto every heedless one who is veiled. Beware lest the veils of the learned keep thee back. Take thou the chalice of My bounty and drink therefrom My choice sealed wine. How many a learned one hath been debarred from the Known One, and how many an ignorant one hath drawn nigh and said:
“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the seen and the unseen, for having manifested Thyself, sent down Thy verses and guided Thy servants unto Thy straight path!”
O Ali! The Wronged One maketh mention of thee at this manifest time and calleth thee unto God, the Lord of the worlds. Beware lest anything prevent thee from God, the Lord of Names, or the intimations of the heedless ones, who have cast the Truth behind their backs, turning unto every remote ignorant one, veil thee. Cast away what the people possess and take that which thou art bidden by God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Thus have We sent down the verses and explained them in truth as a command from Us, and We, verily, are the Powerful, the Mighty.
O Husayn! Hearken unto the shrill voice of My Most Exalted Pen. Verily, it hath been raised between earth and heaven, and the fragrances of revelation have been diffused in all directions. That which hath befallen the Wronged One in the path of God hath not prevented the trees from yielding their fruits, nor the ocean of inner meanings from its waves. But the One Who conversed on Sinai speaketh and saith: “O people of the earth! Cast away what ye possess and take what hath been given you by God, the Lord of Lords.” We have arisen to promote the Cause in such wise that the clamor hath not deterred Us from the remembrance of God, the Lord of all men. We proclaimed before the faces of the world: “The Promise is come and this is the Promised One Who calleth you unto God. Turn ye unto Him and be not of those who disbelieved in the bounty of God and disputed His signs that have encompassed the horizons.” Thus hath the cock crowed and the Dove of the Cause warbled upon the branches.
O Mulla Hasan! The Supreme Pen hath never paused for an instant; it moveth and speaketh, and through its movement all things were set in motion and all created things appeared. The whole world was created for this Most Great Revelation. This fact hath been mentioned in the Books of old and those that followed, and is manifest today. The Herald, the Primal Point, took the essence of the Bayan and revealed it in these exalted words. His word is this:
“I have written the essence concerning His mention, which is that He cannot be known through My allusions, nor through what hath been revealed in the Bayan.”
This word is the essence of the Bayan, nay the sovereign of the Bayan. Although this Most Great Revelation, by the testimony of all the sacred Books, hath never needed any proof or evidence other than itself. Its verses have encompassed the world, and the manifestations of its power are clear and evident. Blessed is the eye that hath seen and the ear that hath hearkened.
O Abul-Qasim! The Wronged One maketh mention of thee. From the earliest days until now, both night and day, before the eyes of all men, we have made mention of God, exalted be His glory. The river of mercy hath ever flowed from the Pen of the Dayspring of Revelation, and when some trace of its effects became manifest, certain souls rose up in opposition—more severe than the opposition of the former people who martyred the Lord of all beings—and some spoke words beyond all bounds. The heedless souls have made and continue to make claims. The people of God must be vigilant and aware. The Cause of God hath never been, nor will it ever be, the plaything of the ignorant. If every day someone were to make a claim, God’s Cause would become suspended and delayed among the people. This matter is clear and evident to those possessed of insight. God willing, may all unite and, through their unity, illumine the horizons with the light of this dawning.
O Habib! Hearken unto the voice of Truth that hath been raised from the direction of the Prison. By God’s life! His Word is the sovereign of all words, and His utterance the king of all utterances. Were all the ears on earth to hearken aright, all would turn to the Most Exalted Horizon and would return from that which they possess to that which is with God. The Sun of Truth is shining, the ocean of inner meanings is surging, and the heaven of knowledge is adorned. This Day is unlike all other days, and this Revelation unlike all other revelations. Blessed are they who have turned unto it and attained the recognition of God. Know ye the value of these divine days. By My life! Neither the treasures of earth nor all that it containeth can equal them. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
O Ali! God willing, mayest thou remain steadfast in the Cause of God and hold fast unto His praise with such firmness that the world shall have no power to deter thee.
Blessed are the people of Kha who have heard the Call and answered their Lord, the Speaker, the All-Knowing. We have repeatedly made mention of the people of that land. We beseech God to set them all ablaze with such fire that through the heat of the love of God all the peoples of the world may be attracted. One of the people of Kha, named Muhammad, attained Our presence. He hath heard what the near ones have heard. We beseech God to protect him and enable him to make mention of Him and praise Him.
O Pen! Make mention of him whose book was present before the Throne and who was named Mirza Baba. Verily We make mention of him and of My loved ones who have believed in God, the Lord of the worlds. O people of God! Take heed lest anything prevent you or the hosts of the world weaken you. Arise with supreme steadfastness in the Cause of God, the Lord of all humanity. He hath aided you, caused you to know Him, drawn you nigh unto Him, and He is the Compassionate, the Generous. O Baba! Each of the names of the loved ones mentioned in thy letter hath been recorded by the Most Exalted Pen and is being sent, that all may be set ablaze and hold fast unto that which He loveth and is pleased with.
We counsel all to act in accordance with that which hath been sent down in God’s Book from the Pen of His command. It guideth you to the straight path and biddeth you to that which will exalt your station amongst the religions. The glory be upon thee and upon them and upon My maidservant and My other maidservants (Hajiyih Bigum and Zahra). Give them the glad-tidings of My loving-kindness, My grace and My mercy. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, and He is the Manifest, the Responsive.
BH00429: Praise be befitting and worthy of that Omnipotent One…
Section 1: “Praise be befitting and worthy of that Omnipotent…”
He is God, exalted be His station, the All-Bountiful, the All-Giving!
Praise be befitting and worthy of that Omnipotent One Who, despite the turning away of kings and subjects, the indifference of divines, theologians and mystics, and the aversion of the people of the cities and lands, and the dispersion of affairs and separation of means, did gather His loved ones in the field and garden and made them circumambulate the Most Exalted Castle which hath been made the seat of the Throne of the Lord of Names. He is that Sovereign Omnipotent One Whom the power of the world cannot weaken, and the clamor of the nations cannot prevent from His purpose. He hath done what He willed and doeth what He pleaseth. Verily He is the Single, the One, the Unique, the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful.
Thereafter, this servant who is present hath come with thy letter wherein was mentioned he who circumambulated the Throne when its seat was in Zawra and in the Land of Mystery, wherein was revealed that which was hidden in God’s knowledge, the Lord of all worlds. O Hasan! Blessed art thou and blessed are they whom the affairs of creation did not prevent from the Truth, who turned with radiant faces toward My most exalted horizon and bore witness to that which the Tongue of Grandeur had testified before the creation of the heavens and earths. Thy mention hath been presented in a leaf sent by My Name who was named Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. We have seen thy name and have revealed for thee that which God hath made as a spirit for bodies, a light for the horizons, water for the trees, and glory for the righteous. When thou attainest unto it and hearkenest unto it, say:
“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Desire of the world, for having remembered Thy servant in the Most Great Prison. I beseech Thee by the waves of the ocean of Thy utterance and the stars of the heaven of Thy knowledge, to make me content with Thy good-pleasure, steadfast in service to Thy loved ones, speaking in Thy praise, and holding fast unto the wisdom Thou hast sent down in Thy Scriptures and Thy Tablets. Verily Thou art the Omnipotent over what Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all things. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
We make mention of Our loved ones there who have not broken My Covenant and Testament and who turned to the Most Exalted Horizon when the Call was raised between earth and heaven. Blessed are they, their eyes, their hearts, their breasts, and their ears. Thus hath My Most Exalted Pen spoken forth from this Most Glorious Horizon. Blessed is he who hath heard and seen, and woe unto every heedless and remote one.
O people of God! We have adorned the heaven of knowledge with the stars of wisdom and utterance, and have sent down for those near unto Us that which shall draw them nigh unto My Straight Path. Give thanks unto God for having aided you to turn unto Him, to face toward His countenance, to gaze toward His direction, to hold fast unto His cord, and to cling to His luminous hem. We have made mention of you in diverse Tablets and have ordained for you in the Book the good of the hereafter and of the former time. To this doth the Tongue of Grandeur bear witness in this exalted station.
O Siyyid Muhammad-ʿAli! Your letter hath reached the Wronged One, and from it We perceived the fragrance of thy praise in the remembrance of God, thy Creator, thy Fashioner, thy Sustainer and thy Quickener, Who hath sent down unto thee the proof and made manifest unto thee the way, until thou didst attain and win that which lay hidden in the treasuries of the unseen and was recorded in the Books of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. We heard thy call and summoned thee from the most sacred side of the Throne:
“Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Single, the All-Informed.”
We have mentioned thee aforetime with that which surpasseth all that can be seen on earth. Be thankful unto thy Lord for this great bounty. We bear witness that thou didst hearken unto the call of thy Lord, didst attain His presence, didst behold His horizon, and didst stand before a door which was opened unto all who are in the heavens and on earth. O Muhammad! The Single, the One, hath made mention of thee and given thee glad tidings of His favors, of which none is aware save His all-knowing Self. Blessed art thou for having cast behind thee idle fancies and turned unto the ocean that hath manifested its waves before the faces of the world, and unto the Lote-Tree that hath revealed its fruits among the nations. Thus hath the Pen spoken while the Wronged One was in the Most Great Prison through that which the hands of the idolaters have wrought.
O Ali! Hear once again the call of thy Lord, the Lord of all names, Whom neither the clamor of the princes, nor the barking of the divines, nor the clamoring of the wayward could deter. He hath arisen before all faces with a power that hath shaken the pillars of tyranny when the Wondrous One appeared before the people with God’s mighty and irrefutable Book. He raised His hands and said:
“O King! I have brought thee from the Most Great Announcement a mighty Book.”
Thereupon the people’s limbs trembled with the fear of God, the Strong, the Mighty, the Powerful.
The Glory be upon thee and upon thy son whose letter hath reached the Throne while the Prisoner was in manifest grief by reason of what the hands of the people of the Bayan had wrought, they who turned away from the All-Merciful after He came unto them with the Kingdom of verses and the dominion of wisdom and utterance, with a sovereignty that hath conquered all who are in the heavens and the earth. We make mention of Our loved ones there and remind them of My verses and counsel them with that which beseemeth their kinship to God, the Lord of the worlds. Thus hath the Pen shed forth its effusions and the Sun its radiance. Blessed is he who hath taken and attained unto the grace of God, the Originator, the Wondrous One.
We love to make mention of every name that is there and give them glad tidings of My loving-kindness, My mercy and My favor that hath encompassed all existence. O people of God! Hear once again My sweetest call from the Prison. Verily, there is no God but Me, the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. We have revealed in the Book whatsoever hath appeared and shall appear. To this testify honored servants whom neither the might of the Pharaohs deterred from drawing nigh unto God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. They stood before all faces and spoke what the Book had uttered—the Book that was hidden in the treasury of knowledge and inscribed by the Pen of Revelation in this exalted station. Beware lest the affairs of creation debar you from the Truth. Cast away idle fancies, clinging to the cord of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.
O Zayn! Upon thee be My glory, My mercy and My loving-kindness. The servant in attendance hath brought thy letter and laid it before the Wronged One. We have answered thee as a grace from Us, and I am verily the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. Thou art he whom the affairs of the world have not deterred from the Lord of Eternity. Thou hast heard what ears were prevented from hearing and seen what eyes were hindered from beholding, as a recompense for their deeds on this Promised Day. When thou findest the fragrance of My utterance, give thanks unto God, thy Lord, and say:
“Praise be unto Thee, O my Best-Beloved and Best-Beloved of the Prophets, and praise be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp is the dominion of the Kingdom. Thou movest it as Thou pleasest by Thy command. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Protector, the Powerful, the Self-Subsisting.”
Blessed art thou and blessed is he who loveth thee and turneth unto thee and holdeth fast unto the cord of thy love. He is indeed of the people of Baha in God’s Book, the Sovereign of might.
Section 2: “O Zayn! We have heard the call…”
O Zayn! We have heard the call from the land of Kaf and Ra before Dal wherein ascended one of My loved ones who was named Nasru’llah in this praiseworthy station. We have revealed for him that which hath made the countenance of existence smile. He is of those who believed in God when people were lost in the wilderness of idle fancies and vain imaginings. He shattered the idols of fancy in the name of the Lord of all beings, turned unto Him and said:
“Here am I, here am I, O God of the seen and unseen! Here am I, here am I, O Lord of existence!”
He testified to that which God had testified and turned toward Him when those around him turned away, following every heedless and veiled one. He bore witness to Me before all faces, to this doth testify the Pen of God when the Temple of Grandeur was established upon the throne of His name, the All-Loving. We have exalted him to the Highest Companion and revealed for him that which gladdens hearts and souls, and We revealed for his brother that which will cause its fragrances to endure throughout the duration of My Most Beautiful Names. We beseech the Most High to preserve him and strengthen him in a manner befitting this Cause, whereby skins have trembled. We have also mentioned his other brother—verily he remembers those who have turned to him just as he remembered before his loved ones who held fast to His extended cord.
We make mention of Ismail who attained the presence of the Throne and heard with his own ear My call. We have counseled him with that which We counseled Our loved ones in the Scriptures and Tablets. O Ismail! Upon thee be My glory! We mentioned thee before, and at this time verses have been revealed before which other verses bow down in humility. We counsel thee as We counseled thee before with that which will elevate the station of man in the contingent world. Exalted is the All-Merciful Who hath come from the heaven of Command with verses of grandeur whereby the earth and heavens were illumined. Aid thy Lord through wisdom and utterance, and through the hosts of deeds and virtuous conduct. Thus have We commanded thee before and at this time when the fragrance of utterance hath been wafted throughout creation. Set aside what the people possess, then turn thy face toward God, the Lord of Lords. Say:
My God, my God! Whenever I contemplate Thy days, my standing before Thy face, the manifestations of Thy favors, the evidences of Thy bounties, and the hidden gifts of Thy grace, such agitation seizeth me that I long to hide my face beneath the dust, O Thou Who holdest all necks in Thy grasp! O Lord! The fire of separation from Thee hath consumed me, and Thy remoteness and estrangement hath caused my death. I beseech Thee by the Fire wherewith Thou didst manifest Thyself unto Moses on the Mount of Thy knowledge, and by Thy Name through which Thou didst deliver Thy loved ones and chosen ones, to make me aided in the service of Thy Cause in such wise that I may detach myself from all that is mine, turning toward the horizon of Thy good-pleasure and holding fast to the cord of Thy bounty and grace.
I beseech Thee, O God of the world, by the ocean of Thy generosity and the heaven of Thy bounty, to forgive me through Thy grace and favors. Then send down upon me from the clouds of Thy mercy that which will purify me from all else save Thee, draw me nigh unto Thee, grant me Thy good-pleasure and cause me to speak Thy praise. Verily Thou art the Lord of the world and the Sovereign of nations. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Conquering, the Powerful. O God, my God! Send Thy blessings upon Thy loved ones and chosen ones who have arisen to exalt Thy Word. Verily Thou art the Almighty Whom neither the hosts of the world nor the might of nations can frustrate. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou pleasest. Thou art, in truth, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
O My Name Zayn! Upon thee be My glory, My mercy and My loving-kindness. We wish to make mention of him who was named Asadu’llah in the Book of God, the Lord of Lords. He turned to the Most High Horizon and traversed land and sea until he arrived at the place wherein the Call was raised. We bear witness that he is of the people of Baha in the Book of God, the Lord of all men. He heard what most of the servants have not heard, and witnessed the mighty signs of his Lord when mankind was in wondrous drunkenness. He attained and drank the choice sealed wine from the hands of My bounty, and achieved that which was recorded in the Scriptures and Tablets.
We have mentioned him and do mention him in this station as a grace from Us, yea a grace from Us, and I am the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. We caused him to hear My call and showed him My horizon and revealed for him that whereby the horizons were illumined. O Asad! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness. We have mentioned thee—dost thou recognize from which Pen? From the Pen of God, the Lord of all religions. When thou beholdest the waves of the sea and findest the fragrance of utterance from the Book of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, say:
Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who controlleth the verses and manifesteth the clear signs! I beseech Thee by the effulgences of the lights of the Sun of Thy utterance and by the waves of the ocean of Thy knowledge to assist me in Thy remembrance and Thy praise and in serving Thy Cause amidst Thy servants. O my Lord! Withhold not from me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones who have sacrificed all they possessed in their longing to attain Thy presence. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all beings and the Lord of the throne on high and of the dust beneath. There is none other God but Thee, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious.
We make mention of Our loved ones there and give them the glad-tidings of My favor and My loving-kindness and My mercy that have encompassed all regions. O My loved ones! This is a Day wherein the lips of all things have smiled at the revelation of that which lay hidden from time immemorial. Give thanks unto your Lord, the Most Merciful, for this bounty the like of which the eye of creation hath never beheld. We seal this epistle with the mention of him who was named Yusuf in the Book of Names, who stood before the Countenance and heard the call of God, the Lord of the Day of Return. He drew nigh and hastened until he attained the presence of the Countenance and heard that for the hearing of which ears were created.
Blessed be he and blessed be his eyes for what they beheld and blessed be his face for having turned toward the Face of God, the One, the Chosen. He heard My call and drank the choice wine of revelation from the hands of My bounty. We beseech God, exalted be He, to strengthen him in serving the Cause and inspire him with that which will attract the inhabitants of the lands. Verily, He is the Lord of creation and the Ruler in the return. There is none other God but Him, the Most Exalted, the Most High.
BH00523: This is a remembrance from the Wronged One…
He is seated upon the Throne of Utterance!
This is a remembrance from the Wronged One to those in the realm of possibility, that it may draw them near to the Kingdom of My Name, the All-Merciful—the station wherein is heard the rustling of the Sadratu’l-Muntaha and the murmuring of the Kawthar of eternity. Blessed is he who hath attained, and woe unto the heedless who have cast the Book of God behind their backs and taken their vain imaginings as lords beside God. They are indeed among the oppressors in My mighty Book.
O peoples of the earth! Fear God, and deny not My proof, and dispute not My verses, and reject not My favor which We have sent down from the heaven of My mercy. Thus doth My Most Exalted Pen counsel you on this darksome night. Hearken, and be not among the heedless. Know ye the worth of these days and their station. God hath made their lights from the light of His countenance and their radiance from the sun of His grace, that ye may give thanks unto your Lord, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
The Tree of acceptance hath borne fruit, yet most of the people have turned away. The world hath been illumined by the Most Great Light, yet most of mankind remain asleep. All that was recorded in the Books of God and concealed in the hearts of the Prophets hath been manifested. The Tongue of Grandeur beareth witness to this in this Station which God hath made sanctified beyond the understanding of the sincere ones.
O Muhammad! Hear the call from the Crimson Tree raised upon the White Spot, the place of gathering:
“Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Single, the All-Informed. I created the world for My knowledge and My manifestation and My days. Yet when I revealed Myself, they denied My signs and turned away from My clear proofs, until they pronounced sentence to shed My blood. Thus did their souls entice them. They are indeed among the transgressors in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds.”
The servant hath presented thy letter before the Wronged One, and We answer thee with this clear Book. We have heard thy cry and thy lamentation, and have seen thy turning and thy devotion, and have found in thy letter the fragrance of thy love and thy steadfastness in this Cause whereby the feet of the learned have slipped and the hearts of the divines have been troubled, save whom thy Lord, the Lord of the heavens and earth, hath willed.
Be thou aflame with the fire of My love, and hold fast to My cord, and cling to the hem of My grace, and be illumined with the light of unity that hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of My wondrous utterance. By God’s life! The people of old found not the fragrance of unity and attained not to that which the All-Merciful revealed in the Qur’an. Thus doth the Wronged One recount unto thee that thou mayest become aware of their vain imaginings and suppositions and their misbelief and their turning away on the Day of God, the Possessor of this mighty Day.
We testify that they are worshippers of idle fancies and their promoters. They have committed that which hath caused the Noah of days to lament, and the clouds of heaven to cry out, and the eyes of the knowing to weep. Say: O people of the Bayan and O community of the Qur’an! Fear ye the All-Merciful, then be fair in this Cause but for which the verses would not have been sent down, nor the clear proofs appeared, nor would the Point of the Bayan have spoken, nor before Him the Point of the Qur’an. The Kingdom of Utterance beareth witness to this, if ye be of the fair-minded.
Thus hath the shrill voice of My Pen been raised up. Verily it speaketh with the most exalted utterance and calleth all unto God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. Blessed art thou, O Muhammad, for the Pen of God, Lord of the Throne and of the dust, and Lord of the exalted Seat, hath moved to make mention of thee and of those whom thou hast mentioned in thy letter.
We make mention of him who was named Muhammad-Rida, who spoke before all faces with pure truth and manifest justice. O Muhammad-Qabli-Rida! Thou art he who hath attained unto My days, who hath voiced My praise and made mention of Me before the faces of Mine enemies—they who violated My Covenant and Testament, who disputed My verses and warred against My Self, after they had lamented My separation and beseeched My grace that there be shown unto them that which they had been promised by God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We made mention of thee before in a Tablet that perfumed the world of remembrance and utterance, yet the people are in grievous doubt. Thou hast rent asunder the veils in the name of thy Lord, the Master of the Day of Return, and hast spoken that whereby the fragrance of My love, the Mighty, the Inaccessible, was diffused.
Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having made me to know Thee, taught me, given me to drink, guided me and drawn me nigh unto Thee. Verily, Thou art the One with power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Most Exalted, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Remind My loved ones on My behalf and give them the glad-tidings of that which hath been sent down for them from the heaven of My loving-kindness and the Pen of My grace, that they may be of them that render thanks.
O ʿAli-Muhammad! The Wronged One maketh mention of thee even as He mentioned thee before. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. Blessed is he who hath attained unto the days of the Lord of Names, who hath entered the City of Faithfulness, who hath held fast unto His cord, who hath found intimacy with His beauty and who hath acted according to that which was inscribed in His Book. We created it and commanded all to observe it. Blessed is he who hath attained thereunto; he is indeed among them that are brought near in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Thus hath the Most Exalted Pen made mention and guided all unto Him. He, verily, is the Counselor, the All-Knowing.
O Abu-Turab! The Lord of Lords, Who hath come riding upon the clouds at the return, maketh mention of thee—He Who hath called all to the supreme horizon, the station wherein the Tree exclaimed: “The kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of the worlds, and power and strength and dominion belong unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.” Rejoice thou in My mention of thee. We made mention of thee before and after, and at this time wherein the Wronged One beholdeth Himself beneath the talons of hatred through that which the hands of the wicked have wrought—they who disbelieved in Him in Whom they had believed throughout ages and centuries. Thou hast attained unto that which altereth not, and there hath been sent down for thee that which God hath made a lamp unto thee in every world of His worlds. He beareth witness unto this round Whom circle the Spirit and the Point. He proclaimeth before all faces, saying: “By God! The Mother Book hath appeared. Fear ye the All-Merciful, O people of the Bayan, and be not of them who turned away when God came with power and sovereignty.” Thus hath the Treasure revealed the pearls of wisdom and utterance. Give thanks unto thy Lord, the Master of Return.
O Zaynu’l-ʿAbidin! The Lord of the worlds maketh mention of thee from the precincts of His Most Great Prison, that He might draw thee nigh unto Him on a day wherein the harbinger crieth out and the raven croaketh. Say: O peoples of the earth! Fear ye God and follow not every ignorant rabble. By God! The Tree of Grace hath yielded the fruits of knowledge. Draw ye nigh and be not of them who turned away from God when He came with the kingdom of utterance. Give thanks unto God for having enabled thee and aided thee to turn toward Him when every vainglorious learned one turned away.
O My Pen! Make mention of My servant who hath been named Siyyid Ali Zargar in the Book of Names by God, the Cleaver of Dawn. O Ali! Give thanks unto God for this bounty which all the treasuries of the world cannot equal. Verily, thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Knowing. The servant in attendance hath brought thy letter and presented it before the Wronged One, and We have withheld the Pen from the decree of reply. Thus hath My consummate wisdom required, and My command that dominateth all who are in the earth and the heavens. Blessed art thou for having attained unto My choice wine and believed in My Self on a day wherein most of the servants have disbelieved.
We have made mention of thee and will continue to mention thee in that which shall endure as a treasure and honor unto thee. Verily, thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. Grieve thou not over anything. In all matters put thy trust in God, the Powerful, the Self-Subsisting. Remember those whom thou didst mention in thy letter before the Wronged One, and greet their faces with joy and fragrance. Thus hath the Tree of Faithfulness revealed its fruits that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord, the Mighty, the Gracious. We counsel thee and those who have believed to be steadfast in this Cause whereby feet have slipped, and to preserve that which We have given thee. Verily, thy Lord is the Counselor, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
O Asadu’llah! The Wronged One of the world hath turned toward thee from the precincts of the Prison and maketh mention of thee through the Pen of His bounty and remindeth thee of His verses. Verily, He is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth and is the Sovereign over what is and what hath been. Thou didst attain unto My mention aforetime and in this hour which no centuries or ages can equal. We counsel thee with that whereby the Cause may be exalted and with what behooveth the days of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving. Say: O people of the Bayan! Aid your Lord, the All-Merciful, through conduct from which the fragrance of acceptance is wafted and through deeds whereby the station of man is uplifted.
Blessed is he who hath attained unto that which hath been revealed in My Book and hath acted according to what My Tongue hath uttered in this station which God hath made the Dawning-place of inspiration. Give thanks unto thy Lord that the Tongue of Grandeur hath moved to make mention of thee and the Countenance of the Ancient of Days hath turned toward thee from the Most Exalted Horizon as a token of His grace, for He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. Every land which hath been honored by My footsteps hath been exalted, every mountain whereon My tent of glory hath been pitched hath trembled with joy, every mouth that hath uttered My praise hath smiled, and every horizon hath been illumined by My light before which all lights have bowed down.
Hearken unto My call and arise to serve My Cause in such wise that neither the oppression of every oppressor nor the learning of any doubting scholar shall deter thee. Those who have acted in the days of God in such wise as hath caused the Maids of Heaven to weep in their chambers—We had ordained knowledge for My recognition, yet it hath prevented them from drawing nigh unto the Dayspring of Revelation and turning toward the Horizon of Evidence.
O Muhammad! Every name hath been honored by the mention of God, the Lord of all mankind. Convey My glad-tidings unto them and remind them of that which hath been sent down from My Pen and illumine them with the lights of My utterance and acquaint them with what hath been inscribed in the Mother Book. Say: O party of God! Know ye your stations. By God! The Mother Book speaketh in your midst. In the Qur’an it was named the Most Great Announcement, and in another Book the Speaker of Sinai, and by the tongues of the Books the Lord of Lords. Say: Come, come, O people of ignorance, that ye may hear the call of your Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted, and become aware of that which was hidden in His knowledge and treasured in the repositories of His power which have encompassed the horizons. Thus hath the heaven revealed its suns and moons and stars. Behold and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Revealer of verses and Manifester of clear tokens!
O my God, my God! The Wronged One makes mention of Thee before Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones, and beseeches Thee by the power of Thy Most Exalted Pen, whereby Thou hast subdued the kingdom of names and all who dwell in the realm of creation, to aid us to remain steadfast in Thy Cause in such wise as to make the limbs of them that raise the cry of denial among Thine enemies to quake—they who have cast the Book of God behind their backs, clinging to their own idle fancies and vain imaginings. O Lord! Thou seest us turning unto Thee, seeking refuge at Thy presence, and clinging to the hem of the robe of Thy mercy and bounty.
I beseech Thee by Thy Name which Thou hast made the sovereign of names and sanctified from the mention of all who dwell in the realm of creation, to send down from the clouds of the heaven of Thy mercy that which will preserve us from all else except Thee, draw us nigh unto Thee, cause us to behold Thy signs and hearken unto Thy most exalted words. Then ordain for us through Thy Most Exalted Pen that which will profit us and inscribe for us the recompense of attaining Thy presence, O Lord of all beings and King of the throne on high and of earth below. There is none other God but Thee, the Omnipotent over all that Thou willest. Verily Thou art the Self-Sufficient, the Help in Peril.
BH00541: O Javad! Upon thee be the Glory of God…
He is God, exalted be His station of grandeur and power!
O Javad! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Lord of Creation! Thou hast ever been and art still engaged in serving the Cause. All who have come, all who have sought, and all who have visited have made mention of thee. His honor Amin Abu’l-Hasan Ardikani, upon him be my glory, hath made mention of thee both before and since. These matters are a truthful testimony and an eloquent witness to thy acceptance, thy devotion and thy steadfastness. We beseech God to aid thee in all conditions, and through the traces of the Supreme Pen to grant thee eternal life. That remembrance hath been and shall ever be of God, exalted be His glory. He is the true inheritor and the spiritual progeny. Every trace shall be erased and will vanish save the trace of the Supreme Pen, which shall endure as long as the kingdom of earth and heaven endure.
O Javad! By the life of God, this Wronged One hath known no rest or repose from the beginning of the Cause until now. Each day hath brought fresh harm and each moment a new affliction. The people of God bear witness that from the first day of the Revelation until now, We have stood before the faces of the world without veil or covering, and guided all to the supreme horizon. We have sent down the proof and made clear the way in such wise that none can deny it save he who is deprived of hearing, sight and understanding.
O Javad! The river of names hath deprived the servants of the ocean of inner meanings. Each of the world’s factions clingeth to some vain imagination, except for those souls who have truly arisen to serve the world and have purified their hearts from hatred and rancor. These are the hands of God’s Cause amongst His creation. The gulf of names is indeed a barrier; until the servants are freed from the pitch-dark night, they will not perceive the lights of the luminous morn. After all the waiting, the striving, the yearning, the seeking and the longing, when the dawn of hope appeared and the blessed Tree grew forth, all turned against it with swords of hatred and rancor, and wrought that which ye have heard and seen. Would that the human world had been cut off and these great wrongs and their like had never appeared!
O Javad! Upon thee and upon those with thee be My glory! We have appeared and made mention of the corruption and righteousness of the world, and We have spoken that for which ears were created to hear. Nevertheless, people are observed to be in great delusion and grave doubt. The Finger of Power hath rent asunder so many veils, yet now it is observed that the people of the Bayan have risen up with the same delusions as before, and veils and barriers thicker than the first have appeared and intervened. Even after We taught them their confused ways and made known to them My clear and straight path, they have not, until this moment, recognized the Day of God nor attained true unity.
Some among the people are observed to be deprived of the warbling of the Dove of utterance which singeth upon the highest branch of the world, being occupied instead with the buzzing of flies. Each day they cling to a rope and grasp at a hem. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, not to deprive the eyes of hearts from the splendors of the light of the dawn of revelation, and to free all from the doubts and intimations of the world. Thou and the loved ones of God have ever been and shall ever be beneath His glance; ye have not been and shall not be forgotten. Praise be to God that thou hast been confirmed in serving the Cause. We beseech the Most High to assist thee with the means of exaltation.
The All-Glorious and Exalted Lord of earth and heaven is, verily, powerful over all things and worthy to answer prayer. I have been saddened by what hath befallen you in the Days of God, the Lord of all worlds. What hath come upon you hath come upon Us. O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of the servants of God and His handmaidens in such wise that their names and remembrances may endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. Then render thanks unto thy Lord for having aided thee and caused thee to speak that there is none other God but Me, the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting.
Make thou mention, moreover, of My leaf who hath ascended unto the Most Exalted Summit and the Supreme Companion, and give her the glad-tidings of her Lord’s loving-kindness. He, verily, is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. Say: May the light that shineth from the horizon of the heaven of utterance rest upon thee, O handmaiden of the All-Merciful and leaf of the Divine Lote-Tree who speaketh before all faces: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Sovereign Lord of all creation.” We bear witness that thou didst dwell in a house wherein God’s remembrance was exalted in days when all tribes were shaken save whom God, the Lord of Kings, did will. Thou art she who heard the Call and answered thy Lord, who turned unto a horizon wherefrom every heedless and veiled soul had turned away, who quaffed My choice-sealed wine, who inhaled the fragrance of My Name, the Self-Subsisting, who witnessed what God had witnessed and acknowledged what the Tongue of Grandeur had uttered from His inaccessible station.
Rejoice thou in this Most Great Remembrance which all the treasures of the world cannot equal. To this all things bear witness, and I am the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. O My handmaiden! Upon thee be My glory, My remembrance, and My praise. We beseech God, exalted be He, to send down upon thee at all times that which befitteth the heaven of His generosity and the ocean of His bounty. He, verily, is powerful to do what He willeth. There is none other God but He, the True One, the Knower of things unseen.
O Javad! Upon thee be My glory. We console thee and those in thy household for what hath befallen you. We make mention of Ahmad and give him the glad-tidings of My acceptance of him from this praiseworthy station. O Ahmad! We make mention of thee and counsel thee to be patient and forbearing. Thy Lord, verily, is the Mighty, the Unconstrained.
In the Persian tongue it is mentioned: The world hath never had, nor hath it now, any faithfulness, and this is a truth to which all created things have testified. Yet despite this, mankind remaineth occupied with it and heedless of the Truth. O Ahmad! Be thou in all conditions looking unto My horizon, speaking My praise, standing firm in service to My Cause, and holding fast unto My strong cord. Though by God’s infinite grace thou art blessed with that which most of mankind is deprived of, yet glory be to God! Until now the people of the Bayan and the divines of the earth remain unaware of the Day of God. Say: This is God’s Day, did ye but know it, and this is God’s Covenant, were ye but convinced of it.
His verses pass you by, yet ye perceive them not. Say: Know ye the value of these days. Today the trees are speaking and the fruits are manifest. By the life of God! This is the day of attainment and turning unto Him, for the Embodiment of Grace is established upon the throne of justice and the banner “The Truth is come” hath been raised and planted amongst mankind. The people need to be reminded, for they have been nurtured for twelve hundred years in superstitions and idle fancies. It is most difficult to break the idols of vain imaginings save through God’s power and might. Blessed is the eye that seeth and the soul that pondereth upon what transpired among the previous communities. Should one become aware, he would find himself seated upon the cushions of steadfastness. Blessed are they that ponder. Blessed are the fair-minded.
O Ma’sumih! God willing, mayest thou be favored by the grace of the True One, exalted be His glory. By My life! The names of devoted handmaidens are inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Book. In the sight of God they take precedence over men. How many valiant heroes and knights of the field are deprived of the Truth and bereft of His knowledge, while ye are blessed and favored therewith. Praise be to God in all conditions. Thou hast ever been and art still remembered. And We make mention of the wife of Javad—upon both of them be My glory, mercy and loving-kindness—that she may render thanks unto her Lord by night and by day. O My handmaiden!
The gaze of the True One hath been directed to that household. All abide beneath the shade of the divine Tree of Grace, in tranquility and at rest. This day is the Lord of all days and the Possessor of all ages and centuries. Blessed is the soul whom neither the doubts of the transgressors nor the hints of the deniers could deter or deprive, who, with complete steadfastness, held fast unto the cord of His grace and clung to the hem of His bounty. We send greetings to all the handmaidens in that land and counsel them all to that which God loveth.
O ʿAzziyyih! Upon thee be My glory! With thy mention this Book is ended. Forget not the days of thy presence. Thou hast ever been and art still beneath the gaze of loving-kindness. Be thou for God in all conditions. Forget not that which We counseled thee during thy presence. Remember the Wronged One by night and by day, and what hath befallen Him at the hands of the aggressors and the idolaters. Be not sorrowful. Be thou mindful. We counsel thee to be patient and calm, and to manifest the joy that was created for the days of thy Lord, the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
O people of Qaf! The Pen of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, maketh mention of you at this moment, that the sweet savors of revelation may so attract you that neither the might of the world nor the power of the nations may hold you back. Verily, He is the Commander, the Dominant over what was and what shall be. Beware lest the doings of the idolaters sadden you, or the forces of those who have denied God’s proof and testimony and disbelieved in His signs and committed that which hath caused the denizens of the Kingdom to lament, cause you to fear. The glory which shineth resplendent from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon you and upon those who have turned with their hearts to God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen.
O Javad! Convey My greetings to the people of the villages whom thou didst mention. Say: O party of God! Today steadfastness is beloved. They have taken the Cause of God as children’s play. Again green and white turbans have appeared, and like the former sect they are occupied in constructing houses of vain imaginings. The loved ones of God must remain steadfast in the Cause with perfect joy and radiance—a steadfastness that the world is powerless to prevent.
Convey greetings from the Wronged One to the sons of the late Mulla Abdu’r-Rahim—upon him be My glory and loving-kindness. They are remembered in the presence of this Countenance and will continue to be so. The letter of Abdu’r-Razzaq was received. The glance of favor hath been directed towards him. They have ever been and are favored by God’s grace. God’s counsel is that they should at all times engage in teaching the Cause of the Lord of all worlds with joy and radiance. Glory be upon thee and upon them and upon those whose names have been set down by the Most Exalted Pen in this noble station and mighty prison.
The sister of him who beareth the name of Jud—upon him be My glory—together with his son, have been granted permission to proceed to the Most Holy Court. In all circumstances they must not neglect wisdom.
BH00615: The divine verses have encompassed the world…
He is God, exalted be His glory and greatness!
The divine verses have encompassed the world and the light of His grace has illumined the hearts of the believers. The orb of justice has risen and shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of supreme statecraft, yet the veils of heedless souls—that is, the turning away of those evil ones—have concealed its rays. What has been the cause of deprivation, and what the reason for prevention? There can be no doubt that the All-Bountiful Lord, exalted be His favor and magnificent His grace, created the world for the sole purpose of recognition and the manifestations of justice and fairness. The rain of His generosity has ever poured down and the verses of His grace have descended. In all things the banner of God’s power is raised, and in every station the standard of God’s might is unfurled. Nevertheless, the believers are seen to be weak and the ungodly strong, as witnessed when the cities of the people of divine unity were besieged and the artillery of the ungodly encompassed them. This is naught but the recompense of deeds and actions.
And the prayer shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of God’s mercy be upon the Essence of His creation, the Dawning-place of His signs, the Dayspring of His revelation and the Source of His Cause, through Whose light the world was illumined and in Whose name the nations were blessed. He it is through Whom every cause began and ended, and through Whom appeared the straight path of God and His mighty Command. But for Him no name among names would have appeared, nor any attribute among attributes. And upon His family and companions, whom the veils of the veiled ones prevented not, nor the might of the ungodly—they aided the Cause of God with true aid such that their might seized all in the world and their power encompassed all peoples. These are servants whom nothing whatsoever frightened and no mention barred. They arose from the horizon of power and conquered the cities of the wicked. Through them shone forth the light of unity and appeared the decree of detachment.
Glory be unto Thee, O Lord of the world and Goal of the nations! I beseech Thee by them and by what appeared through them in Thy path, to assist the people of unity in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with. Then aid them against those who have transgressed against them and seized their rights. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Powerful.
And further: This servant received your letter. I read what was in it and presented it before His countenance. The Lord—may our souls be a sacrifice for Him—said:
“We beseech God, exalted be He, to open before the faces of His servants the gate of His grace, to draw them nigh unto the ocean of His knowledge, to adorn them with that whereby His Cause may be exalted, and to ordain for them from the Supreme Pen the reward of the Hereafter and of the former time. He is, verily, the Lord of the Throne and of the dust. We bear witness that there is no God but Him, in acknowledgment of His oneness and in recognition of His singleness. He hath ever been mighty over all who are in earth and heaven. There is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. We send greetings from this station to Our loved ones and counsel them to wisdom and to that whereby the station may be exalted among the people.”
End.
Praise be to God! The blessing of love, which is accounted among the greatest of divine bestowals, exists—the world is ablaze with its fire and illumined by its light. When in equilibrium, it is the spirit animating all created things, but if it exceeds its bounds in the slightest degree, it brings destruction and obliteration. Glory be to God! Both the prosperity of the world stems from it and its ruin. What manner of creation is this, that all are bewildered by its description! Both the wailing of weeping rises from it, and boundless joy is made manifest through it. This servant beseeches and implores God—exalted be His glory—to bestow moderation upon His loved ones and to grant them the taste of the choice sealed wine.
In one station, it is the guide and the channel of grace after the Prophets—peace be upon them. In another station it is the interpreter, and in yet another the expositor. Glory be to God! Its description cannot be completed by the pen. In all things this bounty is evident and manifest according to their measure, for all things point to God—exalted be His glory. Likewise from His handiwork are the pen and ink, though they cannot race in this field. The Command is in God’s hands—He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth, and He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
As to the mention made of Haji Siyyid Mihdi—upon him be God’s peace—his remembrance hath been accepted in the presence of the Lord. Let them recite this prayer, for verily it guideth unto the straight path of God.
My God, my God! Thou seest me turning toward Thee, and directing myself to the Dawning-Places of Thy Revelation, the Sources of Thine inspiration, the Repositories of Thy knowledge and the Fountainheads of Thy commandments and laws. I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst subdue the world and guide the nations, and by Thy sovereignty that hath encompassed all things, and by Thy signs that have pervaded earth and heaven, and by those whose hearts were melted in Thy love and who gave up their spirits and all they possessed in Thy path, not to deny me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones and destined for Thy trusted ones. O Lord! Thou seest the needy one standing before the gate of Thy favour, and the destitute one clinging to the cord of Thy bounty. Ordain for me that which befitteth the heaven of Thy generosity and the ocean of Thy grace. Thou art He to Whose exaltation and sublimity all created things have testified, and to Whose greatness and power all things possible have borne witness. O Lord! Send down from the clouds of Thy mercy’s heaven that which will draw us near unto Thee, then provide us with the best of what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book.
I testify, O my God, to Thy unity and singleness, and that Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee. Thou hast ever been in the heights of majesty and power, and wilt ever be as Thou hast been from time immemorial. The conditions of creation do not weaken Thee, nor do the doubts of the people. Verily Thou art the Self-Subsisting One Whose hosts are not weakened by the armies of the world nor by the ranks of nations. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou pleasest. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Praised. My God, my God! Thou seest the sinner who hath sought the ocean of Thy forgiveness, and the remote one who hath desired the horizon of Thy nearness and good-pleasure.
I beseech Thee by the breathings of Thy verses and the breezes that waft from the direction of Thy loving-kindness, to aid me in Thy remembrance and praise, in turning to Thy horizon, in beholding Thy signs and in directing myself toward Thy verses. O God of the world! I beseech Thee by the Most Great Light, the Most Straight Path, to number me among those whom Thou hast described in Thy Book which Thou didst send down unto the Sovereign of Thy Messengers—they are honoured servants on whom no fear shall come, nor shall they grieve. Wilt Thou deny me, O my God, after I have hastened to the Euphrates of Thy mercy, and wilt Thou disappoint me, O my Purpose, after I have raised my suppliant hands to the heaven of Thy grace and Thy gifts?
Nay, by Thy glory! This is not what I think of Thee. I testify that Thy door is open, Thy grace all-encompassing, and Thy mercy ever-precedent. Neither do the rejection of Thy servants prevent Thy generosity, nor the errors of those in Thy lands hinder Thy giving. Therefore forgive me through Thy grace and bounty, then aid me to serve Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. There is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Beautiful.
Praise be to God! Divine favors are manifest and grace is resplendent. This evanescent servant beseeches the True One, exalted be His glory, to confirm them in that which is befitting and to aid them in His remembrance and praise, and in acknowledging that which the Supreme Pen hath spoken before the creation of earth and heaven. Verily, there is no God but Him. He begetteth not, nor is He begotten, and He hath taken neither consort nor son. God willing, may they drink of the choice wine of utterance, for whosoever attaineth unto it hath attained unto the knowledge of God, exalted be His glory. Had all the peoples of the world hearkened to the Word of Unity as it deserveth to be hearkened to, all would have turned unto God, detached from all else.
The deceptive conditions and allusions of the world have debarred the nations from the most great bounty. Reward and punishment are two mirrors reflecting good and evil deeds which are manifested therein. By the mystery of existence I swear that had they acted according to the Book of God, exalted be His glory, the evident abasement witnessed today would not have come to pass. All must now raise their outer and inner hands to the heaven of bounty and grace of God, exalted be His station, with the utmost lowliness and supplication, and seek His help, that perchance none may remain deprived and forbidden from the ocean of awareness and knowledge. In brief, the recompense of people’s deeds hath held them back, but as the door of grace is open, it is hoped that the lamentations of the believers and the godly may prove effective and He may adorn the world with the ornament of justice and equity. The supplication is from the servants and the answer is from God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.
To the honored and beloved H and S, upon him be the glory of God and His favors, I send greetings. Praise be to God, they have attained and their mention hath been made before the Lord. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to send down upon him from the heaven of grace the rains of mercy and bestowal. Verily He is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth through His Word “Be” and it is. Likewise, to the honored and beloved K and R, upon him be the peace of God and His favors, and to the other friends, upon them be the peace of God, I send greetings and for each I seek confirmation and support. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Hearer, the Answerer. Peace and praise be upon you and upon the sincere servants of God.
BH00865: Praise be to God Who hath revealed…
In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted and Most Glorious Lord
Praise be to God Who hath revealed that which He hath sent down and fulfilled that which He promised in the Books of old, such that His verses have been spread abroad and His evidences have become manifest, until the horizons were filled with the manifestations of His power and the tokens of His might and authority. Then arose the atheists in opposition and the idolators in protest. Among men were those who denied Him in Whom they had believed throughout ages and centuries, and among them were those who rejected that which was sent down from the heaven of the will of our Chosen Lord, and among men were those who disputed His verses and warred against His Own Self and pronounced judgment against Him with such tyranny as caused the Tablets to lament. Blessing and peace be upon the Manifestations of His oneness, the Recipients of His revelation, the Dawning-places of His Cause and the Sources of His wisdom, whom neither the veils of the world nor the doubts of the nations prevented, and who arose to serve the Cause at eventide and at dawn.
Glory be to Thee, O God of the Kingdom and Sovereign over the realms of might! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the fragrance of Thy days was diffused and the banners of Thy remembrance were unfurled, and by the ocean of Thy knowledge which none hath comprehended save Thyself, to assist Thy loved ones to celebrate Thy praise and glory, and enable them to achieve that which befitteth Thy days. Then protect them from the evil of Thine enemies who have broken Thy covenant and Thy testament. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
Thereafter, thy letter was received and as it was adorned with the mention of the one true God, it brought joy. I beseech Him, exalted be His glory, to ever assist thee in that which will cause the exaltation of His Word.
As to what thou didst write regarding his honor Khan, upon him be the glory of God, and the corruption of the person mentioned, this servant was greatly astonished. How inappropriate! When his honor Khan departed from here, all his purpose was to aid the divine Cause, to educate heedless souls, to promote the Cause, and to adorn the servants with trustworthiness, chastity, religious devotion and virtuous character. I testify by God that he had no other purpose. This evanescent servant conveys what he himself hath understood. The person mentioned went to those parts specifically for trade, and until now no command or prohibition hath been given to him. What this evanescent one submits is pure truth, and God is witness and aware.
His honor Khan must in all conditions keep his gaze fixed upon the highest horizon and arise for God’s sake and speak for His sake. Whoso is for God, God is for him. No matter is hidden from God. He is the Truth, there is no God but Him. He witnesseth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. They should be occupied with service to the Cause, detached from all else. The sayings of people will not harm them. This evanescent servant beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, for their success—such success that its fragrance may be diffused throughout the world.
This is a mighty day; one must regard time as precious. Once this exalted word was heard from the tongue of the Lord of Names, blessed and exalted be His utterance: Not a moment of these days can be compared with centuries and ages past. Time and again the Tongue of Grandeur hath voiced this blessed word and others like it. In all cases I beseech repose and tranquility for His Holiness, that He may engage in promoting the Cause of the Best-Beloved of the worlds with the utmost joy and fragrance. Assuredly this prayer will be answered, but let them not abandon wisdom and let them be mindful of the blessed words “Speak to men according to their capacities.” God is witness that in the Most Great Scene perfect loving-kindness towards them is manifest, evident and clear. This bounty is mighty and this grace is great.
This evanescent one’s petition in the presence of that honored one is that whatever hath been mentioned should be conveyed to His Excellency the Khan with greetings, praise, glory and exaltation. As for what was mentioned regarding that honored one’s remembrance before the countenance of the Desired One, it was submitted at a specific time and was graced with His hearing. This is what was revealed in response, blessed be His words:
O Mihdi! God willing, thou shalt attain the honor of guiding the servants. Reflect upon the upheavals and conflicts of the world. Where are the Pharaohs and the children of the Pharaohs? Where are the Caesars and the children of the Caesars? Where are they who prided themselves on what they possessed in the East and West of the earth? Where are they whom the world so deluded that they were kept back from the most exalted Paradise and what was created therein? Where is the clamor of men and the roaring of heroes? Where are their swords and their ranks? Where is their loftiness and their ascendancy? God hath brought them down from their palaces to their graves. Should anyone turn to the palace of Chosroes, he would see naught but spider webs therein, and hear naught but the echo. Take ye warning, O people of insight!
That honored one should arise with complete determination to promote and assist the Cause of the Lord of all beings—an arising that neither the doubts of the world can shake nor the conditions of the nations can cause to slip. Great is the deed, great is the reward, great is the day, and great is the Cause. Blessed is the soul whom neither the cawing of the divines nor the might of princes did hold back from the Truth. The Khan, upon him be My glory, hath been and is remembered. Every soul in those regions who hath today been blessed with the fragrances of revelation and the sweet-scented breezes of these days should join with the Khan in complete unity to teach and serve the Divine Cause, albeit with wisdom and utterance, for contention, warfare and strife have been strictly forbidden in the Book.
We beseech God to grant divine confirmation and assistance that all may find and hold fast to the path. Say: My God, my God! I am he who hastened to the splendors of the lights of Thy bounty and grace, and turned to the waves of the ocean of Thy bestowals. I beseech Thee by the dominion of Thy pen of destiny and by the fragrance of Thy garment which hath perfumed Thy servants and creatures, to assist me in Thy remembrance, Thy praise and the service of Thy Cause. Then send down upon me from the clouds of the heaven of Thy grace a mercy from Thee and a blessing from Thy presence. O Lord! Disappoint me not of what lieth with Thee. Ordain for me that which shall profit me. Verily Thou knowest what is within me and I know not what is within Thee. Thou art the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.
Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto His supreme bounty, for all things and matters shall be seized by extinction save the Sun of Utterance which hath shone forth from the horizon of the Pen of the Best-Beloved of the worlds—this alone endureth and shall endure. Each of the souls mentioned was presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court, and all were blessed with divine remembrance. This servant too conveyeth greetings and salutations to all. Glory and remembrance and praise be upon His Presence, and upon thee, and upon them, and upon every soul that is steadfast, firm and upright.
BH00868: Today, praise and salutation, remembrance and utterance belong especially…
In the name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord
Today, praise and salutation, remembrance and utterance belong especially to the friends of God, exalted be His glory, whom the doubts of the people of the world did not prevent from the path of the All-Merciful. They caught the fragrance of His garment and hastened to the court of the Friend. The prevention of hinderers, the might of oppressors, the schemes of plotters, the turning away of the divines, and the closing of eyes by the jurisprudents did not keep them from the lights of the countenance of the Lord of Names. From the chalices of recognition they drank the wine of salvation in the name of Him Who controls the winds—a draught that made them independent and free from need of the rivers and streams of the world.
By the life of our Beloved and your Beloved, our Goal and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and earth, these are the souls mentioned in the books of the past and future. Exalted is He Who strengthened them, caused them to recognize, revealed them, and established them in the service of His Cause. They are the breakers of the idols of vain imaginings and the confounders of the enemies of the Lord of all beings. The servant begs his Lord to strengthen them, assist them, and grant them the best of what lies with Him. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Bestower.
Glory be to Thee, O Sender of rains and Causer of rivers to flow! I beseech Thee by the gems of Thy creation who have fulfilled Thy covenant and Thy testament, to assist Thy loved ones to achieve such steadfastness as cannot be shaken by the hosts of idle fancies and vain imaginings, nor prevented by the princes of men. O Lord! Thou seest the people of the Bayan and hearest what their tongues utter, and knowest their deeds and their turning away from the Station whereby Thy proof was established from time immemorial and the signs of Thy power were revealed with majesty and grandeur. I beseech Thee, O Subduer of the world and Quickener of moldering bones, to assist them to return. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Then make, O my God and my Goal, Thy servant Khalil among those who aid Thy Cause and who speak Thy praise. O Lord! Assist him in all circumstances. Verily, Thou art the Most Exalted, the Most High.
Thereafter, thy letter which was perfumed with the remembrance and praise of the Beloved of the worlds was as collyrium to the eye and manifest joy to the heart. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to assist thee in that which is befitting. After its reading and perusal, it was taken to the Most Exalted Station and presented before His presence and was honored to be heard. This is what was sent down from the kingdom of the wisdom of our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of earth and heaven. His word, exalted be His glory:
He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing
O Khalil! The peoples of the world are seen as children. Let none wonder at this exalted word, for all are occupied with matters which they themselves witness shall perish and pass away, and with their own hands they kindle that which they shall be powerless to extinguish. Vain imaginings have seized them all, and false suppositions have kept them back from that which would profit them, save those whom God has willed. None draws a breath for the sake of God, nor takes a step for His cause. They appear as sheep that have lost their shepherd, scattered and distracted, wandering in the wilderness of heedlessness and ignorance, and are unaware. Beseech ye God, exalted be His glory, to vouchsafe unto His servants a drop from the ocean of knowledge and to bestow His bounty upon them. He is the Bestower, the All-Powerful.
Reflect upon the people of the Bayan: although they witnessed the Shi’ih sect and the fruits of their deeds, as ye have seen with your own eyes and heard with your own ears, yet they have again clung to the same vain imaginings. Through fancy they are deprived of the Sovereign of certitude, and through a mere pond they are kept back from the Most Great Ocean.
Say: O God, my Worshipped One, my Adored One! I testify to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and to Thy ancient and recent bounties. Thou art the Generous One Who hath caused the rain-clouds of Thy mercy to shower upon the high and the lowly alike, and the splendors of the Sun of Thy grace to shine upon both the obedient and the rebellious. O Merciful One, before Whose gate the essence of mercy boweth down, and around Whose Cause the reality of bounty circleth! I beseech Thee and seek Thy ancient grace and seek Thy recent generosity, that Thou mayest have mercy upon the manifestations of existence and deprive them not of the outpourings of Thy days. All are needy and poor, and Thou art the Self-Sufficient, the All-Conquering, the All-Powerful.
Praise and glory be unto God! The ocean of utterance is so tempestuous that this evanescent servant is incapable of mentioning or describing it. The non-existent hath no station or expression before the presence of Him Who is the Ever-Existing. With the utmost powerlessness and contrition, I cling to the hem of the robe of His grace, that He may assist that honored one in all conditions and deprive not His servants of the bounties of His days. Verily, He is powerful over all things and worthy to answer prayers.
Concerning what was written about Aqa Mirza ʿAli, brother of Aqa Mirza Muhammad Khan, upon them both be 96 [Baha’u’llah], their letter was received and presented before the Countenance of the Beloved of the worlds. One Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet in the mode of verses, and one Most Wondrous, Most Sweet Tablet in Persian were revealed from the heaven of grace and bounty; these have been written and sent. I beseech God to enable them to attain His presence that they may drink from the ocean of the utterance of the All-Merciful that which will cause movement and be the cause of enkindlement, and that they may arise to serve the Cause, that is, to teach. This servant conveys greetings to them and beseeches God, exalted be His glory, for such confirmation as its effects may become manifest and evident throughout all regions.
He is the Bestower Whom the veils of the world and the clouds of the nations have not and shall not hinder. Ever hath the hand of His power been manifest and the eye of His bounty extended. Blessed are they who, at this dayspring, have not deprived themselves of the effulgences of the Sun of grace. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Bestower, the Generous, and He is the Bountiful, the Gracious. There is no God but Him, the Exalted, the Great.
Concerning the mention of the honored ones: his honor Aqa Mirza Mahmud, his honor Aqa Mirza Muhammad Khan, and his honor Aqa Muhammad Hasan Khan, upon them be the Glory of God—all are remembered in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence. Praise be to God that after their names were presented, there descended from the heaven of grace that which its fragrance shall endure through the duration of His most beautiful names and most exalted attributes. This servant beseecheth and imploreth God, exalted be His glory, that He may cause each one to be raised up like a standard of His Cause, manifest and resplendent. He is the Fulfiller of the needs of all who ask and He is the Hope of all who hope and the Goal of all who seek. Glory, remembrance and praise be upon you and upon those whom vain imaginings have not kept back from God, our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and earths. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.
BH00989: Praise be to God Who hath sent down…
In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate!
Praise be to God Who hath sent down the verses and manifested the clear proofs and dispatched the Messengers and revealed the Books in demonstration of His generosity, grace, gifts and favors, and Who hath ordained for every land a portion of the effulgent lights of His Revelation and the Sun of His knowledge and wisdom, until the appointed time had come and the hour of the Hijaz arrived.
Then from that land was diffused the fragrance of His Revelation, and the Light shone forth from its horizon, and the treasuries of knowledge were made manifest therein, and the signs of power appeared therefrom, and the breezes of revelation encompassed its cities, its regions and its environs, whereupon the sacred vale trembled and swelled with longing and ardent desire for the meeting of the Manifestation of the Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven. The world was moved by its movement and the celestial spheres by its yearning and desire.
He it is through Whose manifestation the Dove of Utterance warbled upon every branch in diverse melodies:
“O people of creation! There hath come unto you the Dawning-Place of your Lord’s revelation, the Most Merciful, through Whom the Sun of Names hath shone forth and the Stars of Attributes have gleamed, and through Whom that which was hidden in His knowledge and treasured in the repositories of His protection hath been made manifest. He it is through Whom the celestial spheres and all within them, and the earth and all that is thereon, have been ennobled.”
And when the dawn of His manifestation broke forth, the breezes of the Most Merciful wafted over all lands, whereby every one that was seated arose, and every tongue that was mute spoke forth, and every stagnant water began to flow, and every blind one saw, and every thirsty one was refreshed, and every troubled one found peace, and every seeker attained his goal, and every remote one drew nigh.
Upon Him be the peace of God and His prayers and the mercy of God and His light, and upon His family and His companions whom God made the Hands of His Cause in His lands and the manifestations of His power amongst His servants. Through them did every one that had turned away return, and every denier acknowledged the unity of God, and every proud one was affrighted. Through them were emperors humbled and pharaohs and tyrants thrown into confusion. They were those at whose lights of unity the very foundations of misbelief trembled, and by whose steadfastness and uprising in the Cause of God, the Lord of the Kingdom and of the Realm of Glory and Might, the mountains were scattered.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou seest the warriors under the grasp of the transgressors and the believers between the fangs of the idolaters. O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy power which encompasseth all created things, and by Thy might whereby all possibilities are rendered powerless, to protect Thy believing servants from the idolaters and their cannons and rifles and swords.
O Lord! Thou seest Thy party among the parties and beneath the claws of a pack of wolves. I beseech Thee, O Lord of Lords, by Thy Prophets and Thy Messengers and Thy Books, and by Him Whom Thou hast established in Thy stead in the kingdom of creation and chosen from among the Prophets to manifest Thy hidden mystery, O Creator of heaven and Sovereign of the Kingdom of Names!
O Lord! There hath befallen the believers that which hath caused the pens to cease their flow and the tongues their utterance. Thou seest, O my God, my Beloved, my Purpose and my Adored One, the sighs of Thy chosen ones and the tears of Thy loved ones. Have mercy, then, upon Thy servants and deliver them from every anguish and calamity and from every torment and hardship.
O Lord! Thou seest them turning toward the horizon of Thy grace, hastening to the ocean of Thy bounty, and clinging to the hem of the robe of Thy generosity, O Lord of existence and Sovereign of the seen and the unseen!
My God, my God! I beseech Thee by Thy triumph wherewith Thou didst aid in the earliest days Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones, to aid in these days Thy servants who have arisen to strive in Thy path and who have stood with supreme courage before the faces of Thine enemies. O Lord! Preserve them, then, through Thy protection, exalt them through Thy power and might, and assist them with the hosts of the seen and unseen. Verily Thou art the Guardian of the world and the Educator of the nations, and art powerful over all things. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Conquering, the All-Powerful.
O Lord! Send down upon Thy warriors from the heaven of Thy bounty the rains of Thy mercy and blessing. Then strengthen, O my God, their hearts, make their faces radiant, and illumine their eyes with the lights of Thy knowledge and recognition. Verily Thou art He Whom nothing whatsoever can frustrate, and Whom the hosts of earth and heaven cannot frighten. Thou doest what Thou willest through Thy power and ordainest what Thou pleasest through Thy might. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
And furthermore, O my dear son, upon thee be my peace. What hath reached me hath brought me glad tidings of thy health and the soundness of thy constitution, and of thy standing up for the sake of God in the face of those enemies who desire to extinguish the light of God with their mouths. But God will not allow aught but that His light be perfected, though the idolaters be averse.
This servant beseecheth God, his Lord and your Lord, to assist those who strive among our believing brethren, to aid them with the hosts of the unseen and the seen, to grant them victory through His might and His power and His sovereignty, and to manifest through you what He hath sent down in His perspicuous Book. The hosts of God shall be triumphant.
We praise Him and thank Him at all times that He hath made our brethren among those who hasten to holy war in His path and who act according to what He hath revealed in His Book. Verily He heareth and answereth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. We beseech Him, exalted be He, that all may return to their homelands, enjoying the victory of God which is nigh. Verily He is our Lord, our Goal, and our Object of worship. Nothing frustrateth Him and no matter preventeth Him. He doeth what He willeth through His sovereignty and ordaineth what He desireth, and He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
O Lord! Aid those who strive in Thy path with the hosts of earth and heaven, and through Thy might whereby the backs of the princes were broken among the Pharaohs of the earth and its tyrants—they who denied Thy signs and turned away from Thy proof and shed the blood of Thy loved ones and seized Thy cities and Thy domains.
O Lord! Thou art He before Whose power the essence of might hath bowed down, and before Whose strength the very reality of force hath submitted. I beseech Thee to protect the people of unity from the fire of misbelief and hatred. Verily Thou art He through Whose Name the gates of victory were opened before the faces of all created things.
O Lord! Ordain for every face that hath turned unto Thee and advanced to aid Thy Faith and Thy Cause the best of this world and the next, and that which Thou hast ordained in Thy Book, O Lord of all humanity and Sovereign of the throne on high and of the dust below.
O God, my God! Send Thy blessings upon those whom no blame of the blamer nor mockery of the mocker hath kept back from Thee, who have advanced toward Thee with radiant faces to serve Thy Faith, O Lord of all things! There is none other God but Thee, the Omnipotent over what Thou willest.
BH01117: Lawh-i-Ism-i-Jud
He is God, exalted be His glory, the Most Great and Most Glorious!
O Ism-i-Jud! Upon thee be My glory! The letters from Samandar which he sent were presented before the Wronged One and attained the honor of being heard. Concerning what was written about the teacher, We have accepted what he hath done in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds. Say: O teacher! Thou art the first teacher who hath attained His good-pleasure and whom God hath mentioned in His perspicuous Book. We testify that thou hast attained that which was sent down from My holy Kingdom in My Most Holy Book and hast acted according to what thou wast commanded by God, the Exalted, the Great. We have made these verses the recompense for what thou didst in His path and have sent them unto thee that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Ruler, the All-Wise. Through them We have immortalized thy mention and made thee remembered in all the schools of the world. Verily, thy Lord is the Almighty, the Powerful. Rejoice in what hath flowed from My Most Exalted Pen in the prison of ʿAkka as a favor from Us unto thee and unto those who have held fast to this firm Cord. The glory be upon thee and upon every learned one who hath attained unto this mighty Cause.
O Samandar! Convey what hath been revealed for him. God willing, another bounty shall be bestowed upon him. A robe of honor shall be granted, though it be but a shirt; yet that shirt is more precious in the sight of God than all that the kings and rulers possess. O Samandar! The teacher hath attained unto that which most of mankind are powerless to comprehend. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. God willing, the children must exert their utmost effort in acquiring knowledge and penmanship. What was sent was seen. We beseech God to grant the capacity that they may perfect the art of calligraphy. Although for some, sufficient penmanship to meet their needs may suffice—and it would be better and more fitting to spend time in beneficial sciences—yet since God, exalted be His glory, hath loved every craft at its most perfect, therefore that which flowed from the Most Exalted Pen was revealed. However, attention to this direction is not permitted now; what he is occupied with is acceptable before God. He should thank his Lord morning and evening, at nightfall and at dawn.
O Samandar! Upon thee be My praise. Convey greetings and glory from the Wronged One to the friends of Alif and Shin. There hath befallen them what befell the Self of Truth. We enjoin upon them patience and forbearance and We beseech God to deliver them from the evil of the wicked ones who have violated God’s Covenant and His Testament—those servants who have adorned their heads with green and white turbans and have pronounced judgment against Him for Whose separation they lamented and whose presence they besought God night and day. By the life of God! Their words, deeds and beliefs have taken form and made them companions of the Fire. Say: O people of God! Be not grieved at what hath befallen you. Verily He is with you under all conditions. He witnesseth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
Concerning the passing of Mulla Ja’far, upon him be the Glory of God, about which you wrote: We have turned toward him from this station and remember him with a remembrance whereby the righteous shall remember him. He believed in God and His signs, and testified to that which God had testified before the creation of earth and heaven. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to forgive him and expiate from him the hardships of this world and cause him to dwell in the highest Paradise. Verily He is the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Bountiful. And We make mention of his wife, the daughter of ʿAzim. Verily thy Lord remembereth His servants and handmaidens as a grace from Him, and He is the Mighty, the All-Generous.
O Samandar! The mention you made of the Day of Separation passed over you like a dark night. Although this word has been the key to unlock the door of love for God, exalted be His glory, for there passed over you from separation from His loved ones and friends that which passed. Yet praise be to God, you are remembered and present in the gathering of the companions of reunion. By My life! Your mention is like unto a lamp shining in the Most Great Prison. Rejoice thou in the authoritative Word of God, which nothing among all things can equal, nor any mention among mentions, nor any book among books. Verily thy Lord is the Expositor, the All-Informed, and He is the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing.
As to what you wrote concerning the handmaiden of God, the daughter of Jinab-i-ʿAbdu’l-Baqi, upon him be the Glory of God, it was mentioned before the Countenance and now she is engaged in service in the House. Blessed be her father and blessed be she, for she hath attained to the service of the House. Convey My greetings to her father that he may rejoice and be among the thankful ones.
What thou hast done regarding the Huquq hath been accepted. Verily thy Lord is with thee and remembereth thy deed, and He is the Compassionate, the Bountiful.
Each of the souls thou didst mention have attained unto the grace and mention of Our presence. Give them glad tidings from Me and convey My greetings unto them, as bidden by thy Lord, the Commander, the All-Wise. The Glory be upon them and upon those who have attained unto the mention of God, the Exalted, the Great.
O Samandar! We make mention of Javad and give him the glad tidings of My grace, My bounty and My mercy. Blessed is he and his son, and blessed are those women who have arisen to serve the Cause at all times. Remember them from the Wronged One and give them the glad tidings of that which hath flowed from My Most Exalted Pen in this station. Convey My greetings unto all who are with thee, whether men or women, young or old. Thus hath shone forth the light of My grace from the horizon of My remembrance, that joy and gladness may attract thee to a station wherein naught is seen save the Sun of My loving-kindness, shining upon all who are in the heavens and on earth. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.