Volume 095: Akka 1307 A.H. (1889–1890), Part III (4 of 6)

BH00251: Beautiful patience! And God is He Whose help…

Section 1: “Beautiful patience! And God is He Whose help…”

He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the All-Informed!

Beautiful patience! And God is He Whose help is to be sought against what they allege. O Haydar-ʿAli! Upon thee be My glory and the glory of them who dwell in My Kingdom! I complain not of My anguish and grief unto thee after what hath befallen Me, whereby every atom of creation and all contingent beings have lamented. Lo! The oppressor hath hamstrung My she-camel, the transgressor hath sunk My ship, the wolf hath devoured My flock, and the serpent hath opened wide its mouth and swallowed its Lord. We have mentioned unto thee what We mentioned before in various Tablets, to express My sorrow and to manifest the oppression of Mine enemies, and to proclaim My patience, My forbearance, and My submission in what hath befallen Me in the path of God, thy Lord and the Lord of thy fathers and the Lord of the Mighty Throne, and My suffering, My tribulation, and My trials.

What hath been mentioned is as naught compared to what hath come to pass in the Great City, for its blow and harm have befallen the Glory of God. Glory be to God! A door was opened, and its purpose was that it might become the dawning-place of justice and fairness, of goodly character and praiseworthy deeds. Yet it became the source of oppression and transgression, the mine of heedlessness and injustice. It was thought that it would become the circling-point of them who are nigh and trusted, yet it was observed to be the circling-point of the treacherous and the heedless. One of those who claimed to love united with the enemy and set about plundering the Friend. He showed no mercy either to himself or to the Cause. By the life of God! The tears of justice flow, and the sigh of fairness is manifest and ascendant. For the sake of wealth, he forsook the Lord on the Day of Reckoning. One point of his oppression darkened the world of justice, and one word of his falsehood demolished the world of truth. In the place of light appeared fire, and in the place of justice, injustice.

O Haydar-ʿAli! A grievous blow hath fallen upon poor justice. Trust crieth “Woe is me!” Truth uttereth “O my calamity!” The fire of greed and impurity hath consumed contentment and godliness. Thou and the world bear witness that this Wronged One hath, at all times, called the servants of God to the fear of God, and made all aware of that which leadeth to the exaltation of station and the elevation of rank. Yet for some, the fruit of mention became forgetfulness, and the result of counsel became heedlessness. The unjust one rent the veil of justice, and the irreligious one struck a mighty blow to the breast of trustworthiness. Alas, alas, for what hath befallen the Cause of God!

Today in the cities, lamentations over deeds and character are raised high and wailings are heard. Should this Wronged One mention His own tribulations, surely the rock would cry out and the cloud would exclaim “O grief!” Outwardly, We had a brother who lived for several years under the wing of mercy in perfect comfort and ease. Then, at the instigation of a certain soul, he rose up against the Wronged One of the horizons. When the hidden secrets of the breast and the treachery of the eye became manifest, this Wronged One departed from their midst, leaving him with his children, infants, and wives in perfect health and safety in a secure and protected place. Nevertheless, they have said what they have said.

O Haydar-ʿAli! Eyes are deprived of what is manifest and visible, and are clinging to doubts and idle fancies. I swear by the billowing waves of the Ocean of Utterance in the Manifestation of the Most Great Manifestation, and by the effulgent splendors of the Ancient Beauty, not so much as the measure of a fingertip of tribulation hath been visited upon Him. Of this truth God is cognizant and all bear witness. Yet, notwithstanding this, they have spoken forth that which they have heard.

Another cruelty inflicted by the manifestations of hatred upon the divine Lote-Tree is this: While heavenly verses are being revealed night and day from the heaven of God’s Will like unto torrential rain, the unjust speaker hath spoken that which hath caused the liver of proof to melt and the face of evidence to be scratched. Now, that which equalleth all the books of the past and future is present and available, but where are the eyes to see and where is the fairness to judge? The Book of Certitude, which was specifically revealed for the uncle of the Bab—upon Him be My Glory and Favour—they have attributed to one who, by the life of God, is incapable of comprehending it. However, to the divine assessors and those endowed with heavenly vision, the matter is clear and evident, shining and manifest like the sun. After beholding the pearls of wisdom and utterance, people of insight and vision will recognize from which treasury they came and from which mine they appeared. Can the product of conjecture have any station before the Self-Subsisting Lord, or can the essence of fancy have any worth or rank before the manifestations of the Sun of Certitude? Nay, by God’s command, which holdeth sway over all in the heavens and on earth.

Reflect thou upon each of these: upon nobility and guidance, upon trust and resignation, upon deception and doubt. Contemplate likewise the second life which, throughout the successive years amongst the people, hath been and is marked by perfect tranquillity, well-being, and ease. What is the cause of this life? By the life of God, denial and failure to acknowledge in these days have perpetrated that which causeth the back of the Bayan to tremble. We beseech God to bestow justice upon His servants. Nevertheless, in the eyes of the manifestations of idle fancies his station hath not diminished, and whatsoever he sayeth they accept and submit to without question.

O Haydar! Upon thee be the glory of God, the Lord of destiny. The time draweth nigh when the people of insight will protest Our patience. When Sa’d, who is mentioned in the Dispensation of the Qur’an, was asked in the days when he had lost his sight why he, whose prayers were always answered, did not pray for himself, he said: “God’s decree is dearer to me than my sight.” The people of God have assuredly been and are superior, more exalted and more glorious than him. They would not exchange all the blessings of the world for a single radiance from the Sun of His good-pleasure, for they have drunk from the cup of resignation and quaffed from the chalice of contentment. Their station is different and their aspiration different. They are mounted upon the steed of high endeavor and gallop in the arena of submission. They look to God’s Will and are free and detached from aught else. Their resolution and determination move above the realm of possibility.

My God, my God! Thou seest how the faithful are in the clutches of the faithless, and the near ones in the grasp of the transgressors. That which hath befallen them in Thy path hath not befallen any among Thy servants. Their hearts have melted in their separation from Thee, their tears have flowed in their remoteness from Thee, and their breasts are constricted by what hath come upon Thee in Thy days. I beseech Thee, O God of the world and Desire of the nations, by Thy patience which hath preceded existence itself, both unseen and seen, and by the mysteries of Thy Manifestation and the depths of Thy knowledge, to assist Thy party amidst all parties in such wise as to make manifest their station among Thy servants and their influence in Thy lands. O Lord! Thou hearest their sighing and their cry. I implore Thee by Thy mercy which hath preceded all created things, and by Thy grace which hath encompassed all possibilities, to draw them nigh unto the court of Thy glory and the carpet of Thy holiness. O Lord! Illumine their eyes with the sight of the signs of Thy greatness and their hearts with the light of Thy knowledge.

Alas, alas, for the fire of remoteness in Thy days and for the harm of oppression before Thy throne! By Thy might and Thy majesty, by Thy nearness and meeting with Thee, the heaven of justice hath been cleft asunder by what hath befallen Thy loved ones, and the earth of equity hath been rent by what the hands of Thy creatures have wrought—they who cast behind them Thy Book and violated Thy Covenant and Testament. By Thy Most Glorious Beauty and Thy manifestation among creatures, the sighs of Thy loved ones and the tears of them that are enamored of Thee have not ceased since they heard of Thy grief and tribulation from those who claimed to be of Thy Self and professed belief in Thy manifestation, Thy dawning, and Thy seat upon the throne of Thy utterance and the seat of Thy grace.

Alas, alas! Hope lamenteth, Justice hath bared its head, and Equity crieth out saying: “O people of the earth! Fear God and say not that whereby the Divine Lote-Tree in the Most Exalted Paradise doth lament and whereby Piety hath cried out among the Concourse on high: ʿO people! By God, ye were not created to serve your passions and desires, but to serve God and His Cause, and to serve His loved ones and His party. Cast away that which preventeth you from drawing nigh unto the Most Sublime Horizon, and take up that which ye have been commanded by your Creator, your Fashioner, your Maker, and your Provider.”’ I testify, O my God, my Beloved, my Adored One, and my Heart’s Desire, that the oppressors have committed that which hath prevented their ears from hearing Thy call and the call of Thy chosen ones, and have done that which hath prevented their eyes from beholding the lights of Thy countenance and what Thou hast sent down in Thy days.

I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy verses and by that wherewith Thou hast illumined the faces of Thy loved ones on the day of Thy manifestation, to ordain for them the good of every world of Thy worlds and every bounty which Thou hast recorded in the Crimson Book by Thy Most Exalted Pen. Thou art He Whom the power of princes cannot weaken, nor the veils of the learned hinder. Thou doest what Thou willest through the power of Thy sovereignty and rulest through Thine authority. Verily Thou art the Ruler, the Commander, the Bountiful, the All-Generous, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The letter which thou didst send in the name of Jud—upon him be My Baha and My loving-kindness—was presented in the Most Holy Presence, and this present servant laid the whole thereof before Him; whereupon it attained the honor of His regard and His hearing. As to thy mention of the loved ones of Abadih, and likewise of the degrees and stations of their steadfastness, their love, their attraction, and their service in the path of God—verily, God was with thee and with them, and witnessed, and beheld, and heard that which was uttered by the people of fidelity. Blessed are they, and joyous their lot! Their turning, their deeds, and their devotion in the Days of God have been accepted—He Who is the Lord of all that is seen and all that is unseen, and the Lord of the mighty Throne.

Section 2: “By My life and by My Cause! Every…”

By My life and by My Cause! Every house into which the loved ones of God enter, and wherein their voices are raised in the remembrance and praise of God, is circled by the concourse of the near ones and the souls of the sincere. Were the eye of true vision to be opened unto some, they would behold the Concourse on high compassing that house and uttering these words: Blessed art thou, O house, in that God hath made thee the place whereon His loved ones descend, the abode of His chosen ones, and the seat of His trusted servants. Upon thee be His glory, His praise, and His bounty.

At this moment We have made mention of each one with such a remembrance as hath gladdened the remembered in this Most Great Sorrow. The names were not set down—a wisdom from Us; verily, thy Lord is the Ordainer, the All-Wise. On behalf of this Wronged One, make mention of them all, and give them glad tidings of the loving-kindnesses of God, exalted be His glory. Ere long shall that which hath remained hidden from men’s eyes be made manifest. He, verily, is the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Seeing.

And as to what thou didst mention regarding thy turning toward the land of K-R: praise be to God, thou art aided in service, confirmed in steadfastness, adorned with the raiment of wisdom, and decked with the pearls of love and affection. Yet observe wisdom, even as thou hast done and doest still. Verily, thy Lord is the Compassionate, the Generous.

The exigencies of wisdom have formerly been sent down in various Tablets from the Most Exalted Pen. Among these exigencies is that in whatever city ye enter, deposit ye the writings of God in a secure and safe place—that is, outside your dwelling place—and with the tongue, with perfect wisdom and utterance, remind the seekers. And when receptivity is observed, at that time show forth the waves of the ocean of the Merciful’s utterance—that is, call for and recite some of the verses. By the life of God, if all the ears in the world were to be cleansed, even less than that, from false tales and former calumnies, all would turn to the shore of the sea of oneness upon hearing a single verse. To this testifieth the Mother Book in the return before the faces of the parties.

Another request thou didst make regarding the friends of God in the land of S was accepted, and We made mention of each one—a mention at which the realities of all things in that moment were present and circling round to hear and listen. Give thou to each the glad tidings of the effulgences of the light of divine providence. Some time ago a detailed Tablet was sent to that land that the utterance of the Merciful might draw them to the most exalted station and illumine them with the lights of the Sun of Knowledge in the contingent world. Those souls in that land who have attained to acceptance, detachment, service and love—all are present before the throne beneath the glances of providence and have attained special bounties. We have sent down for them that whereby all things were attracted, and We send down for them Our verses—and We are the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

Let this be known: that the misleader has sought to provide aid is itself evidence of his deception and guile. By this means he has sought both to gain knowledge about upright souls and to set a trap to catch the fish of God’s ocean. That unjust one has not yet matured—he follows his desires yet thinks himself among the guided ones. We beseech God to assist the Chosen One in exalting His Word among His servants and manifesting his detachment throughout His lands. We have adorned his head with the crown of his Lord’s grace, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous, and We sent him a Tablet by which the realities of the believers were attracted.

Say: O Hadi! Fear God and present thyself before thy Lord that thou mayest hear what no ears have heard and see what no eyes have beheld. Set aside thy conjectures, for the Self-Subsisting calls thee from the prison quarter and summons thee to justice and fairness for the sake of God, the Lord of the Day of Reckoning. The world and its leadership have deluded thee—to this every fair-minded observer bears witness.

O Hadi! The verses of God have never been, nor shall ever be, ambiguous. Today, at the call of Him Who conversed on Sinai, those in their graves have arisen, proclaiming “Blessed be God, the Lord of the Throne and Earth!” Yet thou hast not attained unto the new life. Between thee and God, look at the evidences and prevent not the servants’ eyes and ears from witnessing and hearkening. Turn from what thou hast unto what God hath. By what proof and evidence dost thou claim faith in the Point of the Bayan? Ask for, hear, and behold that which is many times greater. The Primal Point—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake—crieth out “O what sorrow!” in the Most Exalted Paradise and uttereth the blessed words “Verily, I am the foremost of them that worship,” while thou remainest heedless, occupied with decaying bones—that is, with newly invented doubts and fancies.

Cast aside uncertainties, allusions, and tales both past and present, and turn, detached from all else, to the horizon of divine grace. This Wronged One hath endured hardships and borne afflictions in manifesting God’s Cause and establishing divine proof, that He might illumine the servants and lands with the lights of the Most Great Name. Be not thou a cause of extinction, and have mercy on thyself and others. Thou went to the island—now come to the city that thou mayest witness with thine own eyes the waves of the divine ocean of utterance and the lights of the divine Manifestation’s appearance.

Today the veils of fancy profit thee not, nor what the people possess. Purify thine ear to hearken to My call and thine eye to behold My signs. Every fair-minded person testifies that this Wronged One counseleth for the sake of God. Thou hast preserved thyself through a hundred thousand lies, hypocrisies and denials, while this Wronged One hath appeared and spoken with acknowledgment and confession among the righteous and the wicked. Now ponder with fairness, that perchance the fragrances of truthfulness may attract thee to the horizon of justice and fairness. Make not thyself deserving of eternal punishment for the sake of these fleeting days and transient leadership. Reflect on those like thyself—that is, the former divines—how they prevented people from the truth and trained them in falsehood and injustice, until at last that people’s calumnies became the cause of martyrdom and the source of the most great terror. Hear My call and say:

“I repent before Thee, O Goal of the world, and return to Thy court of glory. Forgive me through Thy bounty and generosity, for Thou art the Forgiving, the Merciful.”

O Haydar-Ali! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness. Mention from the Wronged One to Ramadan Ali and give him glad tidings, for his deed hath been accepted with glory and adorned with great bounty. In God’s days he hath performed that which the Most Exalted Pen hath confirmed and accepted.

The mention was made of the friends in Bahramabad and Hasanabad and those regions. Dahaji, glory be upon him, in these days was present before Us, and the friends of those regions, one and all, attained the grace of Our favor, and wondrous and sublime Tablets were sent down from the heaven of God’s will, specifically for certain ones, in each word whereof lies concealed an ocean of meanings. We beseech God to aid those souls who are mentioned before the Wronged One to deliver His servants from the superstitions and idle fancies of the past and future, and to manifest from each one that which is the cause of deliverance and the means of guidance.

O My loved ones in those parts! Take ye the chalices of grace and favor from the hands of My bounty, then drink therefrom that which is commanded by God, the Kind, the Gracious. Ere long, through the enkindlement of those souls, the hearts and minds of those regions shall be set ablaze, and its effects shall become manifest from all directions. The shepherd of sheep, through His grace, became the bearer of the Most Great Name, and the fisher of fish became the guardian of the divine Word. The deeds of all are remembered before God and are recorded by the Pen of grace in the Book of Justice. Well is it with My friends there, and joy be unto them! Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken in this exalted station. Verily He speaketh the truth and guideth the way. There is none other God but Him, the Single One, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

O Haydar-ʿAli! Our purpose in this station is to conclude Our mention of the outward realm and turn to the mention of the inward, that both the outward and the inward may, with one tongue, detach themselves from all save God and become engaged in the remembrance of the peerless Friend. This most exalted Word hath been and ever shall be the cause of unity among the friends. The Command is in His grasp. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He is the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

At the end of the Book, say: My God, my God! Every possessor of insight, of hearing, of justice and fairness beareth witness to the all-encompassing nature of Thy verses throughout the East and West of the earth. Thou hast sent down from the kingdom of Thy utterance the signs of Thy grandeur in such wise that Thy loved ones are powerless to preserve and gather them. Yet despite this, the idolaters among Thy servants have spoken that which hath caused the dwellers of the pavilions of Thy knowledge and grace, and the inhabitants of the cities of Thy remembrance and praise to lament. I beseech Thee by the power of Thy Most Exalted Pen and the lights of the dawn of Thy manifestation amongst all humanity to aid Thy servants to be fair in Thy Cause. Thou art He to Whose power, might and grandeur the tongues of all created things have testified. There is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH00254: Praise be to the Creator of heaven and Lord…

Section 1: “Praise be to the Creator of heaven…”

He is the Manifest, the Speaker, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise

Praise be to the Creator of heaven and Lord of all names, worthy and befitting, for the praise of the world adds not to His station, nor does the censure of nations diminish His glory. The power of His Command has not been weakened, nor has the clamor of the divines held back His will. In the midst of sorrows He adorned those who turned to Him with the ornament of joy and guided them to the Mount of knowledge. The tyranny of Pharaohs and the oppression of tyrants formed no barrier nor hindrance. Through the shrill voice of the Most Exalted Pen, He has raised the people of the mortal realm to the loftiest heights. Exalted be His greatness, supreme His sovereignty, all-encompassing His proof and evidence. There is no God but Him. Peace, praise, remembrance and glory be upon the Hands of His Cause who have drunk the wine of immortality from the cup of His bounty and have traveled through the lands to exalt His Word and spread His traces. These are honored servants—upon them be the glory of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.

O Mim! Hear the call of God, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. He mentioned thee before with verses that enraptured the Concourse on High, and He mentions thee with clear signs which, when revealed, caused all things to proclaim:

“The kingdom belongs to God, Creator of earth and heaven, Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below!”

Thy letter reached the Wronged One and attained the honor of His presence and hearing. We have answered thee with a Tablet that called all beings to God, the Dayspring of Lights. There hath come upon thee what came upon Us. Thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Knowing. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to open before thy face the door of grace and bounty and draw thee nigh unto Him in all conditions. The verses have encompassed all regions while the people remain heedless and in error.

O Ha! Upon thee be the Most Glorious Baha of God. We have heard thy call in the remembrance of God, the Lord of mankind, and have beheld thy turning unto the Most Exalted Horizon. Blessed is the pen that hath moved in My remembrance, the tongue that hath uttered that which beseemeth My Revelation, the heart that hath turned unto My Kingdom, the eye that hath taken up My Book, and the feet that have arisen to serve the Cause in joy and fragrance. Beware lest the wrongs of the oppressors grieve thee, or the power of them that have disbelieved in God, the Lord of lords, strike fear into thy heart. By My life! There hath verily been ordained for thee that which no eye hath seen among the multitude of men.

Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, in that Thou hast guided me unto the ocean of Thy knowledge, adorned me with the ornament of turning unto Thee in Thy days, and caused me, through Thy bounty and Thy grace, to behold Thy signs. I beseech Thee to exalt me by Thy Name amidst Thy creatures, and to strengthen me in service to Thy Cause with such steadfastness as the power of the oppressors nor the injustice of the aggressors can ever shake. Thou, verily, art the Almighty, the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

O Dal! The Lord of creation hath turned unto thee and made mention of thee with that whereby thy remembrance shall endure so long as the Names of God, the Lord of the Day of Summons, endure. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to preserve thee and those with thee through the hosts of the seen and the unseen. Verily, He is the Almighty, the All-Bountiful. O Ya! Hearken once again unto the call of Baha from L-Ha. He will assuredly aid thee in that whereby the fragrance of His acceptance shall be diffused among men. This is the Day whereon the breeze of utterance hath been wafted throughout all creation, and that which had lain hidden from everlasting hath been made manifest. We have inscribed for thee the reward of attaining Our presence, of standing before Our face, of hearkening unto My most sweet call, of beholding the Most Glorious Horizon, and of arising before the door of My majesty, which hath been opened unto all who are in My earth and My heaven. Verily, thy Lord is the Almighty, the Unconstrained.

And We make mention of thy handmaid, thy wife, who believed in her Lord on the day whereon most men denied Him. We beseech God to strengthen her in steadfastness, lest the wrongs of those who disbelieved, whether in the beginning or in the end, should cause her to waver. And We beseech Him to ordain for her whatsoever shall profit her and draw her nigh unto Him. Verily, He is the Mighty, the Bestower.

We have moreover desired to favor thee by making mention of those whom thou didst name in thy letter. Verily, thy Lord is potent to do whatsoever He willeth. There is no God but Him, the One Who overshadoweth all who are in the heavens and on the earth.

O Mahmud! The Day of God hath come, while the people remain wrapt in manifest veils. Their vain imaginings have withheld them from drawing nigh unto Him, yet perceive they not. They have busied themselves with the idols of their own fancies and are utterly unaware.

Say: The Hour hath come, and the Dayspring of Revelation, from the Most Exalted Station, proclaimeth that there is none other God but Him, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. We exhort thee unto that which shall draw thee nigh unto Him and whereby the station of the Word shall be exalted among men. Verily, thy Lord is the Knower of the unseen and the seen.

O Muhammad, formerly Riḍa! Say: O my God, my God! Thou seest me turning toward Thee and voicing Thy praise amidst Thy servants. I beseech Thee, by the cry of Thy lovers in their separation from Thee, and by the yearning of Thy longers in Thy days, to make me wholly severed from all save Thee, and to hold me fast unto the cord of Thy bounty. I bear witness that at the movement of Thy Pen all created things turned toward the horizon of Thy Revelation, and all contingent beings toward the court of Thy nearness. There is no God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

O Muhammad-Sadiq! Ponder upon the Wronged One’s Cause. For nigh upon forty years We have called out to the peoples of the world with the most exalted call and have bidden them to that which profiteth them and draweth them nearer. We have made mention before the faces of all men, without any concealment, of that which would transform the essence of despair into the ornament of hope. We have had no purpose except to exalt the Word. And when the effulgences of the lights of Revelation encompassed the world, a faction emerged from behind the veil and, with the aid of certain government officials and at the instigation of Akhtar, resorted to various calumnies that perchance they might hinder those who had turned towards the Faith, and likewise other souls.

Say: My God, my God! Thou hearest the lamentation of Him Who is established upon the throne of Thy Revelation, Who hath sacrificed His glory, His power, His might, His sovereignty, and His spirit for the exaltation of Thy Word. I beseech Thee, O God of the kingdom and the realm, by Thy Name which holdeth sway over the empire of power, to assist Thy servants to turn unto Thee and to enter beneath the canopy of Thy grace. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Forgiving.

O Muhammad-Taqi! For twelve hundred years the people of Persia have occupied themselves night and day with the mention of divine revelation and the like, while strife, conflict and corruption have appeared each day. The result thereof was naught but cursing and repudiation, and on the Day of Judgment they did that which no oppressor hath done from the beginning of the world until now. At present Muhammad and certain heedless ones of the world have clung to the mention of mirrors, revelation and the like. Say: Fear God, O people! This is the Day of God, did ye but know it, and this is the Revelation of God, did ye but perceive it. None is mentioned therein save Him, as attested by His honored servants who have quaffed the choice wine of revelation from the cup of My bounty and have taken from My presence the tablet of My loving-kindness. Blessed are they and blessed is he who hath clung unto them on this promised Day.

It is incumbent upon all to protect the helpless servants from the former superstitions, that perchance they may not be afflicted with the delusions of the Shi’ih sect and remain not deprived of the recognition of God, exalted be His glory. Verily God is the All-Compassionate, the Mighty, the Loving. Blessed art thou for having attained unto My remembrance, which shall endure through the eternity of My glorious and beloved Kingdom.

O ʿAzizu’llah! The Book of God hath been revealed, the Ka’bah of God is visible, the Light of God is radiant, the Sea of God is surging, yet most of the people remain heedless. Had the Shi’ih sect known the station of the Apostle of God, may the spirit of all else but Him be sacrificed for His sake, and recognized the sanctity of His Being and the detachment of His Reality, they would assuredly have attained on the Day of Judgment unto wondrous and gracious fruits of the divine paradise, and would have been accounted before God among the true believers in divine unity. But they remained deprived of this most exalted station and are mentioned before the Lord of ancient days as the most remote and backward of all the peoples of the world. Blessed art thou for having cast away vain imaginings, clinging to the cord of certitude. We beseech God to grant thee success and to ordain for thee the good of this world and of the next. Verily He is potent over all things.

O Ja’far! The Lord of Power is in grievous peril. He hath ever been in peril, inasmuch as He hath appeared and been manifest before all faces without any veil or concealment. Say: My God, my God! Adorn Thy servants with the vesture of justice, that they may gaze upon that which hath been sent down from the heaven of Thy Will and hath appeared in Thy days.

O Lord! Illumine them with the light of Thy knowledge, then send down from the clouds of Thy generosity that which will draw them nigh unto Thee and attract them to the precincts of Thy glory. Then write down for this servant of Thine that which befitteth Thy Most Great Name and Thy bounty which hath encompassed the world. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

O Abdu’l-Rahim! The Day of Judgment hath appeared and the effulgences of the Sun of Bounty are manifest, yet the people are in grievous error. They have cast aside that which they were commanded and have taken that which was forbidden them. Verily they are among the lost ones in the Perspicuous Book. When thou findest the fragrance of the garment in My words, say:

“My God, my God! I beseech Thee not to disappoint me from that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones and hast sent down upon Thy loved ones who were not prevented by life from drawing nigh unto Thee, nor by the oppression of the servants from turning to the light of Thy countenance. Verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Giving, the Powerful.”

O Husayn! He Who loved Me and soared in My atmosphere hath made mention of thee. We make mention of thee with that which caused the trumpet to be sounded and the mountains to pass away. Thy Lord is, verily, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. This is a Day wherein the Book hath revealed its mysteries, the earth its treasures, and the sea its pearls. Blessed is he who hath recognized and turned towards it and hath said:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Goal of all who are in the heavens and on earth!”

Say, turning towards the Kaaba of existence from the hidden and the manifest:

“My God, my God! I have cast away all else beside Thee, turning to the court of Thy pardon and bounty. I beseech Thee by the station which was honored by Thy presence and whereon the throne of Thy grandeur was established, to make me speak forth Thy Name amongst Thy servants with wisdom and utterance. Verily Thou art the Omnipotent Whom nothing whatsoever of all things, nor any name amongst all names, can frustrate. There is none other God but Thee, the One Who hath ever commanded.”

O namesake of the Wronged One! Hear the call of God, the Self-Subsisting. Verily it hath been raised in such wise that the fair-minded cannot deny it. To this testify sincere servants. Blessed is he who hath rent asunder the veils and hath not been hindered by the evil of those who were consumed by the fire of hatred. He writeth unto thee and unto them every good thing which He hath sent down in His Manifest Book. Say:

O Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I have hastened with my heart unto the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation. I beseech Thee by the nights of the ocean of Thy grace and by the lights of Thy Cause amongst Thy servants, to make me one of those who have aided Thy Cause and have spoken forth Thy praise amongst Thy creation. Verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

O Muhammad-Husayn! Today the divine light is shining from the horizon of the heaven of grace and the Sun of Truth is resplendent. Blessed is the soul that hath not been hindered by veils nor kept back from the Truth by doubts. He hath destroyed the idols in the name of the Lord of all names and hath sought the praiseworthy station. He is of the companions of the Crimson Ark and the City of Light. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to purify the ears from false tales and cause them to hear what hath been sent down from the heaven of grace and bounty. Verily He is the Omnipotent, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Section 2: “O Husayn! The heart of God hath turned…”

O Husayn! The heart of God hath turned unto thee and hath mentioned thee with that which will draw thee nigh unto Him in all conditions. Say: O servants! Keep your hearts pure from doubts and your ears from false tales that ye may attain unto the stations of nearness and holiness and hear the call of the Intended One. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having caused me to hear Thy call and to behold Thy signs. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Name to aid me to serve Thy loved ones in Thy lands. Verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Husayn! By thee We have sent down the verses and the clear evidences and have called the servants unto God, the Lord of all worlds. Among the people are those who have heard and responded, and among them are those who have denied and turned away, until they pronounced against Us an injustice at which the rocks have cried out and the clouds have wailed. We beseech Him to strengthen thee through His grace and to make thee among those whom doubts have not kept back from the straight path.

O Abu’l-Qasim! The Wronged One calls thee and counsels thee and those who have believed in His Cause which God has made the Dawning Place of tranquility for all the world and the Dayspring of loving-kindness unto humankind. Through it God has revealed the station of every faithful servant and every sinful betrayer. When thou findest the fragrance of My utterance, say:

“Praise be to Thee, O my Lord and my Sovereign, for having remembered me while I was in the hands of those who were heedless of Thy Cause and turned away from that for which they were created in Thy days. Verily Thou art the Forgiver, the Bestower, the Concealer, the Mighty, the Great.”

O youth! Accept thou His good-pleasure. Blessed is the soul that in this Most Great Revelation has attained unto the word of contentment. Say: Great is this Day and great is this Cause. They who cling to mere names cannot attain to higher stations. Blessed art thou for having passed beyond the lower station and set thy face toward the most exalted horizon. Preserve thou this bounty and station through the Name of Him Who is the Goal of all worlds, and be thou of the thankful ones.

O Aqa Buzurg! God, exalted be His glory, hath loved and loveth to mention His loved ones with sublime and wondrous utterances. God willing, may all be freed from the realm of names and set their faces toward the heights of nearness and immortality. These are the companions of the Ark, the traces of the City, and the precious gems. Blessed are they and blessed is he who acteth according to that which is commanded in the Book of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

Praise be to God! The loved ones of Fath-Abad have all been adorned with the ornament of the mention of the Beloved. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to protect them with His hosts, to aid them through His power, and cause them to speak His praise, the Mighty, the Wondrous. May each one attain unto the outpourings of the true Bestower. We make mention of Our loved ones there whose names were not mentioned, that they may rejoice and be among the successful ones.

The servants in that land are all remembered before the Wronged One and have attained His special favors. Happy are they and pleasant it is for them. We make mention of Our loved ones in Haji-Abad with words through which their names shall endure in the Book of God, the Lord of this wondrous Day.

O ʿAli-Akbar! The Lord of Destiny makes mention of thee from the Most Great Scene and gives thee glad tidings of that which He has ordained for His loved ones from the Pen of His command. Verily He is the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing. Glorified is He Who sends down the verses and manifests the clear proofs. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days. Grieve not over anything, for He is with those who love Him. He hears and sees, and He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous.

O Pen! Make mention of him who is named Muhammad-Ali. We have mentioned Our loved ones before and after, and commanded them to do what is right and forbidden them what is wrong, and We are the Counselor, the All-Knowing. O Muhammad-Ali! When thou attainest unto My traces and hearest My call, say:

“My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having remembered me while I was among the heedless ones. I beseech Thee to make me successful in all conditions to hold fast unto Thy Strong Cord. Verily Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful.”

We desire to make mention of him who is named Mirza Khan that the utterance may attract him and draw him nigh unto God, the Mighty, the Powerful. Say:

“Praise be to Thee, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all, for having illumined my heart with the light of Thy knowledge and adorned my temple with the ornament of humility at the dawning of the Day-Star of Thy Manifestation. I beseech Thee to give me to drink, from the cup of Thy bounty, the Kawthar of Thy utterance. Verily Thou hast power over what Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Wise.”

O Tongue of Grandeur! Make mention of one of Thy loved ones in Ba and Nun who is named Muhammad-Hashim, that the mention may attract him to the Kingdom of My wondrous utterance. We have commanded all to righteousness and piety and forbidden them transgression and wickedness. My Books, My Scriptures and My Speaking Tablet bear witness to this. Among the people are those who have heard and acted, and among them are those who have heard and turned away—these are truly among the wrongdoers. Blessed art thou for having attained unto recognition in the days of thy Lord, the Most Merciful. Exalted is this lofty station. We beseech God to aid thee in the triumph of His Cause and to ordain for thee that which shall abide with thee in all the worlds of His worlds. Verily He is the Single, the One, the Mighty, the All-Informed. Nothing whatsoever escapes His knowledge. Verily He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

O My friends in Za’ and Nun from Makiabad! Your names have been presented before the Divine Throne. We have made mention of you in such wise that all the gold of the earth and its treasures cannot equal it. To this beareth witness He Who speaketh in every condition. Verily, He is God; there is none other God but I, the Bestower, the Generous, the Giver, the Mighty, the Wise.

O Husayn! Give thanks unto thy Lord and praise Him, for He hath mentioned thee with a mention which God hath made the cause of life for the world. Verily, thy Lord is the Compassionate, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. We have summoned all unto God, the Lord of lords. Beware lest the might of the people debar thee from My Name, the Self-Subsisting, or their utterances sadden thee—they who have cast the Book of God behind their backs, clinging to false tales that have prevented them from turning towards God, the Revealer of Rivers. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken, as a grace from My presence, and I am the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful.

From the earliest days until now, the manifest light and evident bounty and heavenly table have been sent down, yet the people remain heedless, for unseemly deeds have become as veils. One must beseech God—exalted be His glory—to illumine hearts and minds with the lights of knowledge and certitude, and to guide them to the supreme horizon. He is the Powerful, the Mighty.

Blessed art thou for having turned unto Him and for having attained unto the Day of God, the Lord of the Final End. O Karim! The Most Great Prison proclaimeth: This is the Day wherein the Call of the Lord of mankind hath encompassed the world. All things are uttering mention and manifesting joy. O servants! Strive that ye may not be deprived of the most effulgent grace and the Most Great Name. Verily, your Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Almighty, the Most Generous.

Grieve not over anything, for He hath made mention of thee and hath revealed for thee that which shall endure as long as the Names endure. Give thanks and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Desire of the world! Glory be unto Thee, O Thou Who layest low the necks of men!”

O Abbas! Hearken with thine inner ear unto the call of the Wronged One. Verily, He will draw thee nigh and make thee known and will reinforce thee with hosts which none hath discovered save God, the Lord of mankind. We beseech God that He may, through His grace, cause the Kawthar of life to flow from the fountain of bounty and bestowal. Verily, He is powerful over whatsoever He willeth through His command which hath encompassed all regions.

Say: O my Lord! Thou seest me turning toward Thee and holding fast unto Thy Name whereby Thou hast subdued all who are in the lands. I beseech Thee to confirm me in such deeds as shall waft therefrom the fragrance of Thy good-pleasure and the sweet savour of Thy acceptance. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower.

O My loved ones in Shams-Abad! The divine call is raised in all circumstances. He hath ever been and is turned toward His loved ones. Whenever He witnesseth a mention or a beloved deed, or hearkeneth thereunto, He ordaineth for the doer that which the Pen is powerless to describe. O people! Victory hath come, but the people understand not. Today the Truth is manifest and is the Helper of the beloved deeds of His loved ones, and likewise of praiseworthy character. Blessed is the servant who hath been honored with such steadfastness that what the people possess hath not prevented him from turning unto the Truth. He is of the people of Baha and the companions of the Crimson Ark. Thus have We made mention of thee that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Seeing.

O servant of God! All the servants of the earth have been and are awaiting the appearance of the Possessor of Existence, and when the dawn of the morn of Divine Unity shone forth, all became heedless and turned away, save those whom God hath willed. We beseech the True One to grant thee confirmation and to bestow assistance that thou mayest aid thy Lord through means whereby every possessor of discernment may perceive the fragrance of the loving-kindness of God, the Sovereign of creation. Verily, We have made mention of thee aforetime and at this moment. Verily, thy Lord is the Mighty, the Bountiful.

O Ahmad in Kaf and Shin! We heard thy call from Kashan and made mention of thee. The Truth, exalted be His glory, regardeth His loved ones and hath ordained for each one that which no eye hath been privileged to behold. We beseech the Truth that unworthy deeds may not alter or change it. Blessed art thou for having been honored with My remembrance, for having turned unto My countenance, and for having uttered My praise amongst the righteous.

O Muhammad in Alif and Ya of Firuzi! Well is it with thee for having attained unto My remembrance, turned thy face toward My countenance, and voiced My praise amidst the righteous ones. Say: My God, my God! Preserve this servant from the evil of self and desire, and adorn him with the light of righteousness and piety. O my Lord! Thy servant maketh mention of Thee, and his gaze hath ever been fixed in expectation of Thine infinite bounties. Therefore, open Thou the door of Thy mercy and bestow a portion upon this servant who hath clung fast unto Thee. Through Thy Most Exalted Word Thou didst bring the world of being into existence, and adorned it with all manner of sustenance, blessings and countless bounties. Thou art the Bestower, the Almighty. There is none other God but Thee, the Most High, the Most Glorious.

The splendour shining from the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon thee and upon thy son who was named Aqa Buzurg and thy other son who was named Aqa Kuchik, and upon those who have cast away their idle fancies and taken fast hold of that which was enjoined unto them by God, the Lord of all mankind and the Bestower of gifts and favours.

O thou who gazest upon the Countenance that hath turned toward the lights of the Throne and who art occupied with remembrance and praise during the days of God, the Lord of all mankind! Thy letter hath attained unto Our presence, and We have made mention, time and again, of those servants who have hearkened and responded to their Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Convey greetings from the Wronged One to each one and illumine them with the effulgent lights of the Sun of divine utterance. His honour Salman, upon him be My glory, arrived and dwelt for some time beneath the shade. When the allotted time of his sojourn came to an end, the command to return was issued from the Dayspring of divine Will, and We sent with him that which shall assist My friends, My trusted ones and My chosen ones who have remained faithful to the Covenant and Testament.

The friends must conduct themselves with wisdom. Wisdom consisteth in that which causeth the people to draw nigh unto God, not that which giveth rise to opposition and flight. Verily thy Lord is the All-Wise, the One Who chooseth as He pleaseth. The glory shining from the heaven of My tender mercies be upon thee and upon those who are with thee, and We hear thy words concerning this Most Great Announcement.

BH11577: Glad tidings We give unto every eye, and We…

Section 1: “Glad tidings We give unto every eye…”

He is the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Glad tidings We give unto every eye, and We exhort you: Withhold not yourselves from beholding the signs of the Purpose of the world and the Lord of nations. This Day is your day, for ye have been brought from nothingness into being for the sake of sight, and the purpose of this sight, in its primary station and foremost rank, hath been and is the witnessing of the signs of God. And unto all ears We give glad tidings: Deprive not yourselves of the outpourings of the True Bestower in these divine days. There hath been and is no doubt that ye were created to hearken unto the Call, and the purpose of this hearkening, as set forth in the Qayyumu’l-Asma, is to hear this Call which is raised from the Supreme Horizon at eventide and at dawn.

Peerless is this Day, for it is as the eye to past ages and centuries, and as a light unto the darkness of the times. In truth, days that are deprived of the effulgences of the lights of the Sun of Truth are accounted as nights, nay, as darker still. Thus hath spoken the Lord of Eternity when sorrows encompassed Him from those who cast the Trust behind their backs and spoke that which caused Truth to lament and wrought that which made Zion cry out.

The loved ones of God have known and do know that this Wronged One, having regard to the pillar of faithfulness which is accounted as the greatest of pillars in the sight of the Lord of all possibilities, sought to aid and support His Majesty the Shah. However, from another station and a different horizon did the Luminary of victory and triumph shed its radiance. Say:

My God, my God! I beseech Thee by Thy Manifestation through which the Prophets and Messengers arose and whereby Thou didst raise the standard of “There is none other God but Thee” upon the most exalted station of existence, to adorn the Shah of Iran with the lights of grace and beneficence. O Lord! Aid him in pure justice that through it the horizons of Thy dominion may be illumined. Then inspire him, O my God, with that which Thou desirest for the elevation of his station and the preservation of his realm. O Lord! Through Thy mercy make him successful, then preserve him through the hosts of Thy invisible realm that he may arise to exalt Thy Word amongst the kings of Thy earth unto whom Thou hast entrusted the affairs of Thy creation. O Lord! Increase his power, his sovereignty, his might, and his strength that he may rule among Thy servants according to what Thou hast commanded him in Thy Book. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

This wronged people must, by day and by night, pray for and seek after the justice of His Majesty the Shah. However, God hath manifested what He desired and will manifest what He willeth. Assuredly, the justice of His Majesty the Shah of Iran is most excellent and beloved for its people. But as for the horizon from which in these days the light of justice hath dawned, its reward and recompense must not be effaced from the sight of God’s loved ones. The essence of all heavenly Books beareth witness and proclaimeth the recompense of those who do good and act aright. We beseech God to aid you in carrying out that which ye have been commanded by His Most Exalted Pen. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

It is not permissible to turn to foreign powers. This is what the Wronged One hath decreed in His perspicuous Book. Since your wishes and prayers are for the sake of God, assuredly upon His Majesty—may God, blessed and exalted be He, strengthen him—will shine forth the Luminary of justice.

O my God, my God! Assist him to perpetuate his name in Thy Book and to elevate his station among Thy creation. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Mighty, the One Who chooseth.

O Haydar-ʿAli! Upon thee be My everlasting Baha! The gate of grace is opened and the river of bounty is flowing from the Divine Pen. Grace hath reached such heights that were any of the atoms of creation to be asked “To whom belongeth grace?”, they would respond “To God, the Lord of Lords!” Give thou glad tidings of His favors to the loved ones of God and make them aware of His infinite grace, lest the croaking of frogs sadden them. Under all conditions, hold fast to the cord of mercy and regard all with grace. Ye are the flowing rivers that branch from the Most Great Ocean; ye must sacrifice yourselves for the advancement of the world.

O ʿAli-Haydar! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Lord of Destiny! Though outwardly thou hast fallen into hardship, inwardly thou art in the station of the cloud of mercy, for the signs of trustworthiness, religion, chastity, truthfulness and sincerity have been spread through thee to all parts of the world. The description of this station is beyond expression. The Command is in God’s hands, the Lord of all beings. Convey My greetings to the loved ones in that land. Say: We counsel you to perform deeds by which the world will be illumined. Hold fast to the hem of justice and grasp the cord of wisdom. The hatred and animosity of the people in these days stem from ignorance and lack of understanding; otherwise, if they were to discover your purpose and mission, all would openly and secretly circle round you in adoration. Verily, He knoweth and speaketh, while people speak but know not.

O Haydar-Ali! Specifically regarding the sons of Khalil in the land of Ha and Mim: Some time ago, holy Tablets were revealed from the heaven of will and were sent forth. If all the peoples of the world were to attain but one drop from the concealed oceans within the divine words, they would detach themselves from all they possess, such that neither the world’s possessions, ornaments, nor colors would deprive them from the News of God or prevent them from the fruits of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing. Your judgment that the mentioned person should not become involved in the affairs of Ayn and Shin was sound. Well done! Your opinion in this matter hath been adorned with the ornament of divine acceptance.

And concerning the compilation of Tablets from your previous Tablet, and from Ishraqat, Tarazat, Tajalliyat, and others, as well as from Tablets containing prohibitions against the sword, corruption and conflict, and such as the Tablet of Burhan, and Tablets speaking of love, fellowship and the unity of all—which you mentioned—this intention is blessed, encompassing and effective, and is truly considered and reckoned among the mightiest of deeds before the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Blessed are they who act! God willing, may the mentioned scribe be assisted to write that which is the cause of permanence and the means of tranquility for the peoples of the world. We have indeed mentioned the sons of Khalil in various Tablets, and the son of him who was named Yahuda, and through their mention We have kindled a fire in the upraised Tree in the Most Exalted Paradise [which proclaimeth] that there is none other God but He, the All-Powerful, the Self-Subsisting. Convey My greetings to them and give them glad tidings of that which hath dawned and shone forth from the horizon of the Tablet through the light of their Lord’s grace, the All-Forgiving, the Generous. We beseech God to assist them and strengthen them in such steadfastness as would cause the limbs of the ungodly to quake.

Make mention of Hadi Dawlat-Abadi—in truth he hath not attained unto a single drop from the ocean of fairness. We have made mention of the loved ones of the land of Qaf and Mim in numerous Tablets. God willing, may they attain unto the honor of steadfastness. Hadi hath manifested oppression and striveth diligently to lead people astray. Thou didst mention the names of the loved ones of the land of Qaf and Mim—a special Tablet was revealed and sent for each one. We beseech God to make the souls in that land as firm, steadfast and unmoveable as mountains. The Two Rivers have flowed from the beginning of days until now; they have surpassed most of the servants in their acceptance and their turning toward God—to this beareth witness the Lord of creation.

Thou didst make mention of Hadi’s books of doctrine. Glory be to God! From the day they attributed to him the name of Babi until now, he hath found no rest, preserving his worthless life through all manner of schemes and devices. Nevertheless, he hath perpetrated against the knights in the arena of detachment that which no oppressor hath ever done. Convey My greetings to the people of Sihdih. Say: O people! Behold the signs of God, His mercy, His glory, His grandeur and His power, and remember that which hath appeared from Me. I stood in the earliest days before the faces of the world and conveyed unto the princes, divines and mystics that which I desired for the reformation of the world and the advancement of nations, such that I concealed not My face for less than a moment. Then consider those who have spent their wealth and lives in My path—neither riches, nor ornaments, nor glory prevented them. They advanced to the place of sacrifice with radiant faces and attained unto the Kawthar of detachment and spending in the love of God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting.

Say: O people! Hadi, like one of the divines of the Furqan, is occupied with organizing a party like the Shi’ih. Call the people by the power of God, then follow the path of those whom neither the might of the oppressors, nor the power of the aggressors, nor all the armies of the earth could deter. Thus doth the Supreme Pen remind you in its Most Great Prison that ye may know and be of the thankful. We hope that all may be set ablaze by the breezes of revelation and the fire of the Word, and be illumined by the light of the Cause.

The schemes and plots of Siyyid Mihdi Najaf-Abadi were evident before the Most Holy Court. We had previously revealed verses for him whereby the cities of wisdom, utterance, knowledge and mystic truth were perfumed, and whereby the hearts of those near unto God were attracted. Glory be to God! Like a solid rock, he was not and is not capable of hearing the Word of God. Say: O Mihdi! The verses have encompassed all directions and the sun of clear proofs hath shone forth before the faces of all parties. If thou deniest God’s grace and His verses, and God’s proof and His evidence, by what means canst thou establish that which thou hast, and by what proof dost thou call people to your delusions and idle fancies? We testify that he hath not known the Way nor the Guide. He followeth his own desires just as the people followed their desires. Lo! He and those with him are among the most lost in the Book of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Section 2: “You made mention of Ismullah Jim and likewise…”

You made mention of Ismullah Jim and likewise his steadfastness in the Cause of Truth, exalted be His glory. In these days there hath been sent down from the heaven of grace that which cannot be equaled by the pearls of the oceans of utterance and knowledge. Today all must occupy themselves with bringing hearts together and hold fast to that which God hath willed. We send greetings to him from this station and give him glad tidings of that which hath been ordained for him from the presence of the Mighty, the Powerful.

The Hands of the Cause are each remembered before the Wronged One, and these few must, by day and by night, strive with wisdom and utterance to foster love and unity. Thus hath God decreed in the Scriptures and Tablets.

O Haydar-ʿAli! At every moment when signs of the exaltation of the Cause appeared somewhat, the unfair ones of the world emerged from behind the veils and did that which ye have heard and seen. Where is fairness and where is justice? Were it not for the Glory (Baha), who could stand before the faces, and who could speak amidst the parties? God knoweth that the calumniators and the clamorous ones know and recognize that We have raised up the Cause through a power from Us and a sovereignty from Our presence, yet they deny it, following their idle fancies and vain imaginings. We beseech God to return the liars and calumniators to the ocean of truthfulness. Verily He is the Mighty, the Bestower, the Glorious, the Wise.

The journey of Muhammad Isma’il was approved beforehand, and We also give permission to Haji Siyyid Asadu’llah, provided wisdom so requires. And if they travel by another route it would be more beloved and preferable, for in that great city the calumniators and traitors lie in wait, casting doubt and suspicion in every heart, even though the treachery of these souls hath been proven and demonstrated to the people of that city.

O Haydar! Upon thee be My glory! Some time ago a special Tablet was revealed for the son of the martyr, upon them both be the Most Glorious Beauty of God, and in that Tablet mention was made of the martyr who sacrificed his life in the path of God, and We revealed for him that whose fragrance shall not cease and whose traces shall not change, and that which was ordained therein. Verily thy Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful. Care for the son is incumbent upon all. He must surely engage in some profession or occupation lest he remain without effect and fruit. Praise be to God Who hath adorned his head with the crown of My name and his temple with the ornament of My kinship, and We beseech Him to aid him to preserve this most exalted station and most glorious dwelling place.

We are saddened by what has befallen the son of Abhar through the firm decree. Verily she had station and rank before God. We have mentioned her before and mention her at this time: O My handmaiden and My leaf! I testify that thou didst turn when the Call was raised from the Most Exalted Horizon, and with thy right hand thou didst take the Kawthar of contentment and with the other the Salsabil of eternity, and thou didst drink from them once in My Most Exalted Name and again in My Most Glorious Name. We testify that thou didst bear hardships and tribulations in the path of God, the Lord of the Throne and earth. The turning away of the handmaidens did not prevent thee, nor their malicious joy, nor what issued from their mouths.

I testify that thou didst outstrip most of the servants, let alone the handmaidens, and didst turn to the horizon of the Manifestation when the men of the regions turned away from it. The first light that shone from the ocean of light and the first radiance that dawned from the horizon of Sinai be upon thee, O handmaiden of God, the King of the Day of Resurrection. Thou art she who answered the call of thy Lord and attained unto His verses and His traces and what appeared from His presence.

We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to rain down upon thee from the clouds of His grace the rain of His mercy, and to ordain for thee the reward of those who circle round the Throne at eventide and at dawn, and in the morning and at sunset. O My leaf! Thou art in the Most Glorious Horizon and the Wronged One mentioneth thee in the prison of Akka. Blessed art thou and joy be unto thee. Rejoice, O My handmaiden, in this mention which, when it issueth from My mouth, causeth the ocean of forgiveness to surge and the fragrance of mercy and bounty to waft from the presence of the All-Merciful. Blessed is he who turneth unto thee and mentioneth thee with that which the Tongue of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting, hath spoken. The glory from Us be upon thee, and the light from Us be upon thee and upon whomsoever draweth nigh unto thee and presenteth himself before thy resting-place and visiteth thee according to what hath been sent down from God, the Possessor of the seen and the unseen.

The mention of Ibn-i-Abhar, upon him be My glory, hath been and is before the Most Holy Court, and what thou hast mentioned regarding his stations of attraction, yearning, enkindlement and teaching hath attained unto the honor of being heard. It is hoped that with pure detachment and utmost sanctity he will be occupied with teaching the Cause of God. Verily We have heard his mention and his call in this firm Cause, and We were with him in the gatherings and assemblies. Thy Lord verily heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. Some time ago the answer to Ibn-i-Abhar’s questions was sent down from the heaven of bounty and dispatched, but it hath not arrived. We beseech God to honor him with it and cause him to attain unto meeting with it.

O Haydar-ʿAli! Ask of the Truth to raise up souls who, detached from the world, will arise to assist the Wronged One, and to confirm the existing Hands of the Cause in that which will cause the servants to enter into the depths of the ocean of true unity. The Son of Mary saith:

“O sheep of God! I send you forth amidst wolves. When ye depart from one land intending to proceed to another, let not even the dust of that land remain upon your garments.”

However, in view of the changes in means and people, one must reflect upon and act according to what befitteth the day.

Thou didst mention the mindlessness of certain deniers of the Bayan. In truth, thou speakest aright. The Point (the Bab), may the spirit of all else but Him be sacrificed for His sake, with loudest voice doth plead and with utmost humility doth declare: “On that Day, be not veiled by the Bayan.” Nevertheless, Hadi Dawlat-Abadi, meeting with every seeker, attempts to lead them astray by citing passages from the Bayan, heedless that in that very moment he is engaged in opposition to His Holiness. Beseech the Lord of existence to grant him fairness. Glory be to God! They believe in the precursor yet turn away from the source; they acknowledge the herald yet remain veiled from the Sovereign of the Manifestation. In truth, this is the station of this most exalted Word. O Haydar-ʿAli! These impure hands were not and are not worthy to grasp His most holy and pure hem.

My God, my God! Do Thou raise up one from Thy presence who will remember Thee and aid Thy Cause. Verily Thou art the Answerer, Thou art the Hearer, Thou art the All-Knowing. There is no God but Thee, the Helper, the Compassionate, the Generous.

Thou didst make mention of Mirza Muhammad-Baqir, upon him be My glory. We have indeed mentioned him in diverse stations, and We beseech God to protect him and His loved ones from every remote oppressor and every sinful transgressor. We counsel all the loved ones to show forbearance and wisdom, and to that which attracts hearts and souls. In all conditions We have forbidden whatsoever giveth rise to clamor and kindleth the fire of hatred, for most people are ignorant and unaware of the purpose, and thus become inflamed.

The sacred month of Muharram hath ever been revered, and ultimately, through the martyrdom of the Prince of Martyrs (Imam Husayn), peace be upon him, it attained the most exalted station and highest rank. And in this Revelation, by virtue of the appearance of the Primal Point (the Bab) and His birth, it hath acquired yet another station. From the first arose lamentation, cry and wailing, and from the second, joy and gladness. However, this matter is known and evident to the people of God, while hidden and concealed from others. Therefore, in view of God’s mercy which hath preceded all and His divine grace and bounty, the people of God should observe the sanctity of those days. The Primal Point Himself also observed its sanctity.

In closing, We hope that the loved ones of God will hold fast to that which draweth the peoples together and likewise causeth the reformation of the world and its nations. The glory shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of grace and bounty be upon thee and upon My loved ones who have cast away that which they were forbidden and acted according to that which they were commanded in the Book of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Praise be to God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

BH00288: The Epistle of God, the Help-in-Peril, the Self-Subsisting

Section 1: “Praised be the most holy and exalted Presence…”

He is the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise!

Praised be the most holy and exalted Presence of the Lord of existence, Who, through the effulgent rays of the Sun of proof, hath illumined the world with the light of recognition. Through His absolute Will and His pervading Purpose, He ordained the Supreme Pen to be the Dawning-Place of His most exalted Word. He is the true Trumpet, possessing eternal treasuries. Through His transcendent grace and by His conquering and mighty power, He blew into it, whereupon those in the graves arose, the mountains passed away, and the cry of all things was raised up, in such wise that every possessor of hearing and sight did hearken unto the blessed words “The Sovereign Lord hath come! The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the All-Possessing, the Self-Subsisting.” This Pen was attracted, not thunderstruck, by the divine Call, and through its treasuries was manifested that which enabled the thirsty to attain the living waters, the poor to reach the endless treasure, and the seekers to find the Object of all created things. Exalted be His dominion, sublime be His Word, and great be His signs. There is no God but Him.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Thou hearest the cry of them that are near unto Thee among Thy servants, and the lamentation of them that are sincere among Thy trusted ones. There hath befallen them in Thy days that which hath caused the dwellers of the cities of Thy glory to wail, and the Countenances enshrined within the tabernacle of Thy majesty and the pavilions of Thy grandeur to cry out. O Lord! Thou hearest that the crier hath cried out in the letter Ta, and with Thee is the knowledge of all things in Thy Book. I beseech Thee by Thy signs spread abroad in Thy lands, and by the lights of Thy Manifestation on the mount of Thy recognition, to aid Thy loved ones to attain unto such steadfastness as no oppression of the oppressors nor cawing of the cawers can shake.

O Lord! Strengthen them through Thy bounty, then preserve them from the whisperings of those who have broken Thy Covenant and Thy Testament. Then I beseech Thee, O Revealer of verses and Manifester of clear tokens, by Thy Name through which the limbs of all names have trembled, to enable all Thy servants to turn unto Thee and to repair to the gate of Thy grace which hath been opened to all in Thy earth and Thy heaven. Verily, Thou art the Almighty over what Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all things. There is no God but Thee, the Strong, the Conquering, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O ʿAli-i-Asghar! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Lord of the Throne on high and of the earth below, the Possessor of the hereafter and this world. Thy letter hath come time and again, and every letter thereof hath attained the honor of acceptance and good-pleasure. We have found from it the fragrance of thy sincerity and thy devotion to this Cause, whereby the feet of the worshippers of names who denied God’s proof, His testimony, His Manifestation and His sovereignty have slipped. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who hath heard, turned unto, and responded. He is indeed of the people of Baha in the Self-Subsisting Lord of Names. To this beareth witness the Mother Book in this return. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to make thee steadfast in His love, speaking His praise, holding fast unto His cord, and clinging to the hem of the robe of His mercy. Verily, He is the Most Merciful of the merciful ones and the Fulfiller of the needs of all supplicants. We wish at this time to make mention of those whose names were in thy letter, that thou mayest give them the glad-tidings of God’s loving-kindness and grace which have encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth.

O Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of him who was named Tahir, who was formerly Mirza—upon him be the glory of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed—that he may find from thy mention the fragrances of revelation which, when diffused, perfumed earth and heaven. To this beareth witness the Lord of all beings in the prison of Akka. Blessed is he who hath found, and woe unto every heedless doubter.

O Ta who was formerly Ha! Hearken unto the call which hath been raised from this spot which God hath made the circling-place of them that are nigh unto Him and the sincere ones. We have sent down for thee aforetime that which attracted the hearts of those who soared in the atmosphere of divine knowledge and cast behind them all else but God. We bear witness that they are among the triumphant in the Book of God, the Lord of the mighty throne. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to make thee a standard of His name amongst His servants and an ensign of power throughout His lands. He, verily, is the Powerful, the Mighty. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having guided me unto Thy path and for having revealed unto me that whereby my reality, my spirit and my name shall endure in Thy manifest Book. I beseech Thee, O my Lord, by the light of Thy Cause and the fire of Thy Lote-Tree on Sinai, to aid me in all conditions to assist Thy Cause through wisdom and utterance. There is none other God but Thee, the Mighty, the Bountiful.

O Rida! The world hath been illumined by the radiant and resplendent light which hath shone forth from the horizon of God’s will, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Rejoice thou in My remembrance of thee and glorify the name of thy Lord. He, verily, is the helper of them that remember Him. Grieve not because of the people and their deeds and that which proceedeth from their mouths. It behooveth thee to rejoice in My name, the Mighty, the Luminous. Say: O my God! Thine is the greatness and the sovereignty and the glory. I beseech Thee by the Dawning-Place of Thy signs and the Source of Thy clear tokens, and by the Sovereign of Names through Whom the limbs of the people of the kingdom of creation have quaked, to make me steadfast, articulate, upright and firm in Thy love and Thy Cause. Thou, verily, art the Powerful, the Mighty.

O Mir, formerly Muhsin! Say: O people of the Bayan! Verily, He hath claimed neither prophethood, nor guardianship, nor imamate, nor any name from among the names. I was asleep when the hands of divine power awakened me, I was seated when they raised me up, and I was silent when they caused me to speak. This is not from me—to this do My Books, My Scriptures and My Tablets bear witness. Thus have We sent down the proof both before and after. Well is it with the fair-minded. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, my Lord and my Support, for having made me articulate in Thy praise and steadfast in Thy Cause. Thou hast appeared and revealed in Thy Book the mysteries of what was and what is to be. O Lord! Thou seest this poor one turning toward the heaven of Thy bounty and the ocean of Thy generosity. I beseech Thee not to disappoint him of that which Thou hast ordained for them that are nigh unto Thee among Thy servants, nor to debar him from turning toward Thy gate which Thou hast opened unto the faces of Thy servants and Thy creatures. Thou art, verily, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Great.

O Ali! Rejoice in that the Wronged One hath remembered thee while imprisoned in the most desolate of lands. The appointed time hath come to pass, the verses have been sent down, the clear proofs have appeared, yet the people are in strange doubt. Say: O people! Fear God and follow not him who hath denied the appearance of God and His sovereignty. Cast away what ye possess and take hold of that which ye have been commanded in the Mother Book. We have mentioned thee before and at this time with that which hath attracted the realities of the servants. Blessed is the soul that hath acted according to that which it was commanded in the Mother Book. We have heard thy call and have turned toward thee through Our grace, and We are, verily, the Powerful, the Unconstrained.

Verily We have desired to make mention of him who was named Muhammad before Aqa, that he may render thanksgiving unto his Lord in the evening and at dawn, and at sunrise and sunset. O Muhammad! The All-Bountiful hath come, riding upon the clouds, while the people are in doubt and discord. They see, yet they deny—verily they are among the companions of error. They have cast the path of God behind their backs, clinging to the vain imaginings and idle fancies they possess. Say: O concourse of the earth! Fear ye God! He hath come for your salvation and reformation. Fear God and be not of the companions of the Fire. Blessed is he who hath turned unto the Most Sublime Horizon and acted in accordance with that which hath been commanded by God, the Cleaver of the Dawn.

The heaven of utterance desireth to make mention of one of its loved ones who was named Muhammad before ʿAli, that he may rejoice in God’s loving-kindness and mercy which have preceded all created things. The Tongue of Grandeur beareth witness at this moment that there is none other God but He, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting. He it is Who hath been established upon the throne and hath spoken that which was the Water of Life unto all them that are in the realm of possibility. Blessed is he who hath drunk thereof and attained, and woe unto every heedless one who remaineth veiled. We beseech God to draw thee nigh unto Him and to open before thy face the door of His bounty. Verily, He is the Single, the One, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Beloved.

O Siyyid before Muhammad! The Lord of the worlds hath come, yet the people know not. The Hidden One hath appeared, yet most of the people understand not. The Promise hath come, and the Promised One proclaimeth with loudest voice:

“Verily He is God; there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Loving.”

Take thou the chalice of utterance in the name of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, then drink thereof, detached from all names and from whatsoever the people possess. Thus hath decreed the Lord of the worlds as a bounty from His presence, and He is the Truth, the Knower of the unseen. Most of the servants have been prevented from drawing nigh unto God by following the desires of them who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen. O Muhammad! Give thou glad tidings of this Most Great Revelation unto the people. Say: O people! Fear ye God and be not of them who see yet deny. Thus hath the call been raised from the Most Sublime Horizon that it might attract all beings unto God, the Lord of existence.

Section 2: “O Pen! Make mention of him who was…”

O Pen! Make mention of him who was named Mir ʿAli-Akbar, who turned unto God when most of the servants turned away. We beseech God to aid him to be so steadfast as to cause the hearts of them who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of lords, to quake. We have made mention of them who have turned unto the Countenance and aided them with verses whereby the spheres have been attracted. Say: O people! This is the Promised One Who was inscribed in the Books, the Psalms and the Tablets. This is the day whereon the lamentation of them who are nigh unto God hath been raised by reason of what hath befallen the Wronged One at the hands of every calumniating liar. Say: Be fair, O people, concerning that which hath appeared in truth, and be not of them who have violated the Covenant and the Testament. Thus hath the hand of power seized the reins of them who have denied that which hath been sent down from the heaven of God’s grace, the Lord of all men.

O My loved ones in Ishqabad! The Wronged One desireth to make mention of you in such wise as to cause your names to endure in God’s Book, the Lord of creation. He hath appeared and revealed whatsoever He desired. Beware lest the names hold you back from their Lord, or the might of them who have disbelieved in the Return strike fear into your hearts. Take ye the chalice of recognition in the name of the Lord of all possibilities, then drink thereof in defiance of him who hath raised his voice there without any clear proof or evidence. We beseech God to aid you to be so steadfast that the promptings of them who disbelieved in God when He came riding upon the clouds shall not cause you to slip. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon you and upon them who have turned with radiant faces unto God, the Almighty, the Unconstrained.

O Mir, O ʿAli before Asghar! The Lord of destiny desireth to make mention of them whom thou didst mention in His Most Great Scene, that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord, the Lord of all worlds.

O Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named Haji-ʿAli-i-Akbar. We testify that he hath attained unto that which was inscribed, recorded and mentioned by the Most Exalted Pen in the Books of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. Verily, he hath quaffed the wine of utterance from the hand of My bounty and hath attained unto that which most of mankind hath failed to attain. To this beareth witness the Mother Book which moveth and proclaimeth:

“There is none other God but He, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

Through My remembrance all mention is humbled, and through My call the hearts of the sincere are attracted. We beseech God to protect thee and His loved ones from the most wicked and most lying among men who hath turned towards that place, having followed the desires of every heedless and remote one.

Say: O people! The Day hath come, and it is the Day of God wherein no names are mentioned. To this testifieth He Who speaketh before all faces by the leave of the Wise Commander. Say: Verily, this Speaker is the Commander, and this perspicuous Book is the Ruler. Say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having illumined me with the light of Thy knowledge and sent down unto me that which shall cause my mention and my name to endure throughout the eternity of Thy Kingdom and Thy dominion. I beseech Thee by the Fire which called out in the Sinai of Thy Cause, and by the Light which shone from the horizon of the Mount through Thy will, to make me steadfast, firm and upright in such wise that neither the cawing of the crows nor the clamor of the infidels may move me. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The Trusted One hath mentioned My loved ones there time and again. We have answered him with that which hath caused hearts to soar and mountains to pass away. Exalted is this wondrous and glorious remembrance.

We have desired to make mention of him who hath been named Ali of Mim and Ya, that he may give thanks unto his Lord and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Beloved of those who are in the heavens and on earth.”

O Ali! Thou hast attained unto My remembrance time and again, and We make mention of thee now with that which the treasuries of the servants cannot equal. Verily thy Lord is the Powerful, the Almighty. O ʿAli! The Lamp is amidst the winds by reason of that which the hands of the oppressors have wrought. The people of hypocrisy have risen up in such wise as hath caused the tears of the Concourse on High and the near angels to flow. We beseech God to protect thee and those who have believed. Verily, He is the Single, the One, the Compassionate, the Generous. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon those who have held fast unto this luminous Handle and clung to My gleaming hem.

O Mashhadi-Ali! We make mention of those who have turned towards the Countenance, both before and after. Blessed is he who hath heard and said:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Goal of those who are in the heavens and on earth.”

When the Cause was manifested and that which had been hidden from the servants appeared, the people denied it: among them were those who turned away, those who disbelieved, and those who pronounced sentence to shed His most pure and radiant blood. We, in the midst of tribulations, make mention of the loved ones and give them the glad-tidings of God’s favor, the Lord of all worlds. Grieve thou not at anything. In all matters put thy trust in God, the Single, the All-Informed. Verily, He protecteth whom He willeth and aideth him to remain steadfast in this Great Cause, this Mighty Announcement. Thus hath the call been raised from the Prison of Akka, despite every croaking raven who hath denied God’s right and His sovereignty, clinging to that which he possesseth from the promptings of the ungodly.

O Jabbar! The Chosen One maketh mention of thee from the precincts of the Prison with that which shall draw thee nigh unto the Dayspring of God’s revelation, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Say: O people of the earth! The Light hath shone forth and the Tree and the Mount speak, proclaiming: “I have attained unto the presence of my Goal and the Goal of those who are in the heavens and on earth.” Turn ye, O people, unto the Most Great Path which speaketh before the faces of the world: “There is none other God but He, the Forgiving, the Merciful.” The divine call hath been raised when the Tongue of Grandeur spoke that whereby the hearts of the believers were attracted.

O Sadiq! The crier has come. Guard thyself through My Name, then through My sovereignty, then through My might and power, in such wise that shouldst all who are in earth and heaven come against thee, they shall find thee steadfast as an immovable and upright mountain. Beware lest the veils of any ignorant doubter conceal thee. Take hold with thy right hand of the most pure and luminous hem of God and say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having caused me to hear Thy call, to behold Thy signs, and to witness Thy clear tokens. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance and by Thy might, Thy grandeur and Thy power, to make me so firm in Thy love that the manifestations of vain imaginings shall not prevent me from this mighty and perspicuous Cause.

O Ali-Qabli-Akbar [of Maraghih]! Thou hast come with a Cause at whose appearance the limbs of the idolaters trembled—they who violated God’s Covenant and Testament and committed that which caused the near ones to lament. Say: I testify that Thou hast appeared and hast manifested that whereby the dwellers of the graves have arisen. I beseech Thee by the Dawning-Places of Thy verses and the Manifestations of Thy beauty in the most exalted Paradise and the supreme Heaven to enable me to serve Thy Cause. Verily Thou art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Kind.

O Zaynu’l-Abidin! The Wronged One, beneath the talons of the idolaters, remembereth His loved ones with that which causeth the fragrance of utterance to be diffused throughout all possibility. Blessed is he who hath found, and woe unto every heedless and rejected one. This is a day wherein hath been heard the rustling of the Sadratu’l-Muntaha, the shrill voice of My Most Exalted Pen, and My sweetest call. Blessed is he who hath heard, and woe unto him who hath been debarred from hearkening unto the utterance of God, the Lord of what was and what shall be. And blessed are My loved ones who have drunk the Kawthar of utterance from the hands of My bounty—they are the people of Baha in the Book of God, the Self-Subsisting, the All-Compelling. The glory from Us be upon thee and upon those who have testified to that which God hath testified: that there is none other God but Him, the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.

O Ghaffar! Blessed art thou for the All-Forgiving One hath turned toward thee from the direction of the Prison and hath mentioned thee with that which caused the rains of loving-kindness to shower from the clouds of thy Lord’s mercy, the Mighty, the Beloved. When thou hast attained unto My verses and hast heard My call and beheld My signs, say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having guided me, caused me to hear, and given me utterance. I beseech Thee by Thy greatest signs and Thy mysteries hidden in the hearts of Thy chosen ones to make me in all conditions one who speaketh Thy praise, who gazeth toward Thy horizon, and who proclaimeth Thy Cause with wisdom and utterance. Verily Thou art the Omnipotent, the Mighty, the Bestower. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon My loved ones who have quaffed the choice wine of revelation from the chalice of the bounty of God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH00361: This is the Day wherein the Herald hath proclaimed…

Section 1: “This is the Day wherein the Herald hath…”

He is the Rememberer and the Remembered One!

This is the Day wherein the Herald hath proclaimed: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting!” The mysteries have appeared, the veils have been drawn aside, and that which lay hidden in God’s knowledge, the Lord of all being, hath been made manifest. This is the Day wherein the Mother Book speaketh, yet most of the people comprehend not. On this Day hath the Temple of the Manifestation and the Interlocutor of the Mount taken His seat upon the throne of utterance, yet most of the people see not. They have cast the Truth behind their backs, clinging to that which the people possess, yet verily they know not. Blessed is the servant who hath cast aside the people and what they possess, who hath taken the Kawthar of everlasting life in My Most Glorious Name and drunk thereof in remembrance of Me, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Glorified be He Who hath appeared and revealed what He desired, despite every heedless and veiled one. There is none other God but Him. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He is the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. The Euphrates of utterance hath flowed through creation, and from its murmuring is heard: “The Desired One hath come with manifest sovereignty!”

O My friends in Qaf! We make mention of you with verses that have encompassed the Concourse on High, the Supreme Paradise, and the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise, that they might hearken unto My sweetest call. Joy be to him who hath drawn nigh and attained, and woe unto every heedless one who is debarred! O people of God! Let not the might of any oppressor frighten you. Arise in My Name and say:

“O people! By God, we have not come to create corruption in the land, but rather to build it up and reform it, if ye but knew. Cast aside vain imaginings and idle fancies, turning unto God, the Mighty, the Loving. Beware lest ye deprive yourselves of this Most Great Ocean, each wave of which announceth to the world the appearance of the Lord of Nations, Who hath come from the heaven of proof with a Cause that hath encompassed both the unseen and the seen.”

We have desired to make mention of Our friends in this Clear Book, that the breaths of revelation might seize them and draw them nigh unto God, the Lord of the worlds.

O Muhammad-Qabl-Baqir! We found Ourselves in the vicinity of God’s mercy, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, and desired the other station. When We arrived, We commanded the Branch to be present, and We revealed unto thee and unto Our friends that which caused them to be intoxicated with the wine of My luminous revelation. Say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O my God, my Lord and my Support, for having illumined me with the lights of the Sun of Thy utterance and remembered me when I was wronged among Thy servants and debarred from that which Thou hadst created by Thy power. I beseech Thee by the sighs of them that are nigh unto Thee in their separation from Thee, and by the tears of them that are devoted to Thy unity in their remoteness from Thee, and by Thy Cause whereby Thou hast subdued the kingdoms of wisdom and utterance, to make me patient in all conditions in adversity and tranquil in Thy vicinity, O Lord of all mankind! My Lord, deprive me not of the manifestations of the lights of the Orb of Thy Manifestation, nor of the mysteries of the Lote-Tree of Thy Lordship. I testify, and all created things testify, to Thy manifestation, Thy power, Thy sovereignty, and Thy authority. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Everlasting, the Eternal, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”

O Muhammad-Qabli-Hasan! He who hath loved Me hath mentioned thee in this perspicuous Book which proclaimeth before the faces of all mankind that there is none other God but Him, the Peerless, the All-Informed. We have adorned the heaven of utterance with the stars of knowledge—a bounty from the presence of the Ancient Bestower. We have announced unto all this Most Great Revelation, yet most of the people remain heedless. They have cast behind their backs the Will of God and have taken what they desired—they are indeed among the most lost. Say: Fear ye the All-Merciful, O people of the Furqan! Cast away the idols of your vain imaginings, then turn ye towards the Dawning-Place of the signs of your Lord, the Almighty, the Powerful. That which ye possess shall profit you not this Day; cast it away in My Name and take hold of the Book of God with the power that proceedeth from Him and the sovereignty that cometh from His presence. He, verily, is the most powerful of the powerful. This is the Day wherein the Spirit giveth glad-tidings unto all who are in earth and heaven of this Light which hath shone forth and gleamed from the horizon of God’s Will, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

When thou art seized by the rapture of the flowing stream of My mercy, arise and turn toward the House of God and say: O Lord of all names, Creator of the heavens, and Sovereign of all things! I beseech Thee by Thy Beloved One and by His joy when He ascended unto Thee, and by His attraction when He heard the call of Thy meeting, and by His longing when He arrived at Thy court, and by His supreme gladness when He turned toward Thy most great prospect, and by His utmost delight when He heard Thy sweetest call from Thy most exalted horizon, and by the fire of His love when He attained Thy presence, and by the light of His detachment when He drank the chalice of reunion from the hand of Thy bounty, and by the spirit and its ascension unto Thee, that Thou assist Thy servants to redress what they have missed in Thy days.

O Lord! Deprive not Thy near ones from the rustling of the Lote-Tree of the uttermost end and the whisper of the winds of Thy mercy, O Creator of all things! O Lord! Aid them to turn unto Thee and to return unto the court of Thy glory, and assist them, O my God, in deeds adorned with the glory of Thy acceptance. Verily, Thou art the Almighty over whatsoever Thou willest, and in Thy grasp are the reins of all things, of the first and the last.

O Husayn! The Wronged One hath been encompassed by the manifestations of tyranny and the daysprings of oppression, and while under the swords of hatred, We make mention of thee and those who have believed, with such mention as hath attracted the hearts of the sincere ones. The arrows of the enemies have not prevented Me from remembering God, the Creator of earth and heaven, nor have the hosts of those who denied God’s testimony and proof, who were heedless of His path, who broke His Covenant, and who wrought that which caused the Concourse on high to lament, struck fear within Me. O Hasan! Grieve not at anything, trust in all affairs in God, the Master of the Day of Judgment, and commit them to Him. Verily, He loveth those who trust and those who commit their affairs unto Him. Soar with the wings of trust and commitment unto God, the Master of this lofty station.

Say: My God, my God! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant, acknowledging what hath been sent down from the heaven of Thy Will, confessing what the tongue of Thy grandeur hath spoken, holding fast unto Thy cord, and clinging to the hem of Thy loving-kindness. O Lord! I testify to Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and to the sanctity of Thy Being above the description of Thy creatures, and the exaltation of Thine Essence above the mention of Thy servants. I beseech Thee, O Creator of all things and Master of destiny and fate, by Thy Name through which the pavilion of Thy glory was raised and Thy path appeared in Thy lands, to ordain for him who hath turned unto Thee the reward of those who have attained unto Thy presence, who have stood before Thy gate, who have heard Thy verses, and who have witnessed the horizon of Thy manifestation. O Lord! Thou art He by Whose name the ocean of wealth surged among creation and the fragrance of bounty was wafted in the prison of Akka. Send down upon Thy servants from the clouds of Thy generosity that which beseemeth Thy greatness, Thy sovereignty, Thy grace, and Thy power. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

We have desired at this moment to make mention of him who hath been named Muhammad, that the call of God, the Single, the One, may draw him nigh and bring him unto a station wherein all atoms proclaim: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Revealer of verses.” O Muhammad! Hearken unto the call from this most exalted station, from the Divine Lote-Tree raised before the faces of all peoples. Verily, there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

O Qasim! Remember the day when thou didst drink the choice wine of reunion from the hand of bounty, and wert present before the gate which was opened unto all who are in the heavens and the earth. Tribulation and adversity have encompassed Me, and there hath befallen Me at the hands of the calumniators that which hath caused the tribes of earth and heaven to lament, and every knowing and perceiving soul. We commanded all to be trustworthy, yet they cast it behind their backs. The fire of greed, passion, tyranny and wickedness hath been so enkindled that it hath wrested from them all restraint. Thus hath the decree been fulfilled from God, the One, the Unconstrained.

Section 2: “The fire of misbelief hath been kindled…”

The fire of misbelief hath been kindled in all regions, and the Revealer of verses declareth:

“O Lord of Lords! Thou seest Me in the hands of the oppressors among Thy servants, beneath the talons of the misguiders among Thy creation and the transgressors among Thy creatures. I beseech Thee by the leaves of the Tree of Thy utterance and the fruits of the Tree of Thy oneness to aid Me to stand firm in such wise as to shake the heart of every heedless doubter. O Lord! Thou knowest and seest that Thy people desired naught save to serve Thy servants and to reform their affairs in Thy days, yet they have risen against them with such tyranny as hath caused them that are endued with understanding to weep. My God, my God! Thou seest Thy servant standing before the gate of Thy grandeur, beseeching Thy generosity and bounty. I beseech Thee not to disappoint him of the wonders of Thy favors and bestowals. Thou art, verily, the Mighty, the Powerful, the All-Bountiful.”

O Eternal Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named Muhammad-i-Taqi, that the joy of the Revelation may seize him and bring him nigh unto the Mighty, the Bestower. O Lord! Forbid not Thy servants from drawing nigh unto Thy court, and deprive them not of the outpourings of Thy days. O Lord! Thou seest the sinner hastening toward the ocean of Thy forgiveness, the poor one toward the heaven of Thy bounty, and the abased one toward the cord of Thy glory. O Lord! Thou seest what hath befallen Thy loved ones at the hands of Thine enemies. I beseech Thee, O God of Names and Creator of heaven, by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued the cities and regions, and by the lights of Thy countenance whereby the lands were illumined, and by the flowers of the gardens of Thy bounty and the fruits of the Tree of Thy power, to ordain for this servant of Thine mercy from Thee and grace from Thy presence. Thou art, verily, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.

My God, my God! Thy separation hath caused me to perish. Where is the light of Thy presence, O Illuminator of the world? The venom of remoteness from Thee hath destroyed me. Where is the fountain of Thy reunion, O Quickener of nations? I beseech Thee by the heaven of Thy bounty and the mysteries hidden in Thy knowledge to ordain for me and for Thy loved ones every good thing Thou hast sent down in Thy Books, Thy Scriptures and Thy Tablets. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty over all who are in the heavens and the earth.

O Pen! Make mention of him who was named Ali and surnamed Jinab, as bidden by God, the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Bountiful. O Jinab! The Lord of all men hath come, yet the people remain wrapped in heedlessness and veils. They have cast aside their God and followed their desires—verily, they are in strange drunkenness. They have cast certitude behind their backs, clinging to the suppositions and idle fancies they possess. They have broken God’s Covenant and His Testament, and have denied Him to Whom the Mother Book hath testified in the final return.

Say: O peoples of the earth! Be fair before God—by what proof did ye believe in the Manifestations of the past, and by what evidence do ye deny this bounty whereby the horizons have been illumined? Say: O son of Baqir! Canst thou present thyself before His face with thy ropes and staves? And canst thou contend with the Knight of utterance in the arena of inner meanings and exposition? Be fair before God—if thou deniest God’s Most Great Book, by what proof can that which thou holdest be established? Fear God, then judge fairly concerning Him Who hath appeared before the faces of the parties.

O son of Baqir! Present thyself before His face to hear that for which ears were created to hearken unto. Then behold this horizon whence hath dawned the Day-Star of loving-kindness and favor. Hast thou attained through thy vain imaginings, and art thou content with what thou hast? Nay, by My Cause whereby We have subdued the lands! If thou desirest verses, they have encompassed all regions, and if thou seekest clear proofs, We shall show thee, shouldst thou stand before the Gate. This is My hand wherefrom hath shone the Sun of God’s Revelation, Lord of Lords, and this is My heaven wherefrom have been sent down the verses of God, He Who causeth the dawn to break. Were thou to turn with the ear of thine inmost heart, thou wouldst hear from the pebbles: “The Revealer of verses hath come!” and from the plants: “He Who was promised in God’s Books, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the Unconstrained, hath come!”

O son of Baqir! Hear My counsel for the sake of God, then present thyself before His face to behold what eyes have been prevented from seeing. This is the Day whereof Moses gave tidings, and whereof the Messenger of God, Lord of all religions, brought glad-tidings. Canst thou produce what the Wronged One hath produced through power and sovereignty? Nay, by His very Self, the True One, and by His Cause that hath encompassed the lands! We summon thee to the light while ye summon Me to the fire, and your call is naught but error. Thus hath the Tongue spoken in utterance. Blessed is he who hath turned and hearkened, and woe unto every obstinate infidel.

O Ali-Qabli-Akbar! We saw thee in a state of intoxication and bewilderment when thou wert present before the Wronged One in a spot which God had made the Dawning-place of lights. Say: Praise be to Thee, O my God, for having honored me with Thy presence, caused me to hear Thy call, shown me Thy beauty, guided me to Thy path, and revealed unto me that whose fragrance shall never cease throughout the eternity of Thy kingdom and dominion. My Lord! Thou seest me standing at the door of Thy grace, voicing Thy praise amidst Thy servants. I beseech Thee by the Dawning-place of Thy utterance and the Dayspring of Thy mysteries to ordain for me that which shall preserve me from turning to any besides Thee and from inclining toward other than Thee. My Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant, enkindled with the fire of Thy love and detached from those who have denied Thee and Thy verses. My Lord! Write down for me, with the Pen of Thy bounty, that which shall draw me nigh unto Thee in all conditions. Verily, Thou art the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.

O Pen of Oneness! Make mention of him who is named Taqi with a remembrance whereat all remembrances proclaimed:

“By God! He Who is the Remembered One hath appeared with majesty and power!”

The harm inflicted by the world and the opposition of the peoples did not deter Him. He stood before the faces of the divines and princes and taught them that which would draw them nigh unto God, the Lord of Lords.

O Taqi! We have counseled thee with that which will exalt thy station. He desireth naught save that which will draw thee closer to God, the Lord of all men. The Kawthar of life hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen of God. Blessed is he who hath drunk thereof and rendered thanks unto his Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower.

Beware lest the conditions of men and the doubts of the divines grieve thee. Turn unto the Most Sublime Horizon and say:

“My God, my God! Thou seest me clinging to the cord of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee not to disappoint me of that which Thou hast ordained for them that love Thee. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Powerful, the Unconstrained.”

Cast away what the people possess and take hold of the Book of God with such strength that the clamor of the wicked ones, who have broken God’s Covenant and His Testament and have disbelieved in God, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful, shall not deter thee.

We make mention of Our loved ones there whose names were not presented before Our face, and We give them the glad-tidings of that which hath been ordained for them by the Pen of God in the Mother Book. O people of God! Let not the might of those who have denied the Beginning and the Return frighten you. The splendor shining from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon you, O My friends, and upon those women who have believed in God, the Revealer of verses.

BH00369: He expoundeth whatsoever He willeth

Section 1: “He expoundeth whatsoever He willeth…”

He expoundeth whatsoever He willeth.

All praise is befitting and worthy of the Most Great Cause, which hath delivered the world and its peoples from the oppression of the ungodly and the hatred of the infidels, and appointed them their station beneath the blessed Lote-Tree of Justice, and gathered them together. Exalted be His grace, magnificent His compassion, glorious His grandeur and His bounty!

O Ism-i-Jud! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the Lord of existence. Two letters from the Name of God “J”, upon him be My glory and favor, attained the Most Holy Court. In truth, they are ever gazing toward the horizon of the Revelation in all conditions, and remain alive and steadfast in hope of rendering service. The Supreme Pen beareth witness to his mention, praise and service, and his answer, should God will and desire it, shall be revealed and sent in detail.

Regarding the matter of souls turning toward various regions for the purpose of teaching God’s Cause and spreading its traces, it is not permissible to insist upon anyone. The proclamation of the decree hath been sent down from the heaven of the Divine Will. Assuredly, none of the friends can remain content with any shortcoming, nor have they fallen short, nor will they fall short, in that which hath proceeded from the Source of the Command. Praise be to God, each one hath attained that which hath no likeness or equal. All this is from God’s grace and favor.

At present, should they turn for a while toward the land of M, it would be acceptable in the sight of God, inasmuch as the friends in that land have not for some time been blessed with the traces. We bear witness that they have arisen, have turned, have heard, and have responded to their Lord, the Speaker, the Utterer, the Caller, the Commander, the All-Wise.

O Ism-i-Jud! O Javad, upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness! For some time, according to outward appearances, thou hast not been honored with a mention, and the replies to thy letters which thou didst send to the Most Holy Court have until now been delayed. This is due to the turmoil and discord in the world. However, the Ancient Beauty beareth witness before the faces of the world that thou hast attained unto acceptance and the propagation of the Cause of thy Lord, the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.

That household and its members have ever been remembered, and the recent affliction hath caused grief. We testify that she attained in the earliest days and took the chalice of certitude in the name of her Lord, the Most Merciful, and drank therefrom, draught after draught, cup after cup, in the name of her Most Glorious Beloved. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to inscribe for her from the Pen of Bounty the reward of attaining His presence and of standing before His countenance. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the All-Generous. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to send down upon her in the highest Paradise, at every moment, mercy from His presence and loving-kindness from His own Self, and to make her among those who circle round His Cause in all His worlds. May He strengthen the people of that household to manifest beautiful patience and noble forbearance. Praise be to God! That honored lady hath ever gazed toward the horizon of manifestation and hath been content with God’s good-pleasure.

In the days when destined tribulations befell the Seal of the Prophets—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake—this blessed verse was revealed from God. His exalted Word:

“Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of this world, but the good deeds which endure are better in thy Lord’s sight as a reward, and better as a hope.”

By the life of God! Verily she is in an exalted station and a resplendent dwelling place. The glory shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of My bounty, and the light radiating from the horizon of My Kingdom, and the glory of My loved ones and chosen ones and of all who dwell in My earth and My heaven, be upon her and upon those who make mention of her through that which hath been revealed from My Pen and the heaven of My Will, which hath encompassed the dominion of earth and heaven. The one bearing the Remembered Name hath mentioned the loved ones of God in each of the villages, and all are illumined before the Divine Throne with the light of remembrance and adorned with the glory of His special favors. We beseech God to aid them to remain steadfast in this Cause, through which, when it was made manifest, the limbs of every idolater trembled while the hearts of them that are sincere were tranquillized. Grace and mercy and loving-kindness from God be upon them and upon His sincere and patient servants.

O Samandar, upon thee be the Glory of God and His bounty! Mention hath been made of his honour Aqa Siyyid Mahmud of the people of Kakan, upon him be the Glory of God, the Lord of the hidden and the manifest. We console and comfort him in that which hath befallen him through God’s irrevocable decree, and bid him to patience and forbearance, and We give him the glad-tidings of that which God, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful, hath ordained for him. Five descendants of the Apostle of God—may all else besides Him be sacrificed for His sake—among the males, have ascended by the command of the Lord of the Day of Resurrection, and the ungodly uttered unseemly words. Therefore was revealed the blessed Surih “Verily We have given thee the Kawthar,” and likewise the aforementioned blessed verse descended from the heaven of divine bounty, and the revealed verses transformed his grief into supreme joy. We hope that his honour Mahmud will be so seized by divine attraction that he will utter the blessed words: “Thine is the praise, O God of the world, and Thine the glory, O Thou Desire of the nations!”

The Word of God hath wrought miracles and manifested wondrous signs, yet the heedless and the doubtful remain deprived and forbidden. Say: O Mahmud! He hath purified thee from thy transgressions and forgiven thee through His grace and His mercy which hath preceded existence itself. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of the seen and the unseen, and unto Thee be glory, O Sovereign of generosity and bounty! The friends of that village, both men and women, and likewise those of other villages, have all in this hour been blessed by the fragrances of God’s remembrance. Say: Glad-tidings unto you, O people of the villages! By the life of God, at My remembrance of you, the ocean of My bounty surged and the fragrance of My favor was wafted abroad. Blessed are ye and blessed is he who hath guided you to My straight path. We counsel you to steadfastness in this momentous Cause.

O Samandar! Upon thee be the Glory of God and His bounty. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to open before your faces the gates of His grace and bounty, to assist you in exalting His Word, to protect you through His sovereignty, and to preserve you through the hosts of His wisdom and His utterance. Verily, He is the Strong, the Triumphant, the Almighty. As for what thou hast mentioned regarding the trust of his honor ʿAbdu’l-Hadir, who is present before the Throne, in these days wisdom requireth no movement, nor will it require it. Say:

My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having given Thy servants to drink of Thy sealed wine through Thy Self-Subsisting Name, and for having made known unto them the horizon of Thy Manifestation and that which hath been sent down from the heaven of Thy bounty and the atmosphere of Thy will. I beseech Thee by Thy radiant and effulgent light, and by Thy mighty and wondrous Name, whereby the realities of names were shaken and the manifestations of wickedness and indecency lamented, to adorn the temples of Thy servants with the raiment of godliness and their heads with the crown of steadfastness and detachment, that they may not be frightened by the might of the oppressors nor the tyranny of the aggressors. O my Lord! Open unto them the gates of Thy bounty and grace, then aid them with the hosts of Thy justice. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, to Whose power the tongues of all created things and the realities of all beings have testified. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Bountiful, the Mighty, the All-Giving. Within Thy grasp lie the reins of all affairs in their beginning and their end.

Section 2: “O Ism-i-Jud! Mention hath been made of His…”

O Ism-i-Jud! Mention hath been made of His honor, the Name of God Jamal, and of His honor Aqa Mahmud, upon whom be the glory of God and My loving-kindness, and his son Ata’u’llah, and the two sons of the departed and exalted Kamalu’d-Din, upon whom be My glory and loving-kindness—Aqa Nur and Ali—and their mother. Praise be to God, they have been and are remembered, both before and after. We have desired to make mention of ʿAta’u’llah, that My call may draw him to a station wherein he shall behold naught save the manifestations of God’s majesty and His signs that have encompassed the kingdom of earth and heaven. We beseech God to assist him in serving the Cause and to enable him to achieve that which He loveth and pleaseth. Verily, He is the Truth, the Knower of things unseen.

We make mention of Aqa Nur who attained My presence and quaffed the choice wine of utterance from the cup of My bounty. We testify that he is among those who have won the mention of My Name in My days and who circled round My Sacred and Beloved House. And We make mention of him who is named ʿAli, who attained My presence at the time of departure from the House. We beseech God to remember him in His Preserved Tablet and to ordain for him that which shall endure as long as My Name, the All-Compelling, shall endure over all who witness and are witnessed.

We make mention of their mother, My handmaiden and My leaf who attained in days when the Light was shining from the horizon of Zawra. We beseech God to ordain for her in the highest Paradise the best of the hereafter and of the former times. Verily, He is the Almighty, the All-Compelling over what was and what shall be.

We make mention of Mahmud who won the mention of My Name in the Scriptures and Tablets, and We have sent down for him that which shall endure as long as My mighty and inaccessible dominion shall endure. O My Most Exalted Pen! Turn thy face toward the land of Ha and Mim, then make mention of My loved ones there, that they may rejoice in the loving-kindness of their Lord, the Lord of existence. By the life of God! We love to make mention of them through verses the like of which the ears of contingent beings have never heard, as a token of Our grace, for I am verily the All-Merciful, the Mighty, the Loving. The loved ones of that land have ever been and are remembered, but the Pen hath outwardly paused from their mention as a wisdom from Us, though inwardly their names have never been erased from the tablet of My heart and My Preserved Tablet.

O Muhammad-i-Baqir! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness. We testify that thou didst hear the Call and didst turn unto it when most of the servants turned away, and thou didst drink the choice wine of love when it was forbidden to all in the land save whom God, the Lord of the Promised Day, did will. Thou hast been and art remembered in all conditions. Earth and heaven and all things bear witness to God’s loving-kindness, grace and mercy toward thee and thy kindred. The Prison Land is ever subject to trials, and in most times the idolaters have been a barrier and hindrance. We beseech God to ordain that which shall cause your names and remembrances to endure. Ye have not been and shall never be erased from sight, as attested by what hath been sent down for thee and those with thee in this Clear Tablet.

We make mention of Javad who hath attained that which was inscribed and recorded in the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds. By the life of God! He hath been beneath the gaze of My loving-kindness, as My Clear Book doth testify. Each of his kindred hath been mentioned. We send Our greetings unto them, convey unto them Our peace, and give them the glad-tidings that their names have been inscribed in the Tablet from the presence of One mighty and powerful.

In these days corruption hath appeared from every direction. The loved ones of God must therefore fix their gaze upon reformation, and remain sanctified and pure from corruption. Now, praise be to God, most kings and rulers bear witness to the absence of corruption in this community. In truth, the station of the people of God is that of kindliness, mercy and love towards all peoples. We must give thanks to God, exalted be His glory, at all times that He hath adorned His loved ones with patience, submission and contentment, such that in the land of Ya, despite the flames of hatred and animosity, none arose in defense. That which they were commanded became manifest from them. Blessed are they and joyous are they. For three days the Tongue of Grandeur spoke in praise of those souls, and there was revealed in their name that which hath no likeness or parallel in the realm of utterance. Joy be unto them and a goodly return.

His Honour the Trusted One, upon him be the glory of God, the Lord of the worlds, repeatedly mentioned before imprisonment the loved ones of that land, and likewise mentioned the sons of the Friend and the heirs of Him Who conversed with God. That honoured one should give to all, on behalf of the Wronged One, the glad-tidings of what hath been revealed in the divine Tablet. Say: O sons of the Friend, who have drunk of My choice-sealed wine and have attained unto that which the detached ones and honoured servants have attained! Rejoice in that the Tongue of Grandeur hath moved to mention your names and make remembrance of you from His praiseworthy station. The Trusted One hath mentioned you in various papers, therefore We make mention of you in such wise as to attract the hearts.

Grieve not over what hath befallen the loved ones in the land of Ya. We have changed oppression into victory and its signs have appeared, and soon that which lay hidden in God’s knowledge shall be made manifest, the Help in Peril, the Mighty, the Beloved. Take ye the chalice of certitude in the name of your Lord, the All-Merciful, then drink therefrom despite every malicious denier. This is the Day wherein the Mount calleth out with the most exalted call and the Tree uttereth that which hath bewildered minds. By God! That which was concealed from eyes hath appeared and the mystery of God, the Mighty, the Loving, hath been revealed. We counsel you with the wisdom We have sent down in the Tablet and with that which draweth people nigh unto God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.

We make mention of My handmaidens there and counsel them with the Most Great Chastity. Blessed is the handmaiden who hath attained unto the mention of her Lord and hath heard what hath been sent down from the Pen of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. We have borne all tribulations for your salvation. To this beareth witness the Tongue of My grandeur in this outspread scroll. We beseech God to protect His sheep from the wolves of the earth and to aid them through the angels and the hosts.

We desired to return to the land of Qaf and adorn this leaf with mention of My loved ones there and My chosen ones whom We have not mentioned outwardly. We testify that they have turned, have attained, and have drunk from the cup of the bounty of their Lord, the Sovereign of sovereigns. Blessed are they and joy be unto them and unto those who love them and who hear their call in remembrance of this forbidden Remembrance. We make mention of My handmaidens and My leaves there and give them the glad-tidings of My manifest and evident grace. God shall soon make manifest their station among the handmaidens and exalt them through His sovereignty which hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth. Thus hath My Pen moved and My tongue spoken, as a grace from Me to My loved ones and My handmaidens in this mighty and sublime station.

The glory that shineth resplendent from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon those who have cast away idle fancies and vain imaginings and have taken what hath been sent down for them from God, the Omnipotent, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

BH00422: The Epistle of God, the Help-in-Peril, the Self-Subsisting

Section 1: “Praise be to God Who hath opened…”

He is the Speaker, the Rememberer, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise

Praise be to God Who hath opened the gates of divine knowledge through the keys of utterance and hath revealed that which had been hidden from time immemorial and concealed from minds and eyes. Glory, praise, peace and splendor be upon the Hands of His Cause who have inhaled the fragrance of the Day of God and have turned to Him with illumined hearts, and who have taken the chalices of prosperity in My Most Great Name from the hands of bounty. These are servants whom God hath described in His Books, His Scriptures, His Psalms and His Tablets, and whom He hath made the Hands of His Cause in His lands. Upon them be mercy from His presence and loving-kindness from His own Self. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Ever-Flowing, the Mighty, the All-Giving.

O Haydar! Thy letter hath come into the presence of the Most Great Scene, the place wherein the Lord of Destiny hath spoken and made mention of His loved ones, and revealed unto them that whereby their names, their remembrance, their spirits, and their deeds in this Straight Path shall endure. Upon them be the glory of God, the Lord of the worlds. O Haydar! Rejoice and give thanks that thy letter hath gained the ear of the Wronged One, even as sorrows have encompassed Him from all sides through that which the hands of those who have broken the Covenant and denied the signs of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed, have wrought. Blessed is the servant who hath turned and stood before all with such steadfastness as hath thrown into confusion the hearts of the transgressors.

Say: O people of God! Put away corruption and tyranny, and take hold of justice and equity. By My life! Ye were created for the reformation of the world and the education of its peoples. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth as He pleaseth. Within His grasp are the reins of all affairs. There is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Almighty. Convey My greetings to My loved ones who have drunk the wine of divine knowledge from the hands of My bounty and who have arisen to serve My Cause, the Mighty, the All-Wise. O My loved ones in that land! Hear My call from the direction of My prison. Verily, He will protect you and guide you unto God, your Lord and the Lord of the heavens and the earth.

O Haydar! Say: O peoples of the earth! Fear God, then judge with fairness concerning that which hath appeared in truth, and be not of the oppressors. I was silent until God gave Me utterance, and I was still until His Will set Me in motion. The Books of God, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, bear witness unto this. Put away tyranny and take hold of justice. Verily, He will preserve you and be with you in every world of the worlds of God. He is the Protector of him who turneth unto Him and the Guardian of the sincere ones. We have created all beings for this Day, yet the people are in manifest doubt. They see, yet they deny; they hear, yet they turn away. Verily, they are accounted among the most lost in My clear Book.

We have desired at this time to make mention of My loved ones whose names were inscribed on a white leaf. Thy Lord is verily the All-Merciful, the Bountiful. O Husayn-ʿAli! The face of the Wronged One hath turned toward thee from this exalted station and hath mentioned thee in such wise as to enrapture the Concourse on High and the dwellers of Paradise. Blessed are the fair-minded! Say: The Bayan circleth round Him and the Book standeth before His face, yet most of the people are heedless. Say: Through Him the ocean of utterance hath surged and the fragrance of the All-Merciful hath wafted, could ye but know it. Say: Through the Pen He hath outstripped the swords of the nations and hath forbidden conflict and strife, and hath abrogated holy war. Verily, He is the Most Merciful of the merciful. This is the Hidden One to Whom the Books have testified, and this is the News whereof Muhammad, the Messenger of God, and before Him every trusted Messenger gave glad-tidings.

O Zaynu’l-ʿAbidin! The Pen from this Prison hath turned towards thee and revealed that whereat all things have cried out, and the Kingdom and the Dominion, the Majesty and the Glory have called out: “Unto God belongeth this wondrous and glorious Day!” We have made mention of thee and thy father in such wise as shall endure and remain steadfast in the Book of God, the Ancient. Be thou thankful for this supreme bounty and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of eternity, for having adorned me with the ornament of recognition and guided me to the Dayspring of utterance. I beseech Thee by the power of Thy verses and their influence to make me steadfast in Thy love such that neither the oppression of the oppressors nor the ascendancy of the idolaters who have cast behind them Thy Covenant and have followed what hath appeared from the daysprings of fancy and idle imaginings shall deter me. O my Lord! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I beseech Thee by the dawning-places of Thy knowledge and the daysprings of Thy wisdom to aid me to assist Thy Cause through the hosts of trustworthiness and true religion. Verily, Thou art the Ruler over whatsoever Thou willest through Thy firm and unshakeable command.”

O ʿAli! The discourse of the Mount hath returned through the appearance of its Interlocutor, and the Tree hath cried out: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of this exalted station!” Blessed is the ear that hath gained the honor of My call and the heart that hath turned to My luminous horizon. Blessed is the eye that the desires of self have not prevented from beholding the Most Exalted Horizon, and the hand that hath taken hold of the Book of God with such power as hath rendered powerless all who are in the heavens and on earth. Say: O loved ones of God! Do ye hear and do ye remain patient? Where is the sighing of your hearts and the lamentation of your souls? Have ye recognized what hath appeared in truth, or are ye among the hesitating ones? Say:

My God, my God, my Lord, my Support, my Goal, my Object of worship, and the Ultimate End of my desire! By Thy might and majesty, Thy greatness and power, I long to lay my face upon every spot of Thy earth that perchance it may be honored by having been touched by the feet of Thy loved ones. O Lord! Forgive the transgressions of Thy servants and Thy loved ones, and ordain for them that which shall preserve them from all else save Thee in Thy days. I testify that Thou art the Generous, that Thou art the Merciful. Nothing whatsoever escapeth Thy knowledge. Thou doest what Thou willest and ordainest what Thou desirest. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Glorious, the Most Great.

O Pen! Make mention of him who hath been named Yadu’llah and remind him of that which hath flowed from the tongue of Grandeur in the Kingdom of utterance, that he may give thanks and be of those who are thankful. We beseech God to strengthen thee to take hold of His Book with such power as the might of the world cannot withstand, and with such steadfastness as the doubts of nations cannot shake. Verily thy Lord is the Almighty over whatsoever He willeth through this Name whereby the limbs of the world have quaked, save those whom God, the Forgiving, the Merciful, hath willed.

O Ruhu’llah! We sent forth the Spirit aforetime and gave the people glad tidings of this announcement whereby the earth and heaven were transformed and the hearts of the transgressors were troubled. And before Him We sent Moses with clear signs and commanded him to announce unto the people the Day of God, the Mighty, the Great—this Day wherein the Interlocutor of the Mount hath been established upon the throne of Manifestation and calleth out with the most exalted call:

“O concourse of earth and heaven! By God, that which was hidden in knowledge hath appeared and He hath come through Whose manifestation the eyes of the near ones have been solaced.”

Thus hath the Sun of utterance shone forth from this station which hath been built in My Name, the Almighty, the Powerful.

Section 2: “O Nasru’llah! Victory hath come, yet the people…”

O Nasru’llah! Victory hath come, yet the people are wrapped in thick veils. The oppressor threateneth Me with tribulations while God promiseth Me victory. Verily, He is the most truthful of speakers. Say: He hath manifested His Cause with such sovereignty as cannot be weakened by the hosts of the world nor hindered by the clamor of the ignorant who have held back the servants from the Law of God, the Protector, the Almighty over every small and great one.

O Tongue of Grandeur! Make mention of him who was named Siyyid Muhammad, who soared on wings of longing to the Daystar of the horizons until he attained that station which God had made the circling-point of the sincere ones. O Muhammad! Remember when thou didst seek the ultimate goal and the loftiest summit, and didst traverse the path when thou didst attain unto the Guide in the days of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Thou didst cross land and sea until thou didst enter the fortified City which was foretold in the Psalms and before it in the Books of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Thou didst stand before the Gate which was opened by the Key of Grace to all who are in the heavens and on earth.

Thou didst witness and hear the Call, and didst attain unto that which had been inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Books of the Prophets. Thou didst appear before the Throne of the Lord, and didst hear His call and behold His horizon. This perspicuous Tablet beareth witness to this. Blessed art thou, and blessed are thy hearing and thy sight. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to aid thee to stand firm in the Greater Steadfastness and to ordain for thee that which He hath ordained for those who have drunk the choice wine of martyrdom from the hands of His bounty. Verily, He remembereth him who remembereth Him, and loveth him who loveth Him. He is the All-Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

We bear witness that thou hast drunk the choice wine of reunion when all were forbidden save whom God, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting, did will. Say: My God, my God, my Lord, my Support, my Goal, my Adored One, my Beloved! I love to make mention of Thee throughout the regions of Thy earth and to call upon Thee at all times by Thy Name amongst Thy servants. O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy sovereignty which hath dominated all existence, both seen and unseen, and by Thy Command whereby Thou hast subdued the world and the hearts of the nations, to make me speak Thy praise and call out Thy Name with wisdom and utterance. Then I beseech Thee by Thy sovereignty whereby the limbs of every ignorant one did tremble and the heart of every opposer was disturbed, to ordain for me from the Pen of Grace that which befitteth the ocean of Thy bounty and the heaven of Thy generosity. Verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Powerful, the Forgiving, the Kind.

We have desired at this moment to make mention of one from whom We perceived the fragrance of the love of God, the Lord of this exalted station, and We wish to conclude the Book with his remembrance, that the choice wine of utterance may draw him to a station wherein the call is raised by command of the Ancient Ordainer. We arose one day desiring another land, and when We arrived We beheld its willows arranged in rows. We rested beneath their long hanging branches, and whenever the winds of will moved them to the right there was heard from their rustling “The All-Merciful hath come with manifest sovereignty,” and to the left was heard from them “The Hidden One hath appeared with His name, the Self-Subsisting,” as though they gave glad tidings to the trees of the world of this Cause which hath appeared through God’s Will, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

O Son of Glory! Hear the call raised from the Mount of Knowledge at the right of the Spot of Proof from the Divine Lote-Tree:

“Verily, there is none other God but Him, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Generous.”

We beseech God to assist thee to know that which most of His servants are prevented from knowing. Verily, He is powerful over whatsoever He willeth. There is none other God but Him, the Protector of all who are in the heavens and earth.

We have manifested the Cause and revealed in diverse books that which shall appear in future ages and centuries. With thy Lord is the knowledge of all things, yet the people are in strange doubt. They see, yet deny; they hear, yet turn away. Verily, they are among the misguided before the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. Say: Be fair, O people, then help your Lord with wisdom and utterance. Thus hath the matter been decreed from God, the Lord of lords. Say: The bounty hath been completed and the proof perfected. Fear the All-Merciful, O concourse of servants in the lands.

We beseech God to open before thy face the gate of utterance and to confirm thee in propagating His Cause with proof and evidence. Let not the derision of enemies grieve thee, nor the might of those who have denied God, the Lord of the beginning and the end. Say: My God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for having given me to drink the cup of Thy knowledge from the hand of Thy bounty and for illumining my heart with the light of certitude through Thy grace and favor. My Lord! Thou seest me turning toward the heaven of Thy bounty, clinging to the hem of the robe of Thy mercy, beseeching at the door of Thy generosity, and hoping for the wonders of Thy favor. I beseech Thee by the blood that was shed in Thy path and by the breasts that were pierced for the exaltation of Thy Cause and the manifestation of Thy Word, to assist me with the hosts of the seen and the unseen, that I may help Thy Cause among Thy servants and make mention of Thee with such remembrances as shall draw unto Thee the hearts of Thy creation.

My Lord! I am Thy servant who hath confessed his transgressions before the waves of Thy forgiveness and his sins before the dawning-places of the Day-Star of Thy pardon. How many nights did I sleep upon my couch, heedless of Thy manifestation and of hearkening to Thy most sweet call as it was raised between earth and heaven! And how many days was I occupied with my affairs, hesitating in Thy Cause! My Lord! I am he who confesseth his poverty, his want, and his need before the kingdom of Thy wealth, Thy pardon, and Thy bestowal. By Thy glory! I am ashamed to make mention of Thee or to describe Thee save that Thou adorn my head with the crown of Thy pardon and my temple with the ornament of Thy forgiveness. Alas, alas, for that which hath escaped me in Thy days!

My Lord! Thou seest the sinner standing before the gate of Thy bounty. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance and the dawning-places of Thy revelation to make me steadfast and firm in Thy announcement whereby the feet of Thy creation have slipped save those whom the hand of Thy generosity did rescue. There is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Forgiving, the Merciful.