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

BH11130: Praise be to that Peerless Being Who, through…

Section 1: “In the name of our Lord, the Most…”

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

Praise be to that Peerless Being Who, through the lights of the Kingdom, hath empowered and enabled the world of creation to receive the word of wisdom and utterance. After the word was cast forth, a creation came into being, and through another word transformation was wrought: some turned toward the realm of oneness, having perceived the fragrance of the Friend, while others busied themselves with investigation, and yet others arose in rejection and protest. But God, our Lord and our Goal, manifested that which He desired despite them. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Unconstrained. Glory, radiance, peace, and bounty be upon the loved ones of God and His chosen ones, who have sacrificed their souls in His path. These are servants whom He hath mentioned in His Books and commanded to reform the world and refine the souls of nations, forbidding them from treachery, rancor, and corruption. Exalted is God, our Lord and the Lord of the mighty throne, our Goal and the Goal of all who are in the heavens and the earth.

O beloved of my heart! At this moment thy petition hath attained unto the presence and the blessed hands of our Master and Lord, the Most Great Branch—may my spirit and my very being be a sacrifice for the dust of His footsteps—and after it had been honored to reach the Most Holy and Exalted Presence, these sublime words were revealed and sent down from the Source of verses, blessed and exalted be His utterance:

He is the Hearer, the Answerer

O Ibn Abhar! The Lord of Power hath from His Most Sublime Vision directed His gaze toward that region and maketh mention of thee. Canst thou hear this Call which hath been raised from this Most Exalted Station, that through hearkening there may spring forth from the dust ears that are attentive, eyes that are sharp, and hearts that are illumined for witnessing and hearing? Say: Nay, by Thy Great Announcement, except through Thy grace, Thy generosity, Thy loving-kindness and Thy bounty. And shouldst thou desire to make mention of Me, it behooveth thee to make mention in such wise that the tongues of the world may speak in remembrance of thy Lord, through Whom the mysteries have been revealed, the rivers have flowed, and the trees have spoken forth—sovereignty belongeth unto God, the Lord of the worlds.

We have aforetime made mention of thee through verses that have encompassed the East of the earth and its West. Hast thou forgotten, or dost thou say ʿIncrease me in utterance, O Lord of the mystics’? We love to behold thee standing amidst the gathering, speaking in My beauteous remembrance, and We love to see thee detached from all else but Me, calling out My Name, clinging to the cord of My loving-kindness and holding fast to My [luminous] robe. We have created thee and cast upon thee that which draweth thee nigh unto God and causeth thee to speak that whereby the hearts of them that have turned towards Him are attracted.

Cast aside all else but Me and take what I have commanded thee in My perspicuous Book. This is the Day whereon they that were at Sinai were thunderstruck when the Call was raised between earth and heaven, and the Caller cried out: The Kingdom is God’s, the Lord of the Mighty Throne! This is the Day whereon the seas speak through their waves, the Book through its verses, the suns through their lights, the heaven through its stars, the trees through their fruits, and the earth through its favors; yet most of the people hear not. They see, yet they deny—verily they perceive not. We behold them as worshippers of idle fancies and vain imaginings. This do attested servants bear witness, who have cast the Most Great Ocean behind them, hastening toward the river—verily they know not.

O Ibn Abhar! Hear the Call with the ear of thine heart; verily it attracteth thee and draweth thee nigh unto a station that knoweth neither change nor decline. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken—verily He is the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. We have adorned thy head with the crown of acceptance and thy temple with the ornament of knowledge, that thou mayest proclaim the Cause of thy Lord with wisdom and utterance. Verily He is the Compassionate, the All-Loving. Thou hast stood before the gate of My grandeur, heard My Call, beheld the waves of the ocean of Mine utterance and the suns of the heavens of My wisdom. Give glad tidings of what We have shown thee and caused thee to hear in this Most Holy, Most Exalted, Most Glorious and Most Sublime Station. Thus have the rains of My mercy poured down and the luminary of My grace hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of My bounty. Say:

O my God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having illumined the horizon of my hope, for having quenched the thirst of my heart, and for having transformed my sorrow and grief. I beseech Thee, O Lord of eternity, by the lights of Thy Most Great Throne, to strengthen me in all conditions to manifest Thy Cause, Thy days, Thy revelation and Thy power. O Lord! Thou seest me calling out in Thy name amongst Thy servants, and speaking Thy praise throughout Thy lands. From the beginning of days I acknowledged Thy unity and Thy singleness, and became attracted to Thy verses, soaring in Thy atmosphere, and arising to serve Thee. Have mercy upon me, O my God, through Thy great mercy, then cause me to speak Thy sweetest remembrance.

I am he, O my God, whose will was rendered powerless, seized by the wonderment of Thy call. I call upon Thee, O my God, by Thy gracious name, I cry unto Thee by Thy merciful name, and I adjure Thee by Thy all-knowing name to ordain for Thy loved ones that which will draw them nigh unto the court of Thy glorious oneness and the sanctuary of Thy holy uniqueness. Then through them open the doors of Thy servants’ hearts, and through them, O my God, illumine the hearts of Thy creation. Then write down for me and for them the reward of those who have attained unto Thy presence and have drunk the choice wine of reunion from the hand of Thy bounty. Verily Thou art He Whom nothing can frustrate and no affair can render powerless. Thou doest what Thou willest through Thy sovereignty and ordainest what Thou pleaseth through Thy power.

Furthermore I beseech Thee, O God of Names and Creator of heaven, by the pearls of the ocean of Thy wisdom and the effulgent lights of the orb of Thy grace, to ordain for Thy handmaiden who hath ascended unto Thee the reward of attaining Thy presence. Then cause her to enter, O my God, within the precincts of Thy mercy and to hear the melodies of the doves of Thy unity upon the twigs of the tree of Thy knowledge. Then give her to drink, O my Best-Beloved, the Kawthar of Thy utterance from the hand of Thy bounty. Then send down upon her from the clouds of Thy mercy the rains of Thy generosity and munificence. I testify, O my God, that she heard Thy call and responded to Thy summons and Thy command, and held fast to Thy cord in such wise that neither the doubts of the skeptics, nor the cawing of the croakers, nor the onslaught of the ungodly, nor the oppression of the wrongdoers could keep her back.

The attraction of Thy call so seized her that her heart was set ablaze with the fire of Thy love and her reality with the heat of Thy affection. There befell her in Thy path that which Thou knowest better than any other. Forgive, O my God, her and those who loved her and mentioned her days and visited her resting-place and what hath been revealed from Thy Most Exalted Pen. Verily Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever Thou willest. At Thy command the ocean of forgiveness surgeth and the fragrances of Thy bounty are wafted abroad, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all possibilities. There is no God but Thee, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

We have desired at this moment to make mention of Our handmaiden who hath ascended unto the Most Exalted Companion, she upon whom the decree of destiny and fate from God, the Lord of the Kingdom of Names and Creator of heaven, hath been executed. O My handmaiden and My leaf! We testify that thou didst take the cup of utterance from the hand of the bounty of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, and didst drink therefrom, despite those women whom fancies and idle imaginings have held back from God, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting. O thou who art mentioned before the Wronged One! Thou art in the Most Exalted Paradise while thy Lord is in the prison of ʿAkka. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this bounty, the light of which, when it shone forth, caused all names and attributes to bow down before it. We testify that thou didst hear the call and didst turn towards it, saying in thy inmost heart:

“Here am I, here am I, O Lord of all beings! At Thy service, at Thy service, O Thou in Whose grasp is the control of all things!”

Thou art she who rent asunder the veils of error and the layers of glory, and attained unto the recognition of thy Lord in days wherein men and women denied Him, save those whom the hand of God’s grace, the Lord of all worlds, did rescue. Blessed art thou for having acknowledged the unity of God and His singleness, and what He hath revealed in His Book and what His Tongue hath uttered.

How many were the days wherein thy sighs ascended and thy tears fell down in thy love for God, thy Lord, the Lord of the Throne and of earth, and the Lord of the hereafter and of former times. Thou art she whom the fire of separation consumed and whom the force of estrangement weakened in the days of thy Lord, the Illuminator of the horizons. Sorrows overtook thee whereby thy liver was melted, thy heart was troubled, thy limbs did quake, and thy being was rent asunder. Were it not for thy Lord’s protection, thy members and extremities would have been scattered, and thy veins and features dispersed. Blessed art thou, O leaf that hath clung to the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing,

O thou who art mentioned by the people of Baha in the kingdom of creation! Through thy grief, sorrows have encompassed the people of the cities of knowledge, and through thy calamity, the dwellers of the garden of utterance have lamented. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to send down upon thee at all times that which befitteth the heaven of His bounty, the ocean of His generosity, and the sun of His grace. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the Unconstrained. Peace and glory and praise and honor be upon thee, upon thy beginning and thine end, thy outer and inner self, and the mercy of God and His blessings and His might and His favor and His gifts. Verily, grace is in His grasp and bounty in His right hand. He doeth what He pleaseth and ordaineth what He willeth. He is the All-Powerful, the All-Possessing, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. End.

Praise be to God! For that blessed leaf there hath been sent down from the clouds of divine mercy that whose mention, whose fragrance, and whose light shall endure. A hundred thousand thanks that she ascended in the days of God—days whereof all the Prophets and chosen ones had given tidings and had desired for themselves to be present and to attain unto them. O thou beloved of my heart! The power of “He doeth whatsoever He willeth” cannot be hindered by the things of earth and heaven. However He willeth, it is decreed and assured. The command is God’s, our Lord, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting. His grace hath encompassed all and His mercy hath taken precedence, and those sighs which at all times were manifested from her in separation from the Lord of all beings—their effect hath He made manifest. Verily, He doth not suffer to be lost the reward of the doers of good, whether men or women, until in these blessed days there appeared that which hath had and shall have no likeness. Praise be unto Him in all conditions.

The mention of Jinab-i-Aqa Siyyid Abu-Turab, upon him be the glory of God, was made, and his service, devotion and love, after being presented before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, the Tongue of Grandeur spoke these verses—blessed and exalted be His Word:

“O Alif and Ba! He Who is encompassed by the wicked ones among the servants from all directions makes mention of thee at this hour. Among them are those who deny Him, those who turn away from Him, those who oppose Him, and those who cling to tyranny and oppression and to calumnies at which the dwellers of the Kingdom, the Realm of Glory, the Concourse on High and the Most Exalted Paradise have lamented. Thus has the matter been decreed, and We are in manifest joy. We beseech God to assist thee in that which will elevate the station of man, to aid thee with the means of earth and heaven, and to ordain for thee from the heaven of His bounty and the clouds of His mercy that which will open the doors of hearts. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Mighty, the Beloved. Take thou the cup of eternity in My Most Glorious Name. It will attract thee to a station wherein thou wilt hear the call of all things in celebration of this Most Great Announcement, whereby the foundations of nations have been shaken, save whom God hath willed, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. We have mentioned thee before, and at this hour, that thou mayest rejoice and be of the thankful ones. We beseech God to make thy rewards concerning His loved ones treasures with Him. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Preserver, the Trustworthy.”

Section 2: “Likewise mention was made of Jinab-i-Mashhadi Rahim, Jinab-i-Aqa…”

Likewise mention was made of Jinab-i-Mashhadi Rahim, Jinab-i-Aqa Muhammad Rahim, and Aqa Muhammad, upon them be the glory of God. After these names were presented before the Most Holy and Most Exalted Presence, these sublime words were revealed from the heaven of verses—exalted be His glory:

“O Mashhadi Rahim! The promise hath come to pass and the Command belongeth unto God, the Sovereign, the Self-Subsisting. He hath appeared, manifested His Cause, fulfilled His promise, and spoken that which draweth the people nigh unto God, the Lord of existence. O My loved ones! We have heard your call and witnessed your love. We have turned toward you from this forbidden Quarter and revealed for you that which hath diffused the fragrance of God’s grace, the Lord of existence. O Muhammad-i-Rahim! Give thanks unto thy Lord for having mentioned thee in the prison with verses whose fragrance will never cease and will not change throughout the duration of the kingdom and the realm of spirit. Say: Thine is the glory, O my God, and Thine is the grandeur, O my Lord, and Thine is the grace, O my Beloved, for having caused me to recognize the Dayspring of Thy verses and the Dawning-Place of Thy clear tokens. I beseech Thee to make me in Thy days a flowing river through Thy name and an immovable mountain in Thy love. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over whatsoever Thou willest, and within Thy grasp are the reins of the unseen and the visible.

We have heard thy verses and what thou hast composed in remembrance of this Cause, through whose appearance the heaven was cleft asunder, the earth was rent, and the heart of every heedless and veiled one was shaken. Rejoice in that We have turned toward thee from this station and revealed for thee that whereby the realities of all things and the hearts of devoted servants have been attracted. The glory be upon thee and upon those who have laid hold upon this extended cord. O Muhammad! Blessed art thou for having been mentioned before the Countenance and for having turned unto Him from Whom the servants have turned away, save whom God hath willed, the Lord of this praiseworthy station. We counsel thee and those who have believed to observe trustworthiness, chastity and faithfulness. Blessed is he who hath cast away what the people possess and taken what is with God, the Lord of the angels and the Spirit.”

In that thou hast made mention of his honor Aqa Mirza Rida (of the land of Kaf and Ra), upon him be the Glory of God, and likewise hast recorded mention of his ardour and loftiness of understanding and sublimity of knowledge, after these passages were submitted before the Throne of our Lord, the Revealer of verses, this utterance was sent down from the heaven of the will of Him Who is the Desire of the worlds. His word—exalted be His utterance and mighty His proof:

He is the All-Knowing Expositor

We have sent down a Book at whose descent all the books of the world bowed down in submission, whereunto beareth witness the Most Great Name, through which the limbs of the nations have quaked, save whom God, the Lord of the worlds, hath willed. The rivers of inner meanings and utterance have flowed in the garden of true knowledge. Blessed is he who hath heard their murmuring and the rustling of their trees, and woe unto every doubting denier. O Mirza Rida! Hearken unto the Call which hath been raised in the prison of Akka from the right hand of the luminous spot, from the Blessed Crimson Tree—God, there is none other God but He, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Say: O people of the Bayan! Fear ye the All-Merciful, then judge with fairness concerning that which hath appeared in truth, and be not of them that denied God’s Manifestation and His sovereignty, and broke His covenant, and disputed that which appeared from His presence—these are indeed among the opposers in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Great.

O Rida! Canst thou leave behind what the people possess, and canst thou proclaim among the servants this Name that holdeth sway over all who are in the heavens and on earth? We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to aid thee to exalt His Word and to manifest His Cause with such steadfastness as cannot be shaken by the hosts of vain imaginings nor the suspicions of the opposers, and to make thee a leader of His servants, and to raise thee up through His Name that holdeth sway over all, whether small or great. Say: O people! This is a Day wherein the Herald calleth out from every direction and summoneth all unto the straight Path of God. When the rapture of My verses seizeth thee and thou drinkest the choice wine of utterance from the cup of My bounty, say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, and thanks be unto Thee, O my Desire, for having guided me unto the horizon of Thy manifestation and caused me to hear the Call that hath been raised amongst Thy servants and shown me Thy signs.

O my Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant, clinging to the cord of Thy bounty and holding fast to the hem of Thy grace. I beseech Thee not to deprive me of the waves of the ocean of Thy utterance, nor to withhold me from beholding the effulgences of the sun of Thy bounty. O my Lord! Thou seest the supplicant standing before the gate of Thy grandeur and the pavilion of Thy glory. I beseech Thee not to disappoint him of that which Thou hast ordained for the sincere among Thy servants and the near ones among Thy creatures. O my Lord! Illumine my heart with the lights of Thy Kingdom and enable me to perform such deeds as will diffuse the fragrance of Thy acceptance and good-pleasure. Verily, Thou art powerful to do what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Strong, the Triumphant, the Almighty. End.

Who is able to reckon what hath appeared from the Kingdom of utterance of God, our Lord and the Lord of the Mighty Throne? Can anyone count the drops of the seas, or the grains of the desert, or the leaves of the trees? Nay, by His Self, save through His might and power! The verses of God have been sent down in such wise that the Pen is powerless to set them down, and the tongue to make mention of them, and the faculty of comprehension to enumerate them. The servant beseecheth his Lord to adorn His servants with the ornaments of justice and truthfulness. Verily, He is the most powerful of the powerful. There is none other God but He, the Master of the Day of Judgment.

O thou who soarest in My atmosphere! Before the Wronged One have been presented the names of those whom thou didst mention. We have desired to make mention of them in such wise as to perpetuate their remembrance amongst all names. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the Unconstrained.

In My Name, the All-Hearing, the All-Answering

O My Tongue! Be thou a herald in the kingdom of My utterance, that perchance the call may attract those who dwell in the realm of creation and draw them nigh unto the Most Exalted Horizon—the station which God hath made the circling-point of the Supreme Paradise and the Most Glorious Garden. Verily thy Lord is the Commander, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O friends of God and His loved ones! Upon you be His glory and His mercy. Your names have been presented before the Wronged One. We make mention of you with such mention that from each letter thereof floweth the river of life for the vivification of the world. Verily your Lord, the All-Merciful, is powerful over whatsoever He willeth, and within His grasp lie the reins of all who are in the heavens and on earth. Take ye hold of the Book of God with such strength as is vouchsafed by Him and such power as proceedeth from His presence, in such wise that the clamor of the ignorant ones who claim knowledge without clear proof from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, shall not deter you. These are servants who denied God’s proofs both in the past and in the present, as His Perspicuous Book doth testify.

Read ye what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an that ye may become aware of that which befell the Daysprings of His verses, the Dawning-places of His revelations, the Recipients of His revelation and the Sources of His command, firm and mighty. For their sake did the Apostle lament, the Chaste One cry out, and the Spirit weep by reason of what these oppressors inflicted upon them. In their name did they usurp their station—they are assuredly among the most lost in God’s mighty and praiseworthy Book. They make mention of God with their tongues while they sanction the shedding of the blood of His chosen ones, and they perceive it not. They wrongfully consume the substance of men, and they understand not.

Say: Die in your wrath! Verily He hath come from the horizon of might with the banners of verses for the reformation of the world and the unification of nations. To this beareth witness the Mother Book in this exalted station. By God’s life! Neither the vicissitudes of days, nor the oppression of men, nor imprisonment in the land of Ta [Tehran] or ʿAkka have deterred Us. We have arisen before all faces and summoned all unto God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. They have cast the command of God behind their backs, clinging to that which they possess. Verily they know not. Soon shall the world pass away; then shall they behold the recompense of their deeds, and they shall cry for help but none shall help them. Thus hath the Pen revealed its treasures and the Ocean its waves. Blessed are they who recognize the splendor shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy.

Upon you, O dawning-places of My love, and upon those whom the doubts of every heedless one that is veiled have not deterred.

The names are veiled due to the requirements of consummate wisdom. This servant beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, to aid these blessed souls and ordain for them that which conduceth to eternal life and everlasting glory. Glory be to God! One is astonished to observe how, for the sake of two days, most people veil themselves from God’s eternal bounties and perpetual favors. What a tremendous loss! We hope that through the attention and favors of the Goal of the world’s desire, the veils of all the people of Iran may be rent asunder, and all may attain to that which hath had and hath no likeness or peer. Verily our Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

O beloved of my heart! One of the passages from your letter was presented before Him Who conversed with God on Sinai, was graced with acceptance, and adorned with the honor of His good-pleasure. As commanded, that passage is recorded here:

“Your words and mention: O my God, my God! Those who know and are privy to Your mysteries are aware that these wronged ones, through the education and training of Your Supreme Pen, have desired nothing but the joy and tranquility of Your servants and the progress and advancement of all in the land under the shadow of mercy and kindness of this same Nasiri’d-Din Shah, who at times through wrath and severity—in following ignorant aggressors—and now through kindness and mercy—by his own will and desire—has arisen to aid Your manifest Faith. We have sought nothing else and desire naught from the peoples of the world save the manifestation of pure and goodly deeds and praiseworthy, virtuous character. We wish that those who claim faith among all the peoples of the world, in this realm which is encompassed by extinction, become people of eternity and companions of the highest paradise. Therefore, inspire them through pure grace and bounty with that which will sanctify them from the promptings of self and passion, and confirm them in chastity, virtue, righteousness and fear of God, and that which hath been revealed from Thee in Thy Scriptures and Tablets. There is no God but Thee, the Lord of all beings, the King of the throne on high and of earth below. Verily, Thou art the All-Merciful, the Possessor of great bounty.”

It is hoped that whatever that beloved one has beseeched will be answered, and that the friends of God, exalted be His glory, will be assisted in that which will cause the peoples of the world to turn towards Him. At one time this most exalted and blessed word was revealed from the tongue of the Lord of Names—blessed and exalted be His utterance:

“The endeavor of My loved ones—upon them be My glory and loving-kindness—must be directed towards the sanctification and purification of souls, not the arrangement of their own affairs.”

We beseech God to illumine and bless the eye of the age with the vision of such souls.

Mention was made of Aqa Mirza Muhammad-Taqi and Aqa Mirza Ali, upon them be the glory of God. After being presented before the throne of the Goal of the worlds, this answer was revealed—exalted be His utterance and all-encompassing His bounty: “O Muhammad-Taqi, upon thee be My glory! This day is a blessed day. God willing, the people of Baha will drink from the chalice of steadfastness, lest names hold them back from their Kingdom and their Creator, and lest the world, its riches and its ornaments prevent them. We have mentioned thee before and at this time with a mention before which all things have bowed down, as the Mother Book beareth witness in this luminous station. And We make mention of him who is named Ali that he may hear and be of the thankful ones.

Section 3: “O ʿAli! Thy name hath been mentioned before…”

O ʿAli! Thy name hath been mentioned before the Wronged One. We have revealed for thee that through which the fragrance of the verses hath wafted throughout all possibility. We beseech God to assist thee to turn wholly unto Him and to exalt thee through His name. Verily, He is powerful over all things. We have desired at this time to make mention of your father as a bounty from Us, and verily We are the Bountiful, the Generous. We beseech God to send down upon him at this time mercy from His presence and to cause him to enter the highest paradise, and to ordain for him every blessing and every heavenly table that He hath ordained for His chosen ones and trusted ones. Verily, He is the Mighty, the All-Knowing. His mercy hath preceded and His generosity hath encompassed all. There is no God but He, the Powerful, the All-Bountiful.”

Mention of Jinab-i-Rabi’, upon him be the Glory of God, is remembered and presented, and these verses specifically for him are revealed from the heaven of grace. The Lord, exalted and sanctified be He, speaks: O Rabi’, praise be to God that in the divine springtime thou hast turned to the flowers of inner meanings and partaken of the flowing spiritual waters. We counsel thee to preserve this most exalted station and We beseech God to protect thee from the doubts of the suspicious ones and the arrows of the transgressors, and to aid thee with the hosts of utterance. He is the Mighty, the Bestower. The verses have been revealed and the evidences have appeared, yet the people are in strange doubt. Blessed art thou for having cast away vain imaginings and chosen the path of certitude from God, the Lord of all religions.

We make mention in this station of him who is named Majid, who turned to My horizon and heard My sweetest call, by which the Concourse on High was attracted, and attained that which was inscribed in the Books of God, the Lord of Lords. O Rabi’, if thou shouldst see him, give him My glad-tidings. We beseech God to assist him in His remembrance and praise, and in steadfastness in this Great News. We have mentioned him before with verses that nothing can equal, and We have remembered him with a remembrance whose fragrance shall endure as long as the Kingdom of God, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing, endures. He hath drunk the choice wine of utterance from the hand of My bounty and hath attained that which most of the servants have not attained. The glory from Us be upon him and upon thee and upon everyone who hath turned to the Lord of all men.

Mention hath been made of the two illumined eyes of the exalted and deceased Haji Mirza Kamal’d-Din, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory of God, who attained the presence of the Goal of the world. This is what was revealed for them both from the heaven of the bounty of our Lord, the Answerer. Exalted be His utterance and glorified His proof:

He is the Compassionate, the Generous

O Nuru’d-Din! Verily Kamal’d-Din hath drunk from the hand of the bounty of the Lord of the Worlds the choice wine of utterance and hath attained the presence of God, the Mighty, the Bestower. He is among those who attained that which God revealed in the Bayan and in the Year Nine “ye shall attain unto all good.” We testify that he attained and realized all good, and there was revealed for him the interpretation of what the All-Merciful revealed in the Qur’an in His exalted words “All food was lawful to the Children of Israel.” Thus did the grace of his Lord, the Powerful, the Forgiving, encompass him. O Nur! We saw thy name and made mention of thee as a bounty from Us, that thine eye might be solaced thereby and that thou mightest thank thy Lord, the All-Bountiful. We beseech God to send down upon thee a grace from His presence and a blessing from His side. He is the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Compelling.

And We make mention of thy brother who is named Ali. Verily he was remembered before the Wronged One and was speaking of this Name through which God hath subdued the hearts of His servants. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having remembered me in the prison and revealed for me that which delighteth the eyes. O my Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. Thou hast made known to me Thy path and guided me to Thy station. I testify that in Thy grasp are the reins of all who are in earth and heaven.

Thus doth the Lamp reveal its lights, and the Book its verses, and the Light its radiance, as a grace from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The call is raised from all directions and the signs are spread abroad, yet the people are heedless and veiled save whom God willeth, our Lord, the Lord of all who are in the heavens and on earth. In all conditions We beseech God, exalted be His glory, on behalf of His servants, that perchance in this blessed Day they may not be deprived of the waves of the ocean of bounty and may attain that whose fragrance is everlasting. Verily He is powerful over what He willeth. He witnesseth and seeth, and He is the Hearer, the Answerer.

And likewise mention was made of the Light of the Eye, Jinab-i-Aqa Mirza ʿAta’u’llah, the fruit of the spiritual beloved, Jinab-i-Aqa Mahmud—upon him be Baha’u’llah and His loving-kindness. After this was submitted in the Most Exalted Horizon before the seat of the Lord of mankind, this utterance shone forth from the Kingdom of grace. Exalted and glorified be He:

O ʿAta’u’llah! The Wronged One remembers thee and turns unto thee at this hour with a mention from which the fragrance of thy Lord’s mercy is wafted throughout the world. To this beareth witness the Most Great Name in this exalted station.

We make mention of Mahmud who turned unto the Cause when it was manifested, and was so transported by the rapture of the Divine Call that he hastened to the Dawning-Place of Verses, traversing land and sea until he attained the presence of his Lord and bore witness to that whereunto God had testified before the creation of earth and heaven. Blessed is he and joy be unto him. We testify that he is among those who have attained in My perspicuous Book. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon him and upon thee and upon those who love you for the sake of God, the Lord of the worlds. He verily remembereth him who remembereth Him, and loveth him who turneth towards Him. He doth not suffer to be lost the reward of the righteous. Praise be to God, the Lord of the knowing.

This servant conveyeth greetings and salutations to each one, and remembereth the loved ones night and day, beseeching God—exalted be His glory—to enable the delight of the eyes, the chosen ones, and His loved ones in that land to achieve that which will exalt His Word and cause His servants to ascend. This is not difficult for our Lord. How many were the servants who, by merely accepting the blessed Word, attained the highest station of victory and triumph, and when the fire of the Divine Lote-Tree was ignited, all became enkindled by that holy and luminous flame and occupied themselves with guiding others. That which was manifested through those sanctified souls was more penetrating than the swords of the world. We hope that in this Most Great Revelation too, God’s loved ones will attain this station, will awaken those who slumber through His Word and guide them through His light. Verily our Lord is the Almighty, the Powerful.

We also make mention of Sina and Nayyir—upon them be the glory of God—and their arising to serve and their attention to the command to teach. These matters were presented before the Countenance of the Lord of the seen and the unseen. Thus did the Tongue of Grandeur speak: O Ibn Abhar! We have mentioned them before with verses from which the fragrance of God’s loving-kindness, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, was diffused. We beseech God to preserve them through His grace, to aid them with the hosts of the seen and unseen, and to assist them in attracting hearts and souls. Blessed are they and blessed is he who hath held fast to the cord of turning unto God in this promised Day.

Joy be to the hand that hath been raised to the heaven of His bounty, to the face that hath turned toward the horizon of His loving-kindness, and to the eye that hath beheld that which was hidden from the sight of every heedless and veiled one. This is the Day wherein that which was hidden in knowledge hath appeared and the mysteries of what was and what will be have emerged. We have mentioned them through Our bounty and given them glad-tidings of Our mercy which hath preceded all existence. We beseech God to manifest through them that which will draw people nigh unto His horizon and give them to drink of His choice sealed wine. The glory shining forth from the horizon of the kingdom of My loving-kindness be upon them from this exalted station.

Concerning the son of the Martyr, there was previously revealed regarding the charitable ones that which shall endure as long as the kingdom of earth and heaven endure. Blessed is the soul that hath held fast to what is right in His Cause, and blessed is the servant who hath spent what was possible for Him. Verily, He doth not suffer to be lost the reward of the righteous.

That which thou didst write concerning Jinab-i-Fakhru’d-Din, the son of the brother, and the sister, and the other sister—upon them be the Baha of God—was laid before the Countenance of the Lord of all worlds, and attained the honor of being heard. This is that which was revealed for them from the heaven of the Will of God, the Lord of mankind. Glorified and exalted be He. He is the Helper, the All-Wise.

O Fakhru’d-Din! God hath come with manifest sovereignty and that which was hidden in knowledge and concealed from the eyes of the heedless hath been revealed. O Fakhru’d-Din! Say: O people, fear God and follow not every heedless and remote one. This is the Day of which the Messengers gave tidings and to which the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds, have borne witness. Say: Your divines and what they possess will profit you not. Have ye not heard the Call which was raised in the beginning of days from God? He said, and His Word is the Truth:

“O concourse of divines! Put down your pens, for the Most Exalted Pen hath been raised; cast away what ye have composed with the hands of fancy and vain imaginings. The Command hath come, and the Sun of Certitude hath dawned from the horizon of the heaven of the Will of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised.”

They read the Book, yet deny God. Lo! they are among the most lost in My Great Book.

Thy name was mentioned before the Wronged One, and We have revealed for thee that which causeth the hearts of them that know to rejoice. When thou dost inhale the fragrance of My verses and art seized by the rapture of My call, say:

“My God, my God! Thou seest the poor one seeking the ocean of Thy bounty and desiring the wonders of Thy grace and the manifestations of Thy bestowal. I beseech Thee by the Kawthar through which Thou didst quicken the servants and by the resplendent Light wherewith Thou didst illumine the lands, to make me of those whom the riches of the world, nor the ornaments of nations, nor the treasuries of kings have diverted. O Lord! I have turned with my whole being unto Thee and have laid hold on Thy cord. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of that which I have desired from the heaven of Thy bounty and the ocean of Thy generosity. Verily, Thou art powerful to do what Thou willest through Thy Name, the Mighty, the Powerful.”

And this is what was revealed for the Leaf, the sister, upon her be the Glory of God. His blessed and exalted Word: O My Leaf and My handmaiden! We have remembered thee with verses whose mention shall not pass away nor shall their warmth be extinguished. Verily thy Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Generous. Thy name was revealed in the beginning of days from the tongue of God, the Lord of this mighty station. My favor hath encompassed thee and My mercy hath preceded thee. To this doth this clear Book bear witness. We have remembered thy mother when she ascended to the Most Exalted Horizon and have revealed for her that from which every possessor of spiritual sense perceiveth the fragrance of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We beseech God to send down upon her at all times a table from the heaven of His bounty and mercy from the clouds of His grace. Verily He is the Goal of them that know and the Beloved of the doers of good, both women and men.

Section 4: “And We make mention of thy other sister…”

And We make mention of thy other sister as a favor from Our presence and a mercy from Our side, and verily We are the Compassionate, the All-Forgiving, the Merciful. O My handmaiden and My Leaf! Thy name was presented and the ocean of bounty surged and the fragrance of God’s loving-kindness, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, wafted. We have remembered thee before and at this time with verses by which the hearts of them that are nigh have been attracted. Give thanks unto thy Lord and glorify His praise. Verily He hath remembered thee with that whose mention shall not pass away throughout the duration of My mighty and wondrous Kingdom. The Glory from Our presence be upon thee and upon her and upon every maid-servant who hath believed in the One, the All-Informed. The Essence of Grace proclaimeth and saith:

Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Goal of the mystics and Beloved of all who dwell in the heavens and on earth! Thou hast illumined the horizons of Thy loved ones’ hearts with the light of Thy knowledge and hast acquainted them with that which most of Thy servants were prevented from knowing. I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy bounty and the heaven of Thy generosity to ordain for Thy servants and handmaidens that which shall cause them to be numbered with those who have no fear, nor are they grieved. Then assist them in that which shall raise the standards of Thy guidance and the manifestations of Thy mercy amongst Thy creatures. Verily, Thou art the Compassionate, the Bestower, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Mention was made of the spiritual friend, his honor Aqa Mirza Jalil, upon him be the Glory of God. Some time ago his petition reached the Most Holy Court, and each of the names mentioned therein was adorned with the waves of the ocean of divine bounty and utterance. Blessed and welcome be it unto them. And this is what was revealed for his honor Jalil, upon him be the Glory of God, at this time. His blessed and exalted Word:

O Ibn Abhar! Make mention on My behalf of My servant Jalil. Verily, We have remembered him and those who have believed in the verses that have encompassed existence, both seen and unseen. The events of the world do not prevent thy Lord, nor do the hosts of tyranny cause Him fear. He hath appeared and manifested what He desired, a command from His presence. Verily, He is the Guardian, the Self-Subsisting. Aid your Lord through wisdom and utterance. He shall assist you with deeds and virtues by which minds and hearts shall be attracted. Thus hath the Wronged One spoken on this night wherein He desired to unite a handmaiden from among His handmaidens and a leaf from among His leaves with a mention from His Book who was named ʿAbdu’l-Baha in the Supreme Horizon and in the Book of Names. Upon them both be My glory and My loving-kindness which hath preceded all that was and shall be. We beseech God to assist His loved ones in rending the veils. Verily, He is the Powerful over whatsoever He willeth through His command “Be!” and it is.

This night is a blessed night, for according to His will, mention was made of His Holiness the King of Martyrs, may the spirit of those near unto God be a sacrifice unto him, and at the dawn of this night the union and unity between the honored leaf and His Holiness the Beloved of hearts, ʿAbdu’l-Baha, upon them both be the Most Glorious Glory of God, shall be outwardly confirmed and adorned, as ordained in the inner world which is the realm of God’s decree, exalted be His glory. In truth, consideration for the family in the Land of Sad is incumbent upon all. There befell them that which hath befallen no one. The fear of those days prevented the small children from growing and developing; they appear weak. However, praise be to God, they are blessed with His presence and meeting. They dwell beneath the shade of pavilions, their sustenance the water of the Kawthar of meeting, their food the heavenly table, their clothing and garments the gifts and favors of the Lord of the Kingdom of Names. The servant beseecheth his Lord to adorn them at all times with that which shall draw them nigh unto Him. Verily, He is the Hearing, the Answering.

O beloved House of Jinab-i-ʿAyn va Ta, upon him be the Glory of God, the Most Glorious! Ye have ever been remembered and continue to be remembered. At this moment these exalted words have been revealed from the Dayspring of the favors of the Lord of Names and Attributes. His Word, exalted be His glory and mighty His utterance:

The House of Ayn va Ta hath ever been remembered in the Most Holy Court. We make mention of them through Our verses, give them glad-tidings of Our favor, and send down for them that from which the fragrance of Our bounty is diffused. O Ibn Abhar! Upon thee be My glory and My mercy. Mention of the people of that House hath flowed from the Will and Purpose, the Pen and the Tongue. Convey on behalf of the Wronged One greetings to Jinab-i-Ayn va Ta, upon him be My grace and My mercy. Blessed is he! The Tongue of Grandeur hath testified to his acceptance, his turning unto God, his love, his charitable giving and that of his mother, and what he hath done for those who have ascended unto Us on this Straight Path and this Great News.

Jinab-i-Amin, upon him be My glory, hath repeatedly made mention of the two sisters, upon them be My glory, and hath mentioned ʿAyn va Ta and the others. In truth, the people of that house have, from the earliest days, turned unto God and have attained unto mention, praise and service to the Cause. We make mention of the daughter bearing My name, upon them both be My glory and My favor. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to aid her to hold fast to the cord of My love at all times. Glory be upon her and upon those with her from God, the Compassionate, the Generous.

We make mention of him who attained Our presence and his wife who acted in accordance with what was commanded in My Perspicuous Book. Blessed are they both and joy be unto them. We testify that they are among those who have attained in the presence of their Lord, the Commander, the All-Wise. Glory be from Us upon the people of that House and upon him who hath drunk the Kawthar of meeting from the hand of bounty, a grace from the One Who is All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

We make mention of the son of Dhabih and his wife that they may praise their Lord and be among the thankful. We give them glad tidings as We gave them before, and We beseech God to draw them nigh unto Him. Verily, He is the Protector of those who do good.

O Ibn Abhar! Jinab-i-Haji Siyyid Nasru’llah, upon him be My glory, hath been mentioned before the Wronged One. Give him the glad tidings of My turning toward him from the prison, and illumine him with the lights of My wondrous utterance. We have testified to his acceptance, his turning unto God, and his arising to serve the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds.

We love to make mention in this station of My leaves and My handmaidens. We testify that they have drunk the wine of revelation from the hands of bounty and have witnessed what God witnessed before the creation of the heavens and earths—that there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Almighty. In truth, the aforementioned leaves, namely the aunt and her daughter Khadijih and her other daughter, have been and continue to be adorned with mention, praise, service, humility, submissiveness and steadfastness. Blessed are they from God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Praise be to God that the sons of the aunt have also attained unto that which hath no peer or likeness. We beseech God to preserve them from His enemies, to protect them through His sovereignty, and to send down upon them His blessings. Verily, He hath power over all things. There is none other God but Him, the Mighty, the Great.

This servant also conveyeth greetings to each of the leaves and loved ones, and beseecheth God, exalted be His glory, to open a door for each one through a key from among His most beautiful Names, that all may remember His remembrance, utter His praise, and arise to serve Him. It is hoped that the ocean of mercy will grant what hath been besought. He is the All-Bountiful One Whose grace hath encompassed all and Whose bounty hath taken precedence. He manifesteth what He willeth in the kingdom, despite those who have denied Him and His verses, and have rejected His Manifestation and His evident sovereignty.

The letter from his honored brother, upon him be the Glory of God and His grace, which was written and sent to that person was presented before the Countenance of the Lord of creation and was favored with His hearing. It is hoped that something special will descend from the heaven of grace for him too, that which will sanctify him from the troubles of the world, so that he may ignite those regions with the new fire of love. Now this servant conveys greetings, praise, remembrance and glory to his service. It is hoped that the foundation of these two days will not prevent him from turning to the eternal world and God’s everlasting bounties. Through the power of certitude, may he speak from the pulpit of detachment with the blessed words “Say: God; then leave them to their vain discourses.”

O beloved of my heart! Consider the power of the Supreme Pen, which has caused the call to penetrate all the mysteries of the world. In truth, if the souls of the world were to speak with fairness, they would all proclaim with every limb, even with their very hair, the blessed words “Verily He is the Most Powerful of the powerful ones.” Glory be to God! A call so loud that in these days a well-known great personage in one of the major cities mentioned that nothing worthy of mention is seen from the mystics and spiritual leaders of the world. In truth, today the call is raised from Akka, although outwardly neither blessed with His presence nor His traces; yet the people remain heedless and veiled. If they were to be granted but one drop from the ocean of fairness, all would proclaim “The Call belongs to God,” detached from all that is on earth. Blessed are the fair-minded, and blessed are those possessed of insight. Praise be to God, all the mentioned names have attained and been sustained from the ocean of utterance of the Desired One of the worlds.

And after completing the names, He said—and His word is the truth: We love to conclude this utterance with the mention of Ayyub, upon him be My glory and My grace, and those with him. O Ayyub! Hear the call from the Most Exalted Direction and the Supreme Horizon, then give thanks to Him Who has turned to you and sent down that which has caused hearts and minds to soar. We love faithfulness and remember whoever has remembered Me, turned to My countenance, and performed in My path that which has diffused the fragrance of satisfaction. Verily your Lord hears the call of His loved ones and sees their turning to Him. He is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. We have mentioned you before and at this evident time. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to protect you from His tyrannical servants and to guard you with the hosts of the invisible and visible realms. Say:

My God, my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Lamp through which the hearts of Thy loved ones were illumined and by which all that was and will be was lit, to assist me to remember Thee and praise Thee with wisdom and utterance, and to aid Thy Cause among the religions. Verily Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest and in Thy grasp are the reins of all affairs. O Lord! Deprive me not of the ocean of Thy bounty, nor forbid me from the pearls treasured in the vaults of Thy Supreme Pen. Verily Thou art the Owner of the Kingdom of Names and the Creator of heaven. Every tongue hath testified to Thy power and might, and to Thy grandeur and sovereignty. There is no God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The gaze of loving-kindness hath ever been and still is directed towards the loved ones of God. Should we, God forbid, commit any oversight, the Truth Itself will remind and make mention thereof. We beseech Him at this moment to confirm His loved ones, His servants male and female, and His leaves in their steadfastness in His Cause and their arising to serve His loved ones. Verily He is the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. This servant addresseth all with these words: Glory and remembrance and praise and magnification, which have been honored with acceptance in the presence of our Lord, the Most Glorious, be upon you, O loved ones of God, His handmaidens and leaves. And I beseech for them that which shall adorn their deeds with the ornament of divine acceptance and exalt them through the everlasting Kingdom. Verily He is powerful over all things. There is no God but Him, the Commander, the Ruler, the All-Informed.

The servant 19th day of Dhi’l-Hijjih 1307