Volume 082: Akka 1304 A.H. (1886–1887), Part III (2 of 5)

BH00055: O spiritual youth! Upon thee be the eternal glory…

Section 1: “O spiritual youth! Upon thee be the eternal…”

He is God, exalted be His station, the All-Wise, the All-Knowing

O spiritual youth! Upon thee be the eternal glory of God! Thy letter attained the honor of being heard in the Most Holy Presence of the Lord of all beings. Blessed art thou for having cast aside the world, turning toward the Most Great Prison, until thou didst attain the presence of the Ancient King and didst hear that for which all things were created to hear. Thou didst seek, thou didst enter, and thou didst witness that wherewith the Books of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting, had given thee glad tidings. Grieve thou not over anything, but place thy trust in God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. Say:

Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens, for having aided me to attain Thy presence and to stand before the door of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by the signs of Thy greatness and the standards of Thy power in Thy lands, and by Thy mercy that hath preceded all creation and Thy might that hath encompassed all existence, to make me steadfast, firm and immovable in Thy Cause, speaking Thy praise and glorification, turning in all conditions to the lights of Thy countenance, and guiding Thy servants to Thy path. O my Lord! Thou art He Whose grace hath encompassed all and Who hath manifested what was hidden in Thy knowledge. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name and Thy Mighty Announcement to assist me in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with, and to make me content and thankful. Verily, Thou art the Almighty over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Loving.

O spiritual youth! From your letter was detected the fragrance of despair. Despair not of God’s spirit, neither lose hope in thy Lord’s mercy, nor grieve in His days. Verily We have summoned thee, given thee glad tidings, inspired thee, taught thee and caused thee to know, that thou mayest give glad tidings to the servants concerning the manifestation of Truth and His sovereignty, His grandeur and His power. Beware lest anything prevent thee from what thou hast been commanded in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds. Hold fast to the Book and what hath been sent down therein from the heaven of thy Lord’s will, the Almighty, the Powerful.

The world of the Bayan hath been transformed into the world of the Shi’ih, in its essence, its outward form, its names, its attributes, its delusions and its imaginings. Nay, its people are seen to be even more remote, more debased and more ignorant.

Wherever thou meetest the people of God in any city or region, convey to them the greetings from the Wronged One and give them the glad tidings of the lights of the Luminary of the heaven of the grace of the World’s Desired One. Convey My glorification to the people of Darakhsh and say: O My loved ones there! Hearken unto the call of God, the True King, the Manifest. Verily it hath been raised up in this Most Exalted Station, this Most High Summit and this Ultimate Goal. Blessed is he who hath heard and responded, and woe unto the heedless.

Ye have been beneath the glances of your Lord’s mercy. Give thanks unto God for this mighty favor. Beware lest anything among all things occupy you away from the Creator of heaven, or wealth and hopes prevent you from the Final Goal in this Day wherein the Temple of the Manifestation is established upon the Throne of Utterance and speaketh that which draweth the servants nigh unto God, the Lord of all worlds. Ye are in your homeland while the Lord of the worlds was a captive in the hands of the heedless until they imprisoned Him in this place round which circle the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise. Blessed is he who hath heard the Call and hath turned with his heart to the Most Sublime Horizon—the Place wherein the Wronged One was imprisoned through that which the hands of the aggressors have wrought.

O people of God! Arise to assist the Cause through wisdom and utterance, through deeds and conduct. Verily He aideth whom He willeth as a bounty from His presence, and He is the Commander, the All-Knowing. By God! The ocean of knowledge hath surged in the contingent world. Take therefrom a cup in My Name, then drink thereof through My remembrance, the Mighty, the Wondrous. Beware lest the world prevent you from the Lord of all humanity, or colors prevent you from your Lord, the Most Merciful. Leave aside all else, turning unto Him, as bidden by His command, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The Light hath shone forth from the horizon of Manifestation while the people are in evident delusion. The fragrance of the verses hath been diffused and the clear proofs have appeared. Blessed is he who hath advanced, found and attained, and woe unto the heedless.

O My Light! Hearken unto the Voice of the Wronged One. Arise to assist the Cause, and know ye that the true assistance hath ever been and shall ever be the teaching of God’s Cause. Today the immortal Kawthar lieth concealed in the utterance of the people of Baha. They must, through God’s grace and bounty, bestow it freely that the dwellers of the graves may be stirred by the breezes of the Revelation and arise. This is the Day that hath been mentioned in the divine Scriptures of old and of later times. The people of truth must strive to attain unto and be illumined by the light of true unity, and must likewise protect the servants of God for His sake, lest they become afflicted with vain imaginings like unto the Shi’ih sect and be deprived, on the Day of Resurrection, of the light of the utterance of the Lord of all beings.

Throughout ages and centuries they took pride in what they possessed, yet on the Day of Judgment they appeared as Nimrod, nay worse and more evil. Today the trees cry out, and likewise the fruits and leaves, the stones and pits, and all things, yet there are no attentive ears. Trusting in God, occupy yourselves with quickening the dead, that perchance they may come to life and attain unto everlasting life, becoming sanctified from the doubts and idle fancies of the past and illumined with the light of the Day-Star of certitude.

O My loved ones in that land! Ye have ever been and continue to be remembered. Know ye the worth and station of the divine words. We beseech God to assist you in recovering what was lost and to ordain for you that which endureth and abideth. Soon shall all that is visible vanish away and extinction shall overtake all, but that which hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen hath been and shall forever remain. Blessed are they that attain thereunto. We love you and glorify you and give you glad tidings of My acceptance and favor and mercy which have preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth. Ye are of the people of light; therefore the radiance of the Day-Star of the horizons must needs be manifest and evident from you. Blessed are ye, and joy be unto you, from God, the Aim of the mystics and the Beloved of them that are nigh unto Him.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of the people of Birjand, that the sweet fragrances of their remembrance may guide them to the highest horizon. The loved ones of that land have ever been and are remembered in the presence of the Wronged One. All that hath befallen the friends of God hath been inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen upon the Crimson Tablet. Reflect upon the power and grandeur of creation. The earth, which outwardly appeareth to be the lowliest and meanest of all things, hath been made by Him the treasury of wealth, the source of bounty, the dawning-place of mercy, and the fountainhead of generosity and benevolence. Had the dwellers of the earth heeded that which hath been sent down from the Most Exalted Pen, all would have entered the kingdom of wealth and attained unto the supreme bounty. However, the denial of divine favors and heedlessness toward the horizon of mercy have come from the divines of the age. These are they of whom the Pen of the All-Merciful hath formerly revealed:

“They have exchanged the favor of God for disbelief and led their people to the abode of perdition.”

Render thanks unto the Lord of all beings Who enabled you to turn towards Him, to know Him, and to manifest humility and submissiveness in days when the limbs of the world trembled from the fire of hatred and rancor, and the hearts of the people were agitated. That which hath befallen His loved ones is a treasure hidden with God and a preserved trust. Blessed are they who have borne tribulations in His path. Soon shall the station of each one become manifest and evident as the sun. The hand of justice hath ever been and remaineth mighty.

O My loved ones! Hold fast unto goodly deeds and praiseworthy character. Forgive the negligent and pray for the sinners. Beseech God to awaken the heedless. Ye are the dawning-places of glory, kindness and mercy, for the signs and attributes of God, exalted be His glory, are made manifest through those possessed of certitude and souls that are tranquil and well-pleased. Blessed is the one who retireth to his bed with a heart purified from malice, hatred, doubts, allusions, and the troubles of the world. Beseech ye God to adorn His servants with the ornament of wisdom. This Wronged One, while in the land of Ta, maintained cordial relations with its ruling Amir. Supplicate God, exalted be His glory, to aid and confirm the Amir and grant him success in that which He loveth and is pleased with. Whatsoever hath flowed from the Pen of the Wronged One hath been for God’s sake. We have accepted successive tribulations and continuous calamities for the exaltation of the Word, the reformation of the world, and the unity of nations. Every fair-minded one beareth witness and every informed one testifieth to this.

O My loved ones in that land! Praise ye the Lord of all beings Who hath enabled you in His days to attain unto the outpourings of His Pen, and hath caused to be sent down for you that which shall never set from the horizon of the heaven of grace, that which no veil can obscure and no cloud can prevent. By God’s life! Were ye to become aware of the fruit of the utterances of the Pen, ye would all soar upon the wings of certitude and assurance, in a state of attraction and rapture, in the atmosphere of the love of the Beloved of the worlds. We beseech God not to withhold from His party His hidden and manifest bounties. He is the Powerful, the Mighty. There is none other God but Him, the Most Exalted, the Most High.

O Pen of Eternity and Herald of the world! Turn thy face toward thy loved ones in Sarchah, then make mention of them with such remembrance as will set aflame their hearts and cause their souls to soar. Verily remembrance is a light by which hearts are illumined, and a fire by which the hearts of the righteous are set ablaze. Blessed is he who is illumined by this light and enlightened by the rays of this effulgence, and who is set aflame by this fire in the days of his Lord, the Master of the beginning and the end. Blessed are ye and happy are ye! My Most Exalted Pen beareth witness to your turning and your devotion on a day wherein every idolatrous doubter turned away from the Countenance—they who followed their desires and committed that which caused the dwellers of Paradise and the companions of this station to lament.

O My friends! The gate of bounty hath been opened before the face of all the world. Beware lest the veils of the peoples prevent you from the Most Great Name. Cast aside what the people possess, turning with your hearts unto God, the Lord of Lords. When ye have attained unto the breezes of revelation and what hath been sent down from the Pen of the loving-kindness of your Lord, the All-Merciful, say: “Praise be unto Thee, O our God and our Desire, for having enabled us to turn unto Thy horizon, to hold fast unto Thy cord, and to cling to the hem of Thy garment. We beseech Thee by the heaven of Thy grace, and the sun of Thy loving-kindness, and the ocean of Thy bounty, to ordain for us that which will draw us nigh unto Thee at all times.

Then write down for us the good of this world and of the world to come, and that which Thou hast ordained for such of Thy servants as are near unto Thee, who have taken the chalice of contentment from the hands of Thy bestowal and have drunk in Thy name, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.” Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken on the tenth night of the month of fasting, as a bounty unto all beings. Blessed is he who hath heard and hath said: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art wronged throughout all regions, and glory be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Desire of them that know.”

And We make mention in this station of him who turned unto My horizon and attained unto My days and soared in My atmosphere and spoke My praise and migrated, turning unto My face, until he stood before the gate of My grandeur and appeared before My throne and heard My sweetest call and beheld My most exalted horizon, which We have adorned, both its outer and inner aspects, with his body. We beseech God, exalted be He, to send down upon his grave the rain of His mercy and the outpourings of His grace. Verily, He is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth, and He is the Hearer, the Answerer. Praise be unto God! In the first days he turned with sincerity; the tribulations that befell him did not prevent him from the direction of the Divine Unity. He arrived and dwelt for numbered years beneath the shade, circling round the Wronged One, and after the passing of time and the appearance of his appointed hour, he set out for the Most Exalted Horizon. The grace of God took hold of him. God hath forgiven him as a bounty from His presence and a mercy from His own Self. Verily, He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

Section 2: “In this moment the gaze of the Wronged…”

In this moment the gaze of the Wronged One hath turned with loving-kindness toward Jadhba. O people of Jadhba! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One and hold fast to that which beseemeth the days of God. The word that in this Most Great Revelation will save and assure mankind is this: Observe ye the heaven and its stars, and likewise the Tree and its fruits, and its appearance and manifestation and effects. This word is accounted before God as among the lord of words. Ponder ye upon this Most Great Revelation and its arising before the peoples, that perchance the light of the All-Merciful’s utterance may illumine you and the fire of His love set you ablaze. Arise ye to aid the Cause of God. Kindle the dejected souls with the fire of the Tree, and quicken the dead through the cup of the All-Merciful’s utterance. Count ye the days as precious and hold fast to that which beseemeth you.

This Wronged One hath, throughout the nights and days, made mention of the loved ones of God and summoned them unto that which draweth them nigh unto Him. The path is clear, the balance manifest, the verses revealed, the evidences resplendent, and He Who conversed upon Sinai speaketh before all faces. Yet they denied God’s favors and remained occupied with their own idle fancies. Those who deemed themselves leaders and who, from pulpits, made mention of and spoke in the name of God, were all seen to turn aside and even become unbelievers at the slightest test. Would that they had been content with what hath been mentioned! The loved ones themselves are aware of the deeds of the Shi’ih divines and their followers. O My loved ones in that land! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One and turn from that which is with the people to that which is with God. Erelong shall the fire of rancor and hatred in the hearts of the ungodly be extinguished and pass into nothingness. Beseech ye God that He may aid you in that which shall endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. We beseech God to manifest from you that which will draw all near unto God, your Lord, the All-Merciful.

My God, my God! Adorn Thy servants with the ornament of recognition and ordain for them that which will draw them nigh unto Thy horizon. O my Lord! Thou seest them turning toward Thee and holding fast to the cord of Thy loving-kindness. I beseech Thee by the kingdom of Thy utterance, Thy sovereignty and Thy might, to ordain for Thy loved ones that which Thou hast ordained for them who soared in the atmosphere of Thy love and offered up their souls in Thy path. Verily Thou art the Almighty over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Powerful, and worthy to answer prayer.

Verily We desire to make mention of Faran and of those who have adorned their temples with the ornament of divine knowledge and have attained unto the sealed wine from the hand of the bounty of their Lord, the Self-Subsisting, that this remembrance may draw them nigh unto My glorious station. O people of Faran! Hearken unto My most sweet call and the rustling of My Most Exalted Pen. Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Beloved. I have come for the salvation of the world and the refinement of all nations. Blessed is he who hath inhaled the fragrance of the Revelation and hath believed in God, the Single, the Mighty, the Loving. Beware lest the people of error prevent you from the All-Sufficient, the Most High. Cast away what they possess, turning unto God, the One, the Single, the Sovereign over what hath been and what shall be. This is a Day wherein whosoever hath turned unto the Most Sublime Horizon hath prospered and hath witnessed what God Himself hath witnessed—that there is none other God but Him, the Lord of the seen and the unseen.

O people of Faran! Take what hath been sent down unto you from the heaven of the Will of your Lord, the Sovereign of existence. We have made mention of you before and after. Blessed are they who understand. How many a strong one hath been kept back from the Water of Life, and how many a weak one hath drawn nigh and partaken thereof through My Name, the Mighty, the Beloved. The clamor hath been raised throughout all regions—this is what We foretold you aforetime, as attesteth he who possesseth a perspicuous Book.

Thus hath the countenance of divine knowledge been illumined and the luminary of proof hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of the Tablet of your Lord, the True One, the Knower of things unseen. Hearken in the Persian tongue: There hath befallen you in the path of God that which none knoweth save the Truth. Preserve your stations and enter the impregnable fortress which hath been brought into being by the Will of God. Whosoever entereth therein shall be protected from the arrows of malice and iniquity. One pure deed in this Day excelleth the deeds of centuries and ages. Hearken unto the divine counsel and hold fast unto that which is the cause of everlasting remembrance and eternal bounty. If ears be sanctified from the Kawthar of the All-Merciful’s utterance, they shall hear from all things the blessed word “The Truth is come.” Today the hidden is manifest and the treasured evident. The unseen and the seen are gathered in one temple. Blessed is he who hath not deprived himself, who hath taken from the Hand of Bounty the Kawthar of immortality and drunk thereof.

By the Sun of utterance which shineth from the horizon of the heaven of the prison, should anyone attain unto but a drop thereof, he shall find himself exalted above all the peoples of the world. Hearken with pure ears and behold with sanctified eyes. Night and day the Most Exalted Pen is occupied with the remembrance of the loved ones. No fair-minded soul can deny the evidences of this Most Great Revelation, but rather would testify that the Light is manifest, the Sun is shining, the Cause is clear, the proof perfect, the evidence brilliant, the signs all-encompassing, and the clear tokens visible. Beseech ye God to aid you in serving His Cause. The greatest service is the teaching of His Cause.

The teachers must occupy themselves with wisdom and utterance in this momentous matter. The conditions for teachers are sanctity, detachment, as well as trust in God and severance. Blessed is he who is adorned with the ornament of detachment in teaching the Cause of God, the Lord of creation. Blessed are those servants who, purely for the sake of God, journey through the lands for the purpose of teaching His Cause and spreading His signs. By the life of God! The earth glorieth in the footsteps of such souls. Today the servant of God’s Cause and the promoter of His verses is among the most exalted of creation in the Book. O people of God! Arise to assist the Cause of the All-Merciful with wisdom and utterance.

This blessed word has been revealed in most tablets that perchance the [heedless] servants might hear and hold fast unto it. Verily He is the All-Knowing Expounder, there is no God but Him, the Kind, the Generous.

We make mention of Our loved ones in Furugh and give them glad tidings of Our verses and Our mercy which has encompassed the seen and the unseen. O My loved ones there! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. He summons you to the praiseworthy station. O people of God! Blessed are ye and joy be unto you. Ye are they who have turned to the Most Sublime Horizon when every heedless and veiled one turned away. Ye have attained unto the traces of the Pen of the Lord of all beings and have heard the call of God, the Sovereign, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. We have mentioned you before with verses whereby all things proclaimed: “Sovereignty belongeth unto God, the Mighty, the Loving.” We counsel you to unity and to that which will draw you nigh unto God, the Lord of existence. Glorify the name of your Lord and remind the servants of His verses and give them glad tidings of His grace. Thus doth command you He with Whom is the Preserved Tablet.

We have revealed every year for those who have ascended unto God that whereby hearts are attracted. We testify that he attained unto My days, turned unto My path, acknowledged what was revealed by My Pen and hesitated not in My firm and irrevocable Cause. He heard and responded and hastened with his heart unto God, the Lord of this blessed Day. We counsel you as We counseled Our loved ones before with deeds and goodly character. To this testifieth He with Whom is the inscribed Book.

When the sweetness of My utterance attracteth you and the choice wine of My knowledge seizeth you, it behooveth each one of you to arise and say, turning toward My direction and the Dawning-Place of My Revelation:

“My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for Thy supreme bounties and Thy gifts, O Lord of all beings! I testify to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art God; there is none other God but Thee. Thou hast ever been supreme over all creation and powerful over all things. I beseech Thee by the establishment of Thy Temple upon the Most Great Throne and by the lights of Thy countenance, O Lord of the worlds, and by the pearls of the ocean of Thy knowledge and the mysteries of Thy Book, to send down upon me from the heaven of Thy mercy that which will draw me nigh unto Thee and make me content with what Thou hast ordained for me from Thy Most Exalted Pen. O Lord! Thou seest me hoping for Thy grace and looking toward the horizon of Thy bounty and gifts, that Thou mayest ordain for me the good of this world and the world to come, and the reward of those who have sought Thy most exalted station and the supreme summit until they attained unto Thy presence, circled round Thy throne, heard Thy call, beheld Thy signs, and drank the Kawthar of meeting Thee from the hands of Thy grace and the Salsabil of attaining unto Thee through Thy generosity and bounty. Verily Thou art the Omnipotent over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

And We make mention of My handmaidens there and give them glad tidings of My remembrance. Blessed are they who have turned to the Most Sublime Horizon when the great ones of the earth and its nobles turned away. To this beareth witness the Tablet of God, the Mighty, the Beloved.

O Exalted Pen! Turn thy face toward them that have turned unto God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting, and have taken the chalice of everlasting life from the hand of the bounty of their Lord, the Mighty, the Loving, and have drunk therefrom once in My Name and again in remembrance of Me, the Mighty, the Beloved. Say: O people of the village! The Dawning-Place of Revelation maketh mention of you in verses that cannot be equaled by all the treasures. O land of the village! Blessed art thou, inasmuch as the remembrance of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be, hath been raised within thee, and there dwell in thee honored servants who have turned unto the Supreme Horizon, whom God hath described in the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, and in the Furqan which the All-Merciful revealed unto Muhammad, the Apostle of God, in these words:

“They speak not until He hath spoken, and they do according to His bidding.”

Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. He hath sent down for you aforetime that whereby the gates of grace and bounty were opened unto all them that dwell in the kingdom of creation, and the river of mercy flowed amidst all creatures. To this testifieth He Who is established upon the throne of utterance in His all-praised station. We make mention of Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli who hath ascended unto God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen. He is in the Supreme Companion, bearing witness and beholding. To this testifieth the Preserved Tablet through which the ocean of forgiveness surged and the fragrance of the loving-kindness of the All-Merciful was wafted—a bounty from His presence, for He is the All-Bountiful, the Compassionate, the Mighty, the Witnessed One. We have forgiven him after We purified him with the waters of mercy, for verily I am the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth through My word “Be,” and it is.

Section 3: “O party of God who are there! Hearken…”

O party of God who are there! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One, then aid Him through wisdom and utterance. Thus have ye been commanded aforetime and in this inscribed Tablet. Blessed are ye, inasmuch as ye have inhaled the fragrance of My raiment and have turned with radiant faces toward My horizon and have answered when My call was raised, and have remembered Me at eventide and at dawn, and in the afternoon and at early morn.

O Leaf of Paradise! Verily, the Supreme Paradise hath turned toward thee and hath mentioned thee in such wise that its fragrance shall endure as long as the kingdom of earth and heaven endureth. We have sent down for thee, both before and after, that which hath enraptured the hearts and souls. Thus hath the ocean of knowledge revealed its waves, and the Countenance of the All-Merciful that which beseemeth this promised Day. O My handmaidens who are there! Hearken unto My call. We have counseled you before and counsel you in this exalted station concerning that which beseemeth the days of God and this irrevocable Cause. Blessed are ye, inasmuch as ye have turned toward the Supreme Horizon when every ignorant and rejected one and every deluded learned one turned away from it. Thus hath moved the Most Exalted Pen when the Wronged One was walking in this spot wherein the Herald proclaimeth: The Kingdom is God’s, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting. And We make mention at this time of the loved ones of God, the Lord of the worlds.

O party of God in Ba and Shin! Hearken unto the call of God, the King, the Truth, the Manifest Justice. He calleth you from the Supreme Horizon and remembereth you with that which nothing in all creation can equal, remindeth you of His signs and gladdeneth you with tidings of His mercy that hath preceded all things great and small. Blessed are ye who have attained unto recognition in the earliest days when the All-Bountiful, the Most Exalted, was established upon His mighty throne. The affairs of the world hindered you not, nor did the doubts of the people of tyranny and wickedness deter you. Ye turned towards Him, hearkened, and said:

“Here am I, O Lord of Names! Here am I, O Creator of Heaven! Here am I, O Thou in Whose grasp lieth the reins of all in the heavens and earth!”

Ye are they who have attained unto the mention of My Most Exalted Pen and its bounty which hath encompassed you. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous. Ye have rent asunder the veils through the name of your Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower, and advanced when every learned one turned away and every mystic was filled with doubt. Ye are the letters of God’s Book, to this beareth witness He Who came from the heaven of proof with a clear exposition.

We counsel you and those who have believed to show forth the Greater Steadfastness in this Mighty Announcement. The locusts have spread throughout the regions—this is what We forewarned you of aforetime when the Cause was exalted in Zawra and in the Land of Mystery and in this noble station—the station wherein the voice of the Wronged One was raised by reason of that which the hands of the oppressors had wrought. When the appointed time came, We seized the oppressors with might from Our presence, then those around them. Verily your Lord, the Chosen One, is the Almighty, the Powerful. No command can frustrate Him, nor can the hosts and ranks of kings and sovereigns frighten Him. He hath arisen with such authority that the limbs of the ungodly have quaked. Thus have We remembered you as a bounty from Our presence. Blessed is he who hath heard; woe unto the heedless. The Glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My Kingdom be upon you, O people of God and His friends, and upon those whom the clamor hath not kept back from God, the Lord of the worlds.

We wish to make mention of My friends in Sarayan who believed in the All-Merciful when He came from the heaven of divine will with the banners of verses. Blessed are ye for having turned towards Him and heard the call of God, the Cleaver of Dawn, and for having attained unto that which was sent down in the books of old from God, the Lord of Religions. Ye heard the call and answered the Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven—thus testifieth He Who came with proof and evidence. Rejoice in that the Wronged One hath remembered you in the Most Great Prison while in the hands of the wicked ones who denied His proof that hath encompassed the horizons. They cast aside their God, clinging to their desires. Lo! They are among the misguided in God’s Book, the Lord of lords.

O Muhammad-Tahir! Thy name hath been mentioned before the Wronged One, and there hath been revealed for thee that which the treasuries of creation cannot equal. Thou hast attained unto the traces of thy Lord’s Pen of loving-kindness and unto the lights of His utterance while He was in this Most Exalted Station. He is the Almighty, the Mighty, the Bestower. Make mention of My loved ones on My behalf who have drunk the choice wine of revelation from the hands of their Lord’s bounty, the Lord of all men. Say: This is the Day of Exposition, this is the Day of Remembrance and Praise, and this is the Day whereof God’s Books, the Lord of all mankind, gave glad tidings. Say: Beware lest the world’s might keep you back from the Lord of Eternity, or the power of those who have denied God in the beginning and the end weaken you. When the wine of My utterance hath seized thee and My remembrance and loving-kindness have drawn thee near, say:

“My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having remembered me from Thy Most Exalted Horizon and for having turned toward me when I was in the hands of the enemies. I beseech Thee by the Lamp of Thy Cause, which Thou hast preserved from the tempests of oppression and tyranny, to strengthen me in all conditions and make me firmly attached, holding fast and turning toward the lights of Thy countenance, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all who are in earth and heaven.”

O Muhammad-ʿAli! Knowest thou who maketh mention of thee? He Who remembereth thee is the Lord of the world in the Most Great Prison. Give thanks unto thy Lord and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of all names, for having turned toward Thy servant and remembered him in such wise that the fragrance thereof shall endure throughout all ages and centuries. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of that which is with Thee, and to ordain for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee, O my Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted!”

O My Pen! Hearken unto My call. We have desired to make mention of the friends of the All-Merciful and His loved ones in Kaf and Shin, that they may rejoice in the loving-kindness of their Lord in their final abode. We have mentioned you before, time and again, and this is yet another time, as a token of grace from Me, and I am the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. Nothing whatsoever escapeth the knowledge of thy Lord, and He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

O Muhammad! Thy name hath been mentioned at this hour. We have revealed unto thee that which the pens are powerless to describe. Remember what We revealed unto thee before, then give thanks unto thy Lord, the Sender of the winds. Thus hath the Dove of the Cause warbled upon the highest branches. Convey My glorification unto My loved ones and remind them of that which hath been sent down unto them from the heaven of My will. Thus have We commanded thee before and at this hour when the Ancient Beauty speaketh before the faces of all people.

We have desired to make mention at this hour of My friends and loved ones in Ba and Dal, and to remind them of that which was revealed before and after, and to give them the glad-tidings of the grace that hath encompassed all regions. Ye are they who have attained unto My call and have hearkened unto that which hath been sent down from the heaven of My will. To this beareth witness He with Whom is the Mother Book. We withheld the Pen for a time, as a wisdom from Us and a mercy from Our presence, and I am the Powerful, the Unconstrained. He doeth whatsoever He willeth and ordaineth whatsoever He desireth. None may object to Him. To this doth the Tongue of Grandeur bear witness from this most exalted station which God hath made the most sublime of stations.

Be not grieved at anything. Aid your Lord through wisdom and utterance, and through that which hath been revealed in the Books, Scriptures and Tablets. We have mentioned each one of you in the Crimson Book by My Most Exalted Pen. Rejoice in this bounty before which, when it appeared, the lights fell prostrate. We give you once again the glad-tidings of My loving-kindness and My mercy. Verily, your Lord is the Compassionate, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.

Blessed are ye for having believed on a Day whereon every ignorant doubter disbelieved. And when ye heard My call which was raised in My Tablet and attained unto the fragrances of My verses, turn your faces toward My horizon and say:

“Thine is the glory, O Lord of all names, and Thine is the praise, O Creator of the heavens! We testify to Thy power and might, Thy majesty and sovereignty, to Thy oneness which is sanctified from any likeness, and to the manifestation of Thy Cause which is purified from all peers. We beseech Thee by the mysteries of Thy knowledge and the lights of Thy countenance and Thy hidden power treasured in the repositories of Thy protection, and by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued Thy cities and Thy domains, to make us among those whom the might of every oppressive tyrant hath not frightened, whom the conditions of the ungodly have not weakened, nor the power of any idolatrous infidel. O Lord! Thou hast revealed that which shall profit us in all the worlds of Thy worlds and preserve us from the barking of every barker and the clamor of those who have denied Thy right and broken Thy covenant and disputed Thy signs when Thou didst come from the horizon of eternity with proof and evidence.”

The glory from Us be upon you, O My friends, and upon My handmaidens who have believed in God, the Subduer of the winds.

O concourse of lovers in Ishqabad! The Luminary of the horizons speaks on this Day of the Covenant and reminds you of that which draws you near unto God, the One Who causes the rivers to flow. You have attained unto the days of God and the recognition of the Dawning-Place of His signs, the Dayspring of His Revelations, the Treasury of His knowledge and the Source of His commandments and laws. We beseech God to aid and assist you. Verily, He is the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling. Blessed is he who has drunk the wine of everlasting life from the hands of the bounty of his Lord, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.

Take heed lest anything cause you to grieve. Place the world beneath your feet, turning unto God, the Illuminator of all regions. Thus has been raised the rustling of the Sadratu’l-Muntaha and the shrill voice of the Most Exalted Pen. Blessed is he who has heard, and woe unto every heedless imposter.

O Verdant Land! Hearken unto the call of the Lord of Names. He makes mention of thee in such wise as nothing in all creation can equal. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this supreme bounty. O My loved ones in that land! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One, Who accepted tribulation for the exaltation of God’s Cause, the Lord of all worlds. He was imprisoned in Tihran, and from thence was banished to Baghdad, and from there to the Great City, and from there to the Land of Mystery, and from there to ʿAkka—the spot round which circle the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the most exalted Paradise, and then those whom the hosts of the world failed to deter from turning towards the straight Path of God. Verily, the Path speaks and calls all to the One, the All-Informed.

O My loved ones in that land! You have ever been beneath the glance of your Lord’s tender mercy, the All-Bountiful. He sees you and hears what your tongues utter. Verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. We counsel you to unity, through which the horizons are illumined. He is the Counselor, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Take hold of the Book of God with the strength that comes from Him, then act in accordance with that which you have been commanded by the Mighty, the Great One.

O Kazim! We have made mention of thee in numerous Tablets and have sent down for thee that which summons the servants unto God, the Mighty, the Most Praised. Be thou vocal in My remembrance and steadfast in the service of My Cause. This is what behooveth thee in this glorious and wondrous Day. The irrevocable decree hath come from God, the Lord of eternity. He commands thee and those who have believed to unity and concord. He is the Commander, the All-Wise. Grieve not over anything. He is with thee and with those who have believed in this momentous News. Convey My glorification to the faces of My loved ones, then recite unto them what hath been sent down from My Kingdom, that the verses of thy Lord may attract them and draw them nigh unto a station wherein all things proclaim:

“The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.”

Section 4: “O people of God! Rejoice in My call…”

O people of God! Rejoice in My call, My remembrance and My turning towards you from this remote spot. Read ye the verses of God with joy and fragrance, then help your Lord through deeds and goodly character. This is what ye have been commanded by the One Who is powerful and ancient. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon you and upon everyone who is steadfast and firm.

O My Supreme Pen! We have desired to conclude Our words with mention of the Mim and the Shin, and make mention of Our loved ones there who have turned with radiant faces and have quaffed the choice wine of certitude from the hands of bounty. They are assuredly among the triumphant. O people of God! Hear My call. He hath come with the truth for the salvation of mankind, yet the people remain behind an evident veil. They hear the buzzing but hear not the call of God, the True King, the Manifest Justice. They drink brackish water, turning away from the River of Mercy. Thus have their souls enticed them—they are indeed among the bewildered ones. They cling to vain imaginings, turning away from that which hath dawned and shone forth from the horizon of certitude.

O My loved ones! We have mentioned you before, time and again, in such wise as testifieth to My grace, My care, and My mercy which hath preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth. Ye are they who have attained unto the traces of My Supreme Pen and hearkened unto My most sweet call. To this beareth witness He with Whom is the perspicuous Book. Remember your Lord with wisdom and utterance. Blessed is he who hath heard what he was bidden by God, the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days. We beseech God to aid you to champion His Cause through wisdom and utterance, and to ordain for you that which shall gladden the eyes of them that are nigh unto Him.

Thus hath the fragrance of utterance wafted throughout the realm of possibility, when the All-Merciful seated Himself upon His mighty throne. The remembrances have ended with your mention, and the pages with your praise. Give thanks unto your Lord, the All-Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Thus hath the Dove of the Throne warbled by command of God, the Mighty, the Beauteous. The splendor shining from the horizon of My prison be upon you and upon those whom neither the remembrance of any remembrance nor any matter, nor the might of the people and their hosts, nor the swords of men and their doings have deterred. They arose and proclaimed:

“He Who is the Manifestation of clear proofs hath come with the standards of signs. He, verily, is the One promised in the Books of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.”

O Supreme Pen! The utterance hath returned from the presence of the All-Merciful once again in remembrance of the people of Baha in the Ta and the Fa and other lands. He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. We make mention of the Alif and the Ha that he may rejoice and be among the thankful at eventide and at dawn. O Ahmad! We testify that thou hast attained unto My verses and heard My call and turned to My horizon while the people were in heedlessness and error. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who hath mentioned thee in what the All-Merciful hath sent down in the Tablets, and blessed is he who hath turned unto God and whom the might of the servants hath not deterred from God, the Lord of lords. We make mention of Muhammad-ʿAli and give him the glad tidings of My loving-kindness and bounty which hath preceded all creation. Hear the call from the Supreme Pen—verily it mentioneth thee in such wise as doth gladden eyes. We have sent down for thee a tablet and dispatched it to thee aforetime that thou mightest rejoice and be in rapture and attraction.

And We make mention of him who was named Muhammad-Sadiq, who turned to the supreme horizon when the people were turning away from God, the Lord of lords. Give thanks unto God for that the Tongue of Grandeur hath mentioned thee while the Wronged One was in the hands of the wicked. Thou hast drunk the cup of bounty from the hand of thy Lord, the Lord of all beings, and attained unto that which was recorded in the Scriptures and Tablets. We beseech God to assist thee and strengthen thee in remembrance and praise. Verily, He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

O Pen! Make mention of him who was named Muhammad-i-Baqir, who attained the days of God, the Revealer of verses. He turned to God when the peoples of the earth turned away. He took hold of the Book when those who denied God’s truth and His proof cast it behind them, and disbelieved, following every ignorant doubter. We made mention of thee before, and do so at this hour. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the Unconstrained. And We make mention of ʿAli-Akbar from My Most Luminous Horizon, that God’s remembrance may bear witness unto him through the eternity of His names and attributes. He is the Mighty, the All-Forgiving. We counsel thee and those who have believed in what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Book. O My loved ones in that land! Hold fast unto that which ye are commanded by the Lord of Religions. The Wronged One hath remembered His loved ones while in the Most Great Prison—to this the Mother Book with Him doth testify. Give thanks unto God for having aided you when the Light was shining from the Most Exalted Station.

O Pen of the Ancient King! He desireth to make mention of His loved ones in Shin and Ha, that this remembrance may draw them to the Most Exalted Station. God eraseth what He willeth and confirmeth what He pleaseth—a command from His presence. He is the Hearing, the All-Seeing. We made mention of you before with that which caused the breezes of grace and bounty to waft. Let not the turning away of those who have broken the Covenant grieve you. Blessed is he who hath heard My call, and the learned one who hath held fast to what was sent down from the heaven of My will, and the eye that hath beheld the lights. We informed you aforetime of what was hidden and made known to you the straight path. This is a day wherein clear proofs have appeared and the river of mercy hath flowed among the righteous. Joy unto him who hath drawn nigh and drunk, and woe unto every heedless imposter. The splendor shining from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon you, O My loved ones, and upon those whom the turning away of the people hath not kept back from God, the One, the Peerless, the Mighty, the Compelling.

O earth! Is there within thee one who loveth Me, and hast thou been honored by one who remembereth Me? Be truthful with Me and be not of those who remain silent. Hearken unto My call from the precincts of My prison. Verily He remembereth thee and those who have believed in God, the One, the All-Informed. We have made the earth Our treasury and storehouse, and have manifested from it Our favor and the tokens of Our bounty, and I am the Mighty, the Powerful. Blessed art thou in that God hath made thee the dayspring of His favors and the source of His bounties, and hath manifested through thee that which revealeth His power, His majesty, and His sovereignty. From thee come wealth and riches and that which profiteth mankind. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this magnificent favor.

We make mention at this hour of My loved ones and My friends, and give them the glad-tidings of My mercy which hath preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth. Thus doth the horizon of utterance reveal its light and the Tree of Knowledge its fruits. Blessed is he who hath witnessed and attained, and woe unto the heedless. O Land of Qaf and Vav! The Wronged One maketh mention of thee and of His loved ones within thee, that the eyes of the world and of those who have turned to this shining horizon may be solaced thereby. O My loved ones in that land! Hearken unto My call. Verily, He calleth you from the prison unto God, the Lord of all worlds.

Cast away what the people possess of idle fancies and vain imaginings, holding fast to the cord of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. That which was hidden from eternity hath appeared, and He Who was promised in God’s Books, the Lord of the Glorious Throne, hath come. Beware lest the veils of the world withhold you or the doubts of the nations grieve you. Turn with your hearts unto God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. We counsel the friends and chosen ones of God to fear God and to observe that whereby Our Cause, firm and manifest, may be exalted. Blessed is the servant who hath adorned his head with the crown of righteousness and his temple with the ornament of virtuous deeds. He is indeed among those who are nigh unto God in the Book of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.

O My loved ones in Merv! Hearken unto the call of Him Who summoneth you for the sake of God and desireth to draw you nigh unto Him. Blessed is he who heareth and respondeth, and woe unto every remote denier. Azizullah hath mentioned you time and again and hath sent your names unto the Wronged One, and each one of you hath been honored with tokens from My Most Exalted Pen. To this beareth witness He Who speaketh in every state that there is none other God but I, the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing. Take hold of the Book of God with the strength bestowed by Us and be not of the heedless. Beware lest the doubts of the nations and the happenings of the world prevent you, or your feet slip through the oppression of the wrongdoers. Thank God for His grace and bounty that He created you and caused you to appear in this Day round which circle the Concourse on High and the denizens of Paradise at morn and eventide. The mention of Me is not equaled by the mention of the world, nor My manifestation by the manifestation of the ancients. Hear the call from the Most Exalted Horizon and say:

“Here am I, O Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven! Praise be unto Thee for having made known unto us the Dawning-Place of Thy signs, the Source of Thy Command and the Manifestation of Thy laws. We beseech Thee by the Most Exalted Paradise and by the souls which have soared in the atmosphere of Thy nearness, O Lord of all beings, to aid us to be steadfast in Thy love and to arise to serve Thy Cause. Then ordain for us the good of this world and the world to come. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

All the people of Kha have been blessed with the mention of God, glorified be His majesty. We have mentioned them all and have beseeched from God for each that which is lasting and enduring. The loved ones must strive and protect the people from vain imaginings, lest they be afflicted as were the people of the past. Likewise, We counsel all to trustworthiness, religious devotion, goodly deeds and praiseworthy character, that the world may be adorned with the ornament of virtuous conduct, and that the fire of hatred burning in the breasts of diverse peoples may be quenched by the living waters of the love of God’s loved ones, their kindly counsels and goodly exhortations, and that all on earth may be seen as one people. This is the essential purpose. Blessed are they who shall gird up the loins of endeavor for this mighty service. At all times seek this station from the Beloved of all creation, that He may aid His servants to achieve that which hath been mentioned. We have written repeatedly: One person was engaged in fishing when the Spirit (Jesus) made him the fisher of men. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty, and worthy to answer prayer.

The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon you, O My loved ones, My friends and My beloved ones who have attained unto that which was recorded in the Books of God and treasured in the hearts of the Messengers. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH00100: This is the Tablet of God, the Help-in-Peril…

Section 1: “This is the Tablet of God, the Help-in-Peril…”

This is the Tablet of God, the Help-in-Peril, the Self-Subsisting

In My Name, through which the ocean of divine knowledge surged within all possibility

Exalted is the All-Merciful Who sent down the Torah, the Gospel, and the Furqan, then the Bayan, and revealed the Mother Book when the Hidden Secret was established upon the throne of His Name, the Self-Subsisting, and proclaimed in the most exalted call: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of all return!” When the call was raised, hearts were stirred with longing to hearken unto the verses of God, the Lord of lords. We have sent down the verses and made manifest the clear proofs, yet the people are in strange doubt.

O Haydar-Ali! Hear the call from the direction of Akka. We have made mention of thee, before and after, with that which neither the treasures of earth nor its riches can equal. The Book of God in its most exalted station beareth witness to this. We have expounded the Point and interpreted the Books of God. Blessed is he who hath recognized and attained, and woe unto every idolatrous infidel. We heard thy call and addressed thee from the side of the Mount, casting unto thee that whereby the hearts of the servants were attracted. Thou art he who hath drunk the choice sealed wine through My Name, the Self-Subsisting, and hast guided the servants to the straight path.

O Haydar! Roll up the sleeve of endeavor, then gird up thy loins to make mention of this Most Great Announcement, whereby the parties have fled when the Lord of all men established Himself upon the throne of wisdom and utterance. We have been with thee in all conditions and heard thy call and the call of those who were present with thee, and We have mentioned each one of them with that whereby the luminary of My loving-kindness and mercy, which hath preceded all created things, hath shone forth.

And We make mention at this time once again of the party of God whose names thou didst mention, as a grace from Us, and I am the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

O My servant, O Thabit! There hath been sent down for thee aforetime that from which lights have shone forth, and We saw thy mention in the book of one who loved Me. We have mentioned thee time and again that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Manifest of clear proofs. We heard thy call and addressed thee from the direction of the Ancient One, the seat of thy Lord’s throne, the Lord of all peoples. Verily thy Lord doeth what He willeth, and He is the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. We desired to answer him whose letter was present before the Wronged One, that the verses might attract him to the Dayspring of divine knowledge.

Jinab-i-Aqa Kuchik

In My Name, the Guardian over all names

O Aqa Kuchik! As thou hast turned to the lights of the Sun of Truth, thou art great in the presence of the Wronged One. Whosoever today hath attained unto the supreme horizon and acknowledged the traces of the Most Exalted Pen, he is recorded and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen as of the people of God in the Crimson Tablet. Blessed is the soul that hath not been prevented by the veils of glory from turning unto Him, nor held back by the doubts of the divines and the objections of the mystics from the ultimate goal and the supreme summit. Today the ocean of truth is surging and the sun of revelation is shining. Blessed is the eye that hath seen and the ear that hath heard. We beseech God to assist thee and grant thee success, that thou mayest remain steadfast in the Cause of God and drink from the ocean of utterance at all times. He is the Compassionate, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful.

ʿAli, servant of H

He is the Hearing, the Answering

O Ali! Your letter was received and attained unto the presence of the Desired One of all the worlds. Your service is accepted and mention of you hath been heard. Blessed is the soul whom the vicissitudes of days withheld not from the Lord of all names, nor deprived thereof, and blessed is the servant whom neither the doubts of the dubious nor the might of the aggressive prevented from turning unto the Truth. Praise be to God that thy call hath been heard and thy mention hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this great bounty. We beseech God to assist His party to remember and praise Him and to serve His Cause, and to draw them nigh unto Him in all conditions. Verily He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.

Aqa Mirza Ali

O Haydar! We have desired to make mention of him who is named Ali, that he may rejoice and be of them that are thankful. From My Most Exalted Pen hath flowed the river of wisdom and utterance. Blessed is he who hath drunk therefrom, and woe unto the heedless. By the life of God! In every letter of My Book are treasured sciences which none hath discovered save God, the Single, the All-Informed. O Ali! Thou hast heard My call and attained unto My days. Praise thy Lord and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens, for having remembered me while I was in the hands of the oppressors.

Mashhadi Hasan-Ali Khayyat

We make mention of him who is named Hasan-Ali and counsel him to observe justice and that whereby the Cause of God, the Lord of all worlds, may be exalted. We have mentioned him before and at this hour We beseech God to assist him in that which will draw him nigh unto Him. Verily He is the Helper, the All-Bountiful. O servants of God! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One and be not of the heedless. Take the chalice of recognition in the name of your Lord, the Merciful, and be not of the patient ones. He hath appeared and made manifest that which was hidden in knowledge. To this testifieth every fair-minded and informed one.

Haji Mirza Shukrullah

We desire to make mention of him who is named Shukrullah and remind him of My verses and give him the glad-tidings of My tender mercy, that he may arise to serve My mighty and glorious Cause. Thou didst attain aforetime and We revealed for thee that which caused the hearts of the hearers to soar. When the wine of My utterance did intoxicate thee and the fragrances of My verses did attract thee, say: My God, my God! Thou art He through Whose Name the ocean of utterance surged before the eyes of all mankind and the fragrance of Thy mercy was wafted throughout all lands. I beseech Thee by the penetrating influence of Thy Will and the power of Thy Purpose and the movement and sound of Thy Most Exalted Pen and by Thy Most Glorious Horizon and its light, to make me in all conditions well-pleased with Thee and holding fast unto Thee, in such wise that the tempests of the intimations of them that croak, who have turned away from Thee and Thy verses and have taken for themselves a lord besides Thee from their own idle fancies, may not move me.

O my Lord! Thou seest me turning unto Thee and holding fast unto Thee. I beseech Thee not to deprive me of the ocean of Thy utterance nor from the sun of Thy grace. Verily Thou art the All-Powerful, the Almighty, and worthy to grant this prayer.

We make mention of your two sons and give them glad tidings of the favors of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. We beseech Him to ordain for them that which shall profit them and draw them nearer unto Him. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent.

We make mention of My handmaiden and My leaf who hath heard, responded, and turned with her heart to the horizon of God, the Goal of them that have knowledge. O My handmaiden! Most of the servants’ ears have not been honored with the words “O My servant,” yet thou hast been honored with “O My handmaiden.” Give thanks unto thy Lord for this manifest favor. We have heard thy call and that which proceeded from thy mouth in praise of God, the Lord of the worlds. We made mention of thee before in a Tablet which proclaimed that there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this most great favor and say: “Thine be the praise, O Lord of the world, and Thine be the glory, O Thou the Goal of the hearts of the Messengers!”

Aqa Muhammad Hasan, the Cloth Merchant:

O Muhammad Hasan! We have desired to make mention of thee that My remembrance may draw thee to My Kingdom and strengthen thee to praise God, glorify Him, and serve His Cause, the Mighty, the Wondrous. The call hath been raised from the right hand of the Throne, yet most of the people are asleep. Heedlessness hath so seized them that they have turned away from Him Who hath come from the horizon of might with clear authority.

Muhammad Hasan:

We make mention of him who is named Muhammad Hasan that he may give thanks unto his Lord and be of them that are steadfast. Say:

“Withhold not your ears from hearkening to the call of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.”

Blessed art thou for having attained unto My verses and for having been mentioned in My mighty prison.

ʿAli Aqa:

We make mention of ʿAli before Aqa, and I am the best of them that make mention. My mention equals not the mentions of the world, nor My call the call of the nations. To this beareth witness the Most Great Name in this exalted station. Thus have We mentioned thee that thou mayest rejoice and arise to serve thy Lord Who hath come with a clear Book.

O Haydar before ʿAli! Thou art he who heard My call, turned to My direction, stood before the door of My grandeur, beheld My horizon, attained unto My verses, and drank the choice wine of My favor and the Kawthar of My wondrous utterance. My Tablets have testified to My favor unto thee and My bounty upon thee. Art thou able to thank thy Lord, or dost thou find thyself among the impotent?

Thou hast made mention of My Afnan, upon them be My glory and My favor. We have mentioned them with that which no mention can equal and have raised them to a station whose description defieth every knowledgeable rememberer. We beseech God to aid them to preserve this mighty and sublime station. Remember them on My behalf, and greet their faces from My side, and give them glad tidings of My mercy, and illumine them with that which hath shone forth and appeared from the horizon of My Most Exalted Pen. Thus doth He command thee, with Whom is the knowledge of the heavens and earth. We have mentioned each one of them in various Tablets and adorned them with My kinship, and I am the All-Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Mirza Ja’far:

O Ja’far! The Hour hath come, yet most of the people are heedless. The Resurrection hath appeared, yet they remain far from understanding. Blessed is he who hath recognized and preserved the Faith; he is among those who are nigh unto God in His mighty and great Book.

Aqa Abu’l-Qasim:

O Abu’l-Qasim! We have sent down from the fountain of My Most Exalted Pen the waters of utterance, that there might grow in the hearts of the servants the plants of wisdom and knowledge. Blessed is the soul that hath testified to that which God hath testified and hath attained unto that which hath been sent down from Him. Such a one is among the believers in the sight of God, the Mighty, the Wise.

Aqa Muhammad Karim, the Hat-maker

O Muhammad-Karim! Hast thou heard the Call and beheld My Most Exalted Horizon, and hast thou arisen in My days to serve My loved ones? Tell Me what We have asked of thee, for I am the All-Knowing Narrator. We have heard thy mention and have mentioned thee. Blessed is he who hath arisen to serve Me, he who was named Haydar-ʿAli. He mentioned thee, and We mentioned thee, by a command from My presence, and I am the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days.

Aqa Muhammad-Rida-i-Qullati

O Muhammad-Rida! We mentioned thee before and at this time, that the fragrances of utterance may seize thee and draw thee to a station wherein the Tongue of Grandeur proclaimeth:

“There is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower!”

Mirza Aqa-yi-Naqqash

O Painter! Upon thee be My Glory! Hath thy pen succeeded in portraying My loved ones, and hath it moved to draw those who were martyred in My path? Blessed is the face that hath turned toward the lights of the Countenance, and the heart that hath turned to the Most Exalted Station. We mentioned thee before with that which caused the breeze of utterance to waft over all possibility. Thank thy Lord and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O God of the world, and glorification be unto Thee, O Lord of lords!”

Haji Mulla Muhammad-i-Hakkak

O Muhammad! That which was hidden in knowledge and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Books and Tablets hath appeared. He Who was promised in the books of old hath come, and He with Whom God, the One, the Chosen, gave glad tidings in His Books, hath been made manifest. Yet when the verses were sent down and the clear proofs appeared, the people turned away and denied God, the Lord of all beings. Blessed art thou for having attained unto the trace of My Pen at this time which God, the Lord of all ages, hath ordained.

Section 2: “Mashhadi ʿAli-Akbar…”

Mashhadi ʿAli-Akbar

O ʿAli-before-Akbar! The Remembered One hath remembered thee while He was in the hands of the wicked. He hath sent down that which the pens are powerless to reckon, and revealed that which those possessed of insight were prevented from understanding. Blessed art thou, for thy mention hath been sent down from My Most Exalted Pen, as a bounty from God, the Lord of all mankind.

ʿAli Bey

O ʿAli! The Wronged One hath come with the truth and hath called all to God, the Lord of the Day of Mutual Calling, and hath given them glad tidings of that which God, the Cleaver of the Dawn, hath ordained for those near unto Him. Among the people are those who denied, those who turned toward Him, and those who pronounced sentence to shed My blood without any proof or book.

Mashhadi ʿAbbas

O ʿAbbas! The Lord of mankind hath turned toward thee from the prison quarter and remembereth thee with that whose fragrance shall never cease. Preserve this Most Exalted Station in the name of thy Lord, the Subduer of the winds.

Muhibb-ʿAli

O Muhibb-ʿAli! Blessed is the ear that hath attained unto hearing My call, the eye that hath beheld My signs, the tongue that hath spoken My praise, the heart that hath turned to My horizon, and the foot that hath arisen to serve mankind. Glorify the name of thy Lord! He hath remembered thee with that which shall not change throughout ages and centuries, and hath built for thee, with the hand of power, a house from the verses of utterance, that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Lord of all religions. We beseech God to assist thee to preserve this Most Exalted Station, which hath flowed from a Pen through whose movement all created things were set in motion. O Thou Who art wronged throughout the horizons! Remember him who hath held fast to the Covenant when the people of discord and hypocrisy turned away from God, the Illuminator of the horizons.

Aqa Buzurg

O Buzurg! The Wronged One makes mention of thee—He Whom the servants in all regions have denied, speaking that which caused the Maid of Paradise in the all-highest Heaven to strike her face in anguish. Thus was the matter decreed, yet the people are in strange delusion. When thou hast attained unto the traces of My Most Exalted Pen and drunk the choice wine of utterance from the cup of thy Lord’s bounty, the Lord of all names, say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having remembered me, and glory be to Thee for having turned toward me, and thanksgiving be to Thee for having guided me, and splendor be to Thee for having taught me that which the possessors of wisdom have failed to comprehend.

Mirza Kazim

O Kazim! Hear the call from the direction of eternity through the Most Exalted Pen. Verily He makes mention of thee in such wise as nothing in the world can equal, as attested by the Mother Book which is with Him. Thou hast attained unto the traces of My Pen and My loving-kindness which hath encompassed all regions.

Qasim ʿAli

We have desired to make mention of him who was named Qasem before Ali, and I am the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. My mercy hath preceded and My grace hath encompassed all. Blessed is he who hath recognized, and woe unto every denying infidel.

Aqa ʿAli

O Ali! The Countenance of the Ancient of Days hath turned toward the city of My Herald. By the life of God! The sincere ones shall perceive from its dust the fragrance of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of lords. We have remembered Our loved ones there and given them glad tidings of that which hath been ordained for them by the Most Exalted Pen in the Scriptures and Tablets. The mention of him who turned toward Ta hath come before Us—We saw him and were with him until he departed therefrom, and I am the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Then he who turned toward Sad, then he who left his place, advancing toward the Most Sublime Horizon until he entered and was present and heard and saw what had been recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Books of God, the Lord of all men. O My loved ones there! We have remembered you with such remembrance that when it appeared, all remembrances cried out: By God! He Who is the Remembered One hath come with power and sovereignty. We have not mentioned the names of Our loved ones out of wisdom from Us, and I am the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

Aqa Muhammad Kharrazi

O Muhammad! We beheld thy name and made mention of thee with verses which, when they were revealed, caused bodies to tremble with joy. Verily, We make mention of whosoever hath turned toward My horizon and heard My call, and I am the Almighty, the All-Forgiving. We make mention as We please and answer those who call upon Me at eventide and at dawn. There hath flowed from My Pen the ocean of utterance. Blessed is he who hath drunk therefrom, and woe unto the heedless one whom the idle fancies of mankind have prevented.

Mulla Ali-Akbar Qallati

O Ali-Akbar! Thy mention was made by Him Who loved Me—He Who was named Haydar. Verily, Ali made mention of thee with a mention which, when it was revealed in the City of Books, all things bowed down before it, and when its fragrance was wafted in the garden of meanings, every atom thereof gave voice in praise. The door of the unseen hath been opened and He Who was hidden in knowledge and treasured in the eternity of eternities hath come. Thus moved My Pen in making mention—a mention which no other mentions can equal. Verily, when thou hast attained, say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Desire of the world! And glory be unto Thee, O Source of commandments and ordinances!”

Aqa Abdullah

O Abdullah! The Trumpet hath been blown, yet the people remain in doubt and dissension. The Bridge hath been set up and the Balance established, yet mankind abideth in negligence and veiled from the truth. The Cry hath been raised and the divine favor hath descended. Blessed is the servant who hath turned toward God and attained, and woe unto every scheming idolater! Take thou My Book with My strength, then recite it with such melody that spirits may be attracted thereby. Thus hath the breeze of utterance wafted over hearts and bodies by command of God, the Lord of all religions.

Haji Aqa

O Tongue of Grandeur! Make mention of him who is named Haji Agha with such remembrance that through it the thirsty shall find the waters of life, the lovers the choice wine of reunion, and the yearning ones the pure stream of attainment. Thus have the nightingales of proof warbled upon the highest branches. Blessed is the ear that hath heard and the eye that hath beheld the signs of God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Bountiful.

Mirza Muhammad Bazzaz

We make mention of those who heard the call and responded to their Lord, the All-Merciful, with spirit and fragrance. Among them is he who is named Muhammad. The Most Exalted Pen hath spoken in his remembrance that which hath caused the sweet savors of the All-Merciful to waft throughout all creation. Hear the call of the Wronged One, then thank Him for having sent down unto thee that whose fragrance shall never cease throughout the centuries and ages. Thus hath the Dove of the Throne warbled while the Wronged One was in the hands of the wicked ones.

Mashhadi Haydar Masjidi

O Haydar! The Lord of Destiny hath made mention of thee from the Most Great Scene that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Mighty, the Unconstrained. Verily He seeth His servants and heareth their remembrance, and He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Nothing whatsoever preventeth Him from anything, nor is anything hidden from His knowledge. To this beareth witness the Mother Book in His presence. When thou hast attained unto My verses and heard My call, say: All praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the worlds, and all thanksgiving be unto Thee, O Lord of all beings.

Shaykh Muhammad Husayn

O Muhammad Husayn! Hear the call from the Wronged One. He counseleth thee and those who have believed in that which shall exalt your station among the righteous. Hold fast unto justice and equity. This is what ye have been commanded in the Books of God, the Mighty, the Bestower. They who have turned away from that which they were commanded, they are assuredly among the people of the fire in the sight of God, the One, the Single, the Peerless, the Almighty, the Compelling. Take what hath been sent down unto thee as a command from Us, and I am the Mighty, the All-Compelling.

A clear Book sent down from the Trustworthy One unto him who hath believed in God, the Lord of the worlds. They who have attained unto My Most Exalted Word, they are the companions of Baha. Their names have been sent down from the heaven of the bounty of God, the Lord of the worlds.

Aqa ʿAli Muhammad

O ʿAli Muhammad! Behold then make mention when We sent the Primal Point with the hosts of revelation and inspiration. How the factions spoke concerning Him—among them were those who denied Him, those who turned away from Him, and those who pronounced sentence of death against Him. By this did the denizens of earth and heaven lament, as did My Most Exalted Pen in this spot which hath been named the Most Great Prison, and in the Land of Mystery, and in Zawra, and before that in Ta. To this doth the Tongue of Grandeur bear witness from His luminous horizon. Hear the lamentation of My Pen in the evening and at sunrise, at eventide and at dawn. By God’s life!

It weepeth even as weep the bereaved at what befell My Herald Who sacrificed His soul for My sake and gave the glad-tidings unto the servants of My advent and My mighty announcement. Say: O people of the Bayan! He hath come from the horizon of might concerning Whom the Primal Point declared “I, verily, am the first of them that worship Him.” By God’s life! His joy was naught but for My manifestation and His sorrow naught but for My tribulation. To this doth bear witness every fair-minded one possessed of knowledge who hath read the Bayan and hath been just in the Cause of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Aqa ʿAli Rida

O Ali-Rida! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord, the Lord of all names. He, verily, draweth thee nigh unto Him and guideth thee unto a glorious station. O peoples of the earth! He Who was promised in the Books of God hath come, He Whose remembrance was treasured in the hearts of the Messengers. He hath come to reform the world and to refine the nations. Blessed is he who hath turned unto Him, and woe betide him whom the world hath deluded and kept back from this manifest grace. We beseech God to aid thee in that which He loveth and is pleased with, and to ordain for thee what He hath ordained for His sincere servants.

Aqa Ahmad

O Ahmad! Hearken unto the call of God, the One, the Single. Beware lest anything prevent thee from hearkening unto the Word of God, the One, the Powerful, the Self-Subsisting. This is the Day wherein necks have bowed before the Lord of Lords, and the Tongue of Revelation hath spoken forth and warbled. Take thou the Book of God by Our command, and follow not him who hath disbelieved and turned aside. I am, verily, the Kaaba of God amidst mankind. Turn ye unto Him with radiant faces. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of that which hath been ordained for you and follow him who hath turned away from God. Leave the people to their vain imaginings, and hold ye fast unto the Cord of God, the One, the Powerful, the Trust-worthy. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken, and borne witness that there is none other God but Him. Blessed is he who hath testified to that whereunto God hath testified, and hath striven in His Cause and made effort.

Muhammad Rida Ibn Ukht

O Muhammad-Rida, son of the sister! The Ancient Countenance hath turned towards thee and revealed for thee that which hath caused the Orb of Bounty to shine forth from the horizon of the world. When thou hearest the Call, arise and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of all beings, for having sent down unto me the verses from the heaven of Thy Most Great Name.” Blessed is he who hath turned unto the Supreme Horizon, and heard My most sweet call, and won the fruits of the Pen. Thus hath the ocean of utterance surged, revealing its pearls in the days of its Lord, the Ancient of Days. O people of Baha! By God, this Day is your day. Leave ye the people and what they possess, turning unto the station wherein the Tongue of Grandeur hath proclaimed: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Lord of all nations.” This is the Day whereon that which was hidden from eternity of eternities hath been revealed, and the fragrance of glory and bounty hath wafted over the world.

Mulla Muhammad Hasan

O Muhammad-Qabli-Hasan! He Who soareth in Mine atmosphere hath remembered thee. We make mention of thee with that which shall draw thee nigh unto Mine horizon, that thou mayest witness what My Pen hath testified: that there is none other God but Me, the One, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Thou hast attained unto My remembrance and unto that which My glorious and wondrous tongue hath uttered. Nothing in the world shall profit thee today save this Cause, before which, when it was made manifest, every discerning one bowed down. We have revealed the Cause and sent down the verses, yet the people are in evident doubt. They have denied the right of God and His signs, and have followed every froward sinner. Give thanks unto God for this supreme bounty and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of them that know.”

Section 3: “Mulla Sayfu’llah…”

Mulla Sayfu’llah

O Sayfu’llah! The law of the sword hath been annulled, and the law of the Bayan hath been revealed. It is sharper than the sword, as the tongue of My grandeur doth testify in this exalted station. We have ordained victory and triumph through the fear of God, and through deeds and character, as witnesseth he who hath attained the presence of the Countenance and heard the call of God, the Lord of the worlds. Beware lest ye spread corruption in the earth after its reformation, and beware lest ye oppose those who have opposed you. Leave them to themselves, turning unto God, your Lord, the Commander, the All-Wise. We have enjoined upon you love and unity. Blessed is he who acteth in accordance with that which hath been commanded in the Book of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Aqa Buzurg

O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named Buzurg. Say: The Truth hath come, and on His right is the dominion of verses and on His left the kingdom of evidences, while before His face standeth the Manifestation of names and attributes, addressing the servants and pointing to His countenance:

“This is what ye were promised in the Books of God aforetime, and in the Bayan, the Qur’an, the Torah and the Gospel.”

Beware, O people of the earth, lest ye deprive yourselves of the Revelation of God and His sovereignty, and beware lest ye deny God’s favor after its descent. Draw nigh with illumined hearts and be not among the wrongdoers. The signs have appeared, the appointed time hath come, and the Hidden One hath been made manifest through a clear command. Beware lest ye reject the truth through your idle fancies. Cast away vain imaginings, holding fast to that which hath dawned and shone forth from the horizon of your Lord’s tender mercy, the All-Bountiful.

O Haydar-ʿAli! We have sent down for thee in the prison that which hath brought delight to the eyes of the Concourse on high and the exalted Paradise. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this supreme favor. Once We revealed verses unto thee in a clear Arabic tongue, and another time We changed it to the luminous language, and We mentioned thee in a wondrous Persian tongue. Once We sent thee the Water of Life in remembrance of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, and another time the breezes of revelation whereby the realms of God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Praised, were perfumed. Canst thou reckon up that which hath shone forth from the lights of My dominion and My kingdom, and that which hath appeared from the horizon of My wondrous utterance?

While We were contemplating Our Revelation, Our power and Our sovereignty, and the heaven of Our Will and the kingdom of Our Purpose, there came before the Greatest Vision the Greater Branch, who drew forth from his pocket a letter wherein mention was made of My loved ones who had turned toward My horizon, who had held fast to My cord, who had clung to the hem of My bounty, who had soared in My atmosphere, and who had spoken My praise. When We heard mention of them, We opened the gate of utterance with the key of Our grace and revealed for each one that which would attract the hearts of the sincere. We saw mention of him who was named Muhammad-Qabli-Hashim, whose letter had previously been presented before the Wronged One Who was imprisoned for having called all to God, the One, the All-Informed.

We read his letter and revealed for him that which cannot be equaled by all that is witnessed and seen. To this beareth witness He Who at this moment speaketh: The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of the worlds. Make mention of him on My behalf, remind him of My verses, and give him the glad-tidings of My grace. We counsel him to manifest supreme steadfastness in this Cause whereby the hearts of all beings were troubled, the company of the divines lamented, and the feet of the mystics slipped.

Take My Book with a power from Me. Let not the swords of the world and the hosts of the nations frighten thee. By the life of the Most Merciful! There hath been ordained for thee that which minds cannot reckon and thoughts cannot encompass. Verily thy Lord is the True One, the Speaker, the Trustworthy. Preserve this most exalted station. Let nothing whatsoever hinder thee. Cast aside the world and all that is therein, turning with thy heart to My glorious horizon. Thus hath the Pen spoken while the Wronged One was seated upon His mighty throne. Give thanks unto God and say:

My God, my God! My limbs tremble in my separation from Thee, my heart is troubled in my remoteness from Thee, and my soul laments in my distance from the court of Thy glory. I know not, O my Desire, my Adored One, my Hope and my Trust, whether Thou hast ordained for me to attain the presence of Thy countenance, to stand before the gate of Thy grandeur, to hearken to the shrill voice of Thy Pen, and to witness the lights of Thy Throne, or whether Thy irrevocable decree hath debarred me from this and from the wonders of Thy grace, O Thou Lord of all worlds. I beseech Thee by Thy perspicuous Book, by Thy mighty Prison, by the rustling of Thy Lote-Tree, and by the light of Thy Cause, to make me one of those whose feet have not slipped and whose hearts have not wavered, who have arisen and proclaimed:

“O concourse of the world! The Most Great Name hath come with a sovereignty that neither the veils of the learned nor the clouds of the mystics could prevent. He calleth before all faces and summoneth all unto God, the Lord of this wondrous Day.”

Haji Mulla Kazim Nasr

O Haydar-ʿAli! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. We have seen in thy letter mention of him who was named Kazim in the Book of Names. We have remembered him in such wise as to cause the mountains, let alone the spirits, to soar. Verily, I am the All-Powerful, the Almighty. O Kazim! Hear the call of the Wronged One, then remember when the Promised One came with a manifest Book, how the people denied Him, turned away from Him, and disputed His verses, His proof, and His evidence, until they pronounced against Him a judgment at which the Supreme Pen was thunderstruck and the Lord of creation did lament. Thus was the matter decreed, and I am the All-Knowing Witness. O Kazim! Arise to serve My Cause with wisdom and utterance, and remind My servants of that which hath been sent down from the heaven of My utterance, and give them the glad-tidings of My loving-kindness and My mercy. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

Say: Deprive not yourselves of the bounty of My days, nor your ears from hearkening to My verses, nor your hearts from My wondrous love. Say: This is the Day of proof, did ye but know it, and this is the Day whereon the Tongue of Grandeur speaketh, did ye but hear it. By God! The Treasure hath appeared and the Hidden One hath come with manifest sovereignty. Say: O people of the Bayan! Come ye, come ye! By what proof did ye believe in the Primal Point? Bring it forth, then read what hath been sent down from the presence of the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. If ye deny the Revelation of God, His Cause, and the effects and influence of the Supreme Pen, by what cause was that which ye possess established? Be fair, and be not of the wrongdoers. Thus have We revealed unto thee the ocean of utterance with its waves, and the sun of proof with its lights, that thou mayest be of the thankful ones. If thou hast drunk the choice wine of revelation from the cup of My bounty and hast attained unto the lights of My utterance, say:

My God, my God! From Thy most sweet call my heart hath taken flight, and from the scratching of Thy Most Exalted Pen my limbs have trembled, and from the lights of Thy Most Great Throne and Thy mighty News my senses have been transformed, and the eyes of my outer and inner being have shed tears. I beseech Thee by the blood of Thy lovers and the sighing of those who long for Thee, and by the cry of those who have sought the supreme heights and the ultimate goal but have not attained them, to assist Thy servants to turn unto Thee and to behold that which Thou hast manifested through Thy power and Thy might. Then write down for them, O God of the world and Creator of the nations, that which shall profit them in all the worlds of Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

Aqa Muhammad Rahim

O Most Great Book! Make mention of him who hath been named Muhammad before Rahim, and remind him of Thy verses whereby every moldered bone was quickened, by which the dwellers of the graves arose, the mountains were moved, the Cry was raised, the Trump was blown, and all who are in the heavens and on earth were thunderstruck. O Rahim! Verily mercy hath encompassed and preceded existence, yet the people comprehend not. The Self-Subsisting hath come, yet the people know not. That which was hidden in the treasuries of God’s protection, thy Lord, hath been made manifest, yet the people turn away therefrom. Say: Beware, O people of the Bayan, lest ye commit what the people of the Furqan committed. Cast away your vain imaginings; the Sun of Certitude hath risen with lights that have illumined the horizons. Fear God, then be fair in this Cause at whose appearance the Dove warbled upon the highest branches. He Who was hidden hath come with a sovereignty that neither ranks nor multitudes can withstand. Thus have We sent down the verses and dispatched them unto those who have turned with their hearts unto God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.

Aqa Rida

O Rida! The Wronged One maketh mention of thee that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord and arise to aid His Cause, the irrevocable, the forbidden. The Self-Subsisting hath come, yet the people have cast behind their backs His covenant and testament. Thus have their souls enticed them, and today they know not. Blessed is the face that hath turned unto the lights of the Countenance, and the heart that hath turned unto God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Aqa Siyyid Muhammad Khurasani

O Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named Muhammad, that the remembrance and utterance may attract him to the horizon of the All-Merciful and cause him to remember his Lord, the Possessor of all existence. O Muhammad! Behold and remember when Muhammad, the Apostle of God, came, how He was treated by those who denied God’s right and His verses, following every rejected learned one. The divines of idols and the doctors of the Torah and Gospel denied Him, and there befell Him that which caused the sacred vale and the Concourse on High to weep. Thus was the matter decreed aforetime, yet the people know not. Remember thy Lord amongst His servants, then aid Him with the hosts of utterance. This is what We have commanded all in Our inscribed Tablet.

Aqa Siyyid Abdul-Rahim

O Abdul-Rahim! The Great Announcement hath come and maketh mention of thee from this exalted station, that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord, the Mighty, the Beloved. When the Promised One came, idolatrous servants denied Him and arose in opposition until they pronounced judgment against Him with such injustice as caused those nigh unto God to lament. Blessed is he who hath fulfilled God’s covenant and testament, and woe unto him who hath turned away from His extended path.

Mulla Ali Dhakir

O Ali, O Dhakir! Hearken unto the call of the Remembered One. He remembereth thee with that which cannot be equaled by treasures and riches. By My remembrance all things were attracted, and by My call the near ones sought My glorious station. When My sweetest call attracteth thee and the rustling of My Most Exalted Pen seizeth thee, arise, turning toward My Most Glorious Horizon, and say:

O Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven! I beseech Thee by the breathings of Thy revelation, by the manifestations of Thy power and sovereignty, by the dawning-places of Thy knowledge and the daysprings of Thy wisdom, and by the Most Exalted Word whereby Thou hast subdued the kingdom of earth and heaven, to make me steadfast in Thy love and firm in Thy Cause, and speaking in Thy praise in such wise that neither the neighing of steeds nor the clashing of swords shall deter me. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Compassionate.

BH00118: Praise be to God Who hath sent down…

Section 1: “Praise be to God Who hath sent down…”

He is God, exalted be His station, the Rememberer, the All-Wise

Praise be to God Who hath sent down the verses and made manifest the clear proofs and caused the Mother Book to speak at the final return, whereby the mysteries were revealed and rivers flowed from rocks, and through which the Crimson Ark sailed upon the sea of names, and from the clouds of proof rained down the showers of wisdom and utterance. He it is Who hath made manifest what was hidden in knowledge and treasured within the shell of His Command, and through Him the Dove of Knowledge warbled upon the highest branches. There is no God but Him; He hath ever been sanctified beyond the mention of all created things and exalted above the comprehension of the dwellers of earth and heaven.

Glorified art Thou, O God of Names and Creator of heaven! Thou knowest and seest that one of Thy servants, who was named Yahya, left his homeland, seeking that which he desired, and crossed land and sea until he reached the great city that was known among the people as ʿAliyyih. He tarried there some days and associated with both those who accepted and those who turned away, until the appointed time was fulfilled. Then he set out for the place called Cyprus in the visible world, where he associated with those who sought him and asked of him what they asked, and he answered in ways unfit to be mentioned in the cities of knowledge and wisdom and before the presence of those who have turned to Thy countenance in days when the fragrance of the All-Merciful wafted among all possibilities. He remained with him for numbered days, and when he departed, he sought the ultimate goal, the supreme summit, and the furthest end, approaching and advancing until he entered the Most Great Prison, which Thou hadst made a dwelling place for those who had migrated in Thy path, turned to Thy horizon, spoken Thy praise, and arose to serve Thy Cause.

He attained the presence of the Countenance and heard from the Self of the Manifestation and the Speaker of the Mount that which the son of ʿImran heard on the Mount of Thy knowledge. Thou didst shine upon him with a light from the lights of Thy throne, that he might draw nigh unto Thy court and enter beneath the shade of the pavilions of Thy grace and favor. O Lord! Thou seest the stranger seeking his supreme homeland in the vicinity of Thy mercy, the thirsty one yearning for the Kawthar of Thy bounty, the poor one desiring the ocean of Thy riches, the sick one longing for the Salsabil of Thy healing, the distant one reaching for the Tasnim of Thy nearness, the sinful one hoping for the dewdrops of Thy forgiveness, and the weary one seeking the kingdom of Thy utterance.

O Lord! Thou seest him who hath stood before the door which Thou hast opened by Thy power and sovereignty unto all in Thy earth and Thy heaven, that he might hear Thy sweetest call and behold Thy most exalted horizon. O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou hast manifested Thy Cause and Thy sovereignty, and by the power of Thy Most Exalted Pen, and the potency of Thy most sublime Word, and the rustling of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, and the manifestations of Thy grandeur, O Lord of all humanity and King of the throne on high and of the dust below, that Thou assist him to be fair in Thy Cause, then enable him to rend asunder the veils of idle fancies that have come between him and Thee and prevented him from drawing nigh unto Thee and beholding the lights of Thy countenance, that he may see Thee with Thine own eyes, not with the eyes of Thy servants, and hear with his own ear, not with the ears of those in Thy lands.

O Lord! Thou knowest him better than I. If Thou seest in him turning to Thee and facing toward Thy direction and holding fast to Thy cord, aid him through Thy bounty and bestowals and gifts, that he may know Thee through Thee and be severed from all else besides Thee, to such extent that he may arise among Thy servants, remind them of Thy signs, and support Thee in such wise that neither the veils of the world nor the might of nations shall hold him back. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest, and by Thy Name Thou hast raised the banner of “He doeth what He willeth.” There is no God but Thee, the Strong, the Dominant, the Almighty.

O thou who hast entered the prison and attained the presence of the Countenance! Hear thou the call of the Wronged One. By God’s life, verily he whom the servants have taken unto themselves as a guardian or executor or mirror or above or below that—We did nurture him and protect him from his earliest days until one among the servants led him astray to harm Me and shed My blood. To this do testify the servants who surround Me and beyond them those among His creation whom We fed. When that which was hidden in his breast and concealed in his heart was revealed, he raised an outcry, clinging to calumnies that hold no weight with God, the Commander, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Thus did his soul prompt him to commit a grievous wrong, and he became one of the transgressors.

As to what thou hast asked concerning Him Who shall appear and Who shall be known by none other: They who are endowed with insight from God behold Him and testify that He hath come from the heaven of grandeur and power with the hosts of revelation and inspiration. Whoso denieth Him hath denied God from time immemorial, and whoso acknowledgeth and recognizeth Him hath borne witness to God and His signs and His manifestations from the Beginning that hath no beginning unto the End that hath no end. We counsel thee with a word which the people of the cities of knowledge, mystical understanding, justice and fairness will verify: Turn not unto that which those servants have uttered who have broken God’s covenant and His testament, who have denied His signs and disputed His proof. Look with thine own eyes upon the Tree and its fruits, the Sun and its radiance, the Ocean and its waves, and the Light and its effulgence. By God’s life, We have brought forth from the treasuries of the Supreme Pen the pearls of wisdom and utterance, yet the people are in evident doubt.

Say: Fear ye God! This is the Day whereof God’s Books and His Messengers gave glad-tidings, the Day whereon God took His covenant from every Prophet and every trustworthy one, and whose mention hath adorned the pages of the Book of existence, if ye be of them that know. Beware lest ye trouble the pure Salsabil of mystic knowledge with what exists in the contingent world. Purify your ears through the name of your Lord, the All-Merciful, that ye may hearken to the rustling of My Tree, the murmuring of the water of My bounty, the whisper of the winds of My grace, the cooing of the doves of My Cause, and the melodies of the nightingales of My remembrance. Say: By God, ye were created to hearken unto the Word of God, the Lord of the Throne and the Lord of the exalted Seat!

O Yahya! Hear the call from the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, raised up on the white earth at the right hand of the luminous Spot: Verily, there is none other God but Me, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O Yahya! Know thou with the knowledge of certainty that He about Whom thou hast asked cannot be indicated by any indication, nor described by any description, nor comprehended by any comprehension. By God! The comprehensions of the world cannot encompass Him, nor can He be mentioned by that which existeth among the nations. He it is Who speaketh and calleth out, yet most of the people are as dead. He was seated before thy face and speaking with thee. Recognize thou this most exalted station and say:

Praise be unto Thee, O God of Names! Thanks be unto Thee, O Lord of creation and King of earth and heaven! I testify that Thou art the Hidden Mystery and the Treasured Secret. Thou hast manifested Thyself and opened wide the gate of utterance and meaning to all who dwell in the realm of being. Blessed the servant who hath inhaled Thy fragrance and the sweet-scented breezes of Thy Revelation, and turned toward Thy horizon after the Daystar of Thy leave had dawned. Woe betide him who hath denied Thee. I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy signs and the heaven of Thy clear tokens to aid Thy servants to attain the presence of Thy throne, to hearken unto Thy sweetest call, and to behold Thy most exalted horizon.

O Lord! Deprive them not of the wonders of Thy grace. Draw them nigh unto Thee through Thy bounty and loving-kindness. Though Thy irrevocable decree and ordained command may prevent them, inscribe for them from Thy Most Exalted Pen the reward of Thy presence and the recompense of those who circle round Thee and quaff the choice wine of reunion with Thee. Thou art He Who with the movement of Thy finger rent asunder the veils and by the power of Thy Pen dispelled the clouds. There is no God but Thee, the Strong, the All-Conquering, the Almighty.

O Yahya! Behold and then make mention of that which the tongue of My Herald uttered concerning Me. Indeed, I have written a precious word regarding him, namely that none should be known through My allusion nor through what was mentioned in the Bayan. By God’s life! This word guideth the fair-minded to the Most Exalted Horizon and them that are nigh unto the Lord of Names. Blessed is he who hath inhaled its fragrance and held fast unto its cord. Where are the fair-minded among the divines and jurisprudents? And where are they whom doubts have not withheld from the Lord of Names and Attributes? And where are they whom the veils of earth and its delights, riches and colors have not debarred?

O Yahya! By God! This is the Day whereof God gave glad tidings to His Beloved through His words “the Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds,” and whereof He gave tidings to Moses, saying “Lead forth thy people from darkness into light and remind them of the days of God,” and in another place “and thy Lord shall come with angels rank on rank.” This is the Day wherein the All-Knowing hath come in the shadows of clouds. This is the Day wherein the smoke hath encompassed the dwellers of earth and the cities of names. Were We to recount for thee what the All-Merciful hath sent down in the Qur’an and in previous Books, thou wouldst abandon what the people possess, clinging to this momentous Announcement which hath made the limbs of the idolaters to quake and the hearts of the deniers to tremble—they who cast the Most Great Ocean behind their backs, hastening toward the mere pool. By God! The Cause is mighty, mighty, and the Day mighty, mighty. Whenever the Luminary of utterance dawneth from the horizon of the heaven of My Most Exalted Pen, the Kingdom of Remembrance and Praise is stirred with rapture by the sweetness of the utterance of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

Say: O people of the Bayan! By God, ye were created for this Day. Fear God, and exchange not the grace of God for denial, and be not of the wrongdoers. Behold the Tablet and what shineth from its horizon. It guideth you unto His straight path and acquainteth you with that which ye were prevented from knowing today. He is verily the All-Bountiful, the Generous. Cast aside the sayings of men that ye may hear the call of the Lord of creation. Abandon vain imaginings that the Word may draw you to the Dayspring of certitude. The Wronged One proclaimeth in loudest voice: The Lord of Eternity is come in His Most Great Name, and through Him the gate of the Divine Presence hath been opened before all who are in earth and heaven. All things have proclaimed: The Kingdom and Dominion, and Glory and Might belong unto God, the One, the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

O Yahya! When thou hast been blessed to hearken unto My call and hast beheld the pearls of the ocean of My knowledge and the lights of the Sun of My utterance, go forth unto My loved ones and give them the glad-tidings of the heaven of My bounty and the stars of My favors and that which thou hast heard from the Kingdom of My wondrous utterance. We have sent down that before which the verses have bowed down in submission and have revealed that by which the hearts of them that are nigh have been attracted.

Section 2: “O people of the Bayan! Deal fairly…”

Say: O people of the Bayan! Deal fairly by your Lord, the All-Merciful. If ye deny this Most Great Announcement, by what proof can ye establish that which ye possess? Fear God and be not of the heedless. This is the station wherein the Primal Point, upon mention of His Name, declared: “I am the first to worship Him.” When one of His Letters inquired of Him concerning Me, He banished him with the whips of His utterance and threatened him, saying: “Were it not that thou art of the First Unity, I would have decreed for thee a punishment in the Book of God, the Sovereign, the Just, the All-Wise.”

If thou wouldst read what the Point revealed in this station upon mention of My Name, thou wouldst forsake the world behind thee and cry out among the people with this wise Remembrance, and arise to serve My Cause in such wise that neither the hosts of the world would frighten thee nor the power of the monarchs weaken thee. We revealed aforetime unto one of the servants: “This is not the Day for questions. It behooveth every soul, when he heareth the Call from the Supreme Horizon, to arise and say: ʿHere am I, O Desire of the world! Here am I, O Worshipped One of all who are in the heavens and on earth!”’ Wouldst thou question Him Whose mercy hath preceded all things, Whose grace hath encompassed all, Whose lights have shone forth, Whose manifestations have dawned, Whose proof hath been sent down, Whose evidence hath appeared, and Who hath ever stood before the faces of all in the realm of possibility? Art thou come or wilt thou come?

Say: Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! I turn unto Thee, and I am the first of them that turn. Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! I am of them that bow down. Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! I am of them that worship. I beseech Thee by the pearls of the ocean of Thy knowledge and the stars of the heaven of Thy wisdom, and by the lights of Thy countenance and the mysteries of Thy Book, that Thou forgive me and have mercy upon me. By Thy glory, O my God! My transgressions have prevented me from drawing nigh unto Thee, and my sins have intervened between me and Thee. I acknowledge and confess before Thy face that Thou didst create me for the knowledge of Thyself and for hearkening unto Thy call and for beholding the lights of Thy horizon. By Thy glory! Whenever I reflect upon my hesitation and heedlessness, my liver melteth, my heart is set aflame, and my soul is overturned; and whenever I reflect upon the ocean of Thy mercy and the heaven of Thy bounty and generosity, my soul is assured, my heart findeth rest, and my agitation is stilled.

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having guided me unto Thy path, admitted me into Thy presence, and made me know the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation, the Source of Thy Cause, and the Dayspring of Thy Revelation. I beseech Thee to aid me to acknowledge that which Thou hast sent down from the heaven of Thy will. Then I beseech Thee, O God of Names and Creator of heaven, by the breezes of Thy verses, and by the lands that have been honored by Thy footsteps, and by the cities wherein Thy call was raised, and by the spot whereon the throne of Thy grandeur was established, to make me in all conditions detached from all else save Thee, holding fast unto Thee, and clinging to the hem of the robe of Thy grace. Then aid me, O my God, to remember Thee in such wise that nothing whatsoever shall prevent me from extolling Thee among Thy creation. Verily Thou art the Almighty, unto Whose might all created things have testified, and all contingent beings to Thy greatness and sovereignty. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou pleasest. Verily Thou art the Mighty, the All-Wise.

O Yahya! Call to mind when thou didst appear before the Divine Throne in bygone days, and with thee was he who was named ʿAli in the Book of Names. We made mention to thee of that which thou hadst asked, unveiled the truth unto thee, and caused thee to hear the warbling of the Bird of Utterance upon the loftiest branches, that thou mightest know that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken. By the life of God! We desired naught save to deliver thee from the ocean of idle fancies and to awaken thee in these days wherein slumber hath overtaken the dwellers of the cities of ignorance and transgression. I bear witness before God, and the Daysprings of His Revelation, and the Dawning-Places of His inspiration, and the Manifestations of His Self, and the Treasuries of His wisdom, that I desired for thee naught save that which hath been sent down in His perspicuous and binding Book.

Beware lest the veils of idle fancy withhold thee, or doubts and allusions debar thee, even as they have debarred people before thee. Observe, then call to mind the people of former times and that which prevented them from turning unto the supreme horizon, the ultimate station, and the highest summit. Beware, beware lest thou deprive thyself of the outpourings of thy Lord’s days and of that which hath been sent down from the heaven of knowledge and wisdom upon His servants and His creatures. Cast aside thy vain imaginings. By God! The Sun of Inspiration hath dawned from the horizon of thy Lord’s will, the Lord of this wondrous Day. We have caused thee to hear the melodies of the birds of wisdom and knowledge in the eloquent tongue, and We desire to cause thee to hear them in a perspicuous Persian tongue, that thou mayest know and be of the thankful ones.

Hearken in the Persian tongue to the call of the Wronged One. He, verily, draweth thee nigh and aideth thee as a grace from His presence, and He is the All-Bountiful, the Compassionate, the Generous. I declare by the Sun of Truth, which has shone forth from the highest horizon of the world, that the people of Baha had not and have not any aim save the prosperity and reformation of the world and the purifying of the nations. His intention is to cleanse the world through the waters of remembrance and utterance from rancor and hatred, that perchance religious strife and conflict, which are the cause and reason for the shedding of blood and the upheaval of the world of humanity, might be removed from its midst, so that all who dwell on earth might be adorned with the ornament of unity and concord and illumined with the light of love and harmony. To the extent possible, nay beyond it, hath the Most Exalted Pen counseled the people, and It hath had no helper save the Pen itself. To this beareth witness every fair-minded and insightful one, and every learned and informed one.

Observe the religions of the world, how they remain veiled and debarred. Glory be to God! All await the divine days, and at all times they implore and supplicate with the utmost humility and devotion for the meeting with the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Nevertheless, when the Sun of Truth shone forth from the horizon of the world, all remained occupied with their own idle fancies and devoted to the idols of their own selves. They have forsaken the Truth and clung to that which is unseemly. We beseech God to aid all and not to deprive them of the Kawthar of awareness. He is, verily, the Powerful, the Mighty.

O Yahya! Behold with thine own eyes what hath been revealed by the Most Exalted Pen. Thus doth He say: “Whoso desireth to know Him, let him look upon Him with his own eyes.” Today the Truth is known by His own Self, not by the Bayan and what hath been revealed therein, even as the Primal Point hath testified to this truth. This is specially true of this Most Great Revelation. Should anyone seek to adduce proofs from the Bayan, he would find himself deprived of the straight path. This is the testimony which the Point of the Bayan Himself hath borne, saying: “He shall not be known through My tokens nor through that which hath been revealed in the Bayan.”

Although the entire Bayan was revealed to establish this Most Great Cause and Mighty Announcement, He saith: “Beware, beware lest thou be veiled by the Vahid of the Bayan, for that Vahid was created by Him. Beware, beware lest thou be veiled by what was revealed in the Bayan.” He proclaimeth with the loudest voice that the Sovereign of Revelation, the Speaker of Sinai, shall not be known through His tokens nor through the Bayan and what was revealed therein. This Most Great Revelation encompasseth all things and is not encompassed. Now hath the Light of Light shone forth and that which was hidden is revealed in this Unfurled Scroll. Thereafter neither lamp, nor moon, nor sun shall profit thee. Ponder that thou mayest find the purpose of God and be of them that are firmly established in this Manifest Cause.

Would that the deluded ones had clung to the lamp! By the life of God, they cling to the source of vain imaginings and perceive it not. If they seek verses, these have encompassed the world. If they desire proofs, all that hath subsequently appeared was revealed aforetime with utmost clarity by the Most Exalted Pen. If they seek outward power and might, all have testified and do testify that this Wronged One hath, from the earliest days, openly and without any veil, summoned all people, whether rulers, ministers, divines or jurisprudents, to the Most Sublime Horizon with the loudest call. He that hath vision beholdeth the Tree itself and its fruits, and likewise the sun and its rays. This Wronged One hath not proved His Cause through verses alone, but through all that hath proceeded from Him. The Point of the Bayan hath testified to this, saying that whatsoever proceedeth from Him is the criterion. In days when the whole world trembled before the might of the oppressors and tyrants, We arose to champion the Cause through divine power—an uprising that knew no sitting, and We raised a call that knew no silence.

Consider the Persian Bayan and likewise all the writings of the Point. Although the deniers have forsaken the Bayan and its Author and are occupied with the vain imaginings of the former peoples, they say the Bayan hath been corrupted. God slay them! God slay them! Say: O ye who are devoid of fairness! For a thousand and two hundred years and more hath the Shi’ih sect clung to such vain imaginings. What was its fruit and what was its result? Yea, the result was that all the divines and jurisprudents in the early years rose up against the Sovereign of existence and the Lord of the seen and unseen, and ultimately issued the decree for the shedding of His most pure blood.

Now too are the deniers of the Bayan engaged in forming such a sect. Say: Fear ye God! Place yourselves in His presence, then judge with fairness concerning this Light that hath shone forth from the horizon of all horizons, and this Sun whose rays have encompassed all regions. Fear ye God and be not of the wrongdoers. Be distinguished from all others by the truth of your deeds and actions. Hearken unto the counsel of Him Who is wronged, and turn from that which ye possess to that which God possesseth. The ear was created for this Day, and sight was brought into being for this Day. It is hoped that the people of God will arise to aid His Cause and conquer the cities of hearts through the hosts of deeds and character in the name of the Lord of existence.

O Yahya! Should anyone attain unto this most exalted Word, which adorns the preface of the Book of Grace, he shall find himself steadfast and at peace. Put aside today what the people possess, and hold fast to that which thou hast been given from God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. This Day is God’s Day, wherein none but Him is mentioned. Consider the baseness in the nature of those who have turned away from the Bayan. They speak anew of the Mirror, the Successor, the Guardian, the Chief, and the Noble One. Today none but God is mentioned and none but He exists. One marvels how these people wander in the wilderness of misbelief while counting themselves among the believers, and roam in the valley of ignorance while considering themselves people of knowledge.

Section 3: “Some have clung to Him Whom God Shall…”

Some have clung to Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest while remaining deprived of His Lord. Say: O ye who lack justice! He hath said that whenever He appears, all must acknowledge Him and render thanks unto God. None but Him hath known, nor knoweth. Hear what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an:

“Alif. Lam. Mim. Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, We believe,’ and that they will not be tested?”

Through a single word—Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest’—He tested all, though He had said that if ye hear of such a matter and do not believe, commit not that which would cause Him grief, even if it should be other than Him—though this supposition is impossible. Yet merely because He mentioned the name, it behooveth those who love Him not to cause Him sorrow, out of respect for His name. Now the deniers of the Bayan demand the equivalent of all previous and subsequent books, and more besides, that perchance the fire of hatred and animosity might be quenched and the sun of justice might shine from the horizon of the heaven of their hearts. Have not the tribulations We have endured from the beginning until now sufficed? The sun, moon, stars, heaven, trees, and fruits all bear witness that this Wronged One hath not for a moment sought to protect Himself. At times beneath chains and fetters, at times captive in the hands of the wicked. God knoweth what hath befallen Me in His path.

Some have said this Most Great Manifestation and Mighty Announcement hath appeared too soon. Say: O ignorant ones! The Point of the Bayan hath said, “If He should appear at this very moment, I would be the first to fall down before Him.” What say ye concerning the words “He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth”? By God! Had they attained unto a single drop from the ocean of meanings contained within this most exalted Word, they would not have hesitated for a moment. O Yahya! This most exalted Word is the greatest stronghold for the servants. Whosoever reacheth it and attaineth unto it shall find himself seated upon the throne of steadfastness and assurance. Blessed is he who hath attained, and woe unto every heedless doubter.

Say: Reflect upon the Son of Zacharias and the Son of Mary, who appeared in the same age. Say: Fear God, and be not among the deniers. Had the Point of the Bayan not beheld the very Manifestation Himself, He would never have caused these words to flow from His Pen: “If ye hear that One hath appeared, deny Him not, and tarry not even to say ʿyea!”’

Today verses are raining down like showers from the clouds of divine Will, and have encompassed all eyes and hearts. Blessed is he who denieth not that which shineth forth clear as the sun, who gazeth with justice and speaketh with fairness.

As to thy question concerning “Him Whom God shall make manifest,” it was previously mentioned that all were tested by this word, but henceforth He declareth that whenever He appeareth, all must acknowledge Him and render thanks unto God. At the beginning of the Bayan, We commanded thee to observe the Tree and its fruits, the Sun and its rays. If thou attainest unto this station, thou hast attained unto all good. To this beareth witness the Mother Book in this exalted station and the Mother of the Bayan from this luminous horizon.

Now, a Book hath been sent down before thy face, specially for thee, equal to all the divine Books of the past and present, yet thou remainest hesitant and perplexed. Hearken unto the Voice of the Wronged One. Rend asunder the veils of idle fancy, and turn from the north of doubt to the south of certitude. Cross over the river of names and make for the ocean of inner meanings, and from the pond proceed to the Merciful’s river of grace. Today all books are contingent upon acceptance. The Cause is another Cause, the Bayan another Bayan, and this Day another Day. If thou wouldst truly perceive each letter of the Letters of the Bayan, thou wouldst find naught but the fragrance of this Revelation. To this beareth witness He with Whom is the Mother Book. We beseech God to aid thee and illumine thee with the lights of true unity, that thou mayest pass beyond all things and turn toward the Most Exalted Horizon.

Judge thou by God! What became of those verses revealed concerning the advent of the Day of Resurrection—mention of the Bridge, the Balance, the rising of the dead from their graves, the blowing of the trumpet, the passing of mountains like clouds, the cleaving of heaven, the rending of earth, the descent of angels, Paradise and Hell, and the like? And what didst thou witness? And how dost thou interpret that which was revealed in the Book of God regarding the conditions of the appearance of the Resurrection? For outwardly none of these things appeared. Yet We bear witness that all have been made manifest, and the appearance of these matters hath been dependent upon the Word of God, exalted be His glory. For each of these there are meanings ordained and recorded with God. The raising up of places, in its primary sense, hath been and is through the Word of God. Should He say “The places are raised up,” through this word it would be evident and manifest to those possessed of vision and the Most Sublime Vision. Every matter, in its first station, its manifestation and elevation is through the Word.

And as to the question that was raised concerning the “exaltation of the sacred places”: be thou just, by God! What hath become of those verses which, at the advent of the Resurrection, were revealed touching the Sirat and the Balance, the rising of the dwellers in the graves, the blowing of the Trumpet, the passing of the mountains as clouds, the rending of the heaven, the cleaving of the earth, the descent of the angels, Paradise and Hell, and the like? What hast thou witnessed? And what meaning didst thou assign to that which hath been revealed in the Book of God as the conditions of the Resurrection, seeing that, outwardly, none of these things hath appeared? Yet We bear witness that all have been made manifest. The manifestation of these things is conditioned upon the Word of God—glorified be His majesty—and for each a meaning hath been ordained with God and set down in His records. The “exaltation of the sacred places,” in its first and foremost rank, hath been and is through the Word of God. If He but saith, “The places have been exalted,” then, in the sight of them that possess vision, and in the Most Great View, that exaltation is evident and plain.

Every matter, in its beginning, hath had its appearing, its disclosure, and its uplifting through a word. Hearken to what the Tongue of the Point hath spoken. In a Tablet to Mulla Ali-i-Bastami—upon him be the Most Great Glory—He bestowed a favour, destined for Shaykh Muhammad-Hasan of Najaf; yet the latter paid no heed to that Tablet. Again a second Tablet was revealed, and therein this exalted word was mentioned and inscribed:

“We have raised up Ali from his resting-place and sent him unto thee; wert thou to recognize him, thou wouldst prostrate thyself before him…”

to the end.

He—exalted be His saying—declareth: “We raised up ʿAli from his grave and sent him unto thee. Hadst thou known him, thou wouldst have bowed thyself in prostration before him; but thou didst not know him, and all thy deeds were rejected.” Ponder thou this utterance of the Point; for at the hour of His Manifestation He saith: “The Day whose measure is fifty thousand years hath already been accomplished.” Reflect upon this exalted word; choose silence, and say: I have submitted myself unto Thee, O Desire of the worlds, and I have believed in Thee, O Beloved of the hearts of the discerning.

Should any soul cling, outwardly, to the aforesaid literal conditions, he shall never attain unto the light of faith. Hearken to the call of the Wronged One; with thine own eyes turn unto the Most Exalted Horizon, and with thine own ears hearken to the rustling of the Sadratu’l-Muntaha. Thus hath the shrill voice of My Most Exalted Pen been uplifted, and the murmuring of the Euphrates of My mercy hath been heard in the realm of creation. Turn thou, wholly detached from the world and all that is therein, and be not of them that merely endure. Say:

My God, my God! I beseech Thee by the Mother Book which is established upon the throne in the ultimate end, and which Thou hast made the Dawning-Place of Thy verses, the Dayspring of Thy clear tokens, the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Source of Thy Cause, to strengthen me to remain steadfast in Thy love in such wise that what the people possess shall never prevent me. O Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thy direction and setting my face toward Thy countenance. All praise be unto Thee for having enabled me and strengthened me to attain unto the presence before the seat of Thy power. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy throne, the breaths of Thy revelation and the mysteries of Thy Book, to withhold me not from that which lieth with Thee.

O Lord! Purify my heart with the water of Thy knowledge and increase the light of my vision through Thy bounty and favors. I testify that Thou hast created me to know Thee, called me into being to serve Thee, and caused me to speak in Thy praise. I beseech Thee, O God of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen, to prevent me not from hearkening unto Thy call nor from beholding the manifestations of Thy power and the evidences of Thy might. Strengthen my heart, O my God, that it may be detached from all else but Thee, hold fast unto the cord of Thy grace and cling to the hem of the robe of Thy bounty.

O Lord! I am the poor and lowly one who hath come unto the ocean of Thy riches, and the weak and helpless one who hath laid hold on the cord of Thy power. I testify that I know not what is with Thee, nor do I know what profiteth me. I beseech Thee by the pearls of the ocean of Thy utterance and the stars in the heaven of Thy grace to ordain for me through Thy Most Exalted Pen that which shall benefit me in all the worlds of Thy worlds. O Lord! Disappoint me not from the gate of Thy bounty which Thou hast opened before the faces of all who are in Thy heaven and on Thine earth, and withhold me not from the Kawthar of life which hath flowed from the Pen of Thy generosity in Thy days.

Thou art He to Whose power, might, grandeur and sovereignty every tongue hath testified. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, worthy to answer prayer. Send down, O my God, upon Thy loved ones and chosen ones, who were deterred neither by the might of princes from turning toward Thee, nor by the doubts of the divines from drawing nigh unto the court of Thy glory, that which beseemeth Thy bounty, Thy favors, Thy grace and Thy gifts. Then assist them with the hosts of the unseen and the seen, that they may manifest Thy Cause and exalt Thy Word whereby the limbs of all names have quaked and the hearts of the aggressive ones in the realm of creation have trembled. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.