Volume 105: Akka 1868–1892 year unknown, Part III (2 of 4)

BH02054: This is a Book which the All-Merciful has sent…

In the Name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Great, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing

This is a Book which the All-Merciful has sent down from the Kingdom of Utterance, that the people may recognize this Path which hath been made manifest in truth. By the life of God! The Balance hath been established, the Hour hath come in truth, the Path hath appeared, and the Bestower hath come with a Cause that encompasseth all the worlds. Blessed is the strong one who hath cast away allusions and taken what he was commanded in a Tablet that was blessed by the Finger of God.

O Rida! Hearken unto the shrill voice of the Most Exalted Pen. Verily, it calleth between earth and heaven and summoneth all to a station that hath been raised up through the name of God. We have heard thy cry in the love of God and seen thee turning toward the horizon of the Cause. We make mention of thee and have sent down for thee that whereby thy remembrance shall endure throughout the duration of My most beautiful names. Thy Lord is, verily, the Witness and the Helper.

We make mention of him who was named ʿAli before Naqi and give him the glad-tidings of a bounty that hath been made visible in truth from the horizon of glory. Take hold of the Book with a strength from Us and a power from Our presence, and abandon those who remained far from the waters of nearness. We have heard thy lamentation in the love of God and have sent down for thee this Tablet which hath been sent down from the heaven of justice.

O Mahmud! Hearken unto that which the Lord of Hosts calleth thee from this Praised Station that was inscribed by the Pen of the All-Merciful in the Qur’an. We have heard thy cry and make mention of thee with that which cannot be equaled by the treasures of earth. Thy Lord is verily witness to what I say. Rejoice thou in this Most Great Remembrance and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Lord of eternity, for having turned toward this servant of Thine and mentioned him with verses that all on earth have failed to comprehend. Thou art, of a truth, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.”

O Asadu’llah! The Wronged One maketh mention of thee from the precincts of the Prison and counseleth thee and those who have believed to uphold the Most Great Trust among the concourse of creation. Thus hath the matter been decreed in thy Lord’s Book. He is, verily, wise over all things. We send greetings from this Station to My loved ones who have attained unto My days, turned to My horizon, drunk the choice wine of My utterance, held fast with mighty constancy to My Cause, and performed that which they were commanded in My Book. By the life of God! They are among the Concourse on High in the Book of Names and the companions of the Crimson Ark that was inscribed by the Pen of Command. Hold ye fast to the cord of the Cause and cling to the hem of grace in this Day which hath been illumined by the lights of the countenance.

O Nasru’llah! The Most Exalted Pen maketh mention of the loved ones of God and His chosen ones, and commandeth them to that which shall profit them in every world of the worlds of their Lord, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We have heard thy mention and make mention of thee and those who have believed with My beautiful remembrance. Give thanks unto God for having aided you to recognize Him Who was promised in the Books of God, the Lord of the worlds. How many learned ones were heedless, and how many unlettered ones hastened, drank, and said:

“Praise be unto Thee, O God of all who are in the heavens and on earth!”

Your letter hath come and that which ye sent hath been honored with acceptance, as a bounty from His presence. He is verily the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous. Blessed is he who hath adorned himself with the ornament of deeds which God hath revealed in His perspicuous Book. Praise be unto God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH02125: In the Name of Him through Whom the horizon…

In the Name of Him through Whom the horizon of utterance was illumined and the Pen of the All-Merciful spoke!

O Kamal! Thou hast heard the call of thy Lord when it was raised in truth, and drunk from the ocean of reunion when the Most Great Luminary was shining from the horizon of Baghdad. Blessed be the eye that hath seen, the ear that hath heard, and the tongue that hath spoken My Beloved Name.

O Kamal! Thou hast been mentioned before the Throne time and again, and this is yet another time. Be grateful and say: “Praise be unto Thee, O God of the seen and unseen!” He remembered thee when He was in Iraq and remembereth thee in this forbidden fortress. Thus hath the Wronged One spoken that thou mayest give thanks to the Beloved of the world and hold fast to the hem of God, the Lord of existence.

Leave the people and what they possess behind thee. By My life! What thou seest shall perish, but what hath been sent down from this Pen, before which all pens have bowed down, shall endure for thee. Thy Lord is, verily, the Truth, the Knower of the unseen.

Say: O people! Fear God and follow not those who have disbelieved in God and clung to vain imaginings. Open your eyes and turn toward the Most Exalted Horizon. By God! He hath appeared in truth and hath shone forth from that upraised Horizon. Beware lest ye take for Him a partner or likeness. Be fair in His Cause and be not of those who have disbelieved in God, the Lord of what was and what shall be.

Say: Unite in God’s Cause and His sovereignty, and follow not every rejected transgressor. Say: This is the Day whereof ye were promised in God’s Books, and this is a Cause before which every fair-minded one who hath spoken with justice and every believer who hath drunk My choice sealed wine hath bowed down.

O Kamal! By God, wert thou to learn of the sorrow of My heart and what hath befallen Me in this Prison which We named, upon Our arrival, the Most Great Prison, thou wouldst weep for My sake. Thus doth thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Seeing, inform thee. Be thou not disturbed by what We have related to thee. Be patient, then be steadfast. Thus doth the Wronged One command thee. Be firm in the Cause of God and in His love in such wise that the hosts of the world shall not deter thee. Thus doth the Most Great Name command thee from this glorious station.

Say: O people! Adorn yourselves with the ornament of servitude unto God, the True One. By God, the True One! This is its day, did ye but know.

We make mention of My handmaiden who believed in God and bowed before His countenance when He was walking. Thy Lord is, verily, the All-Forgiving, the Kind. Convey My greetings unto her face and give her the glad-tidings of My remembrance of her, and unto the faces of thy children who have believed in God, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

The Glory be upon thee and upon thy brother who hath been mentioned before the Throne. Blessed are ye both in that ye have heard and turned toward the Most Exalted Horizon. Thus doth God reward His servants who have spoken the truth and believed in Him when every rejected transgressor turned away.

Then convey My greetings unto My loved ones there, that they may drink from My words the wine of My loving-kindness, soar in the atmosphere of My love, turn with their hearts unto My countenance and My horizon, and rejoice in what hath been sent down to them from My Pen. Upon them be My remembrance, My praise, My mercy and My forgiveness. Verily, thy Lord is the Bestower, the Compassionate, the Generous, the Mighty, the Loving.

BH02127: Jehovah is His name, the God of all who…

Jehovah is His name, the God of all who are in the heavens and on the earth

O heir of Moses! Hear the call of the Lord of Hosts which hath been raised in the world of creation from the prison of Akka, summoning you to His most glorious horizon. Blessed is he who hath cast away vain desire and laid hold on guidance, and woe unto every heedless doubter.

O Abdullah! The attraction of this Revelation hath seized the regions of the earth and their surroundings. Give thou the glad-tidings to the world of the God of Israel, through Whose manifestation the seas have yielded up the pearls of utterance from their shells, and the heaven of proof hath been adorned with its stars, and the mountains have brought forth their treasures and whatsoever was hidden within them by command of their Creator, and the earth its repositories and whatsoever was stored in its layers.

O Abdullah! On this day Sinai is filled with joy, and Carmel is delighted, and Jerusalem crieth out saying:

“The gate of hope hath been opened and He Who was the goal of the former and latter generations hath come.”

The earth hath presented its treasures as an offering, and likewise the seas their pearls, and Jerusalem its mysteries, and the heaven of proof its ornaments. Blessed is the soul that hath attained unto the divine fragrances on this luminous, spiritual day.

Today the cry of Zion is raised aloft and the Holy City hath descended from the heaven of the grace of the One True God. Say: O Children of Israel, deprive not yourselves. The promise of God hath appeared, the light of His Word hath encompassed the world. Cast aside the weak cord and take hold of the mighty staff. Thy service and recompense have been recorded by the true scribes in the eternal book with the everlasting Pen. This is the glad-tidings for which the spirits of all else but God yearned and whose time of appearance they sought.

Hold fast to the Most Great Name wherein lie concealed all powers. He is the Deliverer, He is the Revealer of the hidden Cause and the Discloser of every mystery.

O Children of Israel! The God of Hosts declareth: This is the day of the Most Great Manifestation. Arise to serve. Power and might, glory and grandeur circle round about. Know ye its worth and recognize its station.

O Abdullah! The recompense of thy deeds, actions and words hath been inscribed by the divine Pen in the crimson scroll. Now must thou arise in the Name of Truth and stand firm in His love. This is the day of triumph and the day of service. The mention of this service shall never be erased from the Book—it is everlasting and eternal. I swear by the God of the world its fragrance shall never be cut off. That promised tabernacle hath been raised up in the name of the Lord of Hosts—visible and manifest. It hath not been changed or altered, for God the Lord hath raised it up. As thy service and labor are great in the sight of God, He hath therefore willed that thou shouldst enter and attain unto that blessed, mighty and glorious tabernacle and gain that which in God’s knowledge hath no peer or likeness. Take up the staff of trust and turn thy face toward the gate of Palestine, that perchance thou mayest hear and become intimate with the melodies of the birds of Paradise.

BH02141: To be typed

To be typed.

BH02190: In My Name, the Wronged One

In My Name, the Wronged One.

Divine decree confirmeth that which God’s Will and Command hath ordained. The ledger of the world testifieth to His irrevocable decree. The palace of Chosroes which was the seat of the King of Kings is now the dwelling place of owls and spiders. Take heed, O ye who are endowed with insight! How many souls dwelt in palaces at dawn only to return to the grave at night! Yet graves are the treasuries of existence and tokens of divine bounty.

Divine decree is beloved by the wise, and all are content with it, nay rather thankful. The complainant is not and hath never been acceptable. “Whoso is not content with My decree, let him seek another Lord.” Should a soul become aware of but one fruit from the tree of divine decree and comprehend it, joy and gladness, delight and expansion, submission and contentment would never depart from him.

Extinction is the gate to immortality, and immortality the gate to extinction. Non-existence is the door to existence, and existence the door to non-existence. The blessed word “All things shall perish save His Face” is a source of patience and solace for the peoples of the world. After this death there is life, and after this concealment there is revelation. Blessed are the dead who become the gates of the supreme Paradise and the cause of unveiling and meeting! Destruction itself betokeneth construction, and ruin indicateth prosperity. Death and life are requirements of the consummate wisdom. Neither hath been, nor shall ever be, without effect or fruit.

The Command is in God’s hands. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. We testify that He is praiseworthy in His acts and is to be obeyed in His commands. There is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The Book of God declareth that tribulations descend like torrential rain upon His loved ones, and this Wronged One in ʿAkka is caught in the talons of hatred. Yet in all conditions We are joyous and glad. The life of this world in the sight of them that are endued with vision is reckoned as but a moment, therefore neither its hardship nor its comfort is worthy of mention.

O Muhammad-Javad! We desired to console thee and comfort thee in what hath come to pass through thy Lord’s decree. He, verily, is the Counselor, the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful. Hold fast unto the cord of patience. Verily, He is the All-Patient and enjoineth upon thee gracious patience. Grieve not over anything. Arise to serve My Cause, speak forth My praise, and act according to that which We have commanded thee and those who have believed in My perspicuous Book. Beware lest anything prevent thee from turning toward the Supreme Horizon. Soon shall the world and all that is therein perish, and there shall remain for its people that which the ears of the unifiers are unable to hear. Hold fast unto the cord of justice and righteousness, that there may appear from thee that whose fragrance shall endure throughout the eternity of My glorious and wondrous remembrance.

The splendor shining from the horizon of the heaven of My utterance be upon those whom affairs have not occupied from the Dayspring of Revelation, and whom the world hath not prevented from the Lord of mankind. They have advanced and said:

“We believe in Thee, O Thou the Desire of the worlds and the God of all who are in the heavens and all who are on earth.”

BH02206: A praise that is sanctified beyond the recognition…

A praise that is sanctified beyond the recognition and understanding of created things befitteth the most exalted and holy court of the Desired One, Who hath fulfilled His promises through a single exalted Word. Through Him the Path is made manifest, the Balance is established, and the Reckoning is complete. When the Trumpet was sounded and the Cry was raised, hearts were thrown into commotion and mountains were moved. After the exalted Word was raised between earth and heaven, whosoever turned towards it, his deeds were accepted, his reckoning complete, and he attained unto all that was manifested from God at the Hour of Resurrection and the appearance of the Day of Judgment. And whosoever turned away was deprived of all that was mentioned, his evil deeds increased and his good deeds diminished. Exalted, exalted is He Who weighed all things by a word from His presence and revealed on the Day of Resurrection that which was hidden in the breasts and concealed in the hearts and minds….

Today the Kingdom of utterance is stirred by the verses of the Desired One of all worlds, and the ocean of utterance surges with the breezes of the All-Merciful. Blessed is the soul whom the intimations of men have not prevented from the Sovereign of Power, nor kept back from the most luminous horizon. A group of the worthless ones of the age have arisen in opposition, though they were created to serve this Cause. Observe the deeds of the people of the Furqan, that thou mayest become aware and informed of what was wrought against the All-Merciful. For twelve hundred years or more they were occupied with discourse and study, in the nights and days they clung to the reading of books, beseeching and hoping from God, exalted be His glory, for the days of His manifestation. Yet when the Day-Star of the Cause dawned from the horizon of the Divine Will, all that anticipation and all those books and readings appeared as swords, and there befell the Beloved of the worlds that which caused the rocks to cry out and the clouds to wail….

The Supreme Pen counsels the friends to manifest supreme steadfastness, such that the limbs of the people of doubt and fancy may tremble for fear of the friends, and they may behold the light of steadfastness shining from the brow of each one. O thou who hast turned to My horizon! Until now they have not comprehended the Day of God, but are occupied with the games of the past, sometimes mentioning the successor, sometimes the guardian, sometimes the mirror, sometimes the noble one and chief and the like. Say: This carpet has been rolled up; the Day is the Day of God, none is mentioned but Him. Say: O heedless ones! What fruit have the Shi’ih party gathered from their words and deeds and beliefs? All they sowed was consumed by the poisonous winds of self and passion. The result of their deeds and fruits was that they martyred the best of creation with the worst of torments. Verily, the curse of God be upon the wrongdoers! Now the friends must protect one another and inform each other of the tricks and deceits and stratagems….

BH02240: To be typed

To be typed.

BH11610: Mention hath been made by Us of him who…

In the Name of the All-Glorious, the Most Holy!

Mention hath been made by Us of him who desireth to know the Purpose when He Who was hidden appeared with a sovereignty that conquered all possibility, that the fragrance of certitude might seize him in the days of his Lord, the All-Merciful, and draw him nigh unto the Dayspring of assurance. The signs have appeared, the Hour hath been troubled, and the verses have been sent down in such wise as to fill the horizons. The fingers of the All-Merciful have proffered the cup of life—whoso drinketh therefrom findeth the delights of the rivers flowing in Paradise. The horizon of Revelation hath been illumined in such wise that the earth and the heavens were lit thereby, while those nigh unto God circle round the Throne and the sincere soar in this atmosphere which God hath sanctified from vain imaginings. Hearts have been attracted and minds have taken flight from the breezes of the days of God; they that were debarred are in doubt and schism. The atoms have testified to the Revealer of verses, and knowledge hath been effaced when the Self-Subsisting appeared with power and sovereignty. The Preserved Tablet hath appeared through My Hidden Name, and every hidden secret hath been revealed through this Name whereby the standards have been raised.

Say: O people! How long will ye follow vain desires? Cast them behind you, turning unto guidance. Verily it hath shone forth like the sun from the horizon of bounty and grace. Say: This Day shall profit you not that which the learned possess, nor that which the wealthy own, but rather that which hath been sent down from God, the Lord of all men. Where are the palaces of the Caesars, where the pyramids of the Pharaohs, and where are they who barred the way and turned aside from the Guide, and where are they who warred against and disputed with God? They have been cursed for what they uttered. Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the All-Knowing.

Say: Turn ye, O people, to the Supreme Horizon, the station wherein the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing doth speak. Beware lest the world debar you from the Lord of Names. Hasten unto Him with radiant faces and illumined hearts—this is better for you, did ye but understand. Remember when the Messengers of God and His Emissaries came unto them, they denied and disbelieved in them and in what was revealed unto them of scriptures and tablets. When We found the fragrance of thy turning unto the Self-Sufficient, the Most High, We revealed unto thee this Tablet and sent it to thee, that thou mightest soar on the wings of utterance in the atmosphere of wisdom and mystical knowledge, and deliver unto the people the Cause of thy Lord, that they might perchance be awakened and turn unto God, the Lord of religions.

Hearken unto the call of this Prisoner—verily He mentioneth thee for the sake of God, that there might appear from thee that which shall perpetuate thy remembrance in the Book of thy Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. Act according to what thou hast been counselled in the Tablet, and take the cup of life in the name of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, then give to drink thereof unto those who wander in the wilderness of forgetfulness, that it may bring them nigh unto God, the Lord of all mankind. Thus have We illumined the horizon of mystical knowledge with the sun of remembrance and utterance. When thou hast attained unto it, arise and say: Praise be unto Thee, O Thou in Whose hand is the kingdom of all things and in Whose grasp is the dominion of the earth and the heavens.

BH02297: O Ism-i-Jud! Upon thee be My Glory! The letter…

He is God, the Manifest, the All-Knowing!

O Ism-i-Jud! Upon thee be My Glory! The letter from Jinab-i-ʿAndalib, upon him be God’s Most Exalted Glory, reached Our presence, was heard and beheld. Praise be to God, by permission of the Self-Subsisting Lord, they are cupbearers of the choice sealed wine. With eloquent tongue and attentive ear, they are engaged day and night in the remembrance of God, the Lord of Lords. How blessed and pleasing it is for him! We testify that he hath attained the lights of the Revelation and heard what the Speaker of the Mount uttered from this exalted Station. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to assist him and confirm him to arise to serve Him in such wise that his standing shall not be changed to sitting.

O Ism-i-Jud! They have become saddened by the word of one of the servants. Say: Verily thou art mighty through the might of God. His Tablets have borne witness to thee, and that which hath proceeded from the tongue of His grandeur. None can withhold what God hath bestowed upon thee through His grace, generosity, bounty and bestowal, and none can remove from thy temple the robe of thy Lord’s tender mercy, the All-Bountiful. God willing, with complete steadfastness they shall be occupied with guiding the wayward and awakening the heedless. Verily, He is the All-Bountiful, the Helper, the All-Knowing, the Mighty, the Powerful.

Thou hast made mention of the loved ones. Jinab-i-Muhammad-Qabli-Rida hath attained the divine favors. We testify that he hath witnessed what God witnessed before the creation of earth and heaven—that there is none other God but Him, the Lord of all beings and the Master of the hereafter and the former times. He was mentioned before the Face, and We testify that he heard, hastened, attained the presence, and won that which was recorded by the Supreme Pen in the Scriptures and Tablets. And We make mention of his brother who drank the wine of revelation from the cup of his Lord’s bestowal, the King of the kingdom of the heavens and earths. We beseech God, exalted be He, to preserve him and ordain for him that which will make him a herald of His name among His servants with the wisdom We have sent down in the Book. We had sent down for him before that which caused the mountains to move. They both attained the Kawthar of My wondrous utterance and reached a station wherein neither names nor all that exists in the realm of creation could hinder them. Thus hath the Tongue spoken in the kingdom of utterance, as a command from the presence of the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

To those souls who have newly intended the Most Great Goal, convey the greetings of the Wronged One and illumine them with the effulgences of the Day-Star of proof. Say: My God, my God! Thou seest me clinging to Thee and detached from all else save Thee. I beseech Thee by Thy most sweet call and the movement of Thy Most Exalted Pen, and by Thy hidden mysteries in the Crimson Scroll, to assist me and Thy loved ones who have not been hindered by the doubts of the people nor deterred by veils from turning to Thee and drawing near to the court of Thy grace. Verily, Thou art the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

The Glory from Us be upon thee and upon them and upon those who love thee and hearken to thy word in this Great Announcement. Glory and power, grandeur and authority belong unto God, the Mighty, the Glorious, the All-Forgiving.

BH02278: On the four festivals (by Nabil-i-A’zam?)

In the Book of Aqdas, the Most Exalted Pen has ordained four festivals for all the peoples of the world, wherein the followers of Baha should meet and associate with one another with love for God, to such extent as does not contravene the wisdom revealed in the Tablets of God. On other days they should engage in occupation and the earning of livelihood, and should regard such occupation itself as worship of the Self-Sufficient Lord, so that through this means mankind may be delivered from the idleness and sloth that has overtaken most regions.

The first is the Day of Baha of the month of Baha, which is the ancient Naw-Ruz and the Festival of the Fast, marking the beginning of months and years, wherein the bounties of God are made manifest on that day beloved of all worlds.

The second is the Most Great Festival, which is the king of festivals, being those days when the Ancient Beauty emerged from the Most Great House and illumined the Najibiyyih Garden with the light of His countenance. This is also called the Festival of Ridvan and the Festival of Roses, comprising twelve days from the Ancient Beauty’s first entry into that garden at the afternoon hour of the thirty-second day after Naw-Ruz, until His departure from the garden at noon of the forty-third day after Naw-Ruz. Work is forbidden on three days of this blessed festival: the first day, from afternoon to afternoon; the ninth day; and the final day. On the remaining days they may engage in their occupations.

The third festival is the fifth day of Jamadiyu’l-Avval 1260, near the evening hour when the Exalted One—may the spirit of all worlds be sacrificed for Him—by command of the Sovereign Who doeth what He willeth, made His declaration to the Babu’l-Bab, upon him be the glory of God. Therefore that night and day are of supreme greatness before God, and honoring this blessed festival is among God’s commandments binding upon all the people of Baha.

The fourth festival is the Birth of the Ancient Beauty, who at the second dawn of the month of Muharram 1233 illumined all the world with the light of His beauty. Concerning the date of that blessed nativity, in that poem which I composed in the Land of Mystery by command of the Mighty Sovereign, tracing events from the beginning of creation until the day of that Most Great Luminary’s birth, this verse flowed from the tongue to the pen:

“Be ready, O friends, be ready indeed, The Hidden Day [1233] has come—no child was born before.”

That blessed day is among the most noble and greatest of festivals. The first of Muharram, being the birth of the Herald of the All-Glorious Beauty, the Most Exalted Lord—may the spirit of all worlds be sacrificed for Him—is joined to this festival, and both constitute a single festival. However, the blessed birth of the Most Exalted Lord occurred at midnight on the first of Muharram 1235.

BH09212: As for the instructions that Jinab-i-Ism’ullah Mihdi should write…

As for the instructions that Jinab-i-Ism’ullah Mihdi should write to them: First, they should cease purchasing for the shop; second, they should endeavor to sell, even if it be with the assistance of those who peddle goods in the streets and bazaars; third, they should strive to collect any scattered debts they may have; fourth, if possible they should auction all the goods at once, or gradually over a specified period; fifth, they should not sell on credit, meaning they should not give goods to anyone to sell later and send the payment—it would be better and more prudent to sell everything for cash, even if at a small loss.

The statements that flowed from your pen regarding the aforementioned matter, expressing embarrassment and sadness, and the lack of success in service in that matter, were all presented at the Most Holy Court. He says, exalted be He:

“O My Afnan! Do not grieve over anything. You have been and will forever remain under the glance of your Lord’s loving-kindness, as long as the kingdom of earth and heaven endures. The fragrance of the love of God that emanates from you cannot be equaled by anything created on earth. With the utmost assurance and joy, remain occupied with the remembrance of God. Verily, He will protect you, assist you, and send down upon you from the heaven of His bounty whatsoever He desires. He is, verily, the All-Powerful, the Almighty.”

This servant submits that your honor should never be saddened by these matters, for truly if several times that amount were at your service and were all lost in transactions, not an atom would be diminished from your station at the Most Holy Court. For the Most Pure, Most Luminous, Most Holy gaze has not been and is not directed to such matters, and losses in trade and commerce have no bearing on your honor. I hope that that blessed heart will not be troubled by such matters, although it is known that your concerns have been for God and in service to God. However, the service to which God’s gaze is directed has been and continues to be manifested from you.

Regarding what you wrote about determining the expenses of travelers, this matter is very difficult as the number of souls cannot be determined, and the original ruling was what was submitted. Now, whatever arrangement your honor decides upon is beloved, and it is certain that it will be acceptable in God’s sight. After deducting expenses and losses, the remainder should be determined for commerce either there, or partly here and partly there. Whatever is gained should be spent on the aforementioned matter. This too depends on your opinion—if you arrange it there, it would certainly be better, as there is no specific trade in this land.

BH02250: Praise be to God Who is singular in His…

He is the Expositor, the Speaker, the Proclaimer, the Teacher between earth and heaven!

Praise be to God Who is singular in His grandeur and greatness, and unique in His power and transcendence, Who hath illumined the horizon of the world with the Day-Star of His Most Great Name, and adorned all regions with the rays that have shone forth from the horizon of His Most Exalted Countenance, and caused the nightingale of eternity to warble upon the branches of the Divine Lote-Tree, and the dove of glad-tidings in the midst of the heavens, and the bird of joy in the Kingdom of Names. By God! The world hath been perfumed through the opening of the door of the Desired One, and the beauty of the Promised One hath appeared with a sovereignty that hath encompassed the heavens and the earth. Thus hath the matter been decreed by God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of what hath been ordained by the command of thy Lord, the Lord of Names, in these days wherein the Throne hath been adorned by the establishment thereon of its Lord, and the world by the advent of its Creator. Verily thy Lord is the All-Wise, the All-Informed. Say: We have ordained marriage for him who was in the presence of the Throne and circled round it for a number of years, that he may act in accordance with what We have commanded him in the Most Holy Book, through which the breezes of the Command have wafted over all who are in the heavens and on earth.

O Lutfu’llah! Give thanks and praise unto Him Who hath, of His own accord, given permission for rejoicing on this Day, that the hearts of His loved ones may be gladdened—they who have soared in the atmosphere of His nearness and circled round His throne and spoken His praise and quaffed the choice wine of certitude from this manifest cup. We beseech God to make known to thee His grace and to ordain for thee that which shall profit thee in all the worlds of His worlds. He, verily, is the Munificent, the Generous. By the life of God! If thou wert to know and become aware of thy Lord’s favor, thou wouldst thank Him throughout thy days and make mention of Him amongst His servants in such wise as to attract the hearts of the heedless.

We make mention in this place of thy father who emigrated unto God, the Lord of the worlds. We had mentioned him before with such mention as caused all things to tremble and the trees to burst into leaf and the breeze of God to waft over the lands. Thy Lord is verily the True One, the Faithful. Blessed is he in that he fulfilled God’s Covenant and His Testament, and turned with his face toward the face of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment. He attained the presence of and heard the voice of the Wronged One in this mighty Prison. We make mention of him in truth and say:

Blessing be upon thee, O thou who didst believe in God when most of His servants turned away from Him, and remained steadfast in His Cause when the feet of them that dwell on earth did slip, and didst drink the choice wine of certitude when all in creation were overturned save whom God willed, the Numberer, the All-Knowing. Thou didst hold fast unto the cord of steadfastness and cling to the hem of God, the Almighty, the Glorious, the All-Praised. Say: Praise be to Thee, O God of Names and Creator of heaven, for having caused me to turn unto Thee and to be detached from all else save Thee, and to attain Thy presence and to hear Thy most exalted call in Thy Most Great Prison. I beseech Thee to assist me in all conditions to remember Thee and to praise Thee and to serve Thy Cause. Thou art, verily, powerful to do what Thou willest, and Thou art the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

BH02290: A Book sent down by the Ancient King…

In the Name of the Speaker, the Manifest, before the faces of the world

A Book sent down by the Ancient King to draw the peoples near to the Most Exalted Horizon, the Station wherein was raised the Call of God, the Lord of Lords. O Manifestations of the Names and their Dawning-Places! Hearken unto the Call of the Wronged One. Verily it hath been raised in the prison of ʿAkka, and He announceth unto the people the glad-tidings of God, the Lord of Religions. This is the Day wherein the Proof hath appeared and the Testament hath been perfected and the Grace hath been sent down as a bounty from His presence—and He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

O My loved ones in all lands! Hearken unto the Call of the Revealer of Verses. Verily He summoneth you unto that which will draw you nigh unto a station wherein the atoms cry out: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bounteous!”

O My Most Exalted Pen! Make mention of My loved ones in Bahram-Abad and give them glad-tidings of My loving-kindness which hath encompassed the horizons. O loved ones of God in that place! Rejoice ye that the Countenance of the Ancient Beauty hath turned toward you from the direction of His Most Great Prison, and that the Mother Book hath advanced unto you from this Most Exalted Station and Most Sublime Summit. He maketh mention of you through His verses, giveth you glad-tidings of the ocean of His bounty, illumineth you with the lights of His countenance, and teacheth you the path of God, the Lord of all men. We have been with you and have heard your mention in remembrance of this Cause when its light shone forth and before it bowed down all remembrance. Blessed is the one possessed of vision who hath drawn nigh and seen, and the one possessed of hearing who hath heard the Call of God, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Bestower. Nothing whatsoever escapeth His knowledge—He heareth and seeth, and He is the Powerful, the Unconstrained.

Blessed be your tongues for having spoken the truth, and your ears for having heard the signs of God, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving. By God! The ears were created for these days wherein the Call of the Intended One hath been raised from the Most Sublime Station, and eyes were brought forth to behold the lights in this Day wherein speaketh the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing before the faces of humanity in the prison of ʿAkka—the Kingdom belongeth unto God, the One Who causeth the rivers to flow!

Beware lest the happenings of the world or the veils of the nations sadden you. Cast behind you your vain imaginings, turning unto the horizon from which the lights have shone forth. Blessed is he who hath cast away what the people possess and hath taken from the hand of My bounty My Sealed Wine and hath drunk thereof in My Name, the Self-Subsisting, at Whose appearance the dawning-places of vain imaginings were thunderstruck. Thus hath warbled the Dove of Utterance upon the branch of clear proof by command of God, the Revealer of verses.

O Bahram! Blessed be thy land for having been honored by the footsteps of My loved ones, and thy trees which God hath made a vista for My chosen ones, and thy houses wherein hath been raised the call of My sincere ones whom the hosts of opposition have not frightened and whom the might of those who denied this bounty that hath encompassed all created things and this mercy that hath preceded all who are in the heavens and the earth hath not weakened. Say: This is a Day wherein the Pen hath moved by the will of the Ancient King and there hath appeared what was hidden in knowledge and treasured in the sanctified repositories of your Lord, the Revealer of mysteries. Blessed art thou, O thou who art mentioned before the Throne and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Scriptures and Tablets. Joy be unto thee for having drunk the choice wine of utterance from the hands of the bounty of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower.

BH02306: The Will of God, like unto a lamp, has…

The Will of God, like unto a lamp, has illumined the world of existence. We hope that all may attain to this radiant light, find their way to the Dawning-Place of verses and the Source of evidences, and turn towards Him. Verily our Lord is the Helper, the All-Wise.

Mention was made of Jinab-i-Varqa, upon him be the Glory of God and His loving-kindness. After being submitted to the Most Holy Court, these manifest verses were revealed—exalted be His utterance:

“O My loved ones in the land of Ta! We have made Varqa one who makes mention from Our presence, that he may guide the people to the Straight Path of God. He attained to recognition in the earliest days, arose to serve the Cause, and guided the people to this luminous horizon. He desired naught from My mention save service to the Cause and the performance of that which won the acceptance of God, the Lord of the worlds. We beseech God to preserve him through the hosts of the unseen and guard him by His sovereignty that overshadows all in the heavens and earth. And We ask Him to enable him to maintain this glorious and exalted station.”

Furthermore, the Most Holy Tablet specially dedicated to Jinab-i-Mir Ali Asghar and Jinab-i-Haji Ali Asghar, upon them be the Glory of God, was revealed and sent. We beseech God to strengthen them that they may drink from the cups of bounty the wine of immortality. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Compassionate, the Generous.

Likewise a Tablet was revealed and sent specially for Jinab-i-Mashhadi Ali, upon him be the Glory of God. Grace, mercy and favors have encompassed all. Each of those who have turned to Him has received their portion and share from the ocean of His mercy and has taken from the breezes of revelation that which has no peer or likeness. We beseech Him at all times to increase the recognition, attraction, steadfastness, trustworthiness, love and kindness of His loved ones, so that through their influence all the peoples of the world may attain to that which is the greatest means for the order of the world and the tranquility of nations. Verily our Lord is the All-Bountiful, the Generous, the Mighty, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

To the honored friend Haji Nabil-i-Akbar and likewise Jinab-i-Mirza Mihdi, upon them both be the Glory of the All-Merciful, I convey greetings and praise, and I beseech from God on their behalf that which befits the heaven of His generosity and bounty. Indeed, that which was mentioned was magnificent regarding Jinab-i-Khalil, for he submitted mention of the loved ones to the Most Holy Court and sought bounty for all. The door of bounty is open and accessible to all—His is the praise in all conditions and His the gratitude through the duration of His earthly and heavenly dominion. Verily He is the Self-Sufficient, the Most High.

The glory and the remembrance and the praise be upon you and upon God’s loved ones there who were not prevented by the clamor of the world from turning to God, the Mighty, the August, the Praiseworthy.

BH02352: O Land of Sad (Isfahan), remember what the people…

He is the Remembering, the Sorrowful One

O Land of Sad (Isfahan), remember what the people did to the family of the Messenger and what befell the children of the Chosen One at the hands of thy people. O Land of Sad, the Sun of Hijaz asks thee about His family, and the Virgin, the Chosen One, about her sons and daughter. Did the oppressors place her grave in a dark well, or did they drag her out with ropes of hatred to another calamity? By the life of the Beloved, the powers of heaven were shaken by this dire catastrophe! Alas! Alas! The Luminary of Batha wailed among the Concourse on High for what befell His family from the manifestations of hatred.

O people of Sad! By God, ye have committed that which hath caused the dawning-places of vainglory and the daysprings of tyranny in all creation to be bewildered. Be fair—by what proof did ye slay those through whom the Cause of the All-Merciful was spread in the East and West of the earth? Alas! Alas! Through you the Ark of the Messenger was broken and the progeny of the Chosen One were drowned. Through you joy was transformed into sorrow and darkness encompassed all in creation, save whom the All-Merciful willed.

O people of Sad! Hearken unto what Muhammad, the Messenger of God, calls out to you from the highest horizon: “O people of hatred and wickedness! Where is my Hasan who was aflame with the fire of God’s love in the kingdom of creation and was adorned with the ornament of faithfulness between earth and heaven? And where is my Husayn who accepted no ransom in the path of God, the Lord of all beings? By My life, O company of evil ones, no excuse or justification remains for you despite My words ʿThe righteous are Mine and the wicked are Mine.’ Did ye imagine faith for yourselves and consider yourselves people of the Furqan? Nay, by the Self of the All-Merciful!

Every learned one who donned the robe of grace hath wailed at your deeds, and every knower adorned with justice hath cried out at your actions. The lamentations of the Concourse on High have risen from your tyranny and the cry of all things from what your hands have wrought. Ye read the Qur’an yet deny its Source and He Who revealed it, and ye acknowledge My Messengership yet slay My children and turn away from Him Who sent Me. O company of hatred, ye have bewildered Me—nay, all that was created by the Word of God, the Sovereign, the Self-Subsisting.

O Mariner of the Sea! Where are thy ships? Have they been broken by the rocks of unbelief and discord? Or have they been drowned by the winds of oppression and hypocrisy? Or have they sailed from the cities of bodies to the gardens of spirits? Or have they migrated from the wilderness of separation and remoteness to the station of nearness and holiness and reunion? O Lord of the worlds! By Thy might and sovereignty, I cannot mention what befell them from the winds of oppression. By Thy Self, I am ashamed to disclose what I have seen and known. Thou knowest what I have and I know not what Thou hast, for Thou art the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. But I present a word to show my submission to Thy binding command and my adherence to Thy decisive decree: The croaking hath risen for the Nightingale hath taken flight. Command belongeth unto God, the Single One, the All-Informed.

BH02392: The essence of praise and glorification befitteth the Lord…

He is the Speaking Witness, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

The essence of praise and glorification befitteth the Lord of the heaven of names, Who hath bestowed true joy upon the peoples of the realms of knowledge and insight through the sealed wine and the preserved nectar, and illumined them with the light of divine unity. Exalted be His dominion and mighty His proof. There is none other God but Him.

O servant, before named Karim! Upon thee be My glory and My loving-kindness. Today the Most Sweet Call and the shrill voice of the Most Exalted Pen are raised from the horizon of the Prison of ʿAkka. Blessed is he who hath heard and turned unto it and attained, and woe unto the heedless. Say: O servants! The wine of utterance of the Lord of Religions hath another exhilaration and another joy. While time remaineth, arise to conquer hearts and minds with the hosts of wisdom and utterance. Verily God will aid you with His sovereignty and protect you with His hosts and exalt you through His bounty. Give thanks unto your Lord, for He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

His honor Asad, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness, mentioned you repeatedly and sent your letter to the Most Holy Court. We have heard your call and answered you with a Tablet from whose horizon shineth the light of thy Lord’s loving-kindness, the Lord of all men. Grieve not over anything. Trust in God in all matters, the Lord of Lords. He will aid thee as He aided thee before, and He is the All-Powerful, the Unconstrained.

Be occupied with service to the Cause at all times. We previously stated that Peter was a fisherman who became possessed of divine wisdom. Today that honored one and all the friends must arise together in complete unity to teach God’s Cause with wisdom and utterance. Great is the Day and great is the Cause. We beseech God to assist thee in that which will cause its fragrance to endure in the world. Soon shall the world and all therein perish, and there shall endure for thee what hath been ordained for thee by the Most Exalted Pen in the Crimson Book.

Thus have We expounded the verses and sent them down from the heaven of Will and dispatched them unto thee, that thou mayest give thanks and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O God of all contingent beings and Goal of all existence! And glory be unto Thee, O Lord of Names and Attributes, for having remembered me in Thy Prison and enabled me to turn unto Thee and face the lights of Thy countenance. I beseech Thee by Thy Name through which appeared at one time the ocean of light and at another the mountain of fire, and at times Thou showest it as a sun and at others as the heaven of grandeur and power, to grant me success in that which will cause my name to be exalted among Thy servants and my mention in Thy lands. O my Lord! Thou seest the poor one turning to the heaven of Thy riches and the weak one to the horizon of Thy power. I beseech Thee not to disappoint him of what Thou hast ordained for Thy chosen ones and trusted ones in Thy lands. Verily Thou art the All-Powerful, the All-Bountiful, the Ever-Flowing, the Compassionate, the Generous.”

BH11727: According to the Command, those beloved ones and chosen…

He is God, exalted be His glory! Wisdom and utterance.

According to the Command, those beloved ones and chosen ones must act in whatever way brings joy and gladness to the designated just government. All must be oriented towards goodly deeds. Teaching in that land must not extend beyond Muslims, and even then only if they are from Iran, meaning subjects of the Iranian government. It must not go beyond matters of character and that which leads to the elevation and advancement of stations. In truth, your deeds are the cause of the awakening of souls. If they are not aware now, they will surely acknowledge it later.

Another matter that must be considered is that copies of the Tablets sent, as well as the letter specifically dispatched to the maternal uncle, should not go to Iran, for the oppressors of the world secretly harass the oppressed. They know and recognize the divines of Iran.

Regarding the matter of oaths—excellent is what you have said and done. In truth, oaths are not acceptable. That which has repeatedly been revealed by the Supreme Pen in the Tablets was intended to exalt the Word, so that it might draw the attention of the hearer and then convey that which causes elevation and ascendancy. Thus did the Tongue of Grandeur speak before and at this time.

The actions of the glorious government in this matter have been for the sake of God. For one thousand three hundred years, the people of Iran have been occupied with cursing certain servants, reviling some among the people of various lands, and awaiting the appearance of imaginary forms. And when the Divine Tree grew and the Light shone forth, they busied themselves with cutting it down and extinguishing it. This supreme grace was bestowed upon the glorious government, which has surpassed the kings of the world in assisting the oppressed. We beseech God to strengthen it, preserve it, and ordain for it what He willeth. Verily, He is the Powerful, the Mighty, and worthy to answer prayers.

Read the sacred Tablet that was revealed in the name of Husayn and keep it concealed from the people of hypocrisy. And if a time comes when it is appropriate, with regard to proving loyalty, mention its contents to those princes who have specifically manifested assistance and the appearance of justice and fairness in that land. This is beloved before God, for it is incumbent upon all to preserve the right of the Helper and the station of the Trustworthy One, and to show gratitude. God willing, that which occurred in the beginning and was hidden in the soil of hearts will, through the waters of divine will and the rains of the All-Merciful’s grace, bring forth therefrom refined, wondrous and sublime fruits. The Command is in the hand of the Planter and the Cultivator, and He is God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH11613: O thou who standeth at the Gate! The All-Bestowing…

He is the Wise Commander

O thou who standeth at the Gate! The All-Bestowing hath come to convey to the peoples that which will draw them near to the Lord of all men. Thy letter was received and heard. We beseech God to assist thee in that which is befitting His days. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

That which thou didst mention evidenceth love, humility, submissiveness and steadfastness. The honored believer and the Leaf who attained His presence in the days when the Luminary of Manifestation shone forth from the horizon of Iraq—praise be to God—have attained unto that which was recorded and inscribed by the Supreme Pen in God’s Book. Blessed be they both! Verily, the Leaf hath drunk from the hand of bounty the wine of immortality, and for the believer hath been written the reward of attainment from the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.

Jinab-i-Amin, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness, hath repeatedly mentioned them in presence and absence. In truth, the one mentioned hath ever been occupied with the remembrance of God’s friends. Blessed is he! Concerning the House, that which they mentioned diffuseth the fragrances of the love of God, and these fragrances have not ceased nor will they cease. However, in previous years another will took precedence over your will and attained this service. Your House too hath been adorned with the ornament of acceptance through boundless grace and mercy.

The Exalted Herald—may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake—saith: All is that they might attain unto the word of contentment. Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having adorned this deed of mine with the ornament of Thy acceptance and Thy good-pleasure. I beseech Thee to ordain for me and those with me that which will draw us near unto Thee in every world of Thy worlds. Verily, Thou art the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

As to Rasul, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness, in recent years he hath been engaged in service, ever holding fast to the transcription of verses and the teaching of the Cause. We beseech God to send down upon his burial place the rains of His mercy. Verily, He is the Most Merciful of the merciful ones and the Most Generous of the generous ones. Praise be to God, he attained Our presence and dwelt for a time beneath the canopies of grandeur. We beseech God that He may cause all those who arose for His sake to serve and arrange his affairs to attain unto His grace, bounty, glory and generosity.

As for what was mentioned concerning the estate of that departed and elevated one: if there be no heir, it should be given through consultation to the poor of this party. We convey Our greetings to all the friends of that land, both men and women, and We gladden and remind them through the effulgences of the lights of the Word, the Goal of all the worlds.

The Glory from Us be upon you, O party of God, and His mercy and His glory and His bounty. The Most Great Branch will send from His direction the answers to previous petitions. As commanded, this servant wrote in His presence.

BH02422: O Afnan! At the Throne was read, time…

He is the Comforter, the All-Knowing.

O Afnan! At the Throne was read, time and again, that which thou didst send unto Our name, al-Mahdi, and therefrom We inhaled the fragrance of sorrows in this affliction, through which the Temple of Grandeur hath been clothed with the raiment of grief. Verily thy Lord, He indeed is the One Who remembereth, the All-Knowing. In this most great calamity hath My Most Exalted Pen lamented, whereunto beareth witness that which the Creator of heaven hath revealed in His perspicuous Book. Blessed is he that maketh mention of them who were martyred in the path of God, whether in former days or in later times, and in these very days, and reciteth that which hath been revealed for them from God, the Lord of all worlds.

O Afnan! The Divine Lote-Tree hath wailed and the Rock hath cried aloud, yet the ungodly lie fast asleep. Soon shall they be awakened by the lashes of the wrath of thy Lord. He, in truth, is the One Who informeth, the All-Knowing.

O Afnan! Although it behoveth every soul that hath quaffed the choice wine of Divine love to share, in this most great calamity and this grievous loss, with the denizens of the Concourse on high, who are the true companions in bereavement—for the countenance of the Wronged One is manifest and evident in the utmost sorrow, as a token of His grace, His faithfulness, His mercy, and His loving-kindness; verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days—yet it behoveth thyself and the other friends of God to be seen in complete submission and acquiescence, in patience and holy resignation. This blessed verse hath in these days descended from the heaven of the Divine Will:

“We have adorned Our head with the crown of forbearance, and Our temple with the armor of patience, upon this straight Path.”

Yet do We beseech God to protect Us from the wrath of the Forbearing.

It was formerly said:

“Be thou assured in the bounty of thy Lord, and be of them that give thanks.”

And from the Most Exalted Pen there hath in these days been revealed that which betokeneth the loftiness of rank and exaltation of station of the martyrs. A portion thereof We commanded to be written out and sent, in thy name, unto Mahdi, that haply ye may attain, through the reading thereof, unto this grace.

O Afnan! We offer Our condolences unto you and unto such as have believed concerning that which befell My Name Ha’, through whom the horizon of fidelity was illumined, and likewise concerning those who were martyred with him in My manifest path. By the life of God! Not a single atom of the deeds of the ungodly shall be passed over, but thy Lord, the Mighty, the Omnipotent, shall recompense them therefor. We have, moreover, aforetime revealed in the Mizan that whereby the hearts of them that know may be assured. Verily thy Lord is the sovereign Protector over all things, and with Him is the knowledge of all things in a Book encompassed by none save His all-embracing knowledge. Verily the Requiter walketh before the eyes of men, and the discerning beholdeth and seeth. He, truly, is the Hearing, the Seeing.

From Me, magnify ye My loved ones who have remained faithful to My Covenant and have held fast to My mighty Cord. The glory be upon thee, and upon the Afnan, and upon them that have attained unto the choice wine of My wondrous utterance.

BH02421: O My Name Jamal, upon thee be My glory!…

O My Name Jamal, upon thee be My glory! The leaf, thy wife, hath attained Our presence and been honored with visiting on behalf of the handmaidens of God who dwell in Hadba. Ask God, exalted be His glory, to illumine all with the splendors of the Sun of unity and adorn them with the robe of oneness. You should give the friends of God the glad tidings of this most great bounty and supreme favor.

As for the daughter of Rasul, upon him be the glory of God, We had previously commanded her to patience and forbearance until her husband’s fate became known. Thus was the matter ordained by the All-Knowing Ordainer. The husband’s fate had outwardly been concealed but later it was confirmed that he had attained martyrdom. Blessed is he and those who have attained this most exalted station. We send Our greetings to the daughter and her mother. We testify that she heard My word and showed patience after My command, and He is the All-Wise Witness.

Remember her on My behalf and give her the glad tidings of God’s mercy and grace which have encompassed all in the heavens and earth. She may choose as she wishes according to God’s Book, the Lord of the worlds. The law of waiting was revealed when the husband’s fate was concealed, but after its discovery to act according to what is revealed in God’s Book was and is beloved. Praise be to God, through this means she attained the mention of God, exalted be His glory. Verily He mentions whom He wishes and ordains for His near servants the good of the hereafter and this world. He is the Forgiving, the Generous.

Regarding the daughter of Muhammad-i-Sadiq, upon him be the glory of God, as commanded the servant in attendance before the Face has written, you also should write. God willing, may the men and women of that land succeed in all conditions in that which is befitting and appropriate. If they act according to the command, the gates of blessing and joy will be opened to all. Verily He has power over what He wishes through His word “Be” and it is.

We make mention in this station of him who was named Hasan who emigrated with Me and give him glad tidings of My remembrance of him. And We remember him who was named Muhammad-Taqi for whom I desired his Lord’s favor, and We ask God to forgive him as a grace from Him and remit his sins. We counsel him in what befits every name that is attributed to God, the Lord of the seen and unseen.

The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of mercy be upon thee and upon God’s servants and handmaidens in Hadba and Zawra and in the cities of God, the Mighty, the Loving. And We remember My Name the Oppressed who was imprisoned in God’s path, then those with him from among God’s friends, the Lord of what was and what will be.

BH02393: Praise be to God Who opened the closed doors…

He is God, exalted be His glory in wisdom and utterance!

Praise be to God Who opened the closed doors and guided His chosen ones and friends, leading them to the straight path and the mighty announcement. The days which through the tyranny of the oppressors appeared as darkest night were illumined and made radiant through His special grace and favor. The mountains of hatred, rancor, envy and corruption proved no obstacle. The prevention of the preventers, the calumnies of the calumniators, the turning away of princes and the objections of divines had no effect. The Hand of Power with celestial might removed all barriers. Witness to these matters has been the presence of the new traveler, upon him be my glory and loving-kindness. Praise be to God, in the days of adversity he turned to the Dawning-Place of verses and through divine power and the means of the heavens and earth obtained the greatest portion and mightiest share from the ocean of attainment and the river of meeting. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to aid him with the hosts of His might and power, to guard him with the ranks of His dominion and grandeur, and to ordain for him that which will exalt him among His servants and benefit him in all the worlds of His worlds. He is indeed the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

As for what thou didst mention regarding consultation and movement, whatsoever the Most Great Branch hath approved is approved. We beseech God to make the outcome blessed and to adorn it with the glory of His approval and acceptance. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

Concerning the turning of Mulla Muhammad-ʿAli, upon him be my glory, that too must end in consultation. Verily He hath sent down consultation and its wisdom in numerous Tablets and in His Mighty Book.

They mentioned gifts. Let them obtain a copy of the Tablet of Gifts which was previously revealed concerning Afnan ʿAli, upon him be my glory and loving-kindness. The sincere shall find from it the fragrance of the gift of God, the Lord of the worlds and the Master of the mighty throne. Whatever is possible shall also be bestowed. Within His grasp is the control of all things. He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. He is the Almighty, the Powerful, the All-Praised.

We make mention at the end of the Tablet of Darvish Muhammad-ʿAli, upon him be my glory. Praise be to God, he is illumined with the light of recognition and is steadfast in service to the Cause. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to confirm him in manifesting His Cause throughout the land and spreading His signs among the servants. They must make firm the foundation of endeavor and occupy themselves with conquering hearts and souls through the hosts of wisdom and utterance. This is a matter which the Commander hath ordained from the presence of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The glory shining forth from the horizon of the heaven of My Tablet be upon My loved ones there who have taken for themselves a station beneath the canopies of the grandeur of God, the Lord of the Day of Judgment.

BH02411: Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God…

He is the All-Knowing, the All-Bountiful

Say: Praise be unto Thee, O my God and the God of all that are in the heavens and on earth! And thanksgiving be unto Thee, O my Sovereign and the Sovereign of all who are in the kingdoms of Revelation and creation, for having awakened me when I was asleep, and raised me up when I was seated, and caused me to speak when I was silent, and taught me when I was ignorant, and made me aware when I was heedless. Unto Thee be glory and bounty, unto Thee be grace, O Lord of earth and heaven, for having shown me Thy Beauty and caused me to hear Thy verses and made me know the Dawning-Place of Thy Revelation and the Repository of Thine inspiration, and guided me to the horizon whence shone forth the Sun of Thy knowledge and appeared the Manifestation of Thy Cause Who spoke that which Thou hadst foretold in Thy Books and Thy Scriptures and Thy Tablets.

O Lord! The poor one hath risen before the ocean of Thy wealth, and the stranger hath turned toward his most exalted home in the precincts of Thy great mercy. O Lord! Withhold not from him the glances of Thy care, and deprive him not of the heaven of Thy bounty and the sun of Thy bestowals. O Lord! I have sacrificed in Thy path what Thou didst give me through Thy bounty, and have spent in Thy love what Thou didst grant me through Thy grace. I beseech Thee, O Master of the kingdoms of names and Sovereign of the kingdom of eternity, to confirm me in sacrificing my spirit in the path of Thy good-pleasure and love. By Thy glory, O Lord of the world and Lord of the nations, Who hath appeared with the Most Great Name! If Thou confirmest me not in this, I will complain of Thee unto Thee and will cling with the hands of the world to the hem of Thy generosity, that Thou mayest grant what I desire through Thy bounty and decree what I have asked through Thy grace and favor.

O my God and the God of all things, my Purpose and the Purpose of all things! Verily I am a supplicant who returneth not disappointed and a seeker who turneth not back dejected. Thou seest him cleaving to Thy door and knocking upon it, hoping for Thy ancient bounty and anticipating Thy wondrous favor.

O Lord! This is a day wherein Thy Cause hath appeared and Thy sovereignty hath come forth and Thy power hath prevailed and Thy greatness hath been exalted. Ordain for every one who hath attained the honor of visiting Thy countenance and hearing Thy call and entering the luminous spot and the most exalted Paradise by Thy leave and command, the recompense of them that have attained.

O Lord! This is a day wherein I behold that the very essence of fasting hath fasted out of longing for Thy Cause, having tasted the sweetness of Thy call which was raised from Thy most exalted station and Thy most resplendent horizon. O Lord! I beseech Thee by Thy Self to ordain for every one who hath fasted that which beseemeth Thy loftiness and Thy bounty and Thy generosity. Verily Thou art powerful over what Thou willest, and verily Thou art the Bestower, the Mighty, the Bountiful.

O Lord! My eagerness hath increased when I heard that Thou hast named Thyself the Bountiful, and my yearning hath grown when I became certain that Thou art indeed the Generous, the Merciful. I beseech Thee to forgive those who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs, and to adorn their fathers and mothers with the ornament of Thy pardon and beneficence. Verily Thou art the Protector, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH02499: O ʿAbdu’l-Husayn! Upon thee be the Glory of God…

He is the Qayyum after the Qa’im

O ʿAbdu’l-Husayn! Upon thee be the Glory of God, the True, the Manifest King. Hearken unto the Call from the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing, planted by the hand of the Lord of Names in the Most Exalted Paradise. God! There is no God but Him, the One Who rules over all who are in the earth and heaven. Verily He hath come for the salvation of the world and hath manifested what He desired as a grace from His presence, and He is the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. We have sent down the blessing of proof and the table of utterance from the heaven of grace and bounty. Blessed is he who hath attained unto them, and woe unto every ungrateful denier.

We have heard thy call and have turned toward thee from the direction of the Prison, and have revealed for thee that whereby the Sun of thy Lord’s loving-kindness hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of His Name, the All-Merciful. This is the Day wherein that which was recorded by the Supreme Pen in the Scriptures and Tablets hath been made manifest, and wherein the betrayal of the eyes and the secrets of the hearts have been unveiled.

Say: Fear God, O peoples of the earth, and deny not that which hath been sent down from the heaven of the bounty of your Lord, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing.

In the Persian tongue, hearken unto the call of the Wronged One. This Day is the Day of Resurrection, and all that was hidden and concealed in hearts and breasts hath been and is being made manifest. Blessed is the one whom the veils of names prevented not from the Lord of all beings, and who hath drunk the choice wine sealed from the hand of divine grace. Such a one is of the people of Baha and the companions of the Crimson Ark which God described in the Qayyumu’l-Asma’, a command from His presence, and He is the Almighty, the Unconstrained.

We beseech God that He may assist thee to serve His Cause and enable thee to achieve that which will exalt His Word amongst His servants. Night and day We are occupied with the remembrance of the Goal of all the worlds, and when the effulgences of the lights of manifestation and the call of Him Who spoke on Sinai were raised from the Sinai of knowledge, all the divines of Persia arose in rejection and denial, and unwittingly pronounced judgment against the very Manifestation Himself, whereat all things raised their lamentations. By the lights of the Sun of Truth! They perpetrated such an injustice as hath never appeared in the world, and committed that which causeth the denizens of the Most Exalted Paradise and the Supreme Heaven to weep and wail, while the perpetrators remain heedless and veiled. We beseech God to assist thee that thou mayest arise to help His Cause with wisdom, love and kindliness. He is the Hearer, the Answerer, and He is the Single, the One, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

The Glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon those who have believed in God, the Lord of this wondrous Day.

BH02494: O Asadu’llah! The heart is aflame and the Luminary…

He is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful

O Asadu’llah! The heart is aflame and the Luminary of the horizons is saddened by the tyranny of the people of discord and hypocrisy. By the life of God! They have held a fly up against the Lord of Lords. Have hearing and consciousness departed from the world, or have justice and fairness vanished? One who was unable to speak in the presence of others has, through his vain imaginings, surpassed the Lord of all beings. The Kingdom of Utterance is stirred today by the Word of the All-Merciful, yet the shameless people are afflicted with a hundred thousand ulterior motives and diseases.

O thou who hast migrated in My path! Upon thee be My glory. Hearken unto My call and remind My loved ones on My behalf. Then make them hear My lamentation, My cry and My appeal from the prison, because of what hath befallen the Cause of God through the whisperer who whispereth in the breasts of men.

Say: O friends! Arise with a mighty resolve and powerful determination to serve the Cause, and stand firm. Perchance tyranny, corruption, strife and contention may be eliminated from the world. Show mercy to yourselves and others, and fix your gaze solely upon the most exalted horizon. This is the day of the manifestation of true divine unity. Blessed is the soul that hath recognized and laid hold on the hem of Him besides Whom there is none other God. In past ages and centuries this blessed word hath issued from the tongues of people, yet they remained heedless of its meaning and reality. In these days the Sun of unity hath dawned, the ocean of knowledge is surging, the Point of Truth is manifest, the mystery of existence is revealed, and the Hidden Lord is seated upon the throne of manifestation.

Consider this time a precious opportunity and act as behooveth you. Take what We have commanded you, forsaking what the people possess. Thus have We commanded you before and after, and at this moment.

You mentioned Mulla Rida, upon him be the Glory of God. We heard this. We beseech God to strengthen him in the greatest steadfastness, in such wise that he may see naught in the kingdom save the countenance of the Ever-Present Lord, and may speak naught except this Most Great Announcement. Permission to turn toward the Desired One hath been granted.

We counsel thee and the people of God, together with the mentioned handmaiden, to that which hath caused and will cause the exaltation of the Word. You must pass over the servants and lands like the breezes of spring, that the flowers of divine love may spring forth from all gardens. Today the breezes of the All-Merciful are blowing and the Hidden Mystery is revealed. Strive that you may succeed in rendering a service from which the fragrance of eternity may be wafted.

Convey My glory to My loved ones and friends who have not broken My Covenant and who have drunk the choice wine of My love through My Name, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.

BH02433: Praise be to God that through the outpourings…

He is God, exalted is He

Praise be to God that through the outpourings of the cloud of divine mercy and the effusions of the clouds of eternal grace, they are verdant, flourishing, joyous and delighted in the gardens of love and good-pleasure. They have ever been and continue to be under the glances of His unfailing grace and the dawning rays of the Sun of bounty, adorned and honored with the crown of divine favors. We beseech Him, exalted is He, to cause the breezes of His generosity and the winds of His grace and bestowals to waft upon you at all times from the Sheba of His bounty, and from the heaven of His glory to shed upon you the lights of His gifts and favors. Verily He is the All-Bountiful, the Bestower, the Mighty, the Generous.

And now, a few days ago your esteemed letter, from which wafted the fragrance of divine love and affection, arrived and what you sent was received. Since it was intended that some work should be sent for the honored lady, the reply was somewhat delayed outwardly, for praise be to God, through His grace and favor you have been and continue to be mentioned in all nights and days in the Most Luminous Presence. Two most pure garments of the Twin Resplendent Lights—may my spirit and the spirit of all the worlds be sacrificed for them—were sent specifically to comfort the heart of the honored lady, along with one tailored harkay garment for Inayatu’llah, Hibatu’llah, Vaffaqahu’llah and Ayyadahu’llah, and thirty-seven pieces of almond candy. We beseech God to grant you its inner sweetness just as He has granted you its outer sweetness.

Furthermore, convey pure greetings and radiant salutations to that honored beloved, namely the esteemed Khalil—upon him be 966 [Baha’u’llah], Lord of nations. His mention has ever been and continues to be in heart and tongue and has never been effaced for a moment. Praise be to God that they have attained to His love, are manifest through His Name and are speaking His praise. Likewise convey pure greetings and boundless salutations to that spiritual father, namely this servant’s true dear father, and to Aqa Abdu’r-Rahim and Aqa Asadu’llah—upon each one of them be the grace and mercy of God. And likewise remember the female believers and Aqa Abdu’s-Samad and the children with goodly mention from this servant. Mention to the esteemed Khalil: May God protect us and you and then the company of those who drink this accursed tea! In truth if one dirham of it were to be sprinkled over all of China it would transform all of it. The tea that was first sent by that honored one bore no resemblance or relation whatsoever. Surely that beloved one has also partaken of it himself. May mercy be upon you, O people of the pavilion of glorification, one and all are remembered. The basket and handkerchief were sent.

BH02492: O Abu’l-Fadl, upon thee be My glory! God…

In the name of the All-Knowing, the Peerless One!

O Abu’l-Fadl, upon thee be My glory! God is aware and the sun and moon bear witness that the King Who doeth what He willeth and the Sovereign Who ordaineth what He pleaseth, in days when the foundations of the world trembled from the onslaught of tyranny and the pillars of justice and equity were shaken, summoned all, without veil or hindrance, to God, exalted be His glory. However, the deeds of the divines of Iran prevented and deprived them from the horizon of the All-Merciful, and the rejection by the ignorant divines became the cause and reason for the rejection of the people of that land.

Say: My God, my God! I beseech Thee by the exaltation of Thy Most Great Word and the power of Thy Most Exalted Pen, and by the earth honored by Thy footsteps, and by the trees over which passed the breezes of Thy Revelation, and by the springs that flowed before Thy face, and by the mountains that attained the fragrance of reunion with Thee, and by the tabernacles of Thy glory raised by Thy command for Thyself, to assist Thy servants to return unto Thee and to repent before the door of Thy grace, and to that which will benefit them and elevate their stations. Verily Thou art the Bestower in the beginning and in the end.

O Abu’l-Fadl! Ali Haydar, upon him be My glory, forwarded thy letters to the Most Holy Court, and each attained the honor of being heard, and from their words wafted the fragrance of the love of the Beloved of the worlds. Praise be to God, thou art confirmed and successful in serving the Cause in the days of God. Blessed are they whom the veils of idle fancies have not deprived of the ocean of light.

Make thou the Persians aware of the endless bounties of the one true God. Say: That which was hidden hath been revealed. Today the trees are singing, the fruits are manifest, and the signs are evident. This is the day of joy and gladness. Ye must cleanse yourselves from the darkness of earth that ye may attain unto everlasting light.

O Abu’l-Fadl! The All-Bountiful Lord hath been and is with thee. This is that Word which the near ones and the sincere ones have longed to hear. Give thanks unto God for this great favor and say: Praise be unto Thee, O God of all who are in the heavens and on earth. Convey My greetings to the people of God. Today the Book hath attained unto its home, and Sinai unto He Who conversed upon it, and the Tree unto its Caller. The people of God must be set ablaze with the light of manifestation and the fire of the Tree—a blaze that will set the world aflame. Say: This is the day of deeds. Strive ye, that there may appear from you that which shall endure throughout the kingdom of earth and heaven.

The glory shining from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy be upon thee and upon them that hearken unto thy words concerning the Cause of God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH02452: Praise be to the Lord of all creation…

In the Name of the Beloved, exalted be His Name and elevated be His station!

Praise be to the Lord of all creation and the King of all realms, Who caused to flow from the outpourings of His Command-bestowing Pen the rivers of eternal life and the everlasting Kawthar of immortality amongst humanity. And He made the holy souls and the abstracted temples from among His loved ones to be the source, place and channel of this universal divine outpouring amidst creation. Through them is the existence given to drink what descends from the clouds of grace and bounty, and through them is adorned the preamble of the Book of Creation and embellished the Kingdom of Heaven with the lights of God, the Lord of the Throne and earth. Through the warmth of their love and the delicacy of their spirit and the sign of their tranquility and steadfastness in God’s Cause have grown from the soil of hearts the plants of knowledge and wisdom, and the trees of understanding have been raised in the paradise of human realities.

Blessed be the All-Merciful for having manifested from His wondrous craftsmanship and His mighty innovation a noble person whom He named with this name before His glorious throne, and filled his heart with the jewels of His love and his inner heart with the pearls of His knowledge, and caused his tongue to speak with wondrous utterance in remembrance of His mighty and bountiful Self.

The letter of that soul-friend who, like a spiritual bird soaring in the heaven of inner meanings and singing with various melodies in the branches of remembrance and utterance, stirred this evanescent temple and drew it with the right hand of attraction and rapture, and gave it to drink from the pure water of enduring love which, through divine confirmations, was flowing in the rivers of words. Therefore I said:

“Praise be to God for having assisted His loved ones in that which causes the lights of the morn to shine and the fragrance of musk to waft [among] the near ones.”

The supplication which was previously submitted was read before the Face. After the Most Pure Hearing listened and hearkened, these gracious words were revealed:

“O Nabil-i-Qabli-ʿAli! We have heard your call. Excellent is that which you have supplicated from God, the Goal of the worlds. It was read before the Throne and We found from it the fragrance of sincerity and devotion and your turning to the Purifier of the world. Blessed art thou for having moved thy tongue in remembrance of God and adorned thy heart with the ornament of His love and thy breast with His shining, radiant lights. We beseech God to confirm thee in that whereon thou art and to grant thee at all times that which descendeth from the heaven of wisdom and utterance. Verily He is the Forgiving, the Generous.”

The Most Great Branch and the Greater Branch, may the spirit of the worlds be a sacrifice unto them both, remember that honored one with the Most Wondrous and Most Glorious remembrance and with mighty, sublime greetings. The Glory be upon thee, then remembrance and praise be upon thee.

The servant of God 3 Jumada ath-Thani

BH11730: Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech…

In the name of God, the Most Holy, the Most Holy!

Glory be unto Thee, O my God! I beseech Thee by Him Whom Thou hast manifested and made His Revelation the very Revelation of Thyself, and His concealment the very concealment of Thyself; and through His primacy Thou hast confirmed Thine own primacy, and through His finality Thou hast established Thine own finality; and through His power and dominion every possessor of power hath testified to Thy power, and through His grandeur every possessor of grandeur hath testified to Thy grandeur and Thy majesty; and through His self-subsistence Thy self-subsistence and all-encompassing nature have become known; and through His Will Thy Will hath been manifested; and through His countenance Thy Face hath shone forth; and through His command Thy Command hath become manifest; and through His signs the horizons have been filled with the wondrous signs of Thy sovereignty, and the heaven with the revelations of the glory of Thy unity, and the seas with the pearls of the sanctity of Thy knowledge and wisdom; and the trees have been adorned with the fruits of Thy knowledge; and through Him all things have glorified Thee, and all things have turned toward the court of Thy mercy, and all faces have turned to the splendors of the light of Thy countenance, and all souls to the manifestations of the glory of Thy oneness.

How transcendent is Thy power, how transcendent Thy sovereignty, how transcendent Thy might, how transcendent Thy greatness, how transcendent Thy majesty which was manifested through Him and which Thou didst bestow upon Him through Thy bounty and generosity! I testify, O my God, that through Him Thy most great signs appeared and Thy mercy preceded all things. Were it not for Him, the Dove would not have cooed, nor would the Nightingale of Praise have warbled in the heaven of destiny. And I testify that with the first word that proceeded from His mouth and the first call that was raised by Him through Thy Will and Purpose, all things were transformed—the heaven and all that is therein, and the earth and all that is thereon. Through it the realities of existence were transformed, separated, divided, distinguished, joined together and unified. Through it appeared the creative words in the world of dominion and kingdom, and the manifestations of unity in the world of might, and the signs of oneness in the realm of divinity. Through that call the servants were given the glad-tidings of Thy most great Revelation and Thy most perfect Command.

When He appeared, the nations were thrown into confusion, upheaval appeared in earth and heaven, the pillars of all things were shaken. Through Him appeared the great tribulation and the Most Great Word was differentiated, whereby appeared the distinction between every atom of all created things. Through it was the Fire kindled and Paradise made manifest. Blessed is he who hath turned unto Thee, and woe unto him who hath turned away from Thee and denied Thee and Thy signs in this Revelation wherein the faces of the idolaters were darkened and the faces of the sincere were illumined.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by this Revelation, to ordain for us the good of this world and the world to come, and to send down upon us from the heaven of Thy bounty that which will render us independent of all except Thee and detached from all save Thyself, holding fast unto the cord of Thy loving care and clinging to the hem of Thy tender mercies. There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Compelling, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.

BH02497: O thou who dwellest in the precincts of thy…

He is the Almighty!

O thou who dwellest in the precincts of thy Lord’s mercy! We have seen thy letter and read what was therein. Verily thy Lord is the All-Seeing Witness.

As for what thou didst ask regarding him who turned away from God—verily We concealed thereby the source and origin of the matter, as a wisdom from Us, and He is the All-Wise. He is mentioned as the Mirror in the language of the people, and this is a name that applies to all things. Verily thy Lord hath ever been sanctified above this name and its like and what transcendeth it, as every person of illumined vision doth testify. Should anyone discover the interpretations of My Book and the allusions of My words, he would bear witness that from the beginning of the Cause I made mention of him according to his station and rank, but the people are in manifest ignorance.

Today, should any soul reflect even slightly and be fair-minded, he will surely distinguish truth from falsehood and comprehend it. The light of the sun cannot be confused with darkness. The point is that he was mentioned by the name of Mirror, but those who have denied God and His verses in this Revelation utter words at every moment and speak according to their vain imaginings.

The person of insight and knowledge speaketh not through imitation but rather through investigation which surrounds him. Before the Revelation, every soul was firm in his belief in the Point of the Bayan and ascended. He is reckoned with God as being immersed in the ocean of mercy. Whatever skilled physicians and surgeons do regarding a patient is valid and executable, but they must be adorned with the ornament of justice. If they know the truth, this is assuredly preferable and more beloved.

Question: If one of the followers of the Calf, meaning one of the friends of him who turned away from God, should utter unseemly words about the Branches, and it be possible to bring him to justice in such a way that no harm would come to the Divine Cause—is this permitted or not?

Answer: This is absolutely not permitted. In all scriptures, books and tablets this reprehensible act, which is killing, has been strictly forbidden in the Book. Blessed is he who heareth! Woe to the heedless! Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds!

As for the final matter mentioned regarding the betrayal by one whom you had trusted with your family—this matter and its ruling depend on its manifestation in the visible world. O thou who hast turned to God! Today the bird of justice is caught in the talons of oppression. The dark clouds have prevented its light from shining. If the people of the world become ready and capable of receiving this most great bounty and supreme gift, in that very moment the lights of the Sun of Justice will shine forth from behind the veil of clouds, and the darkness of oppression by treacherous souls will return to nothingness, like a shadow when the sun shines forth. The glory be upon thee.

BH02476: All glory and praise and might and grandeur…

He is God, exalted be His glory, His is all grandeur and majesty

All glory and praise and might and grandeur and loftiness and sublimity and transcendence belong to God, the Possessor of all names and Creator of earth and heaven, and to His chosen ones and trustees and friends whom He has singled out for Himself and elected for His days and chosen for the service of His Cause and the exaltation of His remembrance among His creatures. There is no God but Him, the Powerful, the Mighty, the Beautiful.

And then, may my spirit be a sacrifice for your honor. Your esteemed letter arrived and this evanescent servant was blessed with it. After visiting, reading and learning its contents, it attained the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence and all of it was presented.

Regarding the letter of the beloved Muhammad Mustafa, upon him be the Most Glorious Glory, and what he mentioned about the Khan, it was presented. He said:

“We beseech God to forgive him and remit his sins and ordain for him what will benefit him.”

Ten majidis were allocated to be given, and afterwards, for as long as they are occupied with treatment, one quarter majidi should be given daily to his family, and from the time this letter arrives, give them for one full month.

And regarding what you had written about some old belongings of the departed Aqa Muhammad Hadi being given to Mulla Muhammad Ali, and one majidi being given as payment—the command is that Mulla Muhammad Ali should deliver that one majidi to the heirs of the departed one, and in exchange one majidi will be given here to the aforementioned gentleman.

Furthermore, the skullcap and letter addressed to Haji Siyyid Javad, upon him be the glory of God, arrived. And regarding what you had written about the tea that was sent causing embarrassment to that beloved one—that honor should never have any thought about such matters that might cause the slightest sadness to the heart, for it has been and is very clear that that honor exercises the utmost care and consideration in all related matters, and desires that whatever is most exalted and glorious of everything should be present, and none who looks with the eye of justice can deny this. This evanescent one’s submission was entirely about the tea itself, that it is of this kind.

And regarding what you had written about relief from outward impurity, it was presented. He said: “Now they are involved; God willing, they will gradually be freed.” In conclusion, upon you be the glory of God and His remembrance and praise at all times, before all times and after all times. And praise be to the Lord of the Day of Judgment.

The servant

BH02506: Praise be to God Who assisted His servants…

He is the Answerer from His Most Exalted Horizon

Praise be to God Who assisted His servants to turn unto Him on a day wherein most of His creation turned away, and united the hearts of His loved ones through one of His names, and revealed unto them what was hidden in His knowledge, and taught them His straight and manifest path. O thou who gazest upon the Face! Thy letter hath come before the Wronged One and attained the honor of being heard, as a favor from Him unto thee. We have answered thee with a Tablet that calleth out with the most exalted call, saying:

O peoples of the earth! He hath come, Whose advent was heralded in God’s Books, from the Self-Subsisting unto the Most Great Name. We beseech God to assist all to draw nigh unto Him. He, verily, is the One Who doeth what He willeth through His word “Be” and it is. We rejoiced to find in thy letter the fragrance of thy love and thy turning unto Him, and thy humility and submissiveness before God, the Lord of the Throne and of the dust, and the Master of this Day. Say: Glory be to Thee, O my God and the God of earth and heaven, my Lord and the Lord of the Kingdom of Names! I praise Thee and thank Thee for having guided me to Thy path and caused me to recognize the Dayspring of Thy signs in Thy days.

I beseech Thee, O Bestower of bounties and Creator of nations, by Thy Most Great Name through Whose revelation the Names were thunderstruck and the people of the kingdom of creation were shaken, except such as were seized by the hand of Thy grace and delivered through Thy bounty and generosity from the clay of idle fancies—O Lord! Thou seest that I have turned unto Thee and placed my trust in Thee. I beseech Thee to make me one of them that stand firm in the service of Thy Cause and to enable me to perform such deeds as may be adorned with the glory of Thy acceptance. Then ordain for me, O God of all beings and Educator of all created things, that which shall accompany me in every world of Thy worlds and preserve me from the evil of Thine enemies who have violated Thy Covenant and Testament, who have disputed Thy signs and warred against Thy Self. Enable me in all conditions to remember Thee, to glorify Thee and to serve Thy Cause. Thou art, verily, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

O Jalal! Thy name hath come before the Wronged One and the glances of the loving-kindness of thy Lord, the All-Merciful, have been directed towards thee. We beseech Him, exalted be He, to make thee illumined with the light of His Cause and adorned with steadfastness in all conditions. He, verily, is the Self-Sufficient, the Most Exalted.

O ʿAta’u’llah! Thou art in the House while the Wronged One remembereth thee in His Most Great Prison and prayeth God to ordain for thee that which beseemeth the heaven of His grace and the sun of His bounty. He, verily, is the Ever-Forgiving, the Merciful.

At the end of My Tablet I make mention of My handmaidens and My leaves, and give them the glad-tidings of God’s grace and mercy and of His remembrance and His signs which have been revealed at this time from My perspicuous Pen. The glory be upon you all from God, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy.

BH02523: To be typed

To be typed.

BH02642: In My Name that overshadoweth all names!

In My Name that overshadoweth all names!

O son of Abhar! He Who is the Lord of Destiny makes mention of thee from this spot whose every atom and every created thing proclaims: The Promise hath been fulfilled and the Promised One hath come from the heaven of the Divine Command with the standards of His signs.

Forget not My favor unto thee and My loving-kindness towards thee when thou wert present before My face and We caused thee to hear My sweetest call whereby all created things were attracted. Rejoice in that We have answered thy prayer and supplication and forgiven those for whom thou didst seek forgiveness from the ocean of thy Lord’s mercy, the Mighty, the All-Bestowing. We have indeed cleansed them of transgression as a bounty from Our presence. Verily thy Lord’s mercy hath preceded and His loving-kindness hath encompassed all who are in earth and heaven.

Be thou turned toward the Face and draw nigh unto Him, speaking His praise and arising to serve His Cause, remembering what We showed thee in the Prison in the most exalted station. We have permitted those whose presence thou didst desire before the Prisoner, and We counsel them to observe wisdom lest their departure raise the clamor of those who have denied God, the Lord of all mankind. Say: O people of Baha! Take ye wisdom from Us and transgress not beyond it. Thus have We commanded you in the Scriptures and Tablets. We have accepted thy presence and thy visitation on behalf of God’s loved ones and companions. Blessed is the servant who hath attained unto My verses and found the fragrance of My robe and arose to serve My Cause whereby feet have slipped.

Say: O peoples of the earth! Do what ye have been commanded in the Book of God, the Lord of all men. Beware lest anything prevent you or the hosts of those who have turned away from God frighten you when He came with the hosts of revelation in the final return.

O son of Abhar! Pass through the lands like the breezes of dawn that all who are receptive may find from thee the fragrance of thy Lord’s mercy, the Mighty, the All-Bountiful. Convey My greetings to the faces of My loved ones and friends.

Say: O party of God! The clamor hath been raised in all regions. This is what We foretold you when Zawra was the seat of the throne of your Lord, the All-Merciful, and in the Land of Mystery and in this spot which God hath made the point of circumambulation of the righteous. Beware lest the doubts of the divines or the intimations of the jurisprudents prevent you, or the might of those who were heedless of God frighten you when He came with power and dominion.

The splendor [of Baha] hath shone forth from the horizon of the heaven of My mercy upon My loved ones and friends who were not held back from the Truth by the affairs of creation. They arose and said:

“God is our Lord and the Lord of the Throne and earth, and the Lord of the hereafter and of former times. He is indeed the Lord of all names and Creator of the heavens. There is none other God but He, the Mighty, the All-Forgiving.”

BH11617: O my leaf! Hearken unto My call…

He is the One Who gazeth from His Most Glorious Horizon.

O my leaf! Hearken unto My call from the precincts of My prison, for verily it will draw thee nigh unto God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. We testify that thou hast attained unto the presence of God and stood before His countenance and heard that which was uttered [by the Wronged One] concerning His Great Announcement. Praise be to God that thou didst turn toward the prison in days when the fire of rejection was ablaze in all directions, and thou didst partake of the choice sealed wine from the hand of the Self-Subsisting at a time when most of the men of earth were observed to be bewildered and perplexed in the wilderness of remoteness. Know thou the value of this most great favor. He confirmed thee and guided thee to the shore of the ocean of His bounty.

Convey My greetings to the handmaidens in those regions. We beseech God to aid all to that which will guide the handmaidens of the earth, and give thou glad-tidings to each of them of God’s bounty and grace, exalted be His glory. All have been and are mentioned in the Most Holy Court. How excellent is the state of those handmaidens whom the doubts and intimations of the barking ones and the transgressors, and the oppression of the tyrannical, did not withhold from the Manifest Truth. These are the dwellers of the most exalted Paradise and the countenances of the most high Heaven. How many are the claimants to knowledge, grace, mystical insight and certitude who today are not and were not mentioned before the Throne, and how many are the souls who had no access to any gathering, yet attained to the hearing of the call and became joined to the Truth.

O my leaf, say:“My God, my God! Praise be to Thee for having given me to drink from the cup of Thy love and the Kawthar of meeting Thee, and for having honored me with attaining Thy presence and causing me to hear Thy call. I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Book and Thy Most Ancient Light to ordain for each one of Thy handmaidens the reward of meeting Thee and standing before Thy face. O my Lord! Disappoint them not of the ocean of Thy bounty, nor of the Kawthar of reunion with Thee, nor of the fragrances of nearness in Thy days, nor of the sweet-scented breezes of utterance at the dawning of the lights of the sun of Thy countenance. Thou seest, O my God, Thy handmaidens and leaves turning toward the lights of Thy face, dawning from the horizon of the heaven of Thy love, holding fast to the cord of Thy favors and clinging to the hem of the robe of Thy mercy. Ordain for them, O my God, through Thy generosity, that which will cause the fragrance of Thy sanctity and detachment to be diffused through them. Verily, Thou art the One with power over whatsoever Thou willest. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Generous.”

O my handmaiden! We give thee yet another glad-tiding, and that is thy name which hath been sent down from the heaven of thy Lord’s favor, and We have named thee “Mardiyyih” in the Tablet Verily thy Lord is…

BH02601: Praise sanctified from mention and utterance befits…

He is God, exalted be His glory, His majesty, His holiness and His splendor

Praise sanctified from mention and utterance befits and is worthy of the peerless Beloved Who, with a single breath from the Most Exalted Pen, adorned sheer nothingness with the garment of existence, and after bringing into being and manifesting all contingent things and created beings, set apart man for Himself, breathed His spirit into him, and deposited within him the gems of His mysteries and the wonders of His lights. Blessed is he who has arisen and continues to arise through the Spirit of God, and remains steadfast in His Cause, His love, His remembrance and what He has commanded in His Book, and preserves what he has been given from his Lord, the Mighty, the Ancient.

And further: your letter arrived and from it was inhaled the fragrance of love and affection, which has been the primary cause for the creation and appearance of all things. Blessed art thou, O beloved, in that thou hast attained unto that which is beloved of the hearts of them that are nigh, and the object of desire of the hearts of them that are sincere and devoted. I presented before the pavilion of grandeur mention of your praise and glorification and that of your family. All convey mention and glory to you and your family. Praise be to God that most times mention of you has been made outwardly and the Sun of special favor has dawned. After your letter reached this servant, it was presented before the Most Holy, Most Exalted Presence. After submitting mention of you repeatedly, He expressed His favor, saying “Blessed art thou, again blessed art thou.” Convey on behalf of this servant greetings and glorification to the true friends, namely Aqa Ghulam-Ali and Aqa Ghulam-Husayn and Aqa Ali-Akbar and Aqa Lutfu’llah, upon them be the glory of God, and to whomever thou findest devoted to assisting the Beloved. And likewise remember the family with most wondrous mention.

Glory be upon thee and upon them. I convey special greetings and salutations to ʿInayatu’llah. God willing, through divine favor they shall grow up and attain to lofty stations. Every great one was small before the manifestation of His grandeur, except these little ones who are great in the divine Kingdom and whose station is mighty, to such a degree that the Pen of Command and Decree is raised on their behalf.

He is God.

As commanded, you should come and bring ʿInayatu’llah’s mother. Peace be upon you and God’s mercy and His favor.

BH02654: Lawh-i-Kimiya 3

He is the All-Knowing Expositor.

O ʿAli-Qabli-Akbar! The servant in attendance here presented thy letter and laid it before the Most Sublime Vision. It became known that thou art [distressed] over the non-appearance of imagined matters and [thinkest] that divine assistance is through gold and the exaltation of the Word is through silver. God forbid!

O ʿAli-Qabli-Akbar! Thou art among those souls who have dwelt for years beneath the shade of the Lote-Tree, and after the intoxication of things and the thunderstruck state of most people, thou didst turn thy face toward the Countenance and didst bear hardships in the path of God. All these matters have been revealed and sent down from the Most Exalted Pen in the Book of Names. I swear by the Sun of the horizon of Divine Glory that the treasures of the first and the last, and whatsoever existed in and is now visible upon the earth, cannot equal these aforementioned stations. Preserve this station. Let not ugliness seize this good name. This hath ever been and shall ever be acceptable in the sight of those who possess the Most Great Elixir.

O ʿAli-Qabli-Akbar! The Most Great Elixir hath been the Word of Truth, which the Hand of Power hath manifested from the Hidden Mine through the Hidden Name. Nurture it in the retort of the heart with the fire of love, and after its effect appeareth in all the pillars, if but an atom thereof be bestowed upon the people of the world, thou shalt behold all the copper of existence transformed into pure gold. This is the Most Great Elixir, with whose mention the Pen of the Ancient of Days hath been and is occupied.

O ʿAli-Qabli-Akbar! From thy words, constriction of breast and heart was observed—that is, they indicated thy grief and distress. This is most strange. This was and is certainly not befitting thy station. Thy heart must be illumined by the Name of Truth and thy breast must appear more vast than the kingdom. This beseemeth thee and those souls who have, in the path of God, drunk from the cup of hardship and tribulation. Water at all times the tree of hope with the water of divine bounty, that it may remain verdant and flourishing and its effect may become manifest in creation. This is the counsel of the Wronged One, the advice of the Wronged One, and the utterance of the Wronged One. God willing, thou art accounted among those who hearken in His presence. Blessed art thou, and those with thee, and those who have believed in God, the Lord of the worlds.

We make mention of thy wife who was enkindled with the fire of love and affection.

BH02659: O My leaf and My handmaiden! Upon thee be…

He is the Manifest, the Speaking, the Compassionate, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise

O My leaf and My handmaiden! Upon thee be My glory! Praise be to God that thou hast been illumined by the lights of the Manifestation of Him Who conversed with the Burning Bush. All the handmaidens of the earth, be they queens or princesses or others, would sacrifice their all to hear the blessed word “O My handmaiden,” yet in this age of Divine Manifestation and diffusion of the fragrances of Divine Revelation, all were deprived save a few. Give thanks to the Purpose of all worlds that thou hast attained this most great bounty and supreme station.

What is now necessary and obligatory is to preserve this station, by this Name through which the Trumpet was sounded, the treasures were revealed, souls were thunderstruck, and that which was hidden and treasured from all eternity was manifested. This is the day of sight and hearing, yet most are heedless and veiled. The travelers who left their earthly homeland seeking the divine true homeland attained to presence, hearing and witnessing.

And Ruhu’llah, upon him be the glory of God, repeatedly mentioned you in the Most Holy Court and beseeched from the Truth that which would forever remain immortalized in the book of the world. Therefore these hidden pearls and treasured gems which were in the ocean of the utterance of the Purpose of the worlds have been revealed and sent that thou mayest attain unto them. Were all the peoples of the world to sanctify their ears from doubts and allusions and tales of the people and attain to hearing this supreme Word which hath been mentioned, all would hasten body and soul to the Most Exalted Horizon and the prison of Akka.

We make mention at this moment of My loved ones who attained the presence of My countenance and were blessed with what was revealed in My perspicuous Book. Thou art mentioned before the Face and art the recipient of special favors. His honor Varqa, upon him be My glory, mentioned most of them and requested a word from the Mother Book for each one. We beseech God, blessed and exalted be He, to aid all to do what He loveth and is pleased with, and to make mention of His male and female servants through the Pen of Grace with what beseemeth His generosity, bounty and bestowal. Verily He is the Hearing, the Responding One.

We promised Ruhu’llah this wondrous and mighty Tablet. Say: Praise be unto Thee O my God for having fulfilled Thy Covenant and accomplished Thy Promise. Thy handmaiden testifieth to Thy grace, Thy loving-kindness, Thy generosity and Thy bestowal. Verily Thou art the All-Bountiful, the Noble. There is none other God but Thee, the Forgiving, the Merciful.

BH02655: O Ghulam! Upon thee be My glory! Hearken unto…

In the Name of God, the All-Knowing

O Ghulam! Upon thee be My glory! Hearken unto My call, for verily it will draw thee nigh unto the One, the All-Informed. This Day hath another station and another significance, inasmuch as the Concourse on High and the dwellers of the Most Exalted Paradise have ever awaited, lest they be deprived of the outpourings of the True Bestower in the Divine Day. On this blessed Day there hath appeared that which had been hidden from all eyes and sight. Today mercy hath preceded all else and the divine bounty hath encompassed all, such that there hath been revealed for every soul among those who have turned towards Him that which the servants are powerless to comprehend.

Say: O servants of God! He hath come with the knowledge of “He doeth what He willeth.” Should He prefer an atom to the sun, or a drop to the ocean, all must accept it, for none knoweth the requirements of divine wisdom. Today the servants must bear witness to the sovereignty of God, glorified be His majesty, and submit to whatsoever hath been revealed and recorded by the Supreme Pen, which is the Self of Truth. The Exalted One hath said: “The entire Bayan is but a leaf among the leaves of His Paradise. Should He accept it, verily He is to be praised in His deed, and should He reject it, verily He is to be obeyed in His command.” Whosoever holdeth fast to that which hath been mentioned shall be preserved from the terror of the Most Great Day.

Say: O servants! Know ye the value of these days and deprive not yourselves of the outpourings of the Most Great Name. Fix your gaze upon the divine signs that perchance ye may drink from the cup of utterance of the Goal of all existence that which bestoweth eternal life and everlasting existence. Praise be to the Lord of existence and the Sovereign of the seen and the unseen, Who hath mentioned thee through His supreme grace—a mention that is eternal and everlasting. If thou hast attained unto this Tablet and drunk the choice wine of proof from the wellspring of its words, enlighten the people and send a copy of this most mighty, most holy Tablet to the friends of God, that they may drink of the Kawthar of utterance and receive their portion from the choice wine of grace.

O Shaykh! Hearken with the ear of thy heart to the call of the Wronged One, and arise to reform the world—an arising that no hindrance in the world can prevent or influence. This is the call of the Peerless Friend that hath been raised from the prison of ʿAkka. Blessed are they that turn towards Him, and blessed are they that drink! Praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

BH02624: Say: O my God, my God! I am Thy…

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

Say: O my God, my God! I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I acknowledge the oneness of Thy Being, that Thou art without peer or equal, and that Thou art God; there is none other God but Thee. Thou hast ever been seated upon the throne of Thy grandeur and glory. I beseech Thee by Thy Will that hath encompassed all created things, by Thy Purpose that hath prevailed over all creation, by the effulgent rays of Thy grace’s sun, and by the pearls concealed within Thy knowledge’s ocean, to adorn my head with the crown of detachment, my temple with the robe of godliness, my tongue with Thy remembrance, my heart with Thy love, my eyes with the vision of Thine exalted horizon, and my ears with hearkening to the rustling of Thy Most Luminous Pen.

Alas, alas, O Lord of all beings and King of earth and heaven, for my heedlessness and hesitation! Thou art He Who remembered me when I was silent in Thy remembrance, and turned toward me from the direction of the prison when I was occupied with other than Thee. I beseech Thee, O Thou Who art the Goal of all nations and Who hast been made manifest through the Most Great Name, to make me a banner of Thy remembrance amidst Thy servants and an ensign of Thy guidance in Thy lands. Then ordain for me to attain Thy presence, to stand at the gate of Thy majesty, and to remain steadfast in Thy Mighty Message, whereby the limbs of the idolaters have quaked.

Alas, alas, for my remoteness from the court of Thy nearness and my banishment in Thy days! I know not, O my Goal and my Beloved, what Thou hast ordained for me by the Pen of Thy decree. Hast Thou ordained for me what Thou didst ordain for Thy chosen ones who soared in the atmosphere of Thy love and circled round Thy Will, or hast Thou deprived me of the wonders of Thy gifts and favors? Thou seest, O my God, that this destitute servant hath turned toward the waves of the ocean of Thy riches, this thirsty one toward the Kawthar of Thy knowledge, and this weary one toward the Kingdom of Thy utterance. I beseech Thee by Thy might and power, Thy grandeur and all-encompassing sovereignty, not to disappoint this servant of what lieth with Thee. Thou, verily, art the Omnipotent over whatsoever Thou willest. Nothing escapeth Thy knowledge, nor can any affair hinder Thee. Thou art, in truth, the All-Compelling, the Mighty, the Most Generous.

By Thy glory, O Thou Who art mentioned in all hearts, the thirst of my separation can only be quenched by attaining Thy presence, my soul findeth no rest save in hearkening to Thy call, and my being cannot find tranquility except by beholding the lights of the horizon of Thy manifestation. Thou seest me, O my Lord, clinging to Thy cord and detached from all else but Thee. I beseech Thee by the Word through which the sincere hastened to the place of sacrifice and offered up their souls and bodies in Thy path, to send down upon me from the heaven of Thy grace a mercy from Thee and a blessing from Thy presence. Thou art, verily, the Strong, the Triumphant, the All-Compelling, the Self-Subsisting.

BH02657: O Murad! The Guides to the paths have ever…

In the Name of God, the One, and prayers upon Him after Whom there shall be no Prophet.

O Murad! The Guides to the paths have ever been the Messengers, and they are the Manifestations of Truth among creation, the Daysprings of Names in the kingdom of creation, and the Sources of Command and the Wellsprings of the revelation of God, exalted be His glory. He has ever been and continues to be hidden, His path closed off, and seeking in this station forbidden. And since the gate of attainment was closed and people were debarred from knowledge of the hidden treasure, He chose pure essences and holy souls and sent them from the higher realm to the kingdom of creation, that they might guide all and lead them to the straight path. Each of these holy souls, for God and in His path, bore infinite tribulations and made people somewhat aware. Some denied, others turned away, while a group became assured and believed, and a band became unbelievers and hypocrites. Blessed are those souls who were illumined by the lights of the dawn of truth and turned toward the highest horizon.

All these Prophets and Messengers were commanded to wisdom—that is, each spoke and revealed the Cause according to the capacity and measure of the people. Now We counsel thee, and take as witness the Concourse on High and the denizens of Paradise, that all may testify in the most great scene: Hold fast to the cord of servitude unto God, the Truth, then mention Me as befits. Beware lest thou utter what We have not permitted thee. Today the honored community is seen to be weak, as ye have seen and heard. It is incumbent and obligatory upon all to hold fast to the sure handle and, with the utmost lowliness and supplication, to beseech from the mighty Truth the protection, glory and exaltation of the white community. Verily, He has power over all things. Act according to what was mentioned in thy presence; transgression beyond that is not permitted. God willing, ye shall be assisted in all conditions. We beseech God to aid thee and ordain for thee from the Supreme Pen the good of the hereafter and of this world. Verily, He has power over all things.

Convey greetings from this Wronged One to His Honor Ahmad. We beseech God to assist him to act according to what has been revealed in the Book and to grant him shelter under the shade of the Tree of Providence in all worlds. Verily, He is the Powerful over what He willeth through His word “Be” and it is. Verily we are God’s and to Him we return.

BH02690: In My Name, dawning from the horizon of utterance

In My Name, dawning from the horizon of utterance

This is a mention sent down by the All-Merciful for him who has turned to the Countenance on a day wherein the gathering of the world was scattered and lamentation was raised between the heavens and the earth, that he may rejoice in My remembrance, which God has made the choice wine of life for all contingent beings, the Most Great Spirit amongst the nations, and the supreme gift to all creatures. Exalted is the Lord of Religions Who has come from the heaven of grace with manifest justice.

O Hadi! We sent forth the Qa’im, Whom all the divines of the age denied, save whom God, the Lord of the worlds, willed. Then when successive years had passed, We manifested Our Self with Our Name the Self-Subsisting, yet the people turned away until they pronounced judgment against Us with such tyranny as caused the Faithful Spirit to lament. They seized Us time after time and imprisoned Us again and again—once in the land of Ta, and again in Mim, and yet again in Ta, and in the Land of Mystery, and in this mighty prison. We give thanks to God in all this and We accepted what befell Us at the hands of those who were heedless of God, the Almighty, the Powerful.

We make mention of thy father, through whom the lips of mystical knowledge smiled in all creation and who attained the presence of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We make mention of him with that which nothing on earth can equal, and We remember him throughout the duration of the kingdom and the heavenly kingdom. And I am verily the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful.

O Rida! Rejoice in that the Lord of Names makes mention of thee from the precincts of the prison with such mention as draws to it the Concourse on High and the dwellers of Paradise and those who circle round the Throne at morn and eventide. Blessed is he who turns to thee and visits thee, by virtue of what hath been sent down from My Most Exalted Pen, and presents himself before thy noble resting-place. Thou art he who turned to God’s horizon and faced Him on a day wherein every heedless one remote from Him turned away.

The first mention uttered by the tongue of the Lord of Eternity among the nations is upon thee, O thou who spoke in remembrance of God and turned to His Face after the passing of all things. I testify that thou didst drink the Choice Wine that was sealed from the hand of His Name the Self-Subsisting, and cast behind thee all idle fancies, and took hold of the Book of Certitude through a power from God, the Strong, the Triumphant, the Mighty, the Praiseworthy. Blessed art thou in that thy head was adorned with the crown of acceptance and thy temple with the ornament of God’s favor in His wondrous Day. The glory and the remembrance and the spirit and the peace and the fragrances wafting from the garment of thy Lord’s mercy be upon thee, O thou who hast attained the tender mercy of the All-Merciful when He came with manifest sovereignty.

BH02689: We convey greetings to the friends of God…

He is the One Who gazeth from His Most Exalted Horizon.

We convey greetings to the friends of God and give them glad tidings of the ocean of the grace of God, exalted be His glory. O people of Nun, blessed are ye and joy be unto you, for from the beginning of the Cause ye attained unto that of which all on earth were heedless. There befell you in the path of God that which caused the Concourse on High to grieve. Whatsoever hath happened and whatsoever will happen in the path of God—all hath been recorded and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in God’s Book. This is a great glad tiding for you. No deed hath been lost, and its reward is preserved with God. Soon shall the recompense and reward of all be made manifest and evident.

Jinab-i-Amin hath made mention of you. Ye have been and are blessed with the divine remembrance, both before and after. We counsel you to that which will cause the exaltation of the Word of God. With perfect unity and harmony, be ye engaged in the remembrance of God and in His service. The service of God, exalted be His glory, hath been and ever shall be to teach His Cause and guide the people. This cannot be achieved except through goodly character, pure deeds, and kindness and love. We beseech God to aid all to do that which is pleasing unto Him.

Some time ago a Tablet was specifically revealed and sent to Mulla Muhammad-Shafi’, as well as a Visitation Tablet for His Holiness Vahid and the favored ones of God, exalted be His glory. This is the Day of joy and gladness, for God is manifest, His call is raised, and the horizon of the world is illumined and adorned with His light. Implore God for steadfastness. Soon shall the croaking of the raven be silenced. This is the news which the Most Exalted Pen hath given before and after. Some of the people of the Bayan are engaged in plagiarizing divine verses, while others lie in wait with feigned humility and submissiveness, assuming various guises that they might perchance ensnare His loved ones. We beseech God to adorn all with the ornament of steadfastness in such wise that the people of the world shall be powerless to prevent them. Take ye hold of the Book of God with the strength that proceedeth from Him. He shall suffice you in truth. Beware lest anything prevent you from this Straight Path and this Mighty News. Praise be to God, the Powerful, the Bestower, the Bountiful.

That which hath reached Amin is acceptable in the presence of the Wronged One.

BH02714: O My Name! Upon thee be My glory!…

He is God, exalted be His glory, the Most Great, the Most Powerful

O My Name! Upon thee be My glory! The matters are known and what has occurred is evident. However, thou must walk in the footsteps of the Wronged One and engage in dispute with no one regarding any matter. For example, if someone asks a question and thou mentionest a word in reply, if it is accepted, well and good; otherwise silence is preferable, lest there proceed from thee that which would sadden hearts. Observance of this station is most essential for thee. The protection of the Cause is incumbent upon thee. For instance, God forbid, if someone were to revile thee, thou must remain grateful. By the life of God! Through silence in this station all things will speak. It behooveth Us not to disclose more than what We have disclosed unto thee as a token of Our grace. Verily thy Lord is the All-Merciful, the Helper. In all conditions, the exaltation of the Cause must be kept in view, and this cannot be achieved except through wisdom, and wisdom is not attainable except through meditation and patience. Be patient, verily thy Lord is the All-Patient, the All-Grateful. The glory from Us be upon thee, upon thy beginning and thy end, thy outward and thy inward.

Another matter: The leaf, daughter of His Holiness the Afnan the departed, [and] the honored Aqa Siyyid J-ʿA, upon him be all the most glorious glory, insisted with utmost persistence on remaining in this land and serving in the Sacred Household. In truth she is most rational and virtuous, but they did not accept, for one day His Holiness the Greater Afnan, upon him be all the most glorious glory, was present and this servant was also present, and addressing the Afnan he said:

“We would like Sughra to join Mahmud and be content with his companionship.”

At first they demurred but later agreed to whatever proceeded from the Source of Lordship.

Another matter: That which several years ago Her Holiness the Most Exalted Leaf, upon her be all the most glorious glory, had requested and was promised, they also intend to bring from potentiality into actuality. Verily He fulfilleth His promise, there is no God but Him, the Bestower, the Compassionate, the Mighty, the Generous. And it is likely that the honored matron, mother of His Holiness the Afnan Aqa Siyyid M, upon them both be all the most glorious glory, has specifically settled in Beirut for this matter. Knowledge is with God, our Lord and your Lord and the Lord of all who are in the heavens and earths. And praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

BH02687: Praise be to the Lord of grace and bounty…

He is the Speaker before the faces of princes and of divines.

Praise be to the Lord of grace and bounty, unto Whom all laud and glorification are meet and worthy, inasmuch as, through His exalted and blessed Word, the ocean of generosity hath been stirred to its depths, the Dayspring of Manifestation hath ascended and established Itself upon the throne of justice, and the light of mercy hath shone forth and compassed all created things. Happy are the souls whom the promptings of self and desire, and the manifestations of rebellion and iniquity, have not debarred from turning unto the Most Exalted Horizon; who, by the power of God and the might of the Self-Subsisting, have cast behind them all that is in the realm of being, and have lifted up the Book of God with a strength beyond all reckoning. These are the servants whom neither the divers hues of the world, nor the ascendancy of nations, nor the hosts of princes, nor the opposition of the learned, have been able to deter. We beseech God to preserve them through His power, to guard them through His sovereignty, and to send down upon them at all times the signs of His bounty and the clear tokens of His mercy–those mercies that have preceded all existence, whether of the unseen or of the visible world.

O ʿAli-Akbar, upon thee be My glory! My Name, upon him be My glory, hath sent to the Most Holy Court thy letter which was adorned with mention of the martyrs of that land. Although what transpired hath caused grief to the Concourse on High, the Supreme Paradise and the Most Glorious Pavilion, yet in its inmost essence there appeared from it a mighty exaltation and manifest ascension. By the life of God! In its inmost essence is concealed and treasured the Most Great Glad-Tidings which God shall manifest as a bounty from His presence, for He is the All-Bountiful, the Most Generous.

We cherish the hope that all the friends of God will arise to champion His Cause and in all conditions remain detached and free from corruption, conflict and contention. Today all things are speaking and making mention of what hath come to pass. Were the oppressors to hearken to but one line thereof, they would, by their own hands, bring about their destruction. Would that the veil might be lifted from before their eyes, that they might recognize what they have wrought in the days of God, the Mighty, the All-Praised.

Muhammad-Kazim, upon him be My glory, previously sent that which testified to the acceptance and steadfastness of the friends, upon them be the glory of God, in that blessed land. The Wronged One beseecheth God to ordain for them the good of this world and of the next and to draw them nigh unto Him in all conditions. He is verily the Mighty, the All-Bountiful.

The light shining from the horizon of the heaven of My loving-kindness be upon thee and upon My loved ones and My chosen ones who have not been deterred by the might of the world from drawing nigh unto God, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.

BH02666: Praise be to God Who hath adorned the Mount…

He is the Mighty, the Great!

Praise be to God Who hath adorned the Mount with His Interlocutor, and the Tree with its Planter, and the Fire with its Kindler, and hath revealed that which was hidden in knowledge and inscribed by the Most Exalted Pen in the Scriptures and Tablets.

The letter of the Afnan, upon him be my glory and my loving-kindness, which was sent to this servant was presented before the Face of the Wronged One and was perused. Praise be to God, the entire letter was illumined with the light of divine love and aflame with the fire of godly attraction, speaking and testifying of the ocean of sincerity. We beseech God to ordain for thee that whose mention and traces may be spread throughout the world. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

And concerning what thou didst write about Abdu’l-Hamid, upon him be my glory—three petitions arrived from him and from Mulla Abdu’llah, entitled Rafi’-i-Badi’, upon him be my glory, and another person. And afterwards two petitions arrived from the honored Afnan Haji Mirza Muhammad-Ali, upon him be my glory and loving-kindness, and from Abdu’l-Hamid. Twice there was revealed from the heaven of the Divine Will especially for them that which hath no likeness or parallel. Before thy letter, by the space of several days, it was sent. One Tablet was also revealed in reply to the petition of Muhammad-Hashim and was sent to the honored Haji Mirza Husayn to deliver. We beseech God to assist them to serve the Cause and to give them to drink at all times from the cup of His loving-kindness that by which the Most Exalted Paradise and the Supreme Heaven may be attracted. Verily, He is powerful over all things.

Blessed art thou, O My Afnan! Thou hast held fast to the teaching of the Cause of the Divine Lote-Tree. This is thy station, and it beseemeth thee and is worthy of thee. To this testifieth My tongue and My pen and My Tablet, of which none hath knowledge save God, the Lord of all worlds.

Convey on behalf of the Wronged One greetings to Ibn, upon him be My glory and loving-kindness. He hath ever been and still is remembered. And We make mention of Nuru’llah and Muhammad and counsel them to patience and forbearance and to that whereby their stations may be elevated among the people. And We beseech God to send down upon them a blessing from His presence and a mercy from His side. Verily, He is the Most Generous of the generous ones and the Most Merciful of the merciful ones.

The Glory shining forth from the horizon of grace be upon thee and upon those who are with thee and who hearken to thy words concerning this firm and mighty Cause.

BH02726: O Mihdi! God willing, through the grace…

In the name of the one, the compassionate God

O Mihdi! God willing, through the grace of the Cherisher of nations and the Lord of the world, thou shalt abide, sheltered and at rest, beneath the shadow of the Most Great Name, and shalt remain occupied with the remembrance of the one Beloved. The Beloved of the worlds declareth: The world hath possessed neither permanence nor fidelity, nor doth it now possess them. Though some have complained, and still complain, of its faithlessness and instability, yet in truth it hath ever been, and remaineth, beloved, inasmuch as Divine wisdom hath so required, and without His command and His will not a leaf of the leaves hath stirred, nor will it ever stir. Whatsoever hath come to pass is in conformity with wisdom, and all must needs be content therewith—nay rather, cherish hope in it. Yet in certain matters, when after the sweetness of reunion there cometh the bitterness of separation, and when after nearness and meeting the decree of remoteness is pronounced, it is for this reason that sighs of sorrow and grief are raised and the tears of the eyes are made to flow. Otherwise, the matter is even as some among the wise have borrowed from the words of Idris and have set down:

“In all possibility there is nothing more wondrous than that which already is.”

That which befell you hath in truth befallen all the people of Baha, for he was among those souls who, in the earliest days of this Revelation, attained unto the honor of turning unto it and was adorned with the ornament of true recognition. We, verily, make mention of him at this moment as a grace from Us, and We are, in truth, the All-Knowing Remembrancer.

O Muhammad, son of Husayn! This Husayn remembereth thee—that Husayn by whose will the Most Exalted Pen was moved, and the kingdom of names was adorned—and He saith: Upon thee be My glory, My remembrance, My mercy, the remembrance of the Concourse on high, and the splendor of the inmates of My exalted Paradise. Thou art he who didst remain faithful to the covenant of God and to His testament, and who didst turn unto Him when every heedless soul turned away from Him and every clamorous crier rose up in protest against Him. Thou didst stand firm in the love of thy Lord when the trees of existence were seized by tempestuous winds, and thou didst utter the praise of thy Lord when He came invested with the banners of signs.

In this world thou wast one who spoke in His remembrance and attained unto His love, until thou didst ascend unto the Supreme Companion, unto that station the pens of the people of creation have faltered to describe. Thus doth God reward him that laboreth in His path with the fairest of rewards. He, verily, is the Lord of the world to come and of the world that now is, the Sovereign of the throne and of the dust beneath it. There is none other God but Him, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

BH02669: My God, my God! I testify to Thy manifestation…

He is God, exalted is He!

My God, my God! I testify to Thy manifestation and Thy oneness and Thy singleness, and to that which the tongue of Thy grandeur hath spoken before the creation of Thy heaven and earth, and to that which hath been sent down from the heaven of Thy Will and the atmosphere of Thy Purpose. O my Lord! Grant me complete detachment from all else save Thee, that I may wholly cling to the cord of Thy bounty and hold fast to the hem of the robe of Thy generosity.

My God, my God! I have witnessed the waves of the ocean of Thy forgiveness and have hastened toward them with my grievous sins and mighty transgressions. I have beheld the effulgences of the Sun of Thy wealth and have turned toward them in my poverty and need. O Lord of the Throne and of earth, Master of the Hereafter and of this world! O Lord of the world and Beloved of nations! Thou seest the ignorant one standing before the gate of Thy knowledge, and the destitute one before the kingdom of Thy riches.

I beseech Thee by Thy Most Great Signs, whereby the dead were raised and the Manifestations of Names and Attributes appeared, to make me one of those through whose mention Thy Most Exalted Pen was moved in the kingdom of creation, and through whom Thou didst aid Thy Cause and manifest Thy sovereignty, and through whom Thou didst raise the banner of “Verily Thou art God” and the standard of dominion for Thyself in Thy kingdom and Thy realm of might.

O Lord! I long to be detached from all else save Thee and attracted by Thy verses, in such wise that I move not except through the winds of Thy Will, nor speak except by that which Thou hast sent down in Thy Book. O Lord! Thou seest the hands of hope upraised toward the heaven of Thy favor—strengthen them in such work as will promote Thy Cause and from which the fragrance of Thy good-pleasure will be diffused. O Lord! Adorn my deeds and aspirations with the light of Thy acceptance.

I am Thy servant and the son of Thy servant. I acknowledge my heedlessness and forgetfulness in Thy days. O Lord! Send down from the heaven of Thy mercy that which will set right my affairs, then enable me to make good what hath escaped me during the dawning of the lights of the Day-Star of Thy Revelation. O Lord! Look not upon my failings, but upon Thy bounty, and not upon the hosts of my disobedience, but upon the waves of the ocean of Thy pardon and forgiveness.

Blessed is the heart that hath melted in Thy love, and the liver that hath been consumed in its remoteness from the shore of the ocean of Thy nearness, and the eye whose tears have flowed at the sight of Thy tokens, and the breast whose sighs have risen in longing for Thy presence.

Alas! Alas! O my Lord and my Beloved! If Thy binding decree should prevent me from turning toward the lights of Thy countenance, ordain for me through Thy Most Exalted Pen the reward of attaining Thy presence and entering Thy prison and appearing before the throne of Thy manifestation. Verily Thou art He Whom nothing whatsoever can frustrate. Thou givest through Thy Will and takest through Thy Purpose. There is none other God but Thee, the All-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.

BH02801: In My Name which shineth forth from the horizon…

In My Name which shineth forth from the horizon of the Kingdom of Utterance!

This is a Day wherein the Mother Book proclaimeth: “The Kingdom belongeth unto God, the Ruler of all necks,” and the Mother of the Bayan declareth: “The dominion belongeth unto God, the Lord of lords,” and the Mother of the Tablets calleth out, saying: “O people! By God, the Day hath come, and sovereignty and dominion, might and power belong unto God, the Lord of the Day of Return!” Blessed is he who hath heard the Call and found the fragrances of Revelation as they wafted from the Most Exalted Horizon in the prison of ʿAkka. Woe betide every heedless doubter! Glorified be He Who hath sent down the verses and manifested the evidences and summoned all to this Horizon from which the lights have shone forth.

O thou who gazest upon the Countenance! Hear the call of the Wronged One. He verily aided thee until thou didst turn to the Horizon from which the parties have turned aside, save whom God did will, the Almighty, the Mighty, the Bestower. Thou hast attained. Hearken unto the Call of God. All in the world were created for turning towards and serving humanity, yet all are deprived save a few. Reflect upon the confirmations of God, exalted be His glory, and His bounties. He guided thee through a hundred thousand outward and inward means to the Most Exalted Horizon and led thee aright. This is a great bounty—know thou its station and preserve it through the Name of God, exalted be His glory.

The Most Exalted Pen beareth witness to thy turning and devotion to the Dayspring of verses and the Lord of names and attributes. In times of trials and tribulations We have been with thee. Nothing escapeth His knowledge and He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. Grieve not over anything. Say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O my God, for having guided me unto Thy mighty Announcement and Thy straight Path, and for having illumined my heart with the light of Thy knowledge, and for having sent down for me again and again that whereby my mention and my name shall endure in Thy Manifest Book.”

Repeatedly hath thy mention flowed from the Most Exalted Pen. This is a glad-tiding that no glad-tidings of the peoples can equal, nor the joy of the world. Give thanks and say:

“Praise be unto Thee, O Beloved of the hearts of them that are nigh unto Thee!”

Repeatedly hath the Afnan, upon him be My Glory and loving-kindness, mentioned thee, and in those days too was the Most Holy, Most Exalted Tablet revealed and sent in thy name. Verily thy Lord loveth His loved ones and maketh mention of them in such wise that their names shall endure in His Book. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the Bountiful.

Convey My greetings to the loved ones and illumine them with the splendors of the lights of the Day-Star of utterance, the Goal of all the worlds.