Volume 087: Akka 1305 A.H. (1887–1888), Part IV (2 of 4)

BH00417: O ʿAndalib! Upon thee be My glory and My…

Section 1: “O ʿAndalib! Upon thee be My glory…”

He is the All-Knowing, All-Wise Utterer

O ʿAndalib! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. The Greater Branch was at this moment present before the Face of the Wronged One, and We made mention of thy mention in such wise as caused the lights to shine forth from the horizons of the heaven of thy Lord, the Chosen One. Blessed art thou for having voiced the praise of thy Lord and spoken that whereby the heart of every seeking soul was attracted and the faces of them that are nigh and sincere were illumined. Thou didst make mention of the loved ones and requested the Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet for some. We have answered thee as a token of My grace and as a mercy from thy Lord, the All-Bountiful. Shouldst thou ask for all who are on earth, We would surely fulfill thy need and would send down from the heaven of My generosity, for each one of them, the signs of My grandeur and My clear tokens. And I am verily the Answerer, the Hearer, the Compassionate, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

This is what was revealed for him who was named Asadu’llah, upon him be the Glory of God:

In My Name, He Who is established upon the Throne of Utterance

Praise be to the Ancient Lord Who, through the Most Exalted Word, hath guided the world and the peoples to the straight path and the mighty announcement. He is the One Who is so powerful that the tyranny of the pharaohs among His servants and the oppressors in diverse lands did not hold Him back from His purpose. He arose before all faces and spoke that which is the cause of salvation, preservation, bounty and wealth for the peoples of the world. Among them are those who have turned towards Him and those who have turned away, and he who hath turned towards Him is assuredly among the people of this glorious and exalted station. O Asad! We beseech God, exalted be He, to make thee steadfast in His Cause and firm in His love in such wise that neither the tempests of idle fancies nor the thunderbolts of vain imaginings may move thee. Speak forth My Name amongst My servants and draw them nigh unto the gate of My majesty which hath been opened before the faces of all who are in the heavens and the earth. Take thou the chalice of utterance by My command, then drink therefrom and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of all names and Creator of heaven, for having remembered me in Thy prison and for having sent down unto me that which shall endure as long as Thy names and attributes endure. I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy verses to ordain for me through Thy bounty, O Lord of all being, and through Thy generosity, O Lord of eternity, that which will exalt me through Thy name amongst Thy creation. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

And this is what was revealed for Muhammad-i-Qabl-i-Baqir, upon him be the Glory of God:

In My Name, the One Who prevaileth over all names

O Muhammad-i-Qabl-i-Baqir! Should anyone ask thee concerning the Ark of God, say: “It is amidst the waves,” and concerning the Lamp of utterance, say: “It is amid the winds.” Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken, while walking in this prison in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds. Give thanks unto thy Lord for having remembered thee with verses before which the necks of the idolaters have bowed down. When thou dost inhale the sweet savors of My utterance and drinkest the choice wine of My recognition from the hand of My bounty, say:

“My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having sent down unto me from the heaven of Thy mercy that which shall cause my name to endure in Thy Manifest Book. I beseech Thee, O Thou Who hast subdued the hearts of them that are nigh through Thy clear command and Thy mighty announcement, to ordain for me that which beseemeth each world of Thy worlds. Thou art, verily, the All-Bountiful, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.”

This is what was revealed for him who was named Zaynu’l-ʿAbidin, upon him be the Glory of God:

In My Name, the Warbler upon the branches

O Zaynu’l-Abidin! Hear thou the call of the Wronged One from the prison of Akka. Verily, He guideth thee to His path, directeth thee to His glory, draweth thee nigh unto His court, and illumineth thee with the light of His Cause which hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. Were We to recount unto thee what hath befallen the Wronged One, thou wouldst lament as those who are bereft. We have manifested the Cause and revealed that by which the weary found utterance, the sick were healed, and the prostrate arose, yet the people are in grievous doubt. As for thy desire to attain His presence, We beseech God to ordain for thee the reward of meeting Him and to draw thee nigh unto Him.

Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer. This is what hath been ordained both inwardly and outwardly. Wisdom doth not permit attainment of His presence and meeting in such days as these. To this testifieth this All-Knowing Expounder. We beseech God, exalted be He, to forgive thee and thy father. Verily, He is the Generous. There is none other God but Him, the Compassionate, the Bountiful, the Giving, the Forgiving, the Merciful. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon thy mother and those who are with thee, and upon every steadfast and firmly established one, and every well-grounded and perspicuous one.

This was revealed for him who was named Muhammad, upon him be the glory of God:

In My Name, the Caller between earth and heaven!

O Muhammad! Every call hath reached its end and every fire hath been extinguished and every light hath remained veiled. What fire is this that the oceans of rejection and denial could not quench? What light is this that the veils of the world and the harm of nations could not conceal? What call is this that the clamor of the oppressors and the rattling of chains of the transgressors could not silence? In most nights and days the Tongue speaketh and the Call is raised. Blessed is he who hath heard and recognized, and woe unto the heedless! We beseech the True One to protect this people and illumine them with the lights of true unity. The people of the past would each day take a lord and cling to a vain imagination, until finally the fruit and effect of that was witnessed when they hanged and martyred the Dawning-Place of divine revelation.

Blessed is he who hath clung to the cord of unity, detached from all who are in the heavens and on earth. In these days consummate wisdom hath caused a delay in permission, for the deniers and the opposers stand as barriers. We beseech God to remove them through His sovereignty and to aid His loved ones with the power that hath conquered all things and the might that hath encompassed earth and heaven. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Mighty. And We beseech God, exalted be He, to assist thee in what He hath ordained for thee and to benefit thee in every world of His worlds. Verily, He is the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon thee and upon thy mother and thy family and upon those who have taken the Book of God with power from Him and authority from His presence. Verily, He is the Helper, the All-Wise.

This was revealed for him who was named Ahmad, upon him be the glory of God:

In My Name, the Speaker, the Rememberer before all faces

Praise be unto the Most Great Cause, which is worthy and befitting, for He hath illumined the world and its peoples with the effulgent rays of the Luminary of utterance, and made manifest the path of guidance and salvation for all. Exalted be His dominion, exalted His proof, exalted His Word, and glorious His signs! O Ahmad, upon thee be My glory! This Wronged One in the Most Great Prison hath guided the friends to the supreme horizon, and at every moment there appear and shine forth before all faces the pearls of wisdom and utterance from the treasuries of the Most Exalted Pen. Blessed are they who have attained thereunto, and woe unto the heedless servants who have turned away.

We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to preserve thee through His bounty, to guard thee by His hosts, to aid thee through His signs, and draw thee nigh unto His path, the Mighty, the Wondrous. By the life of God! At this moment when the pearls of remembrance and utterance have appeared from the treasury of thy Lord, the Most Merciful, the ocean of forgiveness hath surged, and the fragrance of the loving-kindness of the Lord of all religions hath wafted—a bounty from His presence upon thy father and upon him who was named Husayn. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. The Glory from Us be upon thee, upon thy son, and upon him whose mention thou hast desired. Verily thy Lord’s grace hath encompassed the world. To this the Mother Book beareth witness in this station.

Section 2: “This is what was revealed for him who…”

This is what was revealed for him who was named Siyyid Abu’l-Qasim, upon him be the glory of God:

In My Name, the Hearer, the Answerer

Praise be to God Who, through His Most Exalted Word, hath transformed remoteness into nearness, ignorance into knowledge, darkness into light, and heedlessness into awareness. Glorious is His loving-kindness and glorious His mercy that hath preceded the decree of the Kaf and the Nun. He is verily the Omnipotent, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. O Abu’l-Qasim! At this moment the Greater Branch gained admittance to Our presence and mentioned thy name which was recorded in the letter of ʿAndalib, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness, and it was heard. Blessed art thou for God hath aided thee to turn and direct thyself to the light of His Countenance and adorned thee with the ornament of His remembrance, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

This is the Day of effort and steadfastness. Steadfastness is the essence of all essences and appeareth from the mine of humanity. None can determine the value of this precious pearl, nor can any writer describe its qualities. Its station hath been hidden in God’s knowledge, the Lord of all worlds. Today the friends must be illumined with the light of steadfastness and summon the people of the world to the supreme horizon through wisdom and utterance. This is the firm decree which hath in this moment been sent down from the heaven of the will of the Lord of eternity. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who acteth according to what is commanded in My perspicuous Book. In these days the manifestations of conjecture and idle fancy are intervening and preventing attainment unto His presence.

We beseech God to ordain for thee the reward of meeting Him and to decree for thee what He hath decreed for His chosen ones. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful. The Glory shining from the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon thee and upon those who have cast away corruption and conflict and have taken hold of righteousness and reconciliation. Thus hath the Pen spoken when the Lord of eternity was walking in His exalted and impregnable station.

This is what was revealed for the daughter of him who was named Muhammad-Shafi’, who arose to serve the Cause in the earliest days:

In My Name, the Rememberer, the Answerer

Praise be to God! The Sun of utterance is resplendent, the Light of the Cause is radiant, the Ocean of bounty is surging, and the Star of guidance is advancing and shining before all faces. Blessed is the servant who has attained to the outpourings of this blessed Day, and blessed is the leaf who hearkened unto the call of the Lote-Tree of Sinai and clung fast unto it. O My handmaiden and My leaf! Thy father, who soared in My atmosphere, cast aside all else save Me, and held fast to My mighty cord, hath made mention of thee. We make mention of thee with that which causeth the eyes of the chaste ones in their chambers to be consoled, as a token of grace from God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the world, and glory be unto Thee, O Master of eternity, for having remembered Thy handmaiden who hath turned unto Thee. I beseech Thee to inscribe my name in the place wherein Thou hast made mention of those women who circled round the throne of Thy grandeur and drank the choice wine of utterance from the hands of Thy bounty. Verily, Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever He pleaseth. There is none other God but Thee, the Commander, the Mighty, the Wise.

And this is what was revealed for him who was named Mirza Qasim, upon him be the Glory of God:

In My Name, that speaketh before the peoples of the world! O Qasim! Knowest thou Who maketh mention of thee? Say: Yea, my Lord, the All-Bountiful, remembereth me. And knowest thou Who hath turned toward thee from the direction of the Prison? Say: Yea, verily, He is my Goal, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Thou didst make mention of the Huquq; it hath been accepted. Excellent is that which thou hast done. We have approved thy deed as a bounty from Our presence. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Gracious. We beseech God, exalted be He, to assist thee in completing the House. Verily He is the Helper, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Grieve not over anything. In all matters place thy trust in the Strong, the Almighty. Arise to serve the Cause with such steadfastness as cannot be hindered by the imaginings of the deluded ones, the doubts of the aggressive ones, or the oppression of the tyrannical ones. Thus hath the Pen spoken that thou mayest be assured that thy Lord is the Manifest Bestower, the All-Bountiful, the Gracious.

O ʿAndalib! Upon thee be My Glory and My loving-kindness. We have mentioned every name that was in thy letter as a bounty from Our presence upon thee and upon them and upon all who are in the heavens and on earth. In these days the loved ones must all arise to render victory, and victory is in teaching the Cause. This Day is blessed, and whatsoever hath occurred in the land, even the martyrdom of the loved ones, hath made the world ready to hearken unto the Word of God. All must hold fast unto wisdom and through utterance illumine the people of the world with the light of guidance. This Wronged One maketh mention of the loved ones and counseleth them with that which is the cause of everlasting wealth and riches.

It is hoped that they will not deprive themselves. Soon will the Most Great Word encompass all and everyone will attain supreme joy. Especially for his honour Haji Muhammad-Rida and his namesake, two Tablets have been sent down from the heaven of the Divine Will. They have ever been and still are remembered. By My life! God hath created them for the exaltation of His Word and the manifestation of His Cause through wisdom and utterance. Verily thy Lord is the All-Explaining, the All-Knowing, the Wise. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to protect them with the hosts of the seen and the unseen, and to change their loss into the Most Great Profit. Verily He is the Hearer, the Answerer, the Bestower, the All-Bountiful, the Gracious. The Glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon them and upon My loved ones who have clung to My luminous hem.

BH00525: O Pen! I behold thee giving utterance by night…

He is the Expounder, the All-Knowing!

O Pen! I behold thee giving utterance by night and by day. At one time I hear thy melodies, and at another thy sighing and weeping. It is as though patience hath been severed from thee at dawn when I hear thy lamentations, at eventide thy crying, and at daybreak that which hath caused the hearts of the mystics to burn. It sayeth: “How can I not lament when I behold Thee in the hands of the oppressors? How can I not cry out within myself when Thou art among those who have cast behind their backs Thy covenant and Thy testament, who have denied Thy favor, who have disputed Thy signs, and who have committed that which hath caused the Faithful Spirit to moan?”

Be patient, O Pen, for verily thy Lord, the All-Forbearing, commandeth thee to show beautiful patience. We have accepted all tribulations for the sake of manifesting the Cause. Nothing among all things can prevent Us. Set aside thy sorrows; take up that which thou art bidden by the One Who commandeth, the All-Knowing. Make mention of My loved ones in Ba and Dal. Say: “Blessed are ye for having turned unto God when every learned one was far removed from Him. We testify that ye have heard the Call and have attained that which most of mankind have failed to attain.” To this beareth witness the Most Great Announcement in this exalted station.

O Abu-Talib! Thou art he who hath traversed land and sea and hast attained the presence of the Countenance in this mighty prison, and hast heard the Call when it was raised betwixt earth and heaven, and hast gained the Kawthar of utterance from the hand of the bounty of thy Lord, the Gracious. We beseech God to aid thee and thy children and those who are with thee to remain steadfast with such steadfastness as will not be shaken by the doubts of the divines nor by the intimations of the deluded ones who have denied the signs of God after their revelation and have rejected the proof of God, the Exalted, the Great.

O Qasim! The Lord of the worlds maketh mention of thee in the Most Great Prison and counseleth thee with that which will elevate thy station and the Cause of God, the Lord of all worlds. Arise to serve the Cause with such steadfastness as will astonish the hearts of the doubtful ones. Say:

“O concourse of the earth! By God, the Promise hath come, and the Promised One calleth aloud from every direction. Why do I see you at such obvious remoteness?”

We counsel thee with the wisdom We have sent down in diverse Tablets, a command from the presence of One knowing, informed.

O Muhammad! We have heard thy call and seen thy letter. We have mentioned thee time and again with that which the remembrances of all nations cannot equal. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this great favor. Illumine the hearts of My loved ones with the light of My utterance and remind them of that which hath been sent down from My Most Exalted Pen, and give them the glad-tidings of that which hath been ordained for them in My Perspicuous Book. When thou hast quaffed the choice wine of revelation from the hand of My bounty, say:

“My God, my God! Thy remembrance is my hope, Thy Name is my healing, Thy praise is my life. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy throne and by the splendors of the Day-Star of Thy Revelation to aid me in serving Thy Cause in all conditions. Thou art, verily, the Confirmer, the Mighty, the Powerful.”

O Abdul-Karim! We have heard the call of My loved ones. We have mentioned them through My grace and mercy in this station wherein My Pen proclaimeth that there is none other God but He, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. There hath befallen Us in the path of God that which hath befallen no one before. To this testifieth the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Be thou steadfast in the Cause in such wise that the doubts of those who have denied the Day of Judgment shall not hinder thee. They have cast the Book of God behind their backs, clinging to that which they possess. They are, verily, among the most lost in the sight of God, the Mighty, the Great.

O Siyyid, O Nasru’llah! The throne maketh mention of thee and the seat proclaimeth thy turning unto God. Thou hast heard the Call and attained unto that which was recorded in God’s scrolls and books and scriptures, and I am the All-Knowing Witness. Be thou a helper of My Cause, one who speaketh My praise amongst My servants, and hold thou fast unto My strong cord. Thou hast attained unto My tablets time and again, and unto My wondrous and glorious remembrance. Convey My greetings unto My loved ones there. Say: This is the Day of remembrance and praise, did ye but know, and this is the Day of steadfastness, could ye but understand, and this is the Day whereon the Wronged One proclaimeth before all faces: The Kingdom is God’s, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting. Say: O heedless ones! Be fair in your judgment, by God, and follow not the manifestations of idle fancies and vain imaginings. The days are ended and the Orb of the Promise hath appeared—and this is the Promised One. Thus hath spoken the Most Great Ocean while established upon the Ark of utterance, as bidden by Him Who is the Commander, the All-Wise.

O Pen! Make mention of him who is named Aqa Kishi that he may rejoice in the remembrance of the Wronged One and arise to serve the Cause with such steadfastness as shall not be shaken by the stumbling of the learned, nor stirred by the doubts of the divines, nor hindered by the veils of the world and the mists of the nations. He, verily, is the Counsellor, the Perspicuous, the All-Informed. The morn of truth hath dawned, and therein doth the Book of Dawn speak forth with an utterance whereby all things were attracted. Exalted be the All-Merciful Who doeth what He willeth by His command that prevaileth over all who are in the heavens and on earth. When thou hast drunk from the Euphrates of mercy that floweth from My Most Exalted Pen, say:

O Lord of all beings and King of the throne on high and of earth below! I beseech Thee by Thy signs that have filled the horizons, and by Thy sovereignty that hath been manifested on the Day of the Covenant, and by the breathings of Thy revelation whereby discord was changed to concord and the Dove of Knowledge warbled upon the highest branches, to aid Thy loved ones to serve Thy Cause. O Lord! Thou beholdest them turning toward Thy most exalted horizon and holding fast to the cord of Thy bounty. O Lord of the Hereafter and of this world! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance to ordain for them what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones who were not kept back by wealth or aspirations, nor by the manifestations of beauty and glory, from turning toward the scene of martyrdom. Thou art, verily, the Lord of all names and the Creator of the heavens. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Bountiful.

Mention was made of thee in the presence of the Wronged One, whereupon My Most Exalted Pen was moved to make mention of thee in this glorious and wondrous station. Blessed is the servant whose name was mentioned in My presence and who attained unto the tokens of My Pen and was honored by the utterance of the tongue of My grandeur. He is assuredly among the denizens of the Most Exalted Paradise in the Book of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Know thou, moreover, that when the spirit ascendeth to the All-Highest Companion, it presenteth itself before God, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting, and the hand of divine favor and bounty guideth it to a station that none knoweth save Him Who declareth in every condition that there is no God but He, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Loving.

Blessed is the spirit that hath left the body purified from the doubts of the nations. By the life of God! It moveth in the atmosphere of its Lord’s desire and entereth the gardens as it willeth, and the holy maidens of Paradise serve it in the morning and in the evening. It consorteth with the Prophets of God and His chosen ones, converseth with them, and relateth unto them that which hath appeared in the days of God, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving. Were We to lift the veil from what We have mentioned, thou wouldst see the people hastening from all directions unto God, the Lord of all mankind. Blessed is the ear that hath heard My call, and the eye that hath beheld the horizon of My loving-kindness, and the tongue that hath spoken My praise, and the hand that hath taken hold of the Mother Book.

O Abdul-Khaliq! Verily the creature is in wondrous doubt, not knowing what they should remember at morn and eventide. They have taken their desires and their own selves as gods beside God. Lo! They are in heedlessness and error. Give thanks unto God for having strengthened thee when people were in doubt and schism. Thou didst turn and bear witness to that which God hath testified from His most exalted station. We counsel thee and those who have believed to the Most Great Steadfastness. Thus hath spoken the Tongue of Grandeur from this station which hath been named with the Most Beautiful Names in the Book of God, the Lord of Lords.

O Joseph! The Most Exalted Pen hath made mention of thee before and after, and hath revealed for thee that which consoleth the eyes of the righteous. When My call took hold of thee and the choice wine of Mine utterance intoxicated thee, say:

“My God, my God! I beseech Thee by the pavilion of Thy glory, the tabernacle of Thy grandeur, the canopy of Thy loftiness, the heaven of Thy utterance, and the clouds of Thy mercy, and by the Word whereby Thou hast subdued all hearts, and by the Light wherewith Thou hast illumined the horizons, to strengthen me and Thy loved ones in steadfastness in Thy Cause in such wise that the winds of doubts may not move them. Verily, Thou art the Lord of Names and Attributes. Then write down for them, O my God, that which Thou hast written for Thy chosen ones from Thy Most Exalted Pen. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over what Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all things. There is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Bountiful.”

O Israfil! By the life of God! The Balance hath been set up, the Path established, the mountains have passed away, the Cry hath been raised, the Inevitable hath come, and the Trumpet hath been blown, yet the people have not risen from the graves of heedlessness and desire. Thus hath the matter been decreed. Verily thy Lord is the Expositor, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Be thou steadfast in the Cause of thy Lord, and firm in such wise that the roaring of the mighty shall not deter thee. Beware lest the happenings of the world grieve thee. Cast them behind thee, turning with thy purest heart unto God, the Revealer of verses. Thou hast been mentioned time and again by the Pen when it spoke, whereat all pens proclaimed: “The utterance belongeth unto God, the Powerful, the One, the Chosen.” Take thou the chalice of Mine utterance from the hand of My bounty, then drink thereof in My Name and say:

“My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having given me to drink, and for having made me to know, and taught me, and drawn me nigh when I was in prison amidst the enemies of Thy Self. Would that I had been non-existent and had not heard what hath befallen Thee! I beseech Thee by Thy power which hath encompassed the horizons, and by Thy Name whereby Thou hast subdued lands and servants, to assist Thy loved ones to be steadfast in Thy Cause. O Lord! Disappoint them not of that which Thou hast ordained in Thy Book. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent before Whose manifestation of power the power of the world hath been impotent, and Thou art the Sovereign before Whose exaltation the exaltation of nations is not mentioned. Verily, Thou art God, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

O Iskandar! Where is Alexander and his hosts? Where is the clashing of his swords and the neighing of his steeds? Where are his yellow and red battalions? Where are the manifestations of his power in the kingdom of creation? Where is his might whereby the limbs of the world trembled? Where is his power which encompassed the nations? Where are his lofty palaces and his ordered affairs? Where are his trellised gardens and his furnished houses? Where is his kindled lamp? By God! His lamps have been extinguished, his foundations have been uprooted, his treasures scattered, his tongue and sight withheld from utterance and observation, and his feet and hands stayed from taking what the people bring. The hand of destiny hath brought him down from palaces to tombs. Take ye warning, O people of insight! When thou hearest the stories of My Most Exalted Pen, say:

My God, my God! Thou seest me turning toward Thee, clinging to Thy cord, and directing my face to the lights of Thy countenance. I beseech Thee, by the ocean of Thy mercy and the splendors of the Sun of Thy bounty, to make me detached from all else save Thee, speaking in Thy remembrance, arising to serve Thy loved ones, and gazing toward Thy horizon. By Thy might, O Lord of the worlds and Goal of the nations! I love naught but what Thou lovest, and desire naught but what Thou desirest. I implore Thee to assist me in all that I have mentioned before Thy face. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent, the All-Protecting, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful.

BH00548: O Muhammad, upon thee be My Glory! The letter…

He is the Speaker of Truth

O Muhammad, upon thee be My Glory! The letter from H, upon him be My Glory, which was sent to thee was presented by the Greater Branch before the Countenance and was honored to be heard. O Muhammad! There is and has been no doubt that ears and eyes were created to witness and hear in these days, and existence is for the recognition of the Lord of existence. Yet the dust of self and smoke of desire have prevented the people from beholding the Supreme Horizon. In truth, those souls who have attained today are accounted before God as the gems of creation and are mentioned as such. By the life of God! That which hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen in the Crimson Book concerning these souls hath no likeness or parallel. Soon will its signs and lights become manifest. He is the Expositor, the All-Knowing.

In brief, the people of the world are deprived of knowledge and bereft of understanding. For centuries and ages they were worshippers of idols and vain imaginings. They were not and are not worthy to hear this call which is raised from the supreme height. They must cling to one like themselves and remain fixed upon one like themselves. All bear witness to the waves of the divine ocean of utterance which are manifest and visible before all faces, and the Lord of eternity called out without veil or covering and guided all to the supreme horizon. Nevertheless, they have turned away from the Lord of lords and have attached their hearts to the buzzing of flies. Where are the eyes, where are the ears, where is the intellect, where are the hearts? None but penetrating eyes can behold the pearls of the ocean of the All-Merciful.

Today the people of Baha are those souls who see themselves detached and free from all save God. The deniers of the Bayan are observed to be more base than the deniers of the Furqan, for they are occupied with the same names and the same sayings, and they lack the discernment to reflect upon what the fruit of the words and deeds of the previous party was and became on the Day of Retribution. Leave them in their vain discoursing.

We repeatedly make mention of H-S, upon him be My Glory. Praise be to God, he partook of the holy descended feast and attained repeatedly unto the traces of the Supreme Pen. We mention in this station his handmaiden and leaf who was with him, and We give her glad tidings of God’s loving-kindness and make mention of her through His verses. He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous. And We make mention of his son Husayn and his brother. We beseech God to make their mention a treasure for them with Him. He is the Powerful, the Mighty.

And We make mention of him who is named Mirza Aqa, whose name was mentioned before the Wronged One in this exalted station. Say:

My God, my God! Praise and thanksgiving be unto Thee, and mercy and bounty be from Thee, for having given me to drink of Thy sealed wine through Thy name, the Self-Subsisting, and for having remembered me in the Most Great Prison when I was wronged at the hands of the heedless. I beseech Thee, O Lord of existence and Sovereign of the seen and unseen, by the pearls of the ocean of Thy knowledge and the lights of the sun of Thy wisdom, and by the hearts that have melted in their separation and remoteness from Thee, to make me to hold fast unto Thee and to be detached from all else but Thee. Then I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance and the dawning-places of Thy verses to ordain for me, through Thy grace and bounty, that which will draw me nigh unto Thee and benefit me both outwardly and inwardly. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

O Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named Asad—upon him be My glory—that he may be drawn to My horizon, utter My praise, draw near in his heart to My court, and be seized with supreme joy in the days of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. We have heard thy mention, have made mention of thee, and have sent down for thee the verses, and We have expounded them in truth and dispatched them unto thee that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Mighty, the Great.

We speak now in the Persian tongue. Verily, We have, in most instances, changed the eloquent language into the luminous language. He doeth whatsoever He willeth and ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth. He is the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful.

All the peoples of the world and the various communities have each clung to some cause, striving with the utmost diligence and effort to exalt it. What wealth they have expended, what lives and honor they have sacrificed for the sake of manifesting that which they have desired! And this Most Great Cause, despite its loftiness, sublimity, glory, ascendancy and power, hath appeared in the realm of Persia, yet until now its people remain heedless of it, save for a few. Not for a moment have they contemplated this Cause with justice and fairness, nor have they ever sought to exalt it. Would that they had been content with this! Every day they strive to extinguish the light of the Manifestation and to quench the fire of the Divine Lote-Tree. This Wronged One hath, through days and nights, dispatched to all regions that which equalleth—nay exceedeth—the previous Books. Verses have encompassed the world and clear proofs have appeared before all faces, yet the ignorant servants—meaning the divines and doctors of the age—have become the cause of preventing the people and the reason for the turning away of the inhabitants of the land.

O Asad! Upon thee be the glory of God, the One, the Single! Arise to aid the Cause. We beseech God to assist thee. He will aid thee and make thee successful and reinforce thee with the hosts of the seen and the unseen. While time remaineth, occupy thyself with mention and praise, that perchance the mention may attract the people of the world and draw them to their true homeland. Verily, He is the Strong, the Triumphant, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Wise.

Regarding what you asked about “the mystery of the great reversal in the sign of the sovereign”, at the first appearance [of the Manifestation], observe how Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Najafi, who was the pole of Iranian scholars, and other scholars of Najaf and the land of Taff and the countries of Iran, after the Word was raised up and the Cause declared, all were found to be veiled and shut out. They were deprived of the ocean of the Merciful’s utterance and heedless of the sun of knowledge. Rather, they occupied themselves with cursing and execration from the pulpits. They rejected that Essence of being Whom they had yearned and hoped to meet throughout centuries and ages, and at the mention of Whose name they would say “may God hasten.” Finally they issued the fatwa of death for His most pure blood. However, some among the common people turned to Him, drank from the ocean of divine knowledge, found their way to the highest horizon, and on the day of the raising of the Most Exalted Pen’s voice were blessed to say “Here am I.” Thus did We make their highest ones lowest and their lowest ones highest. This is the mystery of “the great reversal in the sign of the sovereign.”

Reflect upon the Son of Mary. Annas, who was the most learned scholar of that age, issued the death warrant, and in the presence of that vile one a blow was struck upon that holy countenance. But the fisherman who was occupied with catching fish—when the Spirit [Jesus] passed by him and said “Come, I will make you a fisher of men”—instantly turned to Him, forsook the sea and fish and all therein. Having never seen a word of knowledge, he ascended to the kingdom of knowledge. Finally he reached such a station that his sweet fragrances perfumed the world. That is from God’s grace—He giveth it to whom He willeth. This same Peter, despite his exalted station, at the end of his days showed that which was unworthy, but in an instant the hand of grace seized him again and he was sustained by the Kawthar of steadfastness. Blessed is he.

None but the Truth Himself, Who possesseth the Most Great Infallibility, hath been or is His partner in this station. All else are created by a word. This is true unity whose light hath shone forth from the horizon of the Supreme Pen’s heaven. Think that thou mayest know. Enter this Most Great Ocean in the name of God, glorified be His majesty, and in its depths a illuminating sun shineth, that thou mayest attain thy goal and find what hath been mentioned.

O thou who gazest upon the Face! Though the Supreme Pen speaketh, yet it is silent, for it hath not spoken as it should, and even if it had, it remaineth concealed. Contaminated ears and tired eyes were not and are not worthy to hear and behold. From the dried leaves of earth naught but meaningless sounds have been or are heard. Throughout ages and centuries the Shi’ih sect hath been uttering letters from pulpits and mosques while remaining deprived and forbidden from the Mother Book. We beseech God to grant thee success that thou mayest attain true unity and arise to serve the Cause.

O Asad! Upon thee be My glory! Concerning thy question about the meaning of active’—it refers to the Universal Lord, though it hath other meanings, and that which returns to the passive.’ Reflect upon the Tablet of Wisdom. In every verse lies concealed an ocean among the oceans. We beseech God that thou mayest be enabled to witness and contemplate that which hath streamed forth from the Most Exalted Pen, both in the past and future. That which hath been sent down from the heaven of Divine Will is such that before it the books of the world have bowed down, yet the peoples remain in evident drunkenness. Out of pure bounty have We given this answer. Fix thy gaze continually upon this verse which was previously revealed in one of the Tablets: “This is not the day for questions. It behooveth everyone, when hearing the Call from the Supreme Horizon, to arise and say: ʿHere am I, O Lord of Names! Here am I, O Desire of the knowing ones!”’ We have revealed unto thee that whereby the eyes of the people of the cities of knowledge and wisdom have been solaced. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this manifest grace.

We make mention of him whom thou didst mention, who was named Hasan in the Kingdom of Names. O Hasan! Thy name was present before the Wronged One in the Most Great Prison. From this far-off spot, hear the Call from the direction of ʿAkka: Verily, there is none other God but He, the Single, the All-Informed. Say: My God, my God! All praise be to Thee for having enabled me to witness the signs of Thy Most Exalted Pen, and all thanksgiving be unto Thee for having made known to me Thy path, O Lord of all beings! I beseech Thee by the mysteries of Thy utterance and the light of Thy proof to make me steadfast in Thy Cause and firm in Thy love in such wise that neither the oppression of them that have disbelieved in Thee and Thy signs, nor the doubts of such as have turned away from Thy horizon and have uttered that at which the dwellers of Thy Paradise and the inmates of the tabernacle of Thy majesty have lamented, shall hinder me. Verily, Thou art the Almighty over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

BH00575: O friends of God in Shin and Ha! Hearken…

In the Name of the One True God!

O friends of God in Shin and Ha! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One in luminous speech. He hath indeed mentioned you before in eloquent language, and He is the Omnipotent, the Mighty. The peoples of the world have been debarred from the Lord of Names by the doubts and intimations of the leaders, and have been deprived of the effulgent rays of the Sun of Revelation. Had the servants but witnessed with their own eyes and hearkened with their own ears, they would have attained unto that which hath been and ever shall be the cause of exaltation. This Wronged One counseleth you to fear God and to that whereby His Cause, the firm, the impregnable, may be uplifted. Put not your trust in every speaker, nor be assured by every visitor. Conquer the citadels of hearts with the hosts of deeds and character. God, exalted be His glory, hath relinquished sovereignty unto the kings, and hath made hearts the dawning-place of the radiant lights of the Sun of Revelation. This is His practice in this Cause, and ye shall never find any change or variation in His practice.

We beseech God to aid His Majesty the sovereign in protecting His flock and safeguarding them from the wolves of the earth. A just sovereign possesseth a great station in the sight of God and occupieth an exalted rank. By the life of God! The most excellent garment for the temple of sovereignty is the garment of justice. It is the supreme adornment and the most resplendent robe.

O my God, my God! Adorn the temple of the sovereign with the ornament of justice and his head with the crown of equity, that the horizons may be illumined by his light, his station, his manifestation and his effulgence.

One pearl of utterance revealed from the treasury of the Pen of the All-Merciful is greater, more precious, and more valuable than all the treasures of the earth and its jewels. Every person of insight beareth witness, and every person of hearing is aware of that which hath been mentioned. Implore ye God to aid and strengthen the sovereign. On several occasions he protected the oppressed from the wickedness of the oppressors in the lands of H and M and K and T. Were they to become aware of the purpose of this Revelation and the will and desire of God, exalted be His glory, they would arise to aid the Cause. This is the truth, there is no doubt therein. The Most Great Book of God beareth witness to this in the most exalted station.

O people of God! Defile not your hearing with unseemly utterances, and preserve your sight from the ophthalmia of vain imaginings. The unjust ones of the world have assailed this Wronged One from behind the veils like unto wolves, and with the sword of falsehood and calumny have sought to attain unto a station which God, exalted be His glory, hath sanctified from their comprehension. They have appeared with the utmost tyranny and injustice, and are occupied with misleading the hapless creatures. But for the Glory (Baha), who would arise before all faces? But for Him, who would raise up the Cause of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting? But for Him, who would proclaim with the most great call betwixt earth and heaven?

Have they not beheld the waves of the ocean of the All-Merciful’s utterance, or have they not heard the Most Great Word from the most exalted horizon? At all times the call hath been raised and the divine testimony hath appeared before all faces, and yet they are debarred from the Self-Subsisting Lord by their vain imaginings. This is that momentous news the mention of which hath been revealed from the heaven of God’s will in all former and latter Books. Well is it with the people who have recognized its station, who have attained unto its days, and who have aided His Cause with the hosts of wisdom and utterance. Woe unto them that have turned away, unto the heedless, and unto the forsakers.

Glorified art Thou, O Light of the horizons and Illuminator of hearts and minds on the Day of Separation! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy most exalted horizon, by the manifestations of Thy grandeur amidst all beings, by the sighs of them that are nigh unto Thee, and the tears of the sincere ones, and by Thy Cause through which Thou hast subdued the nations, and by Thy sovereignty which hath encompassed the world, to ordain for Thy loved ones that which will draw them nigh unto Thee, and to write down for them from Thy Most Exalted Pen that which befitteth the heaven of Thy bounty, the ocean of Thy grace, and the sun of Thy generosity. Verily, Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

O Pen! Make mention of him who is named Ibrahim, that he may hear Thy most sweet melody and be of them that render thanks. O Ibrahim! Hearken unto the call of God, the True Sovereign, the Just, the Manifest. Verily it hath been raised up in truth from this most exalted Station, as a command from the presence of an All-Wise Ordainer. In each letter thereof lieth concealed an ocean of meanings and utterance. Blessed is he who hasteneth and draweth nigh, and taketh therefrom a cup in My Most Glorious Name, detached from the kingdom of creation, and drinketh thereof at one time in remembrance of Me and at another through My Name whereby the limbs of the ungodly have quaked.

O Ibrahim! Behold, then make mention of him who was named Kazim when he sought the place of sacrifice, yearning to attain the presence of the Lord of Names, and offered up his spirit, his body and his wealth in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds. Then remember him who severed his own head, moved by the rapture of the Divine Call when he was present in Baghdad before the countenance of the Lord of all beings. He sacrificed his life to exalt the Word of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

O Ibrahim! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. How many souls have offered up their spirits, their glory, their wealth and their comfort in the path of the One True Friend, while the heedless servants have concealed the mention of the deeds of these holy souls and these knights of the field of knowledge, wisdom and understanding, and instead make mention from their pulpits of the sacrifice of the previous Dispensation, taking pride therein. Say: O heedless ones! How long will ye remain deprived of the lights of the sun of justice and prevented from the waves of the ocean of equity? Beware lest these fleeting days withhold you from everlasting bounties, and beware lest this world occupy you from the Lord of Names and Creator of heaven. Say: Cast aside the people and what they possess, and take what hath been given you from the presence of God, the One, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Ibrahim! Reflect upon the Most Great News and its grandeur, and likewise upon the heedlessness of those who have turned away among the people of the Bayan. Verily, he who stood before the Divine Countenance they have taken as a lord for themselves besides God. Lo! They are among the most lost in My perspicuous Book.

O Ibrahim! Convey My greetings to the loved ones in that land on behalf of the Wronged One, and illumine them with the light of the manifestations of the Luminary of Divine Command. Today the tree walketh and maketh mention with eloquent speech; the man standeth still while the mountain moveth; from water appeareth fire, and from fire floweth the Kawthar of utterance. What a world this is! God knoweth. We beseech God to assist you to turn unto Him in all conditions. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower.

The glory from Our presence be upon thee and upon thy family and thy children. Verily, We give them the glad-tidings of that which hath been sent down for them from the heaven of will and bounty, and ordained for them from My Most Exalted Pen. He is verily the Compassionate, the Generous.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named Muhammad, illumine him with the lights of My utterance and remind him of My verses. Then send down unto him that which will enable him to soar in this holy, mighty and wondrous atmosphere. O Muhammad! We have made mention of thee before, and at this hour through a perspicuous Tablet. We beseech God to assist thee and enable thee to do that which He loveth and is pleasing unto Him. Verily, He is the Omnipotent over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The people of Baha possess, in the sight of God, another station and another bounty, for they behold all besides God as non-existent and as naught. Names deter them not, nor do the doubts and intimations of the peoples of the earth become a barrier unto them. With celestial might have they set their faces toward the Most Glorious Horizon and have hearkened unto the most sweet rustling of the Supreme Pen. The clamor of the world is, to them, more contemptible than the croaking of frogs and the chirping of ants. They have passed beyond that which pertaineth unto the world and fix their gaze upon that which is with God.

O Muhammad! The oppressors have made God’s Cause the object of their derision, their sport and their play. They are occupied with their own desires, turning away from the dawning-places of the lights of the Day-Star of certitude. Thus have their souls deluded them with vain imaginings, and today they are numbered with the dead. Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thou hast rent asunder the veils, despite the people of idle fancies, and hast attained unto My choice sealed wine through My Self-Subsisting Name. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Explaining, the All-Knowing. The splendor from Our presence be upon thee and upon thy children and thy kindred. God will soon raise up from among thy descendants one who will arise amidst the servants and remind them of God’s signs at the beginning and at the end.

O Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named Khanlar, that the fragrances of remembrance may draw him to the horizon wherefrom hath shone forth the Day-Star of God’s loving-kindness, the Goal of them that have knowledge. Say: O people! By God, the Day hath come and the Self-Subsisting calleth aloud from the Most Exalted Horizon. Draw nigh and be not of the heedless. Beware lest the books of men debar you from the Lord of creation, or the doubts of the nations from the Most Great Name. Fear ye God and be not of the wrongdoers. That which hath been sent down in truth cannot be compared with the books of the world. He Who calleth between earth and heaven beareth witness unto this. Blessed is he who hath heard and responded, and woe unto the heedless ones.

Say: O company of the opposers! Fear ye God, then judge fairly in this Great Announcement. Through Him Who calleth amidst mankind hath appeared God’s Cause, His sovereignty, His Manifestation and His power. Were it not for Him, who would summon the people unto the Truth, and who would guide mankind unto His straight path? The splendor from Our presence be upon thee and upon them that are with thee and thy kindred, whose hearts God hath illumined with the light of His knowledge and whose faces with the lights of His manifestation. Verily, He is the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

We have made mention of, and continue to mention, the loved ones of that land, and We counsel them with that which conduceth to the exaltation of the Word of God. The adornment of man hath not been and is not through the riches of the world, but rather through praiseworthy character, goodly deeds, loftiness of purpose and nobility of nature. We beseech God to adorn all with the ornament of steadfastness and to illumine them with the light of detachment. He is the Powerful, the Mighty, and He is the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious.

BH00592: O My Name! Upon thee be My glory!…

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

O My Name! Upon thee be My glory! The letter from Samandar—upon him be My glory—which he wrote to thee was presented before the Face. He made repeated mention of Andalib—upon him be My glory—and the friends of that land. Praise be to God, all are adorned with the ornament of steadfastness and are firm and steadfast in the Cause of God. The Supreme Pen hath made mention of the loved ones of the land of Qaf in such wise that it would be difficult for those who would enumerate to reckon it. Blessed are they, and theirs is a goodly retreat.

Mention hath been made of Nabil-i-Akbar—upon him be My glory. He hath turned toward the land of Kha for the purpose of teaching the Cause of God. We beseech God to assist him to make mention of Him and to praise Him, and to serve His mighty and exalted Cause. Convey greetings on behalf of the Wronged One to the rest of them who are in that land. In truth, Samandar hath been and continues to be vigilant over the loved ones. We beseech God to illumine all hearts with the lights of the Day-Star of His Cause. This is that which hath ever been loved and accepted before God. The darkness of the world shall be dispelled through the light of unity, and dispersion shall be changed to gathering, rejection to acceptance, disbelief to faith, and waywardness to supreme guidance.

They made mention of Ibn-i-Abhar—upon him be My glory. We beseech God to assist him and to set him ablaze with the fire of love, that perchance the servants on earth may be enkindled and turn from abasement to glory, and from the realm of extinction to the realm of immortality. O My Name! Although all that was to be said hath been said and all that was hidden hath been revealed, yet it hath profited the servants nothing. All are wandering in the wilderness of heedlessness and error, save whom God willeth. The existing peoples were not and are not worthy to turn to the Countenance of Glory. Throughout ages and centuries they have worshipped and continue to worship the calf. Such is the state and station of most of them.

Mention hath been made of Mirza Aqa—upon him be My glory—and his namesake, and an answer hath been sent down from the Kingdom of the All-Merciful’s utterance. Not an atom’s weight escapeth His knowledge, and He is the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Convey greetings on behalf of the Wronged One. We beseech God to assist them to do that which is befitting this triumphant day.

The loved ones must consult together by night and day, and hold fast to that which is conducive to the betterment of the world and to unity, harmony and the reformation of the world. What carpet hath not been rolled up, what edifice hath not been destroyed, what glory hath not come to an end, and what sun hath not set! While time remaineth, they must count it as a treasure and arise to serve the Cause of God. Though it is observed with absolute certainty that the existing ears are incapable of hearing, and likewise the eyes are not worthy of beholding. The people have become familiar with vain imaginings and idols. Consider the people of Persia: for one thousand two hundred years they spoke of vain imaginings, clung to vain imaginings, and held fast to their hem.

And after the manifestation of their ignorance and heedlessness on the Day of Judgment, again the people of Bayan cling to and utter the same vain imaginings. Glory be to God! They remain heedless of that which they have witnessed with their own eyes. What, after all, was the fruit of that people’s deeds, and what became of them? The world of knowledge is bewildered at the ignorance of those souls. They came from the world of ignorance and unknowing, and to the world of ignorance and unknowing do they return. Beseech ye God that perchance in this world of darkness—that is, the world of such souls—a star might dawn forth, that they might see and find.

Concerning what was mentioned about dear Sharif—before the exaltation of the Cause, the laws of the Apostle of God (may my spirit be a sacrifice for His sake) remain valid and binding, except for such deeds as would cause commotion. Convey on behalf of the Wronged One greetings to that soul and give him glad tidings that his deed hath been accepted and confirmed in the Most Exalted Horizon. Well is it with him, happy is he.

We make mention of Khalil, upon him be My glory, and We recall the days when he attained Our presence, heard the Call, beheld the Most Exalted Horizon, and dwelt in the vicinity until the irrevocable decree came for his departure to the land of Qaf. We testify that he attained that which was hidden in knowledge and inscribed in the Books of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

His nephew and other relatives have all been and continue to be remembered before the Wronged One. We have mentioned them in verses and given them glad tidings of My loving-kindness and mercy which have encompassed all existence, both seen and unseen.

Mention was made of Jinab-i-ʿAbdu’l-Husayn and the handmaiden of God, upon her be My glory. Several months ago a decree was revealed from the Supreme Pen regarding this matter, and apparently it has not yet arrived. Praise be to God, before the arrival of the decree, that which was befitting was done. Jinab-i-Ismu’llah J, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness, presented the details before the Most Holy Court. Blessed is he and joy be unto him.

The loved ones, especially those adorned with the distinction of rank, should strive to the extent possible to assist in the affairs of the friends and their completion. We beseech God to aid them and grant them success in that which they have been commanded in the Book of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Mention of Jinab-i-ʿAndalib, upon him be My glory, was made at first from the Supreme Pen. Now, as he was mentioned again at the end of the letter, We make mention of him. By the life of God, We have previously mentioned him in terms that no thing can equal, nor any treasure among treasures—nay, all the treasures of the world. We beseech confirmation and success for him, that he may attract the dejected souls in the dusty earth through the mention and praise of the Lord of Names, and teach them to soar.

Mention was made of Jinab-i-Haji Baba Kulih-Darrih, upon him be My glory. We heard mention of him and turned toward him that he may rejoice and be among the thankful ones. O Baba, the people of the Bayan are seen to be more lost than the previous faction. They have regarded the divine counsels as if they never existed. That which was revealed in the Persian Bayan and which all were commanded to follow, they have attributed to corruption. They possess neither sight nor hearing of their own, although in most passages the Point (the Bab) states “Look upon Him with His eyes and hear with His ears”—and this passage specifically refers to this Manifestation. Yet with the transgressors it has been abandoned and rejected. O Baba, convey greetings to the friends of the village on behalf of the Wronged One and give them glad tidings of God’s loving-kindness. Verily He is with His accepting servants and with His steadfast servants.

That which was written concerning Hakim Ilya was observed. That which was revealed specially for him and the other friends of the letter Ha and Mim was such as caused decayed bones to quiver and bestowed eternal life. Let us see what will appear from the people of that land and what fruit it will yield. Make mention of the teacher and his associates and all the members of the household on behalf of the Wronged One, that they may drink from the chalice of remembrance and be set ablaze with the fire of the love of God. Thus have We sent down the verses and expounded them with truth and dispatched them unto thee that the servants of the earth may be mindful thereof. Verily thy Lord is the All-Merciful, the Munificent. The Glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon you, O My friends, and upon them that have quaffed the cup of faithfulness before the faces of men and have drunk therefrom in My Name, the Mighty, the Well-Beloved. The Cause is in God’s hands, the Lord of what was and what shall be.

O My leaves and My handmaidens! The letter that was sent hath twice been mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One, and the glances of His loving-kindness have been directed towards you. Praise be to God, ye have partaken of the waves of the ocean of the Merciful’s utterance and have been illumined by the effulgences of the Sun of Manifestation. Ye have heard that for the hearing of which the world was brought from nothingness into being. Know ye the value of your stations. I swear by the Sun of Truth which hath shone forth from the most exalted horizon of existence, there hath been ordained for those men and women who have turned unto God, who are devoted and are attracted, that which the descriptions of the people of the world and the mentions of nations fall short of and are powerless to recount. Well is it with you and pleasant is it for you.

We beseech God to assist all to occupy themselves with the mention of the Goal of all the worlds with the utmost joy and fragrance, and to transform separation into the light of unity and accord, that the hearts of His servants may be adorned with the holy words “We are God’s.” The world is deprived while ye are triumphant. In its primary rank, poison hath destroyed all in the inmost essence, yet they perceive it not. We beseech God to illumine hearts and souls with the lights of the Day Star of love and unity. He is the Powerful, the Mighty.

We make mention of Our loved ones there and give them the glad-tidings of that which hath appeared for them from the treasuries of My Most Exalted Pen. Blessed is he who hath witnessed and seen, and woe unto the heedless. O My loved ones! The Wronged One maketh mention of you through verses the like of which cannot be found, and We mentioned you before in such wise as to attract the hearts of them that are nigh unto God. A letter hath come to hand in the Most Great Prison in the name of My handmaidens, written by him who hath turned unto the Supreme Horizon and hath drunk the cup of reunion from the hand of the bounty of his Lord, the All-Merciful, the Munificent.

Blessed is he who hath attained unto the most great steadfastness in this Cause whereby the backs of the idolaters were broken and the pillars of the idols were shaken. He is assuredly among the denizens of the Most Exalted Paradise in the sight of God, the Lord of the worlds. We beseech God to assist His loved ones with the angels of the unseen and the visible world and to aid them to triumph in His Cause through the hosts of wisdom and utterance. Verily He is the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Conquering, the Omnipotent.

The Glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon you, O My loved ones and My friends, and upon them that love you for the sake of God, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

BH00654: The Epistle of God, the Help-in-Peril, the Self-Subsisting

He is the One Who speaks from His Most Exalted Horizon.

This is a Book sent down by the Wronged One that He might draw all near unto God, the All-Protecting, the Self-Subsisting. That which was hidden in God’s knowledge and veiled from hearts and eyes hath been revealed. The Day hath come, yet the people have denied God’s proof and His evidence, following every heedless rejected one. They have cast the Book of God behind their backs and committed that which hath caused the near ones to lament. They have done what they were forbidden in God’s Book and abandoned what they were commanded. They are indeed among those who have violated the Covenant and the pledges.

Say: O concourse of the earth! Fear God and follow not the manifestations of idle fancies and vain imaginings. Behold, behold how the Sun speaketh before your faces and calleth you to its praiseworthy station. Fear God and deny not Him Whose appearance was heralded in God’s Books of old and yet to come, and of Whose praise the Messengers have spoken.

O Husayn! The Wronged One calleth thee from the precincts of the Prison and consoleth thee in what hath befallen thee. Thy Lord is verily the All-Patient. He biddeth thee to be patient and steadfast, and He is the Commander over what was and what shall be. Hearken unto the Call from the direction of ʿAkka. Verily, it speaketh in every condition that there is no God but Him, the Lord of the unseen and the seen. Nothing escapeth His knowledge. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He is the Almighty, the Mighty, the All-Loving.

Beware lest the happenings of the world grieve thee or the doubts of those who have denied God’s Book and His Manifestation cause thee to slip. They, verily, perceive not. Take hold of the Book with the strength from God. He commandeth thee to righteousness and godliness, and He is the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved. He hath appeared and revealed that which draweth people nigh unto His extended path. Arise to serve the Cause, then mention Him with wisdom and utterance in such wise that hearts and souls are attracted thereby. Beware lest the clamor of the people or the veils of those who have disbelieved in the Witness and the Witnessed prevent thee.

Say: By God! The veils have been rent asunder and the All-Bountiful hath come at the return with a Cause before which ranks and hosts cannot stand. Say: This is the Day ye were promised in the Books of old, and of which Muhammad, the Messenger of God, gave you glad tidings in His words:

“The Day when people shall stand before the Lord of the Kingdom.”

We have sent down the verses and manifested the clear proofs, yet most of the people understand not. This is the Day of turning unto God, but the people have turned away from it. They have forsaken their God and followed their desires. They perceive not. They have denied God’s favor after its appearance and rejected His signs after their revelation. The Tongue of Grandeur in the Most Exalted Horizon beareth witness to this, yet the people hear not. By God’s life! Had they heard, they would have hastened to a station whereof every atom proclaimeth: The Promise hath come, and this is the Promised One.

Verily My Most Exalted Pen desireth to make mention of His Afnan who hath ascended unto the Supreme Companion through God’s irrevocable decree. We testify that he hearkened unto the Call when it was raised betwixt earth and heaven, and attained unto that which the honored servants have attained, acknowledging His oneness and His singleness and that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken from His exalted station. He hath, at the time of his ascension, purified him and forgiven him as a token of His grace, and hath ordained for him in the most exalted Paradise a station that thoughts and minds cannot comprehend. Blessed art thou, O My Afnan, for that which befell thee in the earliest days.

Verily thy Lord is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. He hath witnessed what befell thee and preserved thee through His sovereignty until the promise was fulfilled and that which was ordained for thee in the Preserved Tablet came to pass. O Abu’l-Qasim! Upon thee be the glory of God and the glory of His Prophets and His chosen ones, and the glory of them that circle round the Throne at eventide and at dawn. The first wave that hath risen from the ocean of grace from the presence of the Ancient King be upon thee, O thou who hast held fast unto the cord of grace in the days of God, the Lord of the Kingdom. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to send down upon thee at all times a mercy from His presence and to ordain for thee that which shall gladden thine eyes. Thus hath the Tongue of the Wronged One spoken on this darksome night, as bidden by God, the Lord of all being. We are God’s, and unto Him shall we return.

We have turned from the Arabic tongue to Persian, that all may comprehend the meaning and come. O Afnan! Be not grieved by that which hath befallen. At all times doth the world display its own scroll and proclaimeth with the most exalted call its own evanescence, counseling and advising its people. Blessed is the ear that hath been privileged to hear its call, for if man would truly observe and perceive the changes and vicissitudes of the world, he would find himself reposing upon the throne of tranquility, would return from extinction to everlasting life, and would set his heart upon supreme glory rather than utter abasement. The world and all that is therein would not change him. Praise be to God, there hath been ordained for you that which hath no peer or likeness. The Blessed Tree hath mentioned you among the Afnan and hath accepted you. This is a great bounty and an exalted station. Preserve it in the name of the one incomparable Powerful One. Your station is to promote and teach the Cause of God. This Wronged One hath, from the earliest days, extolled the mention of the Afnan. The Sacred Scriptures and revealed Tablets bear witness.

Reflect upon the tribulations and afflictions that have befallen the Wronged One. From the earliest days He arose before the faces of all men, both rulers and divines, and summoned all, for the sake of God and without any veil or covering, to the most sublime horizon. The purpose of His rising was to exalt the Word, and of His call to draw creation nearer to the Lord of the seen and unseen. It is clear and evident to the people of insight and the companions of the Most Great Vision that in no matter did He seek any purpose for Himself. To this testify My deeds before the faces of the world and the rising of My call amongst the nations.

When the effulgences of the Sun of Truth dawned from the horizon of the heaven of manifestation, all parties arose in opposition and protest, and brought about that which none but the True One knoweth. Glory be to God! From the people of the Bayan there occurred that which hath rendered the Pen powerless to mention. Some have objected to the mention of Divinity and Lordship. Say: O people of the Bayan! By the life of the All-Merciful! He desired no mention from among all mentions except for the drawing near of the servants and their turning to God, the Lord of the Day of Return. Silence hath been beloved and still is beloved by the Wronged One, for ears worthy of this call are rare in this day. To this testifieth every fair-minded and perceiving one. However, His Holiness the Herald, that is to say the Primal Point, states at the beginning of the Bayan:

“He Who speaketh in every condition, verily I am God, there is no God but Me, the Lord of all things, and all besides Me are My creation. O My creation! Worship ye Me.”

Likewise, in reply to one of the Letters of the Living, regarding Him Whom God shall make manifest, He saith: “Verily, I am the first of them that worship Him.” He hath repeatedly made such statements. By the Sun of Truth! Were it not for His mention, this Wronged One would have chosen silence in these matters, save for those who are worthy. Glory be to God! The understanding of the people of the Bayan is observed to be lower than that of the people of the Furqan, for that party accepted the words “Verily, I am God” from the Tree, while this group accepteth not these words from the Tree of Being and the Lord of the seen and unseen. Those who cast doubts through such words—their purpose is evident and manifest before God. Verily He is the Concealer, the All-Patient, the Compassionate, the Generous. Say: Nothing escapes His knowledge and no matter is beyond His power. He witnesses and sees, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

O My Afnan! We beseech the Most High to assist you, to strengthen you, and to ordain for you that which will gladden hearts and bring joy to eyes. And at the end of this Tablet We counsel you with that which is the cause of elevation and advancement, namely consultation in affairs. Should you consult with the honored Afnan, upon him be My glory and My loving-kindness and My mercy, in your affairs, this would be well-pleasing and acceptable before God. God will soon set right your affairs and draw you near unto Him and reveal to you that which was hidden from the eyes of the beholders. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

Convey to all the kindred My greetings on behalf of the Wronged One. The glory shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon My Afnan who have not broken My covenant and My testament and who have acted according to that which was commanded in My perspicuous Book. The command is God’s, the Powerful, the Strong, the Triumphant, the Almighty.

BH00669: This is a Book which the Most Merciful hath…

He is the All-Powerful, the All-Hearing, the All-Answering!

This is a Book which the Most Merciful hath sent down from the heaven of proof to manifest His testimony amongst His servants and His evidence throughout His realm. He, verily, is the Truth, there is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Hearken unto the Call from the direction of My Most Great Prison. Verily it hath been raised in truth and summoneth all men unto the straight path of God. This is the Day whereof Muhammad, the Apostle of God, gave glad tidings, and before Him the Spirit, and before Him He Who conversed with God. Yet the people are in thick veils. This is the Day whereon the breezes of the All-Merciful have wafted over all creation and the waters of life have flowed from the Most Exalted Pen. Blessed is he who hath turned unto it, taken thereof and drunk therefrom. Woe unto the heedless!

The Promise hath come to pass and He Who conversed with God upon the Mount is seated upon the throne of Revelation, calling all unto God, the Lord of the worlds. When the horizon of the world was illumined with the lights of the countenance of the Ancient of Days, the divines turned away and perpetrated that which caused the dwellers of the all-highest Paradise to lament and every fair-minded, clear-sighted one to cry out. These are the servants of whom the All-Merciful spoke in the Qur’an: they exchanged the favor of God for disbelief and led their people to the abode of perdition. Through their turning away the people turned away and denied Him in Whom they had believed throughout ages and centuries.

Thus doth My Most Glorious Pen recount unto thee that thou mayest rejoice and be of those who are thankful. Say: O concourse of men! Be fair, by God, the Lord of Power. If ye deny this Most Great Bounty, by what proof can ye establish that which ye possess? Bring it forth then and be not of the wrongdoers.

This is the Day whereof the Apostle of God gave tidings, saying: “The Day whereon all men shall stand before the Lord of the worlds,” and of which the Primal Point gave glad tidings, saying when mentioning His Name: “I, verily, am the first to worship Him.”

Thy letter hath come before the Wronged One. We have heard what was therein and have answered thee with a Tablet from whose horizon shineth the light of God’s favor, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. We had held back the Pen for a long period, but when the appointed time came, We caused the Trumpet to sound, and it is My Most Exalted Pen, and We have revealed unto thee that which shall endure as long as the kingdom of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne, shall endure.

Consider the people of the Qur’an. They awaited the days of the Manifestation, yet when He came with the truth, they pronounced sentence of death against Him. Thereby did the Tablet and the Pen lament, and the foundations of the Primal Word were shaken. Thus did their souls prompt them. They are, in truth, among the most lost in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds.

Blessed is thy letter, for it hath spoken the truth and testified to the oneness and singleness of God. Thy Lord doth witness and see, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Nothing whatsoever escapeth His knowledge. Through Him was raised the standard of unity and the banners of detachment, and all things proclaimed: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Mighty, the All-Praised.”

Verily, when thou hast drunk the choice wine of revelation from the cup of My bounty and been drawn by My call unto the kingdom of My utterance, say:

O my God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having mentioned me through Thy most great signs, from which everyone possessed of perception perceiveth the fragrance of eternity. Glory be to Thee for having caused me to hear the rustling of Thy Most Exalted Pen and shown me Thy signs and most sublime words. I bear witness, O my God, to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and that Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee. Thou hast ever been supreme over the kingdom of earth and heaven. Through Thy name the banner of “He doeth what He willeth” was raised. I beseech Thee, O Creator of heaven and Sovereign of the Kingdom of Names, by the power of Thy Will and the manifestation of Thy Purpose, and by the Beloved through Whose advent the heavens of Thy might were honored, and by the Spirit whom Thou didst raise to the horizon of Thy Cause, and by the Rod that vanquished the swords and through which the stars of Thine enemies were dimmed and Pharaoh and his hosts were drowned by Thy might and power, to make me steadfast in Thy Cause and firm in Thy love, such that names shall not prevent me from drawing near unto Thee, nor shall the gulf of idle fancies debar me from turning toward the shore of the ocean of Thy mercy.

O Lord! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy throne, the dawning-places of Thy revelation and the daysprings of Thine inspiration, to ordain for me what Thou didst ordain for Thy chosen ones who were not frightened by armies nor weakened by the power of the mighty. They stood before the faces of enemies declaring “God is our Lord and the Lord of the exalted throne.”

O My Most Exalted Pen! Set aside the eloquent tongue and warble in the luminous language. We testify that by thy movement spirits took flight and the Dove of Utterance sang upon the highest branch of possibility. The veil hath been removed and the Lord of Creation hath come with the banners of wisdom and utterance. Blessed is he who hath heard, and woe unto every heedless and remote one.

Hear thou in the Persian tongue the call of the Wronged One. First, the delay in reply was due to wisdom, and when the time came, that which is the immortal Kawthar for the fair-minded and the Salsabil of life for the thirsty was sent. Verily all affairs are in His hand and within His mighty grasp. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth, and He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

From the earliest days, this Wronged One addressed the faces of princes and divines with the most exalted call, and summoned all, without any veil or concealment, to the supreme horizon, the most exalted summit and the ultimate goal. In those days the limbs of the world trembled and were disturbed by the oppression of the transgressors. Surely that honor hath heard that a special Tablet was sent to each of the kings, including the Sovereign of Iran, and there befell this Wronged One that which caused the people of the cities of justice and fairness to weep. When some rays appeared from the horizons and a measure of assurance became evident, souls who were hidden behind the veil rushed forth with the swords of malice. By the life of God! They committed that which caused the tears of the near ones to flow, and they said that which the ancients never said.

O thou who gazest toward the horizon! The eye was created for beholding and the ear for hearing, yet all are veiled and deprived save whom God willeth. The deniers of the Bayan have clung to the cord of the former people and walk in their footsteps. We make mention of one word that ye may drink from the ocean of knowledge and partake of the lights of the sun of wisdom, and ponder upon matters until that which is now hidden may be revealed.

For twelve hundred years and more, the Shi’ih divines, whose number cannot be reckoned, were unaware of the Manifestation while still in the loins, and all were heedless of this most great Cause. Not one among these divines attained unto the truth. Now again Hadi-i-Dawlatabadi and certain other souls who have never had, nor now have, any knowledge of the Cause, desire to afflict the people with the delusions of the past. It behooveth you and the people of truth—those who have truly partaken of the choice sealed wine and attained unto the recognition of the Lord of Revelation—to protect the people from the delusions of the heedless ones, namely the deniers of the Bayan, lest these delusions resurface. The martyrdom of the Primal Point—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake—was caused by the calumnies of the past. We beseech God to assist thee, that perchance thou mayest guide those who wander in the wilderness of heedlessness to the lights of the Day-Star of certitude. We ask God to help thee and aid thee in serving His firm, impregnable and mighty Cause.

Concerning what thou didst ask about sleep—praise be to God—it is evidence of thy devotion, steadfastness and support.

And concerning His statement “First, this group must be removed”—the intention was Hadi-i-Dawlatabadi and the heedless souls gathered around him, but their removal was and is to be through the swords of wisdom and utterance.

God willing, thou wilt arise to support the Cause, detached from the world and holding fast to the Most Great Name, and protect the helpless servants from the evil of that heedless one. They must reflect upon that which hath appeared and ponder the loss of the former people and their wretchedness and all that proceeded from them. If thou becomest aware, thou wilt find thyself seated upon the throne of certitude and assurance in this Most Great Revelation. Today is the day of service and the day of assistance through counsels and exhortations, for strife, corruption and contention have been forbidden in this Revelation. Now must thou, trusting in God and committing thy affairs unto Him, guide the servants to the highest horizon through remembrance and praise. This is not difficult for God. Then wilt thou find thyself detached from all else and arising to serve His Most Great Cause and His Mighty Message. Assuredly God, exalted be His glory, will deal with thee as He deemeth best.

The glory shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of God’s bounty, the Lord of the worlds, be upon thee and upon those whom neither the doubts of the divines nor the hints of the jurisprudents, nor the threat of the oppressors have deterred.

BH00753: Praise be fitting and worthy unto the Lord…

He is the Dawning-Place from the horizon of the heaven of utterance!

Praise be fitting and worthy unto the Lord of all desires, Who confirmed that soul in turning towards Him, in drawing nigh, in rendering victorious aid and in teaching His Cause, and Who, through His blessed word “The Kingdom is Mine,” made manifest the tokens of the Hour and the mysteries of the Resurrection. His is the praise and the glorification, His the gratitude and the splendor. From the first days thou didst turn unto Him and didst drink from the cup of confession before the faces of the chosen ones and the wicked. With complete steadfastness thou didst arise to serve the Cause of the Lord of all beings. In days when vain imaginings deprived all from the Most Exalted Horizon, with the finger of certitude thou didst rend asunder the veils of idle fancy, and with the arm of assurance thou didst break the backs of the idols. We beseech God to aid thee at all times with wondrous and fresh confirmations, that He may render all thy deeds as a single remembrance before thy Lord, and that there may waft from them that which shall guide mankind unto Him. Verily, He is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

Some time ago, Ism-i-Jud, upon him be My glory, forwarded thy letter to the Wronged One. We found in it that which caused the countenance of love to smile. Verily thy Lord is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. O thou who hast drunk the wine of revelation from the cup of My bounty! Hearken unto My call from the direction of My prison. Verily, it calleth thee as a grace from His presence and maketh mention of thee as a mercy from His side. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

O Samandar! Reflect upon the power of God, exalted be His glory, and likewise upon the manifestations of suppositions and idle fancies. The Most Exalted Herald, the Primal Point—may the spirit of all else but Him be sacrificed for His sake—hath declared: “I have written the essence concerning His mention: He shall not be known through My allusions, nor through what hath been revealed in the Bayan.” Would that they had comprehended this one utterance and held fast unto it! Given this decisive and binding word which, as attested by God, is the essence of the Bayan—is it permissible that the people of the Bayan should today remain veiled and heedless of its Revealer and Sender? Every fair-minded person in these days chooseth silence that he may hearken to the flow of the Supreme Pen, from which the fragrance of God’s Cause is diffused. The Primal Point in the highest realm uttereth the blessed words “Verily, I am the first to worship.”

Say: O people! Fear God, behold His horizon, then hearken to His call. His mention cannot be confused with the mentions of the world, nor what hath appeared from Him with what hath appeared among the nations. The heaven of divine proof is today adorned with the suns of wisdom and utterance and the stars of commandments and ordinances. Turn ye unto them and be not of those who turn aside. This Most Great Revelation hath ever been all-encompassing, not encompassed. The Herald hath mentioned that which hath no likeness or equal, and from His own manifestation and appearance His supreme purpose was to exalt this Word. This is mentioned in one station, while in another station “None knoweth it save Him.” This is the truth, there is no doubt therein. By God, the Truth! This Most Great Cause and Supreme Proof hath never needed anything to establish Its manifestation. The ocean of utterance is manifest before the faces of all religions, and the sun of proof shineth resplendent above all heads. The Ultimate Tree appeareth with wondrous and sublime fruits and fresh and delicate leaves. Say: Cast aside that which withholdeth you from God, the Lord of all worlds, and take hold of that which ye have been commanded by One powerful, knowing, and wise.

Today the Bayan is contingent and dependent upon the acceptance of this Most Great Revelation. Verily We sent down for Our Herald that which brought solace to the eyes of God’s Books, the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting. We sent it to Him, and when it came before Him and He read it, He was so transported by the breezes of revelation that He soared wholly in My atmosphere and sought to attain My presence. The verses stirred Him in such wise that no pen and ink, no tongue can ever recount it. To this the Mother Book beareth witness in the final return. We have veiled the root of the Cause to preserve it, as a wisdom from Our presence, and I am the Mighty, the Unconstrained. Verily, He doeth what He willeth and shall not be asked of what He willeth. He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

O Samandar! The earthworms of clay were never worthy of ascent and soaring, and the former people, namely the Shi’ites, were in truth reared on suppositions and idle fancies. By My life! They were not and are not aware of any matter. Until now the mysteries of revelation are not known. Through a single name and word did the religion of Islam become weakened and slip away. O Samandar! The Letters of every revelation must be present in the days of manifestation and attain the honor of meeting. Reflect, then conceal, and be of those who preserve. Until now they have not understood the meaning of unity. It behooveth Us to leave off their mention and mention that which causeth the mountains to quake, let alone human beings. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty.

Know ye that mention was made of souls who have desired to turn towards the Most Great Ocean. O Samandar! Eyes and ears that are worthy and capable of witnessing and hearing are as rare as red sulphur. Yet there is hope that through your sincerity and arising to serve the Cause, the Word may penetrate and guide the servants to the highest horizon. We beseech God to aid them to understand the Shi’ih faction and their deeds and words that oppose God’s Cause, for if any soul attains to this station, he will find himself firm and steadfast, such that names will not hold him back from the Truth, nor will the false tales of the past deprive him. Make mention of each of the friends in that land on behalf of the Wronged One. All are and have been beneath the glances of His favor. We beseech God to assist them to promote His Cause with wisdom and utterance, and to send down upon them from the heaven of His bounty that which will draw them nigh unto Him. He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

When thou art stirred by the rapture of My call, turn towards My direction and say:

My God, my God! Thou seest my turning unto Thee, my clinging fast, my orientation and my attachment. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Firm Handle and by the hem of the robe of Thy bounty, O Lord of all beings, and by the light of Thy Cause whereby earth and heaven were illumined, to make me at all times turned towards Thy horizon, speaking Thy praise, and promoting Thy Cause with wisdom and utterance. Thou art verily the Mighty, the Bestower. O my Lord! Illumine the hearts of Thy servants with the light of Thy knowledge, then open the doors of their hearts with the keys of Thy bounty and generosity.

O my Lord! Thou seest them wandering in the atmosphere of perplexity and error. Deliver them through Thy name, the All-Powerful, and save them through Thy name, the Almighty. Then aid them, O my God, through Thy signs and evidences, make known to them Thy path, and teach them that which will raise them to the heaven of Thy might and acceptance. Thou art verily the Omnipotent Whom the veils of the transgressors cannot withhold, nor the turning away of the opposers, nor the gloating of the gleeful. Thou art verily the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Thou didst mention meeting with Haji Mirza Abu’l-Fadl. O Samandar! In the days when the Most Great Luminary was dawning and shining from the horizon of the heaven of the Land of Mystery, after the sending of Tablets and the revelation of verses, Mulla Isma’il sent a letter to the servant who was present, wherein he acknowledged and confessed his recognition of Him Whom God shall make manifest. Then he uttered these unworthy and unbecoming words, saying that were he to proclaim this station in the Land of Qaf, Mulla Hadi would cut off his bread. Consider now how the Most Pure and Abha Hearing could receive such words. Yet for the sake of God, We heard them and commanded patience and forbearance.

A most mighty and holy Tablet was revealed from the heaven of grace and sent in response to Aqa Siyyid Musa, upon him be the Glory of God, that he might find therefrom the fragrance of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Verily we are God’s, and to Him shall we return.

BH00815: O He Who is named of God, upon him…

O He Who is named of God, upon him be the Glory of God! He is the Manifest, the Speaker, the Trustworthy

O My Name! We make mention of Our loved ones in Ta and give glad-tidings to those who have turned towards and taken hold of the Book of God with such might that all the Pharaohs and tyrants of the earth and every remote oppressor were powerless to prevent it. We have lit the lamp of knowledge in the niche of utterance through Our command, and We are, verily, the Ordaining, the All-Wise.

O My loved ones in that land! Hearken unto My call, for it will draw you nigh unto the horizon from which hath shone forth the Luminary of God’s tender mercy, the Lord of all worlds. We have kindled the fire in the midst of the world that it might set ablaze the hearts of them that have drawn nigh and attract the hearts of such servants as were overtaken by heedlessness until they turned away from God, the Sovereign of this wondrous Day.

O My Name! Upon thee be My glory. That which thou didst send hath come before the Wronged One, and the All-Glorious hath read it before My face. We have answered thee through this mighty Tablet. Blessed is he who hath made mention of thee and sent thee a letter that spoke of My remembrance and bore witness to him who sent it unto thee. Thy Lord, verily, is the All-Explaining, the All-Knowing.

His letter came before Us aforetime. We read it and revealed for every name mentioned therein that which will draw him nigh unto the highest pinnacle. To this doth this momentous announcement testify.

O ʿAyn-Qabil-Ta! Hear My call time and again. It will draw thee unto My kingdom and cause thee to soar in this refined and luminous atmosphere. Blessed art thou and blessed is thy father who hath ascended unto the Most Exalted Companion, and blessed is My handmaiden whom We named the Mother of the Near Ones in the Crimson Book by the Most Exalted Pen from the presence of One mighty and ancient. We make mention of thee and those in thy household with such remembrance as to attract the hearts of them that are endued with understanding. We make mention of thy brother who was named Rahim in the Book of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. We counsel him and those who have believed to observe trustworthiness and godliness and whatsoever will exalt the station of man in the contingent world. Exalted is the Most Merciful Who hath made mention of His loved ones and aided them in that which will draw them nigh unto Him. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous.

We make mention of My two leaves and give them the glad-tidings of My bounty and My mercy which have preceded all things, and My tender care which hath encompassed both small and great.

O Leaf! Be not grieved at what hath befallen thee. We speak the truth when We say that thy daughter hath attained unto such bounties in the Most Exalted Paradise as the understanding of the peoples of the world hath not and never shall comprehend. Be thou gladdened by God’s favor. Set not thy heart upon the abode of tribulation. Fix thy gaze upon the Most Sublime Horizon and upon that which God hath ordained for His loved ones. One verse revealed from the Most Exalted Pen is worth a hundred thousand times more than the most noble offspring, for that which proceedeth from God shall endure throughout the sovereignty of earth and heaven. The fragrance of the All-Merciful from His utterance hath never been and shall never be cut off. Rejoice thou in this most great favor, then render thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

O Shukru’llah! Thou hast attained unto that which the champions of the earth, its horsemen, princes and divines were debarred from attaining. Preserve this most exalted station through the name of thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Beware lest the world and its vicissitudes, its glory and favors, debar thee from God, the Lord of all worlds. All that thou beholdest today shall perish. Take thou that which shall serve as a light unto thee, an illumination, a helper and companion in all the worlds of thy Lord. He, verily, is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Having taken the cup of My loving-kindness and drunk therefrom the choice wine of My utterance, say: My God, my God! Thou seest me advancing towards that whereunto Thou hast bidden me turn, clinging to Thy Most Firm Handle, and awaiting the wonders of Thy mercy, O Lord of all being and King of the throne above and the earth below.

O Lord! I beseech Thee by the fire of Thy love which hath enkindled the hearts of Thy chosen ones, and by the wine of Thy utterance which hath attracted the hearts of Thy loved ones and so transported them through the potency of Thy Word that they hastened unto Thy good-pleasure—neither were they held back by the ranks of the oppressors from turning to the light of Thy countenance, nor by the might of the aggressors from drawing nigh unto Thy station—to assist me to serve Thee and to exalt Thy Word. I moreover beseech Thee, O Creator of the world and Educator of the nations, by the movement of Thy finger and by that which hath flowed from Thy Pen, to ordain for Thy loved ones that which will draw them nigh unto Thee and enable them to do that which Thou lovest and approvest. Verily, Thou art God; there is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Great.

O My Name! The letter from Ghulam, upon him be My glory, was seen. Mention of him hath repeatedly flowed from the Most Exalted Pen, yet it reached him not. The servant in attendance before Our face did, as commanded, dispatch a detailed letter, which likewise did not arrive. Glory be to God! From the day that Abu-Jahl entered this land in the name of Muhammad, there occurred a delay in the sending of Tablets, and of those that were sent, some did not arrive, including the Tablets of Aqa Ghulam-ʿAli from the people of Kaf, who attained Our presence and heard the call from the Most Exalted Horizon and drank the most glorious wine from the hands of bounty.

A package of Tablets was also sent from the land of Ta in the name of Amin, upon him be the glory of God, which did not arrive, and likewise the Tablets which you specifically sent for the honored Rashti, upon him be the eternal glory of God, these too did not arrive. Now send the Tablet which was revealed several months ago specifically for Ghulam from the heaven of the Divine Will and which is available. Mention of the people of that household, all of them, hath been and is before the Wronged One, and We have also commanded the servant in attendance to send copies of what has not arrived.

O My Name! Upon thee be My glory! Praise be to God, thou dwellest in the vicinity and reposest beneath the canopies of grandeur. Thou bearest witness to the abundance of writing. In truth, outwardly there is no opportunity—groups are constantly engaged in writing, yet the answers to most remain delayed. Say: O Ghulam! By the life of God, thou and those with thee have been and are mentioned. From the beginning of days there hath been revealed that which is the cause of everlasting mention and eternal bounty. O Ghulam! Repeatedly make mention of the kinsmen from the Wronged One, and likewise the loved ones of that land. All are mentioned and have attained God’s favor. Say: O My loved ones! Be ye united and in accord. Each one must be so enkindled with the fire of God’s love that its effects encompass the earth. The water of life is God’s utterance, as are His evidences. Strive that perchance the people of the world may attain eternal life through this everlasting fountain and illumine creation with the light of wisdom and utterance.

Verily, We make mention of Jalal as a favor from Us, and We have adorned him with the ornament of Our signs, and We have sent down that which cooleth the eyes of the servants. Convey My glorification unto his face and illumine it with the lights of My wondrous utterance.

At the end of the Tablet We make mention of the leaf Narjis and give her the glad-tidings of God’s favor. Thy petition arrived and at this hour, two hours past nightfall, it attained unto hearing before the Face. Praise the Goal of all creation that He heard thy call and at that moment the answer was revealed from the heaven of bounty. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of the worlds! And thanksgiving be unto Thee, O Thou the Beloved of the hearts of the sincere ones! The glory from Us be upon you and upon those who have not violated God’s Covenant and His Testament, whom the power of the world hath not weakened and whom the hosts of the nations have not frightened. They have turned with radiant faces unto the Supreme Horizon and have said:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven, for having aided us to turn unto Thee, to hearken unto Thy call, and to recognize Thy straight Path and Thine unshakeable and mighty Cause.”

BH00855: Blessed are they who have found shelter beneath…

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

Blessed are they who have found shelter beneath the Sadratu’t-Tuba, and happy the state of those servants who have drunk from the choice wine of the utterance of the All-Merciful. Blessed are those men whom the might of the mighty hath not withheld from the All-Possessing, the Most High, and blessed are those loved ones who are illumined with the light of certitude and repose beneath the Tree.

Blessed is that company who have detached themselves from the world and who gaze toward the horizon of the Will of the Ancient Lord, and blessed are those companions who were and are vigilant in executing the commandments of God—who fast at His bidding, who eat with His leave, who arise in His service, who speak forth His praise, and who breathe with His love. Blessed are the lovers who have traversed the horizons, land and sea, and have attained the supreme summit and ultimate goal.

Blessed is that company whom the parties of the world have not prevented from hearing the rustling of the Sadratu’l-Muntaha. Joy be to those souls who are adorned with the dust of prison. Blessed are those feet that have attained to this land and inhaled from its atmosphere the fragrance of divine verses. And blessed are those souls who have borne tribulations in the path of the peerless Friend—they are the mountains of God’s grace, glorified be His majesty.

O people of God! Today the Luminary of utterance is shining forth and the ocean of the Most Merciful’s mercy is surging. Happy the state of the soul that hath attained and been adorned with steadfastness. Blessed are those servants who in this wilderness have uttered the blessed words “Here am I, O God of the worlds,” and blessed are those men who have drunk from the Kawthar of this land and reposed beneath its trees.

Blessed are the wayfarers who, on this day—the ninth day of the month of fasting—have been gazed upon by the Most Great Luminary from the supreme horizon of the world and been illumined by Its rays. Joy be to those emigrants who, with permission, set forth and bore the hardships of travel until they attained to that which was recorded and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in God’s Book.

A hundred thousand blessings upon those souls who are expectant of the Cause and who have borne the burden of fasting for the sake of God, who have been content with little and have forsaken much in the path of the All-Informed. An ocean of mercy be upon those souls whom the idle fancies of the world have not prevented and whom the veils of the peoples have not withheld from drawing nigh—who with the arm of certitude have shattered the barriers of doubt and turned toward the supreme horizon. An ocean of light be upon those servants who have aided the Cause of God through their deeds and character.

O Muhammad! Upon thee be My Glory and loving-kindness! These are the days of fasting, formerly designated as the Month of God. We beseech the True One to aid all to observe that which hath been revealed in the Book by the Most Exalted Pen. The mention of each one floweth forth today from the tongue. Give them glad tidings from the Wronged One and illumine them with the lights of thy Lord’s utterance, the Kind, the All-Merciful. O Muhammad! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the One, the Single!

The letter of Abdu’l-Husayn, upon him be My Glory, which he wrote to thee was noted. We found it adorned with the mention of God, His loved ones and His chosen ones. Well is it with him! He hath spoken the truth, and I am the All-Knowing Witness. He made mention of Mirza Ali-Akbar, upon him be My Glory. Praise be to God, they have drunk from the choice wine of certitude and have turned toward the horizon of the All-Merciful. The dust of idle fancies prevented them not from the Lord of all beings.

We make mention of Muhammad who hath attained unto the traces of My Most Exalted Pen. We beseech God to strengthen him and aid him with the hosts of the unseen. Verily, He is powerful over all things. The clamor of the world held him not back from the Ancient Lord. They rent asunder the veils and shattered the idols. We beseech God, exalted be He, to assist him in that which will draw him nigh unto Him and to ordain for him that which He hath ordained for His near servants.

At this hour We make mention of him who was named Muhammad-ʿAli, and We remind him of My verses and give him the glad tidings of My loving-kindness and mercy. Verily, he hath attained unto that which was recorded by the Pen of Revelation in the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds. He hath turned and attained. We beseech God to aid him in reforming the world and guiding the peoples, and to ordain for him the good of the hereafter and of this world. Verily, He is the Lord of the Throne and of the dust. There is none other God but He, the Almighty, the Powerful.

We make mention of him whom We named Habib’u’llah in the world of creation and in the Book of Names, as a command from Us that he may rejoice and be of the thankful ones. When thou hearest the call from the Most Exalted Horizon, say:

“Praise be to Thee, O Lord of all beings and Creator of the heavens, for having mentioned me time and again and honored me with that which nothing in existence can equal. O my Lord! I beseech Thee by the waves of the ocean of Thy mercy and the splendors of the Day-Star of Thy grace, and by the station which was honored by Thy presence and whereon was established the throne of Thy grandeur, to aid me in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.”

We make mention of him who loved Me and attained My presence and circled round Me and spoke My praise, and We give him the glad tidings of God’s grace and mercy. Verily, he was named Husayn in the Book of God, the Lord of Lords. O Husayn! The Wronged One mentioneth thee at this time with that which will draw thee nigh unto Him. Give thanks unto God for this most great favor and say:

“Unto Thee be thanksgiving and praise, and unto Thee be glory and splendor, O Thou Who art the Beloved of those who are in the heavens and on earth.”

Blessed art thou and blessed is he who heareth thy words concerning this Most Great Announcement and this Cause at which the limbs of the evil ones have quaked.

O Muhammad! The letter from ʿAbdu’l-Husayn concluded with mention of Amin. Verily, We make mention of Husayn and We make mention of Amin who hath attained to the service of God, the Lord of all worlds. He hath mentioned My loved ones with manifest humility. In all his letters he hath spoken in praise of the friends of God, beseeching divine grace and loving-kindness for each one.

We beseech God to aid him, that through the light of detachment he may become the cause of unity and concord. Blessed is he who uniteth hearts and souls. Whosoever acteth in this supreme service for the sake of God is recorded in the Book as one of the people of Baha and the companions of the most exalted Paradise.

We convey Our greetings to the friends of God in the Land of Ta and its surroundings, and counsel them to that which will exalt the Cause of God. O people of Baha! With the hosts of wisdom and utterance, summon the peoples of the world to the horizon of the All-Merciful. Dispel the doubts and vain imaginings of the past, and strive that perchance the loved ones of this Cause may not be afflicted with that which afflicted the people of former times throughout the ages.

They claimed truth, yet ultimately pronounced the death sentence. Now too the deniers of the Bayan walk the same path, clinging to doubts and vain imaginings. We beseech God to protect His loved ones from the evil of those who behold the Sun yet deny it, who see the signs yet turn away therefrom. They are indeed in manifest loss.

The glory from Us be upon thee and upon him and upon those who have migrated in My path and have attained unto that which was recorded in the Books of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne and the Exalted Seat.

BH00888: The Epistle of God, the Help-in-Peril, the Self-Subsisting

He is the Comforter, the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful

This is a Book which the Wronged One hath sent down unto him who hath believed in God, the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting, that the breezes of Revelation might draw him to the Most Exalted Horizon and strengthen him to remain steadfast in this Cause whereby hearts have been perturbed and minds have melted, save those whom God, the Lord of the Throne and of earth, and the Purpose of all that hath been and shall be, hath willed.

O thou who gazeth toward the Horizon of Revelation! Hear what the Speaker of Sinai uttereth in this praiseworthy station. Verily there is none other God but Him, the One, the Mighty, the Glorious, the Loving. We have mentioned thee and thy father aforetime in such wise that your remembrance shall endure throughout the worlds of dominion and kingdom. Let not the happenings of the world grieve thee, nor the clamor of humanity frighten thee, nor the doubts of those who have denied the Witness and the Witnessed prevent thee. Cast aside the people and what they possess through a power from Us, and take hold of the Book of God with such strength that neither hosts nor ranks shall hinder thee. Thus have the spheres of wisdom and utterance revolved by command of the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.

We have desired at this time to make mention of him who hath ascended to the Supreme Companion. Verily thy Lord is powerful over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is. O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who chose for himself a path unto God, the Lord of existence, and believed in Him when the Call was raised between earth and heaven, and who drank the choice wine of utterance from the cup of his Lord’s bounty, the Lord of the seen and unseen.

O Rajab-ʿAli! Upon thee be the glory of God, His loving-kindness, His mercy and His grace. Thou hearest and beholdest thy mention from the Ancient Pen in this Most Great Prison, and the Wronged One’s establishment therein through what the hands of those who disbelieved in God and His signs have wrought, who denied His proof and broke His Covenant by following every ignorant rejected one. I testify that thou didst turn unto Him when every heedless and veiled one turned away. Blessed art thou, for the Tongue of Grandeur hath moved to make mention of thee in this station round which circle the Concourse on High and the angels brought nigh.

I testify that thou didst hold fast to the cord of the Cause in such wise that neither the happenings of the world nor the turning away of those who turned from Him Who in every condition proclaimeth “There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Beloved” could deter thee. Thou art he whom neither the hosts of princes frightened, nor the doubts of divines, nor the gestures of jurisprudents. Thou didst turn and hear what the Son of ʿImran heard on the Mount of Knowledge. Thou didst fulfill God’s Covenant and His Testament, and acknowledged what He revealed in His Book. Blessed art thou, O thou who hast turned toward the lights of the Countenance, who speaketh My praise amongst the servants, who hath clung to My robe and held fast to My stretched cord.

Thou art he whom the might of the people did not weaken. Thou didst speak in the innermost heart what none save God, thy Lord, knoweth, and bore witness to that which the Desired One bore witness, and didst achieve that which none of the ancients achieved, save whom God, the Lord of the Frequented Fane, willed. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of bounty, the light gleaming from the direction of immortality, and the fragrance wafting from the garment of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all men, be upon thee, O thou who didst attain the knowledge of God when the parties held back therefrom. Blessed art thou, and blessed is he who remembereth thee by what hath been sent down at this time from God, the Lord of all men.

We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to send down upon thee at all times a mercy from His presence and a breeze from the fragrances of His garment. Verily He is the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Bestowing.

Listen with the ear of thy spirit to the Wronged One’s call in the Persian tongue. Perchance thou mayest succeed in serving His Cause and protecting the peoples of the earth from former vain imaginings. Perchance the light of unity may shine forth from the horizons of men’s hearts, and all may attain that for which they were created from nothingness into being.

One word is mentioned for the sake of God, that perchance it may become a barrier between the manifestations of fancy and the dawning-places of the Sun of certitude, and they may understand that which preserveth souls from the conjectures of the heedless, the doubts of the infidels and the cawing of the croakers. How many were the divines, mystics and jurists who in past ages and centuries were occupied with the mention of God and, with utmost humility and supplication, besought from the All-Possessing the appearance of the Most Great Luminary. At dawn their tears would fall and their sighs would rise, yet when the days of His manifestation appeared by the will of God, exalted be His glory, and the Sun of Truth shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of divine Will, all turned away. Not content with mere rejection, they proceeded to cut down the Blessed Tree with the swords of their idle fancies. And now the divines of Persia openly curse the Truth from their pulpits without any veil or covering. They have committed that which no faction in the world hath ever committed.

Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One and arise to serve His Cause with such steadfastness that no agitation may shake it. Reflect upon the deeds, actions and words of the former people. He verily will aid thee and enable thee to hold fast to the Straight Path of God and His Great Announcement. We counsel thee with that wherewith God hath counseled His loved ones in His Book. He is, verily, the Sincere Counselor, the Trustworthy. Behold the Tree and its fruits, the Sun and its radiance. This blessed word hath repeatedly been revealed by the Supreme Pen in the Scriptures and Tablets. Hold fast unto it and say:

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, my Lord, and my Support, for having guided me unto Thy path from which most of Thy creatures have turned away, and for having given me to drink of Thy sealed wine through Thy Name, the Self-Subsisting, and for having caused me to hear Thy sweet call and the rustling of Thy Most Exalted Pen. I beseech Thee by Thy Cause that hath encompassed earth and heaven, by Thy power before the faces of the princes, and by the waves of the ocean of Thy utterance in the kingdom of creation, to make me steadfast in Thy Cause, firm in Thy love, arising in Thy service, and speaking Thy praise amongst Thy servants with wisdom and eloquence. Thou art, verily, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bountiful.

O thou who gazest upon the Countenance, convey to all who are related the greetings of the Wronged One and perfume them with the divine revelations. Today the Truth, exalted be His glory, is manifest and His Cause evident. He hath mentioned each one with a mention that is enduring and everlasting. We beseech Him to aid all to that which beseemeth His Day. This Day hath been and is unlike all other days. All the Prophets gave glad tidings of this Day, and likewise did all things. Blessed are they whom neither the tales of the past and future prevented from the Kawthar of the All-Merciful’s utterance, nor did the rejection of the rejectors and the opposition of the oppressors hold back from turning to the Truth. His is the praise and the glory, His the bounty and bestowal. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

BH00945: This is a remembrance from Us unto him who…

In the Name of Him Who calleth betwixt earth and heaven!

This is a remembrance from Us unto him who hath turned unto Him Who is the One Remembered, when the Promise came to pass and the Promised One appeared with manifest sovereignty. This is a Day wherein none save Him is mentioned. To this testify the Books of God, both of the past and of the future, and this mighty Tablet. This is a Day wherein the Ocean of Utterance hath surged and the Horizon of Knowledge hath shone forth, inasmuch as the Ancient King hath mounted the Most Great Throne and the Dove of Utterance hath warbled upon the highest branches. The Owner hath come, and sovereignty belongeth unto God, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Nothing whatsoever escapeth His knowledge. He heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

Thy letter hath come before the Wronged One, and the servant who standeth before His Face hath presented it. We answer thee with verses which, when sent down from the heaven of proof, all the books of the earth bowed down before them. To this testifieth He Who speaketh in every condition, that there is none other God but Me, the Mighty, the Generous. Be thou a speaker of My remembrance, turn thy face unto the lights of My countenance, hold fast unto My cord, and arise to serve My Cause, the Mighty, the Wondrous. We have caused thee to hear, and have acquainted thee, and have shown thee, and have guided thee unto My straight path. Give thanks unto God for this most great favor and say:

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, my Lord, and my Support, for having called me unto Thyself and given me to drink the cup of Thy presence from the hand of Thy bounty, and made me turn toward Thy most exalted horizon when the learned ones of all the earth turned away therefrom. I beseech Thee by Thy most great signs, and by the Name through which the Ship of Utterance hath sailed upon the ocean of names, to make me in all conditions a speaker of Thy praise amongst Thy servants, in such wise that neither the assault of the Pharaohs nor the power of the tyrants shall prevent me. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Strong, the All-Conquering, the Almighty.

We had made thee hear the verses of thy Lord in a perspicuous Arabic tongue, and now We desire to make thee hear them in a wondrous Persian tongue. If the people of the earth were to become aware of the greatness of this Day and the greatness of this Cause, all would detach themselves from all else save God and turn unto the Most Great Ocean which hath appeared before the faces of all peoples. The vain imaginings of men have debarred them from the Lord of all days. Every group hath clung to an idle fancy and hath been deprived of the light of the Sun of certitude. For twelve hundred years and more they have occupied themselves with cursing and reviling one another. Fellowship and unity have vanished while discord is evident. Each party hath chosen a way for itself and each people hath devised a path. Were ye to count the ways of vain imaginings, ye could not reckon them.

Verses have been sent down in such wise as to encompass the world, and the evidences of His banners have been raised high and made manifest in the Tablet to Ra’is and the Surihs to the Kings. The power of the Most Exalted Pen and the potency of the Most Sublime Word are clear and evident to them that are endowed with insight and them that dwell in the Most Great Paradise. From the beginning of the Cause this Wronged One, alone and without any veil or covering, called out with His loudest voice unto the rulers and ministers and divines and jurisprudents and philosophers, summoning all to the Most Sublime Horizon. Nevertheless, the heedless and ignorant servants have not awakened nor drunk from the ocean of knowledge.

From the beginning of creation until now no Revelation like unto this hath appeared. To this testify the Books of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. This Day hath ever been specially designated with God. Most wondrous of all is the heedlessness of the servants and the tyranny of them that dwell in the lands. We beseech God not to deprive His servants of the outpourings of the Day of Retribution, nor to withhold from them the hearing of His Word and the beholding of His Horizon. May He open the gate of justice with the key of grace, make manifest them that are endued with equity, and adorn them with the most great steadfastness, that perchance they may deliver the people from ignorance and lead them unto the truth. His is the command. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He is the Mighty, the All-Praised.

We make mention of thy brother who hath been named Mihdi and give him the glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all the worlds. O Mihdi! Hearken unto the voice of the Wronged One. From the earliest days until now He hath been afflicted in the hands of the enemies—that which hath caused the dwellers of the All-Highest Paradise to weep and the inhabitants of the Most Exalted Paradise to lament. This Wronged One biddeth thee ponder upon the Seal of the Prophets. There befell Him that which melted the hearts of them that are nigh unto God and the hearts of the sincere ones. For them that have ears to hear, one verse sufficeth:

“And there came not unto them any Messenger but they did mock at him.”

Reflect upon Jesus, Son of Mary. The tyranny reached such a pass that God, exalted be His glory, took Him up unto the fourth heaven. Hearken unto the voice of the Wronged One, and sanctify thine ears from what thou hast heard, and likewise thine eyes. Then with a sanctified ear and eye of fairness, see and hear. The verses are present in every station and the evidences are clear and manifest. Its traces shine forth like unto the sun, yet only the fair-minded are blessed to behold its lights. Today the Speaker on Sinai is seated upon the throne of Revelation and speaketh: Blessed is he that hath heard and seen, and woe unto the heedless ones.

And in this station We make mention of thy daughter and We beseech God to assist her and make her steadfast in His love. Verily He is potent over all things. O handmaiden of God! The whole world was brought from nothingness into being for the recognition of the Ancient Beauty, and this blessed Day was promised in all the Books, Tablets and Scriptures. The divines of Persia occupied themselves day and night with the mention of the Lord of all mankind, and from their pulpits they uttered “May God hasten His advent”; yet when the world was illumined with the lights of the Orb of His Manifestation, all arose in opposition, and finally pronounced the death sentence against His blessed Person. But thou, through His grace, mercy and loving-kindness, didst turn unto Him and didst drink from the choice wine of His love. Know thou the value of this station and of him who guided thee—that is, the one who showed thee the way and made thee aware. Give thanks unto thy Lord and say:

Thine be the praise, O Lord of Names, and Thine be the glory, O Possessor of bounty, for having guided me unto Thy path, and made me know the Dayspring of Thy signs and the Dawning-place of Thy clear tokens, and for having given me to drink of the Kawthar of Thy love through Thy gracious hands. I beseech Thee to ordain for me, by Thy Most Exalted Pen, that which Thou hast ordained for such of Thy handmaidens as have held fast to the cord of Thy commandments and the rope of Thy behests. Thou art He the tongue of grandeur hath testified to Whose power. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Compelling over what was and what shall be. Verily, unto God do we belong and unto Him do we return.

BH01167: O Asad! Upon thee rest My glory! The letter…

In the Name of the One True God

O Asad! Upon thee rest My glory! The letter thou didst send hath been presented before the face of this Wronged One, and hath been honoured with His hearing. Praised be God Who hath caused His loved ones to drink from the same cup from which the Dayspring of verses and the Manifestation of clear proofs did drink. In the land of Ta, this Wronged One was imprisoned with chains and fetters in four cities. These afflictions occurred repeatedly, yet as they were in the path of God, they strengthened the spirit and renewed the body. Though outwardly weakness was apparent, inwardly the Light of Power shone forth, radiant and resplendent from the horizon of the heaven of the heart. Thou and the Khan have drunk from this cup—blessed are ye both!

The oppressors are as children playing with mud. Soon will the hand of power seize them and spread wide the carpet of joy and delight. His might is not weakened by the power and sovereignty of kings, nor is His utterance prevented by the clamor of the heedless and the deniers. His Will is effective and His Purpose all-pervading, despite those who have denied God and His signs. What became of the serpent? Where went the wolf? Soon shall the oppressors pass from their palaces to their graves, and their earthly glory, wealth and exaltation shall come to an end.

O Ba’i! If the servants would act according to that which hath been recorded in God’s Book by the Most Exalted Pen, they would soon attain unto that which befitteth the mercy of the All-Merciful. Convey My greetings to the people of that land. In the days of their distress, God was with them, bestowed tranquility upon them, and delivered this Wronged One. Give them glad-tidings from this Wronged One, that all may attain to joy and gladness. By the Sun of the horizon of proof which shineth from the most exalted horizon of possibility, the true profit is with you, and the reward for what hath befallen you is a treasure with God, preserved in the pavilion of infallibility. Were it to be revealed even to the extent of a needle’s eye, mortal vision would be unable to behold it. He Who possesseth the Clear Book beareth witness to this.

Rejoice in God’s loving-kindness and His mercy! Be gladdened by God’s bounty and His generosity! Soon shall ye be illumined by the effulgences of the light of God’s Sun of grace. Reflect upon the heedlessness of souls: love of ornaments hath deprived them of eternal bounty and everlasting sustenance. God’s Will is bent upon the reformation of the world. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this great favour. The primary cause and origin of the world’s corruption hath been and continues to be, in the first rank and station, the divines. Throughout the ages they said “yea” to the Truth, yet in the end martyred Him. Inform the friends of this utterance that the greatest joy may take possession of their hearts and souls, and that this world and all that is therein may not hold them back from the Straight Path.

Say: O my God, my Adored One, my Goal! Unto Thee do we turn, to Thee do we cleave, and from Thee do we seek that which conduceth to life eternal and everlasting glory. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance, the power of Thy Will, and the potency of Thy purpose, to protect me and Thy loved ones from the evil of Thine enemies who have been so deluded by the world that they have violated Thy Covenant and Testament, denied Thy right, and disputed Thy signs. O Lord! Illumine our hearts with the lights of Thy utterance, then assist us with the hosts of the seen and the unseen through Thy might and power, then forgive our trespasses and our sins through Thy grace and bounty, then send down upon us from the heaven of bounty mercy from Thy presence and blessings from Thy side. O Lord! Transform our sorrow into joy, our poverty into wealth, our abasement into glory, our weakness into strength, and our agitation into tranquility. Verily, Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Generous. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon everyone who is steadfast and firm.

O my father! Know thou with clear certainty that thou art and hast been under the glance of grace. Associate with all the peoples of the world with utmost love and kindness, especially with the friends of God. He hath been and is with thee. He heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. His grace reacheth thee, He bestoweth strength. He is the One powerful and mighty over all things. Look not at the heedlessness and ignorance of some, but rather hold fast unto that which hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen concerning kindliness, forbearance and compassion. Verily, He will exalt thee in truth. How beloved it is in the sight of God when a person, for His sake, seeketh not to retaliate but rather looketh to pardon and forgiveness. Praise be to the Lord of the invisible and the visible, that this Manifest Book hath been revealed bearing thy name and that of His friends.

Another glad-tiding is that at this moment the Sun of Permission hath dawned from the horizon of God’s Will. However, thou must be mindful of wisdom. Turn to it whenever wisdom requireth. In most Tablets the decree of wisdom hath been sent down from the heaven of God’s Will. All must observe it and act accordingly. That which was mentioned regarding hospitality hath been accepted in the Most Holy Court, illumined by the splendors of the Sun of acceptance. Blessed art thou, O Husayn. We testify that thou hast attained unto the mention of God and the service of His Cause, and We testify that thou art among the triumphant ones. Soon will come to you servants who have denied God and His signs. Say: O friends of God! Leave them behind you, remaining steadfast in the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds. The glory be upon you. This is once again a bounty from His presence, and He is the Bountiful, the Generous.

BH01179: Hearken unto the call from the direction…

He is the Hearer, the Answerer!

Hearken unto the call from the direction of the Most Great Prison, wherein speaketh the Ancient King:

“Verily, there is none other God but He, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

He hath come Who walketh upon the horizons of the earth and speaketh before all faces that which draweth the servants nigh unto God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. The Euphrates of utterance hath flowed from My Pen, and God hath quickened thereby every mouldering bone. We were seated upon the throne when thy letter arrived. We read it and answered thee with verses whereby the hearts of them that are brought near have been drawn.

The armies of the world have not prevented Us from the remembrance of God, the Founder of nations. Verily, He hath come from the horizon of power with a sovereignty that hath conquered all who are in the heavens and on earth. Blessed art thou for having heard and turned toward this luminous horizon on a day wherein most of the people of the earth have turned away, as every assured soul doth testify. The fragrance of verses hath been diffused, the clear proofs have appeared, and the shrill voice of the Pen hath been raised, yet the peoples are in thick veils. Their vain imaginings have barred them from God, the Lord of all worlds.

Blessed art thou for having acknowledged that which hath been sent down from the heaven of the loving-kindness of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. We have found in thy letter the fragrance of steadfastness in this Cause whereby have slipped the feet of the divines who broke God’s covenant and His testament, and pronounced judgment against Him with manifest injustice. Let not the utterances of the doubtful ones, who have disbelieved in God’s verses when they were sent down in truth and who have spoken that which hath caused the denizens of the most exalted Paradise to lament at morn and eve, grieve thee.

Give thanks unto God for having remembered thee in the Most Great Prison time and again, and at this moment wherein His Most Great Branch speaketh thy praise and writeth before His face. Verily, thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Generous. Be thou a speaker of His remembrance, a bearer of His Book, and a helper of His Cause, the wondrous, through wisdom and utterance. Verily, He is the Helper, the All-Knowing.

Hearken in the Persian tongue! Time and again hast thou attained unto the divine verses and quaffed from the sealed wine, and in the days when darkness encompassed the world thou wert illumined by the effulgent rays of the Luminary of Revelation which shone forth in this radiant morn. His is the praise, His the thanksgiving, His the bounty, His the majesty and glory. There hath been and is no doubt that the Truth, exalted be His glory, hath ever been and is the All-Knowing, the All-Protecting, the All-Encompassing, and the All-Powerful. All affairs are in the grasp of His might. Not a thing escapeth His knowledge. He heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Yet in these days this Wronged One hath donned the garment of camel’s hair, and though the lights of Revelation have encompassed the world, He hath veiled Himself.

Whatsoever hath been announced in the divine Books of the past and future—these are the most exalted of days, and in this station naught but the mention of Divinity hath been made, even as the Seal of the Prophets hath said: “The Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds.” The Primal Point, at the beginning of the Persian Bayan, declareth: “He verily speaketh in every condition, saying: ʿI am God”’ to the end of the verse. And likewise in another station, in speaking of this Revelation, He saith: “I am the first to worship Him.”

Today the verses have encompassed the world and the evidences have embraced all things. The ocean of utterance surgeth in the midmost heart of contingent being, and the Sun of Revelation casteth its effulgences from all horizons. Yet vision and hearing are rare. Beseech the Lord that He deprive not His servants of the splendors of the Most Great Luminary. Most of the people of Iran know and are aware that this Wronged One arose with perfect steadfastness before the faces of all the world and summoned all to the Dayspring of divine knowledge and the Dawning-Place of His celestial revelation. With a single pen He struck upon the swords of the world. Blessed are they who have attained unto His grace and recognized that for which they were created from the void of non-existence. O thou who gazest upon His countenance! The Cause of this Wronged One is clear and evident as the sun, yet the heedless servants are occupied with names and remain oblivious of their Lord, as thou dost witness. In most matters We pass judgment according to outward appearances and hold fast to visible means, for this is required by God’s consummate wisdom, as is the manifestation in human form.

When thou art enraptured by the wine of My utterance and art raised to the kingdom of My knowledge, say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me to the ocean of Thy grace and enabled me to turn toward the horizon of Thy Revelation, whereby the horizons of the cities of Thy knowledge and wisdom were illumined. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Signs and the manifestations of Thy grandeur in the kingdom of creation to ordain for me through Thy Most Exalted Pen that which will enable me to associate with Thy chosen ones in every world of Thy worlds. O my Lord! Thou seest the thirsty one hastening to the ocean of Thy mercy, the seeker advancing toward Thy grace, and the silent one drawn to the kingdom of Thy utterance.

I implore Thee not to withhold from me that which is with Thee. Write down for me, O my God, the good of this world and the next. Then forgive me and my parents and those for whom Thou hast desired the wondrous tokens of Thy bounty and favor. Thou art He through Whose Name the ocean of forgiveness surged and the fragrance of Thy name, the All-Merciful, was wafted. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.