Volume 093: Akka 1307 A.H. (1889–1890), Part I (3 of 3)
BH11728: The appointed time hath come, and from the heaven…
In the Name of Him Who is the Supreme Ruler over all Names!
The appointed time hath come, and from the heaven of God’s command hath appeared the House of Revelation with a might that the malice of the wicked cannot weaken—they who have violated God’s Covenant and Testament, and slain His loved ones without clear proof from Him or authority from His presence. We testify that they have wrought corruption in the land after its reformation, and rejected the blessing of tranquility after it had been established and spread through the justice of the Sovereign of the Kingdom and its Authority. Thus doth the Wronged One speak as He walketh in this place which hath been named the Most Great Prison in the world—a place cut off from the mention of all peoples. Blessed is he who hath heard what he was commanded by God, the Cleaver of Dawn.
We have forbidden all from corruption and commanded them to righteousness and godliness, yet the heedless have cast behind their backs that which would profit them and have followed rebellion and wickedness. Lo! They are among the lost in the sight of their Lord, the Most High. They have slain him who believed in God, aided His Cause, and spoke His praise by night and by day.
O ʿAli-Akbar! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness! Thy letter which thou didst send to one of the Afnan hath brought Us joy, and We found from it the fragrance of unity in days wherein people have differed regarding the News foretold by Moses in the Torah and the Beloved One in the Qur’an. We have mentioned thee time and again, and have revealed for thee that whereby all things were stirred and minds and spirits were attracted. Stand firm in aiding the Cause of thy Lord through the wisdom whose sun hath shone forth from the horizons of the Sacred Scriptures and Tablets. Thou hast been mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One. He hath aided thee to serve His Cause and hath shown thee the paths of guidance.
O Pen! Make mention of him who was martyred in the path of God and say: The first effulgence hath appeared from the horizon of the heaven of grace and bounty upon thee, O thou who wast named Muhammad-Rida! I testify that thou didst believe in the All-Merciful when the ocean of divine knowledge surged in the contingent world, and thou didst answer the Call when it was raised between earth and heaven, and thou didst drink the choice wine of revelation from the hand of the bounty of thy Lord, the Possessor of the Kingdom of Names. Thou art he whom neither the veils of the oppressors nor the allusions of the transgressors prevented, and who forsook the religion of people who wrought corruption in the earth after its reformation and denied God’s favor after its descent. The Spirit be upon thee, O thou at whose calamity the near ones lamented and the sincere ones cried out! Blessed art thou and blessed is he who visiteth thee and reciteth what hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen in this Most Holy, Most Mighty, Most Luminous, Most Glorious Spot.
O ʿAli-Akbar! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness! Remember My loved ones on My behalf and give them the glad-tidings of God’s mercy, His grace and His loving-kindness. We counsel them to fellowship and unity. We beseech God to aid thee in improving their condition in all circumstances. Verily, He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, and He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
BH02724: O Muhammad-Quli! Upon thee be My glory! Hear My…
He is the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!
O Muhammad-Quli! Upon thee be My glory! Hear My call from the prison’s direction. Verily it giveth thee to drink of the Kawthar of utterance and draweth thee nigh unto God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. When the promise came to pass and that which had been inscribed by the Supreme Pen in the Books of the Prophets was made manifest, the people turned away. Among them were those who denied God’s proof and His evidence, those who uttered that which none before had uttered, and those who pronounced judgment against God’s chosen ones and His loved ones, until blood was shed and hearts were pierced. The perverse have wrought that which hath caused hearts to melt and souls to burn. They behold the grace of God yet deny it, and the signs yet turn away from them. Nay, they perceive not.
We bear witness that thou hast attained unto that which was promised thee and hast performed that which hath won the honor of acceptance. Grieve not for what the ignorant have perpetrated out of enmity toward God, the Mighty, the Beloved. Soon shall they behold the recompense of their deeds in this world and the next. Verily thy Lord is the Just, the Mighty, the Kind. Blessed be thy hand and thy back, and thy deed whereby the call was raised in the Most Exalted Paradise. Blessed be God, the Lord of all beings, Who aided His servant in such wise as caused the limbs of the enemies to quake—they who violated God’s Covenant, the Lord of what was and what shall be. Praise be to God!
Thou didst turn, and didst achieve acceptance, and didst perform that which caused the people of Paradise to utter the blessed word “Blessed be God” and the people of the most exalted Paradise to remember “The power is from God.” His is the grace and bounty, and His the generosity and munificence. He confirmed thee, guided thee, and strengthened thee until thou didst perform that which caused the Concourse on High to praise and divine verses to descend.
Say: My God, my God! I beseech Thee by the stranger who was martyred in Thy path, by whom the earth was reddened with blood in Thy days, who was, in his life, set ablaze with the fire of Thy love, attracted by the breathings of Thy Revelation, soaring in the atmosphere of Thy nearness, detached from all else but Thee, whose blood would boil in his veins from longing to shed it in Thy days—by him I implore Thee to send down upon Thy loved ones from the heaven of Thy bounty a mercy from Thy presence. O my Lord! Aid them in that whereby the standards of Thy guidance and the banners of Thy Cause shall be upraised. Thou art, verily, the Powerful, the Protector over the seen and unseen. There is no God but Thee, the Compeller, the Subduer, the All-Forgiving, the Unconstrained, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Kind.
BH11740: God beareth witness that there is none other God…
In the name of God, the All-Powerful over what He willeth through His command “Be” and it is!
God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath come from the heaven of utterance with proof and evidence is verily the Dawning-Place of God’s revelation, the Dayspring of His Cause, the Source of His wisdom, and the Repository of His knowledge, Who hath [stood] in His Own place in the human kingdom amongst all peoples. Whoso holdeth fast unto Him is among the choicest of all creation before Him, and whoso hesitateth is accounted among the oppressors in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds. The Day hath come while the people remain in evident delusion. That which was hidden from sight hath appeared, and that which was treasured in the heaven of knowledge hath been sent down. Through it the trees have yielded their fruits, the rivers have flowed, the mysteries have been unveiled, and the nightingale of utterance hath warbled upon the highest branches. [By God!] He Who was treasured from time immemorial hath appeared, and He Whose advent was heralded in God’s Books, the Mighty, the All-Praised, hath risen.
O ʿAli! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. Repeatedly hath thy mention flowed from the Most Exalted Pen and thou hast been favored with grace. Know thou the station of this station, then preserve it through the name of thy Lord, the Preserver, the Powerful.
O ʿAli! In the great city the fire of hatred, treachery, calumny, greed, tyranny and corruption blazeth bright. They have taken up faithlessness and cast away trustworthiness in opposition to God and His Cause. Thus have their heedless souls enticed them. They have broken God’s Covenant and His Bond, and were not moved by God’s counsel and His Word. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to assist them to return. Verily He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Merciful.
O Pen! Thou hast mentioned him who loved Thee. Make mention of him who drank the wine of martyrdom from the hands of submission and contentment, and repaired to the Most Exalted Paradise by the command of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Say: May the first fragrance that wafted from the garment of thy Lord, the Most High, the Most Glorious, be upon thee, O fruit of the Tree of bounty, O pillar of faithfulness in the kingdom of names, O word of the Book of God, Lord of the throne on high and of the dust below. Thou art he whom neither commerce nor trade deterred from the remembrance of God. I beseech God by thee and by those who loved thee to open before the faces of His servants the gates of justice and fairness, and to send down upon them from the heaven of His bounty the rain of His mercy and His gifts. Verily He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
BH03089: The veil of falsehood and faithlessness hath obscured…
He is the Speaker in every instant
The veil of falsehood and faithlessness hath obscured the light of truth and fidelity, and piety hath been tormented beneath the talons of waywardness. The flame of greed and covetousness hath compassed about beleaguered trustworthiness. One unto whom the people of Bahá had shown the utmost love arose in hypocrisy, and through desire for worldly possessions turned away from the All-Sufficing, the Most Exalted.
O Pen! Leave the mention of these, and speak rather of those who were set aflame with the fire of love and faithfulness, in such wise that neither the power of the oppressors, nor the clamour of the aggressors, nor the cawing of the criers could deter them. They turned unto the Most Exalted Horizon with illumined hearts and radiant faces. They cast aside fear and trembling, out of longing for the breaths of Revelation in the eternal homeland.
O Ali! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. Thou hast been mentioned repeatedly in the presence of the Wronged One, and thy deeds in the path of God have been accepted. It behooveth thee to say: “Here am I, here am I, O Thou Who didst call me from Thy Most Great Prison! Here am I, here am I, O Thou Who didst turn toward me from Thy most firm and impregnable stronghold! Here am I, here am I, O Thou through Whom the Herald proclaimed on the Day of Return: ʿThe Kingdom belongeth to God, the Lord of creation!”’
Praise be to the Desired One of the worlds Who aided thee to render a service from which the fragrance of His good-pleasure was wafted. Well is it with thee, and again, well is it with thee!
Say: “My God, my God! I beseech Thee by the hearts of them that are nigh unto Thee which were melted in their separation from Thee, and by the souls of the sincere which were sacrificed in Thy path, and by the heads of the yearning ones which were raised upon spears in their love for Thee, and by this martyr through whom the fire of hatred was kindled in the breasts of the ungodly and the light of love shone forth in the hearts of the believers, to make me detached from all else save Thee, to cling to the hem of Thy bounty, and to hold fast unto the cord of Thy mercy with such firmness as cannot be shaken by the doubts of the world—a firmness that cannot be prevented by the hatred of the nations—a firmness that is adorned by Thy will and illumined by the light of Thy purpose. O Lord! I beseech Thee by him, and by his limbs and members, his heart and tongue and eyes, to ordain for me and for the people of Baha the good of this world and the world to come. Verily, Thou art God, the One, the Single, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
BH03416: O thou who soarest in the atmosphere…
He is the Faithful Speaker!
O thou who soarest in the atmosphere of the love of thy Lord! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One and convey unto the people that which hath been sent down from the heaven of His bounty and bestowal, that perchance they may cast away what they possess of idle fancies and vain imaginings, and may take fast hold of the cord of God’s loving providence, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear ye the All-Merciful, and follow not every rejected transgressor and every veiled heedless one. Say: Hear ye the counsel of the Wronged One and ponder, that haply ye may not be deprived of the ocean of utterance in the Divine Day.
Reflect upon the turning away of the divines of the former Faith and their followers. What was the cause that all were deprived on the Day of His Manifestation, and were forbidden from Him Whom they had sought with humility and supplication at all times, nay more, issued the verdict for and carried out the shedding of His most pure blood? The cause of this loss and the reason for this ruination was that they regarded not His signs and verses with their own hearing and sight, but were captive to the idle fancies of the former divines.
Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear ye God. Behold His signs with His eye, then hear His verses with His ear. By the life of God! Had there been a soul worthy of mention, this Wronged One would not have borne the tribulations of the world for the sake of manifesting the Cause. Where, at last, hath fairness gone, and what hath become of justice? Through a brackish drop they deprived themselves of the Euphrates of mercy and were forbidden from the ocean of bounty.
With the hand of power, rend ye asunder the veils, that perchance ye may attain unto the splendors of the light of the Day of God. The former people clung to names and were deprived of their Owner. Ye too have followed that people and count yourselves among the people of the Bayan. Say: We bear witness that the Bayan is innocent of you and of what ye say and do. Hear ye My counsel, then return unto God. Verily He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Pardoner, the Merciful.
BH03764: O Muhammad-Qabl-i-Taqi! Hear the call of the Wronged One…
He is the Speaker of Truth!
O Muhammad-Qabl-i-Taqi! Hear the call of the Wronged One. He makes mention of thee through His grace, reminds thee of His verses, and illumines thee with the lights of His utterance. He hath revealed for thee that which brings solace to eyes and vision. Know thou that the world hath deluded the divines of Iran and prevented them from turning to the Dawning-Place of revelation and the Source of inspiration. Heedlessness hath so seized them that they are held back from drawing nigh unto God, the Lord of all mankind. They have followed their own desires and taken them as lords besides God. They are indeed among the companions of the fire. They have devoured God’s sheep and hamstrung the she-camel. By God’s life! They have committed that which none before them hath committed, as the Mother Book doth testify in the final abode.
Blessed art thou for having heard the call and responded, and for having attained unto the traces of God in days wherein all things cried out: “O people of the earth! Fear God and believe in Him Who hath come to you from the horizon of might with power and sovereignty!” This is the Day whereof God’s books of old gave you glad tidings. Turn ye unto Him and follow not every doubting idolater. This is the Day whereon He Who conversed on Sinai hath seated Himself upon the throne of Revelation, and the Point of the Bayan hath proclaimed before His Lord, the All-Merciful: “Verily, I am the first to worship Him.”
Thus hath the Ancient Beauty spoken from His Most Great Prison and given you glad tidings of that which hath appeared from God, the Lord of all men. He Who circumambulated the House hath mentioned thee. We make mention of thee with that which causeth spirits to be attracted when they hear the creaking of My Pen. Say:
“Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having remembered me when I was in the most desolate of lands. I beseech Thee to ordain for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee and enable me to arise to serve Thee and to serve Thy loved ones. Thou art, verily, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. Thou seest me yearning for the waves of the ocean of Thy bounty and the rain-clouds of Thy mercy. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of the wonders of Thy grace. Thou art, verily, the All-Powerful, the Unconstrained.”
BH03639: Praise becometh that Desired One Who hath illumined…
Praise becometh that Desired One Who hath illumined the realm of inner meaning with the light of true unity…
This evanescent servant has ever mentioned that cherished one of my heart and has besought at the Most Holy Court that which betokens the heaven of generosity and the sun of the favors of God, exalted be His glory. I beseech Him to make that honored one exalted in both worlds and to aid him in that which would bear witness to his service, his connection and his steadfastness. This is not difficult for God, our Lord. Praise be to God! Dear in His presence, dear in His absence, dear in his devotion, and dear in his service. O cherished one of my heart! Can you render adequate thanks and praise for these mentioned bounties? Without divine confirmation it is difficult; when confirmation comes, difficulty remains no more. Ease upon ease, joy upon joy, bounty upon bounty it becomes. When confirmation comes, difficulties become easy, just as when the wind comes, the mosquito departs. If you say no, Rumi, upon him be mercy, has said:
“When rose the wind in rushing might, The gnat straight fled in hurried flight.”
In all conditions I beseech glory and bounty and steadfastness for that dear one, soul and spirit, and the brethren, and all the sons of the Friend and the heirs of Him Who conversed with God. Verily our Lord is the Bestower, the Mighty, the Generous.
BH03605: Verily the Most Great Ocean hath turned toward thee…
He is the One Who speaks the truth in the Kingdom of Utterance!
Verily the Most Great Ocean hath turned toward thee from the direction of the Prison to show thee the pearls of wisdom and utterance hidden within the shells of grace and bounty, as a mercy from His presence, for He is the Compassionate, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. This is the Day wherein the heaven calleth out with its most exalted voice:
“By God! The Lord of all beings hath come, and there floweth from His right hand the Kawthar of immortality, and from His left hand the Salsabil of bounty. Draw nigh, O people of the earth, and be not of the heedless ones. Beware lest the might of the people prevent you from drawing near unto God, the Lord of the mighty Throne.”
This is the Day wherein the Most Glorious Beauty giveth to drink, with the hands of bounty, His sealed wine named after the Self-Subsisting to those who have turned toward the Supreme Horizon. Hearken, O people, and be not of the patient ones. Indeed patience is praiseworthy except in this Cause which was heralded in the Books of God, the Mighty, the Most Lauded. When thou hast attained unto the verses of the Kingdom and art seized by the rapture of the Call raised from the Realm of Might, say:
“Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thine is the greatness and the grandeur, and Thine the might and the splendor. This servant testifieth to the sanctification of Thy Being from all similitudes and the exemption of Thine Essence from mention and utterance, and that Thou art God; there is no God but Thee. Thou hast ever been established upon the throne of utterance and wilt ever continue to be what Thou hast been from all eternity. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the worlds, by the Most Great Name through which appeared the decree of reversal and the mystery of sanctification, and through which earthquakes appeared among the tribes, to strengthen me to serve Thee amongst Thy creation and to mention Thee amongst Thy servants. O my Lord! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy face to protect Thy servants from the evil of self and passion, and to illumine them with the lights of guidance and righteousness. Verily Thou art the Lord of all beings. There is no God but Thee, the Most Exalted, the Supreme.”
BH04337: O Haji, O ʿAli qabl-i-Akbar! Upon thee be…
He is the Ever-Abiding without decline
O Haji, O ʿAli qabl-i-Akbar! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Lord of Power. From the time of thy departure until the time thou wert mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One, the Speaker of Sinai and He Who is established upon the throne of Revelation hath remembered thee. The servant in attendance before the Countenance repeatedly made mention of thee and beseeched from the heaven of the Divine Will a wondrous and exalted Tablet for thee. Now, on the second night of the month of Rabi’u’th-Thani, he again made mention of thee and this perspicuous Book was revealed from the horizon of the favor of the Lord of the worlds, that thou mayest know with clear certainty that thy services at all times have not been forgotten, nor will they be forgotten. By the life of God! All are recorded and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Book. Such is the testimony of the Wronged One concerning thee, and with this testimony all the treasures of the earth cannot compare.
Say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having enabled me to serve Thee, wherein I have taken up, in Thy vicinity, a station and place for Thy remembrance, Thy praise, and that which Thou hast commanded me in Thy days. I beseech Thee, O Cleaver of the dawn, and the One Who confirmeth success and prosperity, by Thy Most Great Name through which Thou hast subdued the cities of the hearts of the nations, to assist me in all conditions to remember Thee and to remember that which Thou hast commanded me in serving at Thy gate and whatsoever is related unto Thee. Verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Generous. And I beseech Thee to ordain for me a lamp in the light of Thy knowledge, that it may be with me in every world of Thy worlds. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful, and worthy of answering prayers.
BH04706: Praise and glory befitteth the King of the Throne…
Praise and glory befitteth the King of the Throne of eternity, Who from a single seed hath made manifest the realm of trees, leaves and fruits, and from a single countenance hath revealed cities of lovers, attraction, rapture, and wonderment. What then was this Word, which at times was mentioned as a seed, at times as a countenance, and at times as a drop—from which drop emerged an ocean, from which countenance emerged faces, and from which seed emerged a world? Such a Word that the description of those who describe cannot reach it, and the comprehension of the knowers cannot grasp it. Can one mention or describe the station of the Bearer of the Word, the Creator of the Word, the Manifestation of the Word, and the Revealer of the Word? Nay, by His very Self, the Truth, for He cannot be known, and therefore cannot be described.
All existence testifieth to His sanctification from all else and His exaltation above all things. Neither can the eye behold Him, nor can the faculty of understanding comprehend Him. Nevertheless, mention and praise are necessary, for they are the cause of tranquility, solace and joy to the friends. And in view of His infinite loving-kindness and boundless grace, He hath permitted mention of Him. Therefore I mention Him by saying that He cannot be mentioned by any mention other than His own.
The august letter arrived, and from every word thereof the wine of reunion was quaffed. In truth, the remembrance of the friends is auspicious to the Friend….
BH04802: In the Name of Him through Whom the gates…
In the Name of Him through Whom the gates of divine knowledge have been opened before all who are in the contingent world!
The Book of God speaketh forth from the most exalted station before the faces of all humanity. Blessed is he who hath shattered the idols of vain imaginings and turned toward Him with manifest humility. We were seated upon the throne and, gazing in all directions, beheld thee advancing toward Our horizon. We make mention of thee with that which hath enraptured the hearts of those who have heard and responded to their Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Blessed be thine ear, for it hath heard My call; and thine eye, for it hath attained unto My traces; and thy heart, for it hath been illumined with the light of My knowledge; and thy hand, for it hath taken hold of My perspicuous Book. Thus have We sent down the verses and dispatched them unto thee that thou mayest rejoice and be of them that are thankful.
Say: O concourse of the earth! The call hath been raised in your midst, and the verses have been sent down unto you, and the gates of bounty have been opened before your faces. Hasten, and be not of them that tarry. This is the Day which ye were promised aforetime by God, the True, the Faithful. Cast aside what is with the people, for the Self-Subsisting hath come unto you and summoneth you unto this Wine which calleth out, saying:
“O friends of God and His party! Turn ye unto that which hath appeared in truth, and be not of the heedless.”
When thou hast drunk from the hand of My favor the cup of My loving-kindness, say:
My God, my God! Thou beholdest me speaking forth Thy praise, seeking refuge in Thy presence, and hastening to the door of Thy mercy. I beseech Thee to ordain for me from Thy Pen that which will preserve me from all else save Thee and draw me nigh unto Thee. O my Lord! My tongue, both outward and inward, beareth witness to Thy oneness and singleness, Thy power, Thy grandeur, and Thy sovereignty. I ask of Thee that which befitteth the heaven of Thy generosity, the ocean of Thy bestowal, and the sun of Thy grace. Wilt Thou, O my God, deny this seeker who hath sought the ultimate goal beneath the pavilions of Thy greatness, and disappoint him after he hath acknowledged Thy grace which hath encompassed all things?
Nay, by Thy glory! I bear witness in this moment that Thou hast never disappointed those who have hoped in Thee, nor turned away those who have sought Thee. Thou hast taken their hands with the hands of Thy power, delivered them from the pit of vain imaginings through Thy will and purpose, and given them what they desired from the heaven of Thy bounty. Verily, Thou art the Almighty Whom the affairs of Thy creation have never frustrated. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Single, the One, the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous.
BH05505: This is a Book sent down in truth…
He is the Summoner before the faces of humanity
This is a Book sent down in truth for whosoever taketh unto Him a path, that the verses of God may draw him to a station wherein he ariseth to serve the Cause and remindeth the people of that which draweth them nigh unto Him on a Day illumined by the lights of His countenance. Say: O people of the Bayan! He Who speaketh before all faces hath no need of aught else to prove His Cause. He hath come unto you from the heaven of bounty with the Kingdom of verses and the Dominion of clear proofs, with a sovereignty that encompasseth all worlds. Read ye what hath been sent down from His presence—verily it guideth you unto a path that is straight through justice. Were it not for My Cause, the Point would not have appeared and the Bayan would not have been revealed—to this testifieth he who is powerful in the Cause. Blessed is he who heareth and respondeth, and woe unto him who remaineth far from nearness.
Say: Cast aside your names, for they profit you not, even as they profited not those who came before you. Thus hath the Supreme Pen spoken before the faces of the learned and the princes, that He might guide you to a station illumined by the lights of His countenance. O thou who gazeth upon the Face! Read unto them what was revealed before the Day when God shall come with a Cause that encompasseth all worlds. We testify that they cast the Command of God behind their backs and took what was forbidden them in a Tablet sent down from the heaven of Revelation. The Glory be upon thee from Us, and upon those who have taken no friend unto themselves.
BH06878: O Mihdi! Today the Lote-Tree speaks forth “The Truth…
He is the Caller from the Divine Lote-Tree of Man!
O Mihdi! Today the Lote-Tree speaks forth “The Truth hath come!” and the Call of Sinai is raised high. The Lord Moses with but one staff struck down the swords of the world, and the Ancient King with but one Pen hath vanquished the imaginings and idle fancies of the peoples.
Praise be to the Lord of all worlds that thou hast hearkened to His call and attained unto the signs of His Pen. Know thou the worth of this station and arise to serve His Cause. This is God’s binding command. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who hath attained unto that which was ordained in His preserved Tablet.
Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for causing me to hear Thy call and behold Thy signs, and for honoring me with attaining unto Thy Tablet from whose horizon shone forth the light of Thy loving-kindness. I testify that Thou art the All-Bountiful, that Thou art the Ever-Flowing, the Forgiving, the Merciful. I beseech Thee not to deprive me from the ocean of Thy generosity nor from the lights of the Sun of Thy bestowal. I testify, and all created things testify, to Thy loftiness and Thy transcendence. Ordain for me and for those who have believed in Thee that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones. Verily Thou art the Generous, the All-Bountiful. Praise be unto Thee, for verily Thou art the Goal of them that know Thee.
BH06609: The Hand of God is above the hands…
The Hand of God is above the hands of His servants
The Wronged One beareth witness unto that which the Books of God have witnessed before and after. Blessed are they who know. O thou who speaketh in My Name! Say: O people of the earth! Do ye doubt God, or this Light whereby the heavens and earth were illumined, or His signs which have filled the horizons? Say: Be fair, O people, and follow not those who have denied God, the Lord of all names. Behold what hath appeared in truth, then be fair, and be not of those who said “God is our Lord,” but when He came from the horizon of might they said “This is naught but a lying impostor.” The trumpet hath been sounded in truth, yet the people are in doubt and strife. Say: Look ye, look ye, for the Sun hath risen from the horizon of proof. Hearken ye, hearken ye, for the Call hath been raised from all religions. Thus hath the ocean of utterance surged from the Pen of the All-Merciful. Blessed is he who hath attained and said: “Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of all mankind!” The glory from Us be upon thee and upon those who broke not the Covenant on the Day of Separation.
BH07438: O Yahuda! God willing, mayest thou be confirmed…
In His Name, the One Who has dominion over all names!
O Yahuda! God willing, mayest thou be confirmed in that which causes the exaltation of the Word of God. The station of this Day is the station of this blessed word:
“Say: God; then leave them to amuse themselves in their vain discourses.”
Naught but God is mentioned in the Most Holy Court. We counsel all to sanctification and detachment. That which his honor, the name of God Haydar-ʿAli, hath mentioned—all must hear it with attentive ears.
The Most Exalted Pen beareth witness to his orientation, his turning to God, and the loftiness and excellence of his station before God, exalted be His glory. He hath made mention of the loved ones in that land, and therefore from the heaven of divine Will, sacred and luminous Tablets have been revealed and sent down especially for some. Convey My greetings to the handmaidens of God. Blessed is the handmaiden who hath held fast to the cord of sanctification—she is indeed among the devout ones in My perspicuous Book. Take hold of the Book with the strength bestowed by Us and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Goal of all who are in the heavens and on earth!
BH07947: O Rubin! Hearken to the call of God…
He is the Caller on the Mount of Knowledge!
O Rubin! Hearken to the call of God, the King, the True, the Manifest. Verily He is with thee and hath witnessed thy deeds in His path and thy cry in His remembrance. Nothing whatsoever escapeth His knowledge. Blessed art thou for having held fast to My cord and clung to the hem of My holy and luminous robe.
Ask thou of God that He may sanctify the hems of His servants from the dust of self and passion. The penetrating influence of the Word hath ever been and will continue to be dependent upon the sanctification of the heart.
Say: My God, my God! Illumine the hearts of Thy servants with the light of Thy sanctification and Thy knowledge, then aid them to perform that which will diffuse the fragrance of Thy good-pleasure. O my Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have turned unto the ocean of Thy bounty and the sun of Thy grace. I beseech Thee by the pearls treasured within the vaults of Thy Most Exalted Pen and the lights shining from the horizons of Thy most exalted Words to aid me in that which beseemeth Thy days. Then send down upon me from the heaven of Thy generosity that which beseemeth Thy glory and Thy majesty. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
BH07991: He speaketh forth before the faces of all men
He speaketh forth before the faces of all men
O Yaqub! We have been with you and heard your cry regarding this irrevocable Cause. Hear the call from the Supreme Horizon:
“Verily, there is no God but Me, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty.”
His Holiness Moses conveyed the Word of God to the Pharaoh of his time, and in the early days a strong party secretly supported him. However, the King of existence and the Sovereign of the seen and unseen summoned all kings without any veil or barrier, and guided them to the Supreme Horizon, at a time when there was no helper visible and no supporter apparent. The might of the divines and rulers did not prevent Him from speaking the word of truth. He spoke that which was the cause of exaltation and ascension. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to confirm you with a confirmation that the oppression of oppressors cannot prevent. Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.
BH08368: Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee…
He is the One Who speaks the truth.
Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having given me to drink, from the cup of Thy bounty, the living waters of Thy utterance, and for having made me to know the Dawning-Place of Thy verses and the Source of Thy clear tokens—He from Whose Pen has flowed the water of life throughout all creation. I beseech Thee by the mysteries of Thy Book and the lights of the horizon of Thy Revelation to make me steadfast in Thy Cause, firm in Thy love, clinging to the cord of Thy grace, and arising to serve Thy Cause. Then ordain for me, O my God, that which will draw me nigh unto Thee and that which befits the ocean of Thy generosity and the heaven of Thy bounty. Verily Thou art the Munificent, the Generous. I beseech Thee to make me detached from all else but Thee and soaring in the atmosphere of Thy love in such wise that the hosts of kings and rulers will not hinder me. O Lord! Aid them to turn unto Thee and to exalt Thy Word and make manifest Thy Cause. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Commander, the All-Wise.
BH08608: O Nasru’llah! Your name was present before the Wronged…
He is the Witness from His most exalted horizon.
O Nasru’llah! Your name was present before the Wronged One, Who made mention of you with the verses of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. When you attain unto the fragrances of revelation and drink the choice wine of utterance from the cup of mystical understanding, say:
“Praise be unto Thee, O my God, my Purpose and my Beloved, for having guided me to Thy straight path and made me aware of Thy mighty announcement. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the world and Educator of the nations, by Thy irrevocable Command which hath encompassed earth and heaven, to ordain for me through Thy Most Exalted Pen that which shall profit me in all the worlds of Thy worlds. O Lord! Thou seest me standing firm and steadfast at the door of Thy bounty. Ordain for me that which Thou hast ordained for Thy trusted ones, through whose deeds Thy signs were spread abroad and through whose attributes Thy attributes were made manifest. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest, and through Thee was revealed that which was hidden throughout all eternity.”
BH08955: Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God…
He is the All-Knowing, All-Wise Revealer
Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God and the God of all who are in earth and heaven, and my Goal and the Goal of those who dwell in the most exalted Paradise and the highest Heaven! Unto Thee be praise and glorification, and unto Thee be grace and bounty, for having adorned my deeds with the glory of Thy acceptance and sent down to me that whereby the signs of Thy loving-kindness have been spread throughout Thy dominion. I beseech Thee to make me sincere for Thy sake and to hold fast unto that which will exalt the station of Thy Most Great Word amongst humanity. O my Lord! I beseech Thee by Him and by His sovereignty to adorn me with the ornament of steadfastness and to crown me with the crown of Thy remembrance and Thy love. Verily Thou art the Powerful through Thy might and the Dominant through Thy will. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Praised.
BH08803: A remembrance sent down from the Creator of heaven…
In the Name of Him Who is Sovereign over all names.
A remembrance sent down from the Creator of heaven unto him who hath heard the Call, responded, and turned toward the horizon of Revelation when every heedless one remained veiled. O Husayn! Hearken unto the call of Him Who is wronged. He verily will aid thee and raise thee to His praiseworthy station. Beware lest that which is with the people prevent thee from God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Say: O concourse of earth! Answer Him Who calleth you unto God, and follow not those who have denied the Witness and the Witnessed. Cast away vain imaginings—the Sun of Certitude hath dawned from the horizon of the heaven of thy Lord’s will, the Mighty, the Loving. Hear My call and follow not your desires. He Who is the Goal hath appeared with a sovereignty before which armies cannot stand. Thus hath the Supreme Pen spoken, while the Lord of all mankind was in this exalted station.
BH09526: He dawns from the horizon of the heaven…
He dawns from the horizon of the heaven of names!
This is a Book which the All-Merciful hath sent down to him who hath attained unto His days and heard the Call when it was raised between earth and heaven, and hath witnessed that which the Tongue of Grandeur did utter when He was established upon the throne with manifest sovereignty. Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One—He counseleth thee and those who have believed in that whereby your remembrance shall endure through the eternity of My kingdom, the Mighty, the Wondrous. Cast away that which the people possess, clinging fast to My Name, the Self-Subsisting, through which the limbs of names have trembled, and the hearts of the learned were troubled, and the essence of the divines who broke the Covenant lamented on the Day of Separation, when the horizons were illumined by the lights of the Revelation which had been hidden in knowledge and treasured in the stronghold of God’s protection, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
BH09984: In My Name, that standeth before the faces…
In My Name, that standeth before the faces of all men!
This is a Book sent down by the Wronged One to him who hath drunk the choice sealed wine from the hand of the bounty of His Name, the Self-Subsisting, that the utterance may attract him to the most exalted station and draw him nigh unto God, the Lord of existence. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having given me to drink the wine of Thy knowledge and guided me to the effulgences of the lights of the Luminary of Thy Cause, and made known unto me that which lay hidden within Thy knowledge and treasured within the shell of the ocean of Thy wisdom. I beseech Thee to make me confirmed in Thy remembrance and praise and in serving Thy Cause amidst Thy creatures in such wise that the veils of the people of the world in Thy lands shall not prevent me. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Single, the Mighty, the All-Wise.
BH10107: O Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli! Bear thou witness even as God hath…
He is the One Who gazeth from the horizon of eternity
O Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli! Bear thou witness even as God hath testified that there is none other God but Him Who hath appeared with the truth. He, verily, is the One promised in the Books of God, the Lord of the unseen and the seen. Through Him were revealed the names and attributes, and through Him were raised the standards of Divine unity in the most exalted station and the banners of power in the highest places. Blessed is the soul that hath found the fragrance of His raiment and turned toward His horizon and quaffed the living waters from the cup of His bounty. And woe unto him who hath denied His Manifestation and disbelieved in His favor which hath been sent down from the heaven of His grace, and disputed His verses that have encompassed the earth and the heavens.
BH10443: He Who is established upon the throne of utterance!
He Who is established upon the throne of utterance!
O Hasan! Rejoice thou that the Wronged One of the horizons hath turned toward thee—He Who was imprisoned for having summoned all mankind unto the Day of the Covenant. We desired the life of the world, its sanctification and exaltation, yet he desired to shed My blood and cause My tribulation. Blessed is the soul that hath cast away all else save Me and hath turned unto the lights of My countenance and the effulgences of the Orb of My loving-kindness. Verily he is of the people of My land and the companions of My ark. We beseech God to adorn him with such an ornament as shall illumine the earth and all who dwell therein. Verily He is the Almighty over what He willeth, and He is the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
BH10717: O Most Exalted Pen! Mention with the Most Glorious…
He is the One Who speaks from His most exalted horizon.
O Most Exalted Pen! Mention with the Most Glorious Writing him who has turned to the Lord of all humanity, that the Call may so attract him that the doubts of the suspicious ones will not prevent him. O Yusuf Kha, upon thee be My glory! We have beheld thy heart and heard thy call. We have made mention of thee with that which nothing created on earth can equal. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this manifest bounty. Then make mention of thy wife on My behalf and give her the glad tidings of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all worlds.
BH10966: O Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli! We have turned toward thee and found…
He is the True One, the Knower of things Unseen
O Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli! We have turned toward thee and found the love of God wafting from thee, and We have remembered thee in a Tablet from whose horizon shineth the light of thy Lord’s gracious favor. Convey My greetings to those who are with thee and remind My loved ones through this perspicuous Book. Verily We hear and see them, and We are the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
BH00774: Praise be to the peerless Creator Who created creation…
He is God, exalted is His in Grandeur and Power!
Praise be to the peerless Creator Who created creation through His most exalted Word and made known to them that which harmeth and profiteth them, He Who hath need of nothing whatsoever. His mercy hath preceded all things and His grace hath encompassed all. Through pure bounty He adorned sheer nothingness with the ornament of being, and His purpose hath been the elevation of existence and its advancement, that through His destined decrees and all-encompassing favors they might become ready for the manifestation of His greatest bounty and most great mercy. Glorious is His grace and mighty is His dominion. There is none other God but Him.
The letter from that honored one was the cause of joy, nay rather it was the very essence of joy, for it bore testimony to that soul’s degrees of sincerity, certitude, and well-being. After its reading and perusal, We repaired to the Sacred Spot and presented it before His countenance. He said:
“God willing, may you be mindful in all conditions, be observant of wisdom in association and gatherings, and conduct affairs through consultation. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to make what hath proceeded from you a treasure for you, to preserve it through His power, protection, might and grandeur, to adorn your deeds with the glory of acceptance, to ordain for you the good of this world and the next, and to decree for you that which shall endure through the endurance of His Kingdom. Verily He is the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.”
We make mention of the loved ones in that land and convey Our greetings, counseling all to unity, wisdom and utterance. The honored Afnan, upon him be God’s peace and grace, hath been and is mentioned; in all matters they should be mindful of liberality and bounty. Jinab-i-Nazir, the honored Shaykh, and the son of the honored Samandar, upon them be God’s peace and mercy, are mentioned. We have ever besought and continue to beseech the True One that He may illumine hearts with the light of harmony and agreement, and confirm each one in that which leadeth to the exaltation of existence. Verily He hath power over all things.
Some time ago this servant submitted a detailed letter laden with pearls of wisdom and utterance. God willing, it hath arrived and eyes have been blessed by it and light hath shone forth from the horizons of hearts. To those possessed of insight, the station of that heedless party hath ever been and shall continue to be evident. The decree for these matters came from the Island, and that heedless oppressor who promoteth his cause in that land—Dawlat-Abadi—hath committed that which no heedless one hath ever committed.
O my God, my God! I beseech Thee by the sighing of the hearts of the oppressed, by the tears from the eyes of Thy near servants, and by the blood that hath been shed in Thy path, to aid the heedless to act with justice and the deniers to turn unto Thee and to face toward Thy Prophets and Messengers and to cling to the hem of Thy bounty. Verily, Thou art the Forgiver, the Bestower, the Mighty, the Generous.
This servant has ever beseeched and continues to beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, not to deprive His servants of that which is the cause of their glory and advancement, and not to withhold from them the light of truthfulness and uprightness. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer.
To the honored presence of his eminence Afnan, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, I offer heartfelt praise, remembrance and greetings. In these days, his eminence the Afnan of the Land of Ha, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, sent a letter to his honored eminence the Greater Afnan, upon him be all the Most Glorious Glory. After it was presented before Him, He said:
“He hath spoken with justice. That which is mentioned therein must be carried out.”
We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to open before the faces of His Afnans the gates of favors and blessings. Verily, He is the Generous, the Merciful. End quote. Surely they will send the details thereof to them.
The most luminous star, his eminence Afnan, Aqa Mirza Muhsin, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors, has departed for the Land of Ha in perfect health and well-being. God willing, may he arrive at his destination in complete health and be assisted in that which is the cause of setting affairs aright.
Furthermore, I convey greetings to the beloved of my heart, Jinab-i-Nazir, and the spiritual beloved, his eminence Shaykh, and the apple of the eye, the son of his eminence S.M., upon them be the Glory of God and His favors. May God assist them to achieve success, prosperity and righteousness. Verily our Lord is the Forgiving, the Generous, and He is the Helper, the Merciful.
Another matter: The beloved of my heart, Jinab-i-Nazir, upon him be the Glory of God, has sent a letter to the beloved of the spirit, his eminence Haji Aqa Muhammad, upon him be the Glory of God (in the Land of S), requesting a sum. The honored ones have written to this servant about this matter. After it was presented, He said that the spreading and publicity of these matters is not permissible. Moreover, it may not be outwardly possible for them, and may not be easily attainable. Regarding the amount requested, it was commanded that ten Ottoman liras be given to them specifically for the expenses of certain souls there, and the aforementioned amount that was promised should also be paid.
For the sake of establishing justice and setting affairs aright, there has been and is no objection to this matter. Detailed instructions were written and sent regarding this, and this evanescent one has repeatedly heard from the blessed tongue, saying “We love charitable giving.” The attention to that direction has been for the sake of God, and whatever has occurred returns to Him. Therefore, there is no objection if that mentioned amount is given. What is essential is that God grant success so that those in authority may judge with justice. Surely the reward for deeds done with justice is not limited to what has been mentioned. Certainly from the treasury of the unseen will also be bestowed that which indicates His all-encompassing favor and His precedent all-pervading mercy.
In certain instances, negligence is not permissible. Furthermore, the matter of certain ones remaining in that land and their movement depends on consultation. In all conditions, they must keep their gaze fixed upon the glory of the Cause. In this case, whatever occurs is beloved.
And regarding the funds, what his eminence the Afnan, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors, has mentioned is correct. The documents mentioned in his eminence’s letter will be sent from the other direction.
Concerning his honor Aqa Rasul, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory, and the other matters they have written about—this is acceptable. It is evident that his honor is diligent and striving in the duties assigned to him, and in all conditions holds fast to God’s grace and attains His good-pleasure. This deserves a hundred thousand congratulations.
Regarding his honor Aqa Mirza ʿAbdu’llah, upon him be Baha’u’llah’s glory, several years ago they had expressed their wish to free themselves and obtain a divorce, but permission was not granted until these days when they said to do whatever they deemed advisable. That woman’s actions were not and are not acceptable, to which the fair-minded ones of the world and the manifestations of His justice bear witness.
Concerning the matter of the funds of Ibn Jinab Alif and Ha, upon them both be Baha’u’llah’s glory—that is, the funds of Yapunchi—these were received through the honored Mr. Afnan ʿAli, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of Baha’u’llah, and a receipt was issued. Peace, remembrance and glory be upon you and upon God’s loved ones there and upon God’s righteous servants.
The servant 16 Rabi’u’th-Thani 1307
BH06691: Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God…
In the name of Him Who is Sovereign over all names.
Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having guided me to the Dawning-Place of Thy signs, the Day-Spring of Thy clear tokens, the Manifestation of Thy Self, and the Horizon of Thy commandments. I beseech Thee by Him through Whom Thou didst raise up the banner of unity amongst Thy servants, and by His family and His companions, to aid me in Thy remembrance and in that which Thou hast commanded me in Thy Book. O my Lord! Thou seest the wronged one knocking at the door of Thy justice, and him who is deprived clinging to the cord of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by Thy Cause through which Thou didst subdue the world and guide the nations, to make me in all conditions to gaze toward the horizon of Thy grace and to hope for the wonders of Thy generosity.
O my Lord! I beseech Thee by the Manifestations of Thy Self and by Thy power which hath conquered Thy heaven and Thy earth, to protect me from the harm of the idolaters among Thy servants. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Generous. Then send down upon this servant of Thine and upon Thy servants from the heaven of Thy bounty a blessing from Thy presence. Verily Thou art the Sovereign over all names. By Thy word “Be” and it is. There is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beloved.
BH09403: Glorified art Thou, O my God, my Beloved…
In the Name of our Lord, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious
Glorified art Thou, O my God, my Beloved, and my Heart’s Desire! I beseech Thee by the revelation of Thy verses and the manifestation of Thy clear tokens, and by Thy signs and Thy works, to ordain for him who hath sought Thee the good of this world and of the world to come. O my Lord! Thou seest him turning toward Thee and gazing toward Thy horizon. Disappoint him not of Thy bounty which hath encompassed existence, nor of Thy generosity which hath embraced the world. Thou art the Lord of the nations and the One manifest through the Most Great Name. There is none other God but Thee, the Compassionate, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Moreover, I beseech Thee, O Lord of all beings, to forgive Thy handmaiden who hath ascended unto Thee, and to cause her to associate with the countenances of Paradise on high in the white and crimson chambers. Verily, Thou art the Munificent, the Generous, the Bountiful, the Merciful.
BH03085: Mim, Sad: Upon thee be My glory! Know thou…
He is the Expositor, the All-Knowing
Mim, Sad: Upon thee be My glory! Know thou with clear certitude that the glance of God’s loving-kindness, exalted be His glory, hath been and continues to be directed toward the land of S. Within that land are concealed and treasured the divine trusts. Say: Blessed, blessed art thou, O Land of Sad! What land can be likened unto thee? God hath made thee the repository of His names and attributes, next to the sacred and specially designated lands. It was honored by the presence of the two Husayns, whom neither the swords of hatred nor the might of the oppressors could hold back from God, the Lord of the worlds. They advanced to the field of martyrdom, yearning for reunion with the Creator of heaven, and sacrificed their souls in the manifest and straight Path.
They cast behind them the world, its riches, glory, bounties and pleasures—to this every fair-minded and discerning one bears witness. And before them, al-Kazim and those with him performed such deeds in the path of God as bewildered the hearts of those near unto Him. And after them came al-Ashraf, through whose blood God adorned the cities of justice and equity and the countenances of the lovers throughout all regions. We testify that he attained the presence and meeting with God and heard His mighty and wondrous call. The eyes of the companions of the Covenant in the City of the Lovers wept for them. Thus hath spoken the Luminary of the horizons from His mighty prison. It behooveth the people of God to remember them with goodly remembrance and according to what the Pen of God, the Help in Peril, the Mighty, the Wise, hath recorded.
The Pen of Command in the Most Great Scene, from the presence of the Lord of Destiny, now giveth thee glad tidings that thou mayest thank thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Generous. Thou hast attained the service of My Cause, and whoso attaineth unto it is, in the Mother Book, among the people of Baha and the companions of the Crimson Ark which the Lord of creation sent down in the Qayyumu’l-Asma’, a command from My presence—and I am the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days. Thou art, in the sight of God, the Lord of creation, among the people of the Ark. We beseech God to aid thee to preserve this most exalted station and this supreme and abiding glory. Verily He is the Powerful over whatsoever He willeth, and He is the All-Bountiful, the Mighty, the Powerful. Glory be upon thee from Us, and upon those whom neither commerce, nor trade, nor wealth, nor glory hath withheld from God, the Mighty, the Most Praised.
BH03589: This Day is the Day whereof all Prophets…
In the Name of the One Beloved
This Day is the Day whereof all Prophets and Messengers have, from the Lord of the worlds, given glad-tidings unto all peoples. Even as the proof of the Interlocutor of the Mount was manifested through His staff, so hath the proof of this Wronged One shone forth through the Pen. With but a single rod did He smite the swords of the world, and with but a single Pen hath this Revelation [conquered] all peoples. And in another instance, the proof of Moses was the Torah, and the evidence that remained of Christ was and is the leaves of the Gospel, and the enduring testimony of the Seal of the Prophets was the Book of the Furqan, which distinguished between truth and falsehood.
Glory be to God! Now there hath appeared and been made manifest that which equalleth all the heavenly Books of the past and future, that concerning which every person of insight hath testified that it hath no peer or likeness. Nevertheless, the people remain veiled from the divine Day and deprived of the sealed wine.
Today, whosoever desireth to enter the depths of the ocean of divine oneness must sanctify his heart from the stories of old, that the effulgences of the Sun of Truth may shine upon it and illumine it.
O Muhammad-Qablih-Husayn! Blessed art thou for having rent asunder the veils and turned toward the horizon of thy Lord’s Revelation, the Lord of all men.
Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the worlds and Desire of the nations, for having given me to drink from the ocean of Thy knowledge, and made me to recognize the Dawning-Place of Thy verses, and guided me to Thy path. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Exalted Word, which Thou hast made as a light unto them that have drawn nigh and as a fire unto them that have turned away, to make me speak forth Thy praise and call out Thy Name amidst Thy creation. O my Lord! Leave me not to myself. Preserve me through Thy power that hath encompassed all created things, and through Thy command that hath pervaded all existence, from vain imaginings and idle fancies. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Knowing. There is no God but Thee, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
BH05618: O Nuru’llah, upon thee be His glory and His…
He is the radiant and manifest Light
O Nuru’llah, upon thee be His glory and His peace! In these days the wolves of the earth have surrounded the divine sheep. The Supreme Pen hath, in countless Tablets, commanded the servants to trustworthiness, religious devotion, righteousness and the fear of God. Yet the heedless have cast away godliness and embraced depravity, committing that which hath caused trustworthiness and religion to lament. A group, at the instigation of their leader, have risen up to harm the people of God. Each day they cling to some new falsehood, having in all circumstances arisen to undermine the Cause of God, and they have uttered that which no oppressor hath ever uttered. Soon shall they behold the recompense of their calumnies from the presence of the Just, the Equitable, the Wise One.
O Nuru’llah! Praise be to God, thou hast attained unto mention and praise. We beseech God to open through thee the doors of the hearts of His servants. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty. We have heard thy call and witnessed thy turning toward Us. We have turned toward thee and revealed for thee that which hath brought joy to the eyes of them that are nigh. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist thee with the hosts of wisdom and utterance, and to aid thee in that which will exalt His Cause among His servants and His remembrance in His lands. Nothing whatsoever escapeth His knowledge. He heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.
And upon thee be the glory from Us, and upon those with thee and upon all who are steadfast and firm.
BH00078: Praise and glory befit the dwellers of eternity’s realm…
Section 1: “Praise and glory befit the dwellers of eternity’s…”
In the name of our Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted and Most Glorious Lord!
Praise and glory befit the dwellers of eternity’s realm unto the Lord of Names, Whose most pure hem hath ever been and shall remain sanctified from the calumnies of the people of hatred. Whatsoever hath issued from the mouths of the deceivers hath never found and shall never find access to His court of glory. These faithless, ignorant people have failed to comprehend the station of “He doeth whatsoever He willeth” and speak according to their own desires and idle fancies. Sanctified is the remembrance of our Lord from their whisperings, their murmurings, their utterances, their supplications and their invocations. Exalted is His grandeur and supreme is His sovereignty. There is no God but Him.
The letter from that honored friend arrived, and its contents were the cause of joy, for the fragrances of love for the Lord of the Revelation wafted therefrom. After its reading, We repaired to the Most Holy Court and presented it before the countenance of the Lord of creation, where it attained the honor of His attention. This is what the Tongue of Grandeur spoke forth while seated upon the Throne in a place named Junayni. Exalted be His utterance and mighty His proof: “There is no Revelation but His Revelation.”
In My Name, the Wronged One, the Stranger
O Rida! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Lord of Names! Thy letter hath arrived and the servant in attendance before the Throne presented it at a time when sorrows encompassed Me from all directions. Verily, the M followed the M in his tyranny and oppression, cast aside the Lord and followed one who hath no mention in the court of God’s glory, the Creator of heaven. He hath lost in his deeds and gone astray in his endeavors. Soon shall he find himself in abasement and loss. Hear thou the call from the direction of Akka—it calleth in the kingdom of creation and commandeth all to righteousness, piety, trustworthiness, religion, truthfulness and fidelity. Blessed is he who heareth and acteth upon that which he hath been commanded by God, the Lord of all beings. Blessed art thou and thy father who hath taken for himself a station beneath the shade of his Lord’s grace, the Mighty, the Bestower. We have mentioned him with verses whose fragrance shall never cease and which the happenings of the world cannot alter. To this God’s Book in this station doth testify. The Glory from Us be upon him and upon thee and upon those who have attained and have ascended through the light of recognition unto God, the Lord of Lords.
Hear thou in the Persian tongue: Convey Our greetings to all the kinsmen on behalf of the Wronged One. The loved ones have ever been and shall ever be remembered. The spiritual youth, upon him be My glory and favor, hath ever been mentioned and is witnessed before the Throne. His letter arrived previously and an answer was revealed in a realm sanctified above words, but until now it hath not descended from the world of meaning to the world of utterance. Know ye with absolute certainty that the loved ones of God have never been and shall never be forgotten from His sight, and the glances of His grace have ever been and shall ever be directed towards them.
We counsel the friends to wisdom and to such deeds as will cause the attraction of hearts and the turning of souls unto God. In the land of ʿAyn and Shin, there occurred at the hands of the oppressors that which transformed the world of joy into grief. Glory be to God! In such instances both supreme joy and profound sorrow are manifest—consider this, O ye who possess insight! Praise be to God that they were slain but slew not, they acted in accordance with divine counsels. They took patience as their helper in the path of God, the Lord of the worlds. We beseech God to assist all to be ever mindful of His counsels and exhortations.
That which occurred in the month of Muharram regarding the Manifestation of the Herald and the Great Announcement—none but the people of truth have been or are aware of it. Therefore, the expression of joy in those days becometh the cause of revolution and hatred and rancor among the people. Wisdom doth not sanction the manifestation of joy and delight in those days. O loved ones of the All-Merciful in all lands! Take ye that which will attract the hearts of the servants and draw them nigh unto God, the Lord of creation. We make mention of all the loved ones and give them the glad-tidings of the effulgences of the light of divine providence. O people of God! Resolution is needed.
We hope that through your words of guidance the saplings of being may attain to maturity and development, and that all on earth may be nourished by their fruits and effects. The Cause of the Most Great Announcement is mighty. The princes and divines have turned away and the people follow them. The wise among the servants should hold fast to that which will purify existence from the disease of ignorance and folly. At all times, pure and holy deeds and radiant, pleasing character are the helpers and supporters of the Cause. Blessed are they who hold fast unto these! Ahmad, the son of him who found repose beneath the shade of his Lord’s grace, is remembered.
He Who remembereth the one who hath been mentioned under the shadow of his Lord’s loving-kindness. Letters have repeatedly arrived from him. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to aid him in that which will cause his remembrance to be exalted amongst His creation. Verily, He is powerful over all things. Say: O people! The divine Books, both of the past and present, have testified to the blessedness of these days, for the Sun of Truth shineth resplendent before all faces, the light of utterance is radiant and brilliant, the stream of mercy floweth and circulateth, and the breezes of God are wafting. Were a soul to contemplate the bounty bestowed upon a single leaf of the tree, he would, throughout his life, unceasingly utter “Thou art the Merciful” and “Thou art the Bountiful.” The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon you, O people of Baha, and upon every steadfast and firm one, and every one constant and trustworthy.
The fragrant breezes of divine revelation have pervaded the realm of meaning and utterance, yet the heedless servants are ever occupied in preventing it. This is a practice that hath persisted from ancient times. In all the days of Manifestation, they have striven to extinguish the light of divine unity and quench the fire of the Sacred Tree. The servant beseecheth his Lord to adorn His servants with that which beseemeth His days. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Bountiful.
Mention hath been made of Muhammad-Quli, upon him be the glory of God, and likewise his righteous deed. Praise be to God, after his deed was presented, it was accepted, and one Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed for him from the heaven of the divine Will and sent forth. God willing, he will attain unto it. Well is it with him for what he hath wrought in the path of God. Likewise, mention was made of the friends of Khusif, upon them be the glory of God, the King, the Mighty, the Kind, the Compassionate, and the other friends, upon them be the glory of God, which was accepted before the face of the Lord of all mankind.
This is what was revealed for Muhammad, upon him be the glory of God. His word, exalted be His majesty and glory:
He is the Remembering, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed
O Muhammad! There hath come upon Us in the Most Great Prison that which hath caused the realities of existence to lament. The oppressor hath been consumed by the fire of greed and passion, and hath wrongfully devoured the property of the people. Verily, he is of the people of tyranny. He hath cast away godliness and seized upon passion, and hath committed that which hath caused tears to flow from eyes. We have heard thy call and have called thee from the Mount of Knowledge. God, there is none other God but He, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Preserve the verses of thy Lord, then recite them in such wise that hearts are attracted thereby, then drink in My name from the cup of My utterance, My choice sealed wine. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon those who have believed in God, the Lord of the invisible and the visible.
And this is what was revealed for Mulla ʿAli, upon him be the everlasting glory of God. His word, blessed and exalted be He:
He is the Most Exalted, the Most High
O Ali! The wolves of the earth have surrounded the sheep of God, and the beast of the world seeks to harm the loved ones of the Most Great Name. Tyrants from every direction have openly arisen in oppression, and pharaohs from every quarter are engaged in transgression. Yet in such circumstances the Tongue of Grandeur speaks in praise of His loved ones, for this handful of dust is as naught in the sight of God and His loved ones. By God’s life! The clanking chains of the world are but as the buzzing of a fly to the faithful, and its buildings and prosperity are as a spider’s web, nay less than that. Convey My greetings to the loved ones on behalf of this Wronged One. Soon these days shall come to an end. Strive that ye may attain to that which shall be accepted and adorned with everlasting glory. The Day is the Day of deeds. Fix your gaze upon trustworthiness and hold fast to righteousness. He verily counsels His servants and advises them with that which shall exalt them. He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous.
This was revealed for Ali Kh. Upon him be the Glory of God. The Lord, exalted and sanctified be He, speaks:
He is the Most Holy, the Most Great
O Ali! Upon thee be My Glory! The oppressor of the world has opened the door of counsel. Say: O heedless one! It behooveth thee first to counsel thyself. By God’s life! Blood hath been shed, wealth hath been plundered, oppression hath been wrought, and that hath been committed which hath caused all things to lament, as well as the dwellers of Paradise and those who circle round the Throne at eventide and at dawn. He hath been seized for his sin, yet he perceiveth it not. Soon shall he behold the recompense of his deeds from God, the Avenger, the Almighty. The transgressor hath followed the oppressor in his tyranny and hath written that which caused the companions to cry out and hath been consumed with the fire of hatred in such wise that the realities of being trembled and the tears of the righteous flowed. We beseech God to protect His servants from his evil. He verily is the Almighty, the Unconstrained. Thy name was mentioned before the Wronged One. He remembered thee with such remembrance as caused the very stones to soar. Glory be upon thee and upon those whom the oppression of the oppressors hath not deterred from turning unto God, the Lord of Lords.
O My loved ones in the letters Kha and Vav! Hear My call. It verily draws you nigh unto the supreme horizon and guides you to the Dayspring of guidance. Deprive not yourselves of the Dawning-Place of Revelation. Cast aside what the people possess, holding fast to that which ye have been commanded by God, the Lord of all directions. We have mentioned you before in numerous Tablets with such mention as hath illumined the horizons. It endeth here. His is the praise and the glory, His the thanks and the splendor. He hath remembered His loved ones with that which shall cause their names to endure throughout the duration of His most excellent names and exalted attributes. Our Lord is verily the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Bestowing.
We beseech God that He may cause all to attain unto that which is the cause of the spreading of His signs among His servants. This spreading, as mentioned in the revealed Tablets, hath ever been and shall continue to be dependent upon goodly deeds and praiseworthy character, for deeds and character that are manifested in the path of God attract hearts and souls, and this attraction is the cause of drawing nigh, and drawing nigh is the cause of awareness and the station of propagation. God willing, may all attain thereunto.
Mention was made of the honored uncle, Mulla Ali-Akbar, upon him be the Glory of God. This is what was revealed for him from the heaven of the bounty of our Most Glorious Lord. He, exalted be His majesty and mighty be His utterance, speaks:
In My Name, the One Who calleth from the Supreme Horizon
O Akbar! After ʿAli strange matters have appeared and peculiar signs have become manifest. The wolf counsels God’s sheep, saying “Drink not blood and rend not flesh”; the serpent admonishes the fish to be patient, and the bear the cockrel; and the embodiment of tyranny says to the embodiment of justice “Oppress not, seize not the people’s wealth, fear God.” Indeed the world has changed—wickedness and iniquity counsel righteousness and piety and command godliness. Such deception and craftiness have appeared in the world as have had and have no equal. One who would sell the realm of holiness for a penny claims to serve the world and love all peoples. By God! For a dinar he would deliver the righteous into the hands of the wicked and corrupt. He speaks of patriotism while secretly and openly shedding the blood of the sovereign. They are worshippers of money yet count themselves among the righteous. It behooveth us to leave mention of them and remember thee who hast turned to a Cause from which all in the land have turned away, save those whom the hands of divine power have delivered, God, the Lord of all mankind.
We have mentioned thee before, and at this time with verses which, when revealed, caused the sun of knowledge to shine forth and illumined all lands. Convey My greetings to the loved ones in that land on behalf of the Wronged One. Say: At a time when I am surrounded by enemies and serpents are visible on the right and left, I speak forth verses and make mention of you. Strive that ye may succeed in achieving that which is befitting and worthy on this day. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon those whom God has related to thee, both men and women. Thy Lord is verily the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
The days are mighty and great days. It would be a great pity should they pass in heedlessness. O friends of God and His loved ones! Striving is necessary that ye may succeed in accomplishing that which will endure in God’s Book. He is indeed the Generous, the Merciful, the Mighty, the Great. The relatives of that honored friend have repeatedly been mentioned by the Tongue of Grandeur. Divine favors are beyond the reckoning of the servants. Were ye to count God’s favors ye would not be able to number them. But the people have heedlessly done that which no oppressor in any age has done. Their deeds bear witness to this before all faces. Soon shall they see their recompense from the presence of the Just, the Wise. Mention was made of the cousin, upon them both be the glory of God. After being submitted before the Holy Presence, these sublime and exalted verses were revealed. His blessed and exalted Word: He is the All-Mentioning, the All-Knowing.
Section 2: “O Muhammad! Today all things are…”
O Muhammad! Today all things are in a state of rapture, ecstasy and exultation through the manifestation of the Lord of the Kingdom of Names, and they congratulate one another, uttering the words “how our eyes have been refreshed.” Blessed is the one who has recognized the station of these days and is occupied with the praise and glorification of the Desired One of all worlds. Today the world has another light, the sea another wave, and the Sadrat of Sinai another melody. Blessed is he that hath ears to hear and eyes to see, and woe unto the heedless! Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having illumined my heart with the light of Thy knowledge, mine ears with the hearkening unto Thy call, and mine eyes with beholding Thy signs. I beseech Thee by Thy Kingdom and its mysteries, and by the heaven of Thy utterance and its stars, to ordain for me that which will exalt me amongst Thy servants and draw me nigh unto Thee, and to provide for me from the table of Thy heavenly grace. Verily, Thou art the Compassionate, the Generous. The glory of God rest upon thee, thy mother, thy brothers and thy sister, from God, the Lord of all who are in the heavens and on earth.
After mention was made of his father, his wife, and the two servants named Ghulam-Husayn and Habibullah, upon them be the glory of God, and after their names were presented before the countenance of the Lord of all beings, these blessed verses were revealed from the heaven of grace—exalted be His majesty and abundant be His favors:
O Muhammad-Rida! Praise be to God that thou hast attained unto the Kawthar of utterance of the Desired One of all worlds and hast drunk from the sealed wine. And thy kindred—thy mother, thy wife, and thy two sons—all have been mentioned before the Lord of Names. The remembrances of the world and what is with the peoples cannot compare with this remembrance, for the divine mention in the Tablet endureth as long as the kingdom and the realm endure, while all else returneth to nothingness. Convey My greetings to each one of them from the Wronged One and give them the glad-tidings of the effulgences of the Light of Providence. The loved ones have ever been and shall ever remain beneath the glance of grace, as attesteth He with Whom is the mighty Book.
And We make mention at this time of thy brother who was named Ali, that this remembrance may draw him to the highest horizon and the Hand of Bounty may give him to drink of the Kawthar of eternity. Blessed is he who hath attained to the outpourings of these days, and woe unto the heedless ones! O Ali, upon thee be My glory! Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided the thirsty one to the ocean of Thy mercy, the hungry one to the table of Thy heaven, the needy one to the sun of Thy generosity, and the sinful one to the heaven of Thy forgiveness. I beseech Thee, O Thou through Whose Name the Kawthar of bounty hath flowed from Thy Most Exalted Pen, to ordain for me that which will exalt me, preserve me, and benefit me in every world of Thy worlds. Thou knowest what is with me, and I know not what is with Thee. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful.
O Muhammad-Qabli-Rida! The Glory of God be upon you and upon your brother from Us. We give you both glad tidings of what hath been sent down unto you from the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We have revealed unto him who hath drunk from the Kawthar of attainment and hath gained what was inscribed in the Books of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy—through which the sun of the loving-kindness of the All-Merciful hath shone forth, the ocean of forgiveness hath surged, and the fragrance of the mercy of his Lord, the Forgiving, the Merciful, hath wafted. Verily, they who have ascended in My days have attained unto that which none before them hath attained. This is attested by that which hath been sent down from the presence of the Mighty, the Great.
We make mention of Our loved ones there. The Wronged One, in the midst of tribulations and sorrows, remembereth them with that which the treasures of the world cannot equal, that they may rejoice and be of the thankful. Convey My greetings unto them and remind them of that which hath been sent down unto them from the heaven of the bounty of their Lord, the Generous.
O loved ones of God in that land! The like of these days hath never been seen. This is the Day for deeds and steadfastness. All must be intent on reformation and associate with all the peoples of the world in the light of love, except him who hath turned away from this Most Great Announcement, the meeting with Whom had been the hope of those near unto God. Holding fast unto this cord, they must be detached from the world, must pass beyond the world of names, that they may attain unto a station which is sanctified from all similitude, peer, doubt, conjectures and vain imaginings of men. Know ye with clear certainty that whosoever in this Day attaineth unto but one word, he is mentioned in the Book of God as being of the Concourse on High.
O loved ones! Arise with zeal that perchance ye may, through wisdom and utterance, awaken the heedless souls and give them to drink of the Kawthar of steadfastness. The station of steadfastness is such that should all who are in heaven and on earth endeavor to prevent one from the straight path, they would find themselves utterly impotent. This is the most exalted station, the supreme pinnacle, and the crimson Tree. Blessed is he who hath cast away the world and taken hold of that which he hath been bidden by the One Who commandeth from ancient times.
O Muhammad-Qabli-Husayn! O shoemaker! Reflect upon the grace and bounty of God. The shoemaker hath crossed the bridge while the learned have stumbled. Thou hast attained unto the Kawthar of knowledge and arrived, while the jurists remain bewildered in the wilderness of their fancies. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of all who are in the heavens and the earth, and thanksgiving be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp is the dominion of the first and the last! Thou hast guided whom Thou didst will and who desired Thee, and hast forsaken those who sought other than Thee. I testify that Thou doest what Thou pleasest and ordainest what Thou desirest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.
O Husayn! O farmer! Blessed art thou, for thou hast, through divine confirmation, rent asunder the veil of fancy and, through His grace, hast torn away the intervening veils. Beseech God to grant thee steadfastness, for the croakers lie in ambush and the doubtful ones wait in observation posts. Say: My God, my God! Increase the light of my knowledge, then preserve me through Thy power which hath encompassed all created things, lest my feet slip through the doubts of the skeptical ones and the croaking of the croakers who have broken Thy Covenant and desired to prevent Thy servants from the stream of Thy mercy and Thy manifest, clear, and evident path.
As to the matter of requesting visitation and circumambulation by proxy through this evanescent servant, on this day, which is the sixth of the month of Rabi’u’th-Thani, six hours past dawn, the visitation was performed on behalf of that spiritual friend and was honored with acceptance. Blessed am I and art thou, and blessed is he who hath attained unto this supreme bounty and mighty favor.
He Whose utterance is the Remembrance maketh mention of My beloved Haji Muhammad Kazim, upon him be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah], and likewise of the news concerning what transpired in the great city. Glory be to God! Greed and avarice have deprived those souls of the shore of trustworthiness, religion, justice and fairness. Would that it had ended with this matter! But no, by God! Each day they utter a new calumny and cling to fresh lies. One who was known for tyranny and wickedness, and who turned away from godliness in this land—out of care and protection they ordered him to leave. He went to the great city and united with one like himself, and they clung to such calumnies that the greatest terror became manifest from all things, and justice and fairness engaged in wailing and lamentation.
This is the way of these people, and thou shalt never find any change in their ways. Haji Muhammad Karim Khan Kirmani wrote a book of refutation every year, and likewise some poets of the age have said that which their recompense is established and confirmed with the Just, the Wise One, and the punishment for this rebellion shall have no end and no conclusion. Similarly, Sipihr the historian wrote that from which the pen seeks refuge with the Truth. In any case, these matters have been and are inwardly the cause of the exaltation of the Word and the spread of the Cause. The servant beseecheth his Lord to adorn His servants with that which draweth them nigh unto Him and causeth them to speak with justice and fairness. Verily, He is our Protector and our Goal, and He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.
The spiritual friend, Aqa Muhammad, upon him be the Glory of God and His favors, gave thy letters to this servant, and each was presented before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence. In truth, these letters became the cause of the manifestation of the greatest grace. Blessed is he who hath attained unto the cup of utterance of his Lord, the Most Merciful. The servant testifieth that he is among those who are nigh unto God in the Book of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. I convey greetings and glory to all the friends of that land, both small and great, female and male, and I have sought and do seek for each one an eternal reward and everlasting good. And I beseech Him, exalted be He, to preserve them through His bounty and give them to drink from the cup of steadfastness from the hands of His bestowal. Verily, He is the Generous, the Munificent.
The Branches of the Divine Lote-Tree—may my spirit be a sacrifice for the dust of their footsteps—make mention of that spiritual friend and his relatives and the aforementioned friends, upon them be the Glory of God, and they beseech God, exalted be His Glory, for each one an enduring blessing and heavenly sustenance. Verily, He is God, there is none other God but Him, the Manifestor of that which was hidden in knowledge and concealed from sight. Verily, He is the Helper, the Chosen One.
Mention was made of Haji Mulla Baqir and Haji Rida and Aqa Muhammad Husayn and Aqa Ali, upon them be the Glory of God. After being presented before the Presence, there was revealed for each one specifically that which giveth glad tidings of eternal life. Blessed are they who have attained.
This is what was revealed for Haji Mulla Baqir, upon him be the Glory of God—exalted be His utterance and sublime be His proof:
He is the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise
O Muhammad-i-Baqir! Hear the call of the Wronged One. Verily He hath appeared with the truth and hath spoken before all faces. The Command is God’s, the Omnipotent, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting. God’s proof hath been perfected unto His creation and His testimony unto His servants, yet most of the people perceive not. The Spring of Life hath welled forth before the faces of all religions, and the Euphrates of mercy hath flowed from the Pen of God, Lord of what was and what shall be. This is the Day wherein the light of utterance hath shone forth from the horizons of the heaven of the tablets of thy Lord, the Possessor of all being. Blessed is the eye that hath attained unto His traces, the ear that hath heard His sweetest call, and the hand that hath taken hold of His sealed Book. Aid thy Lord through wisdom and utterance, then open the doors of hearts through His Name, the Mighty, the Loving. Thus have We lit the lamp of utterance in the niche of the wisdom of God, the Lord of the visible and invisible. God hath heard thy call and revealed for thee that which cooleth the eyes. The splendor from Us be upon thee and upon those who have attained unto Our sealed wine.
This was revealed for Haji Rida, upon him be the glory of God:
In My Name through which the fragrance of divine knowledge hath wafted through all possibility
O Rida! Thy name hath been present before the Most Glorious Horizon. We have mentioned thee with that which hath diffused the fragrance of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all beings. Say: By God’s life! The ocean hath surged before all faces and the fragrance of God, the Lord of lords, hath wafted. Blessed is he who hath witnessed and found, and woe unto him who hath denied what hath been sent down from the heaven of God’s bounty, the Lord of the beginning and the end. When thou hast attained unto the reading of My verses and the witnessing of My signs, say: My God, my God! I testify that Thou hast manifested Thyself unto all who dwell in the realm of being, and the Euphrates of Thy mercy hath flowed amidst all religions.
I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy Most Great Throne and the mysteries of Thy Cause, O Lord of eternity, to make me detached from all else save Thee and to hold fast unto the mountain of Thy grace. O Lord! Thou seest Thy loved ones among the oppressive ones among Thy servants, and Thy chosen ones among the deniers who have been enkindled with the fire of hatred in Thy days. I beseech Thee by Thy power which hath encompassed all created things to preserve them through Thy bounty and aid them through Thy power. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Bestower.
Section 3: “This was revealed for Muhammad-Husayn, upon him be…”
This was revealed for Muhammad-Husayn, upon him be the glory of God:
In My Name through which the Herald hath called out between earth and heaven
O Muhammad-Husayn! This Wronged One, while in the hands of His enemies, hath turned toward thee and maketh mention of thee, that perchance thou mayest be ignited with the heat of God’s remembrance—an ignition which the doubts of the workers of iniquity and immorality cannot prevent thee from attaining the Most Exalted Horizon. All the people of the world were waiting and still wait, yet when the Sun of Manifestation shone forth from the horizon of the Mount of Sinai, all turned away save whom thy Lord willed. Praise the Desired One of the world Who confirmed thee in turning toward Him and mentioned thee with verses that shall endure in the Perspicuous Book. It behooveth thee to say in this station: Praise be unto Thee, O Desired One of all who are in the heavens and the earth!
This was revealed for Ali, upon him be the glory of God:
In My Name through which the earth and heaven were illumined
O Ali, upon thee be My glory! Today the cloud of divine mercy is, at every moment, bestowing that which causeth the growth of the ears of knowledge and inner meanings. The Sun of Thy Lord’s bounty shineth resplendent before the faces of His servants, yet the people remain heedless and veiled, save those whom the hand of the power of thy Lord, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous, hath delivered. We beseech God to assist His loved ones to comprehend His infinite bestowals. By My life! Were the people of the earth to recognize but one word of His utterances and its effects in the realm of earth and heaven, they would all assuredly forsake whatsoever they possess and cling to that which is with God. Say: My God, my God! Deny me not the outpourings of Thy days, and deprive me not of that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones. I testify that Thou art the Most Generous, the Possessor of the Most Great Message.
The Luminary of bounty and generosity has dawned and shone forth with its rays upon His chosen ones, His sincere ones, and His loved ones. Blessed is he who is illumined by it, detached from all else—he is truly among the triumphant ones in God’s Books, His Scriptures and His Tablets. In truth, divine favor and bounty have reached such a degree that the drop seeks the station of the ocean, and the atom the station of the sun. This evanescent servant ever submits:
“My God, my God! Deprive not Thy servants of the Kawthar of steadfastness in Thy Cause, such that names withhold them not from their Possessor.”
At this point a story comes to mind which is worthy to be related: Some years ago, one named Siyyid Taqi attained the presence [of Baha’u’llah] and dwelt for a time in this land. After departing, he met on his way one Hussein known as Sukhte who asked him whence he came. He mentioned ʿAkka. Hussein said “Why do you not go to Cyprus? Mirza Yahya is the successor of the Point.” With these words, all his ranks of steadfastness, faith and devotion were scattered to the winds. He thereafter went to Cyprus and returned to Iran with a book of falsehoods. Glory be to God! How can one claiming divine love be turned from the straight path of the Lord by a single word, when that person himself knew that the aforementioned Hussein had no knowledge of anything? Indeed it is the recompense of deeds that leads man into vain imaginings and deprives him of the light of certitude.
Today the people of Baha have passed beyond the gulf of names and set their course toward the ocean of inner meanings. They have placed the whole world beneath their feet and taken the final step to the Most Exalted Station. The Command is in the hand of God, our Lord, the Lord of earth and heaven. Also Nafsi from Jadhba went to Kirman some years ago and there was deprived by one fabricated word from the Mother Book. Would that he had stopped at that! He engaged in deception, falsification, lies and calumny. Through guile and deceit he obtained one of this servant’s letters that had been sent to one of the friends, intending to copy and send it to the opponents.
This servant submits:
“My God, my God! Protect Thy servants from the evil of the opposers, the deniers and the barking ones, and aid them all to justice and fairness that they may behold Thy signs with their own eyes and hear Thy verses with their own ears. Verily Thou hast power over all things.”
Every movement of the Desire of all mankind is a manifest proof and a shining testimony; yet selfish desire hath become a veil. On a certain day the Tongue of Grandeur uttered this exalted word, which melted the liver with anguish. He, exalted be His utterance and glorified His sovereignty, said:
“O servant in attendance! Would that the opposers of the Bayan had but reflected to this extent: that We would have established this Cause firmly and immovably amongst the people of Persia, and would have raised it unto the loftiest station and most exalted rank. Then, unto whatsoever soul was found worthy, We would have committed it. Yet each day, after countless toils, when the Cause had in some measure been uplifted, souls arose who, out of sheer malice, perpetrated in those days that whereby the Cause of God was brought to naught. In times of grievous trial all were hidden behind veils; but when the light shone forth and the Cause became manifest, they rushed on with swords and committed deeds such as no oppressor had committed. And now some, with turban and cloak, like the people of former times, are busied with whisperings. We verily witness, and behold, and conceal; and I am the Concealer, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
Thus ended His saying.
This servant hath ever sought, and still seeketh, protection. Yet certain people who were never apprised of the very source of the Cause have laid claim to knowledge, and have been, and continue to be, the cause of leading the people astray. In every circumstance there is hope in His grace and bounty that He may sanctify His loved ones from that which beseemeth them not. He is the Mighty, the Powerful. There is none other God but Him, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious.
You wrote making mention of Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza Qushid Kha—upon him be the Baha of God. After that mention had been presented in the Most Holy and Inviolable Presence, these firm and perspicuous verses were revealed from the heaven of the loving-kindness of God, glorified be His majesty. He, exalted be His utterance and glorified His sovereignty, saith:
He Who is the Ruler over whatsoever He willeth
Thy name hath come before the Wronged One, Who hath made mention of thee in verses from which hath shone forth, from the horizon of each word thereof, the Sun of God’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all worlds. This is the Day whereon the Sun proclaimeth “Sovereignty belongeth unto God, the Almighty, the All-Wise,” and wherein the Ocean proclaimeth “Greatness belongeth unto God, the Goal of them that have known Him.” Blessed is the servant who hath heard the call raised by all things in celebration of God, the Lord of all creation, and woe betide every heedless and remote soul. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to illumine thee with the light of recognition and to kindle thee with the fire of His love.
He, verily, is the All-Bountiful, and within His grasp lie the reins of all who are in the heavens and on earth. When thine eyes are cheered by the traces of My Most Exalted Pen, say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having made mention of me, and caused me to hear and to see, and thanksgiving be unto Thee for having guided me unto Thy manifest path and Thine evident, mighty, and unshakeable Cause. I beseech Thee by Thy generosity which hath encompassed all existence to make me steadfast in Thy Cause, that my footsteps slip not through the doubts of them that have turned away from Thy straight path. Thou, verily, hast power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
He Who is manifest and standeth before kings and subjects alike
A Book that speaketh the truth and summoneth mankind unto the supreme horizon, the station wherein the Call hath been raised and wherein hath appeared that which was recorded by the Pen of Revelation in the Books of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. He Who was promised by the Tongue of Grandeur hath come, and He Who was inscribed by the Pen of God, the Almighty, the All-Praised, hath been made manifest. Blessed be the soul that hath heard and turned unto Him and attained His presence, and woe betide him that hath turned away from this manifest grace.
O Muhammad-Qabl-i-Hasan! We have heard thy call and make mention of thee with that which transcendeth all the remembrances of the people, that thou mayest aid thy Lord through wisdom and utterance and be of those who are assured. Take thou the Kawthar of steadfastness from the hand of the bounty of thy Lord, then drink it in His Name, the One Who ruleth over all names. Verily thy Lord is the Commander, the Counsellor, the All-Knowing. Beware lest the whisperings of the turbaned folk debar thee from the Most Great Ocean, and beware lest the intimations of the worshippers of names withhold thee from this resplendent and shining horizon.
Say: O people! This is the Day of God, did ye but know it, and this is the Day which was promised in the Books of God, both of the past and of the future, did ye but recognize it. He Who was hidden in knowledge and promised by God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, hath come. Say: Fear God, O peoples of the earth! Cast away what ye possess and take hold of the tokens of God through His power, then recite them with the melodies of the Most Exalted Paradise. These shall guide you and bring you nigh unto His praiseworthy station. He who is assured of His power and His authority shall not be shaken by the doubts of men, nor by the signs of those who have denied the Promised Day.
Say: My God, my God! Withhold me not from the Most Great Steadfastness in Thy Cause, O Lord of all being, and number me not with them who believed in Thy proof and then denied it by following the manifestations of idle fancies and vain imaginings. Strengthen me, O my God, that I may rend asunder all veils through Thy Name, the Strong, the Mighty, the One Who ruleth over what hath been and what shall be. Thus hath the fragrance of revelation been diffused and creation been perfumed through the sweet-scented breezes of the utterance of thy Lord, the All-Merciful. Be thankful and say: Unto Thee be praise, O Lord of Names, and unto Thee be glory, O Desire of hearts and minds.
Then know thou that We have revealed in Our Most Holy Book, at the outset of Our arrival in the Most Great Prison, that which appeared in the land of Kaf and Ra, and We informed the people of what would transpire therein. Verily thy Lord is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. We beseech God to strengthen thee and make thee steadfast in His Cause in such wise that neither thou nor His loved ones shall be hindered by the whisperings of them that have turned away from the Truth. Verily He is the Powerful over what He willeth, and in His grasp are the reins of all affairs. We beseech God, exalted be He, to aid thee in serving His Cause and in remembering Him amongst His servants. He, verily, is the Helper, the Forgiving, the All-Kindly. The glory be upon thee and upon those who have hearkened and have said:
“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the Kingdom and of the realms above!”
It is hoped that the sweet savours of the divine verses may take possession of the world and make His loved ones mindful of the events that transpired among the previous party, that they may not be deprived of the Names through their Lord, and may not accept the insinuations of every infidel. May they arise to serve with clear certitude, that perchance the earth may be illumined by the light of divine wisdom. Verily our Lord is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, and worthy to answer prayer. Again do I make mention that each of the loved ones hath been and is remembered with heartfelt remembrances, and for all do I beg bounty from the ocean of bounty and perpetuity from the sun of perpetuity. Verily He is the Protector of those who do good and the Goal of them that seek. Glory and remembrance and praise be upon thee and upon them that are with thee and upon the loved ones and friends of God there and in all directions, and praise be unto Him Who is the Goal of all who are in the heavens and on earth.
The servant 4 Jamadiyu’l-Avval 1307
May what has been sent be directed to the Land of Jadhba and Ba and Shin and certain other places, for this would be well-pleasing. The two rugs which were previously sent have arrived and have been graciously accepted. According to the command, whatsoever is sent to those regions should reach the beloved of the heart, that spiritual youth, upon him be the glory of God and His grace and bounty and mercy. They should make copies and deliver to their owners. This evanescent servant conveys greetings and praise to that spiritual one, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, and to the delight of eye and vision, Ahmad. Their mention hath ever been and still is in the Most Holy Court, especially at this time when the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken this exalted word: “O servant in attendance!” God willing, a reply shall be sent to that spiritual one, upon him be My glory and My loving-kindness, and likewise a reply to Ahmad, upon him be My glory.
Blessed be they both and may they rejoice in what cometh to them from God, their Lord.
BH01605: God is the Most Great, God is the One…
He is God, exalted be His glory, the Most Great, the All-Powerful
God is the Most Great, God is the One, God is the Self-Subsisting, acknowledging His Books and His Messengers and His chosen ones and His pure ones, and their loftiness and their transcendence and their might and their grandeur and their stations and their attributes before God, our Lord, the Lord of earth and heaven and Lord of the mighty Throne.
In truth, the food of the spirit is the remembrance and praise of God, exalted be His glory. If, God forbid, this most great bounty and supreme grace should be cut off, would life remain? Nay, by God! What of life—all would perish.
Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having caused us to acknowledge Thy unity and recognize Thy Books and Thy Messengers, and to stand before the gate of Thy grace, beseeching the wonders of Thy gifts and favors. O Lord! Withhold not from Thy servant and Thy loved ones the wonders of Thy grace, nor the rain from the heaven of Thy knowledge. We are poor and weak; we seek Thy conquering strength and Thy all-encompassing power. O Lord! Thou seest Thy loved ones in the lands of Iran among the enemies of Thy Cause. I beseech Thee to protect them through Thy sovereignty and the power of Thy Will. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Ruler, the Commander, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.
The letter of that spiritual beloved arrived, praise be to God, adorned with Divine unity and mention of His Prophets and chosen ones who strove in His path with befitting striving and conquered the servants and lands through His Name. After its reading and review, proceeding to the Sacred Presence, after presentation They said:
“God willing, may he be assisted in all conditions in that which causes the elevation of existence.”
O Mihdi! Upon thee be the peace of God and His loving-kindness. Thy letter was honored to be heard, from which the fragrance of love was diffused. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to open before thy face the gates of gifts and favors, to give thee to drink at all times from the Kawthar of divine knowledge, and to adorn thee with that which will elevate thy station among His servants. Verily, He is the Master of creation and the Ruler in the beginning and in the return.
We make mention of and send greetings to him whose heart was illumined by the lights of the knowledge of God, the Lord of the worlds, and whose countenance was brightened by the radiance of His face—he who was named Muhammad-i-Rida in the Book of Names—and to God’s loved ones there who were not prevented by anything from His remembrance and praise. We beseech God on their behalf for that which befits His generosity and bounty. Verily, He is the Single, the One, the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Praise be to God, thou art mentioned in the Holy Presence and art the recipient of favor. The kindred are, praise be to God, adorned with the ornament of health. I beseech the True One to assist that spiritual beloved in that which will cause his remembrance to endure and persist. Verily our Lord is the Answerer of His servants’ prayers and fulfills them through His grace and sovereignty. There is no God but He, the Mighty, the Generous.
I convey remembrance, greetings and praise to the beloved of the heart, his honor Haji—upon him be the Glory of God and His loving-kindness. He has ever been and continues to be mentioned. His honor, the apple of the eye, Aqa Mirza Mustafa—upon him be the Glory of God—is today present and successful in his stead, and adorned with the glory of acceptance. Likewise, I convey greetings to the other loved ones of that land. God is witness and testament that this evanescent servant, in times of attendance, both outwardly and inwardly makes mention of them and seeks true success for all. In all conditions I have been and am turned toward Him and beseeching at the gate of His generosity. Verily, He is the Munificent, the All-Bountiful, and He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.
The Star bulbs all arrived. Certainly, if the apple soldiers from right and left like marshalled hosts and ordered ranks—your reward is with God, the Lord of grace and bestowal, and the Master of remembrance and praise. There is no God but He, the Most High, the Most Exalted. It is hoped that at some time you will see them when their flowers appear. Verily, He is the Helper, the Powerful, the All-Wise. Peace and mercy and glory be upon thee and upon God’s righteous servants.
BH02226: The Book of God proclaims: There is none other…
He is the Hearer, the Answerer
The Book of God proclaims: There is none other God but He, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. The Divine Lote-Tree calls out: The Kingdom belongeth unto God, Lord of what was and what shall be. And the Supreme Pen declares: The Promise hath come, and the Promised One hath descended from the heaven of His Will, bearing the banner “He is God, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Loving.” And He Who conversed on Sinai, seated upon the throne of Manifestation, crieth out with loudest voice, yet the people comprehend not.
O thou who speakest in praise of thy Lord! Knowest thou Who maketh mention of thee in the Most Great Prison? Say: God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen. And knowest thou Who hath turned toward thee? Say: Yea, the Supreme Pen of God, through Whose movement were revealed the hidden secrets of His knowledge. Thy letter came before the Wronged One, and one of My Branches presented it. We answer thee with this irrevocable Tablet, from which the near ones perceive the fragrance of God, the Mighty, the Well-Beloved.
We have heard thy call and thy verse and prose in praise and glorification of God, and found therein the sweet savors of thy turning unto Him, thy devotion, thy humility and lowliness before God, the Lord of existence. Blessed is the tongue that hath succeeded in praising God, and the ear that hath heard His verses, and the heart illumined with the lights of His knowledge, and the hand that hath taken hold of His Book, and the foot that hath attained unto supreme steadfastness, and the eye that hath beheld His traces and wept for what befell Him at the hands of such as denied the Witness and the Witnessed. By the life of God! Through His appearance every hidden secret hath been revealed, and from the treasury of His Supreme Pen have appeared the pearls of wisdom and utterance. Blessed are they who know.
Say: O people! Fear God and follow not the sources of fancy and vain imaginings. Take unto yourselves the fear of God as a command from Him Who is the Lord of creation, and abandon transgression and unseemly deeds. He counseleth you and acquainteth you with that which shall profit you in the world to come and in this first life. He is the One, the Single, the All-Forgiving, the All-Kind.
The Wronged One, caught between the fangs of wolves, calleth upon the Lord of Lords:
“My God, my God! Adorn Thy servants with the ornament of justice and illumine their hearts with the light of equity. My Lord, Thou knowest that I have desired naught in Thy realm save the extinction of the fire of hatred and animosity from the hearts of Thy servants, and I desire for them naught save that which draweth them nigh unto the court of Thy holiness. O Lord! I beseech Thee by the Most Great Word whereby Thou didst subdue the kingdom of glory and bounty and didst open the door of Thy grace unto all in the realm of creation, and by Thy firm decree and Most Great Name whereby Thou didst subdue the nations, to ordain for Thy loved ones that which shall exalt them through Thy Name amongst Thy servants, and to inscribe for them from Thy Supreme Pen the reward of attaining Thy presence. Thou art He, O my God, through Whose Name the ocean of bounty surgeth and the Dove of Utterance warbleth upon the branches of the Divine Lote-Tree. The spears of the oppressors weaken Thee not, nor doth the might of the tyrannical dismay Thee. Thou doest what Thou willest by Thy sovereignty. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Bountiful, the Generous. O Lord! Ordain for him who hath voiced Thy praise that which beseemeth Thy bounties and favors. Verily, Thou art the One, the Single, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
BH02926: I beseech God, glorified be His majesty, for health…
He is God, exalted be His station, the Greatness and the Power
I beseech God, glorified be His majesty, for health, well-being, glory and elevation for the gentlemen. God willing, may all attain to that which is the cause of an enduring mention and an everlasting name. In the nights I beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, and in the days I implore the wonders of His bounty for His loved ones, and I ask Him to open before their faces the gates of His grace and bestowal. Verily He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful, and He is the Answerer, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
And furthermore, whatsoever that beloved of the heart hath mentioned hath been and is being carried out. God willing, may all affairs be adorned with righteousness, inasmuch as at all times the purpose hath been and is none other than to act according to the divine laws and religion. I beseech God, glorified be His majesty, for enabling grace that in these few days He may cause His servants to attain unto eternal outpourings. Verily He is powerful over all things and worthy to answer.
Previously rice was requested, that his honor the esteemed Afnan, upon him be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, should send. He sent two containers. Although according to his own statement it was old, yet its cooking is very good. If possible, let him send from that same kind or another kind.
From Iran they had written an account of the manifestation of justice and the attention of His Majesty the King, may God exalt him. This evanescent one testifies that if the divines of Iran would permit it, His Majesty the King would rule with justice and fairness and would treat the various religions in one way. Although the opinion is the King’s opinion, the divines have not been and are not capable of anything. It is hoped that his blessed heart may become kind toward the well-wishers of government and nation, and that he may rule with justice, fairness and mercy. And we ask God to protect him with His hosts and to aid him in that whereby his mention shall endure in the Supreme Concourse and the Most Exalted Paradise. Verily our Lord is the Compassionate, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.
Regarding what you wrote about Aqa Rahmatullah, ʿInayatullah, permission was granted. Let them proceed. Peace and remembrance and glory be upon you and upon God’s righteous servants.
The servant 17 Jamadiyu’l-Avval 1307
BH05446: Sorrows have encompassed Us from all directions, yet…
He is the Summoner between earth and heaven!
Sorrows have encompassed Us from all directions, yet the Wronged One, beneath the talons of hatred, calls out to all who dwell in the realm of creation and summons them to God, the Lord of Names and Attributes. We have named this prison the Most Great Prison—consider this, O people of insight! Nothing escapes His knowledge, and He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. He hears and sees, and He is the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Seeing. When the appointed time came, the trumpet was sounded and those who denied God, the Lord of all beings, were thunderstruck.
When thou hast drunk the Choice Wine sealed from the hand of the bounty of thy Lord, the Self-Subsisting, say: My God, my God! Adorn the thrones of the world with the manifestations of Thy justice and the dawning-places of Thy grace. O Lord! Thou art the Generous One, possessed of great bounty. I beseech Thee by Thy most sweet call and the movement of Thy Most Exalted Pen, and by the lights of Thy countenance, O Creator of earth and heaven, to ordain for me and for Thy servants that which will draw them nigh unto Thee and strengthen them to stand firm in Thy Cause—the Cause through which every remote oppressor has lamented. O Lord! Thou seest me clinging to Thy sure handle and holding fast to the hem of Thy mercy, O Lord of the Kingdom of Names. I beseech Thee not to deny me the waves of the ocean of Thy bounty, nor to deprive me of that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones. Verily Thou art the Sovereign of existence and the Lord of the seen and unseen. There is none other God but Thee, the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.
BH05735: Praise and thanksgiving befit those who dwell…
He is manifest with truth in the Kingdom of Utterance before the followers of all religions!
Praise and thanksgiving befit those who dwell in the depths of oneness, who have passed beyond the gulf of names and made their way toward the ocean of inner meanings. Names did not become a veil to them, nor did the hatred and malice of the people of creation prevent them. Through divine power and heavenly grace they arose to educate the souls of nations and reform the world. They recline upon the cushions of detachment and hold fast to the fear of God. Neither self nor desire prevented them from drawing nigh to the supreme horizon nor held them back from turning toward it. We have heard thy call and have answered thee with that which will exalt thy station in all the worlds of thy Lord.
Verily He ordains for whomever He wishes the good of the hereafter and of this world, and He is the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Almighty. We counsel thee to perform goodly deeds and whatsoever will draw thee near to the All-Informed One. Say: Praise be unto Thee for having mentioned me in Thy letter and sent down for me that which transforms ignorance into knowledge, fire into light, and poverty into wealth. I testify that Thou hast manifested what was hidden from all eyes and minds. There is no God but Thee, the One empowered over whatsoever Thou willest through Thy firm and mighty command.
BH06663: O Ghulam-ʿAli, upon him be the Glory of God!…
O Ghulam-ʿAli, upon him be the Glory of God! He is the All-Seeing, the All-Informed!
All things have testified to the appearance of the Creator of Heaven, and the Concourse on High have been seized by the rapture of the Call, yet most people perceive it not. Riches have occupied them, turning them away from their final end, and vain imaginings have prevented them from God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. They have cast the Book of God behind their backs, clinging to idols and suppositions.
Your name was mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One, whereupon the ocean of utterance surged, and the Countenance of the Ancient of Days turned toward you, revealing that which attracts the minds and hearts. Grieve not over worldly events and changes. In all matters place your trust in God, the Lord of the Promised Day. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of Names, and glory be unto Thee, O Creator of Heaven! I beseech Thee by the lights of the Throne and the mysteries of the Cause to make me steadfast in the cord of constancy in Thy love and firm in what Thou hast commanded me in Thy Tablets. Thou seest, O my God, this servant detached from all else save Thee, beseeching Thy generosity and bounty. Ordain for him what befits the heaven of Thy grace and the ocean of Thy giving. Verily Thou art powerful over what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Kind.