Volume 082: Akka 1304 A.H. (1886–1887), Part III (1 of 5)
BH01011: We have desired to make mention of the party…
He is the One who speaks from His most exalted horizon!
We have desired to make mention of the party of God and His loved ones, to remind them of His verses and to give them the glad tidings of His favors and His mercy which has preceded all who are in the heavens and the earth. O My loved ones in Gukchay! Hear My call from the direction of My prison. Verily it draws you to My Kingdom, guides you to My path, exalts you among My servants, and brings you near unto God, the One, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Previously there came a letter from him who was named Amin in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds. He mentioned you and We have mentioned you in truth and have revealed for each one of you that which testifies to God’s favor and bounty. Give thanks to your Lord, the Most Merciful. Verily He has turned toward you and revealed for you that which shall never be exhausted throughout the endurance of His most beautiful names and His most exalted attributes. To this testifies He with whom is the knowledge of all things in a clear Book. Thus has the horizon of utterance been illumined with the light of proof. Blessed is he who has witnessed and seen and said:
“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the mystics, and thanksgiving be unto Thee, O Thou Who art remembered in the hearts of the Messengers!”
O My loved ones in Chakan! Hear My call from the direction of My prison. Verily there is no God but He, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Bestower. We have heard your call and witnessed your turning. We have turned toward you and revealed for you that which all the remembrances of the world cannot equal. Give thanks to your Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. Your letter came before the Wronged One and the servant in attendance before His face read it. We have answered you with a Tablet from whose horizon shines the light of your Lord’s favor, the Lord of creation. Glorify the name of your Lord and remember Him at eventide and at dawn. Blessed are you for having attained unto the traces of My Most Exalted Pen. By God! The trace of My Pen is better for you than whatsoever has been created on earth. Give thanks to your Lord for having made you know Him, taught you, and guided you to the straight path. Beware lest the happenings of the world sadden you or the doubts of the nations prevent you from this Cause whereby feet have slipped save those whom God has protected through His grace and delivered through His loving-kindness. Verily He is the Mighty, the Chosen One.
In the Persian tongue do We speak that all may drink from the Kawthar of the utterance of the All-Merciful and may arise to that which beseemeth His days. O friends! Praise ye the Beloved of the world Who mentioned you in the Most Great Prison, showed you the way, and granted you the grace to attain that which most of the peoples of the world are deprived of and forbidden from. Reflect upon the former party, that is, the party of the Shi’ih. Throughout centuries and ages they spoke in the name of Truth and uttered His praise from pulpits, beseeching from God, glorified be His majesty, in the evening and at dawn, at night and in the morning, to attain His presence and His days.
Yet when the appointed time came and the Dawning-Place of verses appeared from the horizon of God’s will, glorified be His majesty, the divines of Persia, one and all, occupied themselves with cursing and reviling. In their wickedness they reached such a point that they pronounced their verdict against the Essence of Being and the Intended Lord and shed His blood. Now the barking ones desire to adorn a party like unto that party and to afflict the people with the vain imaginings of the past. Open your eyes and reflect upon the deeds of the former party. Until now they say from the pulpits that which causeth the holy ones of the most exalted Paradise to weep and lament. Fie upon them and perdition unto them!
O party of God! If ye truly ponder on matters pertaining to that party, ye shall find yourselves established upon the throne of steadfastness and the seat of certitude, freed and delivered from intimations, doubts, suspicions and idle fancies.
O friends! Today is the day of service, the day of remembrance and praise. We have aforetime informed all concerning the cawing of the ravens and the clamor of the froward ones. That which hath flowed and continueth to flow from the Pen, all the world is powerless to alter. It behooveth each one among you, when he hath quaffed the wine of knowledge from the cup of My bounty and been illumined by the lights of My utterance, to say:
My God, my God! I testify to Thy oneness and Thy unity, and that this Day is Thy Day, and this Cause is Thy Cause. Thou hast manifested and made clear Thy path, and sent down from the heaven of utterance Thy proof. I testify that no cause can withstand Thy Cause, and no power can rival Thy power. I beseech Thee by the Dayspring of Thy signs and the Dawning-Place of Thy clear tokens and the mines of Thy wisdom and the repositories of Thy knowledge, and by the Light wherewith Thou hast illumined the world, and by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued the nations, to make me steadfast in Thy love, detached from all else but Thee, attracted by Thy verses, and enkindled with the fire of Thy sacred Tree.
O Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thy most exalted horizon, awaiting the wonders of Thy grace, O Lord of all being and Sovereign of the throne above and earth below. I beseech Thee not to deny me the wonders of Thy grace. Then ordain for me, O Possessor of existence and King of the seen and unseen, that which will draw me nigh unto Thee and aid me in serving Thy Cause. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.
My God, my God, my Goal, my Beloved, the Ultimate Object of my desire and hope! I beseech Thee by Thy bounty wherewith Thou hast adorned existence, to illumine my face with the light of Thy knowledge, mine eyes with the vision of the horizon of Thy revelation, my heart with attraction to the source of Thy wisdom and knowledge, and mine ears with hearkening to Thy most sweet call and the sound of Thy Most Exalted Pen. O Lord! Leave me not to myself. Take my hand with the hand of Thy loving-kindness, then deliver me from the pit of doubts and idle fancies. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
O Lord! Thou seest me clinging to the cord of Thy bounty and holding fast to the hem of the robe of Thy generosity and favor. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Signs and the manifestations of Thy grandeur in the kingdom of creation to aid me and Thy loved ones to act in accordance with what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. Then illumine us with the lights of Thy good-pleasure in such wise that we move not except by Thy command and permission, and desire naught save what Thou hast desired for us through Thy bounty and loving-kindness. Verily Thou art the All-Compelling over those who are in earth and heaven, and the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Strong, the Mighty, the Glorious, the Bountiful.
BH01060: A Book revealed by this Wronged One for him…
In His name that dawneth from the exalted horizon
A Book revealed by this Wronged One for him who hath caught the fragrance of the utterance, at the hour when the All-Merciful ascended His mighty Throne, that the Remembrance might draw him unto the Most Great Sea, whose billows surge before the faces of all mankind; and from its waves is heard: By God! the gate of heaven hath been flung open, and the Fashioner of the heaven hath come with manifest sovereignty.
Blessed art thou, O Mua¸¥ammad, in that the attraction of My call hath seized thee, hath made thee to know My path, hath taught thee My Cause, and guided thee unto My most great Announcement. Thy letter reached Us in the Most Great Prison; We heard thy remembrance and thy praise, and We answered thee with a Book whereunto the books of the world can never be likened, and have remembered thee with a remembrance whose light, shining from the horizon of the divine Tablet, hath caused all other remembrances to bow down before it. Of this beareth witness He with Whom is a manifest Book. Thou art he who hath held fast to the cord of thy Lord’s bounty, clung to the hem of His mercy, and turned towards His horizon when the people were in grievous error.
Say: O people of the Furqan! Hearken unto the call of your Lord, the All-Merciful. Verily it hath been raised in the prison before the faces of all religions. Follow not your selfish desires, but follow Him Who calleth you unto God, the One, the All-Informed. Say: Beware lest the manifestations of this world and its ornaments prevent you from Him by Whom the Dove of Glory warbled in the All-Highest Paradise, and the Maiden of inner meaning sang in the Most Exalted Heaven, crying out and saying: The Day is come, and the people are in wondrous doubt. Say: O people of Faran! Read ye what is with you and what hath been sent down from the heaven of the Will of your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. Fear God, cast aside idle fancies and vain imaginings. The Self-Subsisting hath come with a Cause before which all who are in the heavens and on earth cannot stand. When thou hast drunk the choice wine of revelation from the cup of Mine utterance, and been attracted by My remembrance and My call, say:
My God, my God! Thou seest this servant turning toward Thy horizon, directing his face to the lights of Thy countenance, soaring in the atmosphere of Thy nearness, firm in Thy oneness and singleness, and holding fast to what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. O Lord! Thou seest the tears of mine eyes in my separation from Thee, and my sighs in my remoteness from Thy presence. I know not, O my Aim and my Beloved, what Thou hast ordained for me from Thy Most Exalted Pen, by Whose movement Thou hast subdued the earth and heaven. Hast Thou ordained for me to attain Thy presence and to stand before the gate of Thy grandeur, or hath Thy binding command and Thy firm decree prevented me therefrom? I beseech Thee, O Lord of all being and Educator of the seen and unseen, by Thy command whereby the rivers flowed, the trees bore fruit, and the seas surged, to make me in all conditions speak Thy praise and stand firm in Thy Cause, in such wise that the limbs of Thine enemies may quake and the hearts of those who have denied Thee and Thy signs may be perturbed.
O Lord! Thou seest me turning to Thee in all conditions and holding fast to the cord of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by the sweet savors of Thy revelation to aid Thy servants to acknowledge what Thou hast sent down from the heaven of Thy generosity and what hath flowed from the Pen of Thy grace. Thou art He Whose power all created things have testified to, and Whose sovereignty all things possible have witnessed. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
And We make mention of the Friend, upon him be My glory, and We remind him of the verses of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, and We give him glad tidings of His mercy which hath preceded all created things and of His bounty which hath encompassed existence itself, both small and great. O Friend! Hearken unto the call of Him Who hath been wronged. Verily, He hath accepted all manner of tribulation for the exaltation of the Word of God, yet the people are in manifest denial. We stood before all faces and summoned them to the most exalted Summit and taught them that which would draw them nigh unto God, the Peerless, the All-Informed. Among the people are those who have been attracted by the sweetness of My call, and We have sent down for them that which was a fountain of life for all who dwell within the realm of possibility. And among them are those who turned away from the Face, following every doubting learned one. And among them are those who arose in opposition, and those who pronounced sentence of death against Me. Thus was the matter decreed, yet most of the people remain heedless.
Blessed art thou for having turned towards Me and borne witness to that whereunto God did testify before the creation of the heavens and the earth. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, my Lord, and my Support, for having remembered me whilst I was in the midst of them that turned aside. I beseech Thee to assist me in Thy remembrance and Thy praise and in the service of Thy Cause. Thou art, verily, the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful.
O Muhammad! Upon thee be the glory of God, the One, the Single. We make mention of those who turned towards God when the horizon of Revelation was illumined with the light of God’s loving providence, the Mighty, the Great. And We desire to make mention of the friends of God and His loved ones, both male and female, who have ascended unto the Most Exalted Companion. Thy Lord is, verily, the All-Bountiful, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. The glory which hath dawned from the heaven of bounty be upon you, O people of Baha. Ye are they who have not violated the Covenant of God and His Testament. Ye have turned unto Him and have recognized His Manifestation, His grandeur, His sovereignty, His might, His power and His dominion.
Blessed are ye, and joy be unto you, for ye have attained unto the traces of the Most Exalted Pen before your ascension and after your ascension to the Most Glorious Horizon. We beseech God to forgive you and to remit your sins, to rain down upon you from the clouds of His heaven of generosity the showers of His mercy, and to ordain for you that which shall adorn you with the ornament of joy and ecstasy. He, verily, is the Omnipotent over all things. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving. Thus hath the Sun of utterance shone forth from the horizon of proof. Blessed is he who hath witnessed and seen. Woe unto every sinful denier.
O Muhammad! Hearken in the Persian tongue. In the days when all were scattered by the onslaught of tyranny and concealed behind veils, this Wronged One arose to promote the Cause in such wise that the oppression of the world could not prevent Him from uttering the Word. God is Our witness and Our testament. No fair-minded person can deny this fact. And when the world was illumined by the light of the Cause, all rushed forth from behind their veils with drawn swords—that is, the deniers of the Bayan. In any case, beseech God to protect the servants from the new delusions of the deniers. He is the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful.
BH01295: O beloved of my heart! Your mention, which was…
In the name of God, exalted be His glory, His is the majesty and power!
O beloved of my heart! Your mention, which was described in brief, was received, bringing the fragrance of love and bestowing a fresh gift. Now, in response to your brief letter, I must present a brevity that contains length, and that is the letter Mim which appears at the beginning of the name Mahbub’ (Beloved). In one station its numerical value is forty, which some have described as the perfect number, and this number was associated with the time of the Seal of the Prophets, may my spirit be sacrificed for His sake. God is witness and testifier that from the name Mahbub’ new breezes of love and knowledge are manifest and evident. Whosoever attains unto this has attained unto all good. The Command is in God’s hands, the Desired One of the mystics and the Beloved of those who are near.
Now from your brief letter, indeed from the first letter of the name alone, countless books of love, fellowship, affection, and unity can be derived. When your handwriting arrived and its contents were perceived, it gave new power to the taste. In truth, a sweet intoxication from this wine occurred. At once, approaching the Presence, it was presented, and He said:
They have partaken of their share from the Kawthar of divine love at every moment and received their portion. We beseech God to grant him at all times that which will draw him near and through which his clear Cause will be exalted.
This pearl of brief utterance which hath appeared from the ocean is a brevity wherein infinite worlds lie concealed, and likewise the realms of meaning and utterance. Praise be to God that those beloved ones have been and continue to be successful in all conditions, and whatsoever they sent was truly for the sake of God and complete endeavor was expended therein—it was and shall ever be worthy of mention. Its effects have preceded and its fruits shall follow. The fruits of divine favor from it are manifest, brilliant and evident, for it became present, watchful and aware of mention and praise. From that direction, that beloved one and that one who turned to God—the true Haji who was present and attained—were partners and helpers in that service, and from this direction were all-encompassing favors and countless bestowals. Now observe how something that was not worthy of any mention became the cause of all these favors appearing. His is the praise for His bounties, His is the praise for His utterances, His is the praise for His favors, His is the praise for His benevolence, and His is the praise for His mercy that hath encompassed us. It is most clear and evident that these favors had no connection to him, yet God made him the cause for their appearance.
That spiritual beloved, His Holiness Ali, upon him be the glory of God, the One, arrived and delivered the spiritual repasts and the fountains of the All-Merciful. God is witness that this servant hath ever desired to make mention of you. All aspects of the heart have been seized by the rays of mention and praise shining from that direction. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, that this supreme bounty may endure and that its manifestations may ever remain constant and its fragrance diffused. In brief, the surging waves of separation are not yet stilled—at every moment they appear with new force and in different form. The separation from Ali hath wrought and continueth to work such effects. God willing, its consolation shall come through another meeting, and the command is God’s, the Possessor of Destiny.
The envelopes which were destined from the beginningless realm to become the bearers of Tablets and the extenders of spirits have in these days arrived through the endeavor of that beloved one and shall attain infinite outpourings. In truth, these envelopes were and are the beloved envelopes of the world and are accounted as one of the divine treasuries, for within them are stored and concealed the pearls of wisdom and utterance and the gems of knowledge and certitude. How can the pen describe or the heart enumerate? We beseech Him, exalted be He, to unite us with you and bestow upon us that which hath no likeness or peer. Verily He hath power over all things.
I convey humility, submissiveness, mention and praise to each of the loved ones in that land, and I seek for each that which shall cause the world’s advancement and the progress of nations. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is. Prayer and peace and mention and glory be upon your honor and upon those who are with you and who love you for the sake of God, the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting. And praise be to God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.
BH01589: In My Name, the One dawning from the horizon…
In My Name, the One dawning from the horizon of the Kingdom of Utterance!
The breezes of utterance have wafted, the fragrance of divine knowledge has been diffused, the sun of unity has shone forth, the moon of oneness has appeared, the rustling of the Divine Lote Tree has been raised, and the shrill voice of My Most Exalted Pen has been heard. Then We saw the conditions of the earth transformed and altered. When We turned Our gaze, We beheld the Faithful Spirit come to hearken unto My call, and the Spirit stood before My face, and the Primal Point circled round Me. Thereupon the tongue of My grandeur spoke that which I am unable to recount to you. Blessed are they who were present, who heard, who attained, and who returned to their stations by My command, and I am the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days.
When that carpet was rolled up, We spread another carpet. We concealed the mysteries and revealed what was befitting for the people of the land, and I am the Mighty, the Unconstrained. O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who has turned to the Countenance, whose letter appeared before the Throne, sent by one who was speaking My praise, who stood firm in service to My Cause, who turned to My horizon, and who would transcribe My verses at all times. Verily, he was named Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin in the Mother Book.
O Zaynu’l-ʿAbidin! The Wronged One makes mention of thee with a mention whereat the world was stirred with longing for the meeting with the Ancient King, and the Maids of Paradise came forth from their chambers to hearken unto the call of their Lord, the Possessor of the Day of Return. Thy letter was presented and the Most Great Branch, who was present before the Throne, read it. We have answered thee with verses which God hath made as an ocean of light for His loved ones, as a globe of fire for His enemies, as the All-Highest Paradise for His chosen ones, and as the exalted Paradise for those who circle round the Throne. Thus have We sent down verses for thee and expounded them by Our command, that thou mayest give thanks to thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.
Take thou the chalice of My utterance in My Name, then drink from it with My remembrance and say:
“My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having remembered me while in the grasp of enemies, and thanks be to Thee for having turned towards me when I was in a fortress built of polished stone. By Thy might, O my Desired One, my Beloved, the Ultimate End of my hope and my expectation! The thirst of my heart is not quenched save by the Kawthar of Thy utterance, nor the agitation of my heart save by the rain of Thy mercy, nor is my inner being gladdened save by the manifestations of Thy grace. I beseech Thee by the waves of the ocean of Thy mercy and the effulgences of the lights of the sun of Thy bounty to ordain for me from Thy grace that which will draw me nigh unto Thee and be a lamp whereby I may walk in Thy worlds and be illumined amongst Thy servants. Then ordain for me that whereby my soul may find tranquility. Verily, I know not what profits me. Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.”
We make mention in this station of thy mother, whom thou didst mention in thy letter. We beseech God to assist her, to strengthen her, and to grant her that which will solace her eyes and gladden her heart. Verily, He is powerful over all things. Verily, he who hath attained unto My mention and the traces of My Pen is of the people of Baha in the sight of God, the Lord of all men. Blessed is the maidservant who hath attained, and the servant who hath attained, and woe unto every heedless doubter.
We have sent down for him who was named Muhammad that whereby the fragrance of the loving-kindness of the All-Merciful hath been diffused throughout all possibility. Blessed is he who hath taken it with power from Us and found from it the fragrance of the mercy of his Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
O Hashim! We have heard thy mention and have mentioned thee from the Pen, which, when it moved upon the Tablet, all created things were stirred with longing to hearken to the call of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Gracious. We have mentioned thee before and at this time. Rejoice and say:
“Praise be to Thee, O Lord of all beings, for having mentioned me and sent down for me that whose fragrance shall never be cut off. I testify that Thou art the One with power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Protector of what is and what has been.”
At the end of the Tablet We make mention of My loved ones who have soared in My atmosphere and taken My Book, whom neither the doubts of the transgressors nor the signs of the deniers prevented. They drank the choice wine of revelation from the chalice of My bounty. They arose and proclaimed:
“O peoples of the earth! Set aside what ye possess. By God! The Lord of Heaven hath come with sovereignty that neither the hosts of rulers can withstand, nor the clamor of divines can prevent, nor can the might of those who denied what was sent down from God, the Powerful, the Manifest, the All-Knowing, cause Him to fear.”
BH01830: Praise be to God Who hath manifested His Cause…
He is the All-Knowing Speaker.
Praise be to God Who hath manifested His Cause, sent down His verses and commanded all to act with rectitude. He, verily, is the All-Knowing, All-Wise Commander. O Muhammad! Hearken unto the call from this far-distant Shore. There is none other God but He, the Mighty, the All-Watching. He witnesseth and seeth, and nothing whatsoever escapeth His knowledge. He, verily, is the Omnipotent, the Almighty. Give thanks unto God, thy Lord, for having aided thee to attain recognition and given thee to drink of the choice wine of utterance from the hands of His bounty. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the Generous.
That which thou didst address to God, the Lord of the worlds, hath come before the Wronged One, and the servant in attendance before the Wronged One hath read it. We have sent down for thee that which was a pearl in the shell of utterance and a light at the horizon of possibility. Thy Lord is, verily, the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. Blessed is the tongue that hath been occupied with My remembrance, and the house that hath been honored by My praise, and the air that hath been perfumed by My wondrous utterance.
O Muhammad! The ocean of utterance hath surged in the realm of possibility, and that which was hidden in knowledge and inscribed by the Pen of God, the Mighty, the Praised, hath been made manifest. Say: O heedless ones! Raise your heads and behold that which hath shone forth and gleamed from the horizon of the tender mercy of your Lord, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Beware lest the veils of the world withhold you, or the might of any remote oppressor frighten you. By God! The ocean of verses hath surged when the Manifestation of clear proofs came, yet the people are in evident error. Desire hath kept them back from the Lord of all beings. Thus have their souls prompted them. They are indeed among the idolaters. Say: O people! Fear God and believe in Him Who hath come to you with a mighty sovereignty, on His right hand the hosts of revelation and inspiration, and on His left the angels and the Spirit, if ye be of them that know. And before Him walketh the Point of the Bayan, saying:
“O my people! Your sayings and deeds have put me to shame, after We counseled you night and day. Fear the All-Merciful and be not of them that turn aside. In every leaf We commanded you to present yourselves before the Countenance, yet when He appeared ye turned away and denied, and committed that which caused My heart and My Pen and the Supreme Concourse and the most exalted Paradise to lament. Every discerning soul beareth witness to this.”
O people of the Bayan! We have sent down for you the verses and manifested the clear proofs, and ye were commanded to that which would draw you nigh unto the supreme horizon. Ye cast behind you that which ye were commanded and took up that which caused the Faithful Spirit to lament. Say: O sources of knowledge and manifestations of arts! Hearken unto the call of God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. He hath come from the horizon of power with a manifest sovereignty.
Blessed art thou, O Muhammad, for having attained unto the traces of My Pen while the Wronged One was in this mighty prison. We beseech God to assist thee with the hosts of wisdom and utterance for the promotion of His mighty and wise Cause. Know thou that should anyone bring thee all the books of the world, leave them behind thee. Thus doth the All-Knowing command thee from the presence of the Mighty, the All-Informed. We have found those who turned aside among the people of the Bayan to be more lost than the people of the Furqan. Thus hath the matter been decreed, and We are among the witnesses. God hath forgiven those two whom thou didst mention in thy letter, as a grace from His presence. He is the Mighty, the Beautiful.
When thou hast taken the cup of My utterance and drunk therefrom in remembrance of My Name, say:
“My God, my God! Thou seest me turning toward Thee, assured by the rain-showers of the heaven of Thy grace, and anticipating the wonders of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy throne and by Thy mysteries which none save Thyself hath known, to make me in all conditions steadfast in Thy love and firm in Thy Cause, such that neither the doubts of the doubters nor the signs of them that turn aside may keep me back from Thee. Thou art, verily, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Triumphant, the Omnipotent.”
BH02067: O Ruhani! Your letter was received and attained…
He is God, exalted is He in wisdom and utterance
O Ruhani! Your letter was received and attained the honor of being heard in the Most Holy and Exalted Presence. The fragrance of the love of the All-Merciful wafted from its words. Your prose bore true witness to your steadfastness, acceptance, and devotion, and your poetry proclaimed with the most exalted call the degrees of steadfastness, detachment, adherence and supplication. We heard and saw that thou hast been and art successful in all conditions. That which was mentioned by Aqa Muhammad-Rida attained the honor of His presence. We heard his call and this most exalted utterance was revealed from the Kingdom of the All-Merciful’s expression in response:
O Muhammad-Rida! We have heard thy call and answered thee, and We took a cup in thy name and drank therefrom the choice sealed wine. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this great bounty. O Muhammad-Hasan! The fragrance of sincerity was diffused from thy mention. We took a handful from the Most Great Sea and drank it when thy mention was flowing from My Most Exalted Pen. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of all beings! Thou hast mentioned Me in such wise as hath enraptured the hearts of them that have turned and drawn nigh. O My handmaiden, O My leaf! Blessed is the handmaiden who hath attained unto a name uttered by the Tongue of Grandeur in His exalted and glorious station. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon those handmaidens whose names were presented before the Wronged One in this mighty stronghold.
And We make mention of Muhammad-Husayn who hath in this hour attained unto the breezes of revelation and been encompassed by the mercy of his Lord. God hath forgiven him as a bounty from His presence, for He is the All-Bountiful, the Compassionate, the Generous. And We make mention of his wife as a mercy and favor from Us. We beseech God to ordain for her that which will draw her nigh unto Him in all His worlds. And We make mention of the mother of Dhabih and bear witness to her devotion and acceptance on a day whereon the men of earth and their mighty ones and their learned ones turned away, save whom God, her Creator and Fashioner and Rememberer, willed. Blessed is she and joy be unto her.
O Muhammad-Husayn! We have adorned thy head with the crown of My love and thy temple with the ornament of My remembrance in this station which hath been illumined by the lights of the countenance of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Forgiving, the Merciful. We counsel thee to be steadfast in this Great Announcement. The glory be upon thee and upon those with thee from God, the Lord of the worlds.
O Spiritual One! We have made mention of thee and thy kinsmen. Give them glad tidings from Me and remind them of My verses and illumine them with the lights of what hath been sent down from My Most Exalted Pen. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. And We counsel them regarding deeds and character that the fragrance of My mercy and providence and bounty which hath encompassed the horizons may be diffused from them. We beseech God to ordain for them what He hath ordained for His loved ones. Verily He is the Hearer, the Answerer.
Convey My greetings to the handmaidens in that land and illumine them with the lights of the Orb of the providence of God, exalted be His glory. O Spiritual One! Thou didst attain in the earliest days when the people were in manifest doubt and strange delusion. Thou didst turn to the horizon when the people were in great [opposition]. That which flowed from the tongue of thy heart in praise of the Goal of the worlds, We have sent to the pavilion of glory. Verily He is the Single, the One, the Compassionate, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
BH04116: O ʿAli, upon thee be My glory! Praise be…
He is the One speaking from the Supreme Horizon
O ʿAli, upon thee be My glory! Praise be to God, thou hast attained unto that whereof the world remaineth heedless and veiled, save whom God willeth. The Light is radiant, the Cause is resplendent, the Sun of Truth hath risen, the heaven of grandeur is upraised, the ocean of knowledge is surging, and the river of mercy is flowing. Blessed is he who, in this wondrous and blessed Day, hath not been deprived but hath attained unto that for which he was created. Praise be to God, the Spiritual Elder, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness, hath drunk from the ocean of recognition and tasted of the Kawthar of steadfastness. Despite the tribulations that descended and the hardships that befell him, he remained firm on God’s path and held fast to His cord. The world and its vicissitudes, the nations and their might, withheld him not. His mention hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Book. Blessed is he who hath recognized him and who hath visited him.
The spiritual youth was also present before Us and attained unto all that was revealed in God’s Book, both past and future. Happy art thou and he. Ye have ever been and continue to be remembered by Us. I counsel you to wisdom and utterance. Convey My greetings to the loved ones of that land. We beseech God to aid all to promote His Cause and to act according to what hath been revealed in the Book. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous. The glory proceeding from Us be upon thee and upon those who have not broken God’s Covenant, the Lord of all worlds. Convey greetings from the Wronged One to all the kindred and give them the glad-tidings of God’s favor. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Merciful, and He is the Compassionate, the Generous.
BH04040: My tongue and My pen bear witness that thou…
He is God, exalted be His glory in wisdom and utterance!
My tongue and My pen bear witness that thou hast turned to the Wronged One, clinging to His Name, the Self-Subsisting, and hast traversed land and sea until thou didst reach the shore of the Most Great Ocean and didst behold the waves of His utterance and the pearls of His knowledge, and didst drink the choice wine of revelation from the cup of thy Lord’s bountiful favor. God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath come with the truth is the Hidden Mystery and the Treasured Secret, and by Him was the trumpet blast sounded, and all who are in the heavens and earth were struck down, save those whom God rescued by the hand of power. He, verily, is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
Blessed art thou, O Azim, for having arrived and heard the call of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, and for having attained unto that which was inscribed in God’s Scrolls and Books and treasured within the hearts of His Messengers. We beseech God to aid thee and assist thee in serving Him, in remembering Him and praising Him, and to reinforce thee with the hosts of wisdom and utterance. Nothing can withhold Him, nor can anything elude His knowledge. He is the Single One, the One, the Mighty, the All-Praised. When thou beholdest the radiance of Baha in his countenance, convey My greetings unto him and remind him of My verses and give him the glad-tidings of My loving-kindness which hath preceded all who are in the heavens and earth. Blessed is Ali-Akbar! We bear witness that he turned to God, the Lord of all men, in the earliest days, and rent asunder the veils of glory with the finger of certitude, and shattered the idols of vain imaginings by the command of God, the Lord of all worlds. We, verily, aided him and drew him nigh and taught him and made him know, and showed him My straight path and the Great Announcement. Splendor be upon you and upon those who have attained unto this mighty, this unshakeable Cause.
BH04505: The Book of God hath been sent down…
In the Name of the Beloved of the World!
The Book of God hath been sent down from the heaven of divine loving-kindness, and the horizon of the world is illumined with the splendors of the Most Great Luminary. All hidden mysteries and treasured signs have become manifest and visible. Blessed is the soul whom the veils of learning have not debarred from the Dayspring of divine Revelation, and whom the obscuring doubts of the people have not withheld from the Most Great Ocean. This is His Day, and this is His Revelation. Know ye its worth and seek steadfastness with utmost humility and supplication. This is the Supreme Gift and the Most Great Holy Table. Strive that ye may attain that which hath no like nor equal. He is the All-Bountiful, He is the Bestower, He is the Most Generous. There is no God but He, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Most Exalted.
Praise be to the Lord of the Day of Judgment, Who hath aided thee to make mention and glorify Him, and guided thee. Say: O my God, my Adored One, my Object of Worship! Thy servant beareth witness to Thy unity and oneness, and beseecheth from the wonders of Thy bounty that which beseemeth Thy generosity, and whose manifestation and appearance shall never be erased from the book of the world, which no cloud of vain imaginings shall conceal, and which no mists of idle fancies shall prevent from shining forth. O Generous One! Every possessor of insight and hearing hath testified to Thy generosity and borne witness to the precedence of Thy mercy. Deprive not Thy servants from the ocean of recognition, and withhold them not from the lights of the countenance of Thy Revelation. Thou art the Bestower, the Compassionate. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
BH04473: The servant was present with your letter and presented…
He is God, exalted be His station in wisdom and utterance!
The servant was present with your letter and presented it before the Countenance. Praise be to God, the fragrance of steadfastness was wafting from it. Ask of God to make this fragrance lasting and enduring, for the treacherous lie in ambush and thieves wait at the watchtowers.
Make the friends of God aware that they may attain to such a station that the prevention of preventers, the croaking of croakers, and the doubts of doubters may not deprive or forbid them from the Lord of the Day of Judgment.
Each of the friends mentioned in the letter attained the remembrance of the Wronged One. Night and day the tongue speaks and the Pen moves—whoever turned, was adorned with the embellishment of the Supreme Pen, some outwardly and some inwardly. Convey to each one greetings from the Wronged One.
Recite unto them the verses of thy Lord that their hearts may rejoice thereby and the verses may attract them to a station wherein they see naught in existence save God, the Lord of the seen and unseen. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to aid them, assist them and protect them with the hosts of the seen and unseen. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty.
When thou hast hearkened to My utterance, say: “My God, my God! Thou seest me turning toward Thee. I beseech Thee to ordain for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee. And I beseech Thee, O God of Names and Creator of heaven, to assist me in Thy remembrance and praise and in steadfastness in Thy Most Great Cause and Thy Mighty News.” And remember what one of Thy chosen ones said: “O Lord! Leave me not alone, and Thou art the Best of inheritors.”
BH04466: God testifieth that there is none other God besides…
He is God, exalted be His station, the All-Wise, the All-Eloquent.
God testifieth that there is none other God besides Him. His is the creation and the command. He exalteth whomsoever He willeth through His sovereignty and abaseth whatsoever He desireth through His decree. Verily He is the One Whom the might of the powerful cannot weaken, nor can the ascendancy of the learned prevent Him. He doeth what He pleaseth and ordaineth what He willeth. He is the Mighty, the Beautiful.
O namesake of the Desired One! Hearken unto My call from the precincts of My prison. Verily there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. My Most Exalted Pen hath testified to thy turning and thy devotion to God, the Lord of all beings, until thou didst appear and hear the call of the Wronged One, and didst attain unto that which lay hidden in the hearts of the chosen ones and was recorded in the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds. Give thanks unto God for this most great favor. He hath forgiven thee and made mention of thee in such wise that its fragrance shall endure throughout the eternity of His Most Beautiful Names and His Most Exalted Attributes. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days.
Convey My greetings unto the faces of My loved ones in My lands—those who have turned towards My horizon and have acknowledged that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath uttered when the Beauty of the Pre-existent One was established upon the throne of His Most Great Name. We beseech God to aid thee to serve His Cause, to reinforce thee with the hosts of the seen and the unseen, and to ordain for thee in every world of His worlds that which shall be as a lamp before thy face. Verily He is the Hearer, the Answerer.
The glory that proceedeth from Us rest upon thee and upon those who have heard the call and have said: “Here am I, O Lord of Names!” and “Here am I, O Desired One of them that have recognized Thee!”
BH04909: O ʿAli-Akbar! The Wronged One makes mention of thee…
He is God, exalted be His station in wisdom and utterance!
O ʿAli-Akbar! The Wronged One makes mention of thee from the direction of His Most Great Prison, and bids thee to beautiful patience. Verily thy Lord is the All-Patient, the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Wise. Grieve not over the incidents of this world. That which no eye of creation hath seen hath been ordained for him who hath turned towards God. Verily thy Lord is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. That which cannot be equaled by all the treasures of earth hath been ordained in the Most Exalted Paradise for My loved ones. He Who possesseth the Manifest Book beareth witness to this. Sorrows have encompassed Me from all directions through that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought—they who have cast the Book behind their backs, clinging to idle fancies and vain imaginings. When thou hearest the call of the Wronged One and drinkest the Choice Wine sealed with the Name of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, say:
“My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having enabled me to attain unto the traces of Thy Most Exalted Pen and for having made mention of me through the tongue of the Dayspring of Thy signs and the Manifestation of Thy Self while He was in the hands of His enemies. I beseech Thee, O Lord of eternity and Educator of the nations, by Thy Most Great Name, to make me steadfast in Thy Cause and firm in Thy religion, such that neither the clamor of the ignorant nor the might of those who have denied Thy proof and Thy testimony and have violated Thy Covenant and Thy Testament shall prevent me. Then ordain for me, O Lord of existence, that which Thou hast ordained for them that are nigh unto Thee among Thy servants and the sincere ones among Thy bondsmen. Thou art, verily, the Almighty over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Great.”
BH05100: We have manifested the Cause, sent down the Book…
He is the One Who has dominion over earth and heaven!
We have manifested the Cause, sent down the Book, made clear the Path, and brought forth the Proof—yet most of the people remain behind an evident veil, their vain imaginings having prevented them from the days of God, the One, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Your letter came before the Wronged One, and he who was present before His face read it. We answer you with this wondrous Tablet. We have remembered those who have turned to the Supreme Horizon and responded when the Call was raised between earth and heaven. Thy Lord is verily the True Witness. Every soul who has turned to My verses has attained—to this testifies the Book of God, the Speaking, the Present, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Give thanks to God that He has aided thee to recognize the Dawning-Place of His verses and the Source of His laws, and has forgiven thy mother who ascended by His command—He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Upon her be glory, and We have sent down mercy from Our presence—verily thy Lord is the Compassionate, the Generous. We make mention of thy sister and thy family from this Most Great Prison and from this Spot wherein the atoms cry out: “The Kingdom belongeth to God, the Lord of the worlds!” Every servant hath attained to My mention and My favor, and every handmaiden to My mercy which hath preceded all who are in the heavens and the earth. Thus hath spoken the tongue of the All-Merciful in the kingdom of utterance, and He is the Commander, the Ancient of Days. Glory be upon thee and upon My servants and handmaidens who have drunk the wine of steadfastness from the hands of the bounty of their Lord, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
BH05432: Vain imaginings have deprived the world of the lights…
In the name of the one true God
Vain imaginings have deprived the world of the lights of the Luminary of certitude. The vain imaginings of the Shi’ih sect have been renewed, for the deniers of the Bayan cling to the conjectures of that sect. Glory be to God! What strange intoxication has seized the people of the Bayan! They have witnessed and heard the verses of God at all times, yet remain heedless and turn away. The people of God must, at all times, beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, to protect the loved ones of this Most Great Revelation from the vain imaginings of the past and future. Verily, He is powerful over all things.
Blessed art thou and blessed is the promoter of My Cause, whom We named Khalil in the Crimson Book by My Most Exalted Pen, and Afnan, as a token of grace from Us, and I am the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. We beseech God to strengthen him and assist him to champion His Cause through the hosts of the seen and the unseen. He is verily the Powerful, the Unconstrained.
Convey My greetings to the loved ones of that land on behalf of the Wronged One. We beseech God to confirm them all in the Most Great Steadfastness and enable them to achieve that which will exalt the Word of God. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon them and upon those who have testified to that which God hath testified: that there is no God but He, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH05753: My remembrance is unto him who hath remembered Me…
He is the Herald between earth and heaven
My remembrance is unto him who hath remembered Me, and My favor unto him who hath turned toward My horizon, that thou mayest rejoice and be of them that are thankful. Hear thou the Call from the Divine Lote-Tree beyond the ocean of grandeur: “Verily there is none other God but Me, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.” I created creation for My knowledge and taught them My straight and manifest path. Among them are those who denied My proof, those who disbelieved in My signs, those who turned away from My remembrance, those who pronounced sentence for the shedding of My blood, and those who cast away the world, turning unto My Most Great Name, saying: “Thine be the praise, O Lord of the worlds, and Thine be the glory, O Thou Goal of them that know!” Give thanks unto God, thy Lord, for having aided thee and preferred thee above most of the people whom thou seest in manifest doubt.
We make mention of him who was named ʿAbdu’llah as a bounty from Us, and I am verily the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. We heard his call and answered him that the rapture of the Call might seize him and draw him with his heart near unto My luminous horizon. The glory be upon thee and upon him and upon him who was named Baqir who conveyed unto thee My firm command and gave thee to drink of the Kawthar of utterance from the hand of the bounty of thy Lord, the Merciful. Thus hath the Most Exalted Pen spoken while in its mighty prison.
BH05632: The son of the spiritual elder, upon both…
He is the One Who speaks in the Kingdom of Utterance
The son of the spiritual elder, upon both of whom be my glory, has, with the permission of the Lord of humanity, set out for the Most Great Goal. He endured the hardships of paths by land and sea to attain the presence before the Face of the Wronged One. Praise be to God, he arrived and was blessed with meeting and hearing. He forwarded that leaf’s letter to the Most Holy Court. After it was seen, this Most Mighty, Most Holy Tablet was sent down from the heaven of loving-kindness. Thou hast ever been and art remembered. Convey on behalf of the Wronged One greetings to the handmaidens of that land. Say: O my handmaidens! Today is the day of service and assistance.
Aid the Truth through mention and praise. His loving-kindness seized you, His grace encompassed you, He confirmed you and granted success, such that you have outstripped most men among the divines and the learned ones. Blessed are ye and joy be unto you! Gather together with wisdom and remember the Beloved of the worlds through utterance, despite those who followed their desires, turning away from the One, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The Glory be upon thee and upon those women who heard the Call and believed in God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Praise be to God, the King, the Truth, the Manifest One.
BH05649: Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto…
In the Name of the One God
Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto that for whose knowledge all the worlds have been brought from nothingness into being. From the Hand of the Favor of the Lord of Names thou hast drunk the Kawthar of immortality, which is the recognition of the Ancient Being and the Lord of all nations. However, the Most Exalted Pen counseleth you to preserve that which He hath bestowed, for the opposers have ever lain in wait for those who have turned towards Him. Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me to Thy most exalted horizon and for having caused me to recognize the Dawning-Place of Thy mighty signs. I beseech Thee by the Manifestations of Thy Revelation and the Daysprings of Thy inspiration to protect me from the evil of Thine enemies who have disbelieved in Thee and in Thy signs and have denied that which hath appeared from Thy presence.
O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee and directing my face to the lights of Thy countenance. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Exalted Pen to ordain for me the good of this world and of the world to come. Verily Thou art the Lord of the Most Great Throne and of the Exalted Seat. Praise be unto Thee, O Manifest Light and Lord of the heavens and earth. The Glory of God be upon thee and upon them that have believed in God, the Lord of the worlds. Specific to that region, in accordance with the request of the Trustee, a Tablet and receipt of arrival were sent. Deliver them.
BH05782: God beareth witness that there is none other God…
He is the All-Seeing, the All-Informed
God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath come with the truth is verily the Hidden Treasure and the Concealed Mystery, and through Him the trumpet hath been blown, the path established, and the balance set up, and through Him hath appeared that which was in knowledge. Whoso believeth in Him hath believed in God, and whoso turneth away is accounted among the most lost in the perspicuous Book. The Most Exalted Pen beareth witness to thy acceptance and thy turning towards Him and thy arrival and thy standing before the gate that was opened unto all who are in the heavens and on earth. Thou didst arise, turning toward God, and didst traverse land and sea until thou didst attain His presence and didst hear the call of the Wronged One in the Most Great Prison, and didst witness that which had been hidden from all eyes throughout ages and centuries.
Give thanks unto thy Lord for this most great favor and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of all beings and God of the throne on high and of earth below, for having enabled me to draw near unto the court of Thy glory and to arrive at the ocean of Thy oneness and to stand before Thy countenance and to be present at the revelation of Thy verses. I beseech Thee to ordain for me in all Thy worlds that which beseemeth Thy bounty and grace. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
BH06168: Your mention was made before the Wronged One…
He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing!
Your mention was made before the Wronged One, and this Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet hath been revealed in reply, that through the grace of God, exalted be His glory, thou mayest attain unto supreme steadfastness, in such wise that the calumnies of the calumniators and the falsehoods of the antagonists may not withhold thee from the divine path nor keep thee back from the waters of heavenly knowledge. The enemies of the Faith have been and still remain in ambush, and like unto the Shi’ih divines have arisen to lead the people astray. They have appeared with such guile and craftiness as hath never before been seen or heard. In these days some of the falsifiers have turned towards those regions and continue to do so. Beseech thou God to protect and assist you to that which beseemeth His Day. The Glory be upon thee from Us and upon those who have believed in God, the Single, the All-Informed. Convey My greetings to the loved ones in that land and make mention of them from the Wronged One, that they may perchance attain unto new life through the waters of the All-Merciful’s utterance and remain steadfast in the Cause of God.
BH06329: O Ibrahim, beloved of the All-Merciful! By the will…
He is the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing
O Ibrahim, beloved of the All-Merciful! By the will of God, exalted be His glory, the Sun of Manifestation dawned from the horizon, yet the heedless ones denied Him and accepted not His proof. Later, the Seal of the Prophets, may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake, arose from the horizon of God’s Will and summoned the people to the straight path of God. However, the divines and rulers denied Him and rose up against Him, inflicting upon Him that which caused the very atoms of creation to lament and weep at His oppression. The heedless and ignorant ones have ever clung to their vain imaginings and turned away from the Dawning-Place of divine revelation and the Source of inspiration, as is witnessed today by every person of insight and testified to by every person of understanding—the appearance of the Truth with clear proof and evidence, and yet the turning away of all created things.
Blessed is he whom the tales of the world have not deprived of the Most Great Word, and whom the veils of the peoples have not held back from the Truth. Such a one is numbered among the companions of the Crimson Ark, as attested by the Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens in this blessed, mighty and wondrous Tablet.
BH06727: The Book hath been revealed, the evidences are manifest…
In the name of the Goal of the world
The Book hath been revealed, the evidences are manifest, and the Luminary of the Cause hath dawned from the horizon of the heaven of revelation. Yet the heedless servants have turned away, denying the Proof of God and rejecting His Divine Testament, perpetrating that which no oppressor of old hath ever perpetrated. The Supreme Pen calleth out at all times, summoning all to the most exalted horizon. Blessed is the soul that hath heard the call and turned toward the Most Glorious Horizon.
O friends! This Day is the Day of God—know ye its value. The barking ones and the treacherous lie in wait, striving zealously to lead the servants astray. We beseech God to protect His loved ones and grant them a portion of the sealed wine. He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing. We convey Our greetings to the loved ones in that land and We beseech for each one that which hath no likeness or equal. Verily, He is powerful over all things.
BH06871: In My name, the Wronged One, the Stranger
In My name, the Wronged One, the Stranger
O Mahmud! The Wronged One makes mention of thee through His grace and remindeth thee of the signs of God, the Lord of all worlds, and giveth thee glad tidings of that which hath been ordained for thee from God, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous. We have heard thy call, made mention of thee, and by reason of thy turning unto Us have turned unto thee from this far-distant Scene, and We counsel thee to manifest the Greater Steadfastness in this Cause whereby the limbs of names have quaked, and I am verily the All-Knowing Counsellor.
The people of the Bayan have turned away from Him Who revealed it and their Sovereign, and have disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the All-Praised, save those who heard the Call from the Supreme Horizon and said:
“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of all beings and King of the throne on high and of earth below, for having enabled us to turn toward Thee when most of Thy creatures turned away from Thee.”
O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee and clinging to the cord of Thy bounties. I beseech Thee by the pearls of the ocean of Thy utterance and by the lights of the Orb of Thy proof to make me detached from all else save Thee and speaking in Thy praise and glorification in such wise that nothing whatsoever shall prevent me from turning to the lights of Thy countenance, O Lord of all being! There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH07062: This is a mention from Us to him who…
He is the One manifest from His most exalted horizon
This is a mention from Us to him who has turned to God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, on a day wherein most of the servants who broke God’s covenant and His testament turned away from Him and said that which the ancients never said. Blessed is the face that hath turned unto the lights of the Countenance, and the heart that hath turned to God, the Mighty, the Loving. We have heard thy call and have called out to thee from the direction of the Prison, and We have seen thy turning to Us and have turned to thee from this exalted station. We beseech God to assist thee and My loved ones to serve His Cause, and to ordain for you the good of the hereafter and of this world. Verily He is the Single, the One, the Unique, the Self-Sufficient Who hath taken no partner in His dominion. He is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. When thou attainest unto the verses of the Most Exalted Pen, say:
“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of Names, for having made known to me Thy path. I beseech Thee by Thy chosen ones and Thy trusted ones to ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for them. Verily Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest through Thy word ʿBe’ and it is.”
BH07240: A Book sent down by the All-Chosen One…
He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing
A Book sent down by the All-Chosen One to him who has turned to Him on a Day when every faithless deceiver turned away. He heard the Call and turned to the Most Exalted Horizon and believed in God, the Lord of Lords. They have lost, they who denied God’s proof and His signs, and he has gained who heard and responded. We counsel thee and those who have believed in that which the All-Bestowing One hath revealed in the Book. We beseech God to make thee steadfast in His Cause and aid thee to serve His Cause with humility and dedication. Thank God for this most great bounty, that He hath mentioned thee in such wise as shall draw thee nigh unto a station wherein thou shalt behold naught save the effulgences of the light of thy Lord’s manifestation, the Lord of all men. The glory be upon thee and upon My loved ones from God, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted. And We make mention of Muhammad before Husayn and remind him of My verses and give him the glad-tidings of My mercy which hath encompassed the horizons. We beseech God to assist him in that which beseemeth His days. He is, verily, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
BH07077: In My Name, the One Who rules over all…
In My Name, the One Who rules over all names!
A mention from the One Who makes mention of him who hath believed in God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Unconstrained, that the remembrance and utterance may attract him to the Kingdom of knowledge—the station wherein the Summoner proclaimeth: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower!” Thy name was presented in the Most Great Prison. We make mention of thee with that which no mention can equal. Be thou steadfast in the service of My Cause, speaking My praise, holding fast unto My cord, and clinging to the hem of the robe of thy Lord’s mercy, the Lord of all men. Beware lest anything among all things prevent thee from the Lord of Names, or the oppression of those who have denied the Beginning and the Return cause thee to fear. When thou dost inhale the fragrance of My utterance, say:
My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having guided me unto Thy path and caused me to hear Thy call. I beseech Thee by the pearls of the ocean of Thy utterance and by the splendors of the lights of the Day-Star of Thy grace, to make me steadfast in Thy Cause and firm in Thy love. Verily Thou art the Powerful One Whom neither the hosts of the world nor the armies of the nations can frustrate. Thou givest and withholdest. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Forgiving!
BH07490: Verily the Book speaketh and counseleth all…
He is the True, the Trusted One
Verily the Book speaketh and counseleth all to that which hath been sent down therein from the heaven of Will and inscribed therein by the Pen of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. O Sadiq! This is the Day of witnessing and utterance, the Day wherein God hath established Himself upon the Most Great Throne and proclaimeth:
“There is none other God but Me, the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.”
Grieve thou not over anything. This is the Day of joy and gladness, inasmuch as the All-Merciful hath come from the heaven of proof with an irrevocable decree. Say: O peoples of the earth! Fear ye God and follow not the dawning-places of idle fancies and vain imaginings. Take ye hold of the Tablet of God with the power that proceedeth from Him. Verily it will draw you nigh unto the supreme horizon and guide you to the extended path of God. Thus have We sent unto thee the breezes of utterance from the heaven of the Will of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, that thou mayest rejoice and be of them that fear not, neither are they grieved. The Glory be upon thee and upon every patient and grateful one.
BH07915: O handmaid of God, praise the Goal of all…
In the name of the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate
O handmaid of God, praise the Goal of all worlds Who enabled you to attain unto a son who turned to the most exalted horizon and attained that which was recorded and inscribed by the Supreme Pen in the divine Books. Praise be to God, he drank from the sealed wine—this is that wine which the chosen ones and pure ones of God in centuries and ages past would beseech from God, exalted be His glory. Say:
Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having enabled Thy handmaiden to turn to Thee and place her trust in Thee. I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy bounty and the heaven of Thy generosity to ordain for me and my daughter the good of this world and the next. O my Lord! Thou seest Thy handmaiden turning to Thee and holding fast to the cord of Thy grace. I beseech Thee not to disappoint her from the ocean of Thy generosity and the luminary of Thy favor. Verily Thou art powerful over what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.
BH07811: He it is that gazeth from His most exalted…
He it is that gazeth from His most exalted horizon
This is a Book which the Wronged One hath sent down unto him who hath turned unto God, the Single, the One, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, that the Call may draw him to the most exalted horizon and bring him nigh unto His praiseworthy station. This is a Day wherein the breezes of God have wafted and the fragrances of Revelation have been diffused. Blessed are the people who recognize.
When thou hearest My call and perceivest the fragrance of My utterance, say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me unto Thy path and made me recognize Thy Proof. I beseech Thee by the mysteries of Thy Book and the lights of Thy countenance to aid me to stand firm in Thy love and to hold fast unto the cord of Thy bounty. Thou hast ever been, O my God, in the heights of might and power and majesty, and in the summit of glory and greatness and grandeur. Neither do the clamors of the world hinder Thee, nor the veils of the nations. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou pleasest. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Praised.
BH08599: In My Name, Who warbles upon the branches
In My Name, Who warbles upon the branches
O peoples of the earth! The gate of divine knowledge has been opened and the All-Merciful has come with the kingdom of utterance, yet the people remain heedless and astray. Your letter has arrived and from it We perceived the fragrance of your love for God, the Mighty, the Glorious, the Bestower. We have heard your call and have answered you with a Tablet that no other tablets can equal. Read what has been sent down to you from the heaven of bounty—it will draw you nigh to the most exalted station. You behold the Wronged One in the midst of enemies, yet He summons all to God, the Subduer of verses. Neither the mention of the divines, nor the word of the jurisprudents, nor their clamor has deterred Him. I have manifested My Cause before the faces of My creation with a power that has shaken the pillars. Give thanks to your Lord, for He has remembered you with that whose fragrance shall not cease throughout centuries and ages. The glory be upon you from Us and upon those whom the oppression of them that denied the Beginning and the Return has not hindered.
BH08454: The Call has been raised, the Mother Book revealed…
He is the One Who dawns from His most exalted horizon
The Call has been raised, the Mother Book revealed, the Path made manifest, yet the people are witnessed to be in evident error. Blessed art thou for having turned and believed in God, the Single, the All-Informed. Guard this station through the Name of the Lord of Names, for the cawing ones have been and are lying in ambush. Say:
My God, my God! Protect this Thy servant from the doubts of the cawers and the intimations of the infidels. I am the one who, O my God, have clung to the service of Thy loved ones out of my longing for Thy good-pleasure. I beseech Thee by Thy Cause that hath encompassed the world and by Thy sovereignty that hath subdued the nations, to make me in all conditions firm and steadfast in Thy Most Great Cause, whereby the hearts of the world were shaken except for those whom Thou didst preserve through Thy ancient grace and Thy mercy that hath preceded all who are in the heavens and the earth.
BH08444: The Wronged One at this moment makes mention…
In the name of the one true God!
The Wronged One at this moment makes mention of one of the handmaidens of God and gives her the glad-tidings of God’s grace. Today the ocean of divine mercy is surging and the Luminary of bounty is shining from the horizon of the world. Blessed are those servants and handmaidens whom the colors of the world and the doubts of the nations have not prevented or deprived from the lights of the Most Great Luminary.
Praise be to the Goal of all worlds Who confirmed thee and granted thee success in turning toward Him. Thou didst set thy face toward the Most Exalted Horizon and didst attain unto the verses and words of God, exalted be His glory. Know thou the station of this bounty. Most of the people of the earth today are heedless and veiled, while thou, through God’s grace, art assured and turning toward Him. Guard this station as the pupil of thine eye. There is no God but Him, the Most High, the Most Exalted.
BH08084: We make mention of Baha’u’d-Din at this time…
He is the Hearer, the Answerer
We make mention of Baha’u’d-Din at this time and give him glad tidings of that which hath been sent down for him from the heaven of the will of his Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous. Hearken unto the call from the direction of sorrow from this Wronged One, Who hath borne tribulations in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds. We love to behold those who have turned towards the Countenance, but the idolaters have intervened between Us and them. To this doth testify the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Render thanks unto God for having mentioned thee and caused thee to know and hear, and made thee among those endowed with knowledge. Say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having guided me and taught me and made me to know. I beseech Thee by Thy generosity which hath encompassed the world to ordain for me the reward of those who have circled round Thee and stood before Thy gate and heard Thy call and beheld Thy horizon. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
BH09714: O Hashim! The Promise hath come to pass…
He is the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing
O Hashim! The Promise hath come to pass, to this the Promised One Himself doth testify. The Hidden One hath been made manifest, and God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling, hath borne witness unto this. The All-Merciful hath come with clear proof, yet the people perceive it not. Thy letter hath arrived and was presented by the servant who standeth before the Wronged One. We make mention of thee in this Sealed Tablet. We beseech God to aid thee to be steadfast in His Cause, whereby the limbs of every ignorant outcast have quaked with fear, and to assist thee in that which will exalt His Cause. Verily, He is the One Who hath dominion over what was and what shall be. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon those whom vain imaginings have not kept back from God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen.
BH00790: Praise, sanctified above the understanding of all created things…
In the Name of our Lord, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious.
Praise, sanctified above the understanding of all created things, befitteth the One desired by all the worlds, Who hath ordained tribulation exclusively for His loved ones. Blessed are they who are nigh unto God—those souls who have ascended by the ladder of tribulation unto the most exalted heights. These are the loved ones of God, glorified be His majesty. They have ever fixed their gaze upon the most sublime horizon. Hardships did not prevent them from turning toward Him, nor did adversities hold them back from drawing nigh unto Him. Rather, the trials of the world and its afflictions served to feed the fire of love and increase its flame. Verily, whosoever becometh aware of the changeability, transformation and evanescence of the world, no earthly thing can wither his spirit or deprive him of joy and delight. His gladness is in God, and his pleasure is for God’s sake. His intimate companion is “We are God’s” and his close associate is “and to Him shall we return.” When the heart is illumined with the lights of divine knowledge and is filled with the remembrance, praise, love and affection of God, glorified be His majesty, no space remaineth therein for the sorrows of the world and the tribulations that descend upon it to enter or penetrate.
Glory be unto Thee, O Light of the world, Illuminator of the world, Subduer of the world, and Dispeller of the sorrows of the nations! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name, through which the breezes of the dawn of Thy grace have wafted over Thy servants, to assist Thy Afnan to attain unto Thy presence and to hold fast unto that which hath been ordained for them through Thy bounty and favors. Then protect them from the evil of Thine enemies and from the malice of those who have denied Thee and Thy signs. I beseech Thee, O Lord of existence and Sovereign of the seen and unseen, to open before their faces the doors of Thy grace, that the fragrances of Thy utterance may attract them to a station wherein the conditions of the world and its tribulations will not sadden them, nor will the deeds of those who have turned away from Thy most exalted horizon extinguish their ardor. Then enable them, O my God, in all circumstances, to draw nigh unto Thee. Verily, Thou art the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.
My spirit is a sacrifice unto your remembrance and service! Two epistles from your honor arrived, one before and one after—each was a key to the cities of love, affection and attention. After reading and becoming apprised of their contents, I approached the Most Exalted Station and presented them before His face. His blessed and exalted Word states:
“O My Afnan! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness. Reflect upon the tribulations that have befallen the Self of God, and likewise what came to pass upon the Prophets. The divine love so overtook them that the afflictions and adversities of the world were regarded by them as a feast of delight and joy. The opposition of the world and the denial of the nations did not prevent them from turning toward God, nor did it deprive them of the greatest joy. Through the sweetness of the All-Merciful’s utterance and what was ordained for them, they regarded the world as non-existent and null. At every moment, on wings of joy they would ascend to the heights which is the station of nearness and meeting. And if the worlds and their conditions were confined to this world, they would never have delivered themselves into the hands of their enemies. I swear by the Sun of Truth which shineth from the horizon of the heaven of this Prison—those Essences of being ever stood firm in the station of submission and contentment, to such degree that the tyranny and oppression of the people of the world did not deter them from steadfastness in the Cause. When the heart is connected to the Most Great Ocean, it beholdeth the world and all that the people possess as a shadow that will soon perish and pass away. Perchance what hath befallen you may become the cause for the manifestation of God’s hidden and divine favors. You are related to Him, and what hath come upon you occurred after certitude and acceptance. May there appear through this that which will bring solace to the eyes and joy to the hearts. None is aware of the mysteries of consummate wisdom. This Wronged One beareth witness to this in this remote Prison.”
Say: “My God, my God! Thou seest me turning toward Thee and clinging to Thee. Thou seest the weakness of Thy loved ones and the strength of Thine enemies and their tyranny in Thy lands. I beseech Thee by the movement of Thy Most Exalted Pen whereby Thou hast subdued all things, and by the influence of Thy greatest signs, to assist me in that which will draw me nigh unto Thee. O Lord! Thou seest me in the midst of sorrows. I beseech Thee to send down from the heaven of Thy bounty that which will cause me to soar in Thy atmosphere, to be attracted by Thy verses, and to take refuge in Thy presence. O Lord! Ordain for me through Thy Most Exalted Pen that which will benefit me in every world of Thy worlds. I am the one, O my God, who hath acknowledged Thy unity and Thy oneness. Thy all-encompassing knowledge hath preceded me, and Thou knowest that which will exalt me and enable me to achieve what Thou lovest and art pleased with. Verily Thou art the Possessor of the throne on high and of the earth below. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
In truth, the consequences of affairs are veiled from perception and vision. None but God, exalted be His glory, has been or is aware of them. Often it happens that from these sorrows, the gates of joy, delight, gladness and exultation are opened. Today there exists no station, no bounty, and no honor greater than what has been bestowed upon the Afnan. At one time this exalted word was heard from the tongue of the Lord of creation in this connection, blessed and exalted be His utterance:
“O servant present! Often does God, exalted be His glory, make that which is distant the cause of nearness, and many a sorrow He transforms into supreme joy, and how many a constriction He changes into expansion. The bounty is in His hand and within His mighty grasp. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
This evanescent servant beseeches God, exalted be His glory, night and day for that which will gladden and refresh the soul. Verily our Lord, the All-Merciful, is the Compassionate, the Bountiful.
Regarding the countenance of the Most Exalted Leaf, upon her be the Most Glorious of all Glory, the Greater Afnan, upon him be the Most Glorious of all Glory, was commanded to write that it should be given to the Greater Holy Mother, her mother, whether it be in that land or with whomsoever it may be. This matter was conveyed some time ago. I beseech God that He may aid souls to act in accordance with what hath been sent down from the heaven of His command.
The letter of Mulla Shafi’, upon him be the Glory of God, which you forwarded, was presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court, and an answer hath been revealed which will be sent subsequently. Likewise, one blessed Tablet was specifically revealed and sent for the Greater Holy Mother, upon her be the Most Glorious Glory of God. Praise be to God, they have been and are remembered at all times. Some time ago, harm was inflicted by an oppressive government, and each day some new tribulation and affliction became manifest and evident. God will change it through a command from His presence. Verily, He hath power over all things. The purpose is that his honor hath also shared in the sorrows with the Divine Lote-Tree.
To the honored Afnans of that land I convey greetings, praise and glory, and likewise to the friends of that land. I beseech God that He may illumine those regions with the light of the Afnan and manifest a new world. He is the Powerful, the Mighty. There is no God but Him, the Lord of the Throne and earth. Glory, remembrance and praise be upon you and upon those who are with you, who love you and who hearken to your words concerning the Cause of God, the Lord of the Exalted Throne.
The servant 26th of Dhi’l-Hijjih 1304
BH02344: This is a Book which the Wronged One hath…
He is God, exalted be His station, the All-Wise, the All-Eloquent
This is a Book which the Wronged One hath sent down from the precincts of His Most Great Prison, that it may draw mankind nearer unto God, the Lord of all worlds. He hath desired to make mention of one of His Afnan who was attracted by His verses, soared in His atmosphere, spoke forth His praise, held fast unto the cord of His grace, and took hold of the Book of God with such strength that neither the pharaohs of the earth nor the tyrants of the land could deter him, and who arose to serve the Cause with such steadfastness that neither the might of those who disbelieved in God and His signs, nor those who turned away from His straight path and His mighty announcement, could cause him to stumble. Thou hast been mentioned before the Face and shalt continue to be as thou wert. Verily thy Lord is with thee under all conditions. He is, in truth, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
O My Afnan! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. Ism-i-Jud, who circled round the House by night and day, desired thy mention. We have therefore mentioned thee in this mighty Tablet. The Wronged One beareth witness to thy devotion, thy humility, thy submissiveness, thy steadfastness, and thy service to the Cause of God, the sovereign Truth, the manifest Justice. Thou hast performed for God’s sake that which shall not perish through the duration of His kingdom and His dominion. Thus have We sent down the verses and dispatched them unto thee, that thy breast may be dilated thereby and thy heart rejoiced. Even so have the glances of the Wronged One been directed towards thee from this far-distant spot.
Convey My greetings to the faces of My Afnan, remind them of My verses, and give them the glad-tidings of that which hath been sent down for them in the Crimson Book from My Most Exalted Pen. Verily thy Lord is the All-Merciful, the Bountiful. We beseech God to protect them from the croaking of every croaker and from those whose hearts and tongues are not in accord. This is what We informed you of before, and at this moment nothing whatsoever escapeth His knowledge. He is the Concealer, the All-Forbearing, the Mighty, the Great. The glory shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon those who are with thee, who love thee and hearken unto thy word concerning the Cause of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.
One day Ism-i-Jud—upon him be My glory—attained the presence of the Countenance and expressed boundless love and embarrassment regarding the Afnan—upon him be My glory and loving-kindness. He mentioned that he had been the cause of his trouble. In showing kindness and love there was no hesitation. He asked from God—exalted be His glory—for that which endureth and remaineth. We said: O Ism-i-Jud! The Afnan have come into being from nothingness for the service of God—exalted be His glory. He and all that is with him shall return unto God. This word hath been inscribed by the divine Pen at the very heart of God’s Book. Well is it with him and pleasant it is unto him. Convey the greetings of the Wronged One to the loved ones of that land. We beseech God to unite the hearts and tongues of His servants, that the evident bounties and revealed verses may not be deprived of their influence and fruit. Thus hath the Pen of the Wronged One spoken at this moment. The kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of all worlds.
BH02487: This is a Book from the Wronged One…
He is the Hearer, the Answerer
This is a Book from the Wronged One to him who has turned to the Most Exalted Horizon and believed in God, the Lord of the Final Return, that the utterance may draw him to the Kingdom of knowledge and bring him near to God, the Lord of Lords.
Your letter has come before the Wronged One in the Most Great Prison and the servant in attendance before His face read it. We found from it the fragrances of your sincerity, your turning to God, and your love for God, the Lord of all beings. We have answered you with a Tablet from whose horizon shines the light of grace and favor, that you may rejoice and thank your Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower.
Blessed are you for having believed in God and His signs when the divines and jurists of the earth denied Him—they who would mention God morning and evening, beseeching that He grant them the honor of meeting Him Who was promised in the Books, the Psalms and the Tablets. But when He came from the horizon of power, they pronounced against Him an injustice at which all things lamented, as testifies the Mother Book.
When you have taken the cup of knowledge in My Name and drunk thereof through My love, turn your face toward the Most Great House of God and say: “My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me when people were in manifest error. Glory be to Thee for having strengthened me when the people were behind a thick veil. Thanks be to Thee for having awakened me when the servants were in strange slumber. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the worlds and King of eternity, by the Most Great Name, to make me in all conditions hold fast to Thy cord and cling to the hem of the robe of Thy bounty and generosity, speaking Thy praise among Thy servants such that neither the might of the oppressors nor the power of the aggressive ones may weaken me.
O Lord! Thou seest me gazing toward Thy horizon, awaiting the wonders of Thy grace. This is Thy servant and the son of Thy servant and the son of Thy handmaiden, who has cast aside all else but Thee, taking hold of Thy Book. I beseech Thee by the waves of the ocean of Thy utterance and the dawning-places of the sun of Thy proof to preserve me from the evil of Thine enemies who have broken Thy covenant and Thy testament, who have denied Thy proof, who have disputed Thy signs, and who have turned away from Thy countenance. Ordain for me, O my God, my Master and my Hope, from Thy Most Exalted Pen that which will draw me near to Thy Most Glorious Horizon.
Then write down for me the good of this world and the next. Verily Thou art the Protector of humanity, the Possessor of Names, and the Creator of heaven. O my God! Send Thy blessings upon Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones who have drunk the wine of Thy revelation and the Kawthar of Thy inspiration, who have hastened to the place of sacrifice out of longing to meet Thee and yearning for Thy good-pleasure, and upon those who have remembered them and visited their resting-places and recited what Thou didst send down for them from the heaven of Thy Will and the kingdom of Thy Purpose. Verily Thou art powerful over what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Generous.”
BH04703: Praise be to Him Who is sanctified above all…
He is God, exalted be His glory, the Most Great, the All-Powerful
Praise be to Him Who is sanctified above all mention and utterance, the Goal of all worlds, Who illumined the universe with the lights of oneness and raised high above the loftiest horizon the Most Great Standard of “Verily there is none other God but Him.” The might of princes hindered Him not, nor held Him back from His purpose. He sent forth His Messengers and revealed His Books that all might attain unto the straight path and be made ready to recognize the momentous News on the Day of Resurrection. His is the praise and bounty, His the grace and bestowal. He created and showed the way that all might attain to that which was the purpose of creation. Exalted be His favor and exalted be His all-embracing mercy and His mighty generosity. Blessing and peace be upon the Lord of the world and Educator of the nations, through Whom messengership and prophethood were concluded, and upon His family and companions, forever and ever eternally.
Thereafter, Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli, upon him be the peace of God, arrived and made mention of you. Therefore this Wronged One hath once again turned toward that direction, that He might give thee to drink of the Salsabil of love from the cup of faithfulness. We beseech God, exalted be He, to aid thee and make thee successful in that which He loveth and is pleased with. Verily He is the Lord of the Day of Judgment and the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Should thou find a friend, convey greetings from the Wronged One, that the greeting might draw him nigh unto the Lord of all beings and confirm him in that which hath been revealed in the Book.
BH05362: Praise befitteth and is meet for the Purpose…
He is God, exalted be His station!
Praise befitteth and is meet for the Purpose of the world and the Object of worship of all peoples, Who through His most exalted Word created earth and heaven and brought them forth from nothingness into being for the recognition of His sanctified Self. And this recognition is not attained except through the Dawning-Places of His Revelation, the Daysprings of His inspiration, the Sources of His Cause and the Recipients of His knowledge. Blessed is the soul that hath clung to the cord of His recognition and become detached from all else besides Him. He hath educated creation through the tongue of the Books and the Messengers, that they might attain to the station of “Blessed, therefore, be God, the most excellent of Makers.”
We have mentioned thee repeatedly. Muhammad-Quli hath once again sought to express his love, and thus do We make mention of him. We counsel all the loved ones of God to observe the fear of God and that whereby hearts and minds are concealed. Say: My God, my God! I beseech Thee by Him through Whom the valley-bed flowed and through Whom the Light shone forth from the horizon of the Hijaz, to send down upon this Thy servant from the heaven of Thy bounty the rains of Thy loving-kindness. O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee, detached from all else besides Thee. I beseech Thee to make me in all circumstances steadfast in Thy Cause and to hold fast unto that which Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. Then ordain for me the good of this world and the world to come. Verily Thou art the Lord of all mankind. There is none other God but Thee, the Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens.
BH06825: O Javad! The Lord of creation hath come…
He is the One Who commands on the Day of Return.
O Javad! The Lord of creation hath come with a Cause that affairs could not prevent and with a sovereignty that was not veiled by the doubts of those who broke the Covenant of God, the Lord of Lords. They cast the Book behind their backs and took what they were commanded by the Dayspring of vain imaginings. Thy letter was received and the servant in attendance read it. We have answered thee with verses by which the hearts of the wise have been attracted. Grieve not for what hath befallen thee. That which hath befallen Us hath caused eyes to weep and hearts to melt. By the life of God! They are the ones who denied God’s proof and His evidence, and committed that which caused sighs to ascend.
When thou attainest unto the verses of thy Lord and findest from them the fragrance of utterance, say:
“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the world, for having aided me to turn towards Thee and for having sent down upon me, in Thy path, that which Thou didst send down upon Thy chosen ones whom the might of the wicked did not deter.”
I beseech Thee, O King of the kingdom of earth and heaven, by the mysteries of the realm of power, to make me steadfast in all conditions in Thy Cause. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
BH06937: Verily the Book speaketh, yet the people hear not…
He is the All-Witnessing, the All-Informed
Verily the Book speaketh, yet the people hear not; and the Pen warbleth, yet mankind knoweth not; and the Tablet lamenteth over what hath befallen the Cause of God, the Lord of all being, the Self-Subsisting. We have made mention of thy brother in verses that all the books of the people cannot equal, as the Tongue of Grandeur doth testify in His glorious station. Verily thy brother turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon by the command of his Lord, and traversed the pathway until he attained unto the Gate, and heard the Call, and beheld the Supreme Horizon. Blessed be he and thou, and whosoever acteth in accordance with what hath been commanded by God, the Mighty, the Loving. Say: My God, my God! I beseech Thee by the outpourings of Thy days, and the showers of Thy mercy, and the manifestations of Thy power, to ordain for me the good of this world and the next, and that which will draw me nigh unto Thee in all conditions. Verily Thou art the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Then forgive me through Thy grace and bounty, and have mercy upon me through Thy tender care and favors. Verily Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all things.
BH07415: O Muhammad-Husayn! You have always been remembered and still…
He is God, exalted be His glory in wisdom and utterance!
O Muhammad-Husayn! You have always been remembered and still are. Be not grieved by what hath befallen thee, for thou art unaware of the ultimate outcome of things. “It may be that you hate a thing which is good for you.” Reflect upon the tribulations of the Wronged One. That which hath come upon Him hath caused those who are nigh unto God to weep. All that thou hast done in the path of God hath been recorded in the Book by the Pen of the All-Bountiful. We have repeatedly made mention of thee this time. Verily, He loveth faithfulness and hath commanded His loved ones to hold fast unto it. Say: “My God, my God! Aid me to remember Thee and to praise Thee, and to serve Thy Cause. Thou art, verily, powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. Then ordain for me that which will exalt me through Thy greatness and sovereignty, and will assist me among Thy creatures. Verily, Thou art the Strong, the Triumphant, the Almighty.” The splendor from Our presence be upon thee and upon God’s loved ones in that land. We have remembered them with Our beauteous remembrance. Praise be to God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Great.
BH07949: O Zaynu’l-Abidin! We mentioned thee before, and now again…
He is God! There is none other God but Him!
O Zaynu’l-Abidin! We mentioned thee before, and now again, since Muhammad-Qabli-Ali hath appeared before the Wronged One seeking bounty, these few words flow from the Pen. We beseech God to ordain for thee that which will exalt thee and decree for thee that which will profit thee. Verily, He is powerful over all things.
Say: My God, my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Beautiful Names and Thy Most Exalted Attributes, and by Thy Cause through which Thou hast subdued the world and guided the peoples, and by Thy Messengers and Thy Books, and by Him through Whom Thou hast raised the banner of unity among Thy servants and the standard of detachment in Thy lands—I beseech Thee by Him and by His kindred and companions to assist me to act according to what Thou hast commanded me in Thy Book. Then protect me from the evil of the idolaters among Thy creatures. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH08585: O Lutfullah! God willing, may you be occupied…
In the name of the one Friend
O Lutfullah! God willing, may you be occupied with the remembrance of God, exalted be His glory, throughout the nights and days, in such wise that the affairs of the world shall not make you heedless of the Most Great Cause. You have been and continue to be remembered before the Wronged One. You are mentioned by the Most Exalted Pen as being among the people of the prison. Give thanks to your Lord for having enabled you to recognize the Manifestation of His Self at a time when every heedless and remote one turned away from Him. Say: My God! I beseech Thee by Thy signs and Thy clear tokens to make me in all conditions hold fast unto Thee and gaze toward Thy horizon. Then ordain for me what is best in this world and the next. Verily Thou art the Lord of the throne on high and of the earth below.
His likeness abides safe, tranquil and at rest beneath the shadow of loving-kindness. We send greetings to the loved ones of that land and give them the glad-tidings of divine favors. The Glory be upon thee.