Volume 092: Akka 1306 A.H. (1888–1889), Part V (1 of 4)
BH00668: Tajalliyat (Effulgences)
This is the Epistle of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting
He is the One Who heareth from His Realm of Glory.
God testifieth that there is none other God but Him and that He Who hath appeared is the Hidden Mystery, the Treasured Symbol, the Most Great Book for all peoples, and the Heaven of bounty for the whole world. He is the Most Mighty Sign amongst men and the Dayspring of the most august attributes in the realm of creation. Through Him hath appeared that which had been hidden from time immemorial and been veiled from the eyes of men. He is the One Whose Manifestation was announced by the heavenly Scriptures, in former times and more recently. Whoso acknowledgeth belief in Him and in His signs and testimonies hath in truth acknowledged that which the Tongue of Grandeur uttered ere the creation of earth and heaven and the revelation of the Kingdom of Names. Through Him the ocean of knowledge hath surged amidst mankind and the river of divine wisdom hath gushed out at the behest of God, the Lord of Days.
Well is it with the man of discernment who hath recognized and perceived the Truth, and the one possessed of a hearing ear who hath hearkened unto His sweet Voice, and the hand that hath received His Book with such resolve as is born of God, the Lord of this world and of the next, and the earnest wayfarer who hath hastened unto His glorious Horizon, and the one endued with strength whom neither the overpowering might of the rulers, nor the tumult raised by the leaders of religion hath been able to shake. And woe betide him who hath rejected the grace of God and His bounty, and hath denied His tender mercy and authority; such a man is indeed reckoned with those who have throughout eternity repudiated the testimony of God and His proof.
Great is the blessedness of him who hath in this Day cast away the things current amongst men and hath clung unto that which is ordained by God, the Lord of Names and the Fashioner of all created things, He Who is come from the heaven of eternity through the power of the Most Great Name, invested with so invincible an authority that all the powers of the earth are unable to withstand Him. Unto this beareth witness the Mother Book, calling from the Most Sublime Station.
O ʿAli-Akbar! We have repeatedly heard thy voice and have responded to thee with that which the praise of all mankind can never rival; from which the sincere ones inhale the sweet savors of the sayings of the All-Merciful, and His true lovers perceive the fragrance of heavenly reunion, and the sore athirst discover the murmuring of the water that is life indeed. Blessed the man who hath attained thereto and hath recognized that which is at this moment being diffused from the Pen of God, the Help in Peril, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful. We testify that thou hast set thy face towards God and traveled far until thou didst attain His presence and gavest ear unto the Voice of this Wronged One, Who hath been cast into prison through the misdeeds of those who have disbelieved in the signs and testimonies of God and have denied this heavenly grace through which the whole world hath been made to shine.
Blessed thy face, for it hath turned unto Him, and thine ear, for it hath heard His Voice, and thy tongue, for it hath celebrated the praise of God, the Lord of lords. We pray God to graciously aid thee to become a standard for the promotion of His Cause and to enable thee to draw nigh unto Him at all times and under all conditions.
The chosen ones of God and His loved ones in that land are remembered by Us, and We give them the joyful tidings of that which hath been sent down in their honor from the Kingdom of the utterance of their Lord, the sovereign Ruler of the Day of Reckoning. Make mention of Me to them and illumine them with the resplendent glory of Mine utterance. Verily thy Lord is the Gracious, the Bountiful.
O thou who dost magnify My praise! Give ear unto that which the people of tyranny ascribe unto Me in My days. Some of them say: “He hath laid claim to divinity”; others say: “He hath devised a lie against God”; still others say: “He is come to foment sedition.” Base and wretched are they. Lo! They are, in truth, enslaved to idle imaginings.
We shall now cease using the eloquent language. Truly thy Lord is the Potent, the Unconstrained. We would fain speak in the Persian tongue that perchance the people of Persia, one and all, may become aware of the utterances of the merciful Lord, and come forth to discover the Truth.
The first Tajalli which hath dawned from the Daystar of Truth is the knowledge of God—exalted be His glory. And the knowledge of the King of everlasting days can in no wise be attained save by recognizing Him Who is the Bearer of the Most Great Name. He is, in truth, the Speaker on Sinai Who is now seated upon the throne of Revelation. He is the Hidden Mystery and the Treasured Symbol. All the former and latter Books of God are adorned with His praise and extol His glory. Through Him the standard of knowledge hath been planted in the world and the ensign of the oneness of God hath been unfurled amidst all peoples. Attainment unto the Divine Presence can be realized solely by attaining His presence.
Through His potency everything that hath, from time immemorial, been veiled and hidden, is now revealed. He is made manifest through the power of Truth and hath uttered a Word whereby all that are in the heavens and on the earth have been dumbfounded, except those whom the Almighty was pleased to exempt. True belief in God and recognition of Him cannot be complete save by acceptance of that which He hath revealed and by observance of whatsoever hath been decreed by Him and set down in the Book by the Pen of Glory.
They that immerse themselves in the ocean of His utterances should at all times have the utmost regard for the divinely-revealed ordinances and prohibitions. Indeed His ordinances constitute the mightiest stronghold for the protection of the world and the safeguarding of its peoples—a light upon those who acknowledge and recognize the truth, and a fire unto such as turn away and deny.
The second Tajalli is to remain steadfast in the Cause of God—exalted be His glory—and to be unswerving in His love. And this can in no wise be attained except through full recognition of Him; and full recognition cannot be obtained save by faith in the blessed words: “He doeth whatsoever He willeth.” Whoso tenaciously cleaveth unto this sublime word and drinketh deep from the living waters of utterance which are inherent therein, will be imbued with such a constancy that all the books of the world will be powerless to deter him from the Mother Book. O how glorious is this sublime station, this exalted rank, this ultimate purpose!
O ʿAli-Akbar! Consider how abject is the state of the disbelievers. They all give utterance to the words:
“Verily He is to be praised in His deeds and is to be obeyed in His behest.”
Nevertheless if We reveal aught which, even to the extent of a needle’s eye, runneth counter to their selfish ways and desires, they will disdainfully reject it. Say, none can ever fathom the manifold exigencies of God’s consummate wisdom. In truth, were He to pronounce the earth to be heaven, no one hath the right to question His authority. This is that whereunto the Point of the Bayan hath testified in all that was sent down unto Him with truth at the behest of God, He Who hath caused the Dawn to break.
The third Tajalli is concerning arts, crafts and sciences. Knowledge is as wings to man’s life, and a ladder for his ascent. Its acquisition is incumbent upon everyone. The knowledge of such sciences, however, should be acquired as can profit the peoples of the earth, and not those which begin with words and end with words. Great indeed is the claim of scientists and craftsmen on the peoples of the world. Unto this beareth witness the Mother Book on the day of His return. Happy are those possessed of a hearing ear. In truth, knowledge is a veritable treasure for man, and a source of glory, of bounty, of joy, of exaltation, of cheer and gladness unto him. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken in this Most Great Prison.
The fourth Tajalli is concerning Divinity, Godhead and the like. Were a man of insight to direct his gaze towards the blessed, the manifest Lote-Tree and its fruits, he would be so enriched thereby as to be independent of aught else and to acknowledge his belief in that which the Speaker on Sinai hath uttered from the throne of Revelation.
O ʿAli-Akbar! Acquaint the people with the holy verses of thy Lord and make known unto them His straight Path, His mighty Announcement.
Say: O people, if ye judge fairly and equitably, ye will testify to the truth of whatsoever hath streamed forth from the Most Exalted Pen. If ye be of the people of the Bayan, the Persian Bayan will guide you aright and will prove a sufficient testimony unto you; and if ye be of the people of the Qur’an, ponder ye upon the Revelation on Sinai and the Voice from the Bush which came unto the Son of ʿImran [Moses].
Gracious God! It was intended that at the time of the manifestation of the One true God the faculty of recognizing Him would have been developed and matured and would have reached its culmination. However, it is now clearly demonstrated that in the disbelievers this faculty hath remained undeveloped and hath, indeed, degenerated.
O ʿAli! That which they accepted from the Bush they now refuse to accept from Him Who is the Tree of the world of existence. Say, O people of the Bayan, speak not according to the dictates of passion and selfish desire. Most of the peoples of the earth attest the truth of the blessed Word which hath come forth from the Bush. By the righteousness of God! But for the anthem of praise voiced by Him Who heralded the divine Revelation, this Wronged One would never have breathed a word which might have struck terror into the hearts of the ignorant and caused them to perish. Dwelling on the glorification of Him Whom God shall make manifest—exalted be His Manifestation—the Bab in the beginning of the Bayan saith: “He is the One Who shall proclaim under all conditions,”Verily, verily, I am God, no God is there but Me, the Lord of all created things.
In truth all others except Me are My creatures. O, My creatures! Me alone do ye worship.”’ Likewise in another instance He, magnifying the Name of Him Who shall be made manifest, saith: “I would be the first to adore Him.” Now it behooveth one to reflect upon the significance of the “Adorer” and the “Adored One,” that perchance the people of the earth may partake of a dewdrop from the ocean of divine knowledge and may be enabled to perceive the greatness of this Revelation. Verily, He hath appeared and hath unloosed His tongue to proclaim the Truth. Well is it with him who doth acknowledge and recognize the truth, and woe betide the froward and the wayward.
O kindreds of the earth! Incline your ears unto the Voice from the divine Lote-Tree which overshadoweth the world and be not of the people of tyranny on earth—men who have repudiated the Manifestation of God and His invincible authority and have renounced His favors—they in truth are reckoned with the contemptible in the Book of God, the Lord of all mankind.
The Glory which hath dawned above the horizon of My tender mercy rest upon thee and upon whosoever is with thee and giveth ear to thy words concerning the Cause of God, the Almighty, the All-Praised.
BH02324: Lawh-i-Karmil (Tablet of Carmel)
In My Name, through which the fragrances of the All-Merciful were diffused throughout the world
All glory be to this Day, the Day in which the fragrances of mercy have been wafted over all created things, a Day so blest that past ages and centuries can never hope to rival it, a Day in which the countenance of the Ancient of Days hath turned towards His holy seat. Thereupon the voices of all created things, and beyond them those of the Concourse on high, were heart calling aloud:
“Haste thee, O Carmel, for lo, the light of the countenance of God, the Ruler of the Kingdom of Names and Fashioner of the heavens, hath been lifted upon thee.”
Seized with transports of joy, and raising high her voice, she thus exclaimed:
“May my life be a sacrifice to Thee, inasmuch as Thou hast fixed Thy gaze upon me, hast bestowed upon me Thy bounty, and hast directed towards me Thy steps. Separation from Thee, O Thou Source of everlasting life, hath well nigh consumed me, and my remoteness from Thy presence hath burned away my soul. All praise be to Thee for having enabled me to hearken to Thy call, for having honored me with Thy footsteps, and for having quickened my soul through the vitalizing fragrance of Thy Day and the shrilling voice of Thy Pen, a voice Thou didst ordain as Thy trumpet-call amidst Thy people. And when the hour at which Thy resistless Faith was to be made manifest did strike, Thou didst breathe a breath of Thy spirit into Thy Pen, and lo, the entire creation shook to its very foundations, unveiling to mankind such mysteries as lay hidden within the treasuries of Him Who is the Possessor of all created things.”
No sooner had her voice reached that most exalted Spot than We made reply:
“Render thanks unto Thy Lord, O Carmel. The fire of thy separation from Me was fast consuming thee, when the ocean of My presence surged before thy face, cheering thine eyes and those of all creation, and filling with delight all things visible and invisible. Rejoice, for God hath in this Day established upon thee His throne, hath made thee the dawning-place of His signs and the day spring of the evidences of His Revelation. Well is it with him that circleth around thee, that proclaimeth the revelation of thy glory, and recounteth that which the bounty of the Lord thy God hath showered upon thee. Seize thou the Chalice of Immortality in the name of thy Lord, the All-Glorious, and give thanks unto Him, inasmuch as He, in token of His mercy unto thee, hath turned thy sorrow into gladness, and transmuted thy grief into blissful joy. He, verily, loveth the spot which hath been made the seat of His throne, which His footsteps have trodden, which hath been honored by His presence, from which He raised His call, and upon which He shed His tears.”
Call out to Zion, O Carmel, and announce the joyful tidings: He that was hidden from mortal eyes is come! His all-conquering sovereignty is manifest; His all-encompassing splendor is revealed. Beware lest thou hesitate or halt. Hasten forth and circumambulate the City of God that hath descended from heaven, the celestial Kaaba round which have circled in adoration the favored of God, the pure in heart, and the company of the most exalted angels. Oh, how I long to announce unto every spot on the surface of the earth, and to carry to each one of its cities, the glad-tidings of this Revelation—a Revelation to which the heart of Sinai hath been attracted, and in whose name the Burning Bush is calling: ʿUnto God, the Lord of Lords, belong the kingdoms of earth and heaven.’ Verily this is the Day in which both land and sea rejoice at this announcement, the Day for which have been laid up those things which God, through a bounty beyond the ken of mortal mind or heart, hath destined for revelation. Ere long will God sail His Ark upon thee, and will manifest the people of Baha who have been mentioned in the Book of Names.
Sanctified be the Lord of all mankind, at the mention of Whose name all the atoms of the earth have been made to vibrate, and the Tongue of Grandeur hath been moved to disclose that which had been wrapt in His knowledge and lay concealed within the treasury of His might. He, verily, through the potency of His name, the Mighty, the All-Powerful, the Most High, is the ruler of all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth.
BH01384: Praise be worthy and befitting the Most Great Cause…
He is the Teacher, the Expositor, the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful!
Praise be worthy and befitting the Most Great Cause, Who adorned the dead in the valleys of heedlessness and ignorance with the ornament of awareness and knowledge, and bestowed upon those thirsting in the desert of error a portion from the Kawthar of guidance. Exalted, exalted be His bounty, and exalted, exalted be His bestowal, and glorious is His utterance, and mighty is His proof, and there is no God but Him.
O Husayn, upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness! This day is the day for the diffusion of divine traces and the springtime of utterance. The people of God must each, through wisdom and exposition, illumine the world of being with the light of recognition, and bestow from the sealed wine which hath been unsealed in the name of the Self-Subsisting, that all may, through this most glorious wine, turn unto the supreme horizon and attain unto the greatest steadfastness. Thou hast ever been and art still remembered.
Say: O people! This is the Day of God—turn ye unto Him and be not of the heedless ones. This is the Cause through whose appearance the trumpet of utterance was sounded, and they that slumbered in the graves of idle fancies arose, and through it the cry was raised and the divine fragrances were diffused, and the Herald called out from the direction of divine unity: “The sovereignty of earth and heaven, and glory and dominion belong to the Speaker on Sinai Who hath come from the heaven of bounty bearing the banner of ʿHe doeth what He willeth.”’ Blessed is he who hath recognized and attained, and woe unto the heedless ones.
Say: O friends! Today is the day of service and assistance. Arise, that perchance ye may adorn the people of the world with the lights of the Most Great Name. Today grace hath encompassed all, and the bounty of wisdom and the feast of utterance have been sent down from the heaven of will. By the life of God! Neither centuries nor ages can be compared with this Day, nay with this moment. Whatever hath occurred in the land, although the idolaters imagine that the light of God’s Cause will be obscured through the rejected deeds of evil souls, yet [He will transform] oppression into victory. Soon shall they see the recompense of their deeds, and they shall find for themselves neither helper nor supporter.
O Husayn! We desire to make mention of him who migrated in the path of God and whose spirit ascended in the land of exile, after his hope and endeavor had been to attain the presence of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. O Shukru’llah! Thou art in the Most Exalted Paradise, and the Wronged One mentioneth thee in the prison of ʿAkka. We beseech God to send down upon thee a mercy from His presence and a light from His own Self. Verily He is the Most Merciful of the merciful. He loveth His friends and remembereth them before and after their ascension, holding in His grasp the reins of grace, and He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Nothing whatsoever escapeth His knowledge. He is with His loved ones in whatever land they may be. He heareth their remembrances and witnesseth their deeds, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing One. And We make mention of thy son in this most exalted station, who was named with the Most Beautiful Names. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, possessed of great grace. The glory from Us be upon thee, O Shukru’llah, and upon those who read what hath been sent down for thee from the Most Exalted Pen in this luminous spot.
[…] If anyone asks you about the Ship, say: It rides amidst the waves. Thus has spoken the Tongue of the Wronged One. He is verily the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. It is hoped that in that land the loved ones will become so intoxicated and joyous with the Kawthar of the utterance of the Desired One of the worlds that the ranks and multitudes of the world will be powerless to prevent them. Convey to each one greetings from the Wronged One and give them the glad-tidings of the pearls of wisdom and utterance which have been revealed from the Treasury of the Supreme Pen. Mention of that group has been and continues to be made in the Most Holy Court. Blessed are they and joy be unto them. Verily they have a station with God, the Powerful, the Compassionate, the Mighty, the All-Informed.
At the close of this discourse We make mention of the Afnan, upon them be My Glory and My Loving-kindness. Praise be to God, they have been and continue to be the recipients of divine favors from the beginning of days until now. We beseech God to assist them to exalt His Word, to serve His Cause and to hold fast unto His Cord in such wise that neither the affairs of the world nor the events of nations will hinder them. In truth, they were brought from nothingness into being for the service of the Cause, and their mention shall forever endure in God’s Book and flow from the Pen of bounty. Blessed are they and joy be unto them and unto those who love them for the sake of God, the Lord of this wondrous Day.
The Glory which proceedeth from Us rest upon you, O My loved ones, and upon those who have shattered the idols of vain imaginings with the hands of certitude. They are truly among those who are nigh unto God in the Book of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised.
BH01398: This servant desires to adorn the head of his…
He is God, exalted be His glory and power!
This servant desires to adorn the head of his letter with that which the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an, which He made the characteristic of them that are nigh unto Him, the ultimate station of the mystics, and the testament of the sincere ones, from which the fragrance of detachment hath been wafted throughout creation. He—and His word is the truth—hath said: “Say: ʿGod!’ then leave them to their vain disputes.”
Its fragrance bestoweth a hundred thousand lives and createth a hundred thousand souls. By the life of our Lord! Were it to shed its radiance upon the limbs and members of God’s servants, each would find a tongue and utter the blessed words “Praise be unto Thee for having freed me from all else but Thee and made me independent of all except Thyself.” This is that Word from whose horizon the sun of freedom hath dawned forth.
This servant beseecheth his Lord to honor us with it and to grant us the blessing of uttering it in all conditions. Before this exalted Word, the world becometh as nothing and all else but God appeareth finite. Glorified be our Sovereign, and magnified be our Lord! He hath bestowed that which the world with all its revelations cannot equal. But who can render thanks for this bounty and from whom can gratitude appear? Where is the capacity, where is the worthiness? Vain imaginings have become the cause of loss. The power of the favored community hath been changed to weakness, its standing to sitting, its speech to silence.
But what is the cause of this weakness, and what is the reason for this impotence? On behalf of the believers I present this verse:
“Each dawn I press my face against the dust of helplessness when I remember That though I never forget Thee, dost Thou ever remember Thy servant?”
Nay, by God! We are not the forgetful ones, and He is the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing. His hand hath ever granted deliverance, His generosity hath ever bestowed gifts, and His power hath ever preserved us. Yet they met this blessing with betrayal and followed this grace with ingratitude. I swear by the Sun of Truth that these weaknesses and incapacities, these humiliations and inabilities, are the result of our own deeds. His Holiness Muhammad bears witness to these words, and His Holiness the First One (Ali) testifies to this utterance and exposition.
There is fear that excessive speech may cause weariness and constrict the realm of comfort, therefore brevity is preferable.
The exalted letter arrived repeatedly with gifts. One of its gifts was the cause of remembrance, and finally the source of awakening. With each word were arrayed the hosts of love, and the ranks of divine favor bore witness. After awareness and understanding were gained, intention was made to approach the Presence, and when presented before His countenance, He said:
The mention of Ali (upon him be peace) is like a tree planted in the soil of love, which has reached the most exalted station through the Kawthar of favor and grace. It is so firm and steadfast that the most violent winds cannot prevail against its might, finding themselves weak before it. Glorious is its planting place, glorious its Cultivator, and magnificent its Creator! Its leaves are goodly character and its fruits are praiseworthy deeds. Blessed is he who attains to visit it and witnesses the power of its Creator and Builder.
O Ali! May you dwell beneath the sun of divine grace, clinging to the hem of His favor and holding fast to the cord of His generosity. Verily He is with you in all conditions, hearing your call and your prayers, and seeing what proceeds from you. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
Convey greetings to the loved ones from the Wronged One. Each has been and is mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One. We beseech God to aid them to unity, that through them the horizons may be illumined. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the Munificent, the Glorious, the Praiseworthy.
Praise be to God! The ocean is surging and the sun of favor is shining. Mention has reached such a station that each of its letters is a mighty book in the sight of God, our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of the mighty throne.
I convey greetings to all the loved ones. Although these greetings which are expressed in letters appear outwardly to be of one form, yet in effect and fruit each is distinct. Though the greenness of tree leaves may appear outwardly to be of one hue, yet in their effects and qualities they are so distinct that none save God can enumerate their characteristics. Know that each leaf of every tree has its own effect, and another has a different effect—who has been able to enumerate them and who has encompassed them? The essence of impotence and ignorance has been and remains unable to enumerate the infinite sciences and arts. Verily our Lord is He Who enumerates all things in His perspicuous Book.
Peace, remembrance, and praise be upon you, upon those with you, and upon those who love you for the sake of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
BH01435: Praise be befitting and worthy of the Desired One…
He is God, exalted be His station, the Most Great, the All-Powerful!
Praise be befitting and worthy of the Desired One of the world, whose grace has ever encompassed His loved ones in all conditions. Through a hundred thousand means He brought creation from nothingness into being, and confirmed it with all that leads to the elevation of its station and the exaltation of its rank. The path was made clear, the way was illumined, verses were revealed, and mercy rained down continually, that all might attain to that which benefits them and draws them near. He bestowed the warmth of bounty, from which the fire of love was set in motion and made manifest, and it became the cause of joining and connection. He bound the East to the West and united the West to the East. He guided the people of paradise to paradise and led the companions of heaven to heaven. This was the primary cause that brought the people of Sad [Isfahan] to ʿAkka. The power of oppressors could not prevent His might, nor could all that exists in the realm of creation impede the operation of His Will. Glorified be His majesty, all-pervading be His bounty, and exalted be His station!
And peace and blessings be upon the first standard that was raised in His name and the last banner that was hoisted in His remembrance, through whom the Word was completed, the favor appeared, and the heavenly table was sent down; and upon His family and companions, through whom the caller proclaimed “The Kingdom belongs to God, the Possessor of creation,” and through whom God’s verses and ordinances were spread abroad and His might and power were made manifest—blessings everlasting and eternal, which the passing of centuries and ages shall not alter.
Thereafter, the letter of that beloved of the heart arrived like a city of love and affection. The throne of joy had an illumined carpet, and the spread of delight had an adorned covering. Glory be to God! Though it was a letter, yet the effects of the celestial stream were manifest from it, for it was joy-inducing and grief-dispelling. In brief, what can I say of its effect and influence, for the letter was adorned with divine unity and the wholesome fruit of the blessed tree—upon it be God’s peace and praise, and God’s mercy and bounty.
After its reading and perusal, having directed myself to the Holy Presence, I attained the honor of hearing [these words]. The Lord—may our souls be a sacrifice for Him—spoke:
“O Asad! Upon thee be the peace of God, the Single, the One! Thy letter was presented before the face of the Wronged One. We heard thy call and turned toward thee from the prison. Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto that which is mentioned and acceptable before God. The hand of divine power brought you from distant lands to the precincts of glory and nearness, and caused you to attain the bounties of inner meanings, utterance and knowledge. His is the praise and the favor! You intended the ultimate goal and attained the visitation of the House of God. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to aid you and ordain for you the good of the hereafter and of this world. We make mention of the fruit of the Tree of Faithfulness. God is aware and bears witness that they have ever been mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One. We beseech God, exalted be He, to assist him and the household in that which He loves and is pleased with, and to send down upon them at all times a bounty from His presence and a mercy from His own Self. Verily, He has power over all things. And We make mention of Badi’ and his mother that they may rejoice and be among the thankful. We beseech God to gather all beneath the shade of the Tree of His bounty and to protect them. He is the Powerful, the Able.”
End.
To Him be praise and glory, and to Him be might and splendor. His favors are all-encompassing and His grace all-pervasive. At no time has His aid been or ever shall be cut off. Specifically for the members of the household do I beseech that which befitteth His grace. This letter from that loved one hath at this hour reached the Mansion of Bahji. A brief reply is offered, as time is short, for the messenger must arrive and deliver.
At the close of this letter, with utmost humility and supplication, I beseech for the loved ones of God, exalted be His glory, whatsoever is the cause and source of glory and exaltation. I convey greetings to Qurratu’l-ʿAyn Badi’, and I implore from God health and well-being for him and his mother. Verily, He is the Compassionate, the Helper, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Peace and remembrance and glory be upon you and upon those who are with you and who love you for the sake of God, our Lord and your Lord, the Lord of the mighty throne. The Branches of the Divine Lote-Tree, one and all, convey their greetings and express their kindness, as do the dwellers of the pavilion of glory.
BH01474: O Jalil! Upon thee be My glory! Today…
O Jalil! Upon thee be My glory! Today, which is the third day of the Feast of Ramadan, the Most Great Branch attained the presence and visitation on thy behalf. We beseech God to make this deed a treasure for thee with Him. Verily, He is the Trusted One, the All-Knowing. Each of the mentioned loved ones hath been remembered by the Most Exalted Pen. They have indeed attained unto the choice wine of My utterance, the Kawthar of My remembrance, the Salsabil of My favors, and the ocean of My bounty, the Mighty, the Wondrous. Convey to each one the greetings from the tongue of the Wronged One. Say: O My loved ones! This is the Day of remembrance and praise, would that ye might know, and the Day of steadfastness and faithfulness, would that ye might understand. Your names were presented before the Wronged One, and We have revealed for you that which hath perfumed the world of being with the fragrance of the utterance of the All-Merciful. Blessed are ye and blessed is he who hath drunk My choice wine, sealed with My Name, the Self-Subsisting. We beseech God to aid you with the hosts of utterance and draw you nigh unto Him. Verily, He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
We have desired to make mention of him who was named Abdu’llah, that he may rejoice and be of those who are thankful. O Abdu’llah! Shatter the idols of the people’s vain imaginings with the arm of certitude, by the command of God, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to assist thee, make thee successful, and exalt thee in this Cause, that thy name may be inscribed in His Book, the Mighty, the Wondrous.
O Muhammad! Hear the call from the direction of God, the Lord of the worlds. He hath appeared and manifested what He desired as a grace from Him, and He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous. We counsel thee and those who have believed in that which will exalt the Cause of God amongst His servants. Blessed is he who hath heard and responded, and woe unto the deniers.
O Ghaffar! The All-Forgiving remembers thee in this perspicuous Tablet. Say: My God, my God! I testify that Thou hast manifested Thyself and sent down Thy Book and revealed Thy clear tokens and called the multitudes, without any veil, to the Dayspring of Thy mighty signs and the Manifestation of Thy most beautiful names. I beseech Thee to assist me in Thy remembrance and Thy service. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Almighty.
O Muhammad-Rida! Hear the call of the Wronged One from the direction of His Name, the Self-Subsisting, on this Day wherein that which was hidden in knowledge and inscribed in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, hath appeared. Take hold of the Book of God with such strength that the might of the oppressors shall not deter thee.
O Muhammad-Husayn! The Wronged One makes mention of thee and calls thee, that He may draw thee nigh unto the One, the All-Informed. Cast aside vain imaginings, in defiance of every ignorant remote one. Say: The Day hath come, yet the people are in thick veils. They hear, yet deny. Indeed, they are among the most lost in the Book of God, the Lord of the mighty Throne.
O Ghulam-ʿAli! The promise hath been fulfilled and the Promised One hath descended from the heaven of bounty and revealed that which was concealed from sight. Beware lest the veil of the divines prevent thee from God, the Lord of all beings. Say: O concourse of men! Be fair in your judgment, by God, concerning that which hath truthfully appeared. He created you for His days. Turn with radiant faces toward the supreme horizon, the station wherein the tongue of utterance proclaims:
“God, there is none other God but He, the Mighty, the Bountiful.”
Blessed is he who hath heard and turned toward Him, and woe unto every denying infidel.
O Muhammad-ʿAli! The ocean of utterance hath surged, and the fragrance of the All-Merciful hath wafted, and the mysteries have been revealed, and the rivers have flowed, yet most of the people are in doubt and discord. They have denied God’s proof and His evidence, and have rejected His favor. Indeed, they are among the people of error. Blessed art thou for having turned toward Him, and woe unto every turning and deceitful one. Thus have We sent down the verses unto thee and revealed that which was treasured in God’s knowledge, the Lord of lords.
O Jabbar! The All-Compelling hath heard thy call and hath answered thee with decisive utterance. The Hour hath appeared with its signs, and the Light hath shone forth from the horizon of power. Blessed is he who hath fulfilled his covenant and hath not broken God’s testament when He came with power and sovereignty.
O Ahmad! Read what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an:
“The Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds.”
The Hidden hath been manifested and hath revealed what He desired as a mercy from Him, yet most of the people are among the turning ones. Say: Fear God and follow not every remote oppressor. Cast aside the books of the people and take hold of the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
We make mention of the handmaidens of God in that place and beseech God to ordain for them what He hath ordained for the devoted ones. Verily, He hath power over all things. The glory from Us be upon you, O concourse of loved ones, and upon every one steadfast in the Cause and every one firm and upright.
BH01454: Praise be to God Who hath sent down…
He is God, exalted be His glory and power!
Praise be to God Who hath sent down the verses and manifested the clear proofs and sent forth the Messengers and made them guides of the ways from His presence to His creation, and through them He opened the gates of His grace and bounty unto His servants and revealed His path and His balance in His lands, until the Manifestations culminated in the Most Great Manifestation, Whom God established as His Own Self among the nations. Through Him appeared the seal of fulfillment and the Dove of Utterance warbled upon the highest branches. By God! He hath come through Whose advent the heavens were adorned, and through Whose name the Kingdom of Names, and through Whose manifestation the dominion of utterance in the heaven of religions. Through Him was raised the banner of unity and the standard of detachment, and the ocean of divine knowledge surged, and the fragrance of the All-Merciful was diffused.
Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou seest one of Thy servants who hath turned unto Him Who was imprisoned in Thy path and accepted tribulations for love of Thee. Thou knowest that he hath acknowledged Thy unity and oneness and held fast unto the cord of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by Thy chosen ones through whose light the earth and heaven were illumined, and whom Thou didst make the keys of Thy knowledge amongst mankind and the emblems of Thy guidance in the realm of creation, to assist him in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all men and the Lord of the throne on high and of earth below. There is none other God but Thee, the Guardian over all things.
Thy letter hath come before the Wronged One and We have learned its contents. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to open before thy face the gate of grace and to send down upon thee from the clouds of His mercy a blessing from His presence, and to make thee rich through His riches, and speaking in His remembrance, and steadfast in serving His loved ones. Verily, He is the All-Seeing, the All-Bountiful, the All-Hearing, the Most Generous. There is none other God but Him, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.
We make mention at this time of him who is named Abdul-Karim—upon him be the peace of God and His loving-kindness. He hath attained unto the mention of the Wronged One before and after thy request. We beseech the All-Bountiful to assist him in that whereby his remembrance and his name shall endure in the cities and lands of God. Verily, He is the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.
And We make mention of Our loved ones in Ta and of him who hath loved Me and arisen to serve Me, who was named Varqa in the Book of Names. We beseech God to aid all to act in accordance with what He hath revealed in His perspicuous Book, whereby He distinguished between truth and falsehood until the Day of Judgment.
O my God, my God! Adorn the heads of Thy servants with the crown of trustworthiness and their temples with the raiment of righteousness. Then preserve them, O my God, from the hosts of tyranny and wickedness and from that which Thou hast forbidden them through the tongue of Thy Messengers and chosen ones. O Lord! Illumine their hearts with the lights of Thy knowledge. Verily, Thou art He to Whose grace and bounty all created things have testified, and to Whose generosity and gifts all beings have borne witness. There is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
As for what thou didst desire concerning service, know that it dependeth upon goodly deeds and praiseworthy character. By Him Who holdeth my soul in His hands! Deeds are more potent than words. It behooveth the people of unity to counsel others through their deeds and their character. We counsel thee and them with that whereby their stations and ranks may be elevated in the world, and We beseech God to grant thee success in all conditions. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Bountiful.
O thou who holdest fast to the Sure Handle! Thou seest the believers among enemies, and there hath befallen them each day that which hath caused their hearts to melt, their tears to flow, and their hearts to lament. We implore God to aid them to patience and forbearance, to tranquility and dignity. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Unconstrained.
When thou seest any of My loved ones, remind him on My behalf, then recite unto him what the tongue of My counsel and exhortation hath uttered. Say: By God! The world and its ornaments, its possessions, its bounties and blessings shall pass away. Where is Chosroes, and where is Caesar? Where is he who turned away and denied? Where are the Pharaohs of the lands and the tyrants among the servants? And where are their ranks and their armies? Where are their lofty palaces and their adorned houses? Where is their might and their power, and where is their wrath and anger? They have returned to dust with great remorse. They cry for help but are not helped; they ask but are not answered. Blessed is the servant who hath cast away vain desire and taken unto himself the fear of God, and hath purified his heart from all rancor and hatred, and who associateth with all people in a spirit of fragrant joy. We beseech God to attract all through His call and to preserve them through His grace and His hosts, and to ordain for them every good thing that He hath sent down in His Book. Verily, He hath power over all things and is ready to answer.
BH01515: Praise, sanctified beyond the grasp of understanding and knowledge…
He is God—exalted be His majesty in grandeur and power.
Praise, sanctified beyond the grasp of understanding and knowledge, befitteth that Being Who hath ordained the pen and the ink, in the time of separation, as the means whereby love, concord, affection, and unity might appear. The pen—though it hath possessed no treasure and possesseth none, and its interior is empty—yet the power of God hath made it the possessor of the pearls of mysteries, and through it hath revealed that which is the cause of fellowship and love. Exalted be the grandeur of its Creator and Sustainer, and His sovereignty.
And blessings and peace be upon the Ocean of Utterance, through Whom God revealed the Furqan, and through Whom His laws were spread among His servants and His commands throughout His lands; and upon His kindred and His companions, through whom the traces of idolatry were effaced, and the nightingale of proof warbled upon the loftiest branches with the verses of divine unity and the mysteries of detachment—blessings which the changing fortunes of the world nor the appearances of the nations shall ever alter.
And now: the letter which that honored one sent unto this present servant was read before the face of the Wronged One and was admitted unto the grace of His hearing. O servant of God! By the life of God! the delay in making mention thereof hath been due to the multitude of writings: time is lacking and opportunity unseen. The matter resteth in the hand of God, the Mighty, the Loving.
From that which was written in the letter there was diffused the fragrance of love for the forgiving Lord. We render thanks unto God, blessed and exalted be He, that He strengthened thee in the earliest days, made known unto thee His path, His proof, His verses and His clear tokens, showed thee His signs, and caused thee to hear His call.
O ʿAbdu’llah! The divine Books have each been a herald, summoning the people to the Truth, and have been specifically sent down from the heaven of the Divine Will for guidance. His word, blessed and exalted be He, is:
“Alif. Lam. Mim. This is the Book; there is no doubt in it, a guidance to the God-fearing.”
Ask thou of God that He may assist His servants, that all may attain to that for which they were created from nothingness. The world and its vanishing things have prevented [men] from drawing nigh [unto God]. We beseech God to unveil for His servants that which is now concealed.
O ʿAbdu’llah! The pillars in the lands of the people of Divine Unity are shaken. No one is aware of the cause and reason thereof. Until now the earthquake of the Hour hath not subsided. Soon shall its effects be seen. In any case, thou and the other people of Divine Unity should implore preservation from God, exalted be His glory, and petition for victory and triumph, that perchance the calamity of the ancestors may not overtake their posterity, and that which existeth may endure. We beseech the True One, the Knower of things unseen, to assist the kings to act with justice and fairness. Verily, He hath power over all things. Affairs are hidden and concealed in the treasury of Divine knowledge. When thou receivest My letter and findest the fragrance of My utterance, say:
“My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me and taught me the word of Thy unity, and caused me to know Thy Beloved and His station through which Thou hast revealed Thy Cause and made clear Thy path, and given me to drink, from the hands of Thy bounty, the cup of Thy bestowal. O my Lord! Thou seest me turning away from all else but Thee, advancing toward Thee, and hoping for the wonders of Thy grace. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Signs, which Thou hast made the Manifestation of Thy Supreme Paradise and Thy Most Exalted Heaven, and by the pearls of the shells of the sea of Thy wisdom, to make me steadfast in Thy love and firm in Thy Cause, and clinging to Thy cord under all conditions. Thou art verily the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. O my Lord! Ordain for me and for those who love Thee the good of the world to come and of this world. Verily Thou art the All-Merciful, the Bountiful. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
Praise be to God, thou hast ever been and art still remembered. His honor Zaynu’l-Muqarrabin, upon him be My glory, hath mentioned and continueth to mention thee. Convey My greetings to Jinab-i-ʿAbdu’l-Mihdi. Say:
“Thy letter was seen. Praise be to God, thou hast repeatedly been the recipient of [divine] favor. We beseech God to assist thee and confirm thee and enable thee to do that which He loveth and is pleased with. Verily He is the Lord of creation and the Lord of the mighty throne.”
Remember on behalf of the Wronged One those who are related [to thee] and the loved ones, and counsel all to patience and steadfastness, trustworthiness and godliness, and righteousness. It is hoped that all will hold fast to the divine Book and act according to it.
BH01513: Praise be to the Lord of Bounty…
In His name, exalted be His glory! Wisdom and Utterance!
Praise be to the Lord of Bounty and the Sovereign of existence, Who is worthy and deserving, for in the sending of Messengers and the revelation of Books, His purpose in the primal degree hath been none other than the knowledge of His sacred Being and the unity of hearts and souls. Through one word revealed from the horizon of the Mother Book, the Path was made manifest and the decree of reckoning became evident, the cry was raised and the call of the trumpet encompassed all, and the mountains were set in motion—glorified be His grandeur and His might, His sovereignty and His power, and His all-pervading Word and dominion.
O thou who art mentioned before the Wronged One! Ism-i-Jud hath sent thy letter and mentioned thee. We make mention of thee in this perspicuous Tablet, from which the believers perceive the fragrance of the utterance of God, the Lord of the worlds. We bear witness that thou didst turn to Him in the early days and didst attain, and didst acknowledge God and His verses, His Manifestation, His power, His grandeur, and His glory. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to aid thee in thy latter days as He aided thee in thy early days. Verily, He is the One Whose command is to be obeyed and the One Who is praised in His judgment. Thou hast ever been remembered and hast attained unto boundless grace and favor and the Most Great Mercy. Blessed art thou and joy be unto thee. Say:
My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having mentioned me in Thy Most Great Prison, and guided me to Thy Most Straight Path, and illumined my heart with the light of Thy knowledge and mine eyes with the light of meeting Thee. I beseech Thee, O Sovereign of existence and Lord of the seen and unseen, by Thy Command which hath encompassed all things, and by Thy Power which hath prevailed over all who are in earth and heaven, and by the waves of the ocean of Thy utterance and the effulgences of the luminary of Thy laws, to make me in all conditions one who speaketh Thy praise, who standeth to serve Thee, and who acknowledgeth that which hath been sent down from the heaven of Thy knowledge. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the All-Compelling over all who are in the heavens and the earth. There is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
O thou who art present at this moment before the throne of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment! We have sent down for every name among names that which hath caused the solid rock to take flight, let alone bodies and frames. Give glad tidings unto My loved ones of My grace, My care, and My mercy which have preceded My earth and My heaven, and the light of My care which hath shone forth from the horizon of My bounty.
O Nabil-i-Qa’in! The Ship amidst the waves maketh mention of thee, and the Lamp amidst the winds is occupied with the mention of them who love God, glorified be His majesty. The idolaters and oppressors have wrought that which hath caused the Eye of Truth to weep and the Tablet to cry out and the Pen to swoon. When it recovered, it clung to the hem of mercy and said:
Have mercy on Thy servants, O Most Merciful of the merciful! Then conceal the evil of their imaginings, O Thou the Goal of the hearts of them that know Thee! I testify that Thy mercy hath preceded all created things and Thy grace hath encompassed all existing things. All affairs are in the grasp of Thy power, and the ocean of forgiveness is before Thy face, and the luminary of bounty and riches is in the right hand of Thy will. O Concealer! I beseech Thee by Thy chosen Name, and O All-Patient! I entreat Thee by the pearls of Thy love in the hearts of the chosen ones, to adorn the temples of Thy servants with the raiment of righteousness and fear of God. Verily, Thou art the Generous, possessed of great bounty. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
We wish to make mention of thy son, whose mention hath attained the honor of being heard at this moment when the Tongue of Grandeur speaketh in His Most Great Prison. Glory and majesty belong unto God, the Lord of the worlds. O Ismail! From the Friend hath wafted the fragrance of detachment in such wise as to astonish the Concourse on High and those who circle round the Throne of God, the Almighty. Leave the world to its people and take hold of the Book with such strength as cannot be hindered by the ranks of the slanderers. Blessed art thou, for thy name hath been sent down from the Tongue of God, the Speaker, the True, the Faithful. Say:
Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having guided me unto Thy Most Great Name and illumined my heart with the light of Thy manifest Cause.
O Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named Ni’mat’u’llah in this exalted station, then send down upon him that which will cause the sweet savors of the loving-kindness of his Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous, to be diffused. We beseech God to exalt thee through His Name and to ordain for thee that which will draw thee nigh unto Him at all times. Glory and splendor, grandeur and praise be upon thee and upon the assured servants of God.
BH01543: My God, my God! Thou seest my tears…
He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful!
My God, my God! Thou seest my tears and hearest my sighs. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy Throne, by the Manifestations of Thy Cause, by the Daysprings of Thy verses, the Sources of Thy clear proofs, the Fountainheads of Thy commandments, and the Points of descent of Thy revelation, to aid Thy servant who hath turned toward Thy most exalted horizon and held fast to the cord of Thy bounty, O Lord of all beings and Master of the throne on high and of the dust below, to act according to what Thou hast commanded him in Thy Book which Thou didst send down upon the Dawning-Place of Thy most excellent names and Thy most exalted attributes, whereby Thou didst separate truth from falsehood, the knowing from the ignorant, the guide from the misguider, the one who accepteth from the one who turneth away.
I testify, O my God, in this my position, to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and that Thou art God, there is none other God but Thee. Thou hast ever been powerful through Thy might and dominant through Thy Will. Thou art He Whom neither the might of kings nor the clamor of subjects could hinder. Through Thy power Thou hast manifested that before which the necks of nations have bowed down and the voices of all in the world have been hushed.
Thou seest me, O my God, far removed after Thou didst shelter me in the protection of Thy supreme mercy, and poor after Thou didst cause me to dwell upon the shore of the sea of wealth. O Lord! Withhold me not from gazing toward Thy most exalted horizon, nor my tongue from Thy remembrance, O Lord of all names and Creator of heaven, nor my ears from hearkening unto Thy verses, O Lord of all beings. By Thy glory, O my God! I know with certain knowledge that the eye was not created save for the Greatest Vision, nor the tongue except for Thy remembrance, O Possessor of all power.
I beseech Thee, O Sovereign of the Kingdom, by the mysteries of Thy dominion and what lay hidden in the ocean of Thy knowledge, and by that whereby the pavilion of Thy glory was raised upon the highest standards and the banners of Thy grandeur were hoisted in the most exalted station, and by Him through Whom the valley flowed and the clouds rained, and by His family and His companions, to ordain for me the good of the Hereafter and of this world. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Alas, alas! How can I mention Thee, O God of the world and Goal of the nations, after my knowledge that remembrance of aught else but Thee befitteth not Thy grandeur and power, nor is worthy of Thy most holy court and Thy sacred station? Therefore, alas, alas! O my Lord and my Support, my grievous sins have prevented me from drawing nigh unto the ocean of Thy mercy, and my great transgressions have come between me and the sun of Thy grace. By Thy glory, O Goal of all creation and Object of all things possible, the heart loveth naught save for its turning toward Thy most exalted horizon, and I desire not the eye save for beholding Thy traces, O Lord of the Throne on high and of the dust below.
The spirit is beloved if it be sacrificed in Thy path, and the body acceptable if it be cast upon the dust in Thy name. I know not, O my God, my Lord and my Goal, what Thou hast ordained for this Thy servant. Hast Thou ordained for him to enter into the depths of the sea of Thy oneness and the ocean of Thy grace and mercy, or hath Thy irrevocable decree withheld him from what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones? O Lord! I am the thirsty one, and with Thee is the Kawthar of life; I am the transgressor, and with Thee is the ocean of forgiveness. Deprive me not, O my God, from the ocean of Thy bounty, and make me not deprived of Thy grace, O Thou in Whose grasp is the kingdom of all possibilities. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Bestower.
O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy Prophets and Thy chosen ones who were so attracted by Thy remembrance that neither the ranks of the world nor the opposition of the nations could withhold them. They arose and proclaimed:
“God is our Lord and the Lord of the mighty Throne and the elevated Seat!”
They spent what they possessed in Thy path and hastened to the place of sacrifice with such joy as to astonish the Concourse on high and the dwellers of Thy Paradise, O Lord of all things—those whom Thou hast mentioned in Thy Book and described through Thy Will and Purpose. These are servants, honored ones who speak not until He hath spoken, and who do as commanded.
Make me in all conditions one who acteth according to what Thou hast commanded me, who forsaketh what Thou hast forbidden me, who remaineth steadfast in Thy Cause, who speaketh in Thy remembrance and praise. Then I beseech Thee by Him through Whom the breezes of Thy verses were wafted and by Whose advent the heavens of Thy sky were honored, to aid me to act according to what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. Then forgive me and my parents through Thy grace and bounty. Verily, Thou art the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
BH01583: Glorified be God, our Lord, the Lord…
He is God, exalted be His glory, the Most Great, the All-Powerful!
Glorified be God, our Lord, the Lord of the mighty Throne and our Master and the Master of the exalted Seat. He hath sent forth the Messengers out of love for His servants and creation, and as a bounty and favor unto them, that He might draw them nigh unto Him and guide them to the court of His glory and acquaint them with that which profiteth them in every world of His worlds. He hath sent down the Books that His proof might endure in His kingdom. He, verily, is the All-Bountiful One Who loveth His servants and creation, and remindeth them at all times of His signs, and sendeth down mercy upon them from the heaven of His bounty. I beseech Him, exalted be He, to aid those who have believed in His signs to remain steadfast in His word of unity. He is, verily, the Helper, the All-Knowing, and the Almighty over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Most Great.
O beloved of my heart! Thy letter was received, but there was no opportunity to reply. On this night I was enabled to make mention of a response, and I beseech God, glorified be His majesty, to protect that beloved of the heart and aid him to set aright the affairs of His loved ones. He is our Protector and the Protector of the sincere ones among His servants and those who are nigh unto His creation.
On this night thy letter was again presented before His presence. He said: The friends of God have ever striven with utmost effort for the well-being of their fellow believers. Praise be to God that thou hast been assisted to accomplish that which is the greatest means for the manifestation of the light of unity and concord. This Wronged One beseecheth God, glorified be His majesty, to protect His friends and to make each one a gate of mercy, blessing, kindness, compassion, prosperity and reformation. He is, verily, the Almighty, the Unconstrained.
Although thy presence with the Wronged One was beloved, yet since thou art occupied with the affairs of the friends of God, glorified be His majesty, it maketh up for what was lost, nay rather, it is greater. We beseech God to aid all to manifest His attributes among them. He is, verily, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
Both heart and tongue are occupied with the love and remembrance of the days of thy presence. The pen writeth, the tongue speaketh, the heart is aflame with the fire of love. All this is from the grace of God, our Lord and your Lord, upon you and upon His servant. He is, verily, the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful.
How can one enumerate His mercy and generosity? Every fair-minded soul hath confessed its inability, and every truthful one hath acknowledged it. The Prophets have confessed their powerlessness, how much more so the diverse parties! In all conditions we hold fast to His cord and hope for His grace. He is the One Bestower and the Mighty, the Powerful.
The true Beloved, His Holiness Ali, upon him be God’s everlasting peace, whose very being is the gate of love and the book of mercy, hath ever been and still is remembered in the heart and is present before the face of the Lord. In all conditions I seek His confirmations and beseech God, glorified be His majesty, to aid him to guide mankind and enable him to rend asunder the veils of the people of allusions. He is, verily, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
The friends are each remembered and blessed with the favors of their Lord, may our spirits be sacrificed for Him. I beseech God, exalted be His glory, to manifest a wondrous favor and adorn all with that which gladdeneth their hearts. He is, verily, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
At the end of thy letter mention was made of the Countenance. It was intended to be acquired in the way of religion, but it proved impossible as commerce hath ceased in this land. According to what thou didst submit to my master, His Holiness Gh. S., may my spirit be a sacrifice for the dust of his footsteps, the funds were sent to Egypt for the purchase of the stone, and likewise for other purposes. However, word hath come from the Threshold that a sum of one hundred Ottoman liras was sent to the house. As commanded, mention was made of this to the one named Jud, upon him be 96 [Baha’u’llah], that they should send that purse exactly as it is. Peace, remembrance and praise be upon your honor and upon those with you and upon God’s righteous servants.
BH01610: Praise and glory befit the Lord of the Kingdom…
He is the One Who rules over all who are on earth and in heaven.
Praise and glory befit the Lord of the Kingdom of Names, Who, in the midst of the world’s upheaval and the discord of nations, has raised aloft the banner of true unity with complete power and supreme might, and through the potency of His All-Powerful Name has adorned the arena of existence with the lights of His Revelation. He has caused the precincts of hearts and minds to attain supreme joy and greatest gladness through the utterance of Him Who conversed on Sinai. He is the One Incomparable Almighty and the All-Knowing Sage. There is none like unto Him, nor has He any peer or likeness in all creation. Exalted be His grandeur, magnificent His signs, great His Cause and His sovereignty.
O My Name! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. The letters which Asad—upon him be My glory—sent to thee, both earlier and later ones, have each attained the honor of being presented and heard, and have been adorned with the glory of acceptance. Each has testified to his devotion, his recognition and his steadfastness. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to give him to drink, from the hands of bounty, the wine of immortality, to make him a champion of His Cause among all peoples, and to ordain for him that which He has ordained for those who have attained His presence. Verily He is the Lord of the throne and earth, and the Ruler of earth and heaven.
O My Name! Upon thee and upon him be My glory and My mercy, and upon those with him who have acknowledged and recognized that which the Tongue of Grandeur has spoken, and who have acted according to that which they were commanded in His perspicuous Book.
O Asad! Blessed art thou for having attained unto verses that cannot be equaled by the treasures of kings and princes, and unto a mention that cannot be matched by any other mention. Rejoice thou in this supreme bounty, then praise thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Bountiful.
A Tablet was previously revealed specifically for Ahmad. We beseech God to assist him in that which He loves and is pleased with, and to enable him to behold the divine verses with his own eyes and hear them with his own ears. The Exalted Herald—may the spirit of all else but Him be sacrificed for His sake—has said:
“Bear witness with the eye of thy heart, and look not upon Him except with His eye, for whosoever looks upon Him with his eye shall perceive Him, otherwise he will remain veiled.”
They were and are unaware of the essence of the Cause, for due to the requirements of wisdom and the flame of hatred and malice burning in the hearts of the people of every kind, most matters were concealed. Blessed is the one who has shattered the idols of vain imaginings through divine power and has turned with his own sight and hearing to the lights of the Daystar of certitude.
If they would, for but an hour, sanctify their hearing from what they have heard, and likewise their sight from what they have seen, and turn to the revealed verses that have encompassed the kingdom of earth and heaven, they would cry out at the top of their voices among all peoples “The All-Merciful has come with manifest sovereignty”—in such wise that their cry would be heard even in the prison. In truth it would be a pity for them to hesitate in this Day, for this is the Day of striving and service. Should one partake of the Kawthar of immortality that lies hidden within the Most Exalted Words, he would give the world the glad tidings of the appearance of Him Who conversed on Sinai upon the throne of Revelation. Though he has not attained His presence and meeting, yet his level of understanding is evident to this Wronged One. Should he be assisted to turn to God’s will, it will increase and be made effective.
Some time ago the letter of Samandar—upon him be My glory and loving-kindness—and thy letter arrived, and in both his mention was made. In those same days the Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed, but there was delay in its dispatch. We beseech God, exalted be He, to draw him nigh unto Him and sanctify him from all else but Him, that he may hear and hasten with his heart unto God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. If they would consider all that has transpired from the beginning of the Cause until now, they would testify to the power, majesty and sovereignty of God, exalted be His glory. The glory proceeding from Us be upon thee and upon thy nephew and thy family who have turned to and believed in God, the One, the All-Informed. Praise be to God, the Lord of the mighty throne.
BH01656: The ocean of oneness hath surged, and the Ark…
He is the Manifest, the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!
The ocean of oneness hath surged, and the Ark hath sailed, and the fragrance of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, hath been wafted. Blessed is he who hath clung to the cord of bounty and turned to the Most Exalted Horizon, and woe betide him who hath been kept back from the Daystar of certitude by following vain imaginings and idle fancies.
O youth! Bear thou witness unto that whereunto God hath testified in this most exalted Station, this most sublime Summit, and this most glorious Horizon, that there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling over what hath been and what shall be. We have mentioned thee aforetime with verses from which the fragrance of My loving-kindness was diffused amongst My servants, that thou mightest render thanks unto thy Lord, the Lord of existence. And We have sent down unto thee, time and again, that whereby the realities of all things were attracted. To this testifieth the Lord of the Kingdom of Names, Who is established upon the throne of “He doeth whatsoever He willeth” through His Most Holy, Mighty, and Beloved Name.
Thou wert mentioned aforetime by the Trusted One of the Bayan, upon him be the Glory of the All-Merciful, and then by him who was named Haydar-ʿAli, upon him be My Glory. We have remembered thee with that whose fragrance shall never cease to endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven, and We have sent thee a Tablet wherefrom the sincere ones inhale the fragrance of God, the Lord of all that was and shall be. And at this moment one of My Branches, who hath been named the Light in My Beloved Tablet, hath presented himself, bearing thy letter which thou didst send unto him who was named with the first part of My Name, and it was read before Our face.
We have sent down from the heaven of bounty that which delighteth the eyes of the maidens secluded in the Most Exalted Paradise and attracteth the hearts of the dwellers of the supreme Paradise. Verily thy Lord loveth him who loveth Him and remembereth him who remembereth Him, and He is the Almighty, the Mighty, the All-Loving.
O youth! There hath befallen Us tribulations whereat the Concourse on High hath lamented, and afflictions wherewith hearts and souls have been consumed. They have cast aside trustworthiness, truthfulness and faithfulness, having followed the dictates of self and passion. Lo! They comprehend not. We desired glory for them, yet they desired for Us supreme abasement. Thus have their souls enticed them, and they have committed that which hath caused the tears of the faithful to flow, they who have believed in God, the Lord of this praiseworthy station. Neither the might of the world shall frighten Me, nor shall the harm of those who have disbelieved in the Witness and the Witnessed hold Me back.
When thou hast quaffed the choice wine of bounty from the cup of the utterance of thy Most Glorious Lord, say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having caused me to soar in the atmosphere of Thy love, to be set ablaze with the fire of Thy affection, and to be illumined by the light of Thy knowledge. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the worlds and the Desire of the nations, by Thy Most Great Name, whereby the hearts of them that are nigh unto Thee were illumined and the faces of them who broke Thy Covenant and Testament and denied Thee and Thy signs were darkened, to assist Thy loved ones to serve Thy Cause and guide Thy creatures, and ordain for them that which shall draw them unto Thee in all conditions. Verily, Thou art the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.
O Lord! Thou knowest and seest that I have desired naught save to make mention of Thee amongst Thy servants, to exalt Thy Word, and to manifest that which shall raise them unto the heaven of Thy glory. I beseech Thee to aid me in that which I have purposed in Thy path. Verily, Thou art the All-Bounteous, the Generous, the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
O Lord! I testify to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and to Thy loftiness and Thy transcendence, and to Thy sanctification above the recognition of Thy creatures and Thy exaltation above the comprehension of them that are in Thy realm. I beseech Thee, O Sovereign of bounty and Lord of the Kingdom of Names, by Thy Beloved One whom Thou didst deliver from the ungodly who sought to shed His blood without any proof from Thee or testimony from Thy presence, and by Thy Cause whereby Thou didst raise up the Spirit to the heaven of Thy grace and didst preserve Him from the evil of them that turned away among Thy servants and the transgressors among Thy creatures, and by the Will whereby Thou didst deliver Moses from the tyranny of the Pharaohs of the earth and its oppressors, to protect Thy sheep from the wolves of Thy earth and the embodiments of trustworthiness from the calumniators and treacherous ones among Thy servants. Then assist them with the hosts of wisdom and utterance, and preserve them through Thy power which hath encompassed all things. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
BH01632: We arose this day and there were present before…
He is the Compassionate Speaker, the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
We arose this day and there were present before Us the images of My loved ones in Ishqabad. We have sent down for each one of them that whereby the cities of wisdom and utterance have been illumined, and the city of knowledge hath been adorned in this exalted station. This is the day wherein the City hath descended from the heaven of God’s command, the Lord of the worlds. Give thou this glad tiding to those servants whom We sent aforetime and made them to be among the Messengers.
O Ahmad! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to exalt thee through His Name amongst His servants and to aid thee in that which will cause His sovereign Word to be upraised among all created things. Verily thy Lord is the Almighty, the All-Powerful. This Day is God’s Day, and the Call is His Call, and the Remembrance is His Remembrance, and the Cause is His firm and mighty Cause. Blessed art thou inasmuch as thou hast turned and hearkened and attained unto that which was inscribed by the Pen of God in the Books of the Prophets. Thy mention hath gained admittance into Our presence, and We have sent down for thee that whereby all things have cried out and proclaimed:
“All praise and glory belong unto God, the Lord of the heavens and earth!”
Blessed are they who are enkindled this day with the fire of divine love.
Say: O people! Hearken unto the Voice of the Wronged One and ponder the past ages and centuries. What was the cause and reason that in the days of their appearance each of the Manifestations of the Cause was afflicted with the torment of the enemies? What was the cause of the denial of the Seal of the Prophets—may the spirit of all else but Him be sacrificed for His sake—and what was the reason for the rejection and revilement of the Spirit (Christ)? Say: Reflect ye upon Moses and that which was visited upon Him by the idolaters. If the followers of the Qur’an would but ponder a single verse, they would find their way to the Straight Path and the Most Great Announcement. This is what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an through His words:
“There came not unto them a Messenger but they did mock at him.”
All the Prophets were rejected by the peoples of past ages and centuries and were martyred through diverse afflictions and trials.
O people of God! This Day is a blessed Day, for the Lord of Revelation hath appeared and is established upon the throne of utterance. Blessed is he that hath heard and seen, and woe unto the heedless and the deniers. We beseech God to aid that company and to make them foremost among the peoples of those regions. This is a mighty bounty which hath been recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Book. This affirmation shall not be erased by extinction nor shall it be altered. Rejoice, O My loved ones, at this most exalted Word which We have sent down from the heaven of the bounty of your Lord, the All-Wise, the All-Knowing. Today the world is ablaze and the atoms of all created things are proclaiming “The Lord is come!”
Blessed are ye, O My loved ones in that gathering, and O My chosen ones there. God will soon manifest through His grace and mercy, which have preceded both earth and heaven, that which He hath purposed—a command from God, the Ancient of Days. The Most Great Glad-Tidings is that the mention of that gathering hath been made repeatedly before the Countenance. By the life of God! Its fragrance shall never be cut off from the world. He Who speaketh in every condition beareth witness unto this: Verily He is God, there is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the Powerful.
O My loved ones! We desire to make mention of My Afnan who have attained unto My days and have quaffed the choice wine of reunion from the hand of My bounty. Blessed are they and blessed is he who loveth them. We beseech God to open before their faces the gates of grace and bounty. Verily He is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth through His mighty and wondrous Word.
Convey My greetings unto thy two brothers and remind them of My verses and give them the glad-tidings of My turning toward them and of that which hath been sent down for them from the Kingdom of Mine utterance, the Wondrous, the Glorious. Light and glory and praise and honor be upon thee and upon My loved ones there who were not kept back by the vicissitudes of the world nor by the affairs of the nations from drawing nigh unto the Most Great Ocean, from whose waves can be heard:
“The gate of heaven hath been opened and the Lord of the Kingdom of Names hath come with manifest sovereignty.”
BH01661: The Goal of the world’s peoples has willed…
In the Name of God, the Mighty!
The Goal of the world’s peoples has willed on this blessed night of the month of Ramadan to make mention in the luminous tongue—that is, in the Persian language—of one of His loved ones, that perchance the penetrating power of the Most Exalted Word and the potency of the Supreme Pen may enable the people of the world of creation to attain eternal life and everlasting existence.
O My loved ones and My friends! With wisdom, impart to the peoples of the world the greatness of this station, this Revelation and this utterance, and make it known to them, that perchance they may be quickened and refreshed by the breathings of the Holy Spirit and arise to promote the Cause with joy and delight.
This Wronged One has, at all times, summoned all the peoples of the earth to the horizon of Him Who conversed on Sinai and guided them. However, the unjust people became a barrier and, through false tales and fabricated statements, prevented ears from hearkening to the shrill voice of the Divine Pen. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to adorn all with the ornament of truthfulness, sincerity, trustworthiness and fidelity. He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing.
Today the loved ones must manifest supreme kindliness and greatest mercy, and awaken the heedless, that perchance they may discover and comprehend the station of these days and the purpose of the Beloved of the worlds. God is aware and the people bear witness that this Wronged One had no desire save the exaltation of the blessed Word. Nevertheless, from all directions fly the arrows of denial and hypocrisy. Soon will the heedless witness their stations before the seat of God’s justice, the Lord of all worlds. By My life! Not a single fruitless or ineffective deed remains or has remained. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to assist His servants in that which befits His days. Verily, He has power over all things.
Today all must gaze toward the horizon of Revelation and hold fast to whatsoever hath been manifested from the Source of God’s command. This is the truth, there is no doubt therein. Blessed is he who hath laid hold upon it and cast away all else, as bidden by the Ordainer, the All-Wise.
O Letter F before T! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One and remind the servants of what hath been sent down to them from the heaven of the Will of God, the Mighty, the Praised.
Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou seest and knowest that I have turned toward Thee, holding fast to the cord of Thy bounty and clinging to the hem of Thy mercy. I beseech Thee by the Word whereby Thou hast subdued the world, and by Thy Name through which Thou hast illumined the hearts of the nations, to open before the faces of Thy servants the doors of Thy generosity, then draw them nigh unto Thee in all conditions, then grant them to drink from the cup of steadfastness such that neither the doubts of the nations nor the oppression of those who have denied Thy Most Great Name may cause them to slip. O Lord! They are Thy servants and Thy creation.
Unveil to them what Thou hast unveiled to Thy loved ones, then make known to them Thy straight Path, at whose appearance hearts and minds were agitated, except for those whom Thou didst protect through Thy hosts of power and Thy sovereignty. O my God! Send Thy blessings upon Thy chosen ones who have confined their affairs to Thy remembrance and praise and the promotion of Thy Cause in Thy lands. Verily, Thou art the Almighty Whom the affairs of creation cannot frustrate, nor can the might of those who have denied Thy proof and Thy testimony and who dispute Thy signs that have encompassed the heavens and the earth prevent Thee. Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds!
O thou who standest firm in My service! Mention of the loved ones of that land has repeatedly been made in the Most Holy Court and continues to be made. One day among these days, the Most Great Branch and Ism-i-Jud, upon them both be My glory and My loving-kindness, made mention of you, and your letter attained the honor of being seen and heard. We have therefore answered thee through this mighty Tablet and this perspicuous Book. Give thanks unto thy Lord and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of all beings, and thanksgiving be unto Thee, O Possessor of the hereafter and this world, for having remembered me in Thy prison and for having sent down that whose fragrance shall never be cut off throughout the duration of Thy commandments and ordinances. Verily, Thou art the Almighty over whatsoever Thou willest through Thy binding and wise command. There is no God but Thee, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
BH01772: Glorified be God! With what tongue can man describe…
He is God, exalted be He in might and power
Glorified be God! With what tongue can man describe and praise the Sun of Truth? Through a single manifestation He adorned sheer nothingness with the ornament of existence and arrayed pure nonexistence with the garment of being. Glory be unto Him! Glory be unto Him! Great is His glory and all-encompassing His bounty. There is no God but Him. And peace and blessings be upon Him through Whom God’s decree appeared on earth and His Cause among creation, through Whom the traces of the ungodly were effaced and the qualities of the believers were established, and upon the rivers that branched forth from the ocean of His utterance, namely His family and companions, through whom the sea of certitude surged amidst all possibility, and the banners of those who denied the All-Merciful were brought low, and through whom God’s Cause and His decree, His remembrance and His praise were established.
Thereafter, the handwriting of that Beloved of soul and spirit was a treasure of joy and a book of gladness and mercy. Praise be to God, immediately upon its arrival the effulgence of the Name “the Loving” became manifest. In truth, the carpet of love was spread and the cushions of affection were adorned, for it was redolent with divine remembrance and indicative of the oneness of His Essence. God, exalted be His glory, and all things bear witness that mention of that Beloved hath another influence and another penetrating power. After its reading, observation and hearing, we proceeded to the Most Great Shrine where it was presented before His presence.
They said: “We beseech God for whatsoever is worthy of His grace and favor.” They said: “Write: O Muhammad and those with thee! Ye are all remembered in the presence of the Wronged One. In all conditions ye must be engaged in your affairs with the utmost joy and fragrance and assurance. Relief is from God and victory is from God and their restoration is from Him. Verily He is the Most Merciful of the merciful ones and the Almighty over those in the heavens and earths. Beware lest anything among things or any matter among matters sadden you. Convey My greetings to each one. They have ever been and continue to be remembered. Verily He is the Answerer of the suppliants and the Fulfiller of the needs of the sincere ones. Praise be to God, for He is the Goal of the mystics.” End quote.
Praise be to God, they have been and continue to be confirmed, and we beseech and implore the rain of His bounty from the clouds of His mercy. Verily the supplicant hath never been and shall never be deprived, for His mercy is beyond reckoning and His grace is limitless. We beseech Him to adorn this dispersion with the ornament of unity and to transform this apparent separation and remoteness into nearness and presence. With clear certainty we know He is able to do whatsoever He willeth and powerful over whatsoever He desireth. Regarding the matters about which you wrote to the beloved of the heart, His Honor Haji Siyyid Javad, upon him be the Glory of God—that letter was given to this servant and was read, but in consultation certain considerations arose and were presented before His presence.
Surely His Honor himself has written and will write to that beloved one. We shall see what else will appear hereafter. This servant beseecheth God, detached from all else but Him, to ordain what is best for us. Verily He hath power over what He willeth. I convey greetings to the friends of that land and the beloved ones of that region, one and all, and I beseech God, exalted be His station, for victory, blessing, loftiness and elevation for all. Verily our Lord is the Almighty, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Glory and remembrance and praise be upon your honor and upon those who love you for the sake of God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH01808: Praise be sanctified above mention and utterance and all…
He is the Rememberer, the Consoler, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise
Praise be sanctified above mention and utterance and all that is in creation, befitting the court of the Beloved of the worlds, Who hath ordained death and life as herald and warner in a single station. Through the first He illumined hearts and souls with the light of promise and adorned them with the seal of “Verily I am God’s”, and through the second the fear of God was made manifest, whereby He restrained the self and passion from transgression. Outward life in one sense merits the decree of veil, but when it is removed the Hand of bounty raises high the banner of nearness and meeting. Great is His glory! Let those near drawn rejoice in the Kawthar of attainment and the sincere in the fragrant breezes of nearness and beauty.
O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention in this station of him who drank the wine of certitude and attained the Companion, who believed in the Lord of all beings when the people of tyranny and oppression denied Him. He was named Muhammad-ʿAli in the Book of Names. Say: The first wave that surged from the ocean of grace, the first fragrance that wafted from the utterance of the Most Great Name, and the first light that shone from the horizon of the world be upon thee, O thou whom God adorned in His days with the pearls of submission and contentment and the gems of glory, wisdom and faithfulness. I testify that thou didst drink the choice wine of understanding from the hand of the bounty of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, when all in creation were deprived thereof.
Thou art he whom the might of the oppressors deterred not from drawing nigh unto God, the Lord of lords, and whom the veils of the transgressors prevented not from gazing toward His Most Luminous Horizon. Thou didst shatter the idol of vain imaginings with the arm of certitude and illumine thy heart with the light of the knowledge of God, the Lord of all beings and the King of days. Blessed art thou for having been mentioned by the Pen of Bounty before and after thy ascension, as a grace from God, the Lord of Names. At this moment We beseech Him to send down upon thee at all times mercy and loving-kindness from His presence, and to cause thee to enter with the people of Baha into the Most Exalted Paradise. He, verily, is the Lord of the throne on high and of earth below, the Lord of the world to come and of this world.
Glorified art Thou, O my God, O Thou Who causeth the winds to blow, Who sendeth down the Tablets and ordaineth good fortune and prosperity! I beseech Thee by the pearls hidden in the ocean of Thy knowledge and the mysteries treasured in the repositories of Thy protection to forgive him and those who visit him, through that which Thou hast sent down from the heaven of Thy Will and the atmosphere of Thy good-pleasure. O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy generosity that hath encompassed all created things and by Thy bounty that hath embraced all existence to rain down upon Thy loved ones from the clouds of Thy grace the showers of Thy mercy. Then ordain for them the good of this world and the world to come through Thy Will and Purpose. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Vanquisher, the Powerful. And verily Thou art the Forgiving, the Generous, the Kind, the Merciful.
O My leaf and My handmaiden! Praise be to God that the door of bounty is opened and the rain of mercy is pouring from the heaven of grace. Through His Name the Sun of Certitude hath shone in this moment upon all who are in the realm of possibility, and the heaven of wisdom and utterance hath been adorned with the stars of the knowledge of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower. We beseech God to confirm thee in supreme steadfastness and to draw thee to a station wherein nothing among all things shall prevent thee from the remembrance of thy Lord, the Possessor of the Kingdom of Names and Creator of heaven. We make mention of My leaves and handmaidens there and give them glad tidings of the ocean of My bounty and the heaven of My generosity and the sun of My grace, whereby existence hath been illumined in both the unseen and the visible realms. The glory of God be upon thee and upon them from God, the Mighty, the Loving.
BH01806: He speaketh the truth and manifesteth justice!
He speaketh the truth and manifesteth justice!
The essence of praise and thanksgiving, and the very source of gratitude, beseemeth and befitteth that Desired One Who was not deterred from reformation by the tyranny of oppressors, the turning away of the heedless, or the corruption of the mischief-makers, nor was He prevented by their acts from exercising His all-pervasive and penetrating Will.
O Attar! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One, raised from the prison of Akka. Verily, He uniteth hearts and revealeth that which lieth hidden in the breasts. This call is, in one station, as a spirit unto bodies, and in another station, as the Water of Life unto all existence. Blessed is he who hath attained thereunto and drunk thereof in My Name, the All-Loving, the Bountiful.
The letter thou didst send to him who beareth the name of God—upon him be My glory—was forwarded to the Most Holy Court, where it was presented and heard.
O ʿAttar! Upon thee be the glory of God, thy Lord, the Chosen One. I speak the truth when I say that manifest tribulations and sorrows have encompassed the Truth—exalted be His glory. Wert thou to become aware of them, thou wouldst weep by night and day like unto one bereft, by reason of what hath befallen Me at the hands of those whom We caused to hear Our call, to whom We showed Our path, whom We guided to Our straight way, whom We aided to turn toward Our direction, and whom We gave to drink from the Kawthar of Our reunion and the cup of Our presence, the Mighty, the Wondrous.
O ʿAttar! Upon thee be My glory and My peace. Should anyone ask thee concerning the All-Glorious, say: He is caught in the talons of hatred. There hath befallen Him that which no pen in all the world can move to recount or enumerate, nor can any ink record. To this doth testify He with Whom are the treasuries of verses and the Preserved Book.
Refresh and gladden the friends with the Kawthar of the utterance of Him Who is the Goal of all the worlds. We beseech God, exalted be He, to aid them to stand firm with such steadfastness as no law of the world nor anything possessed by the nations can prevent from turning toward the Most Great Ocean, from whose waves can be heard:
“The Owner of all things hath come! The Kingdom is God’s, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting!”
Be not grieved at what hath befallen you. Soon shall the oppressors behold the recompense of their deeds. Verily, thy Lord is the Just, the All-Wise.
What is necessary and obligatory today is that the loved ones should remain steadfast and immovable in the Cause with the utmost firmness, and should shun whatsoever giveth off the odor of mischief. At present most kings and subjects bear witness to this community’s freedom from corruption. Should they observe even the slightest association with the corrupt—nay, less than the eye of a needle—they would arise to inflict grievous oppression. Say: O My loved ones! Ye are mines of the pearls of steadfastness. Defile not yourselves with the vain imaginings of the corrupt. Such is the counsel of the Wronged One unto His loved ones. Blessed are they that act accordingly.
Today is the day of teaching. With wisdom and utterance must ye cleanse the people of the world from the defilement of corruption, conflict and contention, and draw them to the direction of the One Beloved Friend. Verily, He hath come for the reformation of the world and the refinement of the souls of His servants. To this testify His holy Tablets, His revealed Books, His manifest mysteries, and this clear Book in this brilliant station.
The son who beareth My name, Husayn, brought the letter of thy son into Our presence. We read it and have revealed for thee and for thy son and for those with thee that which cannot be equaled by the pearls of the seas, nor by the mines in the mountains, nor by the treasuries of kings. Adorn all the members of that household, on behalf of the Wronged One, with the ornament of loving-kindness and with the embellishment of bounty and mercy. They have ever been mentioned in Our Tablets, and mention of each one hath been sent down from the Most Exalted Pen.
The glory be upon thee and upon My loved ones and friends, and upon My leaves who have hearkened unto the call and believed in God, the One, the All-Informed.
BH01844: Praise be to the King of Kings Who has…
He is the One Who calls between earth and heaven.
Praise be to the King of Kings Who has gladdened His servants with the blessed word “The All-Merciful is established upon the throne,” for this exalted word is a clear glad-tiding of the manifestation of Truth and His establishment, exalted be His glory. This blessed word in its inmost mystery gives the glad-tidings of His presence, that those who have turned to Him may attain supreme joy and hold fast to that which befits His days.
O friends of God in those lands! His honor Siyyid Faraju’llah, upon him be the glory of God, has attained Our presence and has been blessed again and again with the waters of reunion. Now he has sought a portion of that blessed, luminous cup for the friends as well. We therefore desire to send you the Kawthar of utterance, the choice wine of recognition, and the Salsabil of certitude, that these may draw you to the supreme horizon and most exalted summit. We beseech God, blessed and exalted is He, to change your hardship to ease, your sorrow to joy, and your difficulty to comfort. Verily He loves His friends and desires for them a joy that neither sorrows nor the contingencies of the world can alter.
Praise be to God! These are days of joy and gladness. We hope that at all times they may drink from the cup of bounty that which is the cause of eternal life throughout the dominion of earth and heaven. Cast off the garments of troubles and sorrows from the temples of love through the name of the Beloved of the worlds. The affairs of the sincere ones and those who profess His unity are with God, exalted be His glory. If He wishes He gives, and if He wills He takes away. All affairs are captive in the grasp of His power, and this indeed is easy and simple. In these days through His infinite bounty and supreme benevolence you have been blessed with that which causes the exaltation of the Word of God and the advancement of His Cause.
My God, my God, my Lord, my Support, my Master, my Helper, my Goal and my Object of worship! I beseech Thee by the lamp of Thy Cause which Thou didst kindle with the hand of Thy power, and by the pearls which were hidden in the hearts of Thy chosen ones, and by the ocean of Thy verses and the heaven of Thy generosity, to protect Thy friends through Thy bounty and Thy hosts. Then open before their faces the doors of Thy riches. O Lord! Thou seest them holding fast to the cord of Thy bounty and clinging to the hem of Thy generosity. Disappoint them not of that which shall establish the signs of Thy trustworthiness in Thy lands, Thy religion in Thy realms, and the appearance of Thy justice amongst Thy servants.
I testify, O my God, that they have desired naught but Thy mention and praise and the service of Thy Cause. I beseech Thee to raise up through them Thy names amidst Thy creation and Thy attributes among those who dwell in Thy heaven and Thy earth. Thou art He Who has testified to Thy power through all created things and to Thy sovereignty through all possible things. Thou doest what Thou willest, and in Thy grasp is the control of all things. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Generous.
God is witness and testifier that the friends have ever been mentioned on the Wronged One’s carpet and their purpose has been and is the exaltation of the blessed Word. Assuredly this supreme station and exalted rank has been recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Book of the Lord of all being, and its effects are endless. Soon will the heedless ones witness the greatness of God and His power, and the favors and kindnesses of God. Verily He loves whoever turns to Him, desires whoever seeks Him, and mentions whoever mentions Him with a mention whereby the trees catch fire and proclaim that there is none other God but Him, the One, the Chosen.
Peace and glory and praise and blessing be upon you, O friends of God, and His bounty and favor and heavenly table and mercy which has preceded all who are in the heavens and the earth.
BH01857: O Muhammad, upon thee be My glory! In thy…
In the name of the All-Knowing Speaker!
O Muhammad, upon thee be My glory! In thy letter which Varqa, upon him be My glory, forwarded, mention was made of Nabil-i-Akbar, upon him be the glory of God, the Lord of Power, and likewise loving mention was made of the chosen ones, upon them be the Most Glorious Glory of God, by the pen of love. Each hath been honored by mention from the Most Exalted Pen, and from the clouds of grace the rain of mercy hath been showered upon hearts and minds. We beseech God that there may spring forth therefrom the flowers of divine realities and utterance. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Glorious, the Bountiful.
O Muhammad, upon thee be the glory of God and His favors! This Wronged One hath dealt with those who claim to love Him with perfect love and supreme kindness. To this testify the earth and its mountains, its trees and fruits, the seas and their waves, the sun and its rays. Yet some have broken their covenant and pledge, and severed its cord, and in the great city committed that which caused the eye of love to weep and the tears of the sincere and unified ones to flow. We beseech God to assist thee to remain firm with such steadfastness as cannot be prevented by the hosts and armies of the earth.
O Nabil, upon thee be the glory of thy Glorious Lord! During nights and days We have commanded the peoples of the world to observe justice, fairness, trustworthiness and piety, and counseled them thereto, yet most have preferred passion over guidance, and transgression and vice over righteousness and fear of God. In these days We have sent a sacred and blessed Tablet containing divine verses and tablets specifically to the Shaykh of the Land of Sad, that is, Ibn Baqir, that perchance the breathings of revelation and the fragrance of the divine presence might restrain him from that which is forbidden and attract him from that which is with him to that which is with God. Glory be to God! Verses beyond reckoning have been revealed and clear proofs have appeared before all faces. The Hour and its signs, the Resurrection and its mysteries, have become manifest.
We said: O Shaykh, if thou fearest for thy faith, preserve the Tablet in the pocket of thy trust. When God shall question thee at the gathering place about that in which thou hast believed, then bring forth the Tablet and say: By this blessed, mighty and inaccessible Book! Thereupon the hands of all created things shall be raised toward it; they shall take it and place it upon their eyes, and shall find therein the fragrance of divine favors and bounties such as none among the former and latter generations hath known.
O Muhammad, upon thee be My loving-kindness! The Cause hath appeared in such wise that proofs and evidences are humble, submissive and circumambulent. Yet the veil of deeds hath prevented all and deprived them. Beseech God that He may assist all and grant them success, that they may not be deprived in the days of manifestation from the splendors of the lights of the Sun of grace and bounty. Although in these days personal calumnies have secretly kindled the fire of sedition and hatred, God shall soon reveal that which was hidden in the breasts of the opposers.
These are the days of the appearance of that which the All-Merciful revealed in the Qur’an, blessed and exalted be His Word:
“And if there be the weight of a mustard seed and it be in a rock, or in the heavens, or in the earth, God will bring it forth.”
Likewise it is the day of the manifestation of the treachery of eyes and that which is hidden in breasts. We beseech God to protect His loved ones and preserve them from the evil of heedless souls. Verily, He is powerful over all things. The glory of God be upon you, O concourse of chosen ones, and upon those who love you for His sake, the dawning, the luminous.
BH11389: O My Most Exalted Pen! Bear thou witness unto…
He is the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise
O My Most Exalted Pen! Bear thou witness unto that whereunto God Himself hath testified: that there is none other God but Him. He hath ever been sanctified beyond mention and utterance, and exalted above the comprehension of all created things. All necks have bowed down before His grandeur and all names have prostrated themselves before His sovereignty. He hath shown the Way unto His loved ones and, through His bounty, grace, favor and generosity, revealed unto them the Proof. He it is Who, ere the creation of the heavens and earth, bore witness unto His own oneness and the singularity of His Being, and testified unto Him Who came with the Truth that He is the Hidden Mystery, the Treasured Book, and His irrevocable Decree.
Through Him the Herald raised his call from every direction, the verses were sent down, the clear proofs appeared, the clouds spoke forth and rained upon all peoples. He it is Who hath stood in His place in all things and been established upon the throne of Revelation. Whoso acknowledgeth Him hath acknowledged that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken, and whoso denieth and turneth away is accounted among the wrongdoers in a Book which none but He hath seen. Thus hath He appeared and made manifest His Cause through His sovereignty, and He is the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
Glorified art Thou, O Thou through Whose Name the rivers have flowed and the mysteries been revealed! I testify to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and to that which Thou hast sent down in Thy Scriptures, Thy Books and Thy Tablets, and to Thy power before which all created things have bowed down, and Thy might which hath encompassed all contingent beings. O my Lord! Thou seest this servant of Thine who hath turned toward Thy most exalted horizon after hearing Thy sweetest call, and who standeth detached from all else but Thee, clinging to the cord of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee, O God of existence and Educator of the seen and unseen, by Thy Command through which Thou didst transform the earth into heaven and caused all things to speak forth before the faces of humanity, to make me one of those whom the oppression of the oppressors and the tyranny of the transgressors—they who have cast behind them the choice wine of Thy utterance and the Kawthar of Thy bounty, and seized that which they were forbidden in Thy Book—hath not frightened.
O my Lord! Thou seest the evanescent one desiring the cup of immortality in meeting Thee, the thirsty one Thy choice wine, the poor one the ocean of Thy riches, the weak one the horizon of Thy power, the stranger the pavilions of Thy grandeur, the oppressed one the deep ocean of Thy justice, the weary one the kingdom of Thy remembrance, the sick one the sea of Thy healing, the unlettered one the Mount of Thy knowledge and proof, the sleeping one Thy sweetest call, the naked one the robe of Thy grace, O Thou Who art the Possessor of the kingdom of names, and the sorrowful one the shore of the sea of Thy joy, O Lord of the Throne and earth! By Thy glory, O my God, my Goal and my Beloved! The heart findeth no rest save through the Day-Star of assurance from the direction of Thy grace, nor doth the eye become tranquil except by beholding the horizon of Thy manifestation, nor doth the soul find repose save through the appearances of Thy generosity and bounty.
O my Lord! Thou seest me circling round Thy will and purpose, and submissive unto that which hath appeared from Thee. I beseech Thee by the suns of the heaven of Thy wisdom and the waves of the ocean of Thy grace to make me in all circumstances turned toward the lights of Thy countenance and holding fast to the hem of the robe of Thy generosity. I testify that this Day is Thy Day, and the Command Thy Command, and the Light Thy Light. I beseech Thee by these to aid me in that which shall cause my remembrance to endure in Thy Book and my station among the people of Thy Kingdom. Verily Thou art He Whom nothing whatsoever can frustrate, nor can the power of the wicked weaken.
Thou doest what Thou willest by Thy sovereignty and ordainest what Thou pleasest by Thy will. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. O my Lord! Change Thou the hardship of Thy loved ones into ease, their difficulty into comfort, their abasement into glory, and their sorrow into the greatest joy, O Thou in Whose hand is the reins of mankind! Verily Thou art the Single, the One, the All-Powerful, the All-Merciful, the All-Bountiful. Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds and Goal of them who have recognized Thee!
BH01900: Lawh-i-Husayn 3
In the name of God, the One, the Incomparable!
Today the Daystar of the Word of God is dawning above your horizon. The Pen of Utterance is shining and resplendent, and through but one of its rays the hearts of the peoples of the world are being illumined. Today the enkindling fire of love is manifest and evident in the world. Say: O high priests! The Ocean of bounty is surging before your eyes. Forsake your idle fancies and fix your gaze upon the horizon of the luminary of certitude. Lead them that have gone astray unto the tabernacle of the recognition of Him Who is the Desire of all mankind. Ye have been called into being for the purpose of serving this Day of Victory. All the holy books and scriptures have announced unto all the glad-tidings of this blessed Day and rejoiced at its advent. Through the power of trust and detachment, strive ye to attain this exalted station, and deprive neither yourselves nor mankind from its life-giving water.
O Husayn! Thy letter arrived and was read in Our presence. The Ocean of Grace hath turned towards thee from the direction of the prison, and every wave thereof proclaimeth this exalted word: May the eye of the world and its peoples be illumined, for the preamble is manifest in the conclusion and the light that was hidden from the faces is evident. Every servant during these days must renounce three things in order to attain three things. The three things that must be renounced are covetousness, idle fancy, and selfish desire, and the three things to be attained are recognition, acknowledgement, and certitude. These are the secrets of Him Who is the All-Sufficing, which have been set forth in the heavenly Tablets and guarded and preserved in the treasury of divine infallibility.
Make mention of Bahram of old, the ruler of mankind, and impart unto him the hidden secrets which are being revealed today from the treasuries of the Pen and Inkwell. We beseech God to assist him that through divine power he may suffer the high priests to attain the original intention. Say: Today is the day for service and rising up, not for sitting down and dreaming idle dreams. Tear asunder, then, the veils and dispel the obscuring mists from your midst that the peoples of the world may be informed of the Hidden Secret, discover the one Beloved, and attain His presence.
O Husayn! The call is uplifted at all times. Blessed is the ear that is sanctified from the tales of the peoples of the world and hearkeneth unto the summons of the Lord of all names. Send My greetings to the loved ones in that land. Say: Today, when heaven is adorned with the Sun of God’s providence, hasten ye unto the hearts that haply ye may discover and apprehend the reason and purpose for the manifestation of existence. Today all the treasures of the world are not equal to one drop of the Ocean of true understanding.
When thou hast received My Tablet and quaffed the choice wine of utterance from the chalice of My favor, say: O God, my God! Illumine the hearts of Thy servants with the light of Thy knowledge. Suffer them to enter beneath the shadow of the tabernacle of Thy grandeur and the depths of the ocean of Thy unity. O Lord! Thou seest me turning towards Thee, anticipating the wonders of Thy bounty and Thy grace unto myself and Thy creatures. I beseech Thee by the power of Thy Finger, through whose movement all existence, both visible and invisible, hath been set into motion, to unlock before the faces of Thy loved ones the gates of Thy gifts and Thy blessings, Thy exaltation and Thy might. Assist them that they may take hold of Thy Books, Thy Scriptures, and Thy Tablets. O Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant, clinging to Thy cord and turning towards the ocean of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee not to withhold from me that which Thou hast sent down in Thy Book and ordained for Thy chosen ones. Thou, verily, art the All-Powerful, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. No God is there but Thee, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
BH01896: Praise be to God, Who hath fulfilled His promise…
He is God–exalted be His majesty in grandeur and power.
Praise be to God, Who hath fulfilled His promise, manifested His sovereignty, sent down His verses, made plain His straight path, and proclaimed unto all His mighty Tidings. And blessings and peace be upon the Source of being and the Mystery of the unseen in the world of the visible, and upon His kindred and His companions, through whom the horizons were illumined with the light of divine unity, and through the manifestations of His mighty Name the servants and the lands were subdued, and through whom there appeared the decree of promise and of warning–blessings whose fragrances shall never cease, and whose sweet savors shall never come to an end.
O Zaynu’l-ʿAbidin, upon thee be the peace of God, Lord of all worlds! What hath befallen thee hath grieved Me to such an extent that for several days I laid down My pen. God knoweth, and thou knowest, that My counseling pen hath never ceased. It hath revealed that which was the cause of the upliftment of existence and the exaltation of souls. From the heaven of every Tablet hath shone forth the Sun of justice, and We have enjoined upon all to observe it and to practice fairness, from which the near ones perceive the fragrance of bounty and favors. Among the people are those who have hearkened to the call of the Wronged One and counseled others through their deeds and character, and among them are those who have cast counsel behind their backs.
Glory be to God! The Pen is bewildered and the Tablet is bewildered as to what to mention and what effect will appear. Great is this Day, the Day whereon the secrets shall be tried. Its witness and testimony are the secrets of hearts and breasts, “the treachery of the eyes and that which the breasts conceal.” This is the description of this Day. We beseech God to adorn His servants with the raiment of fairness and to illumine their hearts with the lights of love and fellowship.
In all the Books, both past and future, He hath commanded that the believers and those who have turned towards Him should prefer others over themselves. They should make their paramount concern the vindication of truth and the elimination of falsehood, and should choose for their brethren what they choose for themselves.
In any case, thy grief hath added to Our griefs. However, since bearing hardship and tribulation in these days, and likewise patience and steadfastness under afflictions, are accounted before God as among the most excellent and most praiseworthy of deeds, there is no cause for concern. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to assist thee under all conditions, to reinforce thee with the hosts of the seen and the unseen, and to ordain for thee that which beseemeth the heaven of His bounty and the ocean of His generosity. He, verily, is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
Thy verses and prose have been presented and heard. From every letter We have detected the fragrance of thy love, thy steadfastness, and thy patience in what hath befallen thee. Verily, God is the All-Patient, and He hath commanded His servants to observe gracious patience. A bountiful reward for the patient ones hath been recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in God’s Book.
Today is the day of utterance and exposition, and the day of unity and harmony. Had the loved ones held fast to the counsels recorded in the Tablets, they would now behold the world adorned and illumined with the light of justice and fairness. Some deeds act as barriers and veils. We beseech God to assist all to return and repent, and to arise to make good what hath escaped them. Verily, He is the Hearing, the Answering.
Peace be upon thee, upon thy beginning and thy end, and upon those who have cast away the forbidden and taken hold of the good which they were commanded to observe in the Book of God, the Lord of the mighty Throne. Praise be to Him, for He is the Goal of them that know and the Beloved of the hearts of them that long for Him.
BH01920: Praised be God! In some stations the mention…
He is God, exalted be His glory, the Most Great, the Most Powerful
Praised be God! In some stations the mention of abandonment is sweeter than taking possession, nay, in one station man beholds himself in the ocean of detachment through mention of it. Blessed is this station and joyous is this station, as the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an through His blessed and exalted words: “I have abandoned the ways of a people who believe not in God and who deny the life to come.” In truth this verse is specifically for the sincere ones and those near to God. The meaning of “ways of a people” in the first degree refers to the principles of the ungodly, and in another station refers to the adornments of that people, and likewise their occupations, and in one station all that they had clung to without God’s leave is included therein.
Through the grace of God, exalted be His glory, that true Beloved and eternal Friend hath drunk from this ocean. In all conditions they are detached from all else but God and are cleaving and clinging and trusting in Him. When the sun of resignation dawns from the horizon of the words “I resign my affair unto God—He verily is our Guardian and Provider and the One who causes us to die and gives us life and resurrects us, and He is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.”
And blessings and peace be upon Him by whose grasp the seed spoke, and before whose face all things bore witness, and from the wellspring of whose knowledge and wisdom flowed the water of life, and upon His family and companions through whom were opened the gates of generosity in the world and God’s Cause was established among the nations—blessings from which those near to God find the fragrance of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all worlds.
And then, the letter of that beloved of the heart arrived. It contained firm proofs and likewise conclusive evidence of that beloved one’s love and affection and devotion and detachment. And after it was presented before His face, He said:
“O Muhammad, upon thee be the peace of God and His loving-kindness. Despair not of God’s Spirit and mercy.”
From these blessed words flow the Euphrates of mercy and the breezes of loving-kindness waft, and within it is concealed the book of compassion. Blessed is he who preserves its station and raises its standards. In all conditions thou art mentioned before the Wronged One and art present before His face. His grace hath not deprived the ungodly and the opposers, how much less the believers and those who have accepted, how much less those who are detached and sincere. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to assist you with the hosts of grace and bounty and to ordain for you what He hath ordained for His chosen ones. He is verily the Lord of creation. There is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the Most Exalted.
Praise be to God! You are remembered as a daily blessing and are adorned and embellished with the outpouring of utterance. A hundred thousand praises be to the Goal of the world’s peoples, that in such days as these He hath made firm the fellowship of His loved ones and hath regarded the connection between them. He is the Composer of hearts and the Promoter of affairs. We beseech Him for that which befitteth His generosity and grace. Verily He is the Generous, the Gracious. Convey my greetings to each of the gentlemen of that land. God is witness and aware that you have ever been and are remembered in my heart, and I seek confirmation for each one that they may arise with utmost outward and inward resolve to set right affairs. Assistance is from God and success from Him and mercy from His presence. He is verily the Strong, the Trustworthy, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful ones.
BH01987: O Khalil! Upon thee be My glory…
He is the Hearer, the Answerer.
O Khalil! Upon thee be My glory and the glory of them that have turned towards God, the Lord of all worlds. We were seated upon the Throne when We heard the call from the right-hand side saying that Khalil maketh mention of thee. Thereupon did My tongue speak thy praise at this hour wherein the Sun of Utterance hath shone forth from the horizon of the Divine Will, as a token of My favor unto thee and unto them that are with thee. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.
We have made mention of thee before, and of the days thou didst spend beneath the canopies of grandeur. Verily nothing whatsoever escapeth His knowledge. He is the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Thy letter hath come before Us and We have heard that wherewith thou didst call upon God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. We have answered thee with verses which God hath made the ornament adorning the preamble of the Book of Divine Unity, which hath been sent down from the heaven of the Mother Book in this most exalted station. By My life! There hath been ordained for thee from My Most Exalted Pen that which nothing in all creation can equal. Verily thy Lord is the True One, the Faithful.
We beseech Him, blessed and exalted be He, to ordain for thee that which will exalt thee through His Name, and cause thee to drink from the Kawthar of life at all times, and to inscribe for thee from His Most Exalted Pen that which shall be as a light before thy face in every world of His worlds. He is verily the Mighty, the All-Bountiful, the Powerful.
O Khalil! Hearken in the Persian tongue unto the call of the Wronged One. Today that which was hidden in the breasts and concealed in the eyes hath become manifest and visible. In the great city there appeared that which was concealed from all. Verily He hath revealed what He willed, that the people might know the stations of those who denied the Day of Judgment. Every day, through the deception of the Isle, they have attributed and continue to attribute treachery to the dawning-places of trustworthiness and assurance. They have unjustly consumed the substance of the people and have uttered that which none before them had ever uttered.
Say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having guided me unto the city wherein Thy call was raised, Thy clear tokens were revealed, and Thy verses were sent down. Thanks and glory be unto Thee for having given the glad-tidings unto Thy loved ones of the appearance of Thy mighty Message and Thy Cause that dominateth all who are in the heavens and on earth. I beseech Thee by Thy light that hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of Thy grace, and by the Fire through which Thou didst deliver Thy Cause and manifest the oneness of Thine Essence, to ordain for me that which I have desired from the heaven of Thy bounty and the ocean of Thy bestowals.
O my Lord! Thou seest Khalil clinging fast unto Thy firm and mighty cord, and holding to the hem of Thy mercy, O Lord of all worlds. I beseech Thee to ordain for him that which shall endure as long as Thine own names endure, and shall be immortalized in Thy Books and Thy Tablets. Moreover I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Ordainer of all things and their Sovereign, to assist the heedless to return unto the gate of Thy mercy and to arise before the court of Thy pardon and bounty. Verily Thou art the Almighty over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
The glory shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of God’s mercy be upon thee and upon them that are with thee and upon them that love thee and hearken unto thy word concerning this mighty Cause. At this moment We make mention of him who hath been named ʿAbdu’l-Karim—upon him be the Glory of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise—that he may rejoice in My remembrance of him and find assurance through the loving-kindness of his Lord, the Most Generous. We give him the glad-tidings of Our favor unto him and Our remembrance of him from this quarter of Our mighty Prison. Glory be upon him and upon them that are with him and have acknowledged that which hath appeared and shone forth from the horizon of God’s Will, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.
BH02093: Praise be unto Him Who is sanctified above…
He is the One Who warbleth upon the loftiest branches.
Praise be unto Him Who is sanctified above the mention and description of all the peoples of the world, the Lord of all nations, Who befitteth and deserveth that through His absolute Will and pervading Purpose He hath taken possession of all hearts and souls and guided them to the supreme horizon. Neither the opposition of the world’s rulers nor the ascendancy and oppression of the divines of the nations could hold Him back from His all-conquering and compelling Purpose. Glorified be His majesty, exalted be His dominion, and all-encompassing be His signs. There is no God but Him.
This is a Book which the Lord of all beings hath sent down unto one of His loved ones that He may draw him nigh unto the Most Glorious Horizon and illumine him with the light of the Cause of God, the Lord of all worlds. O thou who art mentioned before the Wronged One! We have remembered thee before and at this time, and have revealed for thee that which hath caused the hearts of them that are nigh to soar. Say: This is the Day wherein God walketh and speaketh, did ye but know it, and this is the Mother Book calling out in the most exalted voice from the horizon of the heaven of the prison of Akka, yet ye perceive it not.
Arise to serve Me through My command, then speak forth that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken amongst My servants and say: O concourse of men! By God, the Lord of destiny hath come and every hidden matter hath been revealed. Cast away what ye possess and take hold of that which ye have been commanded by God, the Ordainer, the All-Wise. Beware lest the veils of the world or the doubts of those who have denied God’s proof and evidence and have disputed His signs which have encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth withhold you. Say: Fear God and follow not your desires. Follow Him Who hath come to you with a sovereignty that hath encompassed the world and with a power that hath encompassed all existence, of the former and latter generations.
O Mirza, before Ta and Qaf! The Lord of the world hath turned toward thee from the direction of His Most Great Prison and hath sent down for thee that which hath caused the ocean of knowledge to surge before the faces of the world. Blessed is he who hath cast the world behind him and hath held fast unto the cord of God, the Holy, the Mighty, the Sure. By God! The rivers have flowed, the trees have yielded their fruit, the branches have swayed, and the boughs have stretched forth—a bounty from God, the Mighty, the Great. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken, as a grace from Him unto thee and unto those who have arisen and said:
“God is our Lord and the Lord of the angels who are nigh.”
When thou dost inhale the fragrance of My utterance and hear My call, say:
“My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me unto the horizon of Thy Manifestation and illumined me with the lights of Thy Name, the All-Forgiving. I beseech Thee by Thy most sweet call and by that which was hidden in Thy knowledge, O Lord of the Kingdom of Names, to rain down upon me from the clouds of Thy mercy the rains of Thy utterance and bounty. Then open before my face the door of Thy generosity and favor, and aid me, O my God, to serve Thee amongst Thy creation, and assist me with the hosts of wisdom and utterance. Verily Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth through Thy manifest sovereignty. There is no God but He, the Single, the One, the All-Subduing, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.”
That which thou didst send hath been presented before the Throne and hath been honored with the ornament of acceptance. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to aid thee in that which He loveth and is pleased with, and to exalt thee through His Name amongst all beings. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Giving, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
BH02092: Praise be to the Lord of the kingdom…
He is the Hearer, He is the Answerer
Praise be to the Lord of the kingdom of earth and heaven, Who through His Most Exalted Word drew the hearts of the people of Baha to the Most Glorious Horizon. His Cause is unalterable and His decree is firm. Blessed are they who have drunk from the cups of the love of God and have held fast to the cord of His favor. These are the companions of the Crimson Ark mentioned and inscribed by the Supreme Pen in the Qayyumu’l-Asma’. Well is it with them and with those who love them and who perceive from them the fragrance of the providence of God, the Lord of the worlds.
O Hasan! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Lord of the seen and unseen. Thy letter was delivered to Our presence through Husayn, upon whom be My Glory and favor, by means of the Most Great Branch, and was heard by Us. Blessed be thy tongue which God hath strengthened to mention and praise Him, and thy heart which hath been illumined by the light of recognition. The Most Great Branch recited what thou hadst composed in praise and remembrance of God. This is from God’s grace and mercy upon thee. Be grateful and say:
Praise be to Thee, O God of existence and Lord of the visible and invisible, for having enabled me to turn to Thy Most Exalted Horizon and guided me to Thy Most Glorious Path, and made known to me Thy Great Announcement and Thy Most Great Name which overshadoweth all who are in the heavens and on earth. I beseech Thee by Thy generosity which hath encompassed all things, and by Thy Command whereby the Trump was sounded and those in the graves were raised, to make me steadfast in Thee and in Thy signs, and to cause me to cling to the hem of Thy mercy and bounty. O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee. I implore Thee to open before my face the doors of Thy grace, favor and blessing. Thou art He Whose power hath been acknowledged by the tongues of all created things and Whose sovereignty hath been confessed by all existing things. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Today the ocean of favor is surging and the sun of grace is shining and the light of bounty is radiant. We beseech God to confirm thee in steadfastness in this Most Great Cause and Momentous Announcement. Say: O servants! Today the Sovereign of Revelation is seated upon the throne of ʿHe doeth what He willeth.’ Deprive not yourselves of this most exalted station and most sublime summit. Today the denizens of the Most Exalted Paradise and the Supreme Heaven are gazing upon you, and from each one appeareth mention of good or a righteous deed. All speak the words “Blessed be God, the Lord of the Throne” and show forth love. O Hasan! Give thanks unto God for having turned toward thee from the direction of the Prison and mentioned thee with verses whereby the hearts of those near unto God and the sincere ones were attracted.
Today every word that proceedeth from the mouth of the Divine Will is immortalized by the command of the Lord of Names in the Crimson Tablet. Its fragrances endure and its perfume is diffused. Blessed is he who hath perceived it and hath said: “Praise be to Thee, O Lord of all mankind and King of Glory, O Thou the Goal of the hearts of them that know!” The Glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My utterance be upon thee and upon those who have not broken My Covenant and My Testament, and who have said before all faces “God is our Lord and the Lord of the Mighty Throne and the Master of the Day of Judgment.”
BH02166: This is a Book sent down in truth…
He is the Hearing, the Answering One!
This is a Book sent down in truth from the Wronged One, that it may draw the people near unto God, the Protecting, the Self-Subsisting. O peoples of the earth! Hear the call from the precincts of Akka—verily there is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beloved. Blessed is the ear that hath attained to hearing it and the eye that hath been honored to behold His verses which hold dominion over all that was and shall be.
O Moses! Hear with the ear of the heart what the tongue of the Wronged One speaketh in this praiseworthy station. He mentioneth thee for the sake of God and guideth thee to His manifest and extended path. When thou hast attained unto My verses and drunk the choice wine of revelation from the cup of My bounty, turn thy face toward the Most Great House of God and say:
O Lord of the nations and Manifestation of the world! I testify to Thy unity and the sanctity of Thy Being, and to that which Thou hast revealed in Thy Books, Scriptures and Tablets. I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which Thou didst change fear into tranquility and denial into faith, and by the ocean of Thy utterance and the heaven of Thy bounty, to ordain for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee and make me steadfast in Thy Cause, such that neither the hosts of the world nor the oppression of the nations shall hold me back.
Praise be unto Thee, O my God, and thanks be unto Thee, O my God, for having awakened me when I was asleep, and guided me when I had turned away, and mentioned me when I was silent, and turned toward me from the direction of the Prison when I was hesitant, and taught me when I was ignorant, and made me aware when I was heedless. By Thy might, O Thou Desire of the world! I find no helper for myself except the hosts of Thy wisdom and utterance, no supporter except the wonders of Thy grace, and no protector except Thee.
I beseech Thee by Thy Word which, were it to be cast upon the mountain it would soar, and upon the heaven it would be cleft asunder, and upon the earth it would be split, and upon the trees they would bear fruit, and upon the rock it would cry out—to make me steadfast in Thy Cause, firm in Thy service, and speaking in Thy praise. Then ordain for me, O my God, that which will preserve me from all else save Thee and guide me to what Thou hast revealed in Thy Book. Moreover, write down for me that which shall profit me in all the worlds of Thy worlds. Thou art He Whom neither the affairs of the world nor the clamor of the nations can hinder. Thou hast appeared and manifested whatsoever Thou didst desire through Thy power and sovereignty. There is no God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.
We desire to mention him who was named Muhammad-Sharif, who was mentioned in thy letter, that he may rejoice and be of the thankful ones.
O Muhammad-Sharif! At this moment the Most Great Name hath turned toward thee and maketh mention of thee, that it may attract thee to the station of steadfastness and detachment. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Desire of the world and Beloved of the nations, for having remembered me in Thy days and manifested unto me from the treasuries of Thy protection the pearls of Thy wisdom and utterance. I beseech Thee by Thy generosity which hath encompassed existence to make me among those who have spoken in Thy remembrance and praise and who have arisen to serve Thy Cause in Thy lands among Thy servants. Enable me to do that which beseemeth Thy days and befitteth Thy manifestation and power. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful, and worthy to grant this prayer.
BH02180: O Muhammad! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness…
He is God, exalted is He in remembrance and faithfulness
O Muhammad! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness. In these days an eye ailment has appeared, and therefore the Pen has paused in mentioning the friends. His Holiness the Branch Diya’u’llah has repeatedly made mention of you and the travelers, and has beseeched a special mention from the divine Kingdom of utterance. The tongue speaks and the heart bears witness that the friends have ever been and are remembered. We beseech God to give them to drink from the Kawthar of His utterance from the hand of His bounty—a Kawthar that brings joy and dispels grief.
My God, My God! Thou didst plant the saplings of existence with the hand of Thy bounty and watered them with the rain of Thy mercy until they attained the station “Blessed be God, the best of creators.” We hope that the fruits of steadfastness, joy, submission and contentment will appear from these trees.
Some time ago these exalted words were revealed and manifested from the Dawning-place of Divine revelation and the Dayspring of the All-Merciful’s utterance: O peerless Friend and incomparable Beloved! The blessed trees are surrounded by heedless axe-wielders on one side and shameless cleaver-bearers on the other. No helper is seen who has power to help save Thy grace, generosity and mercy. We testify that they desired naught but that from which the fragrance of Thy good-pleasure wafted, and turned to none but the direction of Thy loving-kindness and power. I beseech Thee to protect them from the evil of the oppressors among Thy servants and the transgressors among Thy creation.
We convey greetings to each one and have mentioned and continue to mention them. Truly I say that what has appeared is the cause of the exaltation of the Word and the upliftment of the Cause. That honored one and all know that this community holds fast to righteousness and piety and is severed from oppression and corruption. The hope of their hearts has been and is the comfort and freedom of the people. The Supreme Pen has at all times counseled all and commanded them to that which is the cause and means of deliverance.
Soon the hand of divine justice will manifest that which is the cause of awakening. Now slumber of heedlessness has seized all. Soon they shall find themselves in evident abasement and painful chastisement. In these days there has been a pause in sending Tablets, for the oppressors of the world are intent on seizing them. Be patient as We have been patient until God brings about His decree. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty.
Mention each of the travelers on behalf of the Wronged One. Say: Be not grieved at anything. Rejoice in what has appeared and manifested that which was hidden and treasured in God’s knowledge, the Lord of the worlds. Today the countenance of existence smiles through the appearance of Him Who conversed on Sinai. All must attain supreme joy, for the lovers of the horizons have aimed at the place of sacrifice and dawned from the horizon of detachment.
Now of the mentioned accounts, some are true and some are otherwise. We beseech God to manifest what He wishes through His grace that overshadows those in the heavens and earth and His mercy that has preceded the first and the last ones.