Volume 089: Akka 1306 A.H. (1888–1889), Part II (2 of 4)
BH00101: The praise of those who praise, the thanksgiving…
Section 1: “The praise of those who praise, the thanksgiving…”
In the Name of Our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious Lord!
The praise of those who praise, the thanksgiving of those who give thanks, and the glorification of those who glorify—how can these be attributed to Him Who is sanctified and exalted above creation, knowledge and comprehension? The inability of all things to reach Him testifies to His sanctity, and the confession and acknowledgment of both the visible and hidden tongues of all created things and beings bears eloquent witness to His transcendence. Who can describe Him as He deserves to be described? Who can mention Him as He deserves to be mentioned? The remembrances of those who remember are bounded by limitations, and the comprehension of those who comprehend falls short and is veiled.
O God, O Self-Sufficient One! By what utterance shall I make mention of Thee, and with what tongue shall I praise Thee? The Prophets and Chosen Ones have confessed their powerlessness, and likewise both the distant and the near, the obedient and the rebellious—all acknowledge their impotence and shortcoming. The essence of expression is mute in the arena of Thy praise, and the reality of speech is dumb in the court of Thy mention. Yet the ocean of Thy generosity has given hope to the realm of utterance, and the banner of Thy bounty has confirmed existence, that they might not remain utterly deprived of Thy mention according to their capacity. For were the door of Thy remembrance and praise to be shut, hope would vanish and the sword of despair would cut down and uproot the saplings of existence.
O Merciful One! We beseech from the ocean of Thy mercy. O Generous One! We implore from the sun of Thy generosity. Look not upon our weakness and lowliness; consider rather Thine exaltation, transcendence, grace and power. Perchance Thou wilt transform this handful of dust into a precious jewel, and set this cold world ablaze with the fire of Thy Tree. Thou art the Powerful. There is no God but Thee, the Most Exalted, the Most High.
And then, O beloved of my heart! The noble pages thou didst send, each one a volume from the world of inner meanings, arrived. Their words refreshed the soul, and the fire of their mention transformed languor and stillness into attraction and motion, for each letter was adorned with the remembrance of God, exalted be His glory, and spoke His praise. Blessed art thou! It was not passion that made thee speak, but rather divine guidance. Were the servants to be fair and to see and hear with penetrating eyes and attentive ears, disputes and contentions would disappear, and “Our Cause is but one” would unveil its countenance and become manifest. But the servants have been reared on vain imaginings and have drunk from the pool of idle fancies; therefore they are deprived of the four, nay the nine rivers. Leave them to their devices. In any case, after reading the letter and becoming aware of it, the spirit ascended on the wings of detachment until it reached the presence of God’s throne, the Lord of all worlds. And after attaining the presence and receiving permission, thy letter was presented in its entirety, and these verses were revealed from the heaven of the Will of the Lord of all men, exalted be His blessed and transcendent utterance:
He is the One Who speaks in the Kingdom of Utterance
Praise be befitting and worthy of the Lord of the Worlds Who, through the Dayspring of His signs and the Manifestation of His clear tokens, alone summoned all the peoples of the world to the choice sealed wine. His irrevocable Decree remained unhidden by doubts and untainted by idle fancies. From the horizon of each of His words shineth forth the light of certitude and blazeth the fire of true knowledge. These light and fire outwardly differ yet inwardly are united. Blessed is he who hath attained unto them both. Today, attentive ears hear from the Blessed Tree that which Moses heard on the Mount of Certitude, and perceiving eyes behold that which the Prophets and Messengers sought after. Exalted is this Day and exalted is He Who hath appeared therein. The former cannot be compared with previous cycles and ages, nor can the latter be likened to any previous revelation of God’s Word, the Dayspring of lights.
O Muhammad, upon thee be My glory! The Wronged One hath heard thy call and answered thee time and again with that wherewith God hath illumined the cities of knowledge and wisdom and the horizons of hearts and minds, and through which the river of mercy hath flowed amongst all created things. O Muhammad, hearken once again unto the Call from the precincts of ʿAkka, from the Divine Lote-Tree: Verily, there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. He remembereth him who remembereth Him, nay rather, He remembereth him who wisheth to remember Him, for His remembrance preceded the world even as His mercy preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth.
O Muhammad! The Most Great Announcement remembereth thee from this supreme horizon, which God hath made a prison for the Dayspring of His signs and the Dawning-place of His clear tokens, and for such of His servants, drawn nigh unto Him, as were not hindered by veils from the Lord of all beings, nor were they frightened by the hosts of the oppressors. We were walking in the house on a dark night when the servant in attendance entered with thy letter and presented it before the Wronged One. We have answered thee with this clear Book which speaketh before the faces of all mankind. By God! The Most Great Name hath come with a sovereignty before which the power of kings and rulers cannot stand, and He desireth to purify the hearts of all peoples from rancor and hatred. For this He hath borne in the world of creation such afflictions and hardships as none knoweth save God, the Lord of all worlds. He counseleth the princes of the earth to justice and equity and to that whereby their stations shall be made manifest before the faces of the servants. Blessed is he who hath heard the Call and acted according to that which he was commanded by an All-Knowing Commander.
O Muhammad! Remind the people of God’s verses with joy and fragrance. Verily they attract them, draw them near, make them know, and guide them to this Straight Path. The wolves have surrounded God’s sheep, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. The son of the wolf hath devoured sheep from My flock in the land of Sad on this Day whereon the Caller proclaimeth from the highest horizon of the world:
“The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.”
Were ye to count the martyrs in My path, ye could not number them. The Tongue of Grandeur beareth witness to this, yet most of the people are among the deniers. They have denied God’s proof and evidence and cast His Book behind their backs. Lo! They are among the transgressors. This is a Day wherein the heaven hath come with manifest smoke, and the people have been prevented from turning to My most glorious horizon and from drawing nigh unto this resplendent station. By God! The smoke hath appeared as a recompense for their deeds. Lo! They are among the abased ones. Say: On the first day when the Most Exalted Pen moved, the Most Glorious Paradise trembled with joy, and the tribes of the earth who cast away God’s Covenant and His Command were shaken, having followed every remote pretender. Thus hath the Pen revealed its secrets and that which was treasured therein, that it might give the people glad tidings of this mighty and wondrous Cause.
O Muhammad! Upon thee be the Glory of God and His favors! Verses have been revealed of such magnitude that none can encompass them—they have encircled the world. Yet most remain veiled until now. The words of old have not departed from the view of those who turn away among the people of the Bayan—they speak with fabricated words of the past and cling to manifestations of vain imaginings. How far is the glory, loftiness and greatness of this Cause from the understanding of those heedless souls! They are deprived of the heavenly waters of divine mercy, and are content with bitter hatred. Such is the condition of these people. Calumnies have arisen such that the world’s hearing has recoiled from its power to listen. Any person of justice and fairness who contemplates the verses revealed in this Most Great Manifestation will know with absolute certainty that the Hidden Being has been granted authority. the ungodly and transgressors strive with utmost effort to extinguish the divine light and quench the heavenly fire. But the Word of God has not been and will not be prevented from penetrating. Assuredly those possessed of vision, hearing and utterance will arise and summon humanity to the supreme horizon with the most exalted call.
Indeed, nearness and remoteness, acceptance and rejection, death and life, ignorance and knowledge are all dependent upon and connected to the recompense of the deeds of the servants. Thus at the beginning of the Manifestation of the Herald, that is the Point of the Bayan, not one of the renowned divines of Persia attained to the light of recognition. The cause and reason was the recompense of deeds which became a barrier and deprived all. Would that they had held fast to repentance and return! They utter the blessed words “There is no power nor strength save in God,” yet they turn away from its appearance and meaning. They say “O Imam!” while issuing decrees against His Creator. In truth, astonishment itself is astounded at the deeds and words of this group.
Say: O my God, my God! I testify that through Thy Most Great Name the ocean of generosity has surged, and through Thy binding command the sun of bounty has shone forth from the horizon of the world. I beseech Thee, O Lord of eternity and Sovereign of nations, by the mysteries hidden in all things, by the breaths of Thy most great verses, and by Thy sovereignty which has encompassed earth and heaven, to assist those who turn away to turn towards Thee, the deniers to confess, the oppressors to justice and fairness, and the rebellious to return to the ocean of Thy forgiveness and the heaven of Thy bestowals. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful.
That which was hidden from hearts and eyes has in this Manifestation become manifest and evident. Can the whisperings of corrupt souls now prevent the servants from reaching the shore of the sea of oneness? From the deeds and behavior of the Shi’ih on the Day of Judgment was revealed that which had been concealed for twelve hundred years. Until now they have not ceased—continuously from pulpits they revile and kill the Truth and His loved ones. Glory be to God! In these days an event has occurred that has caused astonishment. One of those who turned away from the Bayan, Mirza Hadi Dawlat-Abadi, merely upon hearing that in the land of Sad he had been called a Babi, that unjust one ascended the pulpit and, like the Shi’ih, uttered curses, revilement and abuse—first against his own guide in Cyprus and those in Cyprus, and then from the beginning until now against all. Glory be to God! What that unjust one has done for the sake of two days of life! But he is content with the foolish ones of the world who accept whatever he says. For instance, should he state that his purpose in cursing and reviling was something else, those possessed of vain imaginings would accept it.
Say: O ye objectors to the Bayan, what is the distinction between truth and falsehood? Judge fairly. In that land how many martyrs have sacrificed their lives in the name of the Goal of the worlds, and ye have all heard of them. The twin resplendent lights, that is, the two Husayns—upon them be the most glorious of all glory—of whom ye have heard, despite their wealth, glory and fortune, sacrificed their lives in the path of the Friend. And though the wicked ones strove mightily that they might utter but one word to save themselves, they would not consent. They forsook creation and all that pertaineth unto it, but forsook not the truth. Likewise before them, Mulla Kazim and other souls—upon them be the most glorious glory of God—all freely sacrificed their lives at the threshold of the Friend. And several months ago His Holiness Ashraf—upon him be the glory of God and His grace—attained the most great martyrdom. His martyrdom is proof of certitude, steadfastness and confession, while the life of Hadi is evidence of wavering and denial.
Section 2: “Judge fairly, O people of the Bayan…”
Judge fairly, O people of the Bayan, and speak with pure truthfulness, and conceal not the truth through your idle fancies. Until now it hath never happened that a Babi would confess and yet remain alive, while the unjust Hadi preferred mortal life to eternal life. Yet assuredly with one lie he will quiet those possessed of vain imaginings. Alas, alas, for their lack of fairness, their tyranny and their oppression! By the life of our Beloved and our Goal! Today it would be fitting to establish a house of mourning in the arena of the world and, in lamentation for justice and fairness, to recite those exalted verses which have been sent down from the heaven of will specifically for the dead.
O people of Sad! Hearken unto the counsel of this servant. Take for yourselves a path unto God. Ye have not been and are not informed of matters. Now ye have become entangled with souls who in the earliest days were occupied in building the cities of idle fancy with the hands of vain imaginings. Fear God, O people, and be not among the transgressors.
As for the mention that was made of Ali Pasha KH-A—upon him be the glory of God—last week a most mighty and holy Tablet was revealed and sent specifically for him, that it might reach that loved one through those who would deliver it. Now too is he mentioned in the Most Holy Court, and the tongue of grandeur speaketh these exalted words—glorified and exalted be His utterance:
“O Ali! Upon thee be My glory! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One and arise with wisdom to aid the Cause. By the life of God! There hath been ordained for the helper that which the treasures of the earth cannot equal. Say: O my God and my Lord! I beseech Thee to assist me in that which will abide with me in every world of Thy worlds and by which the cities of Thy justice will be illumined. O my Lord! Thou seest Thy servant who hath turned unto Thee, detached from all else but Thee, and who testifieth to his servitude unto Thee. I beseech Thee not to withhold him from the ocean of Thy bounty and the sun of Thy generosity. Thou art verily the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.”
Thus was it ended.
And likewise these exalted words were revealed especially for Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Rustam—may God, exalted be He, sustain him. He, blessed and glorified be He, saith:
O Rustam, upon thee be My greetings! Ponder upon that which hath been aforetime and that which hath appeared thereafter, and behold with the eye of insight, purely for the sake of God. The decline of true knowledge and wisdom hath ever been caused by the divines. Reflect upon the Seal of the Prophets, may the spirit of all else but Him be sacrificed for His sake. Though He proclaimed the blessed Word of Divine Unity, they issued the decree for His death. All peoples arose in opposition, and ponder thou the cause of their opposition. When thou discoverest this, thou wilt hold fast unto this Most Great Revelation with such firmness that all the earth shall be powerless to deter thee. Likewise consider the Manifestation of the Friend of the All-Merciful in ancient times, and thereafter the appearance of the Spirit, and before Him the Interlocutor. One they called a sorcerer, and another they named an impostor. Examine what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an:
“Never came there unto them a Messenger but they did mock Him.”
After reflecting upon what hath been mentioned, arise and turn towards the Kaaba of God, the All-Protecting, the Self-Subsisting. Say: O my God, my God! Thou seest how I have cast aside all else but Thee and have taken hold of Thy Cause, have forsaken all save Thee, turning unto the court of Thy grace and the sanctuary of Thy glory. I beseech Thee to assist me in rending asunder the veils and dispelling the mists. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. O Lord! Illumine my heart with the light of Thy knowledge and my sight with the radiance of the Day-Star of Thy Revelation. O Lord! Withhold me not from the ocean of Thy verses and the sun of Thy grace. Verily Thou art the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Behold, the petition of His Honor Mirza Husayn Khan—upon him be the Glory of God—was submitted unto the Sacred Threshold and was graciously received with divine attention. A Most Holy Tablet, specially ordained for him, descended from the heaven of the Divine Will and was dispatched, that he might be intoxicated by the fragrance of the utterance of the All-Merciful and become occupied in remembrance and praise.
Regarding the mention made of His Honor Sulayman Khan—upon him be the Glory of God—and likewise his enkindlement with the fire of divine love and his devotion to the service of the Cause which was recorded: these glad tidings attained the honor of being heard in the Most Holy Court, and a Most Holy Tablet, specially ordained for him, appeared and descended from the horizon of the heaven of bounty and was dispatched. It is hoped that he may be made a recipient of the eternal, everlasting life and may quicken the world, inasmuch as today the breathings of Revelation are wafting forth. May he too be made a recipient of the traces of the Supreme Pen. I beseech the Exalted One that He may confirm him and those who are with him in the service of His mighty, unshakeable Cause.
Regarding the mention made of His Honor Himmat ʿAli Khan—upon him be the Glory of God—the beloved of the heart of His Holiness [the Bab]—upon Him be all the Glory of His glories and all the light of His lights—his mention hath been recorded. A Most Holy Tablet, specially ordained for him, descended and was dispatched to the land of Qaf, that it may reach him. The friends of God—upon them be the Glory of God—who exist in those regions are all mentioned in the Most Holy Court and have been made recipients of the waves of the ocean of the favor of the Desired One of the worlds. This servant giveth glad tidings to all through the bounty and favor of the True One, and seeketh for each that which is the cause of the enkindlement of the world and the purification of nations.
Regarding the mention made of His Honor Aqa Mirza Aqa [title]—upon him be the Glory of God—after submission unto the Most Holy Court, these verses adorned with splendors descended specially for him, that the attraction of the divine utterance might seize him and draw him nigh unto the Mighty, the All-Assisting. His words—blessed and exalted be He:
He is the Manifest, the All-Knowing
O Mirza Aqa! With manifest certitude the foundation of vain imaginings hath this day been rolled up by the command of the Lord of Days, and the carpet of certitude hath been spread. Strive thou that perchance with utmost joy and delight thou mayest illumine with the lights of certitude those who have lost their way in the valley of doubt and conjecture. The tongue was created for mention and praise, and these days are in truth the springtime of utterance. We beseech God to aid thee to purify hearts and souls from vain imaginings and idle fancies. Vain imaginings have debarred and deprived the world from the Lord of all beings. Whenever a light appeared, they strove to extinguish it, and whenever the Sun of Justice shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of grace, they endeavored like clouds and mists to conceal it. Most of the verses of the divine Books have testified and do testify to that which hath been mentioned.
Hearken unto the Voice of the Wronged One and with the hands of detachment rend asunder the veils and shrouds of the people—yet with wisdom and utterance, for the decree of the sword and spear hath been lifted. By the life of God! The utterance that proceedeth from the tongues of them that are detached is sharper than the sword and more penetrating than the spear. Say: O my God, my God! I testify that Thou didst remember me in Thy Most Great Prison when I was silent in Thy remembrance. I beseech Thee to aid me to serve Thy Cause. O my Lord! Illumine my sight, strengthen my heart, and reinforce my hearing and my limbs to that which Thou hast commanded me in Thy Books, Thy Scriptures and Thy Tablets. Thou art verily the All-Powerful, the Almighty, and worthy to answer prayers.
Mention was made of Asadabad. His exalted Word: Should God will it, He would change its name to Nurabad. Convey greetings from the Wronged One to the friends of that land. Praise be to God, they have been and are among the triumphant ones. That which is the cause of eternal life and everlasting existence was specially revealed for them before and after.
This servant hath also mentioned this to Hadrat-i-Ism-i-Jud, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God. Let them investigate and send copies of whatever was revealed concerning them and has been lost. Verily our Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
Mention was made of Haji Fadlu’llah and Kaka Khan, upon them be the Glory of God, and likewise of Haji’s love for the prayer of Salat. In truth, were all the world to attain unto a drop from the ocean of fairness, they would sacrifice their wealth and lives to obtain it. Today the taste of the servants hath changed and their power of comprehension hath been altered, therefore they are deprived of understanding that which hath descended from the heaven of bounty. O my brother and my true friend! The diverse winds of the world and its colors have stirred up impediments and deprived the sense of smell from perceiving the fragrances of revelation. We beseech God to assist His loved ones to educate mankind, that through the hosts of refined and noble utterances and praiseworthy deeds and character they may guide people to the divine law. Verily He is the Near One, verily He is the Watchful, verily He is the Helper.
Concerning Aqa Siyyid Aziz-i-Quli and those with him, upon them be the Glory of God, mention was made. After being presented before His face, these exalted words were specially revealed for them. His blessed and exalted Word: He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing:
O dear one! Every soul that hath in this day attained unto the recognition of this Most Great Announcement hath attained unto the glory of God and is illumined by the light of God. The glory of this world hath been and ever will be ephemeral, and likewise the clamor and differences of the peoples. But this most exalted and blessed Word, which hath in this hour dawned from the horizon of the Supreme Pen, is everlasting and enduring. Neither shall obliteration seize it, nor shall extinction find it. Give thanks unto the Peerless Beloved that He hath remembered thee in the Most Great Prison and adorned thee with the tokens of the Supreme Pen. He Who loved Me hath mentioned thee; We have remembered thee in this Clear Tablet.
Convey My greetings to the loved ones in that land and its surroundings, both those related and others, and say: I swear by the effulgences of the lights of the Sun of Truth that this blessed Day hath no peer or likeness. Strive ye, and through unity illuminate all regions. Beware lest the darkness of the world prevent you from drawing nigh unto the Light, or tyranny from justice, or oppression from equity. The loved ones of God, exalted be His glory, must, with pure and holy hearts, sanctified from all directions, beseech and implore from God that which is the cause of the return of all and the means of salvation for all. Verily, He is the Most Merciful of the merciful and the Protector of all who are in the heavens and on earth. There is none other God but Him, the King, the Just, the Manifest Truth.
Section 3: “And as for the mention that was made…”
And as for the mention that was made of Dawlatabad and the loved ones of that land, upon them be the Glory of God, and likewise their steadfastness and attraction—mention of each and every one was made in the most exalted heights in the presence of the Lord of all beings, and these wondrous and blessed verses were revealed from the heaven of bounty and mercy. His word, blessed and exalted be He:
He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing
O My loved ones in that place! Your names have been mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One, whereupon the ocean of My loving-kindness surged, the fragrances of My grace were wafted, and the sun of My utterance shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of My bounty. We have remembered you with such remembrance that through it the call of all things was raised:
“God, there is none other God but Him, the Lord of the Throne and of the dust, the Master of the Day of Judgment.”
Blessed are ye, and again blessed are ye, for having turned towards Him from Whom all on earth have turned away, save those whom God, the Lord of all worlds, has willed. Ye have attained unto the traces of God from aforetime, which nothing can equal. We beseech God to strengthen you in that which will cause your deeds, your remembrances, and your character to endure in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds. We have heard your call and have answered you, and We have shone upon you with the lights of utterance that ye may draw near, under all conditions, unto God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
O friends of God! Hearken in the Persian tongue: Hold fast to unity and harmony. Great is this Day, and the Cause of God hath appeared like the sun from its horizon and is manifest. Hold fast to consultation and occupy yourselves with teaching. This is the assistance that hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen in the Tablets of the past and future. Hold fast unto it and be of them that render assistance.
O friends of God and His party! Hear the call from the direction of Akka, from the Sublime Tree upraised in truth. Verily it illumineth your hearts, strengtheneth your frames, confirmeth you and aideth you with the hosts of utterance. He, verily, is the Powerful over whatsoever He willeth, and He is the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
We beseech God to grant strength that all may arise with supreme steadfastness and firm certitude to turn towards the cities of hearts and minds. Let not time slip away, and hearken unto the sincere counsels of them that are detached. Should any differences appear among you, strive to remove and efface them, that ye may attain true unity and be numbered among the helpers. The handmaidens of God have been mentioned at this time in the Crimson Book by the Supreme Pen. We beseech God to preserve the leaves of the Tree from the various winds of the world and to illumine each one with the light of steadfastness and the radiance of detachment. He is the Powerful, the Mighty. There is none other God but Him, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious.
Mention was made of His Honor Aqa Husayn K. in Dah-i-Naw—upon him be the Glory of God—and likewise mention of His Honor Aqa Mirza Rahim and his brother, His Honor Aqa Abdu’l-Azim—upon both of them be the Glory of God—in J.W., and in Bayghish the sons of the late Aqa Nawruz ʿAli and His Honor Mahmud Bik—upon them be the Glory of God. These names were submitted unto the Most Holy Court, and each was made a recipient of the remembrance of the Desired One of the worlds. His words—blessed and exalted be He:
“O Compassionate One! Night and day the divine Call is raised on high and verses descend from the Kingdom of bounty and bestowal. But the opposition of the opposers and the heedlessness of the negligent—that is to say, the divines of this age—have prevented the people from the Most Great Vision. Blessed is the soul whom the opposition of those heedless souls did not prevent, and who attained unto the Most Great Honor. Praise be to God! Verily, thou hast turned toward Him, and heard, and believed in God, the One, the All-Informed.
We counsel thee to steadfastness in this mighty Cause, O Abdu’l-Azim! The Cause is mighty, mighty! Entreat the True One that He may deliver the world from the negligence of the Shi’ih party and from the hatred and enmity of those souls. The most contemptible parties of the world have been witnessed. They uttered ʿYea, O True One!’ and martyred Him. Blessed art thou in that thou hast left them to themselves and turned unto God, the Mighty, the Great.”
The Most Exalted Pen has willed to make mention of the elevated Nowruz Ali. Today is Nowruz and in truth it is the sight of all days, nay the sight by which the world is illumined. The realm of time cannot equal a single hour thereof. O Nowruz! Thou art in the highest companionship, inasmuch as the Lord of all beings hath made mention of thee. We made mention of thee before thy ascension and after thy ascension, that the grace and favors might encompass thee from all directions. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing Rememberer. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon those who have ascended unto God, holding fast to the cord of love and recognition. He is verily the Compassionate, the Generous. We make mention of the children in this exalted station. We beseech God to aid them to remain steadfast with such constancy that neither the opposition of the opposers nor the hosts of the oppressors shall deter them. The Command is in God’s hands, the Lord of all worlds.
O Mahmud! Thy mention hath been made in the presence of the Wronged One, and We have mentioned thee with these sublime words. For divine mention there have been and are infinite degrees and stations. Among these, when a single word proceedeth from the Most Exalted Pen specifically for someone, at that moment there appear in the most exalted Paradise and the supreme Heaven lofty and transcendent stations consisting of mansions, dwellings, chambers and endless new bounties, to such an extent that those who enumerate, remember and record are unable to count them. Consider the grace and favors of God and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Goal of the hearts of the sincere ones and those near unto God! We beseech God to set thee ablaze with the fire of His love, that through the warmth of love thou mayest ignite the souls in that land. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Each of the souls mentioned attained unto that which had been the hope of the world from time immemorial. The divine Books speak of this Day, and all the Prophets and Messengers held fast unto it, beseeching and hoping from God the meeting of this blessed Day. Blessed is the soul that hath turned unto Him and attained unto steadfastness.
Now, for each of the petitioners specifically, a Most Holy and Most Exalted Tablet was revealed and sent in reply, including those of his honor V.Z., his honor Haji Mirza Hasan, his honor Aqa Mirza Muhammad-Ali Sar, his honor Aqa Siyyid Sharif, and his honor Sulayman Kh.A., upon them be the glory of God, as well as the other loved ones upon whom be the glory of God who were mentioned before. Praise be to God, all have received their portion from the ocean of utterance of the Goal of all worlds, and there was revealed specifically for each that which all on earth cannot equal. God willing, may the loved ones drink from the chalices of words that which bestoweth eternal life. Verily our Lord is the Almighty, the Powerful. There is no God but He, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
And as for the mention they made of his honor Haji Kazim, upon him be the glory of God, and the mention of his house which has become a gathering place for the friends of God, and likewise the mention of his vision—these matters were presented before the throne of God, exalted be His glory, and one Most Holy and Most Exalted Tablet was revealed and sent from the heaven of utterance of the Goal of all worlds specifically for him. We beseech God to exalt him among His servants through His Name. Verily He is powerful over all things.
And likewise they wrote mentioning his honor Siyyid Bahlul, upon him be the glory of God. After being presented before His presence, these sublime words were revealed from the treasury of divine knowledge concerning him. His word, mighty is His utterance and manifest His proof:
O Muhammad, upon thee be the Glory of God, the Single, the One! All the friends have been and are mentioned before the Wronged One. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to make them the banners of His remembrance, the standards of His guidance, the rivers of His mercy, and the trees of His loving-kindness amongst His servants and His creation, that all may partake of the fruits of the Divine Lote-Tree and attain unto that which they are heedless of today. On this day, every created thing doth proclaim with eloquent tongue and giveth glad-tidings unto all of the appearance of the Most Great Light. Blessed are they that hear, and woe unto the heedless!
Mention was made of his honour Siyyid B.H. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to give him to drink from the chalice of the Water of Life, that he may arise among the servants, speaking His praise, turning unto His horizon, standing firm in service to His Cause, and directing himself toward the lights of His countenance. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer.
Say: This day is the Lord of days, with which neither years nor months, nay, neither centuries nor ages can compare. God willing, they will guide the servants through wisdom and utterance to the stream of the All-Merciful, that all may not be deprived of the outpourings of the All-Bountiful Lord in His days. His mercy hath preceded and His grace hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. Praise be to God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.
This servant beseecheth and imploreth God, exalted be His glory, to assist him in that which beseemeth His Day, that he may be a cup-bearer among the people through His Name, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Exalted is this mighty and sublime station!
Thus far doth the discourse end, and mention is concluded here for now, that God willing, the response to the remainder of the august letter may be sent later, as time is wanting at this moment and the bearer of news is departing. I convey greetings, peace, praise and glory to all the friends in that land and its surroundings, and I beseech and implore God, exalted be His glory, to illumine all with the light of deeds and character, which are the cause of the order of the world and the progress of nations. Verily, He is the Illuminator Who illumineth whomsoever He willeth among His servants, and He is the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Glory, remembrance and praise be upon you and upon those who are with you and who hearken unto your words in praise of God, our Lord and your Lord, our Goal and your Goal, and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and on earth. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
The servant 19 Jamadiyu’th-Thani 1306
BH01222: O people of Paran! By God and His Cause…
In the Name of Him Who heareth and seeth; He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing!
O people of Paran! By God and His Cause, the Wronged One hath turned toward you time and again, repeatedly, from the precincts of the Prison, and hath made mention of you through verses whereof God hath made each letter a fountain of Kawthar and Salsabil, and a source of the water of life for the quickening of all worlds. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is the All-Compassionate, the All-Bountiful.
Blessed be your tongues for having acknowledged the Revelation of God and His sovereignty, and your hearts for having turned unto Him on a day wherein the fire of estrangement was kindled in all regions, and every oppressor arose to extinguish His light and quench His flame. Thus did their souls prompt them—they are assuredly among the transgressors in God’s Book, the Lord of all worlds. There have come before Our presence servants who have believed in God and His signs, and who have taken for themselves a station nigh unto the mercy of their Lord, the All-Compassionate, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
Beware lest ye be saddened by the fire of hatred which hath been kindled in the hearts of the divines who have violated God’s Covenant and pronounced judgment against Him through Whom the Path was made manifest and the Balance spoke, saying: “I am the All-Distinguishing, the All-Knowing.” Hearken unto My call and the shrill voice of My Pen, then observe that which hath appeared through the will of your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
Say: O people of Paran! The call of your Lord, the All-Merciful, hath been raised. Hearken, and be not of them that are veiled. Beware lest the doubts of the cawing ones prevent you from God, the True King, the Manifest. Cast away what the people possess and take what ye have been given from the presence of One mighty and great.
We have desired at this time to make mention of the Friend who hath ascended unto God, the Almighty, the All-Praised. Before his ascension We revealed for him that which brought solace to the eyes of them that are nigh unto God, and after his ascension We mentioned him from My Most Exalted Pen in such wise that the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the Most Sublime Paradise welcomed it, as bidden by the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days. O Friend! We have desired to make mention of thee at this time once again, as a mercy from Us—verily thy Lord is the Most Merciful of the merciful ones. The glory shining from the Most Sublime Horizon and the light radiating from this Most Glorious Station be upon thee, O thou who didst hear the Call when it was raised between earth and heaven, and who didst believe in God, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the All-Wise. Blessed art thou, and blessed is he who loved thee and made mention of thy days, thy turning and thy devotion. We testify that he is among the sincere ones in the Book of God, the Lord of the Glorious Throne. Thus did the Pen speak when the Lord of Eternity was in this noble station.
O friends of God in Paran! Give thanks unto your Lord for having aided you to remember and praise Him, and for having drawn you nigh unto Him when the people were in manifest remoteness. Say: O concourse of men! Hearken unto that which the Lord of Destiny hath uttered from His Most Great Prospect, and be not of the heedless. By God! Ye were not created for yourselves, but rather to serve this Cause whereby the hearts of the idolaters have been sorely troubled. The banner of unity hath been raised before your faces, and the call hath been lifted up from the Most Sublime Horizon:
“The kingdom is God’s, the Lord of the Throne and of the dust, and the Master of this wondrous Day.”
Your eyes were created to behold My signs, your ears to hear My call, and your hands to grasp My Book, if ye be of them that understand. Be ye of such constancy that the cawing of those who have turned away from God, the Lord of all worlds, shall not prevent you. Take ye, with the hands of power and might, the Book of God, the Master of the Day of Judgment.
O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of My loved ones who have ascended unto God in that land, that they may inhale the sweet fragrance of their Lord, the Mighty, the Peerless. The first fragrance that wafted from the breezes of Revelation and the first light that shone forth from the horizon of the Throne be upon you, O loved ones of God and His chosen ones. We testify that ye believed in God when most of mankind denied Him, and hearkened unto the Call when it was raised in truth, and attained unto that which was recorded in the Books of the Messengers. Through you the Sun of Certitude shone forth from the horizon of possibility, and the ocean of utterance surged before the faces of all who are in the heavens and on earth. Ye are they whom the affairs of the world did not deter, whose resolve its might could not weaken, and whom the doubts of the suspicious could not veil. We testify that ye turned unto the Call when it was raised between earth and heaven, and remained faithful to God’s Covenant and His Testament when every wayward transgressor broke it. Through you the river of mercy flowed amidst all created things, and the Dove of Unity warbled upon the branches:
“There is none other God but Me, the One, the Single, the Mighty, the Beautiful.”
Blessed are ye, and blessed is he who maketh mention of you in accordance with what hath been sent down from the heaven of the will of your Lord at this time. Thus have We lit the lamp of utterance and illumined the hearts of My loved ones who have cast away all else but Me, clinging to the hem of My luminous robe.
O Pen! Make mention of My handmaidens in that land and give them the glad-tidings of My loving-kindness and My mercy which have preceded existence itself, from the first to the last. O My handmaidens and My leaves! Take ye the cup of immortality in the name of your Lord, the Most Glorious, then drink therefrom through My sweetest remembrance, in defiance of the divines of the earth and its jurists who have cast behind their backs My Book and taken the book of their own fancy in this Day wherein all things proclaim:
“The veil hath been rent asunder and the Lord of Creation hath come with manifest sovereignty.”
The glory from Us be upon them and upon you and upon every people that hath acted in accordance with what hath been commanded from the Tongue of God, which speaketh in this exalted station.
BH03492: He it is Who warbles upon the branches
He it is Who warbles upon the branches
This is a mention from the Wronged One to him who has drunk the sealed wine when the Self-Subsisting came from the heaven of utterance with a clear proof. A letter from the Prisoner to him who has turned to the Hidden Mystery that appeared and summoned the peoples at their return unto God, the Lord of the worlds. Say: By God! The veils have been rent asunder and the coverings torn away when the Revealer of verses came with a sovereignty that conquered all who are in the heavens and the earth. While We were seated upon Our seat, there came one named the Present Servant from the tongue of God, the Commander, the Strong, the Mighty, the Powerful, and read thy letter before Our face. We found from it the fragrance of My utterance and thy love for Him Whom most of the servants detest, and thy turning to Him from Whom every transgressor and sinful one has turned away. We answer thee with this wondrous and glorious Tablet. When thou attainest unto it, turn thy face toward the Kaaba of God, the Lord of the throne and of the dust, the Master of all men. Say:
My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having given me to drink what flowed from Thy Most Exalted Pen and made known to me that which most of mankind were prevented from knowing. I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Most Bountiful Name, and I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy Name through which Thou didst subdue the kingdom of names, to make me one of those who have cast vain imaginings behind them, turning to what Thou didst send down from the heaven of Thy Will in Thy Mighty Book. O Lord! Thou seest me clinging to Thy greatest verses and attracted by the breezes of Thy revelation, O Creator of the heavens! I beseech Thee by the power of Thy most exalted Word and by Thy sovereignty that hath subdued all things, to make me in all conditions steadfast in Thy love, firm in Thy Cause, and upright on Thy straight path and Thy mighty Message. Then ordain for me, O Lord of the world and Goal of the nations, the best of what Thou hast ordained for Thy trusted ones in all the worlds of Thy worlds. Verily Thou art the Forgiving, the Generous. There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH03928: O Name of Generosity! Upon thee be My glory!…
He is the Dawning-Place from the horizon of the heaven of bounty!
O Name of Generosity! Upon thee be My glory! The letter of his honor Samandar, upon him be My glory, was reviewed. Blessed is he and his pen and whoso loveth him for My sake. All that hath flowed from his pen, both before and after, in proof of the Word of God, is acceptable before the Wronged One. He hath spoken the truth, to this beareth witness the Tongue of My grandeur and whoso is with Me in My Kingdom and circleth round Me. We beseech God, exalted be He, to preserve him from the oppressors and transgressors. He is verily the Powerful, the Mighty. We hope that afterwards the answer to certain passages will be revealed and sent, and We make mention of My loved ones there. By My life, We have mentioned them with a mention from which wafteth the fragrance of loving-kindness and favors. He is verily the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing.
The letter of his honor [Khalil], upon him be My glory, was read in the presence. He hath spoken the truth. Blessed is he and joy be unto him. His mention and yearning in divine love hath deposited traces in the contingent world, and this trust is preserved with the Trustee. And verily He is God, the King, the Truth, the Manifest. In truth the sweet savors of steadfastness and joy and the fragrances of attraction and longing have been diffused from them throughout all regions. We beseech God to strengthen him at all times with the hosts of inspiration. He is verily the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
O Name of Generosity! The blessed word “The names descend from heaven” hath appeared and is known as Abdul-Karim, upon him be the glory of God. His letter was read in the presence. This word of his was the result of the elevation of the heart and hath attained unto the acceptance of hearing. Joy be unto him. His words: “O my God! O my Lord! The servant is Thine and mercy is Thine.” We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to assist His loved ones there and those who are with them. He is verily their Guardian in this world and the next, and He is the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH03978: Verily the Most Great Sea desired to make mention…
In the Name of the Mighty, the Great
Verily the Most Great Sea desired to make mention of one of Its waves, that the remembrance might attract it to a station wherein the atoms proclaim:
“The Kingdom belongeth unto God, Lord of the worlds and Master of the Day of Judgment.”
O thou who art present before the Countenance! God giveth thee glad tidings of His grace and hath accepted what thou hast wrought in His path. He, verily, is the All-Compassionate, the All-Bountiful. We bear witness that thou hast aimed for the Ultimate Goal and hast heard the Call of God, Lord of the mighty Throne, and hast dwelt in the precincts of His Sacred House and hast heard His Call raised between the heavens and the earth. Say:
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Praise be unto Thee for having given me to drink of the Kawthar of Thy knowledge and enabled me to turn unto Thee and honored me with the visitation of Thy presence and provided me with the fruits of certitude from the Tree of Thy divinity. I beseech Thee, O God of Names and Creator of heaven, by Thy Hidden and Treasured Name, which appeared through Thy Name, the Self-Subsisting, then ascended the throne of utterance at the midmost heart of contingent being and summoned all to the court of Thy might and the carpet of Thy holiness and the pavilion of Thy glory and the canopy of Thy grandeur, that Thou write down for me that which will preserve me from all else save Thee and give me to drink of what hath flowed from Thy Most Exalted Pen, that I may abide by the abiding of Thy Will and Purpose.
O my Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have cast aside my affairs and occupations and all else besides Thee, turning unto the lights of Thy countenance and directing myself toward the Kaaba of meeting with Thee. I beseech Thee to make this meeting a treasure for me in the repositories of Thy protection and a store for me with Thee. O my Lord! Thou seest me gazing toward Thee and holding fast to Thy cord. I beseech Thee to forgive me and those who desired their remembrance before Thy throne. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
BH11881: O Ahmad! When Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets…
In the name of the One Incomparable Knower:
O Ahmad! When Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake—appeared, they reviled Him and issued a decree for His death. Before Him came the Spirit (Christ), whom they crucified, and likewise they denied Moses, and cast the Friend of the All-Merciful (Abraham) into the fire. What was the cause and reason for these matchless and unprecedented injustices? It was the divines of the age—by their decree the rulers acted, doing that which caused all things to lament and the Tablet and Pen to weep. They martyred the Herald (the Bab)—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake—and now each day they scheme against this Wronged One. They hamstrung His she-camel, they tore apart His sheep, they sank His ship. The Wolf and his son committed that which no oppressor had ever done. Yet whatsoever hath befallen hath caused the exaltation of God’s Word and the advancement of His Cause. Say:
Praise be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all things! I testify that Thou doest whatsoever Thou willest through Thy power which encompasseth all who are in the heavens and on earth. There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O my Lord! Ordain for me from the wonders of Thy grace such deeds as will diffuse the fragrance of Thy acceptance and the sweet-scented breeze of Thy good-pleasure. O my Lord! Thou seest me standing before the door of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by Thy pre-existent mercy and Thy all-encompassing favor and Thy generosity which hath encompassed the heavens and earth, to ordain for me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones and trusted ones. Thou art, verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Most Generous. There is no God but Thee, the Self-Sufficient, the All-Bountiful.
BH04825: The Tongue of Grandeur has in all times summoned…
He is established upon the throne of utterance at the pole of contingent being.
The Tongue of Grandeur has in all times summoned the servants to the living waters and continues to do so. The Book calls out with the most exalted cry between earth and heaven, giving glad tidings to all and summoning them to the Hidden Name and the Treasured Secret. Blessed is the soul that has attained to this most great bounty and this most hidden mystery. Today another world has appeared and another carpet has been spread, yet the people of doubt and fancy remain occupied with their previous imaginings. Say:
O God, my Worshipped One, my Adored One! Through a single word of Thy sublime words Thou didst create earth and heaven, and through one drop from the ocean of Thy generosity Thou didst bring existence into being. Thou art the One with such power that the might and strength of the tyrants of the earth and pharaohs of the lands could not prevent Thee from Thy purpose. O Generous One! A poor one has turned to Thy gate and a helpless one has clung to the cord of Thy power. He begs of Thee Thy ancient grace and beseeches Thy fresh forgiveness. Deprive him not from the ocean of Thy bounty and withhold him not from the living waters of eternal life. Thou art powerful and mighty. O Lord! The atoms of the world bear witness to Thy wealth and acknowledge and confess Thy grace. Would One like Thee, so rich, deprive one like me, so poor? Far be it! Never! I testify, and all things testify, that Thou art the Most Generous of the generous ones and the Most Merciful of the merciful ones.
BH04963: Verily the Divine Lote-Tree desires to make mention…
In the Name of Him Who is the Guardian over all names!
Verily the Divine Lote-Tree desires to make mention of one of its fruits, and to gladden it with its loving-kindness and grace, and to remind it of that which hath been inscribed upon its leaves by the Most Exalted Pen of God, the King, unto Whom belongeth the kingdom of heaven and the realm of names.
O thou who art turning toward My direction, gazing upon My countenance, and standing before My throne! Hearken unto My call, for verily it will draw thee nigh unto My kingdom and aid thee with the hosts of My wisdom and utterance, and will inform thee of that which hath been ordained for thee by My Pen in My Crimson Tablet, whereof none hath been apprised save God, the Lord of all beings and the Sovereign of this wondrous Day.
Give thanks unto God, the Lord of the throne on high and of the dust beneath, for having aided thee to turn toward Him, and adorned thee with the ornament of certitude, and caused thee to appear before His presence, and enabled thee to hear His most sweet call, and to behold His most glorious horizon.
Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by the billowing oceans of Thy utterance, and by the signs of Thy grandeur, and by the manifestations of Thy might, and by Thy most exalted Word whereby Thou didst unite Thy creation and the hearts of Thy servants, and by the blood of Thy chosen ones which was shed in love for Thy Beauty and in yearning for Thy presence, that Thou aid me to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee, and to serve Thy Cause.
Verily Thou art He Whom neither the tyranny of the Pharaohs nor the wrath of the oppressors can frustrate. In Thy right hand is the standard of “He doeth whatsoever He willeth” and in Thy left hand the banner of “He ordaineth whatsoever He pleaseth.” There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling.
BH05404: Glorified art Thou, O my God, my Lord…
He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise
Glorified art Thou, O my God, my Lord and my Support! I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the All-Bountiful, and glorified art Thou, O my God, I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the All-Forgiving, and glorified art Thou, O my God, I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the Concealer, to conceal the sins of Thy servants and whatsoever they have committed in Thy days. O Lord! Thou art He Whose generosity hath encompassed all created things and Whose mercy hath preceded all existence. None hath ever returned disappointed and frustrated from the door of Thy grace, nor have any souls remained deprived and hopeless. I beseech Thee by Thy generosity which hath encompassed all created things to forgive Thy servants and Thy creation, and take them not to task for their misdeeds and errors.
Wouldst Thou, O my God, chastise him who hath acknowledged Thy mercy and confessed to Thy favors and bounties? Nay, by Thy might! I testify that Thou dost not withhold those who seek Thee from the ocean of Thy grace, nor those who desire Thee from the sun of Thy bounty. Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having caused me to be attracted by Thy verses, whereupon I hastened to the shore of the ocean of Thy nearness and heard Thy sweetest call, which cannot be equaled by all the treasures of earth and heaven, and for having shown me Thy beauty in the Most Great Prison through what the hands of the nations have wrought. O Lord!
Ordain for me and for those with me that which shall profit me in all the worlds of Thy worlds. Then send down upon me from the heaven of Thy grace the table of Thy utterance and the blessing of Thy knowledge. Verily Thou art the Mighty, the Bountiful. There is no God but Thee, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.
BH05873: The Book proclaims with the most exalted call: O…
In the Name of the Goal of all the worlds!
The Book proclaims with the most exalted call: O deniers! This is the Day of Return—deprive not yourselves! Look upon and ponder the proofs of the Prophets and Messengers, that ye may not remain deprived of the Most Great Proof which hath today shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of the Supreme Pen. Every proof hath bowed down before the proof of God, the Lord of all worlds, and every evidence hath submitted to the evidence of God, the Lord of the mighty throne.
Take hold of the Book of God with His strength and follow not those who follow every heedless doubter. Say: Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One and with the finger of might rend asunder the veil of idle fancy. Say: Fear your Lord, the Most Merciful, and be not of the wrongdoers. Say: We pass over whatsoever hath been said and is being said, and hold fast unto the very proof and evidence itself. Read ye what ye possess and We shall read what hath been sent down from the heaven of the Will of God, the Lord of all worlds. It would be a pity if ye should remain veiled this day by that which the people possess from that which is with God. Say: We counsel you for the sake of God and desire from you neither recompense nor thanks. Thus have We sent down the verses unto thee that thou mayest rejoice and be of the thankful. The splendor from Us be upon thee and upon every steadfast and upright one.
BH06632: In My Name that dawneth from the horizon…
In My Name that dawneth from the horizon of the heaven of utterance!
The call hath been raised betwixt earth and heaven. Blessed is the ear that hath heard it, and the tongue that hath answered, and the heart that hath turned toward it, and the foot that hath hastened, and the face that hath been directed toward it, and the eye that hath beheld the horizon of the Revelation when He appeared and manifested what He desired on the part of God, the Commander, the Almighty, the Powerful.
My Most Exalted Pen beareth witness to thy turning toward Me, thy devotion, thy presence, thy attentiveness, and thy entry through a gate that hath been opened unto all who are in the heavens and on earth.
Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Praise be unto Thee for having guided me unto the Dayspring of Thy signs, and thanks be unto Thee for having given me to drink of the Kawthar of immortality from the hand of Thy bounty, and for having shown me Thy most exalted horizon, and caused me to hear Thy most sweet call. I beseech Thee by Thy signs which have encompassed all things, and by the Concourse on High, and the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise, to make me steadfast, firm and upright in Thy love and Thy Cause. Then ordain for me the good of all worlds among Thy worlds. Verily Thou art the Forgiving, the Merciful.
BH06713: This is a Book sent down by the Wronged…
He is the All-Witnessing, the All-Informed
This is a Book sent down by the Wronged One to him who hath believed in the Self-Subsisting, through Whom the limbs of all names have trembled and all who are on earth were thunderstruck, save those whom God, the Lord of the mighty Throne, hath willed. Thou hast attained unto My remembrance, and thy name hath been mentioned by the Tongue of Grandeur in this exalted station. When thou hast drunk the choice wine of revelation from the cup of thy Lord’s bounty, say:
My God, my God! I testify to Thy manifestation and Thy establishment upon the throne of Thy grandeur and Thy power amongst Thy servants and Thy Cause. I beseech Thee to ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for the Manifestations of might and power, whom neither doubts prevented from turning to Thee nor allusions from holding fast to Thy cord. O my Lord! Ordain for me that which shall accompany me and benefit me in all the worlds of Thy worlds. Verily Thou art the All-Powerful, the Almighty.
O my God! Send Thy blessings upon Thy loved ones who have drunk the choice wine of utterance from the cup of Thy bounty and have attained unto the most great steadfastness, such that neither armies frightened them nor the might of kings deterred them. They turned with radiant faces, detached from all else save Thee. There is no God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
BH11893: O Taqi! The Wronged One hath heard thy call…
In the Name of the One True God
O Taqi! The Wronged One hath heard thy call and answered thee. He heareth and answereth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Know thou with clear certainty that the people of Iran have been reared on vain imaginings and have drunk from the breast of idle fancies. Most difficult is it to rend asunder the veil in their sight. The most exalted and greatest among that people are, by their own account, the divines and jurists of the land, yet these souls are regarded by God as the most ignorant, base and lost. Throughout ages and centuries they sought the presence of the Truth, yet when He was made manifest they martyred Him. Say:
My God, my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Name the Almighty, and by Thy Name the Chosen One, and by Thy Name the Powerful, to sanctify the earth and its cities and regions from the likes of these. O my Lord! Thou seest how they have turned away from Thee and pronounced judgment against Thee without any clear proof or Book. Cleanse the earth from the defilement of these who have manifested rancor and hatred. Verily Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest, and verily Thou art the Avenger, the Just, the All-Wise.
BH07243: This is a Book which the Lord of Hosts…
He is the One manifest from the horizon of the heaven of proof!
This is a Book which the Lord of Hosts hath sent down as a bounty from His presence, and He is the Bestower, the Generous. Hear thou the Call from the Most Glorious Horizon—verily it will draw thee nigh unto a station sublime and wondrous.
Say: O my God, my God! I testify to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and that Thou art the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden. There is no God but Thee, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. I bear witness, O my God and my Beloved, that Thou didst create me to know the ocean of Thy unity and the sun of Thy manifestation, and to acknowledge that which Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. O Lord! I am he who hath turned toward Thy horizon and attained that which Thou didst send down unto Thy Messengers. I beseech Thee by the power which the hosts of the world have not weakened, and by Thy might which the onslaught of the nations hath not rendered powerless, and by Thy Self-Subsisting Name through which the dwellers of the graves arose and the Trumpet was sounded, to make me one of those who have circled round Thy Will in Thy kingdom and acted according to that which Thou didst command them in Thy Book. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
BH07350: O friends of God! The daysprings of falsehood…
He is the One speaking from the horizon of the heaven of utterance!
O friends of God! The daysprings of falsehood and hypocrisy have ever forbidden their followers from drawing near to and associating with other servants, fearing lest they discover the calumnies of those false souls. But the people of truth have ever counseled all with loving advice to associate and unite. O My friends! The deeds and words of the men of the arena of steadfastness and power have been and are distinguished from all else. We beseech God to lead all from the west of fancy to the east of certitude. He is the Powerful, the Mighty.
O thou who hast turned thy face to My horizon! We have heard thy call and have remembered thee in this Most Luminous Tablet, that thou mayest attain unto that for which existence itself was brought into being. Say: My God, my God! Look not upon my self and my transgressions, but rather upon the Sun of Thy bounty and the Heaven of Thy generosity. I have come unto Thee detached from all else beside Thee. Do with me as beseemeth Thee. We testify that Thou art the Forgiving, the Merciful.
BH10761: The Sun hath desired to bestow upon thee…
The Sun hath desired to bestow upon thee an effulgence from among the effulgences of its Most Great Name. When thou art illumined by its lights and hast attained unto its presence, arise and turn thy face toward the Ka’bah of God, the Possessor of the kingdom of names, and say:
Glorified art Thou, O my God and God of earth and heaven! Unto Thee be praise, inasmuch as Thou hast brought forth from the treasuries of Thy Most Exalted Pen, for this Thy servant, the pearls of wisdom and utterance, and the gems of loving care and tender mercies. I bear witness that Thou art, in truth, the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
BH10798: The Ocean of bounty hath willed to send unto…
The Ocean of bounty hath willed to send unto thee, from the quarter of justice, a cup of the sealed wine. When thou attainest unto it, take it in My Name, the Self-Subsisting, then drink thereof, despite those who are lost in vain imaginings, who have broken the Covenant of God and His Testament.
And say: Glorified art Thou, O my God! Unto Thee be praise, for Thou hast remembered me and hast made me of those who have attained in Thy mighty and wondrous Tablet.
BH11831: O My brother! How great, how very great, can…
O My brother! How great, how very great, can the law of obligatory prayer be, when, through His mercy and loving kindness, one is enabled to observe it. When a man commenceth the recitation of the Obligatory Prayer, he should see himself severed from all created things and regard himself as utter nothingness before the will and purpose of God, in such wise that he seeth naught but Him in the world of being. This is the station of God’s well-favored ones and those who are wholly devoted to Him. Should one perform the Obligatory Prayer in this manner, he will be accounted by God and the Concourse on high among those who have truly offered the prayer….
BH00107: Praise be unto Him Who is the Ultimate Goal…
Section 1: “Praise be unto Him Who is the Ultimate…”
In the Name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted and Most Glorious Lord!
Praise be unto Him Who is the Ultimate Goal, for in establishing His Cause He hath sought no other proof besides Himself, and no mention of aught else hath found or findeth access unto Him, inasmuch as He is sanctified above all that is in the world. Great indeed is this Day wherein the Primal Point—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake—in the Most Exalted Paradise and the Most Glorious Horizon proclaimeth “Verily, I am the first of them that worship.” We beseech the Most High to preserve His servants from vain imaginings and idle fancies, for the abominable Shi’ih sect hath been and continueth to be deprived of the recognition of the Hidden and Treasured Name through their vain imaginings and idle fancies.
They considered themselves the most exalted of creation and the most profitable among the inhabitants of all lands, whereas in the sight of God they are reckoned among the basest of creation and the most lost of servants. For twelve hundred years they cried out “O Vicegerent!” yet on the Day of Reckoning they slew the Creator of a hundred thousand vicegerents. Now again some of the opposers are preventing people from the Lord of all beings through these same means. Time and again this exalted word was heard from the Sovereign of the Kingdom of Names—blessed and exalted be His utterance: “Until they pass beyond the river of names, they shall not attain unto the ocean of inner meanings.”
In any case, this servant and that honored one and all others must beseech God to preserve the people of God from these names and former matters and the vain imaginings of that rejected sect.
Glory be to God! In the beginning of the Cause the divines of the Shi’ih sect prevented the helpless people from approaching the shore of the sea of oneness, and how many servants did they sentence and execute merely out of selfish desire. To this day they curse the Truth from their pulpits. Indeed, they have committed that which neither Jews nor Christians, nay even the idolaters have committed. In all circumstances we seek preservation and assistance from God, glorified be His majesty, that perchance the servants of God may not hereafter be afflicted with the vain imaginings of that heedless sect. The Command is in God’s hand—He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth, and He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
And now, O beloved of my heart, in a previous letter it was promised that the remainder of the answer to your elevated letter would be sent later. Now is the time to fulfill that promise.
In the Name of our All-Knowing, All-Wise Lord
Mention was made of his honor Haji Fadlu’llah and his honor Kaka Khan, upon them be the glory of God. The answer to the first name was previously mentioned, and in this station the second one is addressed through these sublime utterances which flowed from the Tongue of Grandeur—blessed and exalted be His word:
He is the One Who hath dominion over what was and what shall be
O Fadlu’llah! Praise be to God, the grace of God—glorified be His majesty—encompassed thee and circumstances, by the command of the Lord of the Day of Return, assisted thee, and thou didst attain unto that which was revealed in the divine Books of the past and present. Today the blessed word “The Truth hath come” can be heard from the waves of the seas, the leaves of the trees, the rushing of the winds, and the flowing of the rivers. When thou hearest the call from the Most Exalted Horizon, say:
All praise be to Thee, O Lord of all being and Master of the Throne on high and of earth below, for having given me to drink from the Kawthar of immortality by Thy bounteous hand, and made known to me Thy Cause, and illumined for me Thy path, and revealed to me Thy proof. I testify before the faces of all mankind that Thy proof hath encompassed the nations and Thy evidence hath appeared by Thy command and shone forth by Thy will. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the seen and unseen worlds, by the station which Thou hast honored with the establishment of Thy throne thereon, and by the city which Thou hast made the footstool of Thy feet, and by the House wherein Thy call was raised, and by the lands which have been blessed by Thy favoring glance, to make me one who speaketh Thy praise and glorification, and who holdeth fast to the cord of Thy grace in such wise that neither the power of men nor the veils of glory shall hold me back.
I shall arise in Thy Name to serve Thy Cause and summon the servants through wisdom and utterance to the court of Thy glory. O my Lord! Let me taste a drop from the ocean of Thy knowledge and illumine my heart and my whole being with the dawning lights of the Sun of Thy wisdom. Thou seest me, O my God, turning to Thee and detached from all else but Thee, beseeching from the heaven of Thy bounty the wonders of Thy grace. Would the All-Possessing turn away the poor from His door? Would the All-Knowing cast out the ignorant from His presence? Nay, by Thy glory! I am certain of Thy grace and bounty, Thy power and strength, Thy riches and wealth. I beseech Thee, O my God, to assist me in that which shall waft the fragrances of Thy acceptance and good-pleasure. Verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Munificent, the Compassionate, the Mighty, the Generous.
This was revealed for Kaka Khan, upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah]
In My Name, through which the ocean of utterance hath surged
O Kaka Khan! Upon thee be the Glory of the All-Merciful! This Wronged One mentioneth to everyone that which is easy to understand. Were all the peoples of the world to recognize this single word which now floweth from the Most Exalted Pen, all would exclaim “We believe in Thee, O God of the worlds!” For twelve hundred years and more, among the established and certain beliefs of the Shi’ih sect was the life of the Qa’im and His existence in well-known cities, and whosoever claimed His birth was put to death. Then it became clear and evident to men of insight that this sect had been in error, and throughout these twelve hundred years not one among their divines or others gained any knowledge of the birth of the Manifestation and the manner thereof, wandering instead in the valleys of fancy and imagination.
In such circumstance, how can any fair-minded and knowledgeable person confirm other matters that have proceeded from that sect? In brief, the purpose is that one must purify the hearing of heart and conscience from all that hath been heard from this sect, that one may become enabled to hearken unto that which hath been revealed and made manifest from the Most Exalted Pen. Until now God hath concealed, for the world is seen to be deprived of hearing ears. When thou art blessed with My mention, say: “All praise be to Thee, O Lord of the kings of the world, and all glory be to Thee, O Desire of the nations, for having revealed unto me in Thy Most Great Prison that which shall endure as long as Thy names and attributes endure. Verily Thou art the Almighty, doing as Thou pleasest, and within Thy grasp are the reins of all who are in the heavens and on earth.”
This evanescent servant is engaged in praise and glorification with both outer and inner tongue, for at all times the waves of His ocean of bounty have encompassed and continue to encompass His loved ones. For every name there hath been revealed that which is a proof for all and an evidence for all, that all may know what hath appeared in the days of God, our Lord and the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below and the Lord of all worlds.
Concerning the mention made of Jinab-i-Haji Siyyid Abu’l-Fadl and Jinab-i-Mirza Muhammad Khan, the doctor—upon them both be the glory of God—after it had been presented before the Presence, these radiant verses shone forth from the horizon of the Will of God, glorified and exalted be He. He, blessed and exalted be He, saith:
In the Name of Him Who speaks before the faces of all
Today the Dayspring of divine verses and the Orient of heavenly revelation, the Hidden Secret and the Treasured Mystery, calls out before the faces of princes and divines, giving unto all the glad tidings of that which hath been ordained in the Book of God especially for His chosen ones. O Abu’l-Fadl! The veils of self and passion, and the shrouds of the people of tyranny and transgression, have prevented the Sun of Justice from shining forth and have deprived the servants of this most great bounty. For ages they yearned and longed for the presence of the Lord of Names, yet when the breezes of God wafted in this spiritual morn and luminous dawn, and the Speaker of Sinai was established upon the throne of manifestation, all turned away and assailed the Lord of Names with arrows of hatred and spears of enmity.
They wrought that which causeth the Tablet to cry “O the grief!” and the Pen to lament “O the regret!” Rivers of blood flow from the hearts of them that are near and sincere unto this day. The divines of the Shi’ih sect are aflame with the fire of hatred and strive to shed the blood of the chosen ones and pure ones. God is Most Great! Night and day they occupy themselves with building imaginary cities and towns, deprived of the lights of the Sun of certitude. To this day none hath reflected, nor doth reflect, on what were the words of that people and what shall be their recompense on the Day of Retribution. We beseech God to acquaint thee with that which was concealed from eyes and to aid thee in mentioning that which was barred from sight.
The waves of the ocean of utterance are manifest at the heart of contingent being, and the effulgences of the Sun of Truth shine forth from the horizon of the prison, yet the heedless servants circle round a shallow pool and worship the idols of vain imaginings. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having given me to drink of the Kawthar of Thy utterance and guided me to Thy path and shown me the traces of Thy Pen and caused me to hear Thy call. O my Lord! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance to aid me in Thy remembrance and to ordain for me what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
And this is what was revealed for his honor Mirza Muhammad Khan, upon him be the glory of God:
In the name of Him Who is supreme over all who are in earth and heaven
A remembrance from the Wronged One to him who hath believed in God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting, that the fragrances of remembrance and utterance may attract him to the horizon of the manifestation of his Lord, the All-Merciful—the station wherein the atoms proclaim: The kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen. Thy name was mentioned before the Prisoner in His Most Great Prison. We have remembered thee with that which the remembrances of all peoples cannot equal. Verily thy Lord is powerful to do as He pleaseth through His word “Be” and it is. We have made manifest the path and have sent down from the heaven of grace that whereby hearts are illumined and eyes are solaced. Blessed is he who hath drunk the choice wine of revelation from the cup of the bounty of his Lord and hath attained unto such steadfastness as the hosts of them that have disbelieved in God, the Almighty, the Most Loving, could not prevent. When thou hast attained unto My verses and found the fragrance of utterance from My garment, say:
Section 2: “O my God, my God! Praise be unto…”
O my God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having remembered me from Thy prison, and for having sent down unto me that from which Thy near ones perceive the fragrance of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy grace and what lieth concealed therein of the pearls of Thy knowledge and wisdom, that Thou mayest ordain for me through Thy Most Exalted Pen that which shall be a healing for all ailments and an antidote for the weakness of bodies. O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee and confessing Thy unity and Thy singleness. I beseech Thee to make me a servant of Thy remembrance amongst Thy servants and a standard of Thy Name in Thy lands. Verily Thou art He to Whose strength and power all created things have testified, and to Whose grandeur and sovereignty all things possible have borne witness. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
Today the letters of the Book are each chanting a melody in the Divine gathering, but these chants need pure ears. The Tree of Hope is, praise be to God, present and visible. At one time this exalted word was heard from the Supreme Kingdom—His exalted Word:
“O servant in attendance, be not grieved. The True One, glorified be His majesty, bestoweth the ear and causeth to hear.”
This is a word from which the sea of glad-tidings hath surged amongst creation. Blessed are they that drink therefrom.
Mention was made of his honor Malik-Husayn-i-Khabbaz, upon him be the Glory of God. After it was presented before the Most Holy Court, the divine ocean of utterance surged and this Tablet shone forth from the Dayspring of grace. His blessed and exalted Word:
In My Name, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise
O Husayn! Hear the call of the Wronged One. Strive that perchance the servants may not, like the previous party, become ensnared by idle fancies and vain imaginings. For twelve hundred years they were occupied with the mention of the Successor while deprived of the Truth, and when the Sun of Manifestation dawned forth they attacked like the beasts of the earth and visited upon the Lord of existence that which no true seer or spiritual hearer can bear to witness or hear. Now the deniers of the Bayan are again occupied with the same vain imaginings. They have clung to one who was engaged in service beneath the pavilions of grandeur, and yet they remain debarred from the Truth. Although no one was with Us or informed of matters, nevertheless they have resorted to calumnies the like of which have never been heard. Say:
O my God, my God! Adorn Thy servants with the ornament of justice and fairness, and enable them to behold Thy signs with Thine eyes and to hear Thy call with Thine ears. Thou seest what hath befallen Thy loved ones and hearest the clamor of the idolaters among Thine enemies. I beseech Thee by Thy Name, the Manifest, the Hidden, which calleth out before all faces, to aid them to draw nigh unto Thee and to turn toward the lights of Thy countenance. O Lord! Withhold them not from the revelations of the Sun of Thy knowledge in Thy days. Verily Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever Thou willest through Thy word “Be” and it is.
Likewise mention was made of his honor Rida Khan and his honor Muhammad-ʿAli Khan, upon them be the Glory of God. After being presented before the special presence, a Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed from the heaven of grace for each one, that they might draw nigh unto God, our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of the Mighty Throne.
This is what was revealed for his honor Rida Khan, upon him be the Glory of the All-Merciful. His blessed and exalted Word:
He is the Counselor, the All-Knowing
The Wronged One makes mention of thee for the sake of God and reminds thee of His verses which hold sway over all who are in the heavens and on earth. The light hath dawned from the horizon of the heaven of utterance, whereby the earth hath been illumined, yet the people remain behind an obvious veil. This is a Day wherein atoms proclaim with loudest voice, while most among mankind remain heedless. Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One: Raise thy hand and rend asunder therewith the veil of idle fancy, in the name of thy Lord, the Self-Subsisting, that thou mayest behold what was hidden from all eyes and concealed in the knowledge of God, Lord of all worlds. When thou art attracted by the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree and art seized by the choice wine of My Most Glorious Name, say:
My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me, and glory be to Thee for having honored me, and thanksgiving be to Thee for having strengthened me on a Day wherein the people of Thy realm have turned away from Thee. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the worlds, by Thy Most Great Name, to number me among them who have turned towards Thee and hastened until they took the Kawthar of eternity from the hand of Thy bounty and drank in Thy name amongst Thy servants. O Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have turned to the horizon of Thy Manifestation, the Dayspring of Thy verses, and the Source of Thy commandments and ordinances. I beseech Thee not to withhold from me that which Thou hast ordained for such of Thy servants as are detached. Verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
And this was revealed for His Honor Muhammad-ʿAli Khan, the Minister’s Overseer. Exalted be His utterance and glorious His proof:
In My Name, through which the fragrance of the All-Merciful hath wafted throughout all contingent being
This is a Day wherein the Caller hath called out before the faces of all people: The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of the worlds! The Most Great Ocean hath appeared, and We have brought forth the pearls of wisdom and utterance which lay hidden and treasured within its shells, by the command of God, the Mighty, the Wise. The Promise hath come, and the Promised One hath appeared before the faces of princes and divines. He hath spoken that which We commanded Him from God, the Powerful, the Almighty, such that neither the power of the world could weaken Him, nor could the might of kings and sovereigns prevent Him. We have sent down the verses and manifested the evidences for the guidance of all people, whereunto testifieth His clear Book. We were walking in the prison and swimming in the ocean of utterance. We have turned toward thee and made mention of thee with that which shall never perish, so long as the kingdom of thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the Most Generous, endureth. When thou attainest unto My Tablet and findest the fragrance of thy Lord’s verses, say:
My God, my God! My outward and inward tongue, my limbs and members, my veins and the very hairs of my body bear witness to Thy unity and oneness, and that Thou art the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden. O Lord! I beseech Thee by the breaths of Thy revelation to ordain for me that which will cause me to turn to the light of Thy countenance, to speak in praise of Thy Self, to hearken unto the verses of Thy Most Exalted Pen and Thy sweetest call, and to arise to serve Thy Cause, O Lord of all being! O Lord! Thou seest the weak one clinging to the cord of Thy strength, and the poor one seeking the door of Thy riches. I beseech Thee not to disappoint him in that which he seeketh from the ocean of Thy bounty and the heaven of Thy generosity. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Great.
How sweet is the fragrance of divine utterance and the diffusion of the musk of the Merciful’s knowledge! We must, at all times, beseech the True One—exalted be His dominion and mighty His proof—to make the people of earth receptive, that they may not be deprived of the special effusions of His days, that they may detach themselves from what they possess and turn to that which is with God. Glory be to God! The various parties of the world each cling to certain proofs and evidences. For example, the followers of the Gospel hold fast to a few pages, and by these limited pages consider themselves superior to and better than all other peoples. And before that, the Torah, which was specific to Moses, consisted of a few books.
They have gathered various sayings of the Prophets like Isaiah, Ezekiel, Solomon, David, Jeremiah, Zechariah and others into one volume, though most parts of it are historical accounts written after Moses. Then came the decree of the Furqan (Qur’an), which in truth distinguishes between right and wrong. Those were the days of the Seal of the Prophets, His was the epoch and His the time. Besides what has been mentioned, none possessed anything else. And now, many equivalents to all these have been revealed and are available and evident. Yet the heedless, ignorant servants remain deprived and forbidden. The servant testifies that this is the recompense of their deeds in turning away from the Dawning-Place of Revelation and the Speaker of Sinai.
In service to the opposers, this servant offers two words: Let some be appointed as representatives by others and come to this land, but on condition that they possess their own eyes and ears, as they are commanded in this Revelation, and witness that which equals all previous books and accept it. And if they desire, another equivalent can be newly revealed, provided all acknowledge that these verses did not exist before and have descended from the heaven of divine nature. Even then, I do not impose the obligation of belief. Let it suffice that they cause no harm nor bring about that which would cause the atoms of creation to lament and wail. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of proof that we are unable to enumerate all that hath been revealed until now, and until now it has not been compiled. O brothers! The Tongue of Grandeur hath repeatedly said and continues to say: O people! The ocean of inner meanings surges before your faces at its utmost height, and its waves are visible to every possessor of sight, and the sun of grace shines resplendent above the heads of all.
O servants! Behold and judge with fairness! Nevertheless, until now they remain heedless, clinging to former traditions—most of which are fabrications of the Shi’ih sect—and have perpetrated against the Truth Itself that which no oppressor has ever perpetrated. O my God, my God! Aid Thy servants to justice and fairness, and enable them to see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears. Thou art verily the Mighty, the Powerful.
Mention was made of the friends of God—his honor Aqa Mirza Muhammad T. R., his honor Aqa Mirza Ahmad, his honor Aqa Ali-Muhammad, his honor Aqa Muhammad Allaf, his honor Aqa ʿAli, and their honored mother, upon them be the glory of God. Mention of each was made in the most exalted heights before the face of the Lord of Names, and unto each were specifically revealed wondrous and exalted verses from the heaven of grace. Thus speaks He, blessed and exalted be He:
He is the Answerer from His most glorious horizon
O Muhammad! We sent forth Muhammad with signs that drew unto Him the hearts of those near unto God, and with clear proofs that illumined the horizons of the hearts of the sincere. We commanded him to cast upon mankind the Word of Unity, as a grace from Us. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Yet the people denied Him, turned away from Him, opposed Him, and committed that which caused every fair-minded and discerning one to cry out. We beseech God to aid thee to rend asunder the veils before the faces of the various peoples, and to strengthen thee in that which befitteth this glorious and radiant Day. Say: O people! The Day of God is come.
Hearken unto that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an: to lead the people out of darkness into light and to remind them of the Days of God. Thus was it sent down aforetime from the presence of One knowing, wise. Give thanks unto God for that the Wronged One hath remembered thee while confined in a far-off place. In exile, He calleth all to the most exalted homeland; in abasement, He ordaineth for His loved ones supreme glory; in prison, He speaketh in every condition that there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Powerful.
Section 3: “O Ahmad! By the life of God…”
O Ahmad! By the life of God, the musk of divine knowledge hath perfumed all creation, and the All-Merciful hath come with the kingdom of clear proof, yet most of the people have turned away. The Book speaketh the truth, but they hear not. The heaven proclaimeth, the Sun declareth, yet most of mankind know not. Their desires have held them back from their Lord—nay, they comprehend not. The ornaments of the world with their various hues have occupied them, as witness noble servants. We beseech God the Exalted to strengthen thee to hold fast to His cord and to cling to His robe, such that neither cannons nor armies shall keep thee back from the Self-Subsisting, the Eternal.
O son of Sha’ban! Hearken unto the call of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. It hath been raised from this exalted place, and He hath revealed for thee that which will draw thee nigh unto Him. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Kind. Thy name was presented before the Wronged One, Who hath remembered thee with verses that all the treasuries of kings cannot equal. When thou hearest the call from the direction of ʿAkka, say:
My God, my God! I beseech Thee by Thy light that is never extinguished, by the fire of Thy love that is never veiled, and by Thy carpet that is never rolled up, to make me steadfast in Thy love, firm in Thy Cause, and upright in acting according to what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. Thou art verily the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Loving. O Lord! Thou seest me turning unto Thee, with my house serving as an abode and shelter for Thy loved ones. I beseech Thee to adorn it at all times with Thy remembrance and praise, that there may ascend from it, through the tongues of Thy loved ones, mention of that which Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. Thou art verily the Strong, the Powerful. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
O Muhammad! Reflect upon the tribulations that have befallen the Wronged One. From the earliest days until now He hath summoned all to the truth, while at all times He hath been afflicted by the tyranny of enemies. At times the abode of the Wronged One was the prison of Ta, at times the prison of Mim, at times the Land of Mystery, and now the Most Great Prison. Nevertheless, in all conditions and circumstances, without any veil or concealment, He gave the peoples of the world glad tidings of the favors of the Lord of Eternity, and there was sent down from the heaven of His Will that which is sanctified above likeness and similitude. Every possessor of justice hath testified to His greatness, and every fair-minded one hath witnessed His power and is well aware. Beseech God that He deprive not His servants, that perchance they may be illumined by the lights of certitude and attain unto the hearing of His call. The days are His days, and the reins of grace and bounty are in the grasp of His power. He is the Omnipotent One Whom the hosts of the world could not hinder from making mention. He stood before all faces and proclaimed: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Omnipotent, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful!”
O Ali, O son of Ibrahim, upon thee and upon him be My glory! This Wronged One hath turned toward thee in this night and maketh mention of thee, that thou mayest hear and be of them that are thankful. Idle fancies and vain imaginings have debarred the people from the Lord of the Day of Judgment. The proof is evident, the testimony manifest, the path clear, yet the tyranny and rebellion of most have prevented them from turning to the Purpose of the worlds. Today the Tree speaketh for itself, its fruits are manifest in utmost delicacy, the carpet of utterance is spread forth, and the people of Baha are engaged in praise and glorification with the utmost joy, gladness, glory and delight.
Blessed is the one whom the calumnies of the Shi’ih party have not prevented from the Dayspring of the Light of Oneness. Say: O friends, take ye the cup of immortality from the hand of bounty! Take it in His Name and drink it in His remembrance. Well is it with you and pleasant it is to you! The glory from Us be upon thy father who hath ascended to the Most Sublime Companion, and upon thee, and upon thy mother, and upon those who have attained unto My mention, My loving providence and My beauteous praise.
And likewise in another letter mention was made of His Holiness Haji Mulla Ali, upon him be Baha’u’llah. His mention was made in the Most Holy Court and a Most Glorious Tablet was sent down from the heaven of grace in answer to his petition. God willing, may he receive his full portion from the bounties of these days. This servant beseecheth God to grant him success, for it would be regrettable if one such as he should remain deprived of the outpourings of the All-Bountiful Lord in this day. Verily our Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful, and He is the Compassionate, the Generous. Concerning what thou didst write about Aqa Musa, one of the Children of Israel, upon him be the glory of God, after it was presented before Him from Whose knowledge nothing is hidden, these exalted words were revealed from the heaven of loving kindness, the Revealer of verses. He—exalted and sanctified be He—saith:
O Moses! There is no harm in your sojourn in Sultan-Abad. In outward affairs hold fast to consultation, then, trusting in God, occupy thyself therein. We beseech God to adorn all His loved ones with the ornament of trustworthiness, piety and chastity. Verily He is the Almighty, the Unconstrained. It behooveth the people of Baha to admonish mankind through their goodly character and praiseworthy deeds. We make mention of those who have believed in God in this Revelation wherein the veils have been rent asunder and the signs have appeared. Blessed is he who hath turned with his heart, set his face, hearkened with his ear, witnessed with his eye, and taken hold of the Book of God with the power bestowed by Him and the might conferred by His presence. O Moses! Under all conditions hold fast unto God and place thy trust in Him. We have enjoined wisdom upon all. Blessed is he who hath clung to its hem by the command of God, the Lord of all worlds. We counsel thee to observe justice and equity in all matters. These two are the guides of souls and the guardians of existence from God, the Possessor of the seen and unseen.
Blessed are My loved ones in the land of Ha and Mim. We have mentioned those who believed there aforetime with a mention that cannot be equalled by all the gold of the world nor the treasures of the nations. Verily thy Lord is the Helper at all times. There is none other God but Him, the True, the Certain.
Rukni dwelleth in that land of H.M. We beseech God to aid him through the means of heaven and earth and enable him to achieve that which will perpetuate his remembrance. Verily We have mentioned his name and the names of My loved ones out of wisdom from Us, and We beseech the Most High to protect them from the evil of the oppressors, the cawing of the ravens, the allusions of the wayward, and the doubts of the deniers. He is the Single, the One, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
We make mention of Mihdi and give him the glad-tidings of My remembrance of him. We beseech God to open before his face and the faces of My loved ones the gates of blessing, bounty, glory, wealth and loftiness. He is the Lord of mankind, the Lord of the hereafter and of the former days.
We make mention of him who is named Rahim and he who is named ʿAshur. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to ordain for them and for His loved ones that which will solace their eyes and gladden their hearts. He is the Helper of those who draw nigh and are sincere. O Shaykh! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. In truth, the Most Clear Book hath been specially revealed for thee in these days, and all the names mentioned have been rendered successful through the waves of the ocean of utterance. Say: O friends! Ye must be enkindled with the fire of the love of God and illumined with the light of His knowledge. Soon will the call “The departure! The departure!” be raised from every house. Strive ye, that haply ye may attain unto that which will endure and abide through the name of the Desired One of all worlds. Ye dwell in your homes while the Lord of the House is imprisoned. He doth witness and see, and He is the Mighty, the All-Seeing.
A hundred thousand praises and glorifications to the Desired One Who, despite the multitude of tribulations and imprisonment in the fortress of ʿAkka, His sacred tongue is occupied with the mention of His loved ones. The trials of the world and the oppression of the nations have not prevented the Lord of existence from His bounty. At all times the waves of the ocean of His grace are manifest and the effulgences of the sun of His generosity are evident. All the loved ones, whether in that land or in other regions, are, praise be to God, remembered and are recipients of His favors. This servant is holding fast to the cord of His bounties and beseecheth for all that which will cause the world of existence to be filled with joy and delight.
Furthermore, His honor the Name of God, Jamal, upon him be all the most glorious of the most glorious Baha, hath repeatedly made mention of that spiritual friend. This servant beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, to aid thee to serve His Cause in such wise that all tongues may make mention.
Regarding the honored Leaf, upon her be the Glory of God, who resides in that land—after being presented at the Most Holy and Most Exalted Court, these sublime words shone forth from the Dawning-Place of the All-Merciful’s utterance—blessed and exalted be His Word:
“O Leaf! God willing, may you be blessed with divine favors and be ever-gazing toward the Supreme Horizon. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to ordain for you and those with you the good of both this world and the next, and to give you to drink, under all conditions, from the chalice of steadfastness. Verily, He is the Omnipotent over all things, and He is the Single, the One, the Compassionate, the Generous.”
Her petition reached the dwellers of the Pavilion of Infallibility. They graciously penned a reply which was sent. O beloved of my heart! Despite the countless letters arriving from every direction requiring responses, praise be to God, replies to your letters were sent successively, and all souls mentioned therein were blessed with the waves of the ocean of the All-Merciful’s favors. God willing, may they be assisted to achieve that which befits His days. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer. Glory, remembrance and praise be upon you and upon those who have attained the sealed nectar and acted according to what they were commanded in the Book of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.
BH00770: He dawneth above the horizon of the heaven…
He dawneth above the horizon of the heaven of proof!
O loved ones of the Most Merciful in Milan! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. He hath turned towards you from the prison precincts and desireth to remind you of the verses of God, the Lord of the mighty throne. They draw you nigh unto Him, open before your faces the gates of attainment, and give you to drink of the Kawthar of immortality from the hand of bounty. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the Generous.
There hath befallen Us in prison that which hath caused the hearts of them that are nigh unto God to melt. The people have turned away from the Countenance and followed the desires of them that have disbelieved in the Day of Judgment. O people of God! We counsel you with that wherewith God hath counseled His servants: Associate not with God, the Lord of all the worlds. Cast aside the dawning-places of idle fancies, clinging fast to the cord of certitude. Thus have We counseled Our loved ones aforetime and in this perspicuous Tablet.
Beware lest the happenings of the world and what hath appeared from the nations sadden you. Trust ye in God under all conditions, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. He is with you, heareth your call and seeth your deeds. He is the One Whom the oppression of them that have associated partners with God hath not hindered, nor the clamor of every remote ignorant one.
Adorn your temples with the ornament of godliness and your hearts with the light that hath shone forth and gleamed from the horizon of the heaven of My Most Exalted Pen, which hath sent down every clear Book. Beware lest ye exchange nearness for remoteness and acceptance for rejection. We desire to behold you possessed of such steadfastness as would cause the hearts of the people to tremble and the feet of the ungodly to slip.
Blessed is he who hath arisen to serve the Cause and hath aided God through wisdom and utterance. He is of the sincere ones in My Mighty Book. The Most Great Ocean hath manifested the pearls of proof by the command of the Most Merciful, yet most of the people are heedless. Eyes have not attained their radiance, nor have ears heard My Call which hath been raised in truth, save those who have cast away the dawning-places of hatred and taken what they were bidden by God in this wondrous Day.
O people! The Self-Subsisting hath come, and by His command the Salsabil hath flowed. Blessed is he who hath advanced, hastened, and drunk therefrom. Woe unto them that have turned away, who have violated My Covenant and My Testament, and have cast behind their backs My mighty Announcement which was mentioned in the Qur’an and, before it, in the Books of God, the Mighty, the Powerful. Beware lest the veils of glory prevent you from drawing nigh unto God, the One, the All-Informed.
O My Most Exalted Pen! Let not the clamor of the hypocrites prevent thee from thy most sweet trill, and let not the conditions of tyranny and error veil thee from this glorious, mighty station whereon the Most Great Throne hath been established and whereon the Wronged One hath sat with a power that hath conquered all things and a might that hath subdued all who are in the heavens and on earth.
O friends of the All-Merciful in Milan! Ye are they who have turned unto His Countenance on a day when the people of error turned away from the Self-Subsisting, rejected His signs, and disputed His sovereignty, until they pronounced sentence upon the shedding of His blood. Thus did their souls deceive them. They are, verily, numbered with the idolaters in the sight of God, the Lord of the exalted Throne. Rejoice, O My friends, in My Name, and drink the choice wine of utterance from the chalice of My bounty, in defiance of those who have broken My Covenant and My Testament, and have committed that which hath caused the dwellers of Paradise to lament. Thus hath the decree been fulfilled, and most of the people are among the lost.
We have commanded you before, and after, and in this Tablet, with that which shall elevate you and profit you in all the worlds of your Lord, the Forgiving, the Merciful. We beseech God to assist you with the hosts of divine care and favor, and to enable you to that which shall cause His traces to spread throughout the East and West of the earth. He, verily, is the Hearer, the Answerer.
Grieve not over what hath befallen you in My path. We have borne afflictions and trials for the reformation of the world and the salvation of the nations. Blessed is he who hath heard, and woe unto every heedless doubter. Thus hath the Most Exalted Pen spoken when the Wronged One was speaking that which draweth the servants nigh unto the Mighty, the All-Knowing. We have counseled you in the Tablets and in My Books and Scrolls, wherein every word calleth you to the most exalted station. This is a day whereon the doors of mercy and utterance have been opened unto all who dwell within the realm of possibility. Hasten, O people of the earth, and be not of them that tarry. Ye were not created for yourselves, but for the service of the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds. Blessed is the face that hath turned toward the lights of the Countenance, and the poor one who hath attained the ocean of wealth, and the seeker who hath attained unto his Goal on this Day which God hath adorned with His mention in the Books of them that are nigh unto Him.
O Pen! Make mention of him who hath attained thy presence, who hath been named Ali-Askar in the Book of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. We beseech God to make him a servant of His Cause and one who speaketh His praise with the wisdom wherewith We have commanded Our loved ones in My Great Tablet.
O Alif and Ha! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Lord of Names. Thou and thy children and those with thee have been mentioned from the earliest days. We beseech God to write down for thee the reward of those who have attained His presence time and again. We make mention of thee at this moment and behold thee before the Throne. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this testimony which hath flowed from My Most Exalted Pen in this exalted station.
We make mention of the handmaidens of God in that place and give them glad tidings of His grace and bounty. We beseech God to confirm them in steadfastness and to give them to drink of His hallowed wine which floweth by His firm and binding command.
O people of Milan! Upon you be the Glory of God and His mercy, then the grace of God and His bounty. Verily, He is with you and heareth that which proceedeth from your mouths, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. When the choice wine of verses hath taken hold of you and the breezes of revelation have attracted you, say:
O our God! Thou seest us turning unto Thee, holding fast unto the cord of Thy grace and favor, standing firm in the service of Thy Cause, and awaiting the wonders of Thy bounty and grace. We beseech Thee, by those who hastened to the place of sacrifice in their longing to meet Thee and behold Thy beauty, and who gave up their spirits for Thy name and love, to ordain for us that which shall draw us nigh unto Thee and enable us to perform the deeds wherewith Thou hast commanded us in Thy Book. O Lord! We are Thy servants and in Thy grasp, and we have turned unto the horizon of Thy grace and the ocean of Thy bounty. We beseech Thee not to deprive us of that which Thou hast ordained in Thy Book. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, Whom the pharaohs of the earth and its wolves cannot frustrate. Thy sovereignty hath prevailed, Thy Cause hath appeared, and Thy verses have been sent down. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
In the Persian tongue We make mention: O Ali-Qabl-i-Askar! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Lord of the Throne. Blessed art thou for having turned thyself unto the Wronged One whilst He was in His Most Great Prison. The Most Exalted Pen beareth witness to thy presence, thy hearkening, and thy turning unto God, glorified be His majesty. Convey unto the loved ones in that land the greetings of the Wronged One. All must partake each day of the choice wine of the utterance of the Desired One of the worlds. This choice wine in one station representeth the verses of God, glorified be His majesty, in another station His remembrance and praise, and in yet another His bounty and grace.
This choice wine in one station is the cause of the life of the world, and in another the cause of the preservation of the peoples. Whoso drinketh thereof attaineth unto the most great steadfastness in this Cause whereby the hearts of all men have been shaken, save whom God, the Lord of this exalted station, willeth. Praise be to God that all the men and women of that land have attained unto the mention of God, and in this most holy and radiant Day the mention of all hath flowed from the Tongue of Grandeur. Say: Rejoice, then render thanks unto your Lord for this great bounty. Know ye the value of these days. The call is raised at all times, the Kingdom of Utterance speaketh forth, the river of mercy floweth from the Most Exalted Pen, and the Salsabil of generosity is manifest.
The chalices of prosperity are visible and evident—seize them in His Name and drink thereof in His remembrance. The mercy that shineth forth and appeareth from the waves of the ocean of My bounty be upon My loved ones and My handmaidens who have submitted to the command of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. Praise be to God, for He is the Goal of them that know.
BH04091: In My Name, through which the fragrance…
In My Name, through which the fragrance of the All-Merciful has wafted throughout creation!
This is a Day wherein the Herald has proclaimed before the faces of all people: “The Kingdom belongs to God, the Lord of all worlds!” The Most Great Ocean has appeared and We have brought forth the pearls of wisdom and utterance that were hidden and treasured within its shells, through a command from God, the Mighty, the All-Wise. The Promise has come and the Promised One has appeared before the faces of princes and divines, speaking that which God, the Powerful, the Almighty, has commanded Him—such that neither the might of the world weakened Him nor the power of kings and rulers prevented Him. We have sent down the verses and manifested clear proofs for the guidance of humanity, as attested by the Clear Book in His possession.
While walking in the prison and swimming in the ocean of utterance, We have turned toward you and remembered you with that which shall never perish, through the everlasting dominion of your Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.
When you attain unto My Tablet and find the fragrance of your Lord’s verses, say:
“My God, my God! My outer and inner tongue, my limbs and members, my veins and the very hairs of my body bear witness to Your unity and oneness, and that You are the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden. O my Lord! I beseech You by the fragrances of Your revelation to ordain for me that which will cause me to turn toward the lights of Your countenance, to speak in praise of Your Self, to hearken unto the traces of Your Most Exalted Pen and Your sweetest call, and to arise to serve Your Cause, O Lord of all humanity. O my Lord! You see the weak one clinging to the cord of Your strength, and the poor one seeking the door of Your riches. I beseech You not to disappoint him in what he seeks from the ocean of Your bounty and the heaven of Your generosity. Verily You are the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. There is no God but You, the Mighty, the Great.”
BH04450: A remembrance from the Wronged One to him who…
In the Name of Him Who overshadoweth all that are on earth and in heaven!
A remembrance from the Wronged One to him who hath believed in God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, that the fragrances of remembrance and utterance may draw him to the horizon of the revelation of his Lord, the All-Merciful—the station wherein the atoms themselves proclaim:
“The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen!”
Thy name was present before the Prisoner in His Most Great Prison. We have remembered thee with that which the remembrances of all nations cannot equal. Verily thy Lord is He Who, through His word “Be!”, hath power over whatsoever He willeth. We have made manifest the Way and have sent down from the heaven of grace that whereby hearts are illumined and eyes are gladdened. Blessed is he who hath drunk the choice wine of revelation from the cup of the bounty of his Lord and hath attained unto such steadfastness as the hosts of them that have denied God, the Almighty, the Best-Beloved, could not prevent.
When thou hast attained unto My verses and found the fragrance of utterance from My garment, say: “My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having remembered me from the direction of Thy prison and for having sent down unto me that wherefrom the near ones perceive the fragrance of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy grace and by that which lieth concealed therein of the pearls of Thy knowledge and wisdom, to ordain for me through Thy Most Exalted Pen that which shall be a healing for ailments and an antidote for bodily weakness.
O my Lord! Thou beholdest me turning toward Thee and acknowledging Thy oneness and Thy singleness. I beseech Thee to make me a servant of Thy remembrance amongst Thy servants and a standard of Thy Name in Thy lands. Thou art He to Whose power and might all created things have testified, and to Whose grandeur and sovereignty all things possible have borne witness. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous.”
BH05289: The Wronged One makes mention of thee…
He is the Counsellor, the All-Knowing!
The Wronged One makes mention of thee for the sake of God and remembers thee with His verses which hold sway over all who are in the heavens and on earth. The light hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of utterance, and by it the earth is illumined, yet the people remain behind a clear veil. This is a Day wherein the atoms cry out with their loudest voice, yet most of the people remain heedless.
Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One: Raise thy hand and with it rend asunder the veils of idle fancy in the name of thy Lord, the Self-Subsisting, that thou mayest behold what was hidden from all eyes and concealed in the knowledge of God, the Lord of all worlds.
When the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree attracts thee and the choice wine of My Most Glorious Name takes hold of thee, say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having guided me, and thanksgiving be unto Thee for having honored me, and gratitude be unto Thee for having strengthened me on a Day wherein the people of Thy realm have turned away from Thee. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the worlds, by Thy Most Great Name, to make me one of those who have turned towards Thee and hastened until they took the Kawthar of eternity from the hand of Thy bounty and drank in Thy name amongst Thy servants.
O my Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have turned toward the horizon of Thy Manifestation, the Dawning-Place of Thy verses and the Dayspring of Thy commandments and ordinances. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of that which Thou hast ordained for such of Thy servants as are detached. Verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH06567: O Asad, upon him be the Glory of God!…
O Asad, upon him be the Glory of God! He is established upon the Throne of Utterance.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name, Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Ancient Name, Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Most Mighty Name and by Thy Most Perfect and Most Generous Name, to inscribe me with Thy Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Book among those who have aided Thy Cause, who have bowed down before Thy Manifestation, and who have acted according to what they were commanded in Thy Book. O my Lord! Thou seest me clinging to Thee and to the cord of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of that which is with Thee.
Verily Thou art He through Whose generosity all created things have testified, and through Whose munificence all beings have borne witness. Strengthen, O my God, my limbs and my heart and my tongue for Thy service and Thy love and Thy praise. By Thy might, O Beloved of the world and Desire of the nations! My tongue profiteth me not unless it speaketh Thy remembrance, nor mine ear unless it hearkeneth to the melody of Thy Pen and the rustling of Thy Divine Lote-Tree, nor mine eye unless it be honored to witness Thy signs whereby were attracted the hearts of those of Thy servants who are nigh unto Thee and the sincere ones among Thy creation. There is no God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting.
BH01157: O spiritual beloved, that is, the sacred pillar…
He is God, exalted is He!
O spiritual beloved, that is, the sacred pillar of words and meanings, Aqa Husayn Aqa, upon him be 966 [the Glory of God] the Most Glorious!
Praise be to God that thou hast attained, and continuest to attain, to that which beseemeth His near and sincere servants, for thou art possessed of a noble character and an exalted station, and art nourished by food that hath not altered its taste. Blessed be ye and those who have attained to what ye have attained and are sustained as ye are sustained. And praise be to Him Who hath bestowed upon you and us the blessing of unity and guided us to His straight path.
Furthermore, should that beloved one send anything to the region of Syria, convey on behalf of this servant greetings, praise, remembrance and glory to my true brother and spiritual beloved, Aqa Muhammad-Rida, upon him be 966 [the Glory of God], and give him the glad-tidings of the Lord’s grace and favors. Praise be to God, mention is made of them, and their place and station in the Pillar and Station are evident and manifest. They have not been and are not absent for a moment, for from the right side of the heart, a firm place hath been assigned and established for them, and before the eye is their manifest station. How then could they vanish from sight?
Moreover, the vine-cuttings and trees sent by them, both before and after, did arrive; yet, by reason of the abundance of the rains and the vehemence of the winds, they were consigned underground in trust, until within these past two or three days they have been brought forth, and the planting and sowing thereof commenced. In the name of the true Planter and the true Husbandman, and on their behalf, they have been and are being planted. This year the severity of the rains hath disordered the arrangement and work of planting the trees. Such is the decree of our Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing. For example, the olive trees were cut off from their place for two months, and it was not possible to set them in the ground, for the soil was but mud. At all events, they are now occupied with the planting; what the favors of the true Grower and Disposer shall bring to pass remaineth to be seen. In the words of the Beloved, He may cause it to grow, or He may burn it up: the command is in His hand and within the grasp of His power.
It is hoped that, since they have sent these things with pure intent, and they have been and are being planted by hands of humility and lowliness, purely for the sake of God and in quest of His good-pleasure, they may spring forth, yield increase, and bear fruit, so that the brethren and the servants of the Merciful, who have attained unto righteousness and piety, may eat thereof and gather of its produce, while the Concourse on high exclaim, “Joyous and wholesome be it!”
As to the several peach saplings which they sent: outwardly it appeareth that they reached this place dried up, even as that beloved one observed. Yet nevertheless, since the giver bestowed them in the fullness of love, and the sender likewise dispatched them with complete affection, therefore, though they were dry, the utmost care and the fullest endeavor were exerted in planting them; indeed were they accounted even as verdant, lofty, and flourishing trees, inasmuch as the donor gave with exalted resolve and acted in accordance with the blessed verse, “They prefer others before themselves.” May God enable him to do that which He loveth and is well pleased with.
And as to what hath been written concerning the varieties thereof—namely, that in that city there are four kinds, two with sweet pits and the latter two with bitter pits, and likewise the smaller and the larger of the two sorts—it hath not been, nor is it, of great consequence whether the kernel be sweet or bitter: the peach itself must be good. Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad-Rida—upon him be the peace of God—hath expressed a desire for the peaches of Qumsar. Should those kinds be found, there is no harm in the bitterness of the kernel. The species and variety must be excellent, sweet in savor, fragrant in scent, and full of juice. If, together with these qualities, the kernel also be sweet, that were beauty upon beauty and light upon light.
This servant felt deep regret concerning the trees that were sent, for the donor gave whatsoever he had in his garden, with his gaze fixed upon love and affection; but the long distance of that land, and the violent, tempestuous east winds upon the way, dried them utterly, to such a degree that the very root-stock was drained of all moisture. Thereafter, the matter of that stock resteth with God, glorified be His majesty. He Who hath given life, and giveth life, unto mouldering bones is assuredly able to quicken it. Yet, if at the season of grafting—that is, of budding—it be possible, let them send scions thereof; perhaps here they may be grafted upon an apricot tree or some other stock. Likewise, if an excellent almond-apricot should be obtainable, it would be well.
All things hang upon the will and desire of the true Disposer and Creator. Whatsoever He willeth, the means thereof are and shall be made ready. Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad-Rida himself hath also written that, at the time when the fruits appear and come forth, whatever fruit proveth good, choice, and reckoned among the pure and wholesome things, he will send insofar as may be possible. This too dependeth upon the will of God.
In brief, let these matters be written unto him, or else let this very sheet be sent to him. Perchance this servant also may hereafter be enabled to submit a reply. Verily, God is the Helper, the Sustainer, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Peace be upon you, and upon him, and upon the righteous servants of God.
The servant 14 Rajab 1306
BH02178: O Sulayman! Upon thee be the Glory of thy…
He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
O Sulayman! Upon thee be the Glory of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. In truth I say, inform and apprise the people. The people of Baha in this day are those whom neither the tales of the first and the last, nor worldly affairs, nor the books of nations have withheld or can withhold from the Great Announcement of God. This sealed nectar hath not been and is not the portion of those who dwell in fancy and idle imaginings. The wine of certitude hath been and is reserved for those who are sincere and detached. Whosoever in this day is born of the Word and attaineth unto the new life—he is worthy of this station, and all others are forbidden and deprived. This is a testimony that hath in this hour flowed from the Most Exalted Pen.
Say: O people of the earth! Withhold not yourselves from a single drop of the Most Great Ocean, and deprive not yourselves of a leaf from the Divine Tree.
O Sulayman! Verily I say! No one hath apprehended the root of this Cause. It is incumbent upon everyone, in this day, to perceive with the eye of God, and to hearken with His ear. Whoso beholdeth Me with an eye besides Mine own will never be able to know Me. None among the Manifestations of old, except to a prescribed degree, hath ever completely apprehended the nature of this Revelation. Today the All-Encompassing Ocean is manifest and the Sun of Truth is shining. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who hath shattered the idols of vain imaginings with the power of certitude, who hath detached himself from all else save God, the Lord of the worlds, who hath adorned his head with the crown of detachment and his temple with the ornament of steadfastness, and his heart with the light of the knowledge of God, the Lord of the exalted Throne.
Thy letter hath come before the Wronged One, sent by him who was named Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin in the Crimson Book. From My Most Exalted Pen I have answered thee with that which hath made the limbs of the divines of Persia to quake—they who have taken their vain imaginings as lords besides God and pronounced judgment against Him through Whom the sun hath shone forth and the horizons have been illumined. Thus have their souls enticed them. They are indeed of the perfidious in the sight of God, the Lord of the Day of Mutual Meeting.
O Sulayman! Dedicate thy days to the service of God. Verily, We have been with thee and have heard thy mention of this Most Great Cause and the Great Announcement. Rejoice in the testimony of My Most Exalted Pen concerning thee and say: Praise be to Thee, O Lord of the worlds, and glory be to Thee, O Thou the Goal of the hearts of them that are nigh unto Thee! I beseech Thee to make me steadfast in Thy love in such wise that neither the clamor of the people nor the might of the aggressive ones may keep me back from Thee. O Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy handmaiden. I have turned unto Thee, detached from all else but Thee.
I beseech Thee by the Hour and its signs, and by the Resurrection and what hath appeared therein, to ordain for me the recompense of one who hath sought Thy presence, appeared before the gate of Thy grandeur, heard Thy call, and found the fragrance of Thy verses, the breezes of Thy revelation and the sweet-scented winds of Thine inspiration. Then ordain for me through Thy bounty and grace the good of all Thy worlds. O Lord! Assist me with the hosts of wisdom and utterance that I may mention Thy servants and bring them nigh unto Thee. Verily Thou art the Mighty One Whom the affairs of the world and what the nations possess cannot frustrate. There is no God but Thee, the Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Almighty.
BH03734: O Ibrahim! Great is this Day and great…
He is the Expounder, the All-Knowing
O Ibrahim! Great is this Day and great is the Cause. Until the ears of the people of the world are sanctified from hearing the tales of the past and what is with the nations, they have not been and will never be capable of hearing this Call which is raised from the most exalted horizon. By My life and My Cause, whose very essence is His Cause—until they free themselves from the gulf of names, they will not attain to the ocean of inner meaning. This is the truth, in which there is no doubt. We beseech God to confirm thee, that thou mayest ascend by the steps of inner realities to the spiritual heights. I swear by the effulgences of the lights of the Sun of Truth, which are manifest and evident from the horizon of the Cause, that this Wronged One hath had and hath no purpose except the reformation of the world and the edification of the nations.
All the loved ones must hold fast to this command. Today the people of divine unity are tormented and afflicted among the ungodly. We beseech God to confirm and deliver the believers. Thy letter hath now arrived and was honored to be heard and blessed with grace. Know thou this most exalted station, then make mention of God, the Lord of Names and Creator of heaven, and say:
My God, my God! Aid Thy servant to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee, then make him steadfast in Thy Cause and firm in Thy love. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Bountiful, the Generous.
We desired to make mention of him who was named Askar, that he might rejoice in what the Supreme Pen hath revealed unto him—that which God hath made the source of life for all who are in the heavens and on earth. O Askar! Give thanks unto thy Lord for having been mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One when He was in the hands of the aggressive ones. Be thou steadfast in the Cause, holding fast to the cord of God, the Strong. We beseech God to ordain for thee, as the reward of thy recognition, that which shall endure as long as His names and attributes endure. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
BH05610: O Muhammad-ʿAli! We have heard your call and your…
He is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful!
O Muhammad-ʿAli! We have heard your call and your remembrance, and witnessed your turning and devotion to God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Reflect and recall those days when you were present before the Face and heard the call of God, the King, the Powerful, the Just, the Wise. Forget not God’s favor upon you. Verily, He is with you in all conditions—He heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Grieve not over anything; in all matters place your trust in God, the Lord of all worlds.
Convey my greetings to your mother who hath ascended and soared until she arrived at the pavilions of light—that station wherein the Interlocutor of the Mount spoke forth from the throne of revelation that there is none other God but Him, the Single, the All-Informed. And convey my greetings to your sister who melted in separation, yearning to attain the presence of God, the Master of the Day of Judgment.
We make mention of your brothers and those whom neither the oppression of the oppressors nor the clamor of the heedless prevented from drawing near unto God, the Lord of this exalted station. We beseech God to assist you to be steadfast and to open before your faces the gates of grace and mercy. Verily, He is the Powerful over what He willeth, and He is the Protector of all who are in the heavens and on earth. Praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.
BH06414: My God, my God! Aid Thy servants to remain…
My God, my God! Aid Thy servants to remain steadfast in Thy Cause, and guide those who have turned away to turn towards Thee. Then grant Thy loved ones to drink from the cup of Thy bounty from the hand of Thy giving. Verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Generous….
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by the Light wherewith Thou didst illumine the Hijaz, and by Thy Command whereby the vale of Mecca did flow, and by His family and companions whom Thou didst make the repositories of Thy knowledge, the treasuries of Thy wealth and the pearls of Thy unity, to aid Thy servants in that which Thou hast commanded them in Thy Book. O my Lord! Strengthen Thy monotheist servants through Thy might and power, transform their abasement into glory and their ignorance into knowledge, then send down upon them from the heaven of Thy bounty the rain of Thy mercy and generosity. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty. O my Lord! Aid Thy loved ones to remain steadfast in Thy Cause and ordain for them from the wonders of Thy bounty that which will draw them nigh unto Thee. Verily Thou art the Confirmer, the Strong, the Triumphant, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise….