Volume 096: Akka 1307 A.H. (1889–1890), Part IV (1 of 4)

BH05904: Lawh-i-Ali-Haydar Shirvani

He is the Helper, the All-Knowing

He Who leadeth to true victory is come. By the righteousness of God! He is fully capable of revolutionizing the world through the power of a single Word. Having enjoined upon all men to observe wisdom, He Himself hath adhered to the cord of patience and resignation.

The clay clods of the world have set forth to visit the embellished, the luminous, the crimson City of God, and certain emissaries from Persia are secretly stirring up mischief, though to outward seeming they pretend to be gentle and meek. Gracious God! When will this world-afflicting craftiness be transformed into sincerity? The exhortations of God, the True One, have compassed the world, but until now their influence hath not been disclosed. Men’s unseemly deeds have kept them back from attaining unto Him. We entreat God—exalted and glorified is He—to pour down, out of the clouds of divine grace, the overflowing rain of His bounty upon all His servants. Verily potent is He over all things.

O ʿAli Haydar! O thou who hast risen to serve My Cause and art engaged in magnifying the praise of God, the Lord of the mighty throne! Unto the emblems of justice and the exponents of equity it is indubitably clear and evident that this Wronged One, strengthened by the transcendent power of the Kingdom, is seeking to efface from among the peoples and kindreds of the earth every evidence of disorder, discord, dissension, differences or divisions; and it is for no other reason but this great, this momentous object that He hath again and again been cast into prison and many a day and a night hath been subjected to chains and fetters. Blessed are they that judge this impregnable Cause, this glorious Announcement, with fairness and equity.

Concerning what was mentioned about His Excellency the Ambassador—may God, blessed and exalted be He, strengthen him—having requested the Kitab-i-Aqdas: let what he hath requested be given. However, ordinances and laws have also been revealed in Ishraqat, Tajalliyat, Tarazat, the Words of Paradise, and other Tablets. All that was mentioned should be given to His Excellency the Ambassador, along with the Tablet of Haydar-ʿAli, upon him be My glory and My salutation.

As for the ordinances that have been revealed separately in various books, in these days a command hath been issued specifically for the observation of the fair-minded and the consideration of the sincere ones, that they be gathered on a page and sent. However, no copy should be given to anyone. Ye know well the deceptions of those who turned away from the Bayan and the Furqan. In any case, deliver that page along with the Tablets that were mentioned, and retrieve them after they have been seen and reviewed. Praise be to God! The world will become another world, and creation another creation. Is there any helper who will assist all the peoples of the world? Is there any supporter who will support them?

Moreover, in the sections addressed to the kings there was revealed mention of the imprisonment of this Wronged One, and of the protection afforded by His Excellency the Minister Plenipotentiary of the august Russian Government—may God, blessed and exalted be He, assist him:

“O King! Whilst I lay chained and fettered in the prison, one of thy ministers extended Me his aid. Wherefore hath God ordained for thee a station which the knowledge of none can comprehend except His knowledge. Beware lest thou barter away this sublime station.” [BH01042]

In the days when this Wronged One was sore-afflicted in prison, the minister of the highly esteemed government of Russia—may God, glorified and exalted be He—undertook with utmost dedication to secure My deliverance. Several times permission for release was granted, yet some of the divines of the city prevented it. Finally, through the minister’s attention and efforts, deliverance was achieved and thereafter We proceeded to Iraq.

By the life of God! From the time of Our arrival until this moment, We have forbidden this community from conflict, contention, oppression and immorality, and have commanded them to righteousness and piety, such that their weapons have been entirely transformed into instruments of peace. A witness to this praiseworthy deed is that for nearly forty years this oppressed community has been seized and subjected to various forms of torment unto the point of martyrdom. In the Land of Sad [Isfahan] that which caused all things to lament came to pass. For successive years they engaged in cursing, reviling, seizing, plundering and killing, until the tyranny of the oppressors reached these days.

His Imperial Majesty—may God, glorified and exalted be He—extended his protection for the sake of God, and this protection has caused an increase in the rancor and hatred of the ignorant ones of the earth. From every direction they are occupied with deception, trickery and schemes. And now the lamp is observed amidst tempestuous winds. We beseech God to adorn His servants with the ornament of justice and fairness. Verily He is powerful over all things and worthy to answer.

My God, my God! Thou hearest my lamentation and sighing for what hath befallen Thy loved ones at the hands of them that have violated Thy Covenant and Testament. I beseech Thee by the waves of the ocean of Thy bounty and the fruits of the Tree of Thy utterance to protect them with Thy hosts and guard them by Thy power. Thou art verily the Mighty, the Strong, the All-Powerful, the All-Compelling, the Radiant Light, the Resplendent Illumination, and the Shining and Brilliant Glory. Upon Thee rest glory and upon those who have aided this wronged community and have turned towards Thee and said:

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

BH01794: Praise be unto the peerless Almighty Who, through His…

He is God, blessed and exalted be His station!

Praise be unto the peerless Almighty Who, through His all-subduing power and all-encompassing will, hath brought countless creatures from the depths of nothingness into the realm of existence and visibility, and from among them hath adorned man with the ornament of knowledge and distinguished him with the recognition of His Own Self. Most great is the station He hath conferred upon man, for all that is […]

Now, the soul that hath borne this most great trust and hath, through the grace of the Lord of all beings, arisen to promote His Cause, and with supreme steadfastness and consummate wisdom hath guided the people to the straight path and the mighty announcement—verily he is of those who have attained, by the Lord of the mighty throne!

O thou who hast attained to reunion in the end! Thy loving letter was received and from it were evident the signs of love and unity. We hope that thou wilt ever abide beneath the shade of [grace] and attain unto that which is good and mentioned in the Book of God. While hastening to reply, thy second letter arrived and added joy unto joy. It attained the presence and mention was made of thee and thy fellow-travelers. These manifest verses were revealed and sent down from the source of grace, exalted be His beneficence:

He is God, exalted and sanctified is He!

O Mir! Upon thee be the glory of God and His favors! Thy letters have repeatedly arrived, diffusing the fragrance of steadfastness and spreading the sweet savors of the love of God. We have heard what thou didst speak before the one who turned away from God, exalted be His glory, and followed his passions. Verily, he is of the rebellious faction. He cast the Book of God behind him and took what his self and desire commanded. This tongue, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, doth testify to this.

Say: Die in your wrath, O people of hypocrisy! The Day of Meeting hath come and the Illuminator of the horizons speaketh before all faces: “The Kingdom is God’s, the Lord of the worlds!” It behooveth them not to seek proof today from the Bayan. Behold, then mention what the Tongue of the Point uttered, saying: “I have written an essence concerning His mention—He cannot be indicated by My indication nor by what was revealed in the Bayan.” Many such passages exist in the Bayan, but few are they who hear. Especially that heedless one who through passion is deprived of guidance, and through words is veiled from meaning. The Most Great Ocean surgeth before his face, yet he is occupied with proving the existence of a pond.

So heedless is he that he knoweth not by what proof he believeth in the Primal Point. We bade him come that he might hear that which would renew the world of meanings and utterance. He accepted not the counsel of the counselor, for he was deluded by love of leadership. He knoweth not what he sayeth even now, being unaware of the root of the Cause. Were he to observe the evidences with insight, he would testify from whom came that which appeared before the Primal Point, from what horizon it dawned, and from what heaven it became manifest. Blessed art thou and those with thee. Mention of that company hath ever been and still is before the Wronged One. The wolves have surrounded Me from all directions. The Command is from God, the Revealer of verses.

We make mention of Mir [Ali]. We beseech God to protect him from his enemies and ordain for him that which shall cause his remembrance to endure. We testify that he attained the presence, achieved victory, and heard the call of God, the All-Protecting, the Self-Subsisting. He gained the choice wine of reunion from the hand of God’s loving-kindness, the Mighty, the All-Loving. We have mentioned him in verses by which those near unto God have been transported, and We make mention when he established for himself a station beneath the pavilions of God’s grandeur, the Lord of the seen and unseen. The glory from Us be upon him and upon those with him, both women and men.

We make mention of him who was named Fath-Ali and say: My God, my God! Aid him to stand firm in Thy Cause and ordain for him that which shall draw him nigh unto Thee in all conditions. Then send down upon him from the heaven of Thy loving-kindness the rains of grace and favors. O my Lord! Thou knowest and seest that he left his homeland, seeking Thy presence in the prison, and attained unto that which was inscribed in Thy Book. Enable him and those with him to do that which befitteth Thy days. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

O Muhammad! O thou who didst migrate in the days of God and didst traverse the regions and lands until thou didst attain the presence of thy Chosen Lord, and didst witness what was hidden from all eyes, and didst hear what was forbidden to the ears of men. We beseech God to adorn thee with the ornament of steadfastness and aid thee to remember and praise Him in all conditions. Verily, He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.

We conclude this Tablet with the name of Khalil. O Friend of God! Give thanks for this supreme bounty. We testify that thou didst circumambulate the Kaaba of God, the Powerful, the Chosen One, and didst attain His presence, hear His call, and show forth thy submissiveness and humility before His countenance. We beseech God to give thee to drink from the ocean of His bounty time and again, and to ordain for thee the good of this world and the world to come.

We make mention of My loved ones there and bid them to be holy and detached. Through deeds are the stations of the valiant elevated and the glory of men made manifest. We send Our greetings to them from this station, and We make mention of My handmaiden who attained My presence and circumambulated around Me, and the maidservants who heard the call and turned to the Most Exalted Horizon. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to aid them to observe that which hath been enjoined in the Book. The glory from Us be upon them and upon My maidservants in all regions and directions.

Your honor and all your fellow travelers have each been mentioned by the tongue of the grace of the Intended One, may our souls be sacrificed for Him, and have been adorned with the ornament of bounty and loving-kindness. Convey to each one that which hath been revealed concerning them, and on My behalf make mention of them with wondrous remembrances and sublime greetings. The press of occupation, as your honor knoweth, hath prevented—otherwise separate letters would have been written and sent to each one. Make special mention of Jinab-i-Khalil, upon him be the glory of God, with remembrance and sublime greeting. Convey to the members of the household, on behalf of the people of the household, wondrous and sublime remembrance and greeting. The spirit and glory be upon thee and upon thy son and those who are with thee.

BH01070: In My Name that prevaileth over all that are…

In My Name that prevaileth over all that are in heaven and on earth

Praise be to the Lord of the world, Who is worthy and deserving, for He has illumined the world and its peoples with the lights of His Most Great Name, the Most Glorious, with the light of knowledge, and through the effulgent dawning of the Sun of Truth has manifested unity and harmony between hearts and souls. Exalted be His power, exalted be His greatness, supreme be His sovereignty! There is none other god but Him. And blessings and peace be upon the Garden of Wisdom and Understanding, through whose advent the heavens of grace and utterance were adorned, and upon His family and companions, whom God made the repositories of His knowledge and the stars of the heaven of His bounty, and through whom God aided His Cause and raised His Word among His servants. Verily, He is the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful.

O Siyyid Mihdi, hearken to the call of the Wronged One from the direction of the Lesser Prison. He wishes to make mention of thee with a mention that shall endure as long as His most beautiful names and most exalted attributes endure. Blessed is he who has found the fragrance of utterance, detached from all else save God, and has held fast to the cord of God’s command, the Lord of all worlds.

That which thou didst send to Siyyid Taqi, upon him be My glory, hath come before the face of the Wronged One. We have heard thy call, thy supplication, thy mention and thy praise. Thy Lord, the Lord of all beings and the Master of the last and the first, hath answered thee with this wondrous Tablet. Blessed art thou for having spoken the truth and responded to thy Lord when the Call was raised from this luminous horizon. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to give thee to drink from the cup of His bounty the Kawthar of His knowledge, and to ordain for thee what He hath ordained for His sincere servants.

Convey to the loved ones of that land the greetings of the Wronged One, then recite unto them what hath been revealed from My Most Exalted Pen at this time. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to forgive thee and thy parents, and those who have turned to the Most Great Manifestation and believed in God, the One, the All-Informed. Verily, He forgiveth whom He willeth through His mercy, and chastiseth those who have denied the Day of Judgment.

We make mention of him who is named Siyyid Husayn and give him the glad tidings of My favor towards him from this mighty Prison. We beseech God to protect him and his family and to ordain for them that which will draw them near to His holy court and the precincts of His presence. Verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

We make mention of thy other brother who is named Ahmad, and We make mention of him through My verses and give him the glad tidings of My bounty, for I am the Compassionate, the Generous.

O Ahmad! Arise to that which will cause the exaltation of the Word of God, and with complete humility speak His praise. Verily, He maketh mention of him who maketh mention of Him, and ordaineth for him what beseemeth His glorious and wondrous bounty.

We make mention of those named Muhammad-ʿAli and Muhammad-Baqir, and We make mention of them with that which will strengthen them and draw them near unto God, the Mighty, the Beautiful. We beseech God to ordain for them what He hath ordained for His chosen ones, and to send down upon them from the heaven of His bounty the table of His knowledge. Verily, He is the Protector of the doers of good and the Ultimate Goal of the sincere ones and those near unto Him.

O Mihdi! Convey to all the friends of that land the greetings of the Wronged One, and likewise to the steadfast handmaidens. We have mentioned them before and mention them now at this time when the Beauty of the Ancient of Days walketh and speaketh the verses of God, the Lord of this glorious station. The Glory be upon thee and upon My loved ones and handmaidens, from God, the Lord of what was and what shall be, the Lord of the mighty Throne and the elevated Seat.

BH01135: The Epistle of God, the Help-in-Peril, the Self-Subsisting

In My Name, the One Who overshadoweth all who are in earth and heaven.

A Book revealed by the Lord of all worlds for the preservation of the peoples. He purposed to send it unto him who turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon at a time when mankind had turned away from it, and who quaffed the choice wine of utterance when all created things denied it–save those whom God, the Lord of the mighty Throne, hath willed.

O Muhammad! Hear the Call that hath been raised betwixt earth and heaven, calling all unto the Path of God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. O Muhammad! The hosts of sorrow have encompassed Us, and there hath befallen Us at the hands of the oppressors that which hath caused the Faithful Spirit to lament. We commanded all to be trustworthy and religious, sincere and pure, yet the people have denied God’s Cause through the promptings of self and desire. Thus hath the matter been decreed, and they are numbered this day among the most lost in My perspicuous Book. Grieve not for what hath befallen Us at the hands of those who have disbelieved in God and His signs, and who have perpetrated that which hath caused all things to cry out and the tears of them that know to flow. The servant in attendance before Us hath laid before Us that which thou didst send unto him. We have heard it and answer thee with this Leaf, which hath been adorned with the verses of thy Lord, the Kind, the All-Bountiful. When bearing it, it cried out saying:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Goal of the world! And thanks be unto Thee, O Beloved of the nations, for having made me adorned with Thy verses and illumined with the light of Thy utterance!”

Blessed then is the servant who heareth and attaineth, and woe unto every heedless sinner. By the life of God! Should anyone at this moment hearken unto the voice of this Leaf, he would, in utmost joy and fragrance, detach himself from the world and all therein and repair unto the One Beloved.

O Muhammad! Upon thee be My glory and loving-kindness. The enemies of the Truth, exalted be His glory, outwardly manifest complete submission and contentment, while inwardly they are engaged in mischief and denial. And the Wronged One, before the faces of all, both learned and rulers, speaketh and saith:

“O people! Fear God and follow not your desires. Follow Him Who hath come unto you with a sovereignty that hath encompassed the world and with a Cause before which the hosts of the heavens and earth cannot stand.”

O thou who hast turned thy face towards the Countenance! Thou shouldst at all times guide the wayward to the straight path through wisdom and utterance, and illumine the oppressors with the light of justice—meaning those who wrong their own souls and are deprived of the most holy and exalted Court of nearness. Make mention of those who are related to Us in the name of the Wronged One, and illumine them with the splendors of the Day-Star of grace. Praise be to God, they have been and continue to be remembered, and have attained unto His favor. Make mention of the friends and give them the glad-tidings of what God hath willed. We beseech God to make them the standards of His guidance amongst His servants. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

A question was asked concerning a person’s control over their own specific properties—whether if one desires during their lifetime to give or bestow all their property to one person, they have that authority, or whether what was revealed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas must be followed. What you mentioned was previously revealed from the Most Exalted Pen, and now is mentioned again as a grace from Us upon you that you may rejoice and be among those who give thanks. Every soul has had and has authority over their own property, for if authority were prevented, the glory of existence would be effaced. In one station, the glory of servants has been and is through properties and through the authority ordained for them. We beseech God to assist His servants to perform what they are commanded in His Mighty Book and to enable them to do what He loves and is pleased with, and to perform deeds from which the fragrance of His acceptance, His command and His wisdom may be diffused.

We desire at this time to mention My handmaiden and My leaf with a mention that will be with her in all the worlds of her Lord, the All-Bountiful, the Generous. The first fragrance that wafted from the garden of meanings and utterance, and the first light that shone and gleamed from the heaven of the Merciful’s loving-kindness be upon you, O you who have turned to the Most Exalted Horizon. I testify that you have believed in God and His signs and have been patient in what befell you in His path. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to send down upon you at all times mercy from His presence and sustenance from the heaven of His bounty and grace from the atmosphere of His favor and generosity.

Blessed is he who mentions you and visits you according to what has been sent down from the heaven of the mercy of your Lord, the Forgiving, the Merciful. Rejoice, O My handmaiden, in My mention of you. The luminary of forgiveness has shone forth and the ocean of pardon and beneficence has surged. Blessed is he who has attained to My mention before and after his ascension. He is indeed among those who are near to God, the Lord of the worlds. Praise be to Him, for He is the Most Generous of the generous ones and the Most Merciful of the merciful ones. Previously too, mention of her flowed from the Tongue of Grandeur. Blessed is she and joy be to her, for she has attained to that which the handmaidens of the world were prevented from, save whom God willed.

We have mentioned the Martyr—upon him be My glory and My loving-kindness and My mercy—in various Tablets. Blessed is he and the leaf who was with him and those whom God has related to him. He is indeed the Ordainer, the All-Wise.

We have commanded the Name of God, Jamal—upon him be My glory and My loving-kindness—to turn in that direction. Blessed is the servant who loved you and heard your words concerning the Great Announcement of God and His firm and mighty Command. The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My grace be upon you, O My friends and handmaidens, and upon those who have heard and turned and said:

“Praise be to Thee, O God of the world, and the grace be Thine, O Thou the Goal of them that are near.”

BH01164: God testifieth that there is none other God besides…

In the Name of Him Who imparts solace, Who brings comfort, Who is the All-Compassionate, the All-Bountiful!

God testifieth that there is none other God besides Him. His is the power and the might, the grandeur and the dominion. He it is through Whom was hoisted the Standard of Guidance amidst all peoples, and the Banner of Bounty amongst all who dwell on earth and in heaven. Through Him the ocean of beneficence surged in the world, and the fragrance of His presence wafted among the servants of God, both men and women. God testifieth that there is none other God besides Him, and that He Who hath come in the clouds of glory is the Promised One extolled in the Books and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Sacred Scrolls and Tablets. Through Him the mysteries were unveiled, the signs were spread abroad, and the Cause of God, firm and impregnable, was made manifest, and His sovereign decree was established over all who are in the heavens and on earth.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of one among the handmaidens who took up her abode in her Lord’s house and attained His presence at morn and eventide, at night and at dawn. We bear witness that she succeeded in serving Me and the Branches, through the grace of God, her Lord, the All-Merciful. We testify that she migrated from the Land of Mystery with her Lord until she arrived at the Fortress of ʿAkka through an injustice at which the dwellers of the most exalted Paradise lamented, and the celestial maidens in the highest heaven were grieved. Blessed is she, and joy be unto her, for having answered her Lord when the Call was raised betwixt earth and heaven, and for having turned unto Him and attained that which flowed from the Most Exalted Pen in the Sacred Scrolls and Tablets.

We bear witness that she partook of the choice wine of utterance from the hand of the bounty of her Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower, and drank thereof time and again, to the shame of every people that turned away from their Lord and were deceived by the ornaments of the world, its embellishments and its colors, to such extent that they cast the Book of God behind their backs and committed that which caused every just and fair-minded soul to weep and made the tears of them that have recognized Him to flow.

By the life of God! The fire of hatred was kindled in her heart to such degree that she rent asunder the veil of the sanctity of God and of His chosen ones and His loved ones, and violated His Covenant and Testament. In her tyranny she reached such a state that she betrayed the trust of God and sent it to a house adorned with the ornaments of the world and the possessions of the nations. Thereby was raised the lamentation of all things, despite that the Wronged One loved her and revealed numerous Tablets for her. But greed held her back and love of leadership encompassed her until she committed that which caused the Pen to lament at her mention and the Tablet at her deeds and actions.

And she committed this for naught but to seize worldly goods and to exalt her station in the eyes of one whom God had raised up and in whose hand and grasp He had placed the reins of affairs. Thereby was the joy of the loved ones turned to sorrow, and their dignity to supreme terror, and their tranquility to weeping. To this beareth witness the Lord of all beings from this most exalted station and most glorious horizon. Verily, He is the Omnipotent over whatsoever He willeth through His binding and wondrous command.

O Tongue of Grandeur! It behoveth thee to make mention of thine handmaiden who was present before thy face at morn and eventide, that from the horizon of the Supreme Pen might shine forth the luminary of faithfulness. Say: The first splendor that hath shone forth from the horizon of bounty, and the first fragrance that hath wafted from the utterance of the Lord of eternity, and the first perfume that hath been diffused by the will of God, the Lord of all worlds, be upon thee, O handmaiden of Baha, leaf of the Tree of Faithfulness. I testify that thou didst turn unto thy Lord when most of His servants turned away from Him, and didst hear His sweetest call when it was denied to all save whom God, the Lord of the Kingdom of Names, did please.

Thou didst acknowledge that which God had revealed on a Day whereon the servants denied it, save whom God, the Lord of creation, did please. Thou art she who circled round the Throne of thy Lord and voiced His praise amongst the handmaidens. We beseech God, exalted be He, to send down upon thee, at all times, mercy from His presence and grace from His own Self. Blessed art thou, O handmaiden of God, and joy be unto thee, O handmaiden of God, in that the Lord of all creation maketh mention of thee in the world of creation.

By My life! The ocean of forgiveness hath surged at My mention of thee, and the fragrance of the All-Merciful’s loving-kindness hath been stirred when I turned towards thee. I testify that thou didst believe in God and His Manifestation, His might, His grandeur and His majesty, and didst act in thy final days in such wise as God hath adorned with the ornament of His acceptance and illumined with the light of His good-pleasure. Thus hath the Supreme Pen spoken on this day whereon We have arisen to make mention of thee, O My handmaiden, and to recall that which thou didst perform in My days. We testify that thou hast attained unto that which most of the servants and handmaidens have failed to attain. Blessed art thou and blessed is he who remembereth thee and visiteth thee, by virtue of that which hath been sent down from the heaven of the will of thy Lord, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful. The glory of God rest upon thee, upon thy beginning and thine end, thine outer and thine inner being, and the mercy of God and His blessings.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by this leaf who held fast to the Tree of Thy Revelation, and by the blood that was shed in the land of Ya in Thy path, and by their patience and fortitude, their humility and submissiveness, and by the tears that were shed in separation from Thee, and by the sighs that were raised in remoteness from Thee, that Thou forgive whosoever hath visited her and drawn nigh unto her resting-place and spoken that which the Tongue of Grandeur hath uttered in Thy prison. O Lord! Illumine the hearts of Thy servants, then open before their faces the doors of Thy bounty. Verily, Thou art the Most Merciful of the merciful and the Fulfiller of the needs of them that seek Thee. There is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the All-Loving, the Bountiful.

BH01195: O Khalil! The All-Glorious Lord declares: Reflect upon…

In the Name of the One True God

O Khalil! The All-Glorious Lord declares: Reflect upon the oppression of the oppressors and the transgression of the aggressors. Whenever the effulgences of the Sun of Revelation shone forth from the horizon of the Will of Him Who conversed upon Sinai, all arose in opposition and clung to objection. Through the tyranny of heedless hosts, there befell the gems of existence that which caused the Lote-Tree of the utmost boundary to weep and raised the lamentation of the Supreme Paradise.

This Wronged One turned to the reformation of the world by God’s command, and was a mighty fortress for nation and state and a manifest power, and had and hath no purpose save the glory of the latter and the exaltation of the former. All bear witness that this Wronged One had no intention save to extinguish the fire of hatred, and this extinguishing is praiseworthy when accomplished through the divine Kawthar of counsel and the Salsabil of heavenly wisdom. Today the purpose of the Wronged One is clear and evident as the sun—all have known and do know, and the denial by some of this most exalted station and sublime rank stems from enmity and hypocrisy, as every fair-minded and insightful one and every knowing and informed one doth testify.

O Khalil! The honored Amin mentioned thee, thus hast thou attained unto this supreme remembrance. Give thanks unto thy Lord for this great favor and this mighty grace.

O Amin! Some time ago the Most Holy, Most Great, Most Glorious, Most Exalted Tablet—which in one place is referred to as the Call, in another as the Spirit of Life, and in yet another station as the Glad-Tidings—was sent that you, together with him who standeth in service, might peruse it and deliver it to the noble embassy. O Amin! Those glad-tidings are luminous, spiritual, holy and radiant ordinances—in one respect they are the mightiest fortress for the servants, and in another they are the water of life for all who dwell in the land. The light of these glad-tidings hath shone forth from the Supreme Horizon and the Most Glorious Horizon and hath encompassed the world, yet their manifestations are not yet known—they shall become known later. We gathered them from the Books, Psalms and Tablets and compiled them in one Tablet that all might attain unto God’s special favors and be freed and delivered from all else.

None is permitted to take a copy thereof; for ye have assuredly heard how the sister of this Wronged One, together with Dawlat-Abadi and others like unto him, have ascribed unto Yahya whatsoever hath been sent down from the heaven of the Divine Will. Even the Kitab-i-Íqan, which was revealed in the presence of and especially for Hadrat-i-Khal, they have attributed unto him. Thus have they clung to such lying inventions, for from themselves there hath appeared no matter worthy of mention. For forty years hath Dawlat-Abadi lived and remained before men’s eyes; yet the two radiant luminaries, the two Hasans, abide hidden in the chambers of the Most Exalted Paradise; and likewise Kazim and those who were with him have attained martyrdom.

Reflect then upon Janab-i-Habib, that spiritual soul and heavenly essence, and upon Janab-i-Ashraf. Consider: wherefore was Hadi suffered to live, and what was the cause of the martyrdom of souls beyond all reckoning? Was the life of the one due to his denial, and the martyrdom of the others to their confession—or rather to something even baser than this? Say: Be fair, O people, and be not of the unjust. No sooner had Hadi given ear than they named him a Babi. Time and again, again and yet again, he mounted the pulpit and uttered such words as would content the shaykh of the land of Sad. He ran to Mashhad, journeyed through divers regions, spoke a word in every place, and in every house he entered cast the seed of doubt.

Glorified be God! Have they indeed been content with such things and with these calumnies of his? By what proof did he believe in the Point of the Bayan, and by what evidence did he affirm the Prophets of former times? Say: Bring it forth, if ye be of them that speak the truth. Yet now he hath laid hold on the game of fraud, though in truth he hath never had knowledge of this Cause, for from the earliest days he was not with Us, nor was he able to read a single Tablet. Nevertheless, it hath been bruited abroad that he is a master of sciences and arts. Mirza Hadi seized the son of My brother, wrote out former Tablets in his name, and gave them to the people. We beseech God to aid him and to aid her unto pure truthfulness, unto turning unto Him, and unto repentance before the door of His forgiveness. He is, verily, powerful over all things.

God is witness and beareth testimony that My brother was powerless to comprehend that which was sent down from God, how much less, then, that such exalted words as these should proceed from him. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken while walking within the palace which God hath made the seat of His mighty Throne and His exalted Seat. Our glory be upon Khalil and upon his son. Praise be to God that His grace encompassed him and His bounty enwrapped him, until he was enabled to arise in service to the friends of God. Blessed is he, and well is it with him, and with whosoever hath quaffed the choice wine of utterance from the hand of the bounty of his Lord, the All-Bounteous, the All-Bestowing, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

BH01221: O Amin! Upon thee be the peace of God…

He is God, exalted be His glory in greatness and power!

O Amin! Upon thee be the peace of God and His loving-kindness. Thy letter was received. Praise be to God, it bore tidings of the health and well-being of the honored Afnan, upon him be the peace of the All-Merciful, and thyself and the other loved ones. God willing, proceed with utmost joy and fragrance in such wise that through the sweet-scented breezes of fellowship the people may be assisted to achieve unity, fellowship and concord. The favored community hath been afflicted. Now it is incumbent, nay obligatory, upon all to entreat the True One, exalted be His glory, that He may protect the believers and their cities and lands from the evil of the ungodly. Verily, He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

His first mercy in the world of contingent being was the casting forth of the blessed Word of Divine Unity. Praise be to God, then thanks be to Him, then glory be to Him and bounty, for He hath favored us with the Word of Unity, and hath made us know the sanctity of His Being, and hath taught us the transcendence of His Essence above all likenesses and comparisons. Verily, He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.

This Wronged One hath, throughout the nights and days, commanded the servants of God unto whatsoever good and righteous deeds He hath revealed in the Book. However, in barren soil the seeds of counsel yielded no fruit and produced no growth. In place of trustworthiness appeared treachery, and in place of contentment, rebellion. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to assist those who have turned away to turn towards Him, and those who have calumniated to speak the truth. Verily, He is the All-Powerful, the Almighty. The letter thou didst send to this servant was perused. We beseech the True One to grant success and confirmation, and to illumine those in authority with the light of justice and fairness. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous.

The petition and letter of the messenger, upon him be peace, was considered. In some matters truth was with him when he spoke, yet we must beseech the True One to protect him that he may hold fast to that which beseemeth him.

O Trustee! This is the Day wherein whatsoever hath been hidden and concealed in existence becometh manifest and evident. God, exalted be His glory, speaking of the Day of Resurrection, hath said: “The Day when all secrets shall be tried.” Now this hath been partially revealed that all may acknowledge with clear certainty that which He hath proclaimed and promised.

God willing, his honor Ali-Haydar, upon him be the peace and bounty of God, will act with kindness toward him, that is, assist him to the extent possible. Regarding what thou didst write about Haji Ali-Akbar, permission is granted that he proceed with A. and H. And likewise regarding Shamakh and Banab, that which they have requested shall be sent from here. And thou didst mention Zayn—We beseech God to make him steadfast. God willing, the evil deeds of the treacherous ones and calumniators have been and will be the cause of steadfastness and trustworthiness among the friends in all regions, that is, it increaseth their praiseworthy qualities. What they have asked for shall therefore be granted.

Thou didst mention Ahmad-i-Farsh. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to protect him and ordain for him the good of this world and the next, and to forgive his father. He is the One to Whose generosity all created things have testified, and to Whose mercy all contingent beings bear witness. There is none other God but Him, the Forgiving, the Possessor of Great Grace.

Divine mercy hath preceded all and His bounty hath encompassed all. He is the Hearer and the Answerer. The hands of the detached ones are raised toward the heaven of His mercy. His generosity and grace are the cause and reason for the appearance of hope. I swear by the Sun of Truth which hath shone forth from the horizon of Muhammad’s brow—peace be upon Him—that He hath never disappointed any supplicant, nor will He ever do so, and He hath never prevented any seeker from the ocean of His gifts. If there appeareth to be delay in the fulfillment of some hopes, this is due to His consummate wisdom, which none knoweth save Him. Were this station to be unveiled, all would testify to that which hath been mentioned and hath flowed from the pen.

Say: O my God, my God! Thou seest Thy chosen ones and trustees in the hands of the calumniators and the treacherous ones who are consumed by the fire of greed, passion, tyranny and wickedness, who devour people’s wealth without any proof from Thee or evidence from Thy presence, and who desire naught but harm to Thy trusted servants. I beseech Thee, O Lord, by the Most Great Word through which the Sun of Divine Unity hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of Thy Cause, and by which the hearts of Thy servants and creation have been illumined, to aid the heedless ones and calumniators to be trustworthy, religious, truthful and pure. O Lord! Help them to return to the court of Thy glory and the gate of Thy generosity. Verily, Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the Pardoner, the All-Bountiful, the Kind, the All-Generous, the Compassionate. There is none other God but Thee, the Single, the One, the Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Convey My greetings to the friends of that land. We counsel all to that which will elevate their stations and manifest their ranks, especially his honor the Shaykh, upon him be the peace and bounty of God, and his nephew. What thou hast mentioned in the letter of the Name of Bounty (Ism-i-Jud) hath been noted, and We ask confirmation and success for them in all conditions. Peace be upon thee and upon them and upon God’s righteous servants.

BH01225: O my leaf! Upon thee be the peace…

He is the Comforter, the Consoler, the Bountiful, the Generous

O my leaf! Upon thee be the peace of God, His mercy and His bounty. The matter which takes precedence over all things and the cause which transcends all causes hath been recorded in the Book by the Most Bountiful Pen as being the station of meeting with God. All those who have drawn nigh, the sincere ones, the pure ones and the chosen ones have longed for this most holy, most exalted and most glorious station. However, God, exalted be His glory, in accordance with His consummate wisdom, hath opened the gate of reunion for some through His name, the Munificent, and the key of His name, the All-Bounteous. Blessed are they who have attained! And among these, He hath ordained death and departure from this world as one of the gates leading to the meeting with Him.

I swear by the Sun of Truth which hath risen above the horizon of the Prison that the mention of this most exalted station and supreme rank transcendeth all the pens of the world and the tongues of nations. Verily it is hidden in His knowledge and treasured in the stronghold of His protection. The empresses of the world and the queens of the nations have not attained unto this station, though at all times they have, in mosques and churches, in monasteries and temples, beseeched and implored this station from the heaven of divine grace. However, that noble lady and leaf who hath ascended, by the testimony of the Most Exalted Pen, hath attained unto this most glorious station. After the appearance and rising of this Luminary of bounty from the heaven of divine favor, they should not be saddened by God’s irrevocable decree, but should engage with supreme joy in the remembrance and praise of the Lord of Power.

O my handmaiden! The love of children is a natural and mighty thing, and the cause and reason for its manifestation hath generally been due to external causes, for man hath loved and loveth the perpetuation of his name and mention, and the cause of this, in the sight of God and men, is primarily the perpetuation of traces, and children are reckoned as the greatest of man’s traces. Therefore the heart is attached to them and clings to them. For this reason, the greatest sorrow appeareth after separation following union. However, the perpetuation of outward traces, whether through children or otherwise, is limited and transitory, and is reckoned among perishable things in the sight of God. That which is greater than this, which endureth in the divine Kingdom, is the Word of God, which abideth forever in the divine Book of the All-Merciful and the heavenly Scripture, and is more exalted and greater in the sight of the Lord, the Chosen One, than a hundred thousand children and traces.

This Wronged One beareth witness that that leaf attained unto the Word of God, and mention of her hath repeatedly flowed from the Tongue of Grandeur and hath been recorded in the Tablets by the Pen of God. He saith: The Day of God is the day of supreme joy, and this is that day the mention of which seized the sincere ones and those who have drawn nigh with joy, eagerness, attraction and rapture. In the Qur’an He saith:

“…that thou mayest bring forth thy people from darkness into light and remind them of the days of God.”

Praise be to God that that noble lady attained unto the mention of the Dawning-Place of the Light of Oneness in the aforementioned days.

Today the souls of the world, despite their outward life, are reckoned as dead in the sight of God, for those possessed of true life are souls who have attained unto the recognition of God. They are the possessors of eternal life and everlasting existence. And those dead who have received their portion from the breezes of revelation and the fragrances of inspiration, and have drunk from the Kawthar of recognition from the hand of bounty—they are alive and enduring in the sight of God. If the sweetness of the utterance of the All-Merciful be revealed from […] that which is concealed in the hidden treasure of the Most Exalted Pen, thou shalt find it until thy last breath, occupied with the praise and glorification of God, seeking martyrdom in His path. Verily thy Lord is the True and Faithful Rememberer.

We desire at this hour to make mention of My handmaiden and leaf who hath ascended unto the Most Glorious Companion, as a command from God, the Lord of all worlds.

The resplendent, gleaming and radiant Light shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee, O My handmaiden, O thou who hast turned unto My horizon. I testify that thou didst leave thy dwelling place, turning thy face toward the Kaaba of God, the Lord of all men, and didst traverse the path, clinging to the Guide, until thou didst attain the Most Great Prison and didst hear the call from the Supreme Horizon, and didst witness that which flowed from the tongue of the Lord of all beings, at Whose appearance the limbs of the oppressors trembled and the hearts of the transgressors were troubled. We testify that thou didst attain unto recognition and didst acknowledge that which was sent down from the heaven of the loving-kindness of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The glory and the light and the radiance from Us be upon thee, and We beseech God, exalted be He, to send down upon thee, at all times, mercy from His presence and grace from His own Self. Verily, He is the One Whose mercy hath preceded all created things and Whose grace hath encompassed all beings. The power of the world cannot frustrate Him, nor can the might of the nations prevent Him. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He is the Single One, the One, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Praised. Blessed is he who remembereth thy days and visiteth thee with that which hath been sent down from the heaven of thy Lord’s Will. He is assuredly among those who remember, in the Book of God, the Lord of all worlds.

BH01242: O thou who gazest toward My horizon and drinkest…

He is the All-Mentioning, the All-Knowing!

O thou who gazest toward My horizon and drinkest the choice wine of My utterance! Hear My call from the horizon of tribulation. Verily, there is no God but Him, the Lord of all beings, Who is established upon the throne. He doeth what He willeth. The oppression of the oppressors hath not hindered Him, nor hath the might of the aggressors frightened Him. He hath manifested Himself and stood before all faces, calling out with the most exalted call:

“The Promise hath come, and this is He Whom the Books of God, the Lord of all worlds, did herald!”

This is the Day whereon the Hidden One hath appeared, and through His appearance the rustling of the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing hath been raised in the All-Highest Paradise, and the murmuring of the Living Waters hath been heard in the Most Exalted Garden, and the Dove of the Cause hath warbled upon the highest branches. The Kingdom is God’s, the Possessor of the Day of Judgment. Through Him did the Point speak and give glad tidings unto the servants, and the mysteries of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne, were revealed. Verily, they who have been prevented from turning unto Him shall have no portion of the Most Great Ocean which hath surged before the faces of the nations and hath brought forth the pearls of wisdom and utterance from hidden shells, as a bounty from His presence. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the Almighty.

Thy letter hath come before the Wronged One, and the servant in attendance before His Face hath presented it. We have revealed for thee that which hath caused rivers of remembrance and praise to flow from the solid rock. Blessed is he who hath turned, and taken, and drunk in My Name, the Lord of all who are in the heavens and on earth. We mentioned thee before in luminous Tablets as a mercy from Our presence upon thee and upon His believing servants.

O Nabil-i-Akbar! Upon thee be My glory! We have desired naught save to extinguish the fire of rancor and hatred, and to reform the souls of all who dwell in the realm of creation. To this testifieth all things and this perspicuous Book. The world hath been perfumed by the breezes of revelation, yet the people are afflicted with a grievous cold. They behold the light yet deny it, and hear the verses yet turn away from them. Verily they are in manifest loss. Among the people is he who believed, then denied, and wrongfully consumed the property of others, uttering that which none before him had ever uttered. Thy Lord is verily the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. He cast the truth behind him when he followed the people, and through wealth was kept back from his ultimate end. Thus did his soul entice him. Verily, he is among the wrongdoers. He cast aside righteousness and piety when he was consumed by the fire of greed and passion. He hath committed that which hath caused every discerning soul to lament. Will his wealth profit him? Nay, by the Self of God, the All-Sufficient, the Most High! Will what he possesseth among the people avail him? Nay, by God’s compelling and wise decree!

Say: O my God, my God! I beseech Thee by the lights of the dawn of Thy Manifestation, and by what was hidden and treasured in the ocean of Thy bounty and bestowal, and by Thy power that hath encompassed all created things, and by Thy sovereignty before which all possibilities have bowed down, and by Thy Most Great Name which hath caused the hearts of the nations to tremble, to assist Thy loved ones to be trustworthy and religious, lest there appear from them that which beseemeth not Thy days and Thy Manifestation. O Lord! Thou beholdest them clinging to Thy cord—disappoint them not of that which Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones among Thy sincere ones. O Lord!

Adorn them with the ornament of righteousness, then preserve them from the evil of self and passion. Verily, Thou art the Powerful over what Thou willest. There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. In the Persian tongue I make mention: in these days, heedless souls have, in their greed for wealth, turned away from the Truth. To such a degree are they aflame with the fire of avarice and desire that the pen is powerless to describe it. For a paltry sum they have turned their eyes away from the Euphrates of mercy and have rent asunder the veil of trustworthiness. They have committed that which hath caused the very essence of truth to weep. Out of love for His servants and creatures, beseech God that He may aid all to achieve what befitteth human dignity and grant them success in turning from estrangement to acceptance, from greed to detachment, and from treachery to trustworthiness. Verily thy Lord is the Ever-Forgiving.

That which is essential today in that land is the unity of the friends of God, as well as the observance of wisdom. Say: Know ye with clear certainty that corruption and contention have not been and are not worthy of the people of truth in this Revelation. That which hath outwardly been bestowed upon the kings and rulers—opposition to them is in no wise permitted. God hath ever been observant of the hearts of His servants, and His purpose is that they become enkindled with the fire of divine love and illumined by the light of His knowledge.

Praise be to God that patience, tranquility and detachment have reached such a degree that the friends allow themselves to be slain but do not slay. That which occurred in Ishqabad is the cause of joy and gladness to the Ancient Beauty, for the friends did not retaliate and chose martyrdom in the path of God.

In any case, thou must strive to reform and refine souls. Make mention of the friends of that land on behalf of this Wronged One and give them the glad tidings of God’s grace and mercy. We beseech Him to aid all to perform such deeds as will diffuse the fragrance of His good pleasure and illumine the horizons of all lands. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Munificent. The Light shining from the horizon of the Will of God be upon thee and upon those who hearken to thy words concerning this momentous News.

BH01269: O friends of God in Lahijan! The Wronged One…

He is the All-Hearing in His Most Luminous Station

O friends of God in Lahijan! The Wronged One hath appeared before the Wronged One and hath mentioned you purely for the sake of My Face, the Mighty, the Beloved. We make mention of you as a token of Our grace and a mercy from Our presence, for verily I am the All-Bountiful, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting. We have mentioned you before in that whereby your names shall endure in the Book of God, the Lord of the seen and unseen.

O Asadu’llah! Hearken unto the call from the direction of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all creation. He, verily, draweth thee nigh unto the Lord of the Throne, as doth testify the Mother Book on this promised Day. Mine enemies have inflicted upon My loved ones such wrongs as have caused the Pen to lament and the Tablet to cry out before the face of God, the Sovereign of all the kingdoms of existence. Recite the verses of thy Lord—they shall draw thee to a station wherein the Herald hath proclaimed:

“The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Lord of existence and of all the hosts.”

Beware lest the oppression of the enemies prevent thee from drawing nigh unto the Lord of the Kingdom of Names. Leave them to their vain imaginings and hold fast unto the cord of God, the Mighty, the All-Loving.

Blessed is My servant who was named Muhammad-i-Sadiq. We testify that he was martyred in the path of God, the Lord of the Throne and of the dust, and the One Who hath dominion over what was and what shall be. We made mention of him before in a Tablet from whose horizon shone forth the light of My loving-kindness, as doth testify My inscribed Tablet. The glory from Us be upon him and upon thee and upon thy mother and upon thy kindred and upon those whom nothing whatsoever hath deterred from drawing nigh unto God, the One, the Single, the Mighty, the Renowned.

O Asadu’llah! Thy name hath appeared before the Face, and We have revealed unto thee this perspicuous Tablet that thou mayest rejoice in this Most Great Remembrance and render thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Blessed is the servant who hath cast away transgression and wickedness and taken hold of righteousness and godliness, as bidden by the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days. We have sent down the verses and manifested the clear proofs. Joy be to him who hath witnessed and seen, and woe unto every heedless and remote one. We have mentioned thy father who hath ascended unto the Supreme Companion with a remembrance whereby have been enraptured the hearts of them that know. The glory be upon him and upon thee and upon those whom God hath related unto thee, from God, the Forgiving, the Generous. We have mentioned each one of them, both men and women, with that whereby the eyes of them that know have been solaced.

O Abu-Turab! The All-Bestower hath come at the final return, yet the people are in doubt and schism. The light hath shone forth through that which the Speaker of the Mount hath uttered, yet most of the people remain heedless and turned away. Their pride hath held them back from the Sovereign of the Manifestation, and their vain imaginings have veiled them from turning unto the Dayspring of certitude. We make mention of thy son who was named Taqi and give him the glad-tidings of My grace and loving-kindness and the light of My bounty whereby the horizons have been illumined.

O Abd-i-Azim! The Lord of the Day of Judgment maketh mention of thee on this manifest Day with a remembrance whereby the fragrance of the All-Merciful hath wafted throughout all possibility. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having guided me unto the horizon of Thy manifestation while the people were in darkness and error. I beseech from the heaven of Thy grace that which beseemeth Thy bounty, for Thou art the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. His be the praise and glory for having aided His loved ones to turn towards Him and for having sent down unto them that which shall endure throughout ages and centuries.

O Muhammad-i-Ibrahim! He Who was named Muhammad-i-Ali, who circled round the Throne time and again and appeared before the Face at eventide and at dawn, maketh mention of thee. It behooveth thee to render thanks unto God for having aided thee in a Cause from which the servants were held back on the Day of Return. We have mentioned the friends of God before and after, and We shall continue to mention them despite every ignorant deceiver.

O Ghulam-i-Qabli-Husayn! After thy departure from that great city, a fire of malice was ignited therein. The oppressor hath ripped open the she-camel of trustworthiness, devoured the sheep of equity, stung the temple of truthfulness, and committed that which hath caused the pens to lament. He cast truthfulness behind him, clinging to the delusions of his own self. Thus did his soul prompt him. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Knowing. The Most Great Law hath wailed, and tears have flowed from the eyes of the faithful at morn and at eventide. He hath violated My sanctity after We had honored him among the servants, turned away from the Wronged One after We had made him a dawning-place for companions, united with God’s enemy in causing Me harm, and together they have committed that which hath caused the temple of justice to swoon and the limbs of the chosen ones in the Most Exalted Paradise to quake. They have wrought that which the Pen is powerless to recount and which the Tablets cannot bear. We have mentioned thee before, and at this hour, as a token of Our grace, for verily I am the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

O Pen! Turn thy face toward him who is named Sadiq, then give him to drink of what hath flowed from thee from the Euphrates of loving-kindness and favor. O Sadiq! Verily truthfulness lamenteth and weepeth, and at this moment, beneath the claws of the calumniators, it crieth out saying:

My God, my God! Deliver me through Thy bounty and save me through Thy grace. O Lord! Thou seest how the liar hath wronged me and imprisoned me in the jail of self and passion. I beseech Thee, O Lord of all being, by Thy power that hath encompassed the world and by Thy mercy that hath preceded all peoples, to deliver me. Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

BH01271: Tablet of Visitation for the Martyrs of the Land…

Tablet of Visitation for the Martyrs of the Land of Yazd

In My Name, the Sorrowful, the Joyous

O Most Exalted Pen! The greatest calamity hath come to pass, whereby the hearts of the chosen ones have melted, all things have lamented, and the dwellers of the cities of names have wailed. Say: The resplendent Light from the horizon of the heaven of bounty, and the Spirit whereby God quickened the denizens of the most exalted Paradise, and the Peace which God made the glory of Islam, and the manifest and radiant Prayer from the horizon of God’s will, the Lord of the Day of Judgment, be upon you, O Dawning-places of glory and bounty, O Daysprings of detachment in creation, and Sources of beneficence throughout all regions.

I testify that through your remembrance, the hearts of lovers were attracted, and through the ascension of your spirits the decree of unity and concord was made manifest on the Day of the Covenant, the Concourse on High was made joyful, and through the light of your faces the cities of glory and splendor were illumined. I testify that by your calamity the rock cried out, the great cry was raised, and tears flowed from the people of the depths of oneness. I testify that by you and the light of your steadfastness was adorned the preamble of the Book of Faithfulness in the mortal realm of creation, and by your suffering the heart of Baha lamented, His Most Exalted Pen cried out, and the outpouring from the clouds of grace and bounty was cut off.

Alas, alas, O Treasures of faithfulness! Alas, alas, O Dawning-places of light in the heaven of praise and remembrance! Through your calamity the ocean of utterance was stilled from its waves, the Lote-Tree from its fruits, and the Sun from its radiance. Verily, those near unto God wandered through deserts and wilderness, mountains and valleys, seeking fragments of your bodies that perchance they might inhale from them the fragrance of the love of God, your Creator, your Beloved, your Goal, your Worshipped One, and your Quickener. Blessed are ye, and blessed is he who loveth you, visiteth you, and visiteth those who visit you.

I testify that ye have attained the most exalted station and the supreme height, and have reached a place wherein God Himself consoleth you, and consoleth your children, your families, and your descendants. Alas, alas, for the injustice whereby the hearts of the highest Paradise and the people of the cities of detachment behind the crimson sea were consumed! Blessed are ye, O Dawning-places of light among mankind, and blessed are ye, O Daysprings of names in creation!

The Wronged One hath ever been speaking of your remembrance, your praise, and what befell you in the path of God. A Countenance from among the countenances of the most exalted Paradise called out and said:

“O Beloved of earth and heaven! Through Thy grief the universe well-nigh returned to nothingness. Have mercy upon the world, O Beloved of eternity!”

Verily, the Faithful Spirit at this moment hath descended from his most exalted station with hosts of angels and the Spirit to visit Thy loved ones and friends who quaffed the wine of martyrdom in Thy path.

Alas, alas, O Knights of the field of detachment! Alas, alas, O Manifestations of the mysteries of martyrdom in creation! I testify that through your calamity the Eye of God wept in His station and the Most Exalted Pen before His face. I testify that the verses lament your afflictions and the evidences cry out at your tribulations. Were it not for you, the mysteries of servitude would not have appeared among creatures, nor the stations of submission and contentment among creation. Ye are they through whose arising to serve the Cause the servants arose to that which God desired in the final return.

I testify that through you the gate of generosity was opened upon the manifestations of existence, and the foundations of ranks and hosts were shaken. I testify that through your acceptance all created things turned toward the Dawning-place of names and attributes, and through your turning all contingent beings faced the source of verses. Blessed is the earth honored by your footsteps, the place adorned by your blood, and the spot made a repository for the fragments of your bodies. Through your grief, the breezes of God were withheld from wafting and the Pen from flowing. The fragrance of His garment testifies that the Mother Book laments over you on behalf of your mothers, and the maidens of Paradise cry out in place of your kindred and your sisters. Blessed are you all, the first and the last of you, your outward and your inward being, and the mercy of God and His blessings rest upon you.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Glory be unto Thee, O my heart’s Desire! Glory be unto Thee, O my Hope! I beseech Thee by the blood of these souls and the pieces of their bodies, by their steadfastness, their patience and their forbearance, by their being enkindled with the fire of Thy love and their turning toward the light of Thy countenance, by their remembrance and their devotion in Thy days, by their sacrifice of their spirits in Thy path, and by their submissiveness and humility before the manifestations of Thy commandments and Thy laws, to adorn the hearts of the peoples with the light of Thy love and Thy knowledge. Then enable the princes of Thy earth and the learned ones of Thy lands to execute justice and equity in Thy realm.

O Lord! Thou seest Thy chosen ones in the hands of the oppressors who have cast behind their backs Thy covenant and Thy testament, who have denied Thy bounty and disputed Thy signs. I beseech Thee by the waves of the ocean of Thy mercy and the effulgent lights from the horizon of Thy tablets, and by those who have cast aside all else save Thee and have taken what Thou didst send down from the heaven of Thy will and the atmosphere of Thy desire, to transform the abasement of Thy loved ones into might through Thy power, and their poverty into wealth through Thy riches. Furthermore, I beseech Thee, O God of Names and Creator of heaven, by the blood that hath been shed in Thy path, O Lord of all beings, to forgive me and my parents, then fulfill my needs and what I have desired from the heaven of Thy bounty and the sun of Thy bestowals. Verily, Thou art the All-Forgiving, the Ever-Pardoning, the Almighty, the All-Merciful, the Generous.

BH01296: O Mihdi, read what the All-Merciful hath revealed…

He is the True One, the Knower of the Unseen!

O Mihdi, read what the All-Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an:

“O my son! If there be a matter the weight of a mustard seed, and though it be in a rock, or in the heavens, or in the earth, God will bring it forth.”

All that was deposited in this blessed verse concerning misery and felicity, detachment and greed, trustworthiness and treachery, hath been made manifest and evident. Blessed is the eye which the veils of idle fancies have not prevented, and the ear which hath attained to hearing. Glory be to God! The treacherous one hath claimed trustworthiness and opened the tongue of counsel. O Mihdi, that which was hidden in the breasts hath been revealed, for the Day wherein secrets are laid bare hath raised its banner, and that which was concealed in the eyes and hidden in the breasts hath, through His all-compelling Will, been made manifest and apparent. No condition of the Hour, and no secret of the Resurrection remaineth unrevealed; nay rather, that which no understanding, knowledge or learning hath comprehended hath been made manifest. The Truth, exalted be His glory, encompasseth and is not encompassed. Verses descend like rain, and evidences from before and after shine forth like the sun. Blessed is the eye that seeth and the ear that heareth, and woe unto the heedless!

Thy letter which thou didst send to the Name of God hath attained unto the Most Holy Court. Say: My God, my God! I beseech Thee by the station honored by Thy footsteps, and by the Names which have won the glances of Thine eyes of grace, and by the House wherein was raised Thy most sweet call and the most exalted shrill voice of Thy Pen—by Thy might, the lovers have been consumed by the fire of remoteness in Thy days. The force of separation hath so seized them that their spirits have well nigh departed from their bodies. Look, O my God, upon those who seek Thee with the eyes of Thy mercy, and deliver them from the torment of remoteness through the grace of Thy nearness.

Then make me, O my God, so firm in Thy love that the calumnies of the people and the doubts of those who have denied Thee and Thy signs shall not prevent me. O Lord! Open before the faces of the religions, through Thy name the All-Merciful, the gates of Thy grace and mercy, that they may return from their vain imaginings to the horizon of certitude through Thy power and bounty. Then ordain for me and for those who love Thee and have drunk the choice wine of Thy revelation from the hand of Thy bounty, every good thing Thou hast sent down in Thy perspicuous Book. Praise be unto Thee, O God of the worlds!

O Mihdi, upon thee be My Glory! Thou didst request permission to attain Our presence. In these days divine wisdom doth not permit such permission to be granted. Be patient, for thy Lord is the All-Patient, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We beseech God to ordain that which His prevailing Will hath determined. In these days sorrows descend from every direction and the divine sheep are afflicted amidst wolves. Ask God, thy Lord, to protect His servants through His power and dominion, and to assist them in that whereby His Word may be exalted amongst His creation. Verily, He is powerful over all things. We make mention of thy brother, and We are the All-Mentioning, the All-Knowing.

O Ahmad! Hearken unto the call of God, the Single, the One. He draweth thee nigh unto His most exalted horizon and ordaineth for thee that which shall solace the eyes of the observers. The Glory be upon thee and upon thy mother and thy sister, and upon those who have believed in God, the Lord of the Throne, and upon My handmaidens who have believed in the Lord of the exalted Seat. We make mention of him who desired to attain My presence, who was named Muhammad-Hasan, and We give him glad tidings of My grace and We beseech God to ordain for him the reward of attaining the presence of Him Who conversed on Sinai. Verily, He is the Hearer, the Answerer.

And We make mention of him who was named Muhammad-Baqir and We beseech God to raise through him the standard of steadfastness and to strengthen him in His remembrance and praise and the service of His Cause. Verily, He is the Protector of those who remember Him and the Master of the sincere ones. O Ali! Hear My call from the precincts of My prison and say: Praise be unto Thee, O my Goal and my Beloved, for having caused me to turn towards the Kaaba of Thy knowledge and to acknowledge that which the tongue of Thy grandeur hath spoken. I beseech Thee to ordain for me that which shall preserve me from turning to anyone but Thee. Verily, Thou art the All-Powerful, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Most Bountiful.

O Siyyid Mihdi! Upon thee be the everlasting glory of God. As to what thou hast asked concerning the Revelation, thou hast indeed spoken the truth, and the truth is with thee. We beseech God to make known unto all the station of this Revelation and teach them of its mighty tidings.

O people of God! Cast away what the people possess and take hold of My Book through My strength, My power, and My sovereignty. Then drink of the Kawthar of utterance in My Name and My remembrance, despite those who have turned away and disbelieved, even to the point of pronouncing judgment against God, the Lord of the mighty throne. Grieve not over anything. Turn with illumined hearts to the Most Sublime Horizon—this station wherein the Tongue of Grandeur speaketh, and around which circle the Most Exalted Paradise, the Supreme Heaven, and the company of those near unto God and the sincere ones.

The glory from Us be upon thee, O Mihdi, and upon those whose names thou hast mentioned at the end of thy letter, and upon thy other brother, and thy other sister, and upon every steadfast and firm servant in the Cause of God, the Lord of this exalted station.

BH01284: In My Name, the Caller between earth and heaven

In My Name, the Caller between earth and heaven

Blessed is He Who hath sent down the verses and made them a sign from His presence, an evidence from before Him, and a proof from His side. He, verily, is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth. He giveth and withholdeth, and He is the Single, the One, the Mighty, the Unconstrained. Blessed is He Who hath manifested what was hidden in knowledge and raised up one who spoke the truth before the faces of the servants. He is the One Who caused His servant to speak forth His remembrance and praise in the prison, in such wise that neither the tyranny of the oppressor nor the cawing of every croaker who denied God’s right in the beginning and the end could strike fear into him.

O son of Abhar! There hath come before the Wronged One what thou didst send unto him who hath arisen to serve the Cause of God, the Lord of lords. Blessed is the soul that hath borne tribulations in the path of God, the Lord of the Day of Mutual Summoning. Blessed be thy tongue for having spoken the truth, and thy countenance for having turned toward God, the Revealer of verses. This is the Day wherein every hidden thing hath been revealed, every concealed thing made manifest, and every silent thing hath spoken, to the shame of those who have denied God and rejected His proof which hath encompassed all who are in earth and heaven.

O thou who speaketh in My Name and who hath arisen to serve My Cause! Hearken unto My call from the precincts of My prison. It verily draweth thee nigh and guideth thee unto the Most Great News, whereby existence hath been thunderstruck, the mountains crumbled, and the heaven of religions cleft asunder. Give thanks unto God for having enabled thee in prison to make mention of Him and sing His praise, and to manifest that which was hidden from all eyes.

O son of Abhar! A hundred thousand praises be unto the Purpose of the world Who, through the Most Great Name, hath opened the gates of the hearts of nations. Through His Name, He hath transformed fear into tranquility, remoteness into nearness, and darkness into light. He is the One at Whose command the clamor of the aggressive doth not deter Him, nor do the doubts of the suspicious hold Him back from His purpose. By the life of God! This servant and His loved ones behold themselves immersed in an ocean of joy, for amid the uproar of these days, when grief hath come upon His Majesty the Sultan from every party save this party, who have not abandoned the bounds of respect and propriety. In truth, propriety hath a magnificent station with the Lord. Blessed is the soul that hath attained thereunto and hath not been deprived.

This Wronged One is bewildered and thoughtful through the nights and days: what hath befallen the divines of the age, the theologians of the time, and the sages of the era, that they have committed that which hath caused grief to the believers and the detached ones? O son of Abhar! This is the time for the manifestation of gratitude and the appearance of praise, for this party, after divine grace, celestial favor, and pre-existent mercy, hath shown no disrespect. Even while the pretenders are engaged day and night in intrigue and deception. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having preserved Thy party through Thy power and sovereignty despite enemies and the appearance of the wicked ones. No harm hath come upon the blessed person of the Sultan from them. If this matter be denied in these days, its signs and manifestations shall surely encompass the world thereafter, and all shall acknowledge the appearance of divine grace and mercy. Verily, He doth not suffer the reward of the doers of good to be lost.

His honor and the other loved ones should repeatedly call the people to patience and forbearance, and not be distressed by the deeds of some. They should fix their gaze upon the horizon of the Cause, not upon the words and deeds of the servants. The essence of the Cause and the good intentions of this party are not hidden from His Majesty the Sultan and the Chief of Princes. If, out of wisdom, some matter should appear from the Sovereign Commander, one must hold fast to the cord of patience. This Wronged One beseecheth God to preserve and protect this party, lest some matter should appear that would lay waste the deeds and patience of forty years. No blessing and no food hath a sweetness that prevaileth over the sweetness of patience. Whatsoever appeareth from this party is for the sake of God, and the gaze of all is fixed upon the horizon of His favor. He is the One unto Whom all are drawn, Who bestoweth full recompense upon them that seek Him. There is none other God but He, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

Beseech ye the one true God that He may unveil before His Majesty the Sultan and His Highness the Grand Vizier that which will enable them to become aware of this Wronged One’s purpose and aspirations. By God! They would then find themselves established upon a ship which no winds could move and no waves could harm. Thus hath the Wronged One spoken, as a token of His grace upon thee. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Compassionate, the Most Generous. Thou hast ever been and continuest to be remembered.

Take hold of the Most Great Handle in the name of the Lord of all mankind and say: O my God, my God! I beseech Thee by the Dawning-Place of Thy signs and the Dayspring of Thy clear tokens to unveil unto Thy servants that which Thou hast unveiled unto us through Thy power and Thy sovereignty. Thou art He through Whose Name Thou didst raise the standard of free will before the faces of the righteous and the wicked alike. There is none other God but Thee, the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest, through Thy binding and perspicuous command.

BH01303: Praise be to the All-Giving Lord, the Master…

He is God, exalted be His glory, the Mighty and Powerful!

Praise be to the All-Giving Lord, the Master of origin and return, Who hath uttered that which leadeth to the advancement and elevation of existence, the tranquility of the world, and the order of nations, and Who hath adorned the Afnan among His servants with kinship unto Himself and illumined them with the rays of His special bounty and favor. And blessings and peace be upon His handiwork through whom the world was set ablaze with the fire of the love of God, through whom the gate of heaven was opened and the treasures of the Divine Throne and all that was stored therein were revealed, and upon His family and companions, the dawning-places of might and the daysprings of power, through whom authority was manifested, the rock cried out, the ocean of justice surged, and the fragrance of equity was wafted abroad. My spirit be a sacrifice for your service, your mention and your praise.

Your multiple letters arrived and gave fresh light to the eye and a new melody to the ear. We beseech God to strengthen your pen and to cause the ink to succeed in mentioning love and unity. In truth, from every word thereof the fragrance of the spirit was diffused. After perusal, We proceeded to the Most Great Prison where it was presented, and He declared:

He is the Helper, the Chosen One!

O My Afnan, O ʿAli, upon thee be the peace of God and His loving-kindness! Praise be to God Who hath granted health, bestowed strength, and confirmed thee in the recognition of His blessed Self. Were it not for His grace, who would be able to turn unto Him or recognize even a single one of His mentions? At all times the rain of grace and bounty descendeth from the clouds of mercy. We beseech Him to protect thee and to confirm thee in that which He loveth and is pleased with. Grieve not over the severe trials that have befallen through God’s irrevocable decree, for after every hardship He hath promised ease, and after every intensity, relief. Throughout all ages people have experienced both hardship and relief, and afterwards they have attained to that which hath no equal. Say:

My God, my God! Thou seest me turning unto Thee and clinging to the cord of Thy generosity, the cord of Thy grace, the cord of Thy bestowal, and the cord of Thy bounty. I am surrounded on all sides by that which hath caused my limbs to quake and my heart to tremble. I beseech Thee, O Reformer of all affairs, by the One Who conversed on Sinai, and by the Light and its Manifestation, and by Thy Prophets and Thy chosen ones, and by Him through Whom and through Whose advent the heavens of Thy power and the spheres of Thy utterance were honored, to transform these sorrows into joy, this hardship into relief, this difficulty into ease, and this abasement into supreme glory. I testify that Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever Thou willest. Thou hearest and answerest, and verily Thou art the Forgiving, the Generous.

We send greetings to the loved ones in that land. Convey Our greetings to Muhammad Mustafa, upon him be the peace of God and His grace. Permission was sought previously for one of the loved ones and permission was granted. The other loved ones are mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One. We beseech God to confirm them all in fellowship, unity, love and concord, and in deeds that lead to the exaltation of their station. Verily, He hath power over all things. We have ever mentioned and continue to mention the loved ones. We beseech the Exalted One to protect them and to send down upon them blessings from the heaven of His bounty. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Bestower, the Mighty, the Generous.

All praise and bounty belongs to God, inasmuch as He protected the companions of the prison with sovereignty, glory and grandeur, and bestowed love and affection upon them. I beseech His exalted Self to gather them beneath the banner of His generosity that hath encompassed all existence, and to aid them to achieve praiseworthy character and goodly deeds. Verily He is the Almighty, the All-Bountiful. This evanescent servant beseecheth and imploreth the Eternal Truth to adorn that blessed and auspicious being with the ornament of joy and delight, and to make manifest the means of gladness and felicity. Although according to the utterance of the Master, the people of grace, truthfulness, kindness and forbearance have ever reposed beneath the shade of His favor, for their glory is of God and their joy hath been and is in Him. This is why in one of the Tablets He saith: The dominion of the Afnan is established in the divine Kingdom, not in the earthly realm of water and clay. Verily He is the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

It is hoped that through God’s grace and favor that which beseemeth His generosity, bounty and munificence may be made manifest. I convey greetings and praise to the loved ones of that land, and I have mentioned and continue to mention each one of them. Verily our Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful. The prayer that Haji—upon him be God’s peace—requested was sent. It is hoped that they may attain unto it and drink from the choice wine of its utterance. Verily He is the Helper, the All-Bountiful.

BH01341: This is a Book which calleth aloud…

He is the Songster upon the Branch of Eternity!

This is a Book which calleth aloud in the world and summoneth all peoples to the Most Great Name, whereby the hearts of the Concourse on High were attracted and the hearts of them that denied God, the Creator of heaven, were perturbed. O thou who art present before the Countenance! Recount unto the people of cities and lands that which thou hast witnessed and heard, when thou didst take for thyself in the Pavilions of Grandeur a station that was exalted in the name of God.

Say: O people of the Furqan! The All-Merciful hath come with a sovereignty before which the hosts of earth and heaven cannot stand. This is attested by the Mother Book which speaketh in the final abode and proclaimeth: The appointed time hath come, and the Revealer of verses hath come from the horizon of might with a Cause before which have bowed the necks of those who established for themselves beneath the shadow of vain imaginings a station that was, from time immemorial, rejected through justice. Beware lest the contingencies of idle fancies withhold you from His Name, the Self-Subsisting. Cast away vain imaginings! The Lord of all beings hath appeared with a sovereignty that was witnessed in truth. The Fire speaketh from the Lote-Tree, and the Light hath shone forth from this Horizon which was known by the name of God.

This is a Day wherein the divine Hill hath attained the presence of God and the call hath been raised from all things: The Spot hath been adorned through the advent of the Lord of all beings. Blessed art thou, O Land of Syria! The Morn of Manifestation hath breathed within thee, and thereby hath the fragrance of God been diffused throughout all else. Blessed is he who hath cast away that which the people possess and hath taken for himself a path unto Him. In this moment the cry of Zion hath been raised and Mount Carmel rejoiceth at the sea of attainment. Thus hath the matter been decreed through grace.

O Carmel! Thou didst taste the poison of separation through ages and centuries; now the honey of reunion hath come unto thee, inasmuch as the Countenance of the Ancient of Days hath turned toward thee from this direction which was recorded in the Mother Book by the Pen of the All-Merciful. The rapture of the utterance hath seized all created things. Blessed is the one whom neither the might of any oppressor nor the ascendancy of any aggressor hath weakened. He is of the people of Baha who were mentioned by the tongue of God in the Qayyumu’l-Asma’. This is a Tablet that hath been sent down in truth and hath given the world the glad-tidings of the manifestation of the Ancient of Days. Blessed is he who hath hearkened and hastened to a station that was illumined by the lights of His countenance. Thus hath the Most Exalted Pen spoken, and there hath appeared that which was hidden from the people, save whom God willeth. Verily, He hath power over all things.

O Abdul-Baqi! The countenance of the Ever-Abiding hath at this moment turned towards thee and maketh mention of that which will draw thee nigh unto God, the Lord of all worlds. We bear witness that thou didst attain unto His presence on this Day and didst turn unto God at a time when every heedless and remote soul had turned away from Him. And We testify that thou didst seek after the Ultimate Goal and the Most Exalted End, and God aided thee through the agencies of the heavens and earth until thou didst arrive upon the shore of the ocean of grandeur and didst attain unto that which had been recorded by the Pen of Revelation in the Books of the Messengers. Thou art he whom the clamour of the people did not frighten, nor did the might of those who denied the Day of Judgment hold thee back. Thou didst purpose, depart, and hasten until thou didst attain unto a place wherein the call of God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy, was raised. Blessed be thine eye for what it beheld and thine ear for what it heard.

When thou didst arrive in the Land of Ta, it was the hope of them that are nigh unto God that thou wouldst stand before the Hands of the Cause of God, convey My glorification unto them on My behalf, and give them the glad-tidings of My loving-kindness, My grace and My mercy that have preceded all who are in the heavens and on earth. We have not mentioned their names, in accordance with the wisdom from Our presence. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Then make mention of My loved ones in that place, who have cast away what the people possess and taken hold of that which they were bidden in the Book of God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

Say: This is the Day of Victory, did ye but know it, and this is the Day of remembrance and praise. Blessed is he who hath uttered that which he was commanded in My Preserved Tablet, wherein have been sent down the mysteries of what hath been and what will be. Say: This is the Day whereon the Temple of Revelation was established upon the throne of Sinai, yet most of the people do not understand. Say: This is the Day of Utterance, did ye but comprehend it, and this is the Day of distinction, would ye but judge with fairness. This is the Day whereon the Ark of the Bayan sailed upon the ocean of divine knowledge through this blessed, mighty and beloved Name. Say: O people of the earth! Beware lest the veils of glory hold you back from My Name, the Self-Subsisting, and beware lest names hold you back from God, the Possessor of this manifest station. Aid your Lord through the wisdom wherewith ye have been commanded in the Tablets of God, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Beloved.

Then make mention of My greetings unto thy family and those who are with thee, and recount unto them what thou hast heard from the tongue of God, the Possessor of the unseen and the seen. Thus hath the fragrance of utterance been wafted when the Tongue spoke forth from this praiseworthy station. The glory from Our presence be upon thee and upon those who have quaffed the choice wine of divine knowledge from the chalice of the bounty of God, the Lord of dominion and the Kingdom.

BH01357: Praise befitteth and is worthy of the Most Great…

In His Name, exalted be His station, the Bestower of gifts and favors!

Praise befitteth and is worthy of the Most Great Cause, which through the key of the Most Exalted Word hath unlocked the doors of hearts and souls, and adorned them with harmony and unity. Glorious is His utterance and mighty His proof, and there is no God but Him. On this blessed day the friends of God must be adorned with the crown of detachment and the luminous raiment of steadfastness, and must remain attentive and hold fast to this blessed Supreme Word, which is a penetrating sword for the opposers and an enduring bounty for those who have turned to Him.

O God! I beseech Thee by Thy Glory at its most glorious, and all Thy Glory is indeed glorious. O God! I beseech Thee by the whole of Thy Glory to make me steadfast in Thy Cause and in Thy love.

O Muhammad-Rida! Though thou art not present in body, thy traces are manifest and evident like thy very being. The greatest bounty is that these traces are companions and confidants in the rose-garden of the peerless Friend. Blessed art thou and happy art thou! Make mention of the friends in the land of Kha on behalf of the Wronged One. Say: O people of God! This is the day for the triumph of the Cause, and triumph is dependent upon and connected with deeds and character. Say: Behold ye the power of God and His sovereignty! And let them turn their gaze toward the land of Ya, where in an instant punishment was transformed into sweetness and tyranny into justice. Blessed is he who hath found and recognized, and woe unto the heedless!

O thou who hast turned thy face toward Me! Muhammad, upon him be My glory, sent thy letter to the Most Holy Court, and the Branch Diya, out of pure grace, requested a reply. At once this Most Great Tablet was revealed from the heaven of the bounty of the Lord of Eternity and sent forth. The spiritual youth, upon him be God’s everlasting grace, and his honor Ibn-i-Ta’if-i-Marfu’, upon him be God’s eternal glory, have been and are mentioned. O youth! Thou hast ever been and art remembered. Should anyone ask thee about the Ark of God, say: Verily it is amidst the waves. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to assist His people to attain such steadfastness as would shake the foundations of the opposers and cause the hearts of the calumniators to tremble.

O spiritual youth! The cup of martyrdom hath another exhilaration and another rapture. The lovers in the city of Ya have attained that which the pens of the isles of knowledge and the tongues of the realms of utterance and inner meaning are powerless to describe. Blessed are they and happy are they! They are the horsemen in the field of love and faithfulness and the heroes in the arena of power and bounty. The eye of creation hath not seen the like of such souls, nor hath the ear of invention heard of such sacrifice. We beseech the Lord to ordain for His loved ones that which He hath ordained for them. Verily, He hath power over all things. From the heaven of grace was sent down that which is specially meant for the departed and elevated Sadr and his honor the elevated Mirza Ali, upon them be the glory of God and His care—that which its fragrance shall never cease and its traces shall never fade. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to send down upon them in this hour a mercy from His presence and a bounty from His own Self. Blessed is he who remembers them and visits them, for he is among the successful ones in a mighty tablet.

Convey greetings to each of the friends on behalf of the Wronged One. Say: Today is the day of victory and triumph; deprive not yourselves. The righteous deed of the son of the departed Ahmad, who ascended unto My horizon, and likewise the deed of him whom God related unto him, are before Our sight and have been recorded by the Supreme Pen in the crimson scroll. Happy are they both, and happy are they—meaning those souls who rendered assistance and joined in this benevolent act. Nothing whatsoever escapeth the knowledge of your Lord. He heareth and seeth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

We have commanded the friends in the scriptures and tablets to justice, and forbidden them from oppression and corruption. They must, through the power and might of God, shun and avoid that from which the odor of corruption can be detected. This is a firm ordinance that hath been sent down and issued forth from the will of the Lord of eternity and the Most Great Name. Blessed is he who hath heard and acted upon that which God, the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days, hath ordained.

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by the blessed, hallowed, and most exalted Word, through whose dawning from the heaven of Thy will the ocean of immortality surged, the fragrances of bounty wafted, and the sun of faithfulness shone forth, to aid Thy loved ones to arise to serve Thee and to stand firm in Thy Cause with such steadfastness as cannot be deterred by hosts and ranks, nor by the roaring of those who have denied God, the Lord of bounty and the Lord of hosts. He is the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Loving.

BH01417: O My handmaiden! My glory be upon thee! At…

He is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful!

O My handmaiden! My glory be upon thee! At this hour the gate of utterance hath been opened, turning unto thee, that thou mayest give thanks unto thy Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. O My leaf! The Divine Lote-Tree desireth to speak that which it spoke on the Mount of Knowledge unto the Son of Imran, that it may draw thee to the Dayspring of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

O thou who hast turned towards My horizon! Verily, the heaven desireth to send unto thee a manifestation from among the manifestations of its sun, and a light from among the lights of its moon. Say: My spirit be a sacrifice for Thy tender mercy, O Lord of all being, Creator of all things, Sovereign of all names, Who gazeth upon all men and women, and Who speaketh that which draweth them nigh unto God, the Lord of all worlds!

O My handmaiden! Behold, behold the pearls which We have sent unto thee from this Most Great Sea, as a mercy from Us upon thee and upon those who have heard the Call and have said: “Praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Beloved of all in the heavens and on earth!” O thou who art present before the throne! Hear My call time and again, repeatedly. Verily it is the water of life for the people of creation and the light of the All-Merciful amidst the followers of all religions. Blessed is he who hath heard, witnessed and seen, and woe unto the heedless! The wine of My choice nectar hath intoxicated the Concourse on High and the Supreme Paradise. They cry “Glory!” and “God is Most Great!” to this Name, at Whose appearance the limbs of the idolaters who violated God’s Covenant and Testament trembled, and who denied that which was sent down from the heaven of His utterance in this mighty, exalted station.

Give thanks, give thanks and say: “Praise be unto Thee for having remembered me with verses that have attracted the hearts of those near unto Thee!” Glorify, glorify and say: “All praise be unto Thee, O Thou Who art the Sovereign of the Kingdom of Names, for having turned toward Thy handmaiden and revealed unto her that which hath brought solace to the eyes of those endued with knowledge!” Thus hath the Most Great Sea spoken forth in a station which God hath sanctified beyond the understanding of the sincere ones.

O My leaf! We have been encompassed by sorrows from all directions through that which the hands of those whom God created to aid My Cause have wrought, for they have instead aided Mine enemies who have pronounced judgment against Me with such injustice as hath caused the Holy Spirit to lament.

In the Persian tongue, hearken unto the call of the Wronged One: Though outwardly His Majesty the King and the Minister remain silent and have even shown some measure of kindness toward this community, inwardly they persist in and act according to their own desires. By My life! Their power and might shall not prevent Me. We have arisen before all faces and have cast upon all that which God hath taught Me, with a sovereignty that hath encompassed the whole earth. Every truthful and faithful one beareth witness unto this. Ere long the signs of God shall become manifest and resplendent from all directions. Neither the might of the oppressors nor the power of the heedless can prevent it. The divine signs penetrate all things and His Will is supreme. Can anyone prevent Him from exercising His sovereignty? Nay, by His own Self, the Truth! We have revealed that which was hidden from all eyes and treasured in the knowledge of God, the Lord of Lords.

Convey My greetings to all the handmaidens in that land. Say: O handmaidens of God! This is the day of supreme joy. With spirit and fragrance, occupy yourselves with the remembrance of the Beloved of all worlds. However, do not let go of wisdom, for adherence to it hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen in numerous Tablets, lest there appear that which would grieve the hearts of those of My handmaidens who have heard My call, who have won victory through My traces, who have witnessed that which hath been sent down from the heaven of My grace, and who have responded when the Call was raised between earth and heaven. Thus hath the tongue of the Wronged One spoken at this precious and beloved hour.

Take a cup of tea in defiance of My turbaned enemies, then drink from it once for My love and again in remembrance of Me, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

The divines of Iran who for years have claimed knowledge, excellence and wisdom are found to be the most lost, most lying and most ignorant of the world, save whom God willeth. We beseech God to protect His servants and handmaidens. He is the One by Whose command all things have appeared and through Whose love they have moved and proclaimed:

“This is the Day wherein He hath come, through Whom the lips of God’s books have smiled, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.”

The glory shining from the horizon of the Mother Book be upon thee and upon My handmaidens there, and upon all who are steadfast and firm.

For nearly three years, especially for My handmaiden and My spiritual leaf, upon her be My glory, there hath been revealed that which is as Kawthar for those near unto God and as Salsabil for the sincere ones. This time it was sent—give her these glad tidings. Verily her Lord is the Forgiving, the Merciful, and He is the All-Bountiful, the Generous.

BH01472: O son of Ashraf! Upon thee be the glory…

He is the Consoler, the Comforter, the Kind, the Generous!

O son of Ashraf! Upon thee be the glory of God, His grace, His bounty and His radiance! There hath come upon Us from the oppressors that which hath caused My heart to cry out, My Pen to lament, and the eye of My loving-kindness to weep when We beheld the sheep of God amidst the wolves of the earth and the She-Camel of God in the hands of the oppressors. Verily, the oppressor hath issued a decree to slay My She-Camel and sink My Ark. Therefore hath the Herald cried out from the right hand of the Throne of My majesty:

“O the pity of it! The servants have broken God’s Covenant and His Testament, violated the sanctity of His Cause, slain His chosen ones and His loved ones, and plundered their possessions with manifest tyranny!”

O Husayn! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. Hearken unto the Call from the direction of ʿAkka. Verily, there is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Blessed is thy father, and blessed is he who loveth him, and who standeth before his resting-place and remembereth him with what hath been revealed from the Supreme Pen at this manifest time.

Glory and remembrance and praise be upon thee, O Ashraf! I testify that thou didst witness the waves of the ocean of thy Lord’s utterance and the effulgences of the Day-Star of His Cause, and thou didst attain unto that which most of mankind hath failed to attain. Thou art he who turned towards God in the earliest days when the Call was raised between earth and heaven, in such wise that neither the happenings of the world nor the clamor of the ignorant could deter thee. Throughout thy days thou didst speak in praise of thy Lord, didst hold fast unto the cord of His grace, didst arise to serve Him, and didst guide His servants. Blessed art thou, and joy be unto thee, and unto him who remembereth thee and loveth thee and presenteth himself before thy grave and calleth to mind thy days and what befell thee from the dawning-places of oppression and the day-springs of tyranny.

Thou art he whom the might of the people did not weaken, nor did the hosts and ranks frighten. Thou didst acknowledge God and His signs, and didst attain His good-pleasure in His days. I testify that through thy ascension the ocean of forgiveness surged and the fragrance of the mercy of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, was diffused. The hands of grace and favor have caused thee to enter the Most Exalted Paradise, the description of which the pens are powerless to set forth and the tongues unable to express.

We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to send down upon thee, at all times, mercy from His presence and light from His nearness and loving-kindness from His side. Verily, He is the Forgiver, the Bountiful. There is no God but Him, the Single, the One, the Compassionate, the Generous.

And for him who presenteth himself before the tomb, it behooveth him to say:

“My God, my God! I beseech Thee by this martyr who gave up his spirit in Thy path and deposited his body in Thy love between the hands of Thine enemies, and who denied not Thy Manifestation and Thy Revelation and Thy Cause that hath encompassed Thy earth and Thy heaven, to forgive me and my father and my mother and my kinsmen. Then ordain for me the good of the world to come and of this world. Verily, Thou art the Lord of all men, the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below. There is no God but Thee, the Ordainer, the Ancient of Days.”

O Husayn! I hope that thou wilt walk in the footsteps of thy father and appear amongst the servants in utmost sanctity and detachment. In truth I say, pure deeds and praiseworthy character have been and continue to be the helpers of God’s Cause in this Most Great Revelation. Blessed is he who renounceth his desires and holdeth fast unto the fear of God. He is assuredly among those who are nigh unto God in My perspicuous Book. All the souls mentioned in thy letter have attained unto divine favors, and mention of each one hath flowed from the Tongue of Grandeur. We have remembered them before and do remember them at this time, and We give them the glad-tidings of God’s bounty, His bestowal, His mercy and His favor.

Verily, He is the Manifest, the All-Knowing. At this moment the ocean of Mine utterance hath surged and the fragrance of My remembrance hath been diffused. Blessed are they and joy be unto them. We beseech God to aid them and assist them to serve the Cause, and to ordain for them the good of this world and of the world to come. Verily, He is the Generous, the Lord of great bounty. Convey My greetings to each of the relatives of the martyred departed one who have attained to recognition, and give them the glad-tidings of the favors of God, exalted be His glory. Likewise, make mention of the believing handmaidens on behalf of the Wronged One. We beseech God to ordain for them that which He hath ordained for His devoted handmaidens.

Verily, He is the Most Powerful of the powerful ones and the Most Merciful of the merciful ones. The glory shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon those who have quaffed the wine of steadfastness from the hands of My bounty, and upon every steadfast and firm one, and every faithful and trusted one.

BH01488: We have today left one place, intending for another…

He is the One Who speaketh before the rulers and the ruled

We have today left one place, intending for another, and We have spoken that whereby the hearts of the people were attracted, and all things spoke even as the Tongue hath spoken, and the Dove of the Cause hath called out in the Most Exalted Paradise:

“He Who was hidden hath appeared, and He Who was promised hath come! Rejoice, O peoples of the earth, and respond to Him Who hath called you to His most exalted horizon and His most glorious station, which hath been the object of circumambulation of the Concourse on High throughout ages and centuries.”

We passed by trees and rivers, and heard the rustling of the former in remembrance of the Lord of all beings, and the murmuring of the latter in remembrance of this Eternal Remembrance and Everlasting Light, whereby the ocean of oneness surged and the fragrance of God, the Lord of lords, was diffused. Blessed is he who hath dealt equitably in this Cause, and he who hath turned to the Dayspring of lights. This is the Day whereon the Temple of the Manifestation was established upon the throne of utterance, and spoke that whereby the sincere ones and they who are detached hastened unto God, the Revealer of verses.

O Andalib! Upon thee be the Glory of God and His favors. Thy letter hath come before Us. We perceived from it the fragrance of thy love, thy sincerity, thy steadfastness, thy remembrance, and thy wisdom for God and for His Face that shineth from the horizon of horizons. Say: O people! By God, He hath appeared Who was the object of the pure ones’ desire, and through Him the sun of wisdom and proof hath shone forth in the realm of possibility. Exalted is the Most Merciful Who gave glad tidings to the servants of the mention of Him Who conversed with the Sinai, through Whom existence smiled and atoms spoke:

“The kingdom, the dominion, the glory and the might belong to God, the Lord of the Day of Reckoning!”

O Andalib! By the life of God, the deeds of those who have cast godliness behind their backs, clinging to tyranny and wickedness while attributing themselves to the Dayspring of sanctity and holiness, have grieved Me. By this the Pen of God hath lamented in the most exalted station. We have revealed in the Tablets that which draweth the servants nigh unto the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. Among them are those who claimed My love and entry into the stronghold of My grace, yet committed that which caused My heart and My Pen to lament, and the eye of My inner being to weep at all times.

Say: O people! Fear God and follow not your desires. Follow Him Who hath come from the heaven of Command with power and sovereignty. We have enjoined upon you the fear of God and have revealed that which draweth you nigh unto Him. Beware lest ye forsake what ye have been commanded in the Mother Book. We desire from you no recompense, and We have desired for you in the Most Exalted Paradise a station whose description pens are powerless to render. Cast away what ye possess and take what ye have been given from the Lord of all men.

We have, in this Revelation, forbidden the servants from conflict and corruption and that which troubleth men of understanding, and We have commanded them to conquer the citadels of hearts with the hosts of wisdom and utterance. Your Lord, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, beareth witness unto this. O My loved ones! Hold fast unto the cord of deeds and character, that there may appear from you that which shall attract the hearts of those in all lands. Know ye that the hosts of good character are the mightiest hosts in the world. Consider this, O ye who are endowed with insight! Through these shall your stations and ranks be elevated among the parties.

O Andalib! We have created souls for the victory of Our Cause, yet most of them have supported Mine enemies through deeds whereby the hosts of revelation and inspiration have lamented. This is what hath been sent down from My Most Exalted Pen, a command from Our presence, and I am the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. Remind the people of My verses and what hath been sent down from the kingdom of My utterance, that they might take for themselves a path to the Truth.

Say: Glory be unto Thee, O my God, my Lord, my Beloved, and my Purpose! I beseech Thee by the light of Thy Cause, whereby earth and heaven were illumined, and whereby all things were stirred when they recognized it, to assist Thy servants to return unto Thee, to turn repentant to the gate of Thy grace, and to hold fast unto the cord of Thy bounty. Verily, Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the Generous, and verily, Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

O Lord! O Lord! O Lord! O Lord! O Lord! O Lord! O Lord! O Lord! O Lord! Sanctify Thy loved ones from the promptings of self and passion, and adorn them with the ornament of holiness among Thy servants, O Lord of all being and Sovereign of the hereafter and the former times! O Lord! Illumine their outward and inward beings with the light of Thy knowledge, then ordain for them every good thing Thou hast sent down in Thy Books, Thy Scrolls, Thy Scriptures and Thy Tablets. I testify that Thou art the One Who hath power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Bountiful, the All-Bestowing, the Mighty, the Wise.

BH01501: O Muhammad-Qabli-Mihdi! Hearken unto the call of God…

He is the All-Remembering, the All-Knowing, the All-Subduing, the Self-Subsisting!

O Muhammad-Qabli-Mihdi! Hearken unto the call of God which hath been raised from the precincts of the Prison, summoning all to a station which God hath sanctified from the idle fancies of the ungodly and the insinuations of the doubters, who have cast the Covenant of God and His Testament behind their backs and have uttered that which hath caused every fair-minded soul to lament and the tears to flow from the eyes of them that circle round the Throne at eventide and at dawn.

O Muhammad-Qabli-ʿAli! The Wronged One hath ascended the throne of Sinai and hath proclaimed unto all who are in the heavens and on earth that which draweth them nigh unto the Most Sublime Horizon and preserveth them from such as have reclined upon the cushions of tyranny and whom the ornaments of the world have deluded, until they denied the Lord of all beings, Who came from the heaven of bounty with the standards of His signs.

O Muhammad-Kazim! Say: O God of Names and Creator of heaven! I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name, Who desireth naught but the reformation of the world and the edification of the nations, to illumine my face with the lights of Thy countenance and my heart with the light of Thy knowledge. Adorn my head with the crown of detachment and my temple with the robe of godliness. Thou art, verily, the Possessor of all things, and within Thy grasp lie the reins of all who dwell in the kingdom of creation. Thou doest what Thou willest through Thy power and ordainest what Thou pleasest through Thy sovereignty. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O Muhammad-Qabli-Taqi! Upon thee be the everlasting glory of God. Say: O people, fear ye this Day! By God, that which was treasured in God’s knowledge and concealed in His Books and Scrolls, and hidden from all eyes and sight, hath been made manifest.

O Hasan-Qabli-ʿAli! This is the Day whereon the ocean of oneness hath surged and whereon the Ark of God, the Lord of all beings and the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below, hath sailed. Blessed is he who hath cast away the world and its ornaments and all that is therein, and hath held fast unto it and clung to the hem of the robe of his Lord’s mercy, the Lord of the Final Return.

O Muhammad! Sanctify thine ear from the tales of bygone ages that thou mayest hear that which hath been raised from the Most Exalted Summit, the station which God hath made the circling-point of Sinai and the dawning-places of Revelation. Thus hath the Most Exalted Pen revealed that which was treasured within it, as a command from God, the Lord of all men.

O Abu’l-Hasan! Upon thee and upon My loved ones be My glory and My loving-kindness. Dost thou hear the call from the Most Sublime Horizon? This is the call whereby the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise have been enraptured. Well is it with him who hath turned and attained, and woe betide every heedless doubter.

O Husayn! Hear My call from the precincts of My prison. Verily, it will draw thee nigh unto My Kingdom and acquaint thee with My Message and My Path, and will aid thee to soar in My atmosphere and enable thee to serve My Cause, whereby the pillars of the people and all in the land were shaken, save those whom God, the Lord of the Day of Resurrection, did preserve.

O ʿAli! The Light hath shone forth and the Temple of Revelation hath been established upon the throne of Sinai. Thus hath the call been raised from every direction:

“The Kingdom is God’s, then the Power is His, then the Greatness is His.”

Blessed is he who hath turned with a luminous face and an illumined heart to the Most Sublime Station.

O Javad! The helpless servants in these days are bewildered in the wilderness of doubts and idle fancies, and Hadi-i-Dawlatabadi, like the people of old, is nurturing this party. Say: Fear thou God, glorified be His majesty, and follow not the ways of them that are lost in fancy. Say: O Hadi! Present thyself before the Face that thou mayest hear what the world’s ear hath not heard since the beginning that hath no beginning. Present thyself that thou mayest behold that which hath no likeness or parallel. By the life of God! Baha counseleth thee for the sake of God, and desireth from thee and from the world neither recompense nor thanks.

O Muhammad-Qabli-Isma’il! Hear the call from the precincts of ʿAkka. Verily, it attracteth thee to the Most Sublime Horizon and draweth thee nigh unto Him Whom the power of princes hath not weakened, nor the might of divines frightened, nor the dominion of any oppressor deterred, nor the opposition of any rejecter hindered, nor the cawing of any crow impeded, nor the denial of those whose deeds have prevented them from acknowledging and testifying.

O Husayn! Hear thou the counsel of God and act according to that which thou hast been commanded. Beware lest the veils of the wicked prevent thee, or the clouds of them who heard the call and denied it, and who witnessed the signs and rejected them, enshroud thee. They are indeed servants who have cast the Truth behind their backs and have embraced that which they were forbidden in the Mother Book.

BH01518: He Calleth out at all times

He Calleth out at all times

Praise be to the Peerless Object of all desire, Who deserveth all praise and glory, for through the tokens of His Pen He hath subdued the kingdoms of earth and heaven. The clamor raised in places of darkness held Him not back from His purpose, nor did the calumnies of the people and the opposition of the hypocrites prevent His loved ones from turning unto Him. Through His most exalted Word He summoned the peoples of the nether world to the Dayspring of grace and bounty. Exalted be His might and supreme His sovereignty! He is the One, the Single, the Powerful, the Supreme, the Self-Subsisting.

O Siyyid Kazim! The servant who is present hath received thy letter which thou didst send unto him and laid it before His face. We have answered thee with that which God hath made a light in the darkness of the earth, and a Kawthar of life for the people of understanding, and the Most Great Medicine for the healing of the nations, and the hosts of power and might for His loved ones who were created to assist His Cause through wisdom and utterance. Thus hath the Tongue of Grandeur spoken from this station which hath been named the Most Great Prison and by the most beautiful names, as a token of His grace. He, verily, is the Truth, the Knower of things unseen. We have sent down the verses and manifested the Cause unto people who understand.

O thou who hast turned towards Me! We have found in thy letter the sweet savors of thy love and the fragrance of thy devotion, thy humility and thy submissiveness. Blessed art thou, and blessed thy tongue and thy pen. Thy Lord, verily, is the One Who hath power over whatsoever He willeth through His word “Be” and it is. We bear witness that thy mention hath attained the honor of acceptance before God, the Lord of the seen and the unseen.

In all conditions the cry of the Wronged One is raised, mentioning His loved ones in that which conduceth to their exaltation. He is the All-Bountiful, the Bestower, the Compassionate. That which beseemeth His loved ones today is steadfastness, for some of the servants are weak: at the mere mention of a name they falter or turn away. Say: O people of the Bayan! By God, I have laid no claim to any matter, nor to any name. Fear ye God and follow not those who cling to the idols of names and are of them that turn aside.

Say: My God, my God! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant, clinging fast to Thee and to Thy verses. I beseech Thee by the treasures of Thy earth which come forth through Thy Name to manifest Thy Cause and exalt Thy Word, that Thou assist me and Thy loved ones in that which leadeth to the sanctification of Thy Being and the glorification of Thine Essence. Then assist me, O my God, with such steadfastness as cannot be hindered by hosts or ranks. Verily Thou art the Mighty, the Glorious, the Best-Beloved.

O Siyyid Kazim! Thou hast attained unto that whose fragrance shall never cease and shall endure through the eternity of the divine names. His honor Siyyid Javad, upon him be My glory and My loving-kindness, hath also mentioned thee. He is among those who turned towards Me in the early days, who attained Our presence and circumambulated the spot round which circle the Concourse on High. God willing, thou shalt, through wisdom and utterance, make the servants aware and guide them to the divine law. Praise be to God, His grace hath encompassed all: thou hast both attained this Tablet and art engaged in serving the Afnan of the Sacred Tree. We beseech God to assist him and thee to mention and praise Him with the wisdom We have sent down in a mighty Tablet. We make mention of thy mother, thy handmaiden, and give her the glad-tidings of her Lord’s loving-kindness, and We ask Him to draw her nigh unto Him in all conditions. He, verily, is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

We make mention at this moment of thy brother whose name beginneth with Ha and Sin, that he may rejoice and be of the thankful. O Ha! Hearken unto the Call from the Supreme Horizon in the Prison of ʿAkka. God—there is none other God but He, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We have manifested the Cause despite every stubborn tyrant and sinful calumniator. Neither the weapons of the world nor the hosts of the nations hindered Us. We have revealed what We desired before all faces through a power that hath conquered all and a sovereignty that hath encompassed all who are in the heavens and on earth.

O Siyyid Sadiq! Thy name hath been presented before the Wronged One. We have mentioned thee with My Most Great Remembrance. Blessed art thou and blessed are they whom neither the doubts of the divines nor the signs of those who have denied the Day of Judgment have prevented. Say: My God, my God! I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy Throne and by the influence of Thy Word, to assist Thy loved ones in that which Thou lovest and art pleased with, and to unite their hearts through Thy Most Great Name, the Most Glorious. Thou art the Lord of all beings and the Lord of the Throne on high and of the dust beneath. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

BH01526: This is a Book sent down by the Lord…

He is the One dawning from the horizon of the heaven of bounty.

This is a Book sent down by the Lord of Names and Creator of the heavens, that He may draw those who dwell in the realm of creation near unto the Most Exalted Horizon—the station wherein the Most Glorious Pen proclaimeth: “The Kingdom, the Realm, the Sovereignty and the Dominion belong unto God, the Revealer of verses.” This is a day wherein the fragrance of bounties and favors hath been wafted from God, the Lord of creation. Blessed is he who hath inhaled the fragrance of the All-Merciful, and he who hath heard the Call when it was raised betwixt earth and heaven, and he whose tongue hath spoken before all religions: “The door of reunion hath been opened with the key of the name of God, the Most Glorious.” And blessed is he who hath heard and hastened, and woe unto every hesitant doubter.

God beareth witness that there is none other God but Him, and He Who hath come with the truth is, verily, the Lord of existence and the Sovereign of the seen and the unseen. When He appeared, He uttered a Word whereby the ocean of utterance surged, and the fragrances of the All-Merciful were diffused, and through it the trees spoke, the fruits appeared, the rivers flowed, the rocks trembled, and the righteous cried out:

“Blessed is the land honored by His footsteps, and the spot adorned by His presence, and the air that received the fragrance of His revelation, and the house wherein His remembrance was raised, and the city that became renowned through His name, and the tongue that uttered His praise at morn and eventide.”

Say: This is a day wherein the heaven of knowledge hath been adorned with the stars of wisdom and utterance, and wherein the sun of proof hath shone forth from its horizon, as a bounty from God, the Lord of Lords. This is a day when the light of joy hath shone forth after the darkness of sorrows, and the carpet of manifestation hath been outspread, and the decree of gladness hath appeared, as the Hands of the bounty of the Lord of Destiny circulated His most pure wine at His most luminous station and His greatest scene. And God raised His station until He established Himself upon the throne of utterance and spoke that whereby the realities of all contingent beings were attracted.

Thereupon the rustling of the Sadratu’l-Muntaha was heard in the Abha Paradise, calling to the denizens of earth and heaven, saying:

“Rejoice with exceeding gladness and impart the tidings that the Hand of Bestowal hath stretched out and opened the arena of delight in the name of God, the Blissful, amidst the dwellers of the Tabernacle of Glory in these days of unfading splendour.”

Blessed be God, the Originator of all things and the Lord of the Kingdom of Names, Who hath adorned the world through His Most Great Name, and from Whose Pen hath flowed that which attracted the hearts of the nations who, when they heard, turned unto Him and acknowledged that which the Tongue of Grandeur had spoken in the earliest of days. Then the Sadratu’l-Bayan called out from the highest Paradise, saying: “O dwellers of the cities of names and companions of the Crimson Ark! This is a day the like of which the eye of creation hath not seen, nor hath the vision of invention beheld its equal, inasmuch as the Lord of all beings hath willed to adorn the couch of one of His loved ones—who hath been named ʿAbdu’l-Baha by the Tongue of Grandeur—with a leaf from among the leaves of the Tree of Fidelity, whom God hath adorned with the ornament of martyrdom in His path and the sacrifice of spirit in His love.

And since her dowry in the Book of God was the sacrifice of bodies and souls, the King of Martyrs came forward himself and accepted that which was ordained by the Pen of Destiny—he who arose from the horizon of the world with the banner of detachment and sacrificed his spirit in this Straight Path and the Great News, whereby the realities of what was and what will be were made joyful. Command and judgment belong to God, the Mighty, the Help in Peril.

O God of the world and Creator of the nations! I beseech Thee by the Most Great Name to bless this union through Thy name, the All-Merciful. Then unite their hearts through Thy Name by which Thou didst unite hearts at the dawning-places of Thy Cause, the repositories of Thy laws, the descending-points of Thy knowledge, and the sources of Thy names. Then send down, O my God, upon them and upon those with them, the rain of Thy generosity from the clouds of Thy grace.

O Yahya! Hear the Call from the Most Exalted Summit and take the Book with a strength that the might of the world cannot weaken and with a power that the Pharaohs of the nations cannot prevent. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou the Goal of them that are near and the Beloved of them that are detached, for having adorned my head with the crown of Thy utterance, and my temple with the ornament of Thy bounty, and my heart with the light of Thy knowledge. I beseech Thee by Thy Will, through which Thou hast subdued all created things and manifested all possibilities, to make me in all conditions steadfast in Thy service, speaking Thy praise, and assisting Thy Cause through wisdom and utterance. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful.

BH01517: Praise be to the One desired by the world…

He is God, exalted be His station, the Lord of Wisdom and Utterance!

Praise be to the One desired by the world, Who, in the Most Great Prison, hath spoken and made mention of that which attracteth and draweth the peoples. The acceptance or rejection of the servants, and the opposition and denial of the dwellers of the earth, have not prevented Him from His pervading Will and all-encompassing Purpose. By the command of the Lord of existence, He hath spoken before all faces that which hath been the cause of the exaltation of the world and the sanctification of the peoples.

O Ali-Qabli-Haydar! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. Thou hast ever been and art still mentioned in the presence of the Wronged One and before the Desired One. Verily, He is with thee under all conditions. Soon there shall appear in the earth that which hath been ordained for thee from My Most Exalted Pen, and the tongues of all beings shall speak of thy remembrance, thy praise, thy service, thy acceptance, and thy rising up in the Cause of thy Lord. By the life of God! Whatsoever hath flowed from the Pen hath been and shall be manifested, letter by letter.

Tablets were previously sent in the name of him who was imprisoned for My sake, and to the loved ones. That which hath not reached him, read ye, that ye may become aware of its contents, and afterward deliver them to His Eminence Jim, the Name of God, that he may be informed of that which hath been sent down from the heaven of the will of his Lord, the All-Explaining, the All-Knowing. And if possible, let them be given to the imprisoned Wronged One Himself—this would be acceptable and beloved in the sight of God.

O thou who hast arisen to serve My Cause! Blessed is Ibn-i-Abhar, for the sweet savors of joy and delight are evident from his condition and manifest from his letter. In the Tablet of the world, this most exalted Word hath been revealed from the Most Exalted Pen: O friends! Why this fear, and from whom this dread? The clay fragments of the world disintegrate with but a little moisture. The very act of gathering together causeth the dispersal of deluded souls. Conflict and contention are the attributes of the beasts of the field. Through the aid of the Lord, the sharp swords of the Babi community have been returned to their sheaths through goodly words and praiseworthy deeds. The righteous have ever conquered the cities of existence through their utterance.

Say: O friends! Let not wisdom slip from your grasp. Hearken with the ear of understanding to the counsels of the Most Exalted Pen. All the peoples of the world must be free from the harm of your hands and tongues. By clay fragments are meant those souls who, until now, have not understood the purpose of this Wronged One and are seen to be under the control of self and passion. Blessed are My friends and loved ones, for no unseemly act was manifested by them in the days of clamor.

If the Daysprings of the Cause and the Dawning-Places of judgment be not mindful in these days, they shall become mindful thereafter. We beseech God—and do ye beseech Him—that He may adorn His Majesty the King (may God assist him) and likewise the Amir’ul-Umara with the ornament of justice and fairness. The glory of existence lieth in justice, not in oppression. At present, falsehood and vainglory have prevented the world and its peoples from turning to the Truth. Soon shall come a day wherein God will raise up His patient and beneficent servants.

Say: My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having remembered Thy servants in the prison when I was in the hands of the heedless. I beseech Thee by the lights of Thy countenance and the power of Thy Cause to preserve Thy loved ones with the hosts of the seen and the unseen. Then send down upon them from the clouds of Thy mercy and the heaven of Thy generosity the rains of Thy bounty and Thy gifts. O Lord! Disappoint not Thy chosen ones of the wonders of Thy grace and favor, and the manifestations of Thy bestowals and loving-kindness. Thou art He Whom the might of those who have broken Thy Covenant and Testament, who have disputed Thy signs, and who have denied Thy proof and Thy evidence, hath not hindered.

O Lord! I beseech Thee by the ocean of Thy utterance and its waves, and by the pearls hidden in its shells, to aid Thy servants to achieve the Most Great Steadfastness, whereby the hosts of the earth and their ranks shall not cause them to slip, nor shall their clamor and roaring frighten them. Verily, Thou art He through Whose power all created things have testified, and through Whose grandeur all possible things have borne witness. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Bountiful.

The blessings and peace and the light shining from the horizon of the Abode of Peace be upon Thy chosen ones and Thy loved ones who have taken hold of Thy Book with a power from Thee and a sovereignty from Thy presence. Verily, Thou art the most powerful of the powerful and the most merciful of the merciful. There is no God but Thee, the Single, the One, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH01522: God testifieth that there is none other God but…

He is the All-Remembering, the All-Explaining, the All-Wise.

God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, and He Who speaketh among His servants is indeed the Lord of all creation. Through Him hath streamed from the Most Exalted Pen the Kawthar of immortality, and through Him hath surged the ocean of bounty in the kingdom of creation, and the Sun of grace hath shone forth from the horizon of God’s will, the Lord of all men. Through Him were the mysteries revealed, the rivers made to flow, and the trees raised their voices in that which the Tree of Utterance spoke unto Moses, son of ʿImran. Blessed is the soul that hath turned unto Him, the ear that hath heard, and the eye that hath beheld what hath appeared through the Will of God, the Lord of might and power.

O people of God! In this year there hath befallen the Wronged One that which hath caused the dwellers of the Kingdom and the Realm of Glory to lament. We beseech God to adorn His servants with the ornament of justice and fairness, and to enable them to that which beseemeth these days. They who have exchanged trustworthiness for treachery, and godliness for tyranny and corruption—these are among the people of error in the sight of the Self-Sufficient, the Most High. And in it the Bird of Inner Meanings hath taken flight unto the Most Exalted Companion and the Most Glorious Horizon, whereby the Most Great Joy was transformed into the Most Great Sorrow, and the tears of the righteous were shed in manifestation of their love and expression of their affection. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to adorn the temples of His loved ones in this supreme calamity with the robe of patience. Verily, He is the Lord of Lords, and in His grasp is the reins of all choice.

O Tongue of Grandeur! Make mention of him who hath turned toward the Horizon of Revelation when the call of Him Who conversed on Sinai was raised—He through Whom the fragrance of utterance was diffused throughout all possibility and the sweet savors of the All-Merciful were wafted among all religions. Then make mention of his orientation and his turning, his humility and his lowliness, and his trust in the Dayspring of Lights. Blessed art thou, O ʿAbdu’l-Husayn, and blessed is thy name. I bear witness that thou didst attain unto the hearing of the Call when it was raised between earth and heaven, and thou didst turn and believe in God, the Lord of the Kingdom of Names, and didst acknowledge that which He revealed in His Most Holy Book and His Sacred Tablet, and that which His Tongue did speak. Thou art he whom the veils of the world and the clouds of the nations did not hinder. Thou didst rend them all asunder through the power of recognition and didst seek the ultimate goal, the supreme end, and the most exalted horizon, and thou didst advance and hasten until thou didst arrive at the station whereon He Who conversed on Sinai was established upon the Throne of Revelation, and the Herald called out from every direction:

“O concourse of earth and heaven! This is the Day wherein God hath fulfilled His promise and revealed that which was hidden in His knowledge, and hath called all unto the carpet of His holiness and the courtyard of His companionship. Blessed is he who hath turned and attained, and woe unto every heedless doubter.”

The Tongue of My Grandeur in the Most Great Prison doth once again in this moment testify that thou didst bear hardships in the path of thy Lord, and there befell you from the oppressors that which caused the hearts of those near unto God to tremble and the livers of the sincere to melt. Thou art he who attained unto the presence time and again, and drank the choice wine of reunion from the hands of grace and bounty, and recognized Him Who was veiled from all eyes, and heard the shrill voice of the Most Exalted Pen, and beheld that which was mentioned in the hearts of the chosen ones and inscribed in the Holy Books and Tablets.

Glorified art Thou, O God, O God of Names and Creator of heaven! I beseech Thee by Thy most great signs, and by the revelations of the Sun of Thy grace amidst all beings, and by the waves of the ocean of Thy mercy in the kingdom of creation, that Thou send down upon him from the heaven of Thy bounty that which beseemeth Thy generosity and bestowal. Then grant him, at all times, Thy enduring blessing and Thine eternal sustenance. O Lord! Adorn the temples of Thy loved ones with the vestures of patience and prosperity, and ordain for them that which will acquaint them with what Thou hast destined for them in the Supreme Paradise near unto Thy Most Great Mercy and Thy Most Mighty Favor.

O Lord! Ordain for him and his kindred that which will draw them nigh unto Thee and console them and comfort them in that which hath befallen them through the decree of Thy judgment. Then send down, O my God, upon them from the clouds of Thy generosity a blessing from Thee and a bounty from Thy presence. Then protect them from the hosts of the oppressors who have broken Thy Covenant and Thy Testament, who have denied Thy proof and Thy evidence, who have disputed Thy signs and have warred against Thy Self. Thou art He by Whose command the standard of power was hoisted upon the highest flagpoles and the banner of authority among all people. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Hearing, the All-Answering.