Volume 094: Akka 1307 A.H. (1889–1890), Part II (1 of 4)

BH00474: Praise befitteth the most holy and exalted Court…

He is God, exalted be His glory, the Greatness and the Power.

Praise befitteth the most holy and exalted Court of the Desired One, Who hath created infinite worlds, and all of these have appeared according to the requirements of His consummate wisdom. For each He hath ordained effects, manifestations, signs and laws. For instance, He established the world of grief, and likewise revealed the world of joy, the world of love and longing, of rapture and attraction. And His world of separation which is in truth a consuming fire for lovers, and the world of union and meeting which giveth life to the temples of His servants in both beginning and return. The worlds of death and life, though outwardly opposed and contrary to one another, are inwardly connected by a mighty bond. Thus it hath been said that until a delicate, sound seed changeth and loseth its outward beauty, no verdant fresh ear of corn will spring therefrom. Assuredly, in the destruction of these temples lieth concealed a mighty edifice, and infinite prosperities are made manifest and visible thereby. None knoweth this save the All-Wise One Who hath encompassed all things through His all-encompassing knowledge and His all-pervading and penetrating wisdom.

Every utterance and every mention requireth confirmation and proof, save one matter which is in truth the sovereign of all commands and prohibitions, whose truth is as manifest as the sun, nay more manifest, and whereby the hearts of the chosen ones, the pure ones, they that are nigh unto God, and the sincere ones are assured and gladdened—and that is that there hath never been and never shall be any doubt that the Absolutely Wise One would not, without cause or reason, extend the hand of will toward destruction, nor would He turn His attention to construction and edification without proof. Exalted be His wisdom and sublime be His effects, His mention and His sovereignty.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! This evanescent one desireth to make mention of Thy Afnan and console him in what hath come upon him through Thine irrevocable decree, though he seeth this as above his station. Yet, when he beholdeth his being as naught before the revelations of the Orb of Thy Manifestation and its pillars, and whatsoever he possesseth as non-existent before Thy Will and Purpose, he maketh mention of Thee in such wise as would establish Thy favors toward Thy Afnan and manifest Thy grace and bounty toward them through Thy bestowals, and their ascension to the heaven of Thy acceptance and the horizon of Thy good-pleasure. I beseech Thee, O Lord of the kingdoms of knowledge and understanding, and Mover of the ships of grandeur and majesty upon the ocean of utterance, to illumine his presence with the light of joy and gladness. Transform, O my God, his constraint into expansion and his sorrow into delight.

Though I acknowledge his patience and steadfastness, his acceptance and contentment with whatsoever hath come and will come from Thee, yet since Thou hast commanded me to make mention and to hold fast to the means, I therefore make mention and hold fast to the cord of Thy bounty, that Thou mayest send down from the heaven of Thy mercy and the clouds of Thy grace upon Thy Afnan, whom Thou hast related unto Thyself and made him the Afnan of Thy Lote-Tree at all times, as a mercy from Thee and a resplendent light from Thy presence. Verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Generous, and Thou art the Forgiving, the Merciful.

O Lord! Thou seest his humility and submissiveness, his supplication and his attachment to the Tree of Thy Cause, and his clinging to the hem of Thy mercy and might. I beseech Thee, O God, O my God, by the river of Thy mercy and the ocean of Thy knowledge and the sea of Thy wisdom, and the mysteries concealed in Thy Book, and the lights shining from the horizon of Thy Will by Thy Command, to ordain for him whom Thou hast related unto Thyself that which will make him a guardian of Thy Cause and a protector of Thy loved ones through Thy power and might. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

May my spirit be a sacrifice for your love, your sorrow and your steadfastness! Your letter was like a wondrous lamp and a brilliant, radiant light, for each word therein was a mirror reflecting devotion, steadfastness and love for the Lord of all worlds—may my spirit and all in the kingdoms of command and creation be a sacrifice for Him. After receiving the sweet fragrance of love and affection from pen and ink, I proceeded to the Most Holy Court where it was presented. Thereupon the ocean of utterance surged and the fragrance of our Lord the All-Merciful’s favor wafted, and two Most Holy Tablets were revealed—one specifically for your honor and the other for the Leaf of the Divine Lote-Tree and those with her, upon her be the Glory of God the Most Glorious.

In each, the Pen of Grace made mention of tribulations, visitation, and that which befitteth His bounty and generosity. The gifts and favors are of such magnitude as cannot be limited or come to an end. This servant beseeches his Lord and Beloved to assist your honor with the hosts of grace and bounty and with that which befitteth His generosity that hath encompassed existence and His mercy that hath preceded both the unseen and the visible. God willing, you will attain unto the presence of the two blessed Tablets and, as commanded, after reading them will send them to the land of Shin.

In truth, the presence of that exalted Leaf—upon her be the Glory of God—was a sign for those left behind and a comfort to them. From the time that the Most Exalted Leaf, the sacred consort—upon her be the Glory of God, His mercy, His light, His grace, His remembrance and His praise—ascended, repeated mention was made until now of these two exalted Leaves in the Most Holy Court. In these days this fresh news became the cause of grief to the circling men and women, such that it affected the people of the pavilion of chastity and each one besought a fresh bestowal. It is hoped that the remaining kindred who reside in the land of Shin may, through God’s grace—exalted be His glory—be adorned with the garment of beautiful patience and be content with that which hath been ordained by the Desired One.

I beseech and implore God—exalted be His glory—to transform the grief of all in this great calamity into the dawning-place of joy and delight. He is verily the Powerful, the Answerer of what is asked. He is the One Who hath named Himself the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous, the Most Munificent, the Most Merciful. His generosity and grace have encompassed all, how much more the branches who have appeared from Him, who return unto Him, who are related to Him and who are mentioned by Him.

I mention the honored Star—upon him be God’s most luminous light—both outwardly and inwardly, convey greetings to him and seek for him that which is the cause of nearness and eternal remembrance. And to the other loved ones who are in that land serving your honor, I convey greetings to each one and beseech God—exalted be His glory—for their glory and blessing. Verily our Lord is the Forgiving, the Kind. There is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Best-Beloved.

Mention is made of His Honor Aqa ʿAli-Akbar, upon him be the Glory of God, and of his steadfastness, love, ardor, and occupation, as recorded by the Pen of His Holiness. Praise be to God that he is confirmed in service, and assuredly he doth, in the service of that sacred Threshold, acquire that from which true profit is manifest and evident.

On the day of departure, when he was honored by attainment to the Most Holy Presence, His Holiness enjoined upon him that which is the cause of the exaltation of station and the elevation of trust and faithfulness. In that land it is known that he hath preserved the Word in the treasury of his heart.

All this is from God’s confirmations to His loved ones. Should He so desire, He would assist whomsoever hath turned unto Him to reform the entire world, and would seize, through His all-pervading sovereignty, from whomsoever He willeth, all that hath been and shall be. It behooveth the servant to commit all affairs unto Him and place his trust in Him. These are two mighty portals leading to the bounty and mercy of God, glorified be His majesty. We hope they shall be opened before the faces of His loved ones and chosen ones through the key of love and fellowship. Verily, He hath power over all things.

The letter from the spiritual friend, His Honour Aqa ʿAli-Muhammad, upon him be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah], likewise reached this servant and was presented before Him. He said: Let him hold fast unto what We counselled him in Our presence and what We sent with Siyyid Javad, upon him be the peace of God, the Lord of creation. Then shall the gates of blessing from God, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful, be opened before his face. We beseech Him to protect him and assist him in that which He loveth and is pleased with. Verily, He is the Counsellor, the Compassionate, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

This servant ever beseecheth and imploreth God to ordain for him that which causeth expansion, joy and gladness. Verily God is the All-Powerful, the Almighty, and worthy to answer prayers. His greetings reached all, and each one returneth greetings and beseecheth God, glorified be His majesty, for might and exaltation. God willing, may they be confirmed and assisted in all conditions.

The missive from His Honour Aqa Muhammad, upon him be 9 66 [Baha’u’llah], also arrived. As the deed was performed purely for His love, it is beloved. In truth, His Honour Aqa Muhammad is adorned with the ornament of love and sincerity. This servant beseecheth his Lord to increase what he possesseth of affection and attachment at all times. Verily, He is the Giver, the Bestower, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

Henceforth, good … is also found here. God’s bounties are innumerable, encompassing from every direction, and His grace is evident at all times. We beseech God to assist His loved ones, friends and servants to praise and thank Him. Who is able to thank Him as He deserveth to be thanked? Therefore He thanketh Himself with His own tongue, saying “Be thankful unto Me and I shall be thankful unto you.” His is the praise and the glory, and His is the thanksgiving and the splendor at all times.

Another submission: the missive from the honored Mr. Afnan of the land of China, upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah], has arrived. The tea sent was good and excellent. Glory be to God! The full nature of tea has not yet been revealed—many teas appear desirable but prove otherwise in brewing, and vice versa. However, this shipment has proven acceptable. Praise be to God Who revealed him, established him, caused him to speak, and made his presence a means for His servants to hold fast to his connection to the Tree of His Cause. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to assist him and reveal to him whatsoever He desires of the wonders of His generosity, munificence, grace and bestowal.

Verily, He is the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. It is hoped that this prayer will be answered. Since these submissions are for the sake of God, and service to the Afnan is likewise for the sake of God, it will surely be accompanied by acceptance. The lychee also arrived, and it too was superior to last year’s. The Command is in God’s hands—He changes as He pleases and reveals as He wills, and He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Glory, remembrance and praise be upon you and upon those with you who love you and hear your words concerning the Cause of God, Lord of the earthly realm and the heavenly kingdom.

The servant 2 Jamadiyu’th-Thani 1307

The cherished gift from his honor Haji Niyaz Effendi, upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah], has arrived. This is very clear and evident—whatever comes from a friend [is good], especially from friends who have drunk from the flowing Euphrates beneath the divine Throne. Their homeland is the shadow of God, their goal the meeting with God, their hope drawing near unto God, their trust in God, and their affairs are committed to God. They began from Him and return to Him, and this is the seal of discourse.

BH11690: All praise be unto that Desired One Who accepted…

He is the Most Holy, Most Great, Most Exalted, Most Glorious!

All praise be unto that Desired One Who accepted the afflictions and adversities of the world for the peace, exaltation, and glory of the nations….

He is the Hearer, the Answerer.

O bird that soarest in the atmosphere of thy Lord’s will and gazest toward the horizon of His Manifestation! The servant who standeth before the presence of the Wronged One hath read what thou didst send, and it hath wholly attained the honor of being heard and accepted. From thy call We perceived the fragrance of faithfulness amidst humanity and the sweet savors of submission and contentment in days wherein sorrows have encompassed Us from those who cast the Covenant and the Book behind their backs, clinging to the ropes of idle fancies and vain imaginings. O party of God! Your oppression, your patience, your steadfastness, your tranquility and your dignity have aided Me with such a victory as the eye of creation hath never witnessed its like. The Book of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting, beareth witness to this. These are hosts which no earthly armies can match, nor can the ranks of the world stand against them. Thus hath the Wronged One spoken that joy and gladness from God, the Lord of the seen and unseen, might take hold of you.

O My loved ones! Ye have attained unto that which hath no peer or likeness. Your deeds are your witness. We hope that the sun of unity and concord, of humility and lowliness, may shine forth from the men of that city. Be not grieved by worldly events. Through your name the Standard of Victory hath been raised there, and through your love the Dove of the Throne hath warbled upon the highest branches in such wise as to attract the hearts of all parties.

If outward means are sometimes delayed, it mattereth not. By My life! In the midst of tribulation ye stand, in God’s sight, at the most exalted station and are adorned with the highest rank. The thought that the Sun of Justice would shine from the horizon of Iran’s heaven—and now from the horizon of the heaven of justice hath shone forth a government which is the greatest of the world’s powers. The reward of this momentous deed is immense. This party must never forget this favor until the end that hath no end, and must ever behold it before their faces. The friends of God and those immersed in the sea of divine bounty must at all times beseech the Self-Sufficient Lord to adorn the sovereign of Iran with the crown of justice and the ornament of equity. This Wronged One hath loved and continueth to love faithfulness. If, through God’s grace, the fire of hatred and animosity that blazeth in the hearts and souls of Iran’s divines be quenched and extinguished, His Majesty the Shah would deal with utmost favor and compassion, even as in certain instances he hath protected and safeguarded the oppressed ones from the wrongdoing of the servants….

O servant in attendance! This exalted word from the Most Exalted Pen is as an ornament upon the brow of the divine victory, glorified be His majesty: Verily all success lieth in unity and concord.”’ For should the foundation of fellowship be shaken even slightly, complete ruin would result. Although in the presence of the honored beloved one, Jinab-i-Mirza Abu’l-Fadl, upon him be the Glory of God the Most Glorious, and the spiritual beloved Ustad ʿAli-Akbar, upon him be the Glory of God, the pillars of love and affection appear firm, nevertheless you must at all times remind those beloved ones and the loved ones that no matter should arise that might cause this lofty reputation to decline. Now the favor and bounty of the Desired One of the world have so encompassed the loved ones of that land that their good mention is heard from every direction.

It would be most regrettable should this most exalted, wondrous and glorious reputation change. According to His command, all must conduct themselves with the people of that city in such a way that none may find occasion for aught but good mention. This evanescent servant beseeches the eternal Truth day and night that He may adorn the loved ones of that land each day with the ornament of goodly deeds and character. Verily He hath power over all things.

All that hath transpired in that land was presented before the presence of the Lord of the worlds, and from His blessed lips flowed the waters of mercy. However, He stated that although they were truly correct in referring to the Book—meaning that which hath been and will be revealed from the Most Exalted Pen—as the Bayan, yet since in this Most Great Revelation the carpet of mighty mercy is spread wide and the heaven of grace is upraised, this matter should be rectified lest others misunderstand. At this time, after presentation before the Most Holy Court, that which hath been revealed in this Most Great and Most Glorious Revelation hath been designated as the Mother Book, for in truth, in the eyes of those possessed of insight, that which hath been revealed in truth is the Mother of all the world’s books.

Repeatedly from the tongue of Grandeur have the terms Mother Book, Mother of Tablets, and Mother of the Bayan been revealed, and now it hath been designated solely as the Mother Book. This matter should be established in the minds of the questioners in a pleasing manner. Truly a Cause hath appeared that is supreme over all the religions of the world and is a supreme mercy unto all peoples, for all bestial qualities and oppressive conditions have been strictly forbidden in the Book of our Lord, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. And the means for the advancement of government and nation, and the cause of the comfort and tranquility of the people of the world, have been revealed and established. Blessed are they that attain, and blessed are they that are possessed of insight….

…the Lord, exalted and sanctified be He, speaks: O Abdul-Karim, upon thee be the Glory of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment! One great deed which is truly regarded and counted as among the most mighty of deeds in the sight of the Self-Sufficient, the Exalted, is intercession for the oppressed party against the oppressors—that is, those souls who without proof or evidence or argument or explanation did that which caused grief to those near to God and the sincere ones. We testify that you have done that which has transformed sorrow into joy and grief into gladness. In truth, good deeds in these days have been recorded by the Supreme Pen as the king of all deeds, for this party has been created for the reformation of the world and the education of the peoples and has been brought from nothingness into being. Blessed be this deed through which the countenance of existence has smiled.

The honored Afnan and the honored Amin, upon them be the Glory of God and His favors, have repeatedly mentioned you in presence and absence, especially in these days. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to assist His loved ones there to that which will attract the servants and draw them near unto Him. Verily He is the Powerful, the Mighty. The Helper and Assister of the True One, exalted be His glory, has been good deeds and praiseworthy attributes, and through you it is a mighty helper. In truth it is the banner of triumph and victory. Praise be to God Who has assisted you to a deed from which the fragrance of His good-pleasure has been wafted. Verily He is the Helper, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Praise be to God that you have attained to the word of acceptance and contentment, which is among the greatest of deeds. The Point [the Bab], may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for Him, declares that all existence is for the sake of being mentioned but once in His presence. The friends in that land have repeatedly partaken of the rain-showers of the clouds of mercy. Blessed be your patience and your tranquility. At one time He said that the intercession of the party of God for their enemies became the cause of eternal joy, and from the day when news of the oppression of the party of God in that land was presented before His face, the countenance of the Goal of the worlds appeared with a smile and spoke. It is hoped that the friends will strive and calm with the waters of love and kindness the fire of hatred and animosity that burns in hearts and minds. Verily their Lord is their Helper and their Supporter and He is with them, hearing and seeing, and He is the Hearer, the Answerer.

Glory be to God! One is astonished—the Shi’ih party counted themselves the highest, most learned and most excellent of all the people of the world, and, God forbid, considered others unclean. Now we must reflect with justice and fairness upon the deeds of the Baha’i party and the heedless party, and speak the truth. In any case, the deeds of the Baha’i party have caused the appearance and waves of the ocean of love, evident and manifest before all faces. No excuse remains for the heedless ones unless they completely abandon justice and transgress beyond fairness.

I convey greetings and praise to all the friends in that city, and I beseech for each one whatsoever His generosity requires. Verily He is the Most Merciful of the merciful ones and the Most Generous of the generous ones.

The supplication of the revered Beloved One, upon Him be all the most glorious Glory, and your honor were again presented before His face. After repeated presentations He showed His favor, and in one instance these words were revealed from the Kingdom of grace—His word, exalted be His glory:

O Fadl, O Abdul-Karim! Upon you both and upon My friends in that place be the Glory of God, the Lord of the mighty throne. We have found the fragrance of that wherewith you both called upon the Wronged One in this manifest prison, and every word of your words bore witness and acknowledged and confessed your sincerity and your turning toward Him and your attraction to the commanding Word of God through which the Hour appeared and the Cry was raised, and the faces of the people of Baha were illumined among all beings while the faces of those who denied the rain-showers of His mercy and the waves of the ocean of His bounty were darkened. We beseech God to aid you both to quicken the dead through His power and His might and His grandeur and His sovereignty, and to ordain for you the pearls hidden in the depths of wisdom and utterance that thereby all beings may be attracted.

Verily He is God, the Single, the One, the Powerful over whatsoever He willeth. Neither the authority of the oppressors, nor the clamor of the heedless ones, nor the whisperings of the slanderers who broke God’s covenant and His testament and denied what was sent down from the heaven of His bounty and disputed His sovereignty that embraceth all in the heavens and the earths, can prevent Him….

BH01419: Ziyarat-Namiy-i-Zahra Bagum

He is the Comforter, the Consoler, the Mighty, the Generous

O leaves of My Tree! Upon you be the Glory of God, the Lord of the worlds. O fruits of My Tree of loving-kindness! Upon you be the Light of God, the radiant, the dawning, the luminous. O remnants of My Holy Family! The Divine Lote-Tree remembereth you from the Most Exalted Horizon, and desireth to console its leaves, its branches, its boughs and its fruits in all that hath come upon them through God’s irrevocable decree and His destined ordinance, inscribed by His mighty and wondrous Pen. By God’s life! Your affliction hath grieved Me and that which hath befallen you, and likewise those who have circled round Me and have clung to the cord of My bounty and My mercy which have preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth.

Unceasingly have you been remembered in the Most Holy and Exalted Court, and the glances of loving-kindness have been directed toward that quarter. Although this supreme affliction hath befallen you, yet since its source and return are from God and unto God, there is no harm in it. We beseech God—exalted be His glory—to transform the fire of sorrow into the light of joy, and to sanctify the hem of trust and detachment from the dust of worldly events and the grime of the imaginings of the peoples.

In the path of God there hath befallen you the greatest of the world’s afflictions. How many nights and days have you been sorrowful due to the oppression of the servants, and the greatest of afflictions is separation, which hath appeared, and the obstacles that have intervened. Know with absolute certitude that a station hath been ordained for you, whereof were a needle’s eye worth to be unveiled, all the world would turn from what they possess unto what God possesseth, and would circle round it. The oppressors and heedless ones of the world imagine they can frustrate the Cause, but that which appeareth hath been and shall be the cause of the exaltation of the Word. The power of the world cannot withhold its might, nor can the calumnies of the nations weaken its power.

From the beginning of the Cause until now, We have rendered assistance through the Pen alone, until the Cause hath reached such a station as hath truly become the cause of reflection and wonderment to the peoples of the world. Sublime utterances have been revealed in both eloquent Arabic and radiant Persian. Their recitation is beloved and is the cause of the solace of hearts and minds.

We have desired at this time to make mention of My two most exalted leaves among the handmaidens with a mention whereby the hearts of the Concourse on High and the Most Exalted Paradise have been attracted, such that its fragrance shall never cease to endure through the permanence of His most beautiful names and His most exalted attributes.

O first light that shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of the loving-kindness of the Lord of all beings, and first word uttered by the Tongue of Grandeur, and first fragrance that wafted from the garment of My Most Great Name amongst the nations! Upon thee, O dawning-place of fidelity and thou who art mentioned by the Most Glorious Tongue in the prison of Akka! I testify that thou didst hear the Call in the earliest days and didst turn to God, the Lord of all beings, and didst take the cup of recognition and drink thereof from the hands of bounty and bestowal. Thou art she whom neither the derision of the wicked nor the doubts of the perfidious deterred. Thou didst forsake the religion of the people and turn to God, the Lord of the Throne on high and of the dust below, the Possessor of the hereafter and this world.

O first light that shone forth and gleamed from the horizon of the heaven of bounty! Upon thee, O luminous leaf! I testify that thou didst turn and acknowledge that which the Tongue of Grandeur uttered in the kingdom of creation, then didst take His sealed nectar in His self-subsisting Name and drink before the faces of the handmaidens of God and His leaves. Thou art she whom neither the ranks of the divines, nor their clamor, nor the croaking of the people of tyranny and indecency, nor their doubts deterred. Thou hast rent asunder the veils through the name of thy Lord, the Bestower, and hast acknowledged God’s compelling Word and held fast unto it in days wherein the handmaidens of the earth abandoned it and its men cast it behind them, save those whom God, the Lord of the Exalted Throne, willed.

Blessed art thou, O My leaf, and blessed is he who seeketh thy resting place, visiteth thy dust, draweth nigh through thee unto God, thy Lord, and mentioneth that which the Supreme Pen hath uttered concerning thy tribulations and afflictions.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God, God of the Kingdom and the Realm, and Sovereign of grandeur and might! I beseech Thee by the branches of the Tree of Thy singleness and Thy chosen ones who have been set ablaze with the fire of Thy love and have spent their substance and their spirits in Thy path, to forgive me and those who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs. O my Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy sovereignty that hath encompassed existence and by Thy mercy that hath preceded the seen and the unseen, to fulfill my needs and ordain for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee and be as a light before my face in every world of Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Most Generous, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

BH11735: O Husayn, upon thee be My glory! We testify…

He is the Protector, the Mighty, the Powerful

O Husayn, upon thee be My glory! We testify that thou hast attained unto that which was inscribed in the Tablet and recorded by the Supreme Pen from God, the Lord of the worlds. Blessed art thou for having drawn nigh unto the Most Great Ocean and beheld its waves and the pearls hidden in the shells of His utterance, and heard that which was raised from the highest horizon through the grace of God, the Lord of the glorious throne.

O My friends in all lands! Know ye the station of Him Who hath aided you and judged between you with pure justice. We beseech God to assist this party in His remembrance, His praise and His service, and to manifest from them that which beseemeth His manifest, holy, mighty and great work.

O people of Baha! The sun of justice was indeed concealed and veiled beneath the clouds of oppression, but God hath assisted His Majesty the illustrious Russian State to cause its shining forth and appearance, and its deliverance from every thick veil and mighty cloud. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to assist him and his friends and princes through whom the standard of victory was raised there and the flag of triumph was unfurled before the faces of mankind, in spite of those who imprisoned justice and equity and prevented their shining forth, their light and their manifestation, that He may deliver the oppressed through the arms of justice and equity, even as He delivered them and saved them from the oppressors, the transgressors and the deniers. Thus hath the matter been decreed from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

In the Persian tongue, hear thou the call of the Wronged One: All the friends must, from this Thursday, the 2nd of Jamadiyu’th-Thani 1307, until the endless end, recognize the worth of the benevolence of the illustrious State—may God assist it—and arise to do that which beseemeth this justice. Those souls who, without any veil or covering, supported and assisted justice, and aided and delivered this imprisoned Wronged One from the dark pit through the strong cord of equity, are deserving of a mighty recompense from God—exalted be His glory and universal be His bounty. The Wronged One testifieth that they are the ones who aided the servants of God and secured the rights of the oppressed from every obstinate oppressor and suspicious transgressor. God willing, may the friends be assisted throughout ages and centuries to reciprocate this supreme benevolence which hath been manifested from the blessed and just State. Glory and light and majesty and praise be upon His Majesty and upon those who ruled on his behalf with pure justice and restrained the oppressors from their oppression and seized them with the grip of one mighty and powerful.

BH11745: He dawns from the horizon of the heaven…

He dawns from the horizon of the heaven of the Kingdom!

Praise be to God Who has enabled His loved ones to remain steadfast in the Most Great Steadfastness, and aided them to exalt the Cause, elevate the Word, and uplift the Station. He has lit from the wick of His grace a lamp to ever guide their faces and direct them to the straight path and to the Light that has shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of His mercy upon the Hands of His Cause, whom God has described in the Books of old and in the Mother Book in such wise that all the pens of the world are powerless to recount and the hearts of all beings are unable to comprehend.

O ʿAli-i-Akbar! Upon thee be My Glory! Hearken unto My call, for verily it makes mention of thee with such mention that when it appeared all things proclaimed: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Lord of Lords!” We have enjoined upon all to show forth fellowship, love and affection—a command from God, the Mighty, the Exalted.

Today what is obligatory and essential is the unity and accord of the loved ones in that land. For if even a slight matter should arise or a word be uttered, it would become a cause of great weakness in the eyes of all. You must, in the days and nights, hold fast to the reconciliation of hearts. All Tablets are adorned with this exalted Word, and from its horizons its light is manifest and evident. The hosts of God today amongst the people have ever been goodly deeds and pleasing character. Blessed is he who holds fast unto these—verily he is of the people of Baha in the Crimson, Hidden, Treasured Book.

A hundred thousand blessings upon the one who, with complete determination, attains to this Most Great Cause. Today the tongue of counsel is necessary and perfect effort is beloved, that matters may be confined to the reconciliation of the hearts of God’s loved ones and His chosen ones—those whom the vain imaginings of the Shi’ihs have not prevented from the Law of God, the Lord of the earth and the heavens.

Those souls whom you have mentioned have each been blessed with the mention of the Wronged One and adorned with the effulgences of the lights of the Luminary of utterance, the Goal of all worlds. Give them glad tidings from Me and illumine them with this Light which has shone forth and risen, through which the earth of inner meanings and the heaven of utterance have been illumined, from God, the Helper of His loved ones in all conditions. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful.

BH03537: This is a Book that calleth and summoneth…

He is the One Who calleth before the faces of all creatures

This is a Book that calleth and summoneth the servants unto the Lord of creation in their final goal. Verily it is the perspicuous Book from God, the Lord of all men, guiding those who turn unto the supreme horizon, this station wherein the atoms proclaim: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of lords!” Whoso turneth unto it is assuredly among those drawn nigh in the Book of the righteous. Whoso turneth away hath no portion of the heavenly waters of his Lord, the Master of the Day of Rising. He hath appeared and made manifest what He willeth, and called the people to the most exalted station.

O Muhammad! Hear the call from the direction of ʿAkka: “There is no God but Me, the Almighty, the Unconstrained.” This is a Day wherein the Tree crieth out and the Rock exclaimeth, and all things proclaim: “O people of the earth! Turn ye and open your eyes!” The Interlocutor of the Mount hath been established upon the throne of manifestation, and that which was recorded by the Most Exalted Pen in the Mother Book hath appeared.

We perceive the fragrance of Our loved ones from that place and make mention of them in the mystery of mysteries, lest a band of wolves assault them. Blessed are they and joy be unto them! We testify that they have attained unto that which the people of the Crimson Ark attained in their final goal.

Thy letter came before the Wronged One and was presented by one of My Branches who is named Diya. We answer thee with that whereby the sincere ones perceive the fragrances of bounties and favors. It behooveth every soul to recognize the station of that land wherein flowed the rivers of submission and contentment from God, the Dayspring of lights. Their names have been inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Tablet which none hath understood save God, Who controlleth the winds. We glorify them and send Our greetings and prayers upon them, as a mercy from Us upon them, and I am verily the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon those who have drunk the choice wine of revelation from the hand of the generosity of thy Lord, the Lord of daybreak.

BH03563: O Ahmad! Upon thee be the Glory of God…

He is the Counselor, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise

O Ahmad! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the One, the Single! We have mentioned thee before in verses by which the Concourse on High were attracted, and the dwellers of Paradise, then those who circle round the Throne of thy Lord’s mercy at eventide and at dawn. Praise be to God that thou hast attained and turned thyself unto a Cause from which the people of the world have turned aside, save those whom God, the Lord of Lords, hath willed. Now what is required is steadfastness in the Cause and teaching the people with wisdom and utterance, for the barking ones are striving with a hundred thousand deceits and stratagems to lead astray the party of God. Hadi of Dawlatabad, despite never having been with Us and being heedless, veiled and unaware of the root of the Cause, hath arranged for himself a leadership and gathered riches, and sometimes through the words of the Bayan and at times through riches preventeth the servants of God from the Truth. They seize the wealth of the people falsely and dispose of it however they please. It is hoped that from your honor and the friends of that land the effulgences of the light of steadfastness will at all times appear and shine forth.

Remind the friends at all times and convey unto them greetings from the Wronged One. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to make each one of them a firmly-fixed mountain, steadfast in His Cause, that neither the fierce winds of Hadi nor the storms of Mihdi nor the hosts of those who have denied the beginning and the return may move them. Hadi is known, but as for Mihdi, he is Siyyid Mihdi who is occupied with leading astray in the regions of Sad. No soul knoweth by what thing they believed in the Point and by what cause they turned away from the Great News of God. The world hath deluded them with its ornaments. Soon shall they behold the recompense of their deeds from God, the Just, the Commanding, the Wise. The Glory shining and radiant from the horizon of the Tablet be upon thee and upon My friends and My leaves and upon every steadfast and firm one.

BH04123: He overshadoweth all names

He overshadoweth all names

O Ni’mat! Reflect upon the divine bounties, and likewise upon His gifts and favors. Upon an animal so tiny and small as to be invisible to the eye, He has bestowed hearing, intelligence, sight, perception and knowledge—truly a clear book to those possessed of insight. Read what the All-Merciful has revealed in the Qur’an: “We have recorded everything in a Book.” Ask of God that He may illumine hearts and minds with the light of recognition, so that, being purified from the tales of the past and the gulf of names, they may set forth toward the ocean of inner meanings. The names prevented the previous community from the lights of justice and fairness—some through the word “successor”, others through mention of “guardian”, and some parties through the terms “deputy” and “noble one” and “fourth pillar” and “mirror” remained deprived of the revealer of verses and possessor of names and attributes, and were forbidden the sealed wine.

Say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having aided me to rend asunder the veils and guided me to the Mother Book. I beseech Thee to make me steadfast in Thy love, such that the oppression of the oppressor may not frighten me, nor the might of the heedless, nor the croaking of the croaker, nor the doubts of the learned. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Loving. O my Lord! Ordain for me that which shall profit me in Thy lands amongst Thy servants. Thou knowest better than I what is good for me. I testify that Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Your letter arrived and this Most Sublime, Most Holy, Most Pure Tablet was revealed in your name. Say: Praise be to Thee, O God of all who are in the heavens and earths.

BH11636: Praise be to God Who hath made me…

Praise be to God Who hath made me an oppressed captive in the hands of His servants and His creatures…

As for what thou hast mentioned concerning Ibn-i-Abhar—upon him be the fragrances of the Most Sublime Vision—We have indeed remembered him in numerous Tablets and gave him to drink from the chalices of grace and bestowal, and We have rained down upon him from the heaven of knowledge that which consoled the eyes of those who have turned unto God. He is among those who attained the Meeting and drank the choice wine when the people were in manifest thirst. We beseech God to make him the cup-bearer of the Kawthar of His utterance among His servants, to make him attracted by His verses among His creation, to open through him the hearts of the heedless, and to give them to drink of the Salsabil of knowledge. Verily, He draweth them nigh unto Him. To this doth the Mother Book testify in the Return, despite those who denied His clear Book on the Day of Judgment.

We make mention of Our loved ones in that land and counsel all to manifest the Greater Steadfastness, to be trustworthy and godly, and to achieve harmony and unity, and all that will exalt the station of the party of God in the world and amidst the nations. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to unite all hearts and make them treasuries of the pearls of His love and remembrance. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer. Say: O party of God! Rejoice that the Tongue of Grandeur hath moved to make mention of you at this time. We send you Our greetings. Blessed is he who is attracted by the breezes of revelation and is seized by the fragrance of divine inspiration from God, the Strong, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. As to what thou hast mentioned regarding his arising and service to the Cause, blessed is he, for he hath acted according to what We had previously revealed. Blessed is he who ariseth to serve humanity, and blessed is he who adorneth his head with the crown of piety and his temple with the robe of detachment, and who limiteth his affairs to the service of the servants of God, the Lord of the mighty throne….

BH07312: O Abul-Fadl! Upon thee be My glory and My…

He is the Speaker of Truth

O Abul-Fadl! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. Blessed art thou for thy ardor in the love of God, for thy utterance in His Cause, for thy remembrance in His days, for thy attraction to the fragrances of His verses, and for thy steadfastness in His service amongst His servants, whereby neither the clamor of the wicked from various regions weakened thee, nor the might of the oppressors from different quarters frightened thee. The Tongue of Grandeur beareth witness unto thee in this hour, as My manifest Temple walketh in this exalted mansion, that thou hast turned with thy whole being to God, the Lord of the worlds. Thou didst aid His Cause before all faces and didst hold fast to that whereby His mention was exalted among His servants. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who heareth thy words and loveth thee. We beseech God to reinforce thee with the hosts of utterance at all times and to aid thee with the power of the Spirit. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Forgiving, the Merciful. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon whosoever hath acknowledged that which thy tongue, both outward and inward, hath acknowledged concerning this Announcement, at which the limbs of the ungodly have quaked.

BH07390: O Abdu’l-Karim! Upon you be My glory. The fragrance…

He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing

O Abdu’l-Karim! Upon you be My glory. The fragrance of your love has been diffused and your steadfastness in the Cause of God is evident. Soon shall this world pass away, and there shall remain for you and My steadfast loved ones that which hath been ordained in the [gardens] of bounty and bestowals. He, verily, is the Fulfiller, the Compassionate, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Say:

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Praise be unto Thee for having guided me when I was heedless, and raised me up when I was seated, and caused me to speak when I was silent. By Thy might and majesty, and Thy bounty and bestowals, were I to possess a thousand souls and sacrifice them all in Thy path, they would not equal a single one of Thy favors and a single mention from among Thy mentions which have flowed and been revealed from Thy Most Exalted Pen in Thy Most Glorious Horizon. O my Lord! I am Thy servant and within Thy grasp. Move me as Thou willest and cause me to stand as Thou desirest. Verily, Thou art the Munificent, the Lord of supreme bounty. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH10519: I beseech Thee, O my God, by the exaltation…

He is the One Who commandeth with wisdom and utterance.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by the exaltation of Thy Most Sublime Word and the power of Thy Most Exalted Pen, to assist Thy party in that which beseemeth Thy Cause, O Sovereign of all names and Creator of the heavens! Then I implore Thee, by the rustling of the Divine Lote-Tree of Thy Command and the light of Thy countenance, to ordain for him who hath clung to Thee and to Thy verses that whereby his station may be exalted in Thy dominion. Verily, Thou art the Powerful through Thy sovereignty. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

BH00964: Praise be to God Who made the seasons manifestations…

He is God, exalted be His glory, His grandeur, and His power!

Praise be to God Who made the seasons manifestations of His names amongst His servants, through which He takes and gives, that all existence, both seen and unseen, may be assured that He is the Bountiful Giver and the Just Taker. We find ourselves now in a cold that tells of bitter frost, through which man bears witness to the grace of spring. Verily, He is the Unveiler of all things through His might and sovereignty, the Sender-down of His signs and the Manifestor of His traces. For this let the competitors compete. To God do we belong and to Him do we return. Blessings and peace be upon the Manifestation of His Name, the Self-Subsisting, through Whom He subdued what was and what will be, and through Whom He revealed the mysteries of His Books and what was hidden in His knowledge, and upon His family and companions whom God made the dawning-places of His power and the daysprings of His might, through whom necks were made submissive to God’s command, the Lord of Lords.

The letters from that spiritual friend arrived in succession. Praise be to God, each was a truthful messenger, a blessed courier, and a beloved herald, for the fragrance of love, affection and devotion wafted from them. After reading, I approached the Sacred Threshold where, after presentation, it was said:

“O Muhammad-Rida, upon thee be the peace of God, the Lord of the Kingdom of Names! I was seated upon the throne, contemplating God’s power, sovereignty, might, grandeur and strength, when there came one who loved Me and read thy letter before My face. From it We found the fragrance of trust in God and detachment, and thy adherence to righteousness and godliness. Say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having made me acknowledge the unity of Thy Being and the sanctity of Thy Self above the recognition of Thy creatures. I beseech Thee, O Bestower of bounties and Quickener of moldering bones, by Thy Most Great Name, to assist me to exercise justice and fairness. O Lord! Thou seest the believers in the hands of the ungodly who have broken Thy covenant and Thy pact and have surrounded Thy cities and lands. O Lord! Ordain for me and Thy servants the good of the hereafter and of this world. Verily, Thou art the Lord of the Throne and earth, and in Thy grasp is the reins of all things. There is no God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Powerful.”

This evanescent one begs his Everlasting Lord to rain down upon you from the clouds of grace the showers of His bounty, and to adorn you in all conditions with the ornament of health, well-being and favor. Verily, He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Mention was made of His Eminence the Effendi, may God, blessed and exalted be He, strengthen him. In truth, from his name joy appears in the heart. This is naught but a divine hidden grace deposited in his innermost being. Then, according to his desire, he attained the presence, and after presentation of his mention, it was said:

“We beseech God, the Lord of all beings, the Lord of the Sacred House, the Sacred Monument and Station, to ordain for him every good that He has sent down in His Book, to open before his face the gate of munificence and generosity, and the gate of blessing, glory and wealth among the nations, and to give him to drink, at all times, from the Kawthar of divine knowledge. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Bestower, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Gracious.”

Praise be to God that they have been mentioned in this most exalted remembrance. Verily this Tree of Remembrance hath had and shall ever have its traces and fruits, which shall be made manifest in due time. This is a great glad-tiding. This servant also beseecheth God and imploreth Him to ordain for his honor that which will exalt him amongst His servants and make him a sign of His glory amidst His creation. He, verily, is the Hearer, the Answerer, and the Fulfiller of the needs of every penitent supplicant.

O beloved of my heart! Regarding what was repeatedly mentioned in the letters about journeying to Syria during the season for the sake of certain trees which are the source of goodness in the world—I express my gratitude for this matter even before its execution and am truly thankful, for whatsoever that beloved of the heart hath written hath been and is from the depths of the heart. In this case, journeying to that direction is not necessary.

And concerning what was written about His Honor the Effendi—may God, blessed and exalted be He, strengthen him—having willed to send quince from that direction to this direction: yes, quince is good and is also available in this city. And if distinguished trees from there can be sent without trouble, and likewise the Mastaki apricots that were mentioned, it would be beloved. And this too, considering that it is a good deed done in his name that shall remain and endure in a place specifically arranged for the recreation of the believers, is assuredly acceptable before God and before those near to Him. For one of the primary reasons for the creation of the world is what was mentioned—namely, that beneficent and charitable works from assured souls should be remembered and all should attain unto them. This is why God, exalted be His glory, hath mentioned in His Perspicuous Book, which distinguisheth between truth and falsehood, the mention of paradise and fruits and trees. And this matter, in one respect, is purely for the education of creation, that they might act virtuously and through this blessed deed attain unto lofty stations. The servant testifieth that all bounty is in His right hand—He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth.

And regarding the matter of the Salihiyyih grapes, if without difficulty and with utmost ease, whatever amount of its branches can be sent, God willing, may it be the cause of increased reward for His Honor the Afandi—may God assist him. Whatsoever is truly the cause and reason for good works and virtuous deeds hath been mentioned and accepted in the divine books of the past and present. God willing, may the effects of these good deeds be made manifest in the material world and yield their fruits. Verily God is the Generous Giver and He is the Powerful, the Mighty.

The apple of my eye, His Honor Aqa Mirza Mustafa—upon him be God’s loving-kindness—is mindful, praise be to God, and now too sendeth greetings and praise, maketh mention of you, and beseecheth from God, exalted be His glory, on your behalf whatsoever is worthy of His bestowal. He is the One through Whose name the ocean of generosity surged and the sun of bounty shone upon the world. There is no God but He, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Peace and mercy and loving-kindness from God be upon you and upon God’s righteous servants. And praise be to God, for He is the Lord of the worlds and the Master of the Day of Judgment.

The servant 7 Jamadiyu’th-Thani 1307

The Branches of the Blessed Tree and the people of the pavilion of infallibility all make mention of your honor and send their greetings, and beseech from the Lord of existence exaltation and elevation for that beloved spirit.

BH00697: Praise sanctified above the recognition of all contingent beings…

In the name of Him Who is the All-Compelling over what was and what shall be!

Praise sanctified above the recognition of all contingent beings befitteth the Lord of the invisible and the visible, Who by His Most Exalted Word distinguished the people of Baha from all else. This is what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an regarding the Day of Resurrection in His exalted words:

“One party shall be in Paradise, and one party in the Fire.”

This is that Day unto which the countenance of the divine Books was turned, and wherein the mysteries of the heavenly Scriptures were made manifest and clear. He is the Almighty One Whom neither the tyranny of the oppressors nor the calumnies of the slanderers could deter from His purpose. Exalted, exalted be this Day wherein the treacherous one was brought low and the trustworthy was elevated. Command and judgment belong unto God, the Lord of all worlds.

Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Praise be unto Thee for having manifested that which was hidden in hearts and concealed in breasts. I testify that Thou hast revealed Thy Cause before all faces and called everyone unto Thy manifest and visible horizon. Among the people are those whom the hand of Thy power hath delivered from the pit of idle fancies and vain imaginings, and among them are those who violated Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, taking vain imaginings as their lord instead of Thee and a god other than Thee. I beseech Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp is the reins of power and in Whose right hand are the reins of all choice, by the waves of the seas of Thy grandeur and bounty, and by the light of Thy Cause whereby the cities of Thy knowledge and wisdom were illumined, to send down upon Thy loved ones from the clouds of Thy grace the rains of Thy blessings and wealth. Then protect them from the evil of Thine enemies who denied Thy truth, disputed Thy signs, cast behind their backs Thy laws, and denied Thy proof.

O Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I heard Thy call and hastened to the horizon of Thy manifestation, and attained unto that which was recorded in Thy Books. I beseech Thee, O God of the Kingdom and the Dominion, and Lord of might and power, by Thy Name through which Thou didst deliver Thy Prophets and Thy chosen ones from the oppression of the Pharaohs of the earth and its tyrants, not to disappoint me from that which Thou hast ordained for those of Thy servants who are detached and those of Thy creatures who are sincere, whose heads Thou hast adorned with the crowns of detachment and whose temples Thou hast adorned with the ornament of righteousness. Verily, Thou art the Almighty over what Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all affairs. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Loving, the All-Forgiving.

O Kazim! Upon thee be the light shining from the horizon of Revelation. The letters thou didst send in the name of Jud, upon him be My glory, attained Our presence and were heard. Praise be to God, from them wafted the fragrances of the garden of inner meanings, utterance, wisdom and mystical knowledge. Today, whosoever hath turned unto Him and hath drunk the choice sealed wine from the hand of the bounty of the Desired One is, in the estimation of God, possessed of all stations. He is the learned one in God’s sight, even though he be unable to read a single word. Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto this most exalted station and supreme summit.

O Kazim! Praise the Desired One of the world Who granted you steadfastness. How many souls have turned towards Him and then, for the slightest reason, turned away from the True Cause! Blessed is the servant who fixeth his gaze upon the blessed words “He doeth whatsoever He willeth.” Such a one is among the companions of the Crimson Ark. No command deterreth him, nor doth anything cause him to slip. He holdeth fast unto the cord of God in such wise that the peoples of the world are powerless to separate him from it.

Convey My greetings to the loved ones. Say: O people of God! Today the rustling of the Lote-Tree of the utmost boundary is raised from the highest paradise. Have ears worthy of hearing been created and raised up? Say: Yea, verily! Through the effulgences of the Day-Star of favor, beings have been raised up the like of which the eye of the world hath never seen. They have, in the name of the Peerless Friend, set out for the place of sacrifice and have scattered the pearls of the spirit, which are the most precious gems in the world, at the feet of their Beloved.

Say: My God, my God! Aid Thy servants to draw nigh unto Thee, that they may hearken unto Thy most sweet call and the shrill voice of Thy Most Exalted Pen. Then enable them to read Thy verses and to turn unto the light of Thy countenance. O Lord! Withhold not Thy servants from the ocean of Thy knowledge, nor the learned ones from that which Thou hast sent down from the heaven of Thy will. I testify that Thy mercy hath encompassed all created things and Thy grace hath preceded all existence. Make known unto Thy servants Thy straight path and Thy tidings at which the limbs of the idolaters have quaked. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Conquering, the Omnipotent.

To Nabil convey, on behalf of the Wronged One, His greeting of exaltation unto Ha and Sin. We bear witness that he hath quaffed the choice wine of Revelation from the hand of the bounty of his gracious Lord. In the presence of the Wronged One is he remembered, and within His court is he seen and accounted present. Say: Grieve thou not for aught. Thou hast been commemorated by the Pen of God with that which neither the pearls of the seas, nor the treasures of men, nor the wealth of those who have heeded not the remembrance of their Lord, the Sovereign of the Day of Judgment, can ever equal. Verily, We have been with him under all conditions; unto this beareth witness that which My Tongue uttereth at this very hour.

The loved ones in the land of Ayn and Shin have ever been, and continue to be, beneath the sheltering gaze of divine favor. And in particular, for the martyr Marfu’—upon him be the Most Glorious Baha’u’llah—there was revealed from the Kingdom of Utterance, from the Desire of all mankind, that whereunto the tongues of the realities of all things give voice in the blessed words: Praise be to God, the Lord of the dominion of names. Jinab-i-Muhammad, formerly Rida, was vouchsafed that whose fragrance shall never cease to breathe through the world. A most holy and unassailable Tablet was revealed especially for him and sent forth. And We make mention of him who was named Ali, that he may rejoice and be of them that render thanks. O ʿAli! Upon thy father and upon thee be My peace and My loving-kindness.

Render thanks unto the Desire of the world that He aided Jinab-i-Kazim to engage in remembrance, praise, and service. This is a mighty station, and one of those offices which are sanctified and exalted above the ranks of earth. O ʿAli, say: O my God, praise be unto Thee in that Thou hast caused me to hear Thy most sweet call which hath been lifted up from Thy most exalted Horizon, and hast made me to know the ocean of Thy verses and the sun of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee, by the surging waves of the sea of Thy generosity and the showers of the cloud of Thy grace, to strengthen me to remain steadfast in Thy love. Thou, verily, art the All-Bounteous, the Most Generous.

O Kazim! Make mention of the kinsmen of the exalted martyr on behalf of the Wronged One. Perchance the fragrance of God’s remembrance may seize them and enable them to attain unto the greatest steadfastness. Give them glad-tidings from Me and remind them of My verses and illumine them with the light that shineth resplendent from the horizon of the heaven of grace—a bounty from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Today the blessed, all-embracing Word hath encompassed all things and the Sun of Revelation hath shone forth and become manifest from the horizon of the heaven of power. The loved ones of God must, through kindly counsels and praiseworthy character, purify and sanctify the people of the earth from bestial qualities and guide them to the horizon of justice. Perchance the fire of sedition and corruption may be quenched by the living waters of love and the world may be illumined with a fresh radiance. During nights and days We have enjoined what is right and forbidden what is wrong, yet some have attained to that which they are commanded while others are still observed to be heedless. We beseech God to assist all to do that which He loveth and pleaseth. Verily He is powerful over what He willeth and He is the Hearing, the Answering One.

At the end of this epistle We make mention of him who is named Ahmad, who attained Our presence and heard Our call. We testify that he is among those who have attained in the Book of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Ahmad! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the One, the Single. We have counseled the people of God to be sincere and pure, to show forth love and devotion, to be trustworthy and faithful. When the sun of trials dawned from the horizon of the heaven of the Will of the Desired One of all worlds, some hearts were troubled, some feet faltered, while a group, by God’s might and power, remained firm and steadfast. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who hath attained unto the traces of God. He is indeed among those who are drawn nigh.

The names thou didst send have each been remembered. Verily He remembereth His loved ones at eventide and at dawn, and He is the One manifest on the Day of Meeting. He commandeth all to observe the Covenant and Testament. O Kazim! Convey glory and praise to God’s loved ones from the Wronged One. Blessed is the ear that hath heard the praise of God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling, and blessed is the eye that hath beheld His sacred court, sanctified from the mention of all that was and shall be.

BH02692: Glorified be He Who hath come from the heaven…

He is the Help-in-Peril, the All-Powerful, the Almighty

Glorified be He Who hath come from the heaven of utterance with proof and evidence, and hath summoned all to the supreme horizon, the station wherein the Tongue of Grandeur hath proclaimed:

“The Kingdom and the Dominion belong unto God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!”

Blessed is the ear that hath heard the Call when it was raised from the Most Exalted Horizon, and woe unto every heedless and remote one. We have made mention of thee as a token of grace from Our presence, that thou mayest be assured that thy Lord is indeed the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. Say: O people of the lands! The Lord of creation hath come and guideth all to the straight path of God. He desireth naught save to purify your hearts from rancor and hatred, and to teach you that which shall profit you in all the worlds of God, the Almighty, the Powerful. Take, in the Most Great Name, the Kawthar of eternity, then drink thereof despite every denier who hath denied the Cause of God, the Glorious, the Praised. Say: O mystics! By God, the gate of bounty hath been opened before the faces of all peoples—draw nigh and be not of them that turn aside. Say:

Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having given me to drink the wine of immortality from the hand of Thy bounty, and for having illumined my heart with the light of Thy knowledge, O Thou Who art the Sovereign of the kingdom of names! I beseech Thee not to withhold from me the ocean of Thy generosity and the heaven of Thy grace. Verily Thou art the All-Powerful, the All-Bountiful, the Forgiver, the Merciful.

O Asad! Arise to serve the Cause with wisdom and utterance. Beware lest the deeds of the transgressors and the words of the heedless sadden thee. Say: O people! Fear God, then help your Lord, the All-Merciful, through deeds from which the fragrance of acceptance may be wafted from the presence of God, the Sovereign of the kingdom of the heavens and earths. Say: Your acceptance doth not profit Him, nor doth your rejection grieve Him. Thus hath the Pen spoken when the Lord of the worlds was in the hands of the deniers. O Asad! Hear the call from the direction of Akka. He desireth for your prince naught save nearness unto God, the Mighty, the Wise. Say: Cast aside the doubts and intimations of the people, turn thy face toward the Wronged One, and take what thou hast been given from the presence of One knowing and informed. Say:

My God, my God! Draw me nigh unto Thee and illumine my heart with the light of Thy knowledge. I testify that I know not what profiteth me. Verily Thou art the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Great. O Lord! Withhold me not from the waves of the ocean of Thy bounty, and disappoint me not of that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones. I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name through which Thou hast illumined the world, to ordain for me the good of this world and the next. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest by Thy binding command.

BH03056: Praise be to God Who hath quickened the servants…

He is the One manifest and resplendent before the faces of the servants.

Praise be to God Who hath quickened the servants with the Kawthar of His knowledge, guided them to His path, acquainted them with His Cause, and given them glad tidings of His manifestation, His appearance and His sovereignty through His words “On the Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds.” His grace hath encompassed all, His mercy hath preceded all things, the ocean of His generosity hath surged, and the fragrance of the garment hath been diffused as a command from His presence—and He is the Wise Commander.

There hath come before the Wronged One what thou didst send to Ism-i-Jud, upon him be My glory, and it was read before His face. We have sent down for thee a Tablet that cannot be equaled by what all the learned ones and divines of the earth have composed, that thou mayest rejoice and be among the thankful. Through it God hath quickened His servants both in the past and in this time wherein He Who conversed with God on Sinai hath seated Himself upon the throne of Revelation, despite every remote scholar and suspicious commander. Blessed art thou, for the Supreme Pen hath moved to make mention of thee in the prison of Akka, as a favor from God, the Kind, the Generous.

We make mention of him whom thou didst mention, who is named Ahmad, and We have revealed for him that which cooleth the eyes of the mystics. We beseech God to assist him to steadfastness supreme, draw him nigh unto Him, and ordain for him every good thing He hath sent down in His Clear Book.

When thou hearest the Call and art seized by the rapture of thy Lord’s utterance, say:

“My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having made mention of me and sent down for me that which caused the lovers to soar throughout all regions when the Herald proclaimed: ʿHe Who was hidden in the eternity of eternities hath appeared!’ I beseech Thee, O Lord of the kingdoms of wisdom and utterance, by Thy Command through which all possibility was encompassed, and by Thy Manifestation through which the dwellers of the graves arose and every hidden secret was revealed, to make me in all conditions one who gazeth toward Thy horizon, who speaketh Thy praise, who holdeth fast to Thy cord, who soareth in the atmosphere of Thy love, and who spreadeth Thy verses. O my Lord! Thou seest the poor one standing before the gate of Thy bounty, beseeching Thy gifts and favors. I beseech Thee not to disappoint him from the ocean of Thy mercy, the heaven of Thy generosity and the sun of Thy grace. Verily Thou art the One with power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Unconstrained.”

BH03836: A remembrance from Our presence to him who has…

He is the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing.

A remembrance from Our presence to him who has attained to hearkening unto the Call when it was raised amongst mankind and who hath testified to that which the Supreme Pen hath testified: God, there is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The pavilion of glory hath been raised up and the Ancient Beauty hath been established upon the Most Great Throne and hath spoken before the faces of all nations. The appointed time hath come and the Revealer of verses hath spoken the truth and said: O people of the earth! The door of generosity hath been opened with the key of My Most Great Name. Hasten with your hearts toward the direction of the Beloved, then turn unto Him, as commanded by God, the Lord of the worlds.

This is a Day wherein that which ye possess shall not profit you—to this doth the Mother Book testify in this exalted and glorious station. Verily those who have turned away are in manifest ignorance. They have no portion of this Most Great Sea nor any path unto God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Can the dumb one speak before the Kingdom of Utterance? Nay, by His own Self, the Most Merciful! But the people have taken their own vain imaginings as lord besides God. Thus have their souls enticed them and today they are in manifest loss. He who hath turned to My countenance and arisen to serve My Cause hath made mention of thee. We have remembered thee with decisive verses that thou mayest rejoice and be of the thankful ones.

When thine eyes attain to beholding these signs, say: O my Lord, the Chosen One! I beseech Thee by Thy Cause whereby Thou hast subdued all created things, to make me steadfast and firm in Thy remembrance and praise amongst Thy servants in such wise that their tyranny and oppression shall not frighten me, nor their might and power weaken me, nor their clamor silence me, nor their hosts prevent me. Verily Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the Strong, the Dominant, the Mighty.

BH04351: O Muhammad-Husayn! Reflect upon the heedlessness of the servants…

In the Name of the Desire of the world

O Muhammad-Husayn! Reflect upon the heedlessness of the servants. For the sake of two fleeting days of life, they amass such means and implements that the pen is unable and powerless to enumerate them. Yet they have never given thought to preparing for that station wherein they must dwell forever in the kingdom of earth and heaven. Say: O people! Hearken unto the call of the Wronged One and arise to make good what hath been lost. Where are the Pharaohs and the sons of Pharaohs? Where are their swaying branches, their hidden treasures, their concealed ornaments and their decorated, lofty palaces? Say: O servants! Reflect upon the graves and what hath befallen their inhabitants, and take heed. Today the power of the Supreme Pen and the potency of the Most Exalted Word have encompassed the world.

Deprive not yourselves of the Lord of all names in these days through vain imaginings. Strive that ye may attain unto that which diffuseth the fragrance of the divine mercy. We have previously made mention of the people of the city of Turbat. Blessed are My loved ones there. We beseech God to give them to drink from the Salsabil of bounty which floweth from His Most Exalted Pen, to make them enkindled with the fire of His love, attracted by His verses, and holding fast to the cord of His bounty. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. O Party of God in that place! This is the Most Great Day of Joy. Ye must aid the Cause of God through goodly deeds and praiseworthy character. Verily He will assist you and aid you through His grace. There is no God but Him, the Manifest, the Helper, the Evident, the True, the Trustworthy.

BH04693: Jinab-i-Ahmad, upon him be My glory, made mention…

He is the One Who speaketh forth in truth

Jinab-i-Ahmad, upon him be My glory, made mention of the friends of that land, seeking a gift and token for each one from the pearls of the ocean of the favor of the Goal of the world’s peoples. Therefore, the pearls of wisdom and utterance that were hidden in the shells of the sea have flowed forth from the Most Exalted Pen as a bounty from His presence to His loved ones.

Say: O concourse of divines! How long will ye follow your selfish desires? Say: In the name of God and by God! He will deliver you from the clay of idle fancies and draw you nigh unto God, the One, the All-Informed. Say: He hath come from the heaven of proof with a manifest light, and on His right hand is the ocean of knowledge and on His left the Concourse on high. Say: O company of jurisprudents! Come forth from your homes at the bidding of the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days. This is the Day of Arising, this is the Day of Divine Grace, this is the Day whereon men have stood before the Lord of the worlds. Read ye the Qur’an and then judge with fairness concerning that which hath been revealed in truth, and be not of the heedless. Thus hath the Tongue of the Wronged One spoken while He was in the hands of the aggressive ones.

Grieve thou not at anything. Take the Tablet with the power granted by Him and the sovereignty bestowed by Him. Verily thy Lord is the Almighty, the All-Powerful. Blessed art thou and those upon whom the verses of God, the One, the All-Informed, have been sent down. A single word thereof cannot be compared with the books of the people, to this doth the Sadratu’l-Muntaha bear witness from this most exalted horizon. Blessed are they that hear.

BH04956: This is a day whose excellences were mentioned aforetime…

He is the Speaker in the Kingdom of Utterance

This is a day whose excellences were mentioned aforetime in the divine Books. In these days a mighty festival is being celebrated, for the servants were given the glad tidings of the appearance of these days. There is nothing that doth not speak forth in this Most Great Revelation and give glad tidings unto the peoples. Blessed is he who hath heard and seen, and woe unto the heedless! Glory be to God! They have forsaken the Kingdom of utterance and the heaven of knowledge, and have taken demons for their guides. We testify that they have taken for themselves lords besides God. The call of the King of the Kingdom of names hath been raised from the most exalted horizon at all times, and the ocean of utterance hath appeared before the faces of all religions, yet the people remain heedless save whom God willeth, the Lord of the worlds.

Blessed art thou for having rent asunder the veils in thy return and for having won the days of God, the Lord of lords. We beseech God that He may aid thee to be steadfast, for the treacherous ones and the thieves lie in wait at the paths, perchance they may cause one who hath turned toward Him to turn away. Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me unto Thy path and caused me to hear Thy call in Thy days. I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy verses and the mysteries of Thy Book to aid me in that which will cause the fragrance of Thy good-pleasure to be diffused. Verily Thou art the Omnipotent over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH05564: O Ahmad! Upon thee be the peace of God…

He is the One Who gazeth upon His most exalted horizon.

O Ahmad! Upon thee be the peace of God, the One, the Single! We testify that thou hast attained unto that which was inscribed by the Supreme Pen in the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds, and thou hast attained to the presence and drunk the choice wine of reunion from the hand of the bounty of thy Lord, the All-Bountiful. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who hath cast away the world and taken that which he was bidden by the One Who commandeth, the All-Wise. Grieve not at anything, but in all matters place thy trust in Him. Verily, He is with those whom He loveth. He ordaineth what He pleaseth for whom He pleaseth. There is no God but Him, the Single, the All-Powerful, the Almighty. The idolaters desired to extinguish the light by their vain imaginings. Nay! They are among the most lost in My Great Book. Soon shall We seize them as We seized those before them. Verily thy Lord is powerful over whatsoever He pleaseth through His sovereignty which overshadoweth all who are in the heavens and on earth.

Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having given me to drink of the choice wine of reunion, and for causing me to hear Thy call, and for guiding me unto Thy path, and for honoring me with Thy presence, and for acquainting me with the Dayspring of Thy signs. I beseech Thee to ordain for me the good of this world and the next. Verily Thou art the Lord of all beings and the Lord of the exalted Throne.

The Tablet which thou didst request from the Most Holy Court hath been revealed and sent. Deliver it specifically to his honor who bears the same name. Some time ago a Tablet was revealed and graciously bestowed upon him.

BH06063: Verily We have commanded all to observe pure justice…

He is the Counselor, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Verily We have commanded all to observe pure justice and forbidden them from tyranny in numerous Tablets. To this bears witness He Who speaks in every condition: “Verily I am God, there is none other God but Me, the Single, the All-Informed.” And We commanded them to be trustworthy and chaste, but they cast the command of God behind their backs, following every remote delusion. Say: Fear God and take hold of that which ye are commanded. It will profit you in all the worlds of His worlds and protect you from the evil of the calumniators. Thy name was mentioned before the Wronged One, Who hath sent down for thee this Tablet, the mighty, the wondrous. When thou attainest unto it and findest the fragrance of revelation, say: “My God, my God!

Praise be to Thee for having given me to drink the Kawthar of immortality from the hands of Thy bounty, and thanks be to Thee for having guided me unto Thy path. O my Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have placed my soul between the hands of Thy bounty and Thy mercy. Ordain for it from the ocean of Thy generosity that which befitteth Thy grace and Thy favor. Verily Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all who are in earth and heaven. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Subduing, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

BH06716: This is a Book which the Wronged One hath…

He is the One Who ruleth over all names!

This is a Book which the Wronged One hath sent down that He might guide mankind to the straight path, draw them nigh unto the supreme horizon, and illumine them with the lights of the utterance of their Lord, the Master of all men. Hearken unto the call from this most exalted Station. Verily it will protect thee from those who have disbelieved and will make known unto thee the path of guidance. Before Our presence hath appeared thy letter which thou didst send to Ism-i-Jud, upon him be My Glory. We have made mention of thee and have sent unto thee that through which the fragrance of the All-Merciful hath been wafted throughout all possibility. Grieve thou not over anything.

Arise to serve the Cause of thy Lord with such steadfastness as cannot be hindered by the hosts of the world nor by the might of them that have disbelieved in God, the Lord of lords. Blessed art thou for having turned unto the Dayspring of the verses of thy Lord when they that are on earth turned away from Him, save such as God, the Lord of creation, did will. Be thou steadfast in the Cause and teach the people, with wisdom and utterance, that which will draw them nigh unto the Self-Subsisting, the Most High. The glory from Us be upon the people of Baha who have not violated the Covenant of God and His Testament and who have quaffed the choice wine of revelation from the hand of the bounty of their Lord, the Possessor of all existence.

BH05083: God testifies that there is none other God but…

In the name of our Lord, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the Most Exalted, the Most Glorious.

God testifies that there is none other God but Him. His is the grace and bounty, and His the grandeur and majesty. He gives and withholds, and He is the Mighty, the Bountiful.

My God, my God! I love to remember Thee at all times with every tongue, for this servant has found nothing sweeter in the world than Thy remembrance, nor loftier than Thy praise among the nations. I beseech Thee, O Creator of earth and heaven and Cleaver of the dawn, by Thy power that overshadows all things, and by Thy command whereby Thou hast subdued all in the kingdom of creation, to assist Thy loved ones to remember and praise Thee in such wise that neither the oppressors nor the tyrannical shall prevent them. O Lord! Thou seest and knowest that they have believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and they are surrounded by the wolves of Thy earth. I beseech Thee by Thy name the Preserver, and by Thy name the Helper, and by Thy name the Triumphant, to protect them from the oppression of every remote oppressor and every obstinate transgressor. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

He is the Helper

The contribution of ten Ottoman liras from Aqa Mirza Ahmad (upon him be the Glory of God) and likewise the contribution of nine tumans from Aqa Mirza ʿAli (upon him be the Glory of God) through the Afnan and with the knowledge of the Ismullah (upon them both be the Most Glorious Glory of God) reached the servant in the month of Rajab 1307.

BH00758: Glorified be He Who created all beings to ascend…

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

Glorified be He Who created all beings to ascend unto the heaven of His knowledge and commanded them to unite for the exaltation of His Word and the tranquility of His servants. Verily He, exalted be His glory, hath desired unity for the manifestation of gathering, and the manifestation of gathering for the promotion of mutual aid amongst them and the ordering of their affairs as befitteth them. He is the Sovereign Who hath prescribed for His creation that which shall profit them in all the worlds of His worlds. I beseech Him, exalted be He, and say:

My God, my God! Aid them to accomplish what Thou hast desired for them in Thy perspicuous Book and Thy mighty Tablet. O Lord! Make known unto them that which will exalt them, assist them, and preserve them from that which is unworthy of them. Verily, Thou art the All-Merciful, the All-Wise, the Gracious Commander.

And peace and blessings be upon Him through Whom the kingdom of earth and heaven was adorned, and through Whom was revealed that which lay hidden in His all-encompassing knowledge of what was and what is to be, and upon His family and companions, the dawning-places of might and the manifestations of the power of God, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the Unconstrained.

And then, O beloved of my heart, thy distinguished letter, which was like a fruitful tree, arrived. Praise be to God, its root is firmly established in the soil of love and its fruit is present before our face. We eat and we praise, we eat and we give thanks. A hundred thousand tongues and a hundred thousand beings would be needed to perhaps fulfill the obligation of gratitude for it. But alas, alas! Reason declareth this to be an unworthy utterance—what hath dust to do with the Lord of Lords? Therefore submission and the admission of powerlessness are befitting, and I say:

I ask Thy forgiveness, O God of earth and heaven, for that which my tongue hath uttered and my pen hath written. Thou seest, O my God, how from every hair of my being are raised the hands of my hope toward the heaven of Thy pardon, Thy bounty, Thy mercy and Thy favors. Do not, O my God, send them back disappointed and at a loss. Take them through Thy generosity, for verily Thou art the Munificent, the All-Generous.

And after reading and becoming informed, I proceeded to the Most Holy Court where it was presented before the countenance of my Lord and was honored to be heard. He said:

“O Amin, upon thee be the peace and favor of God. In all conditions we must offer praise and thanksgiving to God, glorified be His majesty, for He hath, from the ocean of generosity and the heaven of bounty, adorned His loved ones amidst the peoples with the ornament of trustworthiness, truthfulness and sincerity, and guided them to the straight path—that is, the most upright path—that is, the most firm, clear and strong path. Jest in speech is as salt in food.”

Say:

“Praise be to Thee, O Lord of existence and Sovereign of the seen and unseen, for having sent down the blessing of Thy utterance and manifested the pearls of the ocean of Thy grace. I testify that through Thy will Thou hast opened the doors of generosity upon existence and the gates of bounty upon the world. I beseech Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp is the kingdom of proof and in Whose right hand is the dominion of certitude, by Thy hosts that have appeared from Thy Most Exalted Pen and by its influence in the world of creation, to ordain for me and Thy loved ones that which will exalt us through Thy Name and preserve us from the evil of Thine enemies. O Lord! Aid us to cling fast to Thy will and to hold to the hem of Thy decree. Verily, Thou art the Generous, the Bountiful, the Merciful, the All-Bestowing.”

O Trustee of God! Praise be to God that thou wert assisted in delivering that wronged and oppressed one, namely the Trust of God, for that helpless one was, like this Wronged One in the prison of Ta, bound in fetters and chains for a long time due to the oppression of the oppressors and the calumnies of the slanderers. In any case, through God’s assistance—glorified be His majesty—that wronged one was delivered. The visit of the honored Afnan and yourself to the Holy Threshold hath momentous consequences and mention thereof shall be immortalized in the Book. This is of His great bounty and His supreme loving-kindness. Rejoice at these glad tidings through which the decree of joy and gladness was made manifest among the servants of God and His loved ones.

Convey greetings from this Wronged One to the friends of that land. By the life of God, they were and are remembered in the arena of imprisonment. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to ordain for them the good of this world and the next, and to decree for them the reward of those who stood before the Seat of Justice and spoke that whereby the scrolls of truth and fairness were spread abroad. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

Mention was made of the honored Afnan and the friends, and likewise of the zeal and dignity of A. and ?., upon them be greetings. Praise be to God, they have attained unto the essence of knowledge and deeds, certitude and recognition. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to assist him and his loved ones and strengthen them to remember Him, praise Him, and manifest His attributes throughout the duration of the earthly realm and the Kingdom. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Powerful.

And as to thy repeated mention of the son of S.M., upon them both be greetings—this is a bounty from God. The people of that house have been favored with recognition and service from the beginning of the Cause. In those days which were as dark as night, when the intensity of wrath was directed from every side—now ask thou God to protect them and preserve them from whatsoever is unworthy of His days. Verily, He is the Generous, the Lord of great bounty, and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

How can tongue and pen fulfill their task? How can a drop reach the ocean, or an atom the sun? Praise be to God, all are assisted and favored with His grace. This grace hath ever been, and shall ever be, sanctified above any likeness or comparison. Well is it with them that have attained! These days, letters have arrived from Iran, each adorned with mention of that Beloved of hearts. Specifically, a letter arrived from Ibn-i-ʿAttar (may God’s mercy be upon him), upon him be the Glory of God, wherein he wrote about a trust that was in his possession. After being presented before His presence, the command was issued that some should be delivered to the friends of that land and some should be sent to that Beloved of hearts.

As to what thou didst write concerning Aqa Rahmatu’llah, upon him be the Glory of God—praise be to God, the glad tidings of permission reached him, and now, praise be to God, it is several days that he is present and circumambulating. The servant beseecheth his Lord to assist him and all who are on earth to do what He loveth and is pleased with. Verily, He is the Fulfiller of the needs of all humanity. His companion hath also come. Praise be to God, there is a gathering present. In these days permission to return hath been granted. Praise be to God, the purpose was achieved and they attained unto the blessing of pilgrimage.

And regarding the affairs, they should, as commanded, execute and implement whatever they deem advisable.

As to what you wrote concerning whether a person who is trustworthy and knows the Turkish language would be needed if the honored Afnan intends to stay—indeed, after consultation and deliberation, such an arrangement would be necessary. However, in the land of A and S and these regions, while trustworthy individuals can be found, those who know the language cannot be found. In all matters consultation is necessary and then action according to it is beloved. In all conditions, praise be to God, they have been and are victorious and triumphant. As commanded, mention was made of the honored Afnan and that beloved one in letters sent to various regions. I convey greetings and remembrances to the friends of that land, and I beseech from the Tree of Divine Favor inexhaustible fruits for each one. Verily He is the Generous Giver and He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing. Peace and remembrance and praise be upon you and upon the righteous servants of God, and praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds.

The servant, on the first of Rajab 1307

That beloved one continues to be mentioned in the presence of the Branches of the Blessed Tree—may my spirit be sacrificed for the dust of their footsteps—and likewise the people of the Pavilion of Infallibility all send their greetings.

BH11697: Praise be to God Who hath uttered a Word…

He is God—exalted be His glory, His grandeur and His power!

Praise be to God Who hath uttered a Word from among His supreme Words whereby He hath distinguished between the servants in the world of creation, and through it hath manifested His sovereignty and revealed His power, and through it the oceans of meanings and utterance have surged in the realm of possibility, and the Most Great Book hath spoken forth among the peoples:

“O concourse of earth and heaven! By God, He Who is the Dawning-Place of certitude hath come, and with Him the Criterion whereby truth hath been separated from error. At this all the tribes have trembled save whom God, the Lord of the worlds and the Goal of the mystics, hath willed.”

Glory be unto Thee, O my God, my Lord and my Support! I beseech Thee by Thy resplendent and manifest Light, by Thy firm Cord, and by Thy revelations on the Day of Judgment, to illumine the hearts of Thy loved ones with the light of Thy knowledge, then grant them the Kawthar of steadfastness from the hands of Thy bounty. O Lord! Thou hast created them to exalt Thy Cause and manifest Thy Word. Thou beholdest them detached from all else save Thee and hastening to the shore of the ocean of Thy oneness, having cast aside the idle fancies and vain imaginings whereby Thy servants were prevented from drawing nigh unto the court of Thy glory and the carpet of Thy grandeur. Ordain for them, O Thou Goal of the world, that which befitteth the heaven of Thy generosity and the ocean of Thy grace. Verily, Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all affairs. There is none other God but Thee, the Master of the Day of Resurrection.

Thereafter, O my beloved, the heart of this evanescent one soared when he heard the cooing of the nightingale of thy praise in describing God, our Lord and thy Lord, our Goal and thy Goal, and the reins of tranquility were taken from my hands such that I proclaimed before all faces: “Sovereignty belongeth unto Him Who hath, throughout all ages and centuries, drawn His servants unto Himself through His call.” By God’s glory and grandeur, joy hath taken hold of me from all directions in that thy honor hath rent asunder the veils that prevented the servants from turning to the supreme horizon and the most exalted summit. It is as though I heard from the traces of thy pen the verses of thy attraction, thy burning, and thy longing for God, the Powerful, the All-Forgiving, the All-Loving.

When I read and became acquainted therewith, I approached the Presence and presented it before His Countenance. The Master—may our souls be a sacrifice for Him—said: “O Abu’l-Qasim! Upon thee be the peace of God and His loving-kindness. The servant in attendance hath appeared before the Face and presented thy letter. We found therein the fragrance of thy love, thy turning unto God, thy sincerity, thy certitude, thy steadfastness, and thy humility before God, the Lord of the visible and invisible, and the Lord of the mighty throne. By My life! Were anyone to hearken with the ear of his true nature, he would hear from the very rock: ʿThe kingdom, the dominion, the glory and the power belong unto God, the Lord of the worlds.’ Blessed is thine ear for having heard the Call, and thine eye for having beheld the supreme horizon, and thy standing before the Seat of Justice, and thy mention and praise on a day wherein the idolaters have encompassed the cities of God, the Master of what was and what shall be.”

O thou who soarest in the atmosphere of the love of God! It behooveth thee and the believers to cling to the hem of the robe of God’s loving-kindness and to beseech from the heaven of His grace and the ocean of His bounty that He protect them from the evil of the idolaters and change their weakness into strength and their powerlessness into might. Verily, He is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth, and in His grasp are the reins of all names. There is none other God but Him, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. When thou hearest the call of the Wronged One, turn thy face toward the Kaaba of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, and say:

Praised be Thou, O my God, for having guided me unto Thy straight path, and given me the glad-tidings of Thy mighty announcement, and illumined my heart with the light of Thy oneness, and caused my tongue to speak of that which Thou hast revealed in Thy Books, Thy Scrolls and Thy Tablets. Glorified art Thou, O Sender of the winds and Cleaver of the dawn! I beseech Thee by Thy Lamp which hath been assailed by the tempests of the tyrannical among Thy servants and the storms of the oppressors throughout the lands, to assist whosoever hath acknowledged Thy oneness and confessed to that which Thou hast revealed in Thy Books. O Lord! Thou hearest my yearning in Thy love, and my longing and passion aroused by the breezes of Thy Revelation. I beseech Thee to aid me in giving the glad-tidings to Thy servants of the appearance of Thy signs and the manifestation of Thy evidences. Verily Thou art the Almighty, the All-Bountiful, the Generous. There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

This servant is amazed at how the grace, favor, justice and bounty of God, exalted be His glory, has influenced and continues to influence the world of being. The requirements of wisdom confirmed His presence in a station from which all have turned away, and enabled the hearing of utterances from which all are debarred and deprived, save those whom His prevailing Will and triumphant Purpose have chosen. Indeed the world has been made new. The mysteries of utterance have, by the will of the Desired One of the worlds, emerged from the unseen into the visible realm, and from concealment into manifestation. Since these favors have outwardly appeared and been unveiled for that exalted one, it is hoped that he may become the leader of God’s hosts, namely righteousness and piety. Praiseworthy character is regarded as the mightiest of hosts before the Lord of eternity. God willing, may they with these hosts conquer the cities of wisdom and utterance, and illumine the world with the light of knowledge. This matter hath never been difficult in God’s sight. With one word He attracted the pure gem of justice and exalted it above the heavens. He is the One Who doeth what He willeth by His word “Be” and it is.

From your determination, assurance is gained that you will summon a number of the heedless to the horizon of wisdom and cause them to attain that which will make the tongues of all realities proclaim the blessed words “The Kingdom is God’s.” All the friends in that land have been and are remembered before their Lord, and this servant hath besought for each one blessings that are beyond reckoning and limitation.

Regarding what you wrote about the mention that would cause the awareness of the servants—this is not permitted in those lands according to the Command, for most of the people do not distinguish between the mischief-maker and the reformer. Rather, they have regarded and continue to regard the reformer as the mischief-maker and the mischief-maker as the reformer. The pillars of justice have been weakened, and likewise justice. This servant and you must beseech God to adorn His servants with the ornament of fairness. That which is the cause of joy and the source of gladness is that you were not deprived of the ocean of favor and partook of that which shall endure forever and shall always be remembered. May the unseen reinforcement render its assistance manifest, for the movement and intention have been and are for the sake of God. The servant beseecheth his Lord to draw you near, to fulfill your needs, and to assist you in His remembrance and praise through wisdom and utterance. Verily our Lord is the Almighty, the Powerful, the Helper.

Concerning the mention of Haji Mirza Abu-Talib—may God strengthen him—since it occurred before awareness of the Cause that hath appeared, there was and is no harm in it. I beseech God to ordain for him what He hath ordained for His trusted ones and chosen ones. Verily He is the Almighty, the Unconstrained. It is hoped that henceforth he may be remembered before his Lord and not remain deprived of the Most Great Ocean.

Concerning what was written about the blessed Book of Iqan, God willing, all of it will reach your honor. Those who circle round about all send their greetings and beseech God, exalted be His glory, for your confirmation. Peace, remembrance and praise be upon your honor and upon the righteous servants of God. May He bestow upon all a portion from the effulgences of the Orb of divine favor—a portion that is enduring and everlasting. Similarly, all other items were received. This is quite clear and evident: that any matter which is blended with love is reckoned among the great bounties in the sight of God. I convey greetings to all the loved ones in that land, and I beseech God, exalted be His glory, on behalf of each one, for that which its fragrance shall never cease to waft from the cities of the sincere and detached ones. Verily He has power over all things.

His honor Aqa Mirza Kazim, upon him be the peace of God—during the previous occasion, at the time of the arrival of your letter, permission was granted. It is hoped that he will attain to that which he desires. Peace, remembrance and glory be upon your honor and upon those with you and upon those who have attained unto the Word of God and His love and who have acted according to that which they were commanded in His mighty and impregnable Book. And praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH00942: Praise be to that sovereign Lord who has raised…

He is God—exalted be His glory, His grandeur and His might!

Praise be to that sovereign Lord who has raised up among the servants of the world the banner proclaiming “Verily I am the Lord of existence.” Through the sword of His utterance, He has freed the mute and stammering ones of the world from the darkness of names and the pit of suspicions and vain imaginings. The banner of His justice was not prevented by the oppression of the deniers, nor was His Testament of Truth followed by obliteration. Glorified be His majesty, all-pervading be His bounty, and exalted be His station! And blessings and peace be upon the Speaking Book of God and His Speaking Scripture, His manifest Mystery and His supreme, triumphant, and all-revealing Word, at whose birth the Kingdom and all therein proclaimed “Unto God, the Lord of all worlds!” And upon His kindred and companions, through whom the light of justice shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of God’s grace, the Mighty, the Great—such blessings as will draw unto them all hearts and souls and cause all created things to ascend.

My spirit be a sacrifice unto your steadfastness, your love, and your service! The blessed Tablet which was adorned by the Most Pure Pen of my Lord and Master, His Holiness the Greater Branch—may my soul and my very essence be a sacrifice unto the dust of His feet—illumined the eye of the body and flesh, and the sight of the heart and spirit. The greater portion of that blessed Tablet made mention of the steadfastness, devotion, sincerity, service, and favor of His Holiness. Every word among its words beareth witness to the love and affection of His Holiness. In truth, it is the choice wine of utterance, the dawning-place of joy and the dayspring of gladness. All this is through the bounty of God, our Lord and the Lord of our fathers, and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and on earth.

I submit one of the blessed words so that the degrees of His favor may become clear and evident. His sweetest words are: “At present I am occupied with writing in the home of the honored Afnan, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Merciful. I am deeply abashed and affected by their troubles and love. I hope they will present this at the Most Holy Court and that mention will be made concerning them from the Source of Grace, such that will relieve this servant’s embarrassment. We can do nothing greater than this for them, nor is there anything greater.” Likewise this blessed word was recorded: “Their presence and being in this land is necessary and serves the needs of all travelers to this region in a way that cannot be surpassed.” Praise be to God, His traces have perfumed and illumined those regions.

After submitting these matters, He spoke these words before me:

“God willing, there shall appear from my Afnan that which will guide the people to the Light that has shone forth and gleamed from the horizon of God’s Will, the Master of the Day of Judgment. O my Afnan! Upon you be my peace, my remembrance and my praise.”

I beseech and we beseech God, exalted be His glory, to free and deliver His servants from names that are the dawning-places of idle fancies and vain imaginings. He is the All-Bountiful, Whose bounty the opposition of His servants has not prevented, and Whose generosity the darkness of existence has not veiled.

O Afnan! This is the Day wherein the Dawn of Manifestation has unfurled its banner and the Temple of Justice its standards. Blessed are those servants who hold fast to the Truth and are detached and free from all else. This Wronged One counsels that the honored Afnan not be saddened by what has occurred. In truth, you have been and are partner with the Wronged One in the tribulations that have befallen Him. Glory be to God! God, exalted be His glory, has made the land of Shin the dawning-place of light and fire—that is, the manifestation of these two is more evident and mighty in that land before God, for the fire of corruption from the tree of opposition appeared and blazed forth in that land and city before all other lands. The arrows of the oppressors and the swords of the malicious ones who broke the Covenant and Testament and denied God’s decree on the day of separation have assailed the Manifestation of Justice.

These days are, in the sight of God, days of supreme rejoicing, for the Sovereign of Manifestation is established upon the throne of Sinai, and the call of the blessed Lote-Tree is raised at every moment. Therefore, should the kindred be summoned from that land, it would be acceptable in the sight of God and adorned with the embellishment of divine permission. After the sorrows that have been experienced, this mighty glad-tiding which proceedeth from the Most Exalted Horizon hath been and shall ever remain the cause and source of immeasurable joy and gladness. The Greater Branch hath likewise made entreaty concerning this matter. Now it hath come to pass in accordance both with consultation and with the divine Will. For a long time this Wronged One hath been mindful of them. In any case, this news is relief after affliction and joy after sorrow.

O Afnan! At this moment the Sun of permission has risen and shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of will. Give glad tidings to the Leaf and those with her on My behalf of My permission, which is the ultimate hope of the seekers and the goal of the hearts of the mystics. The glory from Us be upon you, O Afnan, and upon the son, and upon those who have believed in God and performed good deeds and what they were commanded in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

From this bestowed permission, boundless joy is attained. In truth, this is a great bestowal regarding those who are wronged in the path of God. This evanescent servant has at all times beseeched and continues to beseech that He may bring forth from potentiality to the realm of manifestation the means of nearness and meeting for those who have been consumed by the fire of separation from His presence for years, and from concealment to disclosure. Verily, He is powerful over all things. It is hoped that this matter will be arranged with utmost joy and delight, and that the Causer of causes will manifest a cause that will become the source of joy for the hearts of His male and female servants. He is the Bestower, the Mighty.

As commanded, this letter must be preserved, for people are inclined to objection rather than justice and fairness. One Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet was revealed specifically for the Afnan of the land of Shin, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, and was sent. Your honor should review it and forward it. I present my greetings to the service of the brilliant star, his honor Afnan Aqa Siyyid Aqa, upon him be the glory of God and His favors, and likewise to the loved ones of that land. For all, I seek that which is the cause of the elevation of character among people and unity among the servants. Peace, remembrance, and glory be upon your honor and upon those with you, and those who love you and hear your words in their turning to God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

The servant First of Rajab 1307

BH01021: O servant of God! Upon thee be the grace…

He is the One Who Expoundeth, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!

O servant of God! Upon thee be the grace and loving-kindness of God. The letter of the honorable sheikh (may God, the Blessed, the Most High, strengthen him) was perused. Praise be to God, they have attained His favors. We beseech God, the Blessed, the Most High, to strengthen him and assist him in that which He loveth and is pleased with, and to rain down upon him from the clouds of His mercy a blessing from His presence and a bounty from His own Self. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous.

O servant of God! Upon thee be the peace and bounty of God. The true and manifest tidings are that one manifestation from the manifestations of the Sun of Truth pertains to him, and one word from the words of the Mother Book hath he attained, and one melody from the melodies hath reached the Kingdom of utterance, and one letter from the attraction of the Call hath arrived at the gate of the Most Great Name. Upon Javad be My glory and loving-kindness; he hath become connected with the ocean of divine generosity. We have heard of his ascension, his turning and his devotion, and We have sent down for him that which causeth the realities of all things to be attracted.

By My life! Through My mention the ocean of forgiveness surged in the Most Exalted Kingdom, and the sun of pardon and bestowal shone forth from the horizon of the Will of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne and the Sublime Seat. Verily, We have purified him with the water of utterance and caused him to enter a station adorned with the glances of loving-kindness, embellished with the lights of the Countenance, and illumined with the light of recognition. Exalted is the All-Merciful Who hath sent down the verses and manifested the clear proofs and hath spoken that wherefrom the fragrance of utterance hath been wafted throughout contingent being. Verily, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

We testify that Javad hath attained unto the ocean of generosity and bounty among the nations, and turned unto God when most of creation turned away from Him, and acknowledged this Day when the people denied it, and showed forth love and devotion when the fire of hatred was kindled. Upon him be My glory and the glory of those in God’s Kingdom and dominion, and the glory of those in the heavens and the earth.

We enjoin the loved ones to patience and steadfastness, and We beseech the True One to illumine all with the lights of the Orb of grace. O people of God! Be not grieved by that which hath befallen you. We testify that ye have attained unto that which cannot be equaled by treasures nor by the wealth of the princes of the earth. This Manifest Book beareth witness to this. Take, in My Name, the All-Glorious, the cup of joy, then drink therefrom once in My Name, and again in My remembrance, and yet again by My command, in spite of Mine enemies, and yet again by the light of My wondrous Cause.

Praise be to God that in this time each of the friends hath attained that which hath no likeness or equal. They have attained the choice wine of My remembrance in the Kingdom of My utterance from the cup of one of My branches who is present before My face and who writeth My verses by My all-compelling will that prevaileth over all who are in the heavens and the earth.

O servant of God! We beseech the True One to assist the loved ones in that land to such deeds as will cause the elevation of the Cause of God. By the life of God! The helper of the Truth hath ever been deeds and character. Say: My God, my God! Assist Thy loved ones in that which will cause the exaltation of Thy Most Exalted Word in the world of creation, then aid them to triumph in Thy Cause through wisdom and utterance. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the Glorious, the Bestower. The friends of Ishqabad have acted in a way that has been accepted in glory—they transformed the weapons of warfare into conciliation and love. Blessed are they!

When tribulations descended upon them, they held fast to patience by the command of the All-Patient Lord and maintained forbearance. Two deeds which are truly considered among the greatest of all deeds in the sight of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, were manifested by them: first, refraining from retaliation against the oppressors, namely the tyrannical Shi’ih party, and second, interceding with the authorities on behalf of their enemies. This is the conduct that has been and is worthy of the people of Baha. Glory be to them, joy be to them, and light be to them! Now beseech ye God to illumine the hearts of the friends of that land with the light of unity, that the horizons of the world may be brightened by a single light, lest there appear from them that which would prevent them from attaining the most exalted station and the supreme summit.

In these days Jinab-i-Samandar, upon him be My glory and My loving-kindness, has mentioned the deceased and elevated one, and likewise has repeatedly mentioned the friends of that land. Jinab-i-Javad, upon him be My glory and My loving-kindness—We beseech God, exalted be He, to assist him with the hosts of grace and to confirm him in that which He loves and is pleased with. Indeed, steadfastness has been manifested by him and those associated with the aforementioned one.

Yesterday Ismu’llah attained Our presence and mentioned Jinab-i-Darbaghi, upon him be My glory and My loving-kindness, and afterwards sent his letter to Our presence. Blessed is he and joy be unto him! Praise be to God, they have succeeded in teaching the Cause of God, and there was revealed from the Most Exalted Pen especially for him that which caused pure gems to appear from dust and transcended the heavens. His mention has been remembered and his name renowned. We beseech God, exalted be His glory, to cause the servants of that land to become detached through the loving counsels of His friends and to guide them to the highest horizon.

Some time ago Hibatu’llah, upon him be My glory, sent a letter to the Most Holy Court wherein he mentioned the friends. Each one has been blessed with divine favors and received their portion from the ocean of utterance. The door of grace is open, the sun of mercy is shining, the ocean of generosity is surging before all faces—blessed are they that attain! We make mention of each of the handmaidens of God and give them the glad-tidings of the effulgences of the light of divine favor. O My handmaidens and My leaves! Ye have attained to that which most of the men on earth are deprived of. Today, the steadfast and assured maidservants are recorded and mentioned in the Crimson Book above the men. We counsel the handmaidens of God to observe the Most Great Chastity, trustworthiness, religiosity, truthfulness and purity.

O my God, O my God! Aid Thy loved ones, both men and women, to achieve such deeds and character as will cause the fragrance of Thy good pleasure and acceptance to be diffused. The light that shineth resplendent from the horizon of the heaven of bounty be upon the people of Baha, whom the hosts have not weakened nor the ranks intimidated. They have turned unto Thee and said:

“We believe in Thee, O Thou the Goal of the mystics and the Beloved of all who are in the heavens and on earth!”

BH01234: The ocean of joy hath surged and the countenance…

He is the Hearer of Justice and the Answerer through Grace!

The ocean of joy hath surged and the countenance of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, hath smiled, inasmuch as the Call hath been raised from the Land of Ta unto the Most Exalted Horizon and hath gladdened the dwellers of the Most Glorious Paradise and the Supreme Heaven by the arising of the Hands of the Cause and the Manifestations of Utterance before the Kaaba of God with a clear covenant and firm pledge, that the world and all that dwell therein might be illumined by the light of unity and concord. Exalted, exalted is this most high station! Exalted, exalted is this Covenant through which the scrolls of names have been renewed and the stations of the people of Baha have been elevated among all humanity!

O my God, O Fashioner of names and Creator of heaven! By Thy might and Thy majesty, Thy power and Thy sovereignty, I find no hosts more mighty than the covenant of Thy chosen ones before Thy face and their pledge to aid Thy Cause and exalt Thy Word. O Lord! Assist them with the hosts of righteousness and piety, and with that detachment whereby the gates of glory and bounty were opened to all who dwell on earth and in heaven. O Lord! Aid them with the banners of Thy utterance and the standards of Thy remembrance and praise, and ordain for them that which shall make them manifestations of Thy virtues and names and dawning-places of Thy generosity and bestowals.

Thou seest them, O my God, turning toward the horizon of Thy grace and desiring to serve Thy Cause amongst Thy servants. Write down for them, then, with Thy Most Exalted Pen, every good thing Thou hast sent down in Thy Books and Thy Scriptures, Thy Scrolls and Thy Tablets. Verily Thou art He through Whose Most Great Name the world was subdued and through Whose Most Noble Name the gates of munificence and bounty were opened unto all peoples. I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Object of the knowledge of the wise and the Beloved of all who dwell in the heavens and the earth, to assist His Majesty the Sultan to turn unto Thee and to manifest Thy justice through Thy name.

O Lord! Aid him through Thy party, then preserve him with the hosts of the seen and the unseen. Verily Thou art the Lord of all creation. There is none other God but Thee, the Strong, the Triumphant, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

O Ali-Qabil-Akbar! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness. Thy letters have attained unto Our presence and been heard. In truth, all that was mentioned therein was the cause of joy and gladness, for its words and letters were perfumed with the fragrance of unity and concord. I truly say: This New Covenant is in itself a mighty host. We have ordained it for the conquest of the citadels of hearts through Our Name, the Mighty, the Beloved. We hope that through these new and wondrous means the foundation of God’s Cause will be made firm and steadfast. Some time ago these verses were revealed and sent to one of the wise ones—upon him be My glory: O Wise One!

The power and structure of faith has grown weak in all regions of the world. The supreme remedy is needed. The dross of nations has seized them; the greatest elixir is required. O Wise One! Has the crown of victory such power as to transform diverse elements in a single thing and bring them to the station of pure gold? Though such transformation appears difficult and complex, yet the transformation of earthly power to heavenly power is possible in the sight of this Wronged One. That which effects this transformation is greater than the elixir. This station and this power are specific to the Word of God. It is the essence that transforms fear into certitude, weakness into strength, and abasement into glory.

One drop from the ocean of divine wisdom struck Badi’ and like a ball of fire he sought martyrdom. His moisture was transformed to heat, his weakness to power, his sluggishness to swiftness. At this time, what is needed is to seek healing from the Incomparable Almighty for prevalent chronic diseases. We beseech from the ocean of bounty of God, exalted be His glory, protection for you and the friends of that land. Verily He will protect you and aid you as He protected and aided you before. Behold the prison and its transformation, and the Cause and its sovereignty. In utter weakness complete power is manifest, and in poverty the kingdom of wealth is evident. Blessed are they who perceive and are fair-minded.

The glad-tidings of unity and concord illumined the horizons. Glory be to God! The oppression of the friends in Ishqabad became as conquering hosts and rendered a great victory to the Cause of God. These are the results of the wisdom revealed from the Supreme Pen in scriptures and tablets. Blessed are they who understand.

The essence of counsel and advice is this: if any of the friends commits an unseemly deed or manifests anything improper, the trusted ones of the Cause should, with utmost love and kindness, wisdom and care, gently and affectionately counsel and advise that soul. Surely such words, when offered purely for the sake of God, will be penetrating, helpful and nurturing.

Say: My God, my God! Aid all on earth to attain unto Thy presence and cause them to recognize what Thou hast ordained for them in Thy Books. Then adorn the teachers with the ornament of sanctity among Thy servants. Then through Thy power make their words penetrating. Then make them bearers of the standard of detachment and righteousness. Verily Thou art the Lord of creation, and the One with power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Commander, the All-Wise.

The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon those who are with thee and who hearken to thy words concerning this firm, wise Cause.

BH03408: O Abraham! A Friend [of God] hath appeared…

He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!

O Abraham! A Friend [of God] hath appeared from God, and the Hand of Divine favor preserved him from the fire of the idolaters, nay rather, transformed that vengeance into bounty and mercy. His mention is renowned throughout the world and is a mighty cause for those who mount the pulpit. Most of the peoples of the world are occupied with his remembrance and that of his son, who in the Book of Deeds was designated and mentioned as the Sacrifice of God by the Pen of the Self-Sufficient, the Exalted.

Yet in this Most Great Revelation, how many pure, assured, well-pleased and enkindled souls have intended the place of sacrifice and offered up their lives! However, the unjust servants have veiled the high and most exalted stations of these souls through the veils of self and desire. Glory be to God! What has become of justice and fairness? Where have hearing and sight gone?

O Abraham! The first sacrifice attained to sacrifice and returned to his place, but in this Revelation all have achieved the most great martyrdom. Say: O people! Observe with divine vision and hearken with true hearing, that perchance ye may attain unto that which hath no likeness or peer. Ask of God that He may aid His servants to that which beseemeth them, and adorn the people of the world with the light of detachment and the raiment of godliness. He is powerful and mighty. There is no God but Him, the Powerful, the Most High, the Most Glorious.

Praise be to God! That soul hath attained to recognition and likewise to serving the servants in the path of God—servants who have detached themselves from the world and clung to the horizon of Revelation. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who hath aided and will aid the friends of God in His earth and His trusted ones in His lands. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon those who have turned to the Most High Horizon and believed in the One, the All-Informed.

BH05146: The emigrant is present and, after the dawning…

In the Name of Him through Whom We have subdued the horizons.

The emigrant is present and, after the dawning of the Luminary of Permission from the horizon of Will, he acted as thy deputy in that which leadeth to salvation and eternal life. Beseech thou God to preserve this most exalted station through the hosts of piety. O Hashim! We implore God, glorified be His majesty, to aid thee and His loved ones to shatter the idols of vain imaginings and to rend asunder the veils of the peoples. This is not difficult for God. Time and again have We stated that the Shepherd of sheep became the Guide of nations, and the Fisher of fish was endowed with divine wisdom. Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having given me to drink, from the hand of Thy bounty, the Kawthar of Thy knowledge, and for having caused me to turn toward Thy most exalted horizon, holding fast to Thy firm cord.

I beseech Thee, O God of Names and Creator of heaven, by Thy Most Great Name through which Thou hast subdued the nations, to ordain for me that which will draw me nigh unto Thee and to grant me, from the hand of Thy grace, the Kawthar of reunion with Thee. O Lord! The mountain of rebellion seeketh the ocean of Thy forgiveness, and the abased one calleth upon Thee by Thy name, the Mighty, the Bountiful. O Lord! Grant us the sweetness of Thy utterance and the vision of the pearls of Thy knowledge and wisdom which Thou hast manifested from the treasuries of Thy Most Exalted Pen. Verily Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all things. There is none other God but Thee, the Possessor of the Day of Resurrection.

BH10748: I beseech God, glorified be His majesty, to assist…

…I beseech God, glorified be His majesty, to assist each one to be adorned with those virtues that are the cause of the spread of justice and equity among all parties. In truth, in the first degree and primary station, the purpose of creation has been and is the manifestation of trustworthiness, religiosity, truthfulness and sincerity, for these attributes are the cause of rest, assurance and tranquility. Blessed are those souls who have attained unto these….

BH01300: Praise be to God Who taught the Supreme Pen…

He is God, exalted be His glory, might, grandeur and power!

Praise be to God Who taught the Supreme Pen that whereby the realities of all things were attracted, and caused it to speak His praise and glorification in the kingdom of names. And peace and blessings be upon the Lord of His chosen ones, the Dawning-Place of His knowledge amongst His servants, and the Source of His command throughout His lands—He through Whose grace speech was revealed and Whom God taught expression—and upon His family and companions, the daysprings of the horizons of His might, power, grandeur and sovereignty.

To proceed: Your letters arrived repeatedly, each one a perfect blessing and all-encompassing joy that seized the foundations and adorned them with the ornament of delight. After reading them, I proceeded to His presence and presented them before Him. The Lord—may our souls be a sacrifice for Him—spoke thus:

Praise be to God! The station is desirable and the companion sought after, for truly rare indeed has it been and continues to be. In truth, a soul adorned with human attributes is seen as rare as red sulphur, nay rarer still. Should a soul be confirmed and perceive the fragrance of the utterance of the Purpose of all worlds from the Surih of the All-Merciful, then at that moment this station and its loftiness will become somewhat evident. His blessed and exalted Word states: “The All-Merciful taught the Qur’an, created man, taught him utterance.” Now man is the station of the gathering of all gatherings. God hath made him the Dawning-Place of His most beautiful names, the Dayspring of His most exalted attributes, the recipient of His knowledge amidst humanity, and the source of His commandments and ordinances in the realm of creation. Verily, he is the gate of God’s wisdom amongst His servants and the treasure of knowledge amidst His creation. Through him God hath manifested whatsoever He hath willed. Verily, He is the Master of creation, and within His grasp lies the reins of all matters from beginning to end.

Jinab-i-Mizban Shuma, may God the Blessed, the Most High, strengthen him, is among those of the aforementioned station, meaning he is considered human in the sight of God. Blessed be he! We beseech God to strengthen him, assist him, and ordain for him that which will exalt his name in His lands among His servants. Verily, He has power over all things.

Praise be to God! In every instance, His Honor Effendi, may God strengthen him through His Eternal Name, is mentioned, and surely there are effects and fruits from this mention. We beseech God, the Blessed, the Most High, to strengthen His Honor and manifest for him what has been ordained. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous.

In your previous letter, spiritual friend, you mentioned the feast gathering and attendance thereat, as well as the presence of the distinguished orator, namely His Honor Shaykh Abbas, may God the Most High assist him. Although this servant has not had the honor of meeting him, I beseech the True One, exalted be His glory, to sanctify the orators of the world and adorn them with the ornament of knowledge and deeds. Verily, our Lord is the Hearer, the Answerer.

However, when your letter arrived, a learned person present recognized him and said that he is truly a servant of the government with sincerity, and has revealed the secrets of certain religious leaders who are in fact opposed to the nation and government, this being the result of association and friendship. Then another person said that according to your mention, he is an inspector from the government. This servant stated that we do not know these things—we consider all as servants of God unless we witness wrongdoing with our own eyes, and in any case, we pray for all and have no secrets ourselves except the mention of God and His oneness.

Then he wished to say a few words, but it was observed that perhaps words might arise causing displeasure to both parties, so this servant arose and the meeting concluded. In truth, what causes joy and delight to this servant is that you are in the presence of an accomplished and distinguished person, namely His Honor Effendi. This is a great bounty and an exalted station. Thanks be to God, the Powerful, the Mighty.

Regarding what you wrote about His Honor and his good deeds, good intentions, and good fellowship—yes, yes, this servant bears witness, and likewise the friends of this land and their chief all testify that His Honor possesses praiseworthy qualities and laudable attributes. I beseech the True One, exalted be His station, to increase his station at all times. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Generous, and He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

The friends around the Master all send greetings and especially ask for you that which befits His generosity. And now, the apple of our eye, His Honor Aqa Mirza Mustafa, upon him be 9 6 6 [Baha’u’llah], sends greetings and mentions that spiritual friend in various stations. We beseech God to strengthen him and you and His loved ones in what He loves and is pleased with. Verily, He is the Lord of all beings and the Master of the last and the first.

Peace and mercy be upon you and upon God’s righteous servants.

The servant 7 Rajab 1307