Volume 087: Akka 1305 A.H. (1887–1888), Part IV (3 of 4)

BH01270: O thou who gazest upon the countenance!

O thou who gazest upon the countenance!

At this time Ghayn Alif Kaf is present and makes mention of you, and We make mention of thee with that which diffused the fragrance of love and affection. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to open before thy face the door of His blessing and grace, and to make thee a standard of His mention among His creatures. Ask thou God to open the vision of His servants and to make them among the people of justice and fairness. Blessed art thou! He is with thee under all conditions, and aideth whomsoever cleaveth unto Him. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Bestower.

O Samandar! The Most Great Branch hath made mention of thee at this time and brought thy letter into Our presence. We hearkened unto it. Praise be to God that thy manifest and hidden call is raised for the exaltation of the Word. This is of God’s grace upon thee. Thy recompense hath not been and shall not be lost, and whatsoever thou hast wrought in God’s path hath been recorded in the Book and is preserved from change, alteration and obliteration.

Rejoice thou with this glad tiding: Previously, petitions and letters arrived from that region at the Most Holy Court. The Supreme Pen paused in reply until now. From every direction petitions and letters arrive continuously while time is scarce. However, God willing, in these days answers shall descend from the heaven of loving-kindness and be dispatched. Convey greetings from the Wronged One to the loved ones in that land. The letter of Nabil-i-Akbar, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness, which he wrote to the servant present, arrived and in these days a reply shall be sent. We have made mention and continue to make mention of Javad, Khalil, their nephew and all other loved ones. Praise be to God, each has attained unto the traces of the Supreme Pen, and mention of all hath repeatedly been made and continueth to be made in the Most Great Scene. Upon them be the glory of God, His loving-kindness, God’s grace and His mercy.

The letter of Jinab-i-Darbaghi, upon him be the glory of God, which was sent in the name of Jud, was presented at the Most Holy Court and was seen. Mention was made of a group in that leaf, and at the time of its presentation, the Euphrates of divine mercy was flowing and the rains of grace were pouring down. We beseech God to assist them in deeds which draw them nigh unto God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Today the faithful must be occupied with the standard of godliness, the banner of detachment, and the hosts of wisdom and utterance in aid of the Cause of the Desired One of the worlds. O Samandar! The Divine Lote-Tree is ablaze in such wise that the worlds of knowledge are powerless to comprehend it; yet the people remain cold. Say: Most of the servants are wandering in the wilderness of idle fancies and vain imaginings. Where is the arm of Thy power, O Desired One of the worlds? And Thou seest them in the desert of hopelessness and error. Where are the breezes of Thy grace, O Deliverer of the worlds?

O Samandar! I complain unto thee of those who attribute themselves to the Wronged One yet perpetrate that which causeth My heart, My pen, and My limbs to lament. Today it hath become clear and evident to most that God’s decree in the Scriptures, Books and Tablets is sanctification and detachment. Some in cities and regions have committed that which causeth the limbs of justice to quake and the heart of equity to be troubled. The loved ones of that land must beseech God and supplicate for justice and fairness for those souls. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. By God’s life! The wrongs suffered by this Wronged One are beyond reckoning. Every fair-minded person and every discerning scholar beareth witness to this.

Mention was made of his honor Yun Kha, upon him be the Glory of God. Praise be to God that they became aware of that which most of the people of the world are heedless, and turned towards a Cause from which all have turned aside save those whom God willed, and hearkened unto that for which ears were specially created from nothingness. They should render thanksgiving unto God, exalted be His glory, throughout the days and nights.

As to permission for the aforementioned one and two others, there hath never been any doubt that this Revelation hath loved and continues to love the presence of the friends, and seeketh for them the bounty of nearness and meeting, and the feast of revelation and witnessing. However, in this land, following the clamor raised by the previous governor, some discussion hath arisen, as hath been revealed in the Tablets from the Supreme Pen. We have therefore withheld permission for the friends, except for those souls who had previously been blessed with the effulgences of the lights of the Luminary of permission. Now, should wisdom require it, they may proceed; otherwise, God shall record for them the reward of attaining His presence in His decisive and perspicuous Book.

Give him My greetings and remind him of that which hath been revealed by My Most Exalted Pen in this lofty station which hath been designated as the Most Great Prison by the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days. The Glory which proceedeth from Us be upon thee and upon those whose names thou didst mention, for whom the verses of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, were revealed from the Pen of Command, and upon those women who have believed in the All-Informed Single One and have held fast unto the handle of purity and have attained unto that which was revealed in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

BH01414: The Purpose of the world is to be worthy…

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

The Purpose of the world is to be worthy of mention, but what manner of mention should it be and from whom should it come? There has never been any doubt that mention other than His own is not befitting Him as it should be. Thereby it is established that His mention is acceptable only unto Himself and His utterance is befitting only unto His Essence. According to the pronouncement of the Prophets, upon them be peace and glory, none hath ever fathomed nor will ever fathom the knowledge of His Essence. This statement is complete and every fair-minded one acknowledges it.

Nevertheless, at every moment man witnesses the successive manifestations of His grace and the effulgences of His loving-kindness. His bounty and mercy have so encompassed all things that man can attain unto His knowledge according to his capacity, inasmuch as all created things are, in one station, signs of the knowledge of Him and manifestations of His grace. Of this there is no doubt. His bestowals are countless and His favors endless. In this connection one may say “verily with difficulty cometh ease.” A hundred thousand praises, glorifications, mentions and splendors be unto His most holy Being, Who bestoweth without any worthiness on our part. He joineth the East and the West in a single moment and bringeth forth the fruits thereof. This is yet another bounty, another gift, and another favor. Through His will, remoteness appeareth adorned with the ornament of nearness, and through His decree, fire appeareth in the form of radiant light. Glory be unto Him! Glory be unto Him!

In these days, some of His signs have adorned the hearts and souls of a number with joy and gladness. We must arise to thank Him for His grace and open our tongues in praise. In truth, existence is for this very purpose. It would be difficult to find a wing that could soar higher. Gabriel, upon him be peace, spoke well when, according to the speaker, he said “Were I to venture a hair’s breadth higher…” Every bounty of His possesseth another bounty, and every grace of His encompasseth another grace. How can one fulfill the obligation of thankfulness save through His grace taking one by the hand and teaching one?

O my God, my God! Withhold not from us that which Thou lovest, and deprive us not of that which Thou hast accepted. I beseech Thee by Thy conquering power to make us content with Thy decree and to enable us to hold fast unto the cord of Thy bounty. Verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. My spirit be a sacrifice unto your mention and your praise.

The noble letter which followed the Book of Truth arrived. Its arrival was like the flowing of the Euphrates of mercy to the thirsty. Verily the Kawthar of life was evident in the chalice of its words, for it was adorned with the mention and praise of the Truth. I offered thanks and praise, and after perusing it, proceeded to the place where I was honored to hear it read.

O Afnan! O ʿAli! Upon thee be the peace of God, His mercy and His grace. Know thou with certain knowledge that the Best of Inheritors is the Truth, exalted be His glory, and the blessed Word that hath proceeded from the mouth of His Will is the true inheritor and the true son, for this mention in the Book of God is eternal. Neither doth extinction overtake it, nor do the manifestations of Names alter it, nor doth the passage of centuries and ages change it.

We beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, to manifest unto you and send down upon you that which beseemeth the heaven of His grace and the kingdom of His bounty. Henceforth, it appears that if the Most Great Afnan, upon him be the peace of God, His mercy and His grace, would honor these lands with his presence, it would be most fitting and appropriate. If wisdom requireth it, it would be most excellent. Convey greetings to the honored Haji and all other loved ones, and on behalf of this Wronged One mention that from which the fragrance of love and affection is wafted.

Although the grace of the Truth, exalted be His glory, is more evident than the sun and needeth no mention, yet one loves these mentions, namely, whatsoever pertaineth to the realm of love, affection and purity. I beseech and supplicate the Truth, exalted be His glory, to preserve the honored master and your honor under His protection and shelter, and to bring near the days of reunion. This supplication is easy to fulfill before the Generous Lord and is accompanied by acceptance.

God is witness that during the nights and days I await meeting them, and I seek help from the Truth and desire His response. I remember all other masters and loved ones, offer them greetings, and beseech His grace and protection for all. Verily our Lord is the All-Hearing, the All-Responding. Peace, remembrance and glory be upon your honor and upon those who are with you, who love you and who hearken unto your words for the sake of God, our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

BH01449: O Samandar, upon thee be My glory! His honor…

He is the All-Hearing, the All-Answering

O Samandar, upon thee be My glory! His honor ʿAli, who hath repeatedly circumambulated the House, hath sent thy mention to the Most Holy Court, and likewise that of the friends in that land. Praise be to God, he hath attained unto the effulgences of the lights of the Orb of nearness, and hath been blessed from the chalice of meeting. He constantly seeketh a portion for those who are related, assured, and detached. Therefore, at this moment, from the Most Exalted Pen floweth the Kawthar of remembrance and the Salsabil of utterance, that every possessor of love and detachment may drink thereof. We beseech God to aid all and adorn them with steadfastness. He is the Powerful, the Mighty.

O Ali, upon thee be My glory! The letter of His honor Abdu’l-Baqi, upon him be My glory, was seen, and every letter thereof testified before the Face to his turning unto God, his certitude, and his steadfastness. Blessed is he, and joy be unto him, and joy be unto him! He is remembering and praising, and his daughter is engaged in service and circumambulation. Well is it with her! We beseech God to aid her, prosper her, and ordain for her what shall be best for her in the Hereafter and in this world.

O Abdu’l-Baqi, upon thee be My loving-kindness! Convey My greetings to His honor Akhavi, Mashhadi, and Abdu’l-ʿAli. All are mentioned in the Most Holy Court and have attained unto the traces of the Most Exalted Pen. We beseech God to ordain that which is the cause of nearness, comfort, and salvation. Be not grieved by worldly events. Say: My God, my God! I know not what profiteth or harmeth me, nor what guideth me to Thy path. I beseech Thee by Thy Self to ordain for me what shall profit me in Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

Mention of His honor Abdu’l-Husayn, upon him be My glory, was revealed from the Most Exalted Pen some time ago. God willing, he shall attain unto it. O Ali, Qasim’s letter was seen. He hath desired wings that he might soar, hath sought spiritual sustenance that he might gain strength, and hath beseeched precious pearls from the treasury of the Most Exalted Pen that he might attain unto true wealth and spiritual riches.

O Qasim! ʿAli sent thy letter to the Most Holy Court and repeatedly sought a reply, that thy mention might flow from the Most Exalted Pen. Praise be to God, thou hast attained unto this most great bounty, hast heard the call from before and after, and hast drunk from the cup of meeting. Preserve this station. The friends of that land must arise to serve, that is, to guide the people of the world to the horizon of the All-Merciful through wisdom and utterance. Blessed are they that act!

Mention was made of His honor Javad, upon him be My glory, in the letter. Verily, We have mentioned him and those with him in numerous Tablets. My Books, My Scrolls, and My Writings bear witness to this, and beyond them, I am the All-Knowing Witness. Divine favor hath encompassed them; from the beginning of the Cause until now they have been occupied in service and have attained unto grace. They have ever been and are beneath Our glance. Verily, He doth not suffer the reward of the doers of good to be lost.

O Javad! We have mentioned thee graciously, and thy son, and those with thee. Convey greetings to each one from the Wronged One, and after the greeting, utter these words: Blessed art thou, for the lights of the Countenance have turned toward thee from the direction of the Prison, and joy be unto thee for having attained unto the recognition of God, the Lord of the worlds.

O Ahmad! Hear My call, that it may draw thee to God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Verily, We have mentioned thee and given thee to drink of the Kawthar of My love, as a grace from My presence, and I am the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous. The Glory be upon thee, upon thy father and mother, and upon My handmaiden whom We named ʿAzziyyih, and upon the handmaidens who have believed in the One, the All-Informed.

We make mention of ʿAli-Akbar and give him the glad tidings of My acceptance, My remembrance, My loving-kindness, and My mercy that hath preceded all who are in the heavens and the earth. And We make mention of the wife of him who was named Muhammad-Quli. Verily, We have mentioned her in a Tablet that hath no equal among what the people possess. Every informed one beareth witness to this.

O My handmaiden, upon thee be My glory! The Trusted One, upon him be God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of the worlds, mentioned thee when he was before the face of thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Generous. We have mentioned thee with a mention whereby the hearts of the mystics have been attracted.

O My handmaidens in My lands! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. Night and day, We have mentioned and continue to mention those men and women who have turned unto God and are unified. We beseech God to aid all to deeds whose light shall not set and whose fragrance the centuries and ages shall not alter. Thus hath the Most Exalted Pen spoken from this far Prison.

BH01701: The Greater Branch hath appeared with thy letter at…

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

The Greater Branch hath appeared with thy letter at the All-Luminous Horizon, wherein the Lord of Destiny speaketh forth the hidden mystery through which the Hour was made manifest and the moon was cleft asunder. Blessed is he who hath heard and attained, and woe unto every heedless doubter. We have heard thy call and have brought forth from the treasuries of My Most Exalted Pen the pearls of wisdom and utterance, as a mercy from Us upon thee and upon those who heard and responded when the Call was raised from the Most Exalted Station. We have remembered those who believed in the letters Ha’ and Mim, and gave them glad tidings of My loving-kindness and My mercy which have preceded all things. Verily thy Lord is the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful.

O Abu’l-Fadl! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. Hearken unto My call from the direction of My prison once again. Verily it draweth thee to My Kingdom and imparteth unto thee that which attracteth the hearts of My servants. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the Bestower. Nothing whatsoever escapeth His knowledge. That which He desired hath appeared and been made manifest, a command from His presence. Blessed is he who hath held fast unto His cord and acted according to what hath been sent down in the Book. We make mention of Our loved ones there and remind them of Our verses and give them to drink from the chalice of My utterance and draw them nigh unto God, the Lord of mankind. We have remembered them before with that whose fragrance shall never cease to endure throughout the dominion of My Kingdom and My sovereignty. The Mother Book with Him beareth witness unto this.

O people of God! Hearken unto the Call from the direction of My Most Great Prison. Verily it preserveth you and giveth you glad tidings of that which hath been ordained for you by God, the Lord of Lords. Beware lest ye be saddened by the deeds of him by whom the dwellers of the cities of My justice have lamented at eventide and at dawn. Verily those who claim to believe yet commit that which they were forbidden—these are among the people of error in the Book of God, the Self-Subsisting, the Most High. We have counselled all in that whereby the stations of man are elevated in the contingent world and the Word of God is exalted amongst the religions. Among the people are those who have acted upon that which they were commanded, and among them are those who have turned away and committed that which hath caused the Leviathan of utterance to writhe in the dust.

We make mention of the children of the Friend and counsel them in that which beseemeth the days of God, the Lord of the Day of Mutual Calling. Take ye, O My loved ones, the Book of God with the power that proceedeth from Him, and follow not every ungrateful infidel. Aid your Lord, the All-Merciful, with the hosts of wisdom and utterance. Thus hath the matter been decreed when the Light was shining from the horizon of Iraq. We have forbidden conflict and contention, and have commanded all to fear God, the Lord of creation. Blessed is he who hath cast away vain imaginings, holding fast unto that which he hath been commanded in the return.

We have remembered you before with verses that cannot be equalled by all the treasures of the earth. Hasten unto the good-pleasure of God, then act according to that which ye have been commanded in the Books and Tablets. Thus hath My Most Exalted Pen spoken when the Wronged One was established upon the throne of wisdom and utterance.

O Abu’l-Fadl! We have remembered thee time and again, and given thee to drink repeatedly. Be thankful and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who hast remembered me in Thy Most Great Prison, and glory be unto Thee, O Lord of all mankind! I beseech Thee to protect me from the evil of those who have broken Thy Covenant and Testament, and denied Thy proof when it was sent down in truth. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Chosen One.”

Know thou moreover that whosoever layeth claim to a Cause, he is a lying impostor. My Most Holy Book, which hath been sent down from My holy Kingdom as a favor unto the righteous, beareth witness unto this. Blessed art thou for having uttered My remembrance, turned unto My face, held fast unto My cord, and stood firm in the service of My Cause in My days. Thus have We set forth the verses and sent them unto thee that thine eyes may be consoled thereby and thy heart may rejoice, and that the people may be reminded of that which hath been sent down from the Kingdom of utterance of thy Lord, the Subjugator of the winds. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon thee and upon those who have hearkened and responded and have said:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp is the dominion of all created things!”

BH01692: Glorified art Thou, O my God, O God…

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

Glorified art Thou, O my God, O God of Names and Creator of heaven! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant and the son of Thy handmaiden. I acknowledge Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and I bear witness to Thy greatness and Thy sovereignty and to that which Thou hast sent down from the heaven of Thy Will in Thy Most Manifest Book, which informed the people of the Great Announcement and gave them glad tidings of meeting with Thy manifestation on the Day of Judgment through Thy words “The Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds.”

O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee, holding fast to the cord of Thy favor and clinging to the hem of the robe of Thy grace. Ordain for me that which will strengthen me to act according to what Thou hast informed me in Thy Book. I testify that Thou hast sent the Messengers and revealed the Books for the guidance of Thy creation and to draw them nigh unto the precincts of Thy chosen ones, Thy trusted ones and Thy friends.

I beseech Thee, O Educator of all beings and Lord of the seen and unseen, by the waves of the ocean of Thy bounty and the effulgences of the luminary of Thy generosity, and by Thy Beloved One Whom Thou hast made the Dawning-Place of Thy names and the Dayspring of Thy attributes and the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Source of Thy Will and the Ocean of Thy knowledge and the Heaven of Thy wisdom—through Whose advent the heavens of Thy nearness were honored, and by Whose name the standards of misbelief were lowered among Thy servants and the banners of unity were raised in Thy lands, and through Whom the dawning-places of infidelity and vain imaginings wailed and the smile appeared on the countenance of faith, and through Whom the sun of manifestation shone forth from the horizon of Hijaz and the pillars of hypocrisy were shaken in all regions, and through Whom Yathrib trembled and the valley flowed and the Kingdom of Names was adorned—to make me in all conditions one who celebrates Thy praise and speaks of Thy remembrance and bounty among Thy servants, and who acts according to that which Thou hast commanded me through Thy generosity and munificence.

O my Lord! Thou seest the sinner hastening to the ocean of Thy forgiveness, and the thirsty one to the Kawthar of Thy nearness, and the poor one to the treasury of Thy riches. I beseech Thee by the power of Thy Will and by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued Thy earth and Thy heaven, to ordain for me that which will preserve me from self and passion. Verily Thou art the Protector of all mankind and the Lord of the throne on high and of earth below. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O my God, my Lord, my Support, my Goal and my Object of worship! Send Thy blessings upon the Lord of the world and the Educator of nations, through Whose manifestation the stations of the Names appeared in Thy kingdom and the expressions of the attributes among Thy creation, and upon His family and His companions through whom Thy sovereignty and power were made manifest and the decree of unity was established among Thy creatures, and who strove in Thy Cause with true striving and aided Thy religion with true aid. Thou hast said concerning them—and Thy word is the truth—“Honored servants who speak not until He hath spoken, and who do as they are bidden.” And in another place: “Men whom neither merchandise nor traffic beguile from the remembrance of God.” I beseech Thee by them and by the lights of Thy Throne not to leave me to myself and my will and desire.

Then I beseech Thee by Thy might, O God of all beings and Goal of all things, to make me one of those who desire naught except what Thou hast desired for them through Thy bounty, and who have made their wills extinct in Thy Will and their desires in Thy Desire. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. Nothing in all things can prevent Thy will. Thou doest what Thou pleasest and ordainest what Thou desirest. Verily Thou are the Strong, the Triumphant, the Almighty.

Alas! Alas! O my God, if Thou shouldst withhold from me the Euphrates of Thy forgiveness and the ocean of Thy mercy, who would show mercy to me and forgive me? Alas! Alas! I have abandoned what Thou didst command me and committed what Thou didst forbid me. By Thy might! Despite my acknowledgment of my grievous sins and great transgressions, I testify that they all are as nothing before the waves of the ocean of Thy mercy and the heaven of Thy pardon and the sun of Thy generosity. Thou knowest and seest that this servant hath naught save weakness and weeping. Have mercy, O my God, on one who hath raised the hands of hope to the heaven of Thy favor and hath turned with his heart to the horizon of Thy pardon. Verily Thou art the Generous, possessed of great bounty. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

BH01765: Praise be sanctified beyond the comprehension and minds…

He is the One Who has dominion over all who are on earth and in heaven

Praise be sanctified beyond the comprehension and minds of all, befitting the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence of the Intended One Who, in days when darkness had encompassed the world, kindled the fire of His Cause and adorned the pavilion of His glory with the lights of His countenance. He protected the lamp of His power from the diverse winds of the world, and no clouds or veils could conceal the Sun of His Manifestation. At all times He speaks forth “The Kingdom is God’s” and at the heart of contingent being He proclaims “The Sovereign has come.” The events of the age and the opposition of the people of Iran did not prevent Him from His purpose nor hold Him back from His will. On His right the banner of “He doeth what He willeth” is raised, and on His left the standard of “He ordaineth what He pleaseth” is unfurled. Glorified be His greatness, exalted be His sovereignty, and triumphant be His power. There is no God but Him.

O My Afnan, O Abu’l-Hasan! Upon thee be My glory! Hearken unto the voice of the Wronged One and purify thy heart from the dust of sorrows that have befallen thee with the water of God’s remembrance. Though the tribulation that has occurred is grievous, yet patience and forbearance are greater in the sight of God. He is indeed the All-Patient and has commanded His servants to observe gracious patience. We make mention of the Afnan who has ascended unto God, for whom the ocean of forgiveness surged and the rain of thy Lord’s mercy, the Forgiving, the Generous, poured forth. At his ascension God adorned him with the ornament of forgiveness, as a grace from His presence—and He is the Ancient Bestower of Grace.

Convey My mention to all the kindred and counsel them to patience and forbearance. Today is the day of remembrance, praise and service to the Cause. The loved ones, especially the Afnan, must occupy themselves with teaching God’s Cause and exalting His Word. That which hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen concerning the Afnan shall endure as long as God’s names and attributes endure. You must preserve this most exalted station, for heedless souls lie in wait in various ways to utter words that would cause people to deviate from the Straight Path and the Great Announcement. If only they knew the foundation of the Cause! Verily thy Lord knoweth and concealeth—He is the Concealer, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The world is a manifest Book which in every moment mentions and reveals its mysteries. Therefore its events do not hold back the people of insight and the companions of the Most Great Vision from what God hath willed. You must arise with the utmost joy and fragrance as befitteth. None knoweth what shall come to pass hereafter. Soon there shall appear that which will gladden thee, draw thee near, and acquaint thee with what was hidden from sight. In outward matters, the command to consult hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen; thereafter, placing thy trust in God, hold fast to it and proceed accordingly.

When thou receivest My letter and findest from it the fragrance of My loving-kindness, say:

“My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me unto Thy straight path, and mention of me in Thy Most Great Prison before the faces of the world, and glory be to Thee for having revealed unto me what Thou hadst concealed from most of Thy creation. I beseech Thee, O God of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen, by the waves of the ocean of Thy bounty and the lights of the Sun of Thy Manifestation, to ordain for me through Thy Most Exalted Pen that which will draw me nigh unto Thee and purify me from what beseemeth not Thy days. Then forgive me through Thy grace and generosity. O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee and holding fast to the cord of Thy loving-kindness. I beseech Thee to open before my face the doors of Thy mercy and blessing, and to ordain for me the good of this world and the next. Verily Thou art the Lord of all beings and the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.”

BH01840: Exalted be His majesty, all-pervading His bounty, and great…

He is the One manifest from His most exalted horizon.

Exalted be His majesty, all-pervading His bounty, and great His power! He has named the prison the Most Exalted Horizon and designated the lowest station as the supreme height. The renowned scholar whose name was celebrated like the sun slipped from the path and returned to his place, while He made the unknown ignorant one succeed in attaining the ocean of knowledge. God doth as He willeth and ordaineth as He pleaseth. With Him is the Mother Book.

Ha, Sin: Upon thee be My Glory and My loving-kindness! Praise be to God, thou hast repeatedly been blessed with the loving-kindness of God and the traces of the Most Exalted Pen. Thou didst aim for the ultimate goal and through the assistance of the Lord of all beings, thou didst arrive and witness and hear. Praise be to Him in all conditions for His infinite and countless favors.

Glory be to God! Vain imaginings have prevented the servants from the Kawthar of the utterance of the All-Merciful. Veils thicker than before have appeared and intervened. The cause and reason are the veils of the past. In early Islam there were certain souls who were occupied day and night with fabrications, as became clear and evident to every person of insight at the appearance of the True One on the Day of Judgment. Their condition has become the cause of the veils of Hadi of Dawlat-Abad, although he was and is unaware of the root of the matter. This ignorant oppressor speaks the same worthless words as before and is occupied with organizing a party similar to the Shi’ih party. It is not known what he has understood and what he has intended and what he has comprehended of the fruits of the Blessed Tree.

If the servants would, through divine assistance and heavenly grace and mercy, observe with their own eyes what has appeared from the Most Exalted Horizon, they would instantly enter another world and find that which would free and liberate them from all else besides God. But the recompense of their deeds has seized them all. Say: My God, my God! Thou seest Thy servants in the pit of vain imaginings. Where is the arm of Thy power, O Thou the Goal of the worlds? O Lord! Assist Thy creation and disappoint them not of the wonders of Thy grace. Verily Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful ones.

Thy letter was presented before the Wronged One and the Greater Branch submitted it. We have answered thee with this perspicuous Tablet. We have found from each of its letters the fragrance of My wondrous and glorious love. We beseech God to assist thee and make thee successful and to exalt thee through the truth. Verily He is the Hearer, the Answerer.

And We make mention of the leaf, thy wife, and give her the glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of the mighty throne. O my leaf! Rejoice, then be gladdened by My mention of thee. Reflect upon the loving-kindness of God. He confirmed thee and enabled thee to recognize the Dawning-Place of revelation and the Source of verses. In days when the divines, rulers and mystics of the earth are heedless and veiled, this is the greatest of bounties and the supreme loving-kindness. Thank thy Lord for this manifest grace and say: Praise be to Thee, O Goal of the world, and glorified art Thou, O Thou in Whose grasp is the dominion of the heavens and earth!

O Ha qabl-i-Sin, upon thee be My Glory! Convey My greetings to my brother, upon him be My Glory. They intended to journey and attain Our presence. This matter depends on the requirements of wisdom. If wisdom permits, they may come; otherwise We shall decree for him from Our Most Exalted Pen the reward of attaining Our presence. Verily He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He desireth. He is the Mighty, the Powerful, the Praiseworthy.

The Glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon thee and upon those with thee and upon My loved ones there who have heard and turned and responded and said: “God is our Lord and the Lord of the exalted throne!”

BH01943: O Haydar-ʿAli, upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness…

He is the One Who speaks with truth and is manifest through grace!

O Haydar-ʿAli, upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness. The Book of Certitude is being reviewed and corrected according to the command. I complain unto thee of those who attribute themselves to Me yet commit that which causes My lamentation, crying and wailing to rise up. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to raise up souls worthy of serving this Most Great Cause and Mighty Announcement.

The Shi’ih world was administered through lies and calumnies, and now after the removal of the veils of glory and the veils of error, such calumnies have emerged that no ear in creation has heard their like. The Greater Afnan, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness—that is, the honored Uncle—while in Iraq asked certain questions in My presence, and that which was revealed in response became known as the Epistle to the Uncle, and later as the Book of Certitude. The journey and exile of the Wronged One is mentioned therein. Nevertheless, in the Land of Sad [Isfahan] it is reported that some of the followers of the tyrannical Dawlat-Abadi attributed it to another station. Fie upon them and those who followed them without any proof from God, the Lord of the worlds!

Some time ago, through the Afnan, a telegraph message reached Our presence from ʿAli, upon him be My glory, requesting your journey to the Land of Shin [Shiraz], and from the Source of bounty it was granted. However, after arriving in that land you must act with the utmost wisdom, in such way that none will find cause to speak. If you meet the loved ones, convey to them the greetings from the Wronged One.

In these days Shaykh Salman requested certain Tablets and forwarded petitions from some believers. Replies were revealed and sent. Jalal of Nayriz attained Our presence and was blessed with bounty. We beseech God to assist all to do what is befitting and worthy. The petitions of Rafi’-i-Badi’ and ʿAbdu’l-Hamid and another, upon them be the glory of God, reached the Most Holy Court. God willing, replies will be sent. We beseech God to assist them to serve the Cause and manifest what befits My days with wisdom and utterance. He is the Mighty, the Bestower.

Convey greetings from the Wronged One to Nabil of Qa’in, upon him be My glory. O Haydar-ʿAli, that which has been ordained for the steadfast and devoted souls is such that the tongues of all created things are powerless to describe. Soon they shall witness that which the Tongue of Grandeur spoke forth while seated upon the throne of prison through what the hands of the oppressors had wrought.

Ghulam, upon him be My glory, is remembered in the Most Holy Court. He has migrated and hastened until he arrived and attained. This is My testimony for him. We beseech God to assist those who have arisen to help His Cause and exalt His Word, and to confirm them in that which will elevate them in all His worlds. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

If you meet the people of Nun and Ra, upon them be My glory, convey greetings. The devoted ones must know their station and preserve it in the name of God, for if today something is lost, its recovery will be most difficult. We beseech God to make them enkindled with the fire of His love, detached from all else, and holding fast to His Most Strong and Mighty Cord. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH01985: O Jamal, upon thee be the Glory of God…

He is God, exalted be His glory, the All-Wise, the All-Eloquent

O Jamal, upon thee be the Glory of God, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High! Repeatedly hath thy mention been made, verses revealed, evidences manifested, and the Sun of loving-kindness hath dawned from the horizon of bounty and the light of grace hath shone forth.

Glory be to God! The Sun of certitude is shining from the highest horizon of the world and the Dove of Utterance is warbling upon the loftiest branches. Nevertheless, the people are occupied with calumnies and speak forth falsehoods. The lies of the past have come forth and what was rent asunder hath been replaced by that which is even more grievous.

The unfair Dawlat-Abadi hath turned from the sweet and flowing waters to fetid pools, and hath clung to calumnies instead of the revealed verses. Unwittingly he hath done what the former party never did. At every moment some discord appeareth and some cawing is raised. The former party for years had beseeched and yearned for His manifestation from God, exalted be His glory, yet when they found the gates of meeting opened, consider what they did and what they said. In truth the pen and tongue are ashamed to mention it. And this heedless man, namely Dawlat-Abadi, speaketh and uttereth the vain imaginings of that party. He hath again afflicted these ignorant servants with the calumnies of the past and continueth to do so. It is not known by what proof he professeth belief in the Primal Point while turning away from the path of God. In any case, heedless souls were not and are not worthy of mention.

We beseech God to assist the loved ones to accomplish that which will cause the exaltation of His blessed Word. We ask God to open upon thy face and upon those who love thee for the sake of God the gates of loving-kindness, ease, grace and bounty. Verily He is the Lord of all names and He is the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Say: My God, my God! Thou seest me standing before the door of Thy grace, seeking the wonders of Thy generosity and bounty. I beseech Thee by Thy Cause through which Thou didst send down the heavenly table to Thy servants and caused the rain of Thy mercy to shower upon Thy creation, to send down from the clouds of the heaven of Thy generosity upon this servant of Thine a blessing from Thee and a bounty from Thy presence and a mercy from Thy side. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Bountiful, the Generous, the Compassionate, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Convey My greetings to him who was named Husayn who attained Our presence and won the victory when the Wronged One was in the Most Great Prison through what the hands of the heedless had wrought, and to My loved ones who have not broken My covenant and My testament. We make mention of thy family in this station and give them the glad-tidings of My loving-kindness—the greatest loving-kindness and the most mighty bounty concerning her was that the Hands of the Cause of God, exalted be His glory, assisted and aided her and caused her to attain His presence. It behooveth thee and her and him who was named Hubu’llah to thank your Lord night and day. Verily He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

The honored Ibn-i-ʿAttar and Buzurg, upon them be My glory and loving-kindness, have attained and circle round My throne in My days, entering by permission and departing by permission. Blessed are they both. We beseech God to assist them to stand firm in this mighty Cause.

The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My utterance be upon thee and upon whoever heareth thy words concerning this Most Great Cause whereby the limbs of the nations have quaked. Verily thy Lord is the Speaker, the Rememberer, the Expositor, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH02024: O Ism-i-Jud! Upon thee be My glory! The letter…

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

O Ism-i-Jud! Upon thee be My glory! The letter of His name Jamal and Samandar (upon both of them be My glory) which they sent to you was seen. The fragrance of sincerity, love and steadfastness was outwardly and inwardly diffused therefrom. They have drunk the wine of grace and bounty from the cup of the favor of their Lord, the Most Glorious, and have attained that which was hidden from all eyes and inscribed by the Supreme Pen in the Book.

That which was mentioned therein regarding the affairs of the Shaykh (upon him be My glory) attained the glance of grace. We beseech the All-Bountiful to send upon them the rain of His bounty and mercy and to open before their faces the gates of eternal blessing and favor. Verily He is the Lord of creation and the Lord of the mighty throne. That which flows from the Supreme Pen has appeared and shall appear. Verily He is powerful over all things.

According to what was mentioned, His name Jamal intended to send an answer to the most noble authorities regarding the question he had asked. This is not permissible. In this matter silence is preferable. What is necessary are words that cause assurance and trust, and even that only if the occasion arises. If something were written now it would cause agitation and lead to expansive imaginings, therefore it is not permitted. If an occasion arises, words expressing humility, submissiveness, love and resignation would be good and acceptable at the Sacred Threshold. Otherwise speaking without occasion is not permitted.

What is now necessary and what all must focus on is teaching the Cause with wisdom and utterance, and in such manner that it does not cause the spread of corruption. The presence of His name in that land day by day is also beloved, for if the stay exceeds the bounds of moderation it will surely cause talk. Glory be to God! Although God’s will in this Revelation is clear and evident to all, still they mix their own knowledge with the ignorant fabrications of the calumniators.

In any case, some days ago verses were specifically revealed for Jamal from the heaven of favor. We beseech God to assist him through what was sent down from the kingdom of His wondrous utterance.

O Jamal! In all conditions look to reconciliation and to that which brings tranquility. His Majesty the Sultan, in two instances, outwardly protected this community from evil ones through the hosts of justice and fairness—first in Ha and Mim, and again in the land of Kaf. In truth he did that which befits justice and fairness. Therefore all should be content and thankful. In all conditions remind the believers. The Supreme Pen in scriptures and tablets has forbidden all from that which saddens hearts, let alone oppression, transgression and corruption. We beseech God to adorn His loved ones with the ornament of love, fellowship, harmony and unity, and to illumine them with the lights of the luminary of justice. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the Chosen One. Glory be upon thee from Us, and upon those with thee, and those who love thee for My sake, and upon those who hold fast to good deeds and cling to the hem of righteousness, as commanded by God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

BH02111: Praise be to God, the news of your arrival…

He is God, exalted be His glory, the greatness and power

Praise be to God, the news of your arrival in Beirut was received with joy and fragrance. This news became the cause of great happiness, as many of the circling ones were made glad. Praise be to God in all conditions. In truth, from the breath of utterance wafts the fragrance of reunion. It gives strength to the spirit and joy to the heart. In this evanescent one’s opinion, its power is greater than the supreme remedy. After reading and becoming informed, we approached the Sacred Threshold and made mention. He said:

“We beseech God to aid them in remembrance and praise, and to exalt them through His might and sovereignty. Verily, He is powerful over all things.”

End quote.

The mention of the Afnan, upon him be all the Most Glorious Beauty, has been and continues to be made. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to grant the blessing of presence and ordain reunion. It is the deeds of the people of earth that have caused dispersion and separation. I beseech God that, despite every heedless and ignorant one, He may grant the Afnan a dwelling place and refuge in the shade of the Blessed Tree, and that this servant too may attain. The honored letter, along with the letter of the honored Haji Siyyid Muhammad, upon him be the glory of God, and the petitions of all arrived. God willing, each shall attain their reward. Verily, He loves the doers of good.

To the Afnan, his honor Aqa Siyyid Muhsin, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty, I convey greetings and seek for him that which endures with the permanence of God’s kingdom, fixed and established. Likewise to Haji Muhammad Rida, upon him be the glory of God, I convey greetings. He is mentioned in His presence. To the beloved of the heart, Muhammad Mustafa, upon him be God’s grace and mercy, and the other friends, upon them be God’s peace and bounty, I make mention. God is witness that whenever the name of each is mentioned, joy and delight are felt. But from what and whence is this joy? By the life of our Beloved, all is from sincerity and love and affection and unity. The illumination of the world is from the light of love, else darkness would seize and destroy all. It is the primary director in the world. Glory be to God—it is the source of two opposites, namely death and life. None but God truly knows His power. He possesses all attributes. Blessed is he who has attained unto Him and in whom are the signs of his Lord.

Finally, this servant beseeches his Lord—and entreats Him by His Prophets, His chosen ones, His friends, by Him whom He has made the emblem of His power in His lands and the banner of His might amongst His servants, and by His family and companions—to ordain for your honor and His servant that which will draw us near to Him in all conditions and gather us beneath His shade and in His presence. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Unconstrained. Glory and remembrance and praise be upon your honor and upon God’s sincere servants. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH02096: God testifieth that there is none other God but…

He is the Dawning Place from the horizon of the Kingdom of Utterance.

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. His are the might and majesty, the grandeur and power, the glory and praise. He Who hath come with the truth is verily the Ocean of utterance unto all who dwell in the realm of possibility, and the heaven of bounty unto all who are in the world, and the Most Great Sign among all created things. Through Him was broken the seal of the choice sealed Wine, and revealed were the mysteries of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Through Him wafted the sweet savors of the Divine Appearance and blew the breezes of God, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving. Through Him was the Trump blown and the Speaker of the Mount spoke forth, and those in their graves arose. Whoso hath attained unto Him hath attained unto all good, and whoso hath acknowledged Him hath acknowledged God and His signs and His grandeur and His sovereignty. And whoso hath denied Him is accounted among the wrongdoers in the Book of God, Lord of all the worlds.

I bear witness, as do the Concourse on High in this Most Glorious Station and the denizens of Paradise, that thou didst arise to serve the Cause when the Call was raised between earth and heaven, and didst turn unto the Dawning Place of thy Lord’s signs when He appeared with the truth, and didst acknowledge that which the Tongue of Grandeur did speak. I testify that through thee every heedless one became aware, every slumberer arose, every hesitant one hastened forward, every crippled one walked, and every tongue-tied one spoke forth—all this through God’s grace upon thee. Thou art he who didst drink from the cup of tribulation for the love of God, the Sovereign of the Kingdom of Names, and didst bear hardships purely for His sake. Alas, alas! The Pen weepeth at this moment at that which the Ancient King hath spoken concerning what befell thee at the hands of the oppressors among His creation and the transgressors among His servants.

Thou art he through whose steadfastness the feet of the servants were shaken, and through whose tranquility the hearts of the wicked were disturbed, and through whose mention remembrance was raised from all directions. Thou art he who wast with the Wronged One in the prison of the land of Ta at all times, at eventide and at dawn, and whom the imaginings of the divines prevented not from turning to the Mighty, the All-Knowing, and whom the veils and might of the enemies hindered not from drawing nigh unto the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Thou art he who wast my partner in tribulation and in chains and fetters. At thy calamity tears were shed and hearts were troubled and souls lamented.

Blessed art thou and joy be unto thee for having shown patience in the days of God and for having been content with whatsoever befell thee in His path and for love of Him amidst all creation and the standards of power among the righteous. Through you did the Sun of inner meanings shine forth in the world of utterance and the All-Merciful reveal Himself unto all who dwell in the realm of possibility. Ye are they who chose hardship over ease and tribulation over all who dwell in the mortal realm, in the path of God, Lord of the seen and unseen. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of the bounty of the Lord of creation be upon you, upon your first and your last, your outward and your inward, and the mercy of God and His blessings.

BH02179: O Muhammad-Taqi! Upon thee be My glory! Hearken unto…

He is the One Who has dominion over all who are on earth and in heaven!

O Muhammad-Taqi! Upon thee be My glory! Hearken unto My call from around My prison, verily there is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Bestower. He has appeared with the truth and commanded the people to draw nigh unto Him, yet they turned away, following every ignorant one who was deprived of the sweet savors of knowledge.

Say: O people of the earth! Hasten unto Him, then choose for yourselves a path unto Him. Strive in God with the true striving through the hosts of wisdom and utterance. Thus has the All-Merciful spoken in this station which has been raised up in His name.

The smoke of corruption has encompassed all regions such that naught can be seen but armies and naught can be heard but the clash of swords. Thus has the matter been decreed through what the hands of those who were far from the truth have wrought.

Say: Fear God, O people, and speak not what the people before you spoke, and follow not those who committed that which caused the Sovereign of existence to lament. He Who is established upon the throne of utterance bears witness to this with an authority that was manifest through the truth.

Behold and remember what the people of the Furqan committed when the All-Merciful came with a Cause that encompassed all the worlds. They denied Him in Whom they had believed, broke God’s covenant and His pledge, and did that which caused the Holy Spirit to lament. He Who came with the truth to guide the servants to a path that was straight through justice bears witness to this.

Blessed is thy father who testified to that which God testified and acknowledged that which the Tongue of Grandeur uttered. We bear witness that he is of the people of Baha and has been mentioned with glory by the Supreme Pen.

When thou art attracted by My verses and the rapture of My call takes hold of thee, say:

“My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having mentioned me, and thanks be to Thee for having guided me. I beseech Thee by the light of Thy Cause, by what was hidden in Thy knowledge, by the blood that was shed in Thy path, by the hearts that melted in their separation and remoteness from Thee, and by the tears that flowed in Thy love, to assist Thy servants to be steadfast in Thy Cause such that the clamor of the heedless and the doubts of the suspicious may not prevent them. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the Wise.”

O Muhammad-Taqi! Reflect upon the heedlessness of the people. They have abandoned the Truth and turned away from the lights of the Luminary of certitude, clinging instead to Hadi of Dawlat-Abad. Such is the condition of the manifestations of vain imaginings. Although he had no knowledge whatsoever of this Cause, yet he walks blindly and the sightless ones of the world have obeyed and continue to obey him, just as they did before, as thou hast heard and now witnessest. From the beginning of the Cause the Supreme Pen has proclaimed in its loudest voice that which would guide the servants. Whosoever wishes, let him believe, and whosoever wishes, let him turn away. Verily He is the Self-Sufficient, the All-Praised. Thus have We expounded the verses and sent them unto thee that thine eyes may be consoled thereby, and the eyes of those whom the veils of the world and what is possessed by the nations have not prevented. They have witnessed and said:

“Praise be to Thee, O Thou Who art the Goal of the worlds! And glory be to Thee, O Thou Who art the Object of worship of those who are in the heavens and on the earth!”

BH02175: O thou who gazest toward the Most Exalted Horizon!…

In the Name of Him Who is the Guardian over all names!

O thou who gazest toward the Most Exalted Horizon! Reflect upon the baseness of the people of the Bayan. They have witnessed with their own eyes how the people of the Furqan, namely the Shi’ih sect, throughout ages and centuries, occupied themselves upon pulpits and in homes with mention of Imamate, succession, and titles such as chief and noble and the like, clinging passionately to names while remaining heedless and veiled from their Creator and Manifestation. Each day they appeared with some fancy and clung to some notion, and from their conflicting views different sects emerged, each sect cursing the other, yet they considered themselves the most learned and excellent among all peoples. However, when the divine Balance appeared and the Straight Path was made manifest, all, both learned and ignorant, stumbled in the early years and were consigned to hell-fire. The One Whose presence they had implored with humility and supplication—when He appeared they cursed Him from their pulpits and ultimately issued the decree for His death. And now all the renowned divines have turned away from the Truth and cling to vain imaginings.

Nevertheless, the people of the Bayan are again occupied with forming such a sect. It is incumbent and obligatory upon you and the loved ones to protect the helpless servants from previous vain imaginings. This Day is God’s Day, wherein none but He should be mentioned. Blessed art thou, in that the Most Exalted Pen hath moved to make mention of thee. Say: O people! By God’s life! Until ye pass beyond the river of names, ye shall not attain to the ocean of inner meanings. Have mercy upon yourselves and soil not yourselves with the dust of vain imaginings like the previous sect. Time and again have these words flowed from the Pen of divine decree that perchance ye might become aware.

The ignorant Dawlat-Abadi hath raised the standard of leadership although he neither was nor is aware of the fundamental truth of the Cause. He hath become a leader of the people through vain imaginings, conjectures and names of the past. He is among those of whom it is said:

“They changed God’s favor into blasphemy and caused their people to dwell in the abode of perdition.”

It is not known what he hath understood from this Most Great Manifestation. Perdition and ruin be upon him! Verily, he and his followers worship vain imaginings and perceive it not. By God’s life! They have taken their own conjectures as lords beside God yet they understand not. They have cast aside Him Who speaketh the truth before all the world and have taken those who have denied God, the Lord of the seen and unseen.

Blessed art thou for having heard, turned unto God and attained unto that which was recorded in the Book of God, the Lord of all dominion. Remind the people of thy Lord’s verses and give them the glad tidings of this Remembrance through which hearts and minds were attracted when it appeared. We beseech Him to open before thy face the doors of grace and favor and to strengthen thee in that which shall cause thy name and mention to endure through the eternity of His names and attributes. Verily He is powerful over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon those who have not broken God’s Covenant, the Guardian over what was and what shall be.

BH02276: Praise sanctified from pen and ink befitteth the most…

He is God, exalted be His glory, the All-Wise, the All-Eloquent

Praise sanctified from pen and ink befitteth the most holy and exalted court of the Desired One Who hath manifested from the Point of the Book and from the drop of the ocean. He is the Lord of verses and the Possessor of standards, Who hath adorned the tablet of existence with this exalted Word: “Through unity the Cause is made manifest and station elevated.” Blessed is the heart that is sealed with the seal of “Verily I am God’s.” The signs of the world and the doubts of the nations shall not withhold it or keep it back from the Truth.

O people of Ba! The gaze of loving-kindness hath ever been directed towards those regions. Ye are remembered before the Wronged One and have attained unto the traces of the Most Exalted Pen. Blessed is the soul that hath drunk from the chalice of steadfastness in the Name of God and hath arisen to His mention and praise. Today the banner “Verily He is God” is raised to the highest station, and the standard “He doeth what He willeth” is unfurled upon the most sublime heights of the world. Blessed is the eye that hath beheld the lights of the All-Merciful’s revelation and the ear that hath hearkened unto His call.

O party of God! The dark smoke of deeds and conduct hath prevented the world from beholding the Most Sublime Horizon. The embodiment of tyranny hath established itself above justice, and the treacherous one hath usurped the station of the trustworthy. Beseech ye God that He may illumine the peoples of the world with the lights of the Most Great Name and render them pure and sanctified from the adornments and vanities of the world. By the life of God! The colors of the world have deprived most of the peoples from the divine path and the ocean of knowledge.

O party of God! The rains of mercy have descended from the heaven of loving-kindness in such measure that all the pens of the world are powerless to reckon them. That which perisheth not nor changeth hath been sent down especially for His loved ones. Strive that ye may set ablaze the peoples of the world with the fire of the Divine Lote-Tree and illumine them with the lights of the Luminary of proof. The mention of each one hath been and is before the Wronged One.

On this day the petition of Israfil attained unto the Most Holy Court. We heard his call and made mention of him. Blessed is he and those whom the doubts of the nations have not withheld from turning towards the Most Great Name, and blessed are they who have acknowledged that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken, who have accepted and said:

“Praise be unto Thee for having made known unto us the Dawning-Place of Thy verses and the Treasury of Thy mysteries, and for having taught us Thy path and guided us unto Thy seat.”

We beseech Thee, O Thou through Whose most exalted Word the hearts of the Concourse on High were attracted, and through the lights of Whose countenance, O Lord of all being, and through those who were so moved by the sweet savors of Thy call that they hastened to the place of sacrifice and offered up their souls in Thy path, O Lord of all names, to protect us from the evil of Thine enemies and to ordain for us the reward of meeting Thee. Verily Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH02501: O Leaf and Mother of My Afnan! Upon you…

He is the Consoler from His Most Exalted Horizon

O Leaf and Mother of My Afnan! Upon you both be the Most Glorious Glory of God! He is the Comforter in His most exalted horizon. O my leaf! O mother of Afnan! Upon you be the glory of God, His care and His mercy that has preceded all who are in the heavens and earth.

Ceaselessly in the path of God there befell you that which grieved the hearts and minds of the people of justice and fairness. However, since what occurred was in the path of God, patience and forbearance are most beloved and fitting. The Most Exalted Leaf, upon her be the glory of God, His mercy and His care, and that most distinguished lady have ever been and are before Our gaze.

I swear by the Most Great Luminary which shines and gleams from the horizon of the Most Great Prison that there has been ordained for the Afnan that which has no likeness or parallel. The world itself proclaims its own evanescence. Every person of insight witnesses its passing at every moment, and every hearing ear hearkens to its lamentation and wailing.

The station that has flowed from the Most Exalted Pen for the Afnan has been and remains mention, praise and teaching the Cause to the extent possible. No station has been or is more exalted than this station. In the Tablets has been revealed that which the world cannot equal even one word thereof. By the life of God! The Wronged One loves you and consoles you in what has befallen you. We beseech God to preserve you, to aid you and to enable you to exercise gracious patience and noble forbearance.

The Afnan, upon him be My glory and care, is present and abiding at rest in the shelter of divine mercy and the pavilions of divine grandeur. Give thanks to your Lord for this manifest grace. Rejoice in what the Most Great Announcement has revealed unto you in this mighty Tablet. Praise be to God, the Lord of causes has arranged and granted success to His Afnan to join the divine Tree. We beseech God to aid you in such wise that the doubts of heedless souls and the intimations of the idolaters may not prevent you. In all conditions fix your gaze upon the Most Exalted Horizon and hold fast to His cord.

We make mention of the wife of the Afnan, upon her be My glory and care, and give her the glad-tidings of God’s grace, exalted be His glory. Let them not be sorrowful. By the life of God! Soon there shall appear that which will cause the lips of both the seen and unseen realms to smile. That household and its members, both the ladies and children, are associated with the Truth. We thank God, exalted be He, and beseech Him to draw you near to Him and protect you from the evil of His enemies. Verily He is the Almighty, the Powerful, and worthy to answer prayers.

The glory from Us be upon My Afnan and upon those who love them in this wise remembrance. And praise be to God, the Mighty, the Great.

BH02465: Sad, Dal, Qaf. From Us be the remembrance…

He is God, exalted be He in wisdom and utterance

Sad, Dal, Qaf. From Us be the remembrance of the mercy of God—of him who hath drunk of the choice wine of faith, and hath turned unto the horizon of the All-Merciful, holding fast to His cord, clinging to His hem, arising to serve His Cause, and directing his gaze unto the lights of His Countenance—until he came, and attained unto that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an, and in the Gospel, and the Torah, and the Psalms.

The Tongue of Grandeur beareth witness, of His own Self and by His own Self, that there is none other God but Him, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. He hath come down from the heaven of proof with the verses of utterance. Blessed is he that hath borne witness and hath responded; and woe betide every heedless, veiled one!

O thou who hast been present before the Wronged One, and who dwellest in His neighbourhood! He testifieth that thou hast attained unto His presence, and hast turned unto Him at a time when all mankind, save whomsoever God hath willed—the Lord of what hath been and what shall be—have arisen to turn away. Thou hast set thy face toward the Most Remote Goal and the Most Exalted Summit, and hast soared on the pinions of detachment unto the Lord of creation, until thou didst stand at the door that hath been opened unto all that are in the unseen and in the visible. Render thanks unto God for that whereunto the Most Exalted Pen hath borne witness in thy behalf in this pitch-dark night, while the Wronged One was seated upon the Throne and was uttering that which draweth men nigh unto the Praised Station.

Blessed art thou, inasmuch as thou hast turned and hast come, in such wise that neither the designs of princes nor the pretensions of divines have withheld thee; and thou didst depart from thy place, putting thy trust in God, thy Lord, the Mighty, the Loving. We ask God to grant thee success and to confirm thee in that which He loveth and approveth, and to cause to appear from thee, in the world, that which shall endure through the abiding of His Most Excellent Names and His Most Exalted Attributes. Verily He hath power to do whatsoever He willeth. He saith “Be,” and it is. To God be praise!

Thou hast heard, and hast attained, and hast turned unto Him in days when all have arisen to turn away. We beseech God to confirm thee in the safeguarding of this Most Exalted Station. He is, in truth, powerful and mighty.

The letter of the honoured Amin—upon him be Baha and My favour—together with the loving-kindness he hath shown unto thee, was perused. His expressions of affection and devotion towards thee and thy household have caused joy and gladness. We ask God to aid and sustain him; verily He is the Most Bountiful, the Most Generous. In truth, the honoured Amin is steadfast and upright, and hath arisen to serve. Blessed are the souls who are adorned with the ornament of love for the two Martyrs, for him, and for those related to them. Great is your station in the sight of God, the Lord of all worlds. Blessed is he who turneth towards you and attaineth unto your love, and who heareth that which your tongues have spoken in the Cause of God, the Mighty, the Wise. The glory from Us be upon you, and upon Amin, and upon every steadfast and upright one, and upon every firm and trustworthy soul.

BH02434: Light and spirit and mercy and glory be upon…

He is the One seated upon the throne of utterance.

Light and spirit and mercy and glory be upon you, O manifestation of devotion and dawning-place of faithfulness among all peoples. I bear witness that through you the banner of misbelief was brought low and the standard of divine unity was raised to the most exalted station. You are the one who emigrated with the Wronged One in the path of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, on a day when the sky brought forth smoke and earthquakes seized the foundations of all in creation. You are the one whom the might of the oppressors did not weaken, nor were you veiled by the veils of the transgressors. You turned to the Most Exalted Horizon when most of humanity turned away from it. Through your mention the scrolls of the lovers were adorned in the love of God, Illuminer of the horizons and Lord of the Day of Meeting. Through your certitude the limbs of vain imaginings trembled, and through the light of your divine unity the foundations of the ungodly were shaken—those who denied the Cause of God when He came with proof and evidence. Blessed are you and joy be unto you in that you attained the recognition of your Lord on a day when God came in the shadows of clouds.

And I remember at this time the dawn of a day when the Manifestation of “He doeth whatsoever He willeth” mounted a blue horse, heading toward the Ultimate Goal for the victory of God, Lord of Names and Creator of heaven. You were with Me along with a few souls and we traversed the way until we arrived at one of the villages. Then the oppressors surrounded us from all directions and seized us with such tyranny that the livers of the most exalted Paradise melted, and the highest Paradise and the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing lamented.

Alas! Alas! There befell you in the path of God that which caused the tears of the sincere ones to flow and the sighs of those near to God to ascend. You are the one through whom wafted the breezes of love and fellowship, and through whom shone forth the sun of harmony and unity. You stood firm in the Cause such that the horsemen in the field of tyranny and oppression did not frighten you, nor did the fire blazing in all regions prevent you. Through your calamity eyes wept, hearts burned, and the pillars of existence were shaken. We beseech God, Lord of the unseen and the visible, to ordain for you at all times that which befits His name, the All-Merciful. He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

Blessed is the seeker who seeks your tomb, and the lover who visits your grave and recites what the tongue of your Lord has uttered. O God, O God of all contingent beings and Goal of all created things! I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the All-Forgiving, which has encompassed the manifestations of disobedience, and by Thy pardon which has preceded all religions, and by Thy grace which has taken hold of all in existence, to forgive whoever presents himself before his grave and to fulfill his needs. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful, and Most Merciful of the merciful ones.

BH02564: O Jalal! Upon thee be the Glory of God…

He is God, exalted be His station, unto Him belong greatness and grandeur!

O Jalal! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High! Thy letters from before and after have arrived. Every word thereof testified to thy acceptance, thy devotion and thy steadfastness. O Jalal! Today is unlike other days and its utterance unlike other utterances. Whosoever cometh and attaineth unto the fragrances of the Most Exalted Word which hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen in the prison of ʿAkka, he shall become detached from the world and all that dwell therein, and shall cleave with heart and soul unto the Truth. Blessed are they whom the veils of the world have not hindered and whom the doubts of the nations have not kept back from turning towards and accepting the Truth.

Praise be to God that thou didst set thy face toward the Most Great Ocean and didst attain unto that which was revealed by the Ancient Pen in the Books of the nations. Thou didst arrive and behold, didst hear the call and witness the horizon, and didst acknowledge that which the Tongue of Grandeur did speak. Blessed art thou and blessed are the friends in Nun and Ya who have not broken My Covenant and My Testament, who have accepted and drunk the choice wine of revelation from the hands of My bounty. We have mentioned them before and mention them at this time, that this remembrance may draw them unto the supreme steadfastness, lest their feet slip from the Path of God, the Lord of all worlds.

Convey greetings from the Wronged One to all and give them the glad-tidings of the favors of God, exalted be His glory. Verily nothing escapeth His knowledge. He heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

Today the call of the servants hath been heard, and the answer doth ever descend from the horizon of the Kingdom of utterance. His honor the Name of God, upon him be My Glory, hath repeatedly made mention of his honor Mulla Shafi’ and thyself, and in each instance he hath attained unto the sacred verses of the Supreme Pen. This Wronged One hath ever mentioned and continueth to mention His loved ones. I swear by the Sun of Truth which shineth from the horizon of the heaven of Revelation that every name that is mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One attaineth unto the remembrance of God, exalted be His glory. The world hath not been and is not worthy to manifest the stations of His loved ones. Great is the endeavor and mighty the steed, but the field is not spacious.

We beseech God—and ye should beseech Him—not to deprive His servants and to bestow upon them a portion of the outpourings of His days. He is the Generous One Who created the world for His servants. It behooveth the tongues of them who are nigh and sincere to be engaged in His praise and glorification throughout the nights and days. This is meet for whosoever hath turned unto Him and hath found the fragrance of His utterance and the sweetness of His remembrance, the Mighty, the Wondrous.

BH02573: O Hudhud! Upon thee be My glory. Give ear…

He is the Compassionate, the Most Generous

O Hudhud! Upon thee be My glory. Give ear to the voice of the Wronged One with the ear of the heart and gaze upon His traces with the eye of truth. Gird up the loins of endeavor in service to the Cause, that thou mayest attain to that which shall endure in the Book of God as long as the kingdom of earth and heaven endure. Be thou at all times occupied with uniting the hearts and souls of the handmaidens of God. The grace of God hath ever encompassed His servants and maidservants and ever shall. The glance of favor is directed toward the light of divine love concealed and treasured within hearts. Were one to observe with the eye of justice, the tongue of grandeur would utter the verse “and few of My servants are grateful.” Convey greetings from the Wronged One to the exalted ladies, leaves and maidservants.

We counsel all to fear God and to righteousness. Say: The greatest ornament for the handmaidens hath ever been and still is chastity and virtue. By God! The light of chastity illumineth the horizons of the spiritual worlds and its fragrance reacheth unto the Most Exalted Paradise. O Hudhud! Say: By God! The life of this world shall pass away more swiftly than a moment. Soon all that is witnessed shall return to nothingness, and that which endureth forever is pure deeds. Through pure deeds the element of dust transcendeth the heavens.

O My leaves! Move by the will of the Divine Lote-Tree and be stirred by the breezes of the will of the One Beloved. Today the men of the world and its learned ones have turned away from the Truth, while ye have turned toward it. They are deprived of the sealed wine, while ye have attained it. Know ye the station of this most exalted rank and hold fast to that which befitteth this greatest grace and most great bounty. Today the river of sanctification floweth and the ocean of purification surgeth. Strive that ye may attain to that which is the cause of the exaltation of the Word of God.

We beseech God to assist you and grant you the greatest portion from the ocean of counsel, that ye may become the cause of the sanctification of souls and the purification of hearts and minds. This is not difficult for God. We beseech God to make you more delicate than the choicest wine, more subtle than the purest water, and more radiant than the sun in steadfastness and fidelity. Verily He is with you in all conditions. He heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. The glory from Us be upon you, O My leaves and maidservants, and upon those who have taken the reins of self and passion out of love for God, the Lord of all beings and the Lord of the throne on high and of earth below.

BH02579: Praise be to God Who hath sent down…

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

Praise be to God Who hath sent down the verses and revealed the evidences and sent forth the Messengers for the guidance of His creation, that He might make known unto them the path of His good-pleasure and teach them that which draweth them nigh unto Him in all conditions. He, verily, is the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted. And blessings and peace be upon him whose light shone forth from the horizon of Batha, and through whose appearance the regions were adorned, and the herald proclaimed:

“O people of the earth! He Who was promised hath come, and through Him have appeared the most excellent names of God and His most exalted attributes”

- he against whom the idolaters arose until the decree of emigration came from God, the Lord of all beings. Thereupon did Batha lament while Yathrib’s lips smiled at this nearness and meeting. And upon his family and companions, through whom the decree of the Book was established among the parties, and the limbs of those who denied the Beginning and the Return did quake.

Thereafter, O Muhammad-Qabli-Hasan, hearken unto the call of this Wronged One and hold fast unto it. Verily, He speaketh the truth and guideth thee to the straight path of God. Thy letter was brought by Muhammad, whom may God assist. We saw it and heard it. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to aid thee and grant thee success in that which is befitting. The purpose of sending the Messengers and revealing the Books hath been and still is the elevation of souls and the advancement of knowledge, that all may testify to the oneness and singleness of God and become aware of that which profiteth or harmeth them. We counsel thee with that which is the cause of salvation in both worlds. Be not idle like the Babis. Fix thy gaze upon the divine commandments and act according to that which the Purpose of all worlds hath revealed in the Qur’an. His word, exalted is He:

“O ye who believe! When the call is made for prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of God and leave off business. That is better for you, if ye but knew.”

O Hasan! The affairs of the world, whether profit or aught else, wealth or poverty, all return to nothingness. Strive that from thee may appear a deed that shall enter and be preserved in the treasury of divine acceptance. We counsel thee to observe fasting and prayer, and to fear God, the Lord of Lords. Convey the greetings of this Wronged One to Abu-ʿInayat, whom may God, exalted is He, assist, and likewise to those who are with him. All are mentioned; their mention hath attained permanence and shall never be erased. We beseech God to aid them all to act with propriety and in that which beseemeth man and his station. Peace be upon you and upon God’s righteous servants.

BH02678: That which hath been revealed in the visitation (prayer)…

That which hath been revealed in the visitation (prayer) for Mirza ‘Ali-Muhammad, who was martyred in the path of God.

He is the Compassionate, the Most Generous

O first light that rose and shone forth, O first fragrance that was wafted and diffused! Upon thee, O dawning-place of prosperity and manifestation of success! I testify that through thee the fragrance of the garment was spread abroad and the decree of sanctification appeared, and through thee the gate of divine knowledge was opened to all contingent beings and the dove of proof warbled upon the branch of utterance. Glory and power belong unto God, the Lord of all religions! Thou art he whom neither the doubts of the skeptics nor the signs of the transgressors deterred. Through thee the clouds rained down and the Herald proclaimed: “The Kingdom belongeth to God, the Lord of Lords!”

Alas, alas! How many a day didst thou spend in chains and fetters, and how many a night didst thou hear the taunts of the people of error who in the end denied God, the Self-Sufficient, the Most High! Thou art he who showed patience in hardship and tribulation in the path of God, Creator of heaven, and who wast with Me in prison in days when the fire of hatred blazed in the hearts of the idolaters who rejected the truth with their own inventions, violated His covenant and testament, disbelieved in His signs and proof, and denied what was sent down from the heaven of His Will and appeared by His command and shone forth from His horizon.

Through thee and thy like were opened the gates of bounty upon the faces of all beings, and the Pen of the Lord of eternity was set in motion in the realm of creation. Thou art he at whose calamity every seeing one wailed and every informed one cried out, every just one wept and every fair-minded one was confounded, and by what befell thee arose the lamentation of those near unto God and the cry of the sincere ones. I testify that thou didst not hesitate in the Cause of God thy Lord, and didst perceive the fragrance of the Revelation when it was wafted throughout the world. Through thy calamity hearts were melted and lands were changed. I testify that thou didst turn and believe on a day when the earth shone with the light of its Lord and the heaven with its Creator and Fashioner.

The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of God’s loving-kindness, the Goal of the mystics, be upon thee and upon thy beginning and thy end, thy outward and thy inward self, and the mercy of God and His blessings.

Glorified art Thou, O Light of the world and Attractor of the hearts of nations! I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name to forgive me and my father and my mother. Then I beseech Thee by the Trust which Thou hast concealed in this station to ordain for me the good of the hereafter and of this world. Verily Thou art the Lord of all beings and the Sovereign of all days. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

BH02768: He is the Hearer, the Answerer! A remembrance…

He is the Hearer, the Answerer! A remembrance from Us to him who hath turned unto the Dawning-Place of the verses of his Lord, the All-Compassionate, the All-Bountiful, and hath heard the Call when it was raised from the Most Exalted Horizon, and hath drunk the Choice Wine sealed by My Name, the Self-Subsisting, and hath attained unto the favor of God, the Lord of the worlds. He hath presented himself, and heard, and witnessed from the mighty signs of his Lord in this Great Prison.

O Zaynu’l-ʿAbidin! Thy letter which thou didst send to Our servant hath been presented and hath won the attention of the Wronged One. We answer thee through this resplendent Tablet, with which the tablets of the world and the remembrances of the nations cannot compare, as doth testify to this the Lord of Eternity Who speaketh before all faces. The gate of heaven hath been opened and the Lord of Names hath come with a mighty command. Blessed is he who hath attained unto that which was recorded by the Pen of Will and mentioned by God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.

Hearken in Persian to the call of the Wronged One: Previously was revealed that which thou didst ask from the ocean of divine knowledge. He is the Answerer of the questioners and the Goal of the mystics. We beseech God that He may aid thee to serve His Cause and enable thee to achieve that which shall cause His Cause to be exalted. Praise the Goal of the world that He hath aided thee and granted thee a portion from the ocean of bounty.

Thou hast attained unto a station for which the possessors of stations have for years engaged in lamentation and weeping in their search, yet on the Day of Manifestation all were deprived save whom thy Lord willed, but thou didst attain, didst hear His call and didst behold His horizon. Know thou the station of this most great favor and preserve it with the eye and soul. Each of the souls mentioned before attained unto the divine verses, and whatsoever was revealed for each one is an everlasting treasure preserved with God. Give them the glad-tidings wherewith God hath given thee glad-tidings in this perspicuous Book.

Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me and Thy loved ones unto Thy straight path and Thy mighty Message. I beseech Thee by the lamp of Thy Cause and the effulgences of the Orb of Thy Revelation that Thou make me and those who have believed in Thee to be among those who have no fear nor are they grieved, who speak not until Thou hast spoken and who act according to Thy command. O my Lord! Ordain for us from the wonders of Thy bounty that which will draw us nigh unto Thee, then write down for us the good of this world and of the world to come. Verily Thou art the Protector of all beings and the Lord of the mighty throne. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH02845: This Wronged One, from this most exalted station…

He is God, exalted be His glory, the Lord of might and power!

This Wronged One, from this most exalted station and most glorious horizon, makes mention of the loved ones of God, glorified be His majesty, that perchance the sweetness of divine remembrance may attract receptive souls and enable them to attain unto that which He has purposed. O Hasan, upon thee be My glory! His honor Kazim, who attained unto My days and arose to serve Me, made mention of thee. We make mention of thee through this perspicuous remembrance from God, the Lord of all worlds. O Hasan! For one thousand two hundred years the Shi’ih sect boasted from pulpits of Ali’s successorship and recounted the virtues of the Imams. Yet when the blessed Tree of Oneness sprouted forth and the Dawn of Manifestation broke, all arose in opposition.

Thou hast heard and witnessed the deeds of that heedless party. Now Hadi of Dawlat-Abad hath raised the standard of falsehood and is occupied with forming a party like the previous one. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of proof that he is unaware of the foundation of the Cause, clinging to vain imaginings and grasping at idle fancies. Hath he not seen the fruits of the Shi’ihs’ deeds? On the Day of Retribution they committed that which no other sect had ever done. From pulpits they reviled and cursed the Truth, and finally issued the decree for His death. By the life of God! They perpetrated that which neither Jews nor Christians nor any other parties in the world had done. Thus did their souls entice them, and today they are accounted among the idolaters in God’s mighty and praiseworthy Book.

Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me, caused me to hear, and made me know. I beseech Thee by the rain-showers from the heaven of Thy grace and the waves of the ocean of Thy bounty to protect me from the doubts of the suspicious ones and the allusions of the ungodly. Then make me steadfast in Thy love and firm in Thy Cause, such that neither the mutterings of the enemies nor the clamor of the wicked may deter me. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

Convey My greetings to His honor Haydar-ʿAli, upon him be My loving-kindness, My mercy and My grace, if thou shouldst meet him. Blessed is he who associated with him and took him as a path unto this mighty and sublime station. Glory be upon him and upon thee and upon every steadfast and upright one. Praise be to God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment, Who speaketh that there is no God but Me, the Single, the All-Informed.

BH03040: O Ashraf! Upon thee be the Glory of God!…

He is the All-Speaking, the Incomparable, the All-Knowing

O Ashraf! Upon thee be the Glory of God! The world is in turmoil. Eyes are veiled and ears are prevented from hearing, for they have been defiled by false tales. The defiled ear is not worthy to hear this Call raised from the Most Exalted Horizon. Most are attached to vain imaginings and devoted to idle fancies. Hadi Dawlatabadi, like the deluded souls of the past, has occupied the helpless servants with those same vain imaginings. By the life of God! Neither are the eyes of such people worthy to behold, nor their ears worthy to hear. Leave them to their vain discourse wherein they sport. They have clung to perversion.

Blessed is the soul who today has shattered the chains of blind imitation and the idols through the Name of God, exalted be His glory, and has attained true unity. Blessed art thou, O Ashraf! Thou art he whom neither the leaves of fire prevented from the remembrance of God, nor the doubts of those who denied the Day of Judgment. The Most Great Branch was present before the Wronged One and mentioned thy letter. Praise be to God that thou hast attained to that which was revealed in the divine Books. We beseech God to aid thee in that which will cause the exaltation of His Word and the turning of the servants unto Him. O Ashraf! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness.

The understanding of people has been altered due to their turning away. That which hath been revealed in this Revelation from the Treasury of the Supreme Pen is as distinct from other utterances as the sun. Nevertheless, the sightless ones of the world have said that what is sent down from the heaven of divine will has been stolen from the words of the Primal Point. Observe what injustice hath been perpetrated against this Wronged One. By the life of God! They have committed that which no oppressor hath committed from the beginning of the world until now. Verily He speaketh the truth and guideth to the Way. He is the Mighty, the Beautiful. The Glory be upon thee and upon those who are with thee.

Thy other letter was forwarded to the Most Holy Court by Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin, upon him be the Glory of God. We beseech God to aid thee and thy son and those whose names thou didst mention. Verily He is the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful. We beseech God to set His party ablaze with such a fire that none besides God shall be able to extinguish it, and with such a light that shall illumine the world. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous.

BH03227: A mention from Our presence to one who hath…

He is the All-Seeing, the All-Informed

A mention from Our presence to one who hath inhaled the fragrances of Revelation and hath attained to recognition when the Tongue of Grandeur proclaimed: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting.” He is the one who heard the Call and responded to his Lord when every veiled scholar turned away from Him. He cast aside vain imaginings through the power of his Lord, holding fast to the cord of the Command and clinging to the hem of certitude when the All-Merciful came with manifest sovereignty. He took the choice wine from the hands of bounty and drank thereof in the name of God, the Lord of existence.

O Asad! Upon thee be My loving-kindness. We have mentioned thee before in such wise as caused the sweet fragrances of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, the Mighty, the All-Loving, to waft abroad. We beseech God to aid thee to preserve that which thou hast been given from His presence. He, verily, is the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.

We have at this moment beheld thy name in the book of one of Our loved ones who hath attained unto My days, soared in the atmosphere of My love, and turned toward My horizon when all upon the earth turned away save those whom God did wish, the Lord of what was and what shall be. We beseech God to preserve him and to manifest unto him that which He hath ordained for him, and to exalt him among His servants through this Name whereby hearts and minds were stirred.

And We make mention of Our loved ones there, whom neither the ranks of the world nor the might of nations prevented. They hastened with their hearts to the supreme horizon and drank from the hands of bounty My choice-sealed wine. Thus have We set forth the verses and sent them unto thee that thou mayest rejoice and give thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Possessing over what was and what shall be.

Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having given me to drink the choice wine of Thy knowledge and enabled me to stand before the gate of Thy grandeur and caused me to hear Thy call and honored me with Thy verses. I beseech Thee, O Lord of existence, by Thy Command whereby the ocean of utterance surged in contingent being and the dove of understanding warbled upon the branches, to enable me to serve Thy Cause in such wise that my remembrance may influence hearts and minds. Verily Thou art God; there is none other God but Thee. Thou doest what Thou willest, and Thou art indeed the Mighty, the All-Possessing, the Powerful, the Best-Beloved.

BH03198: That which hath been revealed in the visitation (prayer)…

That which hath been revealed in the visitation (prayer) for ʿAbdu’l-Wahhab Beg—upon him be the glory of God, the Lord of all men

He is the Speaker in the Kingdom of Utterance!

The first fragrance wafting from the garment of the favor of the Lord of lords be upon thee, O Abdul-Wahhab! I testify that thou didst rend asunder the veils and shatter, through the power of certitude, the idols of vain imaginings, and didst turn unto God in days wherein the people turned away from the Lord of all beings. Thou art he who cast aside all idle fancies in his longing for My sealed wine, and who took the water of everlasting life in My Most Glorious Name before the faces of all peoples, drinking thereof once in My Name, the Guardian over all names, and again in remembrance of Me, the One sanctified above earth and heaven.

I testify that thou didst hear the Call when it was raised in truth, and wast present and didst comprehend that which was hidden in God’s knowledge and recorded in His Books and Scrolls, and didst behold the horizon of Revelation and hear the voice of Him Who conversed upon the Mount, and didst circle round it on the Day of Resurrection. Thou art he who preferred the Self of God above thine own self in thy longing to attain His presence and seek His good-pleasure, and who was so transported by the rapture of His Call and the shrill voice of His Most Exalted Pen that thou didst scatter the pearls of thy life at thy Lord’s feet.

I testify that thou didst believe in the earliest days and didst attain the fountain of true knowledge from the hands of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, the All-Merciful. Neither the tyranny of the Pharaohs nor the might of the oppressors deterred thee. Thou didst turn, through the power of the Most Great Name, to that spot whereon God, the Lord of eternity, had manifested Himself, and didst attain the light of reunion at the dawning of the Sun of Beauty from the All-Possessing, the Most High.

Blessed is he who speaketh in praise of thee, who remembereth thy sacrifice and virtuous qualities, who visiteth thy resting-place and reciteth that which hath been sent down from the Pen of Grace in the Most Great Prison. Joy be to him whose heart is adorned with the ornament of thy love.

I call God and His angels and His Prophets and His Messengers to witness that thou didst perform in His path that which amazed the Concourse on High. I beseech Him, exalted is He, to send down upon thee at all times a mercy from the heaven of His bounty and rain from the clouds of His grace. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

BH03444: Praise be to God Who hath manifested Himself through…

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

Praise be to God Who hath manifested Himself through a light from the lights of His Most Great Name unto the world, whereupon the earth and heaven were illumined. Exalted be God, the Lord of Names and Possessor of all things, Who hath revealed whatsoever He desired through His word “Be” and it is. And the prayer shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of His grace be upon the Dawning-Place of His light, the Dayspring of His Revelation, the Source of His Command, the Repository of His knowledge, the Mine of His wisdom, the Ocean of His power, the Heaven of His bounty, and the Sun of His generosity—He Who stood in His station in the world amidst all peoples and guided mankind unto the straight path and the mighty announcement. And upon His family and companions, through whom the ark of divine knowledge sailed upon the ocean of certitude and the horizon of utterance was illumined by the luminary of proof. Through them were revealed the mysteries of divine unity, and through them was raised aloft the word of detachment, and through them was hoisted upon the highest standard the banner of “There is none other God but Him.”

And now, he who was named Husayn in the Crimson Tablet by the Supreme Pen hath come forward and attained the presence of the Wronged One in His mighty prison. O Muhammad! Blessed art thou, and blessed is he, and blessed is his mother who hath attained unto the recognition of her Lord, and blessed is the radiance that hath kept company with Me and stood before My face. At this moment We speak while the servant who is present writeth, standing beside My thigh. Verily, in his earliest days he discovered the fragrance of the garment and attained the presence of the Wronged One.

O Mustafa! Upon thee be the peace and glory of God, the Lord of all names. We testify that thou hast attained unto that which most of the servants have failed to attain. Thou didst hold fast unto goodly deeds and didst cleave unto that whereby the Cause of God, the Most High, the Most Great, was exalted. Glory be upon thee and upon those with thee, and upon those whom nothing whatsoever hath deterred from turning toward the Supreme Horizon—they are honored servants, upon whom resteth the loving-kindness of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

BH03470: This is a letter from the Wronged One…

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

This is a letter from the Wronged One to one of His servants who turned toward the Most Holy Court and drank from the cup of bounty from the hand of grace, who attained nearness and was adorned with the meeting. We beseech God to grant success that you may be enabled to preserve what He has bestowed. The traces of the Supreme Pen have encompassed the world, yet the deeds and words of the servants have prevented them from the Self-Subsisting, the Most High. O people of Baha! Beseech God that He may cause to appear through you that which has been inscribed by the Pen of bounty in the Mother Book. Know ye the value of this Day and leave behind what the people possess.

The Self-Subsisting has come, in His hand is the sealed wine. He bestows the cup, grants the chalice, gives forth the ocean—drink ye in His Name, partake ye in His remembrance, and give in His love. The people of Baha are the true celestial cup-bearers—they must adorn the dead of the world with the garment of life through the cups of His bounty. He is the Powerful One whose aid has never been withheld from His loved ones, and His favors have been and shall ever be with them that are near and sincere. When thou hast drunk the choice wine of My utterance and soared in the atmosphere of My nearness and love, say:

My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having adorned my heart with Thy love, my breast with the light of Thy knowledge, and my being with the manifestation of Thy grace and bounty. I beseech Thee by the Word through which, when it was raised up in the world, all things spoke and the earth and heaven were stirred, to make me steadfast among Thy servants in service to Thy loved ones who have traversed the lands to propagate Thy Cause and to kindle hearts with the fire of Thy divine Tree. Then I beseech Thee, O God of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen, by the Most Great Name through which the limbs of the ungodly trembled and the hearts of the transgressors were disturbed, to ordain for me from the Pen of Thy Command that which will keep me firm upon Thy path. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Generous.

BH03480: Praise sanctified above all utterance beseemeth the Purpose…

He is God, exalted be His station, the Glory and the Power!

Praise sanctified above all utterance beseemeth the Purpose of all creation, Who hath illumined the hearts of the sincere ones and the believers with the lights of the Luminary of proof and guided them to the straight path. His is the praise and the glory, His the loftiness and the exaltation. We beseech Him to assist His loved ones to stand firm in His Cause and to act according to what He hath commanded in His perspicuous Book.

O ʿAli! Praise be to God that thou didst purpose to visit the House of God and wert successful. Blessed is the soul that inhaled from Yathrib and Batha the fragrance of the Lord of Names. Thou didst arrive, and didst see, and didst hear. Know thou the value of this station and convey to the friends of that land greetings and glorification from the Wronged One. During thy stay thou wert occupied in service—the planted trees make mention of thee—and the reward of this service is a treasure for thee with God. Verily, He doth not suffer the reward of the doers of good to be lost.

The souls in that land who are adorned with the ornament of steadfastness and who are engaged in service to the Cause—each one is mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One, and We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to ordain for those souls that which hath no like or peer. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

O ʿAli! Convey to thy family glorification from the Wronged One and give them the glad-tidings of the lights of the Luminary of mercy which have shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of grace. We beseech God to assist her and aid her in His remembrance and praise. Verily, He is the Protector of believing men and believing women.

Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having enabled me to acknowledge the sanctification of Thy Being from all similitudes and the detachment of Thine Essence from all likenesses. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy Throne and the mysteries of Thy Book to enable me in all circumstances to remember Thee and to act according to what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest through Thy word “Be” and it is.

BH03691: The preamble of the Book of Divine Knowledge has…

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

The preamble of the Book of Divine Knowledge has been adorned with the unity of God, the Revealer of the Furqan—that there is no God but Him. He has ever been sanctified above the description of His servants and the knowledge of His creation, and will forever remain as He has been throughout the eternity of eternities. Blessings and peace be upon the Most Exalted Pen and the Greatest Intermediary, whom He established as the station of His manifestation in the realm of creation, through whom the Sun of Truth shone forth from the horizon of Hijaz and illumined Yathrib and Batha, through whom the banner of justice was raised in cities and lands and the standard of guidance among the servants.

And upon His family through whom the fragrance of the All-Merciful was diffused throughout contingent being and the dove of utterance warbled upon the highest branches, through whom His traces were spread abroad and His sovereignty appeared and His power was revealed and His laws were promulgated. Thereafter, your letter arrived and We found from it the fragrance of love and affection. We have answered you with this letter, beseeching God the Most High to strengthen you and assist you and give you to drink from the Kawthar of utterance through the hands of mercy and bounty. Verily He is powerful over whatsoever He willeth. May He open before your face the gate of ease and ordain for you the good of the hereafter and of the first life. Verily He is the Lord of humanity and the Lord of the mighty throne. Say:

My God, my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Prophets and Thy chosen ones and Thy Books and Thy Scriptures and Thy Tablets to make me one of those whom Thou hast described in Thy Book with Thy words “Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverteth from the remembrance of God.” O my Lord! Thou seest me clinging to the cord of Thy bounty and holding fast to the hem of the robe of Thy grace. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of that which Thou hast ordained for the sincere among Thy servants and the near ones among Thy creation. Verily Thou art powerful over what Thou willest through Thy word “Be” and it is.

BH03957: O ʿAndalib! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness…

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

O ʿAndalib! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness. Thy letter which thou hadst previously sent in the name of Jud, upon him be My glory, was read by the Most Great Branch in the Most Luminous Presence, and was observed by the Maidens enshrined within the tabernacles of wisdom and utterance, who in the chambers of love for the Desired One of the worlds were adorned with the ornament of names and attributes. The pearls of praise and thanksgiving which thou didst bring forth from the shell of sincerity and conceal in the garment of verses were honored to be both beheld and heard.

Praise be to God that from the beginning of days thou hast been occupied with mention and praise and service to the Cause. We beseech God to aid thee and withhold not from thee His assistance and attention, that thou mayest remain occupied as before throughout the rest of thy days and engage in the reformation of the world and the refinement of the souls of the peoples. We made mention of thee before and specifically sent wondrous Tablets, that thou mightest rejoice and be among the thankful.

Convey greetings from this Wronged One to the loved ones of that land and region, and cause all to be enkindled with the warmth of divine love and illumined by the lights of the Luminary of His utterance. Verily, He is with thee, He heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

Say: O people of God! Beware lest anything prevent you, or any matter grieve you, or the waters of rejection extinguish you, or the might of those who have been heedless of God, the Lord of all worlds, frighten you. We counsel you to be patient and forbearing, and to manifest such steadfastness as cannot be equaled by the deeds of any doer. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The glory shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon those who are with thee and hearken unto thy words concerning this Most Great Announcement and this mighty Command.

BH03937: O friends of the All-Merciful in all lands!…

He is the One Who has dominion over all who are on earth and in heaven

O friends of the All-Merciful in all lands! The Wronged One remembers you from His Most Great Prison and reminds you through His verses which draw you near to God, the Lord of all worlds. The Pen proclaims: “The Kingdom belongs to God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.” The Tablet proclaims: “The Promise has come to pass and the Intended One has appeared with wondrous sovereignty.” The Light proclaims: “O people of the earth! Fear God and follow not the promptings of the transgressors. Set aside what the people possess and take what is with God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers.” Aid Me through deeds and virtuous character, then gather beneath the banner of righteousness by command of the One Who orders, the Almighty, the Powerful, the Ancient. Upon it has been inscribed by My Most Glorious Pen: “Victory and triumph belong to God, the Mighty, the Wise.” Thus has the Tongue of Grandeur spoken out of love for you and to assist you in that which you were commanded in My Perspicuous Book. When thou hast drunk the choice wine of revelation from the cup of My bounty and been seized by the intoxication of the Kawthar of My utterance, say:

“My God, my God! I beseech Thee by the signs of Thy Kingdom and the mysteries of Thy Dominion, and by that which the Tongue of Thy Grandeur has spoken forth and appeared through Thy command and sovereignty, to ordain for me that which shall be a light unto my heart, a radiance unto my sight and a strength unto my limbs. O my Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have turned with my heart to Thy most exalted horizon and desire from the wonders of Thy bounty that which shall make me content with Thy command, beholding Thy horizon and detached from all else besides Thee. Thou art He Whom the doubts of the people have not withheld, nor their allusions, nor their might and power from Thy will and purpose. Through Thee the banner ʿHe doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth’ was raised. Verily Thou art the Single One, the Unique, the All-Powerful, the Almighty.”

BH03629: This is a letter from the Wronged One unto…

In the Name of Him Who is the Desire of the world.

This is a letter from the Wronged One unto one who hath been wronged—who hath drunk from the cup of affliction and tasted the bitterness of tribulations. There hath befallen thee that which hath befallen Us; grieve thou not. The grace of God hath encompassed thee and hath delivered thee. God—exalted be His glory—is witness and testimony that at every moment thou hast been, and still art, beneath His watchful gaze. None knoweth the end of affairs save God alone; therefore shouldst thou not be troubled by the events that arise. If thou attain unto the sweetness of the utterance of the All-Merciful and become aware of His loving-kindness, thou shalt behold thyself seated upon the throne of assurance and joy. God hath, verily, changed thy disquiet into tranquillity—and this through His might. He is, indeed, with thee in all conditions. Say:

Dispel my grief by Thy bounty and Thy generosity, O God, my God, and banish mine anguish through Thy sovereignty and Thy might. Thou seest me, O my God, with my face set towards Thee at a time when sorrows have compassed me on every side. I implore Thee, O Thou Who art the Lord of all being, and overshadowest all things visible and invisible, by Thy Name whereby Thou hast subdued the hearts and the souls of men, and by the billows of the Ocean of Thy mercy and the splendors of the Day-Star of Thy bounty, to number me with them whom nothing whatsoever hath deterred from setting their faces toward Thee, O Thou Lord of all names and Maker of the heavens!

Thou beholdest, O my Lord, the things which have befallen me in Thy days. I entreat Thee, by Him who is the Day-Spring of Thy names and the Dawning-Place of Thine attributes, to ordain for me what will enable me to arise to serve Thee and to extol Thy virtues. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful, Who art wont to answer the prayers of all men!

And, finally, I beg of Thee by the light of Thy countenance to bless my affairs, and redeem my debts, and satisfy my needs. Thou art He to Whose power and to Whose dominion every tongue hath testified, and Whose majesty and Whose sovereignty every understanding heart hath acknowledged. No God is there but Thee, Who hearest and art ready to answer.

BH03781: Praise be to God Who hath sent down His…

He is God, the Lord of all worlds

Praise be to God Who hath sent down His verses and manifested His evidences and sent forth the Messengers and revealed the Books for the guidance of His creation and the demonstration of His oneness amongst His servants, that every person of understanding and wisdom might bear witness to His unity and singleness, and that He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden. And blessings and peace be upon the Lord of the world and Master of nations, through whose light the horizons were illumined and by whose might the limbs of the hypocrites trembled, and through whom every idolater acknowledged the oneness of God and His greatness, and every hypocrite His power and dominion, and through whom the pavilion of glory was raised in the world and the fragrance of wisdom and utterance was diffused among the nations. And upon His family and loved ones, through whom God’s laws and commandments were made manifest among His servants, and through whom the clouds rained down and the decree of the Book was established.

And now, thy letter hath come before the Wronged One, whose tongue, both outward and inward, and whose members and limbs bear witness to the unity of God, exalted be His glory. We have read it and answer thee with this epistle, and We beseech God to assist thee and the people of unity in that which He loveth and is pleased with, to draw you nigh unto Him, and to ordain for you that which shall profit you in all His worlds, and to aid you in His remembrance and praise. Verily He is powerful over all things and worthy to answer. We counsel thee to act according to what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an. Take hold of the Book of God with the power that is from Him and the might that is from His presence. Verily He will draw thee nigh and aid thee and send down upon thee from the heaven of bounty that which will gladden thy heart and solace thine eyes and expand thy breast. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Merciful, and He is the Generous, the Bountiful. There is no God but He, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH03939: O My loved ones! Hear ye My call…

He is established upon the throne of utterance

O My loved ones! Hear ye My call and then aid Me through wisdom and utterance. This is what hath been commanded unto you in the Tablets of your Lord, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Today there hath appeared from the shell of the ocean of utterance of your Lord, the All-Merciful, the pearl of divine knowledge, and it is this: O people of Baha! Know ye the station of these days and then assist Him with the hosts of deeds and character. This is what ye were commanded aforetime and in this perspicuous Tablet.

We have sent down the verses and manifested the clear proofs, yet the people are in grievous doubt. Thy name was mentioned before the Wronged One. He remembereth thee with that which the remembrances of the world cannot equal. To this beareth witness the Lord of Eternity Who calleth out before the faces of the world: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of all worlds!”

Say: O peoples of the earth! Fear ye God and follow not the desires of those who have denied the Day of Judgment. By God! The Most Great Path hath appeared and the Great Announcement calleth and summoneth all unto the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

When thou art warmed by the heat of My utterance and attracted by the cooing of the Dove of My Paradise, say:

“My God, my God! I testify that Thy proof hath encompassed all things, and Thy evidence and Thy testimony have appeared, and the ocean of Thy knowledge hath surged, and the sun of Thy wisdom hath shone forth. I beseech Thee by the hidden mysteries in Thy Books to assist this servant of Thine to be steadfast in Thy love in such wise that neither the clamor of Thy servants nor the whisperings of the divines of Thy land shall prevent him. O my Lord! Ordain for me through Thy bounty that which shall remind me of Thee in all conditions and draw me near unto Thee, O my Exalted Lord. Then accept from me, O my God, what I have wrought in Thy path and accept me unto Thy horizon. Then strengthen me, O my God, to take hold of Thy Book with a power that the might of the mighty cannot weaken nor the ascendancy of the rulers enfeeble. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Strong, the Triumphant, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Generous.”

BH04065: A letter from the Wronged One to those who…

He is God, exalted be His station, the Glory and the Power!

A letter from the Wronged One to those who have acknowledged the unity and oneness of God and have recognized what He hath revealed in His perspicuous Book.

O My loved ones in Hadba! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. He remembereth you and commandeth you to practice righteousness and piety and that which ye have been bidden in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Give thanks unto your Lord, the All-Merciful, for He hath aided you to recognize Him and made you to be numbered among those who believe in His unity. We beseech God, exalted be He, to protect the people of unity from the evil of every misbeliever and from the harm of every heedless and remote one.

Blessed is he who hath fulfilled God’s covenant and His testament and hath acted with righteousness. We testify that he is among the well-doers. We beseech God to enable him to do that which He loveth and is pleased with, and to ordain for him the good of the world to come and of this world. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Almighty.

O servant! Hearken with attentive ear unto the call of the Wronged One in this prison. Verily, He guideth thee unto God, the Lord of the worlds. He who loved Me mentioned thee, therefore We have remembered thee. We beseech God to ordain for thee that which will draw thee nigh unto Him. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Convey My greetings to the friends in that land. We beseech God, glorified be His majesty, to grant all the ability to be obedient and to worship Him. God is witness and aware that the gaze of this Wronged One hath ever been directed toward that region. They have not been and will not be forgotten. We make mention of the leaves of that land and convey Our greetings, and We beseech for each one that which will draw them nigh.

Peace be upon thee and upon thy mother. Give her the glad-tidings of the remembrance of the Wronged One and remind her of that which will draw her nigh unto God. Verily, He is the Most Merciful of the merciful. There is no God but Him, the Protector, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

BH04112: O Salman! Upon thee be the Glory…

In the Name of Him Who overshadoweth all Names!

O Salman! Upon thee be the Glory of the All-Merciful! Though outwardly thy power and station are not apparent among the servants, as thy outward means have not been and are not in accordance with diverse temperaments, yet the grace of God, exalted be His glory, and His all-pervading power have caused thee to spread His verses. Were the servants to ponder on this matter, they would become somewhat aware of this most exalted station and likewise of the power of God, exalted be His glory. Praise the Intended One of the world, Who hath made manifest an ocean from a drop, and through a mere atom of the light of His Sun of bounty hath brought the world of being into existence, and His grace hath bestowed power and conferred strength. If thou were to praise God to the number of pebbles and date-stones, and continue in remembrance unto all eternity, verily it would be as naught compared to a single drop from the ocean of His favor. His is the praise in all conditions. Verily He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.

Thy letter was received. The Most Great Branch presented it repeatedly, and the response hath been sent down from the heaven of the Divine Will, that thy heart and the hearts of those who have believed in God, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, may rejoice thereby. In all conditions, utter these most exalted words:

“No vision can grasp Thee, but Thou graspest all vision, and Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. No mind can grasp Thee, but Thou graspest all minds, and Thou art the Mighty, the Great.”

Be thou joyous in all conditions. The grace of God hath been and is with thee. We beseech God to open before thy face the gates of grace and blessing. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous, the Forgiving, the Merciful. The Glory from Us be upon thee and upon those who have held fast to the cord of the Cause and were among the steadfast ones.

BH04203: At this time you were mentioned in the Most…

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

At this time you were mentioned in the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, and now, due to lack of time, we will be brief in mentioning what befits the realm of love. Yesterday, one hour after sunset, He proceeded to the city, and now that two hours and twenty minutes have passed, as commanded, I am enabled to write these few words. The honored and beloved Haji Siyyid Javad, upon him be the glory of God, is departing. I must meet with him and present a letter, as well as attend to other matters requiring attention. Blessed are you and those who have attained.

The word which is the purpose of the soul has been and continues to be the mention of the honored and revered Master, upon him be all splendor and glory. Praise be to God, he has been and continues to be remembered in the court. Likewise mentioned were the Brilliant Star, upon him be God’s peace and loving-kindness, and the beloved of the heart Haji Muhammad-Rida, and the beloved of the spirit Muhammad-Mustafa and Muhammad-Mihdi and the other friends. God is witness and testifies that this servant has ever desired for them that which befits the bestowal, mercy and grace of God, exalted be His glory. The petition from the son of Mulla Ghulam-Rida, upon them both be glory, was received. God willing, a reply will be sent. Praise, peace, remembrance and glory be upon you and upon God’s sincere servants. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH11631: O My Leaf! Upon thee be My Glory! Thy…

In the Name of the Desire of the world!

O My Leaf! Upon thee be My Glory! Thy mention hath been made in the presence of this Wronged One, and these verses have been sent down from the heaven of the Will of the Lord, the Self-Subsisting, that the fragrance of the All-Merciful’s utterance may attract thee and draw thee to the horizon of wisdom.

The world was brought from nothingness into being for the knowledge of God. Blessed is the heart that hath turned to the Most Glorious Horizon, and the face that hath, in the Days of God, turned toward the light of His Countenance. Praise thou the Goal of all the worlds, that thou hast drunk from the hands of bounty the Kawthar of immortality. This Kawthar is, in its primary station and first rank, the knowledge of God, exalted be His glory, which hath been recorded by the Pen of the Divine Will in the Sacred Books and Tablets.

We beseech God to cause the handmaidens of that land to attain unto this supreme bounty, and to deny none of them the fruits of the Divine Tree and the lights of the Luminary of the horizon of inner meanings. In all conditions God hath been with thee. Verily, He is with His devoted servants and handmaidens. He heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

Say: My God, my God! I beseech Thee by the leaves and fruits of the Tree of Thy Cause, and by the Word through which the earth and all created things therein were illumined, to ordain for me that which shall be a light before my face and a companion to me in all the worlds of Thy worlds. O my Lord! Thou knowest what is in my heart and what I desire of the wonders of Thy grace. I beseech Thee to make me content with what Thou hast ordained for me through Thy Will and Purpose. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Supreme, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful. There is no God but Thee, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.

BH04353: O Mahmud! The Wronged One makes mention of thee…

He is the One that overshadoweth all names

O Mahmud! The Wronged One makes mention of thee from His praiseworthy station, that He may draw thee nigh unto God, the Mighty, the Loving. He hath sent down for thee that which hath diffused the fragrances of revelation throughout the world. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful. He makes mention of him who maketh mention of Him, and aideth whomsoever He willeth, and ordaineth for him whatsoever He desireth from His bountiful grace. Hearken unto the Call from the precincts of Akka, from the Divine Lote-Tree: Verily there is none other God but Him, the Single, the All-Informed. We have sent down for thee before, and at this time, that from which the sincere ones perceive the fragrance of the loving providence of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Bountiful. When thou hast attained unto My Tablet and beheld the stars of the heaven of My utterance, say:

My God, my God! Unto Thee be praise and glory, and unto Thee be thanksgiving and splendor, for having manifested the Dawning-Place of Thy verses and the Dayspring of Thy clear tokens and the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Source of Thy knowledge and the Ocean of Thy generosity and bounty. O my Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which the idols wailed and the horizons were illumined and the hearts of such servants as cast away the world, turning unto Thee, O Lord of eternity Who hath appeared with the Most Great Name, to ordain for me from the Pen of Thy will that which shall profit me in all the worlds of Thy worlds. O my Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I desire from the wonders of Thy bounty that which shall make me steadfast in Thy Cause and detached from all else but Thee. Then write down for Thy loved ones that which shall aid them to recognize Thy mighty announcement and Thy ancient mystery and Thy firm and mighty Command. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all things. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH04812: A Book sent down by the Lord…

He is the One Who appeared on Sinai

A Book sent down by the Lord of the Manifestation to him whose letter came before the Wronged One when He was in the Most Great Prison through what the hands of the oppressors had wrought. O Asadu’llah! Hear the call from the illumined Holy Land, from the right side of the Crimson Spot—verily there is no God but Him, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. He has appeared and manifested what He willed as a grace from His presence, and He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. He came with the hosts of inspiration, but the manifestations of vain imaginings turned away from Him—verily they are in manifest loss. Thy letter came before Our face and We found from it the fragrance of thy love for God, the Lord of all worlds. We read it and make mention of thee with that which will not be altered by centuries and ages. The Book of God in this exalted and glorious station bears witness to this. Say:

Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the world, for having guided me and made me recognize Thy Most Exalted Horizon, and adorned me with the traces of Thy Most Glorious Pen, and caused me to hear Thy most sweet call when it was raised between earth and heaven. I beseech Thee by the Sovereign of Names and the Lord of the Throne on high and of the dust below, to make me detached from all else save Thee, clinging to Thy Most Strong Cord. O my Lord! Aid me to be steadfast in Thy love such that neither the clamor of the transgressors nor the croaking of the heedless ones who have broken Thy Covenant and Thy Testament and committed that which caused the dwellers of the pavilion of Thy grandeur and the tabernacle of Thy glory to lament, shall prevent me. Then ordain for me that which will draw me near unto Thee in all conditions. Verily Thou art the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

BH04701: Praise that is sanctified above comprehension and minds befitteth…

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

Praise that is sanctified above comprehension and minds befitteth the Lord of the worlds Who, through the Most Great Name, hath cast down the banner of associating partners with God and raised high the standard of divine unity in the most exalted station, and through the appearance of His Beloved One hath adorned the world with a new adorning. Upon Him be His peace and blessings and mercy, and upon His family and companions through whom the light of faith shone forth and illumined the horizons.

Jinab-i-Ism-i-Jud, upon him be the peace of God, was present and mentioned thy letter before the Wronged One. We beseech God to strengthen thee and assist thee and ordain for thee that which shall endure as long as His names endure. In that letter mention was made of teaching them. In this matter wisdom is required. Drink thou the sealed wine in the name of the Self-Subsisting in the innermost mystery. Well is it with thee and pleasant it is to thee. In all circumstances We counsel you to wisdom. “Concealment is better than revelation.” The people were not and are not worthy. Not every soul was or is worthy of this most pure Kawthar. The days of attainment to Our presence are remembered and remembered art thou. We beseech God that He may assist thee to hold fast unto the wisdom that hath been sent down. Convey Our greetings to the kindred and illumine them with the light of remembrance. Verily He is with you wherever ye may be. Verily He is the protector of those who do good.

BH04821: In My Name, the All-Knowing, the All-Bountiful!

In My Name, the All-Knowing, the All-Bountiful!

This is a Book sent down through grace from God, the Most High, to him who is named Abdul-Ghani, that the verses of his Lord might draw him to a station wherein all things proclaim:

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

We have sent down the verses and made manifest the clear tokens. Blessed is he who hath heard and seen, and woe unto the heedless! Say: O people of the earth! Give thanks unto God, for verily He hath fulfilled His promise, revealed His path, and made evident His proof, that He might draw them nigh unto Him on this Day whereon the Herald calleth out from a near place:

“O people of the earth! The gate of heaven hath been opened, and the Promised One hath come with such clear evidence as the eye of creation hath never witnessed!”

The Tongue of Grandeur beareth witness to this from His glorious and exalted station….

BH04881: O My handmaiden, O My leaf! Hearken unto My…

He is the Speaker in the Kingdom of Utterance!

O My handmaiden, O My leaf! Hearken unto My call from the direction of My prison…

Reflect upon the power of the All-Powerful Lord. We created the Badi’ with one word and sent him forth like a ball of fire for the propagation of God’s Cause. They accepted him not and martyred him. We sent another sacrifice who accepted not preservation and offered up the crown of life at the feet of the Beloved of the worlds. And likewise We sent yet another sacrifice whose head was adorned with the crown of detachment and whose temple was embellished with the robe of resignation. With perfect assurance and complete detachment he proceeded to the place of sacrifice and freely offered up his life before the Desired One of all creation. We sent another sacrifice who, while speaking the Most Great Name and uttering this blessed word, declared: “We have found that for which we longed!” With this word he gave up his life and received eternal bounty and everlasting life.

The mention of the sacrifices is greater than can be contained on a single page. Were you to count God’s martyrs, you could not reckon them. In every city there appeared that which had not appeared from the beginning of creation. The traces of God’s sacrifices are evident in every land and manifest in every region. Nevertheless, the people of the world have not become aware. The former people offered one sacrifice, and they mention him from their pulpits and consider him the cause of the guidance of mankind, yet these sacrifices who gave up their lives with the utmost joy and fragrance are not and were not mentioned. Such is the state of the unjust people.

Reflect upon that which hath appeared and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who hast taught me and guided me to Thy straight and manifest path.”…

BH04722: This is a remembrance from Us unto the earth…

He is the One Who gazeth from His most exalted horizon

This is a remembrance from Us unto the earth, that the remembrance may draw them nigh unto Him Who is remembered, and give them the glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all worlds. He hath sent the Messengers and revealed the Books as a grace from His presence, and He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous. Among the people are those who have hearkened to the Call and turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon, and among them are those who have turned away—these are assuredly among the most lost in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. When thou dost inhale the sweet fragrances of the verses and art seized by the rapture of the Call of thy Lord, the Manifestor of clear tokens, say:

My God, my God! I testify to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and I acknowledge that which the tongue of Thy grandeur hath spoken before the creation of the heavens and the earth. Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. O my Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have turned toward the ocean of Thy loving-kindness and the heaven of Thy grace.

I beseech Thee by the revelations of the Sun of Thy Manifestation and the lights of Thy Kingdom and Thy Dominion, and by the mercy that hath preceded Thy servants and Thy creation, and by the sweet fragrances of Thy Revelation and the manifestations of Thy power, that Thou aid me in Thy remembrance and Thy praise. O my Lord! Thou seest the weak one clinging to the cord of Thy strength and might, and the weary one seeking the kingdom of Thy utterance. I beseech Thee by the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree and the whisper of Thy Most Exalted Pen to aid me to serve Thy Cause among Thy servants and to act according to what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. There is none other God but Thee, the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth through His sovereignty and Who ruleth over whatsoever He desireth through His Will. Thou art, verily, the Protector, the Mighty, the Unconstrained.

BH04930: O thou who art watched over by the Glory…

O thou who art watched over by the Glory of God and His mercy and His loving-kindness! Thou hast ever been and art remembered in the presence of the Wronged One. At this time the Greater Branch proceeded from Bahji to ʿAkka and when he attained Our presence he made mention of thy letter. We make mention of thee through verses from which every person of understanding will discover the fragrance of My loving-kindness and My mercy and My grace which have encompassed those who are in the heavens and on earth. Grieve not over anything. God will soon unveil to thee and make manifest unto thee the path of His loving-kindness leading to relief and blessing. Verily He is the Most Merciful of the merciful ones and the Goal of them that know. The letter of the servant who is present was also noted. An answer is being sent. We beseech God to assist thee in all conditions and through thee to help His Cause triumph and exalt His mention. Verily He is powerful over all things. Make mention of the loved ones on behalf of the Wronged One and counsel them to trustworthiness and godliness and steadfastness and whatsoever will elevate the station of man.

At this time We make mention of him who is named Asadu’llah that he may rejoice and be of them that are thankful. Some time ago there was revealed especially for you and him in the letter of Diya that which diffused the fragrance of loving-kindness and mercy. And We make mention of him who is named Habib and We beseech God to adorn him with the ornament of loving-kindness and favors and to assist him to be steadfast in His Cause and to ordain for him the good of the last world and the first. Verily He is powerful over all things.

BH04986: We have desired to make mention of My servant…

He is the All-Seeing, the All-Hearing, the Compassionate, the Bountiful.

We have desired to make mention of My servant Husayn, who attained unto My remembrance in the early days when We were established upon the throne of revelation in Baghdad. He recognized My verses, was honored to attain My presence, submitted to the manifestations of My grandeur, and was humbled at the raising of My call, and responded when My tongue spoke forth. We beseech God to assist him and strengthen him to preserve that which was revealed unto him from His swift-moving, ever-active Pen.

A letter has come before the Wronged One wherein thy name was mentioned. We make mention of thee in this wondrous Tablet that thou mayest be gladdened by that which hath been sent down unto thee from an ancient Revealer.

When thou dost inhale the fragrance of My loving-kindness and behold the pearls of the ocean of My utterance, say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having shown me and caused me to witness and hear Thy horizon and Thy call. I beseech Thee by the Dawning-Place of Thy verses and the Manifestation of Thy clear tokens and the Dayspring of Thy commandments and ordinances—He in Whose right hand is the standard of “He doeth whatsoever He willeth” and in Whose other hand are the reins of all things—to make me one of those who have aided Thy Cause through wisdom and utterance and whom the hosts of creation have not deterred. Thou art verily the Almighty, the Glorious, the Bestower.

O Lord! Send down from the heaven of Thy bounty the rains of Thy mercy upon Thy loved ones who have not broken Thy Covenant and Testament and who have arisen to serve Thy Cause amidst Thy servants. Thou art verily the Almighty, the Powerful, and worthy to answer prayer.

BH05202: O Amin, upon thee be My glory! A letter…

He is God, exalted is He in wisdom and utterance

O Amin, upon thee be My glory! A letter which thou didst send in the name of Allah-Mihdi was forwarded to the Most Holy Court, and mention was made therein of Mulla Qasim, upon him be My glory. Convey greetings on behalf of the Wronged One and say: O Abu’l-Qasim! We beseech God that He may assist thee to champion His Cause, that thou mayest be enabled to speak forth His remembrance, be enkindled with His love, arise to serve Him, and find joy through His Name. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having guided me and made me know Thee and given me to drink from the Kawthar of Thy knowledge on a day when most of Thy creatures were debarred therefrom. I beseech Thee by the Sovereign of Names and by the rustling of Thy Most Exalted Pen to make me steadfast in Thy Cause and firm in Thy love. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

As for his desire regarding the drinking of tea, this hath been accepted. Give him the glad-tidings of this wondrous favor. Thy detailed letter also reached this servant in these days. An answer will be sent, God willing. Thou hast ever been and continuest to be remembered. Convey greetings from the Wronged One to the loved ones. We beseech God that He may assist all to perform deeds befitting of this Day. We send greetings to Muhammad and Aqa Husayn that they may rejoice in the favors of the Wronged One and be among the thankful ones. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.