Volume 083: Akka 1304 A.H. (1886–1887), Part IV (2 of 5)

BH01293: O My Name Jamal! Upon thee be My glory…

He is the Hearer, the Answerer

O My Name Jamal! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. Thy letters and petitions, both past and present, have attained unto the hearing of the Wronged One. In these days thy mention hath repeatedly flowed from the Most Exalted Pen. Rejoice thou and be of the thankful. Make thou mention of the loved ones in that land on behalf of the Wronged One and give them the glad-tidings of the waves of the ocean of utterance of the Desire of the worlds. They have ever been and continue to be remembered.

Mention hath been made of Aqa Siyyid Nasru’llah. O Nasru’llah! My Name hath made mention of thee through a Word from My Tongue whereby were created the heavens and the earth. Verily thy Lord is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful. When thou dost inhale the sweet savors of utterance, say:

Praise be unto Thee, O my Lord, the All-Merciful, for having made mention of me in the prison. I testify that Thou hast appeared and manifested whatsoever Thy Will desired and Thy Purpose ordained, in such wise that neither the rancor and hatred, nor the swords of the enemies, nor the clamor of the divines who spoke in Thy Name yet turned away from Thy Self, who disputed Thy verses, denied Thy bounty, rejected Thy proof and Thy testimony, and violated Thy Covenant and Testament, could hinder it. I beseech Thee, O God of the nations and the One manifest through the Most Great Name, to assist me to be steadfast in Thy Cause and to aid me in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with. Verily Thou art my Lord and the Lord of earth and heaven. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Bountiful.

We make mention of thy son in this station and give him the glad-tidings of My mercy which hath preceded all things and My loving-kindness which hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Verily My Name Jamal desireth that Thou make mention of him who hath turned to My horizon and heard My call, who was named Siyyid before Abdu’llah. Say: O Abdu’llah! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One from the precincts of His Most Great Prison and say:

O Lord of eternity and Desire of the nations! I testify that they who claimed Thy love and spoke Thy praise and beseeched their Lord at all times for Thy manifestation and meeting, and who would rise at the mention of Thy Herald saying “May God hasten His relief,” and who lamented in His separation and shed tears in His absence—when the appointed time came and the Light shone forth from the horizon of manifestation, they denied Him and His verses, rejected His right, and denounced Him openly from the pulpits until they pronounced sentence for the shedding of His blood and killed Him with such injustice as caused the dwellers of the pavilions of Thy greatness and the inhabitants of the Most Exalted Paradise and the Sublime Garden to lament.

I beseech Thee, O Lord of Names, to protect Thy party from the evil of these people, then assist them with the hosts of the unseen and the visible, then ordain for them from Thy Most Exalted Pen the reward of attaining Thy presence and standing before Thy face and circling round the throne of Thy majesty. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and Thou art He Who with the finger of Thy will didst rend asunder the veils and the shrouds. There is none other God but Thee, the Strong, the Mighty, the Powerful.

And We make mention in this station of thy wife and give her glad-tidings of the Salsabil of My utterance and the Kawthar of My mercy and the choice wine of My knowledge and the wine of My wisdom, whose decree We have sent down in My perspicuous Book. We beseech God to aid thee and ordain for thee that which shall profit thee. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

O daughter of Hashim! The Wronged One maketh mention of thee in the Most Great Prison. Dost thou recognize Him Who maketh mention of thee? This is He by Whose grace the whole world holdeth fast and by Whose name they speak. From monasteries and temples and mosques and churches do they seek Him and call upon Him, yet remain veiled and debarred from Him. The cause of this debarring hath been and continueth to be the divines of the various parties. Say: […] O my God and my Desire! I praise Thee and beseech of Thee that which befitteth Thy bounty and generosity. Thy handmaiden knoweth not what profiteth or harmeth her. Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Within Thy grasp of power lieth all things. Grant that which Thou deemest expedient. Thou art the Bestower, the Loving.

O Ism-i-Jud! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. Praise be to God, My Name is Beauty, upon him be all glory, most glorious. He hath ever been and continueth to be mentioned in the Most Holy Court, especially on this night when the Tongue of Grandeur speaketh his praise, and two days ago a special Tablet was revealed from the heaven of Will for his son, that is, Habibu’llah. We beseech God to assist His servants to hearken unto His utterance in remembrance of their Lord, the Mighty, the Manifest, the Compassionate, the Generous.

We wish to make mention of him who is named Davud. Verily We mentioned him before, and We mention him at this hour that he may rejoice and be of the thankful ones. Grace is within the grasp of divine power; He bestoweth it upon whomsoever He willeth. Davud is in his place while the Wronged One is occupied with his remembrance in the Most Great Prison. No earthly means can equal this bounty. Blessed is he who hath attained in this Day, and woe unto the heedless ones. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds. Glory be from Us upon those who have heard and answered their Lord, the Master of the Day of Judgment.

BH01290: He gazeth from His most exalted horizon

He gazeth from His most exalted horizon.

This is a Book sent down in truth from the heaven of Divine Will as a token of God’s grace, the Lord of all worlds, that it may draw the servants unto the most exalted horizon and bring them nigh unto Him. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Peerless, the All-Informed.

O thou who hast turned thy face unto the lights of His Countenance! Hearken unto the call of Him Who hath been wronged. He remembereth thee in the prison and remindeth thee of the verses of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. This is a Day whereon the Herald hath called out from every direction, the mountains have passed away, the Ark of the Bayan hath sailed upon the ocean of divine knowledge, and the Dove of proof hath warbled upon the highest branches. O peoples of the worlds! By God, the All-Merciful hath come with a sovereignty that neither the hosts of the world nor the clamor of the nations who have violated God’s Covenant and His Testament, who have disputed His verses and denied His Most Great Cause and His Mighty Message, can ever withhold. The stream of life-giving waters hath flowed from the Pen of the All-Merciful, yet most of the people remain heedless. They have denied God’s favor and have changed it into disbelief. Lo! They are among the oppressors in a perspicuous Book.

We have heard mention of thee and have beheld thy turning unto Us. We have turned toward thee from the direction of the Prison and have remembered thee in this wondrous Tablet. When thou art blessed with it and findest the fragrance of utterance from thy Lord’s verses, the All-Merciful, say: “My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having strengthened me, made me recognize Thee, and caused me to hear when Thy sweetest call was raised and the pen of Thy most exalted Pen moved. I beseech Thee by Thy Cause through which the ocean of divine knowledge surged in the contingent world and the banner of Thy remembrance was raised amidst all religions, to make me aflame with the fire of Thy Sacred Tree, illumined by the lights of the Sun of Thy Revelation, uttering Thy praise, soaring in the atmosphere of Thy love, standing before the gate of Thy bounty and generosity, and serving Thy Cause.

“O Lord! Thou seest me detached from all else but Thee and turning unto the lights of Thy countenance. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of that which lieth with Thee. Ordain for me to attain Thy presence and to stand before the gate of Thy grandeur, and if Thy decree preventeth me from attaining Thy presence, ordain for me the reward of meeting Thee and that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones who have heard Thy sweetest call and have attained Thy presence, O Thou Who art the Lord of all beings and the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below! O Lord! Aid me to serve Thy Cause and to arise for that which Thou hast commanded me in Thy Book in such wise that neither the might of the world nor the clamor of the nations shall hold me back. Then write down for me, O my God and my Master, the good of this world and the next and that which shall profit me in every world of Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.”

Hear in the Persian tongue: Today is the day of remembrance and praise, and the day of service. Service to God, exalted be His glory, and assistance to His Cause have been and are through goodly deeds, pure character, and the fear of God. We beseech God to assist you in promoting His Cause, that you may be enkindled with the fire of the Divine Lote-Tree—an enkindlement which the polluted and fetid waters of religious opposition cannot extinguish. The most excellent of all deeds today is to teach His Cause with joy and fragrance. Whosoever achieves this has achieved all good. Strive that you may attain to that which shall endure as long as the kingdom of earth and heaven endure. The cawing ones are spread abroad like locusts. Beseech God to protect His loved ones in that land. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer.

Convey My greetings to the friends in that land. Say: O party of God! Hold fast to the cord of patience and cling to the hem of service. This Day has no peer or likeness. Deeds performed therein are the sovereign of all deeds, and remembrance therein is the king of all remembrance. Deprive not yourselves. Set the world ablaze with the fire of the blessed Lote-Tree. Hold fast to the cord of unity and concord. Ere long will the Cause of God encompass all things and its signs appear throughout all regions. We beseech God to assist you and not deprive you of that which is ordained in His Book.

In the Scriptures and Tablets We have counseled the people of God to observe serenity and dignity, humility and submissiveness, kindness and grace, and wisdom. All must hold fast to the cord of wisdom and utter that which God desires. Should you engage in service in that land, the reward of attaining His presence is ordained by God. This matter—namely, teaching—is most great. If you hold fast to it, it is, in the sight of God, closest to godliness. And if you wish to return, there is no objection, provided wisdom dictates it, for the command of wisdom is most firm. In most Tablets We have commanded all to observe it. God suffices as a witness. The glory which proceeds from Us be upon you and upon God’s loved ones there, and upon those whom nothing whatsoever has prevented from drawing nigh unto God, the One, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH01336: Glorified be He Who hath appeared with the truth…

He is the Manifest, the Speaker, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!

Glorified be He Who hath appeared with the truth and hath come from the heaven of utterance with a mighty proof, and hath spoken before the faces of the world. The hidden hath been revealed and that which was concealed hath come with a luminous light. He hath aided His Cause through the movement of His Most Exalted Pen and hath taken no helper unto Himself. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Powerful. Blessed is he who hath heard the Call and answered his Lord, and woe unto him who hath clung to vain imaginings, turning away from the certain Truth.

O ʿAli-Akbar! There hath come before the Wronged One the letter thou didst send to Asad, who circled round Me and sought My presence and took for himself a station in My prison. Majdu’d-Din read it before My face. We have answered thee with a Tablet that calleth out with the most exalted call:

“O concourse of creation! There hath appeared that which hath rolled up the carpet of every learned one and hath caused the hearts of every remote ignorant one to quake.”

Verily, he who hath heard the Call is among the people of Baha in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds. We have mentioned thee before with a mention which God hath made a treasure for thee in the Kingdom, to which the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, doth testify. Grieve not over the incidents and affairs of the world. There hath been ordained for thee from My Most Exalted Pen that which hath brought joy to the hearts of them that are nigh. Had the world any worth before God, the Wronged One would not have been imprisoned in this mighty fortress, nor would the Point of the Bayan have been suspended in the air, nor would the Spirit have been afflicted among the Jews. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken as a favor from Him unto thee. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

O ʿAli! We were in the land of Ta [Tihran] under chains and fetters for successive months, and in the abode of Mar [Mazindaran] in the hands of the oppressors. Were I to recount to thee what befell Me, thou wouldst lament with the lamentation of the bereft. We have concealed what hath befallen Us lest the cry of them that are nigh and the wailing of the sincere should be raised. When thou hast drunk the choice wine of My utterance from the cup of My bounty and art seized by the rapture of My call, say: “My God, my God! I have longed for Thy nearness, and desired to appear before Thy face, to hearken to the shrill voice of Thy Pen, to behold Thy most exalted horizon and the seat of Thy Most Glorious Throne.

Days and nights have passed, yet mine eyes have not been gladdened, mine ears have not been blessed, and my heart hath not rejoiced. My God, my God! Thou seest me turning toward Thee, turning away from all else. Hast Thou ordained, O my Best-Beloved, my drawing nigh unto the court of Thy oneness and my presence before Thy face, or dost Thou desire to record for me the reward of meeting Thee as a bounty from Thee and a mercy from Thy presence?

“O Lord! Thou seest what is in my heart and hearest my sighing, my crying and my lamentation in Thy days. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the worlds and Goal of the nations, to ordain for me that which shall be a light unto me in all the worlds of Thy worlds. I testify, O my God, to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and to that which hath descended from the heaven of Thy Will in Thy Books, Thy Scriptures, Thy Scrolls and Thy Tablets. I bear witness that through Thy Most Exalted Word the near ones have soared to the atmosphere of Thy nearness and the sincere ones to the horizon of Thy grace, and through it the river of mercy hath flowed between Thy servants and the scratching of Thy Most Exalted Pen hath been raised among Thy creation. I beseech Thee by the blood of the lovers and the cry of the yearning ones and the rapture of the hearts of the believers to ordain for me in every world of Thy worlds that which shall benefit me and draw me nigh unto Thee. By Thy glory, O Goal of the world! I desire naught but what Thou desirest, and I love naught but what Thou lovest, for I know not what shall profit me and bring me near to Thee. Thou art verily the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. O Lord! Ordain for me through Thy grace and bounty the best of the hereafter and the former life. Verily Thou are the Lord of all mankind and the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the All-Powerful.”

Thus hath the Wronged One spoken and mentioned God, thy Lord, with the tongue of thy heart. This is naught but a great favor from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. And We make mention of Muhammad who hath attained unto My remembrance and heard My call and held fast unto the cord of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. Give him the glad-tidings of My mention of him, then recite unto him what hath been sent down from the heaven of the bounty of his Lord, that he may rejoice and be of the thankful. We have mentioned every name that was in thy letter. We beseech God to aid them in that which He loveth and is pleased with, to remind them of His signs, and to grant them what hath been sent down from the heaven of His bounty. He is verily the Most Merciful of the merciful.

And We make mention of My handmaiden whom thou didst mention in thy letter, who desired to be remembered in the court of My glory and the pavilion of My majesty and the tabernacles of My grandeur. We have mentioned her as a bounty from Our presence and given her the glad-tidings of My tender mercy which hath encompassed the world. Verily thy Lord is the Compassionate, the Generous. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon them and upon those who have heard the call and responded, and upon those women who have heard and believed in God, the Single, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Great.

BH01345: O Attar, upon thee be the Glory of God…

In the name of the One Desired

O Attar, upon thee be the Glory of God and His favors! Asma’i, upon him be the Glory of God, forwarded thy letter to the Most Holy Court where it gained the honor of being heard by the Lord of Names in the Most Great Prison. We have heard thy call and what thy tongue hath uttered in remembrance and praise of God. Blessed art thou for having turned towards Him on a day when the princes and divines of the earth have turned away from the Horizon of God, the All-Possessing, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

This is a great bounty and a mighty favor. The whole world hath been brought into being to serve the Ancient King. The sun and moon, heaven and earth, all bear witness to this. Nevertheless, when the Horizon of Revelation was illumined with the lights of the countenance of Him Who conversed on Sinai, all turned away and perpetrated that which caused all created things to prefer non-existence to existence. Every hearing ear perceived these words from the tongue of all things:

“Would that I had never been created and had not witnessed what the hosts of the oppressors inflicted upon the Dayspring of God’s Cause!”

Praise be to God that the people of that household have attained unto this supreme honor and this most exalted station. We beseech God to aid all to preserve this lofty rank and mighty gift. In all conditions, profit hath been and shall be with you, while loss shall be the portion of those who turn away, who hesitate, and who deny.

Soon shall the peoples of the world witness with their outward eyes that which hath flowed from the Supreme Pen. Convey My greetings to all the kindred, and likewise say to the friends of God: O people of God! This is a day wherein if a single pure deed is performed for the sake of God, it cannot be equated with the deeds of centuries and ages. Among goodly deeds it is as the sun among the stars. Blessed is he who hath recognized the station of the Day of God and hath arisen as befitteth it.

Today is the day of virtuous conduct and deeds. We counsel all to fear God, for the friends of God have ever championed His Cause through godliness. This banner and standard take precedence over all other banners and standards. Blessed are they that understand, and blessed are they that have attained. We beseech God to aid His people that all may advance in unity and harmony towards the Supreme Horizon. He is, verily, powerful over all things.

Concerning what thou didst mention about Husayn-i-Ardistani, upon him be the Glory of God, the servant in attendance before Us hath made mention of it. Convey greetings to him from the Wronged One. He hath spoken the truth. O Husayn! The Wronged One of the world maketh mention of thee from the Most Great Prison that thou mayest rejoice and be of those who are thankful. Praise the Desired One of all worlds Who made His path clear to thee, Who manifested His Cause which thou didst witness, Who enabled thee to attain His presence and drink from the Kawthar of reunion.

He bestowed bounty, showed favor, and granted success. By the Luminary of proof which shineth from the horizon of the heaven of utterance! Every word that hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen is the choice wine for the Concourse on High, the Kawthar of immortality for the denizens of the most exalted Paradise, and the Salsabil of the spirit for the dwellers of the supreme Heaven. Should the peoples of earth inhale the fragrance of but one word of God’s words and truly perceive it, they would all sacrifice their lives, rend asunder the veils of idle fancy with the fingers of power, and soar in the subtle atmosphere of inner meanings.

O Attar! The fragrance of God hath caused intoxication. Ask God that the intoxication of the choice wine of utterance may seize the world and lead it to the Most Great Paradise. Say: O Husayn! Hearken unto the rustling of the Supreme Pen, for verily it maketh mention of thee and counseleth thee with that which beseemeth His days and His Great Announcement. We beseech God to aid thee at all times to perform deeds whose mention shall endure forever. O Attar! Convey that which thou hast been bidden, that he may rejoice and be of the thankful ones.

Each of the souls mentioned in thy letter hath been illumined by the splendors of the Sun of God’s loving-kindness, exalted be His glory. Give them glad tidings of My favor, remind them of My verses, and illumine them with the Sun of My utterance. Thy Lord is verily the All-Merciful, the Bountiful. The two honored souls who have attained the hearing of the call of the Lord of Names and the cup of meeting—each hath been and still is mentioned by the Wronged One. They have attained the blessing of nearness and reunion. Give them glad tidings from the Wronged One, then recite unto them what hath been revealed from My Most Exalted Pen at this moment. The Glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My grace be upon thee and upon them and upon those who have held fast to the Strong Cord of God, the Firm, the Mighty.

BH01364: O Ahmad! Upon thee be My greeting. Thy letter…

He is the Hearing and the Answering

O Ahmad! Upon thee be My greeting. Thy letter, in this Most Great Prison, hath reached the Wronged One. According to that which thou hast set forth, thou hast purposed to cleanse heart and breast with the Kawthar of utterance that hath flowed from the Pen of Burhan, and to turn thy face towards the Most Exalted Horizon. The recognition of this Most High Station, this Supreme Apex, is a bounty from God—glorified be His majesty. Were ye to ponder the Dispensations of former ages, and enter the ocean of equity, by virtue of that loftiest word wherein one saith: “O my Lord, admit me into the depths of the sea of Thine oneness,” ye would, assuredly, through the effulgent rays of the Sun of Truth, attain unto illumination. Hence have they declared: “And in its very depths a sun doth shine.” For this, in truth, is the Station of Qadar. We beseech God to vouchsafe unto thee thy portion from this well-spring of exposition, that, passing from Qadar—the realm of measure, proportion, and ordained limit—thou mayest attain unto the manifestation of Qada, and become of them that truly know; even as it hath been said: “Qada is the composing together of that which hath been Qadar.”

This Wronged One, from the earliest days until now, hath called aloud, with the most exalted summons, both kings and subjects, unto God—glorified be His majesty—seeking thereby but this: that lost honour be restored, and the abased and overturned standards, cast upon the dust, be uplifted once again. Yet, until this hour, heedless souls have not perceived the Purpose, nor have they come to equity. Consider thou: with what power and ascendancy did the people of unity appear in the first days, and into what abasement and weakness are they now fallen! Whither hath that might departed, and from what source hath this feebleness arisen? No aim was intended save the exaltation of the Word of God—and, moreover, the deliverance of His servants. Thou hast, assuredly, heard what they have spoken and what they have done. “This is not the first Cause that hath arisen in the world, nor the first vial that hath been shattered in Islam.”

Let this Wronged One beseech thee to reflect upon the Seal of the Prophets—may the souls of all else but Him be a sacrifice unto Him—what they said of Him and what they wrought against Him. Turn thy gaze upon the Book of Certitude, that hath shone forth from the Dayspring of the Pen of knowledge and wisdom; thou wilt behold all things unveiled and without veil made manifest unto thee. For though He summoned mankind by the Word of Unity, yet from the divines of idols, and from Jews and Christians, there befell Him that which caused the Tablet to weep and the Pen to lament.

Ponder likewise the Spirit. He called all men unto the ocean of divine loving-kindness; yet the Jewish doctors and the worshippers of idols brought upon Him such afflictions as the Pen is powerless to recount. The ظلم of those heedless ones reached such a pitch that God—glorified be His majesty—raised Him unto heaven. And thus it was with the other Prophets, the Chosen Ones, the Saints, and the Friends of God. The blessed verse, “And there cometh unto them no Messenger…,” and that other verse, “And verily every nation purposed against their Messenger…,” are two witnesses unto that which hath been mentioned.

What, then, was the cause of their turning away and their opposition? What was its root and reason? All the divines of Íran are of one mind that, when the Promised One appeareth and uttereth a single word, the leaders of the earth will reject that word—leaders who, in that Day, are accounted the best of the people of the earth. They themselves affirm this, and yet, for the very best of mankind, they establish defeat and flight; and still they imagine not that they have tarried, or turned aside, or objected, or fled. From this it is plain and manifest what is the measure of the insight and understanding of that party.

If thou findest the fragrance of My utterance, turn thou thy face toward the House which God hath made the place of circumambulation for the world, and say:

My God, my God! This servant of Thine and son of Thy servant beareth witness to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and to that which the tongue of Thy chosen ones and Thy messengers hath spoken. I beseech Thee, O God of all beings and Goal of all things, by Him through Whom Thou hast adorned the heavens of Thy might, and by the lights of His countenance, and by the Word whereby Thou didst bring all created things into being and didst perfect Thy proof unto all who are in Thy earth and Thy heaven, to make me in all conditions steadfast in Thy Cause, firm in Thy service, and speaking forth Thy praise. I moreover beseech Thee, O God of the seen and the unseen, by Thy praised station and by Thy Name that prevaileth over every witness and witnessed thing, to assist me to recognize the Dawning-Place of Thy signs, the Dayspring of Thy revelation, the Source of Thy command, and the Fountainhead of Thy knowledge.

Verily Thou art He Whom nothing whatsoever can frustrate and no cause can hinder. Thy might hath transcended the might of the world and Thy will hath transcended the will of the nations. Thou art God; there is none other God but Thee, the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH01362: The first utterance of the Creator is this: Come…

In the name of Him from Whom proceedeth fear and hope!

The first utterance of the Creator is this: Come ye forth before the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing, and the All-Powerful with hearts pure from desire and defilement, and minds cleansed from the colors of creation, and bring forth that which befitteth His Day. This is the Day of Meeting, for God hath appeared unveiled and manifest. Hasten with pure hearts that ye may attain and discover that which is befitting. Purify yourselves with the water of detachment from covetousness and unseemly deeds, that ye may discover the mystery of the Day of the Self-Subsisting. The Primal Light hath appeared in the Final Day. Through three things shall the Meeting be attained and deliverance made manifest: purity of heart, purity of sight, and purity of hearing from that which hath been heard.

Say: O friends! The Guide hath come, His utterance distinguished among utterances, His path manifest among paths. His is the Path—find it! His is the Word—hear it! Today the clouds of God’s bounty are raining down, and the Sun of Knowledge shineth forth and showeth the way. The noble one is he who hath abandoned the paths of conjecture and taken to the path of God.

O friends! The mighty hand of God hath rent asunder the veils of fancy that the eye might see and the ear might not be deprived of hearing. This is the Day of Hearing—hear ye the utterance of the Peerless Friend and conduct yourselves in a manner that befitteth.

From Persian utterance We now turn to Arabic:

O thou who hast turned! Hear the Call that hath been raised from the Prison of Akka, calling the servants unto God, the Lord of Creation. Reflect upon that which hath appeared that thou mayest behold what no eye of creation hath seen. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. Beware lest the things of the world withhold thee from the Lord of Eternity. Leave behind suspicions and their manifestations, and vain imaginings and their dawning-places, turning unto God, the Lord of the Beginning and the End. This is the Day of Vision, for the Greatest Scene hath been illumined by the lights of the manifestation of the Lord of Destiny, Who hath come from the heaven of utterance with proof and evidence. And this is the Day of Hearing wherein the shrill voice of the Most Exalted Pen hath been raised between earth and heaven. Hearken, and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Desire of the world, and glory be unto Thee, O Lord of all men.

O thou who asketh! Today the Light speaketh and the Fire uttereth and the Sun of Truth shineth forth. Strive that thou mayest attain unto that which befitteth the Day of God. If thou wouldst reflect upon that which hath been manifested, thou wouldst find thyself independent of questioning. God is sanctified above the doubts and fancies and will and desire of men. He hath come with “He doeth what He willeth” and the banner of “He ordaineth what He pleaseth.” He hath made manifest proof and evidence above the station of all contingent beings. His verses are found and witnessed in Books, Scriptures, Psalms and Tablets, and His evidences are manifest and clear in the Surih of the Kings and the Surih of Ra’is. None hath the right to test the Lord—verily He testeth His servants as He willeth. If thou wouldst in truth observe with the eye of fairness that which We have mentioned, and hearken with the ear of justice, thou wouldst utter “I have returned unto Thee, O Lord of the worlds,” detached from all peoples.

Hear the call of the Wronged One. Remove thy step from the stations of doubt and fancy of the people of contingent being and place it in the realm of the Absolute, that thou mayest hear the warbling of the birds of the Throne and the melodies of the nightingales of knowledge upon the highest branches. We beseech God to assist thee and enable thee to do that which He loveth and pleaseth. Verily He is the Lord of all beings and the Lord of the Throne on high and of the dust beneath. There is none other God but He, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

When the attraction of the Call from the Supreme Horizon taketh hold of thee, say:

O my God, my God! I bear witness to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and to Thy might, Thy majesty and Thy sovereignty. I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have turned to Thee, detached from all else save Thee, hoping for the wonders of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by the rain from the clouds of the heaven of Thy generosity and by the mysteries of Thy Book to assist me in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with. O my Lord! This is a servant who hath turned away from vain imaginings unto the horizon of certitude, who hath stood before the door of Thy bounty, who hath resigned all affairs unto Thee and placed his trust in Thee.

Do Thou ordain for him that which befitteth the heaven of Thy generosity and the ocean of Thy grace. Thou art, verily, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. I testify, O my God, that Thou knowest me better than I know myself. Ordain for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee and benefit me in the world to come and in this world. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all beings, and in Thy grasp are the reins of bounty and bestowal. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

Glory be unto the people of Baha who were not kept back by the clamor of the nations from the Ancient Lord, who arose and proclaimed: God is our Lord and the Lord of the mighty throne.

BH01431: All praise befitteth the Lord of creation, glorified be…

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

All praise befitteth the Lord of creation, glorified be His majesty, Who through the sending forth of His Messengers made clear the paths, and through the revelation of His Tablets distinguished the people of prosperity. His sovereignty transcendeth all sovereignties and His power surpasseth all powers. In the sending of Messengers and the revelation of Books, His purpose hath been none other than to manifest His grace and shed the light of His justice, until the Messengers were sealed with the Seal, whom God made the Dawning-place of His ancient Names and the Ruler of nations. Upon Him be God’s blessings, peace, mercy and bounty, and upon His family and companions whom God made the dawning-places of His power amongst His creation and the daysprings of His signs amongst His servants. Through them the fountains of wisdom gushed forth among all creatures and the mysteries of creation were revealed. These are servants to whom the Books of God, the Sovereign, the Self-Subsisting, have borne witness.

Thereafter, the petition which thou didst dispatch to the Most Holy Court arrived on the blessed night of Rabi’u’l-Avval. It was read, and after being reviewed, was brought to the Holy Presence and attained the honor of being heard. The Lord—may the spirits of all the worlds be sacrificed for Him—spoke thus:

He is God, blessed and exalted be He!

O Taqi! Upon thee be My peace. This Wronged One hath ever loved and continueth to love the friends of God, namely the sincere ones. Every person of insight hath testified and every person of understanding hath borne witness that God is aware that We have ever desired and continue to desire to meet with friends and kindred. However, when anyone arriveth here, the heedless people attribute it to other purposes. Justice is like the phoenix, and fairness like the philosopher’s stone—rare to find. For this reason We have not given and do not give permission save to a few souls, and this too for the sake of wisdom. In the previous year and this year, the governor of this land hath been aflame with the fire of hatred. At every moment the fire of his tyranny becometh manifest. Deprived of good, he rideth upon the mount of evil. He hath committed that which hath caused the people of the cities of justice to lament. In brief, it is not fitting to mention details. Whatever hath come to pass or may come to pass in the path of God is and hath been beloved. We are thankful, not complaining.

Praise be to God, thou art mentioned in the presence of this Wronged One. We beseech God to aid thee to perform goodly deeds and to manifest praiseworthy conduct, and to that which its fragrance shall never cease to endure throughout the kingdom of His glorious and wondrous Cause. God willing, thou shalt be assisted and with these hosts thou shalt conquer the cities of hearts. Whenever wisdom requireth, We shall summon thee; otherwise, We beseech God to bestow upon thee the reward of pilgrimage. Verily He is the Generous, the Bountiful, and worthy to answer prayers. Beseech God to protect the believers from the evil of the ungodly. The realm of unity is encompassed, while the realm of misbelief encompasseth. Each day they seize and take away from the lands of the people of unity, and until now the cause and reason remain unknown. All must cleanse their hearts through true repentance and seek deliverance from God, glorified be His majesty. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Generous.

Praise be to God that thy letter arrived and attained the honor of being heard, and the answer was immediately bestowed. Know ye the worth and station of this supreme bounty and be assured. On one occasion the tongue of the Lord spoke these words:

“How many who were far We behold standing before Our face, and how many who were near were deprived of what they desired. Verily the Cause is in the grasp of God, the Lord of the mighty throne.”

I beseech God to assist thee in that which pleaseth Him, and likewise that permission be granted when appropriate, that we may together undertake the pilgrimage to the House and attain that which hath been revealed in the Book. Convey greetings, praise and mention to all the friends in that land. It is hoped that all the believers, through the attraction of the blessed verse “Pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto God for mankind,” may set forth toward the ultimate goal, namely the House of God, the Lord of all beings, and attain the honor of circumambulation. This is not difficult for God.

Peace and praise be upon thee and upon those who have acknowledged the oneness of God and His singleness, and His Prophets and Messengers, and that which was sent down unto them from the heaven of His grace, the Sovereign over all who are in the heavens and the earth. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH01471: Praise and gratitude be to God! The Sun…

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

Praise and gratitude be to God! The Sun of love hath risen and shone forth from the horizon of Alexandria, and the pearls of sincerity, humility, submissiveness, recognition and attention are witnessed from that direction. Glory be to God! Each of these pearls hath an utterance and expression, having come from the Kingdom of wisdom, yet none can comprehend its language save those who are detached and sincere. Glory be to God! They utter a single word, and upon that word are the melodies of the Most Exalted Paradise with their relationship and multiplicity. We shall not call it unique, nor name its essence, for whatsoever appeareth to the eye and is comprehended lieth outside of it.

In any case, after observation and witnessing, it was presented to the Most Exalted Court. They said:

“O Muhammad! We have heard what was to be heard and seen what was to be seen. O Muhammad! Expression is the mirror of contingent existence. Glory be to God! A mirror that hath ears and eyes and tongue! Although ears worthy of hearkening to the Word of Truth are as rare as red sulphur, yet the utterance from which the fragrance of the favor of the Desired One of the worlds is diffused bestoweth hearing and imparteth it.”

This servant was present when thy letter was read before the face of the Wronged One. Blessed be thy pen, thine ink, and that which occurred to thy heart when thou wert engaged in writing what thou didst send to the Prisoner. We beseech God to assist thee and confirm thee that thou mayest see thyself in the station of the world and call upon Him on their behalf at all times with the utmost lowliness and supplication, that He may lift the veil from them and show them the light which hath shone forth and appeared from the horizon of His favor.

O Muhammad! Thou hast been and art mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One. All things bear witness and testify, and that which hath been present and shall be until this time and after it is of the sincere ones and those drawn nigh, and We testify that thou art of them. By the life of God! The mention of one blessed Name of God, manifested from the depths of the heart and the essence of certitude, is more precious in the sight of God than whatsoever existeth and is witnessed in the world and whatsoever is hidden. Convey greetings from the Wronged One to the people of unity. God is witness that ye are present and existing in the City of Utterance at all times.

O Muhammad! The believers of the world are encompassed by the hands of the ungodly. Cities and lands have been lost. We ask of God, and continue to ask, that He may grant strength and bestow power, that perchance the former glory may return, and that He may protect the believers and likewise the cities and lands. He is the Powerful, He is the Mighty. There is none other God but He, the Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens.

The pearls and jewels of the world have no luster compared to these precious pearls which have appeared from the Treasury of the Pen of Knowledge of the Lord. Praise be to God! They have attracted hearts and souls and drawn them to the highest horizon. The fragrance of everything is its identifier; it showeth the way and giveth tidings, especially tidings that are mingled with the light of love and mixed with the musk of affection. Its diffusions are straight paths. From it floweth that which is the polish of spirits and bodies. It bringeth bodies to the station of spirits, and draweth spirits to a station that transcendeth mention and utterance. Well is it with them that behold, and well is it with them that hear!

The petition of that beloved of the heart hath in truth produced a mighty effect, and evident fruits have appeared therefrom. The passage of time shall not alter these fruits, nor change their freshness. All this is from the grace of God, our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of the heavens and earths. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to unite us with you and ordain for us that which will aid us in acting according to what He hath revealed in His perspicuous Book. We beseech Him by the Sovereign of Names, by Whom the valley was made to flow, to make us in all conditions turned toward Him, holding fast unto Him, and clinging to His luminous hem. Verily, He is All-Knowing and All-Seeing of His servants.

I mention the loved ones of that land from the depths of my heart, and I beseech God, glorified be His majesty, to adorn all with deeds whose light may shine forth in the world and encompass it. This is not difficult for our Lord. Peace, remembrance, and praise be upon you and upon those who are with you and who love you for the sake of God, our Lord and your Lord, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

BH01473: O Ism-i-Jud! Upon thee be my glory! The letters…

O Ism-i-Jud! Upon thee be my glory! The letters of Samandar—upon him be my glory—which he sent to thee were perused. Praise be to God, they are adorned with the light of recognition and are aflame with the fire of love. Through the tracing of the Most Exalted Pen they have found and attained unto the fruits of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing.

That which was written concerning Aqa Mirza Husayn was observed and became the cause of joy and gladness. Verily We make mention of him through Our bounty, remind him through Our verses, and give him the glad-tidings of Our mercy. We beseech God to assist him in that which will profit him in all the worlds of His worlds. Verily He is powerful over all things.

At all times We beseech the Goal of all existence to aid His people to attain unto chastity, virtue, trustworthiness and godliness. O Samandar! Time and again hath this exalted Word flowed from the Most Exalted Pen: We have said and continue to say that the hosts which today assist the Truth have ever been and shall ever be goodly character and deeds that are well-pleasing. The comfort, glory and wealth of the people of God have been and shall be under the shadow of the banner of these hosts, and the commander, leader and sovereign of these hosts is the fear of God. Repeatedly have these sublime words dawned and shone forth from the horizon of the mouth of the Will of the Manifestation of clear signs. By the life of God! Each word thereof is a rising sun and a manifest light. Blessed is he who hath recognized and attained.

Husayn and Kazim—upon them be the glory of God—have been and are mentioned in the Most Holy Court. Beseech ye God that He may aid all the friends to achieve that which will cause the exaltation of the Word of God. We make mention of the people of God in that land and in the Land of Ta and other countries, and We counsel them with that which will lead to their elevation and ascendancy. Today the deeds of the friends of the Self-Sufficing, the Exalted, distinguish them from the people of the earth. O My loved ones! Hold fast unto sanctity and detachment. Your deeds must be so holy and pure that they will be even as the sun amidst the works of creation.

O Samandar! Today is the day of unity and concord, and the day of pure deeds. Beseech God that He may assist His loved ones and sanctify them from whatsoever causeth hesitation and perturbation. A pure deed is itself a herald—its fragrance guideth men to the most exalted horizon and directeth them thither. The Trustee—upon him be God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all worlds—hath arrived. He repeatedly made mention in the Most Holy Court of the friends in the lands of Ya, Kaf and Ta and other regions, and all have been honored with the mention and loving-kindness of Him Who is the Ever-Living. He likewise made mention of that land and of thee and of Javad—upon him be my glory. He also detailed the feasts of you all, and of Javad, and Nuru’llah, and the service of Ruhu’llah and others. He repeatedly presented the service and endeavors of each of the friends. Praise be to God that the saplings of the divine garden have yielded fruit; their signs and fruits have become manifest and evident.

O Samandar! Convey My greetings to Yahya and give him the glad-tidings of the effulgences of the Sun of Truth. That which hath befallen him in the path of God is clear and evident before the Wronged One. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to strengthen him and assist him with steadfastness from His presence, to draw him nigh unto Him, and to send down upon him from the heaven of His grace mercy and loving-kindness. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous.

We make mention of the friends in that land and We beseech for each one that which will cause enkindlement, attraction and attention. Convey greetings to the handmaidens of God and give them the glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness. We conclude Our words with the mention of Khalil—upon him be My glory and My loving-kindness—and those who are with him. Their letters have been honored with hearing. O Khalil! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. We have heard thy call time and again, and We have answered thee with that which none can reckon save God, the Lord of all worlds. Remember thou the days when thou wert beneath the canopies of thy Lord’s grandeur, when in the morning the breath of loving-kindness wafted over thee, and in the evening the fragrances of revelation were diffused before thy face, and at dawn the gentle breeze of God, the Kind, the Gracious. Blessed are the days when thou didst stand at the door, hearing His verses, beholding His horizon, and speaking His beauteous praise. The Glory be upon thee, and upon thy nephew, and upon those who are with thee among thy kindred, and upon all who are steadfast and firm.

BH01496: O Ism-i-Jud! Upon thee be the Glory of God!…

He is the Expositor, the All-Knowing!

O Ism-i-Jud! Upon thee be the Glory of God! That which His honour Haydar-ʿAli—upon him be My Glory and loving-kindness and mercy—hath sent, hath been received. Blessed is he! In these days, fear hath so seized the people of that land that even in the darkness of night they inquire not about the Truth nor speak of Him—how much less in the day, and in the presence of the people. Therefore silence is preferable until such time as God shall open the gates of utterance unto all who dwell within the realm of possibilities. Should ye perceive from any quarter the fragrance of acceptance and love, entrust unto them the blessed Word; otherwise, God hath never been, nor is He now, in need of such souls.

Their denial harmeth Him not, even as their faith profiteth Him not. The people of the world have, with their own hands, fashioned idols out of their vain imaginings and have named them “the learned.” These manifestations of rancor and hatred, these dawning-places of tyranny and iniquity have, throughout the ages and centuries, visited upon the daysprings and fountainheads of knowledge that which hath caused the denizens of the cities of names and the Concourse on high to descend from the throne of glory to the dust of abasement. I speak the truth when I say that creation hath never been, nor is it now, worthy of these days, save for a few.

O Haydar! O thou who gazest upon the Most Great Scene! Faces are altered, hearts veiled, eyes inflamed, and ears stopped up. O people of Baha! The day is your day. The fewer the witnesses, the better. Despite those who have disbelieved and turned away, drink ye of that choice wine of utterance which is mingled with the tribulation of the Best-Beloved of all creation. Today the ocean of bounty and grace hath desired eternal life for all peoples, yet they accepted it not; nay rather, they have arisen to extinguish the divine light. They have transformed gratitude into complaint, and acceptance into cruelty. By the glory of Baha! They are among the most lost in the perspicuous Book.

O Haydar! Upon thee be the glory of God, and the glory of the heaven of My mercy, and the sun of My favors. The heedlessness of the people hath reached such a pass that the Kingdom of Utterance hath been bidden to silence. Several years before the Most Great Announcement, this binding command was revealed:

“Be thou pulsating like an artery in the body of the contingent world,”

yet now it commandeth stillness. That which hath been and will be revealed from His presence is the truth, about which there is no doubt. He is, verily, the All-Bountiful, the All-Informed.

The command for promotion hath been firmly revealed, and wisdom hath necessitated the prohibition of proceeding to the land of Ta. The second hath not abrogated the first. If ye act with wisdom and carry out that which hath been revealed by the Supreme Pen in the Divine Book, it will assuredly be accepted and confirmed before the Wronged One. Blessed is he who acteth according to that which hath been revealed in the Book of his Lord, the Commander, the All-Knowing. However, proceeding to that land must be undertaken with wisdom, for should some become aware of it, it might cause commotion. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to protect thee even as He hath protected thee, for He is the Protector, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Trusted One.

The friends whom thou didst mention—the name of each hath been heard, and at this moment the glance of loving-kindness is directed towards each one. May the True One, exalted be His glory, assist them. By My life! They have attained unto My mention, which nothing in existence can equal, not even all the treasures of the earth. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Give them glad tidings from the Wronged One and remind them of My days, My verses, My evidences, that which hath flowed from My Pen, that which the tongue of My wisdom hath spoken, that which the mouth of My knowledge hath uttered, and that which hath befallen My Person for the exaltation of My Word and the manifestation of My straight Path.

Permission hath previously been granted to construct whatever buildings and stores they wish in the place mentioned, and likewise to engage in commerce, but discussion of this matter is not now permitted. Silence is preferable. Should any word be uttered, whatsoever they mention regarding persecution would be acceptable in the sight of God; otherwise, patience is preferable until such time as God shall open the gate of remembrance and utterance. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Supreme, the Powerful, the All-Bountiful.

As to their intention to proceed to the direction of their goal, there is no objection if wisdom so requireth. The matter is in His hands. He doeth what He willeth, and He is the Mighty, the Hearer, the Answerer.

The Glory shining from the horizon of the Divine Countenance be upon thee and upon those who have arisen and have said:

“God is our Lord and the Lord of the heavens and earths.”

BH01533: O My Name! Upon thee be My glory!…

He is the Hearing, the Answering One!

O My Name! Upon thee be My glory! The petition of Asad—upon him be My glory—was noted and achieved the honor of being heard. Praise be to God that they have inhaled the fragrance of divine knowledge and are turning their gaze toward the horizon of the favor of the Goal of all the worlds. This is the fruit of existence, to which the Supreme Pen hath testified and doth testify. They have not been and are not deprived, for they have turned unto Him in days when the divines, the jurists, and the princes of the earth became opposers. We beseech God to aid all to preserve that which hath been bestowed.

O Asad! The breathings of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, have taken thee, and the Kawthar of divine knowledge hath attracted thee. Say: My God, my God! Unto Thee be praise and unto Thee be thanksgiving, unto Thee be bounty and generosity, for having honored me with Thy days and caused me to recognize the Dawning-Place of Thy Cause, the Manifestation of Thy Self, and the Dayspring of Thy signs, and for having aided me to turn toward Thy most exalted horizon, to hearken unto Thy sweetest call, and to turn toward the lights of Thy countenance, O Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens! O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee and turning away from all else, acknowledging that which the tongue of Thy grandeur hath spoken when Thou didst establish Thyself upon the throne by Thy command and will, that verily Thou art God, Who hath ever been One, Single, Alone, and Self-Subsisting, and wilt ever remain as Thou hast been. There is none other God but Thee, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted, the Ruler in the beginning and in the end.

O my Lord! Thou seest the poor one seeking the ultimate goal and the most exalted summit, the needy one seeking the kingdom of wealth, the distant one seeking Thy nearness, O Lord of all beings and Lord of the throne on high and of the dust, the weak one seeking the horizon of Thy power, the ignorant one seeking the ocean of Thy knowledge, the weary one seeking the kingdom of Thy utterance, and the dead one seeking the Kawthar of Thy eternity. I beseech Thee by the breezes of the dawn of Thy Manifestation and by Thy Most Exalted Word, whereby the rivers of Thy knowledge have flowed from the hearts of Thy loved ones, and by the Name through which Thou hast subdued Thy servants and Thy lands, to cause me in all conditions to hold fast unto that which Thou hast sent down from the heaven of Thy will in Thy Scriptures and Tablets, and to cling to that which Thou hast commanded me through that which hath been revealed when the creaking of Thy Most Exalted Pen was raised in the kingdom of creation through Thy bounty and favors.

I know not, O my God, my Goal, and my Hope, which of my deeds hath made me worthy of recognizing the ocean of Thy light and the fire of Thy Lote-Tree, and which of my remembrances hath guided me to the court of Thy favor and the Dawning-Place of Thy hidden Names and Thy treasured Secret. I beseech Thee, O Thou through Whose forgiveness all things bear witness and through Whose grace all things exist, to forgive me and those who love Thee, O Lord of Lords, Master of the Day of Reckoning, and the Speaker in the Return.

I know not, O my God and my Lord, whether Thou hast ordained for Thy servant to turn toward the lights of Thy countenance, to stand before Thy throne, to stand at Thy gate, and to enter the place which Thou hast made the circling-point of Thy Prophets and Thy Messengers, or whether Thy irrevocable decree hath prevented me from this most great bounty, O Master of nations. I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy giving and the sun of Thy grace to ordain for me from the Pen of Destiny the hearing of Thy sweetest call and the gazing toward Thy most exalted horizon, and ordain for me the reward of meeting Thee, O Beloved of the Concourse on High and Master of the Most Glorious Paradise. Then write down for me that which shall profit me in all the worlds of Thy worlds. O Lord, I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance to make my turning toward Thy presence a treasure for me with Thee. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

And concerning what was written about ʿAli-Haydar, it was mentioned before the Wronged One and adorned with the ornament of the favor of the Goal of all worlds. We beseech God to aid him in that which He loveth and is pleased with. In these days, mention of him hath flowed from the Supreme Pen. We beseech God to make him successful in that which beseemeth His days. We, from this station, send Our greetings upon the faces of the brethren and upon him and upon those whom the might of the ranks and multitudes prevented not from turning toward God, the Sovereign of the Kingdom and the Realm.

And should Asad—upon him be My glory—recite this brief prayer, it would be beloved:

My God, my God! I beseech Thee by the penetrating power of Thy Most Exalted Word and the might of Thy Most Exalted Pen, and by the Name which Thou hast made the Sovereign of Names, to ordain for me that which shall profit me in every world of Thy worlds. Thou knowest what is with me and I know not what is with Thee. Verily, Thou art the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

BH01534: O handmaiden of God! Upon thee be the Glory…

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

O handmaiden of God! Upon thee be the Glory of God and His favors. The letter thou didst send to him who beareth the name of God, upon him be My Glory, attained unto Our presence, was seen and heard. There hath come upon you that which hath caused grief to the loved ones and joy to the denizens of the highest Paradise—grief to the loved ones due to separation, and joy to the denizens of the highest Paradise due to union. His honor Badi’, upon him be My Glory, hastened from this dust-heap earth to the highest Paradise. All the peoples round about are saddened by thy sorrow, yet it behooveth all to hold fast to gracious patience. Verily thy Lord is the All-Patient. He commandeth thee, His handmaidens and His loved ones to gracious patience.

However, O My handmaiden and My leaf, I swear by the Sun of inner meanings which hath shone forth from the highest horizon of the world, through God’s grace and favor—exalted be His glory—there have been ordained for thee offspring and children who shall forever be nourished in the paradise of inner meanings with eternal, everlasting bounties and delicate foods. By the life of God! This bounty shall never cease nor undergo change. This is hidden within the innermost of the innermost. As to the outward realm, that which will bring you certainty and assurance is mentioned for the sake of God, that thou mayest rend asunder with the fingers of certitude the somber garment that is unpleasing, and adorn thyself with the luminous robe that is most beloved of all that hath appeared from thee.

O My handmaiden! Upon thee be My Glory and My mercy. Every word of the divine words specifically revealed for thee from the heaven of the merciful Will is as a righteous child and a manifest remembrance. Blessed be thine ear, for it hath neither hearkened to nor heard any word of unseemly deed, and through the Most Exalted Pen thou hast been blessed with children and offspring who are immortalized, eternal and everlasting in God’s Book, each bearing witness concerning thee. Rejoice thou in this great bounty.

Mention was made in thy letter of the son of him who hath ascended unto God. His supplication was sent from … and its written lines were received with attentive ear, and were read before the throne of the Lord. We beseech God to confirm … in that which befitteth His Day, and to cause him to drink of the Kawthar of steadfastness, in such wise that the clamour of the criers and the might of the idolaters—that is, the foul Shi’ih divines, and the heedless among those who lay claim—shall be powerless to hinder him. A Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet hath been revealed from the heaven of loving-kindness, addressed particularly unto him; convey it unto him, that he may, through it, be gladdened with the glad-tidings of the Water of Life in the name of his Lord, the All-Merciful, and may become of the firmly grounded.

And We exhort his brother unto sanctity and purity, and enjoin upon him that whereby the station of man may be exalted amongst all created things. Say: Verily thy Lord is the Counsellor, the Compassionate, the Generous. We counsel thee for the sake of God. With Him is the knowledge of all things in His Perspicuous Book; nothing escapeth His knowledge. He heareth and seeth, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.

And We make mention of thine other brother, and announce unto him the glad tidings of My loving-kindness towards him; and We exhort him with that wherewith We have exhorted the servants of God, both aforetime and hereafter. Verily He is the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

This Wronged One dwelleth in prison, and in the land of imprisonment each day a new trial appeareth; wherefore, in answering the petitions, delay hath at times occurred, and doth occur. Yet whatsoever, in this hour, floweth from Pen and Tongue, God—glorified be His majesty—hath heard and doth hear. His knowledge encompasseth all things, and His mercy hath preceded all who are in the heavens and on the earth.

Another bounty is this: leave to attain unto Our presence, from the Mother Book, hath been made manifest. In every state, the permission to turn unto the Dawning-Place of the Cause shineth forth and gleameth. Turn thou, therefore, unto the Most Exalted Horizon, trusting in God, the Lord of all worlds. Yet in all things observe wisdom; unto this are all commanded. The glory from Us be upon thee, and upon every maidservant who hath believed in God, the One, the All-Informed.

O My Name! Upon thee be My Glory. Although the condition of this land and the events occurring therein are outwardly unknown, repeatedly hath this exalted Word been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen: the prison land is outwardly calm but inwardly turbulent. The knowledge thereof is with God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Yet, purely through grace and favor, permission for the Leaf to approach and remain hath been granted, as a bounty from God, the Ordainer, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH01537: Praise be to God Who has manifested the Light…

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

Praise be to God Who has manifested the Light and through it illumined the world of inner meanings and expression, and Who has revealed the Fire and through it shone forth upon Moses on the Mount of mystic knowledge. Glory and praise, blessings and splendor be upon His Prophets and His chosen ones, whom He has made the Dawning-Places of His names and the Daysprings of His attributes and the Manifestations of His Self and the Recipients of His knowledge and the Treasuries of His verses—through whom were opened the gates of divine knowledge to all in the realm of possibility, and the Dove of certitude warbled upon the highest branches. There is none other God but Him. He has ever been in the heights of power and majesty, and in the summit of might and grandeur. His favor has been complete and His proof perfected and His evidence fulfilled and His sovereignty made mighty. He it is Who has sent down His verses and revealed His clear tokens. There is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the All-Compelling, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Mihdi! Upon thee be My glory! The Wronged One bears witness to thy turning, thy devotion, thy arising, thy presence, thy attentiveness, thy service and thy deeds in the Most Great Prison and the Most Mighty, Most Impregnable Fortress. We beseech God to assist thee and grant thee success, and to ordain for thee from the Supreme Pen the best of the hereafter and of this world. Verily He is the Lord of all mankind and the Lord of the throne on high and of earth below. There is none other God but Him, Who is established upon His mighty throne.

We make mention of thy father, whom We have remembered in such wise that his remembrance shall endure in the cities of knowledge and wisdom. We testify that he attained unto acceptance and witnessed that which God Himself has witnessed—that there is none other God but Him, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. And We make mention of him who was named Nasrullah, whose mention thou desired. We beseech God to forgive him through His grace, to purify him through His loving-kindness, and to draw him nigh unto Him. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

Thou hast hearkened unto the voice of the Wronged One in eloquent Arabic; now hear it in sweetest Persian. Praise be to God, the children of Abraham and the heirs of Moses have drunk from the ocean of divine knowledge and have heard the call of the Blessed Tree. This Wronged One has made mention of each one, and beseeches God, exalted be His glory, to ordain for them that which shall endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. Make mention of each one from the Wronged One, that perchance through the breezes of remembrance they may attain unto everlasting joy and be freed from the troubles of this world.

O Mihdi! Give thanks to the Goal of all the worlds Who has assisted thee to recognize Him and to turn toward Him, and at all times seek thou the preservation of this most exalted station. Verily He is the Powerful, the Preserver, the Mighty, the Great. We counsel the loved ones of God with that which conduceth to the elevation of souls and the reformation of the world. No host hath been or is mightier than goodly deeds and pure character. With these hosts must they conquer the citadels of hearts. This is the true good that hath been mentioned and recorded in the Books and Scriptures and Tablets of God, exalted be His glory. Blessed is the soul that hath held fast unto the cord of grace and clung to the hem of trust in God. Such is among those men of whom He saith: “On them shall be no fear, neither shall they grieve.”

Say: O friends! Hearken unto the voice of the Wronged One and sanctify yourselves from the doubts and allusions of the manifestations of idle fancies and the dawning-places of vain imaginings, that ye may be refreshed by the breezes of God’s loving-kindness that waft at dawn, and attain unto everlasting life. God is aware and mankind doth witness that this Wronged One hath, from the earliest days until now, striven mightily to reform souls and unite hearts, that the horizons of the world might be illumined with the light of concord among nations, and that all might turn with spirit and joy toward the Supreme Horizon and occupy themselves with that which profiteth their souls. To this testifieth every informed sage and every discerning knower.

O Mihdi! We beseech God to assist thee in serving His Cause and to enable thee to do that which is pleasing unto Him. He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing.

BH01598: O Abu’l-Fadl! He speaks through this Most Exalted Blessed…

He is the One speaking from His most exalted horizon

O Abu’l-Fadl! He speaks through this Most Exalted Blessed Word which has dawned from the heaven of the Supreme Pen—fix your gaze upon it: “Whoso is for God, God is for him.” In these days this utterance has repeatedly flowed from the Tongue of the One Mentioned. The tree of this word was planted aforetime, and in these days it has sprouted and borne fruit.

O Abu’l-Fadl! In one of the Tablets this passage was revealed:

“If the entire spiritual realm were to be transformed into the power of hearing, one could say it would be worthy of hearkening to this utterance which has flowed from the Pen of the All-Merciful. Otherwise, the visible ears were not and will not be capable of hearing this call, save a limited few.”

Praise be to God, you have hearkened and attained to that which was the cause and purpose of creation. Blessed are you and joy be unto you! The All-Knowing God accompanies you in travel and at home.

The tribulations that have descended, the difficulties that have arisen, the straits and trials and grief and afflictions—all are witnessed and recorded by the Supreme Pen in the Crimson Book. This passage transforms the world’s tribulations into mercy, and diseases into health. Whatever has befallen you has been for God and in the path of God—the Supreme Pen bears witness. Fire in His path is light, and poison is sweet honey.

I swear by the Sun of Revelation which has shone forth from the highest horizon of the world—if the people of earth were to attain to a drop from the chalice of inner meanings, or a drop from the ocean of utterance, all would turn from what they possess to what is with God, and would occupy themselves with circumambulating around the chosen ones of God. The veils of the wicked have prevented eyes from beholding the Most Exalted Horizon, and likewise ears from hearing the Most Exalted Word.

Jinab-i-Ism-i-Jud, upon him be My glory, forwarded your letter to the Most Holy Court, and this response has descended from the heaven of the Will of the Beloved of the worlds. It gives life to the spirit and bestows true wings, that you may teach the servants to soar and guide them to the true Ka’bah of God. O Fadl! The wings have become soiled with the clay of vain imaginings—ask God to cleanse them with the water of return. He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing.

Teach the servants to read what has been revealed from My Most Exalted Pen. My God, My God! I beseech Thee by the penetrating power of Thy Most Exalted Word and the might of Thy Most High Pen to assist Thy servants to turn to Thee and gaze toward Thy horizon. O my Lord! Deprive them not of the outpourings of the heaven of Thy Will and the waves of the ocean of Thy bounty. Thou art verily the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Conquering, the All-Powerful.

As to the matter mentioned, whatsoever conduces to the benefit of the world is acceptable and beloved before God, and whatsoever is otherwise is rejected. For this Most Great Revelation has been dedicated to the salvation and reformation and unity and harmony and tranquility of the peoples of the world. To this bear witness the dwellers of Paradise and the companions of the holy precincts, and beyond them I am the All-Knowing Witness.

According to the command, the servant in attendance has written to His Honor Varqa, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness, that which wisdom requires. We beseech God to show a way and guide to it, that the purpose may be achieved without harm. Praise be to God, His Honor Sin has from the beginning stood ready to assist. Now too We beseech God to confirm him in that which befits His Day. He has shown friendship and love from before.

In all matters one must consult while considering the outcome. Take what is good and what benefits the world—this is My bidding before and after. To this testifies every truthful and trustworthy one, and every knowing and informed one. Whosoever proves to be a well-wisher of this party, We have wished and wish for his good, and this will certainly be manifested and answered. Blessed are they that understand, and blessed are they that act.

The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon thee and upon those who have turned and believed in God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH01625: O Ism-i-Jud! The letter of Ali-Asghar—upon him…

He is the Ever-Present, He is the All-Seeing

O Ism-i-Jud! The letter of Ali-Asghar—upon him be My glory—which he wrote to that one has been presented in the Most Holy Court and attained the honor of being heard. We beseech God to confirm him and grant him success in remembrance, praise and service to the Cause. His mention has been made repeatedly and his name inscribed by the Pen of the Wronged One. God willing, may he be adorned with such an adornment that its light shall be effulgent and its fragrance diffusive. He had mentioned Muhammad-Ali Kh. We ask and beseech God to enable him to recognize that for which all created things have been brought from nothingness into being. O Ali-Asghar! By the life of God, this word which hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen concerning him is better for him than all that is witnessed and seen. He is the Lord of all beings and the Lord of the last and the first. He should say:

“My God, my God! I have turned toward Thy most exalted horizon after hearing Thy sweetest call. O my Lord! Illumine my face with the lights of Thy countenance, my heart with the lights of Thy knowledge, and my breast with the effulgences of Thy names. O my Lord! I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy knowledge, the heaven of Thy grace and the sun of Thy bounty to draw me near unto Thee in all conditions and ordain for me that which shall profit me in every world of Thy worlds. Verily Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, the All-Merciful, the Most Generous.”

O Pen! Return to the mention of him who traveled through the lands to exalt My Most Great Word and My Most Glorious Remembrance, who was named Haydar-ʿAli in the Book of Names from God, the Cleaver of the heavens, that the breezes of revelation may attract him once again and draw him nigh unto the Most Exalted Horizon, the station wherein naught is heard save the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree and the murmuring of the water flowing in the Most Exalted Paradise. And I am the Expositor, the Teacher, the All-Merciful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Hearken in the Persian tongue, that perchance the people of Iran may be attracted by the heat of the utterance of the All-Merciful and attain unto their purpose. By the life of God! The Light is manifest, and He Who speaketh on Sinai is speaking, and the Sun is shining, and the verses are being revealed, and the proof is resplendent. Nevertheless all are heedless save those who have been moved by the movement of My Most Exalted Word, and have drawn nigh and heard the Call of God, the Lord of the worlds. Say to those who have turned away: Fear ye God and be not of the wrongdoers.

We counsel all to read the Persian Bayan. Whosoever considereth it for the sake of God will find himself independent of the dawning-places of idle fancies and vain imaginings. Glory be to God! What objections they have raised against the Truth—exalted be His glory! Say: O company of the heedless ones! First reflect upon the Truth Itself and Its proof and evidence, and judge with fairness. After the establishment of this most exalted station and most glorious rank and most resplendent horizon, other objections are not and have never been befitting. What have those souls understood from “He doeth whatsoever He willeth” and what have they comprehended from “He ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth”? Lost indeed are they who have denied the signs and proof of God, rejected His evidence, and turned away from His shining countenance.

The Truth—exalted be His glory—hath ever been among the people. His deeds are manifest, His utterance evident, and His Book eloquent. That one himself hath been for some time in the Most Holy Court. By the life of God! There hath appeared that which hath no likeness or parallel. The infidels have become veils and clouds. We beseech God to sanctify the lights of the Sun of Truth from these veils and clouds, that the seekers and wayfarers may attain their Desired One and their Intended Goal, may behold the Straight Path and hold fast unto it. The Command is in His grasp. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. And He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

The glory shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of My Kingdom be upon thee and upon those who have soared in My atmosphere, spoken My praise, held fast unto My cord, clung to the hem of My robe, and arisen to serve My friends who have not broken My Covenant and Testament and have acted according to what was enjoined upon them in My mighty and great Book.

BH01670: O Abdul-Husayn, upon thee be My Glory! The Holy…

He is the One dawning from the horizon of the heaven of proof!

O Abdul-Husayn, upon thee be My Glory! The Holy Forerunner utters this word, saying:

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

Should one, through divine grace, drink from the ocean of meanings concealed within this word, he would become aware of the greatness of the Cause.

Today the friends of God, who in the Tablets are designated and known as the Party of God, must turn from the river of names to the ocean of meanings. The deniers among the people of the Bayan have not, to this day, recognized the station of this Day. They remain occupied with former names and former words. At times they engage in misinterpretation, and at times they cling to names. Blessed is the soul who, by divine power, has transcended names and attained to that which is befitting this Day.

They deny the station which He declares cannot be known through Him or what was revealed in the Bayan, measuring it by their own vain imaginings. Sometimes through mention of Ali, sometimes through mention of the Mirror and the like, they deprive the helpless servants from the straight path and the mighty announcement. For one thousand two hundred years they said “O Ali,” and in the end they martyred One through Whose word a thousand Alis could be created. By the life of God, such oppression was manifested by that party as had not been seen from the beginning of the world until now. They cursed Him from all pulpits, and now again Hadi Dawlatabadi is occupied with organizing such a party. Let someone for God’s sake tell him: these same words existed before—what was their result? Was anything seen to result except infidelity and cursing and reviling from the pulpits?

O thou who gazest toward My horizon! Hear My call from the precincts of My prison. Verily it draws thee to a station wherein the Tongue of Glory proclaims: The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the One, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Bestower! Thy letter hath come before the Wronged One, and He hath revealed for thee from the treasuries of His Most Exalted Pen that which nothing in all things can equal, as the Tongue of Grandeur beareth witness in this most sublime station.

Say: O people of the Furqan! The All-Merciful hath come with a sovereignty before which all parties are powerless. Cast aside what is with the people and take what ye are commanded by God, the Mighty, the Bestower. The carpet of idle fancies hath been rolled up. By God! The Sun of Certitude hath dawned from the horizon of the world by the command of God, the Lord of Lords. Say: What ye possess will not profit you today. Turn ye toward the Most Sublime Horizon with spirit and fragrance.

Then, O people of the Bayan, die in your wrath! He Who was hidden in the eternity of eternities hath appeared, and He Who was recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Books and Tablets hath come. By God! Neither your clamor nor the murmuring of those who have disbelieved in the Beginning and the Return can hinder Him. Say: This is God’s Day, did ye but know it, and this is a Day wherein naught is mentioned save Him, did ye but perceive it. He is not known through names; rather, they are created by His command.

We make mention of thy father and ask God to confirm him in steadfastness in this Cause, whereby the hearts of those who have disbelieved in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, have been shaken. We make mention of thy brother and give him the glad tidings of My remembrance of him, that he may thank his Lord, the Possessor of existence. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to enable him to make mention of Him and praise Him among His servants with wisdom and utterance. Verily He is powerful over what He willeth through His word “Be” and it is.

O Abdul-Husayn! At the end of the letter We make mention of thee again. Blessed art thou for having shattered the idols of vain imaginings and turned toward God, the Lord of the Unseen and the Seen. By the life of God! Those who have turned away from the Truth, these are the worshippers of vain imaginings in this praiseworthy station. Aid thy Lord with the hosts of utterance, placing thy trust in God, the Possessor of the Promised Day. The Glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My Kingdom be upon thee and upon those whom neither the doubts of the world, nor its ornaments, nor its vicissitudes have withheld from this irrevocable Cause.

BH01668: After completing the letter of Mirza ʿAbdu’llah, this was…

After completing the letter of Mirza ʿAbdu’llah, this was written:

He is God

O beloved of my heart! Regarding what you wrote mentioning the solace of Mine eye Aqa Siyyid Husayn, upon him be the peace of God—after it was presented before His presence, He said:

He is God, exalted be He in might and power

O Husayn! Upon you be the peace of God and the peace of His loved ones. His honor Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli, upon him be God’s peace and grace, and you have been and are mentioned before the Wronged One. Although this Wronged One has commanded all to act with goodness, and likewise to that which God has revealed in the Book, and My purpose has been nothing but the preservation of the people of unity and their might and power and exaltation, they have done that which is beyond mention. The power of the people of the cities of unity and detachment reached such a station that the limbs of the ungodly and heedless trembled from it and hearts were troubled.

Now weakness has reached such a point that opponents have attacked from all sides. Each day some harm arrives and some tribulation appears. They have denied this bounty and imagined this justice to be tyranny. Therefore the Wronged One is afflicted in the Most Great Prison. But tribulation in His path, exalted be He, has been and is beloved. In all conditions We have wished and do wish the good of the people of the world. We beseech God to adorn all with the ornament of justice, that they may speak with fairness and observe with sanctified vision. The purpose of what was mentioned is that the friends may become aware of what has transpired and know that this Wronged One has loved and loves meeting His loved ones, but the heedless servants have become a barrier.

O Husayn, say: My God, my God! I am the one who has turned to Thee and placed my trust in Thee. I beseech Thee by the trees of the gardens of inner meanings and utterance, and the leaves of realities and exposition, to ordain for me that which will profit me. Verily Thou art more knowing of me than I am of myself. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Powerful, and worthy of answering prayer.

O Husayn! Praise be to God, thou hast attained to that of which most are heedless. Be not grieved at what hath befallen this Wronged One. Reflect—We have mentioned thee with a mention that is the cause of greatest joy. We beseech God to assist thee and make thee successful and ordain for thee the best of what He hath revealed in His Book. Verily He is the Compassionate, the Generous, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.

This servant also conveys greetings and beseeches from God that which is the cause of loftiness and elevation. To his honor your father, upon him be God’s peace and care, I send greetings. He has ever been and is mentioned. The servant asks his Lord to protect him and ordain for him the good of the hereafter and this world.

Mention was made of the light of my eyes, the honored ʿAbdu’l-Hadi and his brothers, upon them be God’s mercy and grace. After presenting their mention, He mentioned them both, and likewise mentioned the honored leaf of the family, upon her be God’s peace. Concerning each one was manifested that which testified to bounty and care. Blessed are they and joy be unto them. This servant also conveys greetings to each one and seeks divine confirmation. Verily God is the Hearer, the Answerer, and He is the Forgiving, the Generous.

Mention was made of Habibu’llah, upon him be 96 [Baha’u’llah]. After presenting this, He spoke these words:

“Verily We have mentioned thee before and at this time, and We ask God to assist thee and make thee successful and render thee protected, steadfast, firm and resolute in that which He loveth and is pleased with, and to ordain for thee what beseemeth His generosity, exalted be He.”

This servant also conveys greetings and makes mention with that which is the cause of enkindlement. God willing, may they be assisted in all conditions to act with goodness and with that which will elevate their station among the servants. Peace and remembrance and praise be upon you and upon God’s near servants.

BH01763: Praise be to the Ancient King Who, through…

He is God, exalted be His glory in bounty and bestowal!

Praise be to the Ancient King Who, through the key of His Most Great Name, hath opened and taken possession of the prepared hearts of the peoples. None can resist His sovereignty, and none can prevent the manifestation of His power and might. He hath sent down the verses and made them the gate of knowledge throughout creation. Exalted be His dominion, exalted be His proof, and exalted be His testimony which hath encompassed existence, both seen and unseen. And peace and blessings be upon the Hands of His Cause, who have taken hold of the Book through His power and aided His Cause among His servants. We beseech God to strengthen them in all conditions to remain steadfast in a manner that hath caused the hearts of the heedless to tremble.

O my leaf and she who gazeth toward the horizon of My manifestation! Thy petition hath reached the Most Holy Court and attained unto His presence and meeting. We beseech God, exalted be He, to make thee so firm in holding fast to the Tree that neither winds shall move thee nor worldly events cause thee to fall, and to give thee to drink from the Kawthar of His utterance by His bounteous hand, and to ordain for thee that whereby thy mention and thy name shall endure in His Perspicuous Book. Command and judgment belong to God, the Lord of the worlds.

O my leaf! Hearken unto what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an. His exalted Word states: “Wealth and children are an ornament of the life of this world. But the good deeds which endure are better in thy Lord’s sight for reward, and better in respect of hope.” This blessed verse was revealed when the sons of the Prophet ascended to the Most Exalted Station and the All-Glorious Companion. The idolaters arose in derision and spoke words unfitting to their base desires. Thereafter, the aforementioned verse was revealed, meaning that good and righteous deeds are better and more beloved in God’s sight. They failed to understand that the enduring good deeds are the verses revealed from the Kingdom of Utterance upon his heart, which shall endure as long as the kingdom of earth and heaven endure. The idolaters supposed that since the Prophet was without heir, His Cause and His decree would perish and vanish. They were heedless that all that appeared from Him was adorned with the ornament of perpetuity and imperishable glory. And to spite the idolaters, the Surih of Kawthar was revealed, meaning that the idolaters are the ones cut off and heirless. He saith: “For he who hateth thee, he will be cut off.”

God willing, that leaf shall enter and swim in the depths of the sea of oneness and detachment. This station is mighty, and thus He saith:

“So patience is most fitting. And it is God Whose help is sought against that which ye assert.”

The highest fruit of the tree of detachment hath ever been and shall ever be patience. Blessed is he who hath attained thereunto and recognized its station. I say in truth that there hath never been and shall never be any barrier against the decreed hour. Thus He saith that death shall overtake every soul, even if they be in lofty, impregnable towers. But that which is not decreed may be lifted through God’s absolute Will and His pervading divine Purpose. Blessed is he who readeth what hath been sent down from the tongue of My grandeur at this moment, as a command from Me, and I am the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

Say: O my God, my God! Thou seest one of Thy handmaidens who hath turned to the horizon of Thy manifestation, and a leaf among Thy leaves who hath held fast to the Tree of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the worlds, by Thy Most Great Name, whereby the limbs of the nations who broke Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, who disputed Thy verses and contended with the Daysprings of Thy Cause and the Dawning-Places of Thy Revelation, were made to tremble, to change my sorrow into gladness from Thy presence and my grief into joy from Thy direction. I testify that Thou knowest what profiteth and harmeth me, and I know not what is with Thee. Ordain for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee and benefit me in every world of Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Most Powerful, the All-Bountiful. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Most Generous.

BH01792: O Husayn, upon thee be My glory! For some…

He is God, exalted be He in wisdom and utterance

O Husayn, upon thee be My glory! For some time now the Leaf, the Mother, hath dwelt in the House and during the nights and days hath been blessed to hearken unto the verses of God. They have attained a great bounty and been honored with supreme grace. On this dark night, two hours past the nineteenth night of the sacred month of Muharram, the letter of ʿAli-Muhammad written on behalf of Ghulam-Husayn was presented and this servant read it aloud. Praise be to God that they are illumined by the rays of the Sun of divine love and are firm and steadfast in His Cause. This is a great favor from the Most Great Announcement which speaketh before all faces:

“The Desired One is come and the Kingdom belongeth unto God, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting!”

O Muhammad-ʿAli! Praise be to God that thou hast been illumined by the rays of the Sun of Truth and hast hearkened unto the call of Him Who conversed on Sinai, Who is the Source of all good. We beseech God to preserve thee and ordain for thee that which profiteth thee. We make mention of thy father as We mentioned him before. We beseech God to send down upon him at all times mercy and grace from His presence. He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

Thou didst mention Ghulam-Husayn. We heard his call and have answered him with this clear Tablet. O Ghulam-Husayn! Thy call hath been heard and there hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen that which shall endure as long as the kingdom of earth and heaven endureth. This grace shall not be erased by death, nor shall this utterance be effaced from God’s Book. It hath been and shall forever be. At this hour the Leaf, the Mother of Ha’, upon her be My glory, intended to visit the Most Great House. She entered on behalf of the souls mentioned and was blessed with the visitation, and from the Dayspring of divine verses and the Source of heavenly evidences the decree of acceptance was revealed. Blessed is the soul that hath attained this supreme grace. I swear by the Sun of the heaven of proof that all that exists and is visible cannot equal one word of His utterances. He verily knoweth and speaketh the truth, but most of the people know not and understand not.

We make mention in this place of My handmaiden who was named Farkhundih in the Book of God, the Lord of the worlds. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to ordain for her that which shall gladden her eyes and rejoice her heart. He is verily the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is. And We make mention of My handmaiden Umm-Maryam and give her the glad-tidings of My mercy which hath preceded all and My grace which hath encompassed all in the heavens and earth. Blessed is the servant at whose name My Most Exalted Pen hath moved, and blessed the handmaiden who hath attained this glorious, mighty station. We make mention of My loved ones and handmaidens there. We beseech God to ordain for them the good of the hereafter and of this world, and to give them to drink from the cup of steadfastness in this Cause whereby the hearts of the learned were perturbed and the limbs of those who bear the names did quake, save whom God wished, the Almighty, the Powerful.

O Husayn, upon thee be My glory and My grace! Glorify on My behalf the faces of those who are with thee. We have made mention of them as a favor from Us. Thy Lord is verily the All-Bountiful, the Generous. A single letter of thy Lord’s verses cannot be equaled by all that the kings and rulers possess. To this testifieth every seeing scholar and every informed sage. Say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having remembered me time and again and for having sent down to me from the heaven of Thy bounty that which shall cause my mention to endure as long as Thy kingdom and dominion endure. I beseech Thee by the light of Thy countenance and the fire of Thy Cause and the pearls of the ocean of Thy knowledge and whatsoever lay hidden and treasured in the repositories of Thine immunity, to aid me to preserve what Thou hast given me through Thy generosity, and to ordain for me the good of the hereafter and of this world. Thou art verily the Powerful over what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH01789: O Ism-i-Jud, upon thee be My glory! The letter…

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

O Ism-i-Jud, upon thee be My glory! The letter of Ali Haydar, upon him be My glory, was mentioned by this servant before the Wronged One and attained the honor of being heard. We beseech God to confirm him in mentioning, praising and serving the Cause. He had mentioned A.B., upon him be My glory. Some time ago, a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed for him from the heaven of favor; now it has been sent. We beseech God, exalted be He, to assist him, confirm him, and ordain for him the good of this world and the next. Say: O My loved ones, honor his dwelling place. This is what We commanded you before and at this time.

The friends in that land must invite the people of the contingent world to the horizon of the All-Merciful with the utmost joy and fragrance. Whosoever attains to teaching is recorded among the near ones in God’s Book. Be not grieved by the events of the days and the hatred and animosity of the deniers and those who turn away. Soon the effulgences of the light of the Day-Star of Manifestation will encompass all, and the station of the friends will become evident and manifest to all the worlds.

The honored Ghayn who attained to the presence and another who arrived there have ever been and continue to be remembered in the Most Holy, Most Exalted Court, and are recipients of God’s grace and adorned with love. That which hath no peer or likeness hath been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen concerning them. Haydar-Qabli-Ali, upon him be My glory, mentioned them repeatedly. We send Our greetings upon them both and We have honored them with a third one who is in Shin. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to make them banners of His remembrance among His servants and to assist them with that whereby the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds, may be exalted.

O Ali Haydar, convey My greetings to the friends of that land. By the life of God! All are remembered at all times. The Most Exalted Pen is moved to mention them and speaketh. At the end of this Tablet We make mention of the Deputy and give him glad tidings of God’s grace, the Forgiving, the Generous. We beseech God to confirm all in assisting the Cause. In numerous Tablets We have forbidden the servants from conflict and contention and from that which is blameworthy, and have commanded that which is praiseworthy. They must arise to assist the Cause with the hosts of goodly character. We beseech God to confirm them, assist them and enable them to do that which He loveth and is pleased with. Verily He is powerful over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is.

Thou didst mention Shaykh Abdul-Husayn, upon him be My glory. O Abdul-Husayn! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. He calleth thee and maketh mention of thee from this station which hath been named with the Most Beautiful Names in the Book of God, the Powerful, the Mighty. Verily He desireth him who hath desired Him and mentioneth him who hath mentioned Him. This is outwardly and inwardly. My remembrance hath preceded all things mentioned and My mercy hath encompassed all created things. To this testifieth every discerning one who is aware.

They have sought permission. The True One, exalted be His glory, hath ever gazed upon His friends, but in these days this land is in turmoil and in the breasts of some the fire of hatred is ablaze. Therefore the Most Exalted Pen hath paused in giving permission. Be patient. Verily thy Lord is the All-Patient and commandeth thee to beautiful patience. This is a verse We have revealed in various stations, a command from the presence of an ancient Ordainer. Today whosoever is occupied with serving the Cause is recorded among the people of the Crimson Ark in the Books of the highest heaven. We beseech God to confirm thee in serving this mighty Cause. He is the Powerful, the Mighty.

And We make mention of the Praised One who was mentioned in thy letter and We send greetings upon him from this exalted station. The Glory be upon thee and upon My friends whose names thou hast not mentioned, in wisdom from Our presence, and I am the Commander, the All-Wise.

BH01895: O Kazim ʿAli-Akbar! Your letter, and the letter concerning…

In the name of the All-Knowing, All-Seeing Lord.

O Kazim ʿAli-Akbar! Your letter, and the letter concerning the Pilgrim House, have been received and achieved the honor of being heard before His presence. Praise be to God that you have been favored with His grace and adorned with the ornament of acceptance. Your mention has been and continues to be before the Wronged One. We beseech God to assist you in that which He loves and is pleased with, and to aid you with the hosts of the seen and unseen. Verily He is the Lord of the world and the Ancient Sovereign. There is no God but Him, the Strong, the Triumphant, the Mighty, the Powerful.

You made mention of what the All-Merciful revealed in the Qur’an. Yes, the Wronged One bears witness that it is the truth in which there is no doubt. However, for the “fresh and withered” there have been and are many meanings. The primary meaning of “fresh” refers to utterances that draw man closer to the Truth, that is, bring him nearer to God, while “withered” is that which removes him from His straight path—namely the divines and theologians of the earth whom you see today lying prostrate as if they were hollow palm-trunks. They acknowledge the Book yet turn away from the Mother Book. They have ever been the cause of preventing the servants from the supreme horizon. Their own actions testify to this. Though they acknowledge the greatness of the Cause, yet they remain heedless and withered. In every age and era, rulers have acted according to the verdict of the divines. That at which the Pen lamented and the Tablet wept!

Some time ago, in a Tablet to one of His loved ones, this exalted Word was revealed: In Our childhood We would hear that a certain divine was discoursing about the word “Qa’im”, saying that according to traditions, on the Day of His manifestation He would utter a word from which even the most learned would flee. O company of the ignorant! This is that Word—He now declares “He” in the garment of “I”, and the Hidden One speaks as “I am the Manifest One.” Say: This is that Word at whose might all have trembled save whom God has willed. By “divines” in these passages is meant those souls who have prevented people from the shore of the Divine Unity. Otherwise, the learned one who acts upon his knowledge and the just sage are as the spirit to the body of the world. Blessed is the learned one whose head is adorned with the crown of justice and whose temple is adorned with the ornament of equity.

O Kazim! In another Tablet too, some reference was made to “fresh and withered”. Knowledge is with God. Today the purpose is that if someone truly attains the honor of acceptance, he should exert his utmost effort to extinguish the fire of hatred and animosity that blazes between the peoples of the world. Supplicate God, exalted be His glory, by night and day, to protect His servants. O Kazim! The divine religion has ever been for unity, concord, fellowship and love, yet ignorant servants have made it the cause and reason for hatred. This is the world-consuming fire. We beseech God to quench this fire with the water of wisdom and utterance, that all the world may find repose beneath the shadow of His grace. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

If you encounter any of the friends, convey Our greetings. We counsel all to spiritual qualities and goodly deeds, and that whereby man’s station is exalted in the contingent world. Verily He is the Counselor, the All-Knowing.

BH01930: We have come for the sake of remembrance…

He is the Speaker in the Kingdom of Utterance!

We have come for the sake of remembrance, and Our remembrance is to remind the servants toward the One Who is remembered. When We turned from the most exalted horizon toward the realm of creation, We opened the gates of counsel with the key of wisdom and reminded all of that which is the cause and means of lofty stations. Blessed is the soul who has purified itself from the desires of self and passion with the Kawthar of counsel of the Lord of Names, and has aimed for the supreme height and ultimate goal. One must strive for the reformation of the world and purification of the nations. In the early days We showed the people of the earth the way and guided them to the straight path and the mighty announcement. Some, upon hearing the call, turned immediately to the most exalted horizon, sanctified from all that is unworthy of God’s days, while others remained afflicted with the chains of idle fancies and vain imaginings. We beseech God not to deprive any from the ocean of His mercy and to aid them as befitteth. Verily He is powerful over all things. There is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, the All-Informed.

O friend! God willing, thou shalt be enkindled with the heat of divine love. Today is the master of days. Ask God to aid thee in a deed whose mention shall endure in God’s Book. The Trustee, upon him be My glory, mentioned thee, and likewise the friends of that land. Therefore the Supreme Pen turned from the direction of the Prison and adorned each one with the ornament of remembrance. O Baba! Praise be to God that thou hast turned to Him in days when most of the people of the earth have turned away from the Sun of Truth. Say: My God, my God! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have turned to the ocean of Thy grace and the horizon of the heaven of Thy bounty, and I acknowledge Thy oneness and Thy singleness and what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. I beseech Thee by Thy light wherewith Thou hast illumined the world and guided the nations to aid me in all conditions to remember Thee and praise Thee and serve Thy loved ones. Verily Thou art powerful over what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Generous.

O Sha’ban! Thy name was present before the Wronged One. God mentioneth all and commandeth what is right, and hath counseled and doth counsel to trustworthiness and godliness and praiseworthy character and goodly deeds and that whereby the station of man is exalted. Blessed is the soul who hath heard the call and acted upon what was commanded, and is recorded among those who have turned to God in His Book. Say: My God, my God! I have turned to Thee. I beseech Thee by the Manifestations of Thy sovereignty and the Daysprings of Thy might and the Sources of Thy Command and the Rising-places of Thy verses to make me steadfast in Thy love and gazing toward Thy horizon and holding fast to Thy mighty cord. There is no God but Thee, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Ali! Give thanks to God that thy name hath flowed from His Most Exalted Pen, which calleth out with the most great call between earth and heaven: The gate of meeting hath been opened and the Lord of Names hath come with clear authority. Praise the Goal of the world Who hath aided thee and guided thee to His straight path. Thy mention is remembered and thy name is recorded. God, exalted be His glory, hath been and is aware. Ask Him for steadfastness and be occupied with serving His loved ones. Verily He heard what thy tongue uttered and saw thy turning to Him. He turned to thee and remembered thee with this clear remembrance. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH01955: Praise and thanksgiving in truth belongeth on this Day…

In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord!

Praise and thanksgiving in truth belongeth on this Day—which hath been mentioned in the Books of God as the Day of God—exclusively to the friends of God, glorified be His majesty, namely those who have hearkened with their inner ear to the Most Great Word and who are seated firm and steadfast upon the throne of certitude. This is that Word through which whosoever attaineth unto it, neither the doubts of the world nor the allusions of the peoples shall debar him from the Ancient of Days. This is the Dawning-Place of certitude and the Rising-Point of the Sun of assurance. This is that Word which draweth man unto the ocean of inner meanings and freeth him from the kingdom of names. This is the gate of power and might, and the straight path of God amongst His servants. This is the ornament of divine wisdom and heavenly knowledge. This is that Word which is as a sword against the idolaters, for it rendereth null the sorcery of the sorcerers and the calumnies of the transgressors. Whoso holdeth fast unto it, he is indeed among the most exalted of creation in the sight of God, Our Goal and the Goal of all mankind.

And that Word is the blessed Word “He doeth whatsoever He willeth and ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth.” This Word closeth the door of objections raised by the idolatrous souls and rolleth up the realm of self and passion. Glory be to God! Until now they have not inhaled the fragrance of this blessed Word. They speak but understand not; they utter words but perceive not. Should any soul attain unto this blessed Word and drink from the hidden ocean contained therein, he would find himself independent of the mention of that which is unseemly and of hearkening unto it. But the fire of jealousy and hatred ever inflameth the idolaters and atheists. They are tormented in the fire yet perceive it not. Woe unto them!

We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to assist His party that all may hold fast unto the blessed Word and be freed and detached from all else besides it. Glory be unto Thee, O my God, my Goal, my Beloved, Beloved of the world, my Lord and Lord of all nations! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the Hour and its signs, and the Resurrection and its tokens, were made manifest, to send down from the heaven of Thy bounty upon Thy Afnan that which beseemeth Thy glory, Thy power, Thy generosity, Thy grace and Thy might.

O Lord! Thou seest him in all conditions standing in service to Thy Cause and speaking Thy praise. He is the one who turned unto Thee on the day when they who dwell on Thine earth turned away from Thee and they who inhabit Thy lands rose up against Thee. He spent whatsoever he possessed for the exaltation of Thy Word, the manifestation of Thy Cause and the spread of Thy verses. By Thy glory, O my God! Should this servant attempt to mention that which hath proceeded from him in Thy days, his pen would prove powerless and his tongue would falter.

I beseech Thee, O Thou Goal of the hearts of them who are nigh unto Thee and Beloved of the hearts of the sincere ones, by Thy Most Great Signs and by Thy Most Exalted Self, to cause his deeds in Thy verses to appear from the horizon of bounty and favors that all may witness their manifestation and their lights even as they witness the sun and its effulgence and its lights. I ask Thy forgiveness, O my God, for mentioning this station which Thou hast made to be above my station. I beseech Thee by the light of Thy oneness, from which Thy servants are held back, to assist him at all times in that which he was. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Helper. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH02013: In My Name, the Wronged One, the Stranger!

In My Name, the Wronged One, the Stranger!

Thou hast ever been remembered, and art still remembered, in the Most Great Prison. Some time ago thy letter was received and was read before My face. From it We perceived the fragrance of thy sincerity and thy love for God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy forebears.

The people of the world have denied this most great favor, though the Cause is manifest, verses have been revealed, and clear proofs are evident, the Light is radiant. Yet the recompense for the deeds of the servants hath prevented them from the ocean of the utterance of the All-Merciful, save whom God willeth. By the life of God! The Afnans of the Divine Lote-Tree have attained to that which hath no likeness or parallel. All must fix their gaze upon the supreme horizon and, with utmost joy and radiance, occupy themselves with the remembrance of the Goal of all who dwell on earth.

We beseech God to protect that which He hath bestowed from thieves and betrayers. It hath previously been said: “The true believer is rarer than red sulfur.” Certain souls outwardly claim to have turned towards God while inwardly they strive diligently to lead His servants astray. We previously said concerning the transgressors and the heedless: “Your likeness is as the morning star that appeareth to shine brightly, yet in truth causeth the caravans of My cities and regions to go astray.”

Be not grieved at what hath befallen thee. The glance of Our loving-kindness hath been and shall ever be upon thee. God will soon manifest that which He hath purposed. Verily, He is powerful over all things. Thou hast shared with God in His tribulations. All the treasures of the earth cannot equal this testimony. He Who possesseth the perspicuous Book beareth witness unto this.

We make mention of the wife of the Afnan, upon her be My glory and loving-kindness, and all the household. We beseech God to aid them in that which He loveth and pleaseth, to strengthen them with the hosts of the seen and the unseen, and to ordain for them that which will draw them nigh unto Him. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Powerful.

Concerning the countenance of the Most Exalted Leaf, upon her be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, We have commanded the Greater Afnan, upon him be My glory, to write to the land of Ya. That countenance must reach that honored lady. This is what the Wronged One hath decreed. We beseech God to aid them in that which they have been commanded by the Ancient Ordainer. The glory from Our presence be upon thee and upon those women who have believed in the All-Informed, the One.

O God, my God! Look upon Thy Afnans with the glances of the eyes of Thy mercy and bounty, then ordain for them that which shall make them pages of Thy remembrance and praise amongst Thy servants and creatures. O Lord! Thou seest them turning toward Thee and holding fast to the cord of Thy generosity and bounty. I beseech Thee, by the ocean of Thy verses and the lights of the Sun of Thy knowledge, to preserve them from the oppression of the enemies of Thy Self who have turned away from Thy horizon and have committed that which hath caused the Supreme Paradise and the dwellers of the most exalted Heaven to lament. O God! Send Thy blessings upon them and upon those whom neither armies could prevent from taking Thy Book nor ranks from turning to the lights of Thy countenance. Verily, Thou art powerful to do what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Protector of those who are in the heavens and on earth. Praise be unto Thee, for Thou art the Goal of the mystics and the Beloved of those near unto Thee.

BH02063: O My Name! Upon thee be My glory! We…

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

O My Name! Upon thee be My glory! We have heard the call of those who have turned to the All-Merciful when He came with manifest sovereignty. He who hath heard My call, verily he is of the people of the most exalted Paradise before God, the Lord of the worlds. By My life! All things have appeared for this Most Great Day, and all beings for the recognition of this glorious station. Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto that for which it was created, and blessed the eye that hath beheld My luminous countenance. Say: O people of God! Beware lest anything prevent you from the path of your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. Through My Name, the All-Powerful, every denier was weakened, and through My Name, the Trustworthy, every ignorant one far removed was shaken. Exalted be My Most Great Name through which the limbs of the nations trembled, and glorified be My Name, the Mighty, whereby We have strengthened the servants. Blessed is he who hath understood that which the Most Exalted Pen hath uttered in this wondrous, glorious dawn.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named Ghulam-Rida, that My remembrance may attract him to a station wherein he shall behold naught save the signs of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Rejoice thou in My remembrance of thee, then praise thy Lord at all times for this bounty which hath been the hope of them that are nigh unto God.

O Nasru’llah! Thy letter was presented and We heard thy call. We have answered thee through this manifest Book. Give thanks unto God and say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having made me know Thee and guided me and caused me to hear Thy call when every learned one was debarred therefrom. I beseech Thee by the glances of Thy loving-kindness and the movement of Thy Pen and the mysteries of Thy verses and the lights of Thy countenance and the power of Thy most exalted Word in the kingdom of creation, to make us among those whom the ornaments of the world and the tyranny of the nations have not prevented from turning unto Thee and beholding Thy horizon. Then ordain for us, O our God, the All-Merciful, the reward of meeting Thee. Verily Thou art the Omnipotent over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Commander, the All-Wise.

O My Name Mihdi! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness! The petition of Jinab-i-Ghulam-Rida and Aqa Nasru’llah which thou didst send hath attained unto the Most Holy Court, and these most holy, most exalted verses have been revealed in reply. We beseech God to assist them in mention and praise and the triumph of His Cause, and We counsel them and all the people of God to wisdom. Wisdom is like the sun for the new world, that is, the world of Baha, and it is a light for the nights. And We counsel all to the fear of God. It is the opener of cities and it is the helper of truth and the succourer, and it is the protector of the friends and their helper.

Blessed are the souls who are adorned with this most great ornament. The light of these souls is more brilliant and glorious in the sight of the denizens of heaven than the light of the sun. O people of God! Take ye My Book with the hands of resignation and contentment. We beseech God to assist you in sincere deeds and to ordain for you the good of the hereafter and of the former life and that whereby your eyes may be solaced and your hearts may rejoice and whereby your mention may endure throughout the duration of My earthly and heavenly kingdom. And verily I am the Almighty, the All-Powerful, and worthy to answer.

O My Name! Set forth in general the affairs of this land that they may become informed. In these days inattention is in no wise permissible, for the heedless are engaged in evident deceit and tyranny.

BH02081: Today the Book hath summoned all peoples…

He is the All-Knowing Expositor.

Today the Book hath summoned all peoples to the Most Exalted Horizon, without veil or covering. This is that Most Great Book which in the Qur’an was mentioned as the Mother Book and the Mighty Announcement. For the Book there are meanings beyond counting, and likewise volumes beyond number. One volume thereof is the world itself, and the world itself is reckoned as a Book. It is that Book which encompasses all things and all regions of the world. One Book is inscribed by the Pen of Power and Creation, and one Book is written by the pen of the servants. “All things have We recorded in a clear Book.” But this Book hath been revealed and sent down from the Supreme Pen, and the power of the Supreme Pen transcendeth all reckoning. It hath arisen before all faces with such an arising that no sitting could seize it, and neither ranks nor multitudes nor severity nor wrath could hold it back from its mighty, prevailing purpose.

And one Book is [mentioned] in the Crimson Scroll, and it is specifically concerned with the mention of the gems of existence—they who regard the world as one country and who move amongst all with spirit and fragrance. The armor of these souls hath ever been and shall ever be the fear of God. They are adorned with the ornament of trustworthiness and are characterized by truthfulness, purity and fidelity. They possess praiseworthy qualities and perform commendable deeds. They render assistance, but through the hosts of virtuous character and proper conduct.

The world is under the control of the All-Wise Physician. He hath ordained and continueth to ordain whatsoever is conducive to the welfare of His servants and the requirements of the age. None can comprehend anything of His knowledge save what He willeth. His throne embraceth the heavens and the earth. The mention of “earth” that hath been revealed in the Book encompasseth all lands. With Him is the knowledge of all things in a Clear Book.

Should anyone ascend through the ladder of utterance unto the heaven of inner meanings, he would testify to this exalted Word which hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of the Supreme Pen, namely: “No fresh or withered thing is there but it is noted in His perspicuous Book”—how much more so with a Book that is manifest and evident! The meaning of “fresh and withered” in one instance referreth to the divine commandments and prohibitions, and in another instance to that which profiteth or harmeth them in this earthly life. A brief mention hath been made and a mere allusion given, else numerous volumes would need to appear from the treasury of the Supreme Pen.

We send greetings to the brethren of the earth and say: Today no fresh or withered thing can profit, nor can any question and answer. All must hold fast to this Most Great Verse which hath been sent down from the Kingdom of the All-Merciful’s utterance, and act in accordance with it: “This is not the day for tarrying and questioning. It behooveth every soul, when he heareth the Call from the Most Exalted Horizon, to arise and say: ʿHere am I, O Lord of the worlds! Here am I, O Thou Who art the Goal of all that are in the heavens and on earth!”’

Truth, like unto the sun, is distinguished from all else besides it. Blessed is the ear that hath attained to hearing the Call and the eye that hath beheld the Horizon of God’s Manifestation, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. At the end of this utterance, verily the Wronged One remembereth His loved ones and remindeth them of the verses of God, the Lord of the kingdom of earth and heaven.

BH02158: This is a Book which the All-Merciful hath sent…

He is the One Who speaks in the Kingdom of Utterance!

This is a Book which the All-Merciful hath sent down. Verily it is the spirit for bodies, and fruits for trees, and the Kawthar of eternity for the people of Baha. Blessed is he who hath taken the chalice of bounty from the hand of the Lord of Names, detached from all that hath appeared in the kingdom of creation, and hath drunk in the name of God, the Lord of the worlds.

Thy letter hath come before the Wronged One. We have inhaled from it the fragrance of thy love and thy steadfastness in this Most Great Cause and Momentous Announcement. We have mentioned thee before in various Tablets whereby the fragrance of thy acceptance and thy humility before Him Who hath come from the horizon of might with clear verses and manifest sovereignty hath been diffused. Soon shall he who hath turned away from the Supreme Horizon behold what hath escaped him in the days of his Lord and find himself in manifest loss. This is a word that hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of the knowledge of thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Arise to serve the Cause through My command and My sovereignty. Verily He is with thee and will protect thee from the hosts of the oppressors. Thus hath the Supreme Pen spoken, when the Wronged One was in this exalted station. This is a glad-tiding from Us unto thee. When thou dost inhale its fragrance say:

“My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having caused me to recognize the Dayspring of Thy signs, and shown me the waves of the ocean of Thy utterance, and enabled me to behold the horizon of Thy Revelation, and guided me to Thy path, and honored me with Thy traces, and illumined my heart with the lights of Thy knowledge. I beseech Thee to ordain for me the good of the hereafter and the present world, and that which Thou hast written for Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones through whom the heaven hath rained and the earth hath brought forth its fruits. O my Lord! Thou seest me clinging to the cord of Thy bounty and holding fast to the hem of the robe of Thy mercy. I beseech Thee not to deny me any good thing which Thou hast sent down in Thy Book. Verily Thou art the Most Bountiful, the Most Generous. There is no God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.”

O thou who gazest upon the Countenance! The Wronged One desireth to make mention of thy brother who hath been named Abdu’llah, that he may rejoice and be of the thankful. O Abdu’llah! When the wine of My utterance doth intoxicate thee and My call doth attract thee, say:

“My God, my God! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have turned to Thy most exalted horizon and supreme height, the station wherein Thy most sweet call hath been raised and the shrill voice of Thy Most Sublime Pen. I beseech Thee by the mysteries of Thy Cause, and the signs of Thy grandeur, and the Word whereby Thou hast aided Thy loved ones throughout ages and centuries, to make me in all conditions firm and steadfast, arising in Thy remembrance and praise and the service of Thy Cause. Verily Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Powerful.”

We make mention of the Leaf, thy wife, and send Our greetings upon her from this station. We beseech God to confirm her and assist her in that which He loveth and is pleased with. And We make mention of him who hath been named Husayn and him who hath been named Fakhru’d-Din. We beseech God to ordain for them that which shall gladden the eyes of His servants and benefit them in all the worlds of His worlds. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Compassionate, the Mighty, the Great.

The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon them and upon those whom neither the doubts of the wayward nor the cawing of the ravens have prevented from drawing nigh unto God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH02146: A remembrance from Us to him who has turned…

He is the One dawning from the horizon of eternity.

A remembrance from Us to him who has turned toward the horizon of God, the Lord of Lords, who heard and responded and acknowledged that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken in the final abode. Blessed is he who hath attained unto the Day of God, and woe unto every heedless doubter. The ocean of utterance hath surged in creation, yet the people remain in wondrous drunkenness. The verses passed before them morning and evening, yet they turned away from them, following vain imaginings. Thus did their souls seduce them, and they are among the most lost in the Book of God, the Lord of all men.

O Ali! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. He mentioneth thee in the Most Great Prison and remindeth thee of verses that all the treasures of the world cannot equal. The Mother Book with Him beareth witness to this. Thank thy Lord for this most great favor and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of eternity, for having remembered me while I was among the hands of the wicked.”

We desired to mention in this station him who hath ascended unto God, the Mighty, the Bestower—he who turned toward the Supreme Horizon when the Luminary of Manifestation shone forth therefrom and illumined the horizons.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who heard My call, held fast to My cord, and uttered My praise. He is indeed of the people of Baha and the companions of the Crimson Ark. Say: The first light that dawned from the horizon of the Most Merciful’s utterance and the first fragrance that wafted in the days of God, the Lord of all beings—upon thee, O thou who didst attain unto faith when the people were wrapped in the darkness of vain imaginings. Thou didst turn with thy face and thy heart and didst attain unto that which was revealed in the first days from the Pen of the Most Merciful. Blessed art thou, and blessed thy heart for having turned, and thine eye for what it beheld, and thine ear for what it heard.

The Most Exalted Pen beareth witness to thy turning, thy faith, thy recognition, thy certitude, and thy steadfastness in days wherein smoke enveloped all possibility. This is a testimony that nothing in all things can equal. Thou art he whom the rapture of the call so seized that neither the clamor of the divines, nor the might of names, nor the hosts of princes could weaken thee. Thou didst testify to that which God testified. Blessed art thou, and joy be unto thee, and unto him who mentioned thee through what flowed from the Pen of Utterance in the days of thy Lord, the Most Merciful.

The Glory manifest, evident, resplendent, dawning from the horizon of the heaven of thy Lord’s loving-kindness be upon thee, upon thy beginning and thy end, thy outward and thine inward self, and the mercy of God and His blessings. O Ali! We have repeatedly mentioned the honored deceased one. The Pen is witness and the Tablet testifies that no good deed is ever lost in the sight of God, nor shall it ever be. Every good mention and pure deed is a treasure for its doer, preserved and protected with God. We beseech God to aid thee in mentioning him and to ordain for thee that which is the cause and means of drawing nigh. Verily He is the One with power over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is. Glory be upon thee and upon those whom nothing among all things hath prevented from drawing nigh unto God, the Help-in-Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

BH02231: Your letter was present before the Wronged One…

He is the One Who speaks from His most exalted horizon.

Your letter was present before the Wronged One and the glance of favor was directed towards it. Praise be to God, you are adorned with the ornament of divine love and are gazing toward the horizon of His grace. In His days you have drunk from the ocean of recognition and been illumined by the lights of the Sun of proof. The grace of God, exalted be His glory, has been with you—He made His path clear for you, revealed His evidence, and you saw and heard and were blessed with acceptance, which is among His greatest bounties.

What is beloved from you today is steadfastness and assistance. Steadfastness attracts the favor of God. Until now no steadfast one has been deprived, as testifies to this He Who possesses the Clear Book. From your letter wafts the fragrance of sincerity, attention and acceptance—every possessor of smell inhales from it the fragrance of divine love. The mentioned requests are granted, however resignation and trust are more fitting and beloved, for God, exalted be His glory, is most knowing and aware of the interests of His servants, and none but He, exalted be His glory, knows about a good ending.

Say: My God, my God! This servant of Thine has detached himself from all else save Thee and turned to the horizon of the heaven of Thy grace, and has affirmed Thy oneness and singleness, and acknowledged what hath been sent down from the heaven of Thy Will and the atmosphere of Thy Purpose. I beseech Thee by the dawning-places of Thy power and the manifestations of Thy might, and by the waves of the ocean of Thy utterance and the pearls of the sea of Thy wisdom, to ordain for me through Thy Most Exalted Pen that which shall profit me in the world to come and in this world. O my Lord! I am he who hath placed his trust in Thee and resigned his affairs unto Thee. I testify that Thou knowest me better than I know myself; nothing is hidden from Thy knowledge. Thou doest what Thou willest through Thy power and ordainest what Thou desirest through Thy behest.

O my Lord! Thou seest me clinging to the handle of Thy trust and holding fast to the hem of the robe of Thy mercy, O Lord of all being and Sovereign of the throne on high and of earth below. I beseech Thee by the influence of Thy Will and the power of Thy Purpose not to deprive me of what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones. Thou art He through Whose power all things have testified and through Whose grace all created things have been made manifest. The hosts of the world cannot withstand Thee, nor can the might of nations. The clamor of the divines and the power of rulers cannot weaken Thee. Ordain for me what beseemeth Thy greatness and sovereignty and bounty and generosity. Verily Thou art God; there is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Triumphant, the Powerful, and worthy of answering prayer.

O ʿAbdu’l-Karim! Upon thee be My glory. We have mentioned thee with that whose fragrance shall never be cut off and shall endure as long as My most beautiful names and most exalted attributes endure. Be grateful and say: Praise be to Thee, O Desire of the world, and glorified be Thou, O Beloved of them that have recognized Thee. We have forgiven thee and purified thee with the water of My favor, and then those for whom thou didst seek forgiveness from the Dayspring of the bounty of the Lord of the Unseen and the Seen. And We have sent down for thy wife that which shall gladden the hearts of faithful women and solace their eyes. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Generous. There is no God but Him, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, and worthy of answering prayer.

BH02247: O Most Exalted Pen! The most great calamity…

He is the All-Mentioning, the All-Knowing!

O Most Exalted Pen! The most great calamity and supreme affliction hath come to pass. Make mention of him who hath ascended unto the Most Exalted Companion and the Most Glorious Horizon. Say:

The first splendor that shone forth and gleamed from the heaven of the mercy of thy Lord, the Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens, and the first fragrance that wafted from the gardens of loving-kindness and immortality, be upon thee, O Dawning-place of faithfulness among the righteous ones and Rising-point of good-pleasure among the free! I bear witness that thou didst hold fast unto the Book when the idolaters cast it behind their backs, and didst cling to the hem of bounty when the transgressors denied it through their idle fancies. Blessed art thou, O my brother, in that thou wert made a target for the arrows of destiny in the path of God, the Lord of the Kingdom of Names. Joy be unto thee, O thou who spoke with God, in that thou didst attain unto the lights of the Ancient One.

I testify that thou didst fulfill the Covenant when the people of discord broke it, and didst hasten to the Most Exalted Horizon when the call was raised between earth and heaven. Thou wert with thy Lord in times of hardship and tribulation until thou wert exiled with Him from the Land of Ta by reason of what the hands of the wicked had wrought. And thou didst arrive with thy Lord in Zawra, the place which the All-Merciful made the seat of His throne for successive years. I bear witness that thou didst believe in God and acknowledge what the Tongue of Grandeur uttered amongst all created things, and didst drink the choice sealed wine when its seal was broken by His Name, the Self-Subsisting. And thou didst migrate once again from Iraq with the Luminary of the horizons, and stood before His face morning and evening until thou didst arrive with thy Lord in the Land of Mystery which was named Adrianople, and from thence to the Most Great Prison.

And thou wert with Him for numbered years, and present before the Wronged One morning and evening, until thou didst soar on the wings of longing unto God, the Lord of the Day of the Covenant, and the verses of thy Most Glorious Lord drew thee to the Supreme Paradise—that station wherein naught can be seen save the manifestations of the grace of thy Lord, the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. The glory that hath shone forth from the heaven of the bounty of thy Lord be upon thee and upon thy beginning and thine end, thy outward and thine inward self, and the mercy of God and His blessings.

Glory be unto Thee, O God of the seen and the unseen and Educator of all existence! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy throne and the splendors of the Light of Thy proof and by the Light that hath shone forth from the horizon of Thy will in Thy days, that Thou forgive me and my parents and whosoever hath believed in Thee and Thy signs.

O my Lord! I beseech Thee by this sanctified and holy sepulcher and by him who circled round Thee and arose to serve Thee until he laid down his spirit in Thy path in the Most Great Prison before the faces of the world, that Thou assist Thy male and female servants in that which will cause the fragrance of Thy good-pleasure to be diffused. Then ordain for them through Thy bounty and generosity that which will accompany them in every world of Thy worlds. Verily Thou art the Protector of all beings and the Possessor of the throne on high and below. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

BH02248: Praise be to God, the Ever-Living, the Ancient…

He is God, exalted be His glory and universal His bounty!

Praise be to God, the Ever-Living, the Ancient of Days, Who transcendeth description and honor, and is sanctified from glorification and magnificence. He hath immersed the world in the ocean of His all-embracing grace and encompassed existence with His supreme bounty. Can His favors be comprehended? Can His generosity be described? Can His eternity be known? Every learned one hath stumbled and every wise one’s wisdom hath failed. He hath ever been sanctified above similitudes and mentions, and exalted above likenesses and thoughts. He is the Almighty, the All-Compelling.

O my God, my Lord and my Hope! Thou art He Who created existence and brought forth that which is limited, and Who described Thyself as sanctified from similitudes and limitations. I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst deliver the sincere from the deniers and preserved the knowing from the ignorant, and through which Thou didst prevail over the world and judge between the nations, to preserve him who hath turned unto Thee and recognized Thee and tasted the sweetness of Thy call and turned toward the horizon of Thy eternity. Grant him, O my Hope, that which Thou hast ordained for those near unto Thee in Thy perspicuous Book. O Lord! As Thou didst confirm him to turn unto Thee, confirm him in steadfastness in Thy Cause, and as Thou didst guide him to the court of Thy knowledge, grant him in every moment the Salsabil of Thy grace and the Tasnim of Thy loving-kindness. Verily Thou art the Generous; there is no God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Merciful.

O spiritual friend! Your letter arrived and from it were made evident the degrees of love and stations of affection. We hope you will ever dwell beneath the shade of the Divine Lote-Tree and be sustained by the bounty of nearness and reunion. After perusal of the letter it was presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court and mention was made of you. The Tongue of Grace spoke these resplendent words, His utterance, may the spirit of all worlds be sacrificed for Him:

My Greater Branch appeared before Me and mentioned you. We made mention of you with this wondrous mention. There hath flowed from the Pen in your mention that which hath attracted the hearts of those who have turned unto God. We beseech God to confirm and assist you and to make you in all conditions a champion of His Cause and one who speaketh His beauteous praise. Soon shall appear that which the Tongue of the Wronged One hath spoken in this luminous station. The glory from Us be upon you and upon those who are with you and who love you for the sake of God, the Lord of the worlds.

And We make mention of him who was named ʿAli before Muhammad. Verily he attained unto My verses and appeared before My face and heard that which My tongue spoke in remembrance of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

Praise be to God, you are adorned with the ornament of grace and sustained by the Kawthar of bounty and mercy. Ever has mention been made of that friend and continues to be made. We beseech God to preserve you and assist you and ordain for you all good in the world to come and the present one. Verily He is powerful over whatsoever He willeth. Mention the friends with wondrous and exalted remembrances. I mention Mirza ʿAli-Muhammad, upon him be the glory of God, with a wondrous mention. The spirit and glory be upon you and your family.