Volume 090: Akka 1306 A.H. (1888–1889), Part III (3 of 5)
BH02066: O Husayn, upon whom be My glory and loving-kindness!…
He is the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed
O Husayn, upon whom be My glory and loving-kindness! Praise be to God, thou hast been mentioned before thy presence and after thy presence, and thou hast stood before the Face of the Wronged One. We beseech God to aid thee in that which beseemeth His days. Every soul hath testified and doth testify to the transience of the world and its transformation. Therefore the friends of God who have attained unto the Kawthar of utterance must at all times strive diligently to acquire eternal stations and everlasting bounties. Verily He is with whomsoever remembereth Him and desireth Him, and He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
The Most Exalted Pen at this moment hath desired to make mention of one of the leaves of the Divine Lote-Tree and one of His handmaidens. We testify that she departed from her home, turning toward the Supreme Horizon, and traversed deserts, mountains, land and sea until she arrived at the fortified City mentioned in the Books and Tablets, and attained the presence of the Countenance, and was blessed with what God had revealed in His Books. We testify that she believed in God and His signs, and responded when the Call was raised between earth and heaven, and drank the cup of reunion from the hands of the bounty of her Lord, the Self-Sufficing, the Most Exalted, and heard what the near ones heard on the Mount of Knowledge, and saw what eyes and visions were prevented from seeing, save whom God, the Lord of lords, willeth.
The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness, and the glory of those in My Kingdom and My Dominion, and the first fragrance wafting from My garment, be upon thee, O My leaf and My handmaiden! We testify that thou didst circle round the Throne and didst attain the presence of thy Lord when most of mankind were debarred therefrom, and didst drink the pure wine from the hand of the bounty of thy Lord. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to send down upon thee at every moment a mercy from His presence, and a loving-kindness from His own Self, and a grace from His direction. Blessed art thou, for the ocean of forgiveness hath surged in the contingent world, and the Day-Star of grace hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of pardon and beneficence. Thou didst believe in the All-Merciful when most handmaidens denied Him. The glory from Our presence be upon thee, and upon thy beginning and thy end, and thy outward and thy inward self, and upon whoso remembereth thy days and thy migration and thy nearness and thy presence, and upon every steadfast and firm one, and every knowing and discerning one.
O Husayn, O thou who standest before the Face! Be not grieved at what hath come to pass. By the life of God, she hath attained unto that which the Pen is powerless to describe. In truth, this transient abode was not and is not worthy of tarrying, settling and repose. However, in one respect it stands above all the worlds on high and is preeminent over all, for despite its transience and transformation, the acquisition of eternal stations and sublime ranks hath been ordained therein by the Ordainer, the Powerful, the Ancient of Days. In any case, thou shouldst not be grieved, for she hath attained unto the Most Great Bounty. The glory from Our presence be upon thee and upon thy brother and upon those who are with thee among the assured servants of God.
BH02176: O Javad! We have mentioned thee before in various…
He is the Remembering, the All-Knowing!
O Javad! We have mentioned thee before in various Tablets and We mention thee at this time with a clear mention, and We make mention of him whom thou didst mention and give him the glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness and His all-embracing favor. Blessed is the servant who hath today cast away what the people possess and taken what hath been sent down from the presence of One manifest and knowing. O Haji Aqa! Thy deed hath gained the honor of acceptance and there hath been sent down for thee that which will draw thee nigh unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. This is a Day wherein the Today speaketh, while the people are in manifest drunkenness. Vain imaginings have withheld them from God, the Lord of the worlds. Say: Fear God, O people! Follow Him Who hath come to you with that which profiteth you, and follow not the ways of the ignorant ones who have cast the Book of God behind their backs and committed that which hath caused every discerning soul to lament. This is a Day wherein the door of attainment hath been opened—approach with radiant faces and be not of them that hesitate. When thou hearest the call from this white leaf, say:
O God of Names and Creator of heaven! Praise be unto Thee for having mentioned me when sorrows surrounded Thee from those who exchanged trustworthiness for treachery, truthfulness for falsehood, justice for tyranny, and fairness for oppression in Thy days, and who wrought that whereby the Great Terror appeared. O my Lord! Thou knowest and seest that the Wronged One desired for them naught save that which would draw them nigh unto Thee and move them through Thy will and purpose, yet they cast aside Thy command and what Thou didst desire for them through Thy bounty and generosity, clinging to their own desires without Thy good-pleasure. I beseech Thee, O Possessor of the Kingdom of Names, by Thy Most Great Name, the Most Mighty, Most Generous, Most Exalted, Most Glorious, to assist them to return to the court of Thy mercy and the precincts of Thy might and forgiveness. O my Lord! They are Thy servants and Thy creation. The world and its ornaments have deluded them, and its riches and favors have occupied them. I beseech Thee to adorn them with the ornament of justice and fairness. Within Thy grasp is the reins of glory and greatness and favors. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Dominant, the Powerful.
At this time We make mention of him who was named Abdul-Husayn, who broke not God’s Covenant and Testament, who hesitated not in His Cause, and who chose not silence when His call was raised. The hands of power aided him until he arose before the throne of His manifestation, heard His call, and attained that which most of His creation were deprived of. We beseech Him, exalted be He, not to disappoint him of any good that He hath sent down in His Book. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Kind, the Generous.
We desired to make mention of him who was named Ali-Akbar [that he may thank God, the Lord of] the exalted Throne. He is among those who attained in the earliest days to the lights of recognition. He turned, heard, responded, and drank the wine of nearness from the hands of the bounty of his Lord, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Blessed art thou for having attained unto the mention of the Wronged One time and again. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to ordain for thee that which will assist thee to perform a deed that will endure as long as His names and attributes endure. Verily He is the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
The glory from Us be upon you and upon those who have acknowledged that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken when He was seated upon the throne with manifest sovereignty.
BH02366: Praise be to God Who is established upon…
In the Name of the Self-Subsisting Over All Names
Praise be to God Who is established upon the throne in the final abode, Who hath sent down the Book and made manifest the Exposition. Among the people are those who were thunderstruck and recovered not, and among them are those who hastened and answered their Lord, the Master of all necks. And the prayer and the peace and the glorification and the splendor be upon the Hands of His Cause among His servants and the Dawning-Places of His remembrance in His lands, and upon those who have drunk the wine of divine inspiration from the cup of His bounty and have attained unto that which most of His creation hath not attained—prayers whose traces and fragrances shall never end.
And now, thy letter hath come before the Wronged One. We found it adorned with the ornament of remembrance and praise, and from each of its letters We perceived the fragrance of meekness and faithfulness. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to make thee steadfast in His service and the bearer of His sealed wine among His servants. And We beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist thee with the hosts of utterance throughout all possibility. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower.
Say: O people of Sad, fear ye God and follow not those who, when the Promise came, denied and disbelieved in God, the Revealer of verses. Say: Fear ye God and deny not His grace and mercy, and follow not every ignorant doubter. Purify your ears and eyes from this […] Most Pure and Most Luminous which hath flowed from the Supreme Pen before the faces of the servants. Beware lest ye deny the favor of God after its revelation and His proof after its manifestation, and follow that which preventeth you from the Pen of God, the Lord of earth and heaven.
Convey My greetings to the friends in that land and remind them of what God hath revealed in the Book. Thou didst ask about the Spirit concerning God’s irresistible Command. No power hath ever prevented His Will, and the wills of the world have not hindered His Purpose. In every created thing the signs of power have existed and continue to exist. He is established upon the throne of “He doeth whatsoever He willeth” and speaketh the word “He ordaineth what He pleaseth.” Blessed is the soul that is assured of what hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen in the Scriptures and Tablets.
Say: My God, my God! Thou seest me speaking Thy praise, clinging to Thy cord, and turning toward the horizon of Thy manifestation. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of what is with Thee, nor to shut me out from Thy gate which Thou hast opened unto all in Thy earth and Thy heaven. Ordain for me and for those with me the good of the hereafter and of this world. There is no God but Thee, the Most High, the Most Exalted. O my Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones who were not prevented by anything from drawing nigh unto Thee, to decree for me the reward of those who have attained unto Thy presence, heard Thy call, and gained the honor of appearing before Thy face. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful, and worthy to answer.
BH02700: His words, blessed and exalted is He: “Though it…
He is the One speaking from His most exalted horizon.
His words, blessed and exalted is He:
“Though it be the weight of a mustard seed, and though it be in a rock, or in the heavens or in the earth, God will bring it forth. Verily God is subtle and informed.”
Observe how the Hand of Power has revealed the hidden secrets in the hearts of the ignorant divines. They uttered “O God” while they hanged His Manifestation and martyred Him with bullets. Today that which is in the breasts has been and is being revealed. This is a Day wherein hands, eyes and ears bear witness, and before the Luminary of Divine Justice they recount with most eloquent utterance all that has transpired and testify thereto.
Two events have occurred in these days: first, the martyrdom of the Temple of certitude and knowledge in the path of God, and second, the fear, terror and anguish of Hadi of Dawlat-Abad. The deed of each one has testified and continues to testify before the faces of the world to the station and rank of its doer. Where are the eyes to see and where are the ears to hear? O thou who gazest upon the Countenance! Vain imaginings have debarred the world from the Lord of all names. Those who are occupied with service and stand steadfast before His face have clung to one who has deprived himself of the Truth through Whose word the world was created.
How many souls whose wealth, glory and riches did not prevent them from the Lord of Names—they were set ablaze with the fire of divine love and bore in His path that which the eye of the world had never seen. Nevertheless, the people have forsaken such souls and have clung to the deed of Hadi the misleader, who for the sake of a two-day life forsook eternal life, and for the comfort of numbered days denied God, exalted be His glory, and His Manifestations. That heedless one committed that which caused the sighs of those near unto God and the tears of the sincere ones to descend and ascend.
Blessed art thou for having turned unto Him, recognized Him and responded to the Lord when the Call was raised from the most exalted horizon. Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having illumined my heart with the light of Thy knowledge and adorned my temple with the ornament of Thy love. I beseech Thee to make me steadfast in Thy love in such wise that the tempests of the ungodly among Thy creatures and the winds of the deniers among Thy servants will not move me. Verily Thou art powerful over what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the All-Compelling, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH03319: Verily the Sun desired to send unto thee…
He is One that dawneth from the horizon of the heaven of utterance!
Verily the Sun desired to send unto thee a light from its lights in the form of the words of God and the fragrances of His verses which dominate all who are in the heavens and earths.
Say: O concourse of earth! The Hour hath come and its signs, and that which was inscribed by the Supreme Pen hath appeared in the Books of God, Lord of the worlds. Verily the Book calleth out in truth and summoneth all to the horizon of Revelation from God, Lord of the mighty Throne. The shrill voice of the Pen hath been raised up and the Lord of Eternity before the faces of the nations hath arisen and said: Fear God, O people! Follow not those who denied the proof of God and His evidence and disbelieved in His glorious and wondrous Day. Fear God and purify your hearts from the tales of old and from that which is with those who cast guidance behind their backs, clinging to tyranny and wickedness. Indeed they are among the most lost in a clear Book.
O thou who gazest toward the horizon of the Cause! Hear the call and say: O Lord of Names and Creator of Heaven! Aid me in all conditions to hearken unto Thy call and to turn unto the lights of Thy countenance and to behold the manifestations of the Sun of Thy Revelation. O my Lord! Praise be unto Thee for having manifested unto me Thy mighty Cause and Thy great announcement and for having given me to drink from the Kawthar of knowledge from the hands of Thy grace and bounty on a day wherein most of Thy servants and creatures were deprived therefrom.
O my Lord! Enable Thy servants to turn unto the Tree and its fruits, and the Sun and its lights, and the Sea and its waves. By Thy glory, O Thou Goal of the world and Educator of the nations! This servant desireth to arise to make mention of Thee and to praise Thee amongst Thy servants. Strengthen him with the hosts of wisdom and utterance.
O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thy most exalted horizon and holding fast to Thy Most Firm Handle. Ordain for me from the Pen of Thy decree that which will profit me in every world of Thy worlds and make me to be of those whom the vicissitudes and conditions of the world have not prevented. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH03573: O Samandar! If thou wert to become aware…
He is the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days and the Kind, Compassionate Comforter.
O Samandar! If thou wert to become aware of My grief, thou wouldst surely weep for My sake at what hath been inflicted upon Me by those who claim to love Me. The oppressor hath committed that which hath caused My heart and My Pen to lament, and tears have fallen from the eyes of justice in My days. Commerce and occupation have diverted him from the remembrance and praise of God, and prevented him from justice and fairness in His days. By the life of God! He hath denied My favor, My grace and My loving-kindness, and hath clung to that which hath erased the white spot of love from his heart. We opened before his face the gates of blessing and bounty, yet he denied them and rejected God’s grace and favor, and said that which none before him had ever said. The Most Exalted Pen of God beareth witness to this in this mighty, exalted station.
O Samandar! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. We have made mention of those whom thou didst desire Us to remember, and have sent down for them that which hath caused the ocean of forgiveness to surge before the face of the All-Merciful and the fragrance of pardon and generosity to waft from the right hand of thy Lord’s bounty, the All-Giving, the Merciful. We have sent down clear verses for him who was named Muhammad-Ali who hath ascended unto God, and We make mention at this time of My handmaiden who hath sought the Supreme Horizon. We beseech God, exalted be He, to send down upon her a blessing from the heaven of His grace and a mercy from the clouds of His generosity, and to cause her to enter the most exalted Paradise.
Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer. And We make mention of him who was named Husayn-Ali and give him the glad-tidings of his Lord’s loving-kindness and grace which encompassed him when the Pen moved to make mention of him. We testify that he attained unto the light of reunion and drank the choice wine of nearness from the hand of bounty and favors. Upon them be My glory and My loving-kindness, and the glory of those in My Kingdom, and the glory of those who have turned unto the Countenance and circled round the Throne, and the glory of those near ones and the sincere ones, and the glory of all who are in the heavens and on the earth.
BH04657: The people of the earth in ages and centuries…
He is the Hearer, the Answerer.
The people of the earth in ages and centuries past have awaited and continue to await the effulgences of the Light of the divine Manifestation. Especially the Shi’ih sect, uttering the words “Would that we had been with Thee!” and upon hearing mention of the Qa’im, speaking the phrase “May God hasten His advent!” But when the Sun of Truth dawned by the will of God, exalted be His glory, that heedless sect abandoned justice and clung to oppression, forsook equity and attempted with the swords of tyranny and injustice to slay the Desired One of the world, and committed that which all have heard and know. For the sake of two days of transient life they forsook everlasting life, and for ephemeral bounties they closed their eyes to eternal blessings. We beseech God to aid His loved ones in that land to achieve that which will cause the exaltation of the Word of God.
We heard thy call and from the direction of the prison sent thee this gracious reply. Rejoice and be thou of the thankful. Today the deeds and words of all are remembered and witnessed before God. He is the Hearer, the Seer, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Blessed art thou, and joy be unto thee, in that thy heart hath been adorned with the light of the knowledge of God, the Lord of the worlds. Make mention of the loved ones on behalf of the Wronged One. We beseech God to protect them and aid them to achieve what He loveth and pleaseth. Verily He is the Lord of the Hereafter and of this world, and the Lord of the mighty Throne.
BH05499: The Manifest Book on this manifest Day calleth out…
He is the Kingdom.
The Manifest Book on this manifest Day calleth out amidst the religions and inviteth all to the momentous News. He is the Peerless Speaker and the Incomparable Knower. O friends! Hearken unto His call and turn with your hearts to the direction of God. Today the seat of the Wronged One is the Most Great Prison. The heedless servants have turned away from the Truth and have chosen what they possess over what is with God.
Blessed is the servant whom things have not withheld from their Owner nor remembrances from their Rememberer. He hath cast away what the people possess on this Day and taken what was ordained in My preserved Book.
Thy name was present before the Wronged One and these manifest verses were revealed from the heaven of Will: When thou dost inhale their fragrance say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of all beings, for having guided me unto Thy straight path and given me to drink of the Kawthar of knowledge from the hand of Thy bounty and shown me the signs of Thy Pen and acquainted me with the ocean of Thy knowledge and the heaven of Thy generosity.
O my Lord! I beseech Thee by the station which Thou hast made the seat of Thy throne and by the lands which were reddened with the blood of Thy loved ones and by the neck which was adorned with the rope in Thy path, to assist me to such steadfastness as shall not be shaken by the doubts of the heedless ones nor the signs of the barking ones. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the Wise.
BH05433: In My Name, the Speaking One, the All-Knowing…
In My Name, the Speaking One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!
The peoples and nations of the world cling to vain imaginings and hold fast to idle fancies, for they have been raised under the shadow of those who follow delusions. Throughout days and nights they yearned and hoped for the appearance of the Lord of all beings, to such extent that they would implore His presence from the Lord of Oneness with lamentation and weeping. Yet when the veils of glory were rent asunder by the finger of power and the breezes of the dawn of manifestation wafted, all turned away heedless save whom thy Lord willed.
Say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having guided me and given me to drink and taught me and shown me what was recorded in Thy Books and Scriptures and Tablets and Scrolls. I thank Thee, O my God, and praise Thee, O my Desire, for having sent down to me from the heaven of Thy bounty the table of knowledge and remembered me with that which will preserve my remembrance throughout the duration of Thy Kingdom.
I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name to ordain for Thy handmaidens what Thou hast ordained for those handmaidens who circle round Thy throne at eventide and at dawn, and in the morning and at eventide.
O Lord! I am Thy handmaiden and the daughter of Thy handmaiden. I have turned to Thee, hoping for the wonders of Thy generosity and bounty. There is no God but Thee, the All-Bountiful, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.
I beseech Thee to forgive my trespasses and my sins. Verily Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful ones and the Most Generous of the generous ones. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the Great.
BH05684: O contending peoples and kindreds of the earth! Set…
In the name of the one true Friend
O contending peoples and kindreds of the earth! Set your faces towards unity, and let the radiance of its light shine upon you. Gather ye together, and for the sake of God resolve to root out whatever is the source of contention amongst you. Then will the effulgence of the world’s great Luminary envelop the whole earth, and its inhabitants become the citizens of one city, and the occupants of one and the same throne. This wronged One hath, ever since the early days of His life, cherished none other desire but this, and will continue to entertain no wish except this wish.
There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God. The difference between the ordinances under which they abide should be attributed to the varying requirements and exigencies of the age in which they were revealed. All of them, except a few which are the outcome of human perversity, were ordained of God, and are a reflection of His Will and Purpose. Arise and, armed with the power of faith, shatter to pieces the gods of your vain imaginings, the sowers of dissension amongst you. Cleave unto that which draweth you together and uniteth you. This, verily, is the most exalted Word which the Mother Book hath sent down and revealed unto you. To this beareth witness the Tongue of Grandeur from His habitation of glory.
That soul and other loved ones must hold fast to the improvement of the world and the removal of differences between peoples, and must exert mighty efforts. Verily He is the Confirmer, the All-Wise, and He is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful.
BH05987: O Pen! Make mention of him who hath turned…
He is the Hearer in the Kingdom of wisdom and utterance.
O Pen! Make mention of him who hath turned unto My countenance, soared in My atmosphere, and held fast unto that which hath been revealed from My presence, that thy shrill voice may draw him to a station wherein My sweetest call hath been raised—a call whereby the hearts of the Concourse on high were attracted, every hesitant one hastened, every tongue-tied one spoke forth, and every sightless one beheld. Blessed is he who hath discovered the fragrance of utterance and believed in God, the Lord of all religions. We have manifested that which lay hidden within God’s knowledge, the Lord of lords, and that which had been inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Books and Tablets. Is there one possessed of might who would cast away what the people have and take what is with God, the Desire of all mankind? And is there one endowed with power whom that which is with men would not prevent from drawing nigh unto the Dayspring of inspiration? When thou attainest, say:
“Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having remembered me in Thy prison and guided me to the Most Great Ocean through Thy bounty and bestowal. I beseech Thee by the pearls of Thy knowledge and wisdom and the mysteries of Thy Cause which are therein, to ordain for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee in all conditions. Thou art, verily, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.”
BH06267: In My Name, by which the Herald hath called…
In My Name, by which the Herald hath called out amongst the servants.
This is a Book sent down by the Wronged One to him who hath clung to the hem of the robe of God’s mercy, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. The Light hath shone forth, and by it the earth and heaven were illumined, yet most of the people perceive not. The Path hath appeared and the Guide proclaimeth: “I am the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.” Say: O people of the earth! The Creator of heaven hath come with a sovereignty that hath conquered all who dwell in the unseen and the visible realms. Turn with your hearts unto God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. Beware lest the hosts of princes prevent you from God, the Possessor of existence. When thou hast attained unto the Tablet of God and its influence, say:
Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having manifested unto me Thy Cause, and for having illumined my heart with the light of Thy knowledge, and for having guided me to Thy path. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance and the signs of Thy grandeur and the Word whereby Thou hast subdued the hearts of Thy creation, to make me one who circleth around Thy Cause and is content with what Thou hast ordained for me through Thy will. O Lord! Thou seest the ignorant one seeking the ocean of Thy knowledge. I beseech Thee not to disappoint him through Thy bounty and generosity. Verily Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Powerful.
BH06014: The foundations are firm and strong, yet this Wronged…
He is the Hearing, the Answering One!
The foundations are firm and strong, yet this Wronged One, without helper or assistant, guided nations and peoples to the Ancient Lord through the Pen. At every moment, pearls of wisdom and utterance appeared and shone forth from the treasury of the Supreme Pen. Those possessed of hearing and sight attained unto them, while deprived souls remain debarred until now. The cause of this deprivation has been and continues to be the leaders of the people—those who, without divine authority, have taken unto themselves educators and guides. They have forsaken truthfulness and clung to calumnies. They speak according to their desires and hold fast to that which is reprehensible. Say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having protected me from these people and their imaginings and fancies, and for having confirmed me in turning towards Thee on a Day wherein every remote scholar and every heedless opponent turned away from Thee.
I beseech Thee, O Lord of all beings, by the Most Exalted Horizon wherein Thy sweetest call was raised, to ordain for me that which will preserve me from the vanities of the world and the doubts of the nations. O my Lord! Illumine my heart with the lights of the Daystar of certitude, then forgive me through Thy mercy, O Thou Most Merciful of the merciful ones!
BH06720: This is a Book sent down by the Ancient…
He is the One manifest before the faces of the world!
This is a Book sent down by the Ancient King, Who hath appeared through His Most Great Name, unto him who hath turned to God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, that the Call may draw him to the Supreme Horizon, and cause him to say:
“Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I testify to Thy manifestation and Thy dawning and Thy establishment upon the throne of utterance before the faces of all religions, and to Thy oneness and Thy singleness and Thy greatness and Thy power and Thy sovereignty. O my Lord! Thou seest the drop seeking the ocean of Thy grace and the sea of Thy bounty, and the atom seeking the effulgences of the sun of Thy generosity and munificence. I beseech Thee by the Crimson Scroll and by Thy power in the kingdom of names to send down upon this servant of Thine from the heaven of Thy bounty that which will gladden all existence and raise up the people of the graves. O my Lord! I beseech Thee by the City which Thou hast named Akka in the kingdom of names, and whose horizon Thou hast illumined with the Light through which all lights shone forth and through which mysteries were revealed and through which the trees proclaimed: The kingdom belongeth unto God, the One, the Chosen!’ to ordain for me steadfastness in Thy Cause and adherence to Thy cord. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful, and worthy to grant this prayer.”
BH06705: The Book of God is calling Out…
In the Name of the Desire of the world!
The Book of God is calling Out with the loudest voice among the servants and maidservants, leading them to the most exalted horizon. O bondsmaid of God, exert thyself that thou mayest become purged from the vacillations of the people and, with a pure heart and seeing eye, turn unto the loftiest summit. Although the inhabitants of the world besought reunion with the highest Lord with tearful eyes at nights and in the day season, when the brilliance of the Revelation illumined the world of existence, all became deniers except those who thy Lord willed.
Praise be to God, the tempestuous winds did not deprive that leaf from the Sidrih. If the reward of this action is revealed and made manifest, all the women of the world would become intent on attaining the highest horizon and ultimate summit in such wise that name and fame, abasement and glory, impotence and might, poverty and wealth will not deter them.
Thou wert remembered in the presence of the Wronged One and We made mention of thee with these radiant Verses and illumined Words. Strive that thou mayest attain that which is eternal and everlasting.
BH06819: O thou who hast turned towards God! The Wronged…
He is the One Who speaks in the Kingdom of Utterance
O thou who hast turned towards God! The Wronged One desireth to make mention of thee with that which will draw thee nigh unto God, the Lord of all worlds, and to counsel the servants for the sake of God, the Almighty, the All-Powerful. Say: O people of the Bayan! It behooveth no one to test the Dawning-Places of God’s Revelation, the Mighty, the All-Praised. Yet the Wronged One summoneth you and biddeth you to present yourselves that ye may hear that which is sent down from the heaven of the Will of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.
Say: His Cause cannot be confused with aught else beside it. Present yourselves before the Face and be not of the patient ones. The rain of wisdom and utterance descendeth at all times upon the heads of them that are nigh unto God. Say: O company of the opposers! Beware lest ye deny the verses of God after their revelation. Lay hold on justice and cast behind you the whisperings of the wrongdoers who have cast the Most Great Ocean behind their backs, clinging to the idle fancies of the heedless. Thus hath the Tongue spoken in the Kingdom of Utterance that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having made mention of me in the Most Great Prison. I testify that Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Generous. O my Lord! Aid me to remain steadfast in the Most Great Cause. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH06451: We repaired this day to the garden wherein…
He is the Speaker in the Most Great Prison.
We repaired this day to the garden wherein the trees proclaim “The Kingdom belongeth to God, the Lord of all Religions!” When the Dawning-Place of God’s Revelation and the Dayspring of His inspiration arrived, He established Himself upon the throne of utterance and revealed unto thee that which hath perfumed the whole of creation with the fragrance of His loving-kindness. Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! By Thy might! My transgressions have prevented me from turning toward the horizon of the heaven of Thy grace, and my sins from attaining presence before Thy face. Whenever I contemplate the ocean of Thy generosity and the sun of Thy bounty, joy overtaketh me from every direction, yet whenever I reflect upon my errors and transgressions, I long to hide my face beneath the layers of the earth.
O my Lord! I am the poor one who hath hastened to the shore of the ocean of Thy bestowals. I testify that Thy forgiveness hath preceded sin, and Thy generosity hath encompassed all who dwell within the realm of possibility. I beseech Thee to ordain for me presence before Thy throne and to enable me to stand at the door of Thy mercy, which hath been opened unto all who are in Thy heaven and on Thy earth. There is no God but Thee, the Powerful, the All-Forgiving, the All-Loving.
BH09542: A Book sent down in truth for people who…
He is the Hearer, the Answerer.
A Book sent down in truth for people who comprehend. Verily it hath been sent down from God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. It guideth mankind unto His path and giveth them to drink of His sealed wine. The Promise hath come and the Promised One hath appeared with manifest sovereignty, drawing near the servants unto God’s outstretched path. We have heard thy call and turned toward thee from the direction of the Prison. Verily thy Lord is the Powerful, the Mighty, the Loving. Take thou the chalice of utterance in the name of the Lord of Religions, then drink from it through My remembrance, the Beloved. Beware lest the happenings of the world hold thee back from the Most Great Name. Cast aside what the people possess, holding fast to this ordained Cause. The Glory be upon thee from Us and upon those who have turned to My praiseworthy station.
BH09744: Today the tongue of bounty makes mention of His…
In the Name of the One Mighty God!
Today the tongue of bounty makes mention of His loved ones and summons all to the horizon of the heaven of manifestation. O My handmaiden and daughter of My handmaiden! Strive that perchance thou mayest drink of the sealed wine and hold fast to the Name of the Self-Subsisting. For shouldst thou attain unto this station, thou wilt have attained unto all good, and all the peoples of the world—the deniers and the idolaters—will be powerless to prevent thee and will not hold thee back from the mention of the Peerless Friend. This is a great bounty—know thou its value and, having perceived it, preserve it. The handmaidens who have turned unto God are all remembered and have attained His grace. Verily thy Lord is the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.
BH10284: Glorified art Thou, O my God, my Lord, my…
He is God, exalted be His glory! Wisdom and Utterance
Glorified art Thou, O my God, my Lord, my Support! I beseech Thee by the movement of Thy Pen of destiny, and by the traces of Thy Pen, and by Thy most exalted attributes, and by the Dawning-Places of Thy revelation in the kingdom of creation, to make me detached from all else save Thee and holding fast to the cord of Thy bounty. O Lord! Thou seest this evanescent one seeking the Kawthar of Thy perpetual grace from the hands of Thy bounty, and this weary one seeking the kingdom of Thine utterance. I beseech Thee by Thy Cause whereby the limbs of the idolaters trembled and the cry of the transgressors was raised, to make me steadfast and vocal in Thy service and remembrance. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Conquering, the Powerful.
BH10750: This day have We found ourselves swimming…
He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
This day have We found ourselves swimming in the ocean of the loving-kindness of God, the Lord of all the worlds. Thereupon We heard the Call from the Sadratu’l-Muntaha in the Supreme Paradise:
“O concourse of earth and heaven! By God, the True One! Verily I have not created you to serve your own selves, but for the betterment of the world and the service of the Cause.”
Thus have We sent unto thee that wherefrom the near ones may inhale the fragrance of loving care and tender mercies, from the presence of God, the Lord of all mankind.
BH11862: All praise be unto God, Who hath revealed…
…All praise be unto God, Who hath revealed the law of obligatory prayer as a reminder to His servants, and enjoined on them the Fast that those possessed of means may become apprised of the woes and sufferings of the destitute….
BH00755: Praise befitteth and beseemeth the Lord of all beings…
He is God, exalted be His station, the Grandeur and the Power!
Praise befitteth and beseemeth the Lord of all beings, Who on the Day of Return, without veil or covering, summoned the peoples to the most exalted horizon and from the hand of bounty bestowed the water of everlasting life upon the inhabitants of the mortal realm. Every soul who turned unto Him attained the chalice of recognition, and every denier was deprived. He is the Just One Who, through the balance of reward and punishment, bestowed freshness and radiance upon the world of justice. Exalted be His grandeur and manifest His proof. There is no God but Him. And blessings and peace be upon the Lord of the world and the Cause of the existence of nations, through Whom God sent down the Criterion and through Whom He distinguished between truth and falsehood until the Day of Resurrection, and upon His family and companions, through whom the foundation of religion was strengthened and the strong cord of God was made manifest. Whoso holdeth fast unto them hath indeed held fast unto God, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty.
May my spirit be sacrificed for your remembrance, your utterance, your arising and your steadfastness. Your blessed letter, which was a clear book in the remembrance of God, the Lord of the worlds, was received and in the sanctuary of the heart released the fragrance of meanings and perfumed the pillars, for it was adorned with that which was the purpose of the creation of the world—His remembrance. Well done to your pen and your ink! After reading and becoming aware, We approached the Presence and attained the honor of being heard. He said:
“O Afnan! Upon you be the peace of God, His grace and His mercy. In these days there has occurred that which causes the greatest sorrow. That Afnan, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness, bears witness that this Wronged One has, in most Tablets, commanded the servants to trustworthiness, religiosity, chastity and fidelity. However, the heedless did not accept the counsel of the Wronged One. They passed by what is right and clung to what is wrong. The tempests of self and passion move them. The unfair one in the great city tore the veil of honor and did that which caused the pillars of trustworthiness and religion to shake, despite being shown kindness and assistance and being aided by God’s command. Glory be to God! The fire of greed and avarice appeared with a strange flame in that city, burning away spiritual qualities, and in its place the fire of envy was kindled.
“O Afnan! I do not complain of My grief and sorrow, and I remain content with what has befallen Me from the oppression of the oppressors and the turning away of the ones who turned away. Glory be to God! Some souls strive and struggle for their own completion, but are unaware. We commanded all to that which elevates human stations in the contingent world, yet they did that which caused the people of the cities of remembrance and utterance to lament. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to aid them to return and to make known to them what they have lost. From them has appeared oppression in place of justice, tyranny in place of equity, and the fire of unfaithfulness in place of fidelity. That Afnan and those with him and the friends of God, exalted be His glory, must gaze toward the horizon of forgiveness and bounty and beseech for creation that which is the cause of eternal salvation.
“Convey greetings to the Afnan on behalf of the Wronged One. Let them not be saddened by exile. Praise be to God, they have turned to Him and taken residence in the vicinity. We beseech God to open before his face the door of His grace. Verily, He has power over all things. Jinab-i-Nazir, upon him be God’s peace, has hastily departed from the source of corruption and chosen flight over staying. The cause of the hatred and enmity of some in the great city is not known—what it was and how it arose. In any case, the station of mention is, we seek refuge in God. Convey greetings to the friends of that land on behalf of the Wronged One. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to aid them in what He loves and is pleased with. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer, and He is the Watchful, the Near.” End.
In truth, the affairs that occurred in the Great City have become a cause of astonishment. People’s wealth has been scattered to the wind, a great injustice has been inflicted upon justice, and the severest blow has been dealt to religion. I beseech God to protect His loved ones from the harm of those souls. Verily He has power over whatsoever He willeth.
That which this servant never imagined has come to pass. One who had been shown the utmost kindness, and whose outward affairs had been arranged according to his wishes, nevertheless, solely due to vain imaginings and suspicions, committed that which caused harm and grief to the Station. All that your honor wrote regarding these matters and dealings of the person in question is the truth, without doubt. After it was presented, He smiled and said:
“Excellent is what the Afnan (upon him be My peace) hath done.”
However, in the Great City he has practiced deception with the friends of God. Moderation with such souls is not permissible, for whatever moderation was shown to heedless souls in that land, they have written it differently and sent it to this land. It seems they were created from sheer heedlessness and absolute hatred. Complaints about those souls have come from all directions. According to reports, he has made purchases for some that were contrary to religion and trustworthiness.
Praise be to God that his share of deceit, trickery and cunning had no effect on your honor. Whatever you wrote to him was repeatedly presented, and each time it was presented, joy and gladness were manifested. Praise be to God that the Afnan was protected from the arrow of that heedless one’s treachery. He never thought there would be found in the world a soul who would remain protected from his deception and cunning. Praise be to God Who protected the Afnan from his evil and his cunning, and answered him in what was befitting. Verily He is the Protector, the Trustworthy.
In truth, this servant was greatly pleased by your honor’s letter. The meaning of the blessed verse “And they planned, and God planned, and God is the best of planners” became manifest. That heedless one committed that which is not permissible to mention. Night and day he associated with the enemy of God. For four years patience was shown and the name “Concealer” prevailed, but the lamentation of truthfulness, the cry of trustworthiness, and the wail of chastity removed the veil and revealed the reality of that soul. His injustice reached such a point that the hand of power revealed his deeds and uncovered them. Verily He is the Avenger, the Just, the Wise.
To the presence of the honored Qurratu’l-ʿAyn of the near ones, the Afnan (upon him be the peace of the All-Merciful and His favors), I convey greetings. Praise be to God, he is blessed with the greatest favors and is mentioned before Him Who is Mentioned. To the beloved of the heart, the honored Nazir (upon him be God’s peace and grace), I convey greetings, and I beseech God for him that which is the cause of joy and the source of happiness. Likewise to the other friends who are present with your honor, I convey greetings to each one, and I beseech God, exalted be His glory, for blessings, bounty and steadfastness for them. Verily He is the Giver, the Generous. Glory and remembrance and praise be upon your honor and upon those who are with you and who love you and hear your word for the sake of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
The servant 29 Ramadan 1306
He said to write to the Afnan that if possible, they should send several drinking glasses.
BH09803: These are the days of fasting, when the dawning-place…
These are the days of fasting, when the dawning-place of the manifestations of the grace of the Lord of all beings decreases the carnal and increases the spiritual. It transforms base desire into guidance and cruelty into faithfulness. For the training of the soul it is the most potent remedy and the greatest medicine. Within it are concealed wisdoms and hidden benefits. Glorified is He Who has commanded His servants thus, and glorified is the majesty of Him Who has ordained it. And peace and blessings be upon Him through Whom God’s commands appeared and His laws were spread abroad, through Whom the bounty of recognition descended and the manifestations of His favors emerged, and upon His family and companions through whom God illumined the horizons of His lands and manifested His sovereignty amongst His servants….
BH00080: Praised be the Omnipotent Lord Who hath adorned…
Section 1: “In the name of our Lord, the Most…”
In the name of our Lord, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious
Praised be the Omnipotent Lord Who hath adorned the ranks of might with the points of the Supreme Pen, Who hath combined letters and words in a new and wondrous manner, Who hath raised therefrom the banner of “Verily He is God,” and Who hath manifested supreme power before the hosts of enemies with but a limited few. His helper in the first instance was the Supreme Pen and in the latter instance the manifestations of righteousness. Glorified be His utterance and exalted His dominion! Glory and praise be unto the hidden treasuries in the realm of creation, from which appeared the ranks of wisdom bearing the standards of utterance—such souls as were not overtaken by the intoxication of passion but rather by the joy of guidance. They stood before all faces and summoned all to the decreed Command of God, to the sealed wine. Blessed are they who have attained, and woe unto them who have denied and disbelieved—these are the companions of the fire in the sight of God, the Mighty, the Chosen One.
O thou beloved of my heart! The traces of the pen of love and affection have appeared in the form of the fruits of the Tree of Faithfulness. The leaves of the Tree warble with wondrous and enchanting melodies, and its fruits speak in praise of the traces of the Supreme Pen. After hearing, hearkening, becoming enraptured and filled with joy, it sought the station of the Lord of all beings. And after attaining the presence of Him Who conversed upon Sinai—may the spirit of all in the kingdom of command and creation be a sacrifice unto Him—He said: “What is in thy hand?” After its presentation He commanded me to read. I presented and read before His Countenance. When it was completed and ended, the Divine Lote-Tree spoke forth with its supreme verses, blessed and exalted be His Word:
In My Name, the Sorrowing One in the realm of creation
O thou who speaketh My mention and standeth in service to My Cause and gazeth toward My horizon! Hear My call which hath been raised from a station encompassed by the sorrows of the world, through that which the hands of those who claimed nearness and love for Me have wrought, committing that which hath caused the Pen of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, to lament. A door was opened in the great city to be the dawning-place of trustworthiness, chastity, faithfulness, religiosity, truthfulness and purity, but the oppressor made it a place of theft, treachery, tyranny and cruelty. By this did the near ones cry out and the sincere ones lament, then those who circled round the Most Great Throne and bore witness to that which God did testify that there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Compelling over what was and what shall be.
O Varqa! Baha lamenteth and uttereth that which hath befallen the Temple of Trustworthiness—a blow, and upon the face of Truth—a slap, from him who with fingers of tyranny rent asunder the veil of sanctity and committed that which caused the greatest terror to appear in the City of God’s justice, the Lord of existence. We desired good for him, yet he desired evil for Us. Thereby was opened the door of derision and mockery against God, the Lord of the seen and unseen. The Wronged One calleth and summoneth all to harmony and unity, but those who broke the Covenant arose in such hypocrisy as caused all things to cry out from every horizon, yet most of the people hear not. The market of falsehood hath flourished through his deeds while truth languisheth in such grief as none knoweth save the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. By My life! He cast aside piety and embraced lewdness after We had forbidden him and Our loved ones from it in various tablets, to which faithful servants bear witness. We desired for him commerce, but the heedless one desired for Us loss.
Say: Take what is good and abandon evil, a command from God, the Lord of Hosts. The profit of the Wronged One is justice and equity, not the ornaments by which the door of greed and passion was opened before the faces of men. Say: Beware, O people, follow God’s justice amongst you and follow not vain imaginings and idle fancies.
O Varqa! Upon thee be the Glory of God, Lord of all beings. There occurred in the great city that which burned the liver of justice. One who was shown the utmost kindness had the fire of greed and avarice so enkindled in his heart that he forgot God, exalted be His glory, and His bounty and favor. Night and day he associated and was intimate with the enemy of God, committing that which caused hearts and minds to lament. Know, O Varqa, that the Beloved is in manifest adversity, in manifest sorrow, in manifest grief, yet in all conditions praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds. Thus ends the fragrances of the utterance of the Goal of all worlds.
From this the condition of this servant is known. Some time ago that Beloved One mentioned a person who had sent a letter from the great city to that direction. That heedless one went to the believer, the believer to the denier, the denier to the infidel. The fire of hypocrisy was enkindled in his heart and he united with another in acquiring ornaments and betrayal. Much of people’s wealth was lost, and now hypocrisy is manifest since his treacheries were not and are not confirmed. And rebellion hath reached such a point that although God, exalted be His glory, hath commanded association with the followers of all religions, He hath forbidden His loved ones from associating with him and the hypocrites. I beseech God to calm the fire of greed with the waters of contentment.
I beseech God to still the fire of covetousness with the water of contentment, and to allay the flame of greed. Notwithstanding the utmost loving-kindness that was shown him in the holy Presence–inasmuch as the loved ones assigned him a place and aided him with their substance—yet from him there proceeded that whereof the pen shrinketh from mention. By night and by day I implore God, glorified be His majesty, to ordain that which is meet and fitting.
And as to what thou didst write concerning the mention of the loved ones in that land and in its surrounding regions, and of their enkindlement with the fire of the love of God: after it had been presented before the Countenance in the Most Exalted Horizon, the Tongue of Utterance in the Kingdom of Knowledge gave voice to these weighty verses. He, blessed and exalted be He, saith:
O My friends in the letter Ta and its environs! Hear ye the call of the Wronged One through Whom the realm of utterance and the realm of ears were created, whereof this Most Great and Perspicuous Book beareth witness. This is the call the hearkening to which hath been the ultimate desire of them that are nigh unto God and the sincere ones. He Who was enkindled with the fire of My love and who speaketh in praise of My beauteous praise hath made mention of you. We make mention of you through verses that attract the hearts of the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the pavilion of glory and the tabernacle of God’s protection, the Lord of all worlds. Verily We give them glad tidings of My grace and remind them of My verses, for I am the All-Merciful, the Generous. We have inscribed their names by My Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Tablet which none hath discovered save God, the Possessor of this wondrous Day. Blessed are ye for having taken the Kawthar of My utterance from the hand of My bounty and having drunk thereof in the name of God, the King, the True, the Just, the Manifest.
O Varqa! Upon thee be My glory and My mercy. Say: A single drop thereof cannot be compared to all the seas of the world. Blessed is he who hath attained thereunto and woe unto the heedless. The helpless servants have been prevented by the divines of Persia from recognizing the Purpose of the worlds on the Day of His Manifestation. They are the most great veil unto themselves and unto the peoples, having deprived both. Give glad tidings unto My friends, for each hath attained unto that which hath no peer or likeness. At this moment the Kaaba of God hath turned toward them and the Manifestation of God gazeth upon those regions. We beseech God to make them treasuries of His love and repositories of His steadfastness and dawning-places of His bounty amongst His servants and His light in His lands.
Verily He is powerful over all things. Soon shall We open the gates of utterance to make mention of them and praise them, and We shall strengthen the hearts in their turning unto them. Verily their Lord, the Most Merciful, is the Hearer, the Beholder, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing. Glory be from Us upon them and upon those whom neither clamor prevented from turning to the Most Sublime Horizon nor were they frightened by the hosts of them who disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
Our Lord, our Master and our Protector! We thank Thee for the wonders of Thy grace and praise Thee for the manifestations of Thy favors, Thy gifts and Thy bestowals. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the worlds and Master of nations, to protect those who have turned toward Thee from the evil of the deniers, and those who acknowledge Thee from the oppression of them that deny Thee, and those who are nigh unto Thee from the tyranny of such as have disbelieved in Thee and Thy signs on this Thy holy, mighty and luminous Day.
It is hoped that ere long there shall appear in that land and its environs that which shall guide all unto the straight path and the mighty announcement. Verily our Lord is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
Concerning what you wrote about the receptivity and acceptance of Agha Siyyid Mihdi—upon him be the Glory of God, who has attained the sealed wine on this blessed and destined Day—after it was presented before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence, a most wondrous Tablet was revealed from the heaven of the favor of the Lord of all beings specifically for him and was sent. God willing, may he drink from the wine of utterance that lies hidden and concealed within the words of the Lord of Religions, and through wisdom and utterance make the heedless servants aware, that they might not remain deprived of the outpourings of the All-Bountiful Lord in these days. He is indeed the All-Generous, the Munificent.
They mentioned Haji Ali-Askar—upon him be the Glory of God. Praise be to God, they have attained that which was the hope of the sincere ones. And specifically for the friends of Milan—upon them be the Glory of God—an exalted Tablet was sent. God willing, it will have arrived by now and eyes will have been illumined by its light. Repeatedly from the Tongue of Grandeur mention has been made of the emigrants and those who have attained from the land of Milan, especially those souls who are related to the honored beloved, His Holiness Haji A. and H.—upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God. All are mentioned and have attained the glory of God’s favor. Blessed are they who have drunk the wine of His love and have turned to His horizon. The servant begs his Lord to protect them and assist them in what He loves and is pleased with.
In these days, letters have repeatedly arrived from their children who are in T. and F., and mention of them has been made before the Face. A hundred thousand thanks that He has confirmed and granted success and caused His loved ones to attain that for which no likeness or similitude has been mentioned in any books, scriptures or psalms. He is indeed the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous, the Forgiving, the Munificent.
And concerning the mention made of the handmaiden of God, the wife of Haji Ali-Askar—upon them both be the Glory of God—and likewise concerning her turning and presence, after presentation before the Seat of the Lord, this most exalted Word was revealed from the Source of the Command of the Lord of all men. His blessed and exalted Word: “O Varqa! Upon thee be My Glory! Convey to the handmaiden of God the greetings of the Wronged One, and give her glad tidings, for her intention is manifest and clear before the Luminary of divine will, and the Tongue of Grandeur speaks this most exalted Word: ʿO My handmaiden! Upon thee be My Glory!’ We beseech God—glorified be His majesty—to assist thee and to adorn with deeds thine intention which is now in the realm of words, and to accept what thou hast sought, and to ordain for thee the reward of those handmaidens who have intended the Most Great Goal and have attained to presence, hearing and witnessing. Give thanks to thy Lord for this bounty which has encompassed the world, then praise thy Master for this mercy which has preceded all peoples. Say:
ʿPraise be to Thee for having guided me and made me recognize Thee and ordained for me the reward of those who have drunk the wine of nearness to Thee and have attained the lights of the Luminary of Thy presence. O my Lord! Thou art the Generous, there is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful. I beseech Thee to ordain for me in every world of Thy worlds all the good Thou hast ordained for Thy devoted handmaidens. Thou art indeed the Almighty, the Powerful, the Great.”’
Blessed is the soul that has attained or will attain to such a station, for through His grace and mercy the world has reached from seeking to the Desired One and has come from the station of asking to the station of attainment. If ye should count His favors ye could not reckon them. This servant too beseeches for that noble lady that which is the cause of prosperity and success. Verily our Lord is the Forgiving, the Generous.
Section 2: “In My Name, sanctified above all names…”
In My Name, sanctified above all names
O Allah-Virdi, blessed art thou and blessed is thy name, for it denoteth and attesteth to the oceans of grace, bounty, bestowal and favor of the Lord of all beings. Praise the Ancient Beauty Who confirmed thee in His grace and favor, His nearness and knowledge. Say: My God, my God! I testify that Thou didst create existence through a drop from the ocean of Thy generosity, and didst manifest therefrom, through the rain of Thy mercy, whatsoever Thou didst desire through Thy power and grace. O Generous One! Thou art He Who was not hindered by the veils of the world from Thy purpose, nor were the clouds of the peoples an obstacle. With the finger of might Thou didst rend asunder the veils and guided Thy loved ones to the tabernacle of glory.
The door of generosity was opened before the faces of the peoples and the path of salvation appeared before the eyes of the world. O Generous One! Deprive not hearts and souls from the breezes of Thy revelation, and forbid not eyes and ears from beholding and hearing. Thou art that Omnipotent One Who, with two letters, bestowed the ornament of existence upon absolute nothingness, and invited utter evanescence to the realm of eternity. O Merciful One! Grant this evanescent servant a portion from the Kawthar of immortality, and bestow from the ocean of knowledge that which befitteth Thy bounty. Thou art the Bestower, the Kind, and within Thy grasp is the reins of all who are in the realm of possibility.
And mention was made of Haji Muhammad-ʿAli (of Maraghih). After it was presented before the Most Holy Court, these blessed words were revealed from the Mother Book. He saith, exalted be His glory and abundant be His favors: O thou who hast arisen to serve Me and who speaketh in My praise! Give him the glad-tidings of My grace and mercy. Verily We have mentioned him before and after, and aided him to turn unto Me, and gave him to drink of the Kawthar of My knowledge from the hand of My bounty, and I am the Generous, the Bountiful. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to make him a letter of the letters of His Book and a banner of His name amongst His creation. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty.
We make mention in this station of Ibn-i-Dakhil who was intoxicated by the wine of My utterance and was drawn to My horizon and was moved to offer beautiful praise of Me among My servants who have drunk the Kawthar of knowledge from the hands of the bounty of their Lord, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Praise be to God! The loved ones have ever been and continue to be remembered. Grace hath encompassed all and the means of divine confirmation have been vouchsafed, so that sanctified hearts might be illumined with the light of knowledge and enkindled with the fire of the Divine Lote-Tree—an enkindlement which, it is hoped, may set the world ablaze. This servant conveyeth to each one greetings and salutations, and beseecheth from God that which is the cause of life for all. O Beloved of my heart! I swear by the Sun of Truth that were people to become aware of His grace and bounty even to the extent of a needle’s eye, all would find themselves detached and freed from aught else but Him. Blessed is he who hath drunk the choice wine and attained that which the near ones and the sincere ones have attained.
The mention of Karbila’i Muhammad Ja’far, upon him be the Glory of God, reached Our hearing, and after its presentation before Us, this Supreme Word was revealed and sent down from the horizon of the heaven of Sinai, blessed and exalted be His Words:
O Ja’far! By the life of God, the Wronged One hath borne that which the world was and is powerless to bear. The purpose is that in this Dawn of Revelation a breeze of the grace of God, exalted be His Glory, might waft, adorning the outward with the ornament of justice and fairness, and purifying the inward—that is, the hearts and souls—from rancor and hatred toward the peoples of the world. That which is conducive to the elevation of existence and the advancement of souls hath been revealed and sent down from the Pen of God in clear and explicit terms in the Sacred Scriptures and Tablets. However, attentive ears, penetrating eyes, expanded breasts, and illumined hearts are rarer than red sulphur.
O My party! The grief and sorrow of this Wronged One have not been, nor are they, from what hath befallen Him at the hands of His enemies. Rather, from those who claim to love Him there appeared that which caused the rock to cry out, the clouds to lament, and all else besides God to exclaim ʿAlas!’ It is better that this matter remain veiled lest the hearts of My loved ones and chosen ones be saddened. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to assist thee and aid thee in that which will exalt thee amongst His servants. Verily, He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
From the mention and exposition of the loving-kindness of the Goal of the world’s peoples toward His loved ones, it is clear and evident. I beseech God to illumine His loved ones with the fire of utterance and the light of exposition in such wise that all horizons may be illumined, so that through the manifestation of spiritual deeds and virtuous character the people of the world may turn toward the Straight Path and the Great Announcement, and may see themselves purified from the murk and dust of doubts and the allusions of the people. His mercy hath encompassed all, and His grace, like unto the sun, shineth forth and is manifest from the horizon of every letter of the letters of His Book. Verily, our Lord is the Helper, the Giver, the Generous.
God willing, the aforementioned fragment shall be sent specifically to Aqa Mirza ʿAbdu’l-Husayn, upon him be the Glory of God, that the eyes of whomsoever desireth it may be gladdened thereby. And one blessed fragment in the handwriting of the Most Great Branch—may my spirit be a sacrifice unto the dust of His footsteps—shall be sent specifically to Ibn-i-Dakhil, upon him be the Glory of God and His loving-kindness.
Concerning what was written about the receipt and delivery of the blessed Tablets intended for the friends in Bonab and Miyanduab, this was truly a manifest glad tiding that increased the power of vision. Praise be to God that those regions are blessed. At one time this supreme blessed word was heard from the Master of all beings—exalted be His glory:
“O thou who art present! Had We been in another country and had this grace that raineth down upon Iran in the form of Tablets been bestowed upon other lands, most assuredly would the majority of the people in foreign cities and regions have turned toward the Dawning-Place of the Light of Oneness.”
Verily, this is so—they know how many verses were revealed and how many evidences appeared. Each of God’s Tablets was the greatest key to the treasures of inner meanings, and none has denied its station and rank.
In these days, one of the chosen ones spoke this word of the Master of all beings, writing from the Land of Ta that the servants are humbled before the appearance of the pearls of wisdom and utterance revealed from the treasury of the Supreme Pen, and none has been observed to deny or disapprove. Nevertheless, the intoxication of self and passion has so seized them that even while acknowledging, they are seen to deny—for though their words are heard and witnessed, deeds are non-existent. Had they succeeded in deeds, the portions of the world would now be seen as one portion and would be reckoned as part of the Most Glorious Paradise. A hundred thousand regrets that until now they have not understood or become aware of true loss and gain. I testify that they are among the heedless.
Concerning what was written about Mulla Husayn (M.Y.), upon him be the Glory of God, after it was presented before the Most Holy Court, He said: “O Husayn! Take My Book with a power that the might of the world cannot prevent thee, and with a strength that the clamor of the nations cannot weaken thee, and with a steadfastness that neither the doubts of the suspicious ones, nor the clamor of the barking ones, nor the attack of kings, nor the retreat of sovereigns can cause thee to slip. We have turned toward thee at this time and have revealed for thee that which the treasuries of the heavens and earth cannot equal. Rejoice and say: ʿThine is the praise, O Lord of the worlds, and Thine is the glory, O Beloved of the hearts of the sincere ones.”’
As for the matter of Huquq, they have been blessed with true forgiveness. God hath forgiven him as a favor from His presence. Verily our Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Generous. However, it is hoped that they will occupy themselves with guiding people, that perchance through divine wisdom and revealed utterances they may awaken heedless souls and cause them to be nourished from the Kawthar of recognition. Verily our Lord is the Helper, the All-Wise.
O Ahmad! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Lord of all the worlds! Ponder thou upon His Manifestation and His signs. The showers of wisdom and utterance are falling in all times from the heaven of merciful bounty and the clouds of divine wisdom, and the Sun of power, majesty and might is shining forth above the horizon of the world before the faces of all peoples, manifest and evident, while the pearls of knowledge are, at all times, appearing and becoming visible from the treasury of the Most Exalted Pen. The light is radiant, the ocean is surging, yet all remain veiled and extinct save whom thy Lord willeth.
O Ahmad! Hearken thou with the ear of the spirit to the cry of Him Who is wronged, and pass beyond the world and all who dwell therein. Fix thy gaze at all times upon this most exalted Word which hath dawned from the horizon of the Mother Book. Thus sayeth He, blessed and exalted be He:
“O friends of God in His earth, His chosen ones in His lands, and His party among His creatures! Purify your hearts from the stories of the past, through attachment to which the feet of the people of the past have slipped, those who prided themselves over the world and all peoples.”
O Ahmad! We desire to give thee to drink of the Kawthar of utterance that it may sanctify thee from the doubts and imaginings whereby the Shi’ih were prevented from the Dawning-Place of the Light of Oneness. Hear thou the call from the horizon of this heaven and take what thou art commanded. This will deliver thee through His grace and acquaint thee with His mighty Message.
O Ahmad! The people of the Sunnah did not issue the decree for the martyrdom of the Lord of the world, nor did they seek to hold fast to the imaginary Jabulqa and Jabulsa, and the Jews did not reject the Beauty of the Manifestation, nor did they issue the decree for the shedding of His most pure blood.
O Ahmad! Ponder thou well! The Pen from which the counsel of God floweth and the Word of God appeareth hath now turned towards thee and maketh mention of thee. Say: O people! If ye attain not unto the light of faith, at least free yourselves from the darkness of the Shi’ih party. By the life of God! They have done that which neither the idol-worshippers according to their words, nor the worshippers of vain imaginings have done. Would that thou couldst hear the clamor of the pulpits of Iran! Each one speaketh with eloquent tongue, and each uttereth words at every moment, saying:
“My God, my God! Thou didst create me for Thy remembrance and praise, yet now Thou hearest from him who hath mounted upon me the reviling of Thee and Thy loved ones. Would that I had not been planted and had not been created!”
O Ahmad! What were the claims of that party and what became of their deeds? Ponder, that thou mayest be of them that are firmly established. O Ahmad! If but one drop from this ocean should appear, or if but one word from the Hidden Scroll which is recorded in the Crimson Tablet should come forth and it be said to cut off thine own neck with thine own hand—verily the Truth hath come for eternal life, not for death. He hath commanded all to preserve the Cause. The Truth Himself beareth witness and the Tablets testify.
Say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having remembered me while I was in prison, and for having turned towards me when I was heedless of Thy manifestation and Thy dawning and Thy power. I beseech Thee by Thy Cause which Thou hast made the cause of the existence of the world and the appearance of all peoples, that Thou make me steadfast in what hath been revealed and cause me to hold fast unto Thy strong cord and Thy manifest tidings.
Mention was made of the spiritual friend, Aqa Muhammad-Sadiq, upon him be the Glory of God. After submission before the Most Holy Court, this supreme gift was revealed from the horizon of the heaven of bestowal, blessed and exalted be His words:
“The A and H and their associates have all attained to that which is the greatest means for the guidance of nations. Their names have been planted in the lands of divine knowledge. Its branches, twigs, leaves and fruits shall endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven. Blessed are they and joy be unto them. We testify that they are among those who have attained in My perspicuous Book. Convey to all the greetings of the Wronged One and give them glad tidings of God’s infinite favors.”
And regarding the name of the friends, We have previously granted permission for two most exalted names or the names of the Branches. We beseech God to send down upon them mercy from the heaven of His bestowal and blessing from His presence. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous.
Section 3: “They wrote that Aqa ʿAli, upon him be…”
They wrote that Aqa ʿAli, upon him be the Glory of God, requested that if a carpet or something else worth forty or fifty tumans was needed, it be ordered and granted, and that if funds were required, they would be sent upon indication. After these matters were submitted before the Most Holy Court, blessed and exalted be His words:
“We have forgiven him as a bounty from God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. We beseech God, exalted be He, to make him steadfast in His Cause and speaking in His praise. Praise be to God, he has attained to service, and whatsoever hath appeared is remembered and preserved with God. We give him glad tidings of My favor and remind him of My verses that the greatest joy may take hold of him in the days of God, the Lord of destiny and Creator of humanity. God willing, may he ignite with the fire of divine love those who are cold and guide them through the appearance of the lights of the Greatest Luminary.”
This servant also conveys greetings to him and the other friends. Praise be to God, they are mentioned as souls steadfast before God. It is hoped that each of the friends will arise to guide the servants and speak forth, but they must hold fast to wisdom in all conditions. Those who have attained the Most Holy Court have witnessed the deeds of the Branches of the Blessed Tree and the companions and have become aware. Confession and acknowledgment have been forbidden after forty years or more while the dawning-places of vain imaginings have been occupied with intrigues and deceptions and concealed behind vessels. One of those souls has appeared in these days and his station is evident—that is Mirza Hadi Dawlat-Abadi who resides in the land of Sad.
In brief, in these days after the martyrdom of His Holiness Ashraf—may the souls of those near to God be sacrificed for him—they mentioned him by the name of Babi. Fear seized him and agitation led him to ascend the pulpit and renounce the Cause from beginning to end. That tyrannical soul committed, for the sake of two days of life, that which caused the reality of existence to lament. Now consider those souls who follow his like. The seeker and the sought have both lost, and that heedless oppressor is again occupied with leading people astray. Now the martyrdom of the most exalted martyr and the life of that heedless one are two mighty witnesses to the reality of the station and deeds of both. This matter has been mentioned repeatedly as it is good for awakening, that perchance the heedless may remember or fear. How many souls have freely sacrificed their lives in this Most Great Revelation—the knowledge thereof is with God, our Lord and the Lord of the Mighty Throne.
New tidings: a group of the Afnan and Leaves of the Divine Lote-Tree and Jinab-i-Amin, upon them be the Glory of God, the Lord of the worlds, attained the presence at the place of circumambulation of the Concourse on High on the twentieth of Ramadan. Jinab-i-Amin repeatedly made mention of that beloved one. In truth he dearly loves the sincere ones and those near. Well is it with him!
His Honor Aqa Muhammad Husayn-i-Isku’i, upon him be the everlasting Glory of God, was mentioned at this time in the Most Holy and Most Glorious Court and was blessed to be heard, and this is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke while seated upon the Throne of Bounty, blessed and exalted be His words:
He is the Hearer, the Answerer
O Muhammad-Husayn! He who loved Me made mention of thee. We make mention of thee with that which causeth the Orb of Bounty to shine forth from the horizon of the Tablet of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. Through it the Light hath shone and that which was hidden in God’s knowledge, the Lord of existence, hath been revealed. This is a Day wherein mysteries have appeared from the treasury of God’s wisdom, Lord of what was and what shall be. Verily He hath appeared with grace and ruled with justice. Blessed is the servant whom the veils of the divines did not withhold, nor was he frightened by the mighty ones who denied what was sent down from the True One, the Knower of things unseen. Say: O people of the earth! Fear God and follow not every ignorant rejected one. The veils have been rent asunder and the curtains drawn aside by the finger of Power, by the command of Him Who is the Lord of the seen and unseen. Blessed is the hearer who hath heard the Call and the seer who hath attained to behold the signs of God, the King, the Mighty, the Loving. When the fragrances of the verses take hold of thee, say:
“Glory be unto Thee, O God, O Manifestation of clear evidences and Lord of names and attributes! I beseech Thee by Thy light which hath shone forth from the horizon of Thy manifestation and illumined the regions of the cities of Thy grace and bounty, and by Thy command which hath encompassed all things, and by Thy sovereignty which hath overcome all who are in earth and heaven, to strengthen me in that which befitteth the heaven of Thy generosity and the ocean of Thy bounty. O Lord! Thou seest the ignorant one desiring the ocean of Thy knowledge, and the sinful one the sea of Thy forgiveness and bounty. I beseech Thee not to disappoint him through Thy grace and bounty. Thou art He at Whose call all things have called out, and unto Whose name all who are in earth and heaven have bowed down in submission. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.”
As commanded, this blessed Tablet was also written in the hand of His Holiness the Most Great Branch (may my spirit be a sacrifice for the dust of His footsteps) and sent. We hope that through its verses the tears of the longing ones may fall. This weeping is the weeping of love and joy and is better than a hundred thousand gladnesses. Other lovers have attained this station. Well is it with them!
Mention was made of His Honor Aqa Mirza Muhammad, son of the late and forgiven one, upon them both be the Glory of God. Praise and thanks be to God, mention of them was again made in the gathering of those near and sincere. This servant hath ever besought the True One, exalted be He, to aid him in service that would cause the exaltation of the Word and manifest detachment. In any case, after this matter was presented in the Most Holy Court, one sacred Tablet specifically for him was revealed from the heaven of the favor of the Desired One of the worlds and was sent. I beseech Him, exalted is He, to attract him through His verses and draw him nigh through His grace and sanctify him from all that befitteth not His days. Verily He is the Hearer, the Answerer.
And mention was made of His Honor Mirza Muhammad Kh-A and Mirza ʿAli, upon them both be the Glory of God. After presentation before His presence these manifest verses were revealed from the heaven of Will. Mighty be His utterance and mighty His proof:
In My Name, the One Manifest before the faces of all religions
O Muhammad, upon thee be My glory! The divine verses have encompassed the worlds of the seen and unseen, and the effulgences of the Sun of His Revelation have cast their rays upon all. By My life! The ocean of utterance hath appeared with such waves as have never been witnessed from the beginning of the world until now. Yet the heedless servants have deprived themselves in this Revelation of the outpourings of the Speaker of Sinai. They cling to desire, turn away from righteousness, are far from truth, and hold fast to the vain imaginings of men. We beseech God to assist thee that thou mayest arise to serve His Cause with complete steadfastness and drink from the wine of His favors. Glory be to God! All parties are engaged in the mention of the Lord of all men and speak His praise, yet most are heedless of the Truth. In all conditions We ask for all that which will bring creation into being anew and adorn it with everlasting ornament. He is the Powerful, the Mighty.
And this is what was revealed for his honor Aqa Mirza ʿAli, upon him be the glory of God. His blessed and exalted Word:
In My Name, the Mighty, the Wondrous
O ʿAli! What was, has passed, and what will be, is yet to come. One must regard this moment as precious and hold fast to that which is befitting. Today every tree hath its mention and every clod its utterance. By the Sun of Truth! The hearing ear perceiveth from all things the cry “The Kingdom is God’s, the Lord of all mankind.” In the East He appeareth and His signs are manifest from the West, and in the West He sitteth upon the throne of utterance while His call is raised from the East. We beseech God to assist His loved ones and not deprive them of the splendors of the Light of utterance. He is the Bestower, the Giver, the Generous, the All-Bountiful.
In the name of each one floweth a Salsabil and streameth a Kawthar. From an empty vessel, how many pearls of wisdom and utterance have appeared and continue to appear! Blessed is he who hath eyes to see and ears to hear the call of God, our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of this noble station.
After mentioning the namesake of the Intended One, the son of him who ascended unto God—upon them both be the Most Glorious Glory of God, from God, the Lord of all beings—these exalted words were revealed from the ocean of grace and bounty and the Dawning-place of attributes and names. His Word, exalted be His majesty and all-encompassing be His bounty:
O thou who art mentioned before the Wronged One! Repeatedly hath thy mention been made, and there hath been revealed in thy name from the Most Exalted Pen that which testifieth to the grace, mercy and loving-kindness of God, exalted be His glory. Every possessor of spiritual sense hath inhaled from the verses the fragrance of bounties, and every possessor of insight hath found his way to the most exalted horizon through beholding the signs. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to send down upon thee from the heaven of bounty that which will draw thee nigh unto Him and to ordain for thee, by His Most Exalted Pen, the reward of attaining His presence and meeting Him. Verily, He is the Kind, the Generous, the All-Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
We wish to make mention of thy wife who hath believed in God, the Peerless, the All-Informed. O My handmaiden and My leaf! He Who hath loved Me and circled round My Cause hath mentioned thee. We make mention of thee through this Most Great Remembrance that it may draw thee nigh unto Him. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer. Give thanks unto thy Lord, for He hath heard thy call and revealed for thee that which shall endure as long as His Name, the All-Compelling over all names, shall endure. Thy Lord is indeed the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing. Rejoice in My loving-kindness and say:
Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who hast illumined my heart with the light of Thy knowledge and enabled me to turn unto Thee on a Day whereon the hearts of the doubters among Thy servants were sorely agitated. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Triumphant, the Powerful.
The splendor be upon you and upon your sons and daughters from God, the Revealer of this clear Remembrance. To Him belongs all praise and glory, and to Him belongs all bounty and commendation. Each of the mentioned souls has attained to that which has no equal, and this servant also beseeches from God, exalted be His glory, for each one that which causes the eternal river to flow and the everlasting fragrance to be manifest. Verily our Lord is the One Who has power over whatsoever He willeth through His blessed, mighty and wondrous Word.
Regarding the meeting, the path is distant and there are obstacles and impediments present. Therefore, permission was withheld due to the arrival of the governor. For now, there are certain discussions among the people. We beseech God to remove the impediment through His power. Verily He is the Strong, the Powerful.
At the end of the letter, mention was made of the Ayns—upon them be the glory of God, His mercy and His bounty. Each was mentioned in His presence and each has attained to the waves of the ocean of grace. The servant beseecheth his Lord to aid them to serve His Cause that they may assist the Lord with the hosts of wisdom and utterance. Verily He is the Mighty, the Bestower.
Mention was made of the spiritual friend, his honor Ayn and Ba, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God and His most resplendent light. He has always been and continues to be remembered, and in these days detailed news of them has arrived. Praise be to God, they are firm in the Cause and steadfast in service. Upon him be the glory of God, the Lord of the unseen and the seen. Glory, remembrance and praise be upon you all and upon those who are with you and who hear your words concerning this mighty and wondrous Cause. And praise be to God, the Powerful, the Single, the Inaccessible.
The servant 12th of Shawwal 1306
The petition of his honor Aqa Mirza ʿAli-Asghar (Usku’i)—upon him be 96 [Baha’ullah]—after being presented, permission to proceed was granted. The servant beseecheth his Lord to assist him in turning towards Him and in acceptance. Verily He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Likewise regarding the proceeding of his honor Mashhadi Hasan—upon him be 96 [Baha’ullah]—if it occurs with wisdom. In all cases they must be mindful of wisdom, for its opposite is not beloved. The glory be upon them both.
BH00133: If a soul, firm, steadfast, assured and upright be…
Section 1: “If a soul, firm, steadfast, assured and upright…”
He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing; He is the All-Seeing, the All-Wise!
If a soul, firm, steadfast, assured and upright be found, and for the sake of God, His love and His good-pleasure arise with perfect constancy like a banner upon the highest heights, and with loudest cry question all things as to what hath befallen the Wronged One in the path of God and what He hath purposed—by the life of God, all will cry out with loudest voice this most exalted Word: He hath come for the salvation of the world and the preservation of the nations, and hath desired naught but the exaltation of their stations and the elevation of their ranks, and hath borne what none hath borne before nor shall bear hereafter.
O Amin! I swear by the Manifest Cause that is evident and visible in the Most Great Prison that the hearing ear which, through the divine bounty, hath been purified from the false tales of the former times and the fabricated stories of the latter days will surely hear this call from all things. In all conditions there hath been revealed from the Pen of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, that which every just one hath testified to and every seeing one hath witnessed, regarding the refinement and purification of souls and the education of the world. Nevertheless, certain souls who claim adherence to the Truth have committed that which causeth the very essence of truth to weep. I swear by the Call that is raised today from the Sinai of divine knowledge that this Wronged One hath suffered at their hands that which hath no equal or likeness, to such extent that they have defiled the pure hem and clouded the luminous Cause. Every hearing one hath heard the lamentation of the divine Tablets and every seeing one hath perceived the sorrows inflicted. Some who claim to love have wrought that which hath left the Tablet and the Pen bewildered and dumbfounded. The sighs of the sincere ascend and the tears of the near ones descend.
In the Persian Hidden Words this most exalted Word was revealed from the Supreme Pen:
“O My servant! Barter not the everlasting dominion for a single emanation, nor the sovereignty of the Celestial Paradise for a fleeting desire.”
The counsels of the past and present bow down, nay prostrate themselves, before God’s exhortation in this Most Great Manifestation. Some have become so inflamed with the fire of self and passion that they have astonished the Concourse on High.
Your honor hath repeatedly attained the presence of the Most Holy Court through divine grace and infinite heavenly bounty, and hath repeatedly heard from the Tongue of Grandeur that which was the cause of life and sanctification, and the means of exaltation and purification. Now reflect upon the deeds of certain heedless souls—what was the counsel and what became the deed! O Amin! The treachery and falsehood of that claimant of love was sharper than a sword in striking at the body of the Cause. The tribulations of this Wronged One have been from the deeds of those who claim to love Him. In the past, the tongue of the Wronged One uttered these words:
“My affliction is not My imprisonment and what hath descended upon Me from My enemies, but rather the deeds of My loved ones who attribute themselves to Me yet commit that which causeth My heart and My pen to lament.”
In brief, such utterances have repeatedly flowed from the Supreme Pen. The deed of the enemy of God and the oppressor brought about in the great city that which had no equal or likeness. That faithless traitor, out of greed for wealth, forsook his ultimate end. The fire of his greed was so aflame that at every moment a new falsehood would appear from him. By the life of God, he forsook what is good and clung to evil. Through his treachery, a grievous blow was dealt to justice. In all conditions, beseech ye God that perchance they may become aware and return.
O Amin! All that thou didst write was presented before the Divine Presence, and this is the answer that now floweth from the Most Exalted Pen: Convey My greetings to the children of the one who ascended unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, and gladden them with the effulgent rays of the Sun of Divine Providence. Verily, We mentioned him who was raised up when there issued from the Tongue of Will that which caused the ocean of forgiveness to surge and the fragrance of pardon and bounty to waft. God’s mercy encompassed him, and We made mention of each of his children. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to honor their eyes with beholding His signs and their ears with hearkening to that which hath been sent down for them from the Ancient Revealer. A special visitation prayer hath been revealed for that departed one, along with mention of his children. This shall be bestowed, and thou shalt convey it. Success and divine confirmation are within His mighty grasp. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He is the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Praised.
The intention of Varqa, upon him be My glory, My loving-kindness and My mercy, was mentioned before Us and achieved the honor of acceptance. O Amin! Day and night he is occupied with service to the Cause and is blessed with the word of contentment. His affairs are confined to the mention of God’s Cause, the Lord of all worlds. In these days there hath befallen him that which hath befallen the loved ones. In thy letter thou didst mention that which causeth grief to those near unto God. We beseech God to aid him henceforth as He aided him before. Verily, He is with him in all conditions, and He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.
His honor Haji Malik Husayn, upon him be My glory, hath attained unto the verses of the Most Exalted Pen. Verily God, thy Lord, preserved him, aided him, and seized his enemy with His might. He is the Seizer, the Strong, the Powerful. Remember him from Me and give him the glad-tidings of My loving-kindness. Verily thy Lord is the Compassionate, the Generous. We have desired at this moment to make mention of his son who was named Abdul-Husayn, that the attraction of this remembrance may draw him to a station wherein the might of tyrants shall not prevent him from the remembrance of God, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.
O Abdul-Husayn! Hearken unto the call from the direction of My Most Exalted Prison, from the Supreme Lote-Tree: The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Sovereign of the invisible and the visible. Take thou the Most Exalted Cup in the name of thy Lord, the Lord of all beings, then drink therefrom the choice wine of the Most Glorious, despite every learned one whom knowledge hath prevented from turning towards Him Who is Known. Blessed art thou for having turned towards the Countenance when the people turned away, and for having heard the Call when heedless servants were debarred therefrom. Thus have We sent down the verses unto thee and dispatched them to thee that thou mayest rejoice and be of those who fear not, neither shall they be grieved.
Convey My glorification to thy mother and give her the glad-tidings of My mention of her from this praiseworthy station. O My handmaiden! Thou hast attained unto the hearing of this Most Exalted and Glorious Word, while the divines of Iran have not attained unto the word “O My servant.” Despite their seeking they are deprived, and despite their longing they are forbidden. True indeed are the words “Knowledge is the most great veil.” Would that they had attained unto true knowledge! They have devised vain imaginings and called them knowledge. Read what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an concerning them: “They have changed God’s favor into disbelief and caused their people to dwell in the abode of perdition.” The glory from Us be upon God’s loved ones in His earth and His beloved ones in His lands.
O Amin! If thou shouldst meet Muhammad (in M-N), say: Put aside all doubts, then turn to the fragrances of thy Lord’s revelation, the All-Informed Speaker. Were He to pronounce existence as non-existence, fire as water, or heaven as earth, none may say why’ or wherefore.’ Purify thy soul and heart from suspicions and imaginings, and turn thy face toward the City of God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Verily He was with thee and heard thy words and what proceeded from thy mouth. He is indeed the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
O Muhammad! None hath been or is aware of the requirements of God’s consummate wisdom. Hearken unto the counsel of the Wronged One—for God’s sake He speaketh it—be not a cause of deviation. Turn to the sacred Writings and listen with sanctified ears. They will guide thee to the straight path of God. Make not any accusation against one upon whom a hundred thousand afflictions have descended in the path of God. If thou canst not believe in the words of the Herald, be not a cause of grief. By God! The Point Himself—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake—in the most exalted station of the supreme Paradise uttereth the words “Verily I am the foremost of them that worship.” Cast aside the vain imaginings of the immature ones of the world and say: “In the name of God and through God,” and turn from the left hand of fancy to the right hand of certitude. Verily He will protect thee and guide thee, and He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous.
O Amin! We wish at this moment to make mention of My handmaiden who hath attained unto My days, heard My sweetest call, and turned toward My most exalted horizon when most of mankind turned away. O Fatimah! Upon thee be My glory and the glory of those in My kingdom and the glory of the Concourse on High. I testify that thou hast attained unto the days of thy Lord, believed in Him, clung to the hem of His robe, and held fast to His cord. We beseech Him, blessed and exalted be He, to send down upon thee at all times mercy from His presence and grace from His side. He is the Protector of every servant who hath believed in Him and every handmaiden who hath recognized Him, turned unto His path, and acknowledged that which He hath revealed in His Book. I testify that thou hast witnessed what God witnessed before the creation of the heavens and earth: that there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Blessed art thou, O My handmaiden and My leaf! I testify that thou didst turn with such steadfastness that the clamor of the divines did not prevent thee from turning toward God, the Lord of the throne and of the dust, and the croaking of the wicked did not frighten thee from drawing nigh unto thy Chosen Lord, and the veils of glory did not hinder thee from turning toward the Self-Subsisting. Thou didst drink the wine of revelation from the hand of His bounty and didst attain unto the Kawthar of utterance in His days, and the attraction of the Call seized thee to such a station wherein all things bore witness to His unity and oneness. Joy be unto thee, O My handmaiden who art mentioned in My presence! We beseech God, exalted be He, once again, to adorn thee with the ornament of My Most Glorious Name in the highest Paradise. Verily He is powerful over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Dominant over all who are in the heavens and the earth.
We make mention of another handmaiden who was named Khadijih. O My handmaiden! Rejoice in how the Ancient Beauty hath made mention of thee from His Most Great Prison. [I swear] by My remembrance the ocean of bounty surged and the rains of mercy were sent down from the heaven of the grace of the Lord of all beings. I testify that thine ear was blessed to hearken unto His call, thine eye to behold His signs, and thy heart to turn unto Him. We beseech God to give thee to drink, at all times, from a cup of the Kawthar of eternity and a chalice in His Most Glorious Name. Verily, He doeth what He willeth and is the Overseer of all things. There is none other God but Him, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Thou hast ascended unto the Supreme Companion and attained that which was ordained for thee by God, the Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens. Blessed art thou, and joy be unto thee and unto every servant and handmaiden who hath remembered thy days and what was revealed for thee from the direction of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God, Lord of existence and King of the seen and unseen! I beseech Thee by those who have ascended in Thy love unto Thee, who have sought Thy nearness and meeting, and who have attained unto the ocean of Thy bounty and presence before Thy face, that Thou send down upon the seekers the rain-showers of the clouds of Thy mercy; then forgive them through Thy grace and generosity. Verily, Thou art the One with power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
O Amin! The Supreme Pen hath testified to thy service and the service of those related to thee, and hath ordained for each one that which beseemeth the oceans of His grace and generosity.
Convey mention and greetings from the Wronged One to the Leaf Hakimih. We testify that she hath attained unto turning toward My direction, hearkening unto My call, and beholding My signs. Upon her be My glory, My grace, and My mercy which hath preceded all who are in the heavens and the earth. Give her glad tidings that, by the life of God, she hath been and remaineth under the glances of God’s grace, and her deeds have attained unto acceptance and divine good-pleasure. Well is it with her and joy be unto her.
We make mention at this time of My other leaf who was named Kuchik. We have found from her the fragrance of the love of God, the Lord of the worlds, and We give her glad tidings of that which hath been ordained for her from the presence of an All-Knowing Ordainer. Praise be to God, they have attained unto the Most Exalted Word, which is “O My handmaiden”. By the lights of the Sun of Truth, the princesses of the earth have not attained unto that which these mentioned handmaidens have attained. Blessed is she and blessed is the one who hath taken her as a companion and helper.
And We make mention of My handmaiden who was named Maryam. O Maryam! Thou hast attained unto the mention of God. He hath turned toward thee from the direction of the Prison. He hath mentioned thee with that whereby thy name shall endure in His mighty and impregnable Kingdom. He hath forgiven thee, thy mother, and thy sister as a mercy from His presence. Verily, He is the Most Merciful of the merciful ones and the Most Generous of the generous ones.
O Hasan! Upon thee be My glory. Thy toil and service have been mentioned before and are accepted by the Wronged One. We beseech God that He may aid thee in that which is the cause of everlasting remembrance. The deeds of no soul have been nor shall be lost. O servants! Know with clear certainty that goodly deeds and praiseworthy character, from whomsoever they have appeared or shall appear, their recompense is preserved and treasured with God. Soon shall the doers of deeds behold the reward of their actions with God, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty.
O Trustee! Since the handmaidens of God are related to Him and are His own, they must needs be adorned, both outwardly and inwardly, with the ornaments of that special distinction. From this date, which is the month of Shawwal al-Mukarram of the year 1306, each one should [receive] nine tumans annually, according to the number of the Greatest Name, from [God’s] presence, so that it may become clear and evident to all that they are of God, holding fast unto Him and related to Him. In successive years, most of what they have owned they have sent to the Most Holy Court, and your honor is also aware and [can testify] to what has been mentioned. And that which the handmaiden of God saw in her dream is the truth in which there is no doubt. We beseech God to make it a blessing unto her. Verily, He is the Single, the One, the Overseer of all things great and small.
O My friends in Ta! The honored Trustee, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness, arrived and made mention of each of the friends, both men and women, and each hath been blessed with the effulgences of the Luminary of utterance of the Desired One of the worlds. The world and all that is therein cannot equal one word that hath proceeded from the Dawning-Place of the utterance of the Lord of all religions. We counsel all to trustworthiness and godliness. In the great city the veil of trustworthiness was rent asunder; in place of the standard of justice, the banner of tyranny was raised. There befell this Wronged One that which hath been recorded in the book of the world. Be not grieved at the happenings of the world. The glance of loving-kindness hath been directed towards the men and women who have turned unto Him. Who can reckon His bounty and His bestowals? Some of the Hands of the Cause of God are present in that land. We send greetings to all and counsel them to love, fellowship and the betterment of affairs. We beseech God to sanctify the holy souls from vain imaginings, idle fancies, and the fanaticism of the former party. Verily, He is the Expositor, the All-Knowing.
Section 2: “O Trustee! When thou arrivest there, make mention…”
O Trustee! When thou arrivest there, make mention of the people of Baha on My behalf and convey My greetings to their faces by My command. We beseech God to protect them from the evil of every ignorant one and the oppression of every oppressor. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Powerful.
O My friends in Qaf and Mim! The Wronged One maketh mention of you at this hour. The deeds of My friends there have gained My acceptance and good-pleasure. Blessed are they and theirs shall be a goodly return. We testify that they have attained unto the sealed wine of My love and have drunk the Kawthar of My utterance from the hand of My bounty and the Salsabil of My remembrance from the cup of My grace. Upon them be My glory, My loving-kindness and My mercy which hath preceded all who are in the heavens and the earth. We testify that the Trustee made mention of you time and again. We have made mention of you with a mention that hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of the utterance of your Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Ye are they whom the veils of glory have not withheld from the Self-Subsisting, and whom the oppression of every oppressor and the might of every remote transgressor did not frighten. It behooveth everyone to say, turning towards the Kaaba of God:
Glorified art Thou, O my God! Praise be unto Thee for having delivered me from the pit of heedlessness and vain desire, and guided me to Thy straight path and Thy mighty announcement, and aided me to turn toward Thee when most of Thy creatures turned away from Thee, and for having illumined my heart with the light of Thy knowledge and my face with the radiance of Thy countenance. I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by the ocean of Thy bounty and the heaven of Thy grace, to remove from the faces of Thy servants and creatures the veils that have prevented them from turning toward Thy most exalted horizon. O my Lord! Do not disappoint Thy servants from the ocean of Thy verses. By Thy glory! If Thou wert to unveil to them as Thou hast unveiled to me, they would cast away what they possess in hope of what is with Thee. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Most Glorious, the All-Knowing.
O My friends in the cities and lands! The Trusted One hath mentioned you before Our face, and ye have attained unto the bounties of your Lord, the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous. O My friends in all lands! Today the ocean of utterance hath another wave, and the Sun of grace another dawning. What hath come to pass that the people remain veiled from the gathering-place of the Concourse on High and barred from the Day-spring of the signs of the Lord of all beings? Hath there appeared in all creation aught like this Most Great Cause? Nay, by My Own Self, the Truth! All divine Books speak in praise and glorification thereof. O friends! Hearken unto His call, hold fast unto unity and concord, and aid the Cause of God, exalted be His glory, through the hosts of goodly deeds and praiseworthy character.
O people of God! Today the Blessed Tree hath no need of aught else to establish His Cause, for it hath appeared with countless sweet fruits, manifest and evident. Blessed is the one whom the doubts of the world have not prevented from turning to God nor held back from drawing nigh unto Him.
O Amin! Thou didst mention him that believeth and his wife, upon them be the glory of God. Let them carry out in the path of God that which they have purposed—it hath been accepted. Yet We leave it to themselves. Moreover, the reward of attaining His presence hath been recorded for each from the Most Exalted Pen. Happy are they both. The wife attained His presence in Baghdad. Now again her intention hath been adorned with the ornament of deed and accepted. O Amin! Thou seest that in the prison-land no place remaineth for anyone. Furthermore, for some time certain words have been spread abroad—the mischief-makers have suggested that which causeth harm to the friends. After this the matter resteth in the hand of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.
Mention was made of Aqa Muhammad Hasan, upon him be the glory of God, from Isfahan, as well as two other souls—Karbila’i Aqa Jan from Nur, and Muhammad Hasan from Isfahan, upon them both be the glory of God—and mention of their turning toward the Most Holy Court. The answer from the heaven of divine will is this: O Muhammad, before Hasan! The Trusted One hath mentioned thee before Our face, and what thou didst desire in the path of God, the Lord of all worlds. We beseech God to strengthen thee and assist thee in what He loveth and pleaseth, and to ordain for thee the good of the hereafter and of this world. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. Know then that the idolaters have come between Us and Our loved ones. We ask God to record for thee the reward of attaining His presence. Verily He is the Lord of all being and the Lord of the mighty throne. By My life! My mention of thee equals not the remembrances of nations nor what the kings and rulers possess.
O Aqa Jan! Hear the call of the Wronged One. By the life of God, there hath befallen Him at the hands of the oppressor that which hath caused the dwellers of the highest Paradise to lament. He Who possesseth the perspicuous Book beareth witness to this. My grief is not from Mine enemies, but from those who claim to love Me yet do what causeth My tears to flow and My heart and those with Me in this mighty prison to lament. The heedless one hath done there what hath caused hearts to lament and the veil of chastity and virtue to be rent, and the pillars of religion to quake at his deed. Blessed art thou for having been mentioned before the Wronged One and for this clear Book being sent down for thee. O Muhammad Hasan! Behold and then remember what hath befallen the trusted ones of God from the hosts of the oppressors. They denied their proofs and disputed their verses until they pronounced judgment against them without any evidence from God, the Lord of this exalted station. Say:
O my God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having guided me unto Thy path and given me to drink from the Kawthar of Thy utterance. I beseech Thee by the lights of the Orb of Thy proof to assist Thy servants in that which will diffuse the fragrance of Thy good-pleasure and attain the glory of Thy acceptance. O Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have turned to Thee, detached from all else but Thee. Ordain for me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy loved ones. Verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
Thou didst make mention of Mir (Nabil-i-Qa’in). In truth he is a helper of the Cause and, to the extent of his capacity, mindful thereof. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to aid him with the hosts of grace, favors, wisdom and utterance, and to ordain for him that which will draw him nigh unto Him. Verily He is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful. His feast hath been accepted. In these days We have bidden them to perform that which Mir desired. O Amin! Verily grace hath encompassed all and bounty hath preceded all. The mention of each of the loved ones hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen in these days when grief hath surrounded all. We beseech God to send down upon His chosen ones from the heaven of His bounty a mercy from His presence. He is the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.
O Amin! Make mention of the loved ones in the Land of Ta. The Hands of the Cause of God are, praise be to God, present and each standeth mentioned before the seat of the Wronged One. Convey greetings from the Wronged One to ʿAyn and Ba, and give them the glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness and favor. Some time ago their petition attained the presence and was heard. Before and after the petition, answers were sent down from the heaven of divine bounty. As requested, his feast was accepted and achieved the glory of fulfillment. We beseech God to send down upon him at all times that which will gladden eyes and hearts. The glory from Us be upon him and upon those who have not broken God’s Covenant and Testament, who have arisen and said:
“God is our Lord and the Lord of the earth and heavens.”
O Amin! Convey greetings from the Wronged One to ʿAli-Qabli-Haydar—upon him be My glory and loving-kindness. Blessed be God, he standeth firm in service and is engaged in attending to the needs of the loved ones. We have ordained for him in Our Hidden Book that which none knoweth save God, the Protecting, the Self-Subsisting. Well is it with him and pleasant it is unto him.
Mention was made of the leaf, the daughter of Jim who ascended to the Supreme Horizon. This leaf turned to God from the beginning of the days and attained His acceptance. We bear witness that she turned with such steadfastness as was not shaken by the onslaught of the oppressors nor hindered by the veils of the transgressors. She drank the wine of immortality in My Most Great Name and attained that which was recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Books, Psalms and Tablets. We have sent down for her that which shall endure as long as My utterance endureth in the kingdom of My knowledge. I am the Expositor, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. We have desired to make mention of those with her as a grace and mercy from Our presence. I am the All-Generous.
O Siyyid Rida! He who loved Me made mention of thee. We make mention of thee through verses from which all who are endowed with perception can detect the fragrance of loving-kindness and favor. Verily the Letter calleth, the Word calleth, and the Tablet declareth before the Countenance of the Manifestation: “The One Who conversed on Sinai hath come!” Blessed are they who are endued with true understanding. O Rida! When thou drinkest the Salsabil of knowledge from the cup of thy Lord’s bounty, say:
O my God, my God! All praise be unto Thee for having made me to acknowledge that which the Tongue of Thy grandeur hath spoken, and to confess that which Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Signs and by the Finger of Thy Power whereby the veils of all creation were rent asunder, to make me steadfast in Thy love and firm in Thy Cause. Verily Thou art the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
We desire to make mention of thy son who hath been named Asadu’llah, that he may rejoice in the loving-kindness of God, the Lord of lords. All created things have borne witness to My remembrance of My loved ones, and all contingent beings to My turning toward My chosen ones. We beseech God, exalted be He, to aid them and to ordain for them the reward of attaining My presence and standing before My face. He, verily, is the Single, the One, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
We make mention of thy other son who hath been named Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli, and We give him the glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all men. The Trusted One hath mentioned you purely for the sake of God. We have remembered you with that which no remembrance can equal. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having remembered me and guided me to the straight path. I beseech Thee to strengthen me to remain steadfast in Thy Cause in such wise that the might of the ungodly shall not deter me.
O Rida! The glory from Us be upon thee and upon thy wife and thy children who have believed in God, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful.
Mention was made of Muhammad-Rida (of Muhammad-Abad), upon him be the glory of God. His mention hath been made in the divine Tablets, both in the past and present. Make mention of him on My behalf and adorn him with the ornament of My glorious and wondrous remembrance. O Muhammad-Qabli-Rida! Thou hast attained unto acceptance when most of mankind turned away, and thou hast drunk the choice wine of faith when the servants were debarred therefrom. Verily thy Lord remembereth him who remembereth Him, and loveth him who loveth Him. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Glorify thy Lord with praise at all times with such glorification as will attract the inhabitants of the lands. He, verily, heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
O Trustee! Convey greetings and salutations from the Wronged One to the loved ones in every land, and remember each one with utmost love, kindness, joy and fragrance. His honor Mas’alih-Gu is, praise be to God, engaged in serving the Cause. We beseech God to open before his face the gates of grace and upon his tongue the gates of wisdom and utterance, that he may cause people to enter His religion, make them know His way, give them to drink of the Kawthar of His knowledge, and guide them to His Great Announcement. We were with him and heard what he spoke concerning the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds. The glory from Us be upon him and upon those who heard his call, his mention and his utterance in this wise Remembrance. In these days a Tablet hath been sent down from the heaven of Will especially for him, and each of the names mentioned in his letter hath been blessed by the waves of the ocean of utterance of the Desired One of the worlds.
O Trustee! Make mention of the loved ones of the land of Qaf on behalf of the Wronged One—a mention whereby the world and all that are therein will remember. Say: O loved ones of God and His party! The call of the Wronged One is raised at all times. We beseech the True One to aid each of His loved ones to that which is the cause of reformation and the means of success. It is hoped that each one may become manifest and evident as a standard in the remembrance of the Ancient King. O party of God! Be not saddened by the vicissitudes of the contingent world. If grief befalleth you in the path of God, you shall thereafter meet with the Most Great Joy and Supreme Gladness. This is a promise that shall not prove false, whereunto beareth witness He Who speaketh before all faces—God, there is no God but He, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
He Who beareth My Name, Zayn, and likewise the Hand of the Cause of God in the Land of Ta, have made mention of the handmaidens of God and the Leaves in that land, and thou hast all been blessed with the effulgences of the Light of Divine Utterance. We beseech God to assist My loved ones and My Leaves to that which He loveth and is pleased with. The Leaf, who is an aunt, and the Leaves, and likewise the sons, have been and are mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One. In truth, from the beginning of the Cause until now, they have been speaking in praise and remembrance and have been steadfast in service. Upon them be My glory and the glory of all who dwell in My Kingdom. The people of Kaf have ever been remembered at the Most Holy Court. Make thou happy, through divine favors, all those souls who have quaffed from the wine of steadfastness. The glory that shineth from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon those who hearken unto thy words in this firm and irrefutable Cause.
BH01035: Upon thee be the Glory of God, Lord…
He is the One manifest with proof in the Kingdom of utterance!
Upon thee be the Glory of God, Lord of all names! Verily the Most Great Ocean desired to send unto thee a wave from its waves, that thou mayest behold it with thine own eyes and be of the thankful ones. And the Sun of Knowledge desired to shine upon thee with one of its effulgences, that it might draw thee unto God, the Lord of the worlds. Hearken unto the call from the precincts of the Prison; verily it will draw thee nigh unto the Most Exalted Station, aid thee to serve the Cause of thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, cause thee to speak His praise, give thee to drink of the Kawthar of grace from the hand of His bounty, make thee hear the shrill voice of His Most Exalted Pen which hath been raised between earth and heaven, and show thee that which hath shone forth and gleamed from the horizon of His Tablet, the Mighty, the Wondrous.
The Wronged One hath heard thy cry and hath revealed for thee that whereby thy name shall endure in the Book of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised. He hath observed thy devotion and hath turned unto thee from this Spot which God hath made the circumambulation point of the sincere ones and of the angels drawn nigh. This is a day wherein mysteries have been revealed and that which was hidden in the knowledge of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment, hath appeared. On this day the scratching of My Most Exalted Pen, the flowing of the water of My loving-kindness, and the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree have been raised. Blessed is he who hath turned and hearkened, and woe unto the heedless ones.
Arise to serve the Cause with such steadfastness as cannot be shaken by the oppression of those who have violated God’s Covenant and Testament, who have denied His proof and evidence, and who have changed His favor unto themselves. These, verily, are among the most lost ones in His perspicuous Book. Say: O peoples of the earth! Cast away what ye possess of idle fancies and vain imaginings. The Self-Subsisting hath come with a light whereby earth and heaven were illumined, and with a fire whereby the hearts of them that have drawn nigh were set ablaze. Beware lest the doubts of the divines withhold you from drawing nigh unto the Lord of all being, and beware lest the veils of them that croak hold you back from this momentous News. Say: There is no refuge for anyone today save through this Cause, whereof God gave tidings in the Books of the Messengers. Open your eyes. By God, the Truth! This is the Day of revelation and meeting. Blessed is he who hath turned and attained, and woe unto every remote ignorant one.
Arise thou to serve the Cause, detached from the earth and its gifts and ornaments, and take the chalice of knowledge from the hands of thy Lord’s bounty, the All-Merciful. Then drink therefrom in spite of them that have disbelieved in God when He came with manifest sovereignty. They awaited the days of the Manifestation, yet when the appointed time came and the verses were sent down, they turned away from the Dayspring of the Cause of their Lord, the Almighty, the Powerful. Blessed art thou, O Mihdi, for having outstripped the divines in turning unto God, the Goal of them that have recognized Him, and blessed art thou for having drunk the choice wine of revelation before the divines of the earth who denied the Manifestation of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. God shall soon exalt this Most Great Station among His servants. Verily, He is the Protector of them that have turned unto Him.
We beseech God to make thee a standard of His Name in His lands and an ensign of His remembrance among all that are in the heavens and on the earth. Verily, He is powerful over whatsoever He willeth. Nothing whatsoever can frustrate Him, and He is the Strong, the All-Conquering, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. When thou art seized by the Kawthar of My utterance and art attracted by the scratching of My Pen, say: Glorified art Thou, O my God, my Lord and my Support! I beseech Thee by the Word whereby the hearts of Thy sincere ones among Thy servants and those near unto Thee among Thy creation were attracted, and by the Lamp of Thy Cause whereby the horizons of Thy dominion were illumined, to make me a servant of Thy Cause and one who stands ready to serve Thee.
O my Lord! Thou seest me detached from all else save Thee and holding fast unto Thy sure handle. I beseech Thee by Thy mercy which hath preceded all created things, and by the light of Thy Cause which hath shone forth from Thy most exalted horizon, and by Thy Name through which the ocean of names surged and all who dwell in the kingdom of creation were subdued, to aid me to perform such deeds as will endure as long as Thy names and attributes endure, and will not be effaced throughout the eternity of Thy dominion and might. Thou, verily, art the Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the Most Bountiful.
In the Persian tongue it is stated: We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to confirm you in that which beseemeth His days. O thou who gazest upon His countenance! Know thou with clear certainty that the Cause of God and whatsoever hath appeared from Him is even as the sun, distinct and manifest from all else. However, the inflammation of pride and heedlessness hath prevented eyes from beholding it, even as ancient tales have prevented ears from hearing. Blessed is the servant whom veils have not hindered and whom the oppression of the tyrannous ones and evil-doers of the earth hath not frightened—who hath heard and turned unto God, the Lord of lords.
Throughout ages and centuries the divines of Persia awaited His appearance, speaking His name from pulpits, standing at His mention, and uttering “may God hasten.” Yet when the dawn of His manifestation broke and the Voice of the Divine Speaker was raised, all assailed Him with arrows of hatred and swords of tyranny and transgression, inflicting that which causeth both tablet and pen to grieve and tremble. Implore ye God to adorn His servants with the ornament of justice and fairness, that they may not deprive themselves of eternal life and everlasting bounty.
In every age when the horizon of the world was illumined by the lights of the Sun of Manifestation, the people, bereft of fairness, arose in opposition, becoming a barrier and depriving the servants from His light. We hope that thou wilt, with the finger of power, rend asunder the veils and tear away the shrouds, delivering the servants from the pit of vain imaginings through the hosts of wisdom and utterance, that perchance they may afterwards become aware and recognize the station of these days, and arise to make good what hath passed. Thus hath spoken the Tongue of the Wronged One while in His Most Great Prison. He desireth naught save that which will exalt the authoritative Word of God amongst His servants and draw them nigh unto Him. To this testifieth every discerning mystic and every learned sage. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon whosoever heareth thy word concerning the Cause of God, the Lord of the Exalted Throne and the Master of this wondrous Day.
BH01197: O Ali-Qabli-Askar! Upon thee be the Glory of God…
In the Name of the One God
O Ali-Qabli-Askar! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Lord of Destiny. Praise be to God that thou didst leave thy earthly home, aspiring to reach the most exalted homeland. The hosts of divine grace, mercy, favor, bounty and generosity did aid thee until thou didst attain the supreme horizon and attain the presence of the Lord of all beings, dwelling for a time beneath the pavilions of grandeur. Should every drop of the ocean and every grain of sand be counted in the divine ledger as an age, and shouldst thou spend all that time in praise and thanksgiving to God, exalted be His glory, thou wouldst still not fulfill the obligation of gratitude for this supreme bounty and most great favor. Say: Praise be to Thee, O Desire of the worlds! Thanks be to Thee, O Beloved of the hearts of them that are nigh! Glory be to Thee, O Light of those in the heavens and on earth!
His favor hath taken and continueth to take the hands of them that turn unto Him. His protection accompanieth and His blessed Name is a shield to all who are aware. This Wronged One offereth thanks on thy behalf, for thou hast attained unto that which hath no peer or likeness.
We make mention of thy son who was named Nad-ʿAli and thy wife and daughters, and We give them the glad-tidings of God’s favor, the Lord of all worlds. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to draw them nigh unto Him and ordain for them that which He hath ordained for His devout male and female servants. Verily, He hath power over all things.
We make mention of Abu-Basir, who was named Muhammad, that he may rejoice in the remembrance of the Wronged One and be of the thankful. O Muhammad! The Wronged One remembereth thee from the prison. Praise be to God that thou hast attained the honor of faith and recognition and hast borne hardships and tribulations in the path of the One True Friend. Remember this supreme bounty and preserve it in thy heart with the seal of love. Verily, He is with His near servants. There is no God but He, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
We make mention of thy sons with a remembrance before which all mention boweth down, and We beseech Him, exalted be He, to ordain for them every good thing that He hath revealed in His Book, and to decree for them the blessings of the Hereafter and of this world, and the bounties of every world of His worlds. Verily, He is the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
O Muhammad! Glorify them on My behalf and remind them of that which hath been revealed for them from the presence of the Ancient Ordainer.
O Burj-ʿAli! All the ears of the world were created to hear the Call of this Day which hath been raised from the Most Great Prison, yet most are deprived save a few souls. Thou hast attained unto it, hearkened unto the Call, and turned toward its horizon. Say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having caused me to hear, to recognize, to learn, and for having guided me to the News that hath caused hearts to tremble, faces to darken, and the feet of the mystics and learned to slip, save those whom Thou didst deliver through Thy grace and didst purify from the defilement of self and desire, and didst mention in Thy perspicuous Book.
We make mention of thy son who was named Abid in the Book of Names, then thy other son who was named Ali-Qabli-Rida, and We remind them of the signs of God and give them the glad-tidings of My grace and My mercy which have preceded existence in both the unseen and visible worlds. O My Pen! Make mention of him who hath hearkened to My call and turned to My horizon, who hath been named Siyyid-i-Mirza, that the fragrance of Mine utterance may draw him nigh unto My glorious and wondrous Kingdom. O Siyyid-i-Mirza! Rejoice thou in My remembrance of thee, then render thanks unto thy Lord, for He hath made mention of thee at the close of the Tablet in such wise that thy name and remembrance shall endure throughout the eternity of God’s names and attributes.
He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. Say: All praise be unto Thee for having delivered me from the well of idle fancies and vain imaginings, and for having given me to drink, through the hands of grace and bounty, from the cup of certitude. I testify that Thou art the One Who hath power to do what He willeth, and in Whose grasp are the reins of all things. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Lord of the Manifestation.
O Ali-Askar! Praise be to God that all the names mentioned have attained unto the remembrance of the Wronged One and been adorned with His grace. In the earliest days We made a covenant, as a token of God’s grace, bounty and generosity, that whosoever should come before Our presence, whether living or dead, We would make mention of them. Thy Lord, verily, is the Forgiving, the Merciful. The glory which proceedeth from Us rest upon thee and upon them who have believed in God and His signs, and who have acknowledged that which hath been sent down from the heaven of His Will and uttered by the tongue of His grandeur from His exalted station.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou seest Thy loved ones in the clutches of Thine enemies, and Thy chosen ones in the hands of those who have denied Thee and Thy signs. I beseech Thee by the heaven of Thy bounty, and the ocean of Thy generosity, and by the lights of Thy Most Great Name whereby Thou hast illumined the hearts of all nations, that Thou protect them through Thy power that hath transcended all things, and guard them by Thy sovereignty that encompasseth all created things. Then send down upon them from the heaven of Thy pardon and generosity that which shall gladden their eyes and bring joy to their hearts. O Lord! Thou beholdest the believers among the idolaters, and there hath befallen them that which hath caused the dwellers of Thy Paradise and celestial garden to lament. I beseech Thee to preserve them from the evil of the aggressors and the oppression of the oppressors. Thou art, verily, the Almighty Whom nothing whatsoever can frustrate. Thou doest what Thou willest by Thy sovereignty, and ordainest what Thou pleasest by Thy power. Thou art, in truth, the All-Glorious, the All-Beauteous.
BH01235: The Book of God speaketh the truth and summoneth…
He is the One Who gazeth from His Most Exalted Horizon
The Book of God speaketh the truth and summoneth humanity unto His mighty and praiseworthy path. Verily it hath been sent down from the heaven of utterance by One Who is the All-Knowing Speaker. He Whom God promised in His Books of old hath come with a manifest proof. O Muhammad-ʿAli! Hear My call from the precincts of My prison, then remember when thou didst stand before the gate, hearkening to the Voice of Him Who conversed upon the Mount when He was established upon the throne of revelation, to the dismay of the divines of Iran who denied the All-Merciful when He came with a clear cause. We bear witness that thou hast attained unto the presence of thy Lord and hast drunk from the Kawthar of immortality from the hands of thy Lord, the Munificent.
Give ear in the Persian tongue—verily He speaks as He willeth; none can question His doings and He is the Mighty, the Powerful. Convey to the friends of God in cities and lands greetings and salutations from the Wronged One, and give each the glad tidings of the grace and mercy of God, exalted be His glory. Praise be to God, every seeker hath been blessed with the effulgences of the Daystar of divine bounty. O people of God! We hope that all may be set ablaze with the fire of the love of God—a blaze whose traces shall be manifest from every atom of existence. Every one of the petitions presented hath been heard and answered, and for each an exalted and most holy Tablet hath been revealed and sent down from the heaven of bounty. We beseech God to aid all to drink from the living waters concealed and treasured within the divine utterances. Whosoever attaineth unto this shall not be hindered from the Most Great News by the troubles of the world, the upheavals of nations, the oppression of tyrants, the might of aggressors, the doubts of Persian divines, or the clamor of the ignorant, nor shall they be deprived of the straight path. Blessed are they who drink thereof.
Convey greetings from the Wronged One to the friends in Kaf and Ra and say: Reflect upon that which hath appeared. The former people denied the verses and showed ingratitude for the special bounty. They kindled the fire of tyranny and burnt the pavilion of the glory and grandeur of God’s Cause and rent the veil of sanctity. Glory be to God! Night and day they would beseech and implore to attain the presence of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Yet when the dawn of grace broke and the world was illumined by the effulgences of the Daystar of Revelation, they all drew swords and spears against the Goal of the worlds. They were unbelievers yet counted themselves among the believers.
Say: O ignorant ones! O heedless ones! O oppressors! Your deeds and words on the day of reckoning deprived you of God’s Most Great Name and the ocean of the All-Merciful’s mercy. The oneness of God, exalted be His glory, is not established save through the Manifestation of His Self, the Dawning-Place of His Cause, the Dayspring of His Revelation, and His Representative among creation. In the Dispensation of the Furqan, the Seal of the Prophets (may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake) attained this station. Were any likeness or peer to be found for that Essence of existence and Cause of creation, how could the sanctification of the Creator’s Being from peers and likeness be established?
Should anyone attribute this station to any other, they are and shall be accounted as unbelievers in God’s sight. Know with absolute certitude that He was unique in His station, and through Him the oneness of the Divine Essence is proven free from likeness and peer. The letters of the Furqan were created by His Word. By God’s life! They have no share in this most glorious, most exalted station, at whose mere mention the musk of utterance diffuseth its fragrance throughout all creation. Exalted is the All-Merciful Who hath expounded this mighty, this impregnable station. That heedless people count themselves as believers, yet in God’s sight they are unbelievers. Any fair-minded person would testify that this people are deprived of the deeds, actions and words of the Master of “But for Thee.”
Would that they had adorned themselves with the ornament of justice and fairness, attained His presence, and hearkened unto that which is from God. Hear ye the call of the Wronged One and beseech God that all may be illumined and may attain unto true unity. He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.
We have made mention of the loved ones of Hasanabad and Bahramabad—a mention that hath sanctified them from the praise of the world and from likeness and similitude. Praised be God, all are remembered and have attained unto His grace. We testify that they have quaffed the choice wine of utterance before the faces of all religions from the hand of the bounty of their Lord, the Most Merciful. At this moment We make mention of the loved ones of Shahr-i-Babik. O thou who art of Dahj! The True One maketh mention of thee in Bahji, and likewise of the loved ones of Khu. By the life of God! Whosoever hath attained unto the blessed word “Yea”, verily he hath found his place beneath the glance of God, exalted be His glory. His grace hath preceded all things, His mercy hath preceded all things, and His loving-kindness hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. The loved ones of every city and every land have attained unto the traces of the Most Exalted Pen. The Tongue of God, the Lord of all worlds, beareth witness unto this.