Volume 081: Akka 1304 A.H. (1886–1887), Part II (3 of 5)
BH05550: This is a Book which speaketh with truth, yet…
He is the One Who gazeth from His most exalted horizon.
This is a Book which speaketh with truth, yet most of the people hear not. The verses have been sent down, yet they perceive not. The signs have appeared, yet they understand not. The Hour hath come and the Resurrection hath been established, and the Hidden Name and the Treasured Mystery have been made manifest, yet most of the people know not. The proof hath encompassed all things and the Sun of Evidence hath shone forth from the horizon of possibility, yet the people have turned away from it.
Say: O people of the earth, be fair in the Cause of God and His sovereignty, and follow not the desires of those who have denied the Witness and the Witnessed. The Promise hath come, and He Who was promised calleth out: Turn ye unto Him with radiant faces, would ye but perceive it. Deprive not yourselves of this most great favor, and follow not the sources of idle fancies and vain imaginings.
Be thou grateful unto thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Verily He hath sent down for thee that which honored servants perceive its fragrance.
Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Goal of the world and the Beloved of the nations, for having guided me unto Thy path, shown me Thy way, and sent down for me Thy proof. I beseech Thee to ordain that I may, in all conditions, be mindful of Thy verses and hold fast unto the cord of Thy Cause. Then decree for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee in all Thy worlds. Verily Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth through Thy word “Be” and it is.
BH05864: He who remembers at all times
He who remembers at all times
This is a Book which the Faithful Spirit hath sent down from before God, the Lord of the worlds. Whoso believeth in it hath attained unto all good, and he who disbelieveth is assuredly among the companions of the Fire. O concourse of friends! Hearken unto the call of God, the Lord of Names. He summoneth you and commandeth you to show forth the Most Great Steadfastness in this Cause whereby the feet of the mystics have slipped. The gate of heaven hath been opened and the Lord of Names hath come, riding upon the clouds with manifest sovereignty.
Say: Observe! Observe! O concourse of divines, and be not of the wrongdoers. Judge with fairness and be not of those who behold the signs yet deny them—these indeed are the transgressors. O ʿAli-Asghar! That which thou didst send hath arrived. We have accepted it as a token of Our grace, that thou mayest be thankful and be of those who praise. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of the world and Lord of the nations, for having remembered me in Thy Most Great Prison and for accepting what I sent unto Thee. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Generous. We make mention of thee and of thy branch, as the Most Exalted Pen was turning toward the Land of Friends in the past year. Nothing whatsoever escapeth thy Lord’s knowledge and He is the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days.
BH06147: This is a remembrance from Our presence to one…
He is God, exalted be His glory in wisdom and utterance!
This is a remembrance from Our presence to one who has turned to My horizon, heard My call, was attracted by My verses, spoke My praise among My servants, and attained to My wondrous remembrance. Blessed is the servant who has attained the presence of My loved ones, and the countenance that has turned to the horizon of My favor, and the ear that has heard My mighty, impregnable call.
This is the Day wherein that which was hidden in God’s knowledge, the Lord of the worlds, has been revealed. This is the Day wherein all things have proclaimed: “The Kingdom belongs to God, the Almighty, the All-Wise.” We have sent down the verses and manifested the clear proofs, yet the people remain behind a thick veil. Blessed is he who has turned, whom the opposition of the divines did not prevent, and who has held fast to that which the veils of the theologians did not conceal.
Say: This is a power that the might of the world cannot weaken, and a Cause that the hosts of earth and heaven cannot withhold. He has come from the horizon of power with the banners of His signs—to this testifies every fair-minded, clear-sighted one. Thus has the Wronged One spoken, while in prison through what the hands of the heedless have wrought.
The glory shining from the horizon of My heaven of bounty be upon you and upon those who have turned and said:
“We believe in Thee, O Thou the Goal of the knowing ones!”
BH07372: O Husayn! What do the people of the world…
He is the Hearing and the Answering
O Husayn! What do the people of the world hold fast to today, and by what proof and evidence do they establish their truth and demonstrate their faith? If the proof be verses, verily they have filled the world, and if it be evidences, verily they have shone forth from the horizon of the Will of the Lord of Eternity. Say: O people! Fear the one true God. Look ye at the revealed Suras, read them and ponder upon them. Verily they will guide you to the Straight Path of God and acquaint you with that which ye have neglected. Fear God and be not among the wrongdoers. O people of the earth! Be not heedless of the divine days, and arise to make good what ye have lost. This is the counsel of the Most Exalted Pen that hath appeared in the prison of ʿAkka. Take what ye are bidden and abandon what the people possess, by the command of God, the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days.
BH07205: In My Name which shineth forth from My Most…
In My Name which shineth forth from My Most Exalted Horizon!
One hath asked: “Hath the Resurrection come to pass?” Say: “Yea, by My All-Knowing, All-Wise Self!” “Hath the Hour arrived?” Say: “Yea, by the Lord of the Mighty Throne!” “Have the Signs been sent down?” “By God! They have filled the horizons, if thou be of them that know.” “Hath the Balance been set up?” “By God! It proclaimeth and speaketh forth amongst creation, to which every discerning one doth testify.” O people of the earth! Fear God and follow not your desires. Follow Him Who hath come to you with a manifest sovereignty. Be thou thankful unto thy Lord for having turned unto thee from the direction of His Most Great Prison, and remembered thee with that which the remembrances of the world and what is with the nations cannot equal. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing Expounder. Beware lest anything whatsoever prevent thee from thy Lord, the Possessor of Names. Be thou vocal in My remembrance, steadfast in the service of My Cause, and hold fast unto My luminous Robe. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon whosoever hath held fast to the Cord of God, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
BH00381: Praise be to the Beloved of the world…
Section 1: “Praise be to the Beloved of the world…”
In His Name, Exalted be His Most August Station, the Glory and Power
Praise be to the Beloved of the world and the Goal of all nations, Who guided His loved ones to the highest horizon and bestowed upon them their portion of the choice wine of utterance. His path is clear and His proof is evident. Every possessor of insight hath seen and become aware, and every person of understanding and wisdom hath attained to His knowledge. Through His most exalted Word He hath separated between enemies and friends. He is the One Who empowereth and bestoweth might. Blessed are they who have been illumined by the lights of His bountiful Sun and have drunk from the Kawthar of His utterance. Out of pure grace He sent forth Messengers and bestowed Books that all might attain unto that which was the purpose of creation. And these degrees of progress continued until the Messengers culminated in the Seal of the Prophets and the Books in the Qur’an. And He informed all of the Day of Judgment, which is the Day of the Great Gathering. Upon Him be the prayers of God and His peace, and upon His family and companions an enduring, eternal, and everlasting peace.
And further: the letter of that honored brother arrived, speaking of the health and well-being of that beloved of the heart. After being apprised of its contents, he proceeded to the known station and it was presented before the face of his Lord. This is what the Tongue of Utterance hath spoken in the Kingdom of Explanation. I am the Wronged One.
Your Book hath reached Our presence, and We have heard your call and seen what thou didst mention therein. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, by the Daysprings of His Cause, the Sources of His grace, the Dawning-places of His knowledge, by His Will that pervadeth all things, and His Purpose that hath transcended the will of all who dwell on earth and in heaven, to assist His loved ones to act in accordance with that which He hath revealed in His Book, and to enable them to celebrate His praise and glorification amongst His servants with wisdom and utterance. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful.
From the most eloquent tongue We have turned to the luminous tongue. The friends of God must cleave unto wisdom and forbearance, and associate with all the peoples of the world in a spirit of joy and fragrance. In one utterance may be concealed the Water of Life that bestoweth eternal existence, and in another utterance may lie deadly poison. The people of unity must speak with words sweeter than honey and more delicate than the morning dew. They must regard themselves as the well-wishers of all mankind, and supplicate God, glorified be His majesty, by day and by night for that which shall profit all.
Man is the dawning-place of righteousness and the dayspring of bounty and favor. O servant of God! Thy mention hath ever been before the Wronged One. We beseech God to aid thee in that which will exalt the Word of unity. From every direction have tribulations and hardships encompassed the people of unity. Weakness is seen where there should be strength, abasement where there should be glory, and impotence where there should be power. We beseech the peerless Lord to make all aware of what hath been lost, that they may discover the cause of weakness and the like. He is the One Powerful Lord, there is none other God but Him, the Lord of the hereafter and of the former times.
Certain ignorant ones in cities and villages have acted in such wise as to cause people to turn away. We beseech God to guide the ignorant to the ocean of knowledge, to grant them wisdom and bestow upon them vision, that they may turn with pure and sanctified hearts and hold fast to deeds. Convey My greetings to the friends in that land. This Wronged One hath mentioned and continueth to mention each one of them, and supplicateth divine confirmation and assistance for all. Verily, He hath power over all things and is worthy to answer prayer.
First, this evanescent servant wisheth to state that if there be delay in responding to letters, this is not due to negligence or lack of love. That honored one is witness, and God is the All-Seeing, that thou hast ever been and continues to be mentioned, nay, art ever before Our eyes. It is hoped that the love preserved in the heart will never diminish. Thy heart hath testified and continues to testify to what hath been mentioned. The occupations of this evanescent one have reached such a point that the pen is powerless to describe them, and God sufficeth as witness.
Mention was made of the honored friend, Amin Effendi, upon him be the peace of God. During the time when the honored Shaykh Salman, upon him be God’s favor, was journeying towards Us, a Tablet was specifically revealed and sent for him. God willing, it hath been or will be received. I convey greetings to him and beseech God, glorified be His majesty, to ordain for him that which shall endure throughout the kingdoms of earth and heaven.
The petition of Jinab-i-Hakim Rahim, upon him be the peace of God, was received. He had previously been granted permission. After the presentation of his petition, this utterance shone forth from the Dayspring of Knowledge: O Rahim! Every just and fair-minded person beareth witness to this Wronged One’s love for the friends of God. From the beginning of this Cause until now, We have called the peoples of the earth to that which conduceth to their exaltation, elevation, and the manifestation of human stations and ranks. Our purpose hath been that all might hold fast to that which God hath willed and to that which He hath revealed in the Book. At all times We have spoken with clear utterance and in every state We have remembered the name of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.
However, certain souls who are deprived of the ocean of knowledge and the lights of the Sun of understanding have risen in opposition and protest, and have committed that which the fair-minded and sincere have witnessed. In this city a certain official manifested such tyranny as transcendeth description and utterance—he would seize what was visible and demand what was hidden. He was so consumed by the fire of greed and avarice that all the treasures and riches of the earth could not satisfy him. God knoweth what We endured at his hands. Although the divine hand of justice removed him from office, yet his actions have caused such commotion in this land that We have delayed permission for companions to come.
God is Our witness that ye have been and are mentioned before this Wronged One. Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having caused me to turn toward Thy most exalted horizon and to acknowledge the unity of Thy Being and the sanctity of Thy Self above all attributes and names. I beseech Thee by Thy Prophets and Thy chosen ones who have championed Thy Cause with their wealth and their lives and have striven in Thy path with utmost devotion, to ordain for me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy near servants. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee and acknowledging what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy knowledge and the sun of Thy grace to make me, in all conditions, hold fast unto Thee and cling to the hem of the robe of Thy mercy. Thou art, verily, the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
Section 2: “O Rahim! Although We have forbidden those who…”
O Rahim! Although We have forbidden those who seek and desire to come to this land, and whenever anyone hath arrived We have commanded their return, yet the heedless have uttered that which causeth sighs to ascend and tears to flow.
O Rubin! The Prisoner maketh mention of thee and commandeth thee to be patient. Verily, the Wronged One loveth thee and We beseech God to assist thee with that which will draw thee near unto Him. He is, verily, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful, in the beginning and in the end.
O Khudabakhsh! God hath given and giveth abundantly, for His generosity is great. But the pharaohs of the earth and the tyrants of the lands do not give. Ask thou God not to deprive the people of the world from the lights of the Sun of Justice and to grant them their portion from the ocean of fairness.
O Lalihzar! We have ever called the peoples of the earth to justice, fairness and that which profiteth and draweth them near. They hearkened not, and thus weakness and impotence have encompassed the people of unity. We beseech God to illumine their sight and purify their vision that they may not be deprived of beholding the lights of the Sun of Grace. He is, verily, the Powerful, the Mighty. There is none other God but Him, the Lord of the throne on high and of earth below.
This evanescent servant conveyeth greetings to each one of them and to the friends of that land, upon them be the peace of God. Peace, mercy and loving-kindness be upon them and upon the sincere servants of God who have acknowledged that which God hath revealed in His perspicuous Book and have said:
“Praise be to Thee, O God of the worlds and the Goal of them that have known Thee!”
Blessed is what you have written concerning the new life and attainment. God willing, the fifteen souls, upon them be God’s peace and favors, have each attained to the mention of the Divine Purpose and been adorned with the ornament of His grace. After these matters were presented, He said:
“Blessed is the trustworthy one. We counsel him with wisdom and utterance, and with that dignity which is a human characteristic. And We make mention of the handmaiden of God who has attained to that which God hath revealed in the Book. Peace be upon them both and upon God’s righteous servants, both men and women.”
Thus it ended.
Likewise the petition of the honored master, the secretary, upon him be God’s peace, was received and an answer was sent. This servant beseeches confirmation and divine assistance for him. Praise be to God, he has been and continues to be remembered. We beseech God, the Lord of earth and heaven, to preserve him and ordain for him the good of this world and the next. Verily, He is powerful over all things.
As to what was written concerning the apple of mine eye, Aqa Siyyid Husayn, upon him be God’s peace, after it was presented before His face, He said:
He is God, exalted be His station, the Greatness and the Power
O Husayn! Upon thee be the peace of God and the peace of His loved ones. His honor Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli, upon him be God’s peace and grace, and thou have been and continue to be remembered before the Wronged One. Although this Wronged One hath commanded all to act with propriety, and likewise to observe that which God hath revealed in the Book, and had no purpose except the protection of the people of unity and their glory, power and exaltation, yet they have committed that which is beyond mention. The power of the people of the cities of unity and detachment had reached such a degree that the limbs of the ungodly and the heedless trembled in fear of it and their hearts were troubled. Now weakness hath reached such a point that the hostile ones have attacked from all sides. Every day some harm befalleth and some tribulation appeareth. They have denied this bounty and have deemed this justice to be tyranny. Thus the Wronged One is imprisoned in the Most Great Prison. However, tribulation in His path, exalted be He, has been and continues to be beloved. In all conditions We have desired and continue to desire the good of the people of the world.
We beseech God to adorn all with the ornament of justice, that they may speak with fairness and observe with sanctified vision. The purpose of what hath been mentioned is that the friends may become aware of what hath transpired and know that this Wronged One hath loved and continues to love meeting with the loved ones, but the heedless servants have become a barrier. O Husayn, say:
My God, my God! I am he who hath turned toward Thee and hath placed his trust in Thee. I beseech Thee by the trees of the gardens of meanings and utterance, and by the leaves of realities and explanation, to ordain for me that which shall profit me. Verily Thou art more knowing of me than I am of myself. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Powerful. And the response is new.
O Husayn! Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto that which most are heedless of. Be not grieved by what hath befallen this Wronged One. Reflect: We have made mention of thee with such remembrance as is the cause of greatest joy. We beseech God to strengthen thee, to prosper thee, and to ordain for thee the good of what He hath revealed in His Book. Verily, He is the Compassionate, the Bountiful, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.
This servant too conveyeth his greetings and beseecheth from God, glorified be His majesty, whatsoever conduceth to exaltation and ascendancy. I extend greetings to his honor thy father, upon him be God’s peace and favor. He hath ever been and continueth to be remembered. The servant beseecheth his Lord to protect him and ordain for him the good of both this world and the next. Mention was made of the honored sons Abdul-Mihdi and Abdul-Hadi and Qurratu’l-ʿAyn, God’s mercy be upon them. Their greetings and attention were recorded. After their mention was submitted, the Blessed Tongue made mention of each one, and likewise mention was made of the honored leaf of the family, upon both of them be God’s peace, and concerning all was manifested that which testified to favor and loving-kindness. Blessed are they and joy be unto them. This servant too conveyeth his greetings to each one and seeketh divine confirmation. Verily God is the Hearer, the Answerer, and He is the Forgiving, the Bountiful.
Mention was made of Aqa Habibullah, upon him be God’s peace. After it was submitted, these words were uttered:
“Verily We have mentioned thee before and at this time, and We beseech God to strengthen thee, prosper thee, and make thee protected, steadfast, firm and immovable in that which He loveth and is pleased with, and to ordain for thee what beseemeth His generosity, exalted be He.”
This servant too conveyeth his greetings and maketh mention with such remembrance as causeth enkindlement. God willing, may they be assisted in all conditions to act with righteousness and with that which exalteth their station amongst the servants. Peace, remembrance and praise be upon you and upon God’s near servants.
The servant 17th of the month of Sha’ban the Great, 1304
BH00157: Praise, remembrance, thanks and glory befit the loved ones…
Section 1: “Praise, remembrance, thanks and glory befit the loved…”
In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord!
Praise, remembrance, thanks and glory befit the loved ones of the one true Goal, who have held fast to the cord of faithfulness and clung to the hem of steadfastness. Now hath appeared that which was sent down aforetime from the heaven of God’s Will:
“Be ye thankful unto Me and I will be thankful unto you.”
The gratitude of the loved ones is their faithfulness, sincerity, assurance and steadfastness. Since they have manifested that which was incumbent upon them, therefore hath the Ancient Beauty, exalted be His glory, revealed in the Psalms and Tablets, specifically for them, that which transcendeth understanding and reason. Well is it with them and wholesome is it for them.
O beloved of my heart! Today this evanescent servant completed replying to that beloved one’s letters. In the afternoon of this day, the 14th of the revered month of Sha’ban, another letter numbered 3, dated the 11th of Rajab, arrived. Praise be to God, the glad tidings of health and well-being continue uninterrupted. This blessing is specifically for hearing and sight, which is greater than the outward blessings that are a mighty cause for the outward life of humanity. Praise be to God in all conditions. After the arrival of the letter, the Goal of the world proceeded to another place, that is, from Bahji to the garden, this servant and a group accompanying Him. After arrival and partaking of a cup of tea, this evanescent one, as bidden, began to reply to that honored one’s letter. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, for assistance that no negligence occur in replying. After reading and becoming informed, He proceeded to the Most Exalted Summit and it was presented before His presence, and these decisive verses were revealed from the heaven of grace. The Lord, blessed and exalted be He, speaks:
“O Amin! We have seen thy letter and heard thy call. We have answered thee through Our grace, and verily I am the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. He remembereth him who remembereth Him, and aideth him who turneth unto Him and ariseth to serve the Cause with humility and penitence. Say: O people of Baha! By God, through detachment is God’s Cause exalted among His servants. Blessed is he who hath adorned himself with this luminous robe, through a command from God, the Cleaver of the dawn.”
Hear in the Persian tongue! Give glad-tidings to the people of Baha. We counsel all to remember the Wronged One and to that which causes the exaltation and elevation of His Cause. Blessed is the one who makes mention and the teacher who is adorned with the ornament of detachment. O Amin, praise be to God that thou hast not fixed thy gaze upon outward means, neither in the past nor now. This is a great bounty—know thou its station. Convey My greetings to the friends in that land. All are mentioned.
That which thou didst write concerning Ali Haydar, upon him be My glory, blessed is he. They are engaged in service, their gaze fixed upon the horizon, steadfast in the Cause. They have ever been and continue to be blessed with the verses of the Most Exalted Pen. Some time ago, a Tablet was revealed and sent down from the horizon of the heaven of will specifically for Ayn and Ba, upon them be My glory, which that honored one was to deliver. Likewise, a Tablet was revealed and sent specifically for Nayib, upon him be My glory. God willing, they shall attain unto it. Verily, he hath been faithful to God’s Covenant, the Lord of the worlds. The Glory from the All-Glorious be upon thee and upon My friends there and upon all who are steadfast and firm.
That beloved one hath ever been and continues to be the recipient of special favors. Praise be to God that thou hast inhaled the fragrances of these days and hast risen to serve. Wealth, ornaments, livelihood and material means did not prevent that one from steadfastness, service and the fear of God. Our Lord, your Lord, our Purpose and your Purpose, and the Purpose of all who are in the heavens and earth beareth witness to what the servant hath submitted. That which was written concerning the glory of the Cause and its independence is correct. All things testify to this matter.
And concerning the mention of the honored brother, Aqa ʿAli Haydar, upon him be the Glory of God, and likewise their steadfastness in the Cause, their being set ablaze with the fire of love, their turning to the lights of His countenance, and their rising to serve the Cause—all these have been mentioned in the Most Holy Court and recorded by the Most Exalted Pen. Well is it with him! This evanescent servant beseecheth God on their behalf for that which beseemeth His generosity and bounty. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is.
Concerning what thou didst write about Aqa Muhammad Javad (from the people of Nun and Ra), upon him be the Glory of God, and his faithfulness to the Covenant, and likewise the mention of Aqa Muhammad Baqir, upon him be the Glory of God, and the mention of his love and service—after these were submitted in the Most Holy Court, these brilliant and manifest verses were revealed. Thus saith the Lord, exalted and sanctified is He:
“O Muhammad Baqir! Thou hast been blessed with the bounty of the utterance of the All-Merciful and the heavenly table sent down from the heaven of knowledge. In these days, Amin, upon him be My glory, hath mentioned your acceptance, love and steadfastness. Blessed are ye both. We beseech God to assist you in all conditions and to ordain for you that whose fragrance shall never cease to perfume the kingdom of earth and heaven. O Javad! Amin, upon him be My glory, hath presented your covenant and faithfulness to it. The True One, exalted be His glory, gazeth upon the horizon of steadfastness and love. Other matters, if undertaken with joy and fragrance, shall be accepted in view of the manifestation of means. Praise be to God, ye have ever been speaking in remembrance and praise and have stood firm in service. Well is it with you both.”
Mention was made of Aqa Mirza Fadlu’llah, upon him be the Glory of God, and likewise mention was made of his steadfastness and love. After being submitted to the Most Holy and Exalted Presence, this Supreme Word shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of the Will of the Lord of Names. He, exalted and sanctified be He, saith:
“O Fadlu’llah! We have indeed been with thee, We have heard and seen. Verily thy Lord is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. We have witnessed what hath befallen thee. Nothing whatsoever escapeth the knowledge of thy Lord. He is the All-Seeing, the All-Bountiful, the Concealer, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Give thanks unto God, thy Lord, for having caused the ocean of His bounty to surge and for having sent down unto thee that which remindeth thee of what was revealed in His Perspicuous Book.”
We beseech God to aid thee in all conditions. Verily, He is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
Mention was made of Aqa Mirza Muhammad, upon him be the Glory of God, son of the deceased, blessed and sanctified H and S who soared to the Most Exalted Horizon. He and his brothers and sisters are all remembered in the Most Holy Presence. Repeatedly were they mentioned after the ascension of the aforementioned one, and all were blessed with the traces of the Supreme Pen. Some time ago the glances of God’s loving-kindness, exalted be His glory, were directed towards them, and a Most Holy and Exalted Tablet was specifically revealed and sent to each one, but thus far no news of their receipt has arrived. Whoso is for God, God is for him. At their passing and that of the honored leaf, upon them both be the Glory of God, there was revealed that which is the Euphrates of mercy and the Kawthar of bounty for them. This servant at this time also conveyeth greetings and salutations to them and seeketh that for which there is no equal. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Hearer, the Answerer.
And mention was made of Aqa Mirza Muhammad-ʿAli, upon him be the Glory of God and His mercy, son-in-law of His Eminence the aforementioned one, upon him be the Glory of God and His mercy. The degrees of his attraction and enkindlement and steadfastness and love for that Beloved One, and likewise that Beloved One’s love towards him, were recorded. After being submitted to the Presence, these firm verses were revealed from the heaven of wisdom and utterance. His utterance, exalted be His mention and glorified be His remembrance, is this:
In My Name, the Hearer, the Answerer
O thou who art mentioned before the Wronged One! There hath come before Us a letter from one who hath loved Me and loved My friends, and therein was thy mention. We make mention of thee in this Clear Tablet. Thou hast previously attained unto the traces of My Most Exalted Pen, and this is yet another time, that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord, the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful. Blessed is he who hath attained unto acceptance when most of the servants have turned away from God, the Lord of the worlds. We have adorned the heaven of knowledge with the stars of proof and have sent down from the Kingdom of utterance that which every learned one and every discerning mystic is powerless to reckon. When thou hast quaffed the choice wine of revelation from My Most Exalted Pen, say:
“My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having aided me and taught me and made known unto me that which most of Thy creation have been prevented from. I beseech Thee by the rain-showers of the clouds of Thy bounty and the lights of the Sun of Thy Revelation to make me steadfast in Thy Cause and gazing toward Thy horizon. Then I beseech Thee, O God of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen, to ordain for me from the wonders of Thy bounty that which Thou hast destined for Thy loved ones. Verily Thou art the One with power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.”
This servant also conveys greetings and praise to them. Indeed, that beloved one has written such mention of those souls that it caused a renewed stirring in the heart and brought forth a wondrous illumination. Although they have always been remembered, this time something different has appeared and another light of love is radiating. We beseech the True One to assist them and bestow upon them that which befits His grace. O beloved of my heart! Today God’s gaze is fixed upon worthy deeds. One word uttered with sincerity is recorded as a book in God’s presence, and one drop of deeds is accounted as an ocean. This is special to this Most Great Manifestation, exalted be His glory and universal be His bounty.
They mentioned the honored friend, Haji Mirza ʿA.B., upon him be the Glory of God, and wrote of his being enkindled with the fire of divine love. The matter is as your honor mentioned—that praise be to God, they have arrived and are ablaze like a globe of fire in divine love. Signs of steadfastness and the enkindling of the fire of love were evident from them during their presence. This servant beseeches his Lord to confirm him in remembrance and praise, and to enable him to serve His firm and manifest Cause.
Likewise, they mentioned the two brothers, Aqa ʿAli Haydar, upon him and them be the Glory of God, and wrote of their degrees of love, acceptance, humility and submissiveness in the path of God. This matter opened the gate of joy. Praise be to God, they are blessed with His grace and are mentioned before the True One. Previously too, mention of them flowed from the Supreme Pen. This servant beseeches his Lord to strengthen them, make them successful, and ordain for them that which will draw them near to God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.
They mentioned Aqa Mirza Fadlu’llah, upon him be the Glory of God. Praise be to God, during the upheavals in this land they held fast to the cord of sincerity and faithfulness. Their mention and the mention of their love has always been and continues to be in the Most Great Prison. God willing, may they attain to that which cannot be seized by the changes of the world and the events of nations. Verily our Lord is the All-Seeing Witness and He is the Helper, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Glory be to God! Divine favors have had and continue to have infinite influences in the earth. The honored friend Aqa ʿAli Haydar, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors, turned to Him and attained, and through the grace of the Most Self-Subsisting Name, drank from the sealed wine and arose to serve the Cause. The manifestations of divine favors and infinite mercies have encompassed them from every direction, including that beloved one’s letter which mentioned them in its beginning, middle and end, mentioning their steadfastness, enthusiasm, service and love, as well as their arising in outward and inward matters. When these passages were presented before the countenance of the Lord of all beings in the most exalted horizon, that which this evanescent servant is incapable of mentioning was revealed. The ocean of favor appeared with such waves that those endowed with minds and understanding are unable to count them. Blessed be he and may it be wholesome for him.
At this time new rains are pouring from the heaven of that excellency’s love, meaning that beloved one’s letter dated the twenty-fourth of the month of Rajab, number four, arrived. Its arrival was a spiritual herald as it spoke of health, well-being and arising to serve the Eternal Beloved. Indeed, it mentioned the Desired One of all possibilities in most eloquent terms. Blessed are the people of Baha who have drunk the cup of faithfulness from the hands of bounty.
That which was written concerning the loved ones of God, regarding steadfastness, love, kindliness, unity and harmony, was presented before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence and was honored with acceptance. At this moment the Tongue of Grandeur utters this most blessed and supreme word—exalted be His utterance and glorified be His majesty:
Section 2: “O servant in attendance! Give glad tidings…”
“O servant in attendance! Give glad tidings to the Trustworthy One of the bounty of God, the Lord of the worlds. Say: O Trustworthy One! The Wronged One hath heard thy call and witnessed thy condition. He is verily the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Blessed art thou, O Trustworthy One, for having adorned thy temple with the armor of humility and the robe of submissiveness, and thy head with the crown of detachment. If the loved ones attain to the sweetness of this station, they shall not remain deprived of the greatest bounty by the bounties of the world. Humility, submissiveness, and other praiseworthy attributes and goodly deeds are considered among the divine hosts under the Supreme Commander, and the Supreme Commander has been and ever shall be the fear of God.”
We had repeatedly heard of sugar, but it was a mere word. In truth, the spiritual sweetness and true delight has been and ever shall be the repeated utterances of God’s loved ones. However much sugar is repeated and however many times it is used, it dulls the desire and reduces the appetite, but the more the utterances of the loved ones are repeated, the more appealing and beloved they become. I beseech and implore God, exalted be His glory, to assist this servant in presenting a response. He is the Powerful, the Mighty. Praise be to God, again and again and again, until it reaches the fifth time.
The fifth letter, dated the first of the revered month of Sha’ban, arrived. It was a powerful collyrium for the eye and a balanced remedy for the heart, for it was adorned with the mention of the Intended One and illumined with the light of His love.
As to what they wrote concerning the honoured brother and illustrious friend, Jinab-i-Nayib—upon him be the glory of God, the Lord of eternity—together with the evidences of his yearning and longing, his love and devotion, and the blaze of his heart with the fire of the Sadratu’r-Rahman, and of the Tree planted upon the everlasting Tur—these, one and all, were laid before the Most August and Holy Presence. On the third night of the blessed month of Ramadan, two hours having elapsed therefrom, they were admitted to the honour of entering His presence, and attained to the hearing of the Best-Beloved of the worlds. His saying, exalted and glorified be He:
O Amin! Upon thee be the Glory of God, Lord of the Day of Judgment. The servant was present before the Face of the Wronged One, and all that thou didst present concerning the loved ones of God and the divine party was heard. His honor Na’ib-ʿAli, before Akbar, upon him be My glory, hath in recent years arisen to serve with the utmost endeavor. It is as though he perceived the fragrance of detachment and attained unto it in the days of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. With perfect love and devotion he hath turned to the Most Exalted Horizon and faced the light of His countenance. Blessed be his reward with thy Lord. By My life! It hath been inscribed by My Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Book. Verily thy Lord is the True, the Trustworthy.
We have accepted what he hath done in the path of God and what he hath desired in these days, as a bounty from Us upon him, and I am verily the All-Bountiful, the Generous. He should be confident in God’s grace and His favors, holding fast to the wisdom We have revealed in diverse Tablets. Verily thy Lord is the Compassionate, the Evident, the All-Wise. He is beneath the gaze of My loving-kindness and We have sheltered him beneath the canopies of My grace which have encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. O Amin! Blessed art thou and he. He hath attained unto that which nothing in existence can equal. Give him the glad tidings of My remembrance, My mercy and My loving-kindness, that he may thank his Lord at all times, at every morn and eve. Those souls who have left behind themselves and all they possess in the path of the One True Friend are the recipients of God’s special favors. The entire world cannot equal that which hath been ordained for them. However, the affairs of such souls must remain concealed. Verily thy Lord speaketh the truth and inspireth whomsoever He willeth with what He desireth, and guideth those who turn unto Him to His Straight Path.
This evanescent servant beseecheth and imploreth God, exalted be His glory, to cause them to appear as the luminary of detachment from the horizon of the heaven of His supreme Will. After mentioning before the Most Holy Court their remembrance and deeds, there was sent down from the heaven of His Will that which this servant is powerless and incapable of describing. What remained in view hath been mentioned. In truth, in service they have attained to a station that transcendeth description. O Beloved of my heart! In days when all on earth were deprived of the choice wine and turned away from the hidden mystery and the treasured secret, such a soul as theirs arose to that which testifieth to their acceptance, their turning to God and their service. This is truly among the special favors of God bestowed upon them. O Lord! Increase them in all conditions and aid them in that which will exalt Thy Cause. Then illumine them with the lights of Thy grace and bounty in such wise that the faces of Thy servants and the hearts of Thy creatures may be illumined thereby. Thou, verily, art the Almighty, the Powerful.
Some time ago they wrote concerning this matter to the honored beloved, Aqa Mirza Asadu’llah, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious. After it was presented before the Most Holy Court, that which was determined in one city was adorned with the ornament of acceptance, and the remainder, after being accepted, was bestowed upon them. Regarding this matter a Tablet was revealed from the heaven of Will and sent in this servant’s handwriting. And now, since they have again arisen to accomplish this matter, and that beloved one hath also requested its acceptance, therefore what they have given you is accepted and honored by the effect of the Supreme Pen. Well is it with him and blessed is it unto him. However, regarding the remainder, according to the command they should act with moderation. The Blessed Tablet that was revealed concerning this matter and sent previously hath, God willing, arrived and they will peruse it.
The letter of the honored brother Aqa ʿAli-Haydar, upon him be the Glory of God, arrived today along with the receipt of your honor. In all conditions the grace of God, His mercy, His compassion and His glance of favor have been and are directed toward those loved ones who find for themselves no death nor life, no harm nor benefit save through His command, His leave, His grace and His bounty. The description of such souls hath been and is recorded in the Books of old and of recent times. The Divine Lote-Tree hath borne and beareth witness to this, and likewise do all things. Blessed are they that hear!
That which he wrote mentioning that the aforementioned individual intended to relinquish all his possessions to God—after this was submitted, He stated that this is already accomplished, for whatever he has belongs and has belonged to God, and We have relinquished it to Him, as he spends his nights and days in service to God, exalted be His glory, and His loved ones. Whenever We wish to dispose of it, We ourselves will command and dispose of it. His service before God and his love for you and the chosen ones is greater than the payment of rights, and this matter especially concerning him has been sent down from the heaven of grace, and whatever he pays, due to God’s all-encompassing grace, is adorned with the ornament of acceptance.
Otherwise, in his case, service itself suffices. As the matter of rights benefits the assured, content and well-pleasing souls themselves, therefore from the heaven of grace, considering the means of the Cause, the command to accept was given. All in the heavens and earth bear witness to His independence. These matters and their like, whatever has appeared from that beloved one, are adorned with the lights of the luminary of acceptance. Glory and remembrance and praise be upon your honor and upon those who love you and heed your word concerning the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds.
The servant 5 Ramadan the Blessed 1304
He is God!
O beloved of my heart! The sending of the letter was delayed until the seventh letter, which was written on the sixteenth of Sha’ban, arrived. New joy was attained. Praise be to God, that beloved one has attained God’s grace and is prepared in sending correspondence. New reports and fresh events that arrive from the chosen ones are counted as a blessing in one respect. We beseech God to increase it through His grace and generosity. Regarding what you wrote about love and unity with the honored gentleman, His Holiness the Name 66 [of God], upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory, and likewise concerning his steadfastness and enthusiasm in the Cause of God—complete joy was attained from this matter. After submission in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, the Tongue of Grandeur, the Lord of all beings, spoke this supreme word—His blessed and exalted Word: “O servant in attendance! Ask from God that those souls who are adorned with the ornament of distinction should in all conditions be mindful of that whereby the Cause of God is exalted.
Ismi Jamal, upon him be My glory, has ever been mentioned in God’s presence. We ask God to confirm him and grant him success that they may arise with complete determination for unity. Verily We make mention of him at this time and glorify his countenance and command him with that which befits this mighty, wondrous Day.” This servant ever seeks for them that which is the cause of exalting the Word of God in all worlds.
And regarding the mention made of the spiritual friend, Aqa Mirza Ghulam-ʿAli, son of His Holiness Dhabih, upon them both be the glory of God and His favors, and the spiritual friend Aqa Mirza Mu’min and his wife, upon them both be the glory of God—after submission in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, each was honored by the Most Exalted Pen. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke in this station—His mighty and glorious Word and His mighty utterance:
“O Lord of Eternity Who hast appeared through the Most Great Name! Thou hearest the call of Thy loved ones and their lamentations in their separation from Thee. Thou seest them, O my God, turning toward Thy horizon and clinging to Thy cord. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the worlds and Sovereign of nations, to ordain for them from Thy Most Exalted Pen the good of the hereafter and of this world. Then write down for them the reward of those near unto Thee. Verily Thou art the God of the worlds and the Aim of those who have recognized Thee.”
Praised be God that each one hath been immersed in the ocean of the utterance of the Most Merciful. How blessed are they! This servant, in reply to the letter of that spiritual friend, his honor Aqa Mirza Ghulam-ʿAli, upon him be the Glory of God, hath written that which, God willing, shall make amends for this evanescent one—that is, seeks pardon for the delay. His services and those of his honor Aqa Mirza Mu’min and the Leaf shall never be forgotten. I convey greetings to them and have mentioned and continue to mention each one in the Most Holy Court.
Concerning what you wrote about his honor Mirza Y-s Kh-a, upon him be the Glory of God, he is favored with grace and illumined with the light of faith. This evanescent one conveys greetings to him and beseeches God, exalted be His glory, to grant him success. Verily He is the Generous, the Bountiful.
Regarding the mention of the honored and revered beloved, His Holiness ʿAli-Qabli-Akbar, upon him be the Glory of God, the Lord of Power, you wrote that His Holiness teaches openly without concealment or veil, and this is not contrary to wisdom, as he teaches in his own home and begins by saying to the son of the sovereign: “I have confessed and been imprisoned several times. We are not people of corruption. We have religion and will not abandon our religion for worldly comfort.” After this matter was presented in the Most Holy Court, He commanded: “Write to his honor Amin, upon him be My glory and likewise his Lord’s, for We too have confessed and been imprisoned several times.”
He also commanded: “Give him two Tabriz mans of tea and ten Tabriz mans of sugar. This is a blessing for him. Influence has also been bestowed. Verily He is the Compassionate, the Generous.” Indeed, they are truthful, steadfast and upright in what they have stated. I beseech God that there may flow from him rivers of wisdom and utterance to attract all creation. Verily our Lord, the Most Merciful, is the Mighty, the Powerful. I convey greetings to them. A reply to their letter will be sent. In all conditions I beseech God for confirmation and success, that He may assist this evanescent one in dispatching supplications.
The petition of his honor Aqa Mirza Abu’l-Hasan ʿAyn-Ta arrived and was honored to be heard by the Lord of Names. Praise be to God, his petition was adorned with the ornament of divine unity, acceptance, humility, submissiveness and steadfastness. Now this evanescent one gives him the glad tidings that whatever was presented in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court was accepted. Happy is he, if God should will and desire. A gracious reply will be sent. As for what was submitted regarding matters of testament, that which was done for wisdom’s sake received approval, but henceforth depends on the divine command. Glory and praise and commendation be upon your honor and upon him and upon every steadfast, upright one.
The servant
BH01944: O beloved of my heart! The responses to your…
In the Name of our Lord, Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious
O beloved of my heart! The responses to your letters were written, but due to postal limitations were not sent this time. Your letter number five dated the first of the revered month of Sha’ban arrived. That which you wrote concerning the mention and service of the friends of God, especially regarding the honored friend J.L.H., may the glory and favors of God rest upon him, and his intention, as well as the payment of the Huququ’llah by all, was presented at the Most Holy Court. His blessed and exalted Word:
“Praise be to God, they are blessed with His favors, steadfast in service, speaking His praise and turned toward His face. However, since they are engaged in service and their station is that of the friends and wayfarers, the payment of the Huquq depends on their own will. In any case, they are mentioned before God and blessed with His favors. Give them these glad tidings from thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous.”
Regarding what you wrote about Nasir and the arrangement you made with him, it is acceptable before the Throne. We beseech God to make him steadfast in constancy, remembrance and praise. Excellent is what he has done in the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds. End quote.
According to the Command, gatherings in that land are not permitted. Some should move with perfect wisdom for the sake of God, such as His Holiness the Name 66 J.M., may the Most Glorious Glory of God rest upon him, and the detached souls, may the Most Glorious Glory of God rest upon them. They must conduct themselves with kindness, mercy and compassion toward the people.
Today news arrived of the arrival in Ta of the son of the Most Truthful Name of God, may the Most Glorious Glory of God rest upon them both, and likewise the letter they wrote to this servant. God willing, a response will be sent later.
Most of the tablets of arrival will be sent this time as mentioned by that beloved one, and likewise the revealed scripture especially for the sons of Khalil, may the glory of God rest upon them, and also one Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet especially for the Leaf, may the glory of God rest upon her (in Q). However, one side of the tablets of arrival must be erased as previously commanded from the Source of the Command. Blessed are they who act accordingly.
Convey greetings and praise to all the friends in that land. Give them the glad tidings of God’s favors, exalted be His glory, and I beseech Him to assist all to achieve unity and harmony and to be successful in wisdom and utterance, that all may be illumined by the light of the Cause and be assisted in the mention and praise of the Intended One of the world.
The letter from the beloved of my heart, His Holiness ʿAli-before-Akbar, may the glory of God, the Lord of Power, rest upon him, also arrived. Convey greetings and praise to him. God willing, may they arise as befits them, that perchance the heedless souls may become aware of the lights of the Luminary of utterance and turn with illumined hearts to the supreme horizon. The Command is in His hands. He doeth what He willeth and decreeth what He pleaseth. He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
Glory be upon you and upon God’s friends and chosen ones who have held fast to His Covenant and Testament and are detached from all else but Him.
That which is being sent this time: Tablets of arrival numbering the Name of Wahhab (14), the revealed scripture especially for the sons of Khalil, and the Tablet for the Leaf of the land of Q. The responses to the letters, God willing, will be sent next time, as well as the remaining tablets of arrival.
The servant, On the 27th of the revered month of Sha’ban 1304
BH05056: Thy mention hath been made in the presence…
He is God, exalted be His glory in wisdom and utterance.
Thy mention hath been made in the presence of Him Who is mentioned, and the Supreme Pen turneth toward thee from the prison and maketh mention of thee, that perchance through the attraction of the Word thou mayest gaze entirely toward the horizon and hold fast to His cord and cling to the hem of His mercy. Today the world is observed to be frozen, for it is deprived and forbidden from the warmth of the love of the Beloved of the worlds, save whom God willeth. Say: My God, my God! Thou seest me turning toward the lights of Thy countenance. I beseech Thee by the outpourings of Thy days and the fragrances of Thy utterance, and by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued the kingdom of earth and heaven, to make me steadfast in Thy love and content with whatsoever hath flowed from the Pen of Thy decree. Enable me, O my God, to serve Thy Cause, then write down for me through Thy bounty and grace that which shall profit me. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting.
O Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant and the son of Thy handmaiden. I testify to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and that Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee. Thou hast ever been supreme over all names and powerful over all things. The ranks of the world cannot frustrate Thy will, nor the opposition of nations. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou desirest. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Conquering, the Omnipotent.
BH06280: This is a Book sent down in truth…
In the Name of Him through Whom the ocean of utterance surged in the realm of creation.
This is a Book sent down in truth that the people might draw nigh unto God, the All-Protecting, the Self-Subsisting. Through My remembrance the believers were attracted to the lights of My utterance and the sincere ones hastened to My horizon, and through My call the world was stirred, and through My arising the near ones arose to serve the Cause of God, Lord of what was and what shall be. Through the fragrances of My love were all things drawn, and through the perfume of My robe was the Most Exalted Paradise stirred, and through My verses did earth and heaven speak forth, yet most of the people understand not.
We have heard thy mention and have remembered thee with this Sealed Tablet which the All-Merciful hath sent down from His most exalted horizon. When thou dost inhale its fragrance, say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the worlds and Goal of the nations! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Glorious Name through which the limbs of all names trembled and earthquakes seized all who dwell in the realm of creation, to make me steadfast in Thy Cause and firm in Thy love and speaking forth Thy praise amidst Thy creatures. Verily Thou art the Almighty Whom armies cannot withhold nor can the power of all that was and shall be weaken. There is no God but Thee, the Possessor of the Seen and Unseen.
BH11704: Praise be to God that the fragrances…
In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted and Most Glorious Lord!
Praise be to God that the fragrances of the Divine Word are diffused, the sweet scent of His garment is wafted abroad, and the light of His Cause is radiant. Blessed are those souls whom doubts and idle fancies did not prevent from the Dayspring of certitude—they heard the call and responded, turning with heart and soul to the supreme horizon. Their aim in all conditions hath been the good-pleasure of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. With radiant faces, pure hearts, and enlightened breasts they have arisen to serve His Cause. These are they who move by His Will and rest by His Will. Their purpose in all matters hath been the grace of Him Who conversed on Sinai, and their aspiration to attain the presence of Him Who hath appeared. Exalted be their station, their glory, and their power! For the opposition of the world did not hinder them, nor did the might of rulers weaken them. They appear with complete power. Upon them be the glory of God and the lights of His mighty throne.
Glory be to Thee, O my God! Thou seest Thy servant whom Thou hast made to be attracted by Thy verses and enkindled with the fire of Thy love. He desires to mention one of Thy loved ones who is named ʿAli-before-Akbar in Thy Most Great View. I beseech Thee, O God of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen, by Thy most exalted Paradise and Thy most sublime Garden, and by the Sun of Thy grace which hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of bounty, to assist him in Thy remembrance, Thy praise, and the service of Thy Cause. O Lord! Deny him not the waves of the ocean of Thy utterance in Thy days, and ordain for him what Thou hast ordained for the chosen ones among Thy servants. Aid him with the hosts of the unseen and the visible. Verily, Thou art the Lord of creation. There is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
And further: it is submitted that for some time no news has outwardly been received from that spiritual beloved. God willing, may they be protected and preserved in all conditions within the fortress of divine protection. The loved ones of that land have been and are remembered, and for each I beseech divine confirmation and assistance. Today, being the third of the blessed month of Ramadan, I am commanded to mention this matter: According to what they have written, the honored consort of the beloved and esteemed Nazir, upon him be the glory of God, is traveling in that direction, and they have written that two persons are accompanying her—one being Aqa Ali-Muhammad and the other an outsider. In this case, the coming of that outsider is in no way advisable.
Therefore, if they prevent that person and instead have one or two of those souls who have intended to visit the Most Holy Court and have been honored with permission accompany her, this would be acceptable and beloved before God. They commanded: Write to His Honor Ali-before-Akbar, upon him be My glory—the loved ones of God must in all conditions be vigilant regarding the Command of God and act toward His friends and loved ones in a manner that is befitting. Soon shall all the deeds, actions, manifestations and appearances of the world return to nothingness. That which occurs for the sake of God and in His path is recorded and inscribed by the Divine Pen in the eternal tablet.
Today, service to the Truth is service to His loved ones, for the Prisoner is outwardly prevented from what is befitting. Therefore, whatever appears regarding His friends and loved ones is attributed to Him and counted as service to Him. Blessed are those souls whom love of the world and its ornaments did not prevent and deprive from service. They are among those who are near to God in His Book, the Lord of all worlds.
This evanescent servant conveyeth his greetings unto the friends of God, who are known and distinguished in the Book as the people of Baha. He beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, to set each one of them ablaze with His love, that they may, through their utterance, draw all created things unto the horizon of the All-Merciful and discharge their obligations towards the friends of God. The people of Baha are accounted before God as the people of justice and fairness in all cities. Well is it with them, and joy be unto them! After the arrival of the honored consort of the esteemed Nazir, upon him be the glory and favor of God, they should, according to their means, attend to their affairs of whatever kind, and if funds are needed there, they should give and arrange for them to be transferred, and payment shall be made. This servant beseecheth his Lord to aid His loved ones to do that which He loveth and is pleased with.
As for Aqa ʿAli-Muhammad who is with them, it would be more pleasing if he were to remain in that city and engage in commerce. Convey my greetings unto him. Praise be to God, they are mentioned in His presence, and another person was previously mentioned as well. If, instead of these two souls, those friends who have permission were to attend to this matter, it would be and is more fitting, more pleasing and more excellent. Glory and praise be upon you and upon those with you, and upon them that have acted according to that which was enjoined upon them by God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.
BH09698: The Lord of all worlds is sanctified beyond praise…
Section 1: “In the name of our Lord, the Most…”
In the name of our Lord, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious
The Lord of all worlds is sanctified beyond praise, eulogy and comprehension of the dwellers of the mortal realm. In truth, until now He hath been neither known nor described. The attributes of all beings, from the most exalted to the lowliest, ultimately refer to those steadfast, firm, upright, content and well-pleasing souls. These are the Hands of God’s Cause amongst creation, and these are the trees in the divine garden, their leaves moved by His will and their fruits manifested through His decree. These are the dawning-places of the power of the Almighty Lord—the changes of the world and vicissitudes of nations did not prevent them from the Most Great Name and the Ancient King. They gaze toward the horizon of the unique Manifestation, desiring sight for witnessing and hearing for listening. Praise be to God, they are illumined by the light of true unity and nourished by the fruits of the blessed Tree, having drunk from the choice wine of “Say: God.” “Leave them to their vain discourse.”
The servant beseeches his Lord to grant them success, confirm them, and aid them with the hosts of the seen and unseen.
Glorified art Thou, O Distributor of the sustenance of all beings and Breaker of the might of the contentious! I beseech Thee by the dominion of Thy Most Exalted Pen, its rustling, its influence and its power, and by Thy pervading Will, its force, might and sovereignty, to assist Thy loved ones in manifesting Thy Cause among the people of creation with wisdom and utterance. O Lord! Thou seest them among Thy enemies and what hath befallen them in Thy path. I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the Self-Subsisting, and by Thy sealed choice wine, to send down from the heaven of Thy bounty that which will draw them closer to Thee in all conditions, and ordain for them that which will accompany them in all Thy worlds.
O Lord! Thou hearest the mention of Thy servant Majid and Thy loved ones who have turned to Thee, desiring the Kawthar of Thy utterance and the choice wine of Thy riches. Ordain for them that which will solace their eyes and gladden their hearts. Verily Thou art the Mighty, the Powerful. There is no God but Thee, the Hearing, the Answering. O God! Magnify them and bless them through the perpetuity of Thy dominion and Thy kingdom, and ordain for them through Thy generosity and grace that which befitteth Thy Name, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.
Furthermore, the letter of that spiritual friend arrived on the seventeenth day of the blessed month of Ramadan. It was as if the letter were a musk-laden fragrance, from each word of which wafted the sweet scent of praise for the Lord of earth and heaven. God is witness and testifier that it was the cause of joy and the source of delight. From the mention of the gathering and the assembled loved ones, the breezes of gladness were wafting, and after its reading it ascended to the Most Exalted Station and the Ultimate Summit before the Divine Presence, attaining the honor of being heard. Then the face of the Lord of the Worlds turned toward me and revealed that which none can reckon save His all-numbering, all-knowing, all-wise Self. His word, exalted be His glory and mighty be His utterance:
In My Name, the One Who dominates all names
O Majid! The servant who was present has arrived with thy letter and read it before Our face. We have answered thee through this perspicuous Tablet. The breezes of revelation stirred thee in the days of thy Lord, caused thee to hear His sweetest call, and brought thee to a station wherein thou didst attain to that which was recorded in the Books of God and was heralded in the Mother Book. Blessed is the servant who hath attained, and woe unto the heedless ones.
O Majid! Thou hast turned to the Most Exalted Station and the Supreme Summit until thou didst attain to a station which was the hope of them that are nigh. Thou hast inhaled the fragrance of the utterance of the All-Merciful, beheld His signs, and been illumined by the lights of His countenance. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
We have perceived from thy words the fragrance of thy steadfastness in the Cause of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Give glad tidings to My loved ones of My loving-kindness, remind them of My verses, and illumine them with the light that shineth from this luminous horizon. Blessed is the house wherein the remembrance and praise of God are raised, and blessed is the tongue that uttereth His beauteous praise, and blessed is the heart that turneth with steadfastness toward the Supreme Horizon—a steadfastness which the opposition of the opposers could not prevent, they who disbelieved in Him in Whom they had believed in former ages and pronounced judgment against Him with such tyranny as caused the Books of God to lament and the eyes of them that know to weep.
We, from this station, send Our greetings upon thee and upon My loved ones in My lands who were not frightened by the ranks of the pharaohs of the earth, and who said: “Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the world, for having guided us unto Thy path, caused us to hear Thy call, and revealed unto us that which lay hidden in Thy knowledge.” I bear witness that through Thee the trumpet was sounded and the hidden secret was revealed, through Thee the standard of power was raised amidst the righteous, and all things proclaimed: “The kingdom belongeth unto God, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.” Glory be upon you and upon those who have taken the choice wine of utterance in the name of their Lord, the All-Merciful, and have quaffed thereof at the bidding of an Ancient Commander.
Praise be to God! The fragrance of the Kawthar of utterance hath encompassed all possibilities. The eyes of the chosen ones have been blessed with beholding the lights, and the ears of the righteous have been honored by hearkening to the call of the Chosen One. This evanescent servant beseecheth and imploreth the True One, exalted be His glory, to assist the loved ones that they may, with wisdom and utterance, guide people to the Straight Path and the Great Announcement. The promotion of the Cause is accounted as the king of deeds before the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. His grace is present and His aid is evident. Whosoever holdeth fast unto that which hath been revealed and sent down from the Divine Pen shall assuredly receive His assistance. However, in all circumstances they must not let go of wisdom, lest the clamor of the opposers and the uproar of the heedless be raised.
As to the mention of the Most Great Festival and the gathering of the loved ones in meetings, their occupation with remembrance and praise, their being set ablaze with the fire of the love of the Lord of Names, and likewise the mention of Karbila’i Muhammad-Ali, upon him be the glory of God and His loving-kindness, and his request regarding the loved ones of M, R, B, N and another place—these matters were presented in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court, and after being blessed with hearing them, these verses were revealed from the Supreme Pen in mention of the loved ones. This is what was revealed for Karbila’i Muhammad-Ali, upon him be the glory of God. His blessed and exalted Word:
In My Name, Which speaketh in the Most Great Prison before the faces of the world
This is a Book sent down by the All-Merciful to those in the realm of existence, calling them to the Dawning-Place of Lights. O people of the earth! We have manifested Ourselves amongst you to guide you to the horizon from which has shone forth the Sun of Wisdom and Utterance. Blessed is he who has turned towards it, whom the turning away of the people has not deterred; and blessed is the steadfast one whom the tempests of the wicked have not moved; and blessed is the speaker whom the veils of idle fancies have not barred and whom the clouds of glory have not frightened.
O Muhammad-Qabli-Ali! Verily My Most Exalted Pen in the prison of Akka has turned toward thee and makes mention of thee with that which will draw thee nearer to God, the Lord of all men. How many learned ones have been kept back from the All-Knowing, and how many heedless ones have turned and attained to the Dawning-Place of verses! Thy name was present before the Wronged One, Who remembers thee with a remembrance that no other remembrance can equal, that thou mayest arise to serve the Cause and summon the people with wisdom and utterance to the Repository of mysteries. Blessed art thou for having attained unto the traces of My Most Exalted Pen in a station which God has made among the most exalted stations.
When thou hast drunk the Kawthar of utterance from the hand of My bounty and the attraction of the proof has drawn thee to the kingdom of My knowledge, say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having caused me to hear the shrill voice of Thy Most Exalted Pen and for having made known to me Thy path and Thy balance, and for having strengthened me to turn toward Thy horizon after Thy creatures turned away, and for having given me to drink the Kawthar of Thy love on a day wherein the servants arose to extinguish Thy light. I beseech Thee by the mysteries of Thy knowledge and the waves of the ocean of Thy utterance, and by Thy Command whereby Thou hast subdued the kingdom of earth and heaven, and by the signs of Thy greatness, O Possessor of the hidden and the manifest, to make the tongues of Thy servants keys of Thy bounty wherewith to open the doors of the hearts of Thy creation.
Then make me, O Lord of all beings and Lord of the hereafter and the former times, one who speaks Thy praise and who stands firm in the service of Thy Cause in such wise that neither the happenings of the world nor the dissension of the people of discord shall hinder me. Then write down for me, O my God, that which will draw me nearer to Thee in all the worlds of Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
The Light of Providence has risen from the horizon of grace and the rains of loving-kindness are pouring from the heaven of the bounty of the Lord of existence in such wise that the description of all created things cannot attain unto it and the praise of all beings cannot comprehend it. A hundred thousand thanks to the Goal of all the worlds that the petition of the honored friend, Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli, upon him be the Glory of God, has been accepted, and for each of the souls mentioned therein was revealed that which has had and has no likeness. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Compassionate, the Generous, the All-Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
O ʿAli-Akbar! The Possessor of Power has turned toward thee from the direction of the Most Great Scene and makes mention of thee that thou mayest soar on the wings of detachment in this infinite atmosphere through the Most Generous Name. His mention gives life to hearts and strength to limbs, bestows power and grants might. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous.
This is what was revealed for Jinab-i-Abu’l-Qasim Aqa, upon him be the Glory of God:
O Abu’l-Qasim! The servant in attendance has mentioned thy name before the Face. This perspicuous, manifest Tablet has been revealed for thee. Ask of God that thou mayest attain unto the fragrance of His verses. By the Sun of Utterance! Whosoever has attained will arise with complete steadfastness to serve the Cause of the Lord of all beings in such wise that neither the might of kings and subjects nor the people of the world shall prevent or keep him back from turning to the Most Exalted Horizon. Blessed are they that attain!
This is what was revealed for Jinab-i-Mulla Husayn, upon him be the Glory of God
O Hussein! The Kawthar of life has flowed from the Pen of the All-Merciful, yet most people know it not. We have sent down from the heaven of Will the rains of grace and bounty, whereby We have quickened those who lay in the graves of their bodies. Verily, thy Lord is the Mighty, the Powerful. That which was hidden in knowledge and treasured in the hearts of the Messengers hath appeared and been made manifest. When thou drinkest the choice wine of revelation from the utterance of thy Lord, turn with thy heart to the Most Exalted Horizon and say:
My God, my God, my Goal and my Beloved! Thou seest Thy servant turning unto Thee, clinging to the cord of Thy grace, and hoping for that which Thou hast ordained for Thy trusted ones and chosen ones. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance and the signs of Thy grandeur, and by the Most Exalted Word through which Thou didst create all things, to ordain for me that which will render me detached from all else save Thee and holding fast to the hem of the robe of Thy loving-kindness. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and within Thy grasp are the reins of all who are in the heavens and on earth.
This is what was revealed for His Honor Mulla Abdul-Ahad, upon him be the glory of God:
Section 2: “O Abdul-Ahad! Blessed art thou for having turned…”
O Abdul-Ahad! Blessed art thou for having turned to My horizon, held fast to the cord of My loving-kindness, and believed in My signs. I beseech God to strengthen thee, to prosper thee, and to ordain for thee the good of the hereafter and of the former life, and that which He hath ordained for those of His servants who are near unto Him and those of His creatures who are sincere. Verily, He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
This is what was revealed for His Honor Mirza Abdul-Hussein, upon him be the glory of God:
O Abdul-Hussein! We have heard thy call and have answered thee; We have seen thy mention and have mentioned thee. Dost thou know Who mentioneth thee and Who hath turned toward thee from the direction of the Prison? By the life of God! Wert thou to discover this, thou wouldst forsake the world, arising to serve the Cause of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Great. The Glory from Us be upon thee and upon those whom the doubts of the people, nor their insinuations, nor their might, nor their wealth have deterred from God, the Lord of the worlds. We love those who love Us and We desire those who desire Us, but the people have come between Us and Our loved ones. Know ye that they are in manifest loss. We beseech God, exalted be He, to open before thy face the door of His grace and to ordain for thee the reward of attaining His presence. Verily, He is the Powerful over what He willeth, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
This is what was revealed for His Honor Mulla Abdul-Ahad, upon him be the glory of God:
O Abdul-Ahad! Remember when thou wert at the gate and didst hear the call of the Wronged One while He was in the hands of the heedless. Thou didst turn to the Most Exalted Horizon until thou didst attain the presence and didst behold what was inscribed by the Supreme Pen in the tablets of thy Lord, the Forgiving, the Merciful. We bear witness that thou didst attain the presence, and didst hear and see what was concealed from the eyes of the heedless. Say:
My God, my God, my Hope and my Desire! Aid me to remember Thee and to praise Thee and to do that which befitteth Thy Revelation and Thy days. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the worlds and Goal of the nations, by the river of Thy mercy and the signs of Thy grandeur, to make me in all conditions one who uttereth Thy praise, who is steadfast in Thy love, and firm in Thy Cause whereby the feet of the learned have slipped and the hearts of the aggressive have been troubled.
The Glory be upon thee and upon whoever heareth thy word concerning this Most Great Announcement.
This is what was revealed for His Honor Mir Muhyi’d-Din, upon him be the glory of God:
O Muhyi’d-Din! We beseech God to make thee the manifestation of thy name, and through thee to guide His servants to His straight path and draw them nigh unto Him. Upon beholding thy name, We have revealed unto thee that which cannot be equaled by all that the people possess, to which every discerning soul doth testify. This is a Day wherein the Herald calleth out amongst the servants and summoneth them, without veil or covering, unto the All-Informed. We were standing before all faces, and when the light of the Cause shone forth, there emerged from behind the veil a band of wolves who sought to shed My blood without any proof from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Say: O people! Fear ye God and follow not your desires. Follow Him Who hath come unto you with a manifest Command. But for Him, who would guide the servants? Be fair and be not among the oppressors. Blessed is he whose vision the veils of idle fancies have not obscured, and the learned one whom the doubts of the suspicious have not caused to slip.
Thou didst desire My tablet which We sent unto thee, from whose horizon hath shone the light of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, the Forgiving, the Merciful. This is a Day which God’s Books have heralded aforetime, yet the people are in a strange slumber. When thou attainest unto the waves of the ocean of My utterance, say:
“My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having remembered me and turned me toward Thy countenance. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy throne and by the station that hath attained unto Thy presence, wherein Thy most sweet call was raised and the tracing of Thy Most Exalted Pen was heard, to make me attracted unto Thy verses and holding fast unto Thy favors. O Lord! Ordain for me and my son that which befitteth the heaven of Thy bounty and the ocean of Thy bestowal. Thou art verily the One Who hath power over what He willeth. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.”
And this is what was revealed for His Honor Karbila’i Samad, upon him be the Glory of God:
O Samad! Upon thee be My glory! Thou hast turned, hearkened, and attained unto that which cannot be described by mentions and words. Verily God created His servants for His recognition, yet when He manifested the Dawning-Place of His signs, the Dayspring of His lights, the Source of His laws, the Treasury of His mysteries, and the Recipient of His knowledge, they turned away from Him until they disbelieved in Him and in His signs. Thus did their souls entice them, and they are today numbered among the transgressors in the Book of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. Blessed art thou for having cast away idle fancies, turning unto the Luminary of thy Lord’s proof, the Kind, the Generous. Say: O people of the Bayan! Be fair in the Cause of your Lord, the All-Merciful. Do ye deny the waves while beholding them? Come ye, come ye, that I may show you what was hidden from eternity of eternities. Fear ye God and be not among the deniers. Verily the pebble crieth out and the kernel speaketh, yet ye are among the heedless. Thus have We sent down the verses and dispatched them unto thee that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Remembering, the All-Knowing. He hath called thee and guided thee unto His bright horizon. Say:
“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the world and Desire of the nations, for having guided me and honored me with attaining Thy presence. Thou art verily the Strong, the Triumphant, the Powerful.”
And this is what was revealed for His Honor Haji Mahmud, upon him be the Glory of God:
O Mahmud! The Wronged One remembereth thee and counseleth thee with that which hath been revealed in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds. Hearken unto the call from the precincts of eternity, which hath been mentioned in God’s Book as the Most Great Prison. Verily there is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. We counsel thee to manifest supreme steadfastness in this Cause whereby the feet of the nations have slipped. Beware lest anything among all things veil thee in this Day wherein hath been revealed that which cannot be equaled by all that the people possess, as doth testify this Most Great News through whose mention all things were attracted and by whose call God quickened the moldering bones. Glory be upon thee and upon thy son who hath been named Muhammad, and upon those who have believed in God, both in private and in public.
This is what was revealed for Karbala’i Pasha, upon him be the Glory of God:
O party of God! The Truth has loved and continues to love His chosen ones. Each has been blessed with the traces of the Supreme Pen, and the Ancient Beauty has manifested Himself for their presence and meeting. However, the oppression of the oppressors, the obstinacy of the transgressors, and the clamor of the ignorant have become barriers and prevented the seekers from reaching the supreme goal and the highest summit. Beseech God to ordain for you the reward of those who have attained. He is the Hearer, He is the Answerer.
This is what was revealed for Karbala’i Muhsin, upon him be the Glory of God:
O Muhsin! Reflect upon the benevolence of God, exalted be His glory. He showed the way and guided until you attained the Most Great Ornament and the Great Announcement. Preserve this supreme station through the name of the Creator of Heaven. He is the Preserver, He is the Helper, He is the Succourer.
This is what was revealed for Aqa Muhammad, upon him be the Glory of God:
O Muhammad! The Countenance of the Ancient One has turned toward you and makes mention of you, and counsels the party of God regarding the education of children. If a father neglects this mighty command which has been revealed from the Pen of the Lord of Eternity in the Most Holy Book, the right of fatherhood will be forfeited and he will be accounted among the negligent before God. Blessed is the one who inscribes the divine counsels in his heart and holds fast unto them. Verily He commands His servants that which strengthens them, benefits them, and draws them near unto Him. He is the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days.
And this is what hath been revealed for Jinab-i-Aqa ʿAbdu’llah—upon him be the glory of God:
Render thou thanks unto Him Who is the Desire of all mankind, in that He hath confirmed thee in turning unto Him, on a Day when all have turned away, save those whom thy Lord hath willed. We exhort the people of God to arise for the triumph of His Cause; and this triumph, in its first and foremost rank, hath ever consisted—and doth still consist—in the promulgation of the divine Faith. Blessed are the souls who, wholly detached from the world, and fast holding to piety, cleave to this Most Great Cause, and, for the sake of God alone, seek the guidance of His servants—haply the thirsty may attain unto the Euphrates of mercy, and the erring may find the Straight Path.
And this is what hath been revealed for Jinab-i-Mashhadi Kazim—upon him be the glory of God:
O Kazim! The Qa’im hath arisen and summoned the people unto the presence of the Qayyum, and proclaimed glad tidings; yet the people rose up in such ظلم as to darken, with its smoke, the worlds of the spirit. He spread the table of bounty, and they rejected it; He sent down the verses, and they denied them; He brought forth clear evidences, and they named Him a sorcerer. Such is the way of the heedless. Blessed are the souls who turned unto Him, and set their face toward the House of Remembrance, and attained unto the hearing of the divine verses, and to beholding the faces of the loved ones of the Eternal.
This is what hath been revealed for Jinab-i-ʿAli-Akbar—upon him be the glory of God:
In this merciful springtide, and this Naysan made noble by the grace of the All-Glorious, strive thou that thou mayest attain unto that whose mention shall endure through the abiding continuance of the kingdom and the dominion. The earth of recognition in this day bringeth forth, from the Naysan of the Divine Bounty, a new growth and fresh manifestations. This mercy is appointed for these days, and this generosity befiteth these times. Prize ye the moment, and arise to do that which behoveth you.
And this is what hath been revealed for Jinab-i-Haji Habibu’llah—upon him be the glory of God:
O Habibu’llah! The Pen of the Most High, by night and by day, is busied in counselling the friends of God. Its purpose is that all may be illumined with the lights of true unity, and be freed and delivered from the vain imaginings of former days. For thirteen hundred years they cried “Ya Haqq!”—and in the end they pronounced the sentence for the shedding of His most pure blood. All must beseech of God—exalted be His glory—protection, lest they, after the manner of that vile Shi’ih party, arise in tyranny and injustice. He is powerful and able. Glorified be God! Those vain imaginings have not yet come to an end; other imaginings have appeared from the quarter of the people of the Bayan. We seek refuge in God. Beware ye, lest ye be ensnared by the evil of these.
And this is what was revealed for Karbila’i Muhammad Ja’far, upon him be the glory of God:
O Muhammad Ja’far! You seek the presence of God, and the Truth is the Bestower, the Bountiful, the Kind. But the oppressors have abandoned justice and prevented the friends from attaining His presence. Say:
My God, my God! You see me advancing toward You and turning to the lights of Your countenance, that I may enter the city honored by Your footsteps and wherein Your call was raised, and that I may stand before the gate which was opened to all on earth and in heaven, and drink from Your hands of bounty the Kawthar of meeting, and from Your generosity and grace the cup of reunion. My God, my God! You see my state and hear the sighing of my heart in separation and remoteness from You. If the veils of Your servants and the clouds of Your creatures prevent me from drawing nigh unto You, ordain for me from Your Supreme Pen the reward of those who attained Your presence, who drank the choice wine of revelation from the hand of Your bounty, who testified to that which Your tongue has spoken, who beheld Your most glorious horizon, and who heard Your sweetest call. Verily You are the One Who has power over what He desires. There is no God but You, the Forgiving, the Generous.
Section 3: “We make mention of your son who has…”
We make mention of your son who has believed in God and His signs, and We give him the glad-tidings of his Lord’s grace, the Kind, the Trustworthy. And We make mention of your other son and counsel him with that which We have counseled Our servants in various tablets. And I am the Counselor, the All-Knowing. The glory be upon you from God, the Lord of the worlds.
This is what was revealed for Nasru’llah Khan, upon him be the glory of God:
O Nasru’llah! Victory has come, yet most people know not. The banner of unity has been raised, yet people understand not. The Promised One has come with the standards of triumph, yet most of mankind perceive not. Your name was mentioned before the Wronged One, and He has revealed for you that which all the riches of the world cannot equal. Your Lord, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, bears witness to this. When you attain unto My verses and find the fragrance of My utterance, say:
My God, my God! Praise be to You for having made known to me Your path, revealed to me Your proof, and taught me what was hidden in Your knowledge and treasured within the shells of Your wisdom. I beseech You, O Quickener of moldering bones, by Your Most Great Announcement, to make me steadfast in Your path, speaking in Your remembrance, and holding fast to the cord of Your grace. O Lord! You see me hoping for what You have ordained for Your loved ones. I beseech You not to disappoint me through Your generosity and bounty. Verily You are the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
This is what was revealed for Aqa Mir Hashim, upon him be the glory of God
O Hashim! Hear thou the call of the Wronged One. He maketh mention of thee through His verses and giveth thee glad tidings of His mercy that hath preceded all creation. We have arisen before all faces in such wise that neither the veils of the Pharaohs nor the might of tyrants deterred Us. We called all to God, the Lord of the seen and unseen. When the horizons were illumined, there emerged from behind the veil a band of hypocrites who committed that which none before them had committed. They violated the Covenant and denied Him in Whom they had believed throughout ages and centuries. Thus have We recounted what befell Us from those who denied the right of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. We beseech God, thy Lord, to assist His servants to hold fast to His extended cord.
This was revealed for Jinab Aqa Mir Sayfu’d-Din, upon him be the glory of God:
O Sayfu’d-Din! The promise hath come to pass and God hath come with manifest sovereignty. They that denied God’s Manifestation and His proof have lost, having followed their desires. Verily they are in manifest loss. Say: O peoples of the earth! Husayn hath come, and in His shadow are the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the pavilion of glory, if ye be of those who know. This is He Who was promised in the books of old, yet most people are heedless. Blessed is the strong one whom the might of the people hath not weakened, and the steadfast one whom the doubts of the transgressors have not caused to slip—they who turned away from the Truth when it came from the horizon of power with wondrous adorning. Say: Blessed are ye, O people of Baha, for having believed in Him Who was recorded in the books of old by One All-Knowing, All-Informed.
This was revealed for him who was named after the Desired One:
O thou who art named after My name! Hear My call from the direction of My prison. It draweth thee to the kingdom of My utterance and the heaven of My knowledge. Verily thy Lord is the Compassionate, the Generous. We have sent down to the Persians the verses of My grandeur in the eloquent tongue, and to the Arabs in a wondrous Persian language. Verily He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He is the Almighty, the Powerful. Blessed is the servant who hath taken My Book with strength from God, the Lord of the worlds. Woe unto him who hath turned away from the Truth and followed every sinful denier. Say:
My God, my God! I testify to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and acknowledge that which Thou hast sent down from the heaven of Thy will and the kingdom of Thy desire. I beseech Thee by the hearts that have soared in the atmosphere of Thy love and by Thy loved ones who have advanced toward the seat of sacrifice with a devotion the like of which the eye of creation hath not seen—I beseech Thee, O Lord of the world, by Thy Most Great Name, to assist me in Thy remembrance and praise. Then send down upon me from the heaven of Thy bounty that which will draw me nigh unto Thee in all conditions. Verily Thou art the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.
This was revealed for Jinab Mirza Abbas-Ali, upon him be the glory of God:
O Abbas-Ali! The Wronged One calleth thee with that which attracteth thee to the supreme horizon, as a grace from God, the Lord of all mankind, that thou mayest be thankful and be of those who remember. Know thou with certain knowledge that what exists in the world of creation cannot equal one trace of My Most Exalted Pen. To this beareth witness the Lord of the throne and of the earth. Blessed is he who hath heard and witnessed, and woe unto them that turn away. The Mother Book hath come at the final return, yet most people are asleep. The cry hath been raised and that which was hidden in God’s knowledge, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, hath appeared. Let not the happenings of the world and the doubts of the nations sadden thee. Take what hath come to thee with a strength that the power of the heedless ones cannot prevent. Thus have We sent down the verses and dispatched them to thee that thine eyes and the eyes of those who know might be consoled.
This was revealed for Jinab Pasha Aqa, upon him be the glory of God:
O Pasha! Hearken unto the Call of the Lord of all things. From the Most Exalted Horizon of the world He calleth, that all may attain unto that for which they were created from nothingness into being. Blessed is he whom neither the swords of the oppressors nor the tyranny of the aggressors hath debarred from the Lord of the Day of Judgment. We beseech God to aid thee in that which beseemeth His Cause and is worthy of His days.
This is what was revealed for his honor Mirza Vahhab, upon him be the Glory of God:
O Vahhab! The All-Bountiful hath come in His return, yet the people are in strange doubt. The Hidden One hath been made manifest and the Self-Subsisting hath come from the horizon of proof with the standards of signs. That which delighteth the eyes of the Most Exalted Paradise hath come, yet the people have denied it and have committed that which hath caused the dwellers of the cities of justice and fairness to lament. When thou hearest the call of the Wronged One and findest the fragrance of My Name, the Self-Subsisting, say:
O Lord of the invisible and the visible! I beseech Thee by the Fire whereby Thou didst guide Moses, and by the Light whereby Thou didst manifest Thy bountiful favor, to make me lowly before Thy Cause and humble before the manifestations of Thy grandeur. O my Lord! Aid me in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with, then ordain for me the good of the hereafter and of this world. Verily Thou art God, the One, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
This is what was revealed for his honor Aqa Mustafa-Quli, upon him be the Glory of God:
O Mustafa-Quli! During the nights and days the Pen of the Lord of all beings moveth, making mention of His loved ones and guiding them to the straight path. Blessed is he who hath found the path and held fast unto it. Today the world is illumined by the lights of the Most Great Luminary. Know ye the station of this blessed Day, be ye engaged in the praise of its Lord and in His service. Soon all that is visible shall return to nothingness, and there shall endure for him who hath held fast unto the Most Firm Handle that which hath been ordained by God, the Lord of all beings, the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below. Blessed are they that have turned unto God, and blessed are they that have held fast unto the Sure Handle and have found themselves detached from all that dwell on earth. These are the people of Baha, who are recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Tablet.
This is what was revealed for his honor Aqa Muhsin, upon him be the Glory of God:
O Muhsin! The Euphrates of mercy floweth, the Kawthar of utterance is manifest, and the Tasnim is present before all faces, yet the servants are heedless and veiled save for a numbered few. We beseech God to aid all and purify them from the smoke of self and desire, that they may turn toward the horizon of godliness and attain unto that which God hath willed. These days have no peer or likeness, for the surging ocean is in motion and the Sun of Truth is shining. Ask thou God to make the heedless servants aware and guide them to the Most Exalted Horizon. He is the Bestower, the Kind.
This is what was revealed for his honor Aqa Ahmad, upon him be the Glory of God:
O Ahmad! The banners of verses and standards of clear signs appeared from the Dayspring of the Divine Cause in the land of Batha and Yathrib. The people arose in opposition, called Him a liar, and some attributed it to sorcery, as all the peoples of the world have heard and known of the events that transpired in those lands. Then His community arose in division, different sects appeared, each speaking according to their desires and inflamed with the fire of self, until on the Day of Judgment they martyred the Lord of that Day and pronounced the verdict of His infidelity. Ask ye of God that the people of God may not be afflicted with the vain imaginings of the past, that they may find the Word of Unity and hold fast unto its cord. Glory be upon those who follow the Truth.
This is what was revealed for Karbala’i Isma’il, upon him be the glory of God:
O Isma’il! Reflect upon the Days of God and that which hath been manifested. How many holy, assured, content and well-pleased souls laid down their crowns of life at the feet of the Beloved of the world and returned not alive from the place of sacrifice. Yet the people, though they have witnessed with their own eyes that which had no likeness, have nevertheless remained unaware and have not awakened from the slumber of heedlessness. They mention from their pulpits the sacrifice of old and lament, while they remain utterly heedless and veiled from those holy souls. Ask thou of God to grant awareness and bestow insight, that perchance they may hear and find and see and come. Thus hath spoken My Most Exalted Pen on this darksome night, as a grace from Me, and I am the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous, the All-Explaining, the All-Knowing.
We make mention of thy son Asadu’llah in this station, that he may rejoice in the favors of his Lord and be among the thankful.
And this is what hath been revealed for Jinab-i-Aqa ʿAbdu’l-Husayn—upon him be the glory of God:
O ʿAbdu’l-Husayn! If thou hast found the fragrance of My utterance, and hast been quickened by the breaths of My verses, turn thou unto Mine horizon and say: My God, my God! Thine be the praise, in that Thou hast guided me, and made me to know Thee, and caused me to hear, on a Day whereon the greater part of Thy creatures have turned away, and those in Thy land have risen up in protest—save such as Thy mighty Hand and Thine everlasting sovereignty have delivered. O Lord! Thy separation and remoteness have slain me, and my distance from the court of Thy glory hath consumed me. I beseech Thee to ordain for me the reward of him who hath circled round Thy Cause, who hath attained to Thy presence, and hath heard Thy sweetest call and the scratching of Thy Most Exalted Pen. Verily Thou art the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
This is what hath been revealed for Jinab-i-Karbala’i Muhammad—upon him be the glory of God:
O Muhammad! The Most Exalted Horizon shineth forth as the sun, clear and manifest; the banner of utterance is raised and planted upon the loftiest station of existence; the fragrances of revelation are diffused abroad, and the breezes of God are blowing. Yet, notwithstanding these limitless favours, the people are sunk in slumber. Implore thou of God that He may aid the heedless souls to turn toward awakening, that they may behold and hear that for which they have been brought from nothingness into being. He it is Who speaketh, and He it is Who knoweth; He it is Who counselleth, and He it is Who maketh clear. Blessed is the soul that hath heard His call and laid fast hold upon Him.
Section 4: “This is what hath been revealed for Jinab-i-Aqa…”
This is what hath been revealed for Jinab-i-Aqa Hasan—upon him be the glory of God:
O Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named Hasan in the Book of Names, that the Remembrance may guide him unto the All-Mentioned, and draw him nigh unto Him in this mighty and wondrous Day.
We have remembered him whose name hath been presented before the Wronged One—this as a bounty from Our presence; and I, verily, am the Most Bountiful, the All-Generous. Naught escapeth My knowledge, and I am the Ordainer, the All-Wise. When thou hast heard the Call, say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of names and Fashioner of the heavens, in that Thou hast confirmed me to turn unto Thine horizon and to direct my face toward the lights of Thy countenance. O Lord! I beseech Thee, by the movement of Thy Most Exalted Pen—whereby Thou hast exalted the religions, and hast established whatsoever Thou didst will through Thy sovereignty and power—to make me steadfast, firm, and deeply rooted in Thy love, and to grant that I may drink of that which hath flowed from Thy Most Exalted Pen, the Kawthar of Thy recognition. Verily Thou art the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
This was revealed for Dadash Nayib, upon him be the Glory of God:
O Nayib! The Great News hath come and hath spoken a Word which hath agitated the hearts of all peoples. Throughout all days and nights He hath mentioned and reminded all, that they might become aware and bear witness to the Divine Word. Yet for most, grace became the cause of heedlessness. They accepted not the Cause of God and mocked the Divine Book. The people of the Bayan committed what even the Shi’ih party had not done. Praise thou the Goal of all the worlds Who enabled thee to turn towards Him, to acknowledge and confess. This station is mighty—preserve it through the Most Great Name.
This was revealed for Karbila’i Hasan, upon him be the Glory of God:
O Hasan! The names which were presented before the Wronged One—each hath been blessed with the traces of the Most Exalted Pen. We have mentioned all, living and dead, and remembered them with the blessed word of forgiveness. This is a covenant which flowed from the Pen of the All-Merciful on the first day of arrival in Ridvan. Blessed are they who have attained! Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Goal of the world, for having remembered me in the prison when I was in the hands of the opposers.
This was revealed for Karbila’i Ali, upon him be the Glory of God:
O Ali! The Fire is ablaze, the Light is radiant, and the Cause is manifest. Blessed is the soul whom neither the affairs of the world nor the doubts of the peoples have prevented from this Most Great Revelation. Neither the smoke of the might of the oppressors nor the dust of the power of the aggressors became a veil or hindered him from turning towards it. At every moment the opposers manifestly objected. All were waiting, yet when the Sun of Revelation shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of the Divine Will, all turned away and denied, save whom thy Lord, the Almighty, the Powerful, willed. Praise the Goal of the worlds Who enabled thee to attain and granted thee success. Verily, He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
This was revealed for Shaykh Kazim, upon him be the Glory of God:
O Kazim! God is witness and aware that from the first days until now the Most Exalted Pen hath been in motion and engaged in recording divine verses. Yet the unjust people have denied this manifest proof and have not accepted this perfect evidence. They are occupied with their desires and hold fast to vain imaginings. By the Sun of the horizon of utterance, they are far removed and veiled from the lights of certitude, and they cling to the hem of idle fancies. God shall assail them! Ask thou of God that through His preceding mercy and all-encompassing grace He may guide this handful of dust to His horizon and enable them to attain unto His straight path. He is the Powerful, the Mighty, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing.
This was revealed for Abdul-Husayn, upon him be the Glory of God:
O Abdul-Husayn! Blessed art thou, and blessed is thy name, and blessed is he who hath shown thee My clear and straight path. When thou didst behold the waves of the ocean of My utterance and wert seized by the wine of My loving-kindness, say:
O my God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having guided me to Thine all-highest horizon and revealed unto me that which shall not change throughout the duration of the Kingdom and the realm of sovereignty. I beseech Thee, O Lord of all beings and King of earth and heaven, by Thy Most Exalted Word whereby all names were shaken and Thy servants and creatures were thunderstruck, to aid me in accepting that which Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. O Lord! Thou seest me agitated in Thy days and saddened at the manifestations of the lights of Thy countenance. I desire naught from Thee save nearness unto Thee and meeting Thee. Thou art He Who testified with Thy tongue of truth, saying: On the day when the earth shall be changed into another earth, change Thou my absence into presence before Thy face, my standing at Thy gate, my circling round Thee, and my hearkening unto that which hath been sent down from the heaven of Thy will. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Knowing.
This is what was revealed in Khurma for his honor Samad, upon him be the Glory of God:
O Samad! The Single, the One, remembereth thee from His Most Great Prison with that which shall draw thee nigh unto Him. He is indeed the Generous, the Bountiful. When thou art made victorious through the breezes of revelation and hearest the call from the All-Highest Horizon, arise and say:
O Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued all things, both seen and unseen, and by Thy praiseworthy station, to make me of those who have fulfilled their Covenant, who have circled round Thy Most Great Throne, and who have shown humility at the mention of Thy most perfect Name. Aid me in all conditions to draw nigh unto Thee and to be elevated through Thy bounty. O Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee and turning away from all else. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance to ordain for me the reward of meeting Thee. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
This is what was revealed for his honor Aqa Ahmad, upon him be the Glory of God:
O Ahmad! The Self-Subsisting Lord calleth out at all times and inviteth the servants to the sealed wine. Blessed is the soul whom the events of the world did not prevent from hearing the divine call, who turned with his heart in acceptance and was blessed with saying “yea.” This is the most great bounty and the supreme benevolence. Blessed is he who hath attained, and woe unto those who hesitate. We send Our greetings upon thee and upon thy wife and upon the handmaidens who have turned unto God and believed in Him, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
This is what was revealed for his honor Aqa Faraj, upon him be the Glory of God:
O Faraj! Relief came, they rejected it; mercy came, they accepted it not; blessing came, they showed ingratitude; instead of thanksgiving, they complained; in place of grace, wretchedness appeared. Such is the condition of the heedless people. The recompense of their deeds hath overtaken all and deprived them of the everlasting, eternal mercy. Today, those souls who have drunk from the cup of grace and are gazing toward the Most Exalted Horizon should beseech God not to afflict His people with the delusions of the past and to sanctify them from the doubts and allusions of the nations. Praise the Intended Lord Who guided thee to the praiseworthy station and caused thy mention to flow from the tongue of the Wronged One.
This is what was revealed for his honor Muhammad Pasha, upon him be the Glory of God:
O Muhammad! The Wronged One makes mention of thee from a city wherein the fire of hatred hath been kindled through the actions of the oppressors. They have violated God’s covenant and testament, and turned away from Him Who came unto them with a manifest light. Blessed is the home wherein the remembrance of God is raised, and the tongue that uttereth His beauteous praise. Joy be to the one who hath arisen to serve the Cause, and to the hand that hath taken hold of His wondrous Book. We beseech God to assist His loved ones in that which He loveth and approveth, and to make them dawning-places of grace and bounty amidst the world. Verily, He is the Protector of those who do good. The Call hath been raised, the Path established, and the Balance set up, yet most of the people remain heedless. They have turned away from the Truth, clinging to their desires. Verily, they are in manifest error.
This was revealed for Karbala’i Muhammad, upon him be the Glory of God.
O Muhammad! The cawers are spread throughout the lands like locusts, speaking of that which they have not heard and claiming knowledge of that from which they are heedless and veiled. The deniers among the people of the Bayan are observed to be more lost than the Shi’ih sect. Thus have their souls deluded them, and today they do not understand. Glory be to God! In the Day of God they cling to and utter names, while turning away from their Creator. We beseech the True One to purify the world through the Kawthar of utterance, that the peoples might acknowledge the Lord of the worlds and comprehend that from which they are heedless today. The Glory from Us be upon the people of Baha who have not been deterred by the oppression of the oppressors, the dominion of the aggressors, and the clamor of the heedless. These are God’s party in the world and the signs of His mercy among the nations. Upon them be God’s blessings, His peace, His glory and His splendor. Verily, He is the Compassionate, the Generous. Praise be to God, the Mighty, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
This was revealed for Javad Aqa, upon him be the Glory of God.
O Javad! The All-Bountiful makes mention of thee from this exalted station, and makes mention of thee through His verses, and gives thee glad tidings of God’s grace, the Lord of all worlds. There is no servant but We have mentioned him, and no one who hath turned to Us but We have guided him to My path and counseled him regarding that which shall profit him in every world of his Lord’s worlds. To this testifieth every discerning soul. Blessed is the servant who hath cast away vain imaginings, holding fast to the cord of certitude. We beseech God to assist thee and His loved ones to remain steadfast in His Cause. Verily, He is powerful over all things and worthy to answer.
O Majid! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. The mentioned names are present before My face. We have caused to shine upon each one of them from the lights of the Sun of My utterance that which shall draw him nigh unto God, the Lord of all worlds. We have turned unto him and given him to drink of the Kawthar of knowledge from the cup of My wisdom which hath preceded the seas. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Powerful. Nothing whatsoever escapeth the knowledge of thy Lord. He witnesseth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Convey My greetings unto them, illumine them with the lights of My utterance, remind them of the signs of My grandeur, and acquaint them with the horizon of My grace. We beseech God to draw them nigh and assist them to remember Him, praise Him, and serve His wondrous Cause.
The waves of the Divine ocean of utterance are manifest before all faces, and the effulgences of the Orb of bounty are radiant. I beseech and implore God, exalted be His glory, that He may guide the world to the highest horizon of possibility through the temples of remembrance and utterance, that all people may attain, and not remain deprived of the Days of God. Man is bewildered, nay the world is bewildered, for it is observed that mortal life—which in the eyes of the people of insight is less than naught—all are occupied in securing its means and livelihood; yet for that world which has no end, they have neither thought nor contemplation, nor are they engaged in any preparation thereof. We beseech God to remove this heedlessness which prevents all degrees of grace and favor, and to make His servants aware. Verily, He is powerful over all things. Glory and remembrance and praise be upon you, and upon those whose names you have mentioned in your letter, and upon all who are steadfast and firm, and upon all who hold fast to the strong cord of God.
The servant, 19 Ramadan 1304
BH01029: Praise be to the Goal of the world Who…
He is God, exalted is He in Greatness and the Power!
Praise be to the Goal of the world Who, through the letters of His chosen ones, causes the sweet-scented breezes of love to waft, Who draws near, Who bestows union, Who brings to remembrance. These are all among the fruits of the letter. This door of bounty is made manifest through the pen. Glory be to God! How resonant is this soundless pen! It is the source of all the world’s sounds. Its shrill voice gives life to souls. The world of command and creation appears through it and returns to it, for in one station it is the first interpreter and in another the second. How many treasuries of arts and knowledge has this hollow shaft gathered within itself! This is but the description of the pen of composition; how then can any tongue be worthy to make mention of the Most Exalted Pen? Glory be to God! Hearts and minds cannot reach it nor comprehend it. It is from the Truth and is attributed to the Truth. The description of Truth transcends the understanding and knowledge of all created things. Glorified be our Lord, the Most High!
Were anyone to speak with fairness, he would in truth observe the world’s powerlessness to describe any single thing, let alone that which is beyond, and beyond beyond, and that station which is sanctified above the mention of beyondness. And peace and blessings be upon God’s chosen ones and His friends whom nothing whatsoever has prevented from drawing nigh unto God, the Lord of all beings. These are servants whose attributes the All-Merciful has revealed in the Qur’an through His exalted Word:
“honored servants who speak not until He hath spoken, and who do His bidding.”
These are the hands of Truth amidst creation, the manifestations of power among the servants, and the recipients of knowledge among all lands. Blessed is he who holds fast unto them and clings to their hem. He is verily among the successful ones in the sight of God, Who controls the winds and Who causes the dawn to break.
O beloved of my heart! Thy letter, adorned with glad-tidings, was received. God knoweth it was a spiritual herald and a luminous messenger that brought tidings of thine arrival as well as thy health and well-being. It was especially adorned with mention of the Two Lights, upon them be God’s most exalted peace and most glorious praise. The gates of joy, gladness and delight were opened by the key of its words. God is witness and His chosen ones do testify what effect these glad-tidings produced. The bounty of the sun is manifest and the generosity of the spring rains is evident and visible. Every person of insight and wisdom doth speak His praise. What further effects will the dawning rays of the Sun of love produce and what generosity will it show! We beseech God that this favor may continue uninterrupted and these tidings may follow in succession, and that He may grant this servant opportunity, though what is in the heart can never be fully expressed in words and one is powerless to manifest it.
That which dawned from the horizon of the letter was presented before Him, and the Lord—may our spirits be sacrificed for Him—said:
“Praise be to God that the journey was accomplished with joy and fragrance, and God willing shall reach its Source. From mention of the Luminary of bounty, dawning and manifest, mention hath transitions. For him are established heavens and visible horizons. At every moment a light appeareth from his horizons and a word shineth forth. His fragrance caused the appearance of fire in the Tree and the manifestation of light in minds and hearts. We beseech God to increase at all times the joy of the branches and thy joy, and to send down from the heaven of bounty that whose traces and fruits shall never end or change. Verily He is the Mighty, the Powerful.”
We heard thy call and beseech God to grant that which beseemeth His generosity. Thou hast ever been and art before Our sight. Convey to all the loved ones of that land the greetings of the Wronged One. End. Praise be to God! The river floweth, mercy descendeth, bounty is manifest, the Sun of utterance dawneth. Mention of these bestowals transcendeth hearts and minds. God willing, thou shalt at all times be confirmed, successful, triumphant, present and steadfast in service. This evanescent one seeketh this same success for himself. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Hearer, the Answerer.
I convey greetings to the loved ones and nobles of that land, and at all times I beseech God, exalted be His glory, for that which beseemeth His generosity for each one. Verily He is the Generous, the Kind. In truth, where am I and where is mention of His loved ones? This too is from God’s confirmations and the manifestations of His Cause, for He hath commanded all to mention His chosen ones and loved ones. Glory be to our Lord, the Most Exalted!
As to what you wrote concerning Mu’in and His Holiness Mu’in, upon him be God’s grace, bounty, acceptance and favor—this is the truth in which there is no doubt. In truth, they have been and are the helper of the oppressed and the supporter of those who are nigh unto God. Their reward is inscribed in the Book of Divine Grace and will not be erased by worldly events. This is a mighty glad-tiding from a manifest Source. The servant beseeches his Lord to extend his life, grant him success, strengthen him, and ordain for him the good of both worlds. Verily He is the One Who has power over whatsoever He willeth through His command “Be!” and it is.
Praise be to God, in the world a dawning of good is observed; after despair, relief appears. The grace of Truth has been and will ever be limitless. He confirms whomsoever He willeth; He is powerful and mighty over all things. Furthermore, the services of His Presence are not forgotten, especially this service—what can I say? I beseech God to ordain that which is befitting for the servants of His Cause and those who arise to assist it. His is the grace and the bestowal, His the bounty and the glory. There is no God but Him, the Lord of the present and the future world. Peace, remembrance and praise be upon your presence, and upon all who are steadfast and firm, and all who are resolute and knowing.
The servant 24 Ramadan 1304
BH01600: O Samandar! The grace, mercy and loving-kindness of God…
He is the One Who speaks in the Kingdom of Utterance.
O Samandar! The grace, mercy and loving-kindness of God have encompassed and continue to encompass your circumstances. That which had no likeness has been revealed, and that which could not possibly have any semblance has become manifest. Yet the people of vain imaginings cling to their imaginings, and those of idle fancies to their fancies. We are God’s and unto Him do we return. Those souls who are heedless and unaware of the Cause have uttered that which has grieved the denizens of the most great paradise and caused the Supreme Paradise to lament. Ask of God for justice and fairness, that perchance His servants may find and attain their goal.
The letter of His Honor Khalil, upon him be the Glory of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful, attained the presence. The fragrance of divine love wafted from it and the light of love shone forth. Verily he attained the presence of Him Who conversed with the Sinai and heard and saw what was recorded by the Supreme Pen in God’s Books, the Lord of all beings. That letter mentioned those who have turned to God, therefore what speaks with the most eloquent utterance in creation and calls all to the horizon of the All-Merciful was sent specifically to each one. Blessed is he and those with him. The Glory be from Us upon you and upon him and upon his family and upon those whom God has related to him. We make mention of them and give them glad tidings of God’s loving-kindness, mercy, grace and favors. He is truly the All-Bountiful, the Generous.
At the end of this epistle We make mention of him who is named Yahya and remember him with My verses and give him glad tidings of My mercy which has preceded existence. We beseech God, exalted be He, to assist him, make him successful, and aid him with the hosts of the unseen and the visible. He is powerful over all things. The Glory be upon him and upon every steadfast, upright one.
In these days Abdul-Husayn, upon him be My Glory, is present before the Face in the Most Great Prison. We beseech God that he and all souls who have appeared from that household may attain the most great honor and supreme loving-kindness. That household is truly related to the Truth—they must hold fast to that which causes the exaltation of God’s Word and is the cause of manifestation and the stations of existence. Samandar and Shaykh, upon them both be My Glory and loving-kindness, should, in view of their station as fathers, pray for all. Verily He is the Hearer, the Answerer.
The letters of His Honor Amin, upon him be My Glory, have arrived continuously and continue to arrive, and he has repeatedly mentioned the friends of that land, both men and women, upon them be the Glory of God and the Glory of those who are in the heavens and earths. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
O Samandar, upon you be My Glory and loving-kindness. Convey My greetings to all the members of your household, young and old, and give them glad tidings from the Wronged One. We beseech God to adorn each one with the ornament of supreme loving-kindness and to embellish them with the crown of steadfastness.
O My leaves and My handmaidens! Tonight, which is the twenty-first night of the blessed month of Ramadan, this Wronged One is occupied with your mention in the Most Great Prison. This most great bounty has appeared from the Mighty Announcement at this hour, and the lights of the Sun of loving-kindness are shining from the horizon of the heaven of bounty. Know the value of this station and be engaged in the mention of the Goal of the worlds with the utmost joy and delight.
May His Honor Khalil, upon him be My Glory, the Beautiful, the Sublime, and likewise His Honor Karim, upon him be My Glory, illumine their families with the lights of the utterance of the All-Merciful, that they may attain supreme joy and greatest delight in the divine days. We have likewise mentioned the other handmaidens of that land in the Book of Amin. Blessed are they who have attained.
We make mention in this station of him who is named Andalib, who warbled in the gardens of wisdom and utterance, and We give him glad tidings of My loving-kindness and mercy. We have mentioned him in various Tablets. We beseech God to assist him and aid him to serve His firm and mighty Cause. He has always been and continues to be remembered. His poetry and prose in mention of God, exalted be His glory, are blessed traces in the book of the world. Verily his Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Forgiving, the Merciful, and He is the Generous, the Bountiful. Praise be to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH04221: Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses…
In His Name, through Whom the ocean of divine knowledge has surged within creation!
Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses and manifested the clear proofs, though the people comprehend not. By God! The Day hath come and the Self-Subsisting hath appeared—He Who with His finger hath broken the seal of the choice sealed Wine, yet the people perceive it not. They behold the signs of God and deny them, they hear the utterance of the All-Merciful yet understand it not.
We have heard thy mention and make mention of thee, that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord, the Possessor of existence. By God! The river of mercy hath flowed, the ocean of wisdom hath surged, and the Sun hath dawned from its horizon, yet most of the people recognize it not. They have followed their own desires, turning away from God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.
O peoples of the earth! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One, raised from the precincts of the prison, and be not of those who denied God’s favor when it descended through grace, in that they followed every heedless and veiled one. Say: Abandon the paths of the sects, for they are born of vain imaginings. Then hasten to the path of God, the Possessor of the unseen and the seen, in such wise that neither the oppressors prevent you nor the might of the Pharaohs frighten you—they who violated God’s Covenant and His pledge, and spoke what the ancients never spoke.
These are they who pronounced judgment against the Manifestations of My Self in the past, and pronounced against them with such tyranny as caused the denizens of Paradise to lament. Thus hath the rustling of the Lote-Tree of the utmost boundary been raised. Blessed are the people who heard and said:
“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the world, and glory be unto Thee, O Sovereign of Revelation!”
The glory from Us be upon those whom the clamor of the people of the Bayan hath not prevented from God, the Possessor of what was and what shall be.
BH04513: This is a Book which the Wronged One hath…
In the Name of Him through Whom the fragrance of the Bayan has been wafted throughout creation.
This is a Book which the Wronged One hath sent down unto him who hath believed in God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, that the utterance of the All-Merciful may draw him nigh unto a station wherein he shall behold naught save the effulgent splendors of his Lord’s countenance, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved. By God! The shrill voice of My Most Exalted Pen and the rustling of My Most Sublime Tree have been raised up. Blessed be the ear that hath heard, and woe unto every heedless and veiled one.
We have heard thy call and have addressed thee from the right side of the luminous Spot, the station wherein the Lord of Names did speak that which caused eyes to be gladdened. O thou who gazest upon the Countenance! Hearken unto My verses and ponder that which hath appeared from Me and say: O people of the Bayan! By God, the heaven of knowledge hath appeared with shining suns. Fear ye Him Who hath come unto you with the verses of verses from God, the Lord of this exalted Station.
Say: Your sciences and arts will not suffice you today. Cast them behind you, turning unto the Ocean of Knowledge which surgeth through this Name whereby faces have been illumined. Say: O peoples of the earth! Judge fairly concerning that which hath appeared through the Truth and oppose not Him through Whom all existence hath turned towards God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.
Thus have We sent down the verses and dispatched them unto thee. By the life of God! Within each letter thereof lieth concealed an ocean of meanings and utterance, were men to know. He hath come for the reformation of the world, but the people are unaware. The Glory shining forth from the horizon of My Kingdom be upon thee and upon those who have said: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.”
BH04814: This is a Book sent down by the King…
He is the One dawning from the horizon of the heaven of might.
This is a Book sent down by the King of the Kingdom to him who hath believed in God, the Lord of the worlds. They who have held themselves back from this Cause are indeed in manifest doubt. The denizens of Paradise and they who dwell within the pavilion of glory, who remember God throughout the night and day, at every morn and eventide, have disowned them. Say: O people! Believe in God and follow not your idle fancies. Deal fairly with that which hath been manifested in truth, and be not of the wrongdoers.
This is a day wherein the pavilion of utterance hath been raised to its loftiest station. Draw nigh with illumined hearts and be not of the heedless. On this day the Herald hath called out from every direction: “The King is come, and sovereignty belongeth unto God, the Mighty, the All-Praised.” Verily the Ocean hath testified to the truth, and the Sun proclaimeth: “He Who was hidden within God’s knowledge, the Lord of the heavens and earth, hath come.” Thus did the Tongue of Grandeur speak forth when He had left the House and taken up His abode in this glorious spot.
We have revealed a command from Our presence and made mention therein of them who have believed in God, the Incomparable, the All-Informed. Blessed is he who hath attained unto the remembrance of God and His love, and woe betide the heedless. The resplendent Light shining forth from the horizon of My Most Exalted Pen be upon the people of Baha, whom neither the deception of any deceiver, nor the craftiness of any schemer, nor the derision of any derider, nor the opposition of them who have disbelieved in God, the Most High, the Most Great, hath deterred.
BH04947: Praise be to God Who sent down the Proof…
He is the One Who rules over all who are on earth and in heaven
Praise be to God Who sent down the Proof to His servants, made manifest to them the Way, and caused them to know the Dawning-Place of His Cause, the Rising-Point of His verses, the Source of His laws, and the Recipient of His knowledge—He Who stood before all faces and spoke that which draweth the servants nigh unto the court of His glory and the horizon of His Cause. The Most Exalted Pen beareth witness on this darksome night that thou hast turned toward God and traversed land and sea until thou didst attain the presence of the Most Great Sea, each wave of whose waves proclaimeth “There is none other God but Me, the One, the All-Informed.” Take thou the Tablet of God with the power that is from Him and the strength that is from His presence, and say:
Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having sent down Thy proof and perfected Thy favor. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance, by the pearls hidden in the shells of the ocean of Thy knowledge, and by the Word through which the horizon of the heaven of inner meanings and utterance was illumined, to make me in all conditions to hold fast to Thy cord, to cling to the hem of the robe of Thy bounty, and to be immersed in the depths of the sea of Thy oneness. Then write down for me, O God of Names and Creator of Heaven, that which will make me steadfast in Thy Cause, firm in Thy love, and unwavering in Thy path. Then ordain for me that which shall be a light unto me in Thy worlds. Verily Thou art the One with power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
BH05593: O thou who hast drunk the choice wine…
He is God, exalted be His glory in wisdom and utterance!
O thou who hast drunk the choice wine of My presence, who standeth before My countenance and at the door of My grandeur! Hear My call. We have desired to make mention of thee that thou mayest be assured that thy Lord loveth fidelity, and He is the All-Merciful, the Bountiful. We made mention of thee before, and called thee from the right side of the vale from the Divine Lote-Tree. Verily, there is none other God but Him, the Single, the All-Informed. God hath created thee to manifest His Cause and to arise to serve it. Be thankful unto thy Lord for this manifest grace. We beseech God to assist thee and enable thee to remember Him, to praise Him, and to spread His signs throughout His lands amongst His servants. Verily, He assisteth whomsoever He willeth through the hosts of wisdom and utterance, and He is the Expositor, the All-Informed. When thou art seized by the rapture of My utterance and hast attained the choice wine of My knowledge, say:
My God, my God! Separation from Thee hath destroyed me, and nearness to Thee is my hope and life. Thy Name is my Beloved, and attaining Thy presence is my goal. I beseech Thee by the tears of them that are nigh unto Thee in their separation from Thee, and by the sighs of the sincere ones in their remoteness from Thee, to assist me in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with. Then make me to be detached from all else save Thee and to hold fast unto Thy cord. Then I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy throne and the mysteries of Thy Book to enable me to unite the hearts of Thy servants and to be united with them through Thy bounty and favor. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Great.
BH05443: The All-Bountiful has come, saying: “To Me, to Me…
He is the One speaking from the Most Exalted Horizon.
The All-Bountiful has come, saying: “To Me, to Me, O people of understanding!” The All-Merciful has come, saying: “Hasten, hasten, O followers of the religions!” The All-Forgiving has appeared with truth, saying: “Come, come, O people of the Furqan and O people of the Bayan!” The Self-Subsisting has arisen and proclaimed: “By God! He Who was promised in the Books of God has come, and He Who was the Purpose of those near unto God and the Beloved of the Prophets and Messengers has appeared. Fear God, O peoples of the earth, and follow not the desires of those who have denied the Proof when the All-Merciful came with clear sovereignty.”
Thus has the shrill voice of My Pen been raised up, and the rustling of My Divine Lote-Tree, and the murmuring of the water of My loving-kindness, and the whistling of the winds of My Will—if ye be of them that hear.
Is there one possessed of tongue who will recite what hath been sent down from God, the Mighty, the Great? Is there one possessed of sight who will behold My luminous horizon? Is there one possessed of hearing who will hear what hath been sent down in this time from One All-Knowing, All-Informed?
When thou hast drunk the living waters from the Pen of the All-Merciful, arise to serve the Cause with the wisdom We have sent down aforetime, that thou mayest find thyself in manifest joy. Thus hath the Pen counseled and the Tongue spoken. Blessed are they that hear, and woe unto the heedless. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.
BH06398: The purpose of the creation of beings has been…
He is the All-Seeing and He is the All-Hearing!
The purpose of the creation of beings has been the knowledge of God, exalted be His glory, so that all might comprehend, through the revealed verses and manifest evidences, that which is the cause of everlasting comfort and eternal life. All peoples throughout ages and centuries have awaited the appearance of Him Who conversed on Sinai, yet when the veils were rent asunder and the Day Star of Revelation shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of inner meanings, all arose in opposition and committed that which is the cause and source of the most great terror.
O people of God! The Most Exalted Pen counsels you to be steadfast in the Cause of God, lest the friends of God be veiled by the imaginings of the past and remain deprived. You must be so firm and steadfast in the Cause that the names and their kingdom shall have no power to deter you. Thus have We counseled you before and in this wondrous Tablet. The Glory be upon you and upon whosoever has attained unto this mighty Cause.
BH06681: Say: O my God, my God! I am he…
He is the All-Seeing, the All-Informed
Say: O my God, my God! I am he whom Thou hast reared by the hands of Thy grace, guided to Thy path, caused to hearken unto Thy verses, and made to recognize Thy horizon. I testify in this my station that Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee. From everlasting Thou hast been one, single, alone, and self-subsisting. Thou didst not take unto Thyself any helper or partner, and unto everlasting Thou wilt remain seated upon the throne of bounty. O Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the Trumpet was sounded and the Dove of Utterance warbled upon the branch of divine knowledge with Thy praise and glorification and the exaltation of Thy Word, to send down upon Thy servant from the heaven of Thy grace that which will draw him nigh unto Thee in all conditions.
Verily Thou art the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee, clinging to Thy cord, and hoping for the wonders of Thy grace. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance to assist me in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Most Great.
BH06421: Today the world is illumined by the lights…
He is the Protector of all who are in earth and heaven
Today the world is illumined by the lights of the Orb of the heaven of inner meanings, and the mysteries of the Books are manifest from the horizon of the heaven of divine knowledge. This is the day of joy and gladness. All things—fruits, trees, leaves and flowers—are singing melodies and are occupied with the praise and glorification of God. Yet the souls who were brought from nothingness into being for the recognition of this blessed Day remain heedless and veiled, save whom God willeth. Know thou the value of the Day of God and act as befitteth it. The hosts of God have ever been and shall ever be praiseworthy deeds and goodly character. Today upon the banner of triumph these words are inscribed:
“O people of God! Ye were created for this Day. Aid ye your Lord, the Most Merciful, through wisdom and utterance.”
How excellent is the state of the one who hath attained unto the recognition of God and held fast unto the hem of His mercy. Such a one is of the people of Baha in the Qayyumu’l-Asma. Blessed are they that know! Blessed are they that act! Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds!