Volume 080: Akka 1304 A.H. (1886–1887), Part I (5 of 5)

BH00382: Praise and thanksgiving, glory and radiance beseem the One…

Section 1: “Praise and thanksgiving, glory and radiance beseem…”

In the Name of Him Who hath illumined the horizon of the world

Praise and thanksgiving, glory and radiance beseem the One True Object of all, Who through the motion of His Almighty Finger rent asunder the veils and coverings of the world and obliterated the doubts and allusions of the peoples. The clouds could not prevent the Luminary of His Cause, nor could the mists become a veil. In the name of the Self-Subsisting, He stood before the faces of the people and summoned all to the horizon of proof. The opposition of kings and the indifference of their subjects could not hold Him back from His purpose. Through the tracing of the Most Exalted Pen He rendered His Cause victorious and raised high the pavilion of “Verily there is none other God but Him” in the most exalted station. Blessed are they who have grasped His firm cord and clung to His luminous hem. The might of princes could not prevent them, nor could the clamor of divines deprive them. Glorified be His grandeur, glorified be His power, glorified be His sovereignty, glorified be His proof, and exalted be His praise!

Glory be to God! Despite the fact that the call of the Divine Lote-Tree hath been raised from the most exalted station and the effulgences of the Sun of Truth are manifest and evident, all are found to be veiled, deprived and forbidden. Glory be unto Thee, O Mystery of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen! I beseech Thee by the Word whereby Thou didst subdue Thy servants and illumine the lands, and by the showers of Thy mercy in Thy days whereby the roses of realities and meanings have sprung forth in the gardens of Thy knowledge, and by Thy Name through which Thou didst unlock the cities of hearts and manifest that which was hidden and adorn it with the ornament of being, to assist Thy servants to stand firm in Thy Cause, to turn unto Thy face and to arise to serve Thee.

O Lord! Thou hearest the clamor of the barking ones from the cities and their outskirts, who have violated Thy Covenant and Testament and uttered that which caused the dwellers of Thy Paradise and the denizens of the tabernacle of Thy majesty to lament. O Lord! I beseech Thee by the power of Thy Will, the penetrating influence of Thy Purpose, the might of Thy Most Exalted Word, and the power of Thy Most Sublime Pen, to aid Thy servants to preserve the pearls of Thy love and the gems of Thy knowledge and recognition. Thou art He to Whose power all who are in Thy earth and heaven have testified, and to Whose sovereignty all who are in Thy dominion and might have confessed. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Encompassing, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Your letter and what was asked has arrived. You must fix your gaze upon this Most Exalted Word which has shone forth from the horizon of the Supreme Pen: “O peoples of the earth! Abandon this day what the people possess, turning unto God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.” This day is unlike other days and this time unlike all times. You must arise to serve the Cause and illumine the world with the light of true unity. This Wronged One is bewildered as to what to say and what to mention that may spread abroad the fragrance of God’s Day. O thou who hast turned towards God! The breezes of proof, compared to what exists in all creation, are as manifest as the sun, yet the people remain heedless and veiled therefrom. Today from the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree this exalted Word is heard: “This is the Day of God; none shall be mentioned save Him.” Should anyone be blessed to hear this Word, he hath attained unto all good. By God’s life! This Word dispelleth and obliterateth all vain imaginings and idle fancies. Blessed are they that hear! Well is it with him who achieveth this and findeth this remembrance which is the Lord of all remembrance.

What hath been said hath been measured and uttered for God’s sake, and the Supreme Pen hath not yet spoken in its own melody as it should. The thieves lie in wait while the treacherous watch from their hiding places, seeking to prevent the servants and to gather the writings of the Supreme Pen—their purpose is evident to God though hidden from men. Though no one stood, yet they installed an imaginary figure with armies of falsehood in an exalted station, built cities with hands of idle fancy and constructed towns and habitations with the tools of vain imaginings. Finally on the Day of Resurrection those fancies and imaginings were transformed into hatred and there befell the Lord of mankind that which caused the eyes of the denizens of the highest Paradise to weep and the Divine Lote-Tree to lament. Ja’far spoke one word in truth and sincerity, yet to this day they call him a liar—such is the state of the manifestations of idle fancies and vain imaginings.

In the early years, all the divines of Persia arose to cut down the Blessed Tree and issued the verdict for Its death. Consider now—not one of the divines of that land was aware of the truth of the Cause to the extent of a needle’s eye. Much reflection is needed that you may arise for God’s sake and protect the people from vain imaginings and idle fancies lest they be afflicted again as before. Today the eye of justice weeps because of the oppression of the idolaters and the temple of justice laments. Now the manifestations of idle fancy have strayed from the straight and manifest path and invite people to deadly ways of vain imaginings. Thy Lord knoweth while the people know not.

Blessed is he who hath held fast to the cord of justice and been of the fair-minded. They measure Him Whose revelation is equivalent to all the divine Books sent down from the heaven of His Will by their own vain imaginings and deny Him, while affirming the truth of others. If this Great Announcement and this manifest, evident Cause be denied, what then can be proven? God shall assail them! We beseech God to assist you to arise for the triumph of His Cause. Stand firm for God’s sake and speak for His sake. This Wronged One hath not yet mentioned the essence of the Cause, but every person of insight and fairness can perceive from the fragrances of the verses and the manifestation of clear proofs and the arising of the Wronged One before all faces that which is befitting and worthy.

O God, my God, my Aim, my Gracious One, my Merciful One! All souls are from Thee and all power lies within Thy grasp. Whomsoever Thou dost exalt transcendeth the kingdom and attaineth unto the station whereof it is said “We raised him to an exalted station,” and whomsoever Thou dost cast down becomes lower than dust, nay worse than nothingness. O Lord! Despite our corruption, sinfulness and lack of piety, we seek the seat of truth and yearn for the presence of the Sovereign, the All-Powerful. The Command is Thy Command, the decree is Thine, and the realm of power lieth beneath Thy bidding. Whatsoever Thou doest is pure justice, nay rather, pure grace. A single revelation from the revelations of Thy Name, the All-Merciful, would banish and obliterate all trace of disobedience from the world, and a single breeze from the breezes of Thy Day of Manifestation would adorn the world with a new vesture.

O Thou Omnipotent One! Grant power to the powerless and bestow life upon the dead, that they may find Thee and find their way to the ocean of Thy knowledge, and remain steadfast in Thy Cause. Should the fragrance of Thy praise be wafted from the diverse languages of the world, all would be beloved of the soul and the heart’s desire, whether in Arabic or Persian; but if deprived thereof, they would be unworthy of mention, whether in word or meaning. O Lord! We beseech Thee to guide and direct all. Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing.

Section 2: “O thou who art mentioned before the Wronged…”

O thou who art mentioned before the Wronged One! Praise be to God, thou hast attained unto the bounty of the Most Exalted Pen and its effects. We beseech God to assist thee, keep thee steadfast, and make thee a standard of guidance among His servants and an ensign of praise throughout all lands. Give thanks unto God, for He hath mentioned thee in such wise as nothing in all creation can equal. Know thou this, preserve it, and be of those who render thanks. We have indeed perceived from thy letter the fragrance of love and devotion. We have mentioned thee in this Perspicuous Tablet, from whose horizon shineth the Sun of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all worlds.

Blessed is the ear that hath heard the Call, and the face that hath turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon, and the eye that hath beheld the Most Great Sign, and the foot that hath arisen to serve the Cause of God, the Lord of the Exalted Throne. The ears were created to hearken unto the call of the All-Merciful, and the eyes to behold His signs. Blessed is he who hath heard and seen, and woe unto the heedless. Verily, the Most Great Ocean desireth to cast upon thee the pearls of wisdom and utterance, that thou mayest rejoice and be of the thankful ones.

Say: O people! Fear ye God and follow not those who have changed God’s favor into disbelief. Cast aside this day what the people possess, hastening unto God, the Single One, the All-Informed. Answer the Call of God amongst you, then take Him as your Helper. Verily, He hath come for your salvation, to this testifieth every knowing and discerning one. Say: My God, my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Signs and the Manifestations of Thy power, O Lord of all humanity, and by Thy Cause whereby Thou hast subdued the kingdom of earth and heaven, and by Thy Sealed Wine whose seal was broken by Thy Name, the Self-Subsisting, to assist Thy servants to turn unto Thee, to hold fast unto the cord of Thy loving-kindness, and to cling to the hem of Thy mercy.

O Lord! Deprive them not of the pearls of the ocean of Thy knowledge, nor of the table of Thy utterance, nor of that which Thou hast sent down from the heaven of Thy Will. Then adorn them, O my God, with the ornament of piety. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all humanity, and the Lord of the Throne on high and of the dust beneath. There is none other God but Thee, the Hearer, the Answerer, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

In matters of theological inquiry there has been delay, for this Wronged One has not, according to outward appearances, studied the known sciences, entered schools, or been acquainted with scholarly discussions. Having turned away from what is possessed by the people, He has clung to what is with God. The intention is that you should in these days occupy yourself with service to the Cause—this is the most exalted station. If you hold fast to it, God will unveil for you what you desire from the depths of His all-encompassing knowledge. For in these days, preoccupation with such matters keeps one back from the Most Great Cause, the Supreme Horizon, and the Most High Summit.

Previously, matters of learning flowed from the Most Exalted Pen, but in these days We have confined matters to “There is no God but Me, the Almighty, the Powerful.” I have come from the Dayspring of Utterance with a clear proof. In one of the Tablets this blessed verse was revealed: “This is not the day for questions and answers. It behooveth everyone, when hearing the Call from the Supreme Horizon, to arise and say: ʿHere am I, O Desire of the world! Here am I, O Beloved of all in the heavens and the earth!”’

We mention for you what was revealed upon My first arrival in the Prison in response to one who asked about the world, its origin, the cause of its creation and manifestation […] We said: You should not turn to the past or future. Remember this Day and what hath appeared therein—verily it sufficeth all the worlds. The statements and allusions regarding these stations extinguish the heat of being. It behooveth thee to speak today that whereby hearts may be set ablaze and the bodies of the seekers may soar. Walk with the power of the Greatest Name above the world that thou mayest witness the mysteries of eternity and become aware of that which no one hath known. Verily thy Lord is the Helper, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Be like the beating artery in the body of contingent being, that through the heat generated by this motion the hearts of those who hesitate may be quickened. Blessed is he who hath attained unto the outpourings of this Ocean in the days of his Lord, the Munificent, the Wise. Be a promoter of God’s Cause with an utterance that will cause fire to blaze in the trees and will make them proclaim: “There is no God but Me, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.”

Say: Utterance is a substance that seeketh penetration and moderation. As to penetration, it is conditional upon refinement, which in turn is dependent upon hearts that are detached and pure. As for moderation, it is to be combined with wisdom, which We have revealed in the Scriptures and Tablets.

The fragrances of verses have been diffused and the standards of clear proofs have appeared, yet the people are in strange delusions. God willing, thou shalt render assistance through celestial power. Its effects and manifestations have been and are from pure and detached hearts. It is God’s sign in existence and His trust in the hearts and minds. The learned are incapable of comprehending it as it deserves, and the wise are powerless before it. This Most Great Sign rules the world and holds sway over the nations. Names circle round it and all means are manifestations of its attributes. Through the instruments of sight it sees, through the instruments of hearing it hears, and through the instruments of speech it speaks.

If no obstacle prevents this power and no veil intervenes, it is penetrating and mighty. It is as a sun that hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of understanding. Were it not for the veils of idle fancies, it would illuminate the world. Neither the might of the world, nor the armies of nations, nor the doubts of the learned, nor the intimations of the jurists can hold back one who attains this most exalted and glorious station from the Lord of Names. This is the station of which the All-Merciful hath spoken in the Qur’an: “Say: ʿGod!’ then leave them to their vain discussions.”

Praise be to God! That which was revealed for you—every word of which hath testified and doth testify to the grace and loving-kindness of God—was sent down. Some are playing in their pool, thus hath He Who is Justice Itself spoken: verily thy Lord is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. We praise Him for His grace and loving-kindness, and for His mercy that hath preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth. The Glory be upon you and upon those whom nothing whatsoever hath prevented from the Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven, who heard the Call and turned unto it, saying: “God is our Lord and the Lord of the Mighty Throne.”

BH00387: O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him…

Section 1: “O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention…”

He is God, exalted be His glory in wisdom and utterance!

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who turned to God on a day when most of the people turned away, and who drank the sealed wine in My Name, the Self-Subsisting, whilst the people were in manifest error. He heard the Call and turned to the Supreme Horizon, and was so carried away by the rapture of the verses that he attained a station wherein he acknowledged that which the Tongue of Grandeur had spoken: that there is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. He succeeded in hearkening to the Call when the peoples of the realm of creation had barred themselves therefrom, and took the chalice of utterance from the hand of the bounty of his Lord, the Most Merciful, and drank therefrom despite those who had denied God, the Lord of all worlds. He bore witness to that which God had witnessed in days wherein earthquakes seized all the tribes of the earth save whom God willed, the One, the Single, the Self-Subsisting, the Peerless, the All-Informed.

Behold, behold how the Countenance hath turned toward thee from the direction of the Prison. Hearken, hearken to God’s call from His mighty Throne:

“Verily, there is none other God but He, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.”

He speaketh before the faces of the world and summoneth them to a station wherein naught is seen save the lights of the countenance of their Lord, the All-Merciful, the All-Knowing. The seas have surged, the mountains have passed away, and the trees have cried out, yet most of the people remain heedless. The valley hath quaked from the breezes of the days of its Lord, the Possessor of Names, and the sea hath surged by virtue of this Name whereby the faces of the idolaters have been darkened.

Say: O concourse of earth! The Lord of all creation hath come with the standards of proof. Fear ye the All-Merciful and be not of the transgressors. Turn with radiant faces unto God, the Creator of heaven. Beware lest the promptings of self and passion debar you from this Cause whereby the lips of existence have smiled and all things have spoken. The Desired One hath come from the horizon of might with clear sovereignty. Say: O peoples of creation! The Most Great Throne hath been established in the highest station, and upon it hath sat the Lord of all men. From His right hand floweth the river of mercy and from His left the Kawthar of loving-kindness. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of this glorious and wondrous bounty. Cast aside what the people possess of superstitions and conjectures, and take what hath been given you by God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.

This is a day wherein the Mother Book speaketh and saith:

“That which was hidden in knowledge and treasured in the vaults of the protection of your Lord, the Ever-Flowing, the Ancient of Days, hath appeared.”

By God! The books of the world and whatsoever the nations possess will profit you not except through this perspicuous Book. Read ye the Books of God that ye may become aware of this Revelation which hath been the hope of the Messengers. The Hidden hath appeared and the Treasured hath come, and the command is God’s, the Peerless, the All-Informed. There is no book but hath been revealed in truth and hath given the people glad tidings of this mighty announcement. Fear ye God and reject not the truth by what ye possess, and be not of the lost.

O thou who hast turned unto the Face! We have sent down the verses and manifested the clear proofs and called the servants unto God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. We have brought forth from the treasuries of My Most Exalted Pen the pearls of wisdom and utterance, yet the people remain behind a thick veil. They have cast aside that which they were commanded by God, the Lord of all beings, clinging to what they possess from the dawning-places of vain imaginings. Verily, they are among the most lost in the Book of God, the Lord of the Sublime Throne. They hear the verses yet turn away from them, and they see the clear proofs yet say this is naught but manifest sorcery. Thus hath the sea revealed the waves of wisdom and utterance, and the Manifestation the light of proof. Blessed is he who hath heard and attained, and woe unto the heedless.

Today the Divine Lote Tree calleth out in the midmost heart of contingent being with this most exalted Word: O peoples of the earth! By God! The Lord of all beings hath come, and He Whose meeting was the desire of the Messengers hath appeared. The Books of God have been adorned with His mention. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of recognizing Him. Through Him the hidden Secret and the treasured Name have been revealed, and that which was recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Sacred Scriptures and Tablets hath been manifested.

Glory be unto God, exalted be His majesty! He hath appeared from a place to which fancy and imagination have no access. He hath emerged from a home not known for learning, sciences, wisdom or mystical knowledge. Every person of insight beareth witness to this fact, and every informed one testifieth to these words. Verses have been sent down in such profusion that minds and understanding are powerless to reckon them, and evidences have appeared in such manner that every fair-minded one hath acknowledged them. Nevertheless, most of the people of the world remain heedless and veiled. They cling to a mere leaf while turning away from the Mother Book, and remain deprived and forbidden from the divine ocean of knowledge and the effulgent lights of the Sun of true Unity.

O thou who hast turned thy face towards the Countenance of God! Truth in all its aspects, deeds, acts and utterances standeth manifest and distinguished from aught else, even as the sun. Yet the veils of vain imaginings have prevented eyes from beholding the Most Exalted Horizon. Today the light of proof shineth forth from the highest horizon of the world and the divine call is raised from the most exalted station, yet the diverse colors of the world and the glory and riches of two days have withheld the people from turning to the everlasting bounty and the heavenly table. Ignorance and heedlessness have reached such a pass as to astonish every person of understanding.

In ages and centuries past, the former communities, both learned and ignorant, remained unaware of the manner of the appearance of the Dayspring of Light. Not a single soul among them attained true knowledge or recognized genuine unity. Now again the deniers of the Bayan are occupied with the same vain imaginings and delusions of the past and utter calumnies. That honored one beareth witness, and earth and heaven and stars bear witness, and the sun and moon testify, that from the first days this servant hath arisen before the faces of all, both kings and subjects, and without veil or concealment hath summoned all to the Most Exalted Horizon. The proof hath been sent down and the path made clear. Not for a moment did We conceal Ourselves. For the sake of God We uttered that which the world was created to hear, that they might gain the fruits of the Ultimate Tree from the traces of the Most Exalted Pen and be illumined by the effulgences of true unity.

But the chains of vain imaginings have held back all save whom God willeth—thy Lord and the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Now the deniers among the people of the Bayan cling to the deeds of the past and utter the words of that party. They say the Bayan hath been altered, denying whatsoever hath been revealed concerning this Most Great Revelation and Most Great Announcement, attributing it to alteration, although this Cause is self-evident and needeth no mention, and all the books and scriptures of the world are dependent upon its acceptance. Beseech ye God to make the sources of vain imaginings aware and to grant them fairness. They argue from the Book of Certitude for the servants while turning away in heedlessness from its Revealer and Source. It is incumbent and obligatory upon that honored one to arise with complete dedication, that perchance the servants of God may not again be afflicted with doubts and fancies, but may attain the lights of the Day-Star of true unity. Until now they have not comprehended the station of the Day of God and are deprived of His grace.

Section 2: “It is evident that every age…”

It is evident that every age in which a Manifestation of God hath lived is divinely ordained, and may, in a sense, be characterized as God’s appointed Day. This Day, however, is unique, and is to be distinguished from those that have preceded it. The designation “Seal of the Prophets” fully revealeth its high station. The Prophetic Cycle hath, verily, ended. The Eternal Truth is now come. He hath lifted up the Ensign of Power, and is now shedding upon the world the unclouded splendor of His Revelation.

It is not known what the deniers of the Bayan have understood from “the day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds” and what they have comprehended from the blessed words “He doeth whatsoever He willeth.” By My life, O thou who gazest upon My face! If a soul were to drink from the ocean of this word and perceive its fragrance, he would find himself seated upon the throne of steadfastness and assurance. Through the Name of God, preserve those who have turned towards Him from the doubts of the deniers and command all to praiseworthy character and goodly deeds. Say: O party of God! Through these hosts render victorious the Lord of the seen and unseen, and hold fast to the fear of God. He is the Commander of hosts and Helper of His Cause. No power can withstand His power. Blessed is the soul whose head is adorned with the crown of godliness and whose temple is beautified with the ornament of justice and fairness.

The honored Amin, glory be upon him, has repeatedly made mention of you. We have commanded all to hearken unto thy word concerning this Most Great Announcement and this firm, mighty Cause. You must awaken the heedless, albeit with wisdom and utterance, that perchance they may discover and know. Today is not the day of names and their attributes. The former parties were deprived of the realm of inner meanings through names and words. They clung to vain imaginings and held fast to conflict and contention—one party Usuli, another Shaykhi, another Sunni, another Shi’i, another Ni’matullahi, and Jalali and Kharabati and Qadiri and Mawlavi. Were you to enumerate the paths of idle fancy, you could not count them. Blessed are the powerful ones who have rolled up these carpets and considered all save Truth as non-existent and null. These are the horsemen in the arena of divine unity and the lights of the horizons of detachment. Upon them be the glory of God, His favors, His grace and His gifts.

Convey greetings from the Wronged One to the party of God. Say: Know ye and recognize the value of this station, preserve it in the name of Truth, and arise as befitteth the Days of God. Whatever is lost today cannot be regained.

O thou who soarest in the atmosphere of thy Lord’s love! The Most Exalted Pen hath ever counseled the servants and commanded them to that which profiteth them. Each word of counsel hath been repeatedly expressed that perchance they may become aware and not exchange the everlasting blessing for things that perish. The rebellion and defiance of the people have deprived them of the rustling of the Divine Pen and the murmuring of the blessed Tree. You must guide the people of that land to the horizon of the favor of the Goal of the worlds through the power of remembrance and utterance. Verily He is with thee and will aid thee with the hosts of proof. The opposition of the world hath yielded no fruit, and the hatred and rancor of the nations have not become a veil. The Word hath penetrated; the Will hath encompassed.

Say: O concourse of men! Behold the Tree and its fruits, the Sun and its radiance, the heaven and its stars, and the sea and its waves. Whosoever desireth to know Him must look with his own eyes. This passage specifically pertaineth to this Revelation. Time and again have these words descended from the heaven of the Divine Will, that perchance all who dwell on earth might become aware and attain unto that from which they are heedless and debarred this day. Again hath the word of perversion been uttered, and the gates of falsehood have been flung open as before, nay even wider. Do they not reflect on what the fruits of the deeds of souls before them have been? In the land of Sad they have uttered that which causeth the Bayan to lament and the Holy Spirit to wail. Their deeds give them the lie, yet they perceive it not. They worship their own desires, yet they understand not. They carve out idols, yet they know not. They behold the signs, yet deny them. Know ye that they recognize not.

In all circumstances must the loved ones of God beseech Him, glorified be His majesty, on behalf of all, that haply they may not be deprived of the ocean of grace nor be forbidden the outpourings of His supreme mercy in these bountiful days. Command ye the people of God to sanctification, detachment, compassion, loving-kindness and wisdom. He verily will assist thee with His verses and support thee with His sovereignty. He is, in truth, powerful over all things.

Say: My God, my God, my Lord and my Support! Illumine the hearts of Thy servants with the light of Thy knowledge, their faces with the lights of Thy countenance, and their temples with the ornaments of the manners Thou hast sent down in Thy Book. O my God and my Quest! Debar them not from the ocean of Thy mercy in Thy days, nor from the dawning-places of the sun of Thy grace, nor from the stars of the heaven of Thy bounty. Thou knowest, O my God, their desires have prevented them from drawing nigh unto Thee, and their imaginings have become a barrier between them and the Dayspring of Thy knowledge and the Dawning-Place of the lights of Thy wisdom.

O Lord! Strengthen my heart, my outward being and my inmost reality for Thy service. Then make me in all conditions to stand firm in service to Thy Cause, speaking forth that which Thou hast revealed in Thy Book to Thy servants, and safeguarding Thy Cause amongst Thy creation. Then forgive me and those with me from among my kindred and children who have drunk the choice wine of Thy revelation and whom the doubts of the croakers and the signs of the transgressors have not prevented from turning unto Thee and holding fast unto Thy Book. O Lord! Aid Thy loved ones who have shattered the idols of vain imaginings with the arm of certitude and have turned unto Thee with faces radiant with light, detached from all who are in the heavens and the earth, with such remembrance as will cause the hearts of the world to be attracted and the faces of those who have turned unto Thee to shine forth. Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds and the Goal of the hearts of them that know Thee!

BH02972: Praise, glory, mention and light be unto the Beloved…

Praise, glory, mention and light be unto the Beloved of the world and the Desire of the nations, Who hath transformed the sword of vengeance into the sword of utterance…

In truth, today is the springtime of the world of reality. The river of mercy floweth, the ocean of bounty surgeth, the rain of grace poureth down, the light of His countenance shineth forth, the hidden mystery is made manifest, and the Sun of the Most Great Name dawneth and beameth from the highest horizon of the world. Blessed is he who hath recognized and attained, and woe unto those souls whom ephemeral things have deprived of the Causer of causes and the eternal bounty….

All the names mentioned in previous Books—such as the mountain of God, Zion, Jerusalem and the like—all are present and visible in this land. Today the sands of the desert, the trees, branches and fruits, the mountains and waters, the heaven and earth, all smile and rejoice at the presence and manifestation of the Truth, all are transported by the rapture of His appearance, yet the people of the world remain remote and deprived. Blessed are they who have found their Goal and who, on this most great day, have taken their portion of the greatest joy.

All the Books proclaim at the top of their voice and give the glad tidings that that day is not one of war, conflict and strife. Isaiah saith:

“And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”

All that which was recorded in the former Books hath been a glad-tiding of the words, deeds, manifestation and dawning-forth of this Most Great Revelation….

Praise be to God! The Sun of loving-kindness hath dawned from the horizon of the heaven of utterance, and the light of grace is resplendent. Blessed are they who have not deprived themselves and have arisen to do what beseemeth them. We beseech God to confirm these souls and grant them success. They have attained unto that which was the purpose of creation. Great is this Day! All must seek from the Goal of all existence that which is the cause and source of the appearance of deeds and character.

Heedlessness and vain imaginings have withheld the world from the Lord of all names, and visible things have become a veil. At every moment they witness change, transformation and evanescence, yet remain heedless and veiled. At this time when He Who conversed on Sinai is seated upon the throne of Manifestation, the messenger of utterance hath brought from the garden of inner meanings these words:

“O people of the earth! Adorn your temples with the ornament of deeds and character, that their light may shine upon all regions.”

The aforementioned souls must, with the assistance of God, glorified be His majesty, engage in teaching with wisdom and utterance. Verily, We hear and see them, and We are the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing….

BH02971: Praise and glory beseem the Desired One of earth…

Praise and glory beseem the Desired One of earth and heaven, Whose will is sovereign and Whose decree is all-penetrating. Through His Most Exalted Word, He bestowed the ornament of existence upon sheer nothingness and adorned it with the embellishment of knowledge and wisdom. He is the Omnipotent One Whom the vicissitudes of the world have not hindered from His purpose. His mercy has preceded all things and His grace has encompassed all things. His path is manifest and evident to them that are endowed with vision, and His proof is clear and present. His bounty has seized all creation, and He has summoned all from defilement to true tranquility. Through the sending of Messengers and the revelation of Books, He has desired the exaltation of the stations of His servants, that all might be purified from the dust and smoke of this world and become worthy to enter the depths of the ocean of His oneness, turning from the realm of creation to the kingdom of eternity….

We have mentioned and continue to mention the people of Divine Unity night and day, and We seek unity and concord for all, that the horizons may be illumined with the light of harmony and the people of Divine Unity may remain protected from the onslaught of the idolaters. Until now the people in the realm of Divine Unity have not pondered what hath been the cause and reason for their weakness and the strength of the idolaters. This Wronged One hath at all times summoned the peoples of the world to the straight path of God and hath mentioned that which would conduce to the exaltation and elevation of the people of Divine Unity. However, ears are barred and eyes deprived. The recompense of their deeds hath kept most from divine grace and merciful favour. We beseech God to awaken those who slumber through the breezes of awareness and withhold not the heedless from the fountain of knowledge, that all may turn to Him and seek that which conduceth to glory, power and ascendancy. He is the One Who with a single word can transform abasement into glory, poverty into wealth, and ignorance into wisdom….

BH05827: Your letter hath come before the Wronged One…

He is God, exalted be His glory, the Most Great, the Most Glorious!

Your letter hath come before the Wronged One, and We have heard that wherewith thou didst call upon God, the Lord of all worlds. We have answered thee with a Tablet from which those near unto God in every word thereof inhale the fragrance of the loving-kindness of God, the Goal of all who are in the heavens and on earth. Blessed be thine ear, for it hath been honored to hearken, and thy tongue, for it hath been honored with mention and praise, and thy face, for it hath turned toward My luminous horizon. Take thou the Choice Wine which hath been sealed with the name of thy Lord, the Self-Subsisting, then drink thereof despite every remote scholar and every doubting mystic. When thou dost inhale the sweet savors of revelation from the utterance of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, say:

My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having enabled me to turn unto Thee when most of Thy servants turned away, and caused me to hear Thy most sweet call when most of Thy creatures were debarred therefrom. I beseech Thee by the pearls of the ocean of Thy knowledge and the lights of the sun of Thy loving-kindness and the mysteries of Thy Book, to aid me in that which shall cause my remembrance to endure throughout the duration of Thy kingdom and Thy dominion. O Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee and holding fast unto Thy cord. I beseech Thee to ordain for me through the Pen of Grace that which shall draw me nigh unto Thee in all conditions. Verily, Thou art the Almighty over whatsoever 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.

BH06163: A remembrance from the Stranger unto him who seeketh…

He is the One speaking from the Throne of Utterance

A remembrance from the Stranger unto him who seeketh the supreme homeland, the station wherein all things proclaim: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of Lords!”—that the call may draw him nigh unto the most exalted Summit and the ultimate Goal, and acquaint him with that which was recorded in the Scriptures and Tablets. All that the people possess cannot equal a single word from thy Lord’s words—to this doth the Mother Book with Him bear witness. Say: By God! This is the Day wherein the Path speaketh, the Book proclaimeth, the mountains pass away, and the Balance uttereth its voice. The Desired One hath come with power and sovereignty. Say: O people of the Bayan! Judge fairly concerning this Announcement which Muhammad, the Messenger of God, foretold, and unto whose mention the Point of the Bayan bowed down.

Thus hath the Treasury revealed its pearls and the heaven its suns. Blessed is he who hath attained, and woe unto every denying infidel. We beseech God to aid thee in serving the Cause, to draw thee nigh unto Him in all conditions, and to ordain for thee that which shall profit thee in all His worlds. Verily, He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. Glory be upon thee and upon whosoever hath judged fairly in this Cause, whereby necks have bowed down and feet have stumbled.

BH07076: A mention from the All-Mentioned unto him who heard…

In the Name of Him through Whom the ocean of true understanding surged in the contingent world.

A mention from the All-Mentioned unto him who heard the Call when it was raised from the Most Exalted Horizon and bore witness to that which God did testify that there is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Bestower. The heaven hath been cleft asunder, and the earth hath been rent, and the pillars have trembled, yet the people remain in a wondrous sleep. Say: O people of the Bayan! He Who was treasured in knowledge and concealed from eyes hath come. Cast behind you your vain imaginings and turn yourselves toward the horizon which God hath made the Dawning-place of lights. Fear God, O people, and follow not your desires. Follow Him Who calleth you unto God, the Lord of lords.

Thus hath My Most Exalted Pen spoken on this darksome night, and I am, verily, the Powerful, the Unconstrained. Remind the people of the verses of thy Lord, then recite unto them what hath been sent down from His Most Exalted Pen in the most exalted station. We beseech God to give thee to drink from the Kawthar of life through His hand of bounty, and to ordain for thee what He hath ordained for His chosen ones who have hastened with spirit and fragrance.