Volume 083: Akka 1304 A.H. (1886–1887), Part IV (1 of 5)

BH00691: Upon thee be Glory, O Samandar! Ism-i-Jud, upon him…

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

Upon thee be Glory, O Samandar! Ism-i-Jud, upon him be Glory, forwarded your letters to the Most Holy Court in the days when we were at the Most Great Scene at the Mansion of Bahji. All were honored to be beheld and favored to be heard. Blessed are they who are engaged with spirit and fragrance in the remembrance of the Best Beloved of the worlds and are steadfast in service. The Supreme Pen hath from the earliest days until now borne witness to thy acceptance, thy devotion, thy steadfastness and thy service. We praise God, blessed and exalted be He, for having aided thee to hold fast unto His cord in His days and to cling to His robe. Verily, He is the Generous, the Bountiful.

Mention hath been made of Andalib, upon him be Glory. We have verily aided him and will continue to aid him. Thy Lord is indeed the Helper, the All-Wise. We send him greetings from this Station and give him the glad-tidings of My mercy which hath preceded existence both seen and unseen.

The servant in attendance before Us submitted the pages of proofs, and they were graciously accepted. Verily he hath spoken the truth regarding this Great Announcement and this firm, sound, and mighty Cause.

Concerning what thou didst mention about the compilation of verses and epistles—this deed is regarded and recorded as among the most great works in the sight of the Self-Sufficient. In these days the revealed Tablets are being read in Our presence, for many Tablets written both before and after were dispatched to various regions without being compared. Therefore, in these days they are repeatedly being read in Our presence, that what God hath intended and what the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken may become manifest. Many verses and evidences have fallen into the hands of the idolaters, both in the Land of Ta [Tehran] and other lands. The people of God must make a mighty effort to preserve and protect the Tablets. In the Land of Ta, whatever was found in certain homes was seized and fell into the hands of the heedless. We have commanded all to preserve what hath flowed from the Supreme Pen. We beseech God to aid them to do what He loveth and pleaseth and to draw them nigh unto Him. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Powerful.

The letter of Khalil, glory be upon him, was presented before the Most Holy Court and was honored with attention and favor. We beseech God to assist him and those with him to exalt His Word and to make his mention penetrating in the hearts and effective in the souls. On the last night of Jamadi’l-Avval, this servant presented his letter. Blessed be he! O Samandar! You mentioned Nabil-i-Akbar who has turned to various regions specifically for the service of the Cause and exaltation of the Word. Ask God that fruit may appear and it may not be without effect. We have revealed from the Kingdom of Our utterance in the Tablet of Wisdom, addressing him: “Be thou as the throbbing artery in the body of creation, so that through the heat generated by this motion the souls of the hesitant may be quickened.” Blessed is he who hath attained to the outpourings of this Ocean in the days of his Lord, the Most Generous, the All-Wise. Be thou a promoter of the Cause of God with an utterance which will set ablaze the trees and cause them to speak: “Verily, there is no God but Me, the Mighty, the Self-Subsisting.”

Say: Utterance is a substance that seeketh penetration and moderation. As for penetration, it dependeth upon pure and unencumbered hearts, and as for moderation, it must be combined with wisdom which We have revealed in the Books and Tablets. And in another connection:

“Walk with the power of the Most Great Name above the world that thou mayest witness the mysteries of eternity and discover that which no one hath discovered. Verily thy Lord is the Helper, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.”

Were all the powers of the seen and unseen to be concentrated in the power of hearing, then perchance it could be said that it would be capable of hearkening unto this Call which is raised from the right hand of the Throne; and were the strength and brilliance of all eyes to be concentrated in one eye, then perhaps it would be worthy to behold these signs. With utmost humility and supplication beseech ye the Self-Sufficient One that He may not deprive His servants and that He may bestow upon them the Kawthar of immortality from the chalice of His bounty. We beseech God to assist His servants and confirm them in that which beseemeth His days. Verily, He is the Bountiful, the Generous.

O Samandar! The hosts of victory are goodly deeds and praiseworthy attributes. In the divine Tablets this word hath repeatedly been revealed: We have enjoined upon all the fear of God and that whereby stations and ranks are elevated. Blessed are they that act. One word setteth ablaze, and another extinguisheth. Today the ocean of grace is surging and the sun of bounty is shining. Whosoever speaketh for the sake of God, its effects shall be manifest in all regions. Through the movement of the Supreme Pen We have set the world aflame and raised the banner of “He is God” upon the highest station of the world without concealment or hindrance. From the beginning of the Cause until now We have stood before the hosts and spoken. The oppression of the world did not prevent Us and the clamor of nations did not hold Us back. We beseech God to confirm all to teach His Cause with joy and fragrance. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Mighty.

Mention was made of Jinab-i-Javad, upon him be My glory. He and his kin have ever been and continue to be remembered. Blessed is he, for he hath been faithful to God’s Covenant and Testament, and hath arisen to serve Him and His loved ones over successive years. We have revealed for him that which hath brought solace to the eyes of them that are nigh unto God. Convey My greetings to Jinab-i-Muhammad-Karim. He hath attained unto My mention and My favor, and is under the glances of My grace, the Mighty, the Great. Convey the greetings of the Wronged One to him and remind him of that which hath been sent down from God, the Lord of all worlds. Mention was made of Jinab-i-Yahya, upon him be the Glory of God, in the Most Holy Court. The answers to his questions were sent in both the revealed and written scripts. God willing, may they discover the fragrance of God from His words, and drink and give to drink from His ocean of meanings.

Ye made mention of Jinab-i-Amin and Faydu’llah, upon them both be My glory. Each hath attained unto the mention of the Wronged One. We make mention of Fayd and give him glad tidings of the favors of his Lord, the All-Bountiful, the Generous. As for Amin, upon him be My glory and My favor, he hath repeatedly mentioned that land and the hardships and hospitality shown, and previously mention of these matters was revealed from the Supreme Pen and sent forth. All the women of that land are adorned with the ornament of mention. We beseech God to adorn them with the garments of virtuous deeds and to ordain for them the good of both this world and the next. Verily He is the Lord of the Throne and earth. We make mention of the teacher who turned towards God when the servants turned away, and who acknowledged when the people of the land denied. We verily send Our greetings unto him from this manifest station. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

Ye made mention of Jinab-i-Amin’s journey on foot from the land of Rasht to the land of Qaf. O Samandar! We bear witness that he was mounted upon the finest steed in all the world and was seated in the most exalted carriage of all nations, for this walking on foot is a testament to humility, submissiveness, resignation, contentment and detachment. Thy Lord is verily the All-Knowing Expositor, the All-Wise Rememberer.

Convey the greetings of the Wronged One to all the kinsmen and give them glad tidings of God’s favor. All are mentioned before the Wronged One and have attained unto the traces of the Supreme Pen. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon My loved ones there who were not kept back from God, the Creator of heaven and Lord of the Throne and earth, by the might of the enemies.

O Samandar! At the end of the book We make mention of the kinsmen and of Jud, upon him be My glory, and convey greetings and give glad tidings of the favor of God, exalted be His glory. We beseech God to aid them, to grant them success, and to ordain for them the good of both worlds and that which shall be a treasure with Him. He verily is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. He ordaineth for His loved ones that which shall benefit them in all the worlds of His worlds. He is verily the Almighty, the Unconstrained.

The prayer shining from the horizon of the heaven of My utterance and the glory gleaming from the direction of My prison be upon My loved ones who have arisen in their days to serve My Cause and have done that whereby My Word was exalted. These are they upon whom the Concourse on High and the dwellers of Paradise send their prayers, and they who circle round the Throne in My mighty prison and in the Land of Mystery and in Zawra, the place from whose horizon hath shone forth the Day-Star of My Revelation, the Mighty, the Wondrous. And praise be to God, the Lord of the mighty Throne.

BH00728: At this hour when the Most Great Luminary…

He is God, exalted be His station, the Wise, the Manifest

At this hour when the Most Great Luminary is rising and shining from the heaven of His love, one named Mihdi—upon him be My glory—sent thy letter which attained unto the gaze of favor and was honored by the hearing of the Wronged One. The souls mentioned therein have each ascended by the ladder of divine grace to the highest horizon, which is the station of turning to the Lord of Names and Creator of heaven, and have attained thereunto. Verily, he who sacrificed himself by his own hand was in grievous error. The Supreme Pen hath ever forbidden such deeds in the Scriptures and Tablets. Today the friends of God, exalted be His glory, must occupy themselves with the promotion of His Cause, that perchance those souls who are drowning in the ocean of vain imaginings may find deliverance through the cord of the All-Merciful’s utterance and be adorned with the armor of God’s Word, and thus be protected from the arrows of the divines’ doubts and the swords of the rulers’ wrath.

O Mihdi! We have, as a token of Our grace, forgiven him. Upon him and upon thee be glory. We counsel all the friends of God to act in accordance with that which hath been recorded by the Supreme Pen in the Book. Say: O people, hold fast unto the Book of God—this is better for you, did ye but know it. The Book of God hath ever been and shall continue to be the Protector, Helper, Guardian, Supporter, Sustainer and Confirmer. Today the True One Himself is established upon this station and counseleth all unto that which hath been and is the cause of eternal and abiding wealth. Say:

My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having shown me Thy highest horizon and caused me to hear the shrill voice of Thy Most Glorious Pen. I testify that Thou hast guided them that are on earth to Thy path, made them to know Thy proof, and commanded them to that which profiteth them in every world of Thy worlds. I beseech Thee by the billows of the ocean of Thy knowledge, by the standards which Thou didst raise up by Thy command, and by the signs which were elevated throughout the earth by Thy power and sovereignty, that Thou forgive Thy servants even as Thou didst forgive him who gave up his spirit in Thy path. O my Lord! Ordain for me and for them who have believed in Thee and Thy signs that which shall gladden the eyes and rejoice the hearts. Verily Thou art the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Thou didst mention [Mirza] Sadiq—upon him be My glory—and likewise Mirza Ibrahim—upon him be My grace. Each hath attained unto the effulgences of the lights of the Most Great Name and been mentioned in the writings of the All-Merciful. We beseech God to aid them and grant them success that they may acquire eternal stations in these transient days. All the mentions of the world cannot equal one mention in this Day—this is a word to which the Lord of the worlds hath borne witness. O people of God! Strive that ye may attain unto that which hath no likeness or equal.

O Baha’u’din! Hear the call of God, the True King, the Manifest. He mentioned thee before and mentioneth thee at this time. When thou art honored by His mention, arise and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Goal of them that know!

O Ali, upon thee be My glory! Repeatedly have mention of thee and mention of him who ascended unto God flowed from the Supreme Pen. Reflect upon the heaven of divine grace—were all the peoples of the world to turn in less than that moment, all would be adorned with the robe of forgiveness and attain unto the greatest favor.

O Qasim! Grieve not. Verily the ocean of joy hath turned toward thee from the direction of the Prison. Rejoice in its turning toward thee and say: Thine is the bounty, O Lord of Names, and Thine is the glory, O Thou Goal of them that are in the heavens and on earth.

O my God and my Heart’s Desire! Thou hearest the cry of hearts in their separation from Thee. I beseech Thee by the light of union with Thee and the ocean of Thy bounty, that Thou mayest ordain for Thy loved ones that which will draw them nigh unto Thee. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. Within Thy grasp are the reins of the world and the affairs of nations, and Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

O My Pen! Make mention of the names that have appeared before Thy face and have attained unto Thy promise. Say:

O Qasim! The Wronged One hath, from the precincts of the prison, remembered thee with a remembrance that hath no equal in all the world. Be thankful unto thy Lord for this manifest favor. We have mentioned thee time and again that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Gracious Lord. This is the Day of Joy, were ye to know it, and this is the Day of Gladness, to which testifieth He Who proclaimeth in every state that there is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Great.

O Rida! Hearken unto that which the Lord of Names calleth unto thee, that thy Lord may draw thee to a station wherein thou shalt arise to make mention of Him and praise Him among His servants with wisdom. Verily, thy Lord is the Ordainer, the All-Wise.

O Husayn! The Wronged One remembereth thee in the prison purely for the sake of thy Lord, that thou mayest rejoice in the loving-kindness of thy Lord and be of them that render thanks.

O Baqir! We have heard thy call and have answered thee, and We counsel thee to be steadfast in this Cause, which the world hath denied, save those whom thy Lord, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous, hath willed.

O Sadiq! When the Horizon of Revelation shone forth and the Promised One appeared, He was denied by every liar, every wrongdoer, every transgressor, every tyrant, and every stubborn oppressor. We found not from them the fragrance of truthfulness, to which thy Lord beareth witness from this exalted station.

O Ismail! Reflect upon those who hastened to the sanctuary and offered up their souls in the path of God, the Lord of all mankind. Verily, thy Lord is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth through His mighty and wondrous Word.

O Ja’far! We have guided the servants unto Our Most Great Path and have consigned the company of divines to the fire by the command of Him Who is the Lord of destiny. Verily, thy Lord is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

O Husayn! The All-Knowing hath turned toward thee and remembereth thee with that which shall strengthen thee to remain steadfast in His Clear Announcement. Beware lest the might of those who have disbelieved in the Lord of the worlds frighten thee. When thou hast attained unto My remembrance, say: Praise be unto Thee, O Joy of the World, and praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Desire of them that are nigh unto Thee.

O Hasan! Say: My God, my God! I am he who hath turned toward Thee when he heard Thy sweetest call and the rustling of Thy Most Exalted Pen. I beseech Thee by the breezes of Thy days and the fragrances of Thy verses to make me so steadfast in Thy Cause that the doubts of every remote scholar and every suspicious mystic may not hinder me.

O Ma’sum! We have seen thy mention and have remembered thee. Say: My God, my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Infallibility and Thy Most Mighty Signs to make me hold fast unto Thy protection, cling to Thy bounty, and adhere to Thy loving-kindness. Verily, Thou hast power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

O Siyyid Muhammad! Blessed is the servant whom the world hath not caused to slip, and the eye which the veils of names have not prevented. He hath cast aside the gulf, turning unto the Most Great Ocean. He is indeed of the people of Baha in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

We make mention of the Alif before the Qaf (Aqa Jan) and counsel him with that whereby the station of man is exalted. Blessed is he who hath heard and acted, and woe unto the heedless. We have counseled all aforetime regarding deeds and character. Blessed is he who hath held fast thereunto, turning away from every ignorant one who hath denied God and His verses shining from this luminous horizon.

O Ramadan! The Object of all worlds hath made mention of all. At the time when any soul turneth towards the Most Exalted Horizon, mention of him floweth from the Tongue of Grandeur—this is a truth concerning which there is no doubt. The people of God must render thanks and attain unto the most great steadfastness, and must beseech God to preserve all from the vain imaginings and idle fancies of the former people.

O Nabi! The Most Great Announcement proclaimeth and summoneth all to the Most Exalted Horizon. Beseech thou God that He withhold not the entire world from the choice wine of utterance and the Kawthar of divine knowledge, nor deprive them thereof. Verily He is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O Javad! The Lord of creation summoned all on the Day of the Call, but the heedless servants remained veiled and debarred, save for a certain number of letters before thy Lord’s face. We beseech God that He illumine the people of that land with the lights of the Sun of Revelation, preserve them through His Name the All-Powerful, and make them steadfast upon the path through His Name the All-Conquering. He is the Mighty, the Omnipotent.

The Glory be upon you, O My party from among My male and female servants. We beseech God to aid you to be steadfast in this Mighty Cause. And praise be to God, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

BH00772: O peoples of the world! Fear ye the Ancient…

In the Name of the All-Hearing, the All-Answering!

O peoples of the world! Fear ye the Ancient Lord Who hath appeared with the Most Great Name, and be not of the heedless ones. Verily the gate of heaven hath been opened, and the Lord of Names hath come, riding upon the clouds. Blessed is he who hath witnessed and seen, and woe betide every remote oppressor. The Speaker of Sinai hath appeared and ascended the throne of Revelation, and the Divine Lote-Tree doth call out from the most exalted station:

“Verily there is none other God but Me, the Almighty, the Powerful.”

Sinai hath been honored by the mention of the Lord of Names, yet the people remain in manifest veils.

O Elijah! Hearken unto the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree; verily it hath turned toward thee from the direction of the Prison, as a bounty from His presence, and He is the Munificent, the Generous. He remembereth thee as He remembered thee before. Verily thy Lord is the All-Merciful, the Compassionate. Blessed art thou for having rent asunder the veils and turned toward Him in days wherein every dubious learned one turned away—they who cast the Covenant of God behind their backs and committed that which caused the Concourse on High and the dwellers of this glorious station to lament. We came from the Orient of Power with a sovereignty that hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. We desired naught but to meet Our servants and to reform Our earth, yet the servants hindered Us—they who denied God’s proof and His evidence, and opposed Him Who came unto them with manifest sovereignty. We beseech God to ordain for thee the reward of meeting Him and to decree for thee what He hath decreed for His loved ones. Verily He is the Omnipotent over what He willeth. There is none other God but Him, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Say: Between Me and My loved ones have intervened the oppressors among My creation and the transgressors among My creatures, who have cast My Covenant behind their backs, hastening unto every remote ignorant one. Thus doth My Most Exalted Pen reveal Its signs and the Ocean of Utterance Its pearls, as a mercy from His presence. Verily He is the Most Merciful of the merciful ones.

When thou dost inhale the fragrance of My utterance and attain unto My verses, say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having mentioned me, made me known, guided me, and caused me to speak. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy Kingdom and Thy Dominion, by Thy sweetest call between Thy earth and Thy heaven, by the lights of Thy countenance and Thy throne, and by the pearls of the ocean of Thy knowledge and wisdom, to make me steadfast in Thy Cause in such wise that neither the clamor of the servants nor the croaking of those in the lands shall deter me. O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thy Most Exalted Horizon, with the hands of my hope raised toward Thy heaven. O Lord of Names! I beseech Thee not to disappoint them through Thy generosity, Thy favors, Thy grace, and Thy gifts. Thou art He Whose mercy hath preceded all and Whose grace hath encompassed all. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou desirest. Verily Thou art the Mighty, the Triumphant, the Powerful.

O My Name! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. We have mentioned His Honor Elijah with a mention that shall endure in the Book of God. Praise be to God, the children of Abraham and the heirs of Moses have attained unto the fruits of the Divine Lote-Tree through the signs of the Most Exalted Pen. Well is it with them and may it bring them joy. Give them glad-tidings from Me, remind them of My verses, guide them to the ocean of My loving-kindness, and draw them nigh unto the heaven of My remembrance. In these days the fire of hatred is ablaze in this land, therefore We have forbidden pilgrimage. However, there hath been sent down from the heaven of divine Will for him that which the world and all that is therein cannot equal. He should rejoice and thank his Lord, the Forgiving, the Generous. As commanded, they should adhere to Islam and outwardly hold fast to the resplendent Law. This is better for them, as doth testify His manifest Book.

Thou didst make mention of Aqa Abu’l-Hasan of the Land of Ha. We have heard his call and answered him before, and at this hour, O My Name, the Countenance of the Wronged One is turned towards him from the Most Great Prison. Thou art witness that this Wronged One hath loved and continueth to love meeting His loved ones, but the transgressors with manifest tyranny have interposed and prevented it. From the beginning of this year until now, every day the fire of hatred hath blazed forth from the breasts of some, clear and evident. Therefore, hath the word of prohibition appeared from the horizon of the heaven of the Supreme Pen. Remember him on My behalf, give him glad tidings from Me, and illumine his heart with what hath been revealed for him from My Pen, that he may give thanks unto his Lord, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous, and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having strengthened me, made me know Thee, and enabled me to recognize the Dayspring of Thy signs and the Dawning-Place of Thy inspiration. I beseech Thee by the land whereon the throne of Thy grandeur was established, and by the realms which were illumined with the lights of Thy countenance, to ordain for me, by the Pen of Thy bounty, the recompense of meeting Thee. Thou, verily, hast power to do what Thou willest. Furthermore, I beseech Thee, O God of Names and Creator of heaven, by the treasuries of Thy knowledge and the mines of Thy wisdom, to make me in all conditions cling to Thy cord, stand firm in Thy love, speak forth Thy praise, and hold fast unto the wisdom which Thou hast sent down in Thy Scriptures and Thy Tablets. Thou art indeed the One with power, to Whose might all created things have testified, and to Whose strength all beings have borne witness. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Knowing.”

O My Name, thou didst make mention of his honor Nawwab, upon him be My glory. His remembrance hath flowed and continues to flow from the Supreme Pen, both before and after. Praise be to God, he hath been successful in turning towards God, in steadfastness, certitude, and service to the Cause of God, exalted be His glory. We beseech God to aid him, confirm him, and so enkindle him that he may attract the moisture of heedless souls and guide them to the highest horizon. Some time ago, a Tablet was specifically revealed for him from the heaven of the favor of the Goal of all the worlds and was sent forth. In each word the ocean of grace was surging and the light of utterance was shining. We beseech God that they may drink from the ocean of divine meanings contained within the words of God that which shall endure as long as the kingdom of earth and heaven endure. Write and send what hath at this moment been specifically revealed for him from the Supreme Pen, that his eyes may be gladdened and his heart rejoiced. Verily thy Lord is the All-Commanding, the Ancient of Days. The glory which proceedeth from Us rest upon him and upon those who have believed in the One, the All-Informed.

You and the distinguished T were mentioned, and in these days a special Tablet was revealed for him wherein mention was made of you and the trusted one from the Supreme Pen. Praise be to God, they are remembered in the presence of the Wronged One and have attained His favors. That which the sister and the other sister, upon them be the Glory of God, had desired hath been accepted. Give them the glad-tidings of God’s favors—their Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and earth. Your honor should give them the glad-tidings of the favors of the True One, exalted be His glory. The Mother of the Friends hath been mentioned in numerous places and exalted Tablets from the Supreme Pen. In truth, that household hath ever been remembered before the Wronged One for their love, affection, mention, praise, acceptance and devotion. Blessed are they!

We make mention of Ayn and Ta who have ascended to the Most Exalted Companion, and the Mother of the Friends, and We give them glad-tidings in the Most Exalted Paradise of My mercy, My favors, and My grace which have encompassed them. We beseech God to send down upon them at all times that which befitteth His name, the All-Merciful. He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. You mentioned the honored Andalib, upon him be My glory. We beseech the True One to assist him and bestow upon him from the seas of His bounty and generosity that which beseemeth His giving.

O My Name! Upon thee be My glory! ʿAndalib, upon him be My glory, hath for numbered years been occupied with the mention and praise of the True One, exalted be His glory. His verses have been the cause of order and the gathering of scattered hearts, and his prose the cause of joy and gladness to receptive souls. Ask from the True One whatsoever beseemeth His bounty and favor. In these days mention of him hath repeatedly flowed from the Supreme Pen and been uttered by the tongue. The reward of deeds is preserved and treasured with God, and none hath knowledge thereof save His all-knowing Self.

BH00785: O My Name! Upon thee be My glory…

He is the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed!

O My Name! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. The servant who was present came and read the letter thou didst send. We have heard and have answered its sender through this perspicuous Tablet. We make mention of thee with that which hath mentioned thee and with that which shall gladden the eyes of them that are nigh. We have sent down the verses and manifested the clear proofs, and that which was hidden in the knowledge of God, the Lord of all worlds, hath been revealed. That which was concealed in the Books of God and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen hath appeared, and I am the All-Knowing Expositor.

O Hasan! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. He maketh mention of thee at this moment that thou mayest hear the call of thy Lord from the Most Exalted Horizon and thank Him for this great favor. The letter thou didst send to My Name, upon whom be My glory and loving-kindness, hath come, and from it We have inhaled the fragrance of thy turning and thy submission to God, the Goal of them that know. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to aid thee to remember and praise Him, and to know, with true knowledge, that for which thou wast created. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the Bountiful.

We make mention of him who was named Muhammad-Baqir, whom thou didst mention in thy letter, and We reveal unto him the verses of God, the Lord of all worlds, that they may draw him to the Most Exalted Horizon and bring him nigh unto Him. He, verily, is the Almighty, the All-Powerful. O Muhammad-Baqir! Hear the call of the Wronged One. He mentioneth thee from the precincts of the Prison and summoneth thee to the straight path of God. Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto the days of God, the tongue that hath spoken His praise, the face that hath turned toward the light of His countenance, the ear that hath heard His call, and the heart that hath turned unto Him when every distant scholar and every doubting mystic turned away. Say:

My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having sent down the proof and made manifest the way, and for having called the servants unto Thy most exalted horizon and supreme summit—the station wherein Thy sweetest call was raised and the rustling of the Sadratu’l-Muntaha was heard. I beseech Thee, O Lord of Names and Creator of heaven, by the pavilion of Thy majesty which was raised above the most exalted standards through Thy command and power, and by the manifestations of Thy loving-kindness and the breezes of Thy days, to make me in all conditions steadfast in Thy Cause, clinging to Thy cord, speaking Thy praise, and standing in service to Thy loved ones. O Lord! Aid me to rend asunder the veils of glory, to dispel that which is vain imagination, and to attain unto clear understanding, that I may remain firm in Thy love and steadfast in Thy Cause. Then ordain for me from Thy Most Exalted Pen the good of this world and the world to come, and that which shall be a light unto me in all the worlds of Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. The forces of the world cannot withhold Thee. Thou art, verily, the Strong, the Mighty, the Great.

Moreover, I beseech Thee, O Sovereign of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen, by Thy most exalted Words and Thy greatest signs, to elevate the station of Thy servant who was named Ahmad and who was martyred in Thy path, yearning to attain Thy presence. We testify that he acknowledged Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that which the tongue of Thy grandeur did utter, and was so moved by the thrill of Thy most exalted Word that he offered up his spirit in Thy path and attained unto that which was hidden in Thy Books, Thy Scriptures, and Thy Tablets. O Lord! Bless him and those whom the affairs of the world did not prevent from turning to Thy most exalted horizon, who heard the shrill voice of Thy Most Glorious Pen and said:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Goal of the world, and glory be unto Thee, O Adored One of the nations, for having manifested Thyself and for that which Thou didst promise Thy servants.”

Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful from eternity. There is none other God but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

O Hasan! Upon thee be my glory! Hearken thou in the Persian tongue to the divine call, that perchance the people of the earth may hear it and attain unto their purpose. Today the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree and the flowing of the Most Exalted Pen are raised high. This is the Day concerning whose triumph all sacred Books have testified, and for Whose appearance all have besought God, exalted be His glory. Blessed is the soul that hath recognized this Day and found its purpose.

Concerning what thou didst mention about the Spirit [Christ], the Most Exalted Pen doth at this moment testify that all His acts—whether sitting or standing, sleeping or waking, moving or still, speaking or silent—whatsoever proceeded from that Manifestation, all were proof and were distinguished above the deeds of all who dwell on earth. They who are possessed of insight and they who occupy the Most Sublime Vision have borne and do bear witness to His dominion, power, sovereignty and greatness. May all in the kingdom be a sacrifice unto Him!

O thou who gazeth upon the Countenance and inquireth about the Ocean! Reflect upon this Manifestation: though untutored, having attended no school nor engaged in scholarly discourse, suddenly the Light of wisdom and utterance dawned from the horizon of His Most Exalted Pen. The oceans of knowledge and understanding surge at His will. From the outset, without veil or concealment, He spoke the Most Great Word before the faces of divines and princes. Whence appeared this power, and from what dawning-place shone forth this grandeur? By God’s life! It hath appeared above the comprehension and understanding of men. Yet out of grace and mercy, He at times appeareth in such vesture as may enable men to draw nigh and attain to that which shall ensure their salvation and life. The revealed Books have testified and do testify to this truth.

Consider thou the Surih of Ra’is and likewise the Surih of Kings, that thou mayest, according to thy capacity, become aware and attain unto this testimony. Indeed, testimony in this station is preferable to all deeds. We beseech God to assist thee and to vouchsafe unto thee the wine of steadfastness from the ocean of His bounty. He is the All-Bountiful One Whose generosity the disobedience of His servants hath not withheld, and Whose munificence the rebellion of creation hath not veiled. Through His name the banner of “He doeth what He willeth” hath been raised aloft, and the standard of “He ordaineth what He pleaseth” hath been unfurled. Reflect upon that which hath shone forth from the horizon of the Most Exalted Pen, and arise to serve the Cause through teaching the people and refining souls. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist thee and draw thee nigh unto Him. Verily, He is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is. Verily we are God’s, and verily unto Him shall we return.

The souls mentioned in the letter have attained the grace of God, and mention of each hath flowed from the Tongue of Grandeur. I swear by the Luminary of Power which shineth and is manifest from the horizon of the firmament of the Prison, that whoso attaineth unto a single word and preserveth the station of that word, he hath attained unto all good. No bounty can equal the verses of the Most Exalted Pen, and no deed can match their glory. Beseech ye God that He may not deprive all the peoples of the earth of this grace, that He may guide them to His Most Great Ocean and make them aware. He is the Powerful, the Omnipotent.

The Glory shining from the horizon of My celestial Kingdom be upon thee and upon those who have held fast to the cord of the Command and clung to the hem of the robe of their Lord’s mercy, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Bountiful. The Book hath ended, but the utterance of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, endeth not, though all the pens, ink, and paper of the earth be exhausted. We counsel thee and those who have believed to that whereby the remembrance of My party shall endure in My Book and their deeds in My lands. O people of God! Upon you be the glory of God, His mercy and His grace. Know ye the station of this Day and Him Who speaketh therein, manifest and evident, Whom neither the politics of the world nor the oppression of nations hath deterred, nor have all the peoples of the earth prevented Him from raising His call.

It behooveth you to hold fast unto trustworthiness, religiosity, truthfulness and purity. Blessed is he who hath heard My call and acted according to that which was commanded in My Book, and hath spoken My beauteous praise. The Command is in the hands of God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen, and the Lord of the mighty throne and the exalted seat.

BH00786: O Javad! Upon thee be My glory! Ever hath…

He is God, exalted be His glory, the Most Great, the Most Powerful

O Javad! Upon thee be My glory! Ever hath thy mention been before the Most Holy Court, and recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Book. This Wronged One hath testified, and doth testify, to thy remembrance and praise, to thy rising up to serve the Cause, and thy turning toward the lights of His countenance. The travelers and emigrants have each made mention of thee. Some time ago thy letter was received, and from it wafted the fragrance of sincerity and steadfastness. Blessed are they whom the idols of vain imaginings have not debarred from the lights of the Daystar of certitude. We testify that thou hast attained unto the mention of God and the traces of His Most Exalted Pen, and hast arisen to serve the Cause in such wise that neither the doubts of the wicked nor the onslaught of the evil ones deterred thee. Rejoice in what hath proceeded from the Tongue of Grandeur in thy praise.

The whole world was brought from utter nothingness into being for the recognition of the Ancient King, yet when the Sun of Truth shone forth and He Who conversed on Sinai was seated upon the throne of manifestation, they turned away. Would that they had been content with that! Nay, they committed that which caused the hearts of the sincere ones to be consumed and the lamentations of them who are nigh unto God to be raised. The Divine Lote-Tree bewailed the tyranny of the divines, and the Most Exalted Pen wept. O Javad! Thy letter was a faithful witness to thy devotion and steadfastness. Well is it with thee and with those who are with thee, and woe betide them who denied the proof of God and His signs, and who disbelieved in His grace after it was sent down, and in His Cause after its manifestation.

Glory be to God! Until now the Shi’ih sect remain unaware. The cry hath been raised, all things proclaim, the mountains echo the trumpet blast, and the Pen of the Ancient of Days speaketh, yet still they lift not their heads from the couch of heedlessness. God’s favor toward thee hath been great indeed, and still is—none can reckon it save Him Who knoweth and counteth all things. He confirmed thee and guided thee to the straight path, made thy house a place of coming and going for the emigrants, and enabled thee to serve His Cause over the course of years. Thou hast ever been, and still art, beneath the glance of His loving-kindness. Ask thou God to preserve what He hath bestowed and to protect it from thieves and traitors.

We make mention of thy wife and give her glad tidings of My loving-kindness, My mercy and My favor which have encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. O My handmaiden and daughter of My handmaiden! This day at dawn, this Wronged One proceeded from Bahji to the garden, for there the bearer of the name of generosity had spread a feast. After arrival and taking seat and partaking of tea, the Most Exalted Pen engaged in mention of the loved ones, His face turned in attention, His gaze in observation, and His hearing in attentiveness. How wonderful is this most great favor and this supreme bounty!

And We make mention of Ahmad and give him glad tidings of the ocean of his Lord’s mercy, the Most Generous, the Bountiful. Thou art he who heard the Call when it was raised, and drew nigh, casting aside idle fancy on the Day of God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. Thou didst take hold of that which thou wert commanded to take hold of. He Who spoke before all faces beareth witness to this, that there is none other God but Me, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Loving. Thou didst drink the wine of mystic knowledge on a day when all authorities, all learned ones, and all mystics were debarred therefrom, save whom God, the Possessor of all being, willed. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon thy father and upon those women who have attained unto My days and drunk the Kawthar of My love. We beseech God to strengthen them and draw them near in all conditions. Verily He is the Powerful over what He willeth. He giveth and withholdeth, and He is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.

O friend! If thou wert to attain unto a single fruit of the divine Book, thou wouldst soar upon the wings of longing. I swear by the Finger of Power which rent asunder the veils and tore away the coverings, were all the peoples of the world to discover the station of but one of the handmaidens who hath heard from the Tongue of Grandeur the words “O My handmaiden”, they would all proclaim the blessed words “Glory be to God and praise be to God!”

O Izziyyih! Upon thee be My glory! Thy mention hath been made. Remember thou those days when thou didst hearken unto the call of God, exalted be His glory, and didst witness His verses. The divines of the world were created for recognition, understanding, witnessing and hearing, yet all remain veiled and deprived, while thou, without veil or covering, hast attained and art blessed with beholding the Most Exalted Horizon by night and by day. O Izziyyih! Thou wert with Us and didst hear what the Tongue of Grandeur uttered, and didst witness what no eyes have witnessed save whom thy Lord wished. Give thanks unto God and remember His mercy, His loving-kindness, His compassion, and His sanctification and exaltation above all who are in the heavens and the earth. We beseech God, exalted be He, to aid thee and grant thee success. Verily He is the Compassionate, the Generous, the All-Bountiful, the Ancient. There is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

O Javad! Upon thee be My glory! The letter began with thy name and endeth with thy name. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My Most Exalted Pen be upon thee and upon them that are with thee and upon those who have recognized this Most Great Remembrance and this Mighty News.

This is what was revealed in the Garden:

O Javad! When thou hast attained unto the remembrance of God, the Lord of Names, and to the tokens of His Most Exalted Pen, say:

My God, my God! All praise be unto Thee, inasmuch as Thou hast honoured me with meeting Thee ere Thy Manifestation was made plain, and hast caused me to recognize Thyself when the people were veiled from Thee; and Thou hast made me to hear Thy verses in those days wherein the servants of earth—its divines and rulers alike—arose to oppose Thee; and Thou hast enabled me to acknowledge and to be assured of whatsoever was uttered by the tongue of Thy grandeur, while the idolaters denied it.

O Lord! In all conditions dost Thou behold me, proclaiming Thy remembrance and Thy praise, steadfast in the service of Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones. I entreat Thee by the lands which have been ennobled through Thy coming, by the mountains upon which the canopy of Thy glory hath been raised, by the ocean of Thy utterance and the heaven of Thy wisdom, to assist me in whatsoever may diffuse the sweet savours of Thy good-pleasure and Thy might.

O Thou Who art the Object of the nations, the One Who hath been made manifest through the Most Great Name! I love not life save for Thy service, nor do I desire to remain save to devote it in Thy path. I choose not a house save that Thy remembrance may be exalted therein; I love not a son save that he may aid Thy Cause; I take no joy in the rib save for her rising to watch over Thy handmaids—those who have attained unto Thy tokens and have turned with their hearts to the horizon of Thy Revelation, Thy beauty and Thy glory. Through Thy remembrance I am enriched above the mention of all else but Thee; through Thy love I am freed from love for all names and their dominion.

O Lord! Strengthen my heart by Thy might, and adorn it with the light of Thy knowledge. Verily, Thou art the One empowered to do as Thou willest by Thine all-subduing will over all who are in the heavens and on the earth.

O Javad! This is the day when, in the garden, one of My loved ones—who journeyed with Me from the Land of Zawra to the Land of Mystery, and from thence to the Most Great Prison, and who had served Me by night and by day, and who was named Husayn in the Book of Names—did summon Me to partake of its fruits. When the Throne was set in the garden, the Pen of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, was moved to make mention of thee, and hath sent down for thee that which no thing in creation can equal. Verily, thy Lord is the Compassionate, the Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

We call to remembrance Our loved ones at all times, and say: O Lord! Confirm them whom Thou hast nurtured by the hands of Thy bounty, whom Thou hast guided unto Thy straight path, and made to know Thine exalted Announcement and Thy mighty Message, that they may manifest Thy Cause with wisdom and lucid utterance. Then vouchsafe unto them the Table of Thy heaven, and that grace which Thou hast sent down from the kingdom of Thy Will. Verily Thou art the All-Powerful; neither the harm of the world can hinder Thee, nor the rancour of the peoples.

Thou doest whatsoever Thou desirest, and ordainest whatsoever Thou willest; and verily Thou art the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the Wise.

BH00828: O Abul-Qasim! Give thanks unto God, thy Lord…

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

O Abul-Qasim! Give thanks unto God, thy Lord, the Lord of the Most Great Throne. Verily, He hath aided thee amongst the nations and drawn thee nigh unto a station wherein thine eyes were blessed with beholding My Most Exalted Horizon, thine ears with hearkening unto My Most Sweet Call, and thy face with turning toward the lights of the countenance of thy Lord, the Manifest, the Dawning, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The bounty of thy Lord hath encompassed thee. Verily, He is with whosoever hath turned unto Him and arisen to serve Him. We beseech God to aid thee in all conditions to do what He loveth and pleaseth. He, verily, is the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Almighty.

We have desired to make mention of those whose names thou hast mentioned, that God’s favor unto thee and unto them might be perfected. He, verily, is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

O Ali-Akbar! Hearken unto My call from the direction of My Most Sublime Vision. Verily, He hath made mention of thee through verses whose fragrances have perfumed the worlds of dominion and kingdom, that thine eyes and the eyes of those who have turned with illumined hearts unto My luminous horizon might be solaced thereby. Beware lest the veils of the world withhold thee or the doubts of the dubious sadden thee. Cast aside the people and what they possess, taking hold of that which thou hast been commanded by God, the Lord of all worlds.

O Husayn! The Wronged One hath made mention of thee in the prison, that the Call might attract thee to the Most Exalted Summit. Thy Lord, verily, is the Compassionate, the Bountiful. Beware lest the might of those who have disbelieved in God, the Master of the Day of Judgment, frighten thee. Those who have attained unto the traces of My Pen are among those drawn nigh in My Perspicuous Book. We counsel thee and those who have believed to observe trustworthiness and godliness, and that whereby the light of man might shine resplendent throughout all existence. Thus hath the Pen of the Most Merciful spoken in this exalted station.

O Rajab! Thy letter was present before the Throne. We heard thy call and have answered thee with a word from which the fragrance of permission hath been wafted. Verily, thy Lord doeth what He pleaseth and ordaineth what He willeth. He is the Mighty, the Beautiful.

O Ibrahim! The Truth hath appeared and revealed what was hidden in knowledge, inscribed in the Books, and mentioned in the hearts of the Messengers. Blessed is he who hath recognized His days and attained unto that which hath been sent down from the heaven of the will of his Lord, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Woe unto him who hath denied God’s proof and evidence and turned away from Him, following the idle fancies of the fanciful. Cast behind thee all else but God, turning unto God, the Lord of the Exalted Throne. Verily, they who have turned unto Him with their hearts are in the vicinity of their Lord’s mercy, the Guardian over all who are in the heavens and on earth.

O Ali-Akbar! The world hath been honored by the advent of My Most Great Name, yet the nations are wrapped in a thick veil. Blessed is he who hath turned, whom the turning away of the people hath not hindered, and who hath directed his heart toward God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Give thanks unto God for having caused thy name to flow from His Most Exalted Pen and for having taught thee His straight path.

O Nasrullah! The Wronged One makes mention of thee—He through whose name the standards of victory and triumph were hoisted amongst mankind, and through whose command the banners of guidance were raised amidst all peoples, and the Dove warbled upon the branches of the Tree of Knowledge. The Promise has come, and the Promised One has appeared with a Cause before which neither the armies of the world nor the ranks of nations can stand. He speaks and will continue to speak before all faces:

“There is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Omnipotent.”

We counsel thee and those who have believed in that which will manifest your glory and the elevation of your stations. He is verily the All-Wise Teacher. Blessed is he who seeks His purpose and acts according to that which He has commanded in the Book. We make mention of thy mother, as a token of Our grace, and of those handmaidens who have turned to and believed in God, the Lord of Lords. We have made mention of every maidservant who has turned to and believed in a Book which none has comprehended save God, the Lord of Creation.

O Ali-Qabl-Muhammad! We have adorned the world with the ornament of wisdom and utterance, and have manifested that which was hidden from sight. Blessed is the one whose strength was not weakened by the circumstances of oppression, who arose and said: “God is my Lord and the Lord of earth and heaven.” We beseech God to ordain for thee that which will draw thee closer in all conditions. He is verily the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.

O people of God! Be not grieved by what has befallen you of hardship and tribulation. You have attained unto that whose fragrance shall never cease to endure through the eternity of Our Most Beautiful Names and Our Most Exalted Attributes. To this testifies the Mother Book in the most exalted station.

O Muhammad-Qabl-Ali! The Point round which circle the Concourse on High makes mention of thee from His Most Glorious Horizon and commands thee to that which will exalt the Cause of God amongst His servants. Hearken unto the Call from the direction of Akka: “There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.” He forgives whom He willeth through His grace, and chastises whom He desireth through His decree. He is verily the Powerful, the Unconstrained. Beware lest the happenings of the world prevent thee from the remembrance of My Most Great Name. Be thou mindful amongst My servants, steadfast in service to My Cause, and hold fast to the cord of My loving-kindness. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

O Abul-Qasim! We have brought forth for thee from the ocean of inner meanings the pearl of remembrance and utterance, that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord, the Lord of all religions. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon those who have turned to the Most Exalted Horizon, and upon every one steadfast and firm whom nothing whatsoever has deterred from this Cause, whereby the limbs of every stubborn infidel have quaked.

We make mention of thy wife and daughter and give them the glad-tidings of God’s grace and mercy. We beseech God to ordain for them that which will draw them nigh unto Him and benefit them in His realms. There is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the All-Forgiving.

We seal this utterance with the mention of him who loved Me and soared in the atmosphere of My love and heard My call and stood before My face and acknowledged that which My tongue hath spoken, and recognized that which hath been sent down from the heaven of My Will in My Books, My Scrolls, and My Tablets. He was named Haydar-Qabl-Ali. We testify that he attained unto acceptance in the first days and arose to serve the Cause in such wise that the clamor of the ignorant ones who came between God and His loved ones did not deter him—they who committed that which caused the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise to lament, and then those who circle round the Throne morning and evening. His letter hath come before the Wronged One wherein he made mention of God’s loved ones there and desired for each one of them the favors of God, the Cleaver of the Dawn. Each name hath attained unto My mention, as witnessed by Him Who possesseth the Mother of Tablets. We beseech God to aid you and ordain for you that which will preserve you from those who have cast the ordinance of God behind their backs and followed the manifestations of fancy and vain imaginings.

Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God, Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Exalted Word through which all things were enraptured, and by the surging waves of the ocean of Thy utterance, O Lord of all mankind and Sovereign of both this world and the next, to ordain through Thy Most Exalted Pen for Thy loved ones that which befitteth the heaven of Thy generosity, the sun of Thy bounty, and the sea of Thy giving. O Lord! These are they who have turned unto Thee in Thy days, who have hearkened unto Thy sweetest call and the rustling of Thy Most Exalted Pen, and who have witnessed that which the tongue of Thy grandeur hath spoken in the kingdom of creation. I beseech Thee by the rain-showers of the springtime of Thy favor and by the mysteries of Thy grace and mercy, to aid them under all conditions to remain steadfast in Thy Cause, through which the limbs of the people have trembled. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

BH00859: Praise that is sanctified above manifestation, appearance, tongue, utterance…

He is God, exalted be His glory, the Most Great, the Most Powerful

Praise that is sanctified above manifestation, appearance, tongue, utterance, perception and minds, befitteth Him Who is the Desired One of the world, Who hath raised high the banner of “Verily I am God” in the most exalted station of the world. The sovereignty of the world did not prevent Him, nor did the clamor of the divines hold Him back from His purpose. Through the power of the Most Exalted Word He took possession of the cities of hearts—that is, the hearts of those who have turned towards Him and are sincere, and likewise the hearts that were concealed behind veils. The fire of His love burned away the veils, and the light of His proof illumined the realm of wisdom and utterance. Glorified be His dominion and great be His power!

Glory be to God! The Euphrates of bounty is flowing from the Supreme Pen and the ocean of inner meanings is surging with the waves of divine utterance, and yet the people of the earth are debarred from beholding and are deprived of understanding.

Glory be unto Thee, O Mystery of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen! I beseech Thee by the pearls of the treasuries of Thy utterance and by the mysteries hidden in Thy knowledge, to aid Thy servants to turn unto Thee, that they may hearken unto Thy call and follow Thy commandments. Unveil for them, O my God, even as Thou didst unveil for them that are nigh unto Thee among Thy servants and the sincere ones among Thy creatures. Then assist them with the hosts of wisdom and utterance. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty.

O My beloved! Praise be to God, thou hast attained unto that which hath no peer or equal. Thou hast drunk from the cup of contentment, as attested by the Lord of Names, and hast arisen to serve His Cause. Well is it with thee and pleasant it is to thee. Since His Honor Aqa, His Holiness the Servant, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious, was not present—being occupied with other writings—therefore, as bidden, this servant hath written these few words and troubled thee.

Night and day I beseech the Desired One of the worlds to rend asunder the intervening veils and guide His loved ones, that all may gather beneath the pavilion of glory and the canopies of grandeur, and be occupied with His remembrance, praise and service. The cause of these dispersions, separations, divisions and estrangements is the deeds of the people of the world and the ingratitude of the nations. Yet in all conditions the hand is raised in supplication, the tongue is pleading and the heart is hoping. The Command is in His grasp. Whatsoever appeareth hath been and is beloved.

The letter which that spiritual beloved sent to Jinab-i-Ism-i-Jud, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious, was presented in the Most Holy Court and attained the honor of being heard. These are the pearls of the ocean of the Most Merciful’s mercy that have appeared from the mine of grace. His blessed and exalted Word: “O Haydar-ʿAli! We are well-pleased with thee.” Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto this most exalted Word, which the world and all that is therein cannot equal.

Praise the Wronged One of the world and say: My God, my God! Thou didst call me while I was sleeping, and didst awaken me while I was slumbering, and didst raise me up while I was sitting, and didst cause me to speak while I was silent, and didst move me while I was still, and didst teach me while I was ignorant. Which of Thy favors shall I mention, O my Goal and my Beloved, O Ultimate End of my desire, my Quest and my Hope?

I beseech Thee by the lights of the throne of Thy grandeur and the effulgences of the Orb of Thy Revelation to accept from me what I have wrought in Thy path, though I confess before Thy face that there hath not appeared from me what is worthy of Thy days and befitting Thy service. I beseech Thee by the waves of the ocean of Thy mercy and the heaven of Thy bounty and generosity to adorn what hath appeared from me with the ornament of Thy acceptance, as a token of Thy mercy and an evidence of Thy favors and kindnesses. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Generous.

O Haydar-ʿAli! Upon thee be the eternal glory of God! Thou didst mention going to Yazd. Thou must be exceedingly mindful of wisdom, for there they are specifically appointed to observe. As a matter of wisdom from Him: “Associate not with one who desireth not to meet thee.”

No news hath been received for some time from his honor [ʿAli-Rida], according to outward appearances. We have been with him in all conditions, in his grief and joy, in his difficult days and his bright days. He hath not been forgotten. Make mention of him on behalf of the Wronged One, and if thou proceedeth to the Land of Ya, convey greetings. We beseech God to assist him, aid him, and ordain for him that which will bring solace to the eyes of the cities of justice and equity. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

The glances of loving-kindness have ever been and continue to be directed towards the friends. To this testifieth every discerning mystic and every informed sage. Previously several Tablets were sent, and now more are being sent. Deliver them to steadfast, firm and resolute souls, that they may be illumined by the lights of the Luminary of utterance, the Goal of all worlds, and be seen as free and detached from the troubles and sorrows of the world of dust.

O Haydar-ʿAli! How far removed are the aims of the Wronged One from the deeds of the people! Recently the Shi’ih sect hath been renewed. A people like that people—may God forsake them—have appeared. The same names as before have come forth. Thou hast seen the fruits of the Shi’ihs’ deeds and that station which He declareth to be sanctified above the mention, utterance and understanding of the people of the earthly realm and the Kingdom. They have abandoned Him and occupied themselves with vain imaginings. Would that they had acted upon but one word of the utterance. He saith:

“I have written a gem concerning His remembrance: verily He cannot be indicated by My allusion, nor by what was revealed in the Bayan.”

Beyond this station, they have occupied themselves with mention of guardian, successor, chiefs and nobles.

In brief, the purpose of the Wronged One is to transform the fire of hatred in the world’s heart into the light of love. This Cause moveth above the religions of the world. This Bird hath another nest, and this Tongue another utterance. Ask of God that He may enable the immature ones of the world to attain unto maturity, that they may recognize who is the Speaker and who is the Bestower.

Convey greetings on behalf of the Wronged One to his honor Sin, and likewise to Mim if thou shouldst meet him, otherwise not. End.

This servant is truly immersed in the ocean of wonderment, for the ignorant servants, heedless of the Revelation, know not what hath come to pass and what hath been manifested from the unseen realm into the visible. Had they known, they would have proclaimed with their outer and inner tongues: “Verily, we are God’s, and to Him do we return.”

In previous years his honor [ʿAli-Rida]—upon him be the glory of God—sent a letter mentioning the departed and elevated Siyyid Javad-i-Karbila’i—upon him be the glory of God—that the ungodly had said he was of the party of the deluded ones. Therefore, by command, his petitions that he had sent to the presence of the Servant—two petitions, one of which detailed the delusions of the dawning-places of vain imaginings—were sent that they might observe and become aware of the people’s calumnies, and afterwards that honor should keep them in his possession. I beseech God to assist them in rendering victory, that is, to draw the servants, through wisdom and utterance, to the path of the Goal of the worlds.

This servant also offereth greetings and conveyeth salutations to them. Some of the Tablets are in writing between revelation and other than that, which his honor ʿAbd al-Hadir hath written.

Majd

BH00881: O Jamal! Time and again hast thou been mentioned…

He is the All-Seeing, the All-Informed!

O Jamal! Time and again hast thou been mentioned by Me and received the tokens of My Pen. Render thanks unto God for this great bounty. We have been with thee in all conditions and have heard thee make mention of this Announcement at which the limbs of all names have quaked, the hearts of the learned been perturbed, and the flesh of the transgressors trembled. I bear witness even as God hath witnessed, as I have witnessed before, and be not thou of them that remain silent. Remind the people of God’s verses and His mercy that hath preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth. Verily, the Wronged One seeth Himself beneath the swords, yet most of the people are heedless. He hath remembered thee and remembereth thee in this hour when sorrows have encompassed Him through those who have denied God, the Lord of the worlds. We hear that which causeth the heart to bleed. Blessed is he who hath testified to that whereunto God hath testified, and woe unto them that turn aside. Remind the people of My verses and give them the glad-tidings of My tender mercy. Verily thy Lord is the All-Forgiving, the Merciful.

The croaking of the raven hath been raised throughout all regions. This is what We have announced to you in diverse Tablets and in this luminous Tablet. We beseech God to aid thee to make mention of Him and to praise Him, and to ordain for thee what He hath ordained for His chosen ones and His trusted ones whom the might of the Pharaohs deterred not from this wondrous Remembrance. My Most Great Branch hath presented thy letter before the Wronged One. We have answered thee with verses that all upon earth cannot equal, and We have turned toward thee from the precincts of the Prison as a token of Our grace, that thou mayest rejoice and be of the thankful. Well is it with thee for having quaffed the Kawthar of utterance from the hand of the bounty of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and for having attained that wherewith thou wert promised in the Books of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Remember the days when thou didst stand at the door and wert present before the Countenance, when thou didst behold My horizon and hear My call. Verily thy Lord is the Compassionate, the Bountiful.

We have honored thy dwelling-place and have sent down unto thee from the Kingdom of grace that which hath solaced the eyes of the sincere ones. That which thou didst send to My Branch hath been presented before the Wronged One and laid before His Countenance. Therefore hath the gate of utterance been opened once again, and We have sent down for each one of them that whereby every sitting one hath arisen, every prostrate one hath soared, every halting one hath hastened forward, and the hearts of those near unto God have been attracted. Thus have We expounded the verses and sent them down unto thee as a grace from Our presence, and I am verily the Powerful over what I will. There is no God but Him, the Almighty, the Powerful.

We make mention of thy son on this darksome night, that he may remember My days wherein he stood before My face, heard the shrill voice of My Pen, and spoke My beauteous praise. We make mention of thy wife who presented herself, circumambulated, and heard that which the tongue of the Wronged One uttered while in His mighty Prison. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon those who love thee for My sake and hearken unto thy word concerning My mighty Cause.

As for what thou hast mentioned regarding Baba Husayn, remember him on My behalf and give him the glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of the worlds. His letter was not presented, yet the Wronged One read it, and He is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. Convey My greetings unto him. We have remembered him in such wise as to cause the mountains to soar, how much more minds and hearts. Nothing whatsoever escapeth the knowledge of thy Lord. He is indeed the One Who encompasseth both what hath been and what shall be.

We remember My loved ones in Kaf and give them the glad-tidings of God’s mercy, the Mighty, the Loving. We counsel them to manifest the most great steadfastness. Soon will a cawing one appear there and utter that which none before him hath uttered. Pay no heed unto him. Turn with illumined hearts unto God, the Lord of existence. Thus hath the Tongue spoken in the kingdom of utterance, that men may attain certitude in the verses of their Lord.

As to what thou didst mention regarding trustworthiness, verily We have made mention of ʿAli in such wise that the fragrance thereof shall endure throughout the dominion of earth and heaven. We beseech God to send down upon him at all times mercy from His presence. By the life of God! He beholdeth Me and We behold him, and he heareth My verses at the time of their revelation together with the denizens of the most exalted Paradise. Thus hath spoken the Lord of Names from His praiseworthy station. Should there be a righteous and steadfast son of him who hath ascended, the trust shall be returned unto him, otherwise it shall go to the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar, and whosoever findeth therein a Tablet in My handwriting shall return it to My residence. This is what God hath ordained. Blessed is he who acteth and attaineth, and woe betide every heedless and veiled one.

As to what thou didst mention regarding him who is named Ali-Akbar, brother of one who loveth Me, We make mention of him at this moment as a token of Our grace, for verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. O Ali-Akbar! Hearken unto the call of Him Who hath been wronged. He remembereth thee from the precincts of the Prison and summoneth thee to the supreme horizon, the station wherein the Call hath been raised to draw thee unto a place where thou shalt hear from all things:

“The gates of heaven have been opened and the Lord of Names hath come with manifest sovereignty.”

We have stood firm in the Cause before the faces of princes and divines on a day wherein earthquakes seized the tribes of the earth through the might of those who violated God’s Covenant and Testament. Thus did their souls entice them, and they are of those who are the most lost, as recorded in a mighty Tablet. We beheld thy devotion and turned toward thee, and We heard thy call and called out to thee from the right side of the luminous Spot, that there is none other God but Him, the Peerless, the All-Informed. Turn with thy outward and inward being toward the Dawning-Place of thy Lord’s verses, the Dayspring of His Revelation, the Manifestation of His Self, the Source of His clear tokens, and the Treasury of His knowledge. Verily He heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

Blessed is he who hath cast away the world, turning unto God, the Lord of eternity, and hath taken the chalice of immortality in the name of the Lord of all being, and hath drunk therefrom in His name, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Powerful. This is the Day whereof the Books of God gave tidings aforetime, yet the people are in thick veils. Arise to serve the Cause with such steadfastness as cannot be shaken by the Pharaohs of the age, then aid thy Lord through wisdom and utterance. Thus doth this Wronged One command thee from this remote station. We beseech God to assist thee and strengthen thee to serve His Cause. Verily He is the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

When thou hast drunk from the cup of My utterance the choice wine of My love, and the rapture of the Call from the precincts of My prison hath seized thee, turn thy face toward the House and say:

My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having enabled me, made me know Thee, caused me to hear, and guided me unto Thy straight path. I beseech Thee by Thy Cause, whereby Thou hast subdued the hearts of the world, and by the waves of the ocean of Thy knowledge, O Lord of eternity, to make me steadfast in Thy Cause and firm in Thy love, in such wise that the clamor of the people shall not prevent me, nor shall the might of those who have denied the Resurrection terrify me.

O Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have turned unto Thee, detached from all else but Thee. I beseech Thee by the pearls of the ocean of Thy wisdom and the mysteries of Thy utterance to aid me to remember Thee and praise Thee and assist Thy Cause. O Lord! Withhold me not from Thy sealed choice wine, whose seal was broken by Thy name, the Self-Subsisting. Then preserve me from the croaking of those who have disbelieved in Thee and Thy signs and have risen to mislead Thy creatures. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

BH00879: This is a Book which the All-Merciful hath sent…

He is the One manifest from the horizon of utterance!

This is a Book which the All-Merciful hath sent down to him who hath believed in God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, who hath traversed the lands to exalt My Word, to kindle My love, and to cause the dawning of the Day-Star of My Revelation, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

O peoples of the earth! Hearken unto the Call: We created you for My knowledge, caused you to speak for My remembrance, and bestowed upon you insight to behold My signs. Cast away what the people possess and take what ye are bidden by God, the Mighty, the Loving. Verily the Euphrates of utterance hath flowed in the realm of possibility, and the path of God hath appeared. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of this manifest bounty. We have adorned the heaven of knowledge with the stars of utterance. Blessed is he who hath witnessed and seen, and woe unto every heedless one who is veiled.

O Haydar-ʿAli! Thy letter which thou didst send to Ism-i-Jud hath come, and the Most Great Branch hath presented it in the Most Luminous Spot. We have answered thee with verses at whose appearance the books of the people have bowed down. He Who possesseth the Hidden Tablet beareth witness unto this, wherein mention was made of him who turned unto My horizon, uttered My praise, held fast unto My cord, and soared in the atmosphere of the love of his Lord, the Possessor of existence. We named him Badi’ in the Book of Names and made known unto him My Extended Path.

O Badi’! Upon thee be My Glory. Hearken unto My call from the direction of My prison. We counsel thee with a word whereby the hearts of the world will be set ablaze. Be a fire in My love, enkindled by My verses, attracted by My melodies, and acting according to what We have commanded thee in My Books, My Psalms, and My Scrolls. Thy Lord is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. Be thou articulate with that which will attract the hearts of My loved ones. Read the Tablet of Wisdom which We sent down aforetime as a grace from Our presence, and I am the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beloved.

This is a Day wherein that which would extinguish the fire of existence profiteth not. Cast aside what the people possess, holding fast unto that which hath been sent down from the heaven of the Will of thy Lord, the Possessor of the Unseen and the Seen. How many a wise one hath been prevented from drawing nigh unto the Most Exalted Horizon, and how many an unlettered one hath hastened, taken the choice wine, and drunk in My Name, the Self-Subsisting.

We have assisted thee, taught thee, and made thee known, that thou mayest arise to serve the Cause of thy Lord. Arise unto that which thou art commanded. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken from Its praiseworthy station.

O Haydar-ʿAli! Convey My glorification unto his face and give him glad tidings of that which hath been sent down from My Most Exalted Pen, that the Call may attract him to My horizon and draw him nigh unto My forbidden station.

We have desired to make mention of Our loved ones in Bahram and remind them of what hath been revealed from My Pen, and give them glad tidings of My favor, for I am the All-Bountiful, the Generous.

O My loved ones there! Hearken unto the Call of the Wronged One. He maketh mention of you for the sake of God and remembereth you with that which attracteth the hearts of them that are brought nigh. Aid your Lord, the All-Merciful, through wisdom and utterance, and follow not those who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of all worlds. The horizon of Revelation hath been illumined and the Promised One hath come, and the Jews have believed in Him, yet the people of the Furqan are in manifest error. They mount the pulpits and speak that which melteth the livers of the sincere ones. Beware lest the cawing of those who have disbelieved in the Day of Religion prevent you. Take hold of the Book of God with the power We have given you. This is what We commanded you aforetime and at this time.

We have mentioned in various Tablets him who was named Muhammad-ʿAli, that he may give thanks to his Lord, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. We beseech God to strengthen him, to aid him, and to draw him nigh unto Him. He, verily, is the Single, the One, the Helper, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O people of God! Take hold of that which will exalt the Cause of your Lord, and set aside what ye have heard before. I am, verily, the Counselor, the All-Knowing. By My life! We have mentioned you through My Most Exalted Pen with such a mention as cannot be equaled by the mention of the world, and have revealed for you that which all the treasuries of kings and rulers cannot match. Arise to perform such deeds whose fragrance will endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. Thus doth command you He with Whom is the Preserved Tablet.

O Joseph Kh! Upon thee be My Glory! He who loved Me hath mentioned thee, whereupon We made mention of thee with that which the happenings of the world can never alter. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this great bounty. Preserve this most exalted station through the Name of thy Lord, the Creator of heaven. He, verily, witnesseth and seeth; He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Be thou steadfast in serving the Cause of thy Lord in such wise that neither the hosts of the world nor the promptings of the deceivers, who have turned away from God and committed that which hath caused the hearts of the sincere to lament, shall deter thee. Among them are those who traveled to various regions with another soul.

We found them in manifest loss. They presented not themselves before the Wronged One in the Most Great Prison to hear the Call of God, the Lord of all worlds. They wandered in the realms of fancy and turned away from the Dayspring of certitude. They departed with conjecture and returned with idle fancies. Thus did their souls entice them, without any clear proof from God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. They hastened to the pond and turned away from the Most Great Ocean. To this doth My Most Exalted Pen testify in this Luminous Tablet. Say: Be fair in your judgment, by God, and follow not the ways of the ignorant. The rustling of the Lote-Tree of the Utmost Boundary hath been raised before your faces. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of this manifest grace.

O Ahmad! There is in My heart no hatred for thee, nor for any of God’s servants. We counsel thee with that which God hath counseled thee in His Books, His Scriptures, and His Tablets. Fear God, and be not of the wrongdoers. Lo, the Lote-Tree is before thy face—behold its fruits and its leaves. Lo, the heaven is before the faces of the learned ones and the princes—observe it and its stars. Beware lest thou follow the fancies of the doubters. It behooveth thee to present thyself before the Wronged One and hear what thou hast not heard before. Thy Lord remembereth thee with that which will draw thee nigh unto Him, as a grace from His presence. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Thus hath the ocean of My utterance surged, and the fragrance of My loving-kindness wafted, and the light of My grace shone forth. When thou findest the sweet scents of My verses, say:

My God, my God! Aid me to be just and fair, and to gaze upon the signs of Thy Most Exalted Pen with mine own eyes and not with the eyes of others. I beseech Thee, O Lord of existence and Sovereign of the seen and unseen, by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued the world, to unveil for me as Thou hast unveiled Thy Cause for others. O Lord! Disappoint me not of what I seek from the wonders of Thy grace, and deprive me not of recognizing Thee and turning toward Thy Most Great Cause and Thy Mighty Message. Thou, verily, art the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Haydar-ʿAli! We began with a mention and concluded with My loving-kindness toward thee, and every name that was in thy book hath attained unto a mention which, in the estimation of God, is more precious than all things and more exalted than all names. Give thanks unto thy Lord and say: Praise be unto Thee, O my Creator, my Fashioner and my Maker, for having caused me to turn towards the splendors of Thy countenance, to speak forth Thy praise and remembrance, and to hold fast unto Thy cord. O my Lord! Thou seest me standing ready to serve Thee. I beseech Thee to inspire me with that which shall deliver me through Thy grace and bounty. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the All-Bountiful, the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Praise be unto Thee, O God of all worlds.

The glory shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of My dominion be upon thee and upon those who are with thee, who love thee, and who hearken unto thy word in this mighty Cause.

BH00975: O Samandar, upon thee be My glory! The mention…

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

O Samandar, upon thee be My glory! The mention of the loved ones of that land hath ever been and continueth to be before the Most Holy Court, and from the Most Great Ocean there floweth forth unto each one a gulf of bounty, and the rain of mercy descendeth. The letter of Mulla Husayn, upon him be the glory of God, which he wrote to thee, was presented before the face of this Wronged One, and the servant in attendance submitted it all. We heard his call and beheld his deeds. Verily thy Lord, the All-Merciful, heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

According to what was mentioned, the deniers among the people of the Bayan have said that the people of Baha speak unseemly words regarding the martyrs and His Holiness Hujjat—upon them be all the most glorious glory and all the most luminous light—and that they do not accept the Bayan. This is naught but a mighty calumny. That which hath been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen specifically regarding the martyrs is without peer or equal. For each one, a specific tribute hath flowed from the Ancient Pen. The visitation [tablets] that are extant—every letter thereof beareth witness to the bounty and loving-kindness, the tenderness and mercy, of God, exalted be His glory. Yet have heedless souls, through these calumnies, withheld the poor and hapless servants of God from their Lord; even as the factions of former times, by their vain imaginings, deprived the people of the Sovereign of mankind.

Imaginary cities and fabricated invocations, in the Day of Reckoning, appeared in the form of a sword, and there befell the Lord of the worlds that whereat the very atoms of existence wept. The source of the people’s illusions hath even forbidden the meeting of the people of Baha, lest they should hear the call of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting; even as the idolaters of old withheld the people from meeting the companions.

A special exposition of this Cause descended from the heaven of the Divine Will, and every letter thereof, in eloquent tongue, proclaimeth this Most Great Revelation. And the Primal Point—may the souls of all else but Him be a sacrifice unto Him—commanded that all should recite it, that haply they may not be deprived of the surging waves of the Ocean of the All-Merciful’s utterance, nor be barred from the cry of Him Who conversed on Sinai in this Revelation. These words have ever been, and still are, the words of the idolaters; even as the Shi’ih party, in the mosques and from the pulpits, proclaim: “This people believe not in the Qur’an nor in the Apostle.” May God confound their understanding and break their necks! By My life, the truth is as manifest and resplendent as the sun.

Say: O servants! Deprive not yourselves of the outpourings of the Days of God. The criers—that is, they that turn away—among the people of the Bayan hinder the servants in towns and cities from God, and summon them unto the calumnies and idle fancies of former times. They have purposed to fashion a party, after the likeness of the Shi’ih. It behoveth every soul who hath quaffed of the sealed Wine, in the name of the Qayyum, to guard mankind, in perfect love and in the spirit of fragrance and life, from the bondage of these imaginations, that perchance they may be awakened and may not swerve from the straight Path of God; even as the Shi’ih party, from the very first days, arose in denial and opposition, and from the pulpits reviled God, exalted be His glory.

God hath ever done what He willeth, and ordained what He pleaseth. His Cause is manifest, and His decree triumphant. From the beginning until now, the Imam of the faces of men—high and low, learned and mighty, rulers and subjects—hath, without veil or concealment, stood forth and spoken; to this beareth witness every informed soul and every fair-minded seer. Neither the majesty of the world, nor the clamour of the nations, nor the ظلم of the aggressors, nor the tyranny of the defiant, hath withheld Him from the Cause of God. Yet when the Cause was made manifest, they rushed forth from behind the veils of the idolaters and the worshippers of illusion, and, with swords of hatred, purposed to strike at the Desire of all mankind. Say: Where were ye when the limbs of the world were trembling for fear of these days? Where were ye when the Wronged One was beneath chains and fetters?

A soul who was reckoned among the servants, beguiled by certain idolaters, arose in opposition, and by vain imaginings deprived the weak of the earth from the Supreme Apex, from the Utmost Goal, and from the Most Exalted Horizon. Seventy persons were present in that journey, and beheld with their own outward eyes that that phantom-like person was powerless to utter a word in the presence of Him Who is the Almighty. We beseech God that He deprive not hearts and minds of the light of truth. Verily He is powerful over all things.

O Husayn! Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto that which was recorded and inscribed in the divine Books, in spite of those who denied God and His signs, and turned away from Him Whom they were wont to invoke by night and by day. Well is it with thee, and blessed art thou. Say:

My God, my God! All praise be to Thee for having taught me, and made me to know, and shown me, and caused me to hear, and guided me to Thy straight path and Thy mighty Cause. I beseech Thee by the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree and the mysteries hidden in Thy knowledge, O Lord of all being, to assist Thy servants to rend asunder the veils that have hindered them from turning towards Thee and drawing nigh unto the Dayspring of Thy signs and the Dawning-Place of Thy testimonies and the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Repository of Thy knowledge. O God of the world and Desire of the nations! I have turned toward Thee, holding fast to Thy sure handle and clinging to the hem of Thy bounty, O Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below. I beseech Thee to aid Thy servants in that which Thou lovest and approvest. O Lord! Withhold them not from the depths of the ocean of Thy oneness, nor from the fruits of the Tree of Thy Cause. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the One in Whose grasp lie the reins of all things. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Bountiful.

The Most Exalted Pen counseleth all on this dark night to wisdom and forbearance with the peoples of the earth, both learned and ignorant. Move with love, and with utmost joy and radiance set forth the revealed verses and manifest proofs. Today the helper of the Cause is the fear of God, and Its hosts are goodly deeds and virtuous character. The splendors shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon you, O My friends and loved ones who were not deterred by the clamor of the heedless nor the croaking of the croakers. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH00974: O Ism-i-Jud! The Lord of existence is seen beneath…

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

O Ism-i-Jud! The Lord of existence is seen beneath the claws of hatred. Nevertheless, We desire to make mention of him who is named Muhammad-Kazim—upon him be My glory and loving-kindness—that the attraction of remembrance may draw him to a station from whose horizon hath shone forth the Sun of God’s favor, the Lord of all worlds. This is the Day wherein the Mother Book speaketh, yet the people are heedless. They have denied the bounty of the Utterance and have committed that which hath caused the Concourse on High and the dwellers of Paradise in the highest heaven to lament—a station which none knoweth save the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

O Kazim! Upon thee be My glory! Hear in the Persian tongue: Thy mention hath ever been before the Wronged One, and the gaze of loving-kindness hath been directed towards thee. There befell Us what hath befallen Us. I swear by the ocean of utterance, had We not borne hardships in God’s path, His Cause would have remained behind a veil. Fire in His path is light, and tribulation in His love is rest—nay, He is the Master of all mercies and the Sovereign of all comfort. Some time ago thou didst mention those who journeyed from the Land of Sad to that land. It was observed. Say: O my handmaiden, praise the Desired One of all worlds that thou hast been honored by His mention and distinguished by His favor. The Glory be upon thee from Us, and upon those with thee, and upon every maidservant who hath turned and believed in God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. We send greetings to the handmaidens of that land who have quaffed the choice wine and turned unto the Most Glorious Horizon, and We give them glad tidings of God’s grace, kindness and mercy.

O Muhammad-Rida!

Thy name hath been remembered in the presence of the Wronged One. Know thou the worth of the Days of God; strive, perchance thou mayest be enabled to perform such a deed as shall be recorded in the Book of Acceptance. Praised be God! Thou hast been aided to attain unto that which, in the sight of God, hath been adorned with the ornament of approval; and We make mention of him who hath been named Muhammad, son of Husayn, that he may rejoice in the grace of his Lord, the All-Forgiving. Unceasingly is the Tongue uttering, the Pen moving, and the Gaze directed. We beseech God that He deprive not the peoples of the earth of this most great bounty and this supreme gift; that He guide them all and confirm them, that they may set their faces toward the Most Great Ocean and attain unto that for which they have been brought from non-existence into being. In nights and days, from the treasury of the Supreme Pen, the pearls of wisdom and utterance are revealed; yet eyes are withheld and deprived.

O Kazim!

The surging waves of the Ocean of the bounty of the Imam of the faces are seen in their utmost height, yet the people are behind veils of fancies and conjectures. With the hand of power He, at every moment, hath rent a veil asunder; but unjust souls—especially the criers—have contrived yet another veil. We beseech God to confirm mankind to preserve the pearls of wisdom and utterance that have issued forth from the treasuries of the Supreme Pen. By the Sun of Justice, shining from the horizon of the Most Great Prison! Should any soul, with keen sight, gaze upon the pearls of the Ocean of utterance, he would account aught save God as naught and lost, and would arise with the greatest steadfastness in the Cause of the Lord of all men—an arising that the winds of doubt and the insinuations of the peoples of the world shall not stir. Blessed is he that hath found the fragrance of My robe and hath said:

“Praise be to Thee, O Desire of the world; and Thine is the bounty, O Beloved of them that are in the heavens and on the earths!”

And We make mention of thy brother, who hath been named Muhammad, son of Sadiq, that the attraction of the utterance may seize him and draw him nigh unto God, the Lord of all worlds. O Muhammad Sadiq! Turn thou, with thy whole being, unto the Most Exalted Horizon, and say:

My God, my God! Thou seest me turning toward the lights of Thy countenance and clinging to the hem of the robe of Thy grace. I beseech Thee by that which is in Thy knowledge and ordained in Thy mighty Book to strengthen me in steadfastness unto this manifest Cause. Then I implore Thee, O God of all contingent beings and desire of all things existent, by the Word through which the ocean of knowledge surged in all creation and the sun of certitude shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of proof, to write for me by Thy Most Exalted Pen that which will aid me in Thy remembrance and praise, and ordain for me that which will profit me in Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Thou Who art wronged and O Thou Who art imprisoned in the Most Great Prison! Remember him whose name was present in the Most Great Scene, that he may arise to serve the Cause, detached from all that was and shall be.

O Asadu’llah! The Lord of mankind remembereth thee at a time when sorrows have encompassed Him from those who disbelieved in the Witness and the Witnessed. We were seated upon the thrones and speaking in praise when a new governor arrived in this city which was named with the Most Beautiful Names by the One Who is All-Knowing, All-Informed. When he was established in [the seat of] power, he committed that which caused the Concourse on High and the denizens of the Most Exalted Paradise to lament, and said that which caused the hearts of those who circle round God’s throne, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, to burn. By God’s life! We bore the hardships of the earth out of Our desire to manifest the Cause, but most of the people understand not. Say: Tribulation hath never hindered the Baha. He hath stood before all faces with a power that caused the feet of the mystics and the learned to slip, yet the people understand not. We have appeared and manifested what We desired through Our power, and I am verily the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. If thou findest the fragrance of My utterance, arise and say:

By Thy glory, O Desire of the world! I find none to remember me who can reach the atmosphere of the glory of Thy oneness. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Exalted Word and Thy Crimson Ark and the Tablet wherein Thou hast mentioned those who turned with radiant faces toward the Supreme Horizon on this blessed and praiseworthy Day, to protect Thy loved ones from the harm of those who understand not.

O ʿAli! The Countenance of the Ancient Beauty turneth toward thee from His Most Great Prison. Canst thou hear and act upon what the Most Exalted Pen commandeth thee at this moment? Put aside the world in the name of thy Lord and take with the hands of power My perspicuous Book. Neither their books nor their sciences and arts will profit the people except through turning to this Most Great Ocean which surgeth through this manifest Name. What they possess will not profit the world except through My luminous and shining Command. We beseech God to strengthen thee in the greatest steadfastness and aid thee in that which will draw thee nigh unto Him at all times. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the Omnipotent. Glory be upon the people of Baha who have not broken His Covenant and His Testament, who have arisen and declared: “God is our Lord and the Lord of the Mighty Throne.”

BH01002: God testifieth that there is none other God but…

He is the Consoler, the Comforter, the All-Merciful, the All-Bountiful!

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and that He Who hath come from the Most Exalted Horizon is the Lord of all beings, the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below, and the Master of the Beginning and the End. Whoso cleaveth unto Him hath verily cleaved unto God’s mighty cord, and whoso holdeth fast unto His hem hath verily held fast unto the hem of God, the Holy, the Pure, the Mighty, the Luminous.

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and that He Whose voice was raised from the Most Exalted Horizon is indeed the One Who conversed upon Sinai, Who is established upon the Throne of Revelation, through Whom the Trump was blown, through Whom the decree of resurrection was fulfilled, and through Whom those that lay in their graves arose. Whoso heareth His call hath verily heard the Call of God, and whoso turneth unto Him hath verily turned unto God. Blessed is the strong one whom neither the might of the oppressors nor the power of the tyrants could deter. He stood before all faces and proclaimed with loudest voice:

“O concourse of earth and heaven! The Day hath appeared wherein the Hidden Secret and the Treasured Symbol, which had been concealed in the knowledge of God, the Lord of all worlds, hath been made manifest.”

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of My handmaiden and My leaf whom the rapture of the Call seized and whom the wine of the utterance of the Lord of the Kingdom of Names intoxicated, to such extent that she sacrificed herself in the path of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, and His mighty and glorious Cause. Say: The peace that shineth resplendent from the horizon of the will of the Lord of Batha, and the blessings that descend from the heaven of grandeur and bounty, and the light that dawneth from the horizon of the heaven of the grace of the Lord of all creation, be upon thee, O luminous leaf who hast sprouted forth on the Mount of Sinai through the will of God, Creator of the heavens and Lord of the Kingdom of Names.

I testify that thou didst answer thy Lord when His call was raised, and didst turn unto Him when most of His servants turned away. I bear witness that the Word attracted thee and the proof seized thee in such wise that thou didst detach thyself from the world and its colors, its ornaments, its pleasures, its blessings and its bounties, hoping for God’s loving-kindness and mercy, God’s grace and bounty, God’s glory and splendor.

O My handmaiden! By thy tribulation the Tablet in the hand of Baha did lament, and the tongues of the faithful were stilled from mentioning thy Lord, the Most High. By what befell thee, the hearts of the holy ones in the crimson chambers and in the Most Exalted Paradise did melt. Alas, alas, for what thou didst hear and witness in the days of God from those who broke God’s covenant and His testament, cast aside His laws and His verses, and from those women who denied God and His sovereignty and turned away from approaching His court and entering the precincts of His gate.

I testify that thou didst drink from the hands of thy Lord’s loving-kindness the Kawthar of divine knowledge and the choice wine of utterance, and didst acknowledge that which the Tongue of Grandeur spoke from the most exalted station. Thou art she whom the veils of those handmaidens who cast aside the Book of God, the Lord of all mankind, did not hinder. By thy tribulation hearts were consumed and livers melted, and the people of the cities of unity did lament, and the Maid of Heaven cried out in the midmost heart of Paradise.

I testify that the love of thy Lord inflamed thee, His nearness consumed thee, distance from His presence burned thee, and separation in His days destroyed thee. Alas, alas, for how griefs seized thee from every direction and prevented thee from drawing nigh unto God, the Lord of lords. Whenever thou didst hasten, turn and approach, yearning to meet thy Beloved and thy Goal, thou didst find the irrevocable decree as a barrier between thee and the Lord of Eternity, the Object of worship of the nations. And whenever thou didst reflect in the night seasons and at dawn that perchance thou mightest find a way to meet thy Lord, lo, the wall of denial from those who disbelieved in God, thy Chosen Lord, prevented thee.

I bear witness that thou didst believe in God and in that which was sent down from the heaven of His utterance and the horizon of His bounty, and in that which appeared from Him and was manifested by His command. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to send down upon thee at all times from the heaven of the loving-kindness of His Name, the Most Merciful, mercy from His presence and blessing from His side. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Bountiful.

O My leaf! Rejoice in the Most Exalted Paradise in what hath at this moment been sent down for thee from the Pen of thy Most Glorious Lord. Blessed art thou for having attained unto a mention that shone forth from the mouth of thy Lord’s will. The lights have shone forth in the horizons and the light of utterance hath gleamed forth from the word of thy Lord, the King of the Day of Meeting. I bear witness, O My handmaiden, to thy confession and acknowledgment, thy turning and orientation, thy remembrance and praise of thy Lord, thy Creator, thy Quickener, thy Manifester, and the Manifestation of all who are in the heavens and the earth. I bear witness that by My mention the ocean of forgiveness did surge, and the fragrance of the loving-kindness of Thy Lord, the All-Merciful, hath wafted in such wise that We have heard from the right side “The Kingdom belongeth to God, the Lord of all worlds,” and from the left “Glory be to the Self-Sufficient, the Most High,” and from before Us “The Lord of all beings hath come with a sovereignty whereby the back of vain imaginings hath been broken.”

Thus have the verses been sent down from the heaven of Our loving-kindness unto thee, O My handmaiden and My leaf, who art mentioned in My sacred court and upon My intimate carpet. The glory that proceedeth from Us rest upon thee, upon thy beginning and thine end, thy outward and thine inward being, and the mercy of God and His blessings.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God, my Lord, my Stay, my Desire and my Object of worship! I beseech Thee by them who hastened to the place of sacrifice in their longing to attain Thy presence, and by their blood which was shed in Thy path, and by the heads which were raised upon spears in Thy Name, and by the bodies which were consumed by the fire of hatred in Thy days and in Thy love, and by this handmaiden whose heart was melted in separation from Thee and whose inner being was attracted by the breezes of Thy verses and the fragrances of Thy utterance, and who was seized by Thy sweetest call and the rustling of Thy Most Exalted Pen in such wise that she sacrificed her spirit, her soul and all she possessed in Thy path, that Thou ordain for them who have turned unto Thee what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones.

Then I beseech Thee, O God of Names and Creator of heaven, by her and by her love and her turning unto Thee and her orientation towards Thee, and by her grief in her remoteness from the carpet of Thy nearness and the Dayspring of Thy reunion and meeting with Thee, that Thou forgive me and Thy friends and Thy loved ones. Verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Great.

O my God, bestow Thy blessings, O my God, upon Thy loved ones and Thy handmaidens who have fulfilled Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, and who have acted in accordance with what they were bidden in Thy Perspicuous Book. There is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Generous.

BH01063: O Ahmad! Be thou ready to hearken unto…

In the Name of Him Who is Sovereign over all Names!

O Ahmad! Be thou ready to hearken unto the Voice of the Wronged One. He, verily, desireth to make mention of thee at this time. The glances of the tender mercies of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, have been directed towards thee. He hath aided thee to turn towards Him when all learned ones turned away, and guided thee to His path when the people were lost in manifest doubt. He enabled thee to go forth from thy home, turning thy face to the Most Exalted Horizon. Thou didst traverse the ways until thou didst arrive and attain His presence, and didst hear the Voice of God, the Lord of the worlds, and beheld that whereunto eyes were created to see and ears to hear His wondrous call.

Give thanks unto God for this supreme bounty, and be not of them whom sorrows have overtaken in the days of their Lord, the All-Merciful. We desire to behold thee content with that which He loveth and is pleased with, and to see thee among those who rejoice. By the life of God! He who hath ascended is, verily, in an exalted station with thy Lord, and desireth not to return to this world. Thy Lord is, in truth, the All-Witnessing, the All-Knowing. We have recorded his mention in the Crimson Tablet through My Most Exalted Pen. This is a bounty from Our presence which nothing that the people possess today can equal. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Merciful, the Bountiful.

O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who was named Muhammad-before-Rida, that he may give thanks unto his Lord, the Lord of all mankind, the Lord of the Throne above and of the earth below, and be of them that have attained. Thou hast indeed attained unto My revelations, turned towards My horizon, held fast unto My cord, and clung to the hem of the robe of My mercy, which hath preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth. Let not the happenings of the world grieve thee. Verily, it is the abode of trials and tribulations. To this testifieth the Creator of the heavens and the Lord of Names. Soon shall all that is therein perish, and there shall endure only that which hath flowed from the Pen of thy Lord, the All-Knowing. We have made mention of thee before, and at this time. Render thanks unto God, thy Lord and the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Say:

My God, my God! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant and the son of Thy handmaiden. Thou hast created me through Thy grace and brought me forth through Thy generosity and enabled me to recognize the Dayspring of Thy Revelation, the Dawning-Place of Thy signs, and the Manifestation of Thy Self on a day when most of Thy creatures turned away from Thee, violated Thy covenant and Thy testament, disputed Thy signs, and denied Thy proof and Thy testimony. I beseech Thee, O Thou the Desire of the hearts of them that know Thee and the Beloved of the hearts of them that are sincere, by the breezes of the morn of Thy manifestation and by the fruits of the Tree of Thy Cause and by the fragrances of Thy days and by Thy verses which Thou hast sent down from the heaven of Thy will for Thy servants, to draw me ever closer to Thy most exalted horizon in all conditions and to ordain for me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen servants.

O Lord! I am he who hath turned unto the lights of Thy countenance and held fast unto the cord of Thy forgiveness and pardon. I beseech Thee not to withhold from me the stream of Thy mercy nor deprive me from the ocean of Thy favors. Wilt Thou turn away the poor one from the ocean of Thy riches or remove the needy one from the gardens of Thy nearness? I implore Thee by the pavilion of Thy glory and the banners of Thy signs to ordain for me that which shall abide with me in every world of Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all beings and the Educator of all things visible and invisible. There is none other God but Thee, the Most Generous, the All-Bountiful, the All-Hearing, the All-Answering.

Hear ye in the Persian tongue, O Muhammad-Rida! Praise be to God that through the favors of the Lord of all beings and the traces of His Pen thou hast attained, and by the light of His knowledge thou art illumined. Give praise to the Desired One of the world that afterward He did not withhold thee from His grace. Outwardly thou art distant, but inwardly near. He is the Gracious, the Merciful. The whole world was brought from nothingness into being for this blessed Day, yet heedlessness and pride have prevented all from hearkening to the call of Him Who spoke upon Sinai. They are seen wandering confused and bewildered in the wilderness of ignorance. The recompense of deeds hath been made manifest and hath prevented all save whom God willeth. And ye have attained unto that which hath had and hath no likeness. Verily the Cause is in His hand; He guideth whom He willeth unto His straight path.

His honor Ahmad, upon him be the glory of God and His favors, hath attained unto that which hath been revealed from the Divine Pen in the Book of Meanings. O Ahmad! Upon thee be My glory. Know thou the value of this station. Convey My greetings unto the people of God in that land. Say: I swear by the Sun of utterance which shineth and is manifest from the most exalted horizon of possibility that ye are all mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One and are the recipients of His favors. Today is the day of mention and praise and the day of service. Deprive not yourselves. Ye are the letters of the words and the words of the Book.

Ye are saplings planted by the hand of loving-kindness in the soil of mercy, and have been nurtured by the showers of grace. He hath protected you from the tempests of misbelief and the thunderbolts of infidelity, and hath reared you with the hands of tenderness. Now is the time for fruits and leaves, and the fruits of the divine tree have ever been and are goodly deeds and praiseworthy character. Withhold not these fruits from the heedless. Show them forth with spirit and joy, with wisdom and utterance. If they accept, the aim is achieved and life is manifest; otherwise, leave them to their vain imaginings.

O people of God! Strive ye that perchance the hearts of the diverse peoples of the world may be cleansed and sanctified from rancor and hatred through the waters of your forbearance and loving-kindness, and become worthy and receptive of the splendors of the Sun of Truth. We convey greetings to all and give them the glad-tidings of the outpourings of the lights of the Lord’s favors. O friends! Know ye the value of these days, for they will soon come to an end. At all times counsels of loving-kindness have flowed from the Pen of the Merciful. Blessed are they who have hearkened and acted, and whom the doubts and appearances and diversities of these two days have not kept back from the straight path and the mighty announcement. O people of God! Upon you be the glory of God and His favors and the mercy of God and His grace. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous. There is no God but Him, the Exalted, the Great.

BH01138: O Asad! Upon thee be the Glory of God!…

He is the Hearing and the Answering

O Asad! Upon thee be the Glory of God! The letter of Husayn Ba’i, upon him be My Glory, was received, was graced with Our glance and honored by Our hearing, and was adorned with the ornament of acceptance. In this Most Exalted Station, mention of him hath been sent down from the Supreme Horizon. Were the songs of the birds of the Cause, which warble upon the branches of the Lote-Tree of utterance, to pass from the hidden to the manifest, the world would be struck with awe and wonderment. His honor Mahmud, upon him be the Glory of God, from among the people of Nur and Ra, We have made mention of. We beseech God to protect him and ordain for him what he desireth of the bounty of his Lord, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

O Mahmud! We have heard thy communion with God and have answered thee with this clear exposition. We make mention of Ata’u’llah and give him the glad-tidings of My loving-kindness and mercy, and remind him of My verses. I am verily the All-Knowing Rememberer. We make mention of Ibn-i-Kamal who attained My presence, circumambulated around Me, and held fast to the cord of My loving-kindness and clung to My robe. We beseech God to send down upon him from the heaven of His bounty that which befitteth His grace and generosity. He is verily the Generous, the Munificent.

O Mahmud! Upon thee be My Glory! We made mention of thee before and at this hour. Give thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous. Glory be upon thee and upon thy wife who turned towards God on a day whereon every perfidious unfortunate one and every doubting scholar turned away.

And give glad-tidings unto him who is named ʿAbdu’llah of My remembrance. We beseech God to forgive him and his father as a bounty from His presence. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

Praise be to God! The people of Baku are seen to be ablaze with the fire of the love of God, exalted be His glory. O people of God! Strive that ye may attain unto that which shall never be erased from the ledger of the world. The Wronged One counseleth you to fear God and to observe wisdom. In the Most Holy Book, which hath been sent down from God’s holy kingdom, this blessed verse hath been recorded:

“Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship.”

O Friend of God and His loved ones! Devote your efforts to teaching the Cause and associate with the people of the world in unity and concord, that the fragrance of virtuous character may be diffused throughout the world and others may be attracted by that fragrance and perchance attain unto what God hath willed and find it.

The people of Ba are all remembered before the Wronged One, both men and women. We give them glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all worlds, and We give them glad-tidings of God’s grace, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

And as to what his honor Ibn-i-Attar, upon him be My Glory and loving-kindness, wrote regarding the sum he wished to spend according to ancient custom for the Mother of the Near Ones, upon her be My Glory and loving-kindness: according to the wish of My Name Jamal, upon him be My Glory and mercy, it was given to one of the leaves of the Tree. Excellent is what Ibn-i-Attar hath done. Blessed is he in that he hath hearkened unto what was commanded by My Name Jamal. We have made mention of the Mother of the Near Ones with such remembrance before which all mention boweth down, in recompense for what she did in the path of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

And as to thy mention of deputyship from his honor Shaykh, upon him be My peace and loving-kindness: We have accepted what thou hast desired as a mercy from Our presence. Verily thy Lord is the All-Kind, the Most Generous, the All-Bountiful, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

O Asad! Upon thee be My glory! The missive of Haydar, who before was named Ali, attained the presence and was honored to hear that which was uttered from the Mount. In truth he is steadfast in service to the Cause and speaks in praise and glorification of the Lord of Names. We give him glad tidings, strengthen him, aid him, make mention of him, and beseech God to assist him with the hosts of His wisdom and utterance and the legions of His grace and favor. Verily He is the Generous, the Munificent, the Ancient Bestower. The names mentioned in his letter have all been honored with the mention of the Supreme Pen and its verses. Previously, numerous Tablets were sent, and for some of the souls mentioned in this letter there was revealed that which giveth rise to noble character and quickeneth moldering bones. We beseech the True One to aid His servants that they may drink from the ocean of the All-Merciful’s utterance and arise to champion the divine religion. Such is the call of the Wronged One of the world, raised from the shore of the sea of utterance.

Counsel and exhortation have reached such a degree that upon everything a pulpit hath been erected, and upon it a counselor engaged in refining souls. The bounty is God’s, Lord of all worlds. His is the grace, His the generosity. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Verily He maketh mention and guideth the way, and He is the Mighty, the Beautiful.

Give thou the glad tidings to Haydar—upon him be the Glory of God, the Lord of Destiny—of that which hath been sent down from the Kingdom of utterance, that he may rejoice and be of the thankful ones. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds. O Asad! The letter of Muhammad-Hashim—upon him and his two brothers be My glory—was seen. Praise be to God, the fragrances of the love of the Truth, exalted be His glory, wafted therefrom. Blessed is he and joy be unto him. Beseech thou the Truth to aid him to serve the Cause and whatsoever beseemeth His manifest and luminous Day. His kinsmen who have quaffed the sealed wine are each mentioned before the Wronged One and have been blessed with the verses of the divine Pen.

Likewise another page was observed. We heard and saw that the souls mentioned therein were each blessed with the utterance of the Goal of the world’s desire. Muhammad-Hashim was honored with My mention, and Husayn after Muhammad was graced with My attention toward him, and Muhammad was adorned with the ornament of My wondrous mention. In brief, all the names mentioned are remembered at the Divine Throne and blessed with special favors. The glory of God rest upon them from God, the Lord of all worlds.

BH01169: Praise be to God Who hath sent down…

He is God, exalted be His glory in greatness and power!

Praise be to God Who hath sent down the verses and revealed the clear proofs and sent forth the Messengers, making them the Manifestations of His Revelation, the Dawning-Places of His inspiration, and the Harbingers of what He hath sent down in His Books, His Psalms and His Tablets. He is verily the Single, the One, the Unique, like unto Whom there is nothing. He is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. There is no God but He, the Single, the All-Informed.

The Wronged One beareth witness to His unity and oneness, and to His greatness and sovereignty. He it is Who hath spoken with the tongue of will concerning the unity of His Being and the unity of His attributes, and hath caused all things to speak that there is no God but He. He hath ever been sanctified beyond mention and utterance, and exalted above the understanding of all created things. Through Him the ocean of bounty hath surged in the world and the banner of unity hath been raised amidst the nations. And blessings and peace be upon the Dawning-Place of the Word of God, the Manifestation of His Cause, the Dayspring of His Revelation and the Source of His laws—He through Whom the countenance of the Hijaz smiled and the horizons were illumined with the light of concord.

He it is Who gave glad tidings to all of the hidden Mystery and the treasured Symbol, and informed the people of the Hour and its signs, and the Resurrection and its mysteries. And upon His family and companions who strove in the path of God with true striving and sacrificed their souls and their possessions for the exaltation of His Word and the manifestation of His Cause, and upon those who acted according to what they were commanded in His Book, which God made to be supreme over all books and through which He separated truth from falsehood, from that Day until the Day when the trumpet shall be blown and all who are in the heavens and earth shall swoon away, save those whom God willeth.

And now, O thou who hast turned towards Him! The Wronged One mentioneth thee for the sake of God with that which shall profit thee in the hereafter and in this world, and counseleth thee in all circumstances to perform deeds and to show forth character, and that whereby the Cause of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting, shall be exalted.

In the Persian tongue it is mentioned: Spiritual virtues and goodly deeds are as wings for the human temple and as hosts for the triumph of the Divine Cause. A single pure word, free from the dust of vain imaginings, delivered and granted salvation to an entire city. The details thereof have been mentioned before. Blessed is he who hath arisen to serve the Cause with spirit and fragrance and hath acted according to what was commanded in the Book of his Lord, the All-Merciful.

Praise be to God that thou hast turned thy face and directed thyself to the horizon of the Prison, and hast drunk from the cup of contentment. How many souls at all times sought divine confirmation from the Lord of all beings but attained it not, while thou didst arrive and hear that which its hearing is the cause of salvation and the source of prosperity. Today all the believers must, with the utmost humility and supplication, beseech assistance from the Lord of the Worlds, for all find themselves confronting the assaults of the ungodly. Each day they seize one pillar and destroy another, and this is naught but the recompense of deeds. All must today utter this most exalted word:

O God of the worlds and Creator of the nations! We beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name to protect Thy lands from Thine enemies and Thy countries from the oppressors among Thy servants. O Lord! We have returned unto Thee and repented of our transgressions and errors, and have turned with our hearts and faces toward Thee, O Kaaba of the yearning ones, Answerer of the prayers of the distressed, and God of all in the heavens and earths. We beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst subdue the cities and souls to blot out our evil deeds and to pass over what our hands have wrought. Verily Thou art He to Whose mercy all atoms bear witness and to Whose generosity all beings testify. There is no God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

O Muhammad-Qabil-i-Karim! Make mention of the friends of God on behalf of the Wronged One. Ever hath the tongue been occupied with the praise of His loved ones and the Pen moved by that which exalteth them. Blessed art thou, for thou hast endured hardships and tribulations in the path of God and hast traversed both land and sea until thou didst attain thy goal and didst convey the remembrances of the friends of God. Praise be to God that each one hath been made the recipient of mention and adorned with the grace of the Friend. We beseech God to ordain for them what He hath ordained for His chosen ones, and to decree for them the reward of this world and of the world to come. Verily, He is the Lord of all beings and the King of the throne above and the earth below. There is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Powerful.

If thou shouldst meet Muhammad-Qabil-i-Hasan, convey Our greetings and say: Thou hast not been forgotten. Verily thy Lord loveth faithfulness and He prayeth God to assist thee in that which He loveth and is pleased with, and to aid thee in His remembrance and praise amongst all peoples. We beseech confirmation for all, that perchance the clamor of the aggressive ones, the tyranny of the oppressors, and the might of the deniers may not prevent the people of unity from the Most Exalted Word. We hope that God, exalted be His glory, may guide all the world and direct them to the straight path. Verily, He is powerful over all things and worthy to answer.

And at the conclusion of this epistle, may the mercy sent down from the heaven of the grace of our Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful, be upon His Prophets and His Messengers and His chosen ones who have sacrificed their souls and have not broken the Covenant, and upon every one who hath turned toward His most exalted horizon and whom nothing hath deterred therefrom. And praise be to God, the Lord of all beings.

BH01244: O Muhammad! We make mention of thee that My…

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

O Muhammad! We make mention of thee that My remembrance may attract thee, My call draw thee nigh, My utterance strengthen thee, and My loving-kindness sustain thee amongst My servants. Verily thy Lord is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The treasures of meaning and utterance cannot equal the remembrance of thy Lord—to this thy Lord, the All-Merciful, beareth witness. He, verily, is the All-Seeing, the All-Informed. We made mention of thee before in words wherewith all things have spoken—sovereignty belongeth unto God, the Lord of all worlds.

The fragrance of the garment of utterance hath been diffused from the Mount of Knowledge, and the Divine Lote-Tree calleth out with the loudest voice, yet most of the people remain heedless. They who are heedless this day of My choice sealed wine—these have no portion in God’s Book, the Mighty, the All-Praised. The Most Exalted Pen hath moved to make mention of you in numerous Tablets. He remembereth him who remembereth Him, and desireth him who desireth Him—a grace from His presence, for He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who hath turned toward My horizon, who hath drunk the choice wine of My loving-kindness, who hath soared in the atmosphere of My love, who hath responded when My call was raised, who hath spoken My praise among My servants, who hath held fast to the cord of My grace and clung to the hem of the robe of My generosity—he who hath been named Hussein in My writings and dominions. He is of the people of Baha and the companions of the Crimson Ark, inscribed in a Tablet which none hath beheld save My All-Knowing Self.

Say: The first utterance which shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of mystic knowledge from the All-Merciful is upon thee, O thou who hast turned toward the Most Glorious Horizon, who art attracted by the screaking of the Most Exalted Pen, who art oriented toward the lights of the Countenance when it appeared after the passing away of all things. Thou art he whom the vicissitudes of the world did not prevent from the Ancient Being, nor did the clamor of nations from His binding Cause. Upon thee be the glory of God and His mercy, the peace of God and His grace. Blessed art thou for that which the Most Exalted Pen hath testified in thy favor, and for having attained the mention of thy Lord, the Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven. Thou art he who hath drunk My choice sealed wine through My Self-Subsisting Name on a day wherein the servants turned away from God, the Lord of all worlds. Thou hast attained that which was hidden in knowledge and recorded in the Books of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

We bear witness that thou didst stand firm in the Cause when the Hour arose, such that neither the Hour and its portents frightened thee, nor the convulsion of the earth and its quaking. Thou wert steadfast in thy Lord’s Cause and didst speak His most great verses among all peoples. Blessed art thou, and joy be unto thee, and unto them that love thee, and unto them that make mention of thee according to what hath been sent down from the Tongue of Grandeur in this mighty, this impregnable station.

O God, my God! Lord of the seen and unseen, and Sovereign of existence! I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy bounty and by Thy chosen ones and pure ones whom nothing whatsoever hath hindered from turning toward Thee—who stood before the faces of the world and declared:

“We believe in the Dayspring of verses and the Manifestation of clear tokens Who hath come with a brilliant light and a mighty sovereignty”

- to ordain for Thy loved ones that which will draw them nigh unto Thee. Then forgive them through Thy grace and generosity. Thou art He by Whose command the ocean of forgiveness surged in the contingent world and the fragrance of Thy loving-kindness wafted among all religions. Then ordain for Thy loved ones the good of the hereafter and of the former days. Verily Thou art the Lord of the Throne on high and of the dust below. There is none other God but Thee, the Compassionate, the Generous. Thou art the Ancient Bestower.

O thou who hast turned to God! Thou hast ever been and art remembered. The Wronged One’s gaze hath been and is fixed upon thee. Mention of him who ascended unto God hath been revealed in diverse Tablets, including in a Tablet which was revealed from the heaven of God’s Will specifically for His Holiness ʿAba, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, and was sent through Ibn-i-Asdaq, upon him be my glory. Likewise was he mentioned in other Tablets, and in this blessed Tablet too, wherein the Sun of loving-kindness shineth resplendent from its horizon. Convey to all the kindred My greetings from the Wronged One and remind them of the verses of God. Great is this Day.

Blessed is he who hath in this divine Day attained unto the outpourings of the true Bestower. Convey greetings to the people of Baha and say: O people of God! This is your Day. Know ye its worth, recognize its station, and arise as beseemeth you. Fear not the moving bubbles that appear briefly upon fetid waters, for ere long all shall return to their abode. This Wronged One and His loved ones must pray for all, that perchance the hidden rancor in the hearts of the followers of religions may be stilled and the light of harmony and unity may shine forth from the heaven of hearts. This is the purpose of the Wronged One, to which My soul, the Self-Subsisting, doth testify.

O Muhammad! We beseech God to strengthen thee through this Name in His Cause, that thou mayest be as a speaking standard and an upright banner raised high. However, wisdom is called for—wisdom in this day taketh precedence over most deeds. Blessed is he who holdeth fast unto it, and woe betide the heedless. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon thee and upon those whom neither the might of the wicked nor the ranks of the idolaters could weaken. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH01294: O beloved of my heart! Ustad ʿAli-Akbar-i-Banna, upon him…

He is God!

O beloved of my heart! Ustad ʿAli-Akbar-i-Banna, upon him be the Glory of God, has written from the people of Ya to Hadrat-i-Ism-i-Jud, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God. My brother Ustad Kazim, from whom no good effects have been witnessed, has multiple veils. Among them is that this humble one had sent two payments for the Huquq—once through Jinab-i-Amin, upon him be the Glory of God, and once through His Honor Afnan, upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory. One payment arrived and they wrote it in my brother Ustad Kazim’s name. This has become a source of his veils, [saying] “I have not sent any payment, so why has this receipt been sent in my name?” That beloved one should be very careful in writing names, as this servant acts according to that beloved one’s letter and sends acknowledgment of receipt. Glory be to God! Such matters should not become causes of veiling, for you are the seeker and the servant writes. Verily He is sanctified from what we have; He is the Single, the One, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Some receipts were previously sent. It appears some may have been sent repeatedly. Please review and inform which ones have arrived.

Regarding what was written about His Honor Aqa Azizu’llah, upon him be the Glory of God, what this evanescent one witnessed and testifies to is that he has been and continues to be steadfast in the Cause with perfect love, and has repeatedly attained unto the verses of the Supreme Pen, and there has been revealed for him that which every letter thereof is a true testimony and an articulate witness to the compassion, favor and mercy of the True One, exalted be His glory. He said:

“O Trustee! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the King, the Truth, the Manifest Justice. Give glad tidings to My servant Aziz of what was revealed for him before and at this time from the Pen of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. O Aziz! Grieve not over anything. Commit thy affairs unto God, the Lord of the worlds. Verily We have mentioned thee in My verses and given thee glad tidings of My favor and adorned thee with the ornament of My mercy which hath preceded those who are in the heavens and on earth.”

We make mention of the loved ones of the land of Kha and convey greetings. For each one has been revealed that by whose light the horizons of utterance are illumined and by whose mention the people of the cities of justice are made joyous and content. Soon it will be sent and will be illumined by the lights of the utterance of the Goal of the worlds.

Regarding what was written that His Honor Aqa Muhammad-Javad (with nun and ra), upon him be the Glory of God, has arranged with that beloved one to deliver the mentioned amount each year, after being presented at the Most Holy Court, this word appeared from the Kingdom of Utterance of the Goal of the worlds:

“O Trustee! He hath attained unto acceptance and is engaged in service. Leave this matter to himself so that whatever occurs may be with spirit and fragrance. Verily We greet him once again that he may give thanks to his Lord, the Generous, the Bountiful.”

And regarding what was written about Ibn-i-Shahid, upon him be God’s Glory and favors—if souls act with perfect spirit and fragrance and gratitude for the sake of God, it is accepted; otherwise, leave them to themselves, turning unto God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. This servant greatly wonders at souls who have attained unto the light of recognition and faith, yet hesitate in what is befitting the Day of God. We beseech God to assist them and grant them success. Verily He is the best Helper and the best Guardian, and He is the Compassionate, the All-Knowing, the Wise.

As regards the matter of regular allowances about which they wrote, it is by no means permissible to mention it to them. Concealment of this matter from all is necessary and obligatory. This evanescent servant beseeches God to assist them to attain wealth and independence. If they cleave for a while to contentment and arise to serve, assuredly the gates of bounty will be opened before them and the sun of wealth will shine forth from the horizon of the Ancient Lord’s generosity, even as this has been manifested in previous communities and they have heard thereof.

Another matter concerns the funds sent by three trustworthy souls—his honor Aqa Muhammad-Rida (of Muhammad-Abad), his honor Karbala’i Aqa Husayn (of Tabas), and his honor Aqa Muhammad-Baqir (of Naraq), upon them be the Glory of God—which were received and accepted with favor. However, the beloved and honored one, Haji Siyyid Javad, upon him be [the Glory of God], requested the receipts, as they had been received from him and given several months ago. Later that esteemed one requested them again, and as he repeatedly mentioned this, they were sent. The point is that receipts for these three items have been given twice, and that beloved one should be informed of this.

Another matter: According to the command, if the beloved of the heart, his honor Ibn-i-Abhar, upon him be the Glory of God, should proceed to the Caucasus region and conduct himself with wisdom, this would be acceptable and beloved in the sight of God.